Wandering Priest » oppressed

A New On-Line Journal

Doug — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:55:45 +0000

I want to introduce you to a new on-line journal: Missio Dei: A Journal of Missional Theology and Praxis. The link is http://missiodeijournal.com You can download the journal to read or save in pdf format. The issues are themed. The theme of the first issue was “Rediscovering Missio Dei” and the second issue’s theme was “Good News to the Poor.”

The articles are stimulating; as are the responses. Each issue includes book reviews. I discovered the journal when I was asked to submit a book review. When you look at the book review, you can actually hit a button and purchase the book (from amazon I suppose). The journal is in color on your screen.

The editors deserve our thanks for the effort they put into this journal. I hope you will take a look. You do not need to subscribe, the issues are free to read on-line.

Making a Big Dent in Sex-Trafficking

Doug — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:17:39 +0000

The following quotes come from an article in Time magazine, Feb. 14, 2011. The article is written by Nancy Gibbs and is titled “The Best Investment” (page 64).

“In sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 1 in 5 girls make it to secondary school. Nearly half are married by the time they are 18; 1 in 7 across the developing world marries before she is 15. The leading cause of death for girls 15-19 worldwide is complications from pregnancy. Girls under 15 are give times as likely to die while having children than are women in their 20s, and their babies are more likely to die as well.

“An extra year of primary school boosts girls wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school adds 15-25%. Girls who stay in school for seven or more years typically marry four years later and have two fewer children than girls who drop out.

“When girls and women earn income, they reinvest 90% of it in their families. They buy books, medicine, bed nets (to prevent malaria). For men, the figure is more like 30% to 40%. Investment in girls education may well be the highest return investment available in the developing world.”

The CMF/Hope Partnership project in Nairobi, Kenya, allows girls (and boys) to be sponsored so that they can go to school. Over four thousand children are being sponsored. In the last two years, the first years the project had kids old enough to reach the eighth grade, 96% of the eighth graders passed their high school entrance exam, more than doubling the national average of 40%. Both girls and boys are going to high school.

The project also has a microfinance program. Currently there are 1144 people who have loans. The repayment rate for the loans is 98%. Two out of three who receive a loan are women.

I don’t have to tell you what would happen to these girls now in school or these women if they were not able to receive loans. This project is doing much to end child slavery, sex trafficking, and prostitution in the slums of Mathare Valley, one of the poorest places on the earth.

BigDent.org

Doug — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:42:37 +0000

One of the best ways to address poverty is to use the “three-E-strategy.” One E is for evangelism, because Christ brings abundant life and offers hope for a better future. A second E is for education, because education helps us to see beyond ourselves and also is important is being able to secure the third E, employment. But how do the poor secure employment?

One answer is that they can receive loans, usually small loans, with which to start small businesses. Among slum dwellers, not a lot of money is required. Many people, all over the world, have been able to make a living once they have received a loan. A good book describing this process, called microlending, is Muhammad Yunnus’ book, Banker to the Poor.

In our work in Nairobi, Kenya CMF has a microfinance program, and the return rate for loans is a whopping 98%. These loans have all been made to the poor who live in the urban slums. Many have been able to change their lives due to the 27 hours of training that precedes the loan and the weekly follow-up meetings after the loan has been secured. Individuals form themselves into a group who meet together and who hold one another accountable.

Within the next week or so we will be live online so that potential donors can make a contribution to our microfinance program. They will be able to choose the one to whom they wish to make a loan, as well as the amount needed for the loan. They will be able to fund the entire loan or a portion of the loan. They will be able to know what business is being envisioned. And they will be able to immediately get their tax deductive receipt online.

Our site is called Big Dent because we believe that with a small gift you will be able to make a big dent in poverty.

Many microfinance programs leave out the all important spiritual component in their endeavors. We do not. In fact our program is but one aspect of a holistic ministry that involves health, schooling, justice, care for the environment, and Christian teaching. Prayer is a part of every group meeting.

Check it out: www.BigDent.org

A Conference on Justice

Doug — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:36:57 +0000

Hey, this really looks interesting. It is a conference on justice, with such categories as poverty, HIV/AIDS and much more. Have look at the website. And, the conference is in Bend, Oregon in the winter. Should be a beautiful setting. http://thejusticeconference.com/

Congratulations Sarah!

Doug — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:49:11 +0000

Our long time family friend, Sarah Sykes, is graduating from the School of Leadership and Development, Eastern University. Her MBA is in International Economic Development. Sarah has helped Christian Missionary Fellowship by producing the movie, One in a Million, and by serving as an Associate Board Member for the past two years. Sarah and Brian will be moving to New York City where Brian will be starting his new role as the worship leader for the Apostles Church. Sarah hopes to be an intern with the United Nations doing international advocacy and policy work.

Sarah represents a new kind of evangelical — one who is socially conscious, one who loves the Lord deeply, one who is not afraid to speak out against injustice, one who is doing something about poverty while being a great witness, and one with a global vision.

Congratulations Sarah! You go girl!

Your Church and AIDS Conference

Doug — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:19:30 +0000

FAME and CMF have jointly sponsored a conference for the past three years entitled “Your Church and AIDS.” The first two conferences were held in Indianapolis and the latest one in Turner, Oregon at the request of the Oregon Christian Convention. The attendance was not what we had hoped for, but the quality of the conference was outstanding. The main speakers were LeRoy Lawson and Mary Kamau.

There were 8 different workshops offered. I led one of the workshops and got to participate in three others. Subjects included AIDS in America, ministering to the urban poor where HIV/AIDS affects 25% of the people, introduction to AIDS and how the church can be involved. The workshop that I most appreciated was the one led by Michelle, counseling professor from George Fox University. She had surveyed those with AIDS whom she has counseling, asking them to share comments for a group of church people such as would be attending the conference. Her comments to us were directly from a high school girl who developed AIDS. The girl’s parents also share their insights. This personal touch was very moving and each attendee learned so much.

HIV/AIDS effects a relatively small percentage of the population in America. Unfortunately, this means that many now view the problem as “something of the past.” It most definitely is not that, especially if one sees oneself as a citizen of the world. It is arrogant and unfeeling to think that AIDS doesn’t effect me when our very lifestyle keeps many people of the world in poverty where AIDS thrives.

In a week or two several of us from FAME and CMF will debrief, and one of our questions will be if we should continue this conference into the future. I invite you to submit an opinion on the question. Please, help us decide.

Virtual Mathare Valley

Doug — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:50:27 +0000

The folks at Eastside Christian Church really know how to communicate! This past week-end was the second Sunday in their “Beyond Series,” moving the church from beyond where it is now to where God really wants it to be. “Beyond works” — the Gospel consists of not only doing good deeds but also sharing the faith so that people become committed followers of Jesus Christ. The second message was “Beyond the Walls” — the church needs to get out into the community to effect change in their community, in the nation, and around the world. We are blessed to be able to bless others, not to keep our blessings to ourselves.

In this second week, pastor Gene Appel had a great message from Luke 7, showing three vignettes of how Jesus cared for people. He then brought Kenyan Mary Kamau and I to the platform for an interview about the ministry in Mathare Valley of Kenya, which included a great video that you can see (along with another couple about the series and Kenya — see the previous entry in the blog to catch the videos). This week’s video (produced by my good friend John Schmidt), was a grand mixture of humor and heart.

One of the greatest features of this week-end was to be able to tour Mathare Valley right there in Fullerton, California. The missions team had worked hundreds of hours (and at least fifty volunteers) in constructing a very real-to-life replica of Mathare Valley. They outside of the display included “walls” with original sayings from the real walls of the homes and businesses from the valley, taken from photos. Then when you entered the display you were met with the dirt on the floor, the drab setting, darkness, filty running water. What a treat for the senses. But the best were the people who had been with Eastside to Mathare Valley who told stories of real people who have been touched by the Hope Partnership. One lady told us about her microbusiness in making fried potatoes. Then came a man who told us the story of the girl who was abused, but got into the Hope school and just graduated from the 8th grade and was headed to high school — almost unheard of for the Mathare Valley kids. We rounded the corner and saw a shanty which had had a hole cut into the roof in the fantastic “Bring the Light” campaign — literally bringing light to the dark electricity-less shanties so that people can now see inside of their homes. We then got to go into a shanty, being careful not to walk or knock over the meager possessions of the people. I’ve been in the Valley many times, yet I found myself experiencing some of the same emotions and physical sensations I have in Kenya. It was a wonderful experience, and people were able to see first-hand something as close as possible to really being in Mathare Valley.

Two weeks ago (April 11) the church family at Eastside began sponsoring some 300 more children. I do not know how many were sponsored on the week-end of the 18th, and how many will be sponsored by the conclusion of the series (Apr. 25). The goal Gene put in front of the people was the sponsorship of an additional 900 to 1000 children. What a joy to be able to be there and experience what happens when God’s people reach beyond themselves to bless others.

Beyond the Walls

Doug — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:49:01 +0000

For four Sundays in April and May, the Eastside Christian Church in Fullerton, California will be having a sermon series relating to ministry “Beyond the Walls.” A part of that emphasis will be on child sponsorship for Nairobi, Kenya. The following five minute video gives an overview of the project and contains some very, very compelling images. I’ll be with the church on April 18, along with Mary Kamau and Kathy Ham from Kenya.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Magnificat

Patrick Gerber — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:57:02 +0000

What do you think of when you read or hear read the words of Mary’s song, the Magnificat, Luke 1:46-56? Three answers come to mind. First, some think of the great classical music based on this passage. Pachibel and Bach set these words to music, for which we should all be grateful.

Second, this passage probably makes most people think of Christmas celebrations at their church as these words are often used at that time. To them, these words are associated with children, decorations, eyes all aglow, reindeer, the manger, and presents.

But there is a third way of thinking about this passage. Many of us in America completely miss this, but to Christians from the majority world it jumps out. When they hear phrases such as “he has scattered the proud,” “he has brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly,” “he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty,” it reminds them of their daily life. Many Christians around the world are oppressed. They are mistreated. They are disenfranchised. They live in poverty and squalor.

Which is the correct way to think about this Scripture? The eyes of the beholder have an awful lot to do with what we see in a Biblical text.