how it all started
I was complaining. I was driving around the Vaal Triangle and complaining almost every day. Complaining to myself, complaining towards my wife and even God. The streets of the Vaal Triangle is a mess. Rubbish is everywhere and potholes almost increasing by the day.
Someone has to do something about this. Why is local government not sorting out these issues? These thoughts were part of my daily life.
In June 2023 I had a lunch appointment with two friends – Tsepo & Tsepang Mosokwene (twin brother and sister). With their mother they have taken over leadership roles of the church after their fathers death during the Covid19 period.
Although the purpose of the get together was not to talk about it, they shared with me a vision that they had for 22 July 2023 and an initiative called #CleanupVaal was to be held on that day. They are well connected on campus of one of the local Universities and had a group of about 70 volunteers ready to pitch up and pick up rubbish in Vanderbijlpark CBD area. Through this initiative, they hoped to inspire others to do the same. I was definitely inspired.
In the week after this meeting God’s Word really addressed my complaining…
Mat 5:13-16 (NKJV) – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.“
The words: “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world“ stood out to me. Where salt was needed, YOU go and be that salt. Where light is needed, YOU go and be that light. Don’t wait around for someone else to bring a solution to the problem that you are seeing. You must be part of that solution.
With the inspiration of this scripture, I approached some of my friends to join me on 22 July to serve the vision of #CleanupVaal and to “wash the feet” of our town by helping to clean up parts of Vanderbijlpark CBD. The group below was part of that very first cleaning outreach.
And what a day it was! Joyfully the group in the photo picked up 124 refuse bags of rubbish in a 2-3 hour timeframe as one team. This was 124 bags of rubbish less in the streets of Vanderbijlpark CBD. All of us said: We must do this again!
The next step – the start of this movement
I went back to our church with the message of being Salt & Light and asked them if they will join hands together to show love for our town by cleaning up the streets and by fixing some potholes. I was excited to see about 120 volunteers raise their hands to be in the streets of Vanderbijlpark on the public holiday of 9 August (about 80 picking up rubbish about 40 to fix potholes).
With joy and excitement we were able to fill 428 refuse bags with rubbish and fix 115 potholes. This was a drop in the ocean, but we were now part of the solution and not just sitting in a place where we are complaining, but doing nothing. 115 less potholes in the streets. 428 bags filled with rubbish that are less in the streets.
Not only this. We also empowered 120 people to pray on the day. They worked and they prayed for the Vaal Triangle. We prayed the words of Isa 6-:1-3 over our region:
Arise, shine [Vaal Triangle]; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you [Vaal Triangle], And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
People cleaned and prayed. People fixed potholes and prayed and put this verse in the holes before filling it with tar.
Our town was inspired and thankful that day. Many people stopped to say thank you and even to ask: How can we join you to help?
We all felt that we have to do it again.
The momentum has started
Where we stand now, 4 other churches in our town has been inspired by the message of “Salt & Light” and the next date was 30 September 2023. On this day, about 300 volunteers were visible in the streets of Vanderbijlpark and in different areas people were cleaning the streets and fixing potholes. A further 450+ refuse bags were filled and another 150+ potholes were fixed. What a joy to love our town by being Salt & Light. So beautiful to experience the unity of the body of Christ working together!
We hope to inspire other churches, organisations and individuals to do something similar in their own town / city.
In October 2023, this Salt & Light Movement was registered as a STAR project in the Time2Rise database and in this way were are now connected to all other similar projects that the Lord has initiated amongst His people in other regions of our country. May your town / city be next.
Let us be salt & light together.
Friedel Coetsee