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Welcome message from our chairman |
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Welcome at the Christian Seaman's Organisation's home page. The CSO aims to bring the Good News of God's Love to each person involved in a maritime life. We have evangelists in each of the large harbours in South Africa. They visit the seafaring men on the vessels daily to care for their spiritual needs. Fellow-believers of almost every language and cultural group are our faithful, loyal supporters, donors and co-workers. The CSO has international ties with other organisations and is a member of the International Christian Maritime Association - an umbrella organisation for harbour evangelisation organisations.
Dr Wimpie van Schoor
Chairman
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The difference a Bible or a prayer made in someone's life |
Johan turns the Polo into the direction of Atlantis. Table Mountain is covered in mist and the cranes, ships, carriages and other structures look spectacular in the half-light of the mist. It is an unlikely destination on a Wednesday morning. Atlantis is a township just the other side of Melkbosstrand.
In the passenger seat is a man from the Ivory Coast. His dark skin and heavy accent gives him away when he talks. After the initial explanation for visiting Atlantis, he does not say much. He only looks at the mountain, the city, everything they pass. He is attentive, but quiet. Eventually Johan’s inquisitiveness gets the upper hand. He has to ask ... Jo-Jo arrived in South Africa six years ago on board a ship from Nigeria. The crew waited for payment and money to return the ship. One month became two and two became three. A year later it was clear that the promises would not materialise. Jo-Jo had to make a plan. Meanwhile, they performed small jobs on board other ships to survive. Then Jo-Jo met her ...
. . . a girl from Atlantis. At the time, she worked at a shelter in Roeland Street and that is where he called one night to ask for food. A year later they got married. Jo-Jo admits that Atlantis is not the easiest place for a man from the Ivory Coast. About three months ago he visited home for the first time after his arrival in South Africa. His beloved’s biggest fear was that he would never return. But now, they were going to Atlantis, because the beloved is at home.
The beauty of the story is that at one stage he asked Johan whether he knew Pastor Zeeman. Pastor Zeeman gave him a Bible many years ago and told him about Jesus Christ. He explained how he became a new-born Christian and it was his new-found faith that made it possible to meet his girlfriend. Peet Zeeman no longer works at the CSO, but from an unlikely source, many years later, we receive proof that Peet was an instrument of Jesus Christ. He was an instrument that changed someone’s course of life dramatically with a simple message about a Man on a Cross.
Over so many years, there must be thousands of stories that we may never hear, about CSO chaplains that made a difference. There must be many stories about the difference a Bible or a prayer made in someone’s life. If there are stories about chaplains, there must be stories about donors . . . because donors made our work possible over many years, like the Bible Peet could give at a time of need. |
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Here are the special events planned for May and June
9 May
| Morning | NG Rayton | | 9 May | Evening
| NG Witbank-South | | 14 May | Morning | Witfieldpark (Retirement Village) | | 16 May | Morning | NHK Rustenburg-Tuine | | 16 May | Evening | NG Swartruggens | | 23 May | Morning | NHK Wonderboompoort | | 23 May | Evening | NG Valhalla | | 6 June | Morning | NHK Standerton | | 6 June | Evening | NG Secunda |
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 Our Warm Hearts Project for 2009 has grown immensely – and we have already started receiving parcels in 2010!
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Read more...
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