Helpless: Baby Christine's Story

This particular story comes at an appropriate time since April 25 is World Malaria Day--Cory's day! She has fought off malaria several times, however, she's been fortunate to have some means to pay for the medicine. A mother shouldn't have to choose between medicine for her baby or food for her family. Read about Christine and her mother's struggles of helplessness. Then, at the end, if you'd like to take part in this weeks experience, there are ideas below.

We’re always told that life is full of choices, and often we have the option of making good choices over bad ones. But what if there was no option to make the “good” choice? In this week’s story, we will read about a mother whose choices in life are severely limited. It’s a different kind of trap.

Uganda

Sitting on a torn piece of sisal mat behind their mud and wattle house, Christine Asobora looks like an ordinary six-month-old baby. Stained by patches of grey soil, her legs are spread out before her. Her eyes, dancing with excitement, follow her three-year-old brother Innocent Murungi as he jumps up in the air, attempting to grab one of the low-hanging branches on the tree under which she is sitting. She tries to move towards him, but she cannot.

She gets bored, sticks her thumb in her mouth, and her gaze wanders to the chicken scratching about in the garden. Unsuccessful, Innocent eventually comes and sits next to Christine, starts making funny faces, and is rewarded with a toothy smile.

Christine is not six months old; she has actually just marked her first birthday. Something that is worrying her mother is her small frame and the fact that at one year she cannot crawl, a milestone that on average babies achieve at seven months. She is also underweight, weighing only 6.5 kilogrammes (14.3 pounds), yet at birth she came at a healthy 3 kilogrammes (6.6 pounds).

“At this age she should be standing or walking, but that might not happen soon,” says her mother, 40-year-old Rebecca Asiimwe.

Christine has just recovered from a bout of malaria. Her small light face is dotted with a skin rash, which has also spread to the rest of her body. Her hair is soft and light, resting flat on her head. Her mother says she gets fever (malaria) very often, accompanied by cough and flu, which has most likely contributed to the slowness in her growth.

“Whenever she attempts to start crawling, she gets fever, becomes weak and cannot make an effort to crawl,” Asiimwe explains.

Christine has stunted growth, caused by frequent malaria episodes that go untreated. She would not be falling sick as regularly if she was getting the right treatment. When she falls sick, her mother takes her to Buhimba Health Centre III, which is about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) away. Not owning a bicycle, Assimwe uses the next available transport option and walks for one and a half hours to get to the health centre.

“I would not mind the distance if my daughter were getting treatment. But many times I take her to the clinic and they just make a diagnosis. They then write for me the medicine and ask me to buy it from the drug shop,” says Asiimwe.

She says that often she does not have money to buy the medicine.

“If I have money, I buy the medicine. When I fail, I just take her back home and when I later get money, I go and look for the prescribed medicine,” she says resignedly.

For a woman whose husband was recently diagnosed with a liver problem, it is easy to understand Asiimwe’s situation. Before he developed complications, John Asiimwe used to work with his wife at their brick-laying business. The money they got would cater for some household needs and school fees for their children. For food, they plant cassava, sweet potatoes, beans and maize, which sustain the home.

John was recently advised to keep away from any strenuous work, leaving his wife to fend for the family.

“I make around 5,000 bricks in six months. From their sale, I get Ush150,000 (US$91). After paying off the laborers who help me, I am left with Ush50,000 (US$30) for us to live on. How then can I buy medicine off Ush10,000 (US$6)?” Asiimwe asks.

Apart from treatment, proper nutrition is important in surviving a malaria attack. Christine is still being breastfed, and, at her age, she needs to supplement this with either formula or cow milk and other solid foods. Asiimwe says she does not have enough breastmilk; the milk comes if she has a good diet, one that is made up of, say, fish, matooke (green bananas) and vegetables.

However, her family mainly feeds on cassava and beans, and when there are no beans, they “simply eat the cassava only.” Cassava is eaten either boiled or in the form of bread – it is dried, pounded and made out of the flour. Christine’s diet is no different.

“She can even spend a month without tasting cow milk because I cannot afford it. When I get money, I buy it for her. Otherwise she eats cassava bread like the rest of us,” Asiimwe says bluntly.

All along, Asiimwe has been speaking with a certain nonchalance, seeming accustomed to accepting things the way they are. However, Asiimwe’s real feelings are revealed when she voices her dreams for her last born.

“I would love to see her not falling sick, sleeping well and eating well like other children,” she says, fondly caressing Christine’s head. “Which mother wouldn’t?”

REFLECTION:
Rebecca‘s impossible choice between buying medication to treat her daughter’s malaria and using the money to provide food for the rest of her family is a choice no one should have to make, but many do. Her situation is essentially “helpless.” This week, we will carry out acts that simulate experiencing helplessness.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:
• Take away a tool that you depend on. Some options include: pens, pencils, paper, internet search engines, your cell phone or its apps, text messaging, your car, public transportation, your computer, etc.
• Go without a coat or something else that keeps you physically protected.
• Write some of your computer passwords on a sheet of paper and give copies to some trusted friends. Throughout the week, think about what would happen if they actually used your passwords and saw your entire life without filters.
• Each day, commit to telling a stranger (which also means you must meet a stranger) or a different friend a secret about your life.

You can come up with your own experience, but the common theme of all our acts is that they make us feel vulnerable – something Rebecca feels everyday. And as we go through our “helpless” experiences, let us remember that Jesus, Son of God, selflessly became man and experienced vulnerability in order to restore our relationship with God.

Thanks for taking on this experience of helplessness in observance of Lent 2011.

--Written by Laura Dassama

Laura Dassama is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the Pennsylvania State University. She serves as lead of the Intercessory Prayer Team at Harvest Global Mission Church, and she is a food enthusiast.

My ReLENTless Journey

This week I started a journey, one connected to Lent. Though it began on Ash Wednesday, I didn’t get involved wholeheartedly because of all that was going on. (Yes, I realize that’s an excuse.) Anyway, I had posted a story about a widow named Sylvie on Sunday. A woman with 2 young children, living in Africa having to dig for rocks to be used for gravel, making a mere $2 a day for her hard labor. Her children had to leave school if there was no money to pay school fees. Her hope is to be self sufficient and take care of her family, send her children to school and feed them twice a day, rather than once.
I woke up this morning (Wed.) thinking, there is no way I've given up enough. Sylvie's children have no blankets; I'm sleeping under 3 between flannel sheets on a comfie California King bed. I have hot running water; they walk, probably, a long way for a bucket of water. Though I'm not using toothpaste this week, I am using a toothbrush thinking that perhaps they at least have that. Think about the luxuries that surround us. When I was asked to list the luxuries in our home, I immediately thought of the furniture, kitchen appliances, washer and dryer, etc. However, as I looked deeper, I'm thinking toothbrush, toothpaste, running water, deodorant, shampoo and other hair accrutements (I love that word and I've probably spelled it wrong.). Along with a toilet (not even a 'squatty potty' or a 'flying toilet'--more on that another time), bathtub and shower. Jesus says we just need food and covering and he'll take care of the rest. Wow! Is it time for me to sell all of my possessions and give to the poor? I'm praying about what He'd want me to do.
The challenge was to live off of $14 for the week, in food and to do without other luxuries that I sometimes take for granted. Well, I started with baby steps. As for the $14 a week for food, I guess my excuse for that is it would be too much of a hassle to figure out how much a bowl of cereal is worth, a piece of bread, etc. I guess I could use a calculator, but hey, isn’t that a luxury? Anyway, as you’ve noticed, I didn’t give up Facebook or the internet yet. Maybe I will try that soon. So for now, I’ll go without a few toiletries, until it gets bad, and will try to add daily to the items I will fast during this season. I will keep you posted along my journey.

Yes We Are Blessed.....

So What Are We Going To Do About It?

I am reading the book Radical by Dr. David Platt, a young pastor of a megachurch in Birmingham, Alabama. He discusses how we can live a “radical” life for Jesus and bring help to the needy.
Something I just read hit me. I’d like to share it here:
Platt speaking: “One evening I was meeting with an underground house church overseas, and we were discussing various issues in Scripture. A woman who lived in the city and knew some English shared. ‘I have a television, and every once in a while I am able to get stations from the United States,’ she said. ‘Some of these stations have church services on them. I see the preachers, and they are dressed in very nice clothes, and they are preaching in very nice buildings. Some of them even tell me that if I have faith, I too can have nice things.’”
“She paused before continuing. ‘When I come to our church meetings, I look around, and most of us are very poor, and we are meeting here at great risk to our lives.’ Then she looked at me and asked, ‘Does this mean we do not have enough faith?’”
“Every year in the United States, we spend more than $10 billion on church buildings. In America alone, the amount of real estate owned by institutional churches is worth over $230 billion.”
I don’t know about you, but “Ouch”, that didn’t feel so good.
I don’t always think of myself as rich, and I’m guessing you may not think of yourself as rich either. But if we have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and some means of transportation (even if it’s public transportation), then we are in the top 15% of the world’s people for wealth.

Our Visitor from Zimbabwe

This past week has been busy and exciting. We were blessed to have a houseguest from Zimbabwe for the week. Someone we’d never met, yet had been in touch with for several years. His name is Stephen Maphosah. (the “h” is silent) He is the area director for AWANA in all of Africa. We first learned about Stephen through the AWANA programs adopt-a-club when Charley was younger. Stephen was an AWANA missionary at the time, in charge of clubs throughout his country.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with AWANA, it’s a children’s club that stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (of the Gospel of Christ).
The clubs take place in churches (or outdoors) for the most part and teach Scripture memory, games and Bible lessons. In some ways, a discipleship program as well. Since the program involves the parents too, many families have come to know the living Savior. The clubs range in age from preschool through high school.
Stephen was in the states for a couple of months, contacted us and asked to come visit. I was elated. This is someone I’ve wanted to meet for years. Though I expected that to be in Africa, Tennessee would do (the headquarters is in Chicago). (lol)
It was such a blessing to have him with us. I set up a few speaking engagements for him while he was here and was able to attend these with him. He spoke to 2 AWANA clubs, a couple of Sunday School classes, a Perspectives class and a college group.
I believe the college group was one of the highlights, since the leader and her son had been in Zimbabwe for a month and had learned songs in Shona (not sure of the spelling), his native language. He challenged the young people who all have a heart to follow after God and to go to the nations. It’s exciting to know that we will witness every tongue, tribe and nation in heaven, whether or not we are able to go to any of those people or meet them in our own country.
Stephen shared his testimony, which was powerful in itself and he shared what God is doing throughout Africa to bring boys and girls to the knowledge of a living Savior. Though they may not have uniforms or books as we do in our country, they love coming to club. Many walk 1-3 miles to learn from the Bible and to play games with other children in the surrounding villages and cities.
AWANA is located in 23 African countries at this time and they continue to spring up all over. I was totally amazed to hear that there are 60 clubs in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Can you imagine? This slum is home to a million people. It’s as big as New York City’s Central Park, about 1.5 square miles (another source says 2.5 sq. mi.) The population density is 30 times that of New York City, with no multi-level housing.
Another place I was surprised to hear about was Nigeria--there are at least 54 clubs in that country.
While here, Stephen met with a man that wants to support clubs in Ethiopia since he is adopting a child from that country. That’s exciting.
God is moving in Africa! 48% of the population there is under the age of 14. AWANA is raising up a new generation to change their country, their continent, their world.
Please remember to pray for the children of Africa. They too need a Savior.

Worthless

This is Sylvie's Story. The job she does seems worthless. Read about her struggles.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: By Alain Masela Mwaku
The quarry of Kipushi is dusty and noisy. Families dig four to five meters deep in order to find gravel layers, then go through the sieve process to get good quality rocks to sell. Aaron Ngandwe, 11, is working in a quarry of gravel with her young sister Marguerite Ngandwe, 9 years old. The dream of these fatherless children is to be happy with life, like other children.

But their sickly mother Sylvie Ngandwe, 38, cannot afford to provide for them as she has no livelihood other than sifting for rocks. "I’m doing this hard job of little worth with my children, seeking to get our daily bread because of lack of available food," bemoans Sylvie. “After my husband's death two years ago, I was sick in my bed three days, home drinking water without food. My children had to work in the quarry for others to get food and I joined them after my recovery."

“Nobody assisted me. First needs, especially food were a big issue. My children did not go to school because of the high fees,” she says.

“Here under the shiny sun, we are digging gravel, which will be sold if a truck comes to buy it. I have to help my mother, putting our common effort together so that we can have a quantity for us to buy food and soap,” states Aaron.

“The job is really hard for me to handpick gravel in the sand as my duty. I would love to stay home and play with my friends. I feel pity to see my mother working herself,” declares Marguerite.

After sifting through a little heap of gravel, Sylvie can earn about two thousand Congo Franc (US$2.20) per day if a buyer comes. She has to fight hard for daily food and to cover a monthly cost of 8000 CF (US$9.00) to rent a house and US$15.00 to pay school fees for Aaron and Marguerite.

“I encourage my children to go to school. But when they sack them for [not paying] school fees, we spend time together here in the quarry,” says Sylvie.

“We start the job earlier in the morning if I do not go to school and we stop at 4pm,” says Aaron. “We suffer coughs and rheumatism regularly because of dust here. We use to take traditional medicines against the illness and dull night pains after the job. We do not have choice.”

The risk for children and their parents in the quarry includes mudslides. “I have scars on my body due to mudslide accidents," Aaron says. The crowd of women and children who meet in the quarry admit that the mudslides killed women and children a couple of years ago. “Working here is for us to get food and avoid our children wandering the town,” they declare.

Sylvie also has to work in the quarry with her last daughter Songa Songa, 3, who has a cold. “I bring her with me here because nobody can keep her at home.”

Sylvie is seeking business capital to sustain her family livelihood instead of the quarry. “As a widow, I dream to buy fish and resell in the market so that I can generate a profit. I’m seeking capital to start this and completely abandon my current job. Indeed, my children will stay home and I would be able to feed them and pay school fees for them. However, I lack money to start,” reiterates Sylvie. “I can also farm crops and potatoes if I get seeds and fertilizers," she adds.

Sylvie’s children are registered to Mwanga primary school but cannot afford school fees, though their mother has provided uniforms and school supplies.

Sylvie would also like to buy blankets for her children as it is cold at night, but her income doesn't allow for it.

The children live a hard life yet have high hopes. “My dream is to become a doctor,” says Aaron. "I will be a dressmaker," says Marguerite. The family eats once a day after the quarry jobs. Marguerite’s wish, however, is to eat twice a day.

(From World Vision's ACTs_

4/14 Window

The 4/14 Window refers to the world of children between the ages of 4 and 14. The term was introduced in a 1996 publication by Dan Brewster, then program director for Compassion International. Brewster’s article was based on research by Bryant Myers, who showed that “85% of those who become Christians do so between the ages of 4 and 14 years old.” The sad thing is that although children and teenagers make up half of the world’s population, as little as 10% of mission efforts are currently directed toward them. Children are worthy because they are close to the heart of Jesus. Mark 10:14
says, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Children are the most receptive to the gospel, and positioned to be a mighty force to bring others to faith in Christ. Children have their whole lives ahead of them to live out and share their faith, and they also have time to be long-term agents of change. It is
vital to reach children while they are young and equip them to make an impact throughout their lives.
Children are important recipients of the gospel, they have tremendous capacity to minister to others.

Questions to Ponder:
Do you and your family, church, or ministry place a high value on children and see them as worthy of ministry?
What steps might you take to ensure that children between the ages of 4 and 14 hear the gospel of Christ and are equipped to be Christ’s ambassadors?
What other ways might you respond to this urgent appeal for a new missions focus on the 4/14 Window?

(Information by Tami Snowden)

ReLENTless Acts of Justice

I can’t recall a time when I truly participated in Lent. The children and I did something similar for 4 weeks before Easter. It was mainly a giving time to others--letters, cards, meals, phone calls, etc. Perhaps I gave something up for Lent--once. However, this year I noticed that World Vision ACTs (activism network) had ideas for Lent on a daily basis. The event is called Relentless Acts of Justice. I thought I’d give it a try and participate in as many of the activities as I can. I believe the first event with ACTs, we, as a family, took part in was Malaria day when we discussed the affects of malaria and raised money for mosquito nets to be distributed among those that may not have one. This event will be more of a challenge for me but I will give it a try. I’ve recently been listening to the “Radical” series of messages given by Dr. David Platt who encourages us to truly follow Jesus and his teachings. (You may see his sermons online at www.brookhill.org or read his book entitled RADICAL.) I had just finished one of the activities that he shared the other day and it was on today’s Relentless emails: to make a list of your luxuries. If you have a roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes on your back, you’re considered rich in the world we live in. We may not feel like we are rich, but compared to most of the world today, we are wealthy. (Of course I’ve never thought of myself as wealthy--monetarily that is. But I am!) God has blessed us in America. So how can we wisely use that blessing to bless others?