[amc] [Fwd: Mennonite Mission Network - News Around the World July 2010]

Mennonite Mission Network

News from around the World

July 2010

 

This newssheet includes excerpts taken from recent mission worker

letters and reports to help you stay in touch with what is happening around the world.

 

JAMES AND MICHELLE STABLER-HAVENER, CHINA (p. 47, Mosaic)

In May, James and Michelle wrote: “Exciting things are happening in Anqing! This would surprise most people who actually live in this medium-sized city (population approximately 500,000), whose primary businesses are petro-chemical and strip-mining for rock to be used in cement production. Yet, God is moving mightily through Anqing and its neighboring communities. You may remember that in fall 2008, we asked you to pray for a church that desperately needed a new building.

 

“We were able to see the fruit of your prayers and gifts, even though the new building is not yet finished. The day we visited, so many parishioners were volunteering by moving earth, cleaning walls, and wiring podium mikes. The church seats up to 500 people and, of course, its members are already praying that they will quickly outgrow the not-yet-completed church structure!

 

“After touring the church and its grounds, we headed off to see what used to be a middle school property, which the Anqing regional minister procured for use as a community outreach center. He has big plans for the place. The first project he hopes to complete is to convert former classrooms into living quarters for older people, thus developing a retirement home. He aims to cultivate some of the land around the center as a way to not only provide food for those living there, but also to give the older people a hobby. What’s more, he intends to wall off some of the grounds for a recreational area. The other two projects he mentioned were living quarters and a vocational training center for orphans and battered women.

 

“During the church service Sunday morning, I gave the congregation warm greetings from you, their North American brothers and sisters. They clapped when they heard of the ways you are encouraged by their faithfulness and of your prayers for them. Please continue to keep the Anqing church’s witness and community outreach efforts in your prayers.”

 

CHRISTINE AND PHIL LINDELL DETWEILER, SOUTH AFRICA (p. 82, Mosaic)

In May, Christine and Phil wrote: “World Cup 2010 will bring the top 32 national teams from around the world to South Africa for five weeks of soccer. This is the first time World Cup is being held in Africa. Many people still associate Africa with ‘the dark continent,’ grinding poverty, ‘African time’ where things just don’t happen on schedule, and inter-tribal violence. These stereotypes belie the wonders of African culture and civilization that have kept us here for nearly 20 years. These types of stereotypes make us cringe, and make us sad that people in the rest of the world haven’t really been able to experience the wonderful and exhilarating continent that Africa is.

 

“All over the country in stadiums, churches and other venues where big screens can be set up, people who can’t get to the stadiums to see the games live will be able to watch together in community. We at Breakthru Community Action, the community development commission of Breakthru Church International, are also joining in World Cup fever. We chose this theme for our weekly Kids Klub, organizing our own mini World Cup tournament with soccer, netball, races and other games. Every week in their small groups, the children are learning about one of the countries participating in the                                                                                                                                            World Cup. They are learning about the country’s location, flag, language, customs, and members of their soccer team. But most importantly, they are learning how God is at work in that country and how they can pray for the country. We hope that as they learn about our big world, and hear how God is at work in different places in the world, their own image of God will grow. And we hope that the children will really begin to pray for and care for this big world they live in. So whether you’re a soccer fan or not, join the nation of South Africa from June 11-July 11 in celebrating how God is able to bring people from all over the world together in a way that breaks down barriers.”

 

RICHARD AND RUTH ANNE FRIESEN, ARGENTINA (p. 34, Mosaic)

In their June prayer letter, the Friesens wrote: “We ask your prayers for the Mennonite team in the Chaco as transitions continue. We and Gretchen and Keith Kingsley are very aware that our time in Formosa is short. We expect to be leaving at the end of February 2011, and the Kingsleys about the end of March 2011. Pray for the three Argentine families who make up the rest of our team – the Gonzalez-Zugastis, the Oyangurens, and the Acostas – as they face into personal challenges and new tasks.

 

“Our visiting has been rewarding as we get to know more indigenous families. Pray for their well-being, especially as living costs keep rising and there seems to be no clear way to put a stop to it. We can only wonder what will happen next. We thank each of you for your support that has been graciously given in many different ways.”

 

MARY BEYLER, JAPAN (p. 64, Mosaic)

Mary, now engaged in North American ministry, wrote at the end of May: “I received encouragement recently through the following story. A man in his 50s quit his job as a farm bureau loan officer and decided to start a bakery. Through a series of meaningful coincidences (what I call the leading of the Holy Spirit), he began attending a church in a city about an hour away from the town where he lives, and has started the bakery. Commuting to that church on snowy and icy winter roads was treacherous. Then he remembered that there is a church in his own town – a church where he had attended Sunday school as a child, invited by the missionary getting his hair cut at his father’s barbershop. The bakery stands on the barbershop site. With the blessing of the pastor at the first church, the new baker now attends the church in his hometown. That church? Shibecha Mennonite Church. The missionary of so many decades ago? Retired Mennonite missionary Charles Shenk [with Mennonite Board of Missions, a predecessor agency of Mennonite Mission Network, from 1957-1995]. The baker has been studying in preparation for baptism, and is probably ready, but he is waiting for his wife to be ready, too.

 

“This story gives me encouragement. I may never see or even know about the steps of faith that people I interact with now will take in the future. God has worked and will continue to work far above and beyond our efforts.”

 

PAULA AND JIM HANES, SENEGAL (p. 81, Mosaic)

After a study leave in the United States, the Hanes family is headed back to Senegal for a two-year term. The Hanes children, Amanda and Aaron, are excited about returning to Senegal and starting boarding school at Bourofaye Christian School [more than two hours from their parents]. Paula and Jim will live in Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, for several months while concentrating on re-acclimation and language study to further equip them to disciple emerging leaders within the Wolof Church. The family asks for prayer to help them discern with their partners in Senegal where God wants them to live and in what capacity.

 

BRIAN AND NOELIA FOX, SPAIN (p. 85, Mosaic)

In May, Brian and Noelia wrote: “A couple of weeks ago, I (Noelia) attended a volunteers’ retreat for an upcoming youth event called Contra Corriente (Against the Flow). We had two days together to plan, organize and pray for a three-day event in June that will bring together youth from all over Spain. This time encouraged me in many ways. In one respect, it was nice to just be by myself without having to worry about taking care of the girls, being able to focus on the times of worship and teaching we had. The thing that most encouraged me, however, was listening to other youth leaders from around Spain share that there is a growing hunger among the youth of Spain to want more of God.

 

“This is something that we, too, have noticed among our youth. God is doing something really special in their lives, and it was encouraging to see that it’s not just happening here in Burgos, but all over Spain.”

 

MARK AND MARY HURST, AUSTRALIA (p. 36, Mosaic)

In May, Mark and Mary wrote: “We have been thinking much about peace. We attended a conference in late April near Canberra entitled ‘Putting an End to War,’ and we taught two courses as part of the Pacific Peacebuilding Initiative (PPBI) in Sydney.

 

“God is a God who loves enemies and calls us to do the same. We’ve recently added the story told in 2 Kings 6:8-23 to our teaching. The story illustrates the instruction, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.’ Elisha captures the enemy Aramean army and rather than kill them all, like the king wants, he treats them to a feast and sends them on their way home. The story ends with this note: And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.’ Elisha’s creativity shines through in his refusal to accept the violent option so often chosen by kings and other national leaders. It is testament to a third way between using violence and doing nothing.”

 

LILLIAN AND NORM NICOLSON, BURKINA FASO (p. 43, Mosaic)

In May, Lillian wrote: “At the end of an intense week of editing the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I asked the six members of the Siamou translation committee what they had learned. Based on various reactions to the stories as they were read for the first time, I thought they would respond with insights on how God worked through the lives of these three well-known men. The overwhelming response, though, was how much they appreciated the chance to read in their mother-tongue language, and how amazing it was that they could all work together so effectively without jealously, hatred or discord. Each member of the translation committee represents a different village and religious-belief system, yet they were drawn together through a common desire to experience their language written down on paper. Perhaps the first and most important testimony in Bible translation is the experience for so many varied backgrounds and belief systems to be able to work together in peace.

 

“My vision is to publish all the translated stories of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph into book form, and open a literacy class next year for all those interested who have completed the second-year program. Using this book as a text in class will reinforce the students’ reading and writing skills in Siamou, as well as expose them to God’s word in a neutral setting. Also, four books are almost ready to be published and a grammar book is waiting to be written for the literacy program next year – if enough funding can be found for printing costs. The Siamou association needs to get organized in order to find funding for next year so the literacy program can continue. Despite severe financial cutbacks, with only 260 students enrolled in 14 literacy centers, the success rate of passes was higher than ever at 83 percent.”

 

 

MARY RABER, UKRAINE (p. 89, Mosaic)

In May, Mary wrote: “I love teaching at theological schools, but there’s a drawback – I could go for weeks without talking to people outside our little Christian circle. So I’ve been praying about ways to meet some of the people in my neighborhood. I haven’t been too systematic about it, but I believe God has given me a modest start.

“For example, at Easter I decorated eggs and made a basket with candy and a greeting card for the elderly man next door. I’m naturally pretty shy, so I had to work up a little nerve to knock on the door. My idea was to just say a quick hello, drop off my gift, and duck out, but I was surprised all over again by Ukrainian hospitality. Anatoly took me firmly by the elbow and escorted me into the living room where his brother and sister and their spouses were enjoying their holiday dinner. They not only filled up a plate for me, but also a shot glass of cranberry-flavored vodka. They clinked glasses all around and solemnly repeated, ‘Christ is risen!’ I’d never heard the ancient Christian greeting used as a toast before, but this wasn’t the moment for a temperance lecture! Instead, I concentrated on learning their names and enjoying their company. I don’t run into Anatoly very often, but at least now the ice is broken and we can chat when we meet. 

“Then, I glanced out my back window a couple of days ago and observed two stuffed animals – a dog and a cow – that had crashed on the flat corrugated roof of the downstairs neighbors’ shed. They had obviously suffered a terrible descent from some apartment up above. So I went and fetched a handy article of furniture we call a taburetka. It can either be sat on like a stool or used as a low table – that was to get me up to a height where I could more or less easily sling my leg over the balcony sill.

“First, I opened the window and pried up the thumb tacks that hold down the netting used in place of a screen. Just before I climbed down, it occurred to me to wonder how I expected to climb back into my apartment once I was out there! I fetched another taburetka and eased it out the window onto the roof to serve as a step on the other side. Then I slowly got my leg over the windowsill and managed to climb out onto the roof to retrieve the animals. They were dirty and soaked with rain, but dried out overnight.

“The next day, I went in search of their owners, inquiring at all the apartments directly above me. (Do you see how the Lord got me to talk to strangers?) About halfway up, I reached an elderly woman who informed me that the only children young enough to enjoy throwing toys off the balcony were on the ninth floor. When I knocked at the door of the apartment that was all those floors above mine, the young mother was really surprised and pleased. She said, ‘We could see the toys down there, but we had no idea how we were going to get them back.’

“I went downstairs feeling rather heroic – and with a better idea of who lives in the same building with me.”

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