Last Friday Crosswalk Africa evangelist Reini Coetzee reached the 4 000km mark in his mission to wheel a wooden cross 10 000km from Cape Town to Jerusalem.
He said he and his two Tanzanian volunteers, David Noah Malamboma and Isaya Mwainyekule , arrived at Zakayo Lodge in Chimala, Tanzania, where they were blessed to share a Rosh Hashana meal with the Christian owners of the establishment.
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In a phone interview this week, he said he was especially blessed that his crosswalk milestone and the Hebrew New Year coincided as God’s calendar (the Hebrew calendar) was significant to him.
He recalled starting a previous crosswalk – from Cape Town to Mussina – on Rosh Hashana in 2020. He said he wants to “be in God’s time – on His calendar” and at the start of the Hebrew Year 5787 he has been asking God to help him “lay down some stuff” and to “be in the right wineskin”.
When they left the lodge the owner, Zakayo (Swahili for Zaccheus) gave them a gift of eggs and a live chicken.
Reini said he still has 1 000km of walking ahead of him before he reaches the Namanga border post between Tanzania and Kenya. He says current very hot weather is making his walking more physically demanding. He said they are seeing more Muslim people as they push northwards.
He said .the Tanzania leg of his journey has started slowly, because of immigration delays and the need to carry out a major service on a backup vehicle that was donated to him for the rest of the trek to Israel. “But we are in a good rhythm now. The Lord is so amazing, opening doors and putting the right people in place.”
Recently, when they were in Mbeya City, Reini was interviewed by Baraka FM, a local Christian radio station. The station is promoting Reini’s mission three times a day, so people along the way know about them, said Reini.
Isaya joined the mission three weeks ago, to serve as a Swahili-English translator. Reini said this has made a great difference to his ability to minister to people along the way. “It is also a great personal blessing to me and David, our driver. I could see how frustrating it was for him.” David, a Swahili speaker, has been backup driving for Reini since he reached Tanzania on July 19. Until Isaya joined them, the two men could not understand each other.
Reini said he was not sure how far his two volunteers will be able to continue with him, particularly after he crosses from Kenya into Ethiopia, where he anticipates language problems.
Both David and Isaya joined the Crosswalk Africa mission after the were approached by Pastor Dixon Michael Mwanyambo, who told them about Reini’s need for a backup driver and an interpreter. Both say that in their hearts they would love to continue all the way to Jerusalem.
David, who is married with three children, said: “After Pastor Dixon told me about the missionary walking all the way from South Africa to Israel, needing a driver, I decided to join the man of God in God’s work.”
He said he has been impacted by seeing God’s love for people through the way that Reini communicates with people he trains and ministers to. “I have been learning from him and that has become part of me as well,” he said.
Isaya said that when Pastor Dixon told him of Reini’s need for an interpreter he agreed to join him at once, turning down the pastor’s offer to give him some preparation time before he embarked on the mission. “I said that since it’s God’s business, I can’t wait until everything is in place on my side. I’ll just go there.”
He said he feels that the experience is growing him and equipping him for Christian ministry.
Reini said the mission team will shortly gain another member – Dylan Nightingale from Krugersdorp, who is currently making final preparations before flying out to Tanzania. Reini said he and Dylan have been friends for 37 years, since they were 13 years old.
He said the plan is for Dylan to accompany him all the way to Jerusalem. “It is a big decision for him. We have spoken about all the things that can go wrong on a mission like this and he has been praying about it.”
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