Word & Deed: Magazine

Impact: Global Awareness for Students

2010-11-16T13:37:00.001-05:00

Immeasurable Love

What does Pastor Overduin tell us about each dimension of God’s love (breadth, length, depth, height) as given by Paul?

How can this information about God’s love affect each of us? How does it relate to the work done by Word & Deed?

The meditation quotes Martin Lloyd-Jones: “We must never fall into the error of imagining that because we are Christians we therefore know all about the love of God. Most of us are but as children paddling at the edge of an ocean.” Elaborate on what this quote means.

Encouragement in the Lord

What temptations exist for young adults outside of Christ in Colombia?

What are some reasons young people in Colombia give for not attending church? Do we have the same issues in North America?

What is a “guerrilla”?

How has guerrilla activity affected families in Colombia?

What is a micro credit program? How do such programs ensure success?

How has the recent financial downturn affected CDA? What are the negatives and positives?

It’s a Long Way to Lilongwe

What working methods does Everton _______ use to ensure the school runs successfully?

How crucial is rain to Malawian farmers?

What strategy is the CCAP using to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS?

Read Deuteronomy 8. What are two ways it would be an instructive chapter to people working in Malawi? What are two ways it is specifically instructive to us here in North America?

Volcanoes and Hurricanes

Describe the three natural disasters that affected Guatemala this past summer.

In what specific ways did these natural disasters affect the lives of the Guatemalan people?

A Beacon of Light

What are four new developments at the Nakekela HIV/AIDS Care Centre?

The Miskins give two difficulties experienced by the clinic. What are they?

What are some possible solutions to these difficulties? Discuss the possibilities.

What is physiotherapy? Occupational therapy?

How is the clinic a “beacon of light”?

Impact: Global Awareness for Students

2010-10-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

Immeasurable Love

What does Pastor Overduin tell us about each dimension of God’s love (breadth, length, depth, height) as given by Paul?

How can this information about God’s love affect each of us? How does it relate to the work done by Word & Deed?

Encouragement in the Lord

What temptations exist for young adults outside of Christ in Colombia?

What are some reasons young people in Colombia give for not attending church? Do we have the same issues in North America?

What is a “guerrilla”?

How has guerrilla activity affected families in Colombia?

What is a micro credit program? How do such programs ensure success?

How has the recent financial downturn affected CDA? What are the negatives and positives?

It’s a Long Way to Lilongwe

What working methods does Everton _______ use to ensure the school runs successfully?

How crucial is rain to Malawian farmers?

What strategy is the CCAP using to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS?

Read Deuteronomy 8. What are two ways it would be an instructive chapter to people working in Malawi? What are two ways it is specifically instructive to us here in North America?

Volcanoes and Hurricanes

Describe the three natural disasters that affected Guatemala this past summer.

In what specific ways did these natural disasters affect the lives of the Guatemalan people?

A Beacon of Light

What are four new developments at the Nakekela HIV/AIDS Care Centre?

The Miskins give two difficulties experienced by the clinic. What are they?

What are some possible solutions to these difficulties? Discuss the possibilities.

What is physiotherapy? Occupational therapy?

How is the clinic a “beacon of light”?

Young @ Heart: South Africa

2010-10-16T13:19:00.002-04:00

South Africa

The Land Rover bumps its way across the veld. Squinting into the brilliant orange sunset, you spy a lion padding through the waving grasses. Oh, to be on a safari in South Africa! On the very southern tip of Africa, this beautiful country is cradled between the Indian and South Atlantic oceans. Most of South Africa is grassland, called the highveld, which is a dry climate filled with grasses, shrubs, and some trees. It is also home to a huge variety of God’s creatures, including lions, leopards, wildebeests, hippos, hyenas, and rhinos.

But South Africa is not just about safari animals – it is filled with many vibrant people as well, and has 11 official languages! They include English and Afrikaans, a Dutch-based dialect. Each different ethnic group has its own language, and most people speak at least two languages. The great variety in cultures and color of people has led to some South Africans calling themselves the “rainbow people.”

South Africa is working hard to build a peaceful and prosperous country. It has many achievements in music, art, literature, science, sports, and business. But there are challenges, including poor lifestyles, the terrible disease HIV/AIDS, and many orphaned children. In this magazine, read how the Nakekela Clinic is being blessed. Please include this country and the clinic in your prayers tonight.

Here is a craft to celebrate the diversity of South Africa: rainbow people. This craft comes from a South African mother and home-schooler on her website The Crafty Crow. As always, I would love to see your creations – please email me the results. (Pssst – you could make rainbow animals as well....)

[Rainbow People]

Supplies:

An old cardboard box, flattened

Paint & paintbrushes, or markers

Hammer & nail

Split pins

Assorted fabric, ribbon, yarn, pipe cleaners, etc.

Step 1: Make a template out of paper of the shapes you need to build your person.

Refer to above mentioned website for detailed pictures and instructions.

Step 2: Trace the template pieces onto a piece of thick cardboard. Cut the pieces out of the cardboard.

Step 3: Paint your people pieces.

Step 4: Use a hammer & nail to make holes for split pins to join the pieces of your person.

Step 5: Dress the person with bits of fabric, paper, or ribbon. No sewing is required: just glue, pinch, stuff, and tie! Use beaded pins if you like.

Meditation: Immeasurable Love

2010-10-16T13:15:00.000-04:00

By Pastor Hans Overduin

In Ephesians 3:18-19, the Apostle Paul prays for God’s people in Ephesus with this petition, “that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and [so] to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…” This prayer shows both how very much Paul cared for the Ephesians, and even more it shows how caught up Paul was with the unending dimensions of God’s love in and through Christ Jesus, the Saviour of sinners.

Oh, if we only understood more, and lived more out of, the infinite love of God for us in Christ Jesus! Dr. M.Lloyd-Jones said about these verses, “We must never fall into the error of imagining that because we are Christians we therefore know all about the love of God. Most of us are but as children paddling at the edge of an ocean.” Which Christian won’t admit that is so true! Therefore it can be very wholesome to dwell on the immeasurable love of God in Christ Jesus, both in reference to the believer’s comfort and to the believer’s calling to reach out to others around us in Christian word and deed ministry.

While we must not read too much into the four dimensions of God’s love that Paul gives, yet we should not discount the different dimensions either. Thus, the breadth of God’s love surely may have us think on God’s love being so wide it reaches out to all sinners of all kinds from all over the whole world! We may not exclude anyone from the free offer of God’s grace and lovingkindness in Christ Jesus. Consider John 3:16!

The length of God’s love, without question, tells us something of its endlessness, from eternity to eternity. God’s love in Christ is an everlasting and never-failing love! (See I Corinthians 13:4-8a.) When Paul goes on and speaks next of the depths of God’s love, he is thinking about the earlier gospel-saturated chapters in Ephesians. That section deals with how God gave His only Son for the salvation of sinners like us, and to what depths of suffering Jesus Christ went to deliver His people from the depths of misery and to bring them to the heights of glory. Consider too Romans 11:33-36, as well as Paul’s reference to “the unsearchable riches of Christ” in Ephesians 3:8.

Paul then goes on to tell of the height of God’s love in Christ Jesus. No doubt, Paul wants us to contemplate here the ultimate and final purposes of God in all His gospel promises. The gracious reality of the gospel proclaims there is just no end to all the good things God promises for us in life and death for body and soul for now and forever in and through Christ Jesus! “But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

In summary, Paul is saying that we just cannot know all there is to know about the love of God in Christ Jesus. “It passes [or surpasses] knowledge.” How good and important for Christians always to remember this, and to reflect this too. The gospel tidings are, as someone put it, “the best of news even for the worst of sinners.” Without question, when you are gripped and guided by this amazing gospel of the astounding, immeasurable love of the Triune God in and through Christ Jesus, you want to reach out to others with the same in word and deed. You need to do so, by God’s grace, and you keep wanting to do so, because the love of Christ compels you so. How wonderful when this love is behind all our ongoing support for Word & Deed Ministries. To God alone be all the glory for whatever may be done also through this faithful ministry!

Rev. Hans Overduin is pastor of the Calgary Free Reformed Church.

Foreword: Walking Through Open Doors

2010-10-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

By Rick Postma

With prayerful reliance on the Lord, Word & Deed is growing. As you read this, Bernie Pennings, Project Director for Word & Deed, is visiting (or has just returned from) Malawi and South Africa, the Lord willing. During the second half of October, Bernie will travel to Myanmar (Burma), India and Indonesia. A little over two years ago, we would have smiled at the suggestion that we would soon be involved in Myanmar given the nature of the government there. But doors have opened since the cyclone (2008) struck that already struggling country. We were able to work in partnership with the United Reformed Churches of Myanmar (with 20 established congregations) to restore, among other things, a number of church buildings, a seminary, and provide much-needed drinking water to several communities. Bernie Pennings will be reviewing project proposals and will be teaching several seminars at the seminary there. Often overlooked is the fact that loss of life due to the cyclone was very similar to that of the 2005 tsunami which struck India and neighboring countries. The visit to Sumba, Indonesia, deals with an orphan-related project which was reviewed in the summer issue of this magazine.

This fall, Bernie will also be travelling to Haiti. That trip results from another significant development, the announcement of an intended merger between Coram Deo International Aid (CDIA) and Word & Deed. See the full announcement on page xxx.

Other organizations and churches have approached us as well, to the point that we have had to ask that their requests be put on hold for the time being.

What is Word & Deed’s motive in all this? Is it to be large and “successful”? These are fair questions. The name “Word & Deed” provides a clear answer. If our goal was to be a large humanitarian aid organization, we wouldn’t emphasize the centrality of the Gospel in everything we do – this emphasis closes many doors in an increasingly secular North America. As Pastor Hans Overduin clearly shows in his meditation, we, together with you, are compelled by the limitless love of God for lost sinners to reach out in His name to countless precious souls in the developing world. In this issue, we once again come face to face with many of them, together with project leaders in Colombia, South Africa, Malawi and Guatemala.

This fall we look forward to seeing many of you during our fall dinner tour. Speakers include Carlos Coffin of Nicaragua, and the Nigerian Ambassador to Canada (at separate venues), who has visited the Word & Deed projects in his country. After catching our breath over the summer, may we all be directly and indirectly involved in the spread of the Good News that Jesus Christ has died for sinners, both locally and abroad.

Rick Postma is Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Fall 2010

2010-10-16T13:02:00.001-04:00

Foreword: Walking Through Open Doors

Meditation: Immeasurable Love

South Africa: A Beacon of Light

Colombia: Being Christian in Colombia

Guatemala: Natural Disasters in Guatemala

Malawi: Its a Long Way to Lilongwe

Young @ Heart: South Africa

Impact: Global Awareness for Students

Summer 2010

2010-06-12T08:42:00.000-04:00

Foreword: The Problem is Sin; The Solution is Christ

Meditation: Our Reasonable Service

Young @ Heart: News Flash

Ecuador: Ecuador's Children

Malawi: Yoswa Women's School

Haiti: Restoration

Guatemala: Blessings Abound at AMG Guatemala

Sumba: Raising a Generation to Worship the Lamb

Young @ Heart: News Flash

2010-06-12T08:33:00.002-04:00

By Tanya Byl

Letters to Colombia

Way, way back in the Fall 2008 issue of this magazine, I invited you to write a letter in Spanish to a student your age in Colombia. Many of you responded, and now we’ve received responses! Yes, that’s right! Everyone who wrote a letter received one back from a student in Colombia. (Thanks to the translators who converted all those letters into English.)

Toy Challenge

In the Winter 2009 issue, I challenged you to build a toy from garbage, starting with a milk carton. It turns out that Martha de Visser’s Grade 2B class from Calvin Christian School in Monarch, Alberta, met that challenge head on. Miss de Visser writes that “besides some blisters after using the glue gun, we had lots of fun!”

Meditation: Our Reasonable Service

2010-06-12T08:30:00.001-04:00

By Pastor Bart Elshout

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1

Paul here exhorts Christians to reflect on all the gospel truths he has articulated in the previous chapters. His own reflection on this caused him to end chapter eleven with a magnificent doxology, exhorting us to give all glory to Him of whom, through whom, and unto whom, are all things (Rom. 11:36).

Overflowing with adoration for the Triune God who has provided so great a salvation, Paul is saying here that in response to being the recipients of such a salvation, we owe a debt of gratitude for such a favor being bestowed upon us. Paul reminds us here that our salvation is a demonstration of the mercy of God – of the utterly unmerited favor of God. We may say here that in bestowing salvation upon us, God has given us the exact opposite of what we deserve. As sinners we deserve hell and damnation, and yet it has pleased God to bestow salvation upon us and to make us heirs of eternal life! What an extraordinary and profound favor indeed!

Given the context of the previous chapters, we know that the foundation for this salvation is the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly presented His body as a living sacrifice unto God. Willingly, He gave Himself to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Willingly, He allowed Himself to be slain on Calvary’s cross so that by the shedding of His precious blood the foundation could be laid upon which a holy and righteous God could be merciful to sinners. What a comfort it is to know that His sacrifice was truly holy and acceptable to God – a fact confirmed by the rending of the veil of the temple, and by the resurrection of His Son! Based on the fact that the Father has fully accepted the finished work of His Son, believers may therefore know that they are holy and acceptable in His sight.

It is the realization of that profound and glorious truth that must motivate the believer to give his life as a living sacrifice unto God. In other words, the fact that Christ gave Himself for us should motivate us to give ourselves wholly to Him – a life that is utterly devoted to Him, His glory, and His cause. For meriting so great a salvation for us, we owe our Savior a life-long debt of gratitude. The more we reflect on His inexpressible love for us, the more we should be motivated to love Him in return. The more we reflect on His self-sacrificing love for us, the more we should be motivated to live a self-sacrificing life for Him – a life in which we willingly use all our talents, energy, and resources for the advancement of the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear believer, are you presenting your life as a living sacrifice to the Christ who gave Himself as a ransom for you? This is your reasonable service!

Rev. Bart Elshout is pastor of the Heritage Reformed Church in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Foreword: The Problem is Sin; The Solution is Christ

2010-06-12T08:28:00.000-04:00

By Rick Postma

When someone is very ill and the physician makes the wrong diagnosis, an incorrect remedy is inevitably prescribed with often serious, even fatal consequences.

Few will argue that we live in a world characterized by suffering, poverty, illness, addiction, war and disaster. Where the difference arises is in the diagnosis. We at Word & Deed are firmly convinced that the problem is rooted in one little word: sin. Given that diagnosis, the biblical remedy follows: Christ.

Many, even in the Christian community, would accuse us of over-simplification. In some cases, this charge is due to the assumption that the solution is to simply preach the Gospel, wash our hands, and depart the scene with a sense of having fulfilled our duty. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christ Himself is a model of how we are to respond to those in need – lovingly feeding the hungry, healing the sick and ministering to their souls.

For others, the charge of over-simplification is the assumption that Christianity is something you nod to occasionally by reading the Bible and praying, while giving the vast majority of your energy to the latest secular solutions to the world’s problems. But this contradicts the Christian worldview and comes close to functional atheism. If the problem is sin, then the solution involves repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace, together with numerous biblical prescriptions for a just society: a considerate response to the needs of the poor (Psalm 41:1, Luke 10:37); sanctity of marriage (including a biblical view of sexuality); biblical roles for husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children; the blessing of work; the covenant family; obedience to and respect for civil governments and much more.

A biblically considerate response to the needs of the poor often results in solutions directly opposed to our first instincts. Showering the poor with funds, goods and free labor does more harm than good, as is so effectively pointed out in When Helping Hurts – How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor ... and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (highly recommended!). Instead, recognizing the gifts and talents that God has given every person, we are to come alongside the poor, supplementing only as necessary. They will build their own homes, provide for their own families and, by God’s grace, love the Lord their God with all their heart soul and mind and their neighbor as themselves.

In this issue, we highlight the importance of volunteers by profiling two of them (Tanya Byl and Dick Naves) and providing a fascinating article by a third – Caroline VanDyken in Malawi. Rev. Elshout brings us face to face with the biblical necessity of the believer presenting his or her life as a living sacrifice to Christ in his meditation. Other articles highlight new projects in Ecuador and Sumba, Indonesia. This issue also includes the latest on Haiti at press time and a recent trip to Guatemala. May you have a safe and blessed summer.

Rick Postma is Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

IMPACT

2010-05-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

Child Sponsorship

What are the purposes of sponsoring a child?
What examples does the author give to show the diversity of the countries Word & Deed works with?
What are the (four) core elements of the child sponsorship plan?
What are the new modifications that will account for differences between countries?

Feeding Lambs

What is “Feed My Lambs?”
List the countries to which it has been introduced.
What is “the key” to the success of Feed My Lambs?
What does the author say are the challenges of the Reformed church in Mexico?

Hurricane Felix Recovery Continues

Explain what the author means by the following statement: “Teaching people to fish will have a greater impact than simply giving them a fish.”
Give examples of the community spirit in the Nicaraguan area helped by Word & Deed.
List the examples of how Word & Deed has helped in Nicaragua.

Partnering with Word & Deed

What is an “exit strategy,” and why is it important in development work?
What is a “white elephant?” Explain.
Why are orphanages not necessarily a good option for caring for orphans?
What is “community-based orphan care” and what are its benefits?

Fill the Gap

What does the parable of the barren fig tree have to do with us and with Haiti?
To what is Pastor Bylsma referring when he asks us to “fill the gap?”

Is There Hope?

Why did the earthquake in Haiti cause so many deaths?
What reasons does the author give for Haiti’s status as the poorest nation in the western hemisphere?

Current Events: Haiti

At this magazine’s press time, the vast sums of money raised to help Haiti had started to make a difference in the country. The United Nations reported that 55 kg bags of rice had been distributed with little difficulty on the first day of that relief program. But officials feared that the number of deaths would reach 200,000. And the best hospital was still in a tent in Port-au-Prince.

One interesting story at the beginning of February was the arrest of ten Americans, members of a mid-west Baptist church. They had been stopped while attempting to bring 33 children, supposedly orphans, across the border to the Dominican Republic. The Haitian government has frozen any adoptions other than ones that had been initiated before the earthquake. The fear is that in the chaos, children could be kidnapped and sold. On the other hand, existing orphans and children made so by the earthquake must be among the most vulnerable people in Haiti during this crisis. What do you think – what should be done about Haiti’s orphans? Do you sympathize with those ten Americans? Or were they completely misguided?

Young @ Heart: Learn about Equador

2010-05-11T20:30:00.002-04:00

Are you a proud Canadian or American? What makes your country special? Whatever it is, it can’t be that it has 1600 kinds of birds and 6000 types of butterflies. In one tiny country located right on the equator live thousands of species of mammals, birds, reptiles and plants. It’s also the country where Fred and Arlene Jonkman do their work for Word & Deed.

If you lived in a mountain village or explored the coastal rainforest, you might see large, gaudy birds like the toucan and quetzal; the elegantly spotted ocelot (a cat); the sleek, black jaguar; or the funny capybara, which looks like an overgrown guinea pig.

Ecuador has so much wildlife that is has been named a “megadiverse” country. All these living examples of God’s creation exist in a country about the same size as Oregon or one quarter the size of British Columbia. Ecuador also includes some islands in the Pacific Ocean called the Galapagos Islands. They are famous for birds and other creatures which exist only there.

If you are interested in Ecuador’s wildlife, check out this site, and click on South America, then Ecuador. (Don’t forget to ask a parent first….)

Meditation: Fill the Gap

2010-04-19T23:02:00.001-04:00

By Rev. Greg Bylsma

It was January 12, 2010, when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Since that day, prayers have been significantly increased for the people of Haiti and the work of various mission organizations within that nation. Where able, gospel workers sought to continue their work there, bringing the gospel to as many people as they could in as effective a way as possible. In a nation that had literally come unhinged, some saw with increasing clarity the dramatic need for the gospel and, by God’s grace, were rising up, Word in hand, to fill the gap.

In times of crisis, God frequently reminds us of the importance of the Gospel that has been entrusted to us. Let us remember:

The Urgency of the Gospel Call (Luke 13:1-5)
When Jesus was faced with the tragic loss of human life, He used the situation to drive home to His listeners the urgency of repentance. He told a parable of a barren fig tree with which the owner of a vineyard had become disgusted. The tree simply never bore fruit, and hence its time had come to be torn up. After the command came for it to be cut down, however, the keeper of the vineyard interceded: ‘One more year of care. If it hasn’t born fruit in one more year then you can cut it down.’

I remember as a young man being terrified with the thought, “What if my year is almost up?” Looking at the devastation in Haiti, this is a message we need to consider again. The urgent call of the gospel cannot be ignored or put off. Today must be the day of salvation.

The Task of the Church
The urgency of the gospel is not to be applied merely to ourselves and our own need to turn continually to Christ, but also to the millions who stand outside of Christ even as you read this letter. In Jesus’ earthly ministry, He repeatedly looked upon the crowds with compassion and mourned the lost state of sinners’ souls. He called His church to make disciples of the nations, and commanded them to begin their witness in the very city that had rejected Him (Acts 1:8).

The calling of the church to be witnesses for Christ is no less urgent today than it was hundreds of years ago. If anything, the knowledge that our “salvation is nearer than when we first believed” should drive us with increasing zeal to be found faithful in the calling God has laid upon us. The work of the gospel, both at home and abroad, is not to be delayed for passing pleasures and comforts. Jesus has given the command, and the front page news of our day has reminded us of the need.

If we have eyes to see, life all around us reminds us that there is a dramatic need for the gospel. Similarly, the Bible reminds us that in Christ, and by His Spirit, we have the means to meet it.

May we rise up with Scripture in hand to fill the gap.

Greg Bylsma is the pastor of Bethel United Reformed Church in Woodstock, Ontario.

Foreword: Why?

2010-04-19T23:00:00.004-04:00

By Rick Postma

In the wake of the disaster in Haiti and in addition to the outpouring of support for the disaster there, there are many, especially in the media, who are raising questions about God: “Has God abandoned Haiti?”, as well as variations on the regular question “How can there be a good God when evil exists?” The broader Christian community offers an equally broad set of answers. Many of them suggest that disasters are beyond God’s control. What often emerges is a God doing His best but who is just as surprised by disasters as we are.

The question of evil is a difficult one. What we do know, however, is that any answer that undermines God’s character as clearly portrayed in God’s Word, cannot be true. God is sovereign and almighty. For God to be surprised by a catastrophic event would be a contradiction of who He is.

The questions raised above imply an underlying accusation – God isn’t being fair. But isn’t the proper question, “If God were to be fair, who of us could survive His judgement?” It is because the Lord is compassionate that we aren’t consumed (Lamentations 3:22). Are the people of Haiti any worse than we are? No. In fact it could be argued that as nations of the western world we deserve God’s judgement far more. Surely then, we must stand back in awe at a merciful God and as we see and hear about the suffering of the Haitians, we can only respond, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

Word & Deed Ministries, together with you, has the privilege of being instruments in the hands of a merciful God as we strive to bring help to the needy in the developing world. In this issue, Arlene Jonkman of Ecuador Missions shares with us the blessings the Lord is bringing to the Sunday School Teacher Curriculum project and John Otten tells us about his recent trip to Nicaragua. Some light is shed on Haiti by taking a brief look at her troubled history since the disaster recovery projects for that suffering country are still in the planning phases as this magazine goes to print. In all this, as Pastor Bylsma explains in the meditation, the urgency of the Gospel is paramount.

May our sovereign and compassionate God have mercy on the people of Haiti, and on us. Great is His faithfulness.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Spring 2010

2010-04-19T22:58:00.006-04:00

Foreword: Why?
Meditation:Fill the Gap
Nicaragua: Hurricane Felix Recovery Continues
Mexico: Feeding Lambs
Partnering with Word & Deed
Child Sponsorship: Meeting the Needs of Children
Young @ Heart: Learn about Ecuador
Impact

Impact: Global Awareness

2010-01-16T13:42:00.002-05:00

Take this child…
Look up Exodus 22:22-24 and Deuteronomy 24:17-22. In your own words, state what they say about the treatment of orphans.
How can we follow the commands given in these texts in today’s world? Come up with some practical ideas.

True Friends Rejoice
How did the people celebrate the opening of the True Friends Orphan Care multi-purpose building?
Why was the completion of the building such a cause for celebration?
What does the Basic Sponsorship Program allow the orphanage to supply?

Partnering with Word & Deed
Does Word & Deed give simple donations of funds to needy organizations?
How does Word & Deed keep track of the projects it supports?
What is “Partner Development”? Why is it a particularly good model for aid projects?
After carefully reading the section “How does the application process work?” list the characteristics of a successful Word & Deed applicant.

Sponsor Child Testimonies
Compassion Face to Face

What similar elements about the children's experiences do all five testimonies share?
When someone grows up in a bad situation, their future children most often grow up in the same situation, whether that means poverty, abuse, or addiction. This repeat of circumstances is called a cycle. How is CDA “breaking the cycle” for the children in its care?

Current Events

Malawi and Inflation

At press time, one of Malawi’s headlines was that the inflation rate had inched downward. So, why is that big news?

First, what’s inflation? It is a measure of the increase in prices across the economy for a period of time. Why does it matter? Well, if a family’s income stays the same, but prices increase, they cannot buy as much. Considering that Malawians spend about half of their income on food, lowering inflation matters a lot. (To put that in perspective, ask your parents what percentage of the family income is spent on food.) High inflation also makes it more difficult for families, businesses and governments to plan for the future. Consider what it does to the ability of orphanages and other aid organizations to help the country’s most vulnerable people.

In October, Malawi’s headline inflation had slowed to 7.5 percent as food inflation continued to ease. According to the United Nations, Malawi’s government has been doing a good job in trying to reduce food inflation. Still, compare Malawi’s inflation rate to Canada’s, which has hovered around 2 % for several years (and is currently about 1.5%).

(Sources were found here at Statistics Canada, Bank of Canada, and Nyasa Times)

Orphans Worldwide

When children lose their parents, they lose their major source of protection. Consider the following numbers:

- an estimated 143 million children worldwide are orphaned by one or both parents
- in 12 African countries, projections show that orphans will comprise at least 15 percent of all children under 15 years of age by 2010
- In Russia, the annual number of ‘children left without parental care’ has more than doubled over the last 10 years, despite falling birth rates
(source found at: Unite for Children)

Not all these orphans are cared for. Statistics about how many are in foster care or orphanages are unavailable.

Try to imagine living in a developing country as an orphan outside an orphanage. What dangers would you face without the protection of your parents? How might the future be different for you than for a child with parents? If you need some help, check out these sites Unite for Children or World Bank.

Young @ Heart: Learn about Malawi

2010-01-16T13:26:00.003-05:00

What do you know about Malawi?

For starters, Malawi is a long, skinny, country in the southern half of Africa. It shares borders with Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania. It’s land-locked, which means it has no ocean harbors. You’ll notice from the map, though, that a huge lake (Lake Malawi, or Lake Nyasa) runs the length of the country. The people of Malawi are called Malawians, and there are about 10 million of them.Malawi’s climate is pretty much opposite to ours in North America: from November to April, it’s hot and wet, and from May to October, it’s cold and dry. In Lilongwe, the capital city, the hottest it gets is 36˚C/97˚F. The cold isn’t quite like our cold – the coldest temperature is usually around 7˚C/45˚F. So no one in Malawi has a snowsuit.

Primary school starts at age six and goes on for eight years. At the end of Grade 8, students write an exam to see if they will be allowed a place in secondary school. Many more Malawian children go to school now that it is free. But the increase in students means that there are not enough classrooms, bathrooms, or teachers. School often takes place under trees, which sounds wonderful until the weather turns cold or it starts to rain. In many places, clean water and toilets are missing. Hmmmm. And 200 students often share three teachers. But at least all children now have some chance of learning.

Hey, Kids!

Malawi Toy Challenge

Like many children in African countries, kids in Malawi usually don’t have toys from the store. What little money parents have is used for food and shelter. But think about what you have done in your backyards with big boxes, leftover bricks, and firewood! Kids in Malawi don’t let a shortage of money stop them from playing – they use their imaginations to make toys from garbage. Think of balls made from bags and tape or push-cars made from wire.

This is my challenge to you:
Build a toy car from your family’s garbage. Send me a photograph of your creation, along with a list of its construction materials, your name and hometown, and we’ll publish them in a future issue of Word & Deed.

Materials to start:
- empty milk carton
- four jar lids
- straight sticks, dowels, straws or strong wire
Use whatever you like to improve your design, but your supplies must come from the garbage, recycling, or from bits of things likely to be found around the house (i.e. not pipe cleaners, but yes to twist ties or bits of wire).

Let’s see what kind of imaginations you have!

Winter 2009

2010-01-16T13:21:00.006-05:00

Foreword: Western Guilt
Meditation: Take this Child
Young@Heart: Learn About Malawi
Impact: Global Awareness
South Africa: Commitment of Faith
Malawi: New Building
Partnering with Word & Deed
Child Sponsorship: Compassion
Child Sponsorship: Face to Face
Fundraising: Guts and Glory
Colombia: Sponsor Child Testimonies
Philippines: Flood
Colombia: Bundles of Love Testimonies

Meditation: Take this Child

2010-01-16T13:21:00.002-05:00

By. Rev. H.A. Bergsma

By tradition and ruling, the Hebrews took good care of children. Even orphans were well looked after (see Exodus 22:22). This is how God wanted it. In contrast, the world has not taken good care of children. Millions of needy children around this world prove it, especially those in third world countries. How many are left to wander about without love, without food, and without shelter? Anyone who has traveled in any third world country can testify to it. But even in our western world, there are countless children who lack the basic necessities, even love and care. How wonderful then, to read in the Bible about God’s provisions for children.

When Moses was still a child, he benefited greatly from God’s provisions. In an unusual manner, his own parents became his foster parents and he their foster child. They could only look after him for a little while. They received instructions from a higher authority to “take this child … and nurse it” (Exodus 2:9). They could provide their (foster) child with his basic necessities: nourishment, love, shelter and protection. No doubt, when possible, they also inculcated God’s Word and God’s ways in him as well, as young as he was. Pharaoh’s daughter, who found him as a baby among the reeds by the river’s bank, took ownership of him. She too, in a certain sense, became a foster parent. She too became instrumental in providing for his needs. She gave the initial order to “take this child … and nurse it.” After the first (foster) parents had done what they could, she took over, and Moses received an education that would prove invaluable for the work that he would be called to do. Moses was one of the first foster children of the Bible, and by God’s provision and human instrumentality, Moses became a great man and a great leader. The Bible honors Moses in Hebrews 3:5 by informing us that “Moses verily was faithful in all his house …” The Bible has made Moses the “poster-child” of foster children.

If the will of Pharaoh had been executed, Moses would not have lived past the three months. But because of God’s provisions, Moses’ life was spared. His life would become the type of which Jesus Christ would become the great example: a Saviour and Prince and Leader of His people.

Because it has forsaken God, the world has many children who lack the basic necessities of life. If it would be left up to the world and its many ungodly rulers, the life of many children would be cut short. But God’s provisions are still the same as in Moses’ days. God is still pleased to use people to form foster-child agencies. Christians have the privilege of being in the forefront of such foster-child agencies. May Christians take to heart the words: “Take this child … and nurse it.”

Rev. Bergsma is pastor of the Free Reformed Church in London, Ontario.

Foreword: Western Guilt

2010-01-16T13:17:00.001-05:00

By Rick Postma

Global warming is a topic which often leads to heated debate. Is the world truly warming up? If so, is it due to carbon dioxide emissions or are we just experiencing ‘normal’ climate cycles? Even those of us not too interested in following the latest political drama, can’t help but notice that policy decisions being contemplated on the national level as well as the international level will very likely have a large impact on our lives. Decisions made in remote places could result in entire industries being drastically curtailed or even completely eliminated – especially those industries which are notorious for high carbon emissions.

How does global warming relate to Word & Deed? While the Kyoto Accord had an undercurrent of financial transfer from the first to the third world, the imminent Copenhagan Accord makes no bones about it – trillions of dollars in wealth will be transferred from the first to the third world to repay “climate debt”. Since first world nations are presumed guilty for causing global warming, they can expect their feet to be held to the fire while the poorer nations (including China and India), innocent victims of first world grandiose lifestyles, will not. Has the first world been guilty of exploitation in the past? Certainly. Do we have a responsibility to assist developing world nations in overcoming their problems? Yes. However, the question is not about whether we need assist the developing world, but how. Gutting the first world to send trillions of dollars to the developing world is a recipe for disaster – for both parties.

What is really happening here? I believe there are many in the western world who feel guilty about having a relatively good life in the west. Having cast off their Christian moorings, they have nowhere to go with their guilt leaving them (and us) disarmed in front of every enemy. Many are willing to sacrifice their nations to get rid of the guilt. How else to explain the many well educated people, including professors, who applaud the latest rise of militant Islam and who welcome the massive transfers of wealth to nations where tyrants are in power?

German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, not usually known as a Christian sympathizer, has this to say, “Christianity, and nothing else, is the ultimate foundation of liberty, conscience, human rights, and democracy, the benchmarks of Western civilization. To this day, we have no other options [than Christianity]. We continue to nourish ourselves from this source. Everything else is postmodern chatter."

Christianity offers a wonderful solution for guilt. Sin is first and foremost against God and then against our neighbor. The Lord Jesus Christ came to die for sinners and out of thankfulness, believers are called to love God and their neighbor. Neighbors including HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa, orphans in Malawi, impoverished children in Colombia. As we celebrate the birth of the Savior during this season, let us find meaningful ways to show love to our neighbor not by showering untold billions on their governments but by coming near to them with assistance for daily needs, and most importantly, by bringing the good news of a Savior who died for needy sinners.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Fall 2009

2009-10-20T20:26:00.003-04:00

Foreword: Dead Aid
Meditation: The Great Ransom
Malawi: Reaching Millions by Ministry
Fundraising: Making a World of Difference
Nicaragua: Manna from the Sky
Nigeria: Cornerstone Academy
Business Groups: Changing Lives
Personal Finance
Young @ Heart
Impact

Personal Finance

2009-10-19T15:10:00.001-04:00

RRSPs, RRIFs and Charitable Giving: By Maria Vanderspek

This article is written for our Canadian Supporters – the tax implications related to wills in Canada are very different from those of citizens of the USA.
What are RRSPs and RRIFs?

A Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) is essentially a special savings and investment account authorized and registered with Canada Revenue Agency where an individual can contribute a percentage of his or her annual earnings. Amounts contributed in any tax year can be deducted from your taxable income for that tax year, to a certain maximum. All income earned on funds in this account are tax exempt as long as they are not withdrawn from the account.

On the last day of the year in which you turn 71, your RRSP must be converted into what is known as a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF). Earnings within a RRIF remain tax exempt, but there’s an annual amount which you are required to withdraw and pay income tax on.

The important aspect to remember is that RRSPs and RRIFs only allow for the deferral of income tax and do not provide a complete exemption from paying taxes. Generally, as funds are withdrawn from an RRSP or RRIF, either voluntarily or as required once an RRIF is established, income taxes are payable on the amounts withdrawn.

What Happens in the Event of Death
In the event of death, the value of your RRSP and/or RRIF is taxed as ordinary income in the year of death. Only in the circumstances where the RRSP or RRIF is either being transferred to your spouse or a dependant child, can the income tax be deferred until the death of your spouse or dependant child. So where the funds are not being transferred to a spouse or dependent child, the value of the RRSP or RRIF may be substantially absorbed by the tax liability incurred by it being viewed as taxable income.

Charitable Giving
Your RRSP or RRIF can be gifted to a charitable organization which will entitle your estate to a charitable receipt for the value of the RRSP or RRIF. This charitable receipt can then be used to offset the tax liabilities incurred at your death. As discussed in the previous article, the Income Tax Act expands the charitable tax credit available to an individual in the year of death, providing you with the ability to claim a charitable tax credit in equivalent to 100% of your taxable income for the year of death.

There are two ways in which an RRSP or RRIF can be gifted to a charitable organization at your death.
Firstly, you can designate the charitable organization as the beneficiary directly with the RRSP or RRIF holder. This is generally the preferred manner, as the gift of the RRSP or RRIF then becomes completely independent of your will and results in a very simple process. Upon receipt of your death certificate, the RRSP or RRIF holder is automatically authorized to pay the funds in the RRSP or RRIF to the designated charity and the charity is authorized to provide your estate with a charitable receipt.

Secondly, you can make a provision in your will that specific RRSPs or RRIFs owned by you are to be paid to certain charitable organizations. This is often used when the RRSP or RRIF account is substantial and you would like the funds of the account divided between several charities or only a portion of the value to go to charitable organizations. The process of making this gift is often somewhat more complex as the RRSP or RRIF holder will require formal proof of the executor of the estate and their authority to deal with the assets of the estate.

Maria Vanderspek is a lawyer with the firm Cline, Backus, Nightingale, McArthur LLP in Simcoe, Ontario. Maria attends Grace Free Reformed Church in Brantford, Ontario.

The material presented in this article is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Giving to Word & Deed
Word & Deed invites you to prayerfully consider gifting your RRSPs or RRIFs for its ministries. We invite you to discuss making such a charitable gift with your legal advisors and/or accountants.
Word & Deed Ministries Canada Inc. 39993 Talbot Line, Talbotville, Ontario, charitable registration number 891200941RR0001.

IMPACT

2009-10-17T13:00:00.004-04:00

The Great Ransom

What is a ransom?
Why is Christ the only possible ransom for sinners?
What are some ways we can all carry out the “great commission?”

Teach the Child the Truth

List a brief history of Cornerstone Academy in Nigeria.
What is Rev. Pever’s hope for the school? How does he hope to accomplish that?
What examples does Rev. Pever give to show that God’s Word is bearing fruit in the schools?

Manna From the Sky

What are the four projects that Word & Deed has assisted with in Nicaragua?
What details in the article show that the Word is being brought along with physical relief?

Reaching Millions by Ministry

What is the ratio of pastors to church members in the Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP?
Why is more pastor training so needed in Malawi?
What is homiletics?
What negative issues are causing worry for the pastors in Malawi?

Current Events

Through Word & Deed, we learn a lot about certain small groups of people in foreign countries. We don’t learn much about their countries overall, and unless there is a disaster, much of the news from smaller countries doesn’t make it into our media outlets. So here’s a very brief update of the most current happenings in a few countries as we went to press. Add the internet tags to your Favourites list and check up on these countries periodically. It will give you a better sense of what Word & Deed is really accomplishing in a broader context.

Nicaragua
Deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was gathering supporters in Nicaragua near the border with Honduras. The Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega, supports him. Zelaya had tried to regain his presidency diplomatically, but had no success. Some tension was rising between the two countries.
The Moskito people, of the north western coast, have long been disgruntled with Nicaragua’s leadership and its treatment of them. They are lobbying for independent government.
Click here for information at the New York Times on Nicaragua.

Nigeria
“The predominantly Muslim region of northern Nigeria has had regular and often bloody outbreaks of sectarian unrest for years. In the latest wave of violence in late July 2009, scores of people were killed in clashes between the police and a fundamentalist Islamic sect that is opposed to Western education. The Nigerian police accused the sect of attacks on police stations in at least two northern states.
“The latest conflict differs from the interreligious clashes that have flared up in the region where Islamic law has been imposed, with mixed success, over the past decade. In November 2008, mob violence involving Christians and Muslims killed hundreds in the town of Jos.”
Click here for information at the New York Times on Nigeria.

Malawi
Malawians were concerned that their government is sliding towards a “constitutional dictatorship,” as President Bingu wa Mutharika’s government was moving towards passing a “Police Bill” that would allow it to regulate public assemblies and demonstrations. A similar move allowed Zimbabwe’s dictator, Robert Mugabe, to tighten his grip on power.
Click here for information at the Nyasa Times on Malawi.

Young @ Heart: New Beginnings

2009-10-17T12:32:00.008-04:00

As I packed my son’s school supplies last month, I took a deep sniff and smiled. The smell of a package of sharp Laurentien pencil crayons always reminds me of September. New books, fresh paper, old friends, and neat classrooms! Yes, you say, and tests, projects, early bedtimes, and lots of rules. Hmm…maybe you haven’t quite got back into the school routine yet.
Here at Word & Deed, a different routine continues around the world.

In Nkhoma, Malawi, pastors are being taught more about the Bible and how to preach.

In Dakura, Nicaragua, much work is still being done to help families whose homes were destroyed by a hurricane. People are building their homes and making clean wells for water. At night they listen to God’s Word, learning that He is the giver of all good things. When wood was delivered to help them build their homes, many people cried and called it “manna from the sky”!
In Nigeria, the Cornerstone Academies are still a good, safe place for over 1400 children to receive Christian education.

In Colombia, perhaps construction has begun on the new John Calvin Christian School.

Did you notice that in all of these projects, people are learning? Teaching both practical skills and the truth of the Gospel is Word & Deed’s work in other countries. God’s Word exclaims, “[how] much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver” (Prov.16:16). A child in Nigeria can help himself and his country with an education. He will also learn that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov.1:7). This principle is the starting point for Word & Deed and the people we work with. Make it yours this year, too.
This month’s word search puzzle is made of words from the articles in this magazine. Words can be found vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forwards and backwards. The leftover words spell out a phrase found in Proverbs 3.

business
church
citizens
Colombia
Dakura
Gospel
group
homes
learn
Lord
Malawi
need
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Nkhoma
pastor
prayer house
school
song
Sunday
wells
wood
Word

Meditation: The Great Ransom

2009-10-17T12:28:00.001-04:00

By Rev. William Pols

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. I Timothy 2:5-6
When we hear the word, ransom, we might think of kidnapping victims: innocent children stolen from their wealthy parents by evil men, demanding money in exchange for their lives. The very thought might stir our anger at such evil, and our compassion for innocent victims and anxious parents. Wouldn't you be willing to contribute some money for their rescue?
But the ransom of Christ is not for innocent victims, tied or handcuffed by evil men. It is for guilty law-breakers, 'lawful captives,' held by the righteous judgment of God and facing the penalty of eternal death. This is the true state of all the people of this world without Christ.
God's saving compassion for such people (like you and me) is the good news of amazing grace. He has provided the only ransom that can rescue from death. No mere act of power could break us free from our guilt and captivity to sin, and no amount of money could buy our deliverance. A great sum of money or jewels is sometimes called a king's ransom. Only a king could afford to pay such a treasure for a ransom price. But the only kind of 'king's ransom' that provides redemption for sinners is the death of Christ the King in their place. And so "He gave Himself a ransom.” As Jesus Himself said, the “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). He substituted His own innocent life to death under the curse we deserve. This ransom is great enough to deliver the whole lost and condemned world. It is a "ransom for all.” There is nothing lacking to its value and sufficiency to save the worst of sinners, whoever they may be.
God's will is that the testimony of this great ransom be carried to the entire world. And so Christ commissioned the apostles, such as Paul, the preacher and teacher of the Gentiles (I Timothy 2:7). This task belongs to the church until the end of time. This commission surely is the main reason why we are to pray for civil authorities, and for all men. It is so that this good news of Christ may advance.
Just as there is but one God and one Mediator, there is but one ransom that delivers from the curse and misery of sin. Nothing can be added to this ransom. No contributions are necessary or possible. It must only be announced to the captives of sin, and the Holy Spirit will do His gracious work of making its power known. If we have experienced the grace of this ransom, let us serve God's desire that all people come to the knowledge of this saving truth.

Rev. William Pols is the pastor of the Orthodox Reformed Church of Edmonton, Alberta.

Foreword: Dead Aid

2009-10-17T12:25:00.000-04:00

By Rick Postma

Dambisa Moyo knows how to stir the pot. Moyo, a native of Zambia with degrees from Harvard and Oxford, makes the claim in her recently published book, Dead Aid, that after $1 trillion in development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa over the last 50 years, the continent is not only worse off, but much worse off.

Moyo admits that numerous factors are having an impact: colonialism, corruption, tribalism, a lack of transparent and credible institutions needed for the rule of law, respect for private property and secure personal liberty. But by far the most significant culprit, according to Moyo, is systematic aid (aid between governments). The billions of dollars of aid pouring into many African countries can be compared to having a rich natural resource. African governments don’t need tax dollars from their citizens and therefore aren’t motivated to enhance the rule of law and respect for private property. On the contrary, governments are motivated to present as bleak a picture as possible so that aid will be increased.

So as a representative of an organization which brings aid to the developing world, why do I point to Moyo? Moyo isn’t nearly as critical of aid from charities. She praises programs which help the local people stand on their own two feet while warning against increasing dependency. She asks everyone to stop treating Africans as if they are children. To this we at Word & Deed heartily agree. One of our three areas of emphasis is that projects need to move beneficiaries to self-sufficiency. Creeping dependency can be a subtle challenge; projects need to have an exit strategy.

This issue includes project updates from Nigeria, Nicaragua and Malawi. In Nigeria, operating costs for Word & Deed’s Christian schools there are almost completely paid for by parents of the children – the project has a goal of self-sufficiency. In Nicaragua, families who lost their homes to Hurricane Stan have been provided with building materials but are expected to contribute the labor themselves – the project has a goal of avoiding dependency.

Pastor Christo Heiberg’s article about Logos Ministries in Malawi highlights something that Moyo misses altogether: The root cause of problems in our world is sin – a broken relationship with God which spills over into all we are and do. The answer, as Rev. William Pols points out in his meditation, is Christ, the God-Man who lived and died to deliver sinners from the curse and misery of sin. Given that sin is the key problem, then projects like Logos Ministries, which seeks to further education and equip pastors and elders of the church, are critical to bringing hope into the appalling conditions many Africans find themselves in.
May the Lord richly bless all involved with these projects and may thousands upon thousands of sinners be reconciled to Him through the blood of His Son.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Summer 2009

2009-06-13T16:51:00.000-04:00

Meditation: Of Drones and Worker Bees
Forword: Volunteering in God's Kingdom
Impact
Orphans in Malawi
High Hopes and Lots of Prayer
New Life in the Clouds
Joyful Determination
Dutch Soup and Oliebollen
Saluting Volunteers
Colombia Updates
Young @ Heart

Bees and Honey

2009-06-13T16:39:00.005-04:00

Young @ Heart-By Tanya Byl

Parents are encouraged to read the meditation with their children by way of introduction.

In a beehive, there are two kinds of bees besides the queen: the workers who make the honey, and the drones who mostly sit around and eat it. So who are you? Are you a worker bee in God’s kingdom here on earth? Do you look for ways to help other people? Are you kind when kindness is needed? God tells us we must love our neighbors as ourselves, and that means we have a lot of work to do. Make this craft and hang it up to remind you of your very important job in God’s kingdom.

You can add to the craft by using each petal to write down a specific activity that you have done or would like to do. For example, pick up garbage on your end of the street, make a card to cheer up a sick person, teach your younger neighbor to play soccer, write a letter to a Word & Deed sponsor child, smile at the new kid at school, or share cheerfully with your brother or sister. Or make a family “bee”, with first names on the bees and your last name on the flower.

I would love to see what you have made – send me a picture of you with your finished craft.

What you need
one paper plate
construction paper (for petals and/or flower)
glue
scissors
black and yellow paint or markers
a paintbrush and a cup with water
waxed paper
clothespins
string
marker

1. Paint the paper plate yellow. Let it dry. Or cut out a yellow construction paper circle and glue it on the paper plate.

2. Paint (or color with marker) the bee’s bodies with black and yellow stripes. Let them dry.

3. Print “[your name] is a worker bee” on the paper plate.

4. Cut out petals from construction paper and glue them around the edge of the plate.

5. Cut out wings from waxed paper as shown and glue on bee bodies.

6. Punch or poke a hole at the top of the flower and attach string. Clip as many bees as you’ve made onto the flower.

Bees and Honey

2009-06-13T16:39:00.001-04:00

Young @ Heart
By Tanya Byl

Parents are encouraged to read the meditation with their children by way of introduction.

In a beehive, there are two kinds of bees besides the queen: the workers who make the honey, and the drones who mostly sit around and eat it. So who are you? Are you a worker bee in God’s kingdom here on earth? Do you look for ways to help other people? Are you kind when kindness is needed? God tells us we must love our neighbors as ourselves, and that means we have a lot of work to do. Make this craft and hang it up to remind you of your very important job in God’s kingdom.

You can add to the craft by using each petal to write down a specific activity that you have done or would like to do. For example, pick up garbage on your end of the street, make a card to cheer up a sick person, teach your younger neighbor to play soccer, write a letter to a Word & Deed sponsor child, smile at the new kid at school, or share cheerfully with your brother or sister. Or make a family “bee”, with first names on the bees and your last name on the flower.

I would love to see what you have made – send me a picture of you with your finished craft.

[separate box]

What you need
one paper plate
construction paper (for petals and/or flower)
glue
scissors
black and yellow paint or markers
a paintbrush and a cup with water
waxed paper
clothespins
string
marker

[pic 1]
1. Paint the paper plate yellow. Let it dry. Or cut out a yellow construction paper circle and glue it on the paper plate.

[pic 2]
2. Paint (or color with marker) the bee’s bodies with black and yellow stripes. Let them dry.

[pic 3]
3. Print “[your name] is a worker bee” on the paper plate.

[pic 4]
4. Cut out petals from construction paper and glue them around the edge of the plate.

[pic 5]
5. Cut out wings from waxed paper as shown and glue on bee bodies.

[pic 6]
6. Punch or poke a hole at the top of the flower and attach string. Clip as many bees as you’ve made onto the flower.

Meditation: Of Drones and Worker Bees

2009-06-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. – Matthew 25:21

By Rev. Eric Pennings

During my college years I worked one summer for a beekeeper. That limited experience doesn’t make me a professional beekeeper, but it did teach me a lesson about serving Christ. I learned that there are two kinds of bees in a hive – drones and worker bees. The worker bees (females) are the ones who do all the work of searching for nectar and producing honey. The drones (males), though larger, eat the product without earning their keep. Consequently, the beekeeper often purges the hive of the drones while pampering and maintaining the worker bees.

There’s a lesson in this about making ourselves available for service in God’s kingdom. We need to ask ourselves if we are like drones or like worker bees. Are we willing to volunteer in promoting the cause of the kingdom of God? Or are we like the proverbial drones, taking advantage of the benefits of God’s kingdom, but unwilling to shoulder its responsibilities and privileges of service?

Jesus teaches this lesson in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. In the parable, the master (referring to Jesus Christ) is about to leave the servants (referring to followers of Christ). He entrusts his servants with the responsibility of maintaining and developing his property (referring to the kingdom of God) during his absence. He provides his servants with talents (referring to resources) to be used faithfully in fulfilling the mandate given to them.

In the parable, the master distributes the talents among his servants, some more … some less. In the same way Christ in His sovereign wisdom distributes His resources among His followers, each according to his or her abilities. Notice the enthusiasm with which the first two servants use the resources provided to them by their master. With joy and thanksgiving for the honor of serving their master, they selflessly and faithfully volunteer their time and effort, duplicating their resources in service to their master. With contrasting unfaithfulness, the third servant selfishly and begrudgingly buries his talent, expressing resentment for what he believes to be exploitation.

Our historical confessions apply this parable concretely. They teach that “all people are obliged to join and unite with the church … by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them” (Belgic Confession, Article 28). In our commitment to the communion of the saints, we are taught “that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members” (Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 55).

The beekeeper illustrates in nature what Jesus teaches in this parable. The worker bees are rewarded as our Master encourages his faithful servants with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The drones, however, are purged from the hive, just as the Master casts the unfaithful servant into “darkness.”

Here are some questions for reflection as we consider our willingness to serve in God’s kingdom either in full-time service or as volunteers. What are the resources that God has given to me? What am I doing with these resources? Am I a drone … or a worker bee?

Rev. Eric Pennings is the Central American Regional Coordinator at Miami International Seminary (MINTS).

Forword: Volunteering in God's Kingdom

2009-06-04T14:36:00.003-04:00

By Rick Postma

Where would Word & Deed be without volunteers? In the past week alone, I’ve relied on an army of volunteers to:

-run, chaperone and participate in a 24 hour hunger awareness campaign at Rehoboth Christian School which raised over $12,000;

-organize and plan to take part in choir concerts in Ontario and Michigan;

-organize softball tournaments in Lethbridge, Alberta; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Lansing Illinois;

-organize our third annual Niagara bike-a-thon

-put up special websites for the promotion of the above events

-write and edit articles for our quarterly magazine

-Help me organize my week long trip in Alberta including presentations at two churches, two Christian Schools and meetings with four Word & Deed Business Groups

Many more are busy in the background making and selling cards, selling honey, knitting blankets and clothing and much more. In this issue we profile two of our volunteers and we also have our Chilliwack organizing committee tell us about themselves. There are countless other unsung heroes and to one and all, we offer our heartfelt thanks.

In his meditation, Pastor Eric Pennings of Miami International Seminary (MINTS), an organization we are delighted to partner with in Nicaragua and Ecuador, draws a beautiful and effective comparison between worker bees and our calling to use our talents and time to serve in God’s Kingdom. Pastor Ken Herfst provides a fascinating update on our agricultural project in Guatemala and Caroline Van Dyken provides a realistic look at what it is like to volunteer in Malawi.

Summer vacations are a good time for reflection. Are we investing our time, talents and finances so that they will give eternal dividends? Or are we only living for the here and now? As you read through this issue of the magazine, prayerfully consider what you can do.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Impact

2009-06-04T14:34:00.001-04:00

Meditation
Read Matthew 25:14-30. In this parable, the “talent” represents those gifts each individual is given, such as skills, natural abilities, opportunities, and also, possibly, wealth. Make a list of possible “talents.”
Give examples of how someone might double the “amount” of “talents” given to them.
Give examples of how someone would bury their “talents”, whatever they are.
Where do you think people multiple their talents in a Biblical way – In their careers? In their volunteer work?

New Life in the Clouds
1. What was the basic diet of the Xe Abaj people?
2. Why do they grow corn even though it is not a suitable crop for their altitude?
3. What has improved health in Xe Abaj?
4. What has improved the rate of positive change in Xe Abaj? Why do you think this is?
5. Pastor Herfst writes, “Although change is slow, we do not want to see the people of Xe Abaj fall back into their old life patterns when our role in the area is finished.” Why is permanent change generally slow? Why does quick change rarely last? Give some examples.

URC family sets up house in Africa
What is Word & Deed’s philosophy for working in developing countries like Malawi? What do the Van Dykens find challenging about this philosophy?
The article notes Scott Van Dyken’s various responsibilities and a few of his specific tasks. List them on one side of a page. On the other side, list the personal qualities, skills and abilities necessary to complete those tasks.
How are the Van Dykens multiplying “talents” in the sense of Matthew 25? (There are a few ways.)

Focus on Volunteers

volunteer n. 1. a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking. 2. a person who performs a service willingly and without pay. [14th century from Latin voluntas will]

"We live in a culture that assigns "value" to things predominantly in monetary terms. A rainforest appears on the accounting ledgers only when it has been chopped down into "lumber." Caring for children or older parents becomes part of the economy only when a stranger is paid a salary to do what a family member might have done before without cash payment. In short, until there is a way to assign a dollar value to an activity or product, it is invisible to the society's decision makers."
(Susan J. Ellis, www.energizeinc.com)

Consider the Ellis quote, read the volunteer profiles, and think about the volunteers you know.
1. Do you agree with Susan Ellis' point?
2. A volunteer's tasks do not appear on the financial reports of organizations or businesses. Do you think this makes them less important in some people's eyes? Explain.
3. Are volunteers a necessary part of most organizations and/or businesses? Why or why not?
4. Are there some volunteer positions you know of that you think should be paid ones? Why?
5. Is there a difference between “volunteering” and “duty”?

Spring 2009

2009-04-06T18:20:00.001-04:00

Foreword: Africa Needs God
Meditation: Giving Beyond Ability
Impact: Global Awareness for Students
Nicaragua: A Trip to Dakura
Malawi: Orphan Care Impact
Colombia: God is on the Move
Colombia: Profiles
Ecuador: National Board Approved
Malawi: New Life

Meditation: Giving Beyond Ability

2009-04-06T14:25:00.001-04:00

By Rev. Cornelis Pronk

The economic downturn we are experiencing these days will likely have a bearing on the amount people will give to charitable organizations. To be honest, we at Word & Deed are a bit apprehensive as to whether we will meet our budget projections this year. Will we be able to fund our existing projects, let alone, take on new ones? The needs of those whom we have been helping during our prosperous years remain the same and are becoming even greater because poor nations are less able to absorb higher prices for food and other basic necessities than we are.
We need to realize, however, that God’s command to remember the poor remains in force at all times, during good years as well as bad. Maybe the time has come when we will no longer have the luxury of giving from our abundance but must learn to give beyond our ability (2 Cor.8:3).
But even more is required of us; we are to give cheerfully and with compassion and sympathy. An example of this kind of giving is Job. We know him as a model of patience under extreme suffering. But he also serves as a model of sympathy for the poor. Before calamity struck Job, he was known as someone who truly cared for people in need. That’s why it was so cruel of Eliphaz, the Temanite, one of Job’s so-called friends, to insinuate that his suffering was partly due to the fact that he had neglected his duty with respect to the needy. “Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,” Eliphaz charged, “and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry” (Job 22:7-9).
This was slander, and Job, deeply offended and grieved, had to defend himself against this false accusation: “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail…if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering…then let my mine arm fall from my shoulder blade and mine arm be broken from the bone” (Job 31:16,19-22).
Job was not boasting, but merely setting the record straight. We may do that too when falsely accused. If anyone should charge us with neglect in this area, I hope we can say with an appeal to God’s omniscience that we have remembered the poor and needy in their affliction.
Yet it is not enough if we can prove to have done our duty here. We also need to examine our consciences as to whether our charitable deeds proceeded from a loving and sympathetic heart. Job could say, “Did I not weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor (Job 30:25)?” Whenever Job saw someone in need, he sympathized with him or her, and in a very real sense made that person’s burden his own.
If even worldly people can show sympathy when they encounter misery, should we do less? Should we not excel in caring for the poor and needy wherever they live, in our own neighborhoods and cities or in distant countries?
Such care, born from love to God and our neighbor, brings rich rewards to both benefactors and beneficiaries. Showing sympathy is the best way to secure God’s comfort in our own afflictions. “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” (Ps.41:1). Relieving the poor is also the best investment we can make. No bank pays interest like the Bank of Heaven. “The liberal [generous] soul shall be made fat [rich]: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Prov.11:25). Scripture and experience teach us that we can’t take our money with us when we die. But if we support the Lord’s cause on earth generously and sacrificially, we will take our money with us into the next world, plus interest, because “he that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him back” (Prov.19:17).
Of course, self-interest, though allowed, must not be our main motive for sharing with others what God has given us. It is God’s plain command to do so. As Paul exhorts us: “Bear ye one another’s burden, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Our obedience to this law is the touchstone of our sincerity and the evidence that our faith is of the saving kind because it is a faith working by love (Gal.5:6) and not a dead faith devoid of works (Jas.2:17).

Pastor Cornelis (Neil) Pronk preaches at the Providence Free Reformed Church in St. George, Ontario.

Foreword: Africa Needs God

2009-04-06T14:21:00.002-04:00

by Rick Postma

You may have heard or read about the recent atheist-funded marketing campaign in Great Britain proclaiming “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The campaign is spreading and may soon come to a bus near you. A number of books by such well-known authors as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have also been published in the last year, aggressively promoting atheist dogma by repeating the many tired arguments that have already been refuted by able Christian apologists such as Alistair McGrath.

But at least one atheist, Matthew Parris, has brushed aside those childish slogans and arguments. Instead, he provides a much more powerful opposing argument by bearing witness to the changes worked by God in the lives of the many Africans he met during his recent trip to Malawi. The title of his article appears self-contradictory, “As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God.” You can find it on the internet by searching for the title using Google. Here is the money quote (take your time and read through it twice):

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

In this issue, Caroline van Dyken tells us about a young Christian man, an orphan, who fits the profile described by Mr. Parris in his article in exactly the country he visited – Malawi. Rev. Erwin van der Meer writes about a home for recovering prostitutes. Missy Christie de Acosta, who was the keynote speaker for our 2007 fall tour, tells us how the work of the Lord is impacting lives in Colombia. Corney Les, Chilliwack Business Group coordinator, describes a recent trip to Nicaragua. In his meditation, Rev. Pronk addresses the biblical warrant for giving even when times are difficult.

This year we celebrate Word & Deed’s 15th anniversary in North America. Thank you for your warm, generous and prayerful support over the years. Together we can humbly thank the Lord for the life changing impact our projects have had in countless lives in the developing world. May His Kingdom continue to grow to the glory of His Name.

North America needs God’s transforming work just like Africa and Latin America do. Thankfully there is a God, the God of the Bible, so let’s put aside the foolishness of this world, roll up our sleeves, and get to work – in thankfulness striving to faithfully reflect Him in thought, word and deed.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Impact: Global Awareness for Students

2009-04-06T14:10:00.000-04:00

By Tanya Byl

Meditation

1.Pastor Pronk gives three Bible texts which show God’s promises to those who care for the poor. Along with those, look up the following texts and make a detailed list of what God promises us when we help (or don’t help) the helpless:
Proverbs 21:13, Psalm 112:9, Matthew 25:31-40, Acts 20:35, Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Matthew 19:21, 1 John 3:17.

From Orphan to Father

1. How does the Nkhoma Orphan Care Project work?

2. How does the Project check that the orphans are being cared for?

3. Why would Machitidwe be an especially good coordinator for the Project?

4. Make a t-chart to compare the benefits and drawbacks of helping orphans in a system like this compared to a traditional centralized orphanage. What do you think is better? Why? Does deciding on the better system depend on issues in different locations?

5. Hosea 14:3b says about God that “in You the fatherless finds mercy.” Give specific examples from the article of how this is true in Machitidwe’s life.

5. The first and last paragraphs of this article create vivid word pictures of Machitidwe’s home. Examine the paragraphs – how does the author make them so descriptive? Write a paragraph that brings to life the sights, sounds and smells of a familiar setting in your life (different rooms at home, parts of school, holiday settings, etc.).

New Life

1. What does “rehabilitation” mean?
Why do you think it might be difficult for these girls to enter life outside the rehabilitation home?
Why did these girls become prostitutes?
What would faith in Christ do for these girls as they re-enter life outside the rehabilitation home?

God is on the Move

1. The tone of a piece of writing is the author’s attitude towards the subject and the audience. What strikes you as the tone of this article? It is quite strong, and there may be a few different answers. Give examples of words and phrases from the article to prove your opinion.

A Trip to Dakura

1. What are some of the difficulties involved in visiting the projects we support through Word & Deed? Give specific examples from the article.
2. The people on the east coast of Nicaragua speak a language called Miskito, which is an indigenous language in Central America. You can find out more about the Miskito people and their language in the library or by visiting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miskito and
http://www.native-languages.org/miskito.html.

Focus on the Mosquito Coast

The Mosquito Coast is the name given to the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua (along the Caribbean Sea) and part of Honduras.
Its name has nothing to do with those whiny, biting insects, but comes from the name of the native people’s language – Miskito.
The area is hot and swampy, rising to low hills in the west.
From 1655 to 1860, Britain claimed this area, but didn’t have much success in planting colonies.
The people depend on subsistence farming for a living. This type of farming provides for the basic needs of the farmer without any extras to sell for profit. Some people also fish for lobster.

Winter 2008

2009-02-04T16:56:00.002-05:00

Foreword: Transforming Communities
Meditation: The Great Exchange
Child Sponsorship FAQ
Making it Easy to Help
Colombia Profiles
Guatemala Bridge: Jesus es el Camino
Volunteer: Led to Language
Bringing Hope to Myanmar
South Africa: With Strength God Alone Can Give

Meditation:The Great Exchange

2009-02-04T15:33:00.003-05:00

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9

Word & Deed is a ministry of giving and receiving. For the readers of this magazine it means: we give while others receive. Why do we give? Well-known needs exist, and we have more than others. But is the need of others the main reason why we should give? Isn't there something deeper? Indeed, there is. In chapter eight of the second book of Corinthians, the apostle Paul is appealing to the believers at Corinth for funds to relieve the poor saints in Jerusalem. He uses the example of the believers in Macedonia to spur on the Corinthians. The Macedonians had given liberally even though they had been in such very difficult economic straits themselves. Paul writes of their "great trial of affliction" and "their deep poverty"; yet, they had given with abundant liberality. What was the secret to this liberality? They had first given themselves to the Lord and then to the apostle by the will of God. Paul really doesn't need to spur the Corinthians on to giving – but he is reminding them of what others have done because they were filled with the love of God. And then he comes to the real issue: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9)." "How rich was the Lord Jesus Christ? He was rich in might, for without him was not anything made that was made. He was rich in honor – the Father honored him and angels worshipped him. This honor is perfect and everlasting, even though for a while, in the state of humiliation, the Lord Jesus voluntarily laid it aside. He was rich in power, for as the Son of God he ruled all things. All things had been made by him and for him. He was rich in joy. In Proverbs 8 we read, "He was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." What else shall we say about the riches of the Lord Jesus Christ? If the bliss that awaits redeemed sinners is beyond description, if those glories are things which cannot be imagined, how shall we speak of the riches of the Redeemer of such sinners? And then he became poor. One of greatest comforts the child of God has is to think about the glory that awaits on the other side. What bliss it shall be: removed from a world full of darkness and sin and placed in a world of pure joy and light. To go from weakness and death into strength and life. To move from uncleanness and imperfection into holiness and perfection. To step from a dark dungeon into freedom and sunshine. What joy that shall be. This is the change Jesus experienced, but then in reverse. He was rich. He became poor. He went from darkness to light, from freedom to bonds, literally from heaven to hell. Greater exchange of status and wealth cannot be imagined. Looking at Jesus and sharing in what He has given at such great cost – is there anything else needed to remind us to be generous to the "least of his brothers" in deed? Rev. Carl Schouls is pastor of Grace Free Reformed Church in Brantford, Ontario.

Foreword: Transforming Communities

2009-02-04T15:08:00.004-05:00

A week after I joined Word & Deed in November of 2005 on a leave of absence from IBM, I had the privilege of visiting Colombia to see the projects we support there. One of the many things I learned during that trip was the incalculable impact that child sponsorship makes not only on a child’s life, but also on the life of that child’s family.

Living in internally displaced people (IDP) zones huddled around the major cities of Colombia for security, the families face a daily “survival of the fittest” struggle. Poverty, hunger, abuse, violence and poor shelter are just some of the obstacles they awake to each morning. In addition to the many things a child receives through the sponsorship program, the parents themselves are assisted through the program with regular seminars (at least once per month) and visits to their homes (every six months).

The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sinners, is shared with these needy people. The importance of a relationship with God through his Son is presented as being central to any hope for this life as well as, more importantly, for the life to come. When possible, parents are enrolled in vocational training programs and, if needed, caregiver training (the School of Infant Development program). When families hit rock bottom, they are enrolled in the Helping Hands Program, which provides food packages to them on a weekly basis for three months. These and other programs are designed, with God’s indispensable blessing, to transform entire communities.

The focus of this issue of the magazine is child sponsorship. Heather, our administrative assistant in the Canadian office, answers common questions about the sponsorship program. Related articles include one by a sponsorship “mom” as well as one by a member of the translation team. (We would love to have more translators – contact us if you can help.) There are also testimonies from children who are in the sponsorship program and, of course, pictures of a number of eligible children.

In addition to articles related to child sponsorship, there is an update from Pastor Ken Herfst concerning projects in Guatemala, an article by Sonja Miskin on the work at the Nakekela clinic in South Africa, as well as an article by Pastor Moses Thang of the United Churches in Myanmar. In the meditation, Pastor Schouls highlights the sacrifice made by the Lord Jesus – He became poor so that we could become rich. Our response can only be one of deep and lasting gratitude. What better way to express this gratitude than by bringing lasting change into the lives of needy people throughout the world?

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries.

Fall 2008

2008-11-13T12:23:00.003-05:00

Foreword: Rich Man Poor Man
Meditation: A Burden Bearing God
Nigeria: Building a Biblical Foundation
Myanmar/Burma: Repression & Relief
Colombia: Project Testimonials
Malawi: The Harvest is Plentiful
Nicaragua: Recycled Relief
Young at Heart: Special Delivery
Impact

Foreword: Rich Man Poor Man

2008-11-10T14:40:00.001-05:00

By Rick Postma

It is perhaps understandable that when “first world” aid workers arrive to work on a project in the developing world that we think we have all the answers. After all, look how successful we are – big homes, fancy cars, and exotic vacations. We’re rich; they’re poor so step aside and we’ll fix it. This powerful and prevailing perspective says that poverty is all about “lacking things.”

The Chalmers Center at Covenant College has offered a series of courses and articles to counter this secular understanding of poverty, and I’m going to make a few brief comments here and hope to pick up this theme in the next issue of the magazine. The biblical view says that man, having been made in God’s image, is a relational being with four foundational relationships: a relationship with God, with themselves, with others, and with creation. Because of sin, each of these relationships has been deeply marred. These broken relationships lead to poverty, not just in the developing world but also in our world. We may look for happiness in our possessions (worshipping the creation rather than the Creator reflecting a marred relationship with God and with the creation). Workaholics try to find their fulfilment in their work and while having lots of money they struggle with anxiety and many other ailments. Until we embrace our own brokenness, as Chalmers points out, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good. We all suffer from poverty.

I have to admit that I have been guilty of a sense of superiority in the past, a god-complex if you will. But I too am broken. My relationships have been marred by sin too. It is with humility that we need to come alongside the poor. We need the healing touch of the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, just as they do. There is also much we can learn from them, even as they can learn from us. The Word & Deed model is to have indigenous Christians run their own projects while we provide mentoring and some degree of oversight. We believe this is critical to the long term success of our projects even if the projects take longer to get going. It demonstrates respect and encourages them to develop their relationships as God intended them to be developed.

In this issue of the magazine, we provide an update on the projects in Nigeria which are becoming increasingly self-sufficient. The work in Nicaragua is progressing as well even though there is some disappointment with the lack of building supplies. Rev. Eric Pennings reports that the team there is running the projects very well and providing exemplary leadership to the community. This issue includes a report from six young ladies who have been assisting one of our orphan care projects in Malawi for a number of months. We are very pleased to report that we have been able to bring assistance to a group of churches in Burma (Myanmar).

As we look at the needs of the world, we need to avoid both the sin of pride and arrogance, but we also need to avoid being overwhelmed. As Pastor Harry Zekveld points out, we have a burden bearing God who calls us to do this work. May we seek to be faithful both in what we strive to accomplish and also in how we go about it to the glory of His name.

Rick Postma is the Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries

Meditation:Our Burden-Bearing God

2008-11-10T14:39:00.002-05:00

By Rev. Harry Zekveld

In the NKJV, Psalm 68:19 reads: “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!” And so we sing, “He daily comes our lives to steep in bounties freely given” (Psalter Hymnal 124:5).
However, I prefer the reading of the NIV: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens.” As we sing in The Psalter Hymnal 125:2, “Blest be the Lord who daily our heavy burden bears.” It speaks not of a God who loads us down with benefits (though He does this too!), but of a God who lifts burdens from His people.
Here we meet a mighty and compassionate Saviour Lord Who carries heavy loads for us, helping His feeble people bear the pressures of the hostile world and many other afflictions. He is the Saviour on whom we may cast all our troubles. “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). While we often turn our eyes away from the troubles of this world because of the distress it could cause, our Lord is sure to enter our trial, sympathize with our weakness, and give mercy and grace to help in time of need. He proved this conclusively in the misery of the cross. There He lifted the burden of sin and its misery from our shoulders, taking it upon Himself, to give us rest.
The glory of His compassion is not simply that He bears our burdens, but that He does so daily. Our Saviour is not an annual God or a monthly God Who stops by our lives occasionally to check up on us. He is the daily God. He is the Good Shepherd who goes with me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6) to help, sustain, and comfort me. Especially when we groan under heavy afflictions is the LORD moved to show mercy (Exodus 2:23; Judges 10:16b).
We have much to learn from the Lord about showing mercy to the needy. Sometimes God single-handedly bears our burdens, but often He appoints us to be His hands and feet in the alleviation of suffering. He calls us boldly to face the distresses of mankind, especially of those who belong to the household of faith. He bids us offer not only the word of help, but the deed also: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The Chief Shepherd, the daily God, summons us to be faithful, regular, sympathetic and self-denying in attending to the needs of afflicted. Perhaps the inconvenience of “sticking with it” is the greatest challenge for us in the ministry of bearing one another’s burdens.
Of course, we are not able in ourselves to carry the burdens of any. The Lord Jesus alone is the Burden-bearer. It is His work, for which only He has the power, love, and perfection required. Yet, as His redeemed servants, we have the calling to represent Him in His work and the gracious privilege of being used by Him in it. Blest be God who daily bears our heavy burdens! Do you know this great blessing of His grace? As we have been so blessed by our daily God, let us also persevere in bearing one another’s burdens.

Rev. Harry Zekveld is the pastor of Providence United Reformed Church in Strathroy, Ontario

Young at Heart: Special Delivery

2008-11-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

Have you every received a letter in the mail, just for you? In the middle of the pile of mail for your parents, was there one that had your name on it? Maybe you’ve received a card from grandparents on your birthday. Do you remember the feeling you had when you looked at the envelope and wondered what was inside? I still get excited when I see an envelope addressed to me in our mailbox. It means someone, usually far away, was thinking about me. For a little while it feels like that person is right beside me. Usually, the letter stays on the counter, or stuck to the fridge, where I can read it over again for the next few weeks.

So how would you like to visit a far-away country? You wouldn’t take an airplane –you’d travel in an envelope. For just a few minutes, you could stand beside a boy or girl in Colombia and say “hello.” The John Calvin School in Barranquilla, Santa Fé School in Bogotá, and El Pozon School in Cartagena, are full of young students who would love to receive mail from children just like them in North America. I think that your letter would stay on their desk or dresser for quite a while.

Start out by painting or colouring a picture. You could include a picture of yourself, your friends, or something that’s special to you. Write a note to introduce yourself and say ‘hello.’ Tell which school you go to. Then put everything in a letter-sized envelope and address it to a “boy” or “girl” of your age. (We don’t know the names of all the children there.) Send the envelope to me, and I’ll make sure it gets to a new friend at one of the schools in Colombia.

Here are some Spanish phrases that you can use, since that is the language of the children in Colombia:

English	español (Spanish)
Hello	¡Hola!
My name is…	Me llamo…
How are you?	¿Cómo estás?
I’m from…	Soy de…
Have a nice day.	¡Que pase un buen día!
I like sports.	Me gustan los deportes.
I like to sing.	Me gustan cantar.
I’m…years old.	Tengo…años.

Your teacher or parents can find more Spanish words for you at http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/phrases/spanish/.

Have fun! Who knows, maybe one day, the mail carrier will deliver a letter sent all the way from Colombia, just for you.

Impact

2008-11-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

Building a Biblical Foundation

What percentage of Africa’s population is Nigerian?
What are some of the most difficult challenges facing Nigeria?
Diplomacy is the “practice or art of conducting international negotiations” and “tact and skill in dealing with people.” Give a few examples of Mr. Pennings’ diplomacy.
What does Rev. Daniel Pever hope that the schools in Nigeria will provide?
What is W&D’s financial goal for the school? How are they doing?

Our Burden-Bearing God

How does the Lord bear our burdens?
It sometimes difficult to believe that such a holy God would bear a human’s burdens. How does God persuade us in the scriptures that He is a burden-bearer?
How does Galatians 6:2 (quoted in the meditation) echo the great commandment of Matthew 22:37-39?

Repression and Relief

What two natural disasters were forgotten in the news media when the Beijing Olympics started?
What kind of government do Myanmar (Burma) and China have in common?
Why do you think the Myanmar government would refuse much-needed aid for their country?
How large of a group is the United Reformed Churches of Myanmar? Compare its size to the nation’s population.
How is W&D helping the people in Myanmar?
Myanmar or Burma? What would you call the country? Do you think countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, or Australia make any difference by refusing to use “Myanmar?” What’s in a name that it should matter? Write down your thoughts or discuss them with your class.
What is the link between democracy and Christianity? (This question has a huge answer, and you won’t answer it completely, but many interesting ideas will surface in your discussion!)

Focus on Myanmar (Burma)

Mini-Geography

Myanmar is one of the largest countries in Southeast Asia, bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Tibet, Laos, and Thailand. It is mostly warm and humid, especially in the south. Myanmar is a country of great, unspoiled natural beauty, and is still half-covered by forest.

Population: approximately 48 million

Religion: Buddhist (89%), Christian (4%), Muslim (4%)

Economy: one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia

Agriculture: 60% of cultivated land is rice

Life Expectancy: 63 years

Poverty: 37% below the poverty line (compared with 12% in USA)

Mini-History

Pre-colonial: various kingdoms and dynasties

British Colony: 1853 – 1948

Independent nation: 1948 – 1962

Military Junta: 1962 to present

In 1962, Myanmar’s military led a successful coup d’état (sudden, violent overthrow of a government). A military junta (hoon-ta – a group of persons in power following a coup d’état) replaced the fledgling democracy. Myanmar now has a one-party government, which is a polite name for a dictatorship. From the beginning of the dictatorship, citizens (mostly students) protested, only to be violently silenced. The last major protest was made by Buddhist monks in September 2007, and was also brutally suppressed. People around the world were horrified that non-violent monks would be attacked. Myanmar has an opposition party, which works outside the country, in exile, towards restoring democracy.

The country’s name is sometimes confusing – is it Myanmar or Burma? The current government changed the nation’s name from Burma to Myanmar in 1989. Some countries and news media continue to use Burma to show they do not support the dictatorship.

(Sources: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma)

Summer 2008

2008-07-07T15:24:00.001-04:00

Foreword: Can You Help?
Meditation: The Great Volunteer: Jesus Christ
Volunteer Profile: Diana Alblas, Gifts & Talents
Mission Circles: Heart & Hands
Guatemala: Mission Trip Report
Guatemala: Volunteering in Champerico, Guatemala
South Africa: Making a Difference in South Africa
Volunteer Profile: Karen Vandersloot, Counting the Costs
Columbia: Transforming a Community in Barranquilla, Colombia
Volunteers: Business Groups, Maximize Your Donation Impact
Young @ Heart: Apostles Crossword Puzzle

Foreword: Can You Help?

2008-06-27T15:49:00.001-04:00

by Rick Postma

At Word & Deed, we love our volunteers. They come in all shapes and sizes: ambassadors who help plan and run our many fund-raising events; business group coordinators; magazine editors; mission team coordinators and team members; women who make cards and sell honey; and board members. In this issue of the magazine, we profile a number of volunteers in both North America as well as in the countries where we run our projects.

Can you help? In most cases, the answer is an unqualified yes. For example, we would love to continue increasing the ranks of our Word & Deed ambassadors, of which there are well over fifty. What do they do? One of their main purposes is to help raise funds for our many projects. In most cases, this is done by joining together with ambassadors from other local churches and organizing a fund-raising event: dinners, bike-a-thons, ball tournaments, spring flower bulb sales, catering events and much more. Some ambassadors also love to do small presentations to new churches and schools who are interested in learning more about Word & Deed. Just recently, a number of business groups have been established, with more to come. Each group has one or more business ambassadors who act as coordinators for the group. These business ambassadors invited their network of contacts to join the group, and also set up periodic meetings. When it makes sense, we do make some placements overseas. However, unlike many other organizations, Word & Deed emphasizes the use of indigenous believers with local church oversight to run her projects. Since our objective is have the needy of the developing world learn to glorify God through providing for themselves and their families, we are careful to make sure that our methods reflect that goal. Sending North Americans to the developing world can often lead to dependency, which we want to avoid.

As Reverend Neels points out in the Meditation, volunteering is an important, healthy and biblical practice. At Word & Deed, we recognize that there are many local needs that require volunteers – church programs, Christian schools, local outreach, and much more. But we trust many will also volunteer some time for the needs of those who live impoverished lives far beyond our borders. The goal that the Apostle Paul sets out in 2 Corinthians 8 is one of equality between the Christians in Corinth and those in Jerusalem. This is a very difficult goal, to be sure, given the great disparity between our lives and those of fellow believers in the developing world. However, together we can be instruments in God’s hands to provide “equality of opportunity” to thousands of people there. Word & Deed views herself as a bridge connecting you directly into the lives of these people through our partners and projects.

Volunteering for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom is about laying up treasure in heaven. Please call to see how you can help.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries

Meditation The Great Volunteer, Jesus Christ

2008-06-27T15:04:00.004-04:00

By Rev. Jan Neels

At our church, we recently received an invitation to attend a Volunteer Appreciation function put on by a local nursing home. It was for several of our people who volunteer there. We all meet volunteers on a regular basis. They are in our churches, at our front doors, in the hospitals, on the streets, and in boardrooms. They are involved in making church bulletins, collecting for the Kidney Foundation, working in the gift shop, feeding the homeless, and serving on committees. Some are Christians, some atheists, environmentalists and missionaries, male and female, young and old. Yet they all have in common the fact that they are voluntarily giving. They give mostly of their time, but also of their talents, and of their money.

For Christians, volunteering is following in Christ’s footsteps. We look for worthy causes, in which His Name will be exalted. Still, no matter how our volunteering is commanded by God, and may be commended by others, it pales in relation to the voluntary nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In the end, all we can say is, “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10).

In Scripture we meet the Great Volunteer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the people gave “a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD” (Ezekiel 46:12). When you read the book of Hebrews you will find that those voluntary sacrifices were not pleasing to Jehovah (Heb. 10:1-6). As you read on, however, you will hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God” (Heb. 10:7). The writer then goes on to explain that it is by Christ doing the will of God that the elect “are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”(Heb. 10:10). Jesus volunteered His whole life as “a ransom for many”(Mark 10: 45). As the Son of Man, He came to serve.

As Christians, we strive to be imitators of Christ. That includes having a volunteering spirit. Our churches should never have to ask for volunteers. There ought to be a lineup of people volunteering. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”(Heb. 12:2), we are called to run the race. Not only in the fight against sin, but also in the work of the church. The opportunities are endless, and the rewards eternal, but the laborers are so few. What a privilege we have as volunteers in the army of the Lord of Hosts. We are not in it for the rewards, but the promise of Christ is that “whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward”(Matt. 10:42).

Rev. Jan Neels is the pastor of Jordan Heritage Reformed Congregation in Jordan, Ontario.

Young at Heart: The Apostles Crossword Puzzle

2008-06-27T14:55:00.004-04:00

The apostles were divinely commissioned, or sent specifically by God, to represent Christ. They left their regular jobs to follow the Lord Jesus and spread the Gospel. They loved Him, so they served Him and served their neighbors. That’s what volunteering really is – serving others out of a love for the Lord Jesus. For help with this puzzle, read Matthew 10 first.

You can do this crossword puzzle online at The Apostles Crossword Puzzle

Spring 2008

2008-04-05T12:34:00.006-04:00

Foreword: Guilty until Proven Innocent

2008-04-05T12:31:00.001-04:00

By Rick Postma

In Guatemala, if you accidentally hit a pedestrian while driving your car, you are thrown in jail, no questions asked. On my recent journey to that beautiful but struggling country, I heard the story of a pastor hitting a drunk who had reeled out onto the street in front of him. The pastor spent a week in jail before he was freed. In Guatemala, you are guilty until proven innocent.

On the other hand, if someone is murdered and the criminals escape before the police arrive, it is often up to the family of the victim to pay for the state to pursue the criminals. The father-in-law of a man I know in Guatemala was murdered a few years ago. It is well-known who the murderers are, but they are free today because my friend didn’t have enough money to fund the prosecution. One statistic states that over 90% of murders in Guatemala go unsolved. In Guatemala, crimes are viewed as being committed against the victim and the victim’s family, and not against the state.

I have given you two brief glimpses into the reality of life in Guatemala as well as much of Latin America. To add to the challenge, the police are usually very poorly paid and often give in to corruption and bribery. In North America, we have the luxury of being innocent until proven guilty. We can also expect the state to pursue criminals. Yes, there are sad examples of the miscarriage of justice, but these are the exception and not the norm. We take these and many other things for granted.

In this issue of the magazine, John Vangameren tells us about his recent trip to Colombia and the progress being made there in a very difficult context. Two articles on projects in Guatemala provide reason for joy and thanksgiving. Pastor Hector Williams provides an eye-witness account of being caught in the destructive might of Hurricane Felix. Brian Houweling looks back on the two years we have worked on Hurricane Katrina-related projects in partnership with Camp Hope.

As you read the articles in this issue, realize that the challenges faced by our partners and the groups they are helping are far more difficult and complex than ours. This should make us thankful for what we have but, as Pastor Moerdyk points out in his meditation, it should also help us focus on the needs of the poor and motivate us to do something about them. Can we count on your partnership in 2008 to bring both Word and deed to the needy in the developing world? Through the redeeming blood of Christ, guilty but repentant sinners can be washed clean and declared innocent by the Judge of this world. Do we dare keep this good news to ourselves? The time is urgent.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries

Meditation: Remembering the Poor

2008-04-05T12:28:00.001-04:00

By Rev. Eric Moerdyk

At times the apostle Paul mentions things, almost in passing, that are much bigger than a quick read would suggest. These golden nuggets of truth point to habits of the apostle, as well as to pursuits that the apostle wants to spread in Christ’s church.

One such text is the basis for this meditation on remembering the poor. In Galatians 2:10 the apostle repeats a conversation he had with Peter, James, and John in Jerusalem. Verse 2 tells us that Paul submitted his teaching to the review of these apostles and elders, so that they could correct him where he was wrong. It turned out that they were in complete agreement about the contents of the gospel and what it meant for the respective lifestyles of Jews and Gentiles. The only other thing these brothers and pillars of the church (as Paul calls them in verse 9) thought worthy of extra mention was remembering the poor.

Galatians 2:10 reads like this: “Only they would that we should remember the poor, the same which I also was froward to do.” The KJV uses the word ‘froward,’ an older English word, which contains the beautiful combination of an almost rude boldness with energetic eagerness. Paul and the others agreed completely that remembering the poor should be a lifestyle modeled and taught in the church of Jesus Christ. This remembrance is an inescapable part of Christian living because of who Jesus Christ is for His people. This Christological heart of a generous lifestyle is aptly summarized in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”

What does it mean to remember the poor? It means much more than thinking about them now and then, and much more than giving thanks for our blessings or asking for God to provide for their needs. Both of these responses are, of course, important aspects of remembering the poor. But there is reason to believe that the apostle, in writing of being froward to remember the poor, is thinking first and foremost of sacrificial giving, of doing something concrete to help those in poverty. Isn't this what the Psalmist means when he prays for God to remember him? Remembering without doing anything is loveless hypocrisy (1 John 3:17-18).

There is one last reason why the word remember is so important. We are prone to forget the poor. We are prone to label our ‘wants’ as ‘needs,’ and to think first of ourselves and last of others. How often, when you receive a bonus or an unexpected profit, do you start with remembering yourself rather than with remembering the poor? A gospel lifestyle means remembering others before I think of myself. Take a few moments now to prayerfully confess your sins of forgetting the poor, and to commit yourself to remembering the poor. When you open your eyes, do something about your resolution.

Rev. Eric Moerdyk is pastor of the Free Reformed Church of Abbotsford, British Columbia

Young at Heart: Brown Eyed Girl

2008-04-05T12:20:00.000-04:00

What are your eyes like? Are they round and dark? Squinty? Blue? I have brown eyes. Everyone tells me that my eyes are different than they used to be, but I don’t think they mean the color has changed.

Let me explain. My name is Yeimy Geraldin Ramírez Rodríguez. I guess if you don’t speak Spanish, that’s a long, hard name to say. But you can call me “Geral,” just like all my friends.

I live at the CDA Children’s Home. It is the most beautiful place I have ever known! But I didn’t always live here. I was born in Bogotá, and I used to live in a very dangerous neighbourhood called “La Calle del Cartucho.” In Spanish, “calle” means “street.”

La Calle is dangerous because terrible things happen there every day. Sometimes I think that all the mean people in the world live in that place. We were always poor and hungry, but no one was kind or helped us find food. Instead, they paid us a little bit of money if we let them hurt us. Just a little bit, so that we would need to let them hurt us every day. My mom told my sister and me that that was the only way anyone gets food in this world. She let people hurt her, too. Can you imagine?

Let me tell you, it’s easier to get hurt than to go without food. After a while, the hurting doesn’t seem so bad. You get used to it. But then your eyes change. They don’t sparkle anymore. When you smile, it doesn’t show in your eyes. It’s like looking into the window of a house at night when all the lights are out. That’s what my eyes were like when I first came to the Children’s Home.

In La Calle, my mom, two little sisters, and I lived in one small room with my grandmother, her husband, my uncles, and my cousins. That’s a lot of people! And no one was happy. What do you think it was like? Well, you’re right. Everyone was always fighting. We fought with words, and sometimes with fists.

Then God –Who I know about now, but didn’t then – sent some people to help my mom. That is the best part about God – He helps people who really need Him, who can’t help themselves. The people showed my mom that we didn’t have to be hurt to get food. Best of all, they were nice to us. We had never had anyone be nice to us before. How do I explain how that felt? It was like jumping into the warmest, softest bed ever; or like a crackling fire on a cold night.

I give thanks to God all the time, but especially when I have bad dreams about La Calle and wake up in the Children’s Home instead.

Plus, guess what? Someone told me a little while ago that my eyes are alive again. They aren’t dull and wooden anymore, but sparkly brown like pebbles after the rain. And I’m very happy to say that when I smile, my eyes smile just as much as the rest of my face!

Note: Geraldin Rodríguez is a real girl who was enrolled at the CDA Children’s Home in Bogotá, Colombia, in April, 2001. Her full story, including details omitted here for our young readers, can be found on Word & Deed’s blog. Follow the links to Colombia and Mission Trip Colombia.

Impact

2008-04-05T12:18:00.002-04:00

A Community Transformed

1. a.) What two things has the project used or given to quickly improve the lives of the people in Xe Abaj?

b.) Explain how each item in ‘a’ will improve the lives of the Xe Abaj families. Think beyond what is explicitly stated in the article.

2. a.) Jesus used parables to teach the gospel. Which parable would you use to share something about the gospel with people who knew nothing about it?

b.) Tell the parable in your own words.

c.) How would you explain the meaning of the parable?

Lighting the World on Fire

1. Pick three CDA projects, name them, and in your own words, describe what they are.

2. The article states, “We cannot and must not impose our North American way of thinking in non-North American cultures.”

a.) What does this statement mean?

b.) What things (ideas, ways of doing things, customs, etc.) should we not impose on other cultures? Are there things that we should and can? Discuss this with your class.

Hurricane Felix in Dákura

1. What percentage of the homes in the community are concrete, thus able to withstand a hurricane?

2. You may need to look up information about hurricanes for this question. Try National Geographic Website, or FEMA Website

a.) Hurricane Felix was a Category 5 storm when it made landfall in Nicaragua. What does that mean?

b.) What is a “storm surge”? How large was the one in Dákura?

3. The 400 families of Dákura, Nicaragua, lost their homes, churches, and school.

a.) In a group, make a list of all the supplies and equipment that they will need to start over. You will make a more accurate and complete list if you know something about Nicaragua. Re-read the article, and check out CIA Website.

b.) Divide your list into three sections:

· Absolute necessities (needed now)

· Necessities for basic living (needed within the year)

· “Luxuries” (to come when other needs are met)

FOCUS ON THE MAYAN INDIANS OF GUATEMALA

The people of Xe Abaj are Mayan Indians, the indigenous people of Guatemala (and much of Central America). In order for Word & Deed to work with this community, we must understand and respect its culture and history. Use the following resources for the activities in this section: voanews.com Article, wikipedia.org Article , about.com Article , the library , encyclopaedias, Encarta, this blank map of Guatemala, or this detailed map of Guatemala.

1. On the blank map of Guatemala, plot its major cities, and the cities or areas in which Word & Deed works. Indicate the mountainous regions of the country with colored shading. Use a key to explain what is mountainous on your map. Label and finish the map attractively. Include proper cartographic details, such as a key, orientation, title, and frame.

2. Divide into five groups. Each group will research one of these topics about the Mayans of Guatemala: history, clothing, food, agriculture, and religion. Each group will make a neat and attractive summary of their findings and share it with the rest of the class. (A photocopy of the summary would be useful for #3.)

3. Have a class discussion about the challenges Word & Deed (which is North American and Christian) might have when working with Guatemala’s indigenous peoples. Focus on how we will overcome those challenges positively, while still helping the people and spreading the gospel.

Winter 2007

2008-01-02T21:41:00.003-05:00

Foreword: Despair or Hope?

2008-01-02T21:10:00.000-05:00

By Rick Postma

While this issue was intended to focus mainly on Africa, Hurricane Felix forced us to switch gears and ensure that a prominent place was given to the devastation inflicted by this disaster in Nicaragua. Rev. Eric Pennings of MINTS (Miami International Seminary) and Bernie Pennings of Word & Deed, just returned from Nicaragua as this issue is going to print. See Pastor Pennings’ article for the latest news and developments in Niacaragua.

My friend, Rev. Christo Heiberg (a board member for Word & Deed Canada), gave me a book to read recently by Keith B. Richburg with the title, “Out of America – A Black man Confronts Africa”. Mr. Richburg was the Washington Post’s bureau chief in Africa from 1991 to 1994. He either witnessed or arrived on the scene immediately after such tragic and brutal events as the Hutu massacre of Tutsis in Rwanda and the civil war in Somalia. He travels from country to country hoping to find one that is actually working. Everywhere he goes there is something terribly wrong – corruption, violence, disease, famine. The book begins with Mr. Richburg arriving in Africa eager to explore his roots - a remote ancestor had left Africa in chains as a slave two centuries before. For reasons he doesn’t understand, his predecessor as Washing ton Post bureau chief in Africa can’t wait to get out - he has seen it all and is filled with despair. After 3 years, it is Keith Richburg who can’t wait to leave and it is with thankfulness that he looks back on the enslavement of his ancestor. If it hadn’t happened, he would be one of the suffering blacks in Africa; instead, he is now a free American black man. Shocking isn’t it?

Is it really that bad? The challenges faced by the African continent are indeed daunting. However, the aspect that is missing in Mr. Richburg’s book is the hope that can only be found in God’s amazing plan of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ there is hope where otherwise there is despair. Not only individuals but whole cultures need to be transformed. In this issue read about the hope that is being brought to lay leaders, pastors and orphans in Malawi in articles by Dr. Timothy Monsma and Manuel Kamnkwani. Read as well about the hope that is being brought to HIV/AIDS patients in Joke Parre’s article. Jennifer Byl tells us about the mission team that went to South Africa in August.

As many of you look ahead to the Christmas season, don’t forget the Bundles of Love program which makes Christmas special for sponsor children in Colombia. Enjoy the magazine and may you have a blessed Christmas.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Ministries

Meditation: Confident Giving

2008-01-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

By Rev. Adam Kaloostian

We have all wrestled with that gnawing skepticism about some organization, unsure whether our potential financial contribution would actually end up helping the ones for whom our hearts are broken. We have all lacked confidence that this same gift would be distributed "in the name of Christ," our only hope for seeing its value extend beyond this passing life.

This skepticism and lack of confidence surfaced in my thinking as I watched a local news program about the devastation of Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua and Honduras, and as I was thinking about the continuing needs of the Reformed churches in Nigeria. Maybe you’ll have the same thoughts as you flip through the magazine this month: “I am all the way over here and South America and Nigeria are all the way over there,” or “It would be good if we rallied to shelter hurricane victims, but it would be better if these people could associate that relief with a good local church,” or “What can I realistically do for my dear Christian brothers and sisters living in Nigeria, some of whom are threatened by Mohammed’s bitter oppression and bloody sword?”

Figuring out an answer to the skepticism and being confident that my giving would accompany the preaching of Christ have become higher priorities for me. The mysterious parable of the steward in Luke 16 was an impetus for the newfound urgency. Through this parable the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that giving toward the needs of God’s people around the world must be a greater part of my cheerful gratitude to the Lord. Naturally, then, I had to figure out the effective and Christ-centered way to do it.

In the parable, the steward takes stock of his certain future and adjusts his actions accordingly. Jesus is not commending the steward’s wily maneuverings out of his own predicament (that’s all in there for irony, humor, and shock value). Jesus’ point is that His children should take stock of their certain future – one of lacking nothing in the new heavens and the new earth – and adjust their actions accordingly. The primary “shrewd” action for God’s people in view is monetary generosity (Luke 16:9, 11, 13-14) to the ones who will “receive [us] into an everlasting home” (Luke 16:9). The Pharisees not only neglected their own Jewish folks, but also plundered them. Jesus commands us not to plunder our brothers and sisters, so surely He commands us not to neglect them. Knowing our rich future, and knowing they will be with us, how could we?

If the desire to help our distant loved ones is there, we may see that Word & Deed has become an answer to what’s left—the aforementioned skepticism and lack of confidence. We have the good privilege of giving generously, effectively, and in the name of Christ through Word & Deed, and our Master will by grace commend us for doing it.

Rev. Adam Kaloostian is pastor of Ontario United Reformed Church in Ontario, California.

Fall 2007

2007-08-31T21:56:00.002-04:00

Foreword: Going Color

2007-08-31T08:30:00.000-04:00

By Rick Postma

After being one of the last holdouts, we’ve finally made the leap. For those of you who have received our magazine in the past, you will immediately notice that it is now in color rather than two-tone. We are very thankful to be able to make the move to full color, made possible by reduced printing costs.

As a child, I thought that my parents grew up in a world of black, white and shades of grey. A creation populated by animals, plants and clothing proudly exhibiting all the colors of the rainbow was, to my young mind, a very recent invention. As I grew older, I came to realize that the garden of Eden must have truly been a banquet for the eyes. Today we see only the muted glory of what once was. Even so, we can only join the Psalmist in proclaiming “Oh Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is Thy Name in all the Earth.”

Unfortunately, a more arresting color picture doesn’t mean the challenges being faced in the developing world are any easier.

In this issue of the magazine, we visit a number of countries of the developing world including – Ecuador, Colombia, South Africa and Guatemala. In Ecuador, Fred Jonkman introduces Luis Carlos Moreno, who joins the Education Project there. Jim Chynoweth shows us the Helping Hands and Health Brigade projects which are so urgently needed by the internally displaced people huddled around major Colombian cities. In Guatemala, Pastor Ken Herfst takes us to Restoration House, a home for recovering addicts, and then drives us high into the mountains to introduce us to an agricultural project which recently started in the community of Xea Baj.

In his meditation, Reverend Lankheet underlines the need to help the poor help themselves. Faceless inter-governmental aid often trains the poor to beg, doing more damage in the end than good. Instead, we need to help people develop their God-given talents to provide for their families and, by the miracle of God’s grace, come to know Him as their Lord and Saviour.

So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the tour – in living color!

Meditation: Showing Love Wisely

2007-08-30T21:02:00.000-04:00

By Rev. Randal S. Lankheet

From the church building of my previous congregation in southern California, it was only a three-hour drive to reach some severely impoverished areas in northern Mexico. Driving across the border, I became familiar with some of the mission work there. And in the process, I befriended a Mexican pastor, Armando, who is from a conservative Presbyterian background.

Pastor Armando once pointed to the crowds of young children begging on the streets of Tijuana. Those children followed the American tourists, asking them for money – usually they received some. He told me, “Tell your friends in the States that they shouldn’t be giving handouts. Those children need to be in school, learning to think with their minds and work with their hands. When tourists give money, they are encouraging those children to become beggars.”

Now I suppose there may be situations where it would be all right to give a limited amount of money as a “handout.” Some people are completely disabled and have no family to support them. In parts of some countries there is little possibility for education or employment. But the Mexican pastor was making the point that we as Christians, especially from wealthy countries, can sometimes do more harm than good in trying to help the needy.

The apostle Paul prays this for the Philippian Christians: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best” (Phil. 1:9-10). Paul prays that the Christians’ agape love, that special love that comes from Christ, might increase and overflow. But notice particularly how Paul prays: that their abounding love might increase with knowledge and depth of insight. Out of that special knowledge and insight, those Christians would better know how to love in more discerning ways.

And that is one of the biggest challenges, I believe, for a ministry such as Word & Deed. We as Christians are motivated by love, the love of Christ. But in the actual practice of dispensing food, providing shelter, and creating jobs, we should always seek to show love wisely.

There is no simple formula, and situations vary from country to country. But over the years I have become convinced that at a minimum we must work with local pastors of local churches. My pastor friend in Mexico knew the people in his neighbourhood. He and his church leaders knew who was truly needy and who was not. They generally knew whether alcohol or drugs was the root problem. In those situations we especially need to give the Word of God, rather than money to support a sinful lifestyle.

I’m glad to learn that Word & Deed works with local churches in various countries, and that they work with pastors who share our Reformed understanding of God’s Word. By working with those local pastors and churches we have more assurance that our dollars, given out of Christian love, are spent in wise and discerning ways.

Rev.Randal S. Lankheet is pastor of Covenant Reformed Church of Toronto (URCNA).