Dear Friends of Village Mercy,
We’ll be honest, it’s been a while. Our last newsletter went out in March, and we know some of you have been wondering how things are going here at Village Mercy. Life at the ministry has been full, and somewhere in the fullness of it, the newsletter fell behind. We’re sorry for the gap.
But we’re back, and we mean that. Starting this month, you can expect to hear from us more regularly, another newsletter 1st June, and more updates on our social media pages as well. We want you to feel close to what God is doing here, not just get a occasional update every few months.
This edition, we want to introduce you to one of the people behind the work here at Village Mercy, a man who quietly shows up and gives his best every single day. And we also want to share a story that honestly never gets old for us, the story of a man who came here broken, and who is now living a completely different life.
Stories like his are why we do what we do. They remind us, on the hard days, that this work is worth it.
We hope this edition encourages you. Thank you for walking with us.
MEET THE TEAM:
Thabani Mthethwa — Discipleship Coordinator
Thabani was born on 13 October 1992, and grew up in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal. He came to faith during his time at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, through the ministry of Bible Talk. A brother named Jeremiah von Kuhn walked alongside him, patiently, consistently sharing the gospel one-on-one until it took root. That kind of faithful, personal investment clearly left a mark on Thabani, because it is exactly how he now shows up for others.
He studied a BSc in Biochemistry and Chemistry at UKZN. In February 2026, Thabani graduated from Christ Seminary Polokwane with a Bachelor of Theology, which he completed Cum Laude. He currently serves as a pastoral intern at Kathorus Bible Church, alongside his role here at Village Mercy as our Discipleship Coordinator.
Thabani has a deep passion for evangelism. He wants people to hear the gospel, really hear it, and be changed by it. That passion carries naturally into his work at Village Mercy, where he sits with men, listens to them, opens the Word with them, and stays with them until something shifts.
He believes the freedom Christ offers is real, and he has given himself to helping broken men find it. He doesn’t give up on people easily. Those of us who work with him will tell you that much. That is not nothing. In a place like this, where the work is slow and the progress is not always visible, a man who keeps showing up and keeps believing for people is exactly what is needed.
And then there is the other side of Thabani, he is a genuinely good cook. He is always well dressed, not by accident, but by choice. Walk into any room with Thabani and you will notice he has a sense of style. He loves itende worship music, he can sing, and somewhere along the way he has written a few hymns of his own. Oh, and he is a Manchester City supporter. Bring it up if you have time to spare. Thabani is a son, a brother, and a father to a beautiful daughter. We are grateful to have him on the team.
“He Restored My Life”
A Testimony from Mulalo Ramabulana
Mulalo Ramabulana grew up in Louis Trichardt, in the north of Limpopo. Like a lot of young men his age, he was looking for somewhere to belong. He found it in the wrong place.
In his own words:
“I started taking drugs in 2017, I was still at high school. I got involved with the wrong crowd that I called friends. I started losing focus at school, chasing after girls, and disrespecting my parents and some of my family members who were trying to show me the right direction. This affected my relationship with my family, their relationship with me was almost dead.”
It was his aunt who found Village Mercy, made the call, and believed for him when he couldn’t believe for himself. He came. He stayed. And somewhere along the way, the gospel stopped being something he was hearing and became something he had experienced and was living.
At his graduation in 2023, he stood up and said:
“In conclusion, and far above all, I would love to thank my Lord and my Saviour Jesus Christ, whose mercy found me and whose grace saved me.”
His aunt recently reached out to us, and the joy in her words was hard to miss. She spoke about his discipline, his diligence, and the way he carries himself, like a man who knows who he is. She would love to see him come back one day and sit with the men who are just starting out, to tell them from his own mouth that change is real.
Today, Mulalo is a teacher at My Future Begins Day Care Centre, shaping the earliest days of Grade RR children. He is also faithfully planted in Christ Church Leondale, led by Bishop Mbulelo Maliza. The man who once couldn’t find his way is now helping others find theirs. We think that is worth celebrating.
Mulalo is not just a success story. He is a living invitation, a picture of what God can do when mercy meets a willing heart.
