Minute For Mission, April 21, 1014

"That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” —2 Corinthians 5:19-20
Problems viewing this page? Need larger print? View as Web page
Minute for Mission  Issue 21 April 21, 2014   It is enough Carol Mason recently joined with other members of the Mission Advisory Committee in visiting the ministries of Eglise des Freres Haitiens, the Church of the Brethren in Haiti: Nothing was like I expected it to be in Haiti. I guess I was holding Puerto Rico (part of our Atlantic Southeast District) in my mind's eye, expecting the same lush abundance, but Haiti is dry and barren. I guess I was thinking Haiti has had so much American influence that it would be like Miami, but Haiti is Creole-speaking and reminded me more of Nigeria. The airport was new since the earthquake, but Port-au-Prince’s Cite Soleil (tent city) was unbelievable in its population density and vulnerability to the elements. The road to Croix-des-Bouquets, where we stayed in the new Brethren guesthouse, led us past ubiquitous signs of rebuilding. Rubble looked cleared away, and almost every compound had little piles of pebbles and white sand (limestone mined from the hills) ready to mix with cement. I felt deeply anxious about both the ecological devastation of mining the already de-forested mountains and the weakness of this sand as a cement aggregate. Many compounds had only the first few rows of block laid out, and the temporary housing for the 1.5 million homeless was visible everywhere. In contrast to the extreme poverty and my anxieties, I was elated by the incredible growth of the Church of the Brethren in Haiti and the witness it is making. A house built by Brethren Disaster Ministries in Morne Boulage. 21 Haitian Church of the Brethren congregations are not only caring for the spiritual welfare of the communities around them, but their church buildings—even the "temporary" structures of packing-crate plywood—serve as schools, medical outposts, and sources of clean drinking water for all those who live within walking distance. The strong yet simple two-room cement block homes built by Brethren Disaster Ministries, the decorated churches full of smiling, friendly folks who cheered my small attempts at greeting them in Creole, the beautifully cared-for children dressed in their school uniforms or Sunday best all broke my heart on the side of hopefulness and awe at the resiliency of God's people. My most poignant memory is of the owner of "BDM #14" (To track the houses built after the 2008 hurricanes, Brethren Disaster Ministries spray-painted a number on each one, with the expectation that it would be painted over. We were touched how many homeowners wanted to keep their numbers and have identified with that rebuild). The man greeted us with such a deep gash in his thumb that he was unable even to hoe his little plot of rocky soil in preparation for the seasonal subsistence farming. Mobile medical clinic in Croix-des-Bouquets "How can the people survive?" I wondered as I dressed his wound with my little emergency first aid kit. I couldn't escape the thought that anything we do seems such a small Band-Aid on such a hugely-wounded country. But then I listened to Ludovic St. Fleur, pastor of the Miami Haitian Church of the Brethren, praising his home district and Martha Beach (past district executive of ASE) and her love for Haiti as well as the Ministry Office's support of Haiti in encouraging the ordination and training for all the new Haitian pastors. I listened to Dr. Paul Ullom-Minnich and saw how the Haiti Medical Project is doubling its efforts to provide ongoing curative care through churches across the country. I watched Ilexene and Michaela Alphonse prepare for the theological training program beginning the next day, with pastors already arriving at the guest house, and I watched them lay out the plans for the large workcamp that would begin the week following our departure. I watched how our Mission Advisory Council worked so doggedly and efficiently in our one short week, feeling completely led by the Holy Spirit in our discernment of mission efforts and direction not only for Haiti, but for the new global Church of the Brethrenthat is spreading from country to country through the witness of Brethren lay members. I thought, "It is enough. Christ has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. Out of the disaster comes the new shining star, and all will be well with this bright new generation of incredibly faithful, strong, and resilient young Haitians." What a joy and a peace to travel home connected to Brethren I never knew before. All photos above taken by Kendra Johnson. Church of the Brethren Annual Conference July 2-6, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio We invite you to the Global Ministries dinner on Friday, July 4, at 5:00 p.m. The Brethren Volunteer Service luncheon (PDF) will take place the same day at 12:30 p.m. Other Global Mission and Service events at the Conference include several insight sessions: Thursday, July 3 9 p.m. BVS and Congregations: Models of Partnership Changing Times in Disaster Ministries Friday, July 4 9:00 p.m. Going to the Garden When Disaster Strikes: Serving Around the World Saturday, July 5 12:30 p.m. South Sudan : Building a Brethren Presence for Peace in a Country Familiar with War 9:00 p.m. 70 Years of Service: A Look at Heifer International’s Early Years Short-Term Mission Trips : The Good, the Bad, the Powerful Find descriptions of all insight sessions here. We hope to see you in Columbus! Calling all advocates: a special Annual Conference note for members of the Global Mission Advocate Network Please join us for a Global Mission Advocate gathering on Thursday, July 3, at 12:30 p.m. Hear from and share with other advocates about how global mission is being shared and promoted across the denomination. Global Mission and Service staff and personnel will be available for questions. Let us know at mission@brethren.org if you'll be there! We would love to have you join us at the Global Mission dinner on July 4! Contact mission@brethren.org for one complimentary ticket per advocate. Service opportunities Brethren Disaster Ministries is seeking new project leaders. A two-week training in August will give new leaders the tools needed to help manage the volunteer household, manage weekly volunteers, and support the construction projects. No specific skills are required, but some construction experience is very helpful. Project leaders stay on the work site for a month or more each year. Please contact Jane Yount atjyount@brethren.org or call 800-451-4407. Brethren-supported Pyongyang University of Science and Technology seeks MS+ teachers for the 500+ undergraduate and graduate students in the areas of plant/animal biological sciences, agronomic sciences, and biotechnology/genetic engineering for the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The University also has Schools of Public Health, Electrical Engineering and Computer, and Management and Finance. Spousal appointments are supported. Appointments could be short-term or for multiple semesters which run from September - December, March June, and July. Classes are all held in English. Furnished on-campus apartments and cafeteria meals are provided. The Brethren will cover visas, transportation costs, health insurance, and some personal costs. Downtown grocery shopping and some touring services are provided. For more information, contact Dr. Robert Shank, Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences atdrarroz903@gmail.com. We are now screening for the fall semester. Prayer requests Pray for wisdom and prayerful discernment as members of the Church of the Brethren in India gather for their annual conference. Pray for conversations with Church of North India leaders, that they may be filled with a true spirit of reconciliation. Pray for Global Mission workers Jocelyn Snyder, Carl and Roxane Hill, and Chris and Jenna Horgan as they complete their terms of service and discern the next steps in their lives. Pray for more people to serve the Church of the Brethren around the world. Pray for Global Mission and service staff in this busy time of international travel. Pray for God’s protection, meaningful exchanges, and continued energy. To remember these and other prayer concerns, please print and distribute the May 2014 Global Prayer Guide.
"Minute for Mission" is published by Global Mission and Service, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 362; www.brethren.org/partners © Church of the Brethren Church of the Brethren is a non-profit religious and educational organization recognized by the Federal and State governments. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Share this message with a friend