CBM mosaic 2016

A publication of Canadian Baptist Ministries

Winter 2016

A Portrait of Where Your Heart Was in 2015 A Year in Review

mosaic is published three times a year by Canadian Baptist Ministries. Copies are distributed free of charge. Bulk quantities available by request.

co ntact 7185 Millcreek Drive Mississauga, ON l5n 5r4 Tel: 905.821.3533 mosaic@cbmin.org www.cbmin.org Managing Editor Jennifer Lau Editor Laurena Zondo Art Direction Gordon Brew

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As partners in the Canadian Baptist family we exist to serve the local church in its grassroots mission. Together we impact our communities and beyond through the love of Christ.

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Winter 2016

4 Food & Community Development 6 AIDS & Health Care 8 Children & Youth at Risk

TERRYTALKS It ’s not an ex agger ation to say that those words by then-CBM General Secretary Bob Berry changed the course of my life forever. It was 1993 and Bob had come to visit my wife Heather and I in France where we were serving with another organization as missionaries among Muslim refugees in downtown Paris. Shortly afterward, we decided to join an organization that understands the centrality of the local church, the power of accountability and team work, the challenges of cross-cultural ministry, the need for clear and coherent systems-based solutions and the beauty and grandeur of global mission.

That conversation with Bob turned out to be just the beginning of my ever-deepening love for this organization called CBM. Fast forward 23 years and I now find myself stepping into the role of CBM’s Executive Director after overseeing its international work for the past 12 years. I enter into my new job with a greater belief than ever that the local church holds a vital place as the bearer of hope and healing in a world of brokenness. One of my goals as Executive Director is to inspire Canadian Baptists to regain their passion and vision for the local church as the centre of God’s mission. After all, mission is not something we ‘do’, but the very essence of who we are as God’s kingdom people.

The stories in this special issue of mosaic remind me of just how connected we are to the pain of the world today. What happens in one part of the globe can have an immediate and very real impact in lives right here in Canada. I was shocked to learn of the attacks in Paris a few months ago at the Bataclan Art Centre, where we had helped to plant an evangelical church all those years ago.

The challenges our global community has faced this past year have been immense – in all of these circumstances we know that God is working and moving his people to respond. And we never lose hope in the Risen Lord and the powerful message of love and reconciliation with which we as his Church, have been entrusted.

As we start a new year, let these words be our guide on our shared journey together: We are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

May we shine.

TS Terry Smith,

CBM Executive Director

Connect with Terry and what’s happening in CBM’s global network of ministry.

Connect with us on Facebook: facebook.com/cbmin.org

10 Evangelism & Church Planting just think......................12

14 Training Leaders 16 Peace, Justice & Reconciliation 18 Strengthening Partners 20 Crisis Response 22 She Matters Update 23 Serving Together 24 Walking Backward into 2016

mosaic is a community forum of local and global voices united by a shared mission. mosaic will serve as a catalyst to stimulate and encourage passionate discipleship among Canadian Baptists and their partners.

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Fo od & Commu ni t y Deve lopme nt

countries served:

Cuba, DR Congo, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, India, Bolivia, Philippines 2015 budget allocation:

$525,460

TS

The reality of global hunger is one of the critical issues of our time. As God’s people, we must respond when one in nine people on our planet does not have enough food to sustain themselves. Effective partnerships are vital to the work CBM does in every area, but this is most evident in our food and community development projects.

Through our membership in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and relationships with our global church partners, Canadian Baptists are making a profound difference in the lives of the poor and hungry. I have seen it happen with farmers in rice intensification programs in India, pineapple harvesting in Rwanda, maize in Kenya, and cassava in the DR Congo.

Partners sharing God’s love in practical ways.

Photo credit: Johnny Lam

Richard from Dartmouth, NS, along with 229 other supporters, are standing with Kakada on his farm in India.

Foo d & Commu ni t y Dev e lopme nt

growing a healthier future Kakada is a 55-year-old rice farmer on the east coast of India, mere kilometres from the Bay of Bengal. It is an area prone to cyclones that bring much-needed rain, but also destructive winds. “Nature is tough to manage, but somehow we survive,” says Kakada. He and his wife Marata have worked all of their life in the fields to provide for their two sons who are now grown and have children of their own.

Rice farming is family business. When children and grandchildren are not in school, they help out in the fields. Mothers and daughter-in-laws and other family at home pitch in when needed. The irony is that even though they grow food for the world, most of these families lack nutritious food and struggle with poverty and poor health.

Kakada’s family rely on what they grow over two seasons on five acres of land (three of which they lease) so trying anything new is very risky business. Failure means hunger for the family. But through community meetings by project staff and training sessions, Kakada was finally convinced to try a method called System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

“SRI is a system with multiple benefits,” explains Palla Yesu, another farmer using the new method. “The yields are improved and we use less seeds and less chemical fertilizers. Instead of 35 kg of seeds per acre, SRI only requires 2 kg of seeds. This is our biggest saving.”

This training in SRI is part of a food security project supported by CBM and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank among 1,080 farmers in 36 villages. Each village also receives 10 markers and 10 weeders to share among the farmers - tools that help them to carefully space the young seedlings and effectively weed around them. At monthly meetings, farmers share their challenges and progress with project staff.

A violent cyclone struck the first season that Kakada tried SRI on some of his land. “It is not easy to manage during a cyclone. There is lots of wind and dust. Many fields fell to the ground, but mine withstood because of the stronger plant.”

Kakada’s SRI fields not only survived, but thrived, giving him up to six extra bags of rice. He now plans to plant even more of his land next season using SRI and his success has convinced several more farmers to join. The next phase of the project looks at nutrition security, encouraging farming families to grow their own fruit and vegetables for a healthier diet. Laxmi, one of Kakada’s daughter-in-laws, is participating and looks forward to starting a vegetable garden for the whole family. “By God’s grace, we will all be healthy,” says Kakada with a big smile.

The irony is that even though they grow food for the world, most of these families lack nutritious food…

Becoming Food Secure in Kenya Many families in Garissa County (North Eastern Province, Kenya) have never had affordable, adequate food production, despite farming along the banks of the Tana River. They face many challenges such as rampant insecurity, harsh climate, poor soil fertility, unreadable rainfall, flooding, chronic pest and disease infestation, and poor farming methods. But for over two years now, CBM has engaged with some of the more vulnerable communities of Somali and Waliwana in training on different aspects of conservational agriculture to help families attain sustainable food security.

Pictured: Waliwana women working in their cooperative farm in North Eastern Province, Kenya.

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AI DS & H e a lt h Ca r e

countries served:

Kenya, Rwanda, India, Bolivia

2015 budget allocation:

$462,170

TS

When I came back to Canada in 2003, my colleagues Gary and Gordon were adamant that CBM needed to take a strong stance in the fight against HIV and AIDS, particularly with our African and Indian partners. Soon after that we learnt that families in Bolivia were dying because of a horrible disease called Chagas, which targets the poor who live in adobe houses. In India we learned that mothers and their children could have longer, healthier lives simply by providing nutritional supplements to pregnant women.

Countless lives have been saved and families made well because CBM has enabled our partners to care for the sick and broken, in the name of Jesus. “And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25:40)

Chris from Regina, SK, along with 230 others, are standing with Mary in Kenya.

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A I DS & H e a lt h Ca r e

Hope in India Sixteen-year-old Raju has faced many heart-breaking challenges in his young life. His father died when he was one. Raju’s mom struggled to provide for her two children, but they ended up moving in with their grandparents.

hope in kenya For the 10th anniversary of Guardians of Hope (GOH) in Kenya, CBM and its church partners launched a new initiative - Kamp Tumaini – for orphans and vulnerable children and youth impacted by HIV and AIDS. Two camps were held this past summer with 73 children and youth. They were loved and cared for by a team of volunteer leaders and counselors from Canada and Kenya.

It was a very rich time of worship, learning, sharing, play, and laughter – an amazing emotional and spiritual transformation for all involved.

Mary (pictured left) was one of the youth who attended. “Kamp Tumaini has been good to me. I have interacted with many people. I have seen that I am not the only one with these struggles. You have given me hope and I have peace of mind. I am so happy about it.”

Three years ago, tragedy fell upon Mary and her family when her father died and her mother was unable to work due to psychological issues. Her family was in a desperate situation. It seemed that the only answer was for Mary to leave school, get married at the age of 15, and help provide for her mother and siblings.

A few years later, when he was 10 years old, Raju also lost his mom. It’s believed that both his parents died of AIDS. Raju and his older sister went to live with an uncle and his family. It was an added financial burden and Raju eventually had to drop out of school and work in the fields as a seasonal labourer to help earn family income. A few years later, his sister moved out after she got married.

Raju’s plight came to the attention of a local volunteer worker with Guardians of Hope (GOH). Both he and his sister were tested and were relieved to discover that they do not have the disease. Besides counselling and visits of encouragement, GOH gave a small grant of 4,000 rupees ($80 CDN) to help the family start a vegetable stand.

His aunt continues to run the small business and Raju hopes that one day soon he will be able to return to school. He would like to become a businessman, buying and selling rice and products. He offers words of encouragement and advice to others who face similar challenges: “Don’t get discouraged. There is this program that can help you…They have helped me so much and because of this I can help my uncle and he is taking good care of me. In the same way, this program is helping many other people like me.”

If it was not for Guardians of Hope, I would not have been able to continue my education.

But Mary’s church intervened and through the GOH program, her school fees were paid. She was able to stay in school where she graduated top of her class! Mary is currently in her second year of university studying to be a chemistry teacher.

“If it was not for Guardians of Hope, I would not have been able to continue my education. They are angels in my life,” says Mary.

Photo credit: Johnny Lam

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C h il dren & Yo ut h at Ri s k

TS

The memory is seared in my mind – young children, impoverished, vulnerable, poorly clothed and definitely underfed. But unlike most of the images of children in the developing world depicted in the media, these kids aren’t staring blankly into a camera lens. They are running and laughing as they play with a very rudimentary toy, made of a wheel and stick. During my travels, I have witnessed this same scene in many African countries, but rarely has it struck me as much as in the DR Congo, where I’ve witnessed first-hand the power of the Church to transform whole communities. Because of local churches, at-risk children are going to school, receiving medical care, eating nutritious meals and having fun just being a kid.

countries served:

DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, India, Eastern Europe, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Lebanon 2015 budget allocation:

$404,120

Caring for orphans in Rwanda A high number of children in Rwanda today are orphans due to the tragic and compounding effects of the 1994 Genocide, HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. CBM offers compassionate care and support to over 1,265 orphans and vulnerable children, providing school fees, uniforms and other school supplies; livestock such as goats and pigs for nutrition and income; health care, counsel and spiritual nurture; and vocational and life skills training to help children and youth become less susceptible to abuse and exploitation.

Pictured: Hope* is nine years old. She lost her mom to AIDS and went to live with relatives, but they could not afford to care for her. Hope had little food to eat and was malnourished when a family friend intervened and took her in. At first Hope would just sit alone and cry, but life began to improve thanks to the care of her new family and CBM’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children project. Hope loved being able to go to school like other children. “I am happy that I can go to school.

I want to become a nurse and help other people.” *name has been changed

escaping life in prison My name is Lizeth and I am the oldest of four children.

My parents struggled financially and my father went to Argentina to make money, but over time he forgot us and stopped sending funds. As a result, my mother had to work a lot. Reluctantly she took the opportunity to make some money by transporting drugs. She was supposed to be gone for a week, but we didn’t hear from her for a long time. I

found out she had been arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison.

I was 14 years old and caring for my younger siblings. We were alone. Each of us had to work to help to support the family.

We were desperate to see our mother who was in prison far from home. When we reunited with her, we were so happy that we decided to remain in the prison with her.

Initially, we were sleeping in a tiny cell with 15 other people.

Living in prison made me frustrated and depressed. I was too upset to study and started to fail in school. A woman at the prison recommended to my mother that we get involved with the Casa de la Amistad who was helping families like ours.

Life was difficult. My mother worked at the prison cleaning the bathrooms [because in Bolivian prisons you have to provide for your own food and other needs]. She had to get up at 3 a.m. and I would get up with her to help. My siblings and I ran

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Nancy from Souris, MB, along with 493 other supporters, are standing with Lizeth and her mother in Bolivia.

errands for other inmates to earn money. The staff at the Casa encouraged and helped me, and by the end of that school year, my grades had improved.

A teacher and pastor named Eugenia came to work at the Casa. She helped us to learn more about God´s word. At a camp for Casa children, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Eugenia worked with us on theatre productions. We used these skills to minister in churches. When we came to Sinai Baptist Church, one of the church members there really made me feel welcome. I decided that this would be my church family and started attending regularly. Through Eugenia’s care for us, we learned that a single person can have a huge impact on another person´s life.

After a child turns 16, he or she can no longer live in the prison. Sinai church offered me a room. The ministry of the Casa and Sinai continued to have a big impact in my life. I began to take on areas of responsibility in the church and also

volunteered at Casa, teaching the kids to dance. Then I heard the Jireh program for street kids was looking for a new teacher. My pastor encouraged me to apply. I didn´t feel capable because I don´t have a university degree. When they called to tell me I had been chosen as the new teacher, I couldn´t believe it!

I ask myself what would have happened to me if I had not come to the Casa. I want to support these children at Jireh like the staff at Casa supported me. I know it can make a difference. My pastor once told me that I am one of the most special fruits to grow from the Casa´s ministry. ~Reporting by Jennifer Robertson~

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Evan g e l i s m & C hu rch P l a nt i ng

Elaine from Etobicoke, ON, along with 95 other supporters, are standing with Andy in China.

countries served:

North Africa, Rwanda, China, Germany, Bolivia, Cuba, Lebanon, Turkey, Canada 2015 budget allocation:

$498,950

TS

One of the greatest joys Heather and I ever had was being part of a church-planting effort in Paris. Most of the people in our new church were young adults under 25. Many of them had come to Paris from North Africa and the Middle East, seeking a better and different life. For eight years, we worked, worshiped, played, ate and grew together with an amazing group of people. Our friendships have lasted through the decades. Their lives – and ours – were transformed. I noticed something there that I have seen repeated over and over again around the world. Whenever people leave their home context and find themselves in a new or foreign setting, they tend to be particularly open to hearing God’s voice. Today, CBM staff witness this same reality in many countries.

Evan g e l i s m & C hu rch P l a nt i ng

missing parents in china In China, large numbers of rural children have been left in the care of grandparents, or other family members who are often too poor to provide adequate care. Why? Their parents, about 274 million* migrant workers, have gone to the big cities for work.

Many of these children face emotional pain, as they miss their parents who are often gone for almost a year at a time. They find it difficult to relate to, or care for others, and cover their emotional pain with indifference. Often, they have lost their self-esteem and confidence.

In response to this great need, a Student Services Centre was opened in January 2014 and then a year later, a second centre. Local communities are already asking for a third.

Saturday is the busiest day at the Centres, a day that the children look forward to.

“One of our students, Andy** an 11-year-old boy who’s being raised by his grandparents, was a very mischievous child who liked to fight with others and was always breaking the heart of his grandmother,” shares staff member Ping. “This child was often overlooked and misunderstood, and he thought that everything he did was wrong. He was like a broken jar. Every Saturday he would ride his bicycle to the Centre to participate in our program. We used games, a sharing time and prizes to encourage him and let him know that he is a special and excellent boy. With our attention, care and understanding, he has slowly changed and is growing up to be a sensitive and generous person who is willing to help others. We have become his family. We hope that every child who comes to this Centre will grow up happy, and live each day to the fullest.”

But it takes time and patience for trust to develop. “At first we were very depressed and felt helpless because we could not see any unity, any love. The children often fought and shouted at each other, and were unable to forgive,” says another staff member Xiang Jiao. “We strategically played interactive games with the children to help them connect with each other, and with us. They discovered that they are not alone. Now they are very different. Now they can play together, and they openly share with us their hurts and their joys. When there is an argument, they are the first to apologize. They are willing to forgive and embrace others…and they are attracting many other children to join…causing us to have more new friends and family.

I am thankful for them…they have shown me that if we want change to happen, we must first change ourselves.” ~Story by Grace Mei~ *http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-04/30/content_ 20590887.htm **name has been changed

We hope that every child who comes to this Centre will grow up happy, and live each day to the fullest.

Expanding our Latin American Partnerships CBM’s newest global partner is the Fraternity of Cuban Baptist Churches (FIBAC) in Cuba, an island nation that has been painfully isolated from economic development for 56 years. Over the past three years, we have been forging a new way of working in mutuality for the spiritual, social and economic development of the local communities where FIBAC churches are present. With a normalization of relations between Cuba and the US, a new openness is prevailing and we look forward to walking alongside our Cuban church partner during this significant time of transition.

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just think

$274

$60

In nine months you can feed a Syrian refugee family in Lebanon for three months.

After two months you can support a family with the gift of a pig, or a farmer with seeds tools and training in Rwanda.

$91 In three months you can give a survival kit for those displaced in their own country due to violence.

Change the world this year!

One dollar a day.

One day at a time.

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$182 $31 In just one month you can send a child to school in India.

In six months you can help a women’s entrepreneur group in Kenya move out of poverty.

$366 In one year you can protect an entire family from Chagas disease in Bolivia.

janu

ary 2016

f e b r uary march

april

m ay june

j ul y

august september

october n o v em b e r

d e c em b e r j a n u a ry 2 0 1 7

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Tr a i ni ng L e a de r s

TS What a humbling experience it was! I had been invited to “observe” a class in a small, theological seminary in Wuhan, China. The professor was a friend of CBM. After some introductions, she asked if I would share some thoughts about leadership in the local church.

I told the 75+ students who were crammed into a small classroom about a few lessons I had learned as a pastor and church-planter. What truly humbled me, though, was the fact that these same students are probably going to be part of the leadership of one of the fastest growing Christian movements of all time – the rise of the evangelical Church in China. At CBM we aren’t just training pastors – we are also working with laypeople , youth leaders, and business people – because we have seen that one of the most effective ways to transform local churches and communities is by equipping emerging leaders. countries served:

DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, India, Philippines, Thailand, Eastern Europe, Bolivia, Cuba, Lebanon, Turkey 2015 budget allocation:

$379,140

Bill from Kelowna, BC, along with 232 other supporters, are standing with Dida in the Philippines.

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Tr a i ni ng L e a de r s

following the straight path Dida* is the wife of Ismael*, one of the Indigenous Movement Communities (IMC) Network’s leaders. Ismael is also an acknowledged religious leader in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a position he serves by drawing on the wisdom that comes from knowing Isa al Masih (Jesus Christ). Dida and Ismael have two children and are expecting their third. Because of a consistently unstable situation in Ismael’s village, they have moved several times in the past year to protect their children from illness and the threat of violence. Most recently they have been living with Dida’s family in the countryside, where her parents farm their own land. After a time of stability, even there, conflict has arisen because of others trying to lay claim to her family’s land.

As CBM Field Staff, we work amongst Muslim believers like Dida and Ismael, who call themselves Followers of the Straight Path. These believers have formed the IMC Network to serve their people. They do this through word and deed, sharing their faith and knowledge of God within the context of their culture and Islamic religious practices, while addressing expressed felt needs through development projects. Over the years, we have developed a deep love for Dida and Ismael and all the people we serve.

It was Ismael’s religious life and spiritual devotion that initially attracted Dida to him. She was intrigued when she learned that his faith was centered in Isa al Masih, and she joined in his spiritual journey. Since culturally men believe it is better for their wives to be taught by other trustworthy people rather than by their husbands, Ismael encouraged Dida to take part in the regular biblical/theological and spiritual formation training that we have been offering for women leaders.

A recent session focused on a brief overview of the four Gospels. The women discovered the parallels in John 1 with the Muslim understanding of Jesus as the Straight Path, Jesus as the Kalimat’allah (Word of God), and Jesus as the Ruallah (breath of/from God). Dida was also impressed with John 14:6.

“Now I understand better,” she said. “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Straight Path that leads us to Allah, the Word of God that is always truthful, and the breath of God that gives life to everyone.”

Dida wants to be a faithful servant of God and to help bring to fruition her husband’s vision to see peace reign over their ancestral lands. Dida’s commitment to the training program is to reproduce what she learns back in her community. As a female leader, Dida reaches out to other young women inviting them to join her in seeking the path of righteousness for their lives. ~Story by Emo and Kathy Yango~ *name has been changed

As a female leader, Dida reaches out to other young women inviting them to join her in seeking the path of righteousness for their lives.

Horizons LIVE in Hungary Over 60 youth leaders from across Hungary and Romania attended Horizons LIVE, a weekend seminar with CBM field staff Jeff Carter, this past fall. The Horizons training program is available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Norwegian, Russian and Serbian. Coming soon is the release of Portuguese, Romanian and Bulgarian versions.

It’s all part of the commitment of CBM and the European Baptist Federation (representing 51 countries) to the training of the next generation of leaders working with children and youth.

In light of the recent economic challenges in Europe where young adults age 18 to 35 are facing unprecedented unemployment levels (as high as 80%), there is a greater need than ever to encourage and equip local church leaders. The recent influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees has furthered the uncertainty of finding work and caused some European youth to act out against these victims of conflict who are simply looking for a new life.

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Peace, Ju st i ce & Reconci l i at i on

countries served:

DR Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan 2015 budget allocation:

$50,310

TS

I felt immense pride as I watched Rev. Gato Corneil Munyamasoko, General Secretary of the Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda, walk humbly across the stage of the National Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa to accept the Baptist World Alliance’s Human Rights Award last July. In receiving this award, my friend and colleague joined a group of illustrious global Baptist leaders, such as President Jimmy Carter, who have been recognized for their work in building a more just and peaceful society. For the past 10 years, CBM has made peace-building a central focus of our global engagement because we know one of the key causes of poverty is civil conflict and war. One of our responses is in the training and empowering of people like Rev. Gato, and supporting programs such as peace camps, reconciliation training for pastors and one-on-one mediation, all of which help bring shalom in a broken world.

building peace and sharing dignity

BWA Human Rights Award Pictured: Gato Munyamasoko, recipient of the BWA Human Rights Award, with wife Anne-Marie and CBM Executive Director Terry Smith and his wife Heather. The award ceremony was part of the Baptist World Alliance Annual Gathering held this past July in South Africa.

Gato is the Executive Minister of CBM’s partner, the Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda (AEBR) after serving for several years as a Field Staff for CBM. He was bestowed with this award for his work in peace and reconciliation after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He has led initiatives that include the launching of peace and reconciliation clubs in each of the secondary schools of the AEBR, confronting suspicion and hate among teachers and students, and the founding of a peace camp movement which brings youth from Rwanda and DR Congo together to form intentional communities of equality, respect, creativity and dialogue. Over the years he has trained and mentored hundreds of youth and young adults to become peacemakers on the basis of an understanding of justice drawn from the Bible.

Pastor Simon was shot and nearly died when fighting erupted in his homeland of South Sudan. While the war had torn his body and world apart, it did not destroy his faith. Although he lost his left leg, by God's grace Pastor Simon survived and was able to recover for two months in a Juba hospital where he received a prosthetic limb.

"We lost everything," shares Pastor Simon. "All our belongings had been stolen, many died and our home was no longer safe. It was very bad. With my family we travelled to Kakuma [a large refugee camp in northern Kenya]. We did not come alone. Thousands of us came…soon we began to meet together for prayer and worship."

Today there are more than 800 members worshipping in Pastor Simon's church, and 2,000 more in two of the other churches that CBM’s church partner in South Sudan, Faith Evangelical Baptist Church (FEBAC), has established in the camp. Most are widows and orphans. “The people are supportive of one another and we have not lost our faith,” says Pastor Simon.

“Please pray for the orphans and widows of our church. We are doing our best for each other, but the needs are so great."

Kakuma is not an easy place to live, surrounded by hundreds of miles of arid lands of sand and thorny scrub. Rain is a rarity.

Yet here is where so many like Pastor Simon have fled. The fastest growing population is from South Sudan. Over the past two years, tens of thousands of South Sudanese like Pastor Simon have ended up in Kakuma, but displaced people also come from other places in East Africa and the Middle East.

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Peace , Ju st i ce & Reconci l i at i on

Dorothy from Moncton, NB, along with 11 others, are upholding Simon and the FEBAC churches among refugees in Kenya.

Together with CBM, FEBAC has coordinated relief and recovery ministries for thousands of people from South Sudan.

The suffering and killings many residents in Kakuma have witnessed back home have caused significant emotional and psychological trauma. These refugees have not received the necessary counselling because of the lack of qualified counselors within the camp. Due to the amount of conflicts arising within the camp, Kakuma camp has been identified as a crucial place to build bridges of trust and compassion among its residents. The recognition of our common human dignity and worth is the first step to peace and well-being. ~Story by Aaron and Erica Kenny~

The recognition of our common human dignity and worth is the first step to peace and well-being.

Pastor Simon (pictured right) leads a new church in Kakuma Refugee Camp (pictured below) in northern Kenya.

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Str e ngt he ni ng Pa rt ne r s

TS A lawyer, a scientist and a theologian… sounds like the start to a joke, but there is nothing to laugh at when you meet C.P. Raju, Dr. Judson and Dr. Suraj Komaravalli.

These three remarkable men are examples of the calibre of people CBM has been able to attract as National Staff to help grow our ministries in India. For years, they have formed the backbone of our India Team, travelling tirelessly throughout Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana, strengthening our Indian partners in a wide spectrum of topics, from chemical-free pesticides to New Testament exegesis, from asset management to systems of rice intensification. In 2015, our whole staff team multiplied its efforts in training and mentoring the staff of our global partners. The ripple effect is now being felt in thousands of churches as they share promising practices in their own regions. countries served:

DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, India, Bolivia, Cuba, Canada 2015 budget allocation:

$376,617

breaking the shame "I am passionate about social justice," shares Judith. "Sexual violence remains a problem. In the war it became a weapon of humiliation, and still today there are gangs and militia that use it.”

Judith is a member of the women's department of the Baptist Community in Central Africa (CBCA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She has worked in the areas of health, relief, and community development serving street children and people displaced and wounded by the ravages of war and sexual violence. Currently, she is serving 612 women and children in the rape survivors’ ministry that offers trauma counseling, medical support and other practical care. One of the critical ways CBM helps to strengthen our global partners is by assisting them with the funds needed to train and employ effective staff like Judith. This enables our partners to most effectively identify and address the needs within their own communities.

Few families in Kivu have escaped the effects of rape and war. By addressing the issue and entering into relationship with individual survivors, the Church is seeing sexual violence through the perspective of individual stories. As the issue of sexual violence becomes both a corporate and a personal concern, people are witnessing the power of God to transform the devastation of rape into hope and new life. Other practical support includes helping survivors with socio/economic integration, such as the start-up income-generating activities.

Says Judith, “Rape has a lot of stigma in our communities. Families can blame the victims and even turn away from them and reject their children.

The survivors feel shame, they feel hurt, and hopeless. They need someone to listen with them. Cry with them. Pray with them. We help each person with healing. When a woman is healing and there is no more stigma, she is able to return to the fields and to the market. She is able to walk with other women and break the silence. Break the shame. She has the strength to talk about it. She no longer hides. She is alive again!" ~Story by Aaron and Erica Kenny~

CBM Africa Food Security Conference

Photo credit: Randy Vanderveen

For the past several years, CBM has provided a vital food security conference for the development staff from our partner churches in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Rwanda. The learning on conservation agriculture (with techniques in mulching, organic fertilizers and pesticides, crop rotation, fruit tree grafting, agro-forestry, and more) has been passed along to the thousands of farmers that they work closely with, helping to improve not only the health of soil and the environment, but also the nutritional value and bounty of crops.

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S t r e ngt he ni ng Pa rt ne r s

Joyce from Ottawa, ON, along with 232 other supporters, are upholding Judith and CBCA churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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C r i s i s Res pons e

Joan from St. John's, NL, along with many other supporters, are standing with refugee families like Majida's in Lebanon.

C r i s i s Res pons e

TS Alia Abboud is a dear friend of mine. She works with our partner, the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD) in Lebanon. Alia lost her father in the civil war that ravaged her country for over 20 years. She grew up under Syrian oppression and was taught to hate the enemy, but by God’s grace and through her deep spiritual roots, Alia is helping lead a movement of God’s people that is transforming her country.

When CBM began responding to the crisis in Lebanon, LSESD had no funds to help during emergencies such as this. But they learned to work together and offer what they did have (love, an open door, forgiveness and service) to meet the needs of people in crisis situations. Today, by leveraging our leadership and the donations of many Canadian Baptists alongside the support of our government and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, LSESD has invested more than $4 million in meeting the needs of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. countries served:

Global In times of crisis and emergency, CBM helps our church partners respond immediately with food, water, medicine, temporary shelter. We also help people begin the long journey of recovery and rebuilding.

finding shelter in the storm “The fighting started with heavy explosions, and then the planes came and were dropping bombs, and then they were bombing every day,” shares Majida*, now living as a refugee in Lebanon. Together with her husband and five children, Majida fled Syria nearly three years ago when bombings and explosions moved from the centre of the city and starting hitting the suburbs. One of the bombs destroyed the electric plant where her husband worked. They were without power and he was out of a job.

When she and her family arrived in Lebanon, they found shelter in a community centre housing multiple refugee families. She desperately wanted her children to have an education, but was unable to afford enrolling them in any of the local schools. She worried as she saw them sitting at home all day, bored. She tried to teach them a bit herself, but it wasn’t the same.

“I was very tired emotionally for the first four or five months here in Lebanon. You understand me,” she shared with a wistful smile.

The family has since lived in three different shelters, the latest move in order to be closer to the children’s new education centre started by a local Baptist church in the Bekaa region. They now live in a two-bedroom apartment that they share with another family. It’s crowded, but this allows them to split the $500 rent. Her husband was able to find some work at a restaurant, and with his current salary they are barely scraping by.

When the educational centre first opened its doors in 2013, three of her children were able to enroll. When Grades 6 and 7 were added, her daughter was also able to attend. Majida too is studying English as part of the adult education program at the centre.

“I’m studying English for my children,” she says with a smile, “so that I can help them.” She and her children are happy to have this opportunity to be out of the home and interacting with others. “Before my children spoke a lot about Syria and the war, but now they speak about Jesus and peace.” * name has been changed Footnote: CBM is walking alongside our partner, the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, as it responds to the approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees who have f led into Lebanon since the start of the civil war in 2011. It’s helping local churches to respond to the great need in their midst. ~From a report by the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development~

The BReaD Network

Photo credit: ADRA

CBM is member of a global Baptist network committed to the collaboration and sharing of resources for the effective practice of integral mission in places of need.

Members of the BReaD Network, which began in January 2015, seek to improve each other’s mission and work collaboratively to create greater results in addressing poverty globally.

Through BReaD, CBM was able to respond immediately to major disasters in Vanuatu and Nepal and assist displaced people in the complex humanitarian emergency of South Sudan.

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Halifax Association in the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches are standing with marginalized girls and women around the world.

To-date, 120 Canadian Baptist churches across the country have joined CBM’s She Matters advocacy campaign for gender equity, to educate, equip and empower girls and women who have the potential to be the greatest influencers of change in their families and communities.

The campaign has raised over $180,000 in the first year to improve access to education for girls. One of the projects supported is Jireh in Bolivia for vulnerable children who must work to help support the family, such as 13-year-old Evelin. Here is her story...

My dad went to another region to work. At first he sent us money, but he soon forgot us. Now my mom works as a washerwoman along with my little sister, who doesn’t go to school yet. My other sister works as a helper at her godmother’s home, and I work on weekends. Many times the money my mom earns is not sufficient, and that is why we help her by paying our school expenses. Jireh has helped our family so much. They give us school material as needed, give us meals every day, help us with our health care, and above all they teach us the word of God. Before coming to the project, I behaved badly at school and felt alone because I did not have a dad. I would think bad things and I even hurt myself. Now I feel loved and important to the people around me. I have learned to behave and obey my mom. I feel good and now have friends. ~From a report by Lizeth. See page 8 for Lizeth's story~

Learn more at shematters.cbmin.org

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Canadian Baptist Ministries 7185 Millcreek Drive Mississauga, Ontario L5N 5R4

TS Our First Nations talk about walking backward into the future. Whereas we tend to charge full steam ahead, indigenous peoples are mindful that everything they are is because of where they came from. Being rooted in the past helps inform, undergird, and sometimes critique our mission-thinking at CBM. It shapes our engagement with local churches, supporters, denominations, global partners and our mission strategy.

So how will the past shape our present and future?

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We will promote gender-equity & empower women in ministry globally – we were doing it in India in the 1920s and ‘30s through a gender-based program called The Bible Women and we continue to make gender inequity a key global issue our programs will address.

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We will ramp up our commitment to Marketplace Ministries. CBM is deeply concerned about the other six days of the week and how we can use our work and professional skills for God’s Kingdom. It’s a question we have asked since the 1940s when we were teaching Bolivian farmers how to run their own businesses.

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We will continue to invest in alternative, non-classroom based theological training because it is vital to strengthening our church partners. This has been an effective strategy for us since the late 1950s when our first staff provided theological education under umbrella trees in the villages of the Congo.

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Finally, we will champion integral mission both at home and globally. While the name might be new, it is just doing mission in Christ’s way, something Canadian Baptists have been doing for over 140 years.

Today in Canada, many churches are struggling with their own identity, but are finding a renewed vision for mission by reaching out to refugees. They want to be a welcoming oasis for new Canadians. I believe that our Canadian Baptist churches can transform into something different through their encounters with a global God. Let us allow the movement of the spirit in the global South to stir up something fresh here at home.

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