Travel to South Africa and Mozambique: Johannesburg 2 - Faith and City Contrasts
The entire route of the trip to South Africa and Mozambique, as well as useful tips, costs and conclusions, you can read HERE.
To the previous travelogue -> Johannesburg - tribal stories
The Adventure Called Uber
The information I have previously collected was that it is highly recommended in South Africa and Africa, in general, to use more Uber than Bolt in terms of safety. It was so interesting to get into the cars of different drivers (mostly during my stay in Johannesburg) to transfer me to different places and travel to talk about the things of life. They were all so different - one laughed to the point of bursting, and he turned out to be a biblical teacher; We commented with someone else on salaries and finances; A third told about his blind child, who, above all, is also bedridden; A fourth was bitter about the fact that in many churches they only talk about money, and fifth turned out to be one of the few female drivers in Uber. Despite the differences, there was one thing that connected them, and that was the struggle for survival. When I asked them when was their day off, they always laughed...
–> Browse and book a budget hotel in Johannesburg with a discount. See here!
Sunday - time for church!
The next morning, with Uber, the driver Johannes moved to Christian Revival Church. He was a man who went to church, but now he stood aside, disappointed, because in his opinion, churches only talk about money and define people according to what car they have or what clothes they wear. He told me about the late William Branham that he wanted to be at his church. Man sought sincerity and purity. What conversations.
The service started at 9:30, but I was there earlier and was able to look. The first impression was that it is a super rich church! Mostly Negro. More about CRC – here. There was an organization of traffic at the intersections around the church. Sunday children, dressed in clown clothes and wigs, welcomed the families and urged them to join. A huge hall for over 3-4,000 people, a cafe, a place for photos. On the way out of the children's church, there were lollipops for 25 cents. Orderers everywhere. Rules are followed - from here, you can't go from here. Praise - strong, powerful, elevating Jesus. Many people keep notes. About the statistics - there were about 30 newborns and 7-8 children dedicated to God at once, and at the most ordinary regular service.
Christian Revival Church is the fastest-growing church chain in South Africa. The sermon? Well, what are the odds that at this very service on April 28, the pastor would talk about not giving up on our dreams and use Joseph as an example—and how his family rebuked him. Share your dreams only with other dreamers. And this whole message came just as I titled my journey “Making the Dream Come True.” Slowly but surely, God leads you toward making your dream come true. It’s not all flowers and roses. It’s like traveling—you might enjoy looking out the airplane window, but first you have to pack your bags, go through passport control, wait in line, and so on. Link to this specific sermon HERE. Everything was truly wonderful, but no one came to meet me.
Joberg - a city of contrasts
I took an Uber from CRC to the Rosebank stop, where the Sightseeing Bus route begins. The driver’s name was Gomotsegang Frans, and it turned out that he attends Zion Christian Church. What’s characteristic of them is that they don’t eat pork, don’t drink any alcohol, and observe Christian halal. At the service, everyone is dressed the same. When I asked why, I didn’t get an answer. “You have to know why you do the things you do.”
The tickets for the big red Sightseeng Hop-On Hop-Off bus (the remarkable bus) I had taken in advance via Viator.com and the original plan was to spend almost a whole day going around, but the program has undergone changes. The ticket even included a walking tour of the Soveto district - an important place during the apartheid. In the end, however, I only had only 2 hours to ride and explore from the roof of the bus without getting off, in terms of safety and time saving.
Until that moment, I had been under the impression that Joberg (Johannesburg's short name) is a very organized and beautiful city, but this bus opened my eyes to the fact that there are neighborhoods where it is really dangerous to move on foot, let alone alone. What an irony it is that these neighborhoods were located in the very center of the city, near the central station and the seats of the big banks in South Africa. Dirty streets, garbage everywhere, few cars. People are probably poor to afford a car. A pitiful picture.
Nelson Mandela - The National Hero of South Africa
This was followed by a visit to the apartheid museum, where the story of how the division of White and Black takes place in South Africa and how this gap between races is overcome.
The museum rests on Mondays and Tuesdays. Its working hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The entrance fee is R160 = BGN 16.
The museum features cells measuring 2 by 1 meters, more akin in size to a bathroom than a living space. Nelson Mandela’s cell, where he spent 18 years in prison, measured 2 by 3 meters. There is a room with a list of victims and numerous… gallows. There are numerous signs reading “for whites” and “not for blacks,” as well as posters, video footage, photographs, and quotes from Nelson Mandela. I was deeply moved by a young Black girl who was crying in the museum courtyard as she saw what the whites had done to her ancestors.
Like my page on Facebook to be the first to learn about new travelogues and adventures!
Interesting facts about Nelson Mandela:
– He was the first president of South Africa
– He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993
– His wife is Samora Michel, whom he married on his 80th birthday. Interestingly, she had previously been married to the first president of Mozambique.
– On June 12, 2008, Mandela was also awarded the Bulgarian Order of Stara Planina for his contribution to humanity
– He grew up in a family of 13 children
– Nelson Mandela and Vasil Levski were born on the same date—July 18.
MY BLACK FRIEND
After the museum, I had an appointment at Clearwater Mall, and I took an Uber there again, but this time, to my surprise, the driver was a woman—Khethiwe. It turned out she was one of the very few female Uber drivers. She told me I was the first white woman she’d ever seen get into her car alone. We chatted, laughed, and finally I told her, “Conception is God’s work,” because she herself seemed to be having trouble.
Срещата ми беше с новата ми африканска приятелка Негро – Кханя. Това е момичето, с което 4 месеца тренирах разговорния си английски онлайн чрез платформата preply.com. Уроците бяха на абсурдно ниска цена – 3–4 долара за 50-минутен урок, през който можеш да обсъждаш дадена тема, да правиш онлайн упражнения по граматика и лексика или просто да разговаряш свободно за различни неща от живота. Бяхме говорили онлайн за толкова различни теми, че сега, когато се видяхме, беше сякаш винаги сме се познавали. Седнахме да хапнем в един ресторант в мола. Поръчах салата и ми донесоха огромна порция – най-голямата салата, която някога съм получавал. Бях информиран предварително от един българин, живеещ в Южна Африка, че в манталитета на негрите е заложено да очакват от белите или да ги почерпят, или да им купят нещо, да им дадат пари или да им направят някаква услуга. Е, в този смисъл аз почерпих приятелката си Ханя.
Second church
An evening visit to Kanya's church followed, to which we were supposed to go together in the morning, but since her mother was in hospital at the time and Kanya was hindered. The church was called Little Falls Christian Center and it was mostly white people, but there were also quite a few negroes.
Right at the entrance, a woman noticed me; she realized I was from Bulgaria and introduced me to another woman. She, in turn, introduced me to a whole group of women and seated me next to them. It felt as if we’d known each other for years. The warmest welcome EVER. Not only that, but in the end, the pastor had also heard that there was someone from Bulgaria, so he called me up to the front, and everyone prayed for me and for Bulgaria. Additionally, during this regular worship service, there were about 20 newborns, and there was a water baptism; the church had prepared black garments for the immersion (for anyone who needed them), but only one person decided to go through with it—meaning the person didn’t need to bring anything or make any special preparations. Everything was provided by the church. Link to the specific service HERE.
On my way back to my Sandton hotel with Uber I came across the driver Tussaud. Well, there was a big laugh with this man. Finally, he turned out to be a biblical teacher at the Church of Assambleys of God. What meetings!
To the next travelogue –> Missionary Base in Maputo, Mozambique
–> Browse and book a budget hotel in Johannesburg with a discount. See here!
