Missions Blog for Churches

“I want to give praise and glory to God for saving my life with my family and to express my words of gratitude to everyone who lifted us up before the throne of God while we were in extreme danger… It was the darkest night of my life.”

These are the words of Charles Amicy, long-time MTW national partner in Haiti, following the assault of Hurricane Ike. Pastor Amicy reports that only the buildings remain in the compound that serves as his ministry’s hub. Gone are all the medicines in the pharmacy, all the vehicles, a 40-foot container of materials for the orphanage, his library, and some of the compound walls. Some church members lost loved ones while others barely escaped with their lives. And the devastation in Caberet where Pastor Amicy ministers may not be the worst. (continue reading this article and find out more about the needs in Haiti)

MTW has issued a minuteman appeal to assist the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Today we hear from our national partner there (an RTS graduate), and expect him to be a key component in our response there. But much prayer is needed.  Pray not only for the survivors as they attempt to recover, but pray that the military-government will relax and let outside agencies in to assist. You can read the appeal online here and find out more about how you can help.

Jan Kooistra
February 10, 1942 – April 6, 2008

On Sunday, April 6 at 3:50 a.m., surrounded by her family, Jan Kooistra, loving wife of MTW Coordinator Dr. Paul Kooistra, passed peacefully into the waiting arms of Jesus, her savior. As the MTW family, we join the Kooistra and Carlson families in praise for Jan’s life and for God’s grace and mercy in her home going. And we plead that same grace and mercy to comfort those she leaves behind.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.

Visitation with the family will be Wednesday 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at:
Hamilton Mill Funeral Home
3481 Hamilton Mill Road
Buford, GA  30519
770-945-6924
www.hamiltonmillchapel.com

The funeral service will be Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at:
Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church
4675 Winder Highway  (Hwy 53)
Chestnut Mountain, GA  30502
770-967-3440
www.cmpca.org

In lieu of emails, please post your condolences to the message board, available online here.

MTW has a great opportunity for individuals who want to participate in a mission project.  Please pass this on to your church members, friends, and others who may be interested.

WHERE?  Bay St. Louis, MS.  

WHAT?  Lagniappe PCA/Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build: 10 Houses in 1 Week! Lagniappe is is responsible for 2 of the 10 houses.  This is part of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2008 (see article below).

WHEN?  May 11-16, 2008. Construction will begin Monday morning the 12th, so you would need to arrive by 7:00 pm Sunday the 11th.  There will be an opening ceremony that night at Lagniappe.  The build would last through Friday the 16th with dedications that afternoon.  

COST?  $200 per person covers food, lodging, and construction materials.

WHAT WE NEED?  We need 50 volunteers.  The more skilled the volunteers the better.

This will be a high energy, physically demanding week with exciting results. 

HOW DO I SIGN UP?  Email Carol Gann at Katrina@mtw.org

For more information on this project, see the article below:

Carter Project: On to the Gulf Coast
Preparations are under way for 25th annual work week.

Ground is being broken, foundations are being poured and floor systems are being installed. These and a myriad of other preparations are under way throughout the Gulf Coast as the date draws nearer for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2008.

Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, headquartered in Biloxi, is the host affiliate for the 2008 Carter Project.

During the weeklong event, May 11-16, Carter Project volunteers will build 10 new houses in Biloxi and another 20 in nearby Pascagoula. …………..In Biloxi, the new homes are being planned for a small neighborhood near Yankee Stadium, the site of opening and closing ceremonies and the Framing Frenzy.

Though it’s been two and-a-half years since hurricanes Katrina and Rita cut a path of destruction across the U.S. Gulf Coast, the region is still suffering. Families have been displaced, jobs have been lost and the rebuilding, though steady, is far from done.

“Many people don’t realize or remember the utter devastation that Katrina brought to the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Chris Monforton, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. “Biloxi, Pascagoula and Gulfport were hit extremely hard, yet seem to have been largely forgotten by the public and the media.”

The event will help draw attention back to the Gulf, celebrate the 1,300 Habitat homes built so far in the hurricane recovery effort, and recognize President and Mrs. Carter for their 25 years of dedicated service to Habitat for Humanity. “Rosalynn and I look forward to creating not only new houses, but new awareness about the dire need for affordable housing in the Gulf,” said President Carter.

“I think the Carter Project will send a message that these communities and others along the Gulf Coast have not been forgotten, the need is still great and that hope for a new beginning is still alive,” Monforton said.

Some 50 Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) students and pastors from across the U.S. traveled to Bay St. Louis, La., in December for a “blitz build,” effectively constructing a house in three days for a family displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

The group, led and trained by MTW staff in partnership with Lagniappe Presbyterian Church, did everything from hauling trusses, building stud walls, and roofing and shingling to installing bathroom fixtures.

“It was really remarkable to see it all come together,” said Doug Mallow, senior project administrator for MTW. “It was a great experience for them and for us.” Click here to read more

The weakening U.S. dollar is having a profound effect on missionaries scattered all over the world.

“It makes things more expensive in their local currency and increases their cost of living,” said Bill Goodman, MTW’s director of field operations. “This problem is widespread throughout the world—it’s not just Europe that is being affected.”

While previous economic changes have caused support shortages for missionaries in the past, the breadth of this problem is unprecedented.

Christianity Today recently reported that “according to the U.S. Center for World Mission, many missionaries are finding their dollars worth 8 to 12 percent less than they expected this year. In Europe, dollars have lost 45 percent of their buying power since 2002.”

MTW recently lowered the amount of support missionaries must raise by decreasing the administrative fee for long-term missionaries and reducing health costs. But those gains are quickly being eroded by the falling value of the dollar. To combat the problem, many missionaries are seeking to raise additional support while still on the field—a difficult task.

“We need to ask for prayer for this situation, that God would supply additional funding,” says Goodman. “And we need to communicate with churches, so that they can be aware of the pressure on our missionaries right now.”

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)

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