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Table of Contents

By William Van Zyl

Published 18 Feb 2023.

Holy, anointed electricians installed a 1000 Watt Halogen Lamp under the dome – rotating day and night;

Birth and early years:

Digging, marking out, and excavating young trenches.

Theodolite, dumpy level, extended staff, and plumbline; dedicated measuring, aligning, and checking.

Calloused hands and sweaty brows; labour from dedicated parents – shaping and shaping,

Windell and Da Silva families, leading and grooming their young.

Let’s recognise the true builders, Antonio & Emelia Da Silva, Bill & Tieka Windell.

Love, FAITH, compassion and care poured into those tender receptive excavations. Building – brick upon brick – lesson upon lesson.

70 Berg Way, Florentia, Alberton:

The young, fresh, newly excavated footings announced a bright new day.

Way back from 46 Edward Street, Johannesburg – then 22 Commando Ave, Virginia, to 70 Berg Way, Florentia, Alberton, the final preparation was done.

Digging, scraping, and compacting the floors for an ambitious future, carried out from dark to dark.

Raising expectations, applying faith every day, believing in what could be. The first line of foundation bricks were laid. Set in solid mortar.

The young accountant was trained at Barclays Bank, Van Riebeeck Avenue, Alberton, while the tough, muscular bricklayer laid hundreds of bricks a day. The grey-fringed soccer player had grand plans.

Working tirelessly together:

Cage by Cage – from Steeldale Reinforcing – placed side by side,

Intersecting at right angles and creating T-formations zig-zagged on the sections.

Large blueprints of plans – rolled open – meticulously provided the building instructions.

With magnifying glasses on the tip of her nose, the accountant worked the calculator with precision hour after hour, invoice after invoice, and cheque after cheque.

‘You will receive ten percent less for an early payment, do you want to get paid now?’ – frugal. So, frugal.

Committed every day:

Toni and Ray tied together with white vows,

Solid steel binding wire and golden wedding bands kept the robust knot together.

A relationship forged in heaven. A wooden cross and rosary – against the wall – marked their heart’s desires. Holding onto their Hope.

It all started with several concrete trucks arriving at 70 Berg Way and being directed to several sites.

The river of opportunity poured and flowed into the large prepared trenches.

Faith was released.

From early morning to late at night, working away, working away – faithfully.

Pouring, pouring and pouring 40 Mega Pascal Compressive Strength paths, footings, columns, and slabs of grey stone. Stacking, floor upon floor. Higher and higher.

Glazing, tiling, carpeting, installing cabinetry, and painting – day after day. Banking and withdrawing.

In the back pocket, a nest egg. Trouble did show up at Radon’s. Unexpectedly. The nest egg cancelled the adversity. Wisdom at work. Well done Ray!

Radon’s Construction:

For years – Scaffolds, the guard dog – worked at Radon’s Construction builder’s yard,

Guarding the builder’s yard, while the owners worked relentlessly away at their dreams.

Scaffolds was like his owners; at work every day. Loyal and dedicated.

Every day the foundation trenches, steel reinforcing, concrete trucks, tall concrete pumps, scaffolding, and shutters silhouetted the sky.

The rat-tat-tat of the buttons of the accountant’s computer created long spreadsheets,

Managing rows and columns – cell after cell.

Site foremen – pioneering and forging at the front – under the watchful eye of the strong, young ambitious Antonio worked like trojans. Building – pushing – constructing – always-forward. Meet the deadline!

It was the sign of a tall tower that was to come. The hard work and wise business plans paid off. God was in it.

PH & I

Then, the tall building received more light. Light from on High,

With surgical precision, a sharp shining beam of light – from above – lasered a huge circle in the flat roof of their tower,

A circular hole in the roof of the tower opened up.

Angels from above installed a large translucent crystal dome over the round-shaped cavity.

Holy, anointed electricians installed a 1000 Watt Halogen Lamp under the dome – rotating day and night;

The lighthouse lamp – fitted with Fresnel lenses – was turned on.

The lenses worked day and night, enlarging the light of the lamp.

The lenses said: “Magnify the Lord with me.”

The light shines, rotates, spreads, and magnifies to this day.

Three hundred and sixty degrees, all three hundred and sixty-five days of the year.

It lights up the area for kilometers – everyone can see it.

A shaft runs from the top to the bottom of the now lighthouse. An elevator transports gifts to the base.

The treasure is shipped out in the dark of night – under cover of darkness.

The tiny inconspicuous labels on the ‘boxes’ read: “To help others.”

Generosity:

At the base of the tall Lighthouse is a huge basement;

A storehouse.

And, out of its abundance, flows supply after supply.

A black Montblanc fountain pen was shipped from that large generous warehouse.

The smooth black pen is in my hand as I document the lighthouse’s journey and its extravagant generosity.

The tip of the nib glides over the paper as I write this prose in black and white.

“The Tall Building became a Lighthouse.”

The plaque on the Lighthouse wall reads ‘Toni and Rachel Da Silva – Lighthouse and Storehouse Stewards.’

The inscription in the middle on the brass plate reads:

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5: 16 NKJ.

Not the End.

*Toni and Rachel Da Silva are on the far right – celebrating. Grandchildren on the left.*

Rachel with mum Tieka and her sisters in high spirits. Here they are having much fun. From left to right, Nena van Zyl, Tieka Windell, Rachel da Silva, Nevillin van Niekerk, and Ous (Aileen) Herholdt (absent sister Marie Bekker).

The beautiful Windell sisters with mum Tieka. Left to Right (back): Ray Da Silva, Nena Van Zyl, Marie Bekker, and Nevillin Van Niekerk. Mum Tieka, seated in front. The Windell sisters are very close, so loving and caring, to this day. They are a symbol of unity.

The illustration shows the Eddystone lighthouse, off the coast of Devon, England, as it was before it became computer operated. Built of stones that dovetail into one another, the lighthouse was completed in 1882 and had a focal plane 4 m (133 ft) above high water level. https://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/L/lighthouse.html

Toni and Ray, you are a Lighthouse!

The Eddystone lighthouse, Devon, England. A lighthouse is a building, often in the form of a tower, with a light at the top to guide vessels at night. Lighthouses are built on land and at sea. Some mark ports and harbours, while others warn of shallow waters or dangerous rocks. Originally, a lighthouse keeper was always in attendance, but modern lighthouses are usually unmanned and operated by remote control. The light system may produce a steady beam, a rotating beam, or a pattern of flashes, sometimes of different colours. Sailors can identify any lighthouse by the pattern of light it emits. Knowing the location of a lighthouse enables navigators to work out their own positions. In poor visibility, a siren, horn, or bell may sound to warn vessels to keep clear of rocks. In addition, many lighthouses transmit radio signals for use by ships’ direction-finding equipment.
*Source:* *https://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/L/lighthouse.html*

Lighthouse Lamps Through Time by Thomas Tag. Man’s ingenuity is truly amazing, and this can be seen in the odd collection of techniques used to illuminate lighthouses across the centuries. Lighthouse illumination began with simple wood fires and progressed through generations of other methods. Even the oil lamp began in simplicity and evolved into a machine with multiple wicks, clockwork oil pumps, specialised chimneys, hydraulic, pneumatic, and other variants. Source: *https://uslhs.org/lighthouse-lamps-through-time*

*A first-order lighthouse Fresnel lens, on display at the Point Arena Lighthouse Museum, Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County, California. (Image:* *Wikipedia*).

*A typical Cross and Rosery adorned the wall of Toni and Rachel’s bedroom wall at 50 Berg Way, Florentia.* A symbol of Faith!

Congratulations Ray / Baie geluk Ray:

Ray, congratulations on your 70th birthday! May the favour of God always shine on you. May God shower you with blessings from above. May He fill your heart till it overflows. We pray that God will increase your territory and continually prosper you. May you experience many more blessed days with your special covenant husband, Toni. May your light, and Toni’s light, illuminate the areas around you; shining like a tall, bright Lighthouse. May God increase you a hundredfold and give you His eternal peace. God Bless. All our love. From: Nena, Marie, Nevillin, your children, grandchildren, close family and extended family.

Liefste Ray, baie geluk met jou 70ste verjaarsdag. Mag die guns van God altyd op jou skyn. Mag die Here Sy seën uitgiet oor jou sonder mate. Mag Hy jou hart vul met sy liefde totdat dit oorloop. Ons bid dat God jou – en Toni – se invloedsfeer en grondgebied sal vergroot – net soos Hy vir Jabes gedoen het. Mag jy baie meer geseënde en gelukkige dae geniet saam met jou verbonds-huweliksmaat Toni. On bid dat julle lig die areas rondom julle sal verlig soos n hoë Ligtoring. Mag die Vader julle n honderdvoudig vermeerder; en mag Hy julle ewigdurende vrede gee. God se rykste seën. Al ons liefde. Van: Nena, Marie, Nevillin, jul kinders, kleinkinders, naby familie, and uitgebreide familie.

More about Rachel (Windell) Da Silva, who are turning Seventy!

Rachel Magdaleen Windell – born 27 February 1953.

Some significant addresses for Ray:

46 Edwards Street, Regents Park, JHB (early years/childhood).
22 Commando Laan, Virginia, Freestate (teenage years)

Born while at (gebore terwyl by): 46 Edward Street, JHB.

Primary School (Laerskool): Virginia Volkskool

Secondary School (Sekondêre Skool): Hoërskool Hentie Cilliers (Virginia) & Alberton Hoër (completed her final year of school in Alberton).

Address in Alberton (Tieka and Bill Windell – parents): 70 Berg Weg, Florentia.

The Story of Esther: This Bible story resonates with Rachel. See more below.

Rachel’s well-known words: ‘Go big or go home,’ and ‘It is what it is!’

The Story of Esther:

Rachel is also called ‘Esther’: This story of Rachel and Toni emphasises the power of God, instructing us on how we should use the blessings given by God to help others. For children, the moral of the Story of Esther is always to do the right thing, using your influence to help others as Esther does in the story.

The Coronation of Queen Esther, from the 1617 Scroll of Esther from Ferrara, Italy.
Institution: National Library of Israel, Jerusalem. Artwork. Link: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/esther-bible

Rachel’s favourite Scripture: Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

⁹Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.