Farmers fix road
This articles was translated from 'Boere maak pad reg'
Farmers and their workers fix road and pay for it themselves
written by Peet Simonis
On a bad patch or road between Ficksburg and Senekal I counted over two hundred potholes – some big and some small inside a 100m stretch!
Some where big and other ones where small, but our focus here is they ‘WHERE'. They are no more because 24 farmers and 110 workers fixed it It is not only the 200 potholes which where filled up, thousands of potholes over a stretch of 20 kilometers are now all fixed – done in just over 2 weeks.
Experts calculated it would have cost the State millions if they had to do it – which they couldn’t
The Farmers did it for R284 000 this included all salaries according to one mnr Hannes Pretorius, one of the leaders (photo).
A Christian road engineer gave them advice how to do the work effectively. I took 240 ton gravel and 44 drums of tar and over a 100 bags of cement to close the wholes but when the road was finished a man with over 40 years knowledge in road building said: “It is even better then what I could have done it myself”
Hannes said the Lord has led him to make food for all the farmers and their workers. Everyone ate together everyday (for those who don’t know – most farmers are white South Africans and most workers are black South Africans) – they all ate together everyday the same food but prepared differently according to taste. The food cost R30 000.
The reason the farmers decided to do the work themselves was that they partitioned the government for months with no result. The answer was always: “We don’t have the money or the workers to do it”
While the work was being carried out, the head the governments transport division was invited to come and eat with the farmers and their workers, but didn’t want to come. The second in command eventually came and explained: We didn’t want to come because we where scared of the farmers because the farmers always complain because the roads are in such a state – but what can we do without money, workers or know how? But now that I am here and see in what light and spirit the work are being done, it removed a big stone from my heart.
One of the reasons why I am telling this story today, is because of the ‘spirit’ in which the work has been done. I believe it has it’s origin and sucses in the Spirit – with a capital letter
The farmers said that the Lord has been working in the area for a while. Many churches and spiritual ministries have been playing an active roll. The Lord even used the minister Petrus Grove.
He is a new missionary in the area and do inter-church work. One of the main focus areas in his ministry is to focus on the power and joy and help believers to fill their rightly position in Christ.
A living relationship with God with should follow. Change in the child of God’s heart and mind and spirit as well as the person. He starts to do God’s will according to the letter and the spirit. This changes the whole environment. It is also then possible that a farmer can reach his workers more effectively with the gospel so that they can also change.
The Lord’s children that heard His message and start living it, have a burning desire to come together and start praying together. There are also other active praying groups in the area. Some of the farmer’s families have been through deep waters with family members being murdered during farm attacks
For a while before the road building project was decided, a small group farmers started to pray at the farm of Danie and Geertjie Venter. The group gather every morning to pray at about 6am in the morning in an old little school building. To get there they have to drive over the worst part to the tar road with all the potholes in
Normally there is about 7 – 10 farmers praying together sometimes there is more than 20. They don’t just pray they share their hearts and how the Lord is leading them, and what they feel is important.
will translate the rest still in English....
Kinders van die Here wat die boodskap van hom en ander gehoor en begin leef het, het die begeerte gevoel om saam te kom en te bid. Daar is ook ander aktiewe gebedsgroepe in die omgewing. Van die boergesinne is deur diep waters met familielede wat vermoor is tydens plaasaanvalle.
‘n Ruk voor die padboubesluit, het ‘n groepie boere nog ‘n gebedsgroep gevorm op die plaas van Danie en Geertje Venter. Die groep kom elke weeksoggend sesuur bymekaargekom in ‘n ou skoolgeboutjie op die plaas en om daar te kom moet hulle juis oor die stuk teerpad ry wat van die slegste was.
Daar is gewoonlik so sewe tot tien wat saam bid, maar by geleentheid was daar al meer as twintig. Hulle bid nie net nie, maar deel ook hulle harte oor hoe die Here hulle lei en wat hulle voel belangrik is.
‘n Kerngroep van biddende boere uit hierdie en ander groepe was onder die wat die padbou-projek in erns begin bespreek het. Hulle invloed het soos suurdeeg gewerk. Ander gelowige boere wat nie deel van die bidgroep was nie, het ook besluit om met die projek te help en het uiteindelik ‘n groot aandeel gehad om die pad reg te maak.
Ek verduidelik wat hier gebeur het in taamlike besonderhede, want ek glo dis belangrik om die Here se voetspore in die saak te sien en te probeer volg. Wat hier gebeur het, kan uitkring na ander dele van die land.
Hier is n klomp boere wat dienaars geword het – net soos Louis Wilsenach anderdag gesê het moet gebeur in hierdie moeilike dae en tye. (Ek hoop jy het sy storie te lese gekry wat ek ge-epos het – anders vra gerus en ek stuur dit weer - Peet)
Ek wil byvoeg dat iets soos hierdie padbouprojek net in die regte gesindheid gedoen kan word as gelowige deelnemers vooraf in ‘n lewens veranderende Nuwe Verbond verhouding met God begin kom.
Laat my toe om kortliks te verduidelik asb.:
Die ou verbond met Israel was baie goed en gegrond op die hou van God se goeie wette (Deut 6 vers 25)...maar wat niemand kon hou behalwe Jesus nie.
In Jeremia 31:31 – 33, kondig God die Nuwe Verbond aan waarin Hy Sy mense van binne af (hart, gees en verstand) sal verander sodat Sy volk Sy wil sal doen. Jesus het hierdie Verbond ingelui met Sy sterwe en opstanding.
...En dit is wat ds Petrus Grove en baie ander geestelike leiers al sterker beklemtoon in hierdie dae.
As die herstel van paaie en rioolwerke en wat ookal verder deur vrywillige helpers in ‘n verkeerde gees aangepak word, sal dit meer kwaad as goed doen.
Dis nie die regte gees om die verantwoordelike owerhede net te wil verkleineer, verneder en beskuldig in die trant van: “Julle is sommer gemors wat niks kan regdoen nie – kom ons wys julle hoe!”
Maar dit kan die begin wees van ‘n regtige “nuwe” Suid-Afrika as foute in ‘n konstruktiewe, opbouende manier onder oë geneem en dan saam en afsonderlik in n gees van liefde en geloof prakties aangedurf word.
Daar moet geen plek wees vir die geldmaak-god en eie-koninkryk bou nie.
Daardie boere van Ficksburg gee die Here die eer daarvoor dat hulle so ‘n groot werk in so ‘n kort tyd en so goedkoop en deeglik kon doen. Sê een van die ander leiers daar – Friedl von Maltitz: “Boere en mense in ander beroepe regoor die land kan meer dikwels helpende hande uitsteek na die owerhede wat nie die oral die mas opkom nie. En die owerhede kan gerus die hulp aanvaar van mense wat kan help. Saam kan ons baie vermag in belang van almal in ons land!”
Hier is Ds Petrus Grove op die toneel. Hy was kort-kort by die boere wat gewerk het.
En wat kry die boere en hulle werkers nou vir al hulle moeite?
Dit sal wonderlik wees as die Regering dalk besluit om hulle basiese koste sal vergoed – hoewel die boere nie daarop aandring nie. Geestelik was dit egter ‘n wonderlike, verdiepende ervaring vir baie ... en die gemorspad wat honderde voertuie so verniel het, is weer bruikbaar. Net een voertuig wat afgeskryf kon word op daardie pad, het al die koste betaal.
Die komende naweek kom tientalle boere op ‘n plaas by Groblershoop byeen om te bid en vir die Here te vra hoe kan hulle self verander en wat kan hulle verder doen om die land en sy mense te help.
Kosproduksie is van die grootste belang en dat suksesvolle boere ander wat nie so goed vaar nie of wat min kennis en midelle het, moet help soos Koos van Zyl (oor wie ek al geskryf het) en vele ander reeds doen. Volgende keer vertel ek DV Koos se storie in meer besonderhede. Hy het 29 ander boere help oplei en leer boer.
Terwille van nuwe lesers:
Peet Simonis, skrywer van hierdie artikel, is ‘n Christen joernalis, uitgewer en opleier
wat in verskeie Afrika-lande werk.
Sy kontak besonderhede is:
psimonis__@ __mweb.co.za (haal _ uit)
en telefoon: 084 582 7113 of 011 943 1602
By: Received the artikel by email written by Peet Simonis
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