General Assembly Mission Council

A letter from Tim Wheeler in Honduras

April 2012

Dear Friends,

At this writing there is a religious fervor in the atmosphere in Honduras, for it is Holy Week.  The Catholic Church is very active during the week reliving each moment with the emphasis on Palm Sunday, the procession to Calvary with the reenactment of the stations of the cross, and a special interpretation at each station in view of the problems today that the country is facing, the suffering of Christ on Good Friday, and the new hope gifted to us with the resurrection on Easter Sunday.   The messages are moving and in their simplest form are pleas for turning back to God and Christ and his teachings to overcome the huge challenges that the country and the common people face.  The message is for all of us to reexamine our lives, to concentrate on the essentials, to be kinder to our neighbors and firmer in our faith. 

Isaiah 49:1-7 talks about being a servant to the Lord.  The reference is made to Isaiah, verse 3, “He said to me, You are my servant,” but the message is for us all if we really listen.  How can we truly be servants to others?  This is the call to mission and the question that Gloria and I continually ask ourselves.  I think part of the answer lies in being true to our beliefs, to our values, of persisting on the road that we have chosen, maybe even being a little bit stubborn about it.  It would be easy to waver in our beliefs when questioned or rejected by some.

A letter from Rich Hansen in Ethiopia

April 2012

Dear Friends,

I have been meeting for several months in a small prayer group with two men who are significant church leaders. Both are former M.A. graduates of the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST), where I teach.  Both are in demand as preachers and teachers.  Both are “change agents”—one gave up his secure pastoral job and for several years has been building a fledgling small-group discipleship ministry among young people he has led to Christ; the other has been deeply involved in bringing greater biblical teaching to Ethiopian Orthodox church leaders.  Along the way both have become passionate that what evangelical churches here desperately need is not the very popular conferences offering an emotional “charge,” but instead grassroots discipleship that helps people grow toward spiritual maturity.  Our triad group has evolved into a think tank about discipleship.

To begin, we invited pastors who had a yearning for greater discipleship to come and tell their stories.  They came from both Protestant and Ethiopian Orthodox churches (Orthodox are usually treated with great suspicion by evangelicals). The fact that pastors from both backgrounds would come to talk with us was a major miracle in itself!

A letter from Bill Geppert in Japan

May 2012

Greetings from Kinjo Gakuin University in Japan.  On August 31 it will be 17 years that I have been here. The time has gone by quickly. I’ve seen 16 graduating classes get their certificates of graduation. For me it has been about 2,000 students whom I have personally taught in my classes. I have photo cards of about 1,000 of them from the required classes. Many of the faces and names have faded from my memory. But sitting down yesterday with all the cards brought back a flood of memories. I have tried to remember at least one positive characteristic about each student. I am afraid I have to write it down on the card to remember it. But it is something I enjoy doing as I try to make even the smallest difference in a student’s life. None of the classes are giant lecture classes, so I am able to interact with each individual. The photo included with this letter is the 2012 graduating class. Only about 60 percent of the 107 students attended the graduation party. Some were busy, others balked at the $200 cost for a two-hour party. But it was a nice send-off. It was also sad, as I will not be able to keep track of most of them as they launch out into their lives.

A letter from Karla Koll in Guatemala

May 2012

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Greetings from Guatemala.

As May begins, I have been through three rounds of chemotherapy. I'm glad to say that I am feeling quite well most days. I have been working almost full time from home with my computer, my books and the telephone, accompanying CEDEPCA's work from a distance as well as catching up on tasks for World Mission. My new rhythm is giving me more time to read and write, a nice change. I'm adjusting to wearing scarves and hats all the time, though options for headwear here are rather limited. For those of you under the mistaken notion that I am too thin, I assure you that I am eating well. In fact, I feel like I'm eating all the time, as my stomach feels more settled when there is food in it. My husband, Javier, has returned from Nicaragua and is here with me. We are grateful to live in a city where good private medical care is available. Dr. Rodolfo Gutierrez, the oncologist who is treating me here, is wonderfully kind and caring. My next rounds of chemo are scheduled for May 9 and 23.

A letter from Sherri Ellington In Zambia

May 4, 2012

Dear Friends,

When you pray for others or ask them to pray for you, what kinds of prayers get offered the most?  Are they prayers of thanksgiving? Prayers for healing?  Prayers for a problem situation to get fixed?

Here at Justo Mwale we have a theme for the 2012 academic year:  Maturing in Christ.  And for the past term Dustin and his spiritual companionship group of 12 students have focused on what it might look like, alongside supporting each other with prayers for healing and other current problems, to also consistently pray “bigger” or “longer-term” prayers for one another’s growth and maturity in Christ.

It is a great support to gather with believers and pray for one another’s current needs.  We don’t want to give that up.  But we also don’t want to become nearsighted, focusing only on current needs and crises.

A letter from Eric Hinderliter in Lithuania

May 3, 2012

Greetings from Klaipeda.  Recently I’ve picked up an old Sunday school lesson booklet—my mother used to call these the "quarterly"—from 2005 on the Book of Acts.  The story of the Spirit-led expansion of the church from Jerusalem to Antioch to Rome and the ends of the known ancient world started me thinking about the past months here in Lithuania.  Reading the Scripture with new eyes is one of the gifts we receive as mission workers.  Antioch has become a new metaphor for us.

This spring our lives centered on three big events.  The first was the visit of Presbyterian leaders, Amgad Beblawi and Burkhard Paetzhold, to Klaipeda.  Amgad is the new area coordinator for the Middle East and Europe, based in Louisville.  Burkhard is the regional liaison for us, based in Berlin.  For Amgad this was his first orientation to LCC International University, our mission partner.  Our goal was that they see LCC in action, that is, engage with students.  Burkhard taught classes in political economy on the Roma, the largest minority group in Eastern Europe.  Amgad gave a lecture about the Arab Spring in the class on the economics of conflict.  Amgad met with the LCC leadership to probe the question about how to ensure the centrality of Christian faith and witness in the future of LCC.  We all participated in communion at the Evangelical Lutheran Church on Sunday.  Personally we made our case for reappointment for a fourth mission term.  There is still work to do here to model the gift of the Spirit, “the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18).

A letter from Shelvis Smith-Mather in South Sudan

April 2012

Jesus’ praying to God for his disciples: “The glory that you have given me, I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23).

Two churches stand a stone’s throw away from one another, on the same road, their doors facing the same large field, in the same small town in Ohio.  While visiting the church on the left, for their mission fair, the story of the two churches surfaced in our presence, a story shared with hurt and disappointment.  Not long ago, still fresh in the memories of the older church members, these two churches were one church.  Disagreement divided the congregation, and the unresolved conflict gave birth to the second church.  The people chose which driveway they would enter each Sunday, yet they can easily glance aside to see familiar faces in the other parking lot.  The visual of the two tall steeples on the mostly barren rural road symbolized to me a situation all too common in churches, families, and communities in the United States, and around the world:  we struggle to resolve conflict.

A letter from Janet Guyer on home assignment from South Africa

April 21, 2012

Greetings from California.  This letter has probably travelled the farthest in the process of being written of any Southern Cross update to date.  It was started in South Africa, made a trip with me to Malawi, and now here I am in California!

Coming to the United States

I will be here in the U.S. until the first week of September.  I will be in the Southern California area until a week or two after Easter and will be dropping back into this area from time to time over the next six months.  If there are churches in this area that would like me to come visit, please let me know and we can, as they say in South Africa, make a plan.

I plan to be in the Northwest, Oregon actually, for the next week or so.  May and June and then a couple Sundays in August I will be available to speak in the East (which for me is anything east of the Mississippi).

If you would like me to visit, please let me know as soon as possible so I can arrange my dates.

A letter from Gary Payton in the United States (regional liaison for Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia and Poland)

April 24, 2012

Dear Friends in Christ,

Just days ago I returned to the States from Russia and visits with church partners and mission colleagues.  Traveling with Amgad Beblawi, World Mission area coordinator for the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia, and mission co-worker Ellen Smith, coordinator of congregational twinning, we renewed our connections with Baptist, Orthodox, and Lutheran leaders, with the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, and with the Narnia Center.  Along the way we witnessed again the myriad ways in which faithful Christians live out their lives.  In grand cathedrals, in simple churches, in megacities or tiny villages, through medical clinics or in children’s literature—the story of God’s love is told and retold.

For over a decade a truly unique ministry has been the Moscow-based Narnia Center.  Founded in 2000 by Presbyterian mission co-worker Donald Marsden, the Narnia Center is dedicated to publishing books with Christian themes for children and youth and providing training in children’s ministry through seminars and workshops.  The center’s name is absolutely deliberate.  Through The Chronicles of Narnia British author C. S. Lewis created worlds and shared Christian themes with hundreds of millions.

A letter from Bob Butterfield in Portugal

April 2012

Dear Friends in Mission,

At a time when Americans are struggling to recover from a deep recession and when American churches have all had to (repeatedly) tighten their belt, Keiko and I want to thank God that you are still able to think globally and maintain your commitment to mission.  The relationships that you have with other Christians around the world are the visible signs of the great brotherhood  that Christ established by becoming one of us, calling us his brothers and sisters, and naming us co-heirs with him of the Kingdom of God.   Working with a church body like the IEPP (Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal), which gets by on a shoestring and survives only by the grace of God, Keiko and I have come to a heightened awareness and appreciation of the ties that bind us all together in Christ.

A letter from Jodi McGill on home assignment from Malawi

April 2012

Throughout this past academic year in the States we have heard and felt much uncertainty and fear at many levels—as a church, as a nation, internationally, globally, and even as a family. While visiting with congregations to share the work of the church in Malawi we have heard concerns from individuals for their congregations and for the leadership and decisions within the PC(USA).  We hear and read in the news and through personal stories the uncertainty and fear of the unknown as the nation of the United States continues to face economic problems and as political lines are drawn as the country revs up for the presidential elections. Internationally political strife, wars, natural disasters, weather changes, economic crises, and predictions for the end of the world seem to abound.

As a family, although we are gladly returning to Malawi the end of July or early August, we are returning with several uncertainties. We again need to find a house, figure out how to finance and find a car, our work responsibilities are in flux, Michael and Jason—our eldest twins—are to start boarding school about eight hours south of us, and the schooling for the younger four remains unclear.

A letter from Leith and Carol Fujii in Thailand

April 2012

 Sawatdee, Family and Friends in Christ,

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1).

Thailand flood donations: from web http://www.thaizer.com/news/thailand-flood-donations/

We are now amidst some of the hottest temperatures (100+ degrees) since we have been living in Thailand.  Yes, April has been a time for Happy Easter and Happy Thai New Year (Songkran) greetings, but we’re not so sure about “Happy Earth Day”!

When Carol returned to Thailand back in October, neighbors greeted her with, “Welcome back to Thailand…just in time for the flood!” And the floodwaters certainly did come to Bangkok—the worst in 50 years!  Yes, we had unusually heavy rains last year and in hindsight better water management decisions could have been made. But circumstances were significantly compounded by the way we have exercised stewardship of the earth entrusted to our care.  An example of this is how bribery and corruption have paved the way for construction on land that was designated for canals and flood plains—there was simply no place for the water to go!  Matters that previously went unnoticed suddenly became glaringly obvious, and polluted waters stagnated for weeks before they finally dispersed. Globally, the crisis was felt in many countries of the world as Thailand is a key producer for computer parts. Submerged factories brought production and export to a halt.

A letter from Andres Garcia in Mexico

October 14, 2011

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Gloria and I send our greetings to you and all saints known as the believers of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Above all things, we lift our hearts before the Eternal God, asking him for every one of you throughout the Americas. May the Lord’s grace and the overflowing love of Jesus Christ continue to be with you every day.

Many of you already know the difficult times and circumstances Mexico lives with today. Particularly here in the cities and towns of the northern border between Mexico and the U.S.A. The life of the people in these parts of the country has too many risks.  Every person who dares to walk in the streets has the possibility of being killed in the crossfire between the Mexican army and drug traffickers.

The everyday stories could be enough to write many pages and reports. However, this is not the purpose of this newsletter. We are here, between Reynosa/Mexico and Hidalgo, Texas, where there is the great beauty of the sky blue waters of the Gran Rio Bravo.  To do our work in Mexico we walk two miles and have to cross the border bridge.  As we cross the bridge one can see endless rows of cars, buses, large trailers, and people getting in and out of the checkpoints of the border police.

A letter from Dennis Smith in Argentina

May 2012

Dear friends:

As we sit around the breakfast table, I ask my hosts about their church.  She is Argentinean—now a first grade teacher, she was raised as a country girl; he is Uruguayan—a technician who works in Argentina's booming agricultural sector.  They met at church camp, now have two young children, and have settled in La Paz, Entre Ríos, Argentina, about eight hours by bus from Buenos Aires.

I ask them to tell me about the Waldensian Church, hardly a household name in the United States.  They proudly explain that their name derives from Waldo, a 12^th-century merchant from Lyons, France.  In a church that had become corrupted by avarice and ambition, Waldo promoted a life of simplicity and service in the way of Jesus. (In nearby Italy, Francis of Assisi, Waldo's contemporary, pursued similar concerns.) 

As often happens with reformers, Waldo and his followers were persecuted; they sought refuge in the remote mountain communities of southern France and northern Italy and came to be part of the Reformed tradition. 

A letter from Karla Koll in Guatemala

Eastertide 2012

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Lent is a time for giving up things. As Lent approached this year, I could not even imagine all I would be required to give up.

On February 1, I underwent surgery to remove a lump in my left breast. I woke up to the news that I had had a mastectomy. Losing part of my body was only the beginning. I had to give up my plans to travel to the United States in February for 10 weeks of mission interpretation. There were many people I was looking forward to seeing and churches I was hoping to visit. I had to give up my accustomed ways of participating in the work of the Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America (CEDEPCA), the organization with which I serve here in Guatemala.

As I healed from surgery and traveled to the University of North Carolina Cancer Center for evaluation, I thought a lot about Jesus as he set out on that last journey to Jerusalem. He knew he was heading for a final confrontation with the political and religious authorities. Much has been written over the centuries of how Jesus willingly gave up his life. But how often do we think about the day-to-day aspects of that life?

Jesus formed a community of folks around himself as he went from place to place. He spent his time teaching these women, men and children. Though the Gospels present the disciples as a pretty dense bunch who had a hard time grasping what Jesus was saying, surely there were moments when their eyes lit up as they caught a glimpse of God's coming Reign. We teachers live for such moments. Jesus would have been no different.

A letter from Barbara Nagy in Malawi

April 2012

This is our first week of 2012 without rain, and we have a sense of tremendous relief—we’ve made it through another malaria season, with the help of God and the prayers and hard work of many people. The entire pediatrics ward staff as well as lab, outpatient department, and many others feel as if we’ve passed through the fiery furnace!  This year our pediatric ward census topped 270 patients per day (in 52 beds).  Over 1,600 children passed through the pediatrics ward in the month of January alone.  The nursing staff in particular was so stretched it was often challenging to get a trained person to the side of every emergency.  We were blessed to have visiting nurses and medical students who were willing to work many extra hours per day doing triage, lab tests, or whatever was needed in disaster style treatment pods and staff from other areas of the hospital helping, as able, to ease the crisis. 

Lunch became a coke guzzled in a few minutes of sitting down. Electricity seemed to go off just at the moment we had a whole new crop of very sick admissions, turning off lights, support equipment and oxygen, and ultimately burning out the hospital’s backup generator.  Political unrest resulted in many hospitals and health centers completely running out of medicines, and therefore many patients arrived after being seriously ill for days and were critical on admission.

A letter from Nancy McGaughey in Sudan

April 21, 2012

Greetings in the Name of Our Risen Saviour!

I wrote a letter last week, but before I could get it sent, my computer crashed.  Well, not exactly crashed, but the screen is not working, so I cannot see/retrieve anything.  These are the times when you realize just how far away from things you are. 

On the minds of most people here in South Sudan is the recent fighting along the border and the rhetoric between the North and the South.  No one wants to return to war.  Neither do they want to lose the long-sought-after independence.  It has affected the availability of and price of items in the market.  It lies heavy on the minds and hearts of the people.  It is the focus of our morning prayers each day.  Please join us in praying for God’s peace to come to this nation.

The Monday of Holy Week I received an invitation to preach at the church in Panawach.  This was unusual for several reasons.  First because it was to preach two weeks later—I have never had so much notice.  Second, the church is not near here—it is across the river, on the way to Rumbek.  Third, I was aware of only one person I knew who went to church there and the invitation did not come through him.  I agreed to go but wasn’t really sure just why I had been invited.

A letter from Kay Day in Malawi

April 30, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

The end of April marks the end of a most eventful month here in Malawi, ending the month much differently from when we began it. The changes invite reflection on the presence and power of God in the midst of life.

Yes, we celebrated Easter and the reminder of the power of the resurrection and all that means for our lives as Christians. That is a major event each year, but this year in Malawi it has taken on new meaning. On Maundy Thursday the president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, had a massive heart attack. The public was not told anything about it until the international media began to report it. We were told he was in a coma and had been rushed to South Africa for treatment. We knew better from the BBC and other international news services. He was already dead. Saturday morning, after many closed-door meetings in the government, the death was announced, and Saturday afternoon the duly elected vice president, Joyce Banda, was sworn in as president. The new president had been at odds with the late president and the government loyal to the fallen leader had spent two days trying to plot a way to replace the late president with a candidate of their own.

A letter from Debbie Blane, mission worker in Sudan

March 2012

Dear Friends,

March greetings from Malakal!  I do not know exactly what season we are in here, but since the weather is into the 100s (although probably under 110 F) I presume it is not winter and probably not spring.

I returned from Ethiopia just under a month ago.  It has been a busy month! 

Last week I came down with a terrible sore throat and very swollen glands.  One of my students took me to a doctor’s clinic and I was prescribed antibiotics, which did not surprise me at all considering just how horrible I felt!  I realized during the office visit, which was very brief, and then the finger poke for blood (I ended up screaming involuntarily because it hurt!) that diagnoses are done very differently here than in the States or even in China.  The doctor asked me my symptoms and took my blood pressure.  The rest of the work relied on the blood analysis, which did show bacteria and of course explained why I felt so ill.

A letter from Mark Adams on home assignment from Mexico

March 2012

On May 14 and 15 we plan to be participating in the Mexico Mission Crossroads Conference “Celebrating the Past, Preparing for the Future” at Montreat Conference Center.* Following the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico’s decision to sever relationships with the PC(USA) in August, we were overcome by grief and could not have imagined that we would be in a place to “Celebrate the Past” nor “Prepare for the Future.”  Yet, God is good and faithful—even in the midst of disorienting storms of life.

We are grateful to God for the witness of the binational ministry Frontera de Cristo (FDC) and our binational board of directors.  The board’s function has always been to discern what God’s will is for the ministry in the changing context of the border.  These past seven months the changing context has been not the border but rather the ending of the covenant relationship of our parent denominations.

From the beginning, the board sensed a strong call of God to continue in ministry together.  Board member Felipe Barandarian provided a framework through which to understand FDC’s continued ministry together.  He related the situation to a divorce in the family:

A letter from Les Morgan in Bangladesh

April 22, 2012

A Spiritual Inheritance for Healing

Dear Friends,

I just finished grading the final exams for the class Cindy and I have taught for the past two years at St. Andrew’s Theological College in Dhaka.  The course, entitled “The Healing Ministry of the Church,” prepares future church leaders to minister to the sick and address community health issues with sound theological and practical understanding.  The students learn the basics about the church’s understanding of healing—that wellness means more than physical health and alleviation of suffering involves more than the treatment of disease.

Living at the theological college in Dhaka is in itself educational for the students.  Over a thousand people migrate to Dhaka every day looking for jobs, and of the metropolitan area’s 15 million inhabitants, nearly 4 million live in slums, where population densities can reach almost 900 people per acre.  Millions lack access to proper housing, safe water and sanitation.

A letter from Charlotte Blackburn in Indonesia

April 2012

Often when people think of mission, they assume it relates to “doing something." Repairing a building or digging a well. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) describes mission "in partnership," and it is guided by five principles: (1) shared grace and thanksgiving, (2) mutuality and interdependence, (3) recognition and respect, (4) open dialogue and transparency, and  (5) sharing of resources.  (Please see PresbyteriansDoMissioninPartnership)

I recently attended a workshop on community development. That's the short of it, but as is typical in Indonesia, that's the tip of the iceberg. On the island of Sulawesi a consortium of nine churches is working together to discuss what they are doing for their communities, possibly to reduce replication and strengthen the efficacy of all their programs by developing a more unified, systematic methodology in response to a grant from Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS), a regional association of churches in South Germany.

A letter from Katie Griffin in Argentina

April 13, 2012

Dear Friends,

We had a very difficult Holy Week, and because of that an especially joyful celebration for Resurrection Sunday!

Our part of the western suburbs of the city of Buenos Aires was hit by a tremendous windstorm on Wednesday, April 4. There has been much debate as to whether it was a tornado or not, and the news here has not been clear in their coverage of the loss caused by the storm. I am sure that you all know of folks in Alabama who suffered from the tornadoes that swept through parts of the southern Midwest not too long ago.

Fortunately, no one in my family or in my church community suffered injury or damage to person or property. Many were without power until yesterday, and since we all use well water, if there is no power, we cannot get the water pumped from the wells into the houses. The water shortage was the most frustrating part of the storm for my immediate faith community.

A letter from Jed Koball in Peru

April 2012

Dear Friends,

Youth from La Oroya and students from the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at the University of Arizona work side by side in painting a mural of hope on the streets of La Oroya in March of 2011.

I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

                                                                                                Acts 2:17

A year ago an unprecedented darkness fell upon the town of La Oroya. A group of 10 university students from the United States accompanying a group of 10 children and youth from La Oroya were violently attacked by a group of nearly 200 men. Throwing rocks and punches, the men chased the young people out of town.

It was upon the invitation of a group of youth from La Oroya that the 10 students from the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at the University of Arizona had travelled to Peru during their spring break. The students volunteered to accompany the youth in their ongoing activities of addressing grave environmental concerns in La Oroya. Together they would meet with churches, schools and municipal leaders—sharing their concerns and calling on everyone to do their part in caring for the environment. And, together, they would paint a mural for the town, giving a message of hope to all its passersby.

A letter from Judy Chan in Hong Kong

April 2012

Election Fever

On the last Sunday in March Hong Kong passed another political milestone. Mr. Leung Chun-Ying, popularly known as "C.Y.," was elected as the next leader of this Special Administrative Region of China. His title will be Chief Executive, similar to mayor in other cities, and he takes office on July 1, 2012.

The selection of Hong Kong’s top government leader was a fascinating process this time around. Why? Because there were two candidates with a real chance to win. And the one who was initially thought to be the front-runner—Mr. Henry Tang—ended up losing due to various exposés about his personal life and a weak performance in public debates.

A letter from Jacob and Aliamma George in South Sudan

April 2012

1 Corinthians 3:7-8:  So, then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now, he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his labor.

April is our hottest month and food items started coming from the North (Sudan) even though it is very expensive because the traders have to pay extra money at different checkpoints.

After independence, South Sudan was trying to set up things in order, but insecurity is creeping into the people's lives again. The border fight is increasing as per the present news. We heard about a bomb being dropped in a market in our nearby state and some people were killed and some were wounded. So our market was closed for a day and there was a political march for the awareness and cooperation of the public. Thousands of people participated in an orderly fashion in our hometown, Malakal, South Sudan.

A letter from Bob and Kristi Rice in Congo

April 2012

Unity, the Oil of Blessing

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes (Psalm 133:1-2).

Nearly 100 delegates gather in Mbuyi-Mayi from various regions for the annual laity congress

The annual congress of laity of the Congolese Presbyterian Church (CPC) had just finished.  A collective sense of accomplishment coupled with smiles-all-around filled the sanctuary.  Two and a half days of worship, breaking bread, hot discussion, and warm fellowship finished with the unifying act of communion.  After officially closing the congress, the president of the laity for East Kasai introduced a guest.  He was tall and slender.  He spoke a few words of greeting and the congress received him mildly.  I later learned that this man serves as the legal representative of the Presbyterian Church of East Kasai, autonomous from the CPC.  In 1967 he led several churches out of the CPC community due to a troubled political climate that fostered tribal tensions.  Unable to reconcile with another tribe of the West Kasai region, he and others left the larger CPC body to form a “safer” and more homogenous community. 

A letter from Doug Orbaker in Nicaragua

April 2012

4G Networks and Outhouses

A few months ago I was in the small and very isolated community called “El Porvenir.”  There had been a group of university students in that community a few weeks earlier, and we were housed in the same building where the other group had stayed.  When I went to the outhouse the first morning I saw a hand-lettered sign, “Welcome to the El Porvenir Internet Café.  Begin downloading now.”  I remembered this bit of college-age scatological humor as I met with a group of people from St. Louis and their long-term partners in Plan Grande 2, a small community in the far north of Nicaragua.

There really isn't much connection between outhouses and Internet cafes, but both subjects were part of our discussion.

The first discussion was about communication with their partners in the United States.  The Coffee Cooperative in the community does have a computer, but it is about 10 km. to the nearest Internet access.  However, the area does have cellular phone service, a bit spotty because of the mountains and not always strong enough to get into the concrete building where the computer is kept.  The local group knew about 4G cell phone modems that can be plugged into a USB port to give Internet service.

A letter from Nuhad Tomeh in Lebanon

April 2012

Restoring Hope

Christians in the Middle East greet one another by saying, “Almaseh Kam”—The Christ is risen”—from Easter Sunday until Advent, and I greet all of you, dear brothers and sisters, with this same resurrection assurance!  In the week that follows Easter I normally read (and preach) the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and I would encourage all of you to look again at this familiar passage. I think of this event as “the restoration of resurrection hope.”

This year, especially, with what is happening in the region of the Middle East—and in Syria, particularly—I find this story so appropriate to share with the Christians of Syria, as a reminder that Christ “shows up” to us and with us and for us even in the darkest and saddest of times in Syria.  And I would like to think that it might be equally appropriate to share it with you, my friends, as so many of you carry a burden of concern for Christian presence and witness in Syria and beyond.

A letter from Nancy Dimmock in Lesotho

April 12, 2012

Dear Friends,

I remember my mom telling the story of a “missionary kid” who was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up.  His answer was, “a missionary on furlough”!  Wonderful food at all those potluck suppers, meeting lots of nice people, being made over as someone special—truly a great “job” to aspire to!

Sechaba in Atlanta with his sisters. Christmas 2010

We appreciate all of those things about actually being missionaries on furlough this year!  We have spoken in 35 churches and a few presbytery meetings so far, and have many more to go.  You have all been so wonderfully encouraging and interested and supportive.  THANK YOU!

In our presentations we have shared the story of  9-year-old Sechaba.  That precious boy is going under the knife for reconstructive back surgery in St. Louis, Mo., as I write.  The tapestry of his life, so far, weaves us all together in truly amazing ways.

A letter from Doug Baker in Northern Ireland

September 2011

Doug Baker with the eight new YAVS: back row Ellison Cavedo, Doug Baker, Liz Wall, Karl Heimbuck, Kendra Heimbuck, Erin Jezek Christian Tamme. Front row: Patrick Harley, Zoe Van Dyke

Dear PC(USA) supporting congregations and individuals,

For the past six weeks or so Elaine and I have been heavily involved in making preparations for the new team of Young Adult Volunteers serving in Northern Ireland, then in their orientation once they arrived, and then in the time of settling into their placements here.

Now that there is something of a pause in this flurry of activity I want to share with you about this excellent group of Young Adult Volunteers and ask you to keep them in your prayers as they continue to settle in and begin to contribute in their respective congregations and community ministries.

All eight of this year’s group, listed below along with their placements, are maintaining blogs about their experience here, which you can be follow here.

Aftermath from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti

A letter from Ken and Carline White in Haiti

July 2011

After viewing the devastation and suffering wrought by the earthquake in Haiti, we answered the call of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to participate in God's mission of reconciliation, healing, liberation, and salvation in that country. Philippians 2:3b-4 says: "Be humble, thinking of others as better than you. Don't think only about your own affairs and needs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing." This Scripture written under the guidance of God's Holy Spirit.

We were commissioned at the Big Tent gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 2, 2011, by Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) World Mission as mission co-workers to serve as facilitators of the Presbyterian response to Haiti.