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PICTURE GALLERY
A GOD GIVEN DREAM INSTRUCTION-BUILD AN ARK -A CITY OF REFUGE FOR THE LOST
GO TO CAPE TOWN (FROM DURBAN) AND FIND A PLACE TO HOUSE A 1000 HOMELESS PEOPLE!!!
TO SEE WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THIS MASSIVE PROJECT OFF THE GROUND, CLICK HERE TO VIEW HOW ALL MATERIAL NEEDS WERE EVENTUALLY RECEIVED – CLICK HERE
Judy came to our Church in 1991 as a complete stranger from Durban, looking for a building to house 1000 people due to a dream God gave her.It must be noted that she had previously taken over an old 3 story abandoned railways hostel and established an Ark for 600 homeless at the Bluff near the harbour in Durban. A man from the CPA in our Church stood up as she asked if there was anything we knew of, and gave us an old Hospital at Westlake on weds and on Friday we moved in. Everything that could be damaged and stolen had left the the place in an incredible mess. I was the only person in her team from Cape Town, so my home was used as an office for 6 months where I sent out hundreds of faxes asking for support and materials, as well as repairing and replacing all services due to being a qualified electrical and mechanical engineer. This was a real joy but over more than 3 years being involved full time it also had to be a sacrifice calling suppliers, fetching materials and organising work parties, looking for underground services, preaching, counselling, playing worship music in the band etc. There is far more to this story in terms of miracles of provision, attacks by demonic forces which cannot be put here.
We started with about 70 homeless including vagrants, prostitutes, drunkards, abandoned street children etc initially sleeping on cardboard boxes. At that time the YMCA in Sea Point had closed ,down, and I was fortunate to get hold of 4 containers full of beds, cupboards tables gym equipment etc. (I also managed to get it transported free by a company I used for installing baker equipment-see pics below) . Our first miracle was that there were 80 beds but no mattresses-But very shortly a Farmer from Namibia contacted me and said he believed God had told him to send 80 mattresses down (without knowing that was the exact amount we needed at the time!) Within approximately 6 months there were over 1000 homeless daily, being fed, washed, clothed and given dignity and purpose- which was a REAL MIRACLE! There were over 40 volunteer workers who were never paid- electricity, water and sanitation was free, doctors services were free etc. All needs such as food 3 times a day were miraculously met by the Spirit of God moving amongst the community, and I even got Mr Raymond Ackerman to hold a golfing day to raise donations. Eventually we had workshops of every description-electrical repairs of washing machines, fridges etc, mechanical car repairs, spray painting of cars, dressmaking workshop, Furniture and carpentry repairs, Art and painting, computer training centre, Bible school, Counselling, hospital clinic, a school from grade 1 to 12, a building team who built houses for free in the community in Kayalitsha, and much more.
It was forced to close down and move in 1998 due to the government selling the site now known as Westlake park etc, with about 35 000 going through its doors after being given a new chance in life, and equipped for lifes’ challenges. Today it is still thriving in Faure, not far from Kayalitsha, in better facilities which was the old Boys Town. See pictures below. For more details see my story.
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JUDY, FOUNDER OF THE ARK IN DURBAN IN POINT ROAD-WHO CAME TO CAPE TOWN WHEN SHE HAD A DREAM IN WHICH SHE WAS TOLD TO COME TO CAPE TOWN AND ESTABLISH A HOME FOR AT LEAST 1000 HOMELESS PEOPLE.
THIS WAS THE STATE OF THE DEFUNCT HOSPITAL AT WESTLAKE WHEN WE MOVED IN- EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE STOLEN OR DAMAGED WAS REMOVED AND A MAMMOTH TASK TO REPAIR WITH NO FACILITIES AND NO FUNDS, NO FURNITURE, CARPETS, CUTLERY, NO BEDS, NO BEDDING, CUPBOARDS, CHAIRS, TABLES, NO TAPS, HOT WATER CYLINDERS, WINDOWS AND HANDLES ETC ETC
TOILET BOWLS SMASHED AND TAPS TORN OUT OF THE WALLS
CEILINGS AND FITTINGS DAMAGED OR STOLEN INCLUDING ALL HOT WATER CYLINDERS
THERE WERE A VERY FEW CHAIRS AND TABLES LEFT FROM THE OLD HOSPITAL
CLEANING FLOORS AND MANY NURSES AND PATIENTS BUNGALOWS WAS A HUGE PROBLEM
DESKS AND OTHER FURNITURE START ARRIVING
FORTUNATELY THE KITCHEN HAD A DIESEL COOKING POT AND THE DIESEL TANK WAS FULL TO START COOKING AS WE BEGAN BRINGING IN THE HOMELESS
AN OUT OF WORK COOK WHO FOUND SANCTUARY AT THE ARK
I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE GIVEN 4 CONTAINERS OF FURNITURE AND EFFECTS FROM THE YMCA THAT CLOSED DOWN IN SEA POINT
MANAGED TO GET A RIGGING COMPANY THAT MOVED MY BAKERY EQUIPMENT TO BAKERIES TO DELIVER TO WESTLAKE FREE OF CHARGE
SOME OF THE FURNITURE INCLUDING 80 BEDS BUT NO MATTRESSES. IN THAT WEEK A FARMER FROM NAMIBIA CALLED ME TO SAY THAT GOD TOLD HIM TO SEND 80 MATTRESSES. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF GOD OPENING THE HEAVENS AS EVERYTHING STARTED POURING IN TO GIVE THE HOMELESS A HOME,A BED, CLOTHING FOOD AND DIGNITY.
THE MAYOR ARRIVES TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE ARK-THE CITY GAVE US FREE ELECTRICITY, WATER, REFUSE REMOVAL ETC.
TEA WITH THE MAYOR
I ASKED MR ACKERMAN IF HE COULD SPONSOR FUNDS FOR THE ARK, SO HE ARRANGED A GOLFING CHALLENGE AT HIS GOLF CLUB IN CLOVELLY WHERE THE PROCEEDS WENT TO THE ARK, AND WE RECEIVED A CHEQUE TO THE VALUE OF R25 000 IN 1992
JUDYS SON GREG THANKING MR ACKERMAN AND PICK AND PAY FOR ARRANGING THE DAY
GARETH ACKERMAN PRESENTING GREG WITH CHEQUE OF R25 000
STREET CHILDRENS PLAYROOM-CARPETS PROVIDED BY SOUTHERN SUN HOTELS WHO REFURBISHED THE HOTEL AND GAVE US LUSH CARPETS, SHEETS BLANKETS ETC
WE HAD NO COMPUTERS UNTIL OLD MUTUAL SENT 3 TRUCKLOADS OF COMPUTERS AFTER A MAJOR OFFICE REVAMP. THEY ALSO ENDED UP PROVIDING THE ABOVE CLASSROOM FOR CLASSES ON BIBLE STUDY, COMPUTER TRAINING ETC
LEATHERWORK WORKSHOP FOR SHOE REPAIRS, FURNITURE UPHOLSTERY ETC
THE RESIDENT ARTIST WHO ALSO HAD AN ART WORKSHOP
ARTS AND CRAFTS TEACHER
DRESSMAKING MINI FACTORY
SEWING ROOM USED FOR VARIOUS USES SUCH AS CURTAINS, CLOTHING REPAIRS, CLOTHES BEDDING ETC
MECHANICAL WORKSHOP FOR VARIOUS REPAIRS TO MACHINERY ETC, THERE WAS ALSO AN ELECTRICAL WORKSHOP TO REPAIR OLD AND BROKEN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. THE ARK HAD A POLICY TO GIVE FURNITURE TO ANYONE WHO HAD FOUND WORK AND THUS LEFT THE ARK- TO HELP THEM ON THEIR WAY.
VEHICLE REPAIRS AND SPRAY PAINTING WORKSHOP. COMMUNITY PAY BACK WAS DONE BY THE ARK TO HELP STRUGGLING MOTHERS AND OTHERS IN THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY BY FIXING CARS FREE OF CHARGE, PROVIDED THE PARTS AND SPARES WERE PROVIDED.
SOMEONE DONATED HAIRDRESSING CHAIRS AND HAIRDRESSERS HAD MUCH WORK TO DO.
A FULL ON CLINIC AND MINI HOSPITAL EVOLVED
DUE TO THE ILL HEALTH AND SICKNESS OF THOSE LIVING ON THE STREETS AND BUSHES, SERVICED BY CARING DOCTORS WHO CAME IN ON A REGULAR CHEDULE FREE OF CHARGE OUT OF COMPASSION FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN.
SOMEONE BUSY DYING OF TB AND OTHER CAUSES.
RECEIVING ATTENTION FROM LOVING CARING VOLUNTEER STAFF
A SCHOOL STARTS FORMING AFTER 3 TEACHERS WERE RETRENCHED.
I CHALLENGED THEM TO START A SCHOOL AND THEY STARTED ON THE ACE CHRISTIAN BASED SYSTEM. EVENTUALLY WE HAD ALL GRADES FROM ONE TO TWELVE TEACHING CHILDREN WHO NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO SCHOOL
THE ATMOSPHERE AMONGST THE CHILDREN WAS AMAZING-LIVING IN A CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENT THERE WAS NO SCREAMING OR SHOUTING, BUT DIGNIFIED QUIETNESS AND APPRECIATION OF THEIR OPPORTUNITY
ALL CHILDREN WERE TAKEN OFF THE STREET, AS WAS THIS GIRL ABOVE. THE SOCIAL WORKERS SAID SHE WAS SUCH A DIFFICULT CASE AND WOULD NEVER COME RIGHT. BUT IN THE CARING ENVIRONMENT, SHE BLOSSOMED AND EVENTUALLY GOT DISTINCTIONS IN HER SUBJECTS.
TRYING TO REPAIR AN OLD POOL WAS QUITE A BIG JOB
AN IDEA OF THE SIZE OF THE COMPLEX-JUST ONE OF MANY QUADRANGLES AND BUNGALOWS
THE RESIDENT ARTISTS MADE OLD BUILDINGS BEAUTIFUL AND A NICE ENVIRONMEN TO LIVE IN
ON THE WAY TO A COUNSELLING SESSION TO SEE HOW THOSE STRUGGLING AMONGST THE OVER 1200 INHABITANTS WERE DOING.
MORE BUNGALOWS AMONGST THE TREES
THE BIBLE SCHOOL WHERE DIPLOMAS COULD BE HAD
THE ARK GAVE AWAY HOMES FREE OF CHARGE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO THOSE WHO HAD NO HOMES. OUT OF WORK ARCHITECTS DESIGNED ECONOMICAL HOMES LIKE THE MODEL BELOW. THE CONCEPT WAS THAT A PORTABLE BRICK MACHINE WOULD BE MOVED ON SITE AND BRICKS MADE BY POURING SAND AND CEMENT INTO THE MACHINE WHEN 4 BRICKS CAME OUT AT A TIME. THE NEW OWNER WOULD TRY TO FIND FUNDS FOR THE MATERIALS, WHEN THE ARK’S ARTISANS WOULD BUILD THE HOUSE. WHEN FINISHED THEY WOULD HAND OVER THE KEY AND WHEN THEY DID WHERE ASKED HOW MUCH DO THEY OWE?
THE ANSWER WAS SIMPLE-NOTHING!!
SAMPLE OF THE FREE HOUSES FOR THE COMMUNITY
3 BRICK MAKING MACHINES ON PORTABLE TRAILERS DONATED BY BP
HERE I CAN BE SEEN LAYING OUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF A HOUSE FOR AN ANC CHIEF IN KHAYALITSHA
FINALLY A LOAD OF BRICKS TO START BUILDING THE HOUSE.
ALL THE ABOVE WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF ONE WOMANS’ OBEDIENCE TO A VISION FROM GOD, THE GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM COMMUNITY AND MANY SELFLESS VOLUNTEERS AND HELPERS, MOTIVATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
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FOOTNOTE-There is a picture at the end,of myself standing next to a big representation of the world with Dr. George Verwer, founder of the world wide Operation Mobilisation, responsible for sending thousands of missionaries around the world and making a huge impact on societies, esp with a small fleet of ships such as the Logos. the largest floating library going around the world on humanitarian missions to poor countries. We were having breakfast on the ship Logos in Cape Town docks and George was thanking all who helped him over the years. I happened to mention that when a previous ship the Doulos was in Cape Town for a total refit about 10 years previously, I had met the Ships Captain at a braai, and he said they were short of artisans to complete the work, and did not have the funds. I asked him what he needed-he replied plumbers, welders, carpenters, painters, mechanics fitters etc-I said I could supply him with a busload of 30 artisans-AT NO COST TO HIM! Of course I had the Ark in mind, and managed to find all tradesmen necessary who had at some time not been homeless, and eventually persuaded them to help the ship, and in some way paying back to society for the help they received FREE OF CHARGE. A week or so later, there was a picture on the FRONT PAGE OF THE CAPE TIMES, with some of my guys hanging on a sling and painting the ships bow! how cool was that. Some even ended up working on board going all around the world and being made useful members of society and doing God’s will in their lives.
Pictures that follow are when the Ark was demolished and also pictures of the new premises at Faure, the old Boys Town.
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THE DEMOLISHING OF THE ARK BEGINS AFTER GOVERNMENT ORDERED A SHUT DOWN.
SEE ALSO THE NEW ARK AT FAURE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT WITH BETTER FACILITIES.
A NEW ERA BEGINS AFTER THE GOVERNMENT MAKES THE OLD BOYS TOWN PREMISES AVAILABLE FOR THE ARK
ABOVE IS A PICTURE OF THE FOUNDER OF OPERATION MOBILISATION OM GEORGE VERWEY, WITH A MODEL OF THE GLOBE SHOWING THE EXTENT OF HIS MINISTRY.
THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN ON ONE OF HIS MISSION SHIPS IN CAPE TOWN AT THE OCCASION OF A BREAKFAST FOR CHRISTIAN BUSINESS MEN. GEORGE HAD JUST THANKED THOSE WHO HAD SUPPORTED THE COMPLETE ELECTRICAL REWIRING OF THE SHIP DOULOS. I HAD MENTIONED TO HIM HOW WHEN THEY WERE SHORT STAFFED HOW 30 ARTISANS FROM THE ARK HAD AGREED TO WORK AT NO COST, AFTER A BIT OF INITIAL RESISTANCE WHEN REMINDING THEM WHAT SOCIETY HAD DONE FOR THEM FREE OF CHARGE.
TO SEE WHAT IT TOOK TO GET THIS MASSIVE PROJECT OFF THE GROUND, CLICK HERE TO VIEW HOW ALL MATERIAL NEEDS WERE EVENTUALLY RECEIVED – CLICK HERE
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