Question:

When you visit Word and Deed’s projects, just what do you do?

Answer:

The answer at first seems straightforward. We must monitor the projects to ensure that the funds are being used as we intended and to determine that each project undertaken is necessary, not merely benefiting a select few. From a Western perspective, these tasks don’t seem to be that difficult.

Reality:

In the developing world, many factors contribute to differing views of the end result and how it should be achieved: different cultures, living conditions, education levels, lack of social structures, resources, and difference in work ethics. These views differ from country to country and even from region to region within a country.

Recognizing this multitude of views, we first need to come to a common understanding so that our approach to help may be done in a unified and sensible way. This is where Word & Deed Ministries differs from secular relief organizations. In true relief work, the starting point is God’s Word. The Word must be central for the partner agency as well as for Word & Deed. By using Scripture as our foundation, we develop a Christian worldview of how we need to live in our families as well as citizens in the local community.

Allow me to take you for a few days to Malawi, where in August of 2005, I went to monitor, to encourage, and to assist the project leaders in understanding the tasks and responsibilities they face.

It is Monday, August 15, and you are on your way from your home village to the Chongoni Conference Center operated by the CCAP (Central Church of Africa Presbytery) Nkhoma synod. Depending on where you live, you will probably be taking a number of buses over many hours to reach your destination. Arriving late in the afternoon, you register for the conference and are assigned a room (shared with many others) to sleep in for the duration of the conference. Bathing and washroom facilities are shared down the hall. A dining hall serves traditional food family style. The grounds of the conference center, located at the foot of mountains, are large and perfect for walks and enjoying the natural beauty of Malawi. Since you are at a higher altitude, the temperature is about 20 – 22ºC through the day and as low as 10ºC at night. Thirty leaders representing six partner agencies are present, which will allow you to catch up with the latest news from various areas of the country.

After dinner, everyone enters the conference hall and is warmly welcomed in opening addresses and devotions. Now I’ll let you, in the role of one of the conference attendees, pick up the story …

The devotions remind us that in order to carry out the Great Commission in our roles as leaders of each respective agency, we first need to be spiritually in tune with the truths found in scripture. This helps in setting the tone for the workshops and lectures that follow.

Brother Bernie Pennings is scheduled to lead 8 of the 16 sessions including the opening and closing sessions. We review the involvement of Word & Deed over the last two years and the relationships built and then proceed to consider the mission and goals of each agency. We soon determine that the need in Malawi is so great, it is easy to get sidetracked. Attempting to help too many people means not enough time or money is spent effectively in any one area. When dealing with orphan care, it becomes difficult not to deal with HIV/AIDS, the widow, the loss of primary family providers and so on, let alone the extra care required for the infected individuals prior to death. We determine that each agency needs to set realistic goals that can be met with the limited resources at hand. These resources include capable personnel, community involvement, effective leadership, and material and financial resources. The help of other agencies who specialize in related areas of need would be very beneficial.

Manuel Kamnkhwani leads a session on Child Character Building. He stresses that the primary caregiver plays a tremendous role in the character the child eventually displays. Often this is an area that is overlooked in orphan care and he urges each agency to pay special attention to this in the selection of caregivers.

Steven Mpata leads three sessions on Child Evangelism. In order to bring effective relief, the gospel must be one of the most important aspects of the program. Steven is able to bring out many practical aspects of child evangelism.

Two sessions on orphan care are ably led by Dr. Erwin Vandermeer. He has been involved with orphan care for the past 10 years and looks at some practical aspects based on his experiences. Both of the sessions use the workshop approach to involve the audience.

Rev. Kanyangira leads two sessions on counseling. Having three degrees (Teaching, Master of Divinity and Counseling), he is well qualified to lead us through some workshops involving actual cases he has dealt with. These cases are typical of what each agency is experiencing on a regular basis. His advice and council are very valuable for us.

The final sessions study the team approach in areas such as child sponsorship. When a supporter can picture a child’s face, and the child can know that their donor cares for them brings a personal touch. To make sponsorship in Malawi a reality we need to bridge the gap between the donor in North America and the orphan in Malawi. This bridge requires a team effort where the partner agency and Word and Deed are vital links in the chain. The partner needs to have each child’s information for the sponsor; a system to deal with correspondence between child and sponsor; and a specific program to care for the orphan from childhood to graduation or employment. The sessions help us understand what Word & Deed is proposing and we are both challenged and excited by the prospect of having families from North American sponsor the orphan children we are trying to help.

At the end of the conference, all the participants are asked to fill out a survey on the conference. Without exception, we think the conference provided us with valuable information. Many of us suggest that a conference such as this should be held at least once a year. Other suggestions are to have conferences in the future dedicated to subjects such as child evangelism and counseling.

Friday morning comes all too quickly, and we find ourselves packing our belongings and saying good-bye to our friends before boarding the buses for the long ride back to our homes. The ride is one of contemplation of what we’d just heard and discussion of how we can implement some of the ideas.

Conclusion

“When you visit the projects, just what do you do?” Besides the monitoring aspect, we become a team player in moving the goals and mission forward. It is a time of encouragement for both those in the field and for Word & Deed. As we see the work going forward, we witness God’s hand in everything. From donor, to Word and Deed, to the partner, to the end recipient, we form one team that God may use to accomplish the task of caring for the orphan, visiting the sick and those in prison, caring for the stranger, and feeding the hungry.

Can we count on you to be part of the team?

Bernie Pennings is Executive Director of Word & Deed Canada