About 150 people gathered in the town hall of Boesmansriviermond at the weekend to listen to a talk by local resident Elspeth Liebenberg about her family’s work for Campus Crusade for Christ in Russia. The fundraising event was presented by the Kate Strydom Book club and the Dias Dutch Reformed Church Basaarfund.
The audience was transported two decades back to a pivotal moment in Russian history—just after Mikhail Gorbachev rose to power, initiating the Glasnost period and opening doors to the West. Elspeth, with her husband Pieter (Lieb) Liebenberg and their young daughters, Saskia(10) and Emma-Kate (8), embarked on a journey of faith and education to post-Cold War Russia.
They arrived in 1992 while Gorbachev was still president and left when Putin first came into power, some 12 years later. Elspeth now lives in semi-retirement in Boesmansriviermond.
The Liebenbergs were part of a larger group of missionaries from the US, who ventured into Moscow to spread their message of hope and education. The frigid December weather of minu-20 degrees Celsius was a formidable welcome, and Elspeth’s demonstration of wrapping up in a Russian shawl against the biting cold a poignant reminder of the family’s adaptability and determination.
The informative talk was not just a recount of historical events; it was a vivid tapestry woven with personal anecdotes and cultural insights. She described the traditional Russian welcome—downing a shot of vodka, affectionately termed “a little water”— usually accompanied with a dollop of caviar. If a foreigner expresses concern over taking the alcohol, you will invariably get the answer “it’s just a little water!”
In Russian, the word for “little water” is “водка” (vodka). The term “vodka” comes from the Russian word “вода” (voda), which means “water,” with the diminutive suffix “-ка” added to imply “little water”
Everyone who attended the weekend event was invited to participate in the shot of vodka before entering the Town Hall.
Elspeth’s fluency in Russian added to the authenticity of her talk, and her explanation of conversations with the locals in the long shopping queues for groceries, the sparse and uniform furniture in the endless blocks of flats and the drabness of clothes brought smiles and laughter, highlighting the warmth and humour that underpinned her family’s experiences. She described the incredible cold during the long winter months, the lack of outdoor activities, the nonexistence of shops and restaurants, the long trudge through the snow to access public transport and the Moscow metro. One of the amusing anecdotes included the ever availability of ice cream in mid-winter, one of the few treats available to Muscovites.
She explained how they experienced the Russian people’s attitudes as the country started to westernise after so many years of seclusion behind the iron curtain.
They started an international school in Moscow and some of their pupils are still carrying on with the mission established by them. Their work was cut short when Lieb became ill and had to return to South Africa for treatment.
Sadly, he passed away soon after their return and with her two daughters at Stellenbosch University, Elspeth decided to remain in South Africa. She recently moved to Bushman’s where she is still working for Campus Crusade for Christ.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, October 17, 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
