Tag: travel

  • Gifts and Presence

    06.05.11 | Comment?

    by Stephan Bauman, World Relief

    As yet, none of you know Cyprien from our team in Rwanda. He is self-giving, inspiring, and above all, joyful. I asked him once what he believed to be the greatest impact by those who visit from our partner churches. Without hesitation, he said, “presence.” He explained that his people — whether villagers, HIV/AIDs caregivers, microfinance clients, or World Relief staff — are overwhelmed by those that come from across the world to listen to their story, to smile with their children, to work alongside their family, to pray with them. “It’s their presence,” says Cyprien, “that honors them — that humbles them.”

    Soon, I understand, some of you will meet Cyprien as you minister on behalf of Bethany Community Church in Rwanda with the purpose of establishing and building relationships. So, it is with that theme that I wish to write, but not only to those who will travel to Rwanda as relational ambassadors from Bethany Community Church. It is also to the many who will not be there in-country, but who will still benefit by the experiences of those who go on your behalf once they return. You will benefit as you enter into the relationships they bring back and share, as you tap their own levels of transformation, and as you offer your own “presence” through prayer, learning, and financial support.

    Whether you are one of a couple handful who go to Rwanda or one of the couple thousand who remain in Seattle, most importantly, you are ambassadors for Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21), God-authorized representatives bearing His name. You carry His presence, and the presence of His body, as you give your lives. You are “Spilling Hope” holistically by your presence, your priorities, your sacrifices, gifts, and talents. You make a difference.

    During World War II, Christians in Princeton, New Jersey, held a prayer meeting to intercede for Jews in Germany. Albert Einstein heard about the prayer meeting, left his house at 112 Mercer Street, walked to the meeting, and asked if he could join them. He brought his violin with him, and wondered if he might “pray” with his instrument. He offered his presence during a critical time in history.

    My wife, Belinda, and I were born about 11 hours apart in the same hospital in a small town in Wisconsin. We didn’t meet until age 16, but have celebrated our birthdays together since. One year our two sons, Joshua, age 7, and Caleb, age 5 at that time, woke us by singing “Happy Birthday.” “Now, for the greatest gift,” they said, in unison. . . . “Tada . . . we give you, us!” We all melted together in hugs and kisses and told them they were “the greatest gifts we could ever want!” All of you agree, there is nothing like the unabashed presence of a child, especially your own.

    Agnes Mukashinjo (pictured) fled to the Congo during the genocide after her husband was killed. Sometime later, she returned to Rwanda with only her daughter. In her own words, she was lonely and without hope. Agnes was eventually introduced to a few women from an association of farmers called Twizamura (meaning, “let’s grow together”). Twizamura was founded by World Relief to bring together widows, orphans, and others in order to work and fellowship. The association grows geranium plants that are harvested, distilled into oil, and then sold locally and internationally. Members of Twizamura gave Agnes a few iron sheets and she was able to build a simple house. In time, Agnes was invited to join and, today, Agnes is the president of the association. Each week, she leads the members in scripture reading, worship, and prayer, and, together, they plan for harvest.

    I wonder if the body of Christ is like Twizamura where all of us, orphaned and widowed through the struggles of life, are arm-lifted by the Father into a community of hope, a community where His presence and the presence of our brothers and sisters gives us hope and sustains us.

    Mother Theresa said, “To love, it is necessary to give.”  Ultimately, the greatest gift we offer is our very life. Indeed, Christ asks for nothing less — our life in exchange for His. And then, quite beautifully, he asks us to freely give our lives away — his life in us, a gift for others. You are giving to Rwanda just like those from Twizamura gave to Agnes. I am humbled by your gift, I commend your commitment, and I applaud your humility. On behalf of those you serve in Rwanda — all my brothers and sisters there — thank you.

    (Stephan Bauman is the president and CEO of World Relief — and the former country director of Rwanda.)

  • Compelled to Care

    05.31.11 | Comment?

    by Maddy Allen

    Some of us are ignorant. We are ill-, under-, or uninformed about the fact that water scarcity plays a pivotal role in the death of a child from malaria alone every thirty seconds. We don’t understand (because we’ve never had to understand) the amount of community, health, and life that a clean and reliable source of water can bring.

    Some of us are overwhelmed. We are educated about the need on this earth and carry it with us. We know that at any given moment, half of the world’s hospital beds could be filled with people suffering from a water-borne illness. We’ve seen brokenness; we’ve held it in our arms. Yet, the knowledge seems to paralyze us.

    As Christians, we are not only expected, but compelled, to be knowledgeable of the hurt in this world, take it upon ourselves as Jesus did, and aspire to remedy it. We are regularly made aware of our blessings compared to those who have less and reminded that we have a responsibility to care for them. But, the countless facts, statistics, and heart-wrenching photos leave us feeling completely powerless despite this position of privilege and power. Our spirits heave with a righteous anger for a women, men, child, family, gender, race, country, people — a world in need.

    Last summer, I got the opportunity to travel to Haiti. While there, I experienced one of the most incredible, spirit-filled two weeks of my life. True, the country of Haiti has been devastated — full of people hurting and in need. Likewise, however, it is a country full of joyous and grateful people, looking to the Lord for hope and strength. I have never seen a country more in need, nor have I seen a place where God is working more or where the Holy Spirit is more alive. I returned home from the poorest country in the western hemisphere to a “premiere private Christian university” within only 7 days. And, for more than 6 months, that transition sat heavily on my heart and mind. I wanted, even in a small way, to give something to the people that had blessed my life so much during the summer, but because of my commitments as a student, I was unable.

    The necessity of reconciliation on this broken earth forms cuffs around our wrists. We don’t know how, where, or when to give. We try to determine what to invest in based on our passions. What if our passion is justice? hope? reconciliation? salvation? What non-profit organization can we give our money to then? The amount of noble initiatives, honest foundations, and pure causes is staggering. We could choose to support any of them. How do we choose who and what to support when there is so much to invest in? Furthermore, is having a hand in healing this broken place simply a matter of pecuniary distribution?

    The answers to these questions are many and I do not have a definitive resolution. I do know that we are called to care, not necessarily to cure or conquer. Jesus healed the lepers, but not leprosy; He blessed the prostitute, but didn’t eradicate sexual exploitation. Spilling Hope is one such way by which we can address a focused need without attempting to create a panacea for the world’s thirst and disease. We are called to have compassion and feel the brokenness of our brothers and sisters but not to be encumbered by it. In the midst of world struggling to stay afloat, we are called to be lights; hope ignited by a holy burden and sustained by God’s promised faithfulness. We cannot be bearers of hope if we, ourselves, are extinguished. We aren’t called to give what we don’t have. There is power in knowledge, but only if we can surrender that knowledge to God in prayer and act on it in whatever way (“big” or “small”) that we can. It is when we are weak that we are strong — thus we carry equally the strength of the Lord and the brokenness of this world on the backs of our spirits. We aren’t called to save the world — that’s already been taken care of.

  • “If Only They Knew”

    05.30.11 | Comment?

    by Malia Drennan

    It was a year ago this month that I found myself on a plane en route to Africa. My time there drastically challenged my concept of wealth and truly transformed my way of thinking. I began to ask myself far too many questions and was never fully satisfied with any of my answers. But one of the reoccurring thoughts that kept floating around in my head was this idea of the relativity of wealth. I mean what does it really mean to be wealthy? And does this definition vary across countries and continents? And is the concept of wealth simply relative depending on your personal perspective, or what?

    In Africa I was hyper aware of all of our stuff. We had packed all sorts of things into our suitcases — two cameras, one computer, one iPod touch, two iPods, tons of clothing options, multiple pairs of shoes. And that doesn’t even include all the things that wouldn’t fit into our suitcases, all the things that were waiting for us back home, such as a car, a few more cameras, another computer, a TV, couches, a comfy bed, pots and pans, snow skies, fishing poles, more clothes, and even more shoes.

    Even though we didn’t carry all of these things around with us and most of our tangible wealth was hidden behind closed doors, we quickly learned that our country of origin and the light color of our skin were simply enough to denote wealth. At first these assumptions of wealth angered me and left me frustrated. I even found myself thinking, “If they only knew how simply we lived in comparison to other Americans, then maybe they wouldn’t assume such things” (makes me laugh now thinking about my ignorant thoughts).

    But the reality is their assumptions were true. We are wealthy! We may not make a whole lot of money, but we do have a lot of stuff! And if we were just basing our wealth on the accumulation of all of our things, we would be considered wealthy.

    It is so easy to lose sight of our wealth when we are just comparing ourselves to other Americans. So stop for a minute and compare yourself, your wealth, and all of your stuff to someone living in a different country, a developing one perhaps? And think about all the stuff you have and all the stuff they may not have. It is easy to lose sight of ALL the things we have when they simply fill the open space in our apartment or our house, but ALL of these things are made real when you move from one place to another –- when you are forced to pack up ALL of your stuff. How long would it take you to move? How many boxes would you have? How many moving trucks would you need? And how important are all of these items in the first place?

    So I leave you with one final question — or questions I should say, because I can’t ask JUST one — What is it you spend your money on? What could you go without? And ultimately, how could you live more simply?

    Lira, Uganda

    Lilongwe, Malawi

     

  • Incredible!

    05.24.11 | Comment?

    by Phil Smith, World Relief

    I first visited Rwanda in 2003, representing my church on a vision trip. At that time, I was enjoying a successful business career. I expected to have a productive trip, assessing the work of World Relief and the prospects for partnership with our church, to a great extent like a “business assignment.”  

    What I didn’t expect is the impact the trip would have on me, and subsequently on my wife, Becca. Within 3 years, we found ourselves living in Rwanda. (Take care if you’re asked to “represent your church on a trip”!)

    Rwanda is an incredibly beautiful country — hills, mountains, green, lots of sunshine, temperatures in the mid-70s to mid-80s, low humidity. (Sounds like a tourism ad!) It is also incredibly poor, with nearly 2/3 of the population living under the poverty line, and 1/3 living in extreme poverty. And if you visit, you’ll find a country of great progress and incredible hope. 

    Back to my trip. So, what happened? Why are Becca and I here today? Incredible beauty? Nope. Incredible poverty? Certainly part of it. Incredible hope? Also part of it. The answer may surprise you: incredible church and incredible calling!  

    Indeed, poverty “came to life.” No longer were they distant news clips or statistics, but people with names and families, hopes and dreams, laughter and tears. And that has changed my life. 

    But I also experienced something quite extraordinary — I saw churches with the little resources they had, reaching into their communities to serve the most vulnerable. It was both humbling and exciting. Humbling as I pondered my own life and our western world churches. Exciting as I dreamed about the impact on a country when the body of Christ is fully engaged in their communities.

    I learned that a non-negotiable part of following Jesus is to serve the most vulnerable. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option. God calls His people, His church, whether in the U.S. or in Rwanda, to carry out that calling every day in their communities. And when His people actually take up the calling, our world can experience His incredible church. The lesson has changed my life.

    World Relief is devoting itself to a sustainable and obedient cause here in Rwanda: to see the local church empowered to serve the most vulnerable in their communities. We like to say it this way:

    God longs for the broadest, most diverse social network on the planet — The Church — to rise up like never before to engage in the great causes of our time:

    To feed the hungry
    To heal the sick
    To house the homeless
    To meet the needs of our neighbors

    (To see the full World Relief Manifesto, visit the World Relief website.)

    I’m delighted and thankful that Bethany Community Church is joining World Relief in this incredible calling.

     

    (Phil Smith is the country director of World Relief Rwanda.)

  • No “Thank You”: A Sign of Empowerment

    05.23.11 | Comment?

    by Elli Oswald

    Empowerment. It seems to be one of the biggest buzz words in the non-profit/NGO world these days, found in the goals and objectives of almost every organization out there. Don’t get me wrong — it’s an important word with important implications. However, its popularity has caused it to be vaguely and sometimes pretentiously applied by people who have very little understanding of its actual meaning. And, I must admit, I’ve misused the term myself.

    So, what does the term really mean? The dictionary definition of empower is “to give power or authority”— simple enough. But putting the word into context makes it more complex. For now, let’s focus on the context of a foreign organization with money, resources, and expertise, entering into a “poor” community with the hope of improving the lives of the people. In this situation, all the elements of power (money, resources, and expertise) reside in the hands of the foreign organization. Therefore, organizations, however well-meaning, can easily come into communities and inadvertently overpower the locals. In some cases, community members start to believe that they have little to contribute to their own development; all they need to do is be “needy” in order to receive the benefits offered, and there is a subsequent danger of becoming dependent on hand-outs from the organizations.

    Sub-Saharan Africa is a case-study of the effects of this dis-empowerment. Aid money from Western countries and organizations has been pouring into Africa for decades, but most measures of poverty have not improved, and some things have even gotten worse, including the percentage of people living below the international poverty line of $1 a day (http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2006).

    What I have discovered in my experience is that one of the easiest ways to measure empowerment happens the moment you are introduced to a community leader or volunteer. Almost every time I have gone to visit a program in a developing country I have heard, “Thank you for everything you have done.”  The assumption is often that because I am white and American, I am a donor and deserving of thanks. While this comment may be attributed to general hospitality and politeness, I also believe it also indicates dis-empowerment. 

    Many argue, and I would agree, that empowerment is the key to long-term sustainable development of a community. When those who seem to hold all the power humble themselves and submit authority to those who previously were powerless, amazing things can happen. However, true empowerment is not easy — and until my recent trip to Rwanda, I was skeptical anyone was doing it.

    In January, I went with a small group of leaders from Bethany Community Church to Rwanda and Uganda to visit the projects Spilling Hope has supported in the past, and to look at some potential new projects that we could support in the future. On this trip we visited a Church Empowerment Zone in Rwanda with World Relief. As we rolled into a small village in our SUVs (a tell-tale sign that the donors are in town) there was a group of people hard at work on the side of a church. Hardly anyone even looked up to notice us. When we walked over to them, the leader of the group began to tell us about their project, all that they had accomplished and what they were planning for the future. No “thank you” to World Relief. No “thank you” to the American church that has financed the project. No “thank you” at all. These local people had complete ownership over this project, and it was beautiful. A sign of true empowerment. 

    I am so excited for Spilling Hope to be supporting World Relief in Rwanda this year — an organization that truly understands and embodies the word empowerment.

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