Dance/Drama Team Rocks Botswana!

Buyela Team from YFC South Africa

On Monday March 22, a dance/drama team of 14 young adults from Youth for Christ South Africa arrived. Their team named is Buyela, a Zulu word meaning “return.” They seek to help people return to God and for family reconciliation – fathers’ hearts to return to their children and children’s hearts to return to their fathers (based on Malachi 4:6, Luke 1:17). You can find them online at www.buyela.com. They have stayed at the YFC office all week as they’ve ministered here in Botswana. They presented a 90-minute program to the entire student body at three schools in Gaborone. March is officially the Month of Youth Against AIDS here in Botswana, so schools are more open to having presentations about AIDS and encouraging abstinence to prevent its spread. The team also presented to the orphans at the YFC daycare and to the School of the Blind students Friday. On Saturday, March 27, they performed at an open-air abstinence rally in the center of Mochudi that was co-sponsored by Youth for Christ and a Women’s Prayer Movement in Mochudi. We were up at 5 something a.m. to be in town by 6:30 am to put up a big-top tent. The dance/drama team from South Africa performed a few of their dances and the dance/drama team from here in Botswana performed a powerful drama. There were various speakers sharing about the AIDS situation here in our district, as well as the reasons why to abstain and how, through the strength and grace of the Lord, to actually abstain and be faithful during marriage.

I was thankful I brought my trusty Botswana umbrella along to the rally because when the sun was beaming down and we were all sitting under the sun (the tent was for the sound system and stuff for the presentations), most people were cooking like chicken under the sun. But I had a slice of shade courtesy of my patriotic umbrella. Many people from Botswana also brought along their umbrellas (most people carry their umbrellas everywhere to block the sun, and only occasionally the rain). I ended up offering it to one of the German volunteers (Kyra) and her boyfriend Alex who arrived Friday on a visit from Germany (let’s just say he came from the Germany winter and is NOT tan at all!). Another addition to our household is another American YFC missionary, a 23-year old named Katie! She arrived Thursday night and will be working with the orphan day care for at least 2 years. So she is now sharing a bedroom with me in the house. I was the first American long-term missionary to move here, and now there are two of us!

Saturday night we had dinner together as a household (9 of us now with Alex and Katie!). Simone from the Netherlands was the cook that day (we take turns cooking) – a delicious meal of sausage, potatoes, corn, peas, and carrots. Soon after, we walked to the YFC office where the South African dance/drama team performed at the Coffee Bar. It was the biggest turn-out all year, which was awesome because of the powerful and important message that was presented. Several students committed their lives to Christ after their presentation! It was a very encouraging night!
The next day (Sunday, March 28), the South African team presented at a youth service at the church in Gaborone that the YFC director E.J. pastors. It was the “last hurrah” before the team drove back to South Africa yesterday. The people really liked it and already want the team to return.

After that last performance Sunday night, we were all quite hungry (not having eaten dinner yet). One of the YFC Botswana board members was there with his wife and he decided to treat us ALL to dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in Gaborone called Spur. So there were 22 of us (the YFC South Africa team and then most of the YFC Botswana staff)!!! What generosity!! It was an amazing treat! I had chicken enchiladas…muy bueno!

Overall, it was such a blessing having the Buyela team with us for a week. We spent a lot of time with them and grew to be friends so we miss them already! We YFC Botswana staff (though mainly E.J.’s wife Koekoes) prepared meals for them all week, including a braai (barbeque/cook-out) Friday night. We are thankful for the team’s visit, and we pray that the message of abstinence will take root in the hearts of all the teens and adults who saw/heard them this whole week and that it will lead to behavior change that helps reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. This is the type of team that we want to organize and lead to travel full-time throughout Botswana to schools/communities. Right now, the YFC Botswana dance/drama team is part-time volunteers and they perform in Mochudi and nearby towns. I will be focusing on the ministry in Gaborone and Mochudi now to help get that going more, as we try to organize members, training, and funding for a full-time travel team.