May 1, 2004

iMonti (East London)
iMpuma-Koloni (Eastern Cape Province)
iMzantsi Afrika (South Africa)

Dear Friends,

This is the ideal time for us to sit down and write our first Mission Connections letter. Our legs are sore, our feet are blistered, and we have hardly any oomph left in our bodies. This morning we added to our regular devotions Isaiah 40:31, “they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

And we did not faint. We did complete the 15k version of the annual big benefit walk here in East London—close to last in the race, but in personal record time of just over two and a half hours. The course took us past two separate Indian Ocean beaches and up and down more hills than we care to remember. The crowd of about 1000 walkers included people of all races and ages and physical abilities. We were reminded of the annual walk for hunger in our hometown, Cleveland, which also happens in May.

We chose the theme of “start” for this letter not just because of today’s walk. In a much larger context we want to share with you about the start of our mission co-worker assignment.

When we arrived in East London, we experienced firsthand that affordable housing is in short supply. Fifty-three percent of the population in the province lives in “informal” housing, i.e. shacks and shanties. On April 1, we moved into a small rented house in the Cambridge neighborhood of East London. We are among the privileged minority in the Eastern Cape who have access to electricity (31%) and tap water inside the house (25%).

While putting together a household from scratch, we spent hours at nearby Vincent Center, an upscale shopping mall which could be found in any American suburb—clothing and bookstores, ATMs, fast food, a six-screen cinema, elevators, and escalators, a digital photo lab. South Africa is a country of stark contrasts between First World and Third World realities. And the gap between rich and poor continues to widen here every day, just as it does in the United States.

Our worship life got off to a great start during Holy Week when we joined a Xhosa-speaking Presbyterian congregation in the neighboring township of Mdantsane for their Maundy Thursday service. The ritual of foot washing is an annual tradition there, and we were asked by the pastor to help wash the feet of the elders present, a liturgical task that does not require much language skill but is packed with meaning. So often we feel uncomfortable with the place of prominence given to us by black congregations here. Kneeling next to the basin with towel in hand felt much more congruent with the way we see our roles as mission co-workers.

In our next letter we will write more about the Joining Hands Against Hunger program and our tasks as co-companionship facilitators. Meanwhile you can read more about us and from us on the Web at http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/jonesk.htm. You can contact us by snail mail at P.O. Box 3433, Cambridge 5206, South Africa or by email JHAHKS@aol.com.

We have come to value the Prayer for Africa, which is part of all Anglican worship services here. Please join us in praying:

God bless Africa,
Guard her children,
Guide her leaders,
And grant her peace,
For Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Susanne Carter and Ken Jones

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 61