Pray for South Africa Sunday, February 8, 2015

Lectionary Selection: Mark 1:29-39

Prayers for South Africa:

Gracious God, send us to our respective villages. Grant us the wisdom to understand the world in all of its profound complexity without becoming overwhelmed and without hope. Inspire us to hear people’s stories, so we understand their difficulties cannot be solved in an instant. Give us the patience to enter into relationships and thus truly matter in others’ lives. Give us the vision to enter into alliances with like-minded people of faith, so that our limited vision may be made whole. Guide the young women at Inanda Seminary; inspire them to be the catalysts of many fulfilled future generations. We pray for Judy Tate, the leader of Inanda Seminary. Strengthen the young men and women at SMMS whose fellowship, studies and worship build them for a life of service and dedication to your church that may be a source of hope in every village. We pray for Mvume Dandala, the leader of SMMS. May we, in partnership with them, drive out the demons of our world. Amen.

Mission Stewardship Moment from South Africa:

Before the Enlightenment and Freud’s psychoanalysis, many behavioral anomalies could be described in the Ancient Near East as “demons.” Despite this, the author of Mark clearly understands the needs and hurts of the community to be multifaceted. As Jesus traveled to village after village, he encountered those who suffered from diseases, demons (psychological), ignorance (educational) and sin (ethical). So, Jesus ministered in a multifaceted manner: healing, “driving out,” teaching and preaching.

Susan and Scott serve two “villages”: Inanda Seminary and Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary (SMMS); both serve communities that provide multifaceted ministries that seek to develop the entire person. Both institutions develop not just the intellect, but also the heart and hands of every student.

As a faith-based high school where all the students live on campus, Inanda Seminary touches every facet of the young woman: intellectual, physical, psychological and spiritual. As Chaplain of the school, Susan teaches, preaches counsels and facilitates physical healing when needed. Susan counsels the more than 400 students so that after five years deep life long, substantive, learning is firmly rooted.

SMMS’ students also all live on campus and thus does not just graduate young intellectuals. As a lecturer who is also a pastor, Scott provides ministerial training that develops ministers academically, ethically and spiritually. Students are empowered to be public intellectuals who are trusted and followed in the villages they will soon serve.

Mission Partners in South Africa

More Information on South Africa

http://www.globalministries.org/south_africa

Global Ministries Missionaries in South Africa:

Scott Couper serves as a Long-Term Volunteer with the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary and the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa as a lecturer in Systematic Theology, Christian History and Missiology and is active in local church ministries. Susan Valiquette is appointed to serve the Inanda Seminary, Durban, South Africa as the school chaplain and teacher. Their presence and ministries are made possible by your gifts to Disciples’ Mission Fund, Our Churches Wider Mission, and your special gifts.