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Little By Little
Finding God's Way in South Africa
Helga S. Childs
(Retail, $15.95) WEBSITE PRICE, $12.75
Price: $12.75
Memoirs of working for the General Church in South Africa
Helga Childs tells us of her years in South Africa with her husband, the late Rev. Geoffrey Childs. They were sent there with an assignment to bring together the different General Church Groups, both whites and blacks, joining them into one corporation. Helga describes her and Geoffrey's introduction to and life in this new land as they encounter new people, new cultures, and the adventures of new wildlife around — and sometimes inside of — their South African home. Together, they help lay the groundwork for increased cooperation and support among the groups, churches and schools that strive to fulfill a New Church vision.

READ PART OF CHAPTER ONE
Chapter One: September 1992 - June 1993
Copyright 2009 by Helga S. Childs

First Impressions

As we check in our luggage, we look at each other in disbelief and ask, “What are we doing?” Should we give into our momentary panic, reverse out of these seats, grab our carry-on baggage and get out of here? Or should we continue with the plan and see what comes next for us on this South African adventure?

Geoffrey and I have spent the summer visiting family and friends around the USA and Canada, and many of them thought we were out of our minds to go to a country that was a powder keg of political upheaval. The odds looked poor for our safe return. But here we are, on our way to the adventure of starting a General Church Corporation in South Africa. It is too late to change our minds. Our promise is to give it a two-year try. Finally, we sit back, relax and go with the flow. We will be a small part of the larger picture of the development of the New Church in Africa. The Writings of Swedenborg say that the Church will grow amongst the perceptive, celestial people on that continent. Our aim is to form a corporation that will be able to handle the financial side of church growth and encourage cooperation between the many different cultures in South Africa. The spread of the Writings has been going on for three generations. But the barriers between the whites and blacks are huge. Our hope is that we will be a bridge over the gap due to our outsider’s point of view.

The year is 1992. The impasse between the political parties is in the process of ending. The African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela, has been released after 27 years in prison. His party is flexing its muscles. The 300 years of white rule is ending. We are coming into a challenging situation. Due to our outside viewpoint, we have a naïve assurance that things will all work out for the best. This is the beginning of the experiment.

Arriving

The seemingly endless trip to South Africa out of New York is finally ending after a night of drinks and food, and a movie and a refueling stop at Isle de Sol, off the northwestern bulge of Africa. We look down as we come in for a landing at Johannesburg. It feels like an eternity since we left. We are worn out. Gathering our carry-ons together, we slowly exit the plane in a bewildered state.

Inching our way through the security and immigration check points, we wonder how we will get to the hotel where we plan to spend the night before finishing the trip tomorrow morning. With a flood of relief, we spy Andy Dibb waiting for us as we come out of the baggage claim area. What a joy to see our old friend. Andy is the pastor here in Johannesburg. His congregation is scattered far and wide in the city and the suburbs. They have a church located in Buccleuch, north of the city, and he and his wife, Cara, and their three kids have settled into a home on a large property. After warm greetings, Andy loads our belongings into his car and takes us around to the nearby Holiday Inn. A shower and a rest restore our scattered selves, and we enjoy chatting with the Dibbs, who have returned to share a welcoming dinner in the hotel dining room.

It seems almost impossible to get on another plane the next morning. But after a good night's rest, we get ourselves onto an eleven o'clock flight in a much smaller plane. The trip is so short that we are in Durban before we know it.

We are really fortunate to once more be greeted by a familiar face. Jim Cooper is there at the baggage claim area and helps us find our luggage and stow it all into his small car. He is the pastor in Westville, which is a suburb of the port city of Durban. From the road out of the airport we can see the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean. The ride from the airport is not too long, bringing us to our new home by lunchtime. He turns in where the mailbox says #7 Sydney Drive, and guns the motor. Up we go on a breath-taking climb to the front of our new home. The Durban Society of the General Church made a move from a city location to the pleasant, more open country area of Westville during the pastorate of Rev. Daniel Heinrichs in 1970. Most of the society lives on spacious lots in a community nearby the school. The group pitched in to actually work on the buildings themselves. The complex is around an open garden courtyard, designed by the architect, John Frost, who is a member of the congregation. This is an area of steep hills and distant views. We find, after stepping out of the car, that our own view is breathtaking. We look out past flat-topped African trees, over a deep woodsy area, to a far off cliff with a row of houses along the top of a distant ridge.

Jim helps us unload and carry in our luggage. There is a locked security gate barring our entrance, but the necessary key is produced and we walk into a lovely, nice-sized living room already furnished with couches, soft chairs and a side board as you come in the door.

The dining area is straight ahead and the kitchen to the right, only partially enclosed. A long hall, or passage as they say in this country, goes off to the right. The master bedroom is at the end of the passage with its own bathroom. There are two smaller bedrooms, which we pass on the way to transport our stuff to the right space. Another large bathroom and powder room are on the left as we go down the passage. What a great layout and all supplied with enough furniture for us to move right in!

After a few days of unpacking a bit we are beginning to settle into some old routines, but with new twists. We have a longstanding habit of starting our day with a nice strong, hot cup of tea and a piece of whatever fruit is handy and some new friends have supplied us with a tasty selection. We find that many songbirds flit in the trees right outside our windows. After our tea we read from the Word and the Writings of Swedenborg and say the Lord's Prayer. It is a special treat to look out over our wonderful view, in this new land, and feel a deep sense of peace and inner happiness.