Missionaries of Africa – Southern Africa Province (SAP) – Page 88

By Humphrey Mukuka

The day of 22 September 2013 was marked by various reasons for us to celebrate as a community of “Fraternité Lavigerie” of Abidjan. We were privileged to hold the official welcome of the new community members, the declaration of intent by the students of second year of theology, inauguration of our community project and finally the 53^rd anniversary of independence of Mali. These and many other reasons made us proud to consider this day as extraordinary and as very significant. We waited impatiently for this day before it was finally accomplished. This day was especially designated as the official day of welcoming the new community members. We were very glad to receive ten confreres in our community which makes a community of 31 members in total. Before beginning the Eucharistic celebration, the new community members were greatly welcomed according to the Ivorian culture by giving them water to drink before asking their motif of coming to “Fraternité Lavigerie”. The rest of the community members were greatly overwhelmed when they heard that the ten came to live with them in order to form a community. The rector, Fr Georges-Jacques was so happy such that he welcomed them with very encouraging words. FULL TEXT

News from Phelim Malumo in Jerusalem

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 14, 2013

In News

Dear Confreres,

Just to let you know that I arrived safely on Sunday morning at around 03.40 hrs in Tel Aviv. Fortunately, I was picked by Emmanuel our Zambian Deacon and Limo (Deacon from Kenya).

I had at least one hour thirty minutes to get ready for Galilee-Nazareth about 160 km from Jerusalem. We had some stop overs along the way. We first stopped in Caesarea; thereafter we went to Megiddo. After Megiddo, we moved to Haifa and visited the World Centre of the Baha’i Faith on Mount Carmel. We also visited the Carmelite Church and had about one hour of prayer in the chapel dedicated to the Prophet Elijah. The final journey was to Nazareth itself and we arrived around 18.00 hrs. We are lodging in Bethharam, a beautiful lodge running by religious Fathers. Immediately after Supper, I went for a long rest as I was very tired. This morning I feel very flesh and ready to visit various places and sites around Nazareth.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Many greetings from the Holy Land.

Fr Phelim Mutambekwa Malumo M.Afr.

Interview with Carl Stauffer

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 14, 2013

In Justice and Peace, News, Publications

Carl Stauffer was born and raised amidst the war in Vietnam. In 1994, he and his family moved to South Africa under the auspices of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a faith-based international relief and development agency. In South Africa, Stauffer worked with various transitional processes such as the Peace Accords, Community-Police Forums, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Local Community Development structures. From 2000 to 2009, Stauffer was appointed as the MCC Regional Peace Adviser for the Southern Africa region. His work has taken him to twenty African countries.

This interview is a very interesting resource for our JPIC commitment. In this interview, divided in three parts, Carl Stauffer shares with us how he is deconstructing and processing the systemic violence he has found during his ministry in Africa and now in the States. In the second part of this interview he remarkably uses a whole imaginary from the African traditions to develop the seven roles of a peacebuilder. He says: “I wanted to find a new language, and I wanted that language to be contextual to Africa, as well as contextual to my Christian faith, and many of the Christian leaders I was working with in Africa. So the language borrows from all of those, different streams and my need for creativity. I wanted to make it as contextual as I could within what I was experiencing at a gut visceral level, on the ground, in practicing peacebuilding in Africa for 16 years.”

Links:

Anti-Slavery campaign Interview Series with Carl Stauffer (Part 1)

Anti-Slavery campaign Interview Series with Carl Stauffer (Part 2)

Part Three will be posted next week.

What has he done to deserve this?

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 12, 2013

In News, Zambia Sector

By Patrick Raphaël Sebyera, stagiaire at Serenje Parish, Zambia

In the morning of the 10^th October, from the driving school in Mansa, I was getting ready to go back home but stopped first at the office of Caritas Mansa. Reaching the gate, I saw an old man on a wheel chair. Poor man! He was struggling to climb a stiff slope. He was tired and sweating. I saw many people passing by but no one helped him. I came closer and greeted him.

— Can I help you?

— Yes! Please!

I pushed him up to the junction where I was planning to turn on my way home.

— Where are you going?

— I’m going to the compound after the hospital.

We continued on the road while I was asking to myself what he has done to deserve this. At a certain point, he asked me if I drink. I answered positively. Then, he told me to stop for a drink. However, I proposed him to simply pursue our journey. Reaching a high hump, I asked him how he manages to cross it when he is alone.

— God sends me somebody like you to help me.

As we were approaching the place where he could easily move by himself, women were selling some fruits.

— Let us buy some bananas, he said.

He had some coins in his pocket. He gave me 20 coins of 5 Ngwee to make one Kwacha. I brought the money to a women selling bananas.

— For whom do you want them?

— For the bashikulu (the old man).

I do not know why, but she was annoyed and gave me three small rotten bananas.

— Can you not give even one which is good?

— If you don’t want them, take your money back.

Once more, I was asking to myself what the bashikulu has done to deserve this. I took those bananas to him. He refused them saying “awe mukwai”. As a result, I went to take back the money. I felt bad.

As we reached the place where he could easily go by himself, I told him that it was time for me to go back to where we met in the first place and go home. He blessed me and gave me his 20 coins of 5 Ngwee. I thanked him adding that I was happy to help him without reward.

— Who are you to refuse a drink and my kwacha?

I simply gave him my own blessing which he accepted. I left my bashikulu and came back home asking to myself again and again what has he done to deserve this.

Quarterly meeting in South Africa

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 11, 2013

In News, South Africa Sector

Didier Michon, George Okwii, Chrispin Edgar Vungwa, Jean-Pierre Le Scour, Raymond McQuarrie, Mathieu Van Vlierden, René Garand, Philippe Docq, Didier Lemaire. In front: Michel Meunier, Samuel Affoumane, Martin Somda

Here are some pictures taken at our last quarterly meeting. Here it is the mass to close the antislavery campaign. Recollection, input, business meeting, fraternal gathering: all that to reinforce our missionary commitment.

Pictures sent by Didier Lemaire, M.Afr

Some news about Phelim Malumo

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 11, 2013

In News

Ste Anne church in Jerusalem

Phelim got problems at the Israeli Embassy in Nairobi. He was there on Monday and could get his visa only on Friday. Moreover, he was told that his flight was delayed from Friday night to Saturday, arrival in Jerusalem on Sunday morning at about 5 hours. Consequently, he will remain with about an hour and a half before moving into the bus going for the Galilee tour which is an essential part of the session.

Let us hope that Phelim will find ways to relax in the plane before arriving in Jerusalem. What a story! In a message, Don Anderson is wishing him to have a safe flight and good humour in the last hurdles.

So is our bidding for him. For Phelim, all the session participants and the staff, have a wonderful experience in Galilee.

Funeral of the parents of Father Phelim Malumo in Mongu, Zambia

Poem on Antislavery

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 11, 2013

In News, Zambia Sector

Good Shepherd Parish Youth Corner

It is a well-known fact that we are living in a doldrums where the tantrums of a new African hope are heard, therefore, the mighty citizens of Kabwata Good Shepherd Parish Youth Corner, present a poem in the spirit and foot of Cardinal Charles Lavigerie entitled The Fight against Modern slavery.

FULL TEXT

: Good Shepherd Parish Youth Corner

The Jurisprudence behind the Right to Education

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 10, 2013

In Publications

By Elvis C.C Ng’andwe

Prior to the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the drafting committee discussed in detailed the jurisprudence behind every Article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child hereinafter referred to as C.R.C.

The jurisprudence behind the right to education was found to have had a longer history than the C.R.C and a good amount of the jurisprudence behind the right to education can be traced from so many scholars. READ MORE

MSOLA France – Website

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 10, 2013

In News

MSOLA France – Website

http://mafrsaprovince.com/msola/

Mafrwestafrica – Lettre du 9 octobre 2013

By Missionaries of Africa - Southern Africa Province (SAP)

On October 10, 2013

In News, Publications

Dans la rubrique « Dialogue interreligieux » :

« Le Missionnaire chasseur de trésors », un article de notre confrère Didier Sawadogo, qui veut faire prendre conscience que la mission est d’abord une ouverture à la culture dans laquelle on est appelé à s’investir pour y annoncer l’Évangile. (lire la suite)

« Le G.R.I.C . ». Groupe de Dialogue Islamo chrétien, un article de notre confrère André Ferré qui se trouve en Tunisie, article tiré du Bulletin « Relais PB Maghreb octobre 2013 » – cet article est le dernier de la rubrique « Maghreb, diverses nouvelles » sur la page du site, à gauche en bas… (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique « Actualités » :

« La semaine missionnaire mondiale 2013 » : un rappel de la signification de cette semaine, et des différentes ressources ecclésiales invitant tous les chrétiens à vivre la mission (lire la suite)

« Merci des trois nouveaux prêtres M.Afr de la PAO », la lettre de remerciement de Charles Nikiema, Boris Yabre et David Gnadouwa, ordonnés cette année et qui viennent de partir pour leur pays de mission ; (lire la suite)
« Les confrères décédés depuis le 1er janvier 2013 » – une mise à jour de la liste des anciens de la PAO décédés en 2013. (lire la suite)

« Les Missionnaires travaillant présentement à la PAO, et ceux qui en sont originaires », une mise à jour du mois d’octobre 2013 (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique « Maisons de formation » :

« Joies et peines à Abidjan » deux textes nous parlant de la tristesse due à l’accident d’un candidat ivoirien en route pour Ouagadougou, et de la joie des retrouvailles au sein de notre maison de formation de quatrième étape. (lire la suite)

Dans la rubrique « Justice et paix » :

« Bilal, sur la route des clandestins », Les mésaventures des immigrants subsahariens ne font plus la une des journaux. Et pourtant, les drames continuent et ils sont quotidiens (lire la suite)