NEWS E lim in the Overberg may be poor in resources, but it is rich in grace, humanity and heart. Thanks to a donation from Lottoland, this Moravian mission station is getting a makeover to celebrate its 200 years of existence. The Lord has heard their prayers.
That’s how the people of Elim in the Overberg feel about the transformation this mission station has undergone in recent months. The process kicked off thanks to a donation from Lottoland Help ’n Dorp after the community applied for help to refurbish their church and community hall. About 2 000 souls live here, says Hennie Ulster, vice-chairperson of the festival committee for Elim’s bicentenary celebration.
Ulster says: The historic church is the centre of the community’s existence – everyone here is Moravian. Ulster says: The community has done some work to fix the outside of their church, but they did not have the resources to fix the interior. “Many Sundays I sat [in the church] and thought, if only we could get money for this church,” says Ronald October, chairperson of the festival committee.
Then Leah came to Elim with a donation of R417 000 from Lottoland. “When that little envelope came out, my heart leaped,” says Ulster. The news was announced during the Sunday morning service.
Reverend Sandra Abrahams says: The community started cleaning the inside of the church – among the workers was a 94-year-old resident. The church’s interior was painted pure white with a bit of gold detail, and th.