Mikhail Fernandes:
There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t thought about the work I did in South Africa. The opportunity of peacebuilding with SADRA was a dream come true, which would not have been possible if it wasn’t for my mentor, Pastor Oscar Siwali. Pastor Siwali was the first person I met in South Africa, and he became a very influential person for me during my service term. We traveled to various townships every day and networked with locals, politicians, and church leaders. I will cherish for the rest of my life the relationships built there.
Pastor Siwali spent a
lot of time with me figuring out how to utilize my strengths and
improve upon my weaknesses. He helped me mature my skills as a Christian
leader. For the first time, I was able to field test my
Interdisciplinary major and the values that I have learned during my
time at Goshen (Indiana) College, by conducting workshops on my own in
townships and helping facilitate a retreat for the Great Commission, a
group of local Christian leaders whose vision is to build self-reliant
communities in the Western Cape through the development of local
churches.
I have a strong Catholic background and grew up with
the influences of Mother Teresa and St. Francis Xavier. Pastor Siwali,
on other hand, grew up as a Baptist convert. There were times when I was
stretched, especially when it came to learning how to preach to a
Baptist congregation. However, even though we came from different
streams of Christianity, we were still able to work toward the same goal
of servant leadership.
Overall, based on my experience, I would
highly recommend service to anyone, whether it’s domestic or
international. Service can enrich your life and can help you grow in
maturity. I would especially encourage young adults to take a gap year,
or for college students to pursue service trips during their breaks. The
best way to change the world is to get out there and help solve issues
that really matter to you.
Oscar Siwali:
SADRA
(Southern African Development and Reconstruction Agency) works by
helping people who know where the Lord is taking them, and who simply
need someone to walk with them on that journey. Mikhail Fernandes came
to Cape Town, South Africa, with a unique story of being raised in
India, then attending Goshen (Indiana) College and majoring in
Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in music, broadcasting and
sustainability. From my observations, I believe that what made his time
serving with SADRA so focused and purposeful was the fact that he knew
what he wanted to get from this experience.
It was important for
us at SADRA to understand what Mikhail’s goals and ambitions were
regarding his time with us. We have decided that having a strategy for
internships or any program for young adults, with spiritual reflection
time as a foundation, is important. It helps to avoid the aimlessness
that can result from not having a strategy, both for the young person
and host.
When Mikhail first arrived, we met frequently to set
goals acceptable to everyone. In an effort to remind ourselves that our
work is of and for God, we met weekly for spiritual reflection time,
which really became foundational. This was followed by checking on
progress through constant and consistent feedback and encouragement. I
intentionally took time to encourage and motivate him to stay on his
path, and tried to expose him to a variety of ministries for optimal
learning experiences. Once we understood each other’s expectations, it
was easier to determine how he was doing and where and when he needed
help.
I should highlight the fact that some people tend to think
that young men like Mikhail are directionless and so it is our
responsibility to give them direction. This cannot be farther from the
truth. Mikhail’s journey with us at SADRA was so productive because he
knew where he wanted to go.
