Meniscus Inc. News… April 27, 2010.

Mbombela/Nelspruit Community Forums Sharpen Skills in Child Nutrition, Trauma Care, and Cultural Worldviews

MeniscusInc and a South African partner, Betor House Ministries, were excited to offer three community workshops in March and April. Our partnership is committed to working toward the transformation of our community through practical compassion ministries, marketplace impact, increased understanding, and radical spiritual renewal through following Jesus Christ.

** “Growing Weary of Doing Good: Trauma; Caring for the Traumatized and their Caregivers“. This workshop was aimed at those helping individuals and communities affected by trauma. The twenty people in attendance spent the day learning of the biological, relational and spiritual impact of trauma; along with essentials to prevent and recover from direct and vicarious traumatization. Dr. Stewart Wakeman MD, FRCPC is a Christian psychiatrist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Stewart works in community mental health practice in Winnipeg and has a special interest in post-traumatic disorders as well as the role of spirituality in mental health. He teaches psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and family therapy at the University of Winnipeg. Stewart is especially skilled in ministering healing and health across cultural divides.

** “Understanding Animism; a Dominant Worldview”. Led by Zambian minister, Emmanuel Mulenga, a long-time missionary into Mozambique. This insightful workshop dealt with the role of culture, worldviews, and spiritual formation in general and specifically dealt with Animism, the “world-view grid” and spiritual baseline of approximately 40% of the world’s people. Understanding Animism; its fear-based nature, its very real spiritual power, and the resultant cultural imbeds, is crucial to helping people groups move from ‘decision & conversion’ into becoming authentic ‘disciples and followers’ of Jesus with the freedom of a biblical worldview. Animism is little examined or understood by Westerners, historically dismissed as a web of simplistic superstitions born of ignorance.

Young Men & Women of Integrity, Hearts for God's Best in their Community

Hosting the Soccer World Cup; Hope Camps Protect & Care for Vulnerable Children A large upsurge in child trafficking and in the sex worker trade is already occurring in southern Africa, spurred by South Africa’s hosting of the Soccer World Cup in June & July. As one of the host cities, Nelspruit/Mbombela is scrambling to prepare for the event. See the links below for more news on this from the NY Times. Area schools will be on holiday for a month and many thousands of children –most particularly orphans – will be unsupervised and drawn to the raucous ‘Fan Parks’ in the area. Officials anticipate huge crowds at these Fan Parks -located outside the stadiums- and every sort of appetite can be satisfied there. Projections are that 40,000 extra sex workers are beginning to cross borders into South Africa this season, beyond the huge number of’ domestic sex workers.

MeniscusInc is partnering with two other organizations to conduct children’s soccer camps during the height of the World Cup activities. Local schools in the townships of Daantjie and Msogwaba are providing free use of their facilities and submitting the names of their most vulnerable and needy children, ages 8-18 years. Making use of a dozen school playing fields, at the Hope Camps the kids will learn soccer skills, be trained in social safety matters, taught on matters of personal character, and engaged in discipleship and evangelism through drama and dance. Over 950 children will be involved and 60 young adults will be engaged as mentors and coaches. Each child will attend the camp for a full week and will be provided two meals each day.

Part of our role is to help ‘coach the coaches’ during the leadership training sessions in the week prior to the camps, ministering to their needs and helping in their own spiritual formation. Each of the 12-14 camp sites (both primary and secondary schools) are located only a short distance from the new Litsemba Center, and all food preparation will take place at the Center. These Hope Camps are one of the very first broad-based community development projects undertaken in the area, and should be a great aid in advancing the impact of the Center in the community. Thanks to South Africa’s “Mamkulu.org” and Canada’s “ReachOut Africa” ministries for their willingness to work in partnership.

Please pray for the upcoming Hope Camps, for the encompassing township communities, for the World Cup events, the host communities, and the nation of South Africa. Also, please pray that the construction of the Litsemba Center, located in Mpumalanga’s Daantje community, be completed in the next thirty days, and that it is be a source of practical and spiritual transformation in the community from the very start.

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Bonds are growing between women of Masoyi's Project Hands of Grace and USA Church Small Group Ministry

Masoyi Sewing Coop sends first product to the USA;
A Story of Economic Sustainability, Food Security & Spiritual Renewal
Celebrating new steps into women’s empowerment, food sustainability, vocational skills development, and community discipleship, the women of Project Hands of Grace shipped their first bundle of nearly 50 textile handiwork items to Greenville, South Carolina, USA last week. The Hands of Grace team is producing school uniforms, shoe bags, aprons, and sweaters for the local market along with placemats, men’s BBQ aprons, coffee press ‘cozy’ covers, saddlebag purses, laptop carriers, purses, make-up bags, pot holders and throw pillows for the overseas market – all with in a wide selection of authentic African textiles. The Project currently provides skills training and a self-directed weekly Discovery Bible Study for fifteen women, providing food security to more than one hundred people. Please pray as Project Hands of Grace grows beyond the current site in the Masoyi community and seeks to multiply its impact in other needy townships.

A special thanks for the Durham Life Group of Holland Park Church in Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA for your support, encouragement, and investment in the women, orphans and vulnerable children of South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province. Interested in this work, or interested in receiving some of the sewing items? You can impact lives. Check out our website, www.MeniscusInc.com and the Hands of Grace website http://project-handsofgrace.webs.com/ in the coming days for updates and quality textile craft items.

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A Msobwaba Street Scene; 24 hour burial society. Just down the street is a sign,' Wholesale Coffins". Sadly, AIDS is a South African growth industry. AIDS impact Everyone!

Good Links... Meniscus wants to provide a

valuable service to our friends and supporters; helping make people aware of significant events taking place –especially in southern Africa- that effect all our lives. The links below are worth reading;

• Nelspruit, South Africa and World Cup Issues... (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/world/africa/13stadium.html?emc=eta1) 

· NY Times, Africa eager for China’s embrace.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/world/africa/25niger.html?emc=eta1

· African Youth League’s Leader Malema;”This Country Belongs to Foreigners.”

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20100417171137263C784356&set_id=1&click_id=13&sf=

· Headline: Survey Reveals Signs of Inter-Faith Tension in African Continent
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201004150267.html

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MeniscusInc is a faith-based holistic community development organization, committed to helping locals build healthy lives, families, communities and cultures. “Serving. Equipping. Transforming” links economic, social, physical, and emotional development with spiritual transformation. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation based in Raleigh, North Carolina and Nelspruit/Mbombela, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. All contributions made are tax deductible under USA law.

Please send your thoughts and comments along to us at meniscushome@gmail.com, we love to hear from you. Also, please keep our work in your prayers. We appreciate your support and promise to be good stewards of your trust.

Work continues at Litsemba "Hope" Center in Daantje,Mpumalanga Province. A June Opening

On behalf of the Meniscus Board and Staff,

Scott & Becky Lycan

www.MeniscusInc.com