W&D Magazine Fall 2015

INSIDE

Dominican Republic

Work Team Reflections on Serving

Ecuador

Fifth Anniversary Reflections

South Africa

Suffering and Hope in the Face of AIDS

>foreword

By Rick Postma

Standing Up

FOR

Christ

The recent Supreme Court of the United States ruling that gay marriage is now legal throughout that country is only the latest anti-Christian decision of activist judiciaries in both the USA and Canada. Freedom of speech (think university campuses) and freedom of religion are going extinct as society, having lost her anchor in God’s Word, rushes with increasing speed downstream heedlessly crashing into one rock after another. And we, the Christians of the west, are just beginning to feel the fallout.

more corruption, poor services, and, on average, far more violence. The articles in this issue featuring the work in South Africa, Indonesia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic highlight these concerns once again. Christians in these countries, and many others, face difficult lives on many fronts. Meanwhile, we in North America are just beginning to feel the pinch even as we continue to enjoy a lifestyle that is the envy of the world. In his book, “Western Christians in Global Mission,” Paul Borthwick brings us a question from Christians in the developing world:

We have had it so good. I’ve often wondered why the developing world seems to experience the “When the NA church vast majority of the disasters (Nepal, the stands up for Christ...

Philippines, Haiti, we in the global arena Guatemala, India). have somebody to The developing emulate and also wave world also before our dissenters as to the credibility and experiences potency of the gospel.” much

Does the Church in North America have a prophetic role in its own society, or does it simply mimic the culture and entertain its members? ...

When the NA church stands up for Christ in the face of growing and infiltrating secularism and compromise, we in the global arena have somebody to emulate and also wave before our dissenters as to the credibility and potency of the gospel.

In a world that has become a global village, we have an obligation to speak up and take action both locally and abroad. Word & Deed exists to provide a means for you to come alongside of churches and Christian organizations in the developing world as they reach out in the name of Christ. Organizations like ARPA (Association for Reformed Political Action) in Canada provide a means for you to speak up locally as we are called to carry out our daily lives in a way that reflects Christ into the workplaces, campuses, and communities where God has placed us. Let us be faithful and sacrificial with both our time and money just like the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 8), as Pastor Pronk writes in the Meditation. May we, by God’s grace, mimic Christ, who became poor so that we might become rich. W&D Rick Postma is Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

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WORD&DEED

meditation

Official Publication of Word & Deed An International Reformed Relief and Development Agency Free for sponsors and friends

By Pastor C. Pronk

FALL 2015 Editor Rick Postma

Assistant Editor Hanna Korvemaker

Graphic Design Knor Graphic Design Solutions Copy Editors Shelly Crites Susan Trentacosti In response to Jesus’ command to love others, Word & Deed is an international, evangelical relief and development ministry that provides funding to meet spiritual and physical needs among people in developing countries.

With cooperating offices in St. Thomas, Ontario, and Hudsonville, Michigan, Word & Deed partners with Christian agencies in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Myanmar, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Malawi, South Africa, and Nigeria.

Canada Office PO Box 20100 St. Thomas, ON N5P 4H4 Ph 519.633.2333 Fax 519.633.7181 Toll free 877.375.9673 office@wordanddeed.org Director of Projects John Otten Director of Promotion Rick Postma Support Staff Hanna Korvemaker John Kottelenberg Kara Luiting Heather VanMeppelen-Scheppink Board of Directors President - Corney Les Vice President - Dave Wielinga Secretary - Rev. T. Bergsma Treasurer - Henry de Waal Dr. Arjan de Visser Rev. C. Heiberg Harold Leyenhorst Bert Mulder Dick Naves Lyle Ypma Advisory Committee Mr. Jim Beeke – International Educational Consultant

Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes – Professor of

Old & New Testament, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Rev. Danny Hyde – Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church

Dr. Nelson D. Kloosterman –

Executive Director and Ethics Consultant for Worldview Resources International Rev. Frank Van Dalen – Former Executive Director of the Foreign Missions Board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

<

Two Models

FOR Christian

Giving

In 2 Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul writes about Christian giving. When he was with believers in Macedonia he was impressed with their willingness to take part in his fundraising project for the relief of the poor Christians in Palestine. Though poor themselves, they gave beyond their ability. Paul mentions this to the Corinthians hoping that they will follow their example and support the work of the Lord in the same sacrificial way.

Why were the Macedonian Christians so generous? Because the Lord had given them something first, namely his grace (v.1). They were so thankful for their salvation that they were willing to give the shirts off their backs, so to speak, to fellow believers who had even less than they had.

But impressive as the Macedonian model for Christian giving is, Paul points to an even greater example of sacrificial giving, namely Christ. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he writes in verse 9, “that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” As the Creator of all things, He was immensely rich; the whole universe was His. But He gave it all up and impoverished Himself in order to enrich us with His grace. Believers in Christ are wealthy beyond compare, spiritually and often materially too. How wrong it is, therefore, to give nothing or very little when appeals are made to help fellow Christians in developing countries. “But I’m having a rough time financially,” you may say. There were people in Corinth who had the same problem; so Paul’s advice to them was basically this: Give what you can, according to your circumstances. If you have more than you need, you are able to give to those who have less than they need. If you have less than you need, others who have more than they need will come to your aid.

God, in His providence, so arranges the lives and circumstances of His people that all of them will have enough. If the Lord blesses you with an abundance of good things He does not want you to keep all that surplus to yourself, because you don’t need it. He wants you to share some of it, not only with fellow believers, but with all God’s image bearers, so that by your generosity they also may have enough. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).

In all of this, we give thanks to God for all that our Savior has done for us. And it is because He has done these things for us, and because our salvation is entirely a work of His grace, that we have true comfort. Comfort in this life, and also in the life to come. W&D Pastor Cornelis (Neil) Pronk is currently emeritus pastor of the Free Reformed Churches and serves as a teaching elder of Providence Free Reformed Church of St. George, Ontario. He served for many years on the board of Word & Deed Canada.

United States Office PO Box 157 Hudsonville, MI 49426 Ph 616.896.3160 Toll free 866.391.5728 Fax 616.896.9219 usoffice@wordanddeed.org

Office Administrator Heidi Pronk Board of Directors President - Pete Vander Stel Vice President - Paul Laman Secretary - Harry Kooistra Treasurer - Karen Vander Sloot Eric Brandt Dave Byker Mary Cogbill Anita Sikkema Peter Van Kempen

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>DOMinicaN republic

By Christine Otten

Work Team Reflections: Serving in the Dominican

Republic

On Friday, January 9, 2015, I had the privilege of traveling to the Dominican Republic with my husband, Alfred, and 13 others from our congregation‑‑-the Zion FRC of Fenwick.

Together we filled about 35 suitcases, each weighing close to 50 pounds, with donations of various lab equipment, medications, Bibles and Christian literature, kitchen supplies, dried food products, and clothing.

When we arrived in the Dominican we were greeted

by Rick and Jackie Elgersma, who have been part of the work at the hospital for many years. We looked forward to getting to know them better. Our driver, Thomas, picked us up at the airport. He drove us around for the week‑‑-along narrow roads, over dirt piles, and through deep potholes. We bumped along in the bus as we traveled daily between the compound and the hospital. As we traveled, we were able to experience the culture. The people of the Dominican have very little, but they take pride in what they do have. We often saw them sweeping their dirt floors and selling various foods on the sides of the streets.

On Saturday morning we went to the hospital to see our project for the week. The entire building needed a paint job, inside and out. A tedious but rewarding job was painting the black wrought iron railings and gates. Rob Laman, a member of our team, is a painter by trade. He taught our group painting techniques and found a way for each of us to help. We painted everything in about four and a half days! A few of the local boys helped us and we worked very well together, laughing and singing as we painted.

During our time in the Dominican we also ran a small VBS program. We traveled to the Bateys, along the border of Haiti and the Dominican, where the Luke Society has a school and a building for a children’s ministry. Each day children from the surrounding area came to have a meal, to hear the gospel, and to learn. We sang with them, played some baseball, made a craft, and shared the story of Jesus calming the storm. We taught them Psalm 118:6 which promises, “the Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.”

We taught the same program to the children that live in the neighborhood of the hospital. One day we walked through the streets and invited the children to come. They enjoyed the story of Jesus calming the storm and identified with the fear that the disciples experienced. We asked them several ques-

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Gathering the children for the VBS program.

Painting the hospital.

tions about fear, and they willingly shared that they too had times of being very afraid. For the children we met, the poorest of the poor, fear is a very real thing. We are very thankful that the same God who watches over us also watches over them. He is faithful and sovereign over all.

A very precious part of our trip was the time that we spent as a group getting to know each other and growing together. Our devotional times and evening debriefing times were a blessing. We laughed, prayed, played games, and sang together. Each day we prayed specifically for the people we came into contact with. We prayed for our driver, Thomas, and his family. We saw God at work in his life and watched him sitting on the bus reading the Bible and other literature that we brought along. We prayed for our interpreter, Franklin, and his family, and for Dr. Silvia and her family as they did the Lord’s work at the hospital.

On our final day we were part of the dedication service for the hospital, which was nearing completion. With freshly painted walls, a pharmacy somewhat filled, beds in some of the rooms, and chairs in the hallways, it was really beginning to look like a functioning hospital. When Dr. Silvia walked through the hospital at the end of the week, she wept when she saw the equipment that was there. It was an answer to prayer. Her dream had finally taken a giant step closer to reality. People filed in for the service, scripture was read, songs were sung, and God received the glory. It was a fantastic way to end our mission trip. It was both rewarding and humbling to have a small part in the completion of a ten-year-long dream.

The Lord brought us safely home to our families and to our church family where we were able to share our experiences.

We have the pictures and the stories to keep these memories alive. Let us always remember what the Lord tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” We pray that the people that we came into contact with have a glimmer of this hope in their day-to-day lives. W&D Christine Otten is married to Alfred, and together they live with five of their children in Wellandport, ON. Their oldest daughter is married and expecting her third child. They all attend Zion Free Reformed Church. Christine also works parttime as a teacher’s assistant at Heritage Christian School.

LUKE society hospital Construction on this hospital began in 2005 and in 2015 it was completed—operations began on March 9, 2015. It includes a pharmacy, lab center, emergency services, semi-private rooms, and rooms for ultrasounds, examinations, dentistry, operations, and labor and delivery. Eventually, patients will have access to various specialty surgery services, but during this first year of operation the hospital will provide medical consultations, x-rays, a pharmacy, and daytime emergency services. The purpose of the hospital is to provide holistic care which focuses on the spiritual, physical, and emotional. It serves an area of over 100,000 people in five communities. Word & Deed became involved with this project in 2012 and is funding $60,000 ($50,000 USD) of a $96,000 ($80,000 USD) operating budget annually for 2015-2018, with the Lord’s blessing. Funds are still needed in 2015.

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>ECUADOR

By Arlene Jonkman

Fifth anniversary Reflections: Child Sponsorship in Cesar Proaño

There are certain moments in life when the Lord invites us to reflect in a special way upon his faithfulness and goodness, and in this article we would like to do just that. Our ministry in the marginal community of Cesar Proaño began in 2008 when Dr. Yeny began Bible studies with various women. As God began to change hearts, the women became very concerned for the souls of the children. They began a Sunday School program on Saturdays with 80 local children, and had permission to meet in

Ecuador

growing with hope

S ponsorship P rogr am This program focuses on the holistic care of children in the neighborhoods of Cesar Proaño and Malecón. This program supports 100 children in each of the neighbourhoods, offering three nutritious meals a week, academic enrichment, medical attention, dental care, workshops for parents and caregivers, and Bible studies. By January 2016, a third program is scheduled to commence, which will minister to another 100 children. Sponsors will be needed for these 100 children.

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a local school classroom only to be kicked out months later by the priest. Then they met on a neighbor’s empty lot, only to be sent away when the priest threatened the owner of the lot. The Lord graciously provided money from some visiting doctors to enable us to buy a little parcel of land; we put a tin roof on some poles and under this the children sat on the ground, sheltered from the scorching rays of the sun while they listened to the Bible stories.

However, when the rainy season began, we soon realized that this was inadequate as the ground flooded and the strong winds damaged the shelter.

Five years ago, Word & Deed heard about our situation, and they graciously offered to help us (through the child sponsorship program) to complete the construction of a center and to help provide resources so that we could extend the program to include nutritious meals, medical attention, and school supplies. This enabled all the children to enter school programs and also gave us a place where we teach the gospel and care for the children.

Rehobothâ&#x20AC;Śthe Lord made room for us.

Since then, the Lord has been working in the lives of many of the 125 children and their families. At present 40 caregivers attend the weekly Bible studies, and a Reformed church is being planted in this community which consists of people who have been blessed and evangelized through the ministry of the project. We go confidently in the strength of the Lord and we rest fully assured that as many as are ordained to eternal life from this community will believe and be saved (Acts 13:48). The Word of the Lord will not return void, but will accomplish that which God has purposed. We thank God for each of you who have made this ministry possible and we covet your continual prayers for the staff, children, and families of this community. W&D

changes to the

special gift fund The Special Gift Fund was meant to help sponsors send a small gift to their sponsor child. Although many sponsors choose to send their sponsor child letters and small gifts occasionally---both of which are well-received by the children in the program---others prefer to send money for a gift to be purchased in-country by our partners for the child. In the past, when sponsors gave money to the Special Gift Fund it was to purchase a gift that was given directly to their sponsor child. Over time, our partners have helped us to understand that this process creates an administrative burden that is difficult for them to manage.

Because of this, donations to the Special Gift Fund will no longer be used to buy a specific gift only for your child, but will be used to fund special items or events that will benefit your sponsor child in an indirect way---books for the library at their school, funding for class trips, classroom supplies, etc.

With Christmas approaching, consider how you might bless your sponsor child in a special way this year!

Personal Mail Write your child a letter and include a picture of your family. Small gifts will still be given directly to your child. Letters, pictures, and gifts can be mailed to the Word & Deed office: Canada: PO Box 20100 | St. Thomas, ON | N5P 4H4 USA: PO Box 157 | Hudsonville, MI | 49426 Remember to include your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eight digit registration number when sending correspondence to our offices.

Bundles of Love Purchase a Bundle of Love ($18) for sponsor children in Guatemala and Colombia. The Bundles of Love program ensures that sponsor children in these countries receive a toy and an item of practical value at Christmas.

Special Gift Fund Make a donation to the Special Gift Fund through the Word & Deed office. Any amount is welcome, and your gift will be used to fund special items or events that will benefit your sponsor child in an indirect way.

sponsor a child FOR $38 EACH MONTH ($35 USD PER MONTH)

you can provide a sponsor child Fred and Arlene Jonkman have with physical and spiritual aid been working in Ecuador since that they desperately need.

1998, and are sent out by Grace Visit our website to start Free Reformed Church of Brantford, sponsoring today!

Ontario. Their ministry, Ecuador wordanddeed.org/ Missions, includes Sunday School ways-to-give/ training and curriculum for Spanishchild-sponsor speaking churches and schools in Latin America and a Reformed Seminary called CRETE which now has 10 study centers throughout Ecuador. They also support the different projects directed

by Dr. Yeny in the Quininde area. The focus of their ministry is to equip and empower the nationals to do the work of the Lord in Ecuador.

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>SOUTH AFRICa

By Heidi Pronk

Suffering

and

Hope

in the

Face

of

AIDS

The home-based care team visiting twin ladies, patients of Nakekela, who live with their mother.

Poverty, pain, destitution, rape, abandonmentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;can you imagine that being part of your daily job description? The home-based care (HBC) team at the Nakekela Clinic in South Africa faces these daunting challenges daily. We were recently privileged to spend a morning with them and observe how they remain cheerful, faithful, prayerful, and hopeful in the midst of it all.

At the first home we visit we meet adult twins living with their aging mother. Both daughters are HIV positive. One is deaf due to the effects of the disease and the HBC team is trying to get her hearing aids. Both have physical challenges, but have responded well to medication and are stable. Their mother is full of thankfulness and praise for the clinic staff. After we pray with them, she produces a large chocolate cake as a gesture of thanks!

This cheerful visit leaves us somewhat unprepared for the next. We stop at the home of an elderly grandmother who has been caring for her severely disabled grandchild after her daughter died of AIDS at the clinic a year ago. This child is 12 years old, but looks much smaller. His arms and legs are curled into tight balls and he moans in pain

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from abscessed teeth and wheezing lungs. Words cannot adequately express the depth of suffering in that room.

His grandmother pleads with us to pray, and we do. The tears involuntarily escape, and one of the HBC workers hugs me tight as we leave.

We soon pick up two more HBC team members and go visit Joseph, an elderly man living with his blind, HIVpositive daughter and his mentally ill sister. The daughter has been removed from the hut adjacent to their shack and transferred as an inpatient to the clinic. She was found by the HBC team lying in that hut, which was crammed to the roof with garbage. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister is sitting on a dirty mattress in the backyard rocking back and forth and muttering to herself. The HBC workers tell us that she has been raped repeatedly by drunken men in the neighborhood and has contracted HIV as a result. They are trying to get her admitted to a facility for the mentally ill but there are bureaucratic hoops to jump through to get her admitted. Until they can secure a spot for her, she is left in this dirty, dangerous place. Her brother sits outside nursing his infected feet. The misery here is palpable.

Lexi Pronk doing activities with some of the children who are under the care of the clinic.

< Martha, a home-based care worker, visiting one of her patients. south africa We meet two other patients who are not HIV positive, but who are dealing with other health issues. One man was recently released from the clinic after suffering a near-fatal bout with tuberculosis and, though he is recovering, there is desperate poverty here. The HBC team is trying to secure nutritious food to aid in his recovery. Another patient who was once a competitive soccer player is suffering from some degenerative disease that is gradually robbing her of mobility. The HBC team helps with her daily care and coordinates medical appointments.

Finally, we go to the home of Busi, a patient recently discharged from the clinic after nearly dying of AIDS. She had been stricken with terror when she learned several of her fellow patients died, so she was released early and is recovering at home. Her testimony, delivered in fluent English, was beautiful. She told us that at Nakekela she learned that she was more than just an AIDS patient, that she had value, and that there was hope for her future. This young mother shared that since she placed her faith in God, her fear is gone. She is attending church every Sunday and with Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help is changing her lifestyle. Martha, one of the HBC team, tells us that it is patients like Busi who encourage them because they pray for all their patients and when God restores one of them, it inspires them to carry on.

The HBC team does not just tend to medical needs; they are tasked with helping to alleviate all kinds of human suffering. As difficult as this is, they also know that God can restore both bodies and souls, and He gives strength to carry on. Pray for these ladies as they do this incredibly difficult work in Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name! W&D Heidi Pronk is the Administrator for Word & Deed USA. She is also the Project Manager for projects in Malawi and South Africa.

Nakekela hiv/aids clinic

The Nakekela Clinic is a step-down clinic for AIDS patients in KwaMhlanga, South Africa. The purpose of the clinic is to treat AIDS patients and to alleviate the horrible symptoms that accompany the disease, while bringing the Word of God to the afflicted. There are 20 beds in the clinic and a staff of nurses, doctors, and home-based care workers. Staff members visit and assess not only potential patients, but also follow up with those who have already been discharged. Dr. Sonja Miskin oversees the medical aspects of the clinic. The budget for 2015 is $192,000 ($160,000 USD) and funds are still needed in 2015.

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>VoLunteeR profile

By Hanna Korvemaker

Time Well Spent There is a good chance that you know a Word & Deed volunteer. They can be found planning Business Group functions, serving at dinners, sitting on organizing committees, promoting softball tournaments, or BBQing lunch at the annual Niagara Bike-a-thon.

support each year, with descriptions and pictures of each).

Volunteering for Word & Deed has been encouraging for Andrea. Through the design projects she has worked on, she has learned about the various countries and projects that Word & Deed is involved in throughout

There are hundreds of people across

the world—the number of which surprised

North America who are using their time

her. She has also taken the opportunity

and their talents to contribute to this

to travel to Ecuador with a mission team

ministry; ultimately, to do what they

to work at some of the projects Word &

can from where they are “to address the

Deed is involved with there, and to see

spiritual and physical needs of people in

“firsthand the amazing work that God

the developing world in accordance with

is doing through the projects and the

biblical principles.”

people serving in Ecuador.”

This is exactly what Andrea Korvemaker

It may seem that graphic design work

does from her desk in Hamilton, Ontario.

being done at a computer in Hamilton,

She works full-time as a graphic designer

Ontario, has little to do with the care of

for Adverdea, but she spends many of

HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa or with

her spare hours using her skills in graphic

a hospital being built in the Dominican

design to contribute to the ministry of

Republic, but we are glad that Andrea

Word & Deed.

sees the time she spends volunteering

Andrea designs various promotional items for Word & Deed throughout the year—

for Word & Deed as an “opportunity to andrea Korvemaker

from Facebook cover photos to flyers promoting child sponsorship. Two projects that we regularly rely on her for are the design for promotional materials related to our annual

use the skills God has given [her] to

effectively serve in His Kingdom . . . time well spent.” That’s exactly how we see it too, and we are so thankful for her willingness to serve in this way. W&D

Niagara Bike-a-thon, and the design and annual update of our

Hanna Korvemaker works part-time in Public Relations for

Project Overview Booklet (a sampling of the projects that we

Word & Deed. She is Andrea’s sister-in-law.

nepal relief update

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Word & Deed has been working with Pastor Anup Hiwale, a graduate of MidAmerica Reformed Seminary and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, to bring much-needed assistance to the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal. Pastor Anup oversees several projects which Word & Deed helps fund in India.

Together, he and Pastor

Thank You!

Thank You! Bike-a-thon

On June 6th, 2015, over 350 riders gathered to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, good fellowship, and a delicious BBQ lunch while raising over $90,000 (net) for the HIV/AIDS Nakekela clinic in South Africa–- and counting! Praise the Lord for blessing this event (and Word & Deed) with fantastic support, safety, and beautiful weather. Thank you to all of the participants and volunteers who made our 9th annual Bike-a-thon a huge success. We’re already looking forward to the 10th anniversary of the event.

Mark June 4, 2016, on your calendars!

Amit (of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Nepal) set up a team which has been distributing food aid to 300 families in four remote mountainous communities for four months following the earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of homes and other buildings were destroyed in the earthquake. At the time of writing, plans are being developed to rebuild two churches and 50 homes in the communities receiving food aid. Pray that God will bless this work and continue to open doors for the gospel.

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A Living Legacy As generation gives way to generation in North America, billions of dollars change hands. Who will benefit? Consider adding a child named “Charity” to your will and leave a legacy that lives on through the work of the Lord on this earth.

Please contact the Word & Deed office or visit our website for more information on Planned Giving.

I hereby give to: Word & Deed Ministries Canada Inc. 39993 Talbot Line, Talbotville, Ontario, charitable registration number 891200941RR0001 OR Word and Deed USA, Hudsonville, Michigan, EIN non-profit number 37-1429283, [a specific percent] of the residue OR [a specific amount] of my estate, to be used in fulfillment of its proper purpose.

Dinner Tour Join us for our annual

Dr. Yeny Agila,

Director of Corporación Misión San Lucas in Ecuador with

Arlene Jonkman

Ecuador Missions

> Jordan, ON – November 14 > Ponoka, AB - November 17 (tentative) > Neerlandia, AB - November 18 (tentative) > Edmonton, AB - November 19

Dr. Silvia Martinez,

Executive Director of Sociedad Lucas in the Dominican Republic

> Copetown, ON – November 13 > Chilliwack, BC – November 20 > Surrey, BC – November 21

Stay tuned for more details and additional locations. Please call 1.877.375.9673 to book your seat!

www.wordanddeed.org

prayer

requests

get involved Business Group

Meetings Fall 2015* Canada: Fergus, ON Hamilton, ON Work Team Reflections: Serving in the Dominican Republic • Praise God that the hospital is complete.

• Pray that the hospital would be used to great effect in ministering to the physical needs of patients, and that the Great Physician would use Dr. Silvia and her team to bring spiritual healing into the lives of many.

• Pray that the children who were a part of the VBS program would remember the words of scripture that they learned, and that they would come to a saving knowledge of God. Fifth Anniversary Reflections: Child Sponsorship in Cesar Proaño • Praise God for five fruitful years of ministry in Cesar Proaño.

• Pray that the staff of Ecuador Missions would be encouraged in their work, and that the children and families in the community of Cesar Proaño would be blessed by them.

Suffering and Hope in the Face of AIDS • Pray that the staff at the Nakekela HIV/AIDS Clinic (and especially the members of the home-based care team) would find daily joy and strength as they minister to the needy and the suffering on a regular basis, and that the Lord would bless their efforts.

• Pray that God would provide a way for Joseph’s sister to be admitted into a facility for the mentally ill.

• Praise God for the light that the Nakekela HIV/AIDS Clinic is in its community.

Word & Deed North America • Praise God for richly providing for Word & Deed through the work of many faithful volunteers, board members, and staff members.

• Pray that God would provide our local partners with wisdom and growing maturity in the knowledge and love of God. • Pray that God would strengthen the many indigenous churches that are affiliated with Word & Deed supported projects around the world.

Hurontario, ON Niagara, ON September 22 Norwich, ON Owen Sound, ON West Lincoln, ON

USA: Grand Rapids, MI December 3 Pompton Plains, NJ * Please see our website for dates and locations as they are determined.

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NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID HUDSONVILLE, MI PERMIT #204

Publications Agreement # 40595030

programmatic areas would be of benefit for each case (there may be more than one).

Two Models for Christian Giving 1. In your own words, explain why the Macedonian Christians were so generous.

2. What does it mean to be “spiritually wealthy”?

3. Read Galatians 6:10 and apply it to your own life. What are some ways that you can “do good unto . . . men”?

Work Team Reflections: Serving in the Dominican Republic 1. List some things that make you feel afraid. Now memorize Psalm 118:6 to help you remember that the Lord is always with you.

2.

Pray specifically for the people Join or Die? mentioned in the article: and 1. “Corporate worship is . . . Thomas the centerpiece of the Christian family (the and scripture. Here is one life.”his Explain howdriver), this isFranklin true using his family (theyou interpreter), Silvia 10:24-25 passage to get started: Dr. Hebrews and her family, andBoekestein the childrenmeans who when he compares 2. Explain what Pastor attended the VBS program. church membership to parents making their children eat their dessert.

CDA: A Transformational Approach to Poverty 1. The mission of CDA is carried out through projects in five main “programmatic areas.” List those areas and do some research to understand what they entail if you’re not sure.

2. Re-read the stories of Andrea, Shirley, Juan David, Genaro and Briceida. List which of the five CDA

Transforming Lives Now and for Eternity 1. Consider the hardships that Sender has faced growing up in Guatemala. In what ways has enrollment at La Palabra Christian School in Guatemala transformed his life?

2. “Empty stomachs don’t have ears.” Explain this statement in your own words.

Fifth Anniversary New Beginnings at Nakekela Reflections: 1. Visit the Nakekela website (www.nakekela.co.za) to read Child Sponsorship in about the history of the organization on the main page.

Cesar Proaño How has Nakekela grown since its 1. inception in 2004?

What does it mean to part Mercy and Glory at the Nakekela Step Down be Facility of a “marginal 1. Put yourself in the shoes of somebody living in the KwaMhlanga community. How wouldcommunity”? you feel about 2. and Howwhy? has the Child the opening of the HIV/AIDS Clinic Sponsorship 2. How has the community perception of the Nakekela Program a Clinic changed since its inception? Why has itmade changed? difference to the Introducing: Children of Light children in Cesar 1. “Families who did send their children to school were Proaño? (There are often sacrificing heavily to do so, suffering from a at least five ways lack of food, and an inability to provide their children listed in List this article.) with proper clothing and school supplies.” five 2.

reasons that Christian education is so valuable, in Suffering and Hope the developing world and in North America. in the Face of AIDS Aren Bulan is motivated to become a doctor because 1. What challenges of the lack of medical care on his home island of does the HBC team Rote. Make a list of the needs you see around you at the Nakekela HIV/ (at home, at school, among friends or otherwise).

AIDS Clinic face?

What can you do now to make a difference?

Serving Through the Written Word 1. Discuss the following statement: “The written word is powerful and should be handled carefully.”

2. Martha mentions the different talents and privileges that each of us are given by God. Compared to students in the developing world, what unique privileges have you been given? How can you use them for God’s glory?

Integration: Integrate Bible, history, geography, critical thinking, current events, and reading comprehension (etc.).

Missions: Challenge students to consider short-term mission trips and the use of their time, talents, and money to the glory of God while also having them ponder their relationship with the Lord.

Problem Solving: Develop problem solving skills in response to problems presented in the articles.

Awareness: Dramatically raise students’ awareness of what people in the developing world face on a daily basis. It will shape them for life.

Compassion: Elicit compassion when students come face to face with the very difficult lives of their peers in the developing world.

Thankfulness: Encourage thankfulness for God’s blessings in their lives.

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Word&deed I

winter 2013