International Development Week 2023
We at EMCC count it all joy that we, alongside the Global Church, get to demonstrate the good news of Jesus bringing hope and transformation everywhere. A value for World Partners, as we go, has been to assist global friends in their goals, as defined by them, in developing disciple-making focus, and addressing their community development needs.
Engaging in IDW2023, we will be reflecting on 2 Kings 4:1-7 and share stories about global partners who are using what they have for the common good of their contexts and encouraging others to see the resources they do possess. EMCC have interacted with their stories. We hope that you will be encouraged how EMCC people have engaged with this work, of learning and connecting with the global church as they use what we have and trust for more.
The Narrative
Our 2023 Campaign, February 6-10, 2023
Part 1 - Further Equipping the Church ⇩
An introduction to this year's theme and sharing stories from Mexico and Ethiopia of churches equipping themselves for seeking the common good of the communities around them.
Part 2 - Building Resiliency through Mentorship ⇩
A collection of stories and reflections from Inundo Development, who are encouraging others to both encounter and see the resources in front of them for long-term food security, resiliency, and flourishing.
Part 3 - Caring for the Short and Long Term ⇩
Stories and images of impact of how leaders in Haiti are caring for and investing in the long-term health and flourishing of their communities.
Part 4 - Recognizing Untapped Potential ⇩
Highlighting the work of SARA ministries where they both care for and nurture the potential of vulnerable children and youth.
Part 5 - "What Do You Have in Your Hand?" ⇩
Reviewing this week and giving further opportunities to engage in integral development with global partners.
Part 1 - Further Equipping the Church
International Development Week is acknowledged across our nation from February 5th to 11th. This week Canadian contributions to partnerships across the world are highlighted as they relate to reducing poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and encouraging sustainable development.
We, as followers of Jesus part of the EMCC, have a unique opportunity to reflect on the way Jesus has called us to seek the common good of our neighbours. We at World Partners have been convicted of how we begin in this work. An asset-based approach, or belief that everyone has a measure of resource that can be used, utilized, and dignified is outlined for us in various Biblical examples.
Elisha demonstrates this approach in 2 Kings 4:1-7, with a widow in desperate circumstances.
One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
How often could we respond to God with “Nothing, but….”? But, He always gives a measure. How can we persevere to use that measure and trust God for more? How can we join in the obedience of the global church to serve their communities, seeing that step of engagement as a place where God will enlarge their faith, so they can continue to trust Him for more?
This week, World Partners will share stories of how global partners continue to address their community development needs, using what they have and trusting for more. We are humbled to have helped you engage in these stories in the past, and want to continue to learn from the example of our global partners and friends around the world.
Stories this week will include:
How leaders in Haiti respond to unique needs, from school-aged children to seniors.
How Inundo Development continues to help awaken leaders, interns, and others in South Africa to the untapped natural resources around them.
How the Nepali church continues to serve those most vulnerable in their community.
Engaging in prayer for other global partners discerning how to best serve and engage the opportunities in their contexts.
Today, we will be focusing on how we, as EMCC, have continued to pour into our partner agencies to awaken the church for multiplication and addressing the needs of their communities.
Below is a video interview from Moises, a young leader that has received the benefit of leadership development in Mexico and is seeking to engage and equip others, crossing language barriers to do so. As he shares, "There is nothing better, as I tell my wife, than using what God has given us while we have it in hand."
Over the last few years we have supported the work of Church and Community Transformation (CCT) in Ethiopia, and believe this approach can be a blessing to global partners around the world.
This graphic representing impact of CCT undertaken in 2019 and 2020 where churches in Kucha, Ethiopia equipped themselves and served their communities, amidst a global pandemic. We celebrate and praise Jesus for this work, and trust Him for more opportunities to engage in this type of equipping.
Part 2 - Building Resiliency through Mentorship
We've all been given a measure of resource from God. This is too important to miss. We may focus on the resources we don't have, but do we examine enough what we have at hand? Inundo Development would share that "...sometimes what is needed is a new way of seeing the resources that are already available locally and an embracing of an empowered identity."
Just as Elisha and the widow, the obedience to use the oil that she had was the key to experiencing God's abundance and expanding her (and her son's) faith. In the context of where Dan and Kerry Wiens are working, they focus on demonstrating what resilience from the land can look like at the Inundo Model Farm and building capacity among small-scale farmers across South Africa, and throughout the continent, to move beyond food handouts to cultivating their own resilient food systems.
Inundo Development recognizes this work includes mental perseverance and is part of a significant spiritual battle. There are so many challenges for people who want to start gardens and sometimes the obstacles prevent people from successful implementation. Pray alongside them as they share stories and requests below, and celebrate the momentum that Inundo has seen in the last few years.
Pray with Inundo Development
We connected with Thomas in Newcastle a few years ago and helped him launch some of his Farming God’s way activities. Since that time, he has gone from strength to strength establishing gardens and connecting with people in the area. Thomas is now well on his way to full training accreditation and invited them to be a part of training his potential leaders. Building these connections is strategic and prayer for grace and relational favour are necessary. Thomas is breaking ground in incredible ways in this area. There is much spiritual opposition. We hope to inspire many more leaders to apply themselves to the training journey. May God open up the kingdom for ways to alleviate poverty.
Maize is a staple crop in Africa and teaching people to grow this properly is essential. With Farming God’s Way methods we can expect 10 to 20 times the yield. Our Inundo field is a huge showcase for us. January was a very busy time for harvesting on the farm. We estimate that last year we grew close to 900kg of produce on our 14m by 30m garden and this year is off to a great start. It is incredible to be able to cultivate and teach at the same time. Pray that the learnings will go deep and be transformational in each person’s life. Pray that Inundo will continue to be a beacon of light.
Our national Farming God’s Way training will be hosted here in Durban February 21-23. This event is incredibly strategic for Farming God’s Way in South Africa. For seven days, we gather potential trainers in one location and build into them. Three of those days we deploy the trainers to four different sites to practice training while training in community. It’s a massive logistics task to coordinate the four different sites. Pray for us to have the strength and ability to carry this on top of all our regular duties. Pray that God would go ahead of us and bring the people that need to be here. Pray for a deepening understanding of Farming God's Way knowledge all over South Africa.
Here's a video from the Wiens sharing 2022 ministry highlights (27 minutes)
Part 3 - Caring for the Short and Long Term
In Gens De Nantes (GDN) and Pignon, Haiti, we at EMCC are blessed to be connected to leaders within the AEM (our sister denomination) who are serving their communities in a variety of ways. Some provide medical care at the GDN clinic as doctors, nurses, or recently graduated medical professionals; others care for seniors and disabled people in Pignon; while others invest in children’s education and the food security of their parents and caretakers.
Each of these individuals are seeking to be like Jesus in their attitudes, behaviour, and character, in the moment while also looking to contribute to the long-term health and thriving of their communities.
In 2019, these leaders were together to identify the resources within their communities as well as discuss the challenges that lie ahead. And, they were all able to reflect on our theme verse 2 Kings 4: 1-7.
Some of the main takeaways from each of them included:
“Resources in GDN can be seen as a ‘little bit of oil’ but God always gives a measure to use.”
“…there is a holistic gospel that God is calling us to.”
"God can solve the problem with the resource we have and when we use what we have to meet the need."
The story below from Pignon demonstrates the posture in these reflections. May you be encouraged by viewing the impact of these leaders in community and the tangible change that can come from caring for both the short and long term needs of others.
Opening Doors to the Unexpected
As a young student, Pastor Abdon recognized the need for quality care of elderly men and women, whom he saw regularly begging on the streets. He longed to do something to help. Many years later, the church he pastors at initiated a Seniors Home development proposal in coordination with EMCC and the Home opened its doors to vulnerable seniors last March. They began with seven residents and today hosts ten men and women. The infographic below describes this initiative.
One of the men, Calixte, was living by himself in a small room within someone's home. A number of years ago, he was in a motorcycle accident that left him with a wound that did not heal. After moving into the Seniors' Home, he began receiving much-needed medical attention to begin the healing process and regular nutritious meals. He shares how he is happy to be living in this new place with community.
An unusual situation came up in November. A pastor from the area, Fedaniel, knew the situation of a young man in need and was trying to assist him as much as possible. Jean Richard was living in a room in a small community. No one including Jean Richard's family was really helping him with his activities of daily living, including getting in and out of his make-shift wheelchair. The young neighbour friends around him were not a good influence, as they drank a lot. When Fedaniel heard about the home for the elderly and disabled, he inquired with the committee to see if Jean Richard would be a candidate.
He was accepted as a resident and moved in soon after. He receives healthy food daily along with nursing care. His chronic bedsores are being cared for regularly. He now has assistance transferring in and out of his bed or wheelchair.
Jean Richard's new residence.
The Home is a healthy environment in which Jean Richard can grow as a young adult following Jesus. The influences of the staff will be beneficial, especially for social interaction. The chaplain visits three times per week and visits with each of the residents as well.
Below is a picture from the day he arrived at the Home, accompanied by his pastor, his cousin and his brother.
Part 4 - Recognizing Untapped Potential
2 Kings 4:1-7 is about the woman and her sons' obedience to use what they had. It is also about Elisha’s willingness to respond to a desperate need, with an eye for the resources they did possess, and how to move her out of a pattern of self-imposed limitation.
As followers of Jesus, how can we be those whose eyes are open to the needs around us as well as the resources and capability untapped to meet those needs?
Our friends in Nepal, SARA Ministries, is a disciple-making movement that continues to invest in the communities across Nepal in a variety of ways. We thank those of you who helped them respond to the community needs that arose in the global pandemic.
A consistent part of their community care has been the work of a children’s home, where Tej’s own experience as an orphan, informed the beginning of this unique work. Now, a team is committed to the work done there–seeking to give children a foundation to build for all aspects of their lives.
Over the past ten years, EMCC has been privileged to be in relationship with Tej (and SARA Ministries). During this time, EMCC introduced HopeStory to Tej and the work of the children’s home. Over the past five years, HopeStory has formed and grown a partnership with the children’s home, giving donors personal connection with the children supported there. HopeStory and World Partners have worked together closely this past year to transition support of the children’s home back to World Partners as of January 2023.
Lokendra's story is part of the on-going work that EMCC is undertaking with SARA children’s home, seeking to invest in the lives of young people, providing a nurturing environment for children to realize their potential. Should you want to learn more, feel free to visit the links below.
Lokendra's Story
From Tej Rokka:
Lokendra belongs to a low caste and hails from the extreme west of Nepal, some 500 kilometers from the SARA Children's Home. He comes from a religiously conservative Hindu family. His family is impoverished and lacks a decent home. Because of his father's mental difficulties, his parents split when he was eight years old. They confronted a catastrophic financial situation after their divorce because there was no responsible adult to earn money for solid family support. His mom had been living with her parents, but she had been unable to do so for a long time due to her brother's inability to support her. She is now residing in a leased residence. She could scarcely finish Lokendra's studies up to grade 4. Lokendra's parents had begun attending church; therefore, he was a new convert. He had a strong desire to continue his education, but he couldn't attend school. His mother confided in one of the sisters who was the pastor of the local church, and the sister, being aware of the SARA Children's Home, suggested him to the staff at the center. Lokendra was accepted into the fifth grade. He was 11 years old at the time.
Lokendra is now 19 years old and has completed high school. He'll turn 20 next month. He is a first-year university student who also graduated from the orphanage. We've noticed a lot of changes in him. He has developed spiritually, psychologically, and physically. He is in good shape. Every academic year, he improves his grades. His professors see him as an excellent student. He has selected Business Management as his major. He has learned to type on a computer and to play musical instruments such as drums, percussion, and guitars. He is also capable of instructing others. He joins the choir to play the drums for worship at every church service. He also helps in leading the choir team at church. He has indeed grown into a responsible man. He has talent and is giving his all in all areas.
Invest in a young person like Lokendra today.
Part 5 - "What Do You Have in Your Hand?"
Thank you to those who gathered for prayer this morning to end International Development Week, reflecting on all that was shared this week.
As we were reading the theme passage, 2 Kings 4: 1-7, verse 2 stood out with the question of “what do you have in the house?”. Other translations phrase Elisha’s question as “what do you have in your hand?”
What a beautiful question to take us out of this week. As we are learning how friends in the global church are using what they have and trusting for more, how can we assess the resources around us and contribute the common good of our own communities?
World Partners hopes you have been encouraged by the examples this week and would encourage continued participation in prayer and engagement below.
Grace and peace as you depend on the Spirit of Jesus in your context, joining where He is at work in your own neighbourhood and around the world.
Kenya
Watch this short video below to pray alongside Charles as he oversees disciple-making networks across East Africa. They are pooling their resources and serving orphans amongst them-ensuring they have a safe environment, are food secure, and have access to school. WATCH video from Charles Kinyanjui
India
Pray for our partner in India as they continue to be a living demonstration of Jesus' attitudes, behaviours, and character, and seeking the common good of the communities around them.
Pray specifically for:
community welfare program's women's meeting, which is a day of ministry each month for women in the community to attend, with meals provided
the care for children initiative which sees five caregivers meet once a week with groups of under-resourced children, seeking to provide meals as possible.