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Global Mission Office

I wasn't much good at science at school but for some reason the logic of the litmus test seemed to stick. We often have the experience these days of medical staff using similar clever little strips to make a quick diagnosis. As you know the strip changes colour according to the conditions being tested.

I think the failure of the GlobalTrek Mission Fora to attract sufficient applications in order for either to go ahead is a litmus test of sorts of the church. I think it has helped to identify the condition we are in with regards to working globally. I think it is also an indication of how much community life has changed and how busy we have become. I think that for many, fully residential weekend events are simply impossible to attend. For me the results of the GlobalTrek litmus test are a helpful signal of what we need to do to foster the work of global mission in the future.

The world in which we live

The fact is that the challenges our world faces do not mysteriously disappear if we ignore them. The impact of wars, community disruption, illness and economic agitation will be felt by us all sooner or later. Sadly the impact is usually felt in the developing/ two-thirds world far sooner and in a disproportionate way. I received this 'tongue-in-cheek' piece the other day which seems to ring true:

A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN asking the question:

"Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world".

It proved to be a huge failure due because:

In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant
In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant
In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant
In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant
In the Middle East, they didn't know what "solutions" meant
In South America they didn't know what "please" meant
And in the USA they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant

I wonder how kiwis would be characterised if the anonymous author had included us in his wild generalisations? How would we want to be characterised as kiwi Presbyterians? In mission terms we have a glorious past but do we have a future?

Zambia

I am currently hosting Mrs Laetitia Mzumira from the United Church of Zambia, a Council for World Mission (CWM) partner church. Her account of the reality of daily life in Zambia is difficult to comprehend. In turn, she finds it hard to believe that many of our churches are half empty on a Sunday and that services are so short. The decline of the church is largely an anathema to her considering that in Zambia the challenges people face on a daily basis are sufficient motivation for them to seek out God in prayer and worship.

Malaria

Take malaria for example. Now we can think that this will never affect us. But recent reports state that mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus, malaria, encephalitis and dengue have just been rediscovered in the Eastern United States. You may like to read more on one of the excellent websites dedicated to malaria like www.malaria.org. You may like to suggest this as an interesting research topic for your junior youth group. The statistics on the impact of malaria on a community are quite incredible. According to the World Health Organisation, malaria is killing more than 3,000 African children a day, or one child every 30 seconds. An estimated 20 per cent of the world's population is at risk of contracting malaria. Ninety per cent of the deaths occur in south Saharan Africa and most of these are among children under the age of five. There is now a clear link between impoverishment and the prevalence of malaria in a country. In some countries it is estimated to reduce GDP by 1.3 percentage points or nearly a fifth in a decade and a half.

Given the situation of poverty, cheap solutions are sought such as the widespread spraying of DDT. Quinine, a chemical derived from the bark of the South American cinchona tree, a remedy which dates back to the ancient Inca is still used in developing nations, because it is inexpensive and effective. This drug has a bitter taste and produces severe side effects, such as nausea, headache, ringing in the ears, temporary hearing loss, blurred vision, and large doses can be fatal. It is difficult to imagine that is an improvement on malaria!

Solutions

Some may have seen the recent documentary on SurfAid whose mission is to challenge surfers to not only ride the waves but to make a difference to the communities who live along the coastline. They sponsor a kiwi doctor who works amongst the Mentawais of Indonesia as well as sponsoring mosquito nets laced with insecticide for distribution.

SurfAid website.

Vanuatu

I certainly didn't even think of malaria prevention until I was sitting in Port Vila, Vanuatu recently and was bitten for the first time. I have encountered malaria prevention medications whilst in the military in Africa and would never like to have to take them again. But I had a feeling of creeping fear as I suddenly realised that 'they were out there' and it seemed as if the kiwi 'Repel' I had was attracting them. That night they were entering my room in squadron formation. Malaria is just one of the challenges of Vanuatu. I found my recent trip there to be fascinating, encouraging and humbling. I found myself wondering what it would take for kiwi Presbyterian Christians to catch the vision in much the same way as the surfing community? Surely we too could begin to supply mosquito nets to prevent people from having to take Quinine if that is all it takes? Does this not amount to a litmus test of our faith?

Project Officer

The purpose of my trip to Vanuatu was to conduct a 'face-to-face' between the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) and the New Zealand candidate we are recommending for the position of Project Officer. This is a brand new initiative suggested by the PCV as the starting point for a new era of mission partnership. It is an exciting initiative as it is all about enabling and supporting what the PCV is already doing and assisting them to implement more of their dreams further. We will be assisting with the financial burden of the position and so I have established the Vanuatu Project Officer Fund and commend it to you as a worthy recipient of your support.

And from our 'Changing World' files

You know the world is changing when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and one of the most powerful men in America is named 'Colon'. The question is: "Can we possibly survive as a church if we are not agents of change too?"