Our final days in Matlosane… Monday 12 March 2012

On our last Sunday with Bishop Steve and his family we shared a “farewell and thank you”  meal together.  We agreed how our time with them in the diocese had gone quickly and that there was still so much that we hadn’t seen.  We have some sense now of just how large the diocese is and the scale of travel involved for all those who are ministering, especially in the many rural areas.

Bishop Steve, his wife Brenda with Letlotlo,
Leruo and Gnata, with Ivy their helper 

On Monday 12^th we rose with the family to say goodbye to them … Brenda off to work as Senior Environmental Co-ordinator at a gold mine, and Letlotlo, Leruo and Gnata off to school.  By 7.05am they were all gone.  We loaded up the car and said a big thank you to Ivy who is the housekeeper/family friend/helper for the Diseko family… she was always kind and so willing to welcome and help us…even though our limited Tswana meant that we couldn’t always say thank you very well.

Bishop Steve with admin staff from the
Matlosane Diocesan office.  Ruth (left) and Mable

We then joined Bishop Steve in a final visit to the diocesan office, where we were shown the plans for a heritage site to be built on the ground where Archbishop Desmond Tutu was born.  We met the diocesan office staff, Sonia, Ruth and Mabel  and Bishop Steve prayed for us, for a safe journey, as we left.  We were each given a Matlosane Diocese badge, which we all put on.  Andrew and Sam were especially pleased as it was a bit like a “Blue Peter Badge” …. I had no idea how helpful the badge was to prove on the journey as we met a policeman who was an Anglican too and he recognised the badge.

We arrived safely just after 6pm at Mercy Air and have been resting and enjoying some family time together.  We are so grateful for all we have experienced and encountered in our time in Matlosane – all the people we have met, the kindness care and hospitality.   We will not forget them

Thank you for following the blogs and please carry on following for more details about our links with Matlosane.  Especially, you may like to follow a team of people from Lichfield who will be coming to Matlosane after Easter 2012 to help with some training for Sunday School leaders.

Please continue to pray for the church and people in Matlosane as they face ongoing challenges…and they will pray for us too.  It is exciting to think about where and how God may use this partnership.

Thank you and God Bless

Richard, Rose, Andrew and Sam Westwood