Entries Tagged 'News' ↓

Regional competition held at Tarkastad, Plumb line Christian Academy, 4 students qualified for Southern Cape SACSSA colours

Learners trained in group dynamics and leadership skills

Alexandria Christian Academy took the whole school on a leadership training/ adventure camp in October in the picturesque town of Hogsback. The camp was life changing in more than one way. Learners from Grade 1 – 12 were trained in group dynamics and leadership skills, whilst exposed to challenges ranging from hanging on a trapese 10 metres high in the air, abseiling, rope course challenges and hikes to the beautiful waterfalls in the area. They also did a night hike without any flashlights or torches. Academically they learned about the area’s nature, ecosystems and history of the early settlers and Xhosa settlements. They learned how to function better in a group, and how to overcome their fears.

Rev. Matie van Niekerk, of the Bible society, visited the Boschoek Farmschool in the Valley of Boschoek on 4 November 2008 to hand over proclaimers (talking Bibles of the New Testament). Alexandria Christian Academy sent Zoleka Maya of the United Reformed Church in Kwanonqubela to receive a Proclaimer on behalf of them (ACA) to be used in their ladies Bible study group, and in their soup kitchen. Learners from Alexandria Christian Academy who are involved in the soup kitchen in Kwanonqubela, were happy to see the joy on their faces, on their visit to the soup kitchen on Wednesday. Pensioners who came for their daily soup, were offered chairs and sat down to listen to the Gospel being read in their own language on the Proclaimer. The proclaimers are sponsored by Americans, and the requirement is that feedback and attendance lists must be submitted regularly to them. Alexandria Christian Academy will oversee that and be responsible for feedback. The need is great, as most of the ladies of the Bible Study group are illiterate, and very seldom hear the Gospel in their own language.

Matie brought two more Xhosa proclaimers for the Boschoek Farm school and gave it to the teachers: Boniwe Teyise (principal), Notembiso Konza en Thobeka Mhlanga. These are for use in the school. The school only had one Bible up to now, and therefore the Proclaimers will be put to good use.

Molly Bam

Sixteen years ago the Lord gave a vision to Molly Bam telling her to look after His children. He opened doors when everyone thought that there was no way to do it. She began looking after 3 boys and over the years it has grown to a wonderful ministry for Christ. She now has 5 foster kids and 7 adopted. But there is much more than that. She feeds about 50 children every day and sends almost 60 children to schools and provides the uniform and money. Oceans of mercy support them with funds for new buildings that they can carry on their wonderful work. She works with HIV children as well and loves them very much. She takes in children and keeps contact with the families. Some mothers even work there as nannies to look after their children and form a bond with them. They want to build seven cottages to house more children with a mommy in each house to look after the children. The Lord gave them the verse of Mark 10:14 to build their ministry on. They are doing wonderful work for the community and their vision is to see no street children.

Students from Alexandria Christian Academy took part in the SACCA national athletics meeting in Durban on the 18^th and 19^th of September. Six of our students qualified to take part and four participated.  We took part in items including 200m, 100m, 800m, high jump and long jump. Some of the South Cape athletes qualified to take part in the SACCA invitationals which will be held in Pretoria on the 25^th of October.

SACSSA Athletics

Francois Olivier, Head Boy of Alexandria Christian Academy just returned from the USA where he was one of 71 nominees from Accelerated Christian Education schools in Africa and Scandinavia to attend the annual International Student Convention at the University of Missouri.

He brought back a gold medal for learning and reciting the whole book of Proverbs in one year. In total there where 2400 attendees from all over the world at the International Student Convention.

When you click on the photo to the right it opens a bigger version.

Two of our most cherished students, Sunet and Danielle Botha, moved to Port Elizabeth in the beginning of 2007 and now, after a year of change and adjustments, have given us a little feedback on what has happened in the previous year. When asked how they found the new challenges of public schooling, they simply said that it was really really a lot easier than what they have been told by everyond. Goal setting and constantly having to do ‘check-ups’ helped prepare them for exams, whilst the Christian training and sound Biblical principles helped them to make the right kind of choices and friends. The only major differences they experienced were that Collegiate was a girls-only school, the number of students compared to A.C.A. was a rather large 700:41, and many social and school clubs one could join. Other than that they stated that it was simply finding the group of friends you fitted in with and applying yourself to your schoolwork.

Academically they have adjusted well within the first year thanks to the solid foundation that was set by ACA. Danielle received an award for art, and platinum for an Afrikaans conquesta, and Sunet received a trophy and book prizes for bilingualism, an award for Afrikaans, and reached the top 20 in her class. The strong character building and leadership training in ACA showed off, as Sunet has been voted class captain this year and was vice-class captain in her first year at Collegiate.

ACA congratulates them on their achievements and is proud of them and the part ACA played in their forming years. They did say that they were thankful for the solid foundation they received here in Alexandria and

miss their friends as much as they are missed.

Scientists have recently started research about how emotions play a part in a person’s health. Emotions have always been ignored as being too subjective for scientists to study. They have discovered that what we think and feel may determine whether one lives or dies. Two aspects, hope and love, are essential to Christian faith.

Hope
Hopeful people see the good in every situation and consider a difficult situation a challenge instead of a threat. Hopeful people see a challenge as a step in the right direction and is more likely to persevere. In the end, hopeful people tend to be more successful because they are more persistent and optimistic about small victories. Instead of falling into a depression every time a tragedy or betrayal strikes them, hopeful people are able to lift themselves out of the ashes and keep their heads high. They are able to find their strength in the Lord and lean on that instead of the opinions of people. Scientists have also seen that people that are hopeless, depressed or anxious are more likely to have heart attacks than hopeful people.

Love
Love is also good for your health. Health researchers have found that people in happy marriages had the lowest rate of depression. People who are happily married also generally live longer than those in unhappy marriages. Whether we like to admit it or not, each of us need to know that we are loved by the people around us. Living without relationships is as harmful to health as high cholesterol or smoking. Love was the basis on which God meant us to build our coexistence on. A little love from your side can really change an entire person’s life. Love is not something that comes and goes while a person is nice to you or when you’re having a good day, but a conscious commitment to support and stick to that person no matter what the circumstances. Love defies anger, contempt, jealousy and hatred. It is stronger than any human force and is a direct command from God. Although we do not always agree with people or even like them terribly much, it is our responsibility as Christians to love everyone around us in order to give the honor and praise to God.