CBM mosaic fall 2014

A publication of Canadian Baptist Ministries

Fall 2014

Also in this issue

She Matters

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Thoughts on Gender Equality

12

Portraits: The Empowerment of Eve

18

Shared Tears: Plight of Christian and Muslim Refugees

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

c o n ta c t 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 Cover Photo Johnny CY Lam A visit with one of the families in a CBM food security project in India. Turn to page 17 Connect with us.

www.cbmin.org @canadianbaptist facebook.com/cbmin.org

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“She matters.”

This may have been what Jesus thought when He saw the Samaritan woman at the well . Or when Mary anointed His feet with perfume. Or when a woman caught in adultery was thrown at His feet (with her partner nowhere to be found).

Jesus elevated the status of women in His culture, treating them with dignity and love and included them among His followers.

This issue of mosaic contains stories of empowerment, with special attention to women. CBM’s new vision focuses on the church as a community that brings healing to the world through word and deed. CBM teaches women in India and Rwanda how to read so that they can participate more fully in their communities. The Canadian Baptist family ordains women for pastoral ministry. Canadian Baptist Women are increasing their advocacy work to raise awareness about human trafficking for the purposes of sex. All of these activities are expressions of God’s desire for His people.

CBM’s new advocacy campaign – She Matters – focuses our attention on gender equality. When it comes to global poverty alleviation, women play a key role. Empowering mothers and daughters and sisters result in empowered communities. But more importantly, CBM’s vision of God’s New Creation is that men and women are restored to what was originally intended, namely, that they are co-equals commissioned by God to garden and steward the earth collegially. This means that empowering women is not only wise (because it works), but also good (because God wants it).

We recently appointed Brenda Halk as a Strategic Associate to serve in the role of Women’s Initiatives Facilitator. She will provide strategic direction to a global network of women who will mentor and support emerging female leaders in their local contexts. We are excited about Brenda’s new role, which will strengthen the work of CBM’s global church partners in the training and equipping of women to be effective agents of change at home, in the churches and within the wider community.

Grace and peace, Rev. Sam Chaise Executive Director of CBM

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.

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

Follow Sam on Twitter @samchaise_cbm.

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Fall 2014 Fall 2014 learn . . .............................. 4 She Matters: Thoughts 4 learn ............................... on Gender Equality She Matters: Thoughts on Gender Equality through 8 the Street Food: A Look at Lens of our Africa Ministry on the Streets Team Leaders of Toronto by a Church Without a Building 8 Street Food: A Look at Ministry on the Streets 10 of Exercising Heart Toronto God's by a Church without a Building 12 The Empowerment of Eve: Exercising Portraits from India 10 God's Heart

17 just She Matters Campaign think .....................12 A Societal Omission 18 Shared Tears: Plight of Christian of Eve: 14 The Empowerment and Muslim Refugees A Photo Essay from India

What’s on her mind?

She bears the responsibility for so much and yet is the one most often denied access to education.

Empower a woman. She will improve life for her family, and the community. Help to stop poverty from being passed on to the next generation.

20 Shared Gifts ofTears: Hope in Lebanon: 18 An Update on How You Plight of Christian are Helping and Muslim Syrian Refugees Refugees through CBM's CrisisofResponse 20 Gifts Hope in Lebanon: An Update on How You are theHelping view........................

22 Syrian Refugees through Second Chance in Bolivia CBM's Crisis Response just think..................... 23 the A Societal Omission view .......................

22 CASA/Bolivia touch............................. 24 see Grassroots Heroes ...............................

23 She Matters Ad? touch ............................ 24 Grassroots Heroes

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photo: Johnny CY Lam

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Thoughts on Gender Equality

Matters An interview with Aaron and Erica Kenny, CBM Africa Team Leaders

{mosaic}

SHE {Erica} SAID:

CBM’s new annual campaign, She Matters,

We have been blessed to be a part of the self-help groups – these are w_ _ _ _ who are helping themselves now and not having to ask for handouts. They’re coming together and praying, singing, laughing and crying, and just being together as a group and supporting one another. They are saving money together, starting small businesses together, and empowering one another.

focuses on the issue of gender equality.

The first year of this campaign highlights the need for g _ _ _ _ to have equal access to educational opportunities.

What is the best example of the empowerment of w_ _ _ _ that you have seen so far in your years of ministry in Africa?

filling in the blanks Struggling to make sense of all the words left blank?

Jump to Just Think (page 23) to discover what's amiss.

HE {Aaron} SAID: Every program in Africa that CBM is involved in is very intentional about empowering w_ _ _ _. When we sit down with our partner churches and work through identifying problems and designing interventions, the question is always asked: “How will this impact w_ _ _ _? How will w_ _ _ _ be a part of identifying needs and measuring the impact?”

We’re seeing incredible transformation in the self-help program in Garissa, Eastleigh and urban sections of Nairobi which has not only helped provide school fees for children but has actually visited parents and helped them to understand the importance of their g_ _ _ children going to school – to help change the attitudes of parents who think “Why would I send my d_ _ _ _ _ _ _ to school and lose someone who can help me with work around the house?”

Wouldn’t that just be a waste of time?” We started a scholarship program and we‘ve just had the first few g_ _ _ _ graduate high school – one of whom is top of her class and so excited.

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In order to empower w_ _ _ _, we have to also empower men.

If men are feeling devalued and all the focus is on the w_ _ _ _ then they are just going to push the w_ _ _ _ back even more.

{mosaic}

{mosaic}

What is the biggest issue facing the vulnerable

Is the Church in Africa leading in promoting gender

w_ _ _ _ you work alongside of in Kenya?

equality or catching up to what’s happening in society?

SHE {Erica} SAID:

SHE {Erica} SAID:

Right now with all of the terrorism and insecurities, w_ _ _ _ in Muslim communities are harassed constantly. Over the past few months, I’ve had several w_ _ _ _ come to me who have been raped...they are a target. They are like nonpersons. They have no identification and they have nowhere else to go. They can’t flee because there’s nowhere to flee to so their new reality is just a life of harassment and violation. It has been heartbreaking. We've rescued a number of w_ _ _ _ and taken them to the hospital or sheltered them at our home.

The Church is helping the community along in a lot of cases. When we’re out in the villages, we see that it’s the men who definitely hold the positions of leadership – at meetings, it’s the men who speak and the w_ _ _ _ are silent – but the Church is showing them that it’s okay for their w_ _ _ _ to have a voice and to use it and to hold positions of leadership on committees and within the church and other groups. The Church is paving the way for this to happen and trying to empower w_ _ _ _.

HE {Aaron} SAID: The biggest challenge is the ignorance and abuse of men towards w_ _ _ _. We see way too many cases of rape, way too many cases of w_ _ _ _ being abused by police and other men in authority, such as uncles, husbands, and fathers.

HE {Aaron} SAID: It’s different from partner to partner and country to country. In some cases, they are leading the way, standing up and are some of the first to raise their voice. The Baptist Community in Central Africa (DR Congo), for instance, is on the forefront of taking seriously the abuse of w_ _ _ _ by soldiers and the ravage of rape that has become common place in the country. Other partners can do more and they need to take seriously how they participate in cultures and systems that have oppression embedded within them. We all need to do this. It’s a global issue for the Church.

[above] C B M i s em p ow e ring wom e n and girls in Africa by providing access to educational opportunities, vocational and life skills training, micro-enterprise, spiritual counsel and mentoring.

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So is the role of w_ _ _ _ changing in Kenyan society, in Africa, in general? And

Any last comments? Do you think CBM

if so, is the change seen as a good thing? Is it being embraced by the Church?

should continue to focus on gender issues?

SHE {Erica} SAID:

SHE {Erica} SAID:

We are seeing more w_ _ _ _ in leadership. It’s a slow process but steadily increasing. Two of our partner churches in Kenya, the Africa Brotherhood Church and the African Christian Church & Schools, have w_ _ _ _ as principals of their Bible schools. They’re recognizing w_ _ _ _ in leadership and embracing it, but in Muslim ministries it’s completely different. W_ _ _ _ are not valued and do not have a voice. They do not have men standing up for them, giving them roles, saying that these are leaders in our community, so w_ _ _ _ are standing up for themselves. They’re taking it upon themselves to make sure that their voices are heard. It’s not an easy journey for them to have leadership or any type of empowerment. They are being punished for it all the time, whether it’s being beaten or sent away, but they continue because they believe they have a voice and they have something to say and they want to stand up for each other.

In order to empower w_ _ _ _, we have to also empower men. If men are feeling devalued and all the focus is on the w_ _ _ _ then they are just going to push the w_ _ _ _ back even more. We have to show that we value both – to help each other and want the best for each other. God wants all people to share in experiencing new life in Christ. We need to learn to treat each other with value and dignity and to speak, and pray into, those areas where inequality and injustice is happening.

HE {Aaron} SAID: In some places it’s changing…in Kenya there’s an emerging middle class, and we’re seeing more people receiving university education, more w_ _ _ _ becoming professionals, and in our church partners we’re seeing w_ _ _ _ ordained, but we don’t have w_ _ _ _ in top executive positions yet within the Church…What’s interesting is in countries like DR Congo and Rwanda where the issue of w_ _ _ _ in church leadership is being debated at the highest levels of the church.

They are starting to recognize that the church is broken, not fully living out the gospel, because we’ve cut away half of our body from being fully engaged in ministry…We are also making sure that w_ _ _ _ at the grassroots level are becoming literate and having opportunities to grow and be empowered.

HE {Aaron} SAID: We are all made in God’s image, male and f _ _ _ _ _. We are all equally called children of God. As Christians, we are called to enter into the brokenness of this world and bring healing and wholeness. The issue of gender inequality is an issue of sin and brokenness and the Gospel speaks to that. And that’s why we need to be taking this issue seriously.

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A Look at Ministry on the Streets of Toronto by a Church Without a Building

by Erinn Oxford, Director of The Dale Ministries

Here everyone is invited into full participation, an attempt to have people experience what it means to both give and receive, a value that is too often lost when one is consistently a recipient of charity.

https://www.google.com/maps/preview THE KITCHEN IS BUSTLING WITH ACTIVITY. It is Monday, which means lunch day at The Dale Ministries.

Formerly Parkdale Neighbourhood Church, The Dale is now a ministry without its own walls: every activity, including this one, is done in partnership with buildings throughout the neighbourhood. At the core of The Dale are people who know poverty. On this day approximately 100 people are seated at long tables ready to eat a lunch made largely by the community members themselves. Here everyone is invited into “full participation”, an attempt to have people experience what it means to both give and receive, a value that is too often lost when one is consistently a recipient of charity.

Andrea* arrives late and approaches me by the kitchen.

She is interested in getting some food not for herself, but a friend who is apparently too drunk to make his way to lunch.

I have known both Andrea and this friend since 2007, the year I began working at The Dale. “Can I get John* some food? I even brought a container.” As I fill the old margarine tub with

food, Andrea reminds me that she was once a woman of the night or in other words, a prostitute. With a grin, she announces that it has been at least five years since she worked that job. Now it’s her job to take care of John and the others that make up their crew.

As a child Andrea never imagined she would one day sell her body to men. Rather, she dreamt of being a teacher and hoped to be a mother. Things began to change when Andrea became the victim of repeated abuse by various family members. She fled her unsafe home with nowhere to go. As a young woman Andrea found herself on the streets of Toronto. It didn't take long for a man disguised as a father figure to show up, full of promises to care for her. Within weeks Andrea was trapped, forced by the man now known as her pimp to make the money he had at first promised to take care of her with.

Andrea spent years being controlled by other people. In order to cope she turned to substances that seemed the only escape.

Andrea is no longer a young woman: she describes her youth as a distant, ugly memory. Her hair has whitened; her skin is translucent

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give

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&

receive

and full of scars; her hands rough from street life. I see in her a fierce resolve to conquer the addictions that still have a grasp, to experience healing in regard to her past and to rediscover the dreams she thought were dead. I am inspired

by Andrea and know I have much to learn from her.

One of the deepest challenges for Andrea is to believe that as a woman she is valued for something other than her body. She spent most of her life being used by other people for their own so-called pleasure. This is not a struggle unique to Andrea and her circumstances: it is a struggle for many people every day. At The Dale we are privileged to acknowledge our own brokenness and journey with one another toward wholeness in Christ.

As I hand over the full container of food, Andrea looks me straight in the eye and says, “I always wanted to be a mother and now, in a funny way, I am. Maybe one day I’ll still figure out how to be a teacher.” I try to copy her famous grin and emphatically say, “Oh Andrea, in a funny way, you already are.”

*Names have been changed

At first it was an affluent “suburb” of Toronto, close to the lake with sprawling homes. Then Parkdale became a neighbourhood in decline as the building of an expressway cut off people’s access to the waterfront and the de-institutionalization of mental health care led to people being let out of a near by facility.

[above] Lun ch Day at The Dale is an invitation to give and receive.

People with means began to move elsewhere while those struggling to get by moved into the once single family dwellings turned rooming houses. Today Parkdale faces more change as new businesses move in and derelict buildings are transformed. And the fear of many is that they will be displaced, unable to afford living in their neighbourhood.

Throughout the years, Parkdale Baptist Church has evolved as it shared in all the ups and downs of the community. From the early days of growth in members and income and involvement in planting several churches in new parts of the city, including Lorne Park Baptist in Mississauga, to the decline in membership and eventual selling of the church building in the late 1980s; the start of a new church out of a storefront - Parkdale Neighbourhood Baptist Church (PNC) in the mid 1990s; and a new path forged in 2001 with the hiring of a pastor who had experience working with the homeless and street-involved, mental health system survivors and those struggling with substance abuse.

PNC soon outgrew its facilities and moved to a larger space. But crisis arose in 2009 with the recession and funding cuts. The church stumbled along for a few more years in severe financial constraint before deciding to “reboot” in 2012 and become a church without walls (The Dale), and offer their programs and services at host buildings of community partners. www.pnctoronto.ca

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EXERCISING GOD'S HEART

by Renée James, Communications Director, Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec

An interview with Moreen Sharp, President of the North American Baptist Women’s Union (NABWU), on some of her findings from the 58th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women held last March. The NABWU is a network of four million women that includes the Canadian Baptist women’s organizations.

Renée: Tell us about your role at the UN Commission.

Moreen: I represented the Baptist World Alliance Women’s Department, attending sessions and filing a report with the Women’s Department. This Commission’s focus was the Millennium Development Goals and how far we’d come in meeting those goals, particularly as they relate to women.

Renée: What did you take away from this Commission?

Moreen: First, I left inspired by the power of grassroots movements and what one woman can do.

I attended workshops where I heard from women who were seeing the needs around them and doing something. For example, when a presenter’s teenage daughter came home from school talking about human trafficking, she was shocked. She funneled that shock into founding an organization that’s the first ever in the United States that trains airport workers to recognize when human trafficking is happening and what to do about it.

I saw God’s heart in these women. They weren’t necessarily religious, but they were reaching out, exercising His heart.

Second, I realized how important mentoring is for young women. At one workshop, young presenters from all over the world talked about the difference that being mentored had made in their lives. After their presentation I asked them how they thought NABWU could encourage young women like them to be involved and what role an organization like NABWU could have in their lives. [To that end] I’d like to encourage older women to know that they have so much to offer younger women. Take them out for coffee, hear their stories and encourage them. See how you can help them.

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UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

[left] Moreen Sharp (pictured left) and Linda Irwin were two of the Baptist Women delegates at the 58th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

[above] Women from grassroots organizations around the world shared at the UN Commission on the Status of Women some of the work that they are doing to respond to local needs.

Renée: How do you apply your UN learning to the work of NABWU and our three Canadian Baptist women’s conventions (Atlantic Baptist Women, Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec and Women in Focus)?

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Moreen: Change is possible. It can be easy to say, “What can I do about

2. Achieve universal primary education

this issue?” when really there are so many workers, Christian or not, who are already doing something about it. I encourage more women to attend the UN Commissions. All of us need to be there. It isn’t all gloom and doom.

One woman’s action makes a difference on the broader scale.

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

Part of my struggle now is how to balance the needs in North America with overseas needs that seem so much deeper. We need to acknowledge our needs and yet acknowledge that Canada and the United States are two of the wealthiest nations in the world. So how do we change our lifestyles so that we don’t tap out our budgets and we have enough to share with others?

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development

And it’s about developing a heart for it. That’s what these UN Commissions are about – helping us to develop a heart for women’s issues beyond our continent, and doing something about them.

Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec and three other faith-based organizations have formed a grassroots collaboration to raise awareness of the human trafficking of women and children for sex around the Pan Am Games in 2015.

For more information, visit baptistwomen.com or buyingsexisnotasport.ca.

[above] The 58th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, March 10-21, 2014.

The conference took stock of the progress and remaining challenges towards meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals.

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EMPOWERMENT OF EVE Photos: Johnny CY Lam Text: Laurena Zondo, Editor of mosaic

PORTRAITS FROM INDIA

At first glance, it seems deadly to be a female in India. There’s eve-teasing – a local nickname for the harassment including lewd comments and groping which girls we talked to listed as a major concern – and alarming rates of maternal and childhood deaths; violence and abuse – including rape which occurs every 22 minutes in India (with one in three victims a minor).

But in the midst of all of this gloom and doom, emerge portraits of hope, dignity and empowerment.

It's transformation made possible by CBM’s programs and partners in India.

N AV E E N A A Graduate lands a job at a local TV station with her new computer skills and confidence.

(CBM/Eva Rose York Bible School)

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LALITHA An Entrepreneur starts a sugar cane drink stand in addition to sweeping the streets. She is a widow and sole provider who has managed to keep her three children in school. (CBM/BLESS Guardians of Hope)

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LAKSHMI A New Business Owner creates a job for her neighbour, renting out her rickshaw, in addition to casual labour. Her earnings are the only source of family income since her husband became ill. (CBM/SAMATHA Guardians of Hope)

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S U R E K H A , S U M I TA , A N I TA Potential Students in Odisha State who hope to continue school when a girl’s hostel is built.

(CBM/Kui Baptist Association)

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D R .  S E R E N E A Gynecologist & Hospital Director leads a team of doctors, nurses and community health workers who are improving maternal and child health throughout the region. (CBM/Christian Medical Centre)

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PREMA A Student who dreams of becoming a doctor when she grows up. She’s proud of her father who grows organic rice as part of a new food security project. He has learned about the importance of educating girls and earns adequate income to send both of his children to school. He’s proud of his daughter and his son (seen studying together on our front cover). (CBM/CFGB/CMC)

Each of these portraits from India represents a new cycle of hope that is possible when women and girls gain access to opportunities to learn and thrive. With support to develop one’s gifts and abilities and reach one’s full, God-given potential.

Yet so many are denied the chance to start. At least two-thirds of uneducated children in the world today are girls. A similar percentage of illiterate adults are women. CBM believes that gender bias in education is a social injustice. Help us to equip, empower and enrich the lives of some of the world’s marginalized women and girls.

Participate today.

www.cbmin.org

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Plight of Christian and Muslim Refugees

by Mireille Haddad, CBM Global Field Staff in Lebanon

Today nearly one-third of all people living in Lebanon are refugees. It’s an incredibly high number that is stretching the small country’s ability to cope.

Yet churches are responding to the great need in their midst.

[above: left] A refugee camp in Lebanon. [left] Play time for traumatized refugee children in Lebanon. [right] CBM Global Field Staff Mireille Haddad (pictured standing, second from the right) helps to lead a Bible study for refugee women in Lebanon.

mosaic—fall 2014 Lebanon has become a shelter for the persecuted and terrorized. Some of the refugees are Christian Iraqis fleeing their country after being threatened by Muslims who give them one choice – leave or be killed with your family. Some are Syrians with Muslim backgrounds fleeing their country because of war. All are desperate people who’ve left behind homes, jobs, belongings…everything…to live in a foreign land.

One Iraqi refugee fled after losing two of her children – two young men who were delivering water in another part of the country. When they arrived at their destination, people were waiting to kill them. When I met this woman she was devastated and constantly weeping over her loss. We prayed with her and invited her to our weekly Bible study. She never misses a meeting and we can see that her sorrow is slowly being healed with the love of Jesus.

I work with Heart for Lebanon, a Christian non-government organization trying to help refugees. We give food packages to refugee families. We also visit with them, listening to their stories and asking if they would like us to pray with them. It’s an offer that has been most welcome. Seeing their hunger for prayer and friendly relationships led us to start a Bible study for women refugees. It has become such a blessing. Many of the women tell us how much these meetings are a source of comfort, peace and hope as they discover who Jesus really is and how great his love is for all people.

Heart for Lebanon has started literacy classes for refugee children who miss going to school and are happy at the chance to continue learning. Their parents are happy and amazed by the care and love we give their children.

We have also started an ESL class for mothers and open each session with a Bible passage and prayer. After class we have added a social session to help women discuss the issues they face and er spiritual counsel. Women are opening up to these activities and getting to know how Jesus’ love can help with any anxiety, pain or problem.

Churches are also being transformed through this refugee crisis. They have started to reach out and care for the refugees in their neighbourhoods. With the help of CBM and its partner, the Lebanese Society for Educational & Social Development, food vouchers and other aid is distributed and families are visited, counseled and prayed with. We are amazed to see Syrian refugees arrive to church on Sunday before anyone else and stay for the whole service. They are eager to discover who Christ is. They see what Christians are like by the way they are being treated by them.

It’s a powerful example of the role we have been given by Christ – that his true followers willingly act on his command to love and to care immensely for the poor and the foreigner in their midst. I’m reminded of early church leaders such as St. Basil the Great (Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia; 329-379 AD) who after meeting with Christian ascetics in Egypt, Syria and Palestine, was encouraged to distribute his wealth among the needy. His challenging words still ring true today for all of us:

It is unthinkable and shameful for an individual to live in lavishness and extravagance while many others are starving to death…He who strips a man of his clothes is to be called a thief. Is not he who, when he is able, fails to clothe the naked, worthy of no other title? The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot; the money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.

Sign up today to become a Partner in Mission with CBM Global Field Staff like the Haddads in Lebanon. www.cbmin.org

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A REGION IN CRISIS “Almost half of all Syrians have now been forced to abandon their homes and flee for their lives,” stated the UN High Commissioner for Refugees this past August. “One in every eight Syrians has fled across the border, fully a million more than a year ago. A further 6.5 million are displaced within Syria. Over half of those uprooted are children…most of the refugees remain in countries neighbouring Syria, with the highest concentrations in Lebanon (1.14 million), Jordan (608,000) and Turkey (815,000).

This has led to an enormous strain on their economies, infrastructure and resources.”

And in northern Iraq, “the group that calls itself the Islamic State (IS) has carried out ethnic cleansing on a historic scale,” reported Amnesty International in September. “The IS has systematically targeted non-Arab and nonSunni Muslim communities, killing or abducting hundreds, possibly thousands, and forcing more than 830,000 others to flee the areas it has captured since 10 June 2014.”

“Ethnic and religious minorities – Assyrian Christians, Turkmen Shi’a, Shabak Shi’a, Yezidis, Kakai and Sabean Mandaeans – have lived together in the Nineveh province, much of it now under IS control, for centuries. Today, only those who were unable to flee when IS fighters seized the area remain trapped there, under threat of death if they do not convert to Islam.”

See the next page for relief you can provide in this humanitarian crisis.

GIFTS OF HOPE IN LEBANON

An update on how you are helping Syrian refugees through CBM’s Crisis Response Stories submitted by CBM’s partners on the frontlines

The ongoing crisis in Syria is now described as “the defining humanitarian crisis of our time.” Lebanese officials estimate that around 1.3 million Syrian refugees reside in Lebanon. This ranks Lebanon as the country with the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world, with an influx rate of 2,500 new Syrian refugees a day.

In response to this crisis, the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD), with support from CBM and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, has been working with local churches since February 2013 to provide food aid among 750 refugee families (approximately 4,500 individuals). A critical component is the inclusion of some Lebanese in the community who are desperately poor or have been negatively affected by the high influx of Syrian refugees in their region and beginning to resent the volume of aid going to Syrian refugees while their own plight is ignored. In addition to food relief, CBM and LSESD are also providing medical assistance through Tahaddi, a local NGO, and educational support for children at Hadath, a local church’s new learning centre.

Hopeful Gifts for Change

CBM Gift Catalogue 2014-2015 Photo: Johnny Lam Photography

Give a Gift of Hope this Christmas When you give a gift through CBM’s Hopeful Gifts for Change Catalogue, you give hope for a renewed life in Christ. This Christmas, give a gift that truly makes an impact in the life of another. Give online at cbmin.org or email us at communications@cbmin.org to receive a copy in the mail.

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Here are some of your gifts of hope in action.

A GIFT OF HEALTH CARE

SAMIA, a young widow with three children, fled Syria and stayed for awhile in an abandoned building in a border town before moving to where Tahaddi works. One day she visited the health centre seeking treatment for her youngest child who had an upper respiratory infection. Months passed and she arrived again with her child who was very sick with another upper respiratory infection. He was in critical condition with a high fever and trouble breathing and needed to hospitalized immediately.

Samia's eyes filled with worry and panic.

Penniless and quite alone, the news was overwhelming. As she desperately considered taking her son back to Syria (using an illegal route that those who lack official papers must resort to), Tahaddi staff comforted her and said that they would cover the costs. Samia and her son were taken to the hospital and Tahaddi staff visited often. After a few days all were happy to see a smiling and active toddler. It's no exaggeration to say that your donations save lives!

A GIFT OF FOOD

ABDU’S children have not been able to attend school for nearly two years since the only school in their village was destroyed. He decided to leave Syria with his family after he was injured by shrapnel and could no longer stand the violence. Together with his wife and children, elderly mom, and brothers’ families, they packed up their cars and fled to Lebanon. But as they neared the border, they encountered intense shelling. Afraid to continue driving on the roads, they abandoned their cars along with all of their belongings and fled on foot. They walked for over a week until they reached a safe place in Lebanon.

Now all 19 family members – including 12 children and a 3-month-old baby — are living in two tents. Despite the crowded conditions, they hope for more arrivals— particularly Abdu’s youngest brother.

They have no idea where he is or if he is even alive. Abdu is looking for any kind of work and the family survives primarily on the food aid provided by the local Baptist church.

A GIFT OF N EDUCATIO TWO YOUNG SISTERS (aged 10 and 13) have been attending the Hadath Learning Centre for over a year. Recently an uncle died in Syria due to the war and another has been kidnapped. An aunt who now lives with them is psychologically traumatized by her experiences in Syria and the girls have been helping to care for her each day, as well as their father who has a serious heart condition. Due to the war, the girls’ education was seriously disrupted and the youngest is barely literate and suffers from low self-esteem.

Initially she was reluctant to let her tutors see her class work and cried when offered any form of correction. As her literacy and numeracy has improved, so has her self-worth. She is now more confident in class and willing to participate. Her older sister carries the emotional burden of her family’s struggles, but over the past few months she has developed enough trust in the social workers to talk about her life and often comes to them seeking prayer and advice. She now has a safe space where she can be a child and share her concerns in a healthy way.

22

mosaic—fall 2014

How I ended up in prison was….

My life was a mess. I was suffering abuse for a long time all because I was afraid to face reality. I feared not being able to support my children financially, so I clung to men who harmed me. I lived with the father of my daughter who was an alcoholic and beat me. One day he brought home a baby whom I have continued to raise as my own son. A few months later we split up. Then I started to live with another man who after a while began to beat me. He drank a lot and liked to go out and party and I was the one who had to pay for all of this. Sometimes he had fits of jealousy and would beat me with a belt. I was heavily burdened and could not take it anymore.

One day we were fighting again at home and he tried to strangle me. I reached around for something to defend myself with and grabbed a knife. We continued to struggle and I stabbed him. I was shocked to see all the blood on the floor and that he was dead. I was taken to the women’s jail where I experienced more pain as the man’s family took away everything we had, the house, all of our belongings, and my children had to go live with my parents who were sick with Chagas disease and diabetes. The first year in prison was very hard. I could not forget all the things he had done to me. I dreamt every night about how he had tormented me. My children were suffering. I had no desire to live. My life had collapsed.

My life changed because…

THE VIEW

Second Chance in Bolivia: Flora candidly shares her story of abuse, murder, and redemption through the prison ministry of Casa de la Amistad (Friendship House) in Bolivia.

A fellow inmate told me that there are sisters [Christians from Casa de la Amistad] who come to the jail and talk with people. I met with Sister Lourdes who told me that nothing is impossible for God and that he can give me hope and a new life. I started attending their Bible study. Slowly I came to understand the love of God and his plan for my life and I gave my life to him. I asked God for forgiveness for all the harm that I, and others in my life, had done. I felt freedom and peace within me. When I became partially blind this sister continued to visit me in my cell and I realized how great the love of God is between us, his daughters.

It was at the critical moment of my life when the Casa, with all of their love, supported us unconditionally. My son started to go there. He received healthy food and they helped him in his school work and gave school supplies. This was so helpful for my child to continue to study, since my parents could not look after my children anymore.

I am tremendously grateful to God. He has stayed with me through everything.

When I got out of prison, I started going to a Baptist church. And recently I started working as a cook at the Casa.

My hope for the future is… [above] After her release from prison, Flora became a cook at the Casa.

CBM supports Casa de la Amistad in Bolivia through our Prison Kids program, which gives assistance to incarcerated parents and their children who sometimes must live in prison with their parent if there are no family or friends willing to care for them.

Every day I ask God to give me life and health until he calls me to his presence.

I still have problems, but God helps me to get out of trouble and not sink as I did before. I thank God that my daughter, who had many miscarriages, has a child.

My heart was filled with joy to see my beautiful little grandson, and I pray for my daughter, that she will be a good mother.

What I would say to other women who suffer abuse, physical and/or psychological, is…

To tell others and not keep quiet. Do not put up with the abuse.

Love your children and trust God.

mosaic—fall 2014

just think

23

A Societal If you struggled to make sense of the Feature Article, She Matters (page 4), you are not alone.

That was the point.

Omitted words These are the words that fill in all the blank spaces in the feature article (page 4).

girls

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

women

Women

women

women

women

women

female

girl

women

women

women

daughter

women

women

women

girls

women

women

women

When girls and women are removed from conversations – from participating fully – everyone is disadvantaged. Gender bias is a social injustice that victimizes girls and women over their lifetime.

Want to take a stand against this?

Turn to page 17

touch

grassroots heroes

AT OUR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL THIS YEAR, WE DECIDED TO INCORPORATE A MISSIONS ASPECT – an early introduction to missions and CBM. Each day we explored a new country that CBM is partnering in and learned about ongoing projects.

ime Just in t stmas! i r h C r o f KIDS CARE:

COCONUT TREASURE Fun! Free! A new resource to help children share in the joy of giving and love being a part of God’s mission in the world. Includes a real story that connects with meaningful gifts that can be given in CBM’s Hopeful Gifts for Change Catalogue.

Download your copy today at www.cbmin.org or email communications@cbmin.org.

FSC LOGO HERE

We had foundational Bible lessons that helped the kids learn about the heart of mission, and encouraged them to discover compassion and a heart to serve. Our offering project for the week was the same as the Springforth one [raising funds for CBM’s food security work in Kenya]. Every $5 provides a farmer and his family with a farming tool that is essential in the planting, maintenance and harvesting of crops. Our total at the end of the week was $226.02, which provides approximately 45 tools. We emphasized to the kids how they impacted families and communities, and encouraged them to continue serving God in their schools and communities.

Lauren Zwicker First Baptist Church, Dartmouth, NS Editor’s Note: Springforth is an annual youth conference by Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches.

For the past three years they have been raising funds for one of CBM’s food security projects in a drought prone region of Kenya. The first year they focused on providing seeds; the second year, seedlings; and this year, farm tools. In March 2014, Lauren was one of the youth on a Springforth/CBM short-term mission trip to Kenya to visit the food security project they have been supporting.

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