Valued Family

Monday is a sad day for Red Hill. The Dick family – a hugely positive influence in the community’s Upper Camp for the past 10 years – is leaving for a new home in the Eastern Cape (about a day’s drive away). Kennedy Dick, until now the assistant pastor of Red Hill’s River of Life Church, is answering God’s call to plant a church in his hometown of Fort Beaufort. He will be joined by his wife, Renea, and their children, Joanne (10), Jeremiah (5) and Elrich (3).

I’m happy for them to have this opportunity, but I also wish they didn’t have to go. They are a bright light amidst a lot of darkness and Red Hill will sorely miss them. Joanne in particular has always been one of my favorite kids in the community. She’s absolutely precious, just a beautiful child on the inside and outside. I’ve often told her she’s going to be something special if she continues to listen to her parents and apply the spiritual lessons she’s learning.

“She loves to pray for other people,” Kennedy says. “She’s always reading her Bible. She even takes it to school. Sometimes she says things that make me think, ‘How does this child know these things?’”

Well, her upbringing in a household that teaches Godly values has a lot to do with it. I was also pleased to hear Joanne herself cite the Living Hope Children’s Club in preparing her for this next season in life.

“I like the Bible stories Living Hope has taught me,” says Joanne. “I’ve learned that God’s love is bigger than anything. Now I want to tell people [in my new home] about what God has done in Red Hill.”

Clearly Red Hill’s loss is about to be Fort Beaufort’s gain.