Inspiring stories from around the world

NMAProgramme

‘What you are doing with us is used by God to transform lives and it is making a great difference to all of us.’ Pastor Wanderley Barbosa Lopes, NMA, Brazil

Diocese of Raiwind, Church of PakistanAlice Garrick – Women’s Co-ordinator

As Women’s Co-ordinator, Alice Garrick oversees two major projects: HIV/AIDs awareness & rehabilitation of female sex workers and a child protection project. The story below illustrates just how important Alice’s work within the child protection project is.

In rural areas children are raised without health care, sanitation, or education; many are as starved of affection as of food. As soon as they are old enough to have a basic understanding of their circumstances, their parents teach them that they are expected to pay their way, and, if necessary, to travel far from home and live with strangers. ‘When my children were three, I told them they must be prepared to work for the good of the family’, says Asma, a Sheikhupura villager who bonded her five children to masters in distant villages. ‘And when the time came for them to go, they were prepared and went without complaint.’

Bonding is common practice among the lower castes, and although the decision to part with their children is not made lightly, parents do not agonise over it. Neither, evidently, do the children, who regard bonding as a rite of passage; the event that transforms them into adults. Irfana, a twelve-year-old schoolgirl who spent four years as a brick worker before

she was freed by an anti-slavery organisation, remembers feeling relieved when her father handed her over at age six to a kiln owner. ‘My friends and I knew that sooner or later we’d be sent off to the factories or the fields. We looked forward to the day when we’d be given responsibilities and the chance to earn money. At the time work seemed glamorous and children who worked seemed quite important.’

She soon learned otherwise. ‘For the masters, bonded children are a commodity. My master bought, sold, and traded us like livestock, and sometimes he shipped us great distances. My best friend got ill after she was raped, and she couldn’t work, the master sold her to a friend of his in a village a thousand kilometres away. Her family was never told where she was sent, and they never saw her again.’

The NMA Programme

The aim of this booklet is to highlight the work being done by the Nationals in Mission Appointments Programme (NMAs) in partner churches. Over a decade after it was begun, the NMA Programme is one of the most successful programmes financed by the Fund for World Mission, valued highly by partner churches in economically poorer parts of the world. It is viewed as a practical demonstration of the pooling together of resources - local, skilled personnel and British-generated funding - to produce love in action where it is needed.

Throughout this booklet are stories that, in all probability, would not have happened without the joint resources of the British Methodist Church and its partners. In the past whenever the British Church was asked by churches in other parts of the world to help with their own mission priorities, the response had usually been to send missionaries/mission partners or grants. With the NMA programme, the work is jointly owned.

An important aspect of the NMA Programme is the annual committee meeting, where decisions are reached regarding new and current appointments. Often the meeting turns into an inspirational sharing of God-centred work that the British Church is partnering in different continents, often sparking ideas amongst all participants that will enrich God’s mission in countries to which the committee members return – even Britain!

At the 2007 NMA meeting, £95,185 was allocated to new applications, yet this could only finance half of the total applications received that year. The NMA Programme relies upon the Church’s continued support of the Fund for World Mission. We hope that you are inspired by these stories of transforming mission, and in turn use them to inspire others.

You can give to the Fund for World Mission in the following ways:

• In gift-aid envelopes and collecting boxes (available from mph)

• Regularly, via standing order (form available online)

• Using your credit/debit card online at www.justgiving.com/mcfworldmission/donate/

Asia-Pacific

Alice’s post as Women’s Co-ordinator is in its fifth and final

year of funding, receiving

£3,900 per year

Shaha Bahadur Gurung has been leading the implementation of UMN’s strategic plans in their various clusters, overseeing 76 staff in an environment that is highly cross-cultural, multi-faith, multi-disciplinary and has been affected in different ways by the political situation in Nepal. The story of Besanti Nepali shows the way in which the different strands of UMN’s work come together to transform lives.

The Story of Basanti Nepali:

When children are born there is celebration in every household. But when Basanti was born, there was no such excitement for Daki Lal and his wife. He has a small family, his wife, one son and baby Basanti.

Basanti was born with a disability – both her legs were bent inwards. When she was born her mother had to bear accusations from villagers. They considered her the sole responsible person for Basanti’s disability. They termed it the result of sins committed by the mother in a previous life. By the grace of God, UMN’s Kirsti Didi came to know about the child. By coincidence UMN’s Rehabilitation Officer Damodar Pandit was there and had a look at the child when she was just 11 days old. He identified the problem and promised to talk with the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Disabled Children (HRDC) about Basanti’s leg correction.

Besanti’s mother had no problems in reaching UMN Thapathali. The child was admitted at

HRDC and the country’s best doctors treated her. Within a few months, Basanti’s legs began to heal. Being a small child and still growing, the disability is set to be corrected soon. She is now 11 months old and still in good health. The doctors have given her corrective shoes. Her mother was now filled with joy. She was looking at the legs and praising the Lord for the timely treatment. She could not thank UMN enough. The baby was smiling nonchalantly and throwing her legs with sheer delight. It might be she was saying ‘soon I too will toddle’.

You can read more stories of the work of UMN at http://www.umn.org.np/

United Mission to NepalShaha Bahadur Gurung – Programme Director

Eglise Evangélique Méthodiste en France Pascal Maurin - Christian Witness in the Cevennes Mountains

Europe

The village of Saint Jean de Valériscle lies at the foot of the Cevennes Mountains in southern France. In 2006 Pascal Maurin was appointed to encourage Christian witness in this community. A large part of his work takes place within the Agape association, which is located at the centre of the village beside the Church. Over the last year many people, including the elderly and single mothers, have benefited from the association’s help.

Every Tuesday and Friday afternoon two team members are ready to welcome people. For the people in distress it is the moment to pour out their heart. So far more than forty families have benefited from the assistance of Agape.

On Christmas Eve, when most people share the joy of Christmas with their families, the team of Agape offered an evening of warmth to those who did not have this possibility. ‘This year 90 people of all ages and from different social backgrounds gathered and enjoyed the plain, but generous meal. This initiative allowed lonely and underprivileged people to have a decent Christmas. This evening made the always-new light of the hope of Christmas, shine into the darkness of an egocentric world.’

Shaha Bahadur Gurung’s appointment is in its third year of

funding, at £7,500 per year

Now in its second year of funding,

Pascal’s post receives £7,500 per year

The Hope Centre is a home for young single pregnant women or mothers, who find themselves in need of support. The centre provides shelter, mental and spiritual support. Dzintra Albuze, its Director, oversees a small support staff and as result has to take on a variety of roles, from administrator, to a mother to the girls and an advocate for women’s rights.

Most of the young mothers at the centre are under-age, arriving when they are 16 years old. All come from dysfunctional homes, estranged from their parents because of neglect, alcohol abuse or drug problems. The story of Kristina is typical of many at the Hope Centre, and shows the difference it can make in these families’ lives:

Kristina came to the Hope Centre, having been abandoned by her mother at the age of 14. She became pregnant and decided that she wanted to keep her baby, since the doctor had told her that if she had another abortion, she would no longer be able to have children.

Once Kristina was visibly pregnant, her mother became interested in her again, although staff at the centre were suspicious that this was because she wanted to benefit from the baby support money Kristina would receive after the birth. One month after her daughter was born, Kristina’s mother applied for a court hearing to request custody of both her daughter and granddaughter. The centre was very concerned; it seemed that social services had not taken

into account the living conditions Kristina would experience if her mother’s request was approved.

The staff of the Hope Centre turned out to be the only ones willing to fight for Kristina. Dzintra successfully lobbied social services to inspect the mother’s home, where they discovered that Kristina and her baby would be expected to share a bedroom with her mother, 19 year old brother (with a history of violence when under the influence of alcohol) and three younger siblings. Thanks to this report, the mother was refused custody.

‘We do not like to think about how things would have turned out if no one had been there to defend Kristina and the baby. Kristina herself did not know what to do. She wanted the love of her family, but was frightened about living with them in that apartment. God gave us this wonderful opportunity to be her and her baby’s advocate. Not only in providing shelter, food and education but caring about her future and welfare beyond our stated mission.’

United Methodist Church Northern Europe - LatviaDzintra Albuze – Director of the Methodist Hope Centre Americas-Caribbean

Methodist Church in BrazilPastor Wanderley Barbosa Lopes – Pastor at New Israel Youth Mission

(Amazon Mission Field)

Pastor Wanderley Barbosa Lopes has already made a big impact during his first year as an NMA. The Vivart programme aims is to recover the young people’s lives through art, giving them an escape from boredom and preventing them from getting into drugs and petty crime.

Michael is just one of those whose life has been touched by this project. He learnt hip-hop dancing through Vivart and is now helping to reach out to other young people. Through his testimony he shows them that there is another way to find peace and hope, and it is through Christ.

Michael’s testimony:‘My name is Michael, I used to commit small crimes and used drugs too. I quit school very young and I didn’t have a job. When I came to this project I saw something different and I realised that I could be happy without avoiding happiness from those who love me (my family). I heard about Jesus and I thought that a new opportunity was there. I started to go the meetings with other young people and my life was completely changed. Now I have quit the gang I used to be in and I’ve gone back to school. I’m doing canoeing and I’m at the Methodist church with so many others who had the same history as mine.’

Dzintra’s role as Director of the Hope Centre is currently in its fourth year of funding, receiving £7,000 per year

Pastor Wanderley Barbosa Lopes’ post is in its second year of funding, receiving

£3,500 per year

Revd Botchey continues to support the GHAMSU (Ghana Methodist Student Union) evangelism activities and other diocesan programmes. The Students In Church Evangelism (SICE) Medicare programme involves students in village evangelism during their vacations and is always preceded with talks and discussions on personal hygiene, family planning, HIV/AIDs and other health issues.

The aim of this programme is to help communities to manage their development in ways that will benefit them. Its effects are felt widely, both in terms of community health and its spiritual development. In the year 2006-7, a total of 562 adults and 696 children were treated for various diseases, of which malaria was the most prevalent.

When a woman named Auntie Esi Mirewa first encountered the GHAMSU SICE programme in Abakrampa Circuit she worshipped six gods. She was delivered of demonic possessions and gave her life to Christ. Another woman who had been paralysed for two years has begun to walk again after being prayed for at Batanyaa.

Through the work of Revd Botchey and the GHAMSU – SICE programme in Abakrampa, the Methodist Church in Ghana has seen seven churches planted and an estimated 1667 adult conversions in the last year. In addition to this there have also been a variety of conferences and leadership seminars to maintain a healthy and supported leadership.

Methodist Church GhanaRevd Dr Symonds A Botchey – Church Planting with Medicare

An outstanding piece of mission has been started by David, and his wife Marjorie, amongst Afro-Ecuadorian children. This began when church neighbours in Llano Grande (a rural suburb of Quito, the capital of Ecuador) began to complain about the number of black children that played around the church. The church was asked why they did not do something about the perceived threat of its children. The pastor explained that they were not the church’s children and they would do little to drive them away. David and Marjorie nevertheless took the demands as a sign from God that the church should be ministering to the children.

This they did and children come to receive teaching, food and clothes and attend homework clubs and Sunday school. Many black children are prevented from going beyond primary education because of economic circumstances and the church hopes to use its substantial plot of land to build a college to meet this need.

In the mean time, with help from a young black children’s social worker, the church has bought the children a set of drums. Area Secretary for the Americas and Caribbean, the Revd Tom Quenet visited the project recently and heard the children practising.

‘There was joy and enthusiasm evident as they beat a complicated set of rhythms which distracted the feeling of rejection they had met earlier when they had been told to go away from school because the teachers had not turned up.’ At the final celebration of the IEMUE’s (United Evangelical Methodist Church in Ecuador) General Assembly, the children performed what they had been preparing for. ‘Their joy in and enthusiasm to participate was evident, but the sense of joy for church and pastor was that for the first time the children’s parents and grandparents were attending worship and hearing not only the beat of the drums, but that of the Gospel proclaimed.’

United Methodist Church of EcuadorDavid Murgueyitio – Coordinator of Evangelistic Programme

David’s post is being supported with £6,000 per year and is

in its fourth year of funding

Africa

Now in its final year, Revd Botchey’s

post receives £7,500 per year

Methodist Church KenyaDavid Kariuki – Director of Maua Hospital Disabled Community Centre

One of the aims of the NMA programme is to enable the partner church to fund the post itself at the end of the five years of funding. There are many stories of the great impact that an NMA post has had upon a church, that lasts way beyond the end of its funding. A former NMA in the Diocese of Peshawar (Church of Pakistan) reported this year on the continuing impact of the post of Youth Desk Officer, which received funding between 1999 and 2004.

Most of the Christian community in Peshawar were originally from low-caste communities. Many of them have been unable to improve their social and economic standing and as a result the youth have remained unskilled and poorly educated. Young people also face the issue of being discriminated against because of their religion. Youth work in this context therefore has a very important role to play.

Through the work of the NMA, the youth of the diocese have been united in parish groups and through the formation of a Diocesan Youth Council and youth representation at parish and diocesan councils. As well as providing a place where young people could grow spiritually, the project also developed educational programmes and career counselling to help young people make the most of their gifts.

Now, more than two years after the NMA funding ended, the impact of the post is still being felt within the community. Insar Gohar, the NMA post-holder, is still the Youth Officer

in Peshawar, and he says that it has ‘developed our youth in such a way that now they are in a leading position in whole Church of Pakistan youth and they have much more awareness socially and spiritually, and have become active members of the church’s life and society.’

What happens when the funding stops?

The Disabled Community Centre (DCC) is an offshoot of Maua Methodist Hospital near Meru, David Kariuki is its Director and his post is funded through the NMA programme. The centre works to create awareness of disability in the community as well as providing support and treatment for children in need. It also raises awareness of disability issues throughout Kenya and works with NGO’s to put pressure on the Government to implement its Disability Act.

The 2006 UN Day of the Disabled was organised by the Disabled Peoples Organisation/Association in collaboration with the DCC,

their relevant government ministries and other partners. The larger community celebrated the day with disabled people coming out in style in large numbers to exhibit items they made in their groups as well as presentations of drama and dance to create awareness about their abilities and personalities rather than their inability.

David reported that it was amazing to see members of the community joining them in and around the town procession. It was clear that the message of the day was inclusion and creating an environment free of barriers.

Now in its fourth year of funding, the post of DCC Director

receives £7,500 per year

New appointments funded from 2007

Listed below is just a selection of the appointments approved for 2007-8. In total, 18 new posts were funded.

• MC Bolivia: Integral Evangelism in Indigenous Communities • MCCA Conference Office: Connexional Publishing Officer• Church of North India: Co-ordinator, Dalit and Adivasi Concerns• MC Sri Lanka: Co-ordinator, Youth and Children’s Desk• UMC Serbia: Missionary for Community Development in Sid • Methodist Church in Hungary: Local pastor for work among Roma people • MC Zimbabwe: National Chaplain for Tertiary Institutions • MC Kenya: Deaf Ministry Pastor • MC Kenya: Connexional Youth and Junior Sunday School Co-ordinator • MC The Gambia: Education Secretary• MC Nigeria: Project Manager, Orphaned and Vulnerable Children Cottage• MC Uganda: Co-ordinator, Poverty Alleviation Programme

These are only a few of the NMA posts currently being funded.

If you would like to know more, or make a donation to the Fund for World Mission, please contact:

Mission Education, Methodist Church House25 Marylebone RoadLondon NW1 5JRTelephone: 020 7467 5116Email: missioneducation@methodistchurch.org.ukwww.methodist.org.uk

YOUR GENEROUS GIVING TO THE METHODIST CHURCH FUND FOR WORLD MISSION SUPPORTS THIS WORK - THANK YOU