Last week was UMC Mission week. The idea for mission week started in 2015, when a team from Faithbridge - a United Methodist Church in Texas – came to participate in some of our community projects here in Umhlali. We planned a wonderful week of community work with them, and someone from the congregation suggested that since people were willing to fly from the other side of the world to be part of what is happening here, that perhaps there were UMC people who might also like to join :) and so Mission Week was born!

The next year, we planned UMC Mission Week, giving people from UMC a chance to see and participate in a number of the programmes that you hear us talking about in services. So this is the third year that we as UMC have organised an intentional week of serving and participating in some of the community projects we run through Khanyisa.

On Monday, we went to Hambanathi and had a meal with the families we support through the toiletry project. On Tuesday, we joined the teacher training workshop and got stuck into some classroom activities. On Wednesday we planted a veggie garden at a local pre-school in Nkobongo, whose teachers are part of the teacher training course. On Thursday we joined the very special adult literacy group in the Upper Room, and on Friday we spent time in prayer together in the morning, and in the afternoon delivered soccer balls and snacks to one of the kids clubs. Have a look at the album on our UMC Facebook page if you want to see more!

Marcia and Nonny co-ordinated the week, with 'team leaders' for each day's events making the details happen. Thank you to each person who participated, whether through your presence, your prayers, your support or encouragement, this really was a very special week in so many ways. We got to join in with what God is doing in this time and place, and build the Kingdom together as the Church. And we wait with eager hope to see what God will continue to do in and through us.