MEMO Cuba’s Announcements — Part 1

As you probably know by now, MEMO (Medical Equipment Modernization Opportunity) is the EFCCM’s largest Compassion Ministry. I was recently handed several important updates that we would like you to know about MEMO. Rather than overwhelm you with one humongous post filled with detailed information, I’ve decided that it would work best if it was broken up into little pieces. Here is the first installment:

Assessment of Women’s Health
MEMO Cuba is conducting a research project into women’s health needs in the Remedios Municipality in Cuba, especially related to screening for breast cancer. Remedios is a community of 130,000 people served by one worn-out hospital which lacks a functioning x-ray machine, among other things. This study led by Laena Maunula MPH of Toronto will initially use Christian members of the Remedios community to go into the community asking questions regarding health care. The results of the study will be used to approach CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) for funding to help MEMO in its work.

At present most breast cancer is discovered in Cuban women only after it has already spread, which is too late. If we can discover this cancer earlier, the benefit will be felt immediately, both in quality of life, and life expectancy. The completion date for this research is set for Spring 2008.

In Depth: The Pain of Abuse

Every once in a while, I feel like a blog topic idea merits a more thorough examination. I will call these topics “In Depth”. This is the first in the series.

Abuse must be the darkest blot on our humanity. It generally stems from the misapplication of power, but it is expressed in a multitude of ways. The most common examples are sexual and physical abuse, but people also abuse each other emotionally and even spiritually. The ramifications of abuse span the gamut from unsettling to devastating. We have several missionaries working to counteract the pain of abuse in the communities where they live. Let’s take a closer look at two such examples.

One of our Mission Associates connected closest to Ukraine told me “Everyone has a story.” You sure don’t have to look too hard to find someone that abuse has affected. Missionaries there blame the communism for much of it. Communism not only actively removed God from society — which in turn reduced the value of the individual human being — it also caused poverty which forced people to live in small apartments. These didn’t allow appropriate separations of boys and girls, or kids and adults. They often all shared a bedroom — a recipe for disaster. And one that continues to this day in Ukraine. Even though financial improvements have enabled people to live in more space, that isn’t seen as an important goal for most people. So the sad cycle continues. When something is so culturally rampant, it is often expected that people will develop coping skills, so that they can “just deal with it”. However in the case of abuse, where people’s identity and self-worth are continuously eroded, the long-term affects are crippling.

Our missionaries are working to break this generational cycle by offering counseling to those who are suffering, or who have suffered, through it. Often it is simply a revelation that there is a different way to live! And through education and counseling, people are introduced to the One who can bring true life change. That’s where true healing can begin.

Mennonite colonies are usually presumed to be idyllic places, where peace and harmony rule, and where the greater problems of the world are held at bay. But at least in Bolivia, reality paints a very different picture. I asked one of our missionary families why the word abuse comes up over and over in reference to Mennonites. They gave me several answers. One of the biggest factors is substance abuse. Medications are particularly cheap — a month’s supply of anti-depression medicine costs the equivalent of $1.50! These drugs are often combined with alcohol — a heady mix. Of course addiction exacerbates all other forms of abuse as people strip themselves of their humanity. But there are deeper issues at work.

These communities have been constructed out of a very strict, legalistic faith. Where there is great power, there is usually great fear. In this case, fear is exercised through the threat of forced excommunication, where perpetrators (real or imagined) are permanently dismissed from their home and community. When the religious leaders abuse their power, their wronged subjects are forced to suffer in silence, or face stiff social penalties. Sadly, in isolated, autonomous communities, this type of abuse is common. This problem is aggravated by the sheer ignorance of the people.

There is no education about sex, its meanings or its dangers, so people live in painful naivety. One woman — on her way to giving birth — was unsure about what to expect. She thought maybe the child would born through her belly button! Systemic ignorance gives rise to all sorts of perversions, in which other participants may be willing, or not! It is a slow process for our missionaries to establish relationships that are strong enough that they can handle such sensitive issues, and through them to share the path to healing. While there are stories of change, we feel a deep need to do more!

As listed in this year’s A World of Hope, we are planning to provide a shelter for abused women and children in Bolivia. There is currently no real support network for the abused. Options to extricate themselves from their dangerous or painful situations are very limited as, for example, women are dependent on men for their livelihood. And if a woman choses to leave, she’s likely to be permanently separated from her home, family and friends. A shelter would enable women to learn basic life skills, including how to earn a living, so that she can gain her freedom from her miserable conditions.

Though long for a blog post, this is only a cursory glance at the physical side of the spiritual battle we’re fighting. If you would like to know more, drop me a line, and I can put you in touch with those in trenches. In the meantime, please pray that your missionaries would be perceptive to the needs of the people, and they will be creative in their response to abuse wherever they are. Pray that God’s grace would be extended to those who have suffered, and continue to suffer under it. And pray that we would be able to play an ever greater role of justice in the world, and we could be God’s instruments of change.

Khmu Ministry Centre

One of the projects listed in this year’s a World of Hope is a ministry centre for the Khmu people in Thailand. For a cost of just over $13,000 we will be able to provide a meeting hall and a moderately-sized house. This facility will be used to host church services, camps, and a wide range of other purposes.

If you would like to know more details about this project, take a look at this pdf.

As is clear from these latest pictures, construction has already started! These facilities are being built to support the first church ever planted among the Khmu people! Please pray for spiritual curiosity and growth for these people. Our hope is that God would use our efforts to build a strong, vibrant church to reflect His character to their larger community. If you would like to be personally involved in this project, drop us a line.

I Can See!

Here is a touching story from Bolivia as provided by Jake and Marg: click here

If you haven’t read the story that I’ve posted about earlier on the recent construction of their new church building, that’s worth a read too. You can find it elsewhere on their blog.

Video Clip On EFCA’s Website

Eddie and Bonita are one of our newest missionary couples. They are headed back to Rwanda under the EFCCM’s banner some time in the future. While attending a Free Church conference in the US, Eddie did a short video interview that has been included in their new GodSightings series. You can see it by clicking here.

A World of Hope!

I am pleased to announce that our annual Christmas Year-End Project List is in the mail. It is often easy to concentrate on “need” and “lack”. My intention this year is different. Our projects and ideas are birthed out of hope — a real hope that we can influence the world for positive change. And not only that we can, but that we should — that we’ve been told to!

So please take a look through this booklet. There are range of projects from a range of countries for a range of budgets. We’ve tried hard to make something available for everyone to be able to participate in. There are many ways that you can partner with us to make the world a better place!

If you haven’t received your World of Hope booklet within the next week or so, please contact me. We have several left that we can send out to you and your family! With your help, we can change the world!

A New Benchmark!

The EFCCM blog (you are here!) registered more than 550 hits for the month of October. That is a new record!

While I’m not fixated on the numbers, I am happy to see that more people are making their way here. It encourages me to continue to plan ways to make this effort bigger and better. Thanks to everyone who comes on here to read and participate!

Now if I could just get more of you to leave comments…

BuzZ Online Episode 7

Listen to the BuzZ Online here! (duration: 31min 25sec)

Welcome to Episode 7 of the BuzZ Online! For this edition, we take an imaginary trip to Germany to look at how Rich and Lynn are involved at Black Forest Academy (BFA). You’re invited to listen in on the conversation — check out how they strive to turn their student dormitory into a God-centred home. They share a bunch of the give and take that’s natural when working with young adults — some of the stuff just cracked me up!

Talking to them, I got a sense of a boisterous, rowdy bunch of North American MKs (missionary kids) that lends a rather strange harmony to the reserved German context. This seems like it would have been a great way to spend my last two years of high school. Ah well, now that that was half my life ago, perhaps it’s too late for regrets!

Take a look at BFA’s website to get a better picture of the school. And if you’re interested in learning more about how to get involved, click here for the school’s available opportunities.

If you have any comments you want to share, please add them to this post. These might even include ways that you’d like me to change our podcasts, or topics that you’d like me to cover with them!

Thanks for listening — and I’ll catch you again real soon with Episode 8!

What is a Podcast?

It has suddenly struck me that I haven’t explained what a podcast is to the uninitiated. A podcast is an audio file, usually quite similar to conventional talk radio. Our podcasts are of course centred on missions. I record a conversation with someone associated with the EFCCM, as often as I can it’s a one of current missionaries, but it could be anyone that I think might be interesting. The conversation is edited for length, and then I post it here to the blog where you can listen to it.

Podcasts are usually created in mp3 format, a common file type that can be played by any number of applications, on any number of operating systems. I strive to keep ours a small enough size to make them easy to listen to.

All you need to listen to the EFCCM podcast (called the BuzZ Online) is an internet connection, the software that you probably already own (or which is free to download), and about 15-30mins of spare time. Feel free to listen to one while you work, surf the web, or put one on your portable mp3 player to listen to on the go. Episode 7 of the BuzZ Online will be posted this week and will focus on missionaries that serve God in Germany.

If you have any questions about podcasts, or ours in particular, please ask in the comments below. Thanks!