In taking the decision to return to South Africa I did consider returning to the law profession. I only left the Department of Justice in 1996 because I had a strong conviction that I must follow a different path. At the time I was enjoying my role as Additional Magistrate in Cradock, Eastern Cape and it was therefor a natural consideration to return to that life.
Although we came to the conclusion that we need to return to South Africa, we still felt strongly that our initial calling that took us to Turkey has not ended and that we now have experience that we can share with others. The job description for the position of International Development and Support Manager at Pro Christo Global Mission were in line with our expectation and understanding.
When we arrived back in South Africa, we started off in Midrand, spending time at Dutch Reformed Church, Halfway House. We gave feedback to our support team and to the congregation. There was an invitation from the Church leaders to return to my former position of Church Administrator, but too much changed in the six years we were in Turkey, to gave serious consideration to that proposal.
We were the first missionaries sent by DRC Halfway House. Before we left we mobilized the congregation to be aware of their responsibility to make a difference in the world – in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria as well as the ends of the world. Our involvement in Turkey were their influence “at the end of the world” through our presence there for six years. With our return to South Africa that focus was lost and never restored in any formal way. It was however interesting to notice that people we had close relationships with over the years left the congregation to various destinations where they became light and salt in their new environments. The investment in relationships over a period of nine years in this congregation was not in vain!
It was not easy to locate and collect some of our furniture and appliances we had stored with family and friends during our absence. Some of the things were not in existence any more and other things broke or got lost. In the end we were able to fill a six foot trailer with belongings as we prepared to move to Kimberley.
Feeling secure that we got closure in Midrand we were ready to start a new chapter of our lives.