Nepal Earthquake, Baptist Relief Efforts Aid Survival

After Nepal earthquake, Baptist relief efforts aid survival 

Despite advanced planning for such an event, the people of Nepal are reeling from damage in the aftermath of a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Kathmandu Valley April 25. As the death toll rises, aftershocks hinder rescue efforts and cause more uncertainty. IMB can confirm that all personnel in South Asia are safe, and some are now involved in relief efforts in Nepal.

Baptist Global Response, the Southern Baptist humanitarian organization with which IMB partners, released $50,000 for initial relief efforts in the aftermath of Nepal’s massive earthquake. This quick response provides hurting people with basic survival needs like water, shelter, food and healthcare. Your donations to BGR’s Nepal Earthquake Response Fund will provide continued emergency response as needs rise in the disaster area.

Pray for the people of Nepal and those who are providing relief.

Ministry Focus of the Week "The Congo/Rwanda"

CONGO MISSION TRIP
Letter From Pastor Duane

Wednesday we traveled 1.5 hours into the mountains from Kigali.  The mountain villages and cities are remarkable.  Rwanda countryside is beautiful. 

We were with Pastor Jean Marie, who I met last year in Kigali.  He was in the first class that graduated from the Bible Center Training for Pastors led by Pastor Mezeck.  After BCTP, Jean Marie went on to get his undergraduate in Social Work and just completed his Masters in Community Development.  Here are the marvelous ways he is using these skills to be the Church in Rwanda.

In the mountains of Rwanda there is a city of 600,000 people called Muhanga.  This was where Jean Marie was raised.  After he succeeded in Kigali with his outreach to women and men at risk, he decided to start working in other cities in Rwanda with high concentrations of these high risk groups.  He decided a good place to start would be his home town.

 What we saw today was an independently functioning community outreach that is based on the gospel but funded by the government.  Jean Marie began working with a few women in prostitution in the community in 2006.   Initially, Jean Marie focused on sharing the gospel, but most of the women continued to prostitute themselves even after they accepted Christ.  "We don't have any other way to make a living," they would tell Jean Marie.  So he offered basic health training and an opportunity to form an association that could provide them basic healthcare and new occupational training as well as small business loans.  Many accepted the offer and willingly changed their lives for a new beginning.  Now there are over 161 women in the association in Muhanga. 

 From 2012-2015 they had a contract with the city government to clean the streets of the city for payment.  (Rwanda is one of the cleanest countries I have ever seen).  The Catholic church in the community is letting them farm a large section of land that is providing income.  Next to the crops, they have seven fish ponds that are used to raise and sell tilapia in the market.  They also process their own fish food from local maze and rice crops and sell the excess to other farmers.  They raise rabbits over the fish pond (cooler temperatures), too, and feed them the same feed as the fish.

Collette provides other training for the women including sewing and salon care.  Of the 161 women in the association over 120 are HIV positive.  Some of the older and sicker women are unable to work the fields, so these alternative means of income provide less demanding work opportunities for them to provide for themselves and their families. 

You don't have to ask them about the spiritual aspect of the program.  They eagerly tell you and show you.  Salome got on her knees and prayed with thanksgiving for us coming before she told us about the fish food processing.  Collette shared how the person training them to sew teaches a Bible study before every training.  Every time they bring additional health or career training, Jean Marie comes and begins each session with the gospel.  "If you improve your life but you miss eternal life, you have missed everything."  Jean Marie

 How does this happen?  The blessing of God.  And the vision he gave one man, Jean Marie, and the skills he learned to raise up leaders.  Collette is the Director of the association in Muhanga.  She is providing independent leadership.  Jean Marie and the NGO that he founded in 1999 for this work provides advisement and seed capital.  He is a leader of leaders.  A great example of common ground initiatives. 

Duane

Ministry Focus of the Week "Letter From Bill Sullivan"

MINISTRY FOCUS OF THE WEEK 

CONGO

CONGO MISSION TRIP
Letter From Bill Sullivan
Hey All,

Here goes my update for the day… First, I am super tired, and I know I’m not alone; everyone is. The voice is a little horse too; we’ve been singing goofy songs, dancing, running relays, playing blob tag and big shark/little shark, and we broke out the soccer balls today as well. If you don’t know what half of what I mentioned means, you’re not alone; I didn’t know it either until today and yesterday. Luckily the rest of the team members are veteran VBS crew leaders, so they can pick up a little of my slack. In any event, no matter what we are doing I’ve usually got two or more grinning kids holding each of my hands as we run full blast across the compound trying not to get bit by a big shark. Tammy said she hasn’t seen me smiling this big in a while, and I’m not sure that she’s wrong.

I’m not sure how to describe what I’m feeling… I simply can’t help but smile when I am with a bunch of kids that genuinely want to grab your hand and not let go. At the same time, their stories are so… unexpected? shocking? sad? precious? Each one is different and yet there are so many similarities. Of the six kids that are in my group, not one still has a father…

The activities today… One of the first activities was to describe, draw, and discuss the first good thing you can remember, I can’t even begin to explain some of the things that came out of this; eye opening is about the best way I can describe it. I think this session was more visibly traumatic than describing the worst thing; likely because those things are buried nice and deep with plenty of safe guards surrounding them… And the good things… well, you just don’t expect the good things, the best things, to be so… bad.

We wrote a lament letter. Have you ever done this? Written a letter to God telling Him exactly how you feel about His seeming lack of action or complacency about your situation? The kids were given the  example of Psalm 13:

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget about me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,' and my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. But I have trusted in your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me” (NASB).

Every single one of the kids in my group took this seriously (as did I) and filled a complete page in their workbook with their cries to God. Then they came back and shared with the group. Sobering.

Good day though. Duane’s a rock star (if anyone was in any sort of doubt about this).

Ministry Focus of The Week "The Congo and Rwanda"

Ministry Focus Of The Week

The Congo/Rwanda

Pray For Those Leaving
Letter From Missions

As we approach Easter Sunday, I want you to remember all that Jesus has done for us. He is the reason that we are saved. He is the reason that we can call ourselves the children of God. He is the reason that we are forgiven of all our sins. By the shedding of his blood we are made whole. I want you to reflect on something as we enter into a new week. When Easter comes and you hear the story of how Christ lived a sinless life, how he cared for those around him, how he came to heal the sick, gave sight to the blind, and even raised the sleeping. He came with compassion and love, because he knew without the shedding of his own blood, no one would be fit to enter unto the kingdom of Heaven. Your Savior chose to save YOU, he thought of YOU and loves YOU. 

We have a team partnering with African Leadership that is leaving on Easter Sunday and heading to The Congo and Rwanda, Africa. They could of chosen to stay home, but instead chose a to go to a country that needs the Gospel of Jesus. Please pray for Pastor Duane, Tammy Wallin, Buffie Goddard and Bill Sullivan as they take the healing word of Jesus to the children, men and women over in Africa. There are still people out there that need to know that our Jesus has risen and is much alive. Pray for their safety to and from. Pray that the word is welcomed with open arms and that they understand.