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LETTER FROM MARILYN
WRITEN FROM SOUTH AFRICA,
DECEMBER 2006
From Dr. Marilyn Rossner on behalf of our whole SSF/IIIHS visiting mission team:
Dr. John Rossner, Dr. Marilyn Rossner, Sr. Leona Hartmen, OTr., RN., Eva
Strawczynski, Inbar Waxman.
Dear, dear Friends,
Greetings, blessings, love & light are being sent to you from South Africa. No
words can ever, ever describe the experiences we have had and what we have seen
while being with abandoned, dying, abused, orphaned, and suffering children &
others for 12-14 hours each day.
But the most awesome and unforgettable moments are to remember the responses
from each one (young & old) to our love, the human touch, and that which we were
able to share everyday, everywhere... morning, noon, and night.
Where do we begin to have you experience a part of our journey? Each day brought
each of us to the inner realisation of the journey of every soul, of the purpose
of all human beings. Each moment allowed us to realise our own responsibilities
in making the world a better place by serving, loving, caring, and realising the
Divine Purpose of life.
Let me briefly summarise some of our moments. We took lots of photos which we'll
share with you if you'd like.
1) Thusong Centre & Home
for approximately 200 abandoned, abused, street children
and many children infected with HIV. The youngest abandoned children were
3-month-old twins, the oldest was eighteen. Many of them are very, very ill. But
how they responded and how they clung to us and how they kept on saying thank
you! thank you! thank you!
We gave them – as last year, a donation cheque plus providing lots and lots of
food, new clothes, toys and equipment (including a bike, guitar, skateboards,
teddy bears, cricket games). We also gave them a new couch to sit on in the
recreational room. Last year we bought for them an electronic organ keyboard and
public address system for budding teenage musicians. This year we had a special
pre Christmas meal for 65 of them in the hotel restaurant to honour them. It was
their first time ever in a restaurant! A local newspaper reporter came out to
interview us and to cover this event.
The children put on a touching play for us at The Thusong Centre relating to us
the story of their abuse and how they escaped to live on the streets before
Rebecca of Thusong found them there. We even have photos of the weapons some of
them had been using. And yet... here they are ... learning to respond and
learning to trust and learning that not everyone wants to hurt them.
The founder, Rebecca, is considered the “Mother Theresa” of Kimberly. She and
her husband originally opened their home to street children and the abandoned.
In fact, the whole institution arose out of that. Their staff is also
extraordinary and their average salary is 800 rands per month ($175). Many of
them are themselves from the poorest of the poor of the Kimberly area and are
drawn to this volunteer work through compassion to serve these children.
As we left Kimberley, 14 of the teenagers from Thusong, came with Rebecca to
sing for us and to wait until we come again, Rebecca sobbed! We all prayed
together in the lobby of the simple hotel and the staff all came... And all left
wiping their eyes and thanking us for doing this work.
2) Independent African Orthodox
Church….Archbishop Ostile Mmusi, the Primate of
this church, is to be more than commended for the truly outstanding work he is
doing. He serves the people in a radius of 400 kilometres & has 9 parishes to
oversee. He is serving the poorest of the poor. Their basic needs include food,
shoes, basic clothes & shelter.
The Independent African Orthodox Church was formed largely by black clergy from
the Anglican Church, who like their American brethern, recognized a difficult
system of segregation & discrimination of their people in the early twentieth
century. The first Archbishop succession was through an Exarch of the Syrian
Patriachate of Antioch in Syria in the early 1920’s. They followed a Western
Rite in the Anglican Tradition & brought African music & culture into the church
in Africa. The church extended in several African nations as well as in South
Africa, at a time when the white European & American churches otherwise governed
all the missions in Africa.
Archbishop Mmusi predecessor was Daniel Kanyllies, who - after he was already a
Christian bishop - inherited the role of “Paramount Chief” or King of the
“Choi-Choi people”, who were the surviving indigenous peoples in all of Africa.
This was an historic incident in the history of African Christianity that is
little known. Archbishop Kanyllies invited Dr. Marilyn Rossner to come to visit
his people. When she did so, he was also a Member of Parliament under Nelson
Mandala. He asked her to help with the educational system for school children in
the villages in his area. His said that she was the first representative of any
peoples out side of Africa to visit them.
His successor, Archbishop Mmusi is very, very respected among the people.
However, he has absolutely no funding whatsoever. He works full time in a
secular profession, to support his family & lives in a poor village & needs
basic necessities including petrol for the car, food to help those in need, etc.
The Archbishop and his wife, Mother Mmusi, have faith, hope and courage which
are indescribable. He and Mother Mmusi accompanied us to to Thusong Kids’ Haven
& The Helen Bishop School. On two successive Sundays we celebrated the liturgy
of the African Orthodox Church with him, several and priest and many people of
his and other churches in Kimberly and Richie,where we brought food for the
parishioners.
We provided them with many clothes & a generous financial donation to help a
little with their situation [there is no running water & no toilets in the
churches]. This is what the people are accustomed to in their homes. Our help
was appreciate so much.
At each service Fr. John spoke and I was asked by the Archbishop to do the
laying on of hands in a Healing Service after the liturgy where we really felt
the magnificent presence of the Holy Spirit. It was so special to see an elderly
man let go of his crutches. We witnessed the effect of simple faith & belief…all
of which was inspired by Archbishop Mmusi who has a special love & devotion to
the Holy Spirit.
During our time in South Africa for the past three years, Fr. John had some very
important meetings with the Anglican Bishop of Kimberly, Bp. Museki, & the
Diocesan Administrator, Fr. Jacobs. Fr. John introduced Archbishop Mmusi to them
in the hope that a fraternal relationship may exist between the Independent
African Orthodox Church & Anglican Church in South Africa. Today most of the
Bishops and Clergies of the Anglican Church in South Africa are black or
coloured leaders who themselves also struggled under segregation and apartheid.
Fr. John also met in the Johannesburg area with a group of six leaders and
clergy from the “African Church,” (a large body of indigenous Christian churches
founded in 1888 by other coloured and black clergy from the Anglican Church and
from other churches, to obtain a freedom of cultural expression in presenting
the Christian religion to Africans.) These leaders from the “African Church” are
now seeking to establish a relationship of inter-communion and co-operation with
the Independent African Orthodox Church. They discussed with Fr. John, the
feasibility of establishing a joint seminary and educational program respecting
African forms of Christian culture and spirit, music and ministry.
3) Helen Bishop Home for the Care of the
Disabled. We were there several hours each and
every day. In Kimberly we shared our time between Helen Bishop Institution, the
Thusong Home & The African Orthodox Church and its people.
The Helen Bishop Home serves the profoundly handicapped & the dying in its
medical ward, as well as, caring for the blind, the abused, the children with
fetal alcohol syndrome & these conditions combined with CP, muscular Dystrophy,
etc.
.
The wards are divided into profoundly disabled and dying children. We saw people
3-23 years old in cribs...the size of young children eg, a 15 year old lame in
weigh 8 kilos (yes.. 8 kilos) and now weighs 10. A 17 year old was raped, beaten
& went into a fetal position and never came out. We saw children left in sheds,
left for dead, etc. These people are cared for by loving, elderly workers who
have to care for them with basic needs [training, changing, feeding].
The other units have people of varying levels of extreme handicaps are cared for
in the best way there few workers can (They have no funds or grants for activity
workers.)
One of the children in the medical ward of Helen Bishop Institution, from a
township died while we were there. I went to the funeral with a caregiver, the
social worker and 7 of the older more capable children. It was a six-hour trip
to the village. There were people with no shoes, no running water, no
electricity, no toilets and people living in tin shacks. We also went to the
cemetery to say good bye to the 12 year old who made his transition.
We provided the agency with clothes, food, toys, a generous donation and also a
party held at the agency. What an honour to feed these children, to touch them
and to see them respond with a smile, a kick, the fluttering of an eyelid and
shaking of the body.
After the funeral the social worker explained that there are 4 social workers to
serve 3000 children and young adults in an 800 kilometres radius.
They rely on volunteers, etc. She asked if on my next visit I would go with her
to some of these outlying areas to see what I’d suggest could be done, etc.
Dr. John, who is usually so talkative, spoke little for a few days after these
events.
Our interns: Eva and Inbar were so, so moved throughout the trip. Eva has had 25
years of experience in the field…but was still so moved by the conditions we
experienced close at hand.
Inbar adapted and adjusted beautifully. She had a few sleepless nights! She
shared her love and was loved by all.
4.) Takalani in Soweto, a district of
Johannesburg means BE HAPPY! There are 488 in
one section & 500 in the other. We participated in a Christmas party for the
children, adults and provided clothes, other gifts & a very generous donation.
The Press (Local & National) came and commented on how important our work i.
We were only here for 2 days because we spent so much time in the other city.
But… the experiences of the profoundly handicapped, abandoned & abused &
orphaned are so, so meaningful.
Takalani is in Soweto & staff is often not paid because of lack of funds. Also,
they need help with activity, people, etc.
In all the places….the directors are organised, dedicated and knowledgeable. But
they all have a serious lack of funds, funds, funds to hire people to help these
people who often are given only basic care like being fed, turned, bathed.
All of our team kept up their strength & energy, and for this we are so
grateful.
Sr. Leona provided help whenever & wherever she came and most especially shared
her gifts of music therapy, prayers, encouragement and gently being of help with
the children.
Eva & Inbar’s schedule was busy with the residents and were always so available
to be of generous service.
They both said it was an experience of a lifetime, and one which will always be
a significant part of their being.
Dr. John’s help & courage & knowledge were invaluable throughout the journey.
And as for me… my days begun between 4:30 A.M. to 5:00 A.M. everyday for prayers
and Yoga to get ready to co-ordinate, organize, meet with the directors & of
course spend as much time as possible with the residents… young and old.
And so … on behalf of all of us… our dedicated team, we thank you for your
prayers and support. And special thanks to all at our Montreal SSF- IIIHS Hq
Centre staff who lovingly took care of all our operations for this period of
time. The daily telephone calls which I was able to maintain, faxes with HQ,
allowed the Centre to function beautifully and even to complete the Jan-April
2007 course schedule program. Again thanks to all of our dedicated Montreal
volunteers staff!
But most of all we thank the dying, the abused, the abandoned who in South
Africa, allowed us into their LIVES and to see that LOVE, CARING, and COMPASSION
is the ANSWER…that every one can be “a light of love along the pathway of this
life.”
With sincere & loving appreciation,
DR. MARILYN ROSSNER FOR THE SSF/IIIHS MONTREAL TEAM IN SOUTH AFRICA, DECEMBER
2006.
