W&D Winter2012 Web

> INSIDE COLOMBIA

Microloans Through CDA Forjar

GUATEMALA

Sowing the Seeds of the Gospel

MALAWI It Takes a Village

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>foreword

By Rick Postma

Death Death. A small word with a punch that is always breathtaking. As I have traveled the last six months across North America, it seems that death is ripping loved ones from the embrace of their families at an increasing pace. A beloved member of our family died from brain cancer, others lost a loved one due to drowning, numerous others I heard about lost loved ones to car accidents and an increasing variety of illnesses.

Death. Seeming finality. At least that is what the very knowledgeable but unwise writer Christopher Hitchens argued in his book, God is Not Great.

Contracting cancer soon after and with many people praying for him, Hitchens refused to recant and confess that only “the fool says in his heart, there is no God.” The name Christopher literally means “bearer of Christ” – ironically the only answer to death was to be found right in his own name.

On Sunday, October 21, a key member of our team in Malawi, Frank Phiri, died. He took ill a few days before and then suddenly the Lord took him home. Frank was the director of two of our projects in Malawi: The Blantyre Girls’ Home (a home for young recovering prostitutes) and the Witchcraft Rehabilitation project (for girls accused of being witches and demons by their communities). A godly gentleman with a soft but steady touch, he

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will be greatly missed by his family (wife Mary and children) and he will leave a big hole in the two projects.

Please pray for both his family and the projects.

Death does mark the end of the time of grace for each person it claims. In that sense it is final. Frank, a wise man, understood that truth, and by God’s grace, he had the hope and expectation of eternal life.

In this issue, the sobering urgency of the gospel in the face of rapidly approaching death is picked up by Dori Averink in her article about home-based care for the Nakekela HIV/AIDS clinic in South Africa. It is further reflected in the Cubulco Hospital article by Julio Cardenas. Esther Pennings tells us about orphans in Malawi who lost their mother and then were abandoned by their father – the latter seemingly even worse than death.

If we are covered in the blood of Christ, we can join the church of all ages, including our brothers and sisters in the developing world, in saying “O Death, where is your victory, O Grave where is your sting? … But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Christopher Hitchens mocked God; Frank Phiri honored Him. Which best describes your life? W&D Rick Postma is Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

WORD&DEED

meditation

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF WORD & DEED AN INTERNATIONAL REFORMED RELIEF MINISTRY Free for sponsors and friends

By REV. TIMOTHY BERGSMA

WINTER2012 Editor Rick Postma

Assistant Editor Hanna Korvemaker

Young at Heart/IMPACT Tanya Byl

Graphic Design Knor Graphic Design Solutions Copy Editors Tanya Byl, Martha Markwat In response to Jesus’ command to love others, Word & Deed is an international, evangelical relief 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

Administration Director John Otten Project Director Bernie Pennings Public Relations Director Rick Postma Support Staff John Kottelenberg Hanna Korvemaker Kara Luiting Heather VanMeppelen-Scheppink Board of Directors President - John Vangameren Vice President - Corney Les Secretary - Dave Wielinga Treasurer - Henry de Waal Rev. T. Bergsma Klaas Jan Buist Rev. C. Heiberg Jake Sinke Advisory Committee Mr. Jim Beeke –

International Educational Consultant Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes – Professor of Old & New Testament, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Dr. Arjan J. deVisser – Professor of Ecclesiology and Diaconology, Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary Rev. Danny Hyde – Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church

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YOU GIVE THEM Something TO Eat In Mark 6, Jesus’ disciples are surrounded by crowds of people. They’re in the wilderness, away from large cities, and the sun begins to set. Five thousand men, Mark tells us, are there. Matthew adds, “besides women and children.” The disciples point out the obvious to Jesus, “Send them away … for they having nothing to eat.” (Mark 6:36). That sounds practical, even prudent. After all, Jesus had been teaching them for a while. They were full of teaching. The evening had come, it was time to send them on their way.

But what happens next is remarkable. Not in a “wow” kind of way, but in a you’ve-got-tobe-kidding kind of way. With perhaps twenty thousand people standing before them, Jesus turns to His twelve disciples, and says to them, “You give them something to eat.”

(Mark 6:37a).

Ha! How were just twelve men (who, by the way, had left their jobs to follow Jesus) going to buy or get enough food to feed up to twenty thousand people, in the middle of nowhere? So they respond with a question, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”

(Mark 6:37b).

Now we sympathize with them because this is how we might have replied. And this was, seemingly, an unreasonable request by Jesus. But think about this: They stand, in

front of Jesus – they look right at Him – and they say, “How are we going to do this? There’s nothing here to eat.” This is like them standing in front of the Niagara Falls and saying, “There is nothing here to drink. How are we possibly going to find any water here?” They really have no idea who stands before them. They have no idea who is giving them this “unreasonable” command. They have no idea of the majesty and power of the One they’re following.

But they were about to learn. Jesus will feed the crowd, using only five loaves of bread and two fish. “And they all ate and were satisfied.”

(Mark 6:42).

Mark 6:30-44 and “The Feeding of the Five Thousand” is as much about the disciples as it is about Jesus Christ: They were supposed to see their inability to feed the crowd. But their own insufficiency was to lead them—not to incredulity—but to His sufficiency. Where do we go with the “impossible” commands He has given us? Where do we go with our insufficiency? What’s our response when we hear, “You give them something to eat”? W&D Rev. Timothy Bergsma is pastor of the Free Reformed Church in Chatham, Ontario.

Dr. Nelson D. Kloosterman –

Executive Director and Ethics Consultant for Worldview Resources International.

Rev. Frank Van Dalen – Executive Director of the Foreign Missions Board of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

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 Public Relations & Projects Norlan De Groot Ph 712.441.7112 uspromotions@wordanddeed.org Board of Directors President - Peter Van Kempen Vice President - Pete Vander Stel Secretary - Harry Kooistra Treasurer - Karen Vander Sloot Eric Brandt Dave Byker Mary Cogbill Anita Sikkema

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>COLOMBiA

By Cesar Salamanca

Microloans

THROUGH

CDA Forjar MICROENTREPRENEUR:

MARIA

MIRANDA

MICROBUSINESS: Madrid Washing Machines Rental Sector: El Manglar, La Boquilla.

A beneficiary of the Microloans program.

CDA Forjar (literally, to forge) is the arm of CDA (Corporacion Dios es Amor) in Colombia that promotes income generation in vulnerable communities. It participates actively in the social and economic improvement of these vulnerable populations by intervening with Microcredit and Entrepreneurial Development projects.

The approach is unique, consisting of Christian values and principles framed by ethical, moral and responsible leadership.

foreign market visiting us; and on the other hand, small businesses where consumer goods are sold.

The project seeks to empower and direct the beneficiaries towards the construction of business plans that allow them to reach higher levels of welfare through fundamental elements like the recognition of their skills and their dignity as beings created in the likeness of God.

The activities carried out by CDA Forjar in La Boquilla take place in the church Centro Cristiano Comunitario (Community Christian Center). This church, in lending its building and resources for training sessions, plays a very important role in the development of the activities. In addition, they contribute greatly to evangelism and also propose potential beneficiaries.

People who apply for the project are typically 18 to 70 years old, marginalized and vulnerable. The applicants are also dedicated, to a great extent, to informal activities of commerce that generate low income and force them to keep recapitalizing their businesses.

The main activities financed by the project are: on the one hand, trading of products and food targeting mainly the

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One of the strategies for the development of the project in the community is to identify gaps of knowledge and to design technical, administrative, and personal growth courses to close that gap.

Also, we have the community participate in entrepreneurial shows where competitiveness is fostered among the micro businesses.

We look forward to expanding this project in the future to a number of communities in other vulnerable sectors of the country.

For now, hard work is being done looking to open a new branch of CDA Forjar in Barranquilla (Atlantic). W&D Cesar Salamanca is the Income Generation General Manager for CDA.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thank God for the business He has given me. Before CDA helped me to strengthen my business, it used to be smaller; with the loan I got from them I managed to make it bigger.

I bought three more washers and by now me and my familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives have improved a lot. I also received some training; there I learned how to manage my new business more effectively.

I thank CDA for making an impact in my life, my family, my business and my community in La Boquilla.â&#x20AC;?

>COLOMBiA

By Guillermo Ramirez

JCCS Construction - COMPLETE! Hope in the Barranquilla community intensified as of January 27, 2012, when the construction of the third phase of the CDA (“God is Love”) John Calvin Christian School started. It was a very special and overwhelming moment; the dream was coming true. We would soon begin to witness the growth of a new, beautiful space, made to benefit not only the student body but also the whole community in the area. The construction work (finished on August 30, 2012) brought about the joy of seeing more children benefiting from the social, educational and spiritual work done by CDA Colombia, in line with the principles of love and compassion in our bible-centered world vision.

The just-finished third phase connects with the rest of the building through linking corridors in each of the three floors. On the ground floor: a new classroom, a physics laboratory and a chemistry laboratory where students will receive the hands-on training complementing theoretical concepts. On the second floor there is a teachers’ room and three new classrooms where some primary courses will take place. This new layout facilitates the distribution of students per grades and allows more control at the entrance and exit of each area in the building. On the third floor: three new classrooms for secondary courses and arts.

The new computer lab at John Calvin Christian School.

There are also three new bathrooms that provide more hygiene for both boys and girls separately, and three staircases to the second and third floors which make circulation of students smoother and facilitate more dynamic access to and evacuation from the building.

We thank God for His blessings. Also, we thank those who contributed for this dream – in the CDA School, Barranquilla – to come true.

W&D

Guillermo Ramirez is the General Manager of the Education Program at CDA.

Testimonial

luis david mendoza

torregrosa

Luis David Mendoza Torregrosa, student at the CDA School in Barranquilla, joined the school three years ago and is now in 5th grade; his parents say that the John Calvin Christian School has been a great blessing for their family at the spiritual, academic and economic levels.

As a family, they have benefited from the Health Brigade (mobile health units), improvements made at the institution and a number of different activities they have taken part in.

Today, the boy is affectionate, respectful with others, loves his school and proudly states, “we are part of the CDA family.”

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>GUaTEMaLa

By Julio Cardenas (translated by Brian Dennett)

La Semilla del Evangelio:

The

Seed of the Gospel

In 1954, Helen Neuenswander and Mary Shaw, from Wycliffe Bible Translators, were sent to translate the New Testament into Achi (the local indigenous language). As they lived in Cubulco, translating the scriptures, they saw the medical needs of the people and were moved to open a small clinic. As nurses, they were very concerned for the physical and spiritual well-being of the local people. Local Elisa Coz testifies, “she was just like a doctor and spoke Achi perfectly.” The former Mayor says, “When I was a child my mother and I used to go Ms. Elena´s clinic – she always smiled and gave us candies. She was a saint for Cubulco.”

The Christian Hospital “La Señorita Elena” honors these two women. Wycliffe donated the entire property to AMG when they decided it was time to move on from the area.

The hospital is located 193 km from the city, and getting there requires hours of driving through the mountains. It serves a population of more than 60,000, yet attracts needy patients from throughout the region. The surrounding community lacks access to health services, education, potable water and proper roadways. Incorrect beliefs and superstitions, broken homes, violence, and lack of opportunity provide the perfect opportunity to share the gospel. Throughout the history of the hospital, God has called men and women to serve in this vibrant ministry. John and Connie Otten and their family dedicated more than 17 years there!

AMG’s hospital provides 24-hour emergency care, an ambulance service, a laboratory, X-rays, ultrasounds, EKGs, a pharmacy, surgery with support from foreign doctors and nurses, and dental services. The hospital also runs a nutrition recovery program for severly underweight children, and an agriculture program providing training in proper farming principles, seeds, and animal vaccination. The hospital is staffed by loving Christian doctors, nurses

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The Cubulco Hospital. and support staff and has attended to as many as 16,000 patients in a year.

The vision of the future is to raise the level of care to offer full-time gynecology, surgery, pediatrics, dental care, opthalmology, and physical therapy. These services and improvements in our infrastructure would establish us more as a regional hospital, attracting even patients with resources that would normally drive hours to the city for care. This would provide a higher level of self-sustainability and allow us to be here in the future for the poor.

AMG’s mission through its many projects in Guatemala is evangelism and discipleship. We believe there is no transformation in life without Christ. What better time to share Christ, than when someone is in need of medical care or confronting their own mortality? W&D Julio Cardenas is the Director of Health at the Cubulco Hospital in Guatemala.

come & visit our

website Points for Charity Each year, dozens of flights are booked and paid for at Word & Deed Ministries: flights are necessary to conduct yearly project evaluation and mentorship trips, as well as the more occasional investigative and promotion related trips.

If you’re a points collector (whether on credit cards or flight related point systems), you can make a big difference! By purchasing the necessary flights for Word & Deed project managers with your points you will be contributing significantly to our ability to manage and support projects in the developing world.

If you are interested in contributing to Word & Deed Ministries in this way, please contact us at:

877.375.9673 (Canada) or 866.391.5728 (USA).

< cubulco hospital guatemala

Word & Deed North America is supporting this rural hospital in Cubulco, Guatemala for three years. The hospital is overseen by our partner, AMG Guatemala, and has 14 beds and four doctors who give medical consultations and carry out minor surgeries. Most importantly, the Gospel is shared with many of the 14,000 patients that are seen each year. The project has reached a commendable 70% self-sufficiency. $78,000 needed.

and see all the latest updates on: • How you can get involved • Projects, Events, Ways to give • Sponsorship Programs etc.

Like our page on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Word.DeedNA

wordanddeed.org 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 [a specific percent] of the residue 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.

Please pray for the staff and patients as well as the chaplain, who ministers to the spiritual needs of many through this important ministry.

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>MaLaWi

By Esther Pennings and Hanna Korvemaker

It Takes a Village

Since May of this year, I have been able to teach good health and hygiene at Word & Deed supported projects in Malawi.

Since being here, I have spent most of my time at the orphan care centres and in September I was able to participate in home visits of children from the Chilonga Centre (an outpost of the Lizulu Orphan Care Centre).

One of the homes we visited was a “special” case. It was the home of 9 year-old Angella, who, at two weeks, was the youngest orphan to ever enter the orphan care program in Lizulu.

Four days after giving birth to Angella, the mother of this family died from birth complications. Shortly after that, the father left the children and moved to Mozambique. They have had no contact with him for the nine years since he left.

Since that time, Angella and her two siblings have been in the care of her grandmother, Nankhoma, who is in her seventies. Chisomo (11), Nyozani (10) and Angella (9) are all in the orphan care program.

Corn is their main source of food and the main crop which they grow in their fields. Some other members of the community are able to irrigate their fields in the dry season,

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but because of her age the grandmother is unable to. As a result, she is only able to grow food in the rainy season.

Sometimes the children go without breakfast, and for lunch and supper their staple is nsima. (Nsima is dried, ground corn kernels, water and a bit of salt made into a dough.

When finances allow, it is eaten with “relish,” which is a mix of chopped vegetables and beans.) announcement

frank Phiri On October 21st, Frank Phiri, our gifted Director of the Blantyre Girls’ Home (a home for young recovering prostitutes) and the Manja Safe House (a safe recovery home for girls accused of being witches), suddenly passed away from a brain aneurysm. Please pray for Frank’s wife, Mary, and his three young girls, Deborah, Thandi and Thakondana as they deal with this difficult loss, and for the girls at Blantyre and Manja homes, as they are also deeply affected by this.

Finally, pray for our partners in Malawi, for strength and wisdom as they search for a suitable Director for these projects.

ABOVE: Lining up for a meal at Lizulu.

BELOW: Ernest, the True Friends administrator, with the children.

malawi

Orphan Care Programs

Word & Deed partners in Malawi use “home-based orphan care” which places orphans with caregiver families (often relatives) rather than in orphanages. Through this program, orphans receive nutritious meals during the week, medical care, help with school and biblical instruction. Occasionally, the children are also given food to take home with them. For a monthly donation of $7 (CAD) and $6 (USD) sponsors are restoring hope in the lives of many orphans. 41 orphans are still available to sponsor.

Although times can be difficult, this family is not alone. It is customary for people to live close to each other as families, each having their own house but living on the same property.

The grandmother of these children lives close to her daughter and although the daughter has her own children to care for, she also assists with the raising of Chisomo, Nyozani and Angella.

You have probably heard of the African proverb which states that “it takes a village to raise a child.” As you can see, this is very true for Angella’s family. With whatever help family can give, and the extra aid they receive through the Lizulu Orphan Care Program, it’s our prayer that these children will be given the opportunity to eventually provide for themselves and, most importantly, to respond to their Lord and Savior, Who is the only provision for their eternal well-being. W&D Esther Pennings is currently teaching good health and hygiene at Word & Deed supported projects in Malawi.

Please pray that these orphan care programs would be used by God to bring spiritual restoration to families in Malawi, and to stop the cycle of poverty through the economic support they provide and through the spiritual and educational opportunities these children are given.

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>SOUTH AFRICa

By Dori Averink

Relying on Grace for Home Based Care Nakekela is a life-changing place. Since 2007, my focus on Home Based Care (HBC) has brought me into many homes and many different situations. Each occurrence has left a different impression on me, but all have renewed a greater reliance on our Heavenly Father for grace to face each case.

Walking through the door of someone’s home always makes me pause, wondering what we will encounter. One occasion stands out more than others. Dorcas Mathibela and I were called by a woman to come and visit her sister who was very sick. After a few misguided turns, we managed to find the home. After speaking to several family members, we were brought to the room where the patient lay, only to find that the woman had already died the night before. The scene before us showed how traumatic the death was. The picture is still vivid in my mind and reminds me of the urgency to speak to others about the condition of their soul.

A typical home visit goes like this. Another HBC care worker and I are usually seated in a family’s lounge and spoken to by one of the members of the family, usually the closest to the patient. After we’ve established what the issue is, we ask to see the patient. We are then usually taken to the back of the home, into a darkened room where a person is lying on a mattress, the body outline barely showing under the covers. After doing an assessment of the patient’s condition, we inform the family whether we can take them immediately or as soon as we have an open bed available.

Many of our patients in the field die before they can even

be admitted. This is due to the great volume of patients found suffering at home, and not enough beds at the clinic.

It’s also possible that the family waits too long to call us for help and there’s nothing we can do.

On one occasion, I took Riana, our counselor and physiotherapist, to treat an older woman who was bedridden due to various infections connected with Diabetes, HIV and TB. As Riana began her work, she prayed to ask that God bless her ministrations. She began massaging the woman’s limbs.

As she worked, she sang a song of praise, and we could see the patient’s dubious attitude change. This experience was different from her visits to the local government clinic. Over the next few weeks, the patient began to heal, and she acknowledged that it was God who healed her through the workers from Nakekela. On a recent visit, we found out that with some assistance she is able to use a walking frame to move about. It takes a lot of energy out of her, but she is very happy to be mobile once again.

Ministering to the poor and sick makes us ever mindful of the great need for the gospel to go forth changing the lives we come into contact with and altering the way people live. We rely on our gracious Lord for all of these needs to be met. He has been faithful to provide for us in so many ways; we trust He will continue to do so. W&D Dori Averink works at Nakekela Christian Community Centre Association in KwaMhlanga, South Africa, and is a member of the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Burgessville, Ontario. south africa

nakekela clinic The Nakekela Hospice is a step-down clinic for AIDS patients. There are 12 beds in the clinic and a staff of nurses and doctors. The staff visits and assesses not only potential patients but also follows up with those who have already been discharged. 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. $55,000 still needed.

Please pray that the staff of Nakekela would be given peace and strength as they minister to HIV/AIDS patients, while, in some cases, suffering themselves from this illness.

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sponsorship Make a World of Difference by Sponsoring a

Child in India or Haiti

Jitendra: Jitendra is 8

years old. His father is a bonded laborer and his wages are insufficient to meet the needs of his family. Though he desires to see his children get an education, his low caste status keeps him from attempting it.

Vijay

: Vijay is 10 years old.

He belongs to a poor family. His father is a pastor and his income is very little. Since he cannot afford to educate his children, he has decided to enroll them in the COUNT Agape Home. Vijay is an active child and is interested in the opportunity to go to school.

Ajith

: Ajith is 13 years old.

His parents own a little bit of land on which they cultivate maize.

The rainfall has been sporadic and is affecting the yield of the land. Their financial position is critical and educating their children is an added burden.

Wideline: (Age 12)

Lukesh: Lukesh is 11 years

old. His parents own a small piece of land which produces a minimal harvest. His mother stays at home and takes care of Lukesh and his two siblings. Their income is not enough to afford an education for their children, but his parents would like their children to grow in good discipline. Lukesh is an active child and is very interested in going to school.

Asvin: Asvin is 8 years old.

He comes from a small, isolated village which is surrounded by forest. His parents are agricultural laborers who work hard all day long but earn very little money.

They can barely afford to give their children food and clothing, so they have requested Asvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s admission into the COUNT Agape Home.

Joseph: (Age 13)

Jennifer: (Age 9)

Dethenomme:

(Age 8)

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Education

By John Otten

Self-Sufficiency

AND

Relying

Word & Deed requires that each project we support has a very strong gospel focus, and we have communicated that extensively over the years. However, there are two other points of emphasis that we also encourage within our projects: the importance of having a project that is indigenously run, and a project that is traveling towards self-sufficiency.

on

Indigenous Assets

that without their contribution, the project would not be able to operate. The local people must feel as if the project is theirs. We are conscious of the burden that unfair expectations can place on those that we are seeking to build up, and encourage each person to give in reasonable proportion to what they have been given. In some cases it is money, in other cases it is time or expertise.

Encouraging indigenously run projects requires that mem- As we evaluate new project opportunities, we must conbers of the local community operate the project in their stantly keep in mind our focus on each of our three points specific area. This means that the local community and of emphasis; dedication to these principles means that we often sacrifice the common “North local partner organizations are encourAmerican” emphases of “as cheap as posaged to come up with ideas and avenues our goal is three fold: sible” and “as fast as possible.” for projects and improvements within their the project must have a society. There is some risk in this. For For example, encouraging local developexample, local people may present ideas focus, ment means trusting and valuing the input be for projects that they think Word & Deed of our local partners. It may mean sup-

gospel indigenously run, and be self-sufficient.

would be likely to fund in an effort to receive support, instead of presenting ideas that they truly believe will be the most effective. In spite of this, we believe that, with careful communication and an awareness of these risks, encouraging our local partners to diagnose their own situation and to recommend their own solution will be the most effective in the end.

Indigenously run projects are also operated and administrated by locals. Each project has a local board and Non Government Organization status in their country for Word & Deed to partner with. Having the locals involved in all these aspects of the project is the surest way of gaining their long-term support in operating it and encourages their own sense of ownership in it. Encouraging indigenously run projects is an effective method, but also a method that builds locals up as they come to understand their innate dignity as God’s image bearers, made and equipped to work and to worship.

The other emphasis of Word & Deed projects I’d like to highlight is self-sufficiency, and it is not unrelated to the emphasis of indigenously run projects. Self-sufficiency is the ability to provide for oneself without relying on foreign aid. In the case of Word & Deed supported projects, this means that our aim is to eventually have each project run on its own, with the support of the local community. It means that the locals should be so involved in the project

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porting them as they try several options until they find one that is the most effective. It also means acknowledging and accepting the fact that the pace of growth in projects and the progression towards self-sufficiency may be vastly different depending on the local capacity and culture of an area. Finally, it means that a project size may have to be limited based on local capacity. For example, if local people can contribute only 1% towards a large project, their investment is not meaningful – they will feel that their contribution is too small to matter and the opportunity to develop a potentially self-sufficient and locally “owned” project will be lost. In these cases, projects may be scaled down to increase the proportionate contribution of locals. This model acknowledges that developing meaningful, well-established projects takes time. This small project can now grow as the capacity of the community grows.

So, in the end, our goal is three fold: the project must have a gospel focus, be indigenously run, and be selfsufficient. May the Lord continue to help us as we strive to develop projects like these in the various countries that we are involved in! W&D

John Otten is the Director of Administration as well as Project Manager for Colombia, Nicaragua and Ecuador at Word & Deed Ministries and spent 17 years managing a hospital in rural Guatemala.

>VoLunteeR profile

projects from

By Bert Mulder

Serving Through Business Groups:

Bert Mulder

I first heard of Word & Deed Business Groups after being approached by Rick Postma about five years ago. I was intrigued when I heard about Word & Deed’s philosophy of working together with “indigenous” Christian partners throughout the developing world.

Our oldest daughter had spent time in Nicaragua teaching in a local Christian school and later, along with her husband, spent a year in Colombia working with a local pastor as he established a church plant. Both times my wife and I had the opportunity to visit her in these countries. We were able to see firsthand the many needs in developing countries and the uselessness of throwing money at a problem and then walking away.

We see Word & Deed’s mandate to integrally include local people in any solution as a biblical response to helping those in need. This approach of establishing a long-term relationship also allows the Word to be effectively proclaimed and shared as well as the Deed.

Joining the Niagara Business Group allowed a group of like-minded Christian business people to pool their resources and partner with Word & Deed in supporting specific projects. It has been a blessing for my wife and I to see a well-thoughtMarietta and Bert Mulder out, organized approach to the projects that the Business Group of Niagara supports through Word & Deed. I also see that once a project has been identified, Word & Deed follows it through to the end, although in some cases it could be years before self-sufficiency is achieved.

As members of a Business Group, we are able to fund larger specific projects and to connect with them via reports given back to us by representatives of Word & Deed. Opportunity is also given to travel to these areas to see firsthand how God has worked through Word & Deed projects to improve the lives of certain people in the developing world.

Since becoming a member of the Business Group of Niagara, my involvement has grown to include helping coordinate the Business Group’s annual meeting. This means helping to spread the word to members about the meeting and promoting the Business Group Program in my church by encouraging non-members to attend. Each fall, I also promote the local Word & Deed Dinner Tour in my church.

Seeing God’s hand at work as the projects unfold and the Word being proclaimed in conjunction with the Deed is a joy, and makes the time I spent as a volunteer worthwhile.

W&D

Bert Mulder and his wife, Marietta, live in Dunnville, Ontario. They are co-owners of a Home Hardware Building Centre and have been blessed with four children and five grandchildren. In addition to volunteering for Word & Deed, they love camping, fishing and traveling in their spare time.

colombia

health brigades

These mobile health clinics travel to various parts of the squatter zones on a revolving basis. This enables people who would otherwise have no access to medical attention to get the care they need. Eight Health Brigade mobile clinics are held on an annual basis in various impoverished areas of Bogotá. Tents are used to house doctors, dentists, hair dressers, eye examiners and a chaplain who shares the Gospel with each patient. $22,200 still needed.

Please pray that these mobile health clinics will be used to effectively demonstrate Christian love in action, resulting in the salvation of many.

micro-loans

Word & Deed is partnering with CDA as they launch a threepronged micro-loans project.

This project will focus on giving high risk entrepreneurs in La Boquilla and Cartagena the opportunity to grow their business while learning about the Gospel and biblical principles relating to business ownership.

The third prong of this project will focus on providing young people with early opportunities to start businesses. In all cases, the loans are small ($50-$500).

The project is expected to run until December 2015.

Budgets follow: La Boquilla: $50,000/year (for two years) Cartagena: $34,000/year (for two years) Young Entrepreneurs: $17,000/year (for two years) Please pray that this project will be used to transform the lives of the beneficiaries, economically, socially and spiritually.

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>Event update By hanna korvemaker

Fall Dinner Tour Thank You: The Fall Dinner Tour for 2012 has come and gone and we have much to be thankful for. A dozen events featuring either

Dexter Gollapalli of India or Randy & Karen Lodder of Haiti were held, raising a combined total of over $112,000! God is faithful in providing Word & Deed with the funds needed in order to bring help and the hope of the Gospel to the various communities we partner with.

The Dinner Tour could not be held each year without the help of countless volunteers.

Special thanks to all of our: • Dinner Coordinators • W&D Local Ambassadors • Cooks / Bakers / Servers and those who helped set up and clean up • Business Sponsors • Table sponsors • Attendees and generous donors • Host families for our keynote speakers and W&D personnel as they travelled extensively

>BusiNess Group Business Group

Meetings Grand Rapids (MI): December 3, 2012 Hamilton (ON): December 12, 2012 Lethbridge (AB): April 22, 2013 calgary special interest group (AB): April 23, 2013 edmonton (AB): April 24, 2013 central alberta: April 25, 2013

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>YouNG@heart

By TANYA BYL

India

Word & Deed supports work in India. This boy and girl are wearing traditional Indian clothes that are still worn by many people there. The girl is wearing a sari and the boy is wearing a kurta.

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

Publications Agreement # 40595030

Meditation 1. How does the command “You give them something to eat” relate to us? Who is “you” and who are “them”?

2. How do we differ from the disciples in our knowledge of Jesus?

Microloans through CDA Forjar 1. In your own words, explain what a microloans program is.

2. How is the Word spread to the participants of the microloans program?

La Semilla del Evangelio 1. Look up the location of Cubulco in Guatemala to understand how isolated it is. Check out http:// www.collinsmaps.com/maps/ Guatemala/Baja-Verapaz/Cubulco/ P686390.00.aspx.

2. Explain in your own words why a gospel-oriented hospital is the perfect blend of “Word” and “Deed”.

Focus on Business If you read the volunteer profile, the microloans article and the article on self-sufficiency and relying on indigenous assets, it is obvious that business-minded people are essential to Word & Deed projects.

What strengths do entrepreneurs bring to a development project?

Why are they just as necessary as pastors, doctors or teachers?

Relying on Grace for Home Based Care 1. What is home based care?

2. What are the challenges of home based care as illustrated in the article?

3. How does home based care provide good opportunities for sharing the Word along with bringing health care?

Self-Sufficiency and Relying on Indigenous Assets 1. What is self-sufficiency for Word & Deed projects?

2. What does it mean to rely on indigenous assets?

3. Why does this business model discard the idea that success is when a job is done quickly and cheaply?

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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