CMS Mission Update Online

Flood victims helped with supplies and prayer

Six families made homeless through January floods in north-east Brazil received much-needed supplies and spiritual comfort, thanks to the quick action of a CMS mission partner.

Marcus Throup (right), who was in charge of the Cathedral of the Resurrection Joao Pessoa during a leadership transition, managed to get a team together and organise a collection campaign.

“We took food, clothes and nappies to the shelter where the suddenly homeless flood victims were temporarily housed,” he said. “It was great to pray with them and in a practical way remind them that God is our shelter and rock in times of trouble.”

30 days, 30 new church members
In just a month, the Cathedral of the Resurrection has seen growth from “no young people” to more than 30 young members.

Mission partner Marcus Throup, who recently started heading the young people’s work at the Cathedral, explains: “With a small team we adopted an informal, creative, participative discipleship group that meets each Sunday.”

Marcus says new people are turning up each week, “some who had never set foot in a church building before. Praise God for this fantastic start!”

Marcus normally serves as assistant minister at the Cathedral.

Finding faith and funds to feed two hundred more

When a food programme in a squatter area in Manila recently closed its doors, staff at Jigsaw Kids Ministries felt they needed to stand in the gap for the hundreds of starving children.

“But it seemed such a big undertaking,” said mission partner Tim Lee, founder of Jigsaw, which already provides food for hundreds of children in Manila.

“Trusting fully in God,” Tim said that within a few weeks, he and the Jigsaw staff bought the necessary equipment and put people in place to provide hot meals for local children ages 0-16. In the first week, more than 200 children showed up needing food.

Tim says, “At present, we are serving three hot, nutritious meals a week. We are seeing God’s miracle of the five loaves and two fishes daily. Jigsaw rarely has sufficient funds in advance to cover its food budget, yet each week God provides enough from gifts that are given.”

Jigsaw was started six years ago, with Tim and his wife Kate buying plates of rice for 12
children. Today Jigsaw operates four centres for street children. In addition to food, Jigsaw provides shelter, education and love for more than 1,700 children.

International Day of Street Children celebrated at DRC project

The young people at the (future) Maison Kimbilio in Lubumbashi, DRC marked the International Day of Street Children yesterday by taking mattresses out to sleep at the site of their new centre, reports mission partner Ian Harvey, working with Project Kimbilio.

"At Kimbilio today our children have moved out to sleep for the first time at the site of the new centre. We have been busy taking out bunk beds, mattresses etc over the last week. They will be staying there on a temporary basis over the Easter holidays! They have been really excited about this prospect and wanted to start sleeping there as soon as they finished their exams last Friday! It is great that this corresponds with the International Day of the Street children which is a campaign to give a louder voice to the millions of children all around the world who live and work on the streets.

"Our toilet and shower block is now complete and usable! It is currently being tiled and the next step is to get running water into the taps! There is a Congolese team who will be digging a well on site over the next few days! I don't envy them that task!"

Maison Kimbilio is a proposed children’s village situated on the eastern outskirts of Lubumbashi, the 2nd city of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A four-hectare site which is currently mostly scrub land has been purchased by the Anglican Church of Congo and made available to Kimbilio for its development. It has a small stream running on one of its boundaries providing a ready source of water.

The site will comprise of accommodation for children in three houses; a primary school and other educational and training facilities; a football field and other sports grounds; offices and meeting rooms; agricultural fields; health care facilities; staff accommodation.

Indian cities receive new church, school, mission partners

A new church, a new school and 10 new mission partners (pictured) have been established in recent months in India, thanks to CMS partners Noel and Yashoda Kotian.

The church, on the outskirts of Bangalore, is still small, but already a handful of people from non-Christian backgrounds have decided to follow Jesus. In Mysore, the new school for dozens of poor students has two teachers and “the children have done well in their studies” according to Noel, who directs the Christian Education of Evangelical Fellowship of India (CEEFI).

“At the end of last year, we trained ten young people in Mumbai to do cross cultural missionary work. One young man was sent near Pune to do evangelism and church planting,” Noel said.

CEEFI works all over India, helping hundreds of thousands of people grow in Christ through training and resources published in over 20 languages.

Helping Nepalese churches grapple with HIV and AIDS

People with HIV and AIDS in Nepal are getting much-needed, practical help from Christians, thanks to CMS co-mission partner Bhibin Shakya, director of Grace  Community Services (GCS).

“After being infected by my husband with HIV, nobody would help me,” said one woman helped by GCS. “I thought my life was over, but GCS gave me sewing training and helped me tackle my problems and stand on my own two feet. I have also accepted Jesus as my saviour.”

In addition to counselling and skills training, GCS raises awareness through educating Christians. About 50 church leaders participated in a recent GCS seminar in Dhading, which focused on how and why Christians should help those who are HIV+, who often face harsh discrimination. Bhibin and his team also spoke on the massive problem of human trafficking.

Similar events were held throughout the year at other churches.

One pastor remarked that his “eyes had been opened”, adding, “Most of the time I  share the gospel but never realised that we should also think about social issues such as girls trafficking, HIV/AIDS and family counselling.”

On World AIDS Day (pictured), Bhibin and his team took to the streets to rally against  discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS. “Our slogan was ‘God loves all equally,’” he said.

Pioneering end of life care in DR Congo

People coming to the end of their lives are getting the physical and spiritual care they need, thanks to a new initiative from CMS mission partner Dr Francesca Elloway, health advisor to the Aru diocese.

Thanks to generous support, building work has begun on a palliative counselling block at the Aru Health Centre and a small team are starting to do home visits, caring for people in terminal situations.

“We visited two patients on Christmas Eve, bringing them food parcels and comfort. In January a team went to help at Uganda Hospice in Kampala. The concept of a hospice is still new here,” said Dr Francesca.

As far as she knows, end of life care is something previously unknown in the region.

But with many patients suffering from terminal cancer, AIDS, advanced cardiac disease, etc, quality palliative care is much needed.

“I have been pleased at the positive response from medical and church leaders as I’ve brought up the subject. People were visiting the sick and dying, but they realised they lacked training to deal with patients’ specific issues.”

In addition to the home visits, the new palliative centre will house four rooms for counselling and two rooms for in-patients.

Dr Francesca has begun teaching courses at local nursing schools and churches and more people are asking for training.

Spirituality plays a key role. “When someone is facing death it is often a time when they…are really searching for answers to spiritual questions and are open to talking about such things.

"As Christians that gives us a wonderful opportunity to sensitively share the good news and pray with a patient if appropriate. Many expect it as they know we are a Christian health centre. Sometimes I feel I am thanked more for praying with a patient that for any medical care.”

Dr Francesca oversees one hospital and eight health centres in Aru. She has been working with the Anglican Church of Congo since 1994.

Picture: A dying man welcomes a Christmas Eve visit

From hecklers to seekers

Three men who were determined to fluster a Christian television host have had a change of heart.

The host presents a live call-in show on the SAT-7 Pars network, which broadcasts Christian programming in the Farsi language across Iran and the wider Persian world, including Central Asia.

“Since we started live shows in December 2009, we have had a very positive response,“ CMS-supported Sara Afshari, executive director of SAT-7 Pars, said.

“However, we also had these three men who would call regularly, attempting to provoke the presenter with their questions and attitude.”

Sara said the presenter always responded politely to the hecklers and answered their questions. “In the end this won their hearts and they called and apologised for their behaviour. One even sent a gift. These men have gone from provoking to seekers!”

SAT-7 Pars broadcasts 20 hours a day. In addition to sharing the gospel, the channel encourages the Christian minority in sometimes-hostile territory.

“I recently met a couple who told me that when they lived in Turkmenistan, our programmes were the only Christian resource they had in Farsi and our programme helped them grow in their faith. Today this couple minister amongst Iranians in the US.”

Picture: The Sat-7 Pars team

A big step for disabled Burundians

Disabled people in Burundi are closer than ever to being integrated with their able-bodied counterparts, thanks to the efforts of Lucy and Steve McIlhenny, CMS SALT partners, who are setting up The Bethesda Project in Muyinga.

“We have now had activities sessions with eight children with disabilities,” said Lucy.

These sessions have been casual with small games and team challenges to get participants used to doing sports and working together. “It’s great to see them smiling and tentatively beginning to try new things.”

The goal is that, through sport, disabled and non-disabled people will join together.

Currently, disabled people are often excluded and disdained in Burundi. “We are also be beginning to do sessions with a group of eight children without disabilities and our aim is that after a couple of months, we will mix the two groups,” said Lucy.

Lucy and Steve have been in Burundi for a year, starting The Bethesda Project from scratch. The idea was formed after Bishop Eraste Bigirimana of Muyinga Diocese, Burundi, visited The Kepplewray Project, Cumbria in 2007 (where the McIlhennys worked). He saw a project effectively using sport to help people with disabilities and was inspired to create a similar project for the thousands of Burundians with disabilities.

Picture: Two young disabled boys get a sporting chance

Transgender people truly transformed through Jesus

Some of the most marginalised people in India – the transgender community – are hearing for the first time that God loves them, thanks to CMS co-mission partner Dr Lalita Edwards.

Known already for her ministry amongst women trapped in the sex trade, Dr Lalita (pictured) has earned the trust of many people in the red-light area of Pune, including several eunuchs.

One of them is B, who ran away from an abusive home at age 8 and entered the sex industry as a teenager.

“It is often the only option available, as hijras are considered the lowest of the low in society and face constant discrimination and rejection,” explained Dr Lalita.

During a bout of harassment on a train, B met a pastor who offered prayer and a listening ear. After meeting with the pastor and attending his church several times, B began following Jesus.

According to Dr Lalita, this kind of care is rare, as until recently, many churches have been resistant to allowing believing eunuchs to worship in their congregations. B was referred to Dr Lalita, who offered friendship and continued to share God’s love. B has left the sex industry and is ministering to other transgender people.

“We must work to change the perceptions of the church and of hijras, who believe the abusive things they have heard about themselves. I want those who come to the Lord to have a strong biblical foundation and vocational skills that will get them out of prostitution,” said Dr Lalita.

More “lost and forgotten” find help and hope

Vulnerable women in Birmingham have a new centre to go to for practical and life-changing help.

In 2010, thanks in part to a major grant from the Ministry of Justice, Anawim, a thriving project directed by CMS mission partner Joy Singh (pictured), increased its capacity to help women struggling to overcome abuse, addiction, involvement in prostitution and imprisonment.

“We opened a new centre for women to access on the North side of the city, including a new crèche for their children. We have seen a dramatic increase in women coming to us,” said Joy.

Anawim (Hebrew for “the lost and forgotten ones”) helps hundreds of women rebuild their lives.

Outreach workers regularly take to the streets to befriend women exploited by the sex industry and to invite them to the centre. They also visit prisons to offer women support while they are incarcerated and a place to come to when they are released.

At Anawim, women become empowered through education, employment, counselling, mentoring and legal assistance.

Some women eventually become volunteers so they can help others.

The project has been so successful that Anawim has taken on an advisory role to the government.

“Anawim gave me a place to go before I entered rehab,” said one woman. “I am finding that I can really help people because I have been through stuff myself. Jesus has brought me through so I can help others…I have a new life today.”

“Thanks to everyone for their prayers, thoughts, financial and material help,” Joy said. “We are blessed by the generosity of you all in gifts of food, clothes, presents, toys and much more.”