NCM Magazine/2019 Issue 1

GLOBAL MOVEMENT STORIES OF PEOPLE LEAVING HOME P. 14

YOUTH MENTORING IS CHANGING A COMMUNITY P. 26

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WE’RE STRONGER TOGETHER Build a lasting relationship t h r o u g h C h i l d S p o n s o r s h i p t o d a y.

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M A G A Z I N E

2019 // ISSUE 1 NCM Magazine aims to tell stories of the church living out Christ's compassion.

Our hope is that all of us would hear the call to compassion as a lifestyle.

Following the example of Jesus, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries partners with local congregations around the world to clothe, shelter, feed, heal, educate, and live in solidarity with those who suffer under oppression, injustice, violence, poverty, hunger, and disease.

NCM exists in and through the Church of the Nazarene to proclaim the gospel to all people in word and deed.

NAZARENE COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES 17001 Prairie Star Pkwy, Lenexa, KS 66220 (800) 310-6362, info@ncm.org

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible, copyright 1989 by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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FEATURES SEARCHING FOR SAFETY | P.14 From Brazil to Armenia, people are leaving their homes.

This series features stories and photos from people seeking refuge around the world.

SERVING ALONG THE WAY | P.18 Nazarenes in Mexico, including the Nazarene mobile medical brigade, are serving people on the move through compassionate response.

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HEALING THROUGH HOPE | P.24 In Bangladesh, nearly a million people are living as refugees in a camp. So the church decided to create safe spaces for the children there.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN THE LIVES OF STUDENTS | P.26 Teenagers in Virginia, USA, are coming to XZone, a community center focused on relationships through mentoring.

DEPARTMENTS CONNECTION POINTS | P.5

GO DEEPER | P.29

VOICES | P.28

SNAPSHOT | P.30

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O PEN IN G N OTES

WELCOMING OTHERS

By Nell Becker Sweeden The Christian notion of compassion in the New Testament, is translated: “to be moved in our innards.” Various points in the Gospels describe Jesus as “moved in his gut” for sheep without a shepherd. Today there is a temptation for us to reduce compassion to "a gut feeling." This, however, is a mistake. Christian compassion is not an emotion or response that can pass one by. Compassion draws us into a response in our inner being. It remains, it resurfaces, it grows, it may even haunt for a time, especially if it isn’t addressed.

When we are moved with compassion, we are invited to be changed by the same compassion, hospitality, and love of God the Father and reflected in Jesus the Son. In Jesus the Son, God drew near to

“It is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position it is not a reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull. On the contrary, compassion meaning going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there.”

Henri Nouwen, et al. Compassion, 27

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us in our brokenness, sin, and lost state. God built a home with us in this world to extend the love, grace, and power of his Reign. And we are invited to reflect the same in all our encounters with God’s creatures.

Hospitality is often presented in the church as a biblical mandate. Yet, it is so much more. Hospitality is tied to the same relational love profoundly characterized by Yahweh’s covenant with Israel, as well as Yahweh’s and Jesus’ own compassion and love for humanity reflected in Scripture.

Therefore, hospitality as rooted in God's character and way of acting, is not simply a mandate. Rather, it is more properly seen through God’s interaction with the creatures he loves—it is an invitation by God and a means by which to encounter God and neighbor (and ourselves) more fully. Hospitality is at the root of how we are called to live relationally. More powerful than a mandate, the God of the Universe is inviting us into His way of love and way of relationship with us.

Hospitality is not a coerced response; it is an invitation into love and joy.

As we draw near to others and act with compassion in our own lives, we come to realize that this is about what God is doing. All the plans of love and restoration in and for our world are plans that God has in store through us, His children.

C O NNEC T IO N PO INT S PHOTO COURTESY OF NCM PHILIPPINES

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TAKING TIME TO SERVE Noren’s Story (Southern Leyte, Philippines) TEACH stands for Training, Equipping A Child “TEACH was more than an opportunity to Holistically, a title representing the aim of addressing further my studies, it was also a call to know the spiritual, physical, and educational needs of children.

God deeper,” Noren Grace Cailing says.

Noren’s experience was certainly holistic. Because As a 19-year-old first-year college student, Noren of TEACH, she says, she was able to attend youth could spend her weekends doing any number of conferences, camps, and other events, where she met activities. Instead, she spends them teaching gradeother sponsored children from around school students. That choice is a the Philippines. These experiences direct result of her experiences “BEING A SPONSORED helped solidify her passion for leadership at TEACH, a child development CHILD [GAVE] ME MORE center in the Philippines. She says OPPORTUNITIES TO ENJOY and teaching. For her, her role as a teacher is a way to say thank you. she wouldn’t miss out on a chance MY CHILDHOOD DAYS, AS THE “It is a way for me to show gratitude to give back to a program that PROGRAM DOESN’T JUST to my sponsor, mentors, and all the influenced her life so dramatically.

EMPHASIZE ONE ASPECT people behind this program,” she says.

Noren’s weekend students are “[I want to show them] that they are not also attending classes through OF A CHILD’S GROWTH.” wasting their time, money, and effort, as the TEACH program, which the trees they planted now bear fruits.” started in the area in 2006.

Noren is currently studying to become a secondary Noren calls herself one of the “pioneer” sponsored teacher, although she sees herself continuing to give back children, a title for which she is very grateful. to TEACH during weekend classes. There, she hopes to “Being a sponsored child [gave] me more opportunities share the same faith and drive she cultivated through to enjoy my childhood days, as the program doesn’t just her relationships with her teachers and mentors. emphasize one aspect of a child’s growth,” Noren says.

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C ON N EC T I ON P OI N T S

Through the Information Center, people are able to build relationships as well as gain resources.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAMELIYA MUNELSKA

global focus

CONNECTING THROUGH KNOWLEDGE A church builds relationships and gives resources in Bulgaria Reporting by NCM Communications Tanya Todorva left Bulgaria as a young woman, moving first to Canada for 10 years and then to England.

The opportunities seemed appealing: She learned English, and she had good jobs in both countries. But she had to leave behind her husband and 2-year-old son in order to earn the money the family needed.

Bulgaria is one of the poorest countries in the European Union, and many people take the same route as Tanya, leaving to seek steadier income in other countries. In the last 30 years, the population of Bulgaria has decreased by nearly 2 million people.

A few, like Tanya, return. But it can be difficult to assimilate, and jobs are still sparse. Unemployment is high whether Bulgarians are returning after years abroad or living in the

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same house they were raised in.

While the town of Montana once hosted bustling factories, now the work is mostly agrarian. The Church of the Nazarene in Montana is connecting people with the resources they need to avoid poverty. The church has developed the Information Center, a hub for information and training for local families and individuals who are struggling. The center acts as a bridge between low-income people and the resources available to them through the European Union and business training.

People can attend seminars to learn about programs that fit their needs and receive step-by-step help throughout the application process. The staff at the Information Center then stays connected with people through follow-up meetings and mentoring.

“The problem is that ordinary people, especially from small settlements like us from Montana, do not know about this and do not take advantage of these opportunities,” says Kameliya Munelska, who directs the Information Center.

A CHURCH THAT SERVES Kameliya designed the ministry seven years ago with her husband, Valeri Munelska, who is also the pastor of their church. Since then, it has become a part of the church’s DNA. Many church members are either participants or volunteers at the center, and the church and the center share building space. While attending church services is not required of those who seek aid from the center, many have started attending as they interact

with the pastor and church members, experiencing the community of Christ.

Over the years, the center has evolved. Initially, it existed simply to show the love of Christ by providing resources to keep people from living in poverty. Now, a more targeted approach directs ministries to address the needs of people living with disabilities (they partner with a local school), agriculture workers, small business owners, and people who are unemployed. Often, those who need assistance most don’t know about the assistance programs offered by the European Union and the Bulgarian government. Others are daunted by the large amount of paperwork needed to qualify.

“The main idea of the Info Center is to motivate people to realize their potential and to live in their home country with their relatives,” Kameliya says.

As its name implies, however, the center provides many other sources of information beyond existing outside resources, often through educational seminars. Last year, topics covered included general business operations, resume writing, bee keeping, writing

business plans, and more. Many return to these seminars to learn more and socialize with others, building a support network with the Information Center as the hub. People who attend general meetings can help shape the topics of seminars, as the staff at the center identifies needs and connects people with great intentionality. Each year, programs are customized to meet the needs of the participants.

“The process goes on for every person visiting the Information Center,” Kameliya says. “We are looking for an individual support plan depending on the capacity of each person.”

GOING BEYOND Ministries of compassion are not new to the Montana church; for 20 years, church members have visited the elderly with disabilities and limited mobility. They also run a food program during the winter, making 200 servings of hot meals every Sunday. Other ministries include providing gifts for children and home visits to help people with housekeeping and trips to the hospital. The transition to caring for people through informational

assistance was a relatively smooth one.

Tanya met Kameliya by chance, she says. Initially, Tanya began attending the entrepreneurship and small business seminars at the center, learning financial management, company registration, and more. Now, Kameliya is helping Tanya apply for assistance programs for small businesses through the European Union.

Through the assistance programs, the women hope to finance the things Tanya needs to start a business teaching English. “Tanya has the heart to teach children in English who have no financial opportunity for specialized schools,” Kameliya says. Many of those children are being raised by single parents, or with no parents at all.

Tanya’s son has also been benefiting from the Information Center. He recently began raising bees through seminars hosted by the center. Like many people who come through the center, though, Tanya agrees that it goes beyond simple resources.

“The Information Center is a place of support, encouragement, and fellowship,” she says.

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around the world

THE FACTS

There are 8,000 NAZARENE CONGREGATIONS throughout the Eurasia Region of the Church of the Nazarene.

Brazil has the GREATEST VARIETY OF ANIMALS IN THE WORLD, including 80 of the world’s 300 primate species.

Honduras is the only country in Central America WITHOUT VOLCANOES .

More than 500 Nazarenes celebrated the 25TH ANNIVERSARY of the church’s presence in Bangladesh in February 2018.

Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is one of the WORLD’S OLDEST CITIES and predates Rome.

*Information is from the Church of the Nazarene, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, and World Atlas .

To read more about how churches are caring for people on the move in each of these world areas, turn to page 14.

We want to hear your stories of compassion! ncm.org/share-your-story

GOD'S PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

SEPT. 22, 2019

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A Community in Faith A KIDS CLUB MINISTERS TO CHILDREN WITH HIV R e p o r t i n g b y A n d r i y Ta k h t a y Photos courtesy of Oleg Kuz

“So much has changed, and I hope that everything will be even better,” a woman named Kamilla* says.

When Kamilla gave birth to her son, Sasha, what should have been a celebration of new life was instead tainted by the discovery that her new baby was HIV-positive. Her ex-husband hadn’t disclosed his illness, and he died when his son was 2 years old. Kamilla was left to care for Sasha on her own, working as a seamstress to earn a living.

For the past two years, Kamilla, 29, and Sasha, 8, have regularly attended a Kids Club at a new Church of the Nazarene in Lviv, Ukraine. The club provides holistic educational and social activities for all children, creating space for Sasha to enjoy fellowship and learning. Because of the club, Kamilla began attending services at the church. She also met her husband, a fellow believer, through her faith.

Although the future is far from clear—Sasha has yet to learn the reality of his diagnosis—Kamilla now has the chance to hope that everything will be even better.

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Unfortunately, Kamilla’s story is far from being an outlier as HIV and AIDS are an ever-increasing problem in Ukraine. According to a recent study by the University of Oxford, the country has the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Europe. The frequency of HIV is exacerbated by the internal displacement of 1.7 million people since 2014, when violence and unrest in the east sent people fleeing to relative safety in other parts of the country. While not the cause—the epidemic originally spread in the 1990s—the mass movement of people has been associated with the rapid spread of HIV.

A NEW CLUB A new church plant in Lviv, Ukraine, felt called to care for those living with HIV and AIDS, particularly children.

The purpose of the outreach ministry is to help children live integrated, full lives, not lives controlled by a disease.

In 2017, the ministry began by building a relationship with the Lviv AIDS Center, where the church was able to connect with children living with HIV and

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRANDON SIPES

Olla says that things have changed in the last year. their caregivers. At first, church members established “There are many changes, though not in relationships with the families, visiting them at home, the economic sense—in the moral sense,” she providing school supplies, and sharing life together. They says. “But this is also very important.” also helped the families access clothes and medicine.

The reality is that Nick isn’t able to go to a regular As the church developed those relationships, it also school. He is often too sick to attend classes, and so partnered with another Nazarene church in Kiev to he completes his coursework at home, only going to run a VBS in a Lviv neighborhood, which 50 to 80 the school itself for tests and exams. While the system children attended. Combined, all of those relationships keeps him at the same academic level as his peers, it would become the genesis of the Kids Club. is a lonely way for a teenager to spend his days. Olla “The club promotes the integration of children from explains that Nick is generally fairly quiet and “not different segments of the population, poor and rich, sick very outgoing by nature.” and healthy,” says Oleg Kuz, Unlike regular classes, the pastor of the new church in Lviv.

“I ALWAYS TRY TO COME bi-weekly Kids Club has proven Initially, the club was going TO THE KIDS CLUB TO GET to be less taxing. Nick is able to to meet once a month. But SOME ENCOURAGEMENT, TO attend and participate, joining there was so much interest PLAY WITH THE GUYS.” his peers rather than feeling that the timeline was switched isolated. Olla says he is like a to every other week. Children different person, one who is cheerful, curious, and who attend the club might play games, do crafts, engaged. When he was asked if he had any new friends, dance, learn English or Polish, and learn from the Nick replied simply and honestly, saying, “Well, yes.

Bible. Families are also encouraged to be involved. At We really only see each other at the club, but I am Christmastime last year, parents and guardians came still glad when we meet together. It is a lot of fun.” to learn about the birth of Christ and join a celebration where a professional photographer was available to take portraits of the families together. When the weather LOVE THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT allows it, meetings are held outdoors. Guests come to Like Kamilla, the mother of 15-year-old Artem run short courses on different topics—in 2018, one didn’t know her husband used drugs and tested HIVguest speaker taught the children how to use a drone. positive until her son was born. Artem’s father died when he was young, and although his mother remarried, Artem’s stepfather works abroad, where finding a job A PLACE OF FRIENDSHIP is easier. Because his mother is often sick, Artem helps Nick, age 13, is being raised by his grandmother, Olla. take care of his four younger siblings. He tries to earn His parents didn’t realize they were HIV-positive until extra money in his free time, although that means his after he was born, and they died just four months apart, grades are what he describes as “so-so, average.” when he was 2 years old. Olla has raised him since. The Many of the people who are HIV-positive don’t two live together in a one-bedroom apartment, scraping realize it, particularly because HIV and AIDS together a living from Olla’s small pension and some education has been slow to gain ground. Around half money that comes in to support Nick. Despite that,

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The Kids Club is a place where friendships are built, communicating, "You are not alone."

By supporting children, the church hopes to instill a hope for the future.

of those infected with HIV in Ukraine are unaware, and 40 percent of people are in the late stages of the disease when they are diagnosed. Occasionally, doctors don’t recognize the importance of antiretroviral treatment.

Artem sometimes struggles with the reality of his illness. He does take medications regularly, but he says he feels very troubled sometimes. He also says the relationships he has with friends and staff at the Kids Club—and his relationship with God—help him when he feels daunted. “I always try to come to the Kids Club to get

some encouragement, to play with the guys,” Artem says.

“I remember conversations with [Pastor Oleg], I pray, and everything passes away,” he adds.

Perhaps the heart of the ministry is just that: to give encouragement and conversations. Children and parents alike are learning that they are loved and cherished. Then the love of Christ can begin to transform lives until, as Kamilla says, so much has changed. *Names and photos are changed for protection.

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GIVE

everyday compassion

Sometimes, the discipline of giving thanks can get trapped; we view it as something to be done during prayer time, over meals, or during certain holidays.

Yet the act of thanksgiving can nurture a life of compassion. The very act of giving thanks can help create space for compassion, helping us see other people as beings created by God. Here are some ways to practice gratitude to help foster compassion.

THANKS

KEEP A RECORD

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Start by jotting down things that you are thankful for, both big and small. Whether in a journal or on a piece of scratch paper, the very motion of hand writing what you are thankful for makes it even more of a presence in your mind. Let the ink or graphite write gratitude over frustration, worry, irritation, or fear. Ann Voskamp writes, “Unless we speak praise, we consistently speak poison. Unless we are intentional about giving God glory throughout the day, our days unintentionally give way to grumbling.”

WRITE PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING Next, practice writing your own prayers of thanksgiving, or seek out prayers written by those who have come before. St. Thérèse of Lisieux says, “Prayer is, for me, an outburst from the heart; it is a simple glance darted upwards to Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and of love in the midst of trial as in the midst of joy!”

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Challenge yourself to note the things you love and appreciate in both those who are close to you and those you don’t know well. Let them know why and how you are grateful for them. Thank them for the role they play or have played in your life, especially in those things that may seem small or insignificant.

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GLOBALLY, MORE THAN 68 MILLION PEOPLE ARE LIVING DISPLACED.

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ACTIVE COMPASSION VENEZUELANS FIND REFUGE AND AID IN BRAZIL REPORTING BY PEDRO SALINAS PHOTOS COURTESY OF NCM SOUTH AMERICA

PEOPLE FROM VENEZUELA WORSHIP AT THE SPANISH-LANGUAGE CHURCH IN BRAZIL.

A WEEKLY FOOD DISTRIBUTION SERVES MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE.

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illiam, 52, and his family were sleeping on the streets near a bus station in Boa Vista, Brazil, when they heard someone preaching in Spanish. They are strong followers of Christ, and they moved toward the pastor to hear what he had to say.

William had left Venezuela with his wife and daughter, who was pregnant at the time, and they knew their money was not going to last. By selling some of their items, they had had just enough for the multi-day bus fare and food for the journey. They knew they would have a difficult time when they arrived, but even that seemed like a better option than staying; their daughter needed antibiotics, and there weren’t any available. Through the Church of the Nazarene, the family was able to stay in a small shelter.

THE CHURCH IS BOTH A PLACE OF WORSHIP AND A SHELTER; ABOUT 40 PEOPLE CAN STAY IN THE CHURCH'S BUILDINGS.

“By the mercy of our Lord, the Hispanic Nazarene Church opened their doors,” William says.

For the last six years, Venezuela has been in various states of turmoil and unrest. Hyperinflation has caused prices of essentials to skyrocket, and people are left without any way to buy food regularly. By the end of 2018, prices were doubling on an average of every 19 days. Medicine has become increasingly unavailable. Diseases and illnesses thought to be eliminated—such as measles and diphtheria—are beginning to reappear. In a country that had once eliminated malaria, incidents of that illness are rising, too. Out of 24 states, 10 have had cases reported.

People are leaving because they feel that they don’t have a choice. According to the United Nations, 3 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014. William says his family came when they couldn’t afford anything in Venezuela anymore. “I came for a better future for me, for my daughter, for my grandson that was to be born,” he says.

EXPANSIVE CARE

The pastors and congregation at the Church of the Nazarene in Boa Vista, Brazil, knew they wanted to do something to help. Boa Vista is not far from the border with Venezuela, and many people were coming there. In March 2016, they began to reach out to people in public spaces such as parks, where the hundreds of people crossing the border end up in makeshift camps with little shelter. Within a year, the church had started a food distribution service on Thursday nights that served approximately 1,500 people every week.

The need for more was becoming rapidly clearer.

From that first response, the church in Boa Vista has started a Spanish-speaking church to minister to the Venezuelans in Brazil, where most people speak Portuguese. About 200 people attend the new church, 40 of whom stay at a shelter housed in the church’s buildings. New classes have also grown out of the need; about 400 people attend Portuguese classes, and others are learning marketable skills such as baking and sewing.

Julio, 43, has been staying at the church in Boa Vista, where he is able to help with some carpentry work. He traveled to Brazil with his family; at home in Venezuela, the lack of food and medical attention was becoming dangerous for his wife, who was pregnant at the time.

“At least here there is food, nourishment,” he says.

While Julio hasn’t been able to find steady work, he and his family have been aided immensely by church members. They have supported them with everything, he says. They have helped with food and shelter and by giving him carpentry work around the building. It has not been easy for the family, and the road ahead is not simple. Julio is lucky to have hard skills in carpentry, which should make it easier to find a job. But without being able to speak Portuguese, finding work may continue to be difficult. The church has become like a family, though.

“In the midst of everything, God is the church,” he says. “You have to have faith, give thanks for everything too. … But the church for me is the whole world.”

ONGOING RESPONSE

Jhonelis, 18, is newly married, living at the shelter at the church with her husband. She has a large family at home, and no one was eating as much as they should.

“I had to come here so that I could work here and help my family from here, sending what I can and all because it was the only way they could survive,” she says.

For the first few months, the couple was able to find work selling items in the street. That work ended, though, and so did the income stream. From there, her story is an echo of so many others: They were forced to sleep on the streets, living from day to day. Jhonelis says she was almost at her breaking point when the people from the church found them. Now, the hope of being able to help her family continues to compel her; she misses them, and she wants to provide for them.

“I couldn’t return or think about such things,” she says. “I came here for a better future, or to fight for a better future, so I stayed for that.”

Part of the reason work is hard to find in Boa Vista is because it is not a huge city; the population is close to 280,000. Compared with Manaus to the south, which boasts a population of almost 1.8 million, Boa Vista just doesn’t have the capacity or opportunities to accommodate so many people looking for work. And the 40 people the new Spanish-speaking church is able to shelter feels dishearteningly insignificant in the face of the tens of thousands of Venezuelans who have come to Brazil.

Transportation is one of the biggest areas of need. It’s difficult to pay for bus tickets with only the hope of work. Brazil is a very large country; getting to the bigger cities by bus takes several days, and expensive airfare tickets are out of the question.

With the numbers of people immigrating so high, one inclination might be to become overwhelmed.

But story after story from those living in the shelter at the church in Boa Vista speak instead of the church’s overwhelming response in love. Basic needs are met there—a roof and food. So, too, are spiritual and mental needs through the Spanish-speaking church and classes. The church saw the need for God’s love and so has shared it in as many ways as it can.

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SERVING A L O N G THE WAY HOW CHURCHES IN MEXICO ARE LIVING OUT COMPASSION PHOTOS BY BETH LUTHYE, JONATHAN HERNANDEZ, AND SCOTT BENNETT

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ucked in the corner of the El Barretal shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, a trailer full of medical supplies sits carefully organized and labeled. Next to it a white tent creates a multi-purpose space, acting as a waiting room, exam area, and gathering space.

The trailer houses all of the supplies for a Nazarene mobile medical brigade, a group of volunteers that travels to different areas of Mexico to provide medical aid during disasters and crises. For two months in the fall of 2018, the volunteers traveled alongside the thousands of people walking the 2,000 miles from

PASTOR JUAN JOSÉ MORENO SEEKS COMPASSIONATE RESPONSES IN TIJUANA. "IT'S NOT JUST TO SAY, 'I'M A CHRISTIAN, SO THEREFORE I HELP,'" HE SAYS. "IT'S 'I'M MADE, AND YOU'RE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.'"

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Guatemala to Tijuana. In addition, across Mexico, Nazarenes served—and continue to serve—by distributing necessities. These photos highlight the stories from people who are fleeing and the churches serving them. They show people who are hoping, grieving, and seeking.

Andrea* left Honduras with her husband and children, seeking a way to earn enough to survive. After an accident left her 6-year-old daughter with 2nd-degree burns on her arm, they were relieved to find the team. "We have found so much joy being with them," she says. *Name is changed for protection.

ANDREA LEFT HONDURAS WITH HER FAMILY. "GOD IS EVERYWHERE," SHE SAYS. "EVEN IF I'M JUST PRAYING IN MY TENT, I KNOW HE IS LISTENING."

NAZARENE CHURCHES IN TIJUANA, MEXICO AND SAN DIEGO, USA, HAVE PARTNERED TO PROVIDE NEEDED SUPPLIES TO THOSE SEEKING SHELTER.

WHILE THE MEDICAL BRIGADE WAS IN TIJUANA, THEY RECEIVED PERMISSION TO BE ONE OF JUST THREE PROVIDERS OF MEDICAL CARE AT THE SHELTER.

ACROSS MEXICO, NAZARENE CHURCHES DISTRIBUTED 25,000 MEALS AND 2,300 HYGIENE KITS IN THE FALL OF 2018.

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PASTOR MORENO OPENED HIS CHURCH TO HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS IN 2016.

NOW, HE'S WORKING WITH PASTORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COMES NEXT.

ANDREA'S FAMILY BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH THE BRIGADE DURING THE JOURNEY. THEY WANTED TO ASSIST THE DOCTORS AND NURSES HOWEVER THEY COULD.

OFTEN, THE MEDICAL TEAM SERVED NEARLY 400 PEOPLE EACH DAY.

ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE BRIGADE'S EXTENSIVE MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE CARLOS BENTANZOS, RIGHT, HELPED

DONATED. AFTER LEAVING TIJUANA,

CREATE THE BRIGADE AFTER TWO

THE TEAM WAS BOUND FOR AN AREA

EARTHQUAKES HIT MEXICO IN 2017.

IMPACTED BY HURRICANE WILLA.

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AT EL BARRETAL, PASTOR MORENO AND THE BRIGADE WORKED TOGETHER TO GAIN PERMISSION TO ENTER; THEY WERE ONE OF THE FEW CHURCHES ALLOWED TO ENTER AND CARE FOR PEOPLE.

SOME PEOPLE LEFT HOME BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY HAD NO WAY TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES. OTHERS FLED THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE.

CHURCHES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER ARE STRUGGLING TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO HELP. BUT BENTANZOS SAYS HIS CHOICE WAS BASED ON ONE THING. "IT'S

AS MORE PEOPLE SEEK REFUGE,

JUST LOVE," HE TOLD REPORTERS.

THE CHURCH WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND IN LOVE.

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THE ROAD OUT OF DAMASCUS LONG-TERM MINISTRIES TO REFUGEES ACROSS EUROPE WORDS AND PHOTOS BY TEANNA SUNBERG

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illy* and Rafael are refugees, though they did not come to Europe on boats. Their rescue from war-torn Syria originated on Straight Street in Damascus—the very same street that Ananias, the Syrian, receives a command from the Lord to visit in Acts 9.

Go, the Lord tells him. Ananias responds with courage, following the Lord’s command to go to Saul despite having heard of Saul’s persecution of Christians.

Until fleeing in 2015, Lilly and Rafael were part of the Nazarene church on Straight Street. As the danger increased, they, too, responded in courage by leaving home. Their journey began with the road out of Damascus.

A COMPASSIONATE CHURCH

Lilly, Rafael, and a million other Middle Eastern refugees journeyed and continue to journey to the shores of Europe. Now, Nazarene churches across the region are creating practical, holistic, and compassionate responses to the increasing needs of immigration—and integration.

These churches aim to become a bridge of practical grace to both the receiving culture and those seeking refuge.

Three years ago, the waves of refugees into western Europe mostly required an emergency response. Today, the flow is smaller but still steady, and thousands of people wait in limbo to receive visas. Others, having received asylum, are building lives in a foreign country, a foreign culture, and a foreign language. It is not easy.

Lilly and Rafael emphasize the heart-wrenching challenges that refugees in their adopted communities face: prejudice, language and cultural barriers, loss

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of home and loved ones, fractured futures, and trauma. Finding full-time employment is almost impossible with limited language skills, which leads to a compromised ability to support a family unit, loss of confidence, and loss of hope.

But God can do great things. Lilly and Rafael are just one example of how stability creates beautiful avenues of restoration. Currently, both are receiving theological training as ministers. At least 10 others from conflict-torn areas are also being called into ministry in Central Europe.

Their stories are of an interrupted life being rooted and bearing fruit. Establishing a stable, consistent, relational presence within the community, with the community, and for the community is an avenue of healing. It brings hope.

THE GOOD NEWS OF CHRIST

As Saul staggered down the road into Damascus, it was the brave and obedient response of one Syrian Christian that ushered in an era of mission. In spite of certain risk, it was Ananias who brought the good news of Christ to the man who would become Paul.

As the tide of people journeys on the road out of Damascus and the Middle East nearly 2,000 years later, what will the good news of Christ do? Lilly’s voice reminds us of our call as a Church: “We continue to pray every day for those who suffer and we serve. We serve people because the Church … well the Church must help.” Lilly pauses, smiles, and continues: “It is the Church.”

*Names are changed for protection.

FA M I LY, NOT REFUGEES

HAND IN HAND IS CREATING A FAMILY OF BELIEVERS BY FOLLOWING A CALL TO LOVE.

SERVING THOSE WHO HAVE FLED IN ARMENIA WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RITA LAO

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Angela and her teenage daughter both help in Sunday hen refugees and displaced individuals School whenever they can, and Angela is always ready say, “You are our family here in this to do home visits, especially visiting other Syrian country,” you realize your impact. refugees. Recently, a donor heard Angela’s story In 2016, the Church of the Nazarene and helped the family purchase an apartment. in Armenia started “Hand in Hand,” a ministry supporting Syrian families who fled their country in search of safety. The project HAGOP’S STORY includes two VBS programs, and more than 25 families Hagop and his family were inside their apartment have received further aid through a warm winter project, in Syria when bombs hit. He lost both his home and his medication, medical aid, rent support, business—a stationery and gift shop. academic support, skills development, Seeking safety, he came to Armenia with “TODAY, WE HAVE A and help with daily urgent needs over his wife, two daughters, and two sisters.

REASON TO GO ON.” the past two years. Out of the ministry, Hagop’s sister Ani started to attend seven families have joined the church in the church’s knitting classes for Syrian Yerevan, Armenia, joining hand in hand women. “I am a shy person, but when I got to grieve, heal, and celebrate. Here are two of their stories. to know this church, I felt that I could be myself,” Ani says.

Later, she began bringing her nieces to church with her. The girls had difficulty adapting in the beginning; ANGELA’S STORY the younger sister always cried, and Ani had to sit next Widowed and orphaned by terrorism and war, Angela to her in Sunday School to make her feel comfortable. fled from Syria to Armenia with her three children.

Two years have passed, and today the whole family But the journey was not easy, and many people who attends the church, serving in different roles. “We initially offered help deceived her. By the time they love to serve, and we have this church where we feel arrived, she’d given up on God. “That’s until I met the that we can do something, especially for God,” Hagop people in this church, who helped me in every step to see shares. And in a recent Sunday service, the girls led a God’s love, provision, and faithfulness,” Angela says. new song with big smiles instead of tears of anxiety.

After meeting her, the church began to walk hand “When we came to Armenia, we were feeling so in hand with her family. Angela became a faithful devastated,” Hagop says. “Today, we have a reason to member of the church, and her children started to go on." attend VBS, camps, Sunday School, and teens group.

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HEALING THROUGH HOPE SAFE SPACES FOR CHILDREN IN A ROHINGYA REFUGEE CAMP IN BANGLADESH

BY BRANDON SIPES PHOTOS COURTESY OF BANGLADESH NAZARENE MISSION

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n what used to be tourist beaches and recreational land now sit thousands of semi-permanent structures that house Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crowded into a refugee camp that, until a few years ago, simply didn’t exist.

The Rohingya are an ethnic Muslim minority, many of whom lived in the Rakhine s tate of Myanmar prior to August 2017. Tensions between the Rohingya, who desire autonomy in their religion, and the central government reached a peak and led to extreme violence. The rape, murder, and destruction of villages on the part of the Myanmar military triggered a mass exodus of Rohingya.

Most Rohingya sought refuge in nearby Bangladesh, which has limited resources and land to host them.

Close to 1 million people are now refugees in the country, according to the United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees. With so many people seeking safety from violence, these camps are overcrowded, prone to the spread of disease, lacking safe water and housing, and full of traumatized individuals.

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ADDRESSING TRAUMA

Bangladesh Nazarene Mission (BNM), which has a long history of compassionate ministry in the country, decided last year to create a center in the Cox’s Bazar camp that would serve children and youth, as well as traumatized adults.

Monir* is one of the children who fled to Bangladesh with his family, traveling for seven days by foot and boat. The family was so desperate for food during that time that they ate leaves and drank river water, risking illness. By that point, Monir had already experienced extreme trauma, not the least of which was the death of his grandfather, to whom he was close, and the burning of his home.

Many children living as refugees can miss months and years of school. Luckily, Monir was an exception.

Because of the BNM center, he is able to attend classes and receive counseling to help him process his grief and loss. He says that one of his favorite things to do at the center is draw; on the day he was interviewed, he was drawing a picture of his grandfather.

Each day of the week, the center serves almost

CHILDREN HAVE THE CHANCE TO LEARN INSTEAD OF MISSING YEARS OF SCHOOL.

100 children like Monir who have been forcibly removed from their homes. These are children who have watched as family members were brutally killed, and who have no idea when they might be safe and settled again. They receive tutoring on various school subjects, as well as lessons on health and hygiene.

They have recreational times, learn moral lessons, and receive some nutritional support. The staff members working with the children at the center are trained in trauma informed care and are able to support them in processing their tragic stories and backgrounds.

escape, Anwara’s grandparents were killed by the flames.

Eventually, the family joined the thousands of others at Cox’s Bazar. But Anwara struggled with the deep loss and trauma she had endured.

“I was mentally very distressed and upset because I lost my education life, my dreams, and my hopes for the future,” she says.

Anwara discovered community, though, when she was invited to the center set up by BNM. There, she met other adolescents with similar stories. She could attend group discussions and individual counseling sessions to begin to process her pain and receive the education she craved.

“I started again dreaming in my life,” Anwara says. *Children’s names are changed for their protection.

ANWARA’S STORY

For the adolescent girls and adult women in particular, there are additional health and hygiene classes, as well as counseling at the center. Many of these girls and women have experienced horrific sexual violence. The BNM team has come alongside those who visit the center and actively seeks to assist other women and girls in the refugee camp who are struggling with the trauma of violence and displacement.

Anwara*, age 13, fled Myanmar with her parents and six siblings, leaving behind her entire life. Before they left, someone set the family’s house on fire while they slept, a violent act that has become common during the conflict. While the parents and children were able to THE CENTER IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN CAN PROCESS THEIR STORIES WITH PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND.

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AT XZONE, MENTORS HOPE TO HELP TEENAGERS NAVIGATE ADOLESCENCE.

BY CALLIE STEVENS, NCM COMMUNICATIONS PHOTOS COURTESY OF XZONE

XZone also encourages teens to give back to the community and provides opportunities for service.

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t XZone, located in Chesterfield, Virginia, USA, the mission is to empower lives in the community. Specifically, the nonprofit exists to empower teenagers.

The passion to be a presence in the lives of students is clearly evident. Nearly every piece of XZone’s wideranging approach came out of the desire to reach more students and find more areas where someone might feel unloved or neglected. The heartbeat of XZone’s work is in mentoring through afterschool, summer, and sports teams for middle and high school students, although there are a few sports teams for younger children and an expansive array of activities.

“Our mission is to go where they are,” says Steve Harper, the executive director of XZone.

XZone was founded in 2003 when an individual at Southside Church of the Nazarene saw the need for an afterschool program, says Katie Rhodes, XZone’s academic coordinator. The individual was a mother of teenagers herself, and she was very aware of the need for activities and investment. Out of that need, XZone was born to meet and mentor students.

MORE THAN MENTORING

To use the word “formative” to describe the time between ages 11 and 18 might be a bit of an understatement. Katie says that her parents’ decision to seek out adults other than themselves to mentor her as a teenager influenced her deeply.

That has since led to her continued involvement with XZone.

“I think we exist because the teens in society need as many strong adults as they can,” she says. “They need adults who are going to love them when it’s hard, challenge them.”

The belief that teenagers might need someone to help them navigate the murky waters of adolescence is part of what fuels XZone. There, mentoring goes beyond homework help to building a relationship that acts as a model for students, providing language that empowers them.

Students are encouraged to express what they’re feeling appropriately: frustration, anger, excitement. All of it is part of the human experience, and so is learning how to use words to make that experience understood.

“A lot of those students are learning how to use their own voice and learn what they’re thinking, but the structure doesn’t always support that,” Katie says.

Michael* has been attending XZone for 2 years. When he was younger, his mother had to get a restraining order against Michael’s father after he threatened her with a gun. She has been raising him on her own ever since, and Michael still struggles with anger toward his father. While he couldn’t always express himself to his mentors, he’s now more readily able to share what he is thinking and feeling.

Students involved in the XZone mentoring program are paired with volunteer and staff mentors, meeting for at least an hour a week in one-on-one or group settings. Right now, an average of 55 to 60 children and teens attend the afterschool mentoring program, while the summer activities

see an average of 87 students. Sports programs, which include volleyball, softball, and baseball, involve another 250-plus students. A large paintball park and skate park are open to the public, ministering to even more young people.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY

The mentorship program includes service projects around the community. Sometimes, serving others can be a challenge; developmentally, the teenage years tend to be inwardly focused. Through XZone, students have opportunities to do community service projects and develop job skills by working at the paintball course.

Katie says XZone encourages students “to see that big picture—that we’re all seconds away from needing the support we’re providing—so how can we give back to our community to see it thrive.”

One of the first projects that the students developed in the mentorship program was service at a local food bank. Initially, Anthony, a high school student, was reluctant to join. His choice would have been to sit back and watch. After a few nights serving at the food bank, Anthony began asking questions as he saw the impact of his actions. As they drove back to XZone, he realized that they were doing exactly what Scripture talks about: serving others without being asked, emulating Christ.

DREAMING BIG

Right now, XZone leases acreage on the property of Southside Church of the Nazarene. Some of those acres are currently serving as the paintball and airsoft course. Someday, though, Steve hopes for something much larger. Ultimately, XZone and Southside hope to build a community center on the property. Then, the center could be full of activities for all students.

Beyond the community center, Steve has even bigger plans, all of which support the same goal: mentoring and loving teenagers, and teaching them to love others.

Krista has been at XZone for three years.

Already, her life has been deeply affected by hardship: Her father is addicted to drugs, and her mother had no choice but to work as an escort. Often, Krista was left to care for her younger brother in the small apartments or hotel rooms where they lived.

“We didn’t grow up as bad as it sounds like we did, but it was hard taking care of my brother and handling my mother’s instability,” Krista says.

Eventually, Krista’s mother lost custody of both children. Since then, Krista has become a leader of her peers, encouraging them in mentorship at XZone and spending her time caring for other students. She says she hopes her story will encourage and share hope.

Katie says that transformative experiences and love like Krista experienced are why she continues to work at XZone. “Part of the reason I do what I do is because Jesus chose to come love us when we weren’t lovable,” she shares. “And all too often, tough kids who really need to be loved feel unlovable.”

“OUR MISSION IS TO GO WHERE THEY ARE”

*Children’s names are changed for their protection.

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VOICES

MORE TO

THIS LIFE

E

vidence of the presence of the Kingdom of God is thick wherever and whenever people stand on the promise of God that there is more to this world—more to this life—than what we see. There is more than the getting over, getting by, or getting mine. There is more than the brokenness, the destruction, and the despair that threaten to wash over us like the waters of the deep. There is a vision of a world where God cuts through the chaos, where God speaks and there is light. There is a vision where there is protection and where love is binding every relationship together. There is a call for humanity to exercise dominion over self and the rest of creation in a way that serves all, not just self. And there is a promise that as long as we follow God’s way, there will be life, healing, and love. There will come a day when all the world stands before God in shalom, and there will be only one tree, and its leaves will heal our wounds.

The very good gospel answers the heart cry of our age. Our ransacked world is crying out for

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the restoration of the governance of God and the shalom it brings. As the body of Christ lives out the very good gospel in pews, in households, and in the public square, it is partnering with God to restore very good (tov me’od) to the world. It is exercising God’s kind of dominion (radah) within the church. And it calls our leaders to do the same in society, to exercise the kind of dominion that cultivates the image (tselem) of God on earth while serving and protecting all of God’s creation.

Let it be so.

There is a way back to shalom. It is the way of God, demonstrated through the person of Jesus and made possible through his death and resurrection.

This is the good news. This is the very good gospel.

This excerpt is taken out of the The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right

by Lisa Sharon Harper.

Go Deeper LISTEN The Center for Global Development podcast features discussions about global issues ranging from big data to empowering women and girls. These podcasts can be a good starting point for learning about the development factors influencing people’s lives around the world.

L I S T E N AT CG D E V. O R G

STUDY We Share the Name Refugee is a study created by Teanna Sunberg, an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene serving in Budapest, Hungary.

The seven-week study challenges preconceived assumptions and explores the journey refugees travel, comparing it to the paths of the reader.

AVA I L A B L E F RO M T H E FO U N D R Y P U B L I S H I N G

READ In Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen considers what it means to live a spiritual life. Moving from loneliness to solitude, hostility to hospitality, and illusion to prayer, Nouwen offers insight and a plan for becoming closer to God.

WATCH To create the documentary Human Flow, the artist Ai WeiWei visited 23 countries to document the vast migration of 68.5 million people living as refugees. The result is a deeply compassionate look at humanity, but it is also unflinching. Some pieces of the content show the graphic nature of living as a refugee.

S T R E A M I N G AVA I L A B L E O N A M A Z O N

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Snapshot

"Love is the highest gift of God. All of our revelations and gifts are little things compared to love.

There is nothing higher in religion. If you are looking for anything else, you are looking wide of the mark."

- John Wesley

To read more about how churches are caring for people on the move, turn to page 14.

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17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, Kansas 66220 No payment is due now. You will receive information by mail about your sponsored child and payment options.

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NAZARENE COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Pkwy Lenexa, KS 66220 (800) 310-6362 info@ncm.org

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