Giving Mr Magic a Chance

The headline read: “Mr Magic, Linda Sibiya to drive the Vuma FM breakfast show!” In any radio station, the breakfast show is the banner programme of the day. This is where the listeners are attracted, and the money is made. Vuma FM, a new Gospel-Music Commercial station had paid a premium to get Linda on board, but it was worth it. He is a household name, having been Mr Magic, the breakfast show host on one of the biggest National radio stations for some years. I was the technical manager at Vuma FM.

But twenty years ago, I was managing a small community radio station in the town of Pietermaritzburg. We were barely surviving, and I had more presenters than I could pay. I had many problems, one of them being a young lad from the rural areas that wanted an opportunity behind the microphone. I just did not have a vacancy, he was unknown but he was persistent. And I found that he was talented – He could sound exactly like Nelson Mandela then President. I found a slot for Linda Sibiya, and he ran a Gospel Music show, then some drive-time shows on the station before moving on.

So when we met again in the smart Vuma FM studios, we looked at each other … “I am where I am because you gave me a chance” said Linda. I felt that I had done no more than try to care for a persistent youngster – and with no great enthusiasm! It was great to see what God had done with those small seeds of persistence, and care. 

Even our smallest actions of care and respect with persistence can be used in mighty ways by God!

Retirement - What's it like? - the first 6 months

“What are you going to do when you retire?” was the question I was repeatedly asked. And in the weeks before the official end-date, I was too busy with hand-over to think about it.Then the day arrived. What a great relief! God had helped me choose a good successor, because, despite a contract that allowed me to be paid for further hand-over assistance, it has seldom been needed.

Farewell tribute - not a real mag

!

I had stepped down from the position of technical-manager at a Commercial radio station, which I had set up over a 2 to 3-year period. It had been stressful partly because I lived about 40km from the station, along a dangerous section of road, so an emergency call-out at any time was anticipated with dread! 

 

I made sure that I had a real break by agreeing to be part of a 2-week excursion to Ethiopia – a land of people, donkeys, waterfalls, mountains, ancient churches and amazing history. (We did a circular trip north from Addis Ababa, led by Tim & Ingrid Briscoe – Nile River Excursions.)

The start of the Blue Nile here at these magnificent falls.

 

 I had time to think about the days ahead. The wonderful thing about retirement is that there is time to do what is important…. to pass on skills and concepts that I have learned. There is also time for family, and there is time to read a bit more and to pray – to hear God’s heart about the world we live in.

Between the years 1997 and 2012, I had been self-employed, doing consulting work for a number of “clients”, mainly Reutech and the Association of Christian Broadcasters (ACB, now the Association of Christian Media – ACM).  So retirement is not much different. And that has been a danger for me … to succumb to the pressures of working life without the remuneration!

I set my priorities for the year ahead between the ACM and KNI Radio who’s Boards I serve on; more involvement at my local Church – Sarepta; family, and radio-broadcast training. Running through this is a

Paul's proprty

theme of mentoring younger leaders, and passing on skills. I will need to add to this list the oversight of building development on the next-door property belonging to my son, Paul, and some work at our family property in the Drakensberg. I have also managed to do a short course on Citizen Journalism - hence this blog!

 

Exploring Table Mountain with my son, Tim, and dogs!

I had heard these stories about men whose retirement made them so bored that they drove their wives scatty! Well, when I give Janet a hard time, I think it is because I’m trying to do too much!.

I am currently Chairman of the ACM, an association of nearly all Christian radio and TV stations, on-line sites, magazines and newspapers in Southern Africa, with a vision to communicate the Christian message – the Gospel, through media. This message is in essence not about religion, but about God taking the initiative to love us even though we don’t deserve it. It is by changing our priorities from self to God that we can see what God is doing, and fit in with his plans. Unfortunately, there is a lot of church culture and clutter that tends to camouflage the message. The ACM has a major conference in April, and that is currently a big priority for me.

I hope that I haven’t given the impression that I have got it all together. Balancing priorities is not easy, and I have been stressed at times. I find prayer is essential, and I have been reading a lot of books by and about some of the Christian heroes of the 1800’s – Charles Finney, George Muller, David Livingstone and others. Prayer is not about trying to persuade God to give us what we want, but it is mostly about us trying to find out what God wants. 

In conclusion I am challenged to spend more time on things that will give lasting results, and that often involves doing what may seem trivial! I am enjoying the experience. It has been a good six-months!

Surprising response to Youth Alpha meetings.

Fifty to Sixty young people are enthusiastically coming every Monday night to a youth Alpha course at Sarepta Church in Gillitts South Africa. The course introduces Jesus and the Christian faith. Zolani Phakathi who heads up the programme said that the course was promoted on social media, and people were inviting more friends every week. People travel up to an hour on public transport to get there. The programme provides a light meal, teaching, discussion, worship and the opportunity to socialise. In the smaller groups, young adults pray for and encourage one another. Phakathi said the programme was attractive to young people who were searching for hope and meaning, and needed a safe and healthy place to meet.

A Week of Farewells

Saying goodbye is not easy. There is always the hope, the promise that the bridges built together will last. What has been learned in building those bridges will never be lost.

Gabi Guerrero arrived here from Dallas Texas six months ago to do an internship with the local Focus on the Family office. She became part of our family, and travelled on holiday with us both to the Drakensberg, and to Cape Town over Christmas. One of her highlights was attending a traditional Zulu wedding in rural Zululand with my youngest daughter, Sarah.

Gabi left on Friday to return home on Emirates. We received a Whattsapp message yesterday afternoon, with a picture of her family welcome at Dallas airport. We miss her.

Nokuthula Mngomezulu arrived here about a year ago. She had been a patient in a rural hospital where my daughter Sarah was working as a physiotherapist in 2013. Nokuthula had been in a motorcar accident, and as a result was suffering from epilepsy. Both her parents had died a few years before. She was the only person at the hospital who could speak English, besides the doctors, and she was a great help to Sarah.
A year ago, when Sarah returned to work in Durban, Nokuthula came here to register for further studies. Somehow, her identity document got lost in the process. We then found that she had no copy, did not have the number, and did not have a birth-certificate. All attempts to find her on the system via finger-prints and relatives failed. This continued through last year. She was hospitalised a few times due to traumatic epileptic seizures.

At Easter last year, she returned to her rural home for a few days to try to sort out her documentation. She also spent some time with her longstanding boyfriend there.

A few weeks later, much to her shock and initial denial, she found she was pregnant. A beautiful daughter was born in December. The baby is perfect despite the medication for epilepsy.

So Nokuthula has been part of our family for a year, and there has been much prayer for her and the baby Nkosiphile.

Yesterday Nokuthula, Nkosiphile, Sarah and I drove back to the rural home – six hours from here. The baby is healthy and growing well, and we pray for Nokuthula as she adapts back to rural living for a while. Neither Nokuthula, nor the child, officially exist as her applied for documents still have not arrived! However, we believe that the Lord has great plans for them and we pray for them daily.

 Nokuthula (in purple shirt) and my daughter Sarah holding Nkosiphile at Nokuthula's rural home, Saturday.