Answer to Prayers in Time of Crisis

An excerpt from...

Answer to Prayers in Time of Crisis

By Shelley Chapman, Missionary, Nigeria
January-March 2015

It never entered my mind that armed thieves would burst through my bedroom door about 8:30 in the evening, that they would physically harm me, or that they would take all my means of communication. But, they did. Worst of all, I feared they had kidnapped my co-missionary, Jennifer Bennett.

Thankfully, Jennifer was found locked in a room downstairs along with three other people. She immediately tended to my injuries and then wrote an emergency email to our regional directors, Jon and Vera Steury, who were at World Gospel Mission headquarters in Marion, Indiana, at the time.

Almost as soon as Jennifer hit the send button for that email, Jon and Vera responded, as did the entire WGM community. A request for prayer was sent out to missionaries around the world; our family members in the U.S. were contacted; and most strategically, Member Health staff began to minister to us.

Ned and Marlene McGrady, pastors to missionaries, connected with us frequently in those first days after the traumatic event. As a licensed counselor, Marlene knew exactly what to do for us since we found ourselves in the middle of acute post-traumatic stress. In the middle of trauma, it is hard to think about next steps or to know where to turn for help. I was heartened to hear Ned and Marlene say to us that they wanted to see us face-to-face. We were blessed that they traveled half a world away to minister to our needs.

Once our counselors were here on the ground with us, we were able to take our time and deconstruct what happened and how it affected us cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, and spiritually. This paved the way for the healing process to begin. We even went back to our apartment with them and processed how we felt about spending our first night back in the house. Ned and Marlene were an answer to prayer for us. They met us where we were in terms of our stages of grief and loss, prayed with us, shared helpful scriptures, facilitated important meetings with national staff members (who were also hurting), and slowly helped us move along in the healing process.

Our faith was buoyed by the prayers of so many people around the world. I felt as if the spiritual part of my life was ministering to the emotional part of my life. As Ned shared scriptures, they were like balm on my emotional wounds.

I am reminded of the ten lepers in Luke 17 who were “healed as they went.” We are carrying on, with the love, support, and prayers of all the WGM family. We will continue to be healed as we go. Thank you for all your prayers in our time of crisis.

PRAY: The Prayer Lifeline email sent every Tuesday shares critical requests and praises from WGM’s fields of service. To be an active participant on this list, sign up at www.wgm.org/lifeline.

The Blessing of Rice

THE CALL—January/February/March 2015

The Blessing of Rice

Benji Jenkins, Missionary, Papua New Guinea

The Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea is used to getting over 200 inches of rain each year. However, during July 2014, we received even heavier rains than usual. Fourteen inches of rain fell in just one week, and the rain continued for a couple of weeks after that. The rivers swelled and flooded over roads, gardens, houses, and churches. Some roads were so flooded people used canoes to cross to the other side. Houses and churches were completely under water. Gardens flooded, leaving people with no source of income or food.

The rain eventually slowed and the water went down, but a lot of people were left with no way to get food. The people of the Southern Highlands in PNG live off of what their gardens produce. Everything they eat comes from their gardens. They sell any extra produce at the market for a little bit of income. But due to the flood damage, the gardens couldn’t produce again for several months. The people searched everywhere for food.

Christians began praying for God to help them. One pastor said, “God heard our prayer and sent the mission to help us.”

World Gospel Mission responded to this need by immediately sending some money from the President’s Crisis Relief Fund to the missionaries in PNG who then worked with the Christian Union Church leaders to distribute it. In most areas, the money was used to buy rice, which each local church received to distribute. Many of the churches purchased more rice to add to the supplies and then passed it out to the community. As a result of this, many unbelievers are now starting to attend church.

The people of the Southern Highlands had a rough few months until their gardens started growing again. But as one pastor stated, “We are not going to starve. We will not have to eat the roots of the banana trees.” Across the province, people are praising God for the “blessing of the rice!”

Those who have generously given to the President’s Crisis Relief Fund have answered the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea. You can be the answer to prayer for those experiencing the next crisis.

GIVE

Answer the prayers of those in crisis by giving to the President’s Crisis Relief Fund. Give online at www.wgm.org/crisisrelief.  

Trying to Get Back to Normal

Trying to Get Back to Normal, and Beyond
By Paul Shingledecker, Haiti
January–March 2012

No Haitian will ever forget January 12, 2010. Without a doubt, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake changed the little country forever.

But life goes on, and we must rebuild. WGM support staff member Sheryl Landis (Member Health) came to Radio Lumière to do posttraumatic stress disorder debriefing and told the staff, “Things will never be the same. You’ve lost homes, belongings, loved ones, and everything secure. But there is one thing I can promise you—you will find a new ‘normal.’ This upside-down world will finally come back together for you and you’ll feel comfortable in it again.”

One of the exciting things that has come out of the earthquake is a sense that “normal” is not enough. Haiti needs to build back better. At Radio Lumière, our friends and partners from other countries have responded by giving not only to keep Radio Lumière on the air, but also to make it stronger. We have projects to remodel studios, rebuild transmitter sites, and even to start a new station in a remote area.

GO: Can you help Haiti rebuild? Join a work team and build new, better homes in Haiti. To learn more, contact Bill Bucher at mwv@wgm.org.

Japan Crisis Fund Update

An excerpt from Japan Crisis Fund
By Kevin Zirkle, Japan
January–March 2012

Many things changed in Japan on March 11, 2011. With the triple disaster of a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, a tsunami that was over 30 feet high in many areas, and the damage at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant causing radiation to leak, Japan was no longer a place where safety was considered a given. People realized that life is more fragile and unpredictable than they thought it was.

In response to the disaster and the tremendous needs created by it, the Immanuel Church established a Disaster Relief Section. This group evaluates situations and channels funds to those with the most urgent needs. Because WGM works with the Immanuel Church in Japan, WGM decided to establish the Japan Crisis Fund and channel gifts to the Immanuel Church’s Disaster Relief Section.

The area affected by the earthquake and tsunami has been historically difficult to evangelize because people there are very traditional. Before this event, the church and Christians were considered as strangers in that area. Now that the church has worked so hard to help, people say that the church is no longer a stranger, but a friend. May people in this region come to know Jesus, the Friend who is closer than a brother.

PRAY: Pray for those living in the area worst affected by the crisis who now see the church as a friend. May they come to know Jesus through this tragedy.

When God Says Go

CHURCH CHALLENGE

College Wesleyan Church (Indiana)
When God Says Go
By Sarah Westfall, Contributing Writer
January/February 2009 Call to Prayer

Almost daily, we see the devastation caused by natural disasters or local crises on the nightly news. Do we as a Church simply shake our heads and wonder, “Why, God?” for a brief moment, only to go on with our daily lives? What if just part of the “why?” is that God wants His Church to actually step up and be the Church, the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to people in need?

Last summer, southern Indiana experienced the worst flooding in over 90 years. The city of Columbus, Indiana, was one of the hardest-hit areas. Several inches of rain came down in a very short amount of time, so the waters rose quickly. Many people had only minutes to get to higher ground before their homes were filled from the flooding. Most affected residents had very little time to rescue more than themselves.

The devastation left by the flooding was overwhelming. The interiors of homes were ravaged by the waters. Walls, floors, and family valuables were caked with the mud and debris that had been carried in by the strong flood currents. Most homeowners had to completely gut large portions of their homes, tearing out drywall, carpeting, and even wall framing in order to avoid decay and the growth of harmful molds.

However, many people did not have the time or resources to make their homes livable again. Although some homeowners received government aid to help with repairs, many either did not receive assistance or did not receive enough to cover all the expenses. Even if residents were able to purchase supplies, many did not have the needed skills or time away from their jobs to do the projects on their own. Hiring workers only costs more money. For many, the situation seemed impossible.

Only two hours north of Columbus, members of College Wesleyan Church in Marion, Indiana, decided that they needed to help.

“Earlier this summer, we had begun discussing how we as a church need to be ready to respond to emergency situations that come up locally, nationally, and globally,” said Jim Vermilya, College Wesleyan’s volunteer outreach pastor. “Then, just a couple of weeks later, we received word from Pastor Wes Jones of Flintwood Wesleyan Church (in Columbus) [who was] asking for teams to help them with post-flood clean-up projects. It seemed rather obvious that God was wanting us as a church to respond to the situation, so we did.”

Before heading to Columbus, the team did not know what to expect.

“Most of us had seen the brief television footage that was taken during the flood, but after the waters receded, the TV crews left,” said Pastor Jim. “So when we arrived there a month after the flood hit, what we saw [at] the outside of the city was quite different from what we saw on the insides of the homes.… When you walk into a home, seeing the water-stained line a few inches up from the floor where the flood waters once were, and when the smell of black mold hits you in the face as you walk through the door, you really start to get a sense of what these people are going through.”

On three separate Saturdays, flood relief teams from College Wesleyan traveled to Columbus. They gutted interior drywall and insulation, cleaned and packed away salvageable items, hung new drywall, cleaned homes, and took the time to talk to and encourage the flood victims. The teams went home tired and blistered, but they had learned what it meant to be a missions-active church, to say “yes” when God said “go.”

Maybe your church also wants to be more missions-active right where you are by responding to crises in your area. To you, Pastor Jim offers this advice: “Don’t just talk about it; do it. Plan ahead. Be preemptive so that you are ready when the crisis hits. You cannot respond to every crisis, but you must be ready to respond to those that the Lord prompts you, so be ready.”

Here are some practical suggestions for making it happen:

• Set aside crisis funding in your annual outreach budget, so you, too, can mobilize teams from your church to go and give hands-on relief.

• Create a list of crisis relief volunteers you can contact when a need arises.

• Have an annual Crisis Relief Supply Drive, asking each church member to bring in nonperishable items, bottled water, or cleaning supplies. You can then store the items until a crisis occurs and aid is needed.

• Research ways that other churches or organizations provide aid to people in need.

• Determine an area in your church building where you could house displaced families, if needed.

• In your Sunday service or small groups, have a prayer time focused on crisis relief. Ask God to prepare the church with the wisdom, spiritual sensitivity, and courage to act.

Is your church actively engaged in missions? I want to know. Write me at tellthecall@wgm.org.