We don’t know if you’ve seen any of the news reports coming out of South Africa about violence against foreign nationals… dozens have been killed and hundreds or thousands have been displaced from their homes seeking safe sanctuary in police stations or churches and the U.S. State Department posted a Travel Advisory for Americans traveling to South Africa.

Things in Mafikeng (where we are) are stable… the Setswana people who make up the vast majority of the population are a very peaceful people and part of the larger ‘Batswana’ tribe which ranges between here and the country of Botswana, which is just 12 miles up the road. Most ‘foreign nationals’ in Mafikeng are from Botswana and considered family as a result. The big problems are occurring in areas where there is a large population of foreign African nationals who have emigrated (legally or illegally) to seek employment or safe haven from political persecution.

There was a demonstration recently in a village located between here and the Botswana border that closed the highway but that was because of lack of service delivery (electricity, etc.) in the village, not the foreign national problem.

We hosted a group of Amercan university students here last week who we took to the airport in Johannesburg Sunday. Our normal route from here to the airport goes right alongside two of the hot spots of violence in Jo’burg so we altered our route and got them there without incident. One of the places our friends in Johannesburg are doing ministry in is called ‘Zimbabwe Park’ because of the high numbers of people from Zimbabwe living there. We have been worried about them but just received an email from them saying everything was fine there. We are planning to visit them next weekend and for now have not changed those plans but will wait and see how things develop between then and now.

For the latest on the situation we suggest you google ‘xenophobia south africa’.

Please keep the safety of everyone here in your prayers.