Amanda and I have been blessed by your ministry partnership. Our work in Polokwane, South Africa continues to thrive even during this pandemic. We came back early this year with the hope of returning in May, but the Lord proved to have other plans for us. It pleased the Lord to teach us how to wait once again.

In Polokwane we work with Christ Seminary, an institution that is committed to train local pastors how to study the Bible and teach it with accuracy. Our city is located on the northern tip of South Africa bordering with Zimbabwe. Students attending classes come from within South Africa and from countries around the African continent.

South Africa has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Africa and is number five in the world. The government has applied stringent restrictions in the country in order to slow the spread of the virus.

Since May, the country has slowly begun to reopen businesses and worship centers. Churches can accommodate up to fifty congregants each gathering.

All institutions are permitted to resume with compliance to Health Department guidelines. Realizing the complexity of these guidelines, the faculty at Christ Seminary decided to finish our second semester online via zoom.

The first month of the semester kicked off well though not without challenges. Most of our students have been able to connect with us so far. The challenges encountered include limited network, power, and computers.

Some of the students live in areas where internet access is not reliable. The country faces a high demand of electricity. In order to resolve this problem, the power company schedules power cuts spread throughout the day.

This month I have a student that missed about three of my classes because it was within his load shedding time (power outage). A few students lack computers to use for assignments. They rely on borrowing computers which creates an inconvenience in completing their work effectively.

With the majority of our ministry operating online, we have the privilege of being part of two bible studies in which I am involved in teaching. It is different from having an in-person study, but we get to be involved more than we could have if it wasn’t online.

While we look forward to returning, we are thankful for the many ways God has shown us His faithfulness.