International Development Week 2024
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 IDW2024, we will be reflecting on Galatians 5: 13-14 and share stories about global partners who are expressing their freedom in Christ through adaptively serving their communities in unique ways. EMCC is grateful to continue to interact with these 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 we mutually model the freedom to serve others and demonstrate how God seeks to restore all things.
The Narrative
Our 2024 Campaign, February 5-9 2024.
Part 1 - The Freedom To... ⇩
An introduction to this year's theme and stories from our partner in South Asia.
Part 2 - Attention to Agency ⇩
Sharing stories of our collective impact through the work of partners in Ethiopia and across Canada through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Part 3 - Cultivating Identity ⇩
Receive this reflection from Inundo Development about their work in the larger context of the African continent's food security landscape.
Part 4 - Creating a Space of Belonging ⇩
Read about how followers of Jesus are creating a community for an under-served community in Haiti.
Part 5 - Freedom in Practice ⇩
Recap IDW2024 with us and read how our partner in South Asia is serving children and youth.
Part 1 - The Freedom To...
International Development Week is acknowledged across our nation from February 4th to 10th. Across the country, there is a concerted effort tocome together to learn, share stories, and create change around the sustainable development goals.
We, as followers of Jesus part of the EMCC, have a unique perspective in contributing to a brighter, more equitable world. Knowing that we serve a God of mission, who seeks to reconcile of all things to Himself, we can participate with the help of the Holy Spirit. In what ways are we called to serve those around us, assisting in ways that uplift the dignity of others, and contribute to the restorative picture the Triune God is building? Through the power of the Spirit, we can make use of the freedom we have in Christ for the well-being of others.
Paul exhorts the church in Galatia to consider the use of their freedom in Christ. Galatians 5:13-14, says this.
13 You, my brother and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather serve one another in humble love.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbour as yourself."
This week World Partners will share stories of how global partners continue to address the community development needs of their neighbourhoods with loving servants' hearts for those they encounter. We want to continue to learn from the example of our global partners and friends around the world and are grateful you are joining us in this.
Stories this week will include:
How our work with other agencies and global partners, as members of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, is having an impact on people's short-term and long-term food security needs;
How Inundo Development continues to work towards its mission of teaching people to grow food in ways that enables them to realize abundant yields from their land and the broader context in which they are doing so;
How the Nepali church continues to serve vulnerable children and youth in their community;
How leaders in Haiti are serving seniors, by creating an environment which feels like family; and
Engaging in prayer for other global partners, co-participating with them, and supporting them as they engage the opportunities in their contexts.
Feel free to read, pray and/or post. May these be moment for each of us to assess how we serve one another in humble love, and consider how to partner well with the Global Church.
Little Angels in Kolkata, India
Today, we will be focusing on how our global partner in India is sacrificially giving and creating community in a variety of neighbourhoods across in Kolkata. The team serving under the umbrella of Salvation for All Ministries have been engaged for over 18 years in a variety of initiatives, with particular focus in two areas.
The first is leaders serving at-risk children and youth and through an initiative called 'Little Angels'. After experience with other children and youth NGOs, this team leads a 3 hour program, 5 times a week to connect with at-risk children and youth. There is provision of informal education, practical helps such as a nutritious meal and personal hygiene supplies, and spiritual input through Sunday School programs.
The team longs to see that the 45 children and youth have a safe space to go, succeed in secondary school education, and help increase their physical, social, mental, and spiritual well-being. The team hopes this initiative can grow, to serve and humbly love more children and youth in their immediate neighbourhood.
Part 2 - Attention to Agency
Today, Galatians 5:14 is standing out to me as we focus on our collective work with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbour as yourself."
As one member of this organization, EMCC co-participates with fourteen other Christian member agencies in an ecumenical partnership to address the continued issue of global hunger. If you would like to learn more about our participation in this larger entity, see the interview with CFGB's Executive Director Andy Harrington below.
It has been a privilege to work with on-the-ground partners, like the Ethiopia Kale Heywet Church Development Commission who continue to demonstrate a commitment to loving their neighbours as themselves. Whether addressing international disasters or the long-term food security of the vulnerable, I have seen both partners and members of CFGB care for the dignity of all involved. This attention to agency is part of loving others as ourselves.
The stories below illustrate the types of activities we are engaged in as a part of this larger network for greater collective impact.
Grace and peace as you consider how Jesus may be speaking through these stories,
-Nicole
For the World Partners Team
Part 3 - Cultivating Identity
The beauty of being part of a larger network, is that we, as EMCC, can be part of responding to the ever-evolving conflicts and natural disasters throughout the world. Below is a thank you video from fellow CFGB member, ADRA Canada, to those of you who contributed to the Ukraine Relief Fund.
Over the years, we as EMCC, have been able to contribute to the important work of responding to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Cyclone Idai, the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Beirut blasts, and protracted conflicts like Ukraine. When it comes to loving our neighbours as ourselves, this is a practical way to engage with followers of Jesus offering practical help to their neighbours.
Ethiopia Kale Heywet Church Development Commission
In collaboration with Tearfund Canada, EMCC is working with our long-standing partner, Ethiopia Kale Heywet Church Development Commission in an area known as Zala. We are in phase two of this initiative which sees conservation agriculture (CA), self-help groups, and church and community transformation training occurring concurrently. We have shared stories in the past from participants in this initiative.
Today, here is Mrs. Elfita Elima describing her experience with the abundance from implementing conservation agriculture.
"We were amazed to see the yield difference between the two farming approaches. We are happy that we can now send our children to school without fear of not being able to provide for them. We have been able to fulfill their educational needs. Despite the community being affected by drought for the past two years, we were able to harvest food thanks to CA.
We have decided to apply CA techniques to all our farms and teach others to adopt this approach. We glorify God and bless the project and the neighbour who advised and encouraged us to start using CA.’’
Mrs. Elima is our neighbour, and I hope you are encouraged that your co-participation in prayer and financial contribution can make a difference for someone's economic and food security.
Part 4 - Creating a Space of Belonging
In Inundo Development's work, the team seeks to help people realize the potential in their land and themselves for personal and community thriving. The words of Galatians 5:13 resonates with this work--we as God's creation are created for freedom, right relationship, and a posture of re-investment.
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
The reflection below sheds light on Inundo's work in the larger picture of the African continent's food security needs. We hope that your engagement with learning more about and praying for Inundo helps you connect to the identity we can cultivate in Christ.
-Nicole
For the World Partners Team
Inundo Development
Image credit to Kerry Wiens-Inundo Oct 2023 Training
It is estimated that there are over 500 million small farms worldwide that provide the living space for 2/3 of the developing world’s population. More than 2 billion people rely on small farms for their survival and livelihood. There is a crisis, however, in the ability of those small farms to be productive enough to sustain the people depending on them. Even more so there is a crisis in African agriculture when it comes to productivity. Average yields across the continent are not meeting the food needs of farmers. Smallholder farmers cultivate on average less than 0.90 ha per farm.[1] Maize yields on those small allotments have been recorded on average as low as .35 t ha.[2] The Farming God’s Way Trainers Reference Guide records that an average African family needs 1.25 t of maize to fulfill their yearly calorie requirements.[3] The crisis is evident! In most cases, farmers are not able to grow the basic calorie requirement for their yearly family needs. This shortfall creates a yearly food debt in communities. Year after year communities are not growing what they need to survive let alone thrive and create business opportunity.
Surely this reality is not what God originally intended for Africa! God is a god of abundance and thriving. Moses reminded the Israelites of God’s character in Deuteronomy 8, “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing…But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”[4] The agricultural lands in Africa ought to be providing abundantly for Africans to a point where people lack nothing. God wants to empower people to produce and increase their wealth for the benefit of thriving communities, but that is not the current reality being experienced. Something is broken and a solution is needed.
Agricultural reports record that potential yields for maize should be more than 7.8 t ha which has been obtained on farm trials. Yields could actually be more than 3 times what people are currently harvesting and likely even more. God’s wonderful creation is able to produce far more than is being realized currently. The mission of Inundo Development farm is to teach people to grow food in ways that enables them to realize abundant yields from their land. Inundo teaches sustainable farming and God centred approaches to agriculture. The model farm exists to raise up leaders that are equipped to teach Farming Gods Way as a path to transforming communities, helping people to return to God, and bringing holistic development through faith-based agriculture. January 2024 was a busy month at the farm with the beginning of two internships and the preparations for the Farming Gods Way national training in March. Pray with us for Dumi and Khaye who will spend 10 months at Inundo learning to farm with God at the centre. Pray for the resources for Inundo to continue training leaders in Ethiopia. Pray for huge impact at our National Training in March.
NOTES
[1] Zerssa,G.;Feyssa,D.;Kim, D.-G.; Eichler-Löbermann, B. Challenges of Smallholder Farming in Ethiopia and Opportunities by Adopting å-Smart Agriculture. Agriculture 2021, 11, 192. https://doi. org/10.3390/agriculture11030192 (page 3)
[2] Zerssa,G.;Feyssa,D.;Kim, D.-G.; Eichler-Löbermann, B. Challenges of Smallholder Farming in Ethiopia and Opportunities by Adopting å-Smart Agriculture. Agriculture 2021, 11, 192. https://doi. org/10.3390/agriculture11030192 (page 3)
[3] Grant Dryden, Farming God’s Way Trainers Reference Guide, 2009, GW Dryden, South Africa, farming-gods-way.org
[4] Zondervan NIV Study Bible (K. L. Barker, Ed.; Full rev. ed.). (2002). Zondervan. Deuteronomy 8: 7-9, 18
Part 5 - Freedom in Practice
Last year, World Partners shared with you about the founding of a senior home in the smaller city of Pignon, Haiti, and the unconventional concept it is for Haitians. In their culture, it is expected that the younger generation will care for the elderly and, for the most part, that works well. Family is very important.
In the story below, you will read of a pastor and his family who opened the door to their home, and invited the elderly and people with disabilities to become part of their family. Living on the same property, they share life together and it’s hard to miss that it is the love of Jesus compelling the pastor and his wife to serve these folks well.
As we consider our theme verse again, we remember our calling to serve in love:
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Gal 5:13-14, NIV)
May this challenge us to be open-handed with what God has richly blessed us and consider how we can serve others well, for his name.
-Pam
For the World Partners Team
Senior’s Housing Development in Haiti
Pastor Abdon and his wife, Lumide, have lived in the parsonage on an AEM property for years. It was their family home. But there was still quite a bit of land. They proposed building a home for seniors in need of better care. World Partners affirmed their vision and initiative, and in collaboration with other churches, a home was built on the property.
Mike ak Hadassah, Ones St Clair, John Minot Richard, Marcellus Desarme, Carius Calixte.
At last report, the residents are enjoying being in community. Presently, there are 10 of them, with room for 14. They are served by 9 staff – cooks, auxiliary nurses, and guards, along with Lumide who is a registered nurse and is the coordinator of the home. The strong bond established with the residents has become a gift to Pastor Abdon and his family. He did not know how his children would be impacted. Now, they have additional ‘grandparents’ looking out for them now and it provides such joy to the residents.
“Yes, we are one big family living within this yard. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, one of the deacons from the AEM church in Pignon comes to pray with the seniors. He goes from room to room to pray with them. When he is finished in one room, that person joins him to go and pray for the next resident and they continue along as a group with the visiting and prayer.
The children are still connecting with the seniors. Sometimes, I see the children riding on the tricycles that belong to the handicapped seniors or they jump on behind when the resident is riding around on his/her ‘tricycle.’ ”
One of the deacons had the amazing opportunity of leading a resident to Lord, who had only moved in two weeks earlier! This resident saw the love of God displayed through this man’s actions and it pointed him to Jesus.
See the results and needs of this initiative when everyone moved in last yea.