CHE Open My Eyes

In July 2010, my son (age 9 at the time) and I had the privilege of a short-term mission trip to the Solomon Islands. My reason for this trip was to open our eyes to the culture and lifestyle of a "developing nation".

I completed a Community Health Evangelism Course in December 2009, which sparked my interest and stirred my heart for such "developing" nations. This stirring came from a realization that living in Australia had sheltered and protected me. The news and media stories on poverty and war were presented so much, that I had perhaps become hardened to the reality of the situation. I thought there was not much I could do about this seemingly cataclysmic issue.

According the World Health Organization, the shocking truth is that over half the world live in poverty (approximately 3 billion) and 1.2 billion of that figure live in extreme poverty (living on less than US$1 per day). Poverty creates ill-health as it... http://au.christiantoday.com/article/solomon-islands-my-short-mission/10125.htm">

More Than 2,000 Gather for Congo Pastors Conference

Grado-Lite, DR Congo (January 20, 2011) More than 2,000 pastors and their spouses have gathered for the biennial pastors conference of the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) that began last Sunday and runs through this coming Sunday. The main sessions are being held at the Gbado-Lite church.

Most participants traveled by bicycle, motorcycle, or on foot said Evangelical Covenant Church missionary Pete Ekstrand. The people living farther from the conference traveled 300 miles over several days using motorcycles and bicycles. A few traveled by pane or other vehicles, although few are able to traverse the country's almost unusable roads.

"The conference is important in the lives of the pastors because it offers encouragement and and opportunity for spiritual renewal", says Ekstrand.

Some of the that encouragement has come from Anthony Mejia of Peninsula Covenant Church and that congregation's pastor Gary Gaddini. The church has a long-standing relationship with the Congo church.

Gaddini (pictured above) is leading morning devotionals. Speaking from Jonah throughout the week, he told the gathering, "The sad part in the Jonah story is that he did not have anyone in his life to stop him from doing the wrong things. I am the pastor I am today because of the people surrounding me in my life. Do you have someone like that in your life?"

Tow sessions are open to everyone following the morning devotionals. Topics include community health evangelism, the government's plans for development, and conflict resolution within the church. Afternoon breakout sessions include discussions of poverty, HIV/AIDS and malaria, and women's ministries in the church.

Empowering Women and more...

I wonder how much Mary felt like celebrating as she struggled down the road toward Bethlehem with her labor pains beginning. Maybe the contractions were getting stronger as each innkeeper refused them a place to stay. Perhaps she was totally exhausted and feeling hopelessly trapped as she entered a stable to deliver her baby, Jesus.

I doubt that the birth of Jesus was the experience Mary had hoped it would be.

Now 2000 years later the plight of many women and new babies around the world is little different than what Mary experienced. Perhaps it is worse. Sharia law of some Muslims leaves nearly one billion women vulnerable to beatings, shame, and death. Many world religions and tribal societies place women in positions that are nearly as bad. So where is the hope and joy the angel promised to the shepherds the night of Jesus’ birth? Where is the peace on earth and the good favor of God in their lives?

The problem is that many women have no confidence of being truly valued by God or anyone else. In many places around the world, missions are trying to do things to help women and children. Sometimes doing things for women confirms their suspicion that they could not have done these things for themselves. The result is further worsening of the way women see themselves. They may begin to feel the way Mary might have felt in labor – things are bad and will probably get worse.
Read more> http://lifewind.org/empoweing.html#empower

How can donors aid quake-hit Haiti?

by Henri Astler
BBC News

Wednesday's UN conference in New York on co-ordinating assistance to eacthquake-hit Haiti raises an awkward question - what has foreign aid ever done for Haitians?

The country has received an estimated $5bn over the past decade.

Thousands of charities have been operating there - yet even before the quake devasted the capital, Haiti was a wretched place.

It is the poorest country in the Americas. About 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day and nearly half is illiterate. Jobs are scarce, publis services woeful and corruption rife.

Haiti, says US political scientist Terry Buss, is largely run by "an army of NGo's and some international development organizations" whose programes "cost a lot of money and don't make any difference". To read more> http://www.tinyurl.com/2717bo3

Culture, Scaffolding, and Lasting Hope

Imagine living in a culture that places the blame for most problems of life on the women, especially the daughter-in-law. Women from chilodhood are taught that they are the cause of all difficulites of life, from not producing a male son to birth defects. Daughter-in-laws are particularly singled out. Since they leave their homes when married and go to live with their husband's family. Their new mother-in-law now owns their life and often works them to exhaustion. They are the last to get to eat, rest or health care, and are denied the basics of life.

Our arrival to this community was welcomed because the team working there had built a foundation of trust with these women. They of course were shy and a bit hesitant to get started, but as we spent time together and began to laugh and share experiences you could feel the bonding I believe only occurs between the sisterhood of being a woman. No matter what culture the women are in we share the same heart for our families.

The subject of childbirth and women's health is not normally discussed in the culutre and there are many beliefs that are not accurate. It is a slow process, but as the teams teach and gain trust in the communites their world view begins to change, exchanging truth for lies.

As we began this week in a community center where the team has been working, the women were few in number and not sure why we would want to be there with them teaching. We sat in a small circle, laying our drawings on the floor. Some people from the community were walking in and out and working in this large room with very tall windows. I especially notices a woman up on scaffolding washing windows. She was so curious about the lessons she kept moving closer and closer, leaning over to see what we were talking about. As the discussion livened up she moved the scaffolding closer and leaned down to ask a question about a physical problem her daughter was experiencing. Finally when we got to the breast exam she got down from the scaffolding and joined the group. The women were so interested they didn't want us to skip Wednesday as planned. They are so hungry for any information we can give them.

I asked the team leader to evaluate how the work the team has been doing had changed the women's lives.

• They have become closer to their neighbors and more helpful


• They have learned about good hygiene and how to prevent simple diseases and decreased visits to the clinic


• They increased their knowledge regarding disease prevention


• They learned how to take care of their children


• And, they increased their self esteem