Monday

Wow, I need to catch up! I'll post more about the weekend later, and I'll start with Monday!

Monday, we met at the coffee shop with Aletia, the new CEO of Monte Christo Miqlat. I remember Aletia from the food center from previous years so it is nice to see her in this new position. We met for a lovely breakfast (as you'll see pictures, of course), and she gave us an overview of the organization as it is now since it has gone through some recent changes with the merging of Miqlat & Monte Christo Ministries. 

For those of you who are not familiar with Monte Christo Miqlat, they have five strategic focus areas: Bowy House (our Tuesday spot), Food center (they are now feeding 9000 children across 4 regions), community centers in Mbekweni + Paarl East (while promoting social entrepreneurship), the homeless, and the coffee shop. The mission includes sustainably helping and empowering those in the community who are in need. They focus on partnerships to share resources and work together to fulfill the mission.

They are doing an amazing job here. Check out just a few of the stats from last year (2011):

• 65 homeless put in jobs each month
• 275 homeless fed per month
• 889,200 meals served
• 68,400 school holiday meals served
• 2,500 children coached and fed weekly

Then, we went on a tour of the area with Francisco, who is always energetic and a load of fun! There is never a dull moment with Francisco around. We started in the mountains overlooking the valley to get an aerial view while hearing some of the history as we looked onto the various communities. We drove around to the locations of the focus areas for the organization and heard from leaders regarding the daily activities of the facilities, target populations, and community information and demographics.

To me driving through, several times I was overwhelmed with the enormity of some of the problems and how each "area" has several interwoven factors that make isolating and combating them difficult. I'm always reminded of the starfish story and the need to start small and grassroots. 

Here are some pictures from the day:

 

with Aletia

 view of the valley

 Francisco & Candice

 garden planted at Lukhanyo

 

 beads made by community women

 sewing project available for women in the community

 a few of the community heroes

  

class for community adults to learn basic skills to help with everyday living

That's a brief overview of our Monday introduction to Monte Christo Miqlat! 

Please go their website for more information!

Danielle

Partnering with the Dream Team

The first project we “attempted” was teaching. This year, we joined up with the “Dream Team” who is associated with the Miqlat Foundation. First, here’s a little about the Dream Team so you’ll know why this was such a special opportunity for us.

The Miqlat Leadership Development and Outreach Team, known as “The Dream Team” provides the opportunity for Christian youth identified as leaders, primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive training and serve to disciple other youth from similar communities. These team members are supported entirely by funds donated to Miqlat.

Miqlat first began reaching out to youth by bringing Christian programs into schools in the Paarl area in 2000. Today school officials in more than a dozen schools enthusiastically invite and welcome Miqlat’s programs to be included as a formal part of their life skills programs. The ministry recognized both the need and the opportunity to begin discipling and encouraging the large number of students seeking to follow Christ, and the concept for a Leadership Development and Outreach Team was developed.

In 2003 Miqlat established its first team of young disciples under a “Year of Your Life for Christ” program designed to reach out and develop youth leaders for Christ. Now in its third year, the program has a proven track record of success in working with primary and high school age youth in disadvantaged areas of Paarl, the township of Mbekweni and on local farms.

In addition to the training and instruction provided to the Dream Team, their service year includes practical, “hands on” and cross cultural ministry experience with projects in local communities and on outreaches to other nations. The Team works with youth and children in schools, on farms, in local communities, and with children’s and youth programs in area churches. Activities include:

· Christian Life Skills Training
· Christian Camping Activities
· Holiday Clubs (Vacation Bible Schools)
· Programs to Teach and Challenge Church Youth and Children’s Groups
· Christian Song, Dance and Drama Programs

Meeting the Dream Team was the highlight of our trip. These young men and women were immediately welcoming and open to share their lives including their experiences, past pains, and dreams. We immediately bonded and felt like old friends or even family.

The NewSong team divided into 2 teams and so did the Dream Team. Then we paired so we were integrated. My team began planning to teach life skills for Orleansvale Primary in Paarl East, a school in which I had previously taught and loved. We had been told the teachers may go on strike so we were aware that plans might change on the day we would arrive. We were prepared to go in and teach as 1 team and therefore planned accordingly.

Of course, on the first day, Tuesday August 10, we found out that the teachers had gone on strike and very few teachers or officials would be on campus leaving US to keep the kids occupied. We then had to split up into pairs. David and I took 4^th grade. Instead of changing rooms, we discovered we would be with this one class all day. I recognized a few of the kids from 2 years ago and was so happy to see them.

As with most kids, when structure is taken away, behaviors change.... The day was crazy! We had to think on our feet and constantly come up with something to do to keep them busy. I loved watching David in action though. He wants to become a pastor one day, and I know he will because he is so gifted. He offered to tell them a bible story. At first, I was thinking that those kids were NOT going to sit tight through a story like that as most of our efforts had not been successful in managing noise and movement around the class. Boy, was I wrong! They, including myself, sat on the edge of our seats as he told the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire.

I was exhausted at the end of the day! We began to prepare for the next day but found out later that we would not be returning to Orleansvale Wednesday since the principal wanted to catch up on the curriculum. In the end, we never went back to this school at all. Instead, we were scheduled to spend the following week at Langabuya in Mbekweni.

We went to Langabuya on Tuesday August 17 and taught as a team as initially planned for the previous Tuesday. We had a really great day at this school and we were feeling good about being on track. We planned out Wednesday, but in true Africa style, the plans changed yet again on the day. On Wednesday after the team was dropped off, the staff of Monte Christo came to pick up the team, as the teachers went on strike. In Mbekweni when the teachers strike, the children do not go to school as they do in Paarl East. The team then spent the day playing games and hanging out with the Dream Team.

The other NewSong half spent all 4 days, uninterrupted, at Paarl Zicht Primary in Paarl East.

Vicky on break with the kids

David teaching

several of the classes came together outside as one for our lesson

our team of half NewSong and half Dream Team (minus our boys)

-->