Haiti
God’s Goodness in the Midst of Difficulties
Malawi
Celebrating 18 Years of Ministry in Africa
South
Sudan
Sudanese Reformed Church Schools
Once a year for the past 15 years, I visit a number of schools to present “A Biblical View of Poverty” to Grade 12 students. The presentation addresses a number of key questions. Over the 15 years, the answer to the first question has changed somewhat even as the other answers have remained the same. Here is a quick look at a few of them.
As Bjorn Lomborg points out in his most recent book, Best Things First, there has been some significant progress in poverty alleviation in the developing world. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of children under five who die each year has decreased from 12 million to 6 million, while the number of people living in grinding poverty has been cut in half from 1.9 billion to 836 million (grinding poverty is defined as living on less than $3 per day). Many other poverty metrics, but not all, are heading in the right direction. Sadly, COVID-19 as well as the invasion of Ukraine has led to significant increases in hunger, especially in Africa.
Bjorn Lomborg, who isn’t a Christian, is working with a material definition of poverty. As the book Helping Hurts points out, this definition limits mankind’s needs to things like food,
definition that Lomborg is working with is too limited. That is why we need to come with both Word and deed to the problem of poverty. As the West turns its back on God, the author of life and human flourishing, the brokenness is only becoming more and more evident. I trust that you will agree that we must not blindly bring Western solutions to developing world problems. Instead, we need to learn what we can from secular sources such as Mr. Lomborg, but then employ a biblical framework to assess them.
If you would like us to present the Biblical View of Poverty presentation for your school or church, please contact us at office@wordanddeed.org.
In this issue of the magazine, we visit Ecuador, Haiti, India (part 2 of a recent trip), Malawi, and South Sudan. A number of the articles highlight brokenness as well as reasons for thankfulness. In the midst of each trying situation, however, the grace of God is also being made manifest as the church brings the bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ. May we all, whether young or old, be faithful in this high calling, to the glory of God and the extension
Rick Postma is the Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.
water, shelter, etc. If man is only a collection of molecules, then this makes sense, but this is a false worldview. God’s Word tells us in Genesis 1:1 that “In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth.” We are not here by chance. Mankind was made to have a relationship with God, our neighbor, and creation. Before the fall into sin, these relationships were harmonious, but then sin broke, or placed serious strains on each one. While God could have left us in that state, He mercifully and graciously sent his Son to reconcile us firstly with Him and then also to bring reconciliation into our other relationships. However, sin and broken relationships remain until Christ’s return.
In brief then, the problem is sin, or broken relationships, and the solution is Christ. The
Mankind was made to have a relationship with God, our neighbor, and creation. Before the fall into sin, these relationships were harmonious, but then sin broke, or placed serious strains on each one.
Editor Rick Postma
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Word & Deed North America is an evangelical and Reformed humanitarian relief and development organization. Our aim is to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people in the developing world in accordance with biblical principles for the glory of God. With cooperating offices in St. Thomas, Ontario, and Hudsonville, Michigan, Word & Deed partners with Christian agencies in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya, Myanmar, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Malawi, South Africa, South Sudan, and Tanzania..
Director of Projects
John Otten
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Rick Postma
Director Heidi Pronk
Support Staff
Scott Dekorte, Scott Koopman, John Kottelenberg, Kara
Luiting, Dave Vander Meer, Nikki Veurink, Laurenne Wattel
Canadian Board of Directors
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Vice-Chairman –
John Vangameren
Secretary – Dave Wielinga
Treasurer – Henry de Waal
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USA Board of Directors
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Vice President - Jay Van Voorst
Secretary – Harry Kooistra
Treasurer – Karen Vander Sloot
Eric Brandt, Pastor Adrian
Dieleman, Eric Greendyk, Paul Laman, Pete Vander Stel
Advisory Committee
Mr. Jim Beeke –
International Educational Consultant
Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes – Professor of Old & New Testament, Puritan Reformed
Theological Seminary
Pastor Richard Bout –
URCNA Missions Coordinator
Dr Arjan de Visser – Professor of Ministry and Mission, Canadian
Reformed Theological Seminary
Pastor Danny Hyde – Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church
Pastor Mark Vander Hart –
Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies, Mid-America
Reformed Seminary
Pastor Frank Van Dalen –
Former Executive Director of the Foreign Missions
Board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Canada Office PO Box 20100 St. Thomas, ON N5P 4H4 Toll free 877.375.9673
BY PASTOR JACK SCHOEMAN >Few things in this life are as common as bread. Bread is a staple of almost every diet all over the world. It is eaten, in various forms, as a main course for breakfast and lunch and sometimes serves as an appetizer or side dish at dinner. At times it is even eaten as a snack. But as common as bread is, there is one kind of bread that is most uncommon. In fact, there has never been bread like it, nor will there ever be bread like it in the future. What is more, anyone who eats this bread will have eternal life. Who or what is this bread? It is none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus says as much in John 6:51. There Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” Of all the things that Jesus could have compared himself to, why bread? He does so for at least two reasons:
1. Because bread is similar to manna, which is a type of Christ. Recall how during the 40 years’ wandering in the wilderness, the Lord provided His people with bread from heaven which they called “manna.” Every night it fell on the ground and every morning they collected it, kneaded it, and made bread from it. This bread pointed to, and was fulfilled by, the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the manna sustained the physical lives of the people of Israel, so Christ sustains the spiritual lives of His people today.
2. Bread is essential. Without bread we cannot live. That is not true as much today, where we have such a great variety of foods to eat, but it was true in biblical times. If you
had no bread, you would likely starve. This is precisely the point Jesus was making by comparing Himself to bread. He was saying, as it were, I am as essential to your spiritual life as bread is to your physical life. Just as you cannot live physically without bread, so you cannot live spiritually without me.
But Jesus is no ordinary bread. He calls Himself the “bread of life.” This means He is the bread that gives life; He is the life-giving bread. Moreover, He is the only such bread. In the original Greek, the word “I” is in the emphatic position (meaning “I” comes first in the sentence).
Thus: “I, and I alone, am the bread of life.” Needless to say, this is an astounding statement.
By claiming to be the bread of life, Jesus was saying that He is not only the fulfilment of the manna in the wilderness; he is superior to it. That is because, as Jesus goes on to point out in this chapter, manna could not give the people of Israel life. Those who ate it eventually died, but those who partake of Him by faith will live forever. As the church of Jesus Christ, our task is to proclaim this bread to sinners and to invite them to partake of it by faith. Let’s be faithful in carrying out this calling. And may many, also through the ministry of Word & Deed, come to feed on this bread that they may live! W&D Pastor Jack Schoeman is the pastor at Emmanuel Free Reformed Church in Abbotsford, BC.
It is very hot in Port-au-Prince right now (August). However, this oppressive heat is nothing compared to the sociopolitical heat that we are experiencing in Portau-Prince. Insecurity has hovered over the city for more than four years and has now reached an unprecedented level. Delmas, the area where Adoration Christian Centre and the Reformed Presbyterian Church are located, is cordoned off by areas all around the outskirts of Port-auPrince where gangs are in full control, imposing their laws, and where killings, rapes, kidnappings, and all manner of crimes dominate.
We have many students, church members, and staff living in these areas. Some of them have been forced to abandon their homes to save their lives and are living with friends or family. Davidson, a senior in high school, is one of our students experiencing such a situation. Three
community members to remain in the village where she lived. Her family had to walk through circuitous routes and dangerous roads during the cover of night to reach Delmas after hours of walking, having taken with them only what they could carry and abandoning everything else.
These are just a couple of examples of the thousands of victims of insecurity in Port-au-Prince. Nor can they be compared with the cases of those who are kidnapped, raped, and killed on a daily basis. Yet the government is virtually nonexistent. It is unwilling or unable to intervene. Everyone is waiting for help from a UN military force whose chances of coming are very low. Meanwhile, young people, professionals, relief workers, and many others are leaving Haiti by the thousands. What is the solution? It is hard to know, but we do know that our God is on His throne. “. . . the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to His people . . .” (Ps. 29:10b–11a). By His grace, His children continue to live; by His grace, our neighborhood is spared; by His grace, Adoration continues to operate at full capacity and
the church continues to meet every Sunday morning. Visitors and children continue to attend our services. Our God shows His goodness to His people even in the midst of distress! All glory to Him alone! W&D
Pastor Octavius Delfils is the pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Delmas and serves as the Chairman on Adoration Christian Centre’s Board of Directors.
Randy Lodder with Adoration’s Secondary School Principal, Pastor Robuste and Adoration’s Executive Director, Pastor Wilfride.
BY RANDY LODDER
After 16 years of ministry in Haiti with Adoration, and after much prayer and discernment, as a family we have decided that we are transitioning out of Haiti. The issues mentioned above make it very difficult for us to return to Haiti. A huge concern for us is the security of Adoration’s students, parents, and staff. Our presence at the school, as foreigners, creates a perception that there is a connection to money and therefore increases the risk for anyone in our community to be kidnapped for ransom.
CHRISTIAN CENTRE: Haiti
Through Adoration
Christian Centre, children in Haiti are provided with a Christian education, basic medical care, and the hope of eternal life through the Gospel. It is our prayer that with the Lord’s blessing, the communities served by Adoration will be transformed and that over time families will become more self-sufficient. Please pray for the local Presbyterian Reformed Church which also ministers to many Adoration students and families. Budget for 2023: $550,000 CAD / $412,500 USD.
My assistant, Pastor Wilfride Maurice, took over the position of Executive Director at Adoration on August 1, and I transitioned to the Board of Trustees and will provide support, governance, and oversight moving forward. Pastor Wilfride is a solid leader who has a passion for the Lord, a real knowledge of Christian education, and a heart for our students as he has been leading Adoration well in my absences this past year. We also have a solid leadership team and staff behind him, so we are confident that the Lord will continue to use this team to lead Adoration forward!
Even in our last two weeks of school in July, I witnessed much evidence of the Spirit at work, with 11 secondary students receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, three baptisms, and a Profession of Faith at church. The Lord is powerfully at work, and we continue to pray that He will use the ministry of Adoration and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Delmas powerfully to make His name known! It has been a real privilege and honor for us to serve in our role with Adoration, and we give thanks and praise to the Lord for this! Thank you as well to Word & Deed and to all of our partners in the Gospel who continue to support this work, for Christ, for His Kingdom, and for His glory!
Since 2005, Logos Ministries has worked toward equipping church leaders in Malawi with basic biblical and leadership knowledge as a way of strengthening the church, not only in Malawi but in Africa as a whole. This approach has proved to be very effective, as most lay leaders that we have trained, both within the CCAP Nkhoma Synod congregations and the other smaller denominations, can testify to the improved and enriched understanding of the Scriptures. Logos has training centers in the north in Mzuzu, in the central region in Lilongwe, and in the southern region in Blantyre. Teams of trainers are sent out from these regional centers to spread biblical training to rural congregations that are often forgotten due to their remoteness, poverty, low education levels, and language or tribal differences. Logos seeks to make biblical training accessible to all.
The Associate Presbyterian Church (APC), located in parts of the southernmost region of Malawi and across the border in Mozambique, is one of the denominations that has benefited a lot from the Logos Ministries’ Lay Leadership training programs. The people that the denomination serves are very poor and have high levels of illiteracy. Churches tend to be located in remote, rural areas, making travel difficult and access to education and resources much more challenging. Since 2018, Logos Ministries has simultaneously conducted more than 150 mini two-day seminars in five locations of the APC, reaching out to more than a thousand church leaders spread across the denomination’s catchment area. In the process, the denomination has experienced a tremendous growth in its membership, as other smaller congregational churches in the area have closed down and
gone on to join the APC, attracted to both the structured leadership setup and the content of the messages that they hear from the APC pulpits.
Besides the Lay Leadership training programs, Logos embarked on a series of liturgical training seminars that saw three cohorts of pastors undergoing a rigorous training in the proper content and purpose of biblically based liturgies that bring out true biblical worship that is divinely focused, as opposed to emerging trends that focus on the worshiper.
After almost three years of intermittent monthly training programs, 44 men graduated with certificates in Basic Theology and are ready to go and serve the Lord in their respective congregations. As an incentive, each leader that was able to recite the Apostles’ Creed was equipped with a Bible, a copy of the Larger Heidelberg Catechism, and a hymnal—all in their common language. In addition, the churches that those men represent are now reciting the Apostles’ Creed in their Sunday worship services, and the teaching is gradually being passed from the newly trained leaders to the people in their pews. It has been a great blessing to see this growth in understanding.
We are thankful to the Lord that over the last 18 years He has used Logos Ministries and the generous support from churches in North America to equip, in every way possible, these leaders of the APC so that they can serve God’s people more effectively with the right knowledge and some basic tools for ministry. W&D
Manuel Kamnkhwani serves as the Director of Logos Ministries in Malawi.
1 Pray that the insecurity in Haiti will decrease and that the gang members and rebels will recognize their need for a Savior.
2 Petition the Lord for the safety of the Adoration community and their families. Pray for the staff and leadership of Adoration, that they will be filled with a sense of God’s strength as they fulfill the calling that He has placed on them.
3 Thank the Lord for the impact that the Lodder family has had over the last 16 years as they ministered in Haiti and pray for peace and guidance for them as they seek the Lord’s leading in their lives. Thank the Lord for faithful leaders like Pastor Delfils and Pastor Maurice who continue to serve at Adoration for the glory of God and for the furtherance of His kingdom.
1 Pray for the people that Logos Ministries serves—for those located in remote, impoverished areas; for those who are illiterate, but still long for a deeper understanding of Gospel truths; for those who have gone through theological training and are ready to go and serve the Lord in their congregations.
2 Thank the Lord for the work of Logos over the last 18 years, and pray for His continued blessing over the efforts of this ministry and for the work of the APC churches in Africa.
1 Pray that the people of South Sudan will experience rest from the ongoing civil war that is happening, and that the humanitarian crisis in this country will be resolved.
2 Thank the Lord for the witness that the Sudanese Reformed Church Schools can have as a result of the unrest in their country. Thank the Lord for the many teachers and leaders who are willing to serve in these schools, bringing the hope of the Gospel to many.
BY PASTOR PATRICK JOK
The civil war that began in mid-December 2013 continues to affect millions of people in South Sudan. In fact, the humanitarian situation is getting worse. More people are being forced to flee their homes. More children are out of school due to the continuous conflict and displacement. As a result of these situations, the Sudanese Reformed Church (SRC) has responded by opening schools to provide educational services wherever we labor.
By God’s providence and through the help of Word & Deed, the SRC has started two primary schools and one secondary school in Juba to provide basic education and to increase access to Christian education based on a biblical worldview.
Bethel Nursery and Primary School (Established in 2017)
The Bethel Nursery and Primary School has 11 classrooms, a teachers’ office, and a kitchen that were all built using semi-permanent materials. Currently, three nursery classrooms and the teachers’ office are under construction to replace the original materials with more permanent ones. The school of 507 students is being served by 17 teachers and three support staff.
Grace Nursery and Primary School (Established in 2020)
The Grace Nursery and Primary School has 11 classrooms, a teachers’ office, a head-teacher’s office, a kitchen, and two toilets. The 320-student school is being served by 14 teachers and three supporting staff.
School (Established in 2022)
The Bethel Secondary School has three classrooms, a teachers’ office, and a store built with permanent materials. Currently, three classrooms are under construction with permanent materials. The 67 students are served by 17 teachers and three supporting staff.
A school feeding program was introduced in 2022 with the purpose of providing food to Bethel and Grace Primary Schools’ pupils. The overall aim is to incentivize education for children to come to school. The SRC, with generous assistance from Word & Deed, provided a cooked meal to 850 students at both Bethel and Grace Primary Schools in Juba. Having food in the schools has improved nutrition, health, and the achievement of educational goals. The overall assessment is that the school feeding program at SRC schools has encouraged enrollment and attendance. It has indeed motivated families to keep their children in the schools.
Parents’ Response to the School Feeding Program
“I have seen my three children improving their performance when the feeding program was introduced in the school.” - Moses Panom, a parent with three children at Bethel
“My child has been motivated to go to school because of the meal provided in the school. Thank you, school admin istration, for the support.” - Teresa Anwan, a parent
“Providing our children with meals at school has reduced our worries and stress on how to get daily breakfasts for them while at school.” - Nyadeng Mathiang, a parent with five children at Grace
The SRC Strategic Plan (2018–2028) aims to start seven new primary schools and five new secondary schools in South Sudan.
Although the schools are still in their foundational stage and still lack adequate facilities, the SRC schools have been relatively sustainable. In the 2022–2023 school year, the schools’ monthly bill payments have been made through the funds raised by school fees, we have paid teachers’ monthly stipends in a timely manner, and we have met the daily operational costs and the general furniture and building maintenance costs without seeking any outside financial assistance.
By God’s guidance and wisdom, Word & Deed has generously assisted the Sudanese Reformed Church to start the aforementioned schools. Hence, the SRC expresses gratitude and appreciation to Word & Deed for the gracious assistance rendered to the SRC in promoting the Reformed faith in Sudan and South Sudan. W&D
Word & Deed has been privileged to work with the Sudanese Reformed Church in many ways since 2017 including famine and refugee relief, school construction, and a daily feeding program for vulnerable children. This indigenous-run denomination ministers in both Sudan (4 churches) and South Sudan (16 churches) and is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC). John Otten, Word & Deed’s Projects Director, hopes to visit them in November 2023, the Lord willing.
SEPTEMBER 2023
Strathroy/Wyoming, ON
NOVEMBER 2023
Cambridge, ON
Grand Rapids, MI
West Michigan
DECEMBER 2023
We have 48 students available to be sponsored from a new student center that Word & Deed is supporting in Guatemala. The name of the center is “Jesus es el Camino,” which means “Jesus is the Way.” If you are interested in sponsoring one of these children, visit wordanddeed.org/child-sponsorship or send an email to office@wordanddeed.org and we’ll get it set up for you!
Date of Birth: May 31, 2013
Date of Birth: January 4, 2014
Date of Birth: July 8, 2010
Date of Birth: May 9, 2015
Date of Birth: March 26, 2016
Date of Birth: January 8, 2015
Date of Birth: February 11, 2019
Date of Birth: August 18, 2016
A unique program that Word & Deed has been involved in is “Pigs for Pastors.” Many pastors in Kenya do not make enough money from their church work to raise a family. The Pigs for Pastors program is meant to supplement their income so they can continue in their pastoral duties. Pastors receive a pregnant pig through our partner Reformed Theological Seminary in Bumala, Kenya. The pastors then raise the litter for meat, to sell, and to raise more pigs. These pastors promise to pass on one piglet to another pastor from their first litter. So far, 20 pastors have received pregnant pigs, with more on the way, making a promising start to this program.
1. Why did Jesus choose to compare Himself to bread, of all things?
2. How does Jesus differ from the bread that you eat every day?
HAITI
1. What are some examples of the important work that Adoration Christian School is doing for their students?
2. Despite the various changes that have happened in Haiti over the last few months and years, what are some constants that the community of Adoration can rely on?
KENYA
1. How does Pigs for Pastors benefit pastors?
2. How can the raising and passing on of piglets help the spiritual needs of a community as a whole?
1. What is the main goal of Logos Ministries and how has it fulfilled this goal over the last 18 years?
2. After three years of intermittent monthly training and graduating, what can pastors be equipped with?
3. How does Logos Ministries impact the greater communities that graduating pastors live in?
1. What is a civil war and what are some ways in which civil war has impacted the lives of people in South Sudan?
2. How does providing meals benefit the teachers and students?
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Publications Agreement # 40595030
You are warmly invited to join us for our Annual Dinner Tour. This year, we’ll be stopping in seven different locations in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.
PASTOR ANUP HIWALE
National Director of Mission of Peace-Making in India
Neerlandia, AB
Thursday, October 12
Lethbridge, AB
Friday, October 13
Edmonton, AB
Saturday, October 14
JUAN CARLOS
Director of Education Plus in Costa Rica
Hamilton, ON
Friday, November 10
Jordan, ON
Saturday, November 11
Chilliwack, BC
Friday, November 17
Aldergrove, BC
Saturday, November 18
More details are available at wordanddeed.org/events. Please call 1.877.375.9673 or email office@wordanddeed.org to book your seat!
