The time to act is here now

Life comes at you so fast that if you are not careful, you can allow some life changing experiences to pass as mere episodes. For example, if the comet Halley was passing through and you could see it on July 4th, you wouldn't even consider missing it for the local fireworks, no matter how elaborate those would be. This is how I feel coming back from the C.A.R. I keep praying: "O God, please don't let me forget what I saw; don't allow me to simply drift back to my life of comfort and neglect to be a catalyst for change in the life of some in that country that man has ruined but God has not forgotten."

(one of the images I am hoping not to forget -- walking to the "river of death," where women treat their manioc, kids bathe, and all get water to drink and cook, a routine that could eventually kill them)

For those of you who have faithfully read this blog, we are not done wit it yet. In fact, I don't even know if we are going to be done, as long as we are fufilling a purpose. Thank you for your support and prayers!

Yesterday we met with the Global Task Force in our church. To a man (and woman) everyone agrees that we must act to make a difference. We got the same reaction from our pastoral staff. We have so many more stories to tell and will do so, but there comes a point where you have to say: "It's time to act." So here is our proposal for action.

First, let's eliminate all excuses.

There no longer exists the possibility that we can just sit on our hands. We know we can't solve every problem but we know we each can do something. The proof for that categorical statement is that in a country where children are dying because their parents cannot afford a pill that costs 20 cents to cure their malaria, everyone can do something. We can literally save a life with 20 cents. Don't tell me that you can't do much.

(a pharmacy in Bangui, where we verified in loco that the medicine that can cure malaria costs only $100 CFR's (or 20 cents)

(in this same location, a doctor from the C.A.R., with his Nigerian wife, work tirelessly and with little funding, to save people who are infected with HIV/AIDS. "Even when we send them home with the anti-retrovirus medicine," the doctor said, "what good does it do if they don't have food to eat at home?")

As we traveled around the C.A.R., we were overwhelmed by the needs. There is need for food, medicine, water, and education. There is need for the hope of Christ. There is need for hope, period. Since we cannot attack all fronts, we decided to focus on clean water and sanitation. We saw concrete examples of how these two areas are transforming villages, saving lives, and opening the door for the hope of Christ to enter.

(no shortage of needs in the C.A.R.)

So, in the following year, it is our desire to help drill four wells at the cost of $12,000 dollars each. Two will be in the village of PAMA, with which we hope to extablish a partnership, and two others in two unreached Pygmy villages. We also hope to partner with at least 10 ABF's from our church to provide $2,500 each for community development. This partnership will allow us to build latrines, provide a variety of fruit trees to supplement the diet of village people, start micro-enterprises (such as building latrines, providing sowing machines to widows, machetes, and small loans to help some of our brothers and sisters start a small business selling things alongside the road, among many others).

(children in the village of PAMA, where we hope to establish a partnership)

I know this does not sound like much, but if we achieve this goal, it will be nothing short of a miracle for us. This is not yet official, as it needs to be approved and bought on by our congregation, but we as a team are convinced that this is the direction God has laid on our hearts.

(a simple pump well, saving hundreds of lives at a Pygmy village in Bayanga)

If you want to hear more about these opportunities, come to New Community this Wednesday, September 27, at 7:00 p.m., and also to our "African Night," on October 7, at 7:00 p.m., where you will also have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction of artifacts that our team brought back from Africa. The proceeds will go toward helping the next team get to the C.A.R.

(a group of believers now exists among this remote group of Pygmies in Bayanga. A water well has opened all kinds of doors to share about the one who gives living water)

We can't wait to tell you our stories in person. Meanwhile, keep praying. The hard work has just really begun and we believe we need to go beyond the walls of our church. So we will go anywhere to share this vision. If you have a group of co-workers who get together for lunch, we would love to talk to them. If you want to do a neighborhood gathering in your house and invite your friends to come, we will bring a screen and a computer and share some of the stirring images from our trip. If you have relatives who need to be challenged to do something significant with their lives, we will do the job for you. Call us and we will come!

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org
330-264-9459