Tear Times Spring 2016

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 1 SPRING ’16

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FEELING OVERLOADED? Time for a spiritual spring clean this Lent... tearfund.org

AFTER THE FLOODS

HOLY MOMENT

PARADISE WON

Hard times in a resettlement camp

A ray of sunshine in Syria

Land rights victory in Honduras

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

2 . TEAR TIMES

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

05

WELCOME...

04 News Refugee crisis and more updates

FEATURES 08

18 Paradise won Osvaldo’s 30-year struggle for his people’s rights 22 Family life... ...in one of the world’s most challenging places 24 Living sustainably Are we making a meal of it?

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But it wasn’t until I found a film ‘rio Licungo cheias’ [Licungo river floods] on YouTube (look it up: goo.gl/aMxlfK) that I fully appreciated the ferocity of the rising water.

Breathtaking scenes as the water – coloured orange/brown by silt – batters the massive bridge, as onlookers gasp in fear.

On page 8 you can read the story of one of the surviving families who, along with more than 50,000 other people in the Zambezia region, now live in resettlement camps. The floods mean they can no longer live on the fertile riverbanks, and in a cruel twist, they now live in the bush: barren land where there is no water at all. But hope has not abandoned them and – thanks to your prayers and support – neither has Codesa.

08 Flooding expected: immediate action required A harsh life after the floods in Mozambique 14 Kick-start your spiritual spring clean Embracing spiritual discipline this Lent

The Mocuba bridge was no small structure – it’s on the main link road between the south and the north of the country, used by huge articulated lorries to carry supplies across Mozambique. When parts of the bridge came down, food prices doubled.

Visiting the scene nine months on, we stood on the bridge, now rebuilt, and looked across vast banks on both sides of the river. When I asked how many people used to live on the riverbank, Belito from Tearfund partner Codesa replied, ‘More than 60,000.’

CONTENTS NEWS & UPDATES

AFTER THE FLOOD Visiting the bridge over the River Licungo in Mocuba, Mozambique, it was evident that the floods came extraordinarily fast, with unimaginable force. On 12 January 2015 the river rose more than 12 metres. The exact height will never be known because the torrent swept away the measuring equipment.

TEAR TIMES . 3

POSTER 16 Come to me all you who are weary

REFLECTIONS 26 Interview: Nigel Harris Say hello to our new CEO 28 Sun is shining in Lebanon A life changing encounter in the Middle East

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30 Why we loved our Tearfund Speaker How Cath stored up treasures in Devon

Editor

Peter Shaw twitter @ TearTimes | email editor@tearfund.org Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund

Copyright © Tearfund 2016. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for the reproduction of text from this publication for Tearfund promotional use. For all other uses, please contact us.

Cover image: Overloaded bus in Mocuba, Mozambique Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund

4 . TEAR TIMES NEWS

IN THE

NEWS

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

A refugee receives medical assistance in Hungary

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

NEWS TEAR TIMES . 5

PLEASE REMEMBER TH IS FORGOTTEN CRISIS IN YOUR PRAYER S It’s a humanitarian crisis that has just reached its third anniversary but you could be forgiven for not knowing about it. There’s little mainstream media coverage of the plight of the people of the Central African Republic (CAR), one of Africa’s most impoverished nations.

Hundreds of thousands of its citizens remain far from their homes after fleeing fighting which erupted in December 2012 and plunged CAR into a spiral of violence. Tearfund remains committed to helping those caught up in this crisis. To combat disease, we are meeting basic needs by improving water supplies, sanitation and hygiene awareness for tens of thousands of people.

Please pray for the work of our teams, who are also helping improve people’s livelihoods and their ability to grow their own food.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING DESPERATE REFUGEES IN EUROPE An outpouring of generosity and compassion for the plight of refugees entering Europe has enabled Tearfund to provide life-sustaining aid to thousands of desperate people. Food, water and other essentials have been supplied over the last five months to families, many of them Syrians, arriving in Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Greece and Macedonia.

Tearfund also supported a church-based partner in Hungary that provided medical care for about 3,000 new arrivals, many of whom were suffering foot and leg injuries after walking vast distances with inadequate footwear.

In Greece, our partner Faros has supplied food vouchers to 400 refugees sleeping rough on the streets of Athens. Tents, sleeping bags, baby kits, toilets and food were also distributed to 2,000 refugees on three Greek islands by our partner International Orthodox Christian Charities.

As our activities in Europe wind down, Tearfund continues to work in Lebanon and Jordan where millions of refugees are suffering as a result of Syria’s civil war.

Here our staff and partners are helping people who in many cases have fled their homeland with few possessions.

Winter clothing, blankets and help with accommodation are among the practical ways we’re supporting them.

‘Tearfund supporters really stepped up to the plate to respond to the needs of refugees arriving in Europe,’ said Kathleen Rutledge, Tearfund’s Middle East Response

‘Tearfund supporters really stepped up to the plate’ Director. ‘With winter pressing in, our work continues to focus on helping refugees in Lebanon or Jordan, where there are 1.7 million people facing hardship.’ Discover more at tearfund.org/middleeast Photo above: Bertalan Feher/Hungarian Baptist Aid

PADDINGTON PROVID ES THE BEAR NECESSITIES ‘Please look after this bear...’ That’s been the message from thousands of UK children who donated their beloved teddies to young refugees entering Europe, sending letters of love and encouragement with them.

Those sending furry friends overseas were also encouraged to sponsor their bear’s journey. These donations went to Tearfund, to support our work helping refugees in Europe and the Middle East.

‘As soon as we realised the project had grown, we knew we had a responsibility to do more than send a teddy’ Project Paddington soon captured people’s imaginations, according to Sheffield mum Joy French who first came up with the idea.

‘As soon as we realised the project had grown, we knew we had a responsibility to do more than send a teddy,’ said Joy. ‘Refugee families need practical support, so we also wanted to provide much-needed aid too. This is where our partnership with Tearfund comes in.’ Discover more at projectpaddington.com Photo top: Hannah Maule-ffinch/Tearfund

6 . TEAR TIMES NEWS

IN THE

NEWS

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

NEWS TEAR TIMES . 7

Daniel spent a week beh ind in aid of trafficked children bars

MAY’S SACRIFICE TO HELP OTHERS IN VANUATU Here at Tearfund we know we work with some amazing people, but every so often we have a powerful reminder of just how sacrificial they are. Vanuatu cyclone survivor May Isaiah definitely falls into the inspiring category.

ENJOY AN UNFORGETTA BLE SUMMER WITH TEARFUND Last year Sarah Joshi volunteered with Tearfund at Focus, HTB’s annual festival. ‘It was truly unforgettable and fun!’ she says.

FREE METHODIS T BEH IND BAR S

‘The Tearfund team instantly welcomed me and put me in a group of friendly volunteers. At Focus, we were highlighting Tearfund’s No Child Taken campaign. It was great to be part of a big push to stop child trafficking,’ says Sarah. ‘We were very well looked after – I would volunteer again in a heartbeat!’

Daniel Fenny is in a class of his own when it comes to supporting No Child Taken. Or perhaps we should say a cage of his own… The Lancastrian spent a week behind bars living in a cage to raise money and awareness of Tearfund’s antitrafficking campaign.

If you want an experience like Sarah’s, we’re looking for volunteers at our events this year. You could serve drinks and snacks in one of our cafes, chat to festival-goers about our work, or just lend a hand behind the scenes.

Daniel says, ‘We often hear about human trafficking but I’d never realised the scope of the problem. There are 35 million slaves in the world today, which is a crazy number. It made me want to do something to help and raise awareness.’

Whatever you choose to do, you will be helping to support our work with families in poverty across the world. To find out more contact our friendly team at volunteer@tearfund.org or visit our website tearfund.org/events

Daniel’s incarceration took place last summer in the car park of his church, Fulwood Free Methodist in Preston.

Despite the obvious challenges, Daniel said the reaction to his time behind bars was ‘absolutely incredible’.

Since we reported on her family’s story in the last Tear Times, May, who works for Tearfund partner Nasi Tuan, has been teaching dozens of women new ways to make and preserve food after the storm last March destroyed vital crops.

‘That’s why today many families are not going hungry,’ said May. ‘I have also been busy, setting up women’s groups, teaching peanut-processing techniques and helping women make a small income.’

What makes May’s efforts all the more inspiring is that she’s put this work ahead of her own needs. Cyclone Pam destroyed her house, so May and her family – including her daughter Lisa – are living in the back room of the church where her husband Isaiah is pastor.

Please pray for May and her family: Isaiah fell ill and the family had to spend a lot of money on his treatment, which has delayed their house rebuilding plans.

Photo above: Lauren Avery/Tearfund

How our partners in the Middle East and Europe are helping refugees from the Syrian conflict People who rose to the occasion to take part in our Big Bake to raise money for Tearfund’s No Child Taken campaign The commitment, passion and energy of those who participated in the Big March and the Paris Pilgrimage, calling on world leaders to act on climate change

PRAYER

PULSE

Praying for Poor communities suffering from flooding or drought as a result of the El Niño global weather phenomenon Syria, where civil war will have raged for five years this March.

Pray that this anniversary refocuses international efforts to resolve the conflict and help those affected by it

What started as an exercise in raising trafficking awareness in his church ended with extensive radio, newspaper and web coverage. Preston councillors asked him to speak to his local authority about trafficking. ‘The public have also been really eager to learn,’ said Daniel. ‘People seemed really interested in the cause.’

Discover more about our anti-trafficking work at tearfund.org/nochildtaken

Giving thanks for

May and Lisa live in the

back room of their church

Photo above: Jenny Barthow/Integral Alliance

God’s blessing on our partners around the world as they challenge unjust policies and practices of governments and institutions

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

8 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 9

FLOODING EXPECTED Tear Times editor Peter Shaw paid a visit to flood-hit communities in Mozambique, to see what life is like nine months after the floods...

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED

MY STORY

Warning – ‘Flooding is expected.

Immediate action required.’

ADELIA’S STORY

9 February 2014, 5.30pm, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey

At the towpath I joined a group of about a dozen people from nearby roads, all of us kitted out with torches and wet weather gear.

We just stood at the edge of the overflowing river and stared out at the rising water. It seemed so powerful and unstoppable.

13 January 2015, 2am, Licungo riverbank, Mocuba, Mozambique

I remember making the 300-metre walk from my front door to the edge of the towpath. It was still raining heavily, as it had been for many days. I’d lived very close to the Thames for more than a decade and we’d been given Flood Alerts before – ‘Flooding is possible. Be prepared.’ But for the first time we’d been issued with a Flood

‘What can we do?’ I asked the man standing next to me. ‘Nothing,’ he replied. ‘If the floods come, they come.’

Photo: Margaret Chandler/Tearfund

‘We had no warning. The first thing we knew was when my sister came running to our house. We were all asleep in bed. She was frightened, saying that the floods had started.

People were screaming in the homes all around us. We all got up. My husband, Victor, grabbed our twoyear-old daughter, Isabel. I picked up our eight-month-old baby, Meide.

Photo: Gerson Machevo/Tearfund

‘We just stood outside and watched the waters. Then we tried to grab some of our stuff, but the river just took over. So we ran.

‘We ran straight to our neighbour’s houses but they were flooded too, so we all ran together. We headed for the road and higher ground.

‘I felt so afraid, so sad. At least we were together and my husband and my two daughters were safe. But we lost everything in one night.’

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

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Around a third of the bridge over the Licungo river was destroyed in the flood

AFTER THE FLOOD The 2015 floods wreaked havoc across southern Africa. In Mozambique alone, 370,906 people were affected. The floods hit with such ferocity in the city of Mocuba that about a third of the huge brick-built bridge across the Licungo river collapsed.

Official reports said that only 84 people died across Mozambique, but Tearfund partners working in flood-hit communities told me they believe the death toll was far, far higher. The flooding displaced 51,684 people in Zambezia. They now live in 43 resettlement camps, all of them between 20 and 30 km from their former homes.

‘WE JUST STOOD OUTSIDE AND WATCHED THE WATERS’

I visited Adelia’s camp, Mucuvine, in September last year. It’s a bleak and barren settlement, about 20km from where her family used to live – a stark contrast to what life used to be like next to the Licungo. Water was plentiful on the riverbank

(although not necessarily clean) and the land was extremely fertile, abounding in cashews, pineapples, bananas, oranges and rice paddies.

A HOPELESS COMMUNITY? The cruel irony is that to protect these families from future floods, they have been forced to resettle in basic tents on land where there is no water at all.

Adelia, along with everyone who lives in Mucuvine, has to make a 40km trek every day to collect water to drink, wash clothes and cook food. It’s a task made even harder when you have two young daughters, now 16 months and three years old.

But it is not just water they lack: there is no infrastructure at all.

No provision for sanitation and the plots people were given would be very small to sustain a family – even if they had water to irrigate the land. Now people are far from the fertile riverbank, their livelihoods are gone.

Adelia’s husband, Victor, was studying at college at the time of the floods. He hoped that further education would help him find employment. His studies are over but he has no job. The city is a long way away now.

Victor has no transport to get there, and he’s competing with many thousands like him from the resettlement areas looking for work.

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

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HOW YOU HELPED SURVIVORS Thanks to your generous support, Tearfund’s partner in Mocuba, Codesa, quickly came to the emergency aid of displaced families. ‘Codesa gave our family food, soap and oil to cook with,’ says Adelia.

‘WE NEED BOREHOLES AND ELECTRICITY, BECAUSE WILD ANIMALS COME AT NIGHT’

‘If Codesa had not provided for us when we arrived here, we would be suffering much more, and we would have no means to support ourselves,’ says resettlement leader Mario Augustine. ‘Codesa brought us seeds for us to grow vegetables. We would like Codesa to continue to support us, because we lack many things. We need boreholes and electricity, because wild animals come at night. Leopards come here: this area was really bushland.’

at Tearfund, were not so fortunate. But we all have insurance, our jobs would have been unaffected and we have a National Health Service and many other safety nets to take care of our basic needs.

What Adelia and many thousands more in Mocuba have is Codesa, a Tearfund partner, who – like us – is determined to follow Jesus where the need is greatest, however long that takes.

Lack of food is a major concern as Codesa believes that every single resettled family is still reliant on government handouts, and it is not clear how long that support will last. Codesa also warns that symptoms of chronic malnutrition are visible in most camps and basic hygiene practices have ended. This is particularly worrying as the floods were followed by a cholera epidemic affecting 8,000 people.

Back in 2014 after the wettest winter for more than 100 years, the River Thames rose to within a few hundred metres of my home. Fortunately, it never reached our front door. Others, including some colleagues here

Photos: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund

To protect families from floods they have been resettled in camps where there is no water at all

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

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Following Jesus where the need is greatest

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‘WE WILL NOT ABANDON THESE PEOPLE’

DISASTERS CAUSING DESPERATE NEED ACROSS THE WORLD

50,000 people now live in resettlement camps

OUR LONG-TERM COMMITMENT ‘Other NGOs and organisations have gone but we are still here,’ says Belito from Codesa. ‘We will not go because this is our home. We were here before the floods and we will not abandon these people.’

Codesa is the relief and development team from the Evangelical Church of Brothers in Mocuba, the church where Adelia and her family also worship.

They are in the process of identifying church and community leaders so they can bring groups from the resettlement communities together, give them training and support so they can work alongside each other.

Codesa plans to concentrate on improving water and sanitation, introducing sustainable farming methods and giving people business skills.

The floods in southern Africa hardly hit the headlines at all, but even in disasters that do catch the media’s attention the needs of the people affected persist far beyond initial emergency relief efforts.

It’s essential that poor communities are given long-term solutions – and that’s what Tearfund and Codesa hope to offer families like Adelia’s. But sustainable, communitybased solutions require a long-term commitment, and there are more than 50,000 people living in appalling conditions in the Zambezia region alone.

So please consider giving a regular gift using the tear-out form on page 9 to support Tearfund’s work in some of the poorest places on earth. Most poor communities where we work have been hit by disasters, or are vulnerable to them.

Tearfund is facing unprecedented need around the world from the Nepal earthquakes, to the refugee crisis in Syria and the Middle East, and the ongoing conflicts in Nigeria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Just £12 a month could provide 2kg of sugar, 20kg of rice, 1kg of salt and vegetables for a family like Adelia’s in a resettlement community.

Please give what you can today because it will be a lifeline for communities like Adelia’s.

Photo above left: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund Photo above right: Codesa

Of greatest concern is the impact of El Niño, a once in 30 years event, which dramatically changes weather patterns. Forecasters predict significant drought in Central America and India, and floods in parts of east and southern Africa.

A food crisis is already developing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Because of this, we are seeking to reach out to the many Christians and churches across the UK who do not yet support Tearfund. Starting in the spring we will be promoting Tearfund’s life-saving work on television, radio and through other media outlets – inviting people to follow Jesus where the need is greatest.

Photo: Peter Caton/Tearfund

As always, we prayerfully considered the best way to use the precious resources you have entrusted to us. We are incredibly grateful for all that you do but we cannot expect you to respond all the time.

So we need to reach out to more Christians who also care passionately about people in poverty if we’re to meet the significant challenges over the coming year. We want to welcome more people into the Tearfund family because we believe that our faithful Christian partners across the world are best placed to meet the needs of poor communities.

Please help us to reach out to Christians and churches across the country by joining us in prayer:

Father God, please help us to spread a message of hope so that more people offer their support for Tearfund. We pray that you will bless our communications so that it will stir people’s hearts to pray, act and give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

14 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE

KICK-START YOUR

Repentance is very much about turning from sin and worldly distractions and turning to God in a way that fosters new life. Nevertheless, true repentance seen from this perspective is not just a momentary thing. To remain turned towards God requires not only his ongoing forgiveness but also our commitment to shake off old habits and adopt new ones.

It calls for nothing less than whole-life transformation. The question is: Where do we start?

spiritual spring clean THIS LENT, REV VIRGINIA LUCKETT, TEARFUND’S UK CHURCHES DIRECTOR, ENCOURAGES US TO EMBRACE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE AND DEEPEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Lent is nearly upon us.

Perhaps it’s time for a bit of a spiritual spring clean?

These 40 days are traditionally a season where we are invited to deepen our relationship with God, as we remember together Jesus’ earthly ministry and his death and resurrection. It’s a time when we are called to repent – a word that

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

perhaps we only hear occasionally in our churches today. Yet, it’s a word invested with powerful meaning.

Repentance, according to the Hebrew understanding, suggests a head and heart response to our separateness from God. Repentance means to know in our minds that we are sorry and need God, to feel that longing for God in our hearts and then to turn back from what has been keeping us away from God to receive his forgiveness and new life.

Photo: Michael Owen/Tearfund

THANKFUL THAT FAITH IS A FREE GIFT Firstly, we must be continually thankful that we are saved by grace alone and our faith is a free gift, given by our evergenerous, loving Father God to all who ask. In that respect the hard work has been done forever through Jesus’ death on the cross.

We need to be determined to deepen our relationship as we turn towards God and choose to become more open to where Jesus is leading. His invitation to us all is to turn from our worldly distractions and go deeper with him.

‘WE NEED TO BE DETERMINED TO DEEPEN OUR RELATIONSHIP AS WE TURN TOWARDS GOD’

Here’s where I’d like to suggest that this Lent we adopt some spiritual disciplines, some ‘rhythms of grace’. I find theologian Donald Whitney’s description helpful.

He says, ‘Spiritual disciplines are those personal and corporate disciplines that promote spiritual growth. They are the habits of devotion and experiential Christianity that have been practised by the people of God since biblical times.’ If these disciplines were good enough for our forefathers in faith, then they’re certainly worth considering today!

FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 15

A little investigation of Christian traditions reveals that there has been quite a range of recognised spiritual disciplines. This shouldn’t surprise us.

Some will, I suspect, be more familiar: fasting, prayer, studying the Bible and Jesus-orientated meditation. These are often understood as ‘inward’ disciplines that help support and develop our inner self. But I’d like to encourage us to consider taking up some of the more ‘outward’ disciplines this Lent and see if we might want to adopt them longer term.

GOING DEEPER WITH GIVING There are many outward spiritual disciplines to chose from: simplicity, solitude, service, confession, worship, guidance, even physical exercise done with the right heart. For this Lent, I’d like to encourage us to go deeper with giving and celebration.

Giving and celebration are so closely aligned because both disciplines recognise our utter reliance on God. When we give sacrificially, we are saying with our lives that we have faith that the Lord Jesus will provide, just as he provides for the sparrows (Matthew 10:29) and lilies (Matthew 6:28). We step out of the comfort of our worldly possessions.

When we celebrate God’s goodness, we turn our hearts and minds towards God’s grace and generosity and we recognise that he has, indeed, given everything we could ever need, and immeasurably more.

So go ahead, enjoy yourselves. Celebrate and give – and join us on our Lenten journey.

Join Tearfund on the Lent journey from 10 February to 24 March with our daily devotions or download the church resource at tearfund.org/lent

16 . TEAR TIMES

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

TEAR TIMES . 17

‘COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.’ MATTHEW 11:28

Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

18 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

After a 30-year struggle the Miskito people have finally secured the rights to their land. But it’s been a costly process, particularly for campaign leader Osvaldo who dedicated three decades to the cause and lost an internal organ in the process...

The Miskito people from eastern Honduras – who live in La Mosquitia, a beautiful, remote tropical rainforest, teeming with rare wildlife – have achieved a historic victory. Over the years, their land has faced threats from developers planning huge hydro-electric plants, aggressive cattle ranchers and violent drug gangs.

...WON!

Central to the struggle to secure their land rights is Osvaldo Munguía, Director of Mopawi (Agency for the Development of the Mosquitia), a Tearfund partner.

With Tearfund’s support, Osvaldo has lobbied, persuaded and prayed for his people for three decades. Except, that is, for a few weeks in 1995 when he very nearly left Mopawi for another job. But God had other plans, and it was to be a rather painful experience for Osvaldo…

‘GIVING ME APPENDICITIS WAS QUITE A DRASTIC WAY FOR GOD TO STOP MY PLANS!’ TEMPTED TO MOVE ON In 1995, Osvaldo was approached by another organisation with an exciting opportunity, but one that would take him away from La Mosquitia.

‘I was tempted to take the job because of what we had

WRITTEN BY PETER SHAW

Photo: Steve Collins/Tearfund

Photo: Zoe Burden/Tearfund

FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 19

to suffer here,’ says Osvaldo. ‘Times had been tough. I thought: Why shouldn’t I just move on?’

Osvaldo accepted the new post and was ready to start when he was struck down with an excruciating pain in his stomach.

He was taken to hospital with acute appendicitis and had his appendix removed.

The following weeks helped Osvaldo to reflect on his decision to leave. ‘The recovery helped me realise it was not time to run away.’

This Jonah-in-the-whale moment gave Osvaldo the determination to battle on.

‘You could say giving me appendicitis was quite a drastic way for God to stop my plans,’ says Osvaldo. ‘But looking back, I am very grateful to God that it happened!’

THREATENED AND ROBBED Osvaldo’s determination has been tested on many occasions. He’s been threatened and his house burgled four times. On one occasion, the robbers found so little of value that they unscrewed and stole his doors.

Osvaldo and his allies have been under extreme pressure from the authorities, multinational corporations and drug gangs.

While Mopawi and local community groups were campaigning against the threat of a huge dam on the Patuca river – the lifeblood of La Mosquitia – in 1998 local mayor and fellow campaigner Carlos Luna was murdered in his office.

But with prayer and persistence Osvaldo has continued to lead Mopawi’s campaign, bringing people together,

Please pray for Tearfund’s ongoing advocacy work across the world. There is a dedicated week in the Prayer Diary (enclosed with Tear Times) on page 21.

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coordinating and inspiring them to protect their land peacefully. Together, they established programmes to generate income from the rainforest itself rather than have it cut down for cattle to graze on. In 1999, the campaign successfully prevented a huge hydroelectric dam from being built.

This would have brought irreversible environmental destruction to the largest intact rainforest north of the Amazon.

Since 2012, ten thousand square kilometres – 75 per cent of the land – has been given to the indigenous people of La Mosquitia.

These are people who were so disregarded by the government that it classified the area as ‘empty’, leaving the rainforest ripe for exploitation by commercial agriculture BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD ‘The most significant change has been for the people,’ says Osvaldo. ‘They feel they have gained in confidence and leadership.

We give thanks to everyone who contributed to the project, and especially to Tearfund supporters who believed in us when no one else did.

‘When we started, things seemed to be so hard that I was convinced I would not see the results. I believed I would pass away and other generations would see what we had been working for. I am so privileged that God has kept me here to see with my own eyes the results of all those efforts.’

But the work is far from over. ‘We have big challenges ahead. We have to work now on how to achieve good governance of the land and our natural resources. We must establish proper, real relations with those who are in power here and support the Miskito people to influence the way government policies are developed.’

The area is also still under threat from drug gangs as it’s a key route for smugglers transporting illegal substances by sea from nearby Colombia. ‘The situation is improving – prayers are being answered,’ says Osvaldo.

‘There is probably less drug trafficking than over the last few years, but tensions are still

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

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FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 21

high so please keep praying. But above all, give thanks to God that the Miskito people now officially own their land!’

UNDER THREAT (NO MORE) In the winter 1998 edition of Tear Times, Stephen Rand, then Tearfund’s Prayer and Campaigns Director, reported back on his visit to La Mosquitia, the campaign to prevent the Pacuta Dam from being built, and the struggles of the indigenous people to gain their rights. Many years on, he reflects on how much things have changed...

I have vivid memories of visiting La Mosquitia 17 years ago. Travelling in a dugout canoe on the Patuca river, the remoteness, the beauty, the wildlife.

More importantly, the people. The pastor with tears in his eyes as he discovered more rainforest had been destroyed, another wound in the life and livelihood of his people, facing death by a thousand chainsaw cuts. The local ranger, showing me the bullet he had received in a matchbox – a death threat from those determined to prevent his protection of people and land.

CALLED TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE Then there was Osvaldo. A Christian, dedicated to doing all he could to campaign for justice for the Miskito people. Full of enthusiasm and insight.

And perseverance.

I was almost in tears myself when I was told that this long campaign has taken such a giant step forward. What brilliant news! And to discover Osvaldo was still there, working patiently, faithfully (and full of faith), prayerfully, purposefully.

Advocacy, the struggle for justice, is long and hard, even dangerous. But it is worthwhile. I’m thrilled to have a new memory that reinforces the conviction that we are called to do what we can for justice. Sometimes we are privileged to see the positive results. Praise God!

‘SOMETIMES WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO SEE THE POSITIVE RESULTS. PRAISE GOD!’ 75 per cent of the land has been given back to the indigenous people of La Mosquitia

Photo: Steve Collins/Tearfund

22 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

FAMILY LIFE IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST CHALLENGING PLACES Dutch-born Douwe Dijkstra and his wife Annamarieke have spent the whole of their married life abroad, often in dangerous countries including Afghanistan and Sudan. As father-offour Douwe moves on from Sudan after five years to become Tearfund’s Nepal Country Director, he tells us what it’s like raising a family in extreme conditions...

Sudan is one of the least secure countries in the world. But it was a huge improvement for us because the capital, Khartoum, was much less restrictive than Kabul in Afghanistan, where we lived before. Unlike Afghanistan, my wife was free to drive, and it’s a pretty safe city for a family.

While our younger children went to a school with mostly Sudanese pupils, Jacco, our eldest went to a more diverse school.

The thing we appreciated most in the first couple of years in Sudan was a good church – particularly for our children. But the church closed in 2013. So we had to work out how to share our faith with our children because they didn’t get any Christian teaching at school either.

Although our children have lived in many places across the world, if you asked them, they would say they are from the Netherlands. But Josja – who’s now five years old – after a couple of weeks on holiday or in the Netherlands, starts asking when are we going home, meaning, ‘When are going back to Khartoum?’ Jacco, now aged nine, would consider Khartoum home too.

‘MY SONS WOULD CONSIDER KHARTOUM HOME’ One of the frustrating things about working in Sudan is that you need an exit permit to leave. It can be very infuriating if you want a holiday or have to leave because of a family emergency, because the papers might not be ready. That put an enormous pressure on team members from outside Sudan.

Photo top right: Paul Brigham/Tearfund

FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 23

MOVING ON TO NEPAL

The opportunity to work for Tearfund in Nepal came at the right time: we wanted to go back to Asia, where we enjoyed the first five years of our married life in Sri Lanka. We wanted to live somewhere a bit greener! We’re excited to start a new chapter in a different culture. And we want to stay with Tearfund because we love the culture and values.

As we start our life in Nepal, my prayer is to see the family settle quickly, to find a good school and make new friends. For me, I want to meet and build relationships with some key people. If you find the right people in your first couple of months in the country, things are very different. They will help you understand how things work, who to meet, who not to meet, what to do, what not to do. So please pray for us as we settle in.

After five years working in Sudan, my hope is that lasting peace would be established.

One of the things conflict does is to remove hope for the future – particularly for people who grow up in camps. The other important thing is to restore dignity.

Many people feel that they cannot care for their family because they rely on handouts.

Peace would help restore their dignity.

Photo: Melissa Daley/Tearfund

Tearfund has been operational in Darfur, western Sudan, since violence erupted there in 2004. Darfur has experienced more than ten years of ongoing conflict and insecurity.

There are currently more than 2.5 million displaced people in Darfur.

Many have died and people continue to perish from the combined effects of war, disease and malnutrition. Tearfund has been working with conflict-affected people to meet their basic needs and provide access to lifesaving services, such as nutritional support, clean water, sanitation and hygiene education.

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

24 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE

LIVING SUSTAINABLY: ARE WE MAKING A MEAL OF IT? WRITTEN BY BEN NIBLETT Meals are very important. Food keeps us alive, obviously, and meals are a chance to spend time together. And, of course, we have a rich biblical heritage of meaningful meals where we celebrate, share and give thanks. The Last Supper comes to mind first, then the risen Jesus eating fish with the disciples, the little boy’s loaves and fishes which fed the 5,000, the wedding at Cana, manna in the desert, fleshpots and dinners of herbs, the return of the prodigal son, the parable of the great banquet, and many more...

Echoing this great tradition, Tearfund invites your church to hold a Stir-up Supper. It’s an opportunity to think about how our everyday lives affect our neighbours around the world – for good or for bad – and how we can build a fair, sustainable world where everyone can flourish. None of us can do that alone: we need to be part of something bigger.

A meal is a positive and friendly way to get started.

The idea is that everyone brings something fair and sustainable – and tasty – to share, and says why they chose it. Everyone gets the chance to talk and nobody’s forced to. We have a film that explains how the last 25 years have been a golden age where more people have

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

This is part of Tearfund’s Ordinary Heroes campaign, helping ordinary people change the world one step at a time. In the last Tear Times, we talked about the Paris climate talks and speaking up on behalf of poor communities so our leaders hear their voices. This Tear Times goes to press before we hear the result of those talks, but no matter what happens, we know we need a movement of ordinary people loving our neighbours by living more simply, consuming sustainably and speaking out. We believe Jesus is calling the church to lead the way.

escaped poverty than ever before. But we’re at a tipping point where millions will be pushed back into poverty again unless the world changes direction.

All this means that food, justice and sustainability are crucial issues for 21st century disciples. We also have points for discussion and suggestions for ways people can take action.

STIRRING UP INTEREST Lent is a natural time for a Stir-up Supper, but it would work at any point in the year. You can of course give a talk of your own instead of showing our film if you prefer. You can bring in whatever issues are relevant to your community. You can have a Stir-up Supper with a small group or go large with a whole church, or several churches together.

Our first Stir-up Supper was hosted by Greenlight, from Holy Trinity, Leicester.

Greenlight’s leader, Anne Scott, says, ‘We decided to host this event because we have a passion for people and planet and it matched really well with what we were praying for.’ Gail Brockway, who also came along, adds, ‘I think it’s important that we share food together, we share ideas together and we share our faith.’

‘WE SHARE FOOD TOGETHER, WE SHARE IDEAS TOGETHER AND WE SHARE OUR FAITH’

FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 25

Our response to all this will look different for different people and different churches, so let’s start by sharing a meal and working out together what we feel led to do.

Buying fair trade, eating less meat, flying less, switching to 100 per cent renewable electricity and investing ethically are all powerful things we can do. Find out more at tearfund.org/supper

26 . TEAR TIMES REFLECTION

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

In November we welcomed Nigel Harris as Tearfund’s Chief Executive. He previously served as Chief Executive of Farm Africa and has had a varied career including roles at Save the Children UK, the Department for International Development, investment bank Schroders, New Philanthropy Capital and Tearfund. Nigel is married with two children and worships at St Michael’s Church, Southfields, London.

NICE TO MEET YOU INTRODUCING NIGEL HARRIS TEARFUND’S NEW CEO Interview by Peter Shaw

You’ve said you see your role at Tearfund as coming home – what do you mean by that?

Nigel: Firstly, I worked at Tearfund briefly before, so I’m delighted to be back. But I also feel very much called to this job – I’m really excited about the opportunity to serve. I believe this is God’s calling and I’m responding to that. I also think that the broad variety of things I’ve done in my career has been in preparation for this role. Tearfund is absolutely my home now both professionally and spiritually – and it feels very much like coming home to me.

Was there any particular word or prompting that brought you to Tearfund?

Nigel: I’ve been a Tearfund supporter for decades, I pray for the work with the Prayer Diary and I’m a keen reader of Tear Times. I’m really familiar with Tearfund’s work and [previous Tearfund CEO] Matthew has been a friend for many years. When he made the decision to step down, a number of friends came to me independently and suggested I considered the role. There were just a number of touch points that made me feel it was certainly right to pursue. I felt it was my responsibility to put myself forward, and the rest was God’s call.

Photo: Marcus Perkins/Tearfund

REFLECTION TEAR TIMES . 27

How can we pray for you as you start the new role?

Nigel: Tearfund is an organisation that is driven by relationship and the way we work together. So I want to build really profound relationships and trust as quickly as possible. Not only with staff, but also with our partners on the ground, our supporters and volunteers.

I absolutely believe that God equips the people he calls.

What areas of the role are you feeling daunted about?

Nigel: This is a huge job and I’m very aware of the responsibility and challenge that goes with it. But this is definitely an occasion when ‘my weakness is made perfect in his strength’. It’s not about me. I believe passionately that God loves Tearfund.

This is an organisation that he uses and has used remarkably – and I take up the role of chief executive with that knowledge and hope.

WELCOME NIGEL John Shaw, Trustee and Treasurer of both Tearfund and Farm Africa says, ‘Tearfund has secured a good person in every sense of the word. He is a clear strategic leader, focused strongly on accountability.’

Stephen Melluish, vicar of St Michael’s Church, Southfields, says, ‘Nigel has been a close friend and member of my church for many years. Through his relationship with God and prayer life, I see he has a high sense of personal integrity.’

Matthew Frost, predecessor as Tearfund’s Chief Executive says, ‘Nigel is passionate for all that Tearfund stands for. He is self-effacing and resolute, relational and sharp-minded.

Nigel’s personal qualities are a great fit with Tearfund.’

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

28 . TEAR TIMES REFLECTION

SUN IS SHINING IN LEBANON Stella Chetham, our Middle East communications officer, gives her account of a life-changing encounter

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE Shams started speaking rapidly, looking me in the eye. My colleague Joseph had wandered over and started translating: ‘I smile and laugh but I am always pretending. I can’t feel happiness anymore because I miss my son so much. I think about him all the time.’

I didn’t know what to do except take her hand. ‘The police just came to the camp and told us we have 24 hours to dismantle our tent and leave. I don’t know what we are going to do.’ Then I did something I’m not supposed to do: I cried.

Joseph continued translating. ‘I am sorry for upsetting you,’ said Shams.

I felt annoyed with myself – I was supposed to be the strong one here. She took my face in her hands and started wiping my eyes roughly but lovingly, talking all the time. Her hands were coarse and blackened with dirt. It was maybe the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced.

Millions of families are suffering across the Middle East. In Iraq alone, three million people have fled their homes to escape the terrifying brutality of Islamic State militants.

Despite security risks, thanks to your support we’re at work on the ground supporting families who urgently need access to safe water, shelter and other essentials.

We were hosting a team from Tearfund, visiting Syrian families who had fled to Lebanon. One of them was a family whose 12-year-old son was shot and killed at a checkpoint in Homs in western Syria. I sat with the mum outside her tent. Her name is Shams, which means ‘sun’. I tried to make small talk with her in broken Arabic, but didn’t get very far.

Her husband gestured at their five-year-old daughter, who fetched a lighter then lit the cigarette in her dad’s mouth. That’s when I felt a strong urge to make my excuses and leave. Their situation was just too depressing. And I was tired.

REFLECTION TEAR TIMES . 29

OVERWHELMED BY GOD’S PRESENCE All I felt was blessed – because she was showing love to me in the best way she could. As she wiped my eyes, she kept saying, ‘These tears are precious.’ Then something else happened that I really didn’t expect. Shams said, ‘Now pray to your God for me.’

I struggled to speak, overwhelmed by a sense of God’s presence. Joseph translated whatever it was that I managed to pray.

Before I could say ‘amen’, she interrupted with ‘I love you so much!’

We took pictures of each other on our phones, and I know that for that short time God joined us together to share a sacred moment. My heart is still breaking over it.

All I can do is pray for them and believe that, somehow, God’s love is greater than the horrible evil of the war here.

The night before I’d felt annoyed because I’d left my make-up in Beirut. The team I was hosting were filming and I didn’t want to be on camera looking as tired as I felt. Yes, I’m that vain. But now I realised why it had happened. If I had been wearing make-up, I would have instinctively pulled away.

Because I had a bare face, I didn’t care.

Then a little reminder dropped into my mind: that when we meet the most downtrodden and overlooked people, we are meeting Jesus – it is our privilege and honour to be in their presence and to serve them. So I decided to stay a bit longer, trying to see this family as precious and significant.

Photos: Top right and left Stella Chetham/Tearfund, bottom Candice Roggeveen/Tearfund

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

30 . TEAR TIMES REFLECTION

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WHY WE LOVED OUR TEARFUND SPEAKER

In May, St George’s in Georgeham, Devon, invited Tearfund speaker Cath Candish to talk about our work. Pippa Morton, who is the church’s Mission Secretary, tells us about the experience and the impact on her church...

It was a very positive and worthwhile experience to invite a Tearfund speaker to our Sunday service. Knowing the speaker you’ve booked is passionate about Tearfund makes it a lot more personal: people respond better and remember it.

What struck us all about Cath was that she spoke from the heart – you really felt she was genuinely engaged with the issue she was speaking about. That really came across. The talk helped to put issues of poverty and justice on the map in people’s minds and hearts.

Cath shared with us about child trafficking. She showed a video suitable

for the children, followed by a short talk especially for the rest of the congregation.When the children went out for Sunday School, she used another film to tell the same story – but a version for adults.

She’s travelled with Tearfund so she’s been places and has a lot of knowledge about what’s going on in the wider world.

It was great to gain some personal insight from her and hear her point of view on child trafficking. It definitely encouraged us all to investigate further.

People are still talking about it. They felt that Cath was not only engaged with Tearfund but that she was actually engaging with us as a congregation. I think the Holy Spirit was working and it just hit the spot on that particular day.

We will remember Cath’s visit for a long, long time to come.

‘OUR SPEAKER WAS FABULOUS’ Harbour Street Christian Fellowship, Whitstable

BOOK A TEARFUND SPEAKER We’ve got a brilliant team of trained speakers. They love visiting churches to talk about the amazing things God is doing around the world to release communities from poverty.

You can book a speaker by calling 020 8943 7972, emailing churches@tearfund.org or online at tearfund.org/speaker We'll always try to help but we offer speaker visits subject to location and size of your congregation.

‘IN ONE NIGHT WE LOST EVERYTHING’ For Adelia and her family, the hardest thing is starting again from scratch. They now live in a barren resettlement camp.

‘We have seen symptoms of chronic malnutrition in the camps,’ says Belito from Tearfund partner Codesa.

Codesa wants to give families training and support so they can overcome these problems. But there are more than 50,000 people in the same position.

See page 8 for the full story or visit tearfund.org/adelia

JUST £12 EACH MONTH CAN HELP ANOTHER FAMILY LIKE ADELIA’S START OVER, PROVIDING AN ESSENTIAL FOOD KIT OF 20kg RICE, 2kg SUGAR AND 1kg SALT.

100 Church Road, Teddington TW11 8QE Tŷ Catherine, Capel Cildwrn, Cildwrn Road, Llangefni LL77 7NN Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD 241 Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 1AF

tearfund.org +44 (0) 208 977 9144 email info@tearfund.org twitter.com/tearfund twitter facebook facebook.com/tearfund Registered Charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland) Photos: Gerson Machevo and Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund 31470-(0116)

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