Missions Blog for Churches

I never thought I’d be posting an article written by an atheist, but here goes. This gentleman is making an argument for more missionaries in Africa. And it’s quite compelling.

Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it’s Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.

It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.

Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding – as you can – the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It’s a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fine: but what counted was the help, not the faith.

But this doesn’t fit the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his flock. This is the effect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.

First, then, the observation. We had friends who were missionaries, and as a child I stayed often with them; I also stayed, alone with my little brother, in a traditional rural African village. In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world – a directness in their dealings with others – that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall. [...keep reading this article by clicking here...]

Tomorrow at 7 pm, at the Orlando Marriott, is the start of the Going Global Conference, entitled, “Mobilizing for Missions.” Plenary speakers include R.C. Sproul, Elliott Greene, Carl Ellis, and others. The conference is sponsored by the Going Global Network, which is aimed at equipping leaders in the African American church. It is a free conference, but registration is requested. Visit www.goingglobalconf.com for more information and to register.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or(A) whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

One way to drink to the glory of God could be drinking better coffee. No, really! A friend of mine who is a church planter in the Atlanta-area, mentioned that they switched coffee they use for their fellowship time. He told me that not only is it good coffee, it’s for a good cause. The coffee is grown and harvested in Rwanda, by Rwandans. And there’s a missional connection. I’ll let you read their website to find out more about that: http://www.landof1000hills.com/

I’d love to see a PCA church begin something like this with an MTW work. A couple of years ago, MTW gave away coffee cups with small bags of coffee from our work in Ethiopia. The coffee was roasted and bagged by ladies who this ministry was reaching out to, who had been widowed by AIDS. The work allowed them to provide for themselves and their children. It’d be great to see some connection like that expanded. It would certainly create a meaninful partnership between US churches and the ministry in the country where the coffee is purchased from. Imagine each Sunday, a tasty reminder of missions for your people to sip on!

Some 40 interns and mentors gathered at MTW in Atlanta recently to debrief their summer experience on fields from Acapulco to Ukraine.

“We go through this debriefing process at the end of each summer to help our interns process their experience and adjust back to their home culture,” said MTW’s Opal Hardgrove. “In addition to serving them, it helps us assess their experience on the field and learn how to improve next year’s program.”

The debriefing process includes a number of components: interns share their testimonies with one another, discuss what they gained and lost through their experience on the field, are prompted to think about what they want to remember from their experience, and explain what they learned about themselves.

And this year marked MTW’s first official internship mentoring program. Roughly one-fourth of this summer’s 100 interns participated in that program, which involved Bible study, group mentoring, and one-on-one mentoring in addition to the normal intern field experience.  (Click here to continue reading this article)

If you haven’t been keeping up with the happenings in Kenya, below is a good update by a writer who is living there (posted on WORLD magazine’s blog). We need to be fervent to pray for our brothers and sisters there, for God’s protection and for the spread of the Gospel. Remember especially our MTW national partners, Imbumi and Martha Makuku.

It has been two weeks since The Electoral Commission of Kenya announced the results of the 2007 presidential vote. While the most violent protests have been repressed, Kenya remains under a shroud of tension.

As the opposition party calls for mass action and rallies throughout the country, Kenyans worry… (click here to read more)

by Seth Wallace

“It has changed my life to know men who are really willing to die for Christ.” That statement was made to us recently during an office staff meeting, by one of our missionaries who has worked among Muslims for many years. I’ll call him “Carl.”

Carl made that statement in the context of talking about an increase in conflict and suffering among Christians in Muslim-dominant countries. And even though any of us could make a statement like that, it meant something coming from Carl. He’s authentic, the real deal. He has been working among Muslims since the 80’s. More than that, in the past year, three people he has known have died for their faith.

The increase in conflict and suffering actually stems from some very good things. Up until 10-15 years ago, little fruit was seen among missionaries to Muslims. Many would serve an entire career and see just a few, if any, conversions. It was a hard work.

Today the work is no less difficult, but the fruit is increasing. In one North African country, just 15 years ago there were possibly only 200 believers. Now the estimates are between 2,500 and 5,000. In a recent survey in the Middle East, it was found there were more Muslim background believers (MBB) than traditional historic Christians.

Historically, when a Muslim came to faith in Christ, he was not open about it and would often try to stay under the radar. This made discipleship very difficult. Now, these MBBs desire to be trained. They want to see churches planted and they want to do the work. They are more open and more bold. Thus comes the conflict and suffering. 200 secretive and quiet MBBs were not a threat. 5,000 bold MBBs who are being trained and planting churches are a threat. And their very lives are at stake for it.

Another country Carl mentioned was in West Africa. There they had seen only 2 new churches started after years of work. Then 7-8 years ago the tide turned. There are now 24 churches and more than 3,000 believers. Before, the MBBs there did not want to share the Gospel. Today they do. This desire to evangelize, to be trained, and to plant churches among MBBs was simply not present 10 years ago, according to Carl.

The complications are many, however. MBBs are not immediately welcomed by national Christians for fear that they too may be persecuted. MBBs do not have their own norms for worship and practice, only what they have adopted from other cultures. More MBBs means more resistance from Muslims in these regions. Persecution will increase. People will die for their faith in Christ.

The PCA can make a difference. Carl mentioned specifically that the PCA offers some of the best theological training. We need to continue to send trainers, make use of technology for training, and remain committed to this role. “They are hungry for it,” says Carl.

What we don’t have is an abundance of are people willing to go and “tough it out in the desert.” It is not an either/or conundrum. We need men to do theological training, but we also need people to go and serve, sometimes in creative roles. It isn’t a job for the weak, the comfortable, or the selfish. We need men and women who love Christ and want to see his fame spread to the ends of the earth. We need men and women who love Christ more than their A/C, their Honda, and their hi-def TV.

The result will be Muslims coming to faith, MBBs being trained, and church planting movements spreading throughout the Muslim world. Furthermore, MBBs will gain their own identity, something that Carl says is beginning to happen. They are starting to see their own theologians, missiologists, and other leaders emerge. These men will help to develop what it means to worship and live as a MBB. “The emerging MBB church is the front line movement for what will be the number one major conflict in years to come.  Whether you see that conflict as a conflict between Islam and the West or Islam and the Church, it is a conflict that is not going away and will only escalate.  The emerging MBB church brings covenant grace to the heart of the Muslim world and I think it will have the sort of impact that believers had in the fall of the communist block,” states Carl. He recounts one leader in our Muslim ministry saying, “we hear from historians and news reports how Reagan brought down the communist block but what is not heard is the impact that waves of workers and the Christians they saw raised up had in the days leading up to the fall.”

Seth Wallace is a Church Resourcing Representative for Mission to the World (MTW).

David Livingstone showed what real compassion to Africa looks like | by, Marvin Olasky

This article is from WORLD Magazine. Clicking on the “read more” link at the bottom of the article will require you have a subscription to WORLD.

LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA—”Fear God and work hard.” That was the motto of David Livingstone, son of a poor Scottish millworker, who worked so hard that he overcame the class-stratified odds and became a medical doctor. Joining the London Missionary Society, he arrived in southern Africa in 1841 and regularly showed the courage that faith in Christ gave him.

For 16 years he had many adventures. A lion mauled him in 1844. Malarial fevers beset him regularly. Angry chiefs shot poisoned arrows at him. A hippo knocked him out of his canoe and he swam to shore before crocodiles could get him. He did what people said was impossible, traversing the Kalahari Desert and making it to the Zambezi River deep into Africa, where he wrote in his journal, “How glorious! How magnificent! How beautiful!” A Britain grown tame heard of his adventures and sat up in wonder. Read the rest of this article

The following is from Rick Gray, MTW missionary and country director in Uganda. He and Wendy and their children are currently in the U.S. This outbreak, which began as early as August, was positively indentified as Ebola on November 29. Please note the blog at the end of this letter which is written by a couple (both doctors) who are teammates of Rick & Wendy’s.

Wednesday, 05 December 2007

Dear Prayer Warrior,

Last Thursday morning, 30 November, Wendy shocked me with terrible news.  The deadly Ebola virus has struck Uganda and the epicenter of the outbreak is in our Ugandan home — Bundibugyo!  The experts say it’s a previously unknown strain of Ebola.  Now six days later, close to 100 people have been identified as stricken with the virus.  Of that number, so far 22 have died.

Following confirmation of the first positive tests for Ebola, the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) all rushed specialized personnel into Bundibugyo so the lethal epidemic might be contained and curtailed as quickly as possible.  On Monday all but three members of our Bundibugyo missionary team were evacuated from the district.  Only Doctors Scott and Jennifer Myhre along with Physician’s Assistant Scott Will stayed behind in order to serve Bundibugyo’s non-Ebola sick.  Due to concerns over their own possible exposure to the virus, the trio plan to remain in the district until the virus’ incubation period of 2-21 days has concluded.  Additionally, the Myhres made the painful decision to send their children away rather than risk them contracting the virus.

As if all these alarming events were not enough, yesterday evening we were stunned to learn one of our dearest Ugandan friends, Dr. Jonah Kule, was killed by the virus.  He was infected through attending to numerous Ebola patients before their sickness was identified.  Last month on the morning of our farewell feast, Jonah came to our house to empathize with us over Chase’s medical concerns.  He came to bid us good-bye and to tell us that he would not attend our farewell.  It was simply too painful for him.  Jonah had just returned from investigating a mysterious illness that was killing people on the other side of our district.  Little did he or we know the gut-wrenching outcome of his care for those suffering from the undiagnosed disease.

Jonah was an incredibly treasured brother in Christ who sacrificially lived his faith.  After the Allied Democratic Force rebel attack upon Bundibugyo in 1997, he risked his life returning to the district to provide desperately needed medical care to many suffering with various maladies.  Through the encouragement and generous financial support of Scott and Jennifer Myhre, Jonah went on to study as a doctor, graduating from medical school in 2005.  Then last year he spurned considerably more lucrative medical posts to once again come back and serve his own people in impoverished Bundibugyo.

Dr. Kule courageously opposed corruption within Uganda’s medical system, rejecting the unethical but commonly accepted practice of charging additional fees to those in need of medical services.  We were hoping our beloved friend would be a significant force in the fight for justice on behalf of Bundibugyo’s poor for years to come.  But now those dreams lie shattered, to say nothing of the indescribable loss to Jonah’s pregnant wife, Melen, their five adorable little girls, the rest of his family, and everyone who knew him.

There are a million thoughts raging inside my head.  The unbelievable tragedy of Jonah’s death.  Deep concern for our dear missionary teammates’ health, Scott and Jennifer Myhre and Scott Will.  The displacement of our other teammates whom we love.  The separation of the Myhre children from their mother and father.  Anxiety over many other close Ugandan friends in Bundibugyo who have no way to get out and so must stay in the danger zone indefinitely.  And the gnawing questions: “Where is God in all this pain and suffering?”  “What is He doing?”  “Why doesn’t He intervene and put a stop to all the madness?”  “When and how will the outbreak finally end?”

So many things are happening these days in the lives of those we love, and in our own lives, that don’t seem to make any sense at all.  Right now answers are an awfully scarce commodity.  As always, even in times when I may think I have things figured out, there remains only One worthy of our trust.  My thoughts are drawn to a time in His life on earth when not much was making sense either.  The promised King of Israel, He who was supposed to deliver His people from their oppression, was on His way to Jerusalem not to conquer but to die.  How confusing was that on the prior side of the resurrection?

While heading toward the cross, Jesus then received the distressing news that His friend Lazarus was mortally ill.  Yet inexplicably the Savior delayed going to his fallen disciple’s side.  Instead Jesus did not move for two whole days, thereby denying Lazarus and the sisters His presence when it seemed most needed.  Surely they must have wondered, “Where is He?  Why does He delay?”  Yet when our omnipotent Friend saw the outpouring of grief and emotion erupting from Lazarus sisters and friends, his reaction was as comforting as it was confounding.  “Jesus wept,” the Bible says.  Our Savior cried, even though He knew in just a short while He would raise their brother and friend back to life.  So too in this dark hour I am persuaded divine tears must be mingled with ours.  And we resolutely cling to hope in Him who is “the Resurrection and the Life.”

The List

1. Pray for Jonah’s widowed wife, Melen, his children and many friends — as well as the family and friends of all those who have succumbed to Ebola.  Dr. Kule’s burial will take place tomorrow.  Ask that we might grieve well, but with the comfort of God and the hope of the resurrection.
2. Pray for Scott and Jennifer Myhre, for Scott Will, and for the other medical and family care givers who may have been exposed to those suffering with the dangerous virus.  As well pray for those already exhibiting Ebola symptoms and every citizen of Bundibugyo, that God in His great mercy might bless them all with health and life.
3. Pray for our missionary teammates who had to evacuate, that they would experience “the peace that passes understanding” — especially the Myhre children.
4. Pray for the WHO, CDC, MSF and MOH Ebola experts to have wisdom, diligence and success in ending the virus’ spread and destruction.
5. Pray for Him, who specializes in turning evil into good, to use this dreadful disease so that many will turn to and entrust their lives to the Great Physician and Lord of Life.

Surely, the Enemy of our Souls is behind this latest most vicious of attacks.  During a phone call with the Myhres this morning I learned the church in Bundibugyo gathered across denominations to pray and fast for most of the day that God’s purposes will thwart the Evil One’s intentions amidst this awful calmity.  Thank you SO VERY MUCH for joining them and us in covering the people of Bundibugyo and our missionary teammates with effectual prayers.

I have included photographs of Jonah Kule, the Myhres and Scott Will at the bottom of this message.  For more details and daily accounts of this ongoing ordeal please see the Myhres’ excellent blog at www.paradoxuganda.blogspot.com/.

Yours In the Good Fight,

Rick Gray

The following letter was sent by Andy Warren, MTW Missionary to Ethiopia, who along with his wife and team, is working to minister through word and deed to those suffering with HIV and AIDS. You can learn more about their work online here.

Dear Friends,

December 1st is World AIDS Day. For me it is a day to think about the people I know personally that have been, and still are, being affected by this epidemic. In spite of being thousands of miles from Ethiopia I still see their faces clearly in my mind, and the first ones I see are the children. They are the ones who regularly visit my office, show me their report cards, beg for candy, scavenge in my desk drawers, and sit in my lap.

I cannot imagine anything in my life being more satisfying than helping these HIV+ children. While it still isn’t clear how long, or what kind of life these children will have, it is thrilling to see them alive today and thrilling to see them well and going to school and living normal lives.

We started out treating four children, Selam, Mikias, Leul and Estifo. Today we have at least twenty children on treatment and another group that we monitor so that they can start treatment when they are eligible.

Another satisfying part of work this last year was expanding into two new communities. Bole was the first new community and Danny, the manager for this new work, has done an amazing job. I met Danny eleven years ago when he was a 13-year-old boy. He has grown into a mature and talented young man.

He recently sent me the story of one of the new HIV+ women in the Bole community. Lemlem is a young woman who was kidnapped as a young girl and held as a slave until she escaped and fled to Addis Ababa. She tells some of her story:

In Addis, I began to work in a grocery store as a cashier. While I was working there I had an affair with a man who was a driver. During the affair, I got pregnant but I aborted it after 7 months. I used traditional medicine to cause the abortion. The traditional medicine hurt me very much.

After this, I stopped working in the grocery because the owner transferred the store to another person as a contract. While I was there I had TB. Then I got a job at a draft house (bar). I still felt sick. I worked for 7 years at the draft house. Then, I got really sick and I wanted to stop working. I asked my boss to give me my salary but she would not give it to me. I had no money and I was feeling very sick. I suffered a lot. When Selam, Mikias and Leul the grocery lady, who I had worked for before, heard, she called me and began to treat me. When my sickness got worse, Megenbesh, who is one of the project’s beneficiaries, told me to have my blood checked. I did and I found out I was HIV positive. When I heard that, I was shocked and I fainted. The doctors advised me to calm down and not be sad.

I stopped working but refused to take any medicine. One day, I was very sick and someone knocked on the door. I was unable to stand up and open the door so I just said “get in.” It was the project staff (Danny). Now I thank God because I am in a better position in life. I feel like I have been healed from the death. There are people who do not get the opportunity to experience this, but I do. So I am thankful. What matters for me now is my mom. I want to see my mother if she is alive. If she is not, I would like to see my brother. That has been my dream since my childhood.

On World AIDS day, I am thankful for the privilege of serving people like Lemlem, Selam, Mikias, Leul, and Estifo. I am also thankful for the people who support us in the many ways that make this possible.

Peace,
Andy Warren
AIDS Care and Treatment
Project Director

By Lois J. Ooms
MTW Missionary to Kenya

Many people today are talking about and coming up with various plans to work with the poor, to have an impact in the urban slums in developing countries, to deal with those affected and infected with the HIV virus, to help orphans, etc.

In the midst of these discussions are others revolving around sustainability and avoiding dependency:

• how to wisely use church finances
• how to harness the enthusiasm of youth wanting to “do” something
• how to partner cross-culturally

The Nakuru AIDS Initiative took this approach as we wrestled with these questions.

Three years ago the HIV infection rate in Nakuru was around 35%. Stigma was a huge issue that hindered many churches from doing much. Many of the poor had no hope, feeling that God must hate them as he allowed them to be infected with the virus. Yet there were a few glimmers of hope – AIC Parkview in the Rhonda slums had a vaccination clinic for about 200 women a month; Josephine Kiarii began to feed a handful of orphans; Scott and Barb Harbert had a burden for urban ministry; Wheaton Bible Church felt they had to do something related to HIV/AIDS. But we all had big questions – how do we partner with the poor and avoid dependency?

We began talking, praying and looking at how to apply some simple development principles. Slowly we began to set some basic policies:

1. We do not begin programs – we work with those that are moving under local leadership and initiative.
2. We assist with training and capital expense – after the community has done what they could with available resources.
3. There is no time limit as to when the money needs to be spent.
4. We encourage local involvement and are very cautious about “Western” presence, which can foster dependency and unrealistic expectations.

We are excited and encouraged by what the Lord is doing after three years:

• AIC Parkview has grown from an average attendance of 60 to 200. They met in a tin structure and now have their own church building. The vaccination clinic, on the way to becoming a full dispensary, has a clinical officer who treats an average of 100 people each week. Its VCT Center has four counselors who see an average of 83 clients per month. The counselors work in shifts, two per day. And there are also now 56 members in the Home Based Care group, a support group for AIDS-infected. There has been very little outside financial assistance. With the Lord’s help they have motivated people and found some creative ways to work with some of the government programs.
• Hope for Life Kenya began with Josephine feeding 25 orphans. She now has 104. Vegetables from their garden provide added nourishment for these children. And soon the guardians will have saved enough for a cow to provide milk. As she worked with the youth, relationships within the community began to be healed. The elders slowly saw that the youth had an important role in the community. She began a simple skill training program for 36 youth in one room of her local church and in a community building that was falling down. Today twelve have taken their Grade 3 vocational tests and she is working with them to begin small businesses. Now they are building a youth center for the skills training and feeding programs – with community people donating much of the unskilled labor. Many of the youth have
  accepted the Lord and are growing in maturity. One will soon begin studies to be a pastor. Others are taking more responsibility in running the programs of Hope for Life.
• The ideas have spread to AIC Likia where they have 50 orphans meeting at the church each Saturday. The guardians provide a simple meal and local Christian teachers volunteer to teach Bible stories and give tuition for school subjects.
• AIC Milimani and AIC Crater, in cooperation with AIC Nakuru Region, have begun programs to rehabilitate nineteen boys and sixteen girls who lived in the dumping site. Many of the children have accepted the Lord.

Development experts say that some indicators of a sustainable program are:

1. Community people doing more than we expect.
2. The programs spreading spontaneously to other places.
3. The community comes up with creative ideas.
4. Seeing relationships being healed.
5. Community people taking leadership roles.

We see these things happening in the above groups and thank the Lord for the way He has worked through the entire team – beyond what we had ever dreamed possible.

This article is available for easy reading and printing in the .pdf format by clicking here.