The residence halls, or dorms, in South Africa function very much like Sororities and Fraternities in the States. Each "Res." (which is what they call it), has its own name, own uniform, even own anthem to represent who they are and what they stand for. Each Res. competes with the others and every student must go through initiation before moving in. The first week for the freshman is especially intense as some of the guys are required to shave their heads, march in straight lines while they chant, girls must wear outrageous costumes and earn "Res. points" by stealing pieces of costumes from other girls. Nearly every student signs up for a Residence Hall, considering many of them come from towns far away and choose to live in a dorm. Those who still live with their parents or who live in an apartment or flat near the campus have the option to join a "Day Res." which allows them to participate in all the same functions and socials without living on campus.
Elsie and Khumo are two freshman girls who just joined the Welpies Res. Dressed in their matching uniforms, I approached them to ask a little bit about how their first week on campus was going. With their openness and willingness to share, they began to vent about the back-to-back testing they've had to do all week, the stress of registering for classes and finding all the buildings, and the fear of being a new freshman on campus. When they asked what I was doing in South Africa, I shared with them the purpose of our ministry and watched their eyes light up as their hearts sighed with relief.
"We need your help!" they said.
Elsie and Khumo began to share the routines and traditions of their Residence Hall and the difficulty of being a Christian in the midst of it. The TUX campus and many of its buildings, including the Welpies Res., was built in the 1800s. For years, traditions have been carried and passed on from generation to generation as each new class honors the history of their residence hall. In the Welpies Res., bronze statues of lions, birds, and zebra stand in the front entrance of the dorm. Each resident must bow and worship the statues upon entering and leaving the building, thanking and praising them as gods.
"The Scriptures say not to worship any other god but what are we to do? We are just freshman and if we do not bow down to them, everyone will make fun of us and we will probably get in a lot of trouble. If nobody is around, we don't do it because nobody is watching us. But every morning when we all walk to class together, we cannot get away with it. We must do it, but I know that Jesus is my only God. I do not know what to do."
I think the most exciting thing about hearing their plea, was seeing their faith. I was able to encourage them by acknowledging their desire to follow the Lord and together we sat huddled under a little roof that sheltered us from the rain as we opened up the Word of God. Reading through Daniel, we looked at the boldness, courage, and faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to worship King Nebuchadenezzar's gold statue. Encouraged by the faith of these three biblical men and reminded of the protection that the LORD had on them, Elsie and Khumo decided to stand up for their faith and talk to the Residence Advisors that afternoon.
Three days later I received a text message from Elsie:
"We don't have to worship the statues anymore :) Thank you, and praise God!"
"Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." -Daniel 3:28
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