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Hekel bietjie baie

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24-25


Tolwe doesn't have much, but one very significant activity is the weekly gathering of the local crochet club. This is a group of local ladies who put a day of the week aside to get together and work on projects together. In the October holiday, I joined my mom for one of their gatherings and here I experienced the fellowship that they shared.



Sure the main reason they gather is to exchange the newest techniques and what each one conquered in their crochet work in the week that passed but much more than that each lady has such a deep care and love for the one sitting next her, wool draped over her lap and glasses on the tip of her nose. In between the hard concentration (reading a pattern is apparently not as easy as it seems) and the crochet jargon, they giggle and tease each other - each one spurring the next one on.

The laughter, coffee, and tears are shared in abundance - each one feeling comfortable and loved enough to share that which is lying heavy on her heart or the accomplishments of one's child. And so they pray for each other, carry each other and do life together.

The "hekel gogga" hasn't quite bitten me yet, but I can see where my mom's excitement and determination to attend every gathering is rooted in. The support and encouragement that they share and receive is not something you find around each corner. The stories each one shares makes you laugh from your tummy and leaves you excited for next week to come.

A burden is not carried alone in that group, each one chipping in to make the load lighter as far they can. Many hands make light work, as the saying goes. The personalities are however diverse, each one contributing to the unique dynamic of the group.

And so the "tannies" go from home to home of each lady and sow seeds of friendship and love. That which they accomplish in crocheting and in life together is truly astonishing, showing the exact power which lies in fellowship and friendship. They surely make the bushveld a better place together!

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