30/09/2026
THE ARK
(Akhona Andiswa Zibula)
When the world becomes a storm,
there is an Ark.
Not built from wood,
but from hands that know how to hold,
hearts that know how to love,
and faith that refuses to let go.
At the Ark,
a stranger becomes a brother,
a stranger becomes a sister,
and a table becomes a family.
Here, hope has a chair.
Healing has a doorway.
And tomorrow has a name.
The Ark does not merely open its doors—
it opens possibilities.
A child finds a classroom,
a hungry person finds bread,
a searching hand finds a skill,
and a tired soul finds somewhere to breathe.
In the garden,
seeds disappear beneath the soil,
yet no one calls them lost.
They are becoming.
So are we.
The Ark teaches us
that a beginning does not need permission from yesterday.
It only needs faith
to step into tomorrow.
“For those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles.”
Let the world see where we started.
The Ark sees where we are going.
Let the world count our scars.
The Ark counts our possibilities.
And when the storm comes again,
we will remember—
we did not come to the Ark to stay afloat.
We came here to learn how to sail.
This beautiful piece was written to and for The Ark City of Refuge by Akhona Andiswa Zibula, a Stellenbosch University student who spent time volunteering with us as part of our ongoing relationship with the university. Akhona captures the very heart of what we experience behind these gates every single day, a place where seeds are becoming, and lives are learning to sail! ⛵✨
This past week was a living testimony to every line of this poem as we celebrated major milestones of growth and new beginnings:
📜 Baptism Certificates: Handing over baptism certificates to our residents who stepped forward in public declarations of faith! 💧
🎓 Graduations Across Sections: Celebrating proud graduates from our New Jerusalem Girls, New Jerusalem Boys, and our dedicated Security Section!
👶 Child Dedications: Watching precious children being dedicated to Christ right in front of The Ark's congregation, surrounded by love and prayer. ❤️
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 📖🕊️
We are so deeply grateful to Akhona for giving voice to our mission, and to Stellenbosch University for their continued relationship with us. To our graduates, newly baptised, and dedicated families, we are so proud of you! Keep going, keep growing! 🌱🚀
