Page 165 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

77
1890 – 1892
It took a whole year and the building is still standing today. German work. This is how we shared the work:
1) Chief Jakobus was in charge of the workers and collected the money.
2) Father had to accommodate the 3 white men and provide them with meals and pay them their monthly wage.
3) I had to do all the orders in Pretoria, Durban etc. according to Kroll’s instructions and had to keep book of everything.
All three of us had our hands full. Kroll himself built the pulpit and the altar. Cousin Georg and another white man made the pews. The women of Bethanie made the clay tiles for the
aisle and delivered them as burnt tiles. In the mountains near Kipton there was enough clay. School children helped to carry sand and bricks to the construction site. In May 1892 the building was finished, except for the pews and it was decided to consecrate the church because Kroll and the bricklayers had completed their work and wanted to leave. The church had also been paid, no collection had to be made, the people and paid and had put together ₤ 3000. The chandeliers and the baptismal font, the altar chandelier, the communion vessels and a nice bowl for baptisms I had ordered from the company Herbert in Berlin. Three large bells were underway.
We invited the Commander-General and Superintendent of Naturelle Piet Joubert from Pretoria and the farmers around Bethanie. He gladly came and many farmers came to the festive occasion. It was a big and very nice feast. Piet Joubert was very upbeat and he opened the feast and the door with a big speech. This was on 18 May 1892.