FALL 2018 The Official Publication of Word & Deed - An International Reformed Relief Ministry
INSIDE Ecuador
Jumping Right In
Haiti
Celebration at Adoration
Malawi Partner’s Conference
South Africa
Mukhanyo’s New Focus Program
>foreword By Rick Postma
using
God’s
resources for
Gold. In 1803, shortly after President Thomas Jefferson agreed to pay Napoleon 15 million dollars for the “Louisiana Purchase” (an area encompassing 13 states today), he wondered if he had paid a fortune for a large empty land that would take centuries to settle. But then, just a few decades later in 1848, the discovery of gold in California and the prospect of wealth forever led to the largest migration in United States history. Gold. Money. The Bible teaches us that all our treasure belongs to God and that we are called to use it to His glory (Psalm 50:10, Job 41:11). It also warns us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). One of the most challenging aspects of mission-related work is money. At Word & Deed, we often wrestle with the question of how to love and support precious people, made in God’s image, in the developing world without trampling on their dignity and talents (see the book When Helping Hurts for more on this). With respect to churches, we strive,
God’s Glory
in dependency on the Lord, to help them become selfgoverning, self-supporting, and self-propagating. In practice, we believe this means being very careful about funding core church functions (prayer, pastoring, and discipleship) that they should be funding themselves. Sometimes it means funding local pastors, for example, for a period of time with a clearly defined phase out plan. The real danger is that both the responsibility and joy of local giving is snuffed out. Islam is spending incredible amounts of money to build schools, mosques, and even homes for converts in many parts of Africa and Asia. Christians feel the pressure to compete. But missionary Glenn Schwartz gives this important warning, “The best defense against encroaching Islam across Africa is a strong, indigenous, self-supporting church—one that cannot be bought with outside funding. Remember, when it is learned that people can be bought with money, the only thing left is to determine the price.” In this issue of the magazine, join us as we visit Ecuador, Haiti, South Africa, and Malawi, where we strive to implement the above principles together with our local partners. In each case, local conditions determine our starting point as well as the trajectory of our journey toward these biblical goals. Pray that together we may faithfully love our neighbors both locally, as we are challenged to do in the Meditation by Pastor Van Garderen, and abroad even as we strive to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. What is more precious than our Lord and His challenge to use all our time, talent, and treasure to His glory and the extension of His Kingdom? W&D Rick Postma is the Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.
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WORD&DEED
meditation
Official Publication of Word & Deed An International Reformed Relief and Development Agency Free for sponsors and friends
FALL 2018 Editor Rick Postma Assistant Editor Scott Koopman Graphic Design Knor Graphic Design Solutions Copy Editors Shelly Crites Hanna Korvemaker Kara Luiting Susan Trentacosti
In response to Jesus’ command to love others, Word & Deed is an international, evangelical relief and development ministry that provides funding to meet spiritual and physical needs among people in developing countries. With cooperating offices in St. Thomas, Ontario, and Hudsonville, Michigan, Word & Deed partners with Christian agencies in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Myanmar, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Malawi, and South Africa.
Canada Office PO Box 20100 St. Thomas, ON N5P 4H4 Toll free 877.375.9673 office@wordanddeed.org Director of Projects John Otten Director of Public Relations Rick Postma Office Administrator Scott Koopman Support Staff John Kottelenberg Kara Luiting Board of Directors President – Harold Leyenhorst Vice President – John Vangameren Secretary – Dave Wielinga Treasurer – Henry de Waal Dr. Arjan de Visser Rev. C. Heiberg John Jagersma Bert Mulder Dick Naves Lyle Ypma Advisory Committee Mr. Jim Beeke – International Educational Consultant
Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes – Professor of
Old & New Testament, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Rev. Richard Bout –
URCNA Missions Coordinator
Rev. Danny Hyde – Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church
Rev. Mark Vander Hart –
Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies, Mid-America Reformed Seminary Rev. Frank Van Dalen – Former Executive Director of the Foreign Missions Board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
United States Office PO Box 157, Hudsonville, MI 49426 Toll free 866.391.5728 usoffice@wordanddeed.org Office Administrator Heidi Pronk Public Relations Dave Vander Meer Board of Directors President – Pete Vander Stel Vice President – Paul Laman Secretary – Harry Kooistra Treasurer – Karen Vander Sloot Eric Brandt Peter Van Kempen Jay Van Voorst Registered Charity Number (Canada) 89 120 0941 RR0001 EIN Non-profit Number (USA) 37-1429283 Bible quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
By Pastor Dirk J. van Garderen
>
You AND Your NOT-SO-LIKEABLE Neighbor “The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor; But the rich has many friends. He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:20, 21). Has it ever struck you that the closer you are to someone the sharper your criticism is of them? Increasingly aware of the reasons surrounding the circumstances of a poor family you see daily, the more demanding are the questions that you ask. Think about Proverbs 14:20. The call to us as Christ’s own is to love others with the same compassion, kindness, and generosity the Lord extends to us. It is relatively straightforward to care about the poor in countries and cultures remote from ours. That’s because we never actually rub shoulders with these people personally. But when the “poor” are people we see, hear, and greet daily, who live next door, it’s another story. The glaring mismanagement of their time, talents, and opportunities hardens our opinion of them. Wasters! “Go to the ant you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise . . .” (Proverbs 6:6). Often the
word “dislike” is but a mild description of the intensity of our true feelings. Our “dislike” of the neighbor who is poor, whether physically or spiritually, is more sharply defined as “despise” in Proverbs 14:21. Indeed, this attitude brands us a sinner. It is sinful in God’s sight to despise our neighbors for self-inflicted misery they heap on their own heads. Therefore, heed the proverb! The radical nature of discipleship is that we must face up to our natural (sinful!) inclinations in becoming generous to the poor—especially when they live on the same street as us. When the Lord Jesus calls on us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44), see it as a command that also embraces your immediate neighbor, especially he whose messy life irritates you so greatly. The promise of Proverbs 14:21 is the gift of blessedness for generosity to the poor. The challenge is to see this truth in the light of the verse before it—the call to overcome a natural dislike for a neighbor who is a “loser.” It was a self-righteous Pharisee who asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor” (Luke 10:29)? The Lord pointed to the Samaritan saying, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). That neighbor is first and foremost the one who, irritatingly, lives next door. W&D Pastor Dirk J. van Garderen is emeritus pastor of the Reformed Churches of New Zealand and Chair of the ICRC (International Council of Reformed Churches) Diaconal Committee.
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>Ecuador By Dave Vander Meer
Jumping
RIGHT
In
There is no better way to start something new than by jumping right in! On my first day working for Word & Deed, I had the pleasure of traveling to Ecuador with John Otten and Scott DeKorte. The beauty of the country could already be seen from the air in the beautiful mountains and the city that both melded together. Fred Jonkman met us at the airport in Quito and brought us to his home where his wife, Arlene, had a meal ready for us. After enjoying fellowship together over supper, it was time to rest up for the next day.
understands that these students need training in biblical worldview thinking and want to help these students come up with answers for these issues through this course. Both Luis Carlos and Fred are also busy preparing for other classes that they will be teaching this fall. The rest of our time in Ecuador was spent in a more tropical place called Quinindé, and we instantly noticed that the poverty was more prevalent here than in Quito. There are approximately 300 children here that are a part of our sponsorship program. When we arrived, the students were enjoying their lunch of rice, lentil beans, fish, and a piece of plantain. After lunch, the students returned to their
The next morning began by visiting the Iglesia Reformada de la Gracia (Grace Reformed Church) where we met Pastor Dagoberto (a graduate from the local MINTS seminary program). The church was a busy place, as they were holding a Vacation Bible School program with approximately 50 children in attendance. Following this, we traveled GROWING WITH to the MINTS Theological Study Center and met Luis Carlos, the coordinator of the program. Please pray for Luis Carlos and his family, as his wife recently SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM suffered a heart attack and there are other health This program focuses on the holistic care concerns in the family. Even in the midst of these of children in the neighborhoods of Cesar trials, Luis clearly loves the Lord, cares about Proaño, Malecón, and Dos de Mayo, and supdoctrine, and is excited about his work. Currently ports over 100 children in each one of these at the center they are working on a course for neighborhoods. It offers three nutritious students that are preparing to go to university. meals a week, academic enrichment, They are finding that these students are not premedical attention, dental care, pared for the attacks on their beliefs. For example, workshops for parents and transgender identity is a current issue that many stucaregivers, and Bible studies. dents are having a hard time responding to. The center
HOPE:
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B A: Giraldo (prison chaplain), Luis Carlos, and Fred Jonkman. B: Dr. Yeny (second from the right) with some friends of the ministry. C: John Otten seeing what the kids at Dos de Mayo are working on.
D
D: The new Dos de Mayo building.
classes and we had the pleasure of visiting the classrooms and listening alongside the students about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and God’s provision for them in the fiery furnace. The joy of learning was on many children’s faces, and I could see how happy they were to be in school. After the Bible story, students worked on their homework and then moved on to their research projects, crafts, and games. In the evening we were treated to a program from students and staff, during which the Bible was recited from memory and songs of faith were sung. The next day we saw the construction of a building for the sponsorship program being run in Dos de Mayo. The new building will have four classrooms, a kitchen (which
C is also used to teach mothers about nutrition), computer lab/classroom/office, and a medical examination room. There will also be an outdoor pavilion where the students can eat and programs can be presented. After taking a look at the progress there, we traveled to the new medical clinic that is almost complete. The goal of the clinic is to provide health care to the community which most do not have access to. Here we met up with Dr. Yeny, a wonderful servant of the Lord who has a heart to care for the local people not only physically but also spiritually. Dr. Yeny plans to use the clinic as a place to educate the people about how to take better care of their physical bodies, but will also use that time to speak of the Lord and the healing that is needed in their hearts. Dr. Yeny also takes the time to lead Bible studies in the region. As we were getting ready to head back to Quito, she was preparing to go on an overnight trip to a remote tribe of Chachi Indians. She wants to help them understand cleanliness for health reasons, but more importantly she wants to share with them the good news of the Gospel. The few days that I spent in Ecuador were a true blessing for me, seeing how the Lord is working through our partners to turn hearts and lives to serve Him. W&D Dave Vander Meer recently joined Word & Deed USA in the Public Relations Department. He lives in Hudsonville, Michigan, with his family.
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>HaiTi
By Harold Leyenhorst
Celebration AT Adoration This year has been one of celebration for Adoration Christian Centre. In June the school completed ten years of operation in Haiti and graduated their first Grade 13 class. The school now offers a complete program from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation. Praise God with them for these great blessings. April Visit In April, Ed Vanderboom and I spent several days at Adoration to do a formal evaluation of the project and school operation. Ed has 40 years of experience in school administration in Christian schools. By joining classes, watching the school in action, and meeting with many of the staff we were able to receive a clear picture of the operation of the school. Even with our limited knowledge of French and Creole we were able to communicate. This quote from the evaluation report is a good summary of our observations: “The Adoration Christian School board, administration, teachers, and support staff are working very hard to make a lasting difference in the lives of the students who attend the school. They are commended for their unwavering vision, commitment, and diligence. The Gospel message is touching lives and students are being equipped to help transform the Haitian society.” Randy and Karen Lodder have given more than ten years of service to build a school from the ground up within the often-challenging context of Haitian culture. Serving the very poor includes supporting them in their many needs. All the students and staff receive at least one good meal each day when they have their provided lunch. Most of the children come from broken homes which at times cannot afford the very small tuition fee. They live in compounds where most of the homes are 10 feet by 12 feet with concrete block walls, a tin roof, no windows or doors, and neighbors an arm’s length away. To know God and the saving grace of Jesus is their only hope out of their desperate life and this is the focus of the work of Adoration. The integration of the Gospel message into all aspects of education is fairly unique to Adoration, even though many Haitian schools claim to be Christian. It is difficult to find teachers who can accomplish this and much of the work includes their training. Most of the high school teachers teach one or two subjects in several schools. The board is committed to hiring staff who will be full-time and involved in all the school activities.
Homes where some students live.
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Adoration Christian School is operating at full capacity with 410 students. Every corner of the property is used and the large concrete basketball court and play area that was installed recently has been a huge benefit. By way of a generous donation, Adoration Christian Centre is working to purchase the property and buildings. This gives the opportunity to make much-needed repairs and upgrades.
Adoration staff with Harold, Ed, and Randy.
Adoration considers it a significant part of its mission to create a learning space for special needs students. The school has enrolled 32 special needs students and assigned them to one of three groups, depending on an assessment as to their learning potential. While this may be an expensive part of the educational program at Adoration, it is a very significant component. The biblical message that all students belong cannot be lost on the rest of the student body. All students are confronted with the daily reality for the need to be a hand and a foot to one another. The school also has a successful sports program, with basketball and soccer teams that compete with other local schools. This has been a great benefit for the students and for the school profile in the community. Light in Darkness Haiti continues to suffer from the earthquake after more than eight years. One-third of the buildings in downtown Port-au-Prince are in disrepair and have not been rebuilt. Many of the people live in the streets and businesses,
Morning assembly on the basketball court.
Grade five class at Adoration.
including auto and motorcycle repair shops, operate on the streets and sidewalks. Unemployment is very high, with many people trying to sell products to others who also have very little money. With all the international support it receives, Haiti does not appear any better off than before the earthquake. This desperation is illustrated by the many small lottery stores trying to sell hope. In this darkness there is light for those who look to God. Adoration Christian School seeks to reach those who live in such desperation and, with the power of the Spirit, lead them to life-changing hope. Together with the local Reformed church (Église Presbytérienne Réformée d’Haiti), work is being done to change hearts and lead families to the true Light. Let us all support them and pray for them in this mission. In addition, please continue to pray for the staff at Adoration that their efforts may be blessed. W&D Harold Leyenhorst is the Chairman of the Word & Deed Canada Board and a member of the Langley Canadian Reformed Church.
Adoration Christian Centre
Adoration Christian Centre is Word & Deed’s partner in Haiti. Adoration is a prekindergarten through Grade 13 school serving in Port-au-Prince. Their vision is to see a new generation of Christian leaders prepared and equipped to serve and impact their communities for the glory of Jesus Christ.
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>MaLaWi By Heidi Pronk
Partner’s Conference Whenever I am asked what I enjoy most about my visits to Malawi, I always say “the people”! This was reinforced in a special way this year when we hosted a two-day conference for all of our partners in Malawi. The conference was held at the CCAP’s lay training center, called Namoni Katengeza. Nestled into the base of a mountain, it is surrounded by lush trees and beautiful flowers creating an idyllic retreat. The goal of the conference was to bring together up to five representatives from each of our partners to discuss challenges and opportunities with one another and with Word & Deed. It was such an encouragement to see all our partners share ideas and appreciation for their respective efforts. Perhaps most encouraging was our partners’ clear commitment to biblical principles and their desire to share the Gospel with beneficiaries.
They shared details about the needs of their community, their activities, goals for the future, and challenges. Lizulu Orphan Care is one of our most mature partners, but they are also very humble about their achievements. Staff from other orphan care programs were surprised and inspired by what the partners shared about the program in Lizulu and had many questions for them.
Of the 35 attendees, there were board and staff members from Lizulu Orphan Care, Neighbour Mission Orphan Care, Chibulika Orphan Care, Thandizo Orphan Care, Christian Education Program, and Logos Ministries (as well as representatives from Logos’ satellite offices in the north and south). Most of the first day of the conference was spent listening to each of our partners introduce themselves.
In the second part of the day, I was given the opportunity to address the gathering by sharing the Word & Deed perspective. Our first discussion was centered on biblical stewardship, what the Bible says about stewardship, and how we can practically apply those principles. I pointed out that what Word & Deed requires of the projects is the same thing that we require of ourselves—transparency, budgeting, planning, integrity, and accountability. We hold ourselves and our partners to these standards because we believe that doing so employs the principles of biblical stewardship. We discussed how seeing God as the creator and owner of all things (Genesis 1–3, Psalm 24) changes our view of resources from “mine” to “His” and impacts what we do with them. We also discussed our responsibility to use all our available resources to glorify
Malawi partner consultation participants.
Heidi Pronk and John Kottelenberg with the Logos Board.
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pastoral training & orphan care
Word & Deed partners with the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) to provide training to pastors, elders, and leaders so that they can better serve their congregations. What an amazing opportunity to impact a one-million member denomination! Word & Deed also partners with four different organizations to care for over 1,000 orphans and other vulnerable children.
God through our management of His world (I Cor. 10:31, Luke 12:42–48). It was sobering to be reminded that we will all be called to account for our stewardship before God (Romans 14:11–12), but also that God will reward those who are faithful (Colossians 3:23–24). It was such a joy to hear these brothers and sisters demonstrate their understanding of these principles and contribute wise words to the discussions. The conversation was enhanced by the fact that we had six pastors present for most of the conference—a reality that made me feel rather inadequate! Most of the comments centered on the cultural tendency toward poor use of time and lack of planning which leads to wastefulness. As we went around the table, many practical suggestions were given to address these shortcomings. The second workshop I led centered on Word & Deed’s three areas of emphasis: Gospel focus, indigenous leadership, and self-sufficiency under Christ. The purpose of this was to give some context to why Word & Deed works the way it does (requiring signed project agreements annually and regular progress reports throughout the year) in light of biblical stewardship principles.
Committee chosen by Malawi partners to define new managing partner model.
The last day of the conference was spent discussing the request that Word & Deed has made of our partners to make Logos Ministries our managing partner in Malawi. This is a request that stems from requirements imposed by the Canadian government, but it is also one that makes sense for the partners in Malawi because most of them are small and locally focused. There was some discussion about how this arrangement would impact local decision making and if the arrangement was feasible. In the end, our partners decided to create an ad hoc committee to work out the details of the proposal and to make recommendations to their respective boards by year end. We were greatly encouraged by the spiritual maturity and biblical focus of our partners in Malawi and the cooperative spirit in which the discussions took place. After nearly a decade of visiting Malawi, it gives me great joy to see our brothers and sisters there growing in grace and maturity as well as in confidence and leadership. We are grateful for God’s blessing on this work! W&D Heidi Pronk is the Administrator for Word & Deed USA and the Project Manager for Malawi and South Africa.
Heidi Pronk with Manuel (Malawi Country Director) and MacFaiden (Malawi Partner Administrator).
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>SOUTH AFRiCa By Jacques Malan
Mukhanyo’s
NEW FOCUS program
Perhaps more than anything else, Africa needs practical Bible training for pastors and other church leaders. At present, thousands of them lack a good understanding of the Bible as well as church matters, although they act as ministers in congregations across the continent.
which are not accredited as higher education, but which are very important to underqualified practicing pastors? Thus these pastors and church leaders can still receive quality training to accurately understand and apply God’s Word in their own contexts.
This is the reason Mukhanyo Theological College was started nearly 25 years ago. Its main purpose has been to provide in-depth Bible training to church leaders who are preparing themselves for the ministry of God’s Word. This training was done first in the former KwaNdebele region, but over the years Mukhanyo’s activities have spread all over southern Africa and beyond.
That is why the new FOCUS program is now being developed. The program includes about 30 modules in three categories: Church Growth, Church Leadership, and Church Life. The plan is to prepare the modules in English first, and then later in at least two languages indigenous to southern Africa.
Additionally, Mukhanyo has developed into a registered academic institution, with a number of programs accredited by South Africa’s higher education authorities. Today Mukhanyo has a campus in Johannesburg and study centers in Pretoria and Rustenburg, as well as some 45 distance learning support centers with hundreds of students. The required quality of academic standards presented Mukhanyo with a problem. Only students who had certain minimum educational prerequisites could be allowed entrance. But statistics show that most church leaders and pastors in South Africa and in other African countries have had little to no formal training. Even worse, many lack rudimentary knowledge of the truths of Scripture and even less about how to preach these truths accurately. What should be done about this problem? Over the years Mukhanyo has offered different approaches, such as an entry-level certificate or a number of short courses, besides its accredited programs. Why not use Mukhanyo’s two campuses and 45 centers to offer a number of courses
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This program is very practical and seeks to avoid abstract material. The presentation of the modules is fairly flexible. Tutors will either do all the presenting themselves, or they will manage the instruction through lecturer-presented seminars or DVDs. Tuition time per module is estimated at 15–18 hours of work, divided over several weeks. It is envisioned that these programs will satisfy the most urgent training needs of church leaders outside of higher education, with a healthy balance between providing allaround training and providing other specific training needs felt by local churches. At present, the development of these modules is in the early stages with outcomes and outlines for about half the modules completed. Draft study guides have also been completed for some of the courses. Much prayer and hard work is still required in the next few years. May God also provide the necessary funding and manpower for this strategic vision for expanded pastoral training in southern Africa. W&D Jacques Malan is a senior lecturer at Mukhanyo Theological College in South Africa.
DiSaSTeR ReLieF < By John Kottelenberg
Opportunity
It is often noted that while the back side of an embroidered cloth looks so messy and disorganized, when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turned over one stands amazed at how the front can look so beautiful. Likewise, when a natural disaster happens, there is so much devastation that it is difficult to remember that God has a beautiful plan to work all things for His glory! In early November 2013, the Haiyan (Yolanda) Typhoon hit the Philippines causing at least 6,300 deaths. The eye of the storm went right over Tacloban City and a huge surge of water came over the land so powerfully that boats were carried over tops of houses and lodged in the hillside. Many people lost family members, their homes, and their livelihood. Friends of Word & Deed heard about the aftermath of Yolanda and God worked it in their hearts to collect funds and organize relief efforts for the victims. Word & Deed was then asked by them to organize a disaster relief project. Word & Deed partnered with two Filipino organizations called BREADnet and Student Ministry Organization (SMO). To avoid long-term dependence, Word & Deed follows a three-phase approach when responding to a disaster. In the first three or four months, quick and direct relief aid is given, such as water, food, and temporary shelter. During the second phase, some direct relief is still supplied, but
from disaster to
IN THE
Philippines
the focus shifts to rebuilding what was lost including homes, businesses, and churches so that the people can start to provide for themselves again. The final phase of disaster relief focuses on long-term development to bring the people further along than they were before the disaster. In the Philippines, Word & Deed helped with the building of homes for about 40 families. After several long years, this project is now near completion. With the help of the two partners mentioned previously, land was purchased in Palo and Tanauan. They also helped with getting the various building plans developed and approved. During all of this planning, which suffered many delays, our partners shared the Gospel with the local people. A group of SMO mission students were stationed in this area and formed many Bible studies with the local people. After making connections with the locals and interviewing over 200 families, the beneficiaries of the new homes were selected. In this new community, the Lord willing, there will be a new church family with Reformed connections. Praise God that what was indeed a disaster has turned into an opportunity for the furtherance of the Gospel and of His Kingdom! W&D John Kottelenberg works for Word & Deed in Project Management and Public Relations. FALL 2018 I Word&Deed
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Welcome, Dave! We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Dave Vander Meer who joined the Word & Deed family this past July. Dave will be working in Public Relations in the US and looks forward to meeting many of our supporters. We are excited that Dave has joined us and thankful to the Lord for the provision of another staff member for Word & Deed. W&D
r e n n i D r Tou fOr JOin us uAl n Our An
Pastor Anup HiwAle missiON Of Peace-makiNg iN iNdia
Orangeville ONtariO Barrhead alberta edmOntOn alberta
09 NOvember 16 NOvember 17 NOvember
PastOr OctAvius Delfils
adOratiON christiaN ceNtre iN haiti cOpetOwn ONtariO jOrdan ONtariO calgary alberta chilliwack british cOlumbia aldergrOve british cOlumbia lOndOn ONtariO siOux center iOwa
09 NOvember 10 NOvember 15 NOvember 16 NOvember 17 NOvember 23 NOvember 29 NOvember
More details are available on our website. Please call 1.877.375.9673 to book your seat! www.wOrDAnDDeeD.Org
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Upcoming Business Group
Meetings Please visit
www.wordanddeed.org
for New events and for dates and locations as they are determined
September 2018 Illiana (IL / IN) Pompton Plains, NJ october 2018 Niagara, ON November 2018 Grand Rapids, MI
Ecuador: Jumping Right In • Praise God for the encouraging visit to Ecuador, and that Dave was able to get involved in the work very quickly. • Pray for Luis Carlos, whose wife and daughter are experiencing severe health challenges. • Continue to pray for the people in Quinindé who experience much poverty and brokenness in their lives.
Haiti: Celebration at Adoration • Praise God for the expertise of Ed Vanderboom and Harold Leyenhorst who could visit Adoration Christian School to evaluate their educational program. Pray that the school leadership would be able to implement their recommendations. • Please pray for the people of Haiti who continue to suffer the effects of the earthquake after more than eight years, and who have more recently experienced much political unrest.
Malawi: Partner’s Conference • Praise God for the opportunity to bring leaders of Word & Deed’s six partner organizations in Malawi together to share fellowship and ideas with each other. • Thank the Lord for the commitment of the partners in Malawi to bring God’s Word to those they work with.
West Michigan Norwich, ON
South Africa: Mukhanyo’s New FOCUS Program • Praise God for the commitment of Mukhanyo to meet the training needs of African pastors at varied educational levels. • Pray that the Lord will provide necessary funding and staffing for the important work of the new FOCUS program.
*Please see our website for new events and for dates and locations as they are determined.
softball tournaments
Disaster Relief: From Disaster to Opportunity in the Philippines • Please pray that the beneficiaries of aid in the Philippines will be blessed, and that they will come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Word & Deed North America • Praise God for providing Word & Deed with another staff member, Dave Vander Meer. Pray that the Lord will bless Dave and his family as he transitions to this role, and that he will find joy in serving the Lord in this new position. • Pray for safety and wisdom for Word & Deed Project Managers as they make project visits to assess the work and encourage our partners.
Chilliwack, BC
September 8, 2018 Paris, ON
september 15, 2018 Please visit
www.wordanddeed.org
for details on all our events.
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sponsorship Post-secondary education is something that we take for granted here in North America. Word & Deed has set up a fund to allow students in our projects, who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the same opportunities that we have, to access funding for postsecondary education. How can you help? By sponsoring a student! The monthly rate for Higher Education Sponsorship is $50. You will be paired up with a student and will be kept up to date with the progress of their studies. Interested in signing up? Contact Kara at office@ wordanddeed.org or by calling 1-877-375-9673.
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Lalrem
Name: Country: Myanmar Area of Study: Linguistics Length of Program: 4 Years
Lalcei
Name: Country: Myanmar Area of Study: Mathematics Length of Program: 4 Years
Blanca
Name: Country: Nicaragua Area of Study: Teacher Length of Program: 4 Years
Maria Angelica
Name: Country: Colombia Area of Study: Psychology Length of Program: 2 Years Left
Students needing sponsors
Organ & Piano Concert Featuring Corneil Byl
Asael Enrique
Name: Country: Colombia Area of Study: Systems Engineering Length of Program: 3 Years Left
Jorge Mario
Name: Country: Colombia Area of Study: Cooking Length of Program: 2.5 Years Left
Maranatha Free reForMed ChurCh 1114 Old MOhawk rOad ancaster, OntariO Saturday, SepteMBer 29 at 7:30 pM A freewill offering will be taken and donations used to support a Word & Deed after-school program in a remote part of India.
Have you
moved? If you have moved, please contact our office to ensure that you receive all correspondence, including your year-end tax receipt.
Thank you participants of the annual niagara to the
Mark your calenDarS for next year’S eVent on in 2019, a May 25, 2019! NEW Bike-a-thon will be launched on the same date in the fraser Valley, Bc, area! Stay tuNEd!
Bike·a·Thon that took place in May. Over $97,000 (caD) was raised towards the nakekela hiV/aiDS clinic in South africa!
if you'd like to host a Bike-a-thon in your area please contact us at office@ wordanddeed.org. Help us spread across north america!
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Word & Deed USA
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Meditation: You and Your Not-SoLikeable Neighbor 1. Why do you think it is easier to care for the poor in remote countries and cultures than to be compassionate to the poor who are around us? 2. Why is it important for us to turn from an attitude of despising our poor neighbors? Ecuador: Jumping Right In 1. What are some of the ways that Dr. Yeny and her team serve the Lord and the people of Quinindé? What are some ways that you can reach out to those less fortunate than you in your daily life?
programmatic areas would be of benefit for each case
Haiti: Celebration at Adoration to ‘His’ and impacts what we do with (there may be more than one). them.” What are some ways that 1. What is the ultimate answer that your life change if you further Adoration, together with Eglise Transforming Lives Now andwould for Eternity adopted way of thinking about the Presbyterienne Reformee d’Haiti (the 1. Consider the hardships thatthis Sender has faced growing up possessions, time, and talent you local Reformed church), isinbringing to Guatemala. In what ways has enrollment at Lathat Palabra have been entrusted with? the desperate situation of the people Christian School in Guatemala transformed his life? in Haiti? 2. “Empty stomachs don’t have ears.” Explain South Africa: Mukhanyo’s Newthis FOCUS 2. What is “fairly unique” about statement in your own words. Program Adoration’s educational model 1. What are some of the challenges compared to other schools Haiti, New in Beginnings at Nakekela facing pastors and church leaders in even many of those who claim to be 1. Visit the Nakekela southern website (www.nakekela.co.za) to read Africa? Christian? Why is this important? about the history theisorganization on the main page. 2. of How Mukhanyo’s new FOCUS program How has Nakekela grown since its inception in 2004? attempting to address these issues? Malawi: Partner’s Conference 1. What are five components of biblical Mercy and Glory at the Nakekela StepDisaster Down Facility Disaster Relief: From to stewardship that Heidi shared with the 1. Put yourself in the shoes of somebody living in the Opportunity in the Philippines partners that Word & Deed also requires 1. What areHow the three phases of disaster KwaMhlanga community. would you feel about of itself? mentioned in the article? of theresponse HIV/AIDS Clinic and why? 2. “We discussed how seeingthe Godopening as 2. Why doperception you think itofis the important not to How has the community Nakekela the creator and owner2.of all things continue providingWhy direct relief such as (Genesis 1–3, Psalm 24) changes Clinic changed since its inception? has it changed? food and water for an extended period our view of resources from ‘mine’ Introducing: Children Light ofof time?
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Join or Die? 1. “Corporate worship is . . . the centerpiece of the Christian life.” Explain how this is true using scripture. Here is one passage to get you started: Hebrews 10:24-25 2. Explain what Pastor Boekestein means when he compares church membership to parents making their children eat their dessert. CDA: A Transformational Approach to Poverty 1. The mission of CDA is carried out through projects in five main “programmatic areas.” List those areas and do some research to understand what they entail if you’re not sure. 2. Re-read the stories of Andrea, Shirley, Juan David, Genaro and Briceida. List which of the five CDA
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“Families who did send their children to school were often sacrificing heavily to do so, suffering from a lack of food, and an inability to provide their children with proper clothing and school supplies.” List five reasons that Christian education is so valuable, in the developing world and in North America. Aren Bulan is motivated to become a doctor because of the lack of medical care on his home island of Rote. Make a list of the needs you see around you (at home, at school, among friends or otherwise). What can you do now to make a difference?
Serving Through the Written Word 1. Discuss the following statement: “The written word is powerful and should be handled carefully.” 2. Martha mentions the different talents and privileges that each of us are given by God. Compared to students in the developing world, what unique privileges have you been given? How can you use them for God’s glory?
Integration: Integrate Bible, history, geography, critical thinking, current events, and reading comprehension (etc.). Missions: Challenge students to consider short-term mission trips and the use of their time, talents, and money to the glory of God while also having them ponder their relationship with the Lord. Problem Solving: Develop problem solving skills in response to problems presented in the articles. Awareness: Dramatically raise students’ awareness of what people in the developing world face on a daily basis. It will shape them for life. Compassion: Elicit compassion when students come face to face with the very difficult lives of their peers in the developing world. Thankfulness: Encourage thankfulness for God’s blessings in their lives.
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Word&deed I
winter 2013