Bounty Newsletter 3

Greetings! Here is some more news!

When I return home in November, it is my goal to visit friends, spend time with my family, and share the vision with interested persons. I hope to spend some quality time with my Terry High School, My Father’s House Church, and Christ Chapel families.

I plan at least one trip to the Midwest to visit and tour an exemplary arts school which I heard about last year. I have viewed the campus on-line, but I want to see it up-close to get building ideas.

      Upon return to Africa, I will likely spend the first two weeks in Angola visiting with the YWAM Musai base talking about plans for eventually building schools that the Angolan government is willing to support.

Soon after my return from Angola to South Africa, I will begin touring regional YWAM bases sharing the vision for the Aiven Park girls’ school.

    The Lord is in the process of assembling key people to do the work that is necessary for the school’s existence including architect teachers, administrators, and visionaries. I have an invitation to meet political party leaders.  In addition, as I meet people who can serve on the board, I come one important step closer to attaining NGO status and possible access to funding.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Lizette, an Afrikaner famer who donates organic produce to the soup kitchens which Jan helps to supply. Jan Buchanan is already actively involved in the neighborhood where she has graciously agreed to allow the school to be built on her land. On the same day, I visited the soup kitchens and nurseries where she partners with several colored women. I shared with them the vision and visited   the girls to whom I ministered in the fall. 

    This God-birthed school is built on service including valuing the environment (a community swap shop allows children to exchange trash for needed items such as toiletries and clothes); it celebrates the arts, teaches resiliency and self-respect. For instance, all school families and interested community members will take ownership of the school’s garden. This eco-horticulture will provide healthy produce for the kids and clear the disease-carrying sewage that presently runs through the streets. We will begin our pilot phase for the school with afternoon a diploma equivalency program and tutoring.

There are two concrete ways that you can help: gather educational materials and ship them- through the “M Project” or be a part of Change to Change the World. Want to know more? E-mail me. The future is looking bright, and I am so glad that you are a part of it! MJD

 

Jan and Ursula who runs one of the soup kitchens.

Soup Kitchen that serves children several meals a week.

The land where the school will one day stand.

 

 

Bounty Newsletter 2

Everything is converging. Last week, I was not sure that I would return to Worcester in January. Friends, now I have access to a property valued at 1.5 million rand to build the first girl’s school. I am working with Jan Buchanan, a fellow Youth with a Mission worker and community developer who owns the land. She fosters an African child named Joy and works with women’s and teen ministries. Our visions and ministry goals are completely aligned. Other ministry contacts are appearing such as administrative staff, teachers, and performers like Pieter McCarthy, a South African youth minister. .He just helped open a performing arts high school in Cape Town this year.             

                    Last Monday, I finished a certified program in character education offered by Campus Crusade. The Crossroads Program is exceptional, and I can't wait to begin using it in the classroom as it is widely- accepted and endorsed in South Africa and the US. We taught” Six Character Traits” at Worcester Gymnasium to a class of enthusiastic high schoolers.               

     I am completing the Theophostic Prayer Seminar on Oct.31^st.While half the group went to Johannesburg; I facilitated the course for five days. It was a blessed and wonderful time. During a practice session, I led one of the participants to the Lord. Lynette attended church for a long, but did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Afterwards, she testified of tremendous peace and calm she has.

I have the land. Now, I need 500,000 dollars to erect the school building with the necessary performance spaces. An additional 500, 000 dollars in cash or donations are needed for instruments, books, uniforms, and costumes.

I am meeting with individuals who have access to media, who have already secured government finances, or who hold positions in government or schools. This week I will visit the Worcester School of Performing Arts to see first-hand the expectations and level of expertise required by the South African government.

Upon my return to South Africa, I will begin sharing my vision with other YWAM bases in the country with the approval and recommendation of regional and base leadership as part of the pilot phase of building my coalition and support.

I am still actively involved in base worship and headed our Wednesday intercession. I had several new faces join me for exercise this last weekend and have prepared desserts the last two weeks with the help of my  sweet Polish roommate, and I am now  on the cooking rotation. I have also managed to find time to help with a couple of writing projects on the base.

Want to share the gift of knowledge? You can send more than16 pounds of books, tapes, literature or tracts, directly overseas in an "M Bag,” for approximately $1/ pound. Let me know if you would like to contribute.

Thank you for partnering and standing with me,

 

Mella J. Davis

 

 

 

 

Theophostic team members on graduation day.

Enjoying ourselves at our lovefeast at Carrine's house.

Carrine presenting during one of the sessions which I led.

October 30th
Everything is converging. Last week, I was not sure that I would return to Worcester in January. Friends, now I have access to a property valued at 1.5 million rand to build the first girl’s school. I am working with Jan Buchanan, a fellow Youth with a Mission worker and community developer who owns the land. She fosters an African child named Joy and works with women’s and teen ministries. Our visions and ministry goals are completely aligned. Other ministry contacts are appearing such as administrative staff, teachers, and performers like Pieter McCarthy, a South African youth minister. .He just helped open a performing arts high school in Cape Town this year.

Last Monday, I finished a certified program in character education offered by Campus Crusade. The Crossroads Program is exceptional, and I can't wait to begin using it in the classroom as it is widely- accepted and endorsed in South Africa and the US. We taught” Six Character Traits” at Worcester Gymnasium to a class of enthusiastic high schoolers.

I am completing the Theophostic Prayer Seminar on Oct.31^st .While half the group went to Johannesburg; I facilitated the course for five days. It was a blessed and wonderful time. During a practice session, I led one of the participants to the Lord. Lynette attended church for a long, but did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Afterwards, she testified of tremendous peace and calm she has.


Blog #1

The children are happy and excited as they learn more about Christ and God. Every Friday, we gather and teach their hungry hearts and tummies. The School of Apostolic Pioneering has begun a ministry of birthing home churches through cell groups. Three teams have been visiting the neighborhoods of Aiven Park, Roodewal, and Tuin Dorp. One group goes door-to-door inviting people to come to the Bible studies hosted in the home of one of their neighbors. At Aiven Park, the group with whom I work is spearheading a children’s ministry at the home of Gini and Eric, who have graciously agreed to a two-fold minister: one directed at children ages 3-15 and the other ministry is aimed at adults. Last week, twenty-five children heard the story of the Shepherd-God, Adonai -Rohi. The concept of a loving shepherd who cares for us and protects from the wolves in life is powerful.

In each girl lies a seed of greatness, that seed may be the family that she will bring into the earth or encapsulates herself. In her seed, she has the power to change her family, community, and thus the world. However, lack of education, teenage pregnancy, family dysfunction, and drug abuse stands in her way. Don’t Put more faith in your obstacle than you do in your God.

Without weakening in my faith, I will face the fact that although there are many reasons that I should not be able to fulfill the call on my life. However, I will not waiver in unbelief because the one who called me is faithful and true. Yes, all of His promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. God is not a man that He should lie or the son of man that he should prove false. Thus, I am strengthened in my faith in Him being fully persuaded that what He has promised that also shall He do.

I put my hope in His steadfast unfailing love. I do not put faith in the flesh, my own abilities, or even the obstacles before me. Instead, I press forward toward the mark of the High Calling of Christ. Praise be to God who always leads me in triumph and daily loads me with benefits. Through Him a fragrance of life is being shared. Daily, I choose to walk in God’s Presence.

The Lord’s promise of shepherding, preparing a table before us, has held true for me as I have transitioned from America to South Africa.

Modify this prayer by adding promises that God has made you and speak those words over yourself.-In Him