SOUTH AFRICA—On the wintry Sabbath afternoon of May 10, 36 members and children of the Johannesburg congregation gathered at the residence of Local Elder George Githembe for a potluck meal, fellowship and, after sunset, the kickoff to a Mother’s Day flower-selling fundraiser.

After the sun had set, Linda Hoeksma and the ladies of the Harare, Zimbabwe, congregation video-chatted so she could provide instructions on flower arranging. Though the session was challenging, the Harare ladies responded with enthusiasm.

In Johannesburg, the men set up tables, and the work commenced. With a more organized assembly line than the previous year, the focused and eager Joburg members assembled their arrangements at a fast pace. Some arranged flowers, some replenished supplies, some prepared containers, some cleaned and some loaded the finished bouquets into the truck. By 9 p.m., all the work was done.

“It was a wonderful experience,” Sharon Jordan said. “We all learned so much and improved on our flower-arranging skills, while contributing to the fundraising initiative.”

Sunday morning dawned on a cold Johannesburg, but God intervened and blessed the fundraiser with beautiful, sunny skies. Members set up stands, and teams prepared for a busy day. Fifteen smiling brethren eagerly offered their bouquets to passing motorists.

“Our team received quite a bit of help from bystanders, notifying us of cars that stopped to buy the bouquets,” Brenda Muller said. “They really liked the idea of selling flowers for God.”

“The brethren’s commitment and sacrifice in pursuing the goal, to raise funds to support God’s Work, made all the challenges look small in comparison,” event coordinator Trevor Laubscher said.

The effort was blessed with a 35 percent discount on the cost of the flowers. This time of year, flowers are usually exorbitantly priced and can cost up to triple the price.

Even though not all of the bouquets sold, the Johannesburg congregation raised R8,123 (approximately us$800) for God’s Work, a 45 percent increase over last year’s fundraiser.

The members also witnessed God’s divine protection for His people. “A vehicle’s wheels locked and it skidded sideways when the car in front of it stopped and the driver almost noticed it too late,” recalled Muller. “It came to a screeching halt about a meter away from Mrs. Trietsch, her daughter Ghina, and me. It was a miracle that he didn’t knock us over. Without God’s protection we would have been badly injured!”

“The unity between the brethren was just like one would have in a big family,” team leader Steven Hoeksma said. “It was really awesome to see it in action while the people in the world looked comparatively miserable, as if the whole world owed them everything.”

“What a pleasure to work together with the same mindset,” Laubscher commented.

“We are glad God answered our prayers for good weather, safety and great sales,” team leader Rohann Smith added. “We learned invaluable lessons to be applied to our next fundraiser.”