Letter to the apprentices from Steve Manhanga

“True Loyalty”

Ruth 1:16 “Ruth said, do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.”

Ruth faced many challenges in her life. The most difficult being the death of her husband Chilion. She was then faced with having to make a choice or decision about her future. Her sister in law Orpah, when given the choice left Naomi and went to pursue her new found freedom. Ruth chose to stay with her mother in law and be faithful to her. As a result of this God gave Ruth amazing favour and she gets married to Boaz. She goes one step further in being used by God to be the royal line or linage of David and then of Jesus. You see loyalty brings royalty.

This all started through Ruth’s faithfulness and devotion to her mother in law and hence is rewarded with a husband, child and honour of being part of the genealogy of Jesus. We don’t know what honour awaits us if we are truly loyal to the Lord. Let’s remain faithful, true and obedient to the Lord.

Ebenezer Chefs

Mrs Thebe(Left) and Mrs Maphosa(Right) are the Ebenezer chefs. These ladies do an incredible job of cooking and feeding the apprentices 3 times a day. They cook on dover stoves (wooden stoves) using cast iron pots and have to make sure that the fires are blazing to cook sadza and either a relish or meat for breakfast, lunch and supper. Imagine lifting a cast iron pot with sadza in it off the fire. These ladies are really great and have mastered that art without getting burnt! They also cook for the staff occasionally and at community functions like Parent days or Graduation etc.

The ladies looked rather neat in their new uniform as they were about to start preparing lunch.

Go Ladies!!

Catching up with Mkhululi Ncube

Mkhululi Ncube

It was interesting catching up with Mkhululi Ncube – Cooper and listening to how far he has gone with his wedding plans. The last article on Cooper was about him paying lobola (dowry or bride price) with the deadline being at the end of July 2011.

An update......
Cooper is up to date on the payments and he has paid 1 bull, 1 heifer, a jacket for the brother in law, a blanket, suit, shoes and a scarf for his mother in law. The in-laws have agreed for Cooper to marry Caroline and the date has been set for 22 December 2011 at Shalom Camp Site. Africa Unity day is also celebrated on the 22 December annually. The wedding plans are underway and so far, so good.

Cooper is almost at the finish line in one sense and just beginning on the other. We look forward to 22 December.......

By Molly Manhanga

Letter to the apprentices.....

“Choose you this day”

Joshua 24:15 “but if you are unwilling to obey the Lord, then decide today whom you will obey. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

There comes a time in ones life when tough decisions and choices are to be made. It is very easy to be pushed or led to make decisions or wrong choices. Many times this leads to disastrous consequences. We are left to stew in our poor choices and wrong decisions. You see, life is all about the choices we make.

If we put God first and ask Him for his opinion and purpose for our life, we will find the true meaning for our existence. Life begins to have a purpose and we get fulfilment in all we do. The day to day chores we do are seen through a new pair of eyes and leave us satisfied at the end of the day. We approach people differently. Seeing in them the good and not only fault finding. Being able to encourage and uplift rather than tear down or destroy.

May God richly bless you as we advance His kingdom........

Snapshot of the 1st year appy's - Sipho Mhodi

Sipho Mhodi

Sipho Mhodi is 17 years old and he comes from Bonyane in Mapisa. Mapisa is approximately 60 – 70 km from Ebenezer Training Centre. Sipho likes to work and really enjoys his sport too. His day starts at 7:00am and ends at 4:30pm. After that he spends some time playing soccer. There are 3 in his family – one brother, one sister and himself.

Letter to the apprentices from Steve Manhanga

“No Retreat, No Surrender”

Daniel 3:17 – 18 “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. But if not, be it known to you, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego stood up for what they believed in. You see, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. These three guys had a belief and a promise in god in that if you don’t bow down to idols, you won’t burn in the furnace. What or who are you putting your trust in.

Because of their faith and trust in God, the king made a decree that everyone should worship the God of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego because He saved them from the burning furnace. Is your faith a true testimony of the goodness and grace of God? Remember we walk by faith and not by sight. Not by feelings, but by our conviction in God.

God looks after all those who put their trust in Him.

Snapshot of 1st year apprentices - Marvelous Ndlovu

Marvelous is 20 years old. She has 2 sisters and a brother. She is the first born in her family. Both her parents are deceased and she lives with her grandmother. Marvelous comes from Maheshe in Maphisa. She is enjoying farming her plot at Ebenezer which she starts at 6:00am. Marvelous enjoys playing netball.

Snapshot of the 1st year appy's - Patricia Moyo

Patricia is 19 years old and she has one sister. She lives with her grandmother in Mablauwuni village. Patricia has learnt that as a young person, she doesn’t need to rush into having a relationship but rather to put her energies into her field. As it’s beginning to warm up, Patricia starts working in her field at 4:00am.

Choose you this day by Steve Manhanga

Steve Manhanga encourages the apprentices weekly by writing "letters" to them which are posted on the Ebenezer notice board. He recently wrote on "Choose you this day..." Enjoy the read......


Joshua 24:15 “but if you are unwilling to obey the Lord, then decide today whom you will obey. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

There comes a time in ones life when tough decisions and choices are to be made. It is very easy to be pushed or led to make decisions or wrong choices. Many times this leads to disastrous consequences. We are left to stew in our poor choices and wrong decisions. You see, life is all about the choices we make.

If we put God first and ask Him for his opinion and purpose for our life, we will find the true meaning for our existence. Life begins to have a purpose and we get fulfilment in all we do. The day to day chores we do are seen through a new pair of eyes and leave us satisfied at the end of the day. We approach people differently. Seeing in them the good and not only fault finding. Being able to encourage and uplift rather than tear down or destroy.

May God richly bless you as we advance His kingdom........

Snapshot of the 1st year appy's - Lucky Dube

Lucky Dube is 19 years old. He comes from Mabonyane and his village is Marinoha. They are 5 in their family. He has 3 sisters. Both his parents are deceased. He feels his life has already changed since coming to Ebenezer. He enjoys Spiritual lessons with Stephen Manhanga and he has come to accept Jesus Christ. He is now praying more. His day starts at 7:00am and ends at 4:00pm. He then cleans his dorm.