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SGM Lifewords — Freely sharing the Bible’s life words since 1888
Broken or Beloved? God’s Word brings transformation to vulnerable young women
Issue 2 2016
The Worst Place to Be a Child A new territory for Pavement Project
Contents
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Broken or Beloved? God’s Word brings transformation to vulnerable young women
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News The latest news from the SGM Lifewords global family
10 The Worst Place to Be a Child A new territory for Pavement Project
12 Aussie Mums for Indo Kids Working together to help Indonesian families
14 5 Stories From … Interact Issue 64 /2 - 2016 Editorial team: Jess Bee Danielle Welch Steve Bassett Photographs: all SGM Lifewords except for p.9 Maureen Didde Design: S2 Design & Advertising Ltd Print: Yeomans Creative Interact is published in the UK by SGM Lifewords Ltd, CN. 05908817 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 SGM Lifewords global family of organisations (see page 14)
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… people working with refugees
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‘‘
He wants me to help those … who are filled with sorrow. I will put beautiful crowns on their heads in place of ashes … I will give them a spirit of praise in place of a spirit of sadness. They will be like oak trees that are strong and straight. The Lord himself will plant them in the land. That will show how glorious he is.
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Isaiah 61:3, NIRV
Danielle Welch Executive Director SGM Lifewords
Welcome to another edition of Interact! As I read the stories in this issue, Isaiah’s great prose sprang to mind. From the UK, to Indonesia, to Guatemala – these articles are all a testament to ‘how glorious God is.’ God replaces ashes with beauty, despair with hope, sadness with praise. Where we see brokenness and trouble, God sees his beloved creation – with each of us made in God’s image. For me, one of the most exciting things about following Jesus is are. Young women in the UK (pp4-7) are finding their hope and self-esteem restored … because people are there to care and to listen, and to help them hear the words of God above the roar of the other messages in their heads. Children living on Guatemalan streets (pp10-11) are finding help and safety … because three committed workers are pioneering Pavement Project there, and telling the story of God’s love and care. We too are part of what God is doing in the world – if we’ll take up the mission to follow Christ, and to share his good news. ‘That will show how glorious he is.’ Be encouraged as you read! With our grateful thanks for your support and partnership.
Welcome
that I am invited into this great mission of restoration. We all
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Broken or Beloved? A Mercy UK teaching session
Through discipleship, relationship and the Bible, vulnerable young women are finding strength, identity, and hope for the future. Jess Bee reports.
Jess Bee
“The Bible has been a massive part of my journey … rediscovering [the] truths and promises that God has given me in his Word”
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“The Bible has been a massive part of my journey … rediscovering [the] truths and promises that God has given me in his Word. I’ve learnt how to take the truths from the Bible and declare them over my life … and to know through the Word that … he’s always with me. And when I feel insecure [or] alone I can look back at his Word.” Kasha has battled with feelings of low self-esteem – struggling all her life to feel loved. Through the help of a dedicated ministry to young women, and through the Bible, she has discovered her true identity in Christ and has been transformed into someone who believes in herself and the truth about how God sees her. “Psalm
91:1 is my favourite verse,” says Kasha. “[It’s about] learning to go to him for love and affection.” Kasha is part of a discipleship programme run by Mercy UK where pastoral care, worship and teaching help women aged 18–28 who are struggling with life-controlling issues – including eating disorders, self-harm, depression, low self-esteem and abuse – discover their identity in God, and their purpose and calling in his kingdom. Many young women in the UK struggle with these things – the UK has the highest rate of eating disorders and self-harm in Europe; recent figures suggest that 1% of women in the UK have had a
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clinically diagnosed eating disorder and over 50% have “serious issues with food” that are not clinically diagnosed but cause them significant trouble. In addition, 1 in 4 women will require treatment for depression at some time (National Institute For Clinical Excellence, 2003), and women are twice as likely to experience anxiety as men. Of people with phobias or OCD, about 60% are female (Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report, 2001). In partnership with local churches, Mercy UK tries to provide safety, stability, structure and support to help women deal with these issues and empower them to live life in freedom and wholeness.
HUNGRY FOR THE BIBLE The Bible plays a key part in this process and SGM Lifewords resources are invaluable in helping the women read, retain and live out God’s Word in their lives. “Without the Bible we would just be people trying to make something happen and failing miserably,” says Arianna Walker, Executive Director, Mercy UK, “So we absolutely, passionately, wholeheartedly believe in the Bible, believe in the power of the Word. One of the greatest joys we have is teaching these principles to our residents, because it changes lives.” Kelly is another young woman who has been discipled by Mercy UK. Part of the programme centres on teaching,
“Many young women in the UK struggle … the UK has the highest rate of eating disorders and self-harm in Europe”
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Kelly
Debbie Harvie
“SGM Lifewords resources are invaluable in helping the women read, retain and live out God’s Word in their lives”
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using the Bible to educate and inspire the women to reflect on who God is and who he has made them to be. “The longer I’ve been here, the hungrier I’ve become for God and his Word,” says Kelly. “I really look forward to class, because that’s where God speaks to me the most … beforehand [reading the Bible] had become a religious duty and something I did just to try and please God, or out of fear that something bad would happen.” Kelly holds on to the truth of Romans 12 which says, “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:12). “[The Bible is] a vital part of my life now – to read the Word every day and to believe the truth of what it says about who I really am and who God is, and to stop believing the lies that I believed before. I couldn’t live without it.” Part of the journey to understanding and believing God’s truth is through SGM Lifewords resources like Little Book of Help and Little Book of Faith. “They’re a wonderful, versatile resource,” says Debbie
Harvie, Executive Director of Programmes. “They bring life, and that’s what we want to do here. [The women] will pick them up, have a flick through and a Scripture will stand out for them. Or they’ll send them home to their loved ones or people that they’re praying for.” “I really like the SGM Lifewords booklets,” says Kelly. “I’ve got one beside my bed and I read it every day. I find it really helpful to have the different truths of what God says about me, and about my future put into a booklet. It’s easy to read and it’s powerful.” BUILDING A FUTURE While part of the process for the women is discovering their identity in Christ, another is looking to the future and their part in God’s kingdom. Arianna talks about the legacy of what God does in the lives of the women: “They go home, they go back to local churches, they walk out their normal lives, but something in them has changed. They’ve been equipped and empowered, they have tools now that aren’t just about getting
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free from their past, [but are] about being able to build a future. And because they now have the means to overcome the adversity life throws at them, because they’ve learned the mechanics of forgiveness and how to renew the mind, they don’t just change their own life, they are people who become builders of other people.” She talks about one particular woman who used to spend every day thinking about different ways to die. “She would fantasise about ways of killing herself,” says Arianna, “it’s all she could think about … But after meeting Jesus, after understanding that he is the giver of life and accepting that for herself, she is now a trained midwife. She wrote to us a while ago saying what a transformation it’s been going from spending each day thinking about ways to die to now spending each day bringing new life into the world.” The truth of God’s Word and the support of fellow Christians is a powerful tool in changing
“The Bible is a vital part of my life now – to read the Word every day and to believe the truth of what it says about who I really am”
these young women. “When I arrived here I felt like an irresponsible, helpless, lost, angry little girl who had no hope and couldn’t do this life on her own,” says Kelly. “But now [I’m] a powerful, beautiful young woman who has a hope and a future with God.” “It’s so encouraging knowing now that God is with me all the time and that I can trust him with things,” says Kasha. “I know how to deal with anything that comes up for me, and I’m really excited to go out and put things into practice and really start to live my life for God.”
WATCH Scan the QR code or visit www.youtube.com/ lifewords to watch ‘Broken or Beloved?’, our short film with Mercy UK.
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Give thanks that the Bible tells us who God is and who we are in him. Praise God that he has the power to bring transformation to even the most “broken” of lives. Praise God for all the young women who have found wholeness and hope through the work of Mercy UK. Pray that they would continue to find healing in the power of God's Word and Spirit. Pray for young women in the UK – especially those who are struggling, lost or suffering abuse. Ask God to rescue them and bring them to a place of safety in him. 7
World News
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Reaching refugees
Young and old in India The SGM Lifewords team in India visited the Bangalore Friend in Need Society’s Home for the Aged, to minister to 25 elderly residents. They shared God’s Word and distributed SGM Lifewords Bible resources before spending time chatting to some of the people there. “We spoke to Hazel Flynn, an 88-year-old retired English nurse,” said Vijay. “She showed us photographs and told us stories of her work in India with much enthusiasm.” Vijay shared Finding Hope, Who Cares About Me?, Why Me?, Living with Loss and Daily Strength with her. “She received them with a thankful smile,” said Vijay, “and began to read from the devotions in Daily Strength.” The team also sent resources at the end of 2015 to those working with young people. Kairos, an organisation based in Bangalore, used The Christmas Story and Silent Night as part of gift boxes distributed to 320 children. The Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI) distributed 1,000 copies of SGM Lifewords resources, including You Matter, Little Book of Help, Little Book of Character and Suppose to young people as part of their Christmas programmes.
Last year SGM Lifewords responded to the refugee situation in Europe with an urgent project to translate and print Bible resources in Arabic. Since the beginning of 2016 Who Cares About Me? and Finding Hope have been used across Europe to bring God’s message of care, comfort and hope to refugees. This year has also seen the reissue of Afraid to Leave, Afraid to Stay, a booklet created several years ago for asylum seekers – again, translated into Arabic. These booklets are key resources for people like Zachary Balon in Instanbul, who is part of a refugee ministry at his church. “We have 180 Syrians coming every week,” he says. “We give them food and clothing, and we want to add the booklets that you provide. This is a way for us to share the gospel.” Jarek Jankowski, Europe Director, headed up the production of these new booklets. “We thank God that the number of resources in languages that refugees speak is constantly increasing,” he says. “Please pray for all individual Christians, churches and organisations in Europe that are providing refugees with food, clothing and God’s Word. Please pray that these practical examples of loving one’s neighbour touch not only the refugees themselves, but everyone involved.”
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Working together to end child witch accusations SGM Lifewords’ key role in responding to children accused of witchcraft in DRC was recognised in March, during an international conference on the subject. Over 200 theologians and experts from agencies, churches, and childcare organisations met in Nairobi, as part of an effort to bring an end to the abuse of children – linked to witch accusations. Clara Ngobolia, Africa Coordinator for SGM Lifewords’ Pavement Project programme, spoke at the conference, sharing – sometimes horrific – stories of children who have been accused of witchcraft. Workers (from partner organisation EPED, and others) have been able to use Pavement Project tools to help many children find love, hope, and healing Clara Ngobolia addressing the conference through the words and stories of Jesus. Speakers at the conference also included Pastor Ngolo from EPED. Pastor Ngolo and his team work tirelessly in DRC to help change attitudes and responses among fellow pastors, churches, and families – supported by the Stop Child Witch Accusations Coalition (SCWA) – of which SGM Lifewords is also a part. SCWA is working to pilot resources and training that will help churches address the questions of witch accusations and abuse for themselves, both in DRC and further afield. Find out more at www.stop-cwa.org.
God’s Word brings peace On the slopes of Mount Elgon in Kenya one SGM Lifewords supporter is reaching the Pokot community with God’s words of hope and peace. West Pokot, in Kenya, is very deprived – the area is semi-arid, and there is widespread poverty. Conflict is common, often due to cattle rustling and a fight for animal pasture and water. Catherine is a missionary who is in contact with over 400 children, women and men – as well as the government soldiers who have been deployed to keep the peace in this war-torn region. She has established a church fellowship at one of the army camps and also uses the premises as a school, offering basic education for local children. She uses several SGM Lifewords booklets in Swahili to minister to the community. “I use Jesus: A Life Story to tell them the story of Jesus, and his power and purpose for the salvation of humankind, them included. People are always amazed that someone they don’t know knows them, and is concerned about them,” she says. “Most of these people have never heard about God,” she continues. “Transformation is happening … men are dropping guns and poisoned arrows, and embracing the Bible’s words instead.”
PHOTOS: POKOT PEOPLE © MAUREEN DIDDE
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FLORES (ST HELEN) - GUATEMALA © CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM ADACH
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The Worst Place to be a Child In a society oppressed by poverty and violence, Pavement Project is helping Christians offer a different future to the children of Guatemala. Bethan Collingridge reports.
Bethan Collingridge
“Gangs rule the streets in many areas and children are caught up in the violence. It has been described as the worst place in the world to be a child”
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Miguel lives under a blanket of shame. He is 13 years old and, like many children on the streets of Latin American cities, he is addicted to alcohol. Sitting in the counselling room he starts to cry as he shares his sorrow and guilt with the Pavement Project worker. He listens intently to the story in Matthew 19 where Jesus asks for the children come to him, and hears for the first time that he is loved and important to God. His heart begins to calm. A DREAM BECOMES REALITY When Brazilian missionary Viviane Pinheiro first heard about SGM LIfewords Pavement Project at a conference in May 2015, she knew it had the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of Guatemalan children-at-risk. On the overcrowded streets of Guatemala City, Viviane and her husband Rodrigo minister to children living in poverty. They provide food and childcare for hundreds of families in a country
where malnutrition affects four in ten children (eight in ten among indigenous families). Guatemala is still reeling from a brutal civil war that lasted over 30 years, and poverty, social violence, drug trafficking and environmental disasters make life for its 15.5 million residents extremely tough. Gangs rule the streets in many areas and children are caught up in the violence. It has been described as the worst place in the world to be a child – physical and sexual child abuse rates are staggeringly high and impunity is a grave issue. Viviane’s dream to bring Pavement Project to Guatemala became reality a few months after the conference when Carmen Andrade arrived to train the country’s first three workers. Along with Viviane were Pastor Jaime Perez and Nora Mendonza, and together the group spent three days learning how to use the Biblebased counselling tool to bring God’s hope and healing to the children they work with.
FLORES (ST HELEN) - GUATEMALA © CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM ADACH
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BRINGING GOD’S LOVE TO VIOLENT COMMUNITIES Pastor Jaime works in public schools in the capital’s slum communities. Guatemala City has the second highest homicide rate in the world, and most of the students he ministers to are involved in violent crime and drugs. In these rough areas gang members are heroes in the eyes of children, and the average time spent in school is only three years. Pastor Jaime will use the Pavement Project green bag to share God’s love with 1,200 young people who have grown up around violence and aggression; to show them that God has a better plan for their future. Nora Mendonza works with children-at-risk in a rehabilitation centre. The vast majority are addicted to alcohol which they often use to numb their painful memories, hunger and the cold. Nora herself has suffered the effects of addiction. Her husband was an alcoholic for over 20 years and used to physically and verbally abuse her. He came to faith a few years ago and is in
“For Viviane, Pastor Jaime, and Nora, Pavement Project is an answer to years of prayer for children-at-risk in Guatemala” recovery – he and Nora are now dedicated to supporting addicts and are using Pavement Project to counsel the children and their families. Miguel is just one of the children Nora has already been able to minister to, through the green bag. After being counselled he said: “I feel safe in Jesus’ hands. He will give me strength like a lion to overcome my addiction.” For Viviane, Pastor Jaime, and Nora, Pavement Project is an answer to years of prayer for children-at-risk in Guatemala. As young hearts cry out for hope across the country, we pray that the Bible’s life words will bring healing to children living in the worst situations imaginable.
WHAT’S NEXT? The SGM Lifewords team in Latin America plan to train a new group of Guatemalan workers next year, and are looking to partner with more organisations and churches who are interested in the emotional and spiritual restoration of children. To keep up to date with Pavement Project in Guatemala, and in the other countries in which we work, sign up for our Pavement Project newsletter, From the Streets, at www.sgmlifewords.com.
PRAY WITH US n Give thanks for the
opportunity to bring transformation to young people who have grown up under heart-breaking circumstances. n Pray for children-at-risk
in Guatemala, that they will be set free from addiction and pain. Pray that young people under the influence of gang culture will be inspired to live for Jesus and bring change to their communities. n Pray for protection and
strength for Viviane, Pastor Jaime and Nora as they counsel children in dangerous situations. Pray too for the growth and impact of Pavement Project, that more children’s workers will be trained. Pastor Jaime Perez, Nora Mendonza, Viviane Pinheiro 11
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Aussie Mums for Indo Kids At the end of last year Australian mums got together to reach out to poor communities. Danielle Welch reports on a creative fundraising initiative that brought Christmas – and the Bible's life words – to hundreds of street children in Indonesia. Danielle Welch
“Our money goes so far, and the need is so great”
Jools and Lisa
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“I have always had a heart for the poor, needy and oppressed, and have witnessed great need among Indonesian communities. Many experience poverty, and great need for daily provisions and for the Word of God.” Lisa Warton
When Lisa Warton, an SGM Lifewords supporter, heard about the campaign to show God’s love to Indonesian communities last Christmas she was excited to get involved, knowing that support and involvement from Australian individuals and churches could make a huge difference to SGM Lifewords’ work in Indonesia. The “Aussie Mums for Indo Kids” campaign encouraged Australian mums to recognise that as a developed country they, and their children, have so much; and to consider supporting children in a country that has less. “Gunar Sahari [SGM Lifewords Indonesia Director] and the team carry out difficult and expansive work, and
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support and funding is limited,” says Lisa. “Our money goes so far, and the need is so great.” THE GIFT OF THE GOSPEL In the run up to Christmas hundreds of people made a gift. Seven mums led the way in making others aware of the campaign and encouraging them to get involved. Over £11,000 was raised which enabled Gunar and the team to give a Christmas present (bought locally), lunch, and a care pack consisting of a towel, toothbrush and toothpaste, and other essentials to hundreds of Indonesian children. The gifts were coupled with opportunities to share the message of Jesus, and families received Bible booklets in Bahasa, telling the gospel story. “Over 1,200 street kids took part in Christmas events where there was singing, feasting and generosity,” says Dan Hardie, SGM Lifewords Australia Director. For Lisa, being part of the campaign was very special: “Being able to share in work that moves my heart at a time where I'm currently not able to be a part of it firsthand was
great,” she says. “Knowing that these children who are usually shunned, ignored or cast aside by the world were given dignity and more than just the basics – joy, excitement, a chance to feel special and valued – is amazing.” NEW SUPPORTERS The benefit of this initiative reaches beyond the streets of Indonesia, with a new interest from Australian supporters to get involved with sharing God’s love and the Bible with others. “It’s been great to have a new bunch of volunteers advocating on behalf of SGM Lifewords,” says Dan, “to have seven different mums sign up to become support-raisers with us is awesome!” Lisa agrees: “I love to see people find joy in sharing in this amazing work. I find people are more generous in giving when they either feel ownership of something or know people involved directly so they can see where their money goes … it's so important to make people aware of this work and give them an opportunity to make a place in their heart for it too.”
“It’s been great to have a new bunch of volunteers advocating on behalf of SGM Lifewords”
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Praise God for the "Aussie Mums for Indo Kids" initiative and for the enthusiasm of Australian supporters to get involved. Give thanks for the money raised and how it enabled hundreds of Indonesian children to enjoy a special Christmas celebration. Please pray for SGM Lifewords in Australia and for its supporters, that they would find more and more creative ways to build relationships and reach people with God's hope and love.
WATCH Scan the QR code or visit www.youtube.com/ lifewords to watch ‘Beautiful Feet – Finding Hope Amid the Hardship’ a short film about how Indonesian Christians are using SGM Lifewords resources to reach vulnerable children.
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… stories about people working with refugees
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GERMANY Jana Schwolow from East Frisia Heart of Mercy church says: “We wrap gifts for refugees and distribute them free of charge. Each package that leaves our warehouse also contains [one of] your booklets. Thank you very much for your service.”
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UGANDA “Thank you very much!” says Nicholas Okereke. “The order that you shipped arrived yesterday. The booklets are wonderful. I am sure many lives will be blessed. We look forward to working more and more with you in getting the French materials to the numerous Congolese refugees in Uganda, and also to needy souls in Eastern Congo.”
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POLAND Arkadiusz Jurgielajtis uses our resources in a refugee camp in Kętrzyń, Poland, ministering to Chechens, Georgians, Iraqis, Chinese, Vietnamese and people from African countries.
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SOUTH KOREA James Park is from Refuge pNan, a Christian NGO that assists North Korean and international refugees seeking asylum in Korea and abroad. They use our booklets with asylum seekers, refugee families and foreign workers in Korea, many of whom are African nationals.
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GREECE Brett Sanner works in Athens with refugees from central and south Asia, the Middle East and Africa. “Many refugees have questions about Jesus since they don't have the freedom to explore Jesus and the Bible in their home countries,” says Brett. “So we use the booklets to share the truth about Jesus with them.”
CONTACT US Have you got a story to share of the Bible’s life words at work? Get in touch with the SGM Lifewords global family. Find us on the web at www.sgmlifewords.com, or contact your local office. Australia: +61 437 705 947
Canada: +1 683 6482
Indonesia: +62 816 714 983
Poland:
australia@sgmlifewords.com
info@sgmcanada.ca
indonesia@sgmlifewords.com
europe@sgmlifewords.com
Brazil:
Kenya: +254 20 2730100
India: +91-80-2529 6587
UK (International office):
projectoc@sgmlifewords.com
kenya@sgmlifewords.com
india@sgmlifewords.com
+44 (0)20 7730 2155 uk@sgmlifewords.com
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RESOURCES IN ACTION
A closer look at our Bible resources and how they make a difference
“I put my life in the hands of traffickers, and spent 21 harrowing days on a ship. I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t know what was going to happen.” – asylum seeker from Sudan
That quote could have been written last month, by one of the many millions of people arriving as refugees in Europe. In fact, it comes from one of the stories that SGM Lifewords collected ten years ago, when we set out to create a Bible resource that would speak to the hearts of refugees and asylum seekers. A decade later, Afraid to Leave, Afraid to Stay (ALAS) is proving no less relevant. The resource has been re-translated again in 2016, and is being used in communities across Europe. The booklet is a diglot – with the same text written in two different languages – so it also doubles up as a literacy tool. The themes the booklet talks about were all taken from interviews and research with refugees, responding especially to fears – of rejection, for those left behind; fears for the future, as well as fear about remembering or reliving the past. Readers encounter stories of Jesus, ending with the prayer that Jesus taught. The booklet was designed to be read together, with prompts to help outreach workers listen to the stories of those they’re working with.
“Give us our food for today … protect us from evil”
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If you are working with refugees and asylum seekers, get in touch and find out what language resources we have. Please pray for those who are using ALAS (and other tools) with refugees, that sharing the Bible together will help build relationships. Pray that reading the booklet will provide a way for refugees to share their stories, and to trust God even in the face of great hardship and fear.
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