Ruthann and Jan Hall served as missionary volunteers with Global Ministries (the joint overseas ministry effort of the Christian Church [Disciples of Christ] and the United Church of Christ) for two years. During 2000, they served as "Special Projects Advisors" to Prof. Bonganjalo Goba (the Vice-Chancellor and Principal) and the other members of the executive management of M.L.Sultan Technikon, a state-supported university-level technical institute in Durban, South Africa. They assisted with institutional strategic planning and related matters. During 2001, they served as facilitators and advisors to the Mission Council of the KwaZulu-Natal Region of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, working in connection with the Council's efforts to encourage and enhance the mission outreach activities of the UCCSA's local congregations in KZN. These efforts centered on activities addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS, poverty, and violence (crime and abuse) in the local communities of the province.  At the request of the KZN Region, in 2002 they returned to South Africa for a further two months of follow-up work regarding these efforts.  Ruthann and Jan are presently engaged in efforts to launch a program -- 'Ibandla lami linge lakho' / 'Your church is my church' -- for local church to local church connections between KwaZulu-Natal and Massachusetts.

This site contains memories from Ruthann and Jan's time of service as missionary volunteers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

• View our personal web sites published during this time.

• Read our newsletters sent during this time.

• E-mail us your questions or comments.

• Links to our related web sites.

The following are links to the collected versions of our personal web site, with pictures and commentary from our work and travels, published during our time of service as missionary volunteers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  (Note that due to the passage of time, and other factors, some of the external links may be dated, superseded, or inactive; and the noted 'contact information' similarly.  Here and there, we have removed the now-incorrect links, but we've not gotten them all.  Sorry.)

Durban Mission Web Site, January 2000

(Explanatory notes; a journal of happenings leading up to our departure for South Africa; comments at our commissioning service.)

Durban Mission Web Site, March-April 2000

(Our arrival in Durban; a short excursion to the Valley of the Thousand Hills; a student protest at the Technikon; and a music page.)

Durban Mission Web Site, May-June 2000

(People met and places seen; photos of a walk on the Durban beachfront; musings on higher education; and a music page.)

Durban Mission Web Site, July-September 2000

(Description and pictures of our winter trip through the Transkei to the Garden Route and the Karoo; and a music page.)

Durban Mission Web Site, October 2000-January 2001

(A photo tour of the M.L.Sultan Technikon campus; and a music page.)

Durban Mission Web Site, Holiday Greetings 2000

(Introducing Back Then, a new Christmas song.)

Durban Mission Web Site, February 2001

(Our work for 2001 begins; the Mission Council consultation in Durban; the KZN region music workshop; and a music page.)

Durban Mission Web Site (Lombard Extra), March 2001

(The adventures of our visiting pastor from the US.  While on his sabbatical, John Lombard visits Groutville and its Memorial outstation, Inanda Seminary, Sinikithemba, and Hindu temples, and goes on safari.)

Durban Mission Web Site, June 2001

(Mariannhill convent; the KZN south coast; the KZN Region of the UCCSA annual meeting; Spioenkop and Royal Natal parks; Nelson Mandela at the Inanda Seminary restoration celebrations; the Cape; and some workshop planning visits around KZN)

Durban Mission Web Site, October 2001

(Our visit to friends in Harare, Zimbabwe; the local church mission outreach workshops; touring in Namibia; and attending the UCCSA General Assembly in Windhoek.)

Durban Mission Web Site, Holiday Greetings 2001

(Pictures of Lamontville township and church; and introducing We Search for the Manger, a new Christmas song.)

The following are links to the collected newsletters, sent to our e-mail mailing list during our time of service, describing some of our experiences and observations from this time as missionary volunteers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

Direct links to individual items in the 2000 collection:

• November 1999 -- "Where are Jan And Ruthann Going?  What will they be doing?" -- with Carol Antos, for posting at Trinitarian Congregational Church on informative bulletin board.

• December 1999 -- "With God's help, we will." -- for the Tri-Con monthly newsletter.

• January 2000 -- "Discussion Forum" -- for the TriCon monthly newsletter.

• February 2000 -- "No, we still don't have our visas" -- for the Tri-Con monthly newsletter.

• March 2000 -- "A Note from Ruthann and Jan Hall" -- for the TriCon monthly newsletter.

• March 14, 2000 -- "We are alive and well ..."

• March 27, 2000 -- "The Chatsworth Club Tragedy"

• April 2000 -- "A letter from South Africa" (Scott Couper's Induction) -- for the TriCon monthly newsletter.

•  [Photo Essay from Our Day at Groutville]

• April 1, 2000 -- "Wildebeests, Zebras, Giraffes, wow!"

• April 23, 2000 -- "Durban, South Africa Mission Photo Page"

• May 4, 2000 -- "The Wonderful Month of May"

• May 16, 2000 -- "Your Tax Dollars (Really) at Work"

• June 24, 2000 -- "Some work we've actually done"

• July 8, 2000 -- "Some musings before AIDS Conference week"

• July 16, 2000 -- "Our long winter trip, and some thoughts on AIDS"

• August 13, 2000 -- "Part I: It's spring! -- Part II: Words"

• September 4, 2000 -- "The King and the Telcordia 4x4"

• September 14, 2000 -- "Assignment for 2001"

• October 14, 2000 -- "Missionary Conference"

• November 24, 2000 -- "Some Reflections on Leaving the Technikon"

• December 2000 -- Letter re: TriCon Christmas Offering for Sinikithemba

• December 10, 2000 -- "Observations from a First Year on the Edge of Africa" (Sermon delivered at TriCon)

• December 13, 2000 -- "Holiday Greetings!"

Direct links to individual items in the 2001 collection:

• February 4, 2001 -- "What We Did on Our Summer (Winter?) Vacation"

• March 11, 2001 -- "At work during the dog days of March"

• April 13, 2001 -- "Easter"

• May 13, 2001 -- "Good News"

• August 1, 2001 -- "Stories from the Workshops"

• September 12, 2001 -- "Shock, from Afar"

• October 10, 2001 -- "The Community Mission Outreach Activities of the Local UCCSA Churches"

• November 13, 2001 -- "Abby"

• November 30, 2001 -- "Seasons' Greetings from South Africa"

• March 11, 2002 -- "Durban (Non)Newsletter"

• March 17, 2002 -- Note re the responses to the TriCon clothes donations

Your comments and questions are welcome.  E-mail us:  amaqoqo@comcast.net.

Besides this "Durban Mission Archive" web site, you might be interested in these links to our related web sites:

• The reports concerning the local church community outreach workshops during 2001 and 2002, and other materials concerning the work of the Mission Council of the KwaZulu-Natal Region of the UCCSA, are posted at http://uccsa-kzn-mc.home.comcast.net.

• The effort "Ibandla lami linge lakho / My church is your church" -- to establish a church to church connection between local UCCSA congregations in KwaZulu-Natal, and local UCC churches in Massachusetts -- is the subject of the web site at http://I3L.home.comcast.net.

This page was last edited 19 January 2005.