Southeastern Africa:  A People Still Waiting
Filmed Ocotober 2003 and April 2005

Introduction   8:13   (HD-720;  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script)   A People Still Waiting -- Waiting for a taxi, waiting for a job, waiting for the monthly pension check, waiting for a better life, waiting for the ancestors to answer, waiting to die of AIDS.

South Africa won its freedom from Colonial Britain in 1960 and from the repressive Apartheid government in 1994.  Now they are enslaved to fear, poverty, corruption, and false religions - so they are “A People Still Waiting” for their freedom. 

Most claim to be Christians but only a tiny portion have the real freedom that comes from knowing Jesus.  The peoples of Lesotho and Swaziland are even more enslaved than those in South Africa.

Soweto:  In a Cloud of Uncertainty   9:41   (  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script )The southwestern side of Johannesburg is generally known as Soweto, short for Southwest Townships. This is a huge district of heavy industry, small shops and people that stretches as far as the eye can see.  It sprawls over an area of 50 square miles and encompasses a population of 4 million souls.  Yet, the high-rise buildings of Johannesburg are only a few miles away.  They seem to be of another country, of another continent.  

13202 Johannesburg, South Africa   5:45  (HD-720;  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script )A family lives at this address.  We know because the yard is clean. In Johannesburg, there are millions of homes similar to this but often in more crowded places; places without water, sewage and refuse removal; places rife with drugs and crime; places where the police fear to enter.

Building a Church That Never Sleeps   6:36    (  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script ) My vision is to start a church, which would never sleep.  What do I mean is because the internationals - most of them are people who do not have a permanent accommodation so, therefore, they need to be somewhere they can just seek God - the face of God.  The international community living in Tshwane, the capital of South Africa, has many challenges and opportunities.  Over 100 embassies and high commissions have been established representing countries from all the continents.

Daniel and Joseph:  Lights in a Dark Land   9:28   (  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script )Daniel and Joseph are shining lights in a land of darkness - a land in which few know Jesus Christ as a friend and as their savior.  In this land, there are many who profess to be Christians.  They call themselves Apostolic or Zionist.  Badges and emblems worn as protection against evil spirits can identify some.  Their lifestyle and their spiritual allegiances are rooted in cultural traditions and ancestor worship.

The People with Invisible Barriers  7:20   ( HD-720; mp4-S; mp4-L; Script) Walls that protect the lives and property of residents in Southern Africa are common.  These barriers, … easily seen but difficult to cross, … are accepted as a way of life.  But, there is a different kind of barrier that is only apparent to some.  It is the barrier that surrounds the Deaf person.  It is a barrier that is ever-present but serves no tangible purpose.  Rather than a wall of brick and mortar, it is a barrier of communication. The barrier frequently confines the Deaf to a lifetime of isolation, … to a feeling that life has little meaning.  Society and family members often see deafness as a curse or punishment by the spirits or the gods.  Few, if any, of the family and friends learn to communicate through sign language.  Deaf people grow up with little intimate communication and often feel at a loss when interacting with others
 

A Place of Hope   12:13  (HD-720;  mp4-SW mp4-LW; Script) About 80% of the Zulu claim to be Christians.  They have adapted their pagan worship system to include some Christian beliefs.  It is imperative to reach the Zulu with the true Word of God to correct all the false teaching that abounds.  With the end of Apartheid in 1994, the Zulu have begun to experience many new freedoms.  They have a new hope.  Pray that their eyes might now be opened to seek and find the freedom that they can find in Christ; their only true hope.

Dreaming for the New Life   8:35    ( mp4-S; mp4-L; Script) Children in a settlement near the city of  Margate play out their dreams with their makeshift toys.  They too make dreams in the sand.  But, for them, the paths to their future are littered with poverty, ancestor worship, racial, and cultural barriers, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  For Zulu children, home may only have one parent and sometimes none.  For many children, both of their parents have already died of AIDS.  The children depend upon their granny, other family members, or an orphanage for a place to call home.

Thy Word is Truth   9:12    (  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script) Religious beliefs and illusions are often mixed with some truth.  These worshippers claim to be Christians.  Many wear crosses on their uniforms.  These Zionists have mixed some Christian beliefs with their African traditional religion. They continue their belief in the spirit world, worshipping their ancestors and trusting in the sangomas, the traditional healers.  The people in Durban and Pietermaritzburg need to know that THY WORD IS TRUTH. 

Finding a Believer in Mpumalanga Province   10:04   (  mp4-S; mp4-L; Script) Believers in Jesus Christ should be everywhere in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.  A recent government survey revealed that - of its 3.1 million people - over 2.2 million believe they are Christians. There are many different and complex beliefs and rituals among the Zionists.  They have a very limited knowledge of the scripture and are, in reality, followers of their leader.  Telling these people about Jesus - when they truly believe they are already Christians - is met with skepticism.