Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 29

Lesson three

the sick and tired Fall Harder

ov e rv i e wThroughout His lifetime, Jesus repeatedly healed the sick. Today we have knowledge and medicines that can cure a lot of illnesses, but many people who are ill do not have the access, the knowledge, and the resources required to stay healthy.

k e y s c r i p t u r e Matthew 9:35-36

e s s e n t i a l Q u e st i o nWhat is our role in helping meet the health needs of our brothers and sisters?

l e s s o n g oa l s» Develop a greater understanding of health problems around the world.» Reflect on how God calls us to respond justly to global health issues and those who

are sick.

m at e r i a l sPen, Bible, computer with Internet access, and a video player

d ow n l oa da B l e r e s o u r c e s from womenofvision.wordpress.com/hotm» “The Hidden Faces of AIDS” video» “Recovering Reader” handout

ag e n da» Introduction and opening prayer» Take a quiz» Reflect on Scripture» Consider our world today» Choose a personal response» Close in prayer» Review homework and further study suggestions

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 30

i n t r o d u c t i o n a n d o p e n i n g p r ay e r

1. share or journal about your observations of the handout you read for homework.

» Do you think there is a point where responding to large global health issues becomes a justice issue for those of us in the developed world? Why or why not?

2. offer a prayer. Pray for those who are ill and for those who care for the ill around the world. Spend a few minutes in silent meditation recalling anyone you know who is in pain today and needs prayer.

ta k e a Q u i Z 1. modern societies have made large leaps in the area of health care. Our technology provides diagnostic testing like no other time in history. We better understand how certain illnesses operate, and we can address them with drugs that have high success rates. Less invasive surgery techniques have reduced recovery times. A greater understanding of the connections among nutrition, exercise, relaxation, and spirituality has helped individuals take a strong role in guiding their own health.

Yet in some parts of the world, mothers bury their infants who died of diarrheal diseases. Neighborhoods experience malaria infections that can result in death. Families go without food and other necessities when the family’s primary income earner is too sick to work. Children must learn to care for themselves when their parents die of AIDS.

Around the world, people are too sick, too tired to tend to their basic needs. They do not have the same resources as those of us who live in more developed countries. Because of this, they face health obstacles radically different from what most of us have ever experienced.

A greater understanding of the connections among nutrition,

exercise, relaxation, and spirituality has helped

individuals take a strong role in guiding their

own health.

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 31

To become more familiar with health challenges throughout the developing world, take the following quiz. Mark each question “true” or “false.”

A. Thirty percent of people living in rural areas of the developing world have only polluted and unsafe water to drink.

B. Many children in poor countries aren’t immunized solely because parents don’t understand the need for immunizations.

C. Malaria could be significantly reduced in poor communities if windows and doors were kept closed.

D. A child’s health is likely to improve if his or her mother learns to read.

E. Parents in developing countries often discourage their children from washing their hands to save precious water.

F. Diarrhea is a life-threatening disease among young children in many poor communities.

2. when the quiz is complete, turn to page 36 to determine the highest number of correct answers. Discuss or journal about the questions most commonly missed.

s c r i p t u r e r e F l e c t i o n

throughout scripture, we read stories of how God provided for the needs of His people. Whether dropping manna from heaven, parting the Red Sea, or sending other signs and wonders, God extends His love and care. The more we understand the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world, the more we should be driven to want to do the same.

Read Matthew 9:35-36, Luke 8:40-55, and Luke 13:10-17. Then share or journal your responses to the following questions: » How did Jesus defy convention when healing people?

» Why do you think Jesus combined healing with sharing the good news?

The more we understand the suffering of our

brothers and sisters around the world, the

more we should be driven to want to do

the same.

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true false

true false

true false

true false

true false

true false

Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 32

» When have you been in a position to help someone heal?

c o n s i d e r o u r wo r l d t o day

1. if we are to help lead others to perfection in Christ, we must pay attention to what is preventing them from being fully healthy and happy while they are on earth. So let’s explore some health problems that challenge people around the world.

2. in the developing world, there is often a lack of education and resources to learn about health and hygiene. Read the following story of the mothers’ club that World Vision health worker Eduléne Pierre started in Haiti to see how women are building on their understanding of raising healthy children.

In addition to practical aid, seeing children become strong again requires debunking lingering myths. So, at her regular mothers’ club meetings, Eduléne makes every word count. During a typical session, held inside a small wooden shelter, women gather to sit in a semi-circle holding babies in their arms. It’s almost lunchtime. Hungry children moan weakly, but nobody cries. It’s too hot. A few babies drift off to sleep. Sweat runs down their faces. Tenderly, mothers wipe the moisture away, lift up their shirts, and the babies turn to nurse.

“Is it true,” Eduléne asks, after opening the meeting with prayer, “that it is not good to feed children at night?”

“No,” declare several women in unison. This is progress. Formerly, many of these mothers adhered to local customs where dinner is not given to children. Eduléne goes on to challenge another myth, explaining that if a child refuses to eat, the mother should not simply give the food to another eager mouth. Many mothers don’t always realize that loss of appetite is often a sign of malnutrition.

Later, using a large poster board with illustrations, Eduléne teaches women how to feed children from birth to 2 years old. She highlights the main stages of development and offers practical advice about frequency and quality of feeding. She uses song, drama, and hands-on recipe demonstrations to enliven the presentation and make sure the mostly uneducated mothers remember.

“If I go to the hospital, they can tell me things, but it does not grab me as much as going to the mothers’ club,” says attendee Jonise Siméuse, 20, who admits she can be a slow learner.

If we are to help lead others to perfection in

Christ, we must pay attention to what is

preventing them from being fully healthy and

happy while they are on earth.

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 33

Jonise grew up in the same rural community in which she now lives with her husband and children. Most likely, Jonise’s own mother struggled to feed her properly, resulting in a damaged mental capacity. “It was hard for me to learn,” says Jonise. “I wish for my children to grow and go to school so they are not like me.”

Despite her good intentions, only a few months ago Jonise’s children were struggling. She does not know why her 9-month-old son Claudeson died. “He just started crying, and we didn’t have time to take him to the doctor. He died right away.” He left behind an older sister and his emaciated twin brother, Peterson.

“I thought that I could lose him, too,” says Jonise. “Peterson was worse than this little stick,” she says, picking up a scrawny twig from the dirt.

Things changed when Jonise took her son to a World Vision health post where he was diagnosed with severe malnutrition. Jonise was given a monthly food ration and home-based lessons on how to improve Peterson’s diet, and she was encouraged to attend the mothers’ club. The support proved a lifesaver.

—By Andrea Dearborn Peer, reprinted from the Spring 2008 issue of World Vision magazine

3. after reading this piece, think about the mother support groups that exist within your community. Also consider friends who are parents to whom you have given or from whom you have received support. What are the similarities and differences between a support group in the U.S. and one for women in Haiti?

Share or journal your responses below:

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 34

4. consider the following: Another common health problem faced by those who live in impoverished countries is malaria. Forty percent of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, a disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes. Each year, malaria kills more than 1 million people, approximately 80 percent of whom are children. It is the fourth-leading cause of child mortality around the world.

Malaria is also a danger to pregnant mothers. There are as many as 10,000 maternal deaths a year from malaria. Malaria can cause maternal anemia, spontaneous abortions, neonatal deaths, and low birth-weight babies.

Yet malaria can be prevented using an inexpensive bed net and by spraying insecticide inside homes. There are also anti-malarial drugs that dramatically reduce the impact of malaria, but people who live on less than $2 per day cannot attain these resources.

People who live on so little money also do not have the financial resources to address HIV and AIDS. In our world today, AIDS is killing more people than any war or famine in history. It destabilizes families and entire societies, leaving behind widows, orphans, and communities that are vulnerable to famine, repression, and war.

v i d e o 1. view the video “the Hidden Faces of aids.”

2. share or journal your responses to the following questions:

» What has been your experience with AIDS?

» How would your community react if every week there were four funerals of people who had AIDS?

» How have children you’ve met been affected by illness in their families?

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 35

c H o o s e a p e r s o n a l r e s p o n s e

1. considering what you have learned about health issues around the world, reflect on which challenge (malnutrition, malaria, or AIDS) made the strongest impact on you. Share or journal about this below.

2. not having access to food is caused by multiple factors and results in multiple problems. The same is true of any health issues impoverished communities encounter. Spend some time thinking about factors that could be addressed to help impoverished communities lessen the health problems listed above. Share or journal about this below.

c l o s i n g p r ay e r

1. read: matthew 9:35-36. Then offer a prayer for all those who are suffering from illness and for the family members who are also affected by that suffering. Challenge yourself to think of one thing you can do this week to be a conduit of Christ’s compassion.

H o m e wo r k Fo r n e X t s e s s i o n

all resources are available at womenofvision.wordpress.com/hotm.

1. read the handout “Recovering Reader.”2. keep a reading log this week of every time you read or write for direction,

communication, education, or pleasure.

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Challenge yourself to think of one thing you can do

this week to be a conduit of Christ’s compassion.

Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three | Page 36

Fo r F u rt H e r st u dy

•Readbiblicalparablesabouthealingandhealth.Whatdoesitsaytoyouabouthealing in our world today? Reflect on some of the similarities of life and culture in Jesus’ time and in some parts of the world today. Where is Jesus?

•ReadMountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. The book tells of the quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man “who would cure the world.” It takes readers from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia.

Q u i Z a n s w e r s

The answers from the quiz on page 31 are as follows:

A. False: Seventy-five percent of the 1.3 billion people living in abject poverty live in rural areas. More than half of these lack access to safe drinking water. Waterborne diseases include malaria, cholera, and trachoma.

B. False: While many parents don’t understand the importance of immunization, many poor children also aren’t immunized because their communities have no access to immunizations.

C. False: Malaria breeds in wet areas, so controlling wetlands and even the water that collects around houses during rainy times are the best way to control malaria. The use of treated bed nets also reduces malaria.

D. true: Studies indicate that as mothers learn to read, they are better equipped and more confident to care for their children’s health. They are also able to read medical instructions and prescription labels.

E. False: Lack of clean water is a major contributor to lack of hygiene. However, it is more likely that parents simply do not understand the correlation between hand washing and health.

F. true: About 4 billion cases of diarrhea per year cause 2.2 million deaths among children under age 5.

(Sources: UNICEF Fact Sheet; The World Bank, World Development Report, 2008)

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While many parents don’t understand the importance of

immunization, many poor children also aren’t

immunized because their communities

have no access to immunizations.

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three: Handout | Page 37

a few years ago, if someone dared ask Rosa Cintron, 12, to read a book as simple as one by Dr. Seuss, there would be mayhem. In the midst of screaming and pounding fists, Rosa was known to overturn her desk and send books flying across the room. “I would think, ‘Are they slow? Why don’t they understand? I don’t read,’” she says.

Teachers gave up on her, opting to manage her tantrums rather than provide instruction.

Things changed when Rosa began attending an after-school program run by Children of the City, a World Vision partner in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to learning to read, she found the nurture and structure she needed to thrive.

“It’s like I was put in a jacket, a warm jacket that heats you up. It lets you go outside. It surrounds you,” she says.

Through Children of the City, Rosa began doing her schoolwork, going to church, and getting coun-seling. “God was preparing me for a higher calling,” says Rosa. “The calling God wanted for me wasn’t possible unless I got an education.”

Now Rosa is in sixth grade and doing well. She recently read C.S. Lewis’s The Screw-tape Letters and loved it.

—By Andrea Dearborn Peer reprinted from the Autumn 2007 issue of World Vision magazine.

Lesson Three Handout

recovering readerBy Claudina Lembe, World Vision communicator

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