If you live outside of South Africa, you are probably not aware of the crisis at our universities. A little more than a year ago, university students started to protest, demanding no increase (or a very slight increase at worse) for the 2017 academic school year. Their rallying cry was #feesmustfall. At first, the protests were peaceful and limited to a handful of universities, but then some troublemakers got involved. A few months down the line, the protests turned violent. Now there are protests at all of the major universities in the country and at many of our minor ones. The students are demanding free tertiary education. Their protests have turned incredibly violent over the past few months and have escalated during the past two-three weeks. University buildings, including resident halls (dormitories), have been burned down; classes have been canceled; faculty cars have been set alight. Last week, at one of our universities in Cape Town, three security guards nearly died when the building they were in was set on fire. At another one of our universities, some students took a faculty member hostage. At Wits University in Johannesburg, some of the scenes between students and police/ security guards look like a battle zone. Yesterday, students marched on Parliament in Cape Town. The protest turned violent.
There are no winners in this crisis. Many people who were sympathetic to the students’ cause are no longer, due to the violent turn of the protests. The situation is complex, and many of the students are demanding more things besides free tertiary education. Personally, I think a lot of their demands and the ethos of their movement have roots in the injustice and racism of the past and of the current times. There are two sides to every story, but I think most South Africans would agree that the protests have gotten out of control. The violence is not justified and is only hurting the students’ cause, education as a whole and the country at large. Everyone living in South Africa is affected. There are no winners.
Wayne and I have several young friends either at university or who are preparing to attend universities who are affected by the turmoil. Please pray for our young friends, and please join us in prayer for the following:
All tertiary students and those preparing to begin university in 2017 (The South African academic year runs from January to December.) Please pray for their families as well.
Protesting students: For them to protest peacefully and for them to hold accountable those who are not. Please pray for their safety as well.
Police and security guards who have been called in. For them not to use excessive force. For their safety as well.
Faculty and all staff at the universities: Pray for their safety and welfare and peace of mind. For wisdom about going forward.
Prayers for all parties involved, including the government: For them to listen to one another, for wisdom on all sides and for a fair solution to be formed.
At our recent Anglicans Ablaze conference, one of the sessions was “Quo Vadis South Africa?”—meaning, where are you going, South Africa? In many ways, the country is at a crossroads. There are so many major things going on, things to either make or break this country in the future. The student protests are a major player at this crossroads. Prayer changes things. Thank you for joining us in prayer for our students and universities and for all of those who are involved.
As we seek to expand our family’s engagement in God’s kingdom through Agape Year, God has seen fit to expand our family! Baby Twichell #2, dubbed Baby Donut by our resident carb aficionado Henry, is due October 21st! Starting a new ministry, graduating from seminary, moving, and having a baby will make 2016 a year to remember for the Twichells! Please pray for Erika and Baby Donut, and please consider supporting Agape Year as we seek to transition into full time ministry.
Agape Year has a new global headquarters! We are very excited to have relocated our family and Agape Year to Pittsburgh’s Perry South neighborhood. Our new home is perfectly situated for easy access to some great ministry partners, has the space we’ll need to accommodate the next generation of global church builders, and on top of that, it has a porch swing. Please pray with us that this new home will be a place where God’s Light shines brightly, His name is proclaimed, and youth come to be challenged and prepared for what lies ahead.
In a few weeks’ time, Wayne, along with five youth leaders, will be traveling to Madagascar on mission. The team will be serving at the Diocese of Toliara’s youth conference in the areas of teaching, speaking, preaching, ministry and cultivating community and fellowship through games.
Each team member brings unique skills and gifts, and it has been a blessing and a joy (and hard work!) to help plan this mission. The team members are Neil Adams, Ryan Baatjies, Zrano Bam, Wayne Curtis, Nkosinathi Landingwe, and Rethabile Mabusela. The mission team has named themselves: #Madagascar4Jesus. The conference theme is Romans 12:1, “To offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” Neil, Zrano and Rethabile will be expounding on the theme each day. Wayne and Nkosinathi will be talking about the “Challenge of Globalisation in Relation to Christianity,” and Ryan will be preaching at the cathedral.
We know that this team is going to a blessing to the young people at the conference and that they will receive numerous blessings as well. I have no doubt that a special bond will be formed between the South African team and the Malagasy youth leaders and youth. I believe it will be a life-changing experience for them all.
The team is eager to serve, and each member has been hard at work over the past few months to raise the support needed to go on this mission trip. For Wayne, we hosted at church two “Movie Nights” in which we showed the movie War Room and sold pizzas. We also hosted “Wayne’s House Party” in which FuzionGrooves (a DJ and singer from church) provided the music. We also teamed up with the Amici de Lumine Youth Choir to hold an afternoon of choral music fundraiser. Wayne and I have been so amazed at the support he has received from church members, friends and family, who truly believe in this mission. God has really provided for us, and we are truly grateful.
The team will be traveling to Toliara, which is the southern part of the country. It consists of one of the poorest and most unreached places on earth. The people of Toliara have numerous struggles, but many of them find hope in the diocese’s holistic ministry of evangelism, education and economic development. We are grateful that Wayne and the other five youth leaders have the opportunity to go be with and to serve their brothers and sisters in Toliara. Please keep the team in your prayers—safe journey, good health, sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, etc.—as they prepare to leave.
I am writing from Peru where I have been for the last three weeks. This has been the year for Peru. This is my fourth trip and there will be one more – in November.
When I return to Vermont on August 8 I shall have nearly four weeks left as part- time interim in Cambridge, NY. In September I shall retire again to the back of the church where I shall enjoy the ministry of others.
This year I have visited Lima in January, March and June. Last month we had an amazing Bible School at San Mateo school. We simply inserted it into the daily curriculum from 10:00am – 1:00 pm. I led the opening and closing sessions in some very iffy Spanish. The teachers taught their own classes a bible lesson for which we had prepared them the month before. The team from Grace Anglican Church, Fleming Island, FL, led the activities and supplied all the resources. The results have been amazing as “God showed up!”
This month I am exploring the possibilities for rebuilding two of our largest schools. One in Lima and the other in Arequipa. I am accompanied by an energetic young architect – Kyle Murphy. He has established a small NGO to design and help build new community structures that serve the poor in countries such as Peru.
What has been happening in Peru?
A year ago Peru consecrated three more bishops. Bishop Godfrey announced his retirement and departed in April for England where he is happily in charge of a historic church in Yorkshire. Bishop Jorge Aguilar was elected and seated as Diocesan Bishop in April. The country is now divided into missionary areas – with assistant bishops and “vicarios” in charge. Each of these is different and looking to grow by planting churches.
My recent role has been to improve and develop the North American partnerships. These relationships have been most effective in developing shared ministry and creating church structures that have been beyond the resources of the Peruvians. The partner churches and Dioceses do not really know the new leadership and so new trust and confidence need to be developed.
In November I shall return to Peru, with Polly, to take the essentially British services for Remembrance Day. There is no English speaking priest at the Cathedral, so I am filling in. This service is probably the most important in the year in the mind of the British and International community.
Next year, I will join the non-profit “Amigos del Peru” in seeking to hold a US conference in May 2017 where the Peruvian leadership can meet their historic Episcopal/Anglican partners in ministry. Such a meeting will require a great deal of organization—think visas, finances, and venue. Please pray for this to happen and that the right people will be able to come. When I return to the USA, I shall begin in earnest to work to put this together coordinating with ex-missionaries, partner parishes and Dioceses.
Please pray on with me as these are exciting times. God is at work – bless you for sharing in this ministry through prayer and financial support. Together we make a strong team. Ian
