ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 1
ADRA NEWS
Summer 2018
Sweet Gifts With his savings, Finn bought a beehive and set out to achieve his dream of starting a honey business. He took to his new hobby with gusto, spending hours cultivating his precious bees. “I’m the absolute first beekeeper in my family history,” Finn says proudly. Finn nurtured and cared for his little colony, and before long he was spreading his very own fresh honey on his toast. Meanwhile, 12,000 kilometres away in Malawi in eastern Africa, bees are buzzing in the forest.
ADRA’s project is helping people create sustainable livelihoods by teaching skills to improve food security. One of the activities includes providing beehives to farmers to string up between trees. This helps encourage forest regeneration and provides honey for families to sell or eat. Yum! Back on the Gold Coast where Finn lives, there’s some healthy sibling rivalry driving his start-up business venture. “My biggest goal is to get a car before my brother does.” But Finn’s heart for generosity means he was willing to sacrifice some of his profit to help provide meaningful gifts to enable beekeepers in Malawi to improve their lives.
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
www.adra.org.au
CONTINUED PAGE 3
When Finn Tolhurst turned 10, he received a very meaningful gift. Finn was given some bees. Yes, honey-producing, buzzing bees. Finn was stoked.
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 2
CEO Message Earlier this year I had a moment. The moment happened as I was walking alone between the arrival gate and passport control at Brisbane International airport.
I had just landed from Papua New Guinea where I had spent an inspiring week hearing and seeing how our church was working cooperatively with other church denominations to improve the wellbeing of people. ADRA PNG and my ADRA Australia colleagues ensured my trip was comfortable but I had been feeling unwell for the last 48-hours – and when you feel that way, the call of home gets stronger.
Belonging is an intangible yet essential ingredient in human wellbeing and something that every person should feel. The very essence of belonging requires others – it is not something that we do for ourselves – it is the selfless act of another person that gives someone else a sense of belonging. It is a gift that you and I can generously give right now – there are almost no barriers to giving. Belonging is embedded in ADRA’s belief that all should have an opportunity to live as God intended and is evidenced in our work with displaced people and inclusive community development principles. What a privilege it is to belong and to extend belonging to others. I encourage you (and myself) to give this gift freely within our communities. And thank you for entrusting ADRA to offer this gift to people you may not meet and in places you may not visit.
Feeling a little less than wonderful and walking reasonably quickly to make my connecting flight to Newcastle I experienced a moment of peace and security that originated from a “sense of belonging”. Belonging in Australia where my family, friends and home are, where everyday things are familiar and comfortable, where I understand language and customs and where my Medicare card conveniently lets me see a doctor when I feel unwell.
Paul Rubessa
The moment passed but the thought has remained – although it has evolved into a deeper
CEO ADRA Australia
Contact Us
146 Fox Valley Road PO Box 129 Wahroonga NSW 2076 Australia ABN 85 109 435 618
2
empathy for displaced people around the world. People just like you and I, but who no longer have a sense of belonging – either in their own country or in the countries they seek refuge in. What does it feel like to not belong anywhere? Somewhat sheepishly I have to admit that I have been too privileged to really understand what it feels like – but I absolutely know I wouldn’t like it.
T: 02 9489 5488 1800 242 372 E: adra.info@adra.org.au www.adra.org.au www.facebook.com/ADRAAustralia
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
Editor Josh Dye Contributors Josh Dye Paul Rubessa Shivani Singhal Deina Bailey
www.adra.org.au
FROM PAGE 1
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 3
“This project will help families get their own beehive so they can generate an income.”
But instead of keeping it to himself, he is selflessly giving meaningful gifts to others.
After all his hard work, Finn generously auctioned off his first jar of honey and donated the proceeds to ADRA, while pledging to donate 10 per cent of his future honey sales too.
“I believe me, my bees and my beehive can change the world,” Finn says. And we believe him.
Finn set a goal of $750, but was overwhelmed by the response when his video went viral. He ended up raising more than $3000.
You can also give meaningful gifts to people in need. Visit adra.org.au/christmas
For his birthday, Finn received a meaningful gift.
Development Education
Lasting Connections The act of helping another person is just about the best thing anyone could do. Whether it’s surprising a partner by cooking dinner or helping an elderly person with directions, it feels great to help. In fact, if we are a follower of Jesus, helping others is exactly what He asks of us. But, what if our intention to help someone actually hurts them? What if it does more harm than good? Voluntourism is described as an experience combining travel and volunteer work. It’s very common these days, particularly for younger people at school and university. These short-term mission trips and overseas service programs can be a great way to help others.
Justice: “One of the keys to ensuring that our compassion is wise and benefits others is to enter into long-term partnerships, rather than temporary quick fixes.” The most important thing when planning a service trip is to partner with an organisation that has a sustainable impact. Otherwise, what happens once you leave? Will the community be better or worse off in the long-term? Choosing an organisation that has a deep connection to a community ensures a richer, more meaningful experience for everyone. Helping others feels great. Don’t stop helping. But do consider your contribution so that your impact aligns with your good intentions.
But what if these trips cause long-term damage and perpetuate the poverty cycle? Are good intentions enough when seeking to help? There’s a great quote from the book Pursuing
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
To learn more about ADRA Connections trips, visit adra.org.au/connections
www.adra.org.au
3
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 4
Disaster Updates Australia
cards to people identified as falling through the gaps. Cash cards provide farmers and others with flexibility: they can choose to buy necessities such as food, stock feed and drinking water; or to cover bills, medical costs or school expenses. Importantly, cash benefits local communities because the money is spent locally, boosting business. In the longer term, ADRA is also facilitating counselling sessions and running a series of depression recovery courses.
This year has seen large parts of Australia fall into deep drought. Farmers and rural communities in particular are doing it tough.
Thank you for your support of Aussie farmers through the ADRA’s Drought Relief appeal at adra.org.au/drought
Philippines
While coastal areas and capital cities are largely unaffected, parts of regional Australia are bone dry. And summer is still to come… While ADRA is mostly known for responding to disasters overseas, sometimes there are crises in Australia which need attention. And while federal and state governments are giving billions of dollars of drought relief, there are still those who fall through the gaps. In response, ADRA has identified local churches in drought-affected areas in NSW and QLD to partner with. Local churches are assessing needs in their communities and providing assistance in partnership with other organisations responding to the drought. ADRA’s response is providing funding for local church networks to make the biggest impact in their communities. In addition, ADRA is working closely with the Salvation Army to maximise the impact. In the shorter term, ADRA is distributing cash
4
In September, Typhoon Mangkhut tore a path of destruction across the northern Philippines.
The ADRA network responded by providing food and shelter kits to hundreds of families. ADRA Australia contributed $5000 to this response, which assisted people with short-term needs. Food packs included rice, beans, oil and tinned fish, while shelter kits included rope, wire, nails, hammers and shovels.
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
www.adra.org.au
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 5
Building Intentional Community positively connect with people experiencing homelessness through free laundry, showers and conversation. Orange Sky vans are installed with laundry services that can be used remotely, enabling them to provide a valuable service to people in need. Another component is mental health promotion through engaging with people and conversing with them. For an hour every week, when the washing is being done, people can forget about the troubles that they might be facing and feel free to just sit down, relax and chat with a friend without any judgement. By working together, ADRA and Orange Sky are able to leverage their networks and utilise the vast community reach that both organisations have. This has been a huge success and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
Imagine if you became homeless tomorrow. What would you miss the most? Would it be your comfy bed, the hot shower, your overflowing wardrobe or fully-stocked fridge? But what about your laundry? If you were homeless, imagine how difficult it would be to do your washing. Well, that’s what is so exciting about a partnership between ADRA and Orange Sky.
“Orange Sky works really well alongside our community meal programs in Melbourne and together we provide a great atmosphere where everyone feels loved and supported,” Victorian conference ADRA director Bec Auriant says. Bec Rachou from ADRA in South Australia says they chose to partner with Orange Sky because of their “intentional community focus” on providing friendship and conversation, which is “far beyond the assistance with washing and drying items”.
If you could visit the ADRA centres in Geelong (Victoria) or Brahma Lodge (South Australia), you’d notice something a bit different. This is the result of ADRA partnering with a mobile laundry social-entrepreneurship called Orange Sky. Orange Sky’s mission is to
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers who help to make amazing things happen!
www.adra.org.au
5
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 6
Volunteer Profile Organising an ADRA Christmas Tree fundraiser is easy, and it can be a lot of fun! Deina Bailey explains.
Over the past few years, our church (Lilydale, VIC) has featured the ADRA Christmas appeal at our annual Carols night. Here’s the story of how we’ve built the event to now raise over $6500 in one night! I have always been supportive of ADRA and love the work you do, so when our church started running a Carols program a few years ago, my husband and I thought it would be a great idea if we had a segment in the evening where we sold some of the ADRA gifts. After some persuading and explaining, we were given 5-10 minutes of stage time on the night. We figured people can’t turn down a child asking for donations, so why not use that to our advantage! We had our junior Sabbath School kids prepped and ready to sell off the tags auction-style. It was great fun and for our first time with very few people actually understanding what the tags meant, we managed to raise around $1500.
The ADRA Christmas Tree has become a highlight of the Carols evening! What an amazing thing to sit back and see God show up in this way and especially through others’ generosity. Having the faith battle each year and seeing God encourage me has been the best part of this.
Each year since we have run this without fail and it has just continued to grow in support from the church and in the amount raised. Our secret is continuing to empower the young people to take charge. One year they made a hilarious video which was a highlight, and each year we have consistently exceeded the amount raised, reaching $6500 in 2017.
The other reason I’m sharing this story is to show you just how much fun you can have doing this. Making it an annual event at Carols has now become something people anticipate and enjoy. It’s an event that brings our church together - building community in a fun and enjoyable way. I hope you get inspired and see what you can do!
I’m sharing this because at times I have been discouraged about fundraising, but I have prayed about it and honestly have been so humbled to see God deliver each time.
6
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
Register now. Visit: adra.org.au/christmas
www.adra.org.au
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 7
Thank You On September 2, the world lost a social justice champion in Harry Halliday.
Harry faithfully served as Director of ADRA from 1991-1998, and remained a strong ADRA advocate all his life. Harry’s tenure makes him the equal-longest serving ADRA leader. ADRA wouldn’t be the same today without Harry’s leadership all those years ago. We honour his legacy in helping amazing things happen for people in need. ADRA Australia is saddened by Harry’s death, and our prayers are with his family during this time. Until the morning.
Thank you for volunteering for the ADRA Appeal in October. Your time, efforts and commitment make amazing things happen for disadvantaged people in Australia and around the world.
Share Your Story We love our volunteers and want to profile your stories. Do you have one to share? Email news@adra.org.au
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
www.adra.org.au
7
ADRA News-Summer18.qxp_Layout 1 1/10/18 12:01 pm Page 8
Run an
Fundraiser in you ur church h l Give me eaningful gifts to peo ople in need this Christmas
is for otherrs to thrive Register now to receive your o Christmas Tree pack
ADRA.ORG.AU/CHRISTM MAS
1800 242 372