Author: Zeng Dieulv

LASTLY, WE THANK OUR TWO HOUSE LEADERS, ZENG AND MASENGO, FOR THEIR TIRELESS DEDICATION TO OUR MERCY WORK.  WE COULD NEVER ACHIEVE ANY OF THESE THINGS WITHOUT THEIR REMARKABLY COMMITTED AND EFFICIENT RUNNING OF OUR MERCY WORK.

It is always so affirmative when former volunteers take the trouble to come back from overseas to visit after their service with us. This has occurred several times.  Claire Giulani, from Italy, lived with us as a volunteer in late 2015 for 3 months. She was a ray of sunshine helping in so many ways. On return to Italy, she married and returned on a visit in 2019 with her husband and child. On 28 February this year, she came again with her husband and now three children. It was a very joyful occasion and we thank Claire and her husband for coming and for their kind donation towards our work, as also for their faithful and on-going interest and support.

Paige and Emmanuel, the American couple, volunteered with us for three years, until December 2022, when their visas expired.  It was a great joy to have them visit us on their first holiday in July 2023.  In countless ways, Paige and Emmanuel’s contribution to our work was amazing and they left an indelible footprint behind.  We wish them well and miss them.

Indeed, there are few things as binding as working together for a common goal.  This proved to be true again on Tuesday 21 March, when we had our regular Cleaning Day.  There was such a joyful atmosphere, and this is so good for building community spirit.  Each resident is given a task in the common area, be it painting a wall, cleaning window ledges, chairs, kitchen cupboards and so on.  It works like magic. And, of course, we had a tasty hot dog lunch with cold drinks afterwards.

Since our motto is to create: “Something Beautiful for God,” we do not only try to keep our place clean and in good repair, but are always endeavouring to make it more beautiful! To this end, at the beginning of March a handyman, Willie, laid down beautiful brick flooring on our outside patio, beneath the beautiful bougainvillea tree.  This has made a big difference.  Our people love to sit there, particularly on hot days in Summer, but the brick flooring also keeps mud away after the rain.  We are very happy that we were able to do this.  Thanks again to AISJ, whose kind support enabled us to do this.    Then we decided to do brick paving on our top grassy patch, which is always wet and muddy, due to the water table beneath the ground.  It too looks splendid, thanks again to the Holy Family Sisters for their donation, which covered the cost of this.

Burundian Shadadi came to us at age 8, as an orphan from Burundi. We put him into school and managed to get a bursary for him at Wits Medical School. He now works as a Clinical Medical Practitioner at a hospital north of Pretoria. As we are the only home he has ever known, he still stays with us. On his way home, in early May, he was attacked by a gang at Pretoria station and lost his phone, money and bank cards. 

Desire in hospital

On Sunday, 5 May, Sudanese Charles was travelling from Malvern to Bedfordview with his friend.  Thugs blocked their vehicle on the way and demanded money. When the friend refused, they beat them both up badly, even shot his friend, who died from the fatal shooting. Charles survived but was left hugely injured and spent some time in hospital.

Also in early May, our Burundian,  Desire, was delivering for Uber Eats on the motor bike he had saved up to buy.  At an intersection, a gang of men attacked him, leaving him with very serious injuries, to his brain, ribs, lungs, back and with a deaf ear. In fact, he spent a full week in a coma in hospital, but survived, not without damaging consequences, and of course, the thugs stole his motor bike, his only source of income. 

All this happening to really good, peace-loving young people who are just trying to earn a living… Hard to understand…

Angolan Doctor Martin Kalenga was studying medicine in the DRC, when, in his 3rd year, in 1995, he was forced to flee from war.  There were no facilities for refugees at that time in South Africa and on their arrival, they had no choice but to stay in a disused mining village which had become a squatter camp (and still is today), called Angelo. Buildings were in a state of collapse, no windows, water or electricity and all sorts of violence, drunkenness and other undesirable behaviour being common. It was very tough indeed for the young refugees. Martin slept in one of the former compound rooms, where they all slept on concrete slabs. Even rats climbed over them at night!  They put up cardboard around their bay for privacy.

Diana read about the arrival of the refugees, and wanted to help. She found the place and began taking food there regularly as well as teaching English. It was there that she met Martin and assisted him to get a bursary from the United Nations to do a medical doctor’s degree, which was the dream of his lifetime.  He is in fact the ONLY refugee around now who moved into our first Mercy House with 5 others. 

We are hugely proud of our Martin, who today is a specialist gynecologist, with his own practice in Pretoria.  Martin never gave up, his resilience and determination being remarkable.  He even used to sell shoes and bags at weekends on the pavements in Pretoria while studying to get to his goal. 

Imagine the joy for  Martin, this Easter Sunday, when he came to visit Mercy House for the first time since those very early days. He could hardly believe what he saw, and was able to show his wife and 3 children, where he had come from, through the photos lining our walls.  We were absolutely delighted to have Martin with us, and thank him for his loyal support.  He is one of our Mercy House miracles!

Emmanuel wearing his Rotary induction medal

Emmanuel was only a few months when his parents fled from the Eastern DRC, having lost all their relatives in the war. The family lived with us for about 5 years after their arrival. When the parents got work, they moved on, but Emmanuel remained with us. We put him into school where he matriculated and has since never stopped trying to reach his dreams to become a financial advisor.  On his own initiative, he joined Toastmasters, and Rotary, having now been made chairman of their youth branch.