The Tabitha Kruger Memorial Hall official opening

Last weekend Wessel and I had a wonderful time away at my parent's. The purpose of the visit was to attend the official opening of the Tabitha Kruger Memorial Hall, a new school hall built for the Great Brak Primary School, one of the many disadvantaged schools in South Africa.

The way it came about to have a school hall named after our daughter was unexpected. When my parents moved down to the coast 2,5 years ago, they noticed the needs of the local community of Great Brak. Unemployment and alcoholism, among other things, is a big problem. The result is a lot of moral or social issues, inevitably impeding the development and education of the children. It all just seemed so hopeless, as the cycle is bound to repeat itself with the exception of one or two success stories, e.g. the rugby player David Wesso, who went to school at Great Brak Primary.

So my dad decided to go and speak to the Headmaster of the school to find out if he could contribute to maybe get a preschool class up and running, or to find out what the needs were. Mr Abrahams, the headmaster, immediately said that they have a great need for a school hall. At that stage the school was not able to assemble except outside in the sun/wind/cold, and obviously not at all when it rained. As the school provides daily meals for the many impoverished children, a hall would mean that they could sit down at a table to eat, rather than walk and stand around outside while eating. It would mean that they can fit everybody under one roof, as the local church hall, which they used from time to time, is too small to accommodate everybody. Basically, it would mean that they would be able to do many things, that we have always taken for granted, for the first time.

There are some wonderful charity organisations in South Africa, e.g. the Garden Cities Archway Foundation, a CSI initiative by housing developer Garden Cities, who aims to build 700 school halls in the Western Cape only by ploughing their after-tax profit into the project. This goal, however, could take more than 150 years to achieve. So who knows where Great Brak Primary would have been on the list. The extra help from my dad prompted them to move the school to the top of their list, so although the contribution my dad provided was not the most significant, it was the catalyst that set the wheel in motion. This explains why they are so incredibly thankful to my dad.

They started building the 800-seater hall earlier this year, and somewhere during the development phases my dad came up with the idea to name the hall after Tabitha. He saw it as a way, to not only remember her, but to share the things we, and he in particular, have learned from our trials. As long as we live we will never forget the work God has done in our lives - turning ashes into beauty - and we will use every opportunity to share it with others. Wessel and I felt honoured and excited when he first mentioned this idea to us.

I did not really know what to expect from the opening event, but we were overwhelmed by the community's thankful response, their warm and honest manner and the effort they put in to make it a memorable occasion. The hall was decorated in black, white and shades of pink, with beautiful proteas everywhere. The school choir entertained us with a song from the balcony. All the contributors, from Archway to local businesses, churches and individuals, even if they just provided a microwave or teaspoons, were honoured. It was wonderful to be part of the occasion. In my opinion Mr Abrahams and the rest of the staff have some of the most difficult jobs on the planet. Education is the goal, but the struggles they face are far more than just providing books and teachers. When your grade 2's are smoking pot with their dads, you know learning the 2 times table is suddenly a lot more complicated.

Rich or poor, I once again realised that although people's problems might be different, the answer is always the same. The answer can always be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who has given us an eternal Hope that is far beyond whatever this life may bring or not bring.

My dad had an opportunity to say something, so I'll end by sharing an extract from his speech (translated from Afrikaans):

"I don't want to talk about Tabitha today, but rather share what we as a family have learned from her life and death, because it is applicable to all of us.

Life does not always run smoothly, not even for Christians. The Bible teaches us that life is filled with problems, uncertainties and suffering. So we always tend to ask the question - why? Where was God? Although we don't know all the answers to life's difficult questions, we know that God is enough, and we can trust Him. That is the test of our faith. It is by God's grace that we have learned the following:

1) God is sovereign, i.e. completely in control of whatever comes our way. Nothing catches Him off guard or hinders His plan. He knows each of us by name and wants us to know Him, our Creator.

2) Not only is God in control, He is also 100% good and wise. His ways are not our ways. What looks good to us might not be good for our souls. God sees the bigger picture - so we can trust Him completely. He loves us. Rom 8:28 - he makes all things work together for good to those who loves Him and are called according to His purpose. That means God can even use the bad things in our lives to benefit us in the end.

3) God values our relationship with Him more than any other earthly thing we might have/want. That is why He did not spare His own Son, but thought it good to send Jesus to come and live among us, and to bear the punishment for our sins on the cross, so that we don't have to pay with eternal death which we deserve, but can have eternal life. It is more important for God to change us than what it is for Him to change our circumstances. Our circumstances are temporary, but our soul will live forever. We might still not know why Tabitha had to die, but we know that God used this situation to draw us closer to Him. And to know God is the reason why we are here. It is the only relationship that brings true happiness and fulfillment.

4) We might never have everything we want in this life, we might even think God is unfair. But in Jesus we have received a free gift. A gift we would never be able to buy ourselves, because in our sin we cannot atone for sin. Only Jesus, the perfect God-man, the spotless lamb, could. No pain or suffering on earth can compare with eternal damnation, and no earthly joy can come close to what Heaven will be like. Therefore don't focus on what you have or don't have, but rather on Jesus. Not only is he the only one that can save you from sin and death, He also promised to be with us and give us the necessary strength to deal with our suffering. He is close to everyone who calls on Him in humility.

May this hall be a reminder to everyone, not of a little sick girl, but of a great God who loves us and who will do whatever it takes to draw us closer to Him."

The beautifully decorated hall

Placemats they printed and laminated for the occasion

Wessel and my niece, Ezé who is visiting my parents for the holidays

Me and Juan, my nephew

Me and my beautiful mom

All together...

My dad, officially declaring the hall open

'The Tabitha Kruger Memorial Hall. This hall was made possible by a joint venture
between the Luus Family Trust, Garden Cities Archway Foundation & Western
Cape Education Department. Officially opened on the 20th September 2013 by
Dr Herman Luus'

With Mr Abrahams, the Headmaster

Some of the learners, clearing the tables

The rest of the school buildings

Ps. This article appeared in the local newspaper on the 25th of September: