The Broadmoor 16
Church delegation travels to South Africa to explore, minister to needy
By Linda Wiepking

A 16-member delegation from Broadmoor Community Church, led by Rev. Scott Lovaas, minister of community life, traveled to South Africa for two weeks this November.

Lovaas and his wife, Anne Marsh, lived and ministered in South Africa for four years through the organization Global Ministries prior to joining Broadmoor Community Church. South Africa holds a very special place in their hearts and Lovaas was eager to share his experiences with the Broadmoor Community congregation. The delegation saw and felt the extreme contrasts in the land and people of South Africa.

The Broadmoor 16, as the group began to call themselves, began their extraordinary trip after 30 hours traveling in East London in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This area, named the “wild coast,” is South Africa’s most under-developed, rural area where many communities still practice old traditions. The group was extremely fortunate to have the Reverends Dawn and Jon Barnes, who are missionaries in the East London area with Global Ministries, plan activities and accompany the Broadmoor 16 on the first week of their visit. The Barneses have a close relationship with the Xhosa people of this Transkei territory and were instrumental in providing the Broadmoor delegation opportunities to learn about and witness the culture of the area.

With the help of Rev. Dawn Barnes, the Samaritan Care Center, an AIDS hospice supported by the United Church of Christ South Africa, had a grand opening at the end of October. The group toured the facility and visited with patients. All would agree that one of the most remarkable activities was breaking into small groups and accompanying nurses on home visits to AIDS patients into the poor temporary townships.

A temporary township consists of shacks that are built with any found materials: cardboard, plywood, pieces of metal, etc. Most are one room and lack electricity and running water. The hours that followed were touching and heart breaking, but the excellent nursing staff brought medicines, warmth and love to the ill. The patients were pleased and touched to received hand knitted shawls from the knitting group at Broadmoor Community Church.

At the Samaritan Center the Rev. Jon Barnes was excited to the group the farming tunnels that he has introduced into the area. With the help of high school youth, tunnel-like greenhouses were built. Inside the tunnels a good crop of spinach and other homegrown vegetables were already growing for the community to share.

A visit to an orphanage run by one woman in her small home followed. She provides a home for 25 children ranging in age from infants to teenagers. The children are homeless, orphaned by AIDS, or lack proper care in their own homes. She receives very little money to aid her in her efforts; her efforts are her reward. The scene was wild and happy. Many pictures were taken and shared along with hugs and handshakes.

The Zamani Day Care Center, also in the township, is a few one or two-room patchwork buildings that provide care, education and nourishment to more than 100 little children. Once again the visiting group was amazed by the joy displayed by the children as they sang for the Broadmoor 16 and reached for their hands. One peaceful little room was wall-to-wall blankets with sleeping little ones.

The Broadmoor Community Church group had an especially warm greeting at the Brownlee Congregational Church in King William’s Town. A large youth marching band welcomed everyone into the church, where all enjoyed speeches, fellowship and song. The group then divided into pairs and had a home-stay for one night with members of the congregation in their permanent townships. Permanent townships consist of small brick or stucco homes built by the government or volunteer organizations. Each pair had a different experience visiting and sharing their culture. Sunday service at Brownlee Congregational Church in Kin William’s Town the following morning was alive with beautiful singing and dancing by youth, young adults, women and men, and was a joy to see and experience. The exuberance and energy of the Xhosa worshippers was very uplifting.

The Broadmoor 16 were honored to meet with the wife of Steve Biko, a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in 1960 and early 70’s while they were in King William’s Town. Biko founded the Black Consciousness Movement and his writings and activism attempted to empower Blacks. He is famous for the slogan “Black is Beautiful.” Biko dies in police custody as a result of a severe beating. The delegation visited his home and gravesite.

The group then traveled to Queenstown to visit the Intiziyo AIDS Project and had the opportunity to purchase beautiful beading and needlework by the women infected by AIDS. While in Queenstown everyone enjoyed a braai, a large open fire pit where each person barbequed his or her own meat.

To finish off their trip to the eastern cape, the Broadmoor 16 enjoyed two days at the Addo Elephant camp and Schotia Game Park. Game drives through rolling green hills provided the backdrop to excellent game viewing. An abundance of elephants, giraffes, antelope and even the rare spotting of a pride of lions was exciting. The group could not help but notice the array of stars visible in this huge, quiet expanse of land.

The second week was spent in Cape Town, South Africa, where Lovaas and his family spent most of their four years ministering to AIDS patients and youth. Cape Town offers and abundance of beautiful scenic coastline, mountains, parks and wine lands. The Broadmoor 16 had a spectacular drive to Cape Point spotting whales and penguins along the way. The pounding blue-green ocean along the cliffs at Cape Point was breath-taking. Part of the group had a fun hike between Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost tip of Africa. There could not be a hike more striking.

The rain showers and rocky sea did not deter the Broadmoor delegation from visiting Robben Island or strolling around Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens. Kirstenbosch is internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world covering two square miles. It was in blazing colorful glory. A former prison, freed at the end of apartheid, led the tour of Robben Island prison. His personal stories enriched the tour of the facility where Nelson Mandela was condemned to life imprisonment by the South African government in 1963.

The skies cleared one evening and the Broadmoor 16 had a perfect trip up to the top of Table Mountain aboard a cable car. The views were spectacular on all sides. It was a great evening to enjoy a glass of South African wine and enjoy the sunset.

A visit to the District Six Museum offered the opportunity to learn about a community in Cape Town that was declared a “white” area in 1966.  More than 60,000 people were forcibly moved from their houses that were then flattened by bulldozers. The residents were relocated to a barren outlying area known as Cape Flats. The guide for the Broadmoor group was an original resident of the area and spoke emotionally of the events.

Lovaas took the Broadmoor 16 to the Percy Hartley House, an orphanage for teenage boys. Here the boys are able to attend school, learn life skills and receive training for jobs. The group also was given a tour of a medical clinic in the Langa Township of Cape Town. It was here in Langa that the Broadmoor 16 met the women of the Sisonke Beading Project. Anne Marsh was instrumental in helping these women, who a4re all infected with the AIDS virus, design and make beading pieces to sell to help themselves and their families in their fight against AIDS. As it happened so often during the two weeks, many hearts were sad leaving the Sisonke women, but at that exact moment as the group was preparing to climb onto the bus, dozens of happy running children just excused from school ran by. High fives went on for many minutes.

All of the Broadmoor 16 will agree that this was a once in a life-time experience and really appreciate the Lovaases, who organized the trip and the Barneses who work tirelessly to help those in need in South Africa. Their hearts were touched; they cried, laughed, learned and prayed, and are ever so thankful for the opportunity to see South Africa.

The Broadmoor 16:
Rebecca and Michael Bromley; Linda Hall; Don and Barbara Gazibara; Phyllis Hurley; Jim and Bev Price; Becky Poole; Linda and Sara Weipking; Scott Lovaas; Cletis Ferguson; Lorna Jorgenson; Terry Guillory; and June Williams.

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