Josiah Road

Students see missions in South Africa

posted by staff 19Dec

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (BP)—It’s one of those moments where you can almost hear crickets chirping. Two International Mission Board short-term missionaries are trying to get a room full of high school students to open up about issues they face at home.

Silence.

A sea of blue and white uniforms begins to move as the teens fidget and squirm. Jay Dannelley and Chris Reasner wait for someone — anyone — to bail them out. Just as they’re about to toss this exchange into the hall of fame of awkward moments, some of the students at this school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, start talking.

“Drugs,” says one. “Abuse,” says another. “Anger.”

Slightly stunned by the response, Dannelley and Reasner encourage the class to share their struggles with others. They also discuss how faith in God can change lives.

“They come to school having a lot of baggage with them,” says Dannelley. “We try to tell them, ‘You can change your school. You can make it better … if you are on fire for the Lord.’”

During a four-month stint with the IMB’s short-term “Hands On” missions effort, Dannelley, and Reasner, worked in several high schools in Port Elizabeth. They taught classes on self-esteem and shared their Christian faith during sports clinics. They are two of 44 college and seminary student participants in Hands On throughout Africa.

Hands On is designed to give young people a taste of life on the mission field by spending a semester or two overseas working alongside missionaries sharing the love of Christ. With its scenic beaches and warm temperatures, Port Elizabeth attracts tourists, but Reasner and Dannelley saw a darker side.

They worked with the Cape Malay, a people of mixed races who trace their ancestry to Malaysian slaves of Dutch settlers. The slaves intermarried among a group of South Africans, now known as the “bushmen.” The Cape Malay live in some of the roughest areas, where 70 percent of the city’s crime is reported.

One afternoon, students crowd into a classroom. Some stand on desks. Some sing and dance. Others nibble on their lunch. To an outsider, the situation appears to be bordering on chaos. For those in the room it’s a typical monthly Christian club meeting of praise and worship.

A Muslim boy walks in wearing a traditional hat. He asks Dannelley if he needs to take it off. He’s allowed to wear it and is welcomed into the meeting. Before long, he’s singing praise songs with the others.

The original article was posted by Shawn Hendricks and appeared on Baptist Press on Jul 14, 2008

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