Interact 2-20

GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE

ISSUE 2, 2020

INTERACT Restoration and Transformation front page] Celebrating 20 years of Pavement Project

Issue 2, 2020 Interact

Restoration and Transformation Celebrating 20 years of the green bag No Greater Joy Personal reflections on Pavement Project

No Greater Joy

Rescue and Recovery Personal reflections xxx on Pavement Project

Rescue and [Lifewords logo] Recovery

Responding to the Australia bushfires

CONTENTS 04 08 10 12 14 Restoration and Transformation Celebrating 20 years of Pavement Project

News

The latest news from the Lifewords global family

No Greater Joy

Personal reflections on Pavement Project

Rescue and Recovery

Responding to the Australia bushfires

Get involved

Lifewords and you

Issue 75 / 2–2020 Editorial team Jess Bee Kris Calver Steve Bassett

Photographs Lifewords unless otherwise stated Cover: Lucy Maina Design S2 design & advertising Ltd Print Yeomans Creative

2

Lifewords is the operating name of Scripture Gift Mission (Inc), registered charity in England and Wales, 219055 Registered office 1A The Chandlery, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7QY

Interact is free, available three times a year from your nearest member of the Lifewords global family of organisations (see page 15)

WELCOME

“I will go with you and give you peace.”

We are living through turbulent times, and all of us at Lifewords pray that you – like us – are coping as well as possible.

We pray you are finding support and encouragement from family, friends, church and community.

The arrival of coronavirus (Covid-19) in our lives has very quickly turned our normal patterns of life upside down.

We are having to work out new ways of living, being, relating, working, worshipping in real time. Our living hope is that God is with us as we go through this season, as individuals, as families and fellowships, as human beings together. And we are grateful that we have the Bible’s life words to help us on this journey, reminding us of God’s love, closeness and faithfulness.

This virus affects everyone – it has no boundaries. Yes, we can hunker down and self-isolate, take precautions and heed medical advice: but this is not always so for everyone, especially the poorest and most vulnerable communities – which is why we are doing all we can to keep serving the whole church, the whole world. From the global south to the global north, the Bible’s life words can bring comfort and hope and inspiration in these times.

Our desire to “make a change for life” is urgent and it compels us to do all we can.

Exodus 33:14 CEV

Our resources are still available, our stock is good and our distribution still operational. Please bear with us, as naturally there may be some element of delay as postal services are impacted, but in so far as we can every order is still being processed. We encourage you to visit our website and social media, where we will make sure you have up-to-date information on our resources. In coming weeks, we will be looking to add to online ways of serving, encouraging and equipping you during this season. We want to provide you with Bible resources that will help you, help your friends and neighbours and community, and help your church to navigate these uncharted waters.

Let’s speak the love of God and the compassion of Christ to all those we love, know, and hold dear – and to the whole human family.

God bless you.

Grace, peace and prayers from all of us at Lifewords.

3

Restoration and Transformation ect

Pavement Project began 20 years ago by researching the needs of street children in Brazil, India, Philippines, and South Africa.

Now, it is active in 21 countries and many people have been counselled. Jess Bee reports on this transformational resource that has changed thousands of lives all over the world.

Over the past 20 years, Pavement Project’s vision has remained the same: where individuals and organisations have offered practical help to children and families in vulnerable situations, Pavement Project has been there to bring emotional and spiritual healing.

But it has never stood still.

Right from its inception it has been building and growing, responding to different needs in different contexts. With regular training workshops for new workers, and new partnerships 4

in more and more countries, Pavement Project continues to make an impact and bring about change.

PARTNERING WITH OTHERS One of Pavement Project’s newest territories is Zimbabwe, where children and young people find themselves in a challenging and complex context. Lifewords partners report that over the past 20 years, Zimbabwe has seen great change. As the economy

ALL PHOTOS © LUCY MAINA

20 years of Pavement Proj

has disintegrated, societal challenges have increased, including: family breakdown, debt, unwanted pregnancies, child abuse, child labour, drug abuse, and children dropping out of school. According to Viva Network Zimbabwe Coordinator, Jonathan Chikumbu, “About 25% of children in Zimbabwe are orphans or vulnerable.”

In addition, “At least one in every four children is physically abused, and we have one in three children being sexually abused.” It’s in this context that Viva Network, one of Pavement Project’s partners in Zimbabwe, is training faith-based organisations and churches to use the green bag. Churches like the Apostolic Church of Pentecost in Rugare.

REACHING THE WHOLE PERSON Rugare is a community with a history of abandonment and poverty which extends into its life today. The houses in the city – formerly owned by the government for railway employees – are no longer inhabited by the workers who came from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. They retired and returned home with their pensions, leaving their Zimbabwean wives and children behind. With no source of income these women became victims of prostitution, drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS – they and their children were alone and

vulnerable. This legacy continues today with many children going without water, food, and education.

At the heart of this community, the Apostolic Church of Pentecost is looking after these children and their families. They provide clean water, food, and a learning centre. “Every day the church gives lunch to 150 children from the community, 35 of whom come for the learning centre to learn to read and write,” says Leonard Gandiwa, an elder at the church. The support the church provides goes a long way to helping the community, but Leonard explains that there is more to just serving practical concerns: “When we were helping, we were not helping holistically. We were serving physical needs, forgetting that the person is created body, soul and spirit. We were missing

Leonard Gandiwa

“Where individuals and organisations have offered practical help to children and families in vulnerable situations, Pavement Project has been there to bring emotional and spiritual healing”

5

“There is no better tool that can reach to the soul and the mind of the child”

“Pavement Project demonstrates the power of the Bible’s life words that speak of encounter with Jesus”

the psychological issues that affected most children in this community.” By using the Pavement Project green bag the church has begun to address these emotional and spiritual needs: “I have seen children, when I give them a pocket card to take home, they have memorised those verses … because the child has changed, the parents come to be part of the church too.”

Viva Network is just one of 415 partner organisations or churches, using 715 workers.

Pavement Project is key in the work they are doing: “I would say Pavement Project is the answer,” says Jonathan. “Especially to the situation of the children in Zimbabwe. Why? Because there is no better tool that can reach to the soul and the mind of the child; there is no better tool that can help have the child involved in this process of counselling, discover themselves and be involved in providing solutions to their challenges, and especially in recovering from trauma.”

Viva worker with child

TRIED AND TESTED For 20 years, Pavement Project has been doing just that – in countries all over the world – bringing transformation and helping young people find healing, hope, and new life.

“Providing help to children at risk isn’t easy,” says Clara Ngobolia, Lifewords Kenya Director. “Many are traumatised by their life at home, on the streets, or the experience that put them there in the first place. They are often alienated, have low self-esteem, and are wary of accepting help.

Pavement Project comes in to provide a tried and tested way for workers to encourage children to talk about their deep-seated fears and hurts.

Through prayer and Bible stories, children can receive healing and affirmation. The workers say that this allows them to understand the child in a much deeper way than before, and to draw alongside them more effectively.

Pavement Project demonstrates the power of the Bible’s life words that speak of encounter with Jesus. We aim to raise the self-worth of a child and restore a sense of hope for the future by helping them to experience God’s love.”

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES For every child who is counselled, a new, unique experience is formed, but the values are always the same: emotional healing, confidence and self-worth, reconciliation, 6

ALL PHOTOS © LUCY MAINA

and a knowledge that God cares for them and is with them.

Perspectives are changed and hope for the future is realised.

Over the years, Pavement Project has heard countless stories of transformation.

In Pará, north Brazil, one worker, Sarah*, takes Pavement Project to indigenous communities. “The green bag has been an important tool for the development of my ministry,” she says. Sarah went to a Ribeirinhas (river dwellers) community and counselled Maya* who was being fostered by a family there. “Maya was 15, she had very rebellious behaviour and her mum did not know what else to do with her,” says Sarah. “Maya shared the fights she had with her mum and how much she regretted all that happened.

She said she would like to have the opportunity to ask for her forgiveness, but her mum did not want her back at home. We had a good conversation, and we were able to pray and give God the situation for his care. When I returned to talk again with Maya, I was surprised with the news that Maya was back home shortly after we had talked and had asked mum to forgive her.”

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS For the Pavement Project team the process of the green bag has gone beyond initial expectations, with families, friends, communities, and

PRAY

even the workers themselves being changed by God’s Word.

“Pavement Project makes a great impact in the lives of those who go through the green bag activity, which extends to their relatives, friends, project teams, and churches,” says Cleisse Andrade, Pavement Project Co-ordinator for Latin America.

“Hearing from parents that their children are happier, or from teachers that they are more attentive in class and performing better at school, even from workers that they are more loving in their relationships with their mates, fills our hearts with joy and real purpose. Every person who gets involved with Pavement Project experiences some kind of transformation and makes us celebrate these 20 years, and long for many more!”

Give thanks for the power Pavement Project has to change lives.

Praise God for how the ministry has grown and expanded.

Pray that God would continue to empower, encourage and equip those involved in this important work.

* Names have been changed 7

world NEWS EarthFirst

VerseFirst, Lifewords social media Bible engagement initiative, is launching a new campaign called EarthFirst. Aimed at young people, EarthFirst will offer a way to engage with the Bible and respond to the climate emergency.

VerseFirst was created with the aim to reach young people and encourage them to start their day with a Bible verse. This new campaign, set to start in early May and run for 6 weeks, will use verses from the Bible that reflect creation and our stewardship of the planet, shaped by some of the Sermon on Mount. “Activism against climate breakdown is being strongly led by young people,” says Elizabeth King, from the Lifewords UK team. “This campaign from VerseFirst is a great platform to encourage them to be introduced to Scripture that relates to this touchstone issue of our times.” Elizabeth continues: “We want to make sure that the verses, and campaign overall, offers a different perspective on climate issues.”

To find out more visit www.versefirst.com

Social Easter During Easter week, Lifewords ran an initiative to help people engage with the Easter story via social media, asking them to consider what Jesus’ life, death and resurrection would look like today.

The campaign used images of imaginary social media posts to tell the story via VerseFirst (Lifewords online community) much like social media users would receive breaking news today, helping them understand the enormity and impact of the Easter story. The imaginary social media posts related Jesus clearing the temple of people buying and selling, and his interaction with Mary when she anoints him with perfume.

The online Bible engagement campaign ran alongside churches, individuals, and groups using Lifewords Bible booklets to reach out to their community in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. One supporter told us: “I love how you have captured every event of Jesus’ life through these booklets. With Covid-19 in mind, a lot of the congregation are self-isolating. These books enable me to post them through their doors so they can continue to worship God.” 8

Music for a new generation At the beginning of this year NINE BEATS Collective member Ambassada, collaborated with artists from Uganda and Kenya to release a re-mix of his original song, KOSI, which features on the NINE BEATS Collective double album, Nine Beats to the Bar. This new interpretation of the track is aimed at empowering and motivating a new generation of young people in Africa. KOSI is short for kosisikeleli – one of the lines in the former Tanzanian and South African national anthem, meaning “freedom”. The song title was chosen to inspire, motivate and encourage a new generation of young people to free their minds and have a positive outlook on life.

“I know what it is like to live on the streets, I have been there, and I can tell you that there is another way,” says Ambassada. “NINE BEATS is all about living the wisdom of the Bible’s beatitudes in today’s new world – and I believe the new generation is ready to hear it and live it! That’s why all of us artists have collaborated on KOSI – it’s time for Kenya, Uganda, and East Africa’s youth to seize the day for a better future.”

Ten per cent of sales will go to The Ambassada Foundation to practically help and support children and youth from incredibly tough situations.

To find out more about NINE BEATS visit www.9beats.org, and to view the KOSI music video visit www.youtube.com/ninebeats 9

No Greater Joy As Lifewords marks 20 years of Pavement Project, Director Clenir dos Santos reflects on bringing the green bag to children-at-risk.

“There is no greater joy for me than to spend every day looking for ways to share God’s Word with children -at-risk”

10

In 1992, in my church in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, I started a project to welcome street children. We supported them and gave them new opportunities, but despite our efforts many could not move on from the pain and abuse they had experienced. It was heartbreaking, and sometimes it felt like a hopeless situation.

Then at the beginning of 1999, Isabelle Rosin came to my house and introduced me to Lifewords vision of developing a resource that would bring emotional and spiritual transformation to these children.

BEGINNINGS I immediately fell in love with Lifewords! They took their mission so seriously and weren’t limited to what was already known, and the vision was exciting. Lifewords asked me to coordinate a study across Brazil to find out the children’s feelings, dreams, and perceptions of the world.

Pavement Project proposed to talk individually with each child to learn directly from them how to better meet their needs. At first, we decided to focus on children in developing countries, what we did not yet know was that the impact of this project would be much more comprehensive, and would reach children in at-risk situations around the world.

GROWING THE VISION We started helping children from 5 to 18 years old, but due to demand, then expanded the use of the green bag for young people, and then for adults.

Today, we help children, their older siblings, and even their adult relatives. Gradually, we also realised that the project brings hope and direction to Christian workers, and their organisations and churches. As it so often does with me, Pavement Project renews one’s faith and vigour.

What surprises me is that even after 20 years of action, Pavement Project still receives requests from many countries for training and for the green bag. The green bag has been used in 36 countries, and today we are active in 21 countries on four continents. It is remarkable how children from such different places identify and associate the same resources with their personal situations.

TRANSFORMING LIVES The world has not improved since we started helping children to perceive themselves as precious individuals, with the ability to positively choose and influence their future. I see the situation of children getting worse every year, and this is very disheartening. However, I can say that the lives of the thousands of children we have helped have changed significantly, and consequently that of their

families. We have news of some who decided to leave drugs and the destructive environment in which they lived; others who followed a legal career to help children; many who fulfilled the dream of having a loving family, breaking the cycle of violence; others who became Pavement Project street workers, as well as several who hope to reach adulthood to have the same opportunity; and one that is already taking the trainers’ course.

THE FUTURE I am not ready to retire from Pavement Project! On the contrary, there is no greater joy for me than to spend every day looking for ways to share God’s Word with children-at-risk.

We are piloting the use of the green bag in digital format in 14 countries, and we want to make this tool accessible to everyone who needs it.

To this end, we are improving the green bag application with new languages and we want to break down the barriers that could limit the restoration of even a single person, just as it was with Angela. She was 9 years old when she saw me arriving one day with the green bag on my shoulder. Angela smiled broadly and said: “Oh, good that you brought the green bag, because every time you open it, all my problems are solved!”

“I immediately fell in love with Lifewords!

They took their mission so seriously”

PRAY Give thanks for Clenir and the Pavement Project team – from those who started the ministry to those who are working all over the world.

Praise God for the workers and partner organisations who take the green bag to vulnerable children.

Pray for children like Angela, that they would discover the power of the green bag for themselves.

11

Rescue and Recovery At the end of last year, Australia saw bushfires ravage towns, communities, and habitats as the country suffered one of the worst droughts on record. Dan Hardie reports on Lifewords response.

“As I travelled around the area, I found so many wonderful people doing so much for the environment, animals, and people in need”

12

The fires that swept across parts of Australia brought devastation and loss of homes, wildlife, and in some cases life. Most of the fires were extinguished in one weekend of heavy rain, the first in years for some parts of the country, but the effects of the damage are long lasting and far reaching.

At the time, the Lifewords team in Australia were inundated with requests for pastoral resources from chaplains, churches, and aid groups who were among the first responders.

The immediate need was to support people practically, emotionally, and spiritually.

As always, we were able to respond with free resources and support, and I was able to be part of the relief effort on the south coast of New South Wales.

HELPING OTHERS As I travelled around the area, I found so many wonderful people doing so much for the environment, animals, and people in need. There were many volunteers from all parts of Australia, including the cities and the bush – each of them giving time, money, and service to bring support to others. Chaplains and churches were visible at every turn. They were there in the temporary accommodation shelters; they were giving water bottles and care packs at community events; they were even in the hospitals where burns patients were being treated. And good news was being shared in word and deed. It was awesome to see communities come together.

EVERYDAY LIVES Months later, the effects of the bushfires are still devastating with many struggling to rebuild their lives, homes, and hopes.

Who remains to help? It’s the chaplains, churches, and communities – those who have always been there, serving people in the everyday, as well as in times of crisis.

Bruce, an ambulance chaplain in New South Wales, uses Lifewords resources as he helps those he serves navigate their lives and relationships. “I work with emergency services and ambulance officers all around Sydney,” says Bruce. “Some experience trauma and shock from their work, but more so, I’m supporting people with their everyday lives: family relationships, difficulty with children, managing depression and anxiety, and more. It is often the personal issues that overshadow the things we might assume to be touchpoints.

The gentle approach of the Lifewords resources is appealing to me and the receiver.

Very few feel like I’m being pushy or judgemental. They see the resources as supportive and kind.

That’s what we’re looking for.”

“The gentle approach of the Lifewords resources is appealing to me and the receiver” WORKING TOGETHER As people try to rebuild their lives after the bushfires, our part in all of this will be to continue to highlight the needs of those who are still suffering, to support chaplains in their work of ministering in those places, and to encourage those who are caring for the devastated habitats, environment, and community. If you would like to support this ongoing work, you can join the GoFundMe campaign that has raised over A$2500 online, and more than double that by direct donations. Find out more at www.gofundme.com/f/ emergency-resources-appeal-for -chaplains

PRAY Give thanks for the end of the bushfires in Australia.

Praise God for all those who brought rescue, comfort and hope to those suffering.

Pray for Lifewords Australia, that it would continue to resource chaplains and others with God’s Word.

13

GET INVOLVED LIFEWORDS AND YOU

Draft cover design

A new edition of the Ninefold Path Notebook is now available at the lower price of 5 copies for £15 (additional bulk discounts also available). So why not take this opportunity to explore the beatitudes as a group.

14

At St George’s Church in Tufnell Park, London, Revd Alexandra Lilley turned the Ninefold Path material into a sermon series. Here, she explains more about their experience of the resource: “Each week we explored one of the beatitudes under the helpful headings that the material gave us: justice, humility, lament, and so on. Everyone in the congregation who wanted to go deeper used one of the Ninefold Path journals to continue in reflection during the week, and to practice what we had learned. It was wonderful to have Mark Scandrette join us one Sunday after the series and share about Christian practice – how to embody our learning, rather than just adjust the beliefs in our minds. I really recommend the Ninefold Path as a way to refresh our understanding of how to live the life that Christians are called to – being the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Visit www.ninefoldpath.org for more information, to order resources, and to access free online and video content. And watch this space for Ninefold Path events happening in the UK this autumn.

The power of God’s Word In Indonesia, the Lifewords team train pastors to use our Bible resources – helping them understand and share the Bible with those they are ministering to.

Gunar Sahari, Indonesia Director, shares a story about this part of our work: “One of the pastors who joined our training in Kalimantan is Pastor Firman Mendrofa, who has been ministering in Kalimantan for 10 years. After the training, he committed to using The Visible Story (our specially designed resource for Indonesia) with his seven children, and praise the Lord all his children now are saved! He realised that The Visible Story is very powerful and easy to use. He has now joined our Training for Trainers programme so he can help others use The Visible Story, so that ‘the whole of Kalimantan will hear good news’.

He has trained the leaders, Sunday school teachers, and even the young people in his church. Recently, he trained twenty pastors in Tikalong. Praise the Lord for Pastor Firman!”

People like Pastor Firman are “making a change for life” just like hundreds of others all over the world. Together we are reaching young people with mental health issues; empowering pastors who lack Bible resources to serve their communities; getting alongside women in prostitution.

We’re supporting chaplains in prisons and hospitals; we’re with the bereaved, and the lonely, and the victims of disasters.

We’re engaging culture and churches alike with the beatitudes, encouraging them to read a “verse first” to begin their day. We’re sharing the Bible in multiple languages and cultures, and we’d love you to partner with us as we share good news. To find out more how you can make a change for life, visit www.lifewords.global/getinvolved

CONTACT US Get in touch with the Lifewords global family. Find us online at www.lifewords.global, or contact your local office.

AUSTRALIA australia@lifewords.global

BRAZIL projectoc@lifewords.global

CANADA +1 905 683 6482 info@sgmcanada.ca

KENYA +254 20 2730100 kenya@lifewords.global

INDONESIA +62 81294210986 indonesia@lifewords.global

INDIA +91-80-25296587 india@lifewords.global

POLAND europe@lifewords.global

UK & INTERNATIONAL OFFICE +44 (0) 20 7730 2155 uk@lifewords.global 15

16