The King’s Foundation in Kalahari

The 23^rd August 2010, an ordinary day to many, was far from regular for the ten individuals who gathered outside Open Baptist Church (OBC) in the early hours of the morning. Dedicated young men and women from the King’s Foundation collaborated with an equally enthusiastic team from OBC to travel to the outskirts of Molepolole to an area popularly known as Mantswabisi in the Kalahari.

From day one, the team engaged over 60 children in sports and game which were accompanied by sit down sessions focused on introducing children to Jesus Christ. The teachings came in the form of memory verses, dramas and group bible studies to ensure the children understood.

The afternoons were dedicated to door to door evangelism which proved to be a great time of connecting with community members. To the astonishment of the team members, some of the villages they went to had never heard about Jesus prior to their arrival.

Many thanks are due to Angie May for hosting the team during our stay in Mantswabisi. We look forward to following up on the many friendships we made as we continue to partner with Open Baptist Church on future trips.

Methodist Church

The Methodist church in Francistown is a splendid example of how diverse the worship of God can be.  The Kings Foundation team stepped into the warm welcoming church on the 16^th May 2010 not really knowing what to expect.  As we settled in our chairs the few gentlemen we had found there broke into worship songs in Shona, making us feel quite at home. We were each handed hymn books which we stared at in amused confusion as the text was also in shona.  People began to trickle in and we moved to the next part of the service which was bible study led by one of the church elders.  The bible study, conducted in a classroom manner with everyone contributing their view on the topic of integrity, drew to a close thirty minutes latter giving way to yet another round of exciting praise and worship.  After much singing, dancing and encouraging words from the assistant pastor, the reigns were passed on to the King’s Foundation team.  Bazi gave a quick introduction and Victor followed with a preaching that incorporated their focus scripture of that month, Jeremiah 29 verse 11and the great commission Matthew 28 verse 19. The elaboration on how MCP (multiple concurrent partnerships) coupled with the abuse of alcohol contributes to the spiraling HIV rates in Botswana had everyone’s attention.  The service ended with various individuals giving testimonies on how God has been good to them.

Our visit to the Methodist church was yet another fruitful sharing on the dangers of HIV/ AIDS and how the body of Christ (the church) can be able to uproot this disease by living up right lives that are pleasing in the sight of God.  Numerous other churches like the Methodist are also opening their doors to The Kings Foundation, thereby allowing positive change to emerge and set the church where it belongs as a city on the hill and the salt to the earth.

Church leaders HIV and AIDS sensitisation workshop

The 7^th of May 2010 awarded the Kings Foundation yet another opportunity to speak to leaders from various churches.  Representatives from seven different churches braced the Tati-town customary court for the second HIV and AIDS sensitization workshop to be held this year. Topics ranging from the main drivers of HIV to the contribution of alcohol to the spread of it were discussed in detail.

The responses from the attendants were exceptionally encouraging as all present put their heads together to come up with possible solutions to the current situation.  Working together was raised as one of the ways in which the pandemic could be eradicated from the church and consequently the nation at large.

The event was another milestone added to the task at hand. Leaders of the churches in Francistown continue to be supportive in the battle against HIV and AIDS .More events of a similar nature are lined up for the year to arm those in positions of influence  with relevant information allowing them to tackle the problem head on, from wherever they might be.The Kings Foundation remains resilient   in its efforts to form partnerships with different churches to ensure victory for the body of Christ, for as the bible says,’’ we are more than conquerors’’.

Catholic Youth Rally

Mater Spei College was abuzz with activity as 400+ youth from various Catholic churches around the northern region thronged the senior secondary school for the annual youth rally in Francistown. There was much excitement as the King’s Foundation volunteers rounded up everyone for sports activities and games.

On Friday we organized the youth into house teams that would battle it out for the duration of the weekend in numerous group challenges. As day one drew to an end house teams settled down and listened to the King’s Foundation team present on the dangers of having multiple sexual partners. The young people were encouraged to abstain until marriage and to remain faithful henceforth.

Bench-ball, an adapted game that is similar to netball, made up the largest part of Saturday’s group challenges. The youth were drawn in by the game and became very competitive as points were added to the winning team. Team chants and songs filled the air before ending the day once again with group discussions. Encouraged by the presenters, the youth expressed their fears concerning HIV / AIDS and asked questions on how they can avoid being infected by the deadly virus.

The event was an excellent environment to discuss serious issues pertaining to HIV / AIDS and provided us with a great opportunity to offer counsel and ongoing support. We are really encouraged by our partnership with the Catholic Church in Francistown and look forward to working together on various initiatives.