Wiebe Quotes on Exercising Christian Graces

Our focus should not be on our humility or how much love or mercy we can bestow, but rather in seeking the One who is the divine essence of mercy and love. By spending time with Jesus in prayer, meditation, and reading His Word, we become more like Him. By directing our love to Him, He fills us with His love. As we consider what He has done for us, our hearts abound with thankfulness. The secret of our strength is found on our knees, owning our utter need of Christ and His power. As we rise from devotion and communion with Him, we will find these graces become an expression of Christ in us.

Exercising Christian Graces

Lesson 9
July 28, 2013

Adult & Youth Sunday School Lessons

Wiebe Quotes Mother Teresa

 

"It is one thing to say I am a sinner, but let someone

else say that about me and then I feel it. I am up in arms. If I am falsely

accused I may suffer, whereas if correction be founded on even a small

reality, something in me having deserved it, then often it hurts more. We

must be happy that our faults are known as they are."

 

Mother Teresa

Moving Back to California

Four years ago we moved to Alabama. Presently we are planning to move back to CA-- so I can teach school there. Pray for us that it will go well with us, that we can remain faithful, and that I  will fulfill my duties as a dedicated teacher. Thank-You.

Wiebe Quotes on Time for Family

 

 

 

Very Thought Provoking:

 

If you don’t have enough time for your family, you can be 100% certain you are not following God’s will for your life.

 

Patrick M. Morley

 

 

Source: The Business Bulletin . July 2013

Good News Update July 2013

Dear friends; since our last update the crew has returned from Haiti and the dam is completed as we planned. Thanks so much for all your support in whatever way you have given! This has been an extremely dry year in Haiti! The normal spring rainy season only gave a few showers, not nearly enough to water the crops and produce food for the many families all over the country! The hunger is beyond what has been seen for many years! The floor of the basin behind the dam is seeping water like it did after the initial construction, this water is collecting in the river bed downstream from the dam, more on this later.

 

We need silt from rain runoff to seal the basin, after the initial construction only one rain has “came down” as they call it, or flash flooded. It brought down some silt, but not enough to do the job. With the extremely dry conditions we are still waiting for enough to seal off and then fill the basin.

We need to return soon to complete some downstream erosion control to prevent a reoccurrence the wash out that happened last hurricane season. An estimated 8ft wall of water came over the dam during Hurricanes Isaac & Sandy last fall. This tremendous force needs to be broken up and diverted to successfully maintain what we have. Our plan is to install some Gabion below the dam to take this brunt force. Gabion are large wire baskets which we will fill with rocks and tie together, a very common erosion control technique used in Haiti as well in North American. We have been consulting some US engineers and we think we have a workable solution. We anticipate this taking about 2 weeks for a small crew; our estimated budget is about $35,000. Of this we have a good 40% and we still need about $20,000, we would appreciate those of you who would feel to help with this to do so. Thanks again for your help and support of dear hungry folks, including Church brethren in Haiti.

 

Currently the water that leaks through the dam is continuing to run down the streambed. We are currently diverting that stream into a clean out on the pipeline about ¾ of a mile downstream from the dam. This is not a new idea; it has been done many times since the pipeline was installed. The downside to this maneuver is that a flash flood can fill the cleanout with rocks, and plug the pipe (this has also happened several times over the years). To prevent this, the Water Committee has hired a full time watchman to close the lid if a flood seems imminent.

 

Since the country is so dry, the irrigation system is a real bright spot, since those farmers can keep growing a crop. We are happy with the Water Committee’s performance, and it seems they are taking their job very serious. When we appointed the Committee, some in the community thought it was a power grab by those folks on the Committee, and did not want to recognize them. As they have gone about their work in a conscientious manner and with a visible presence from us on a frequent basis working with them and supporting them, it seems that the community is also taking them serious. They have also used their authority to deny water to those who have not paid their water fees, and to have some vandals arrested recently, which establishes the pecking order, so to speak. This seems to have further heightened the respect the community has for the Committee.

 

On the Mexico front, The cool of winter is over - and the heat of summer is on, recently reported as 120°F! Our involvement at Agua de Vida continues. This past winter we donated a van for Mario & Veronica's personal use and a 15 passenger van for the children. Now they can go on field trip as a family! Or just have reliable transportation again.

 

A new beginning at Agua de Vida is Babies! They have recently accepted 4 babies and with it a new commitment. This also includes higher cost of operations! We are putting out a plea for monthly commitments for the next five months. If the Lord speaks to your heart you can give your monthly donation to GNFI. This will be a blessing to all involved with the children at Agua de Vida enjoying the benefit of faithful givers. May we join God in his passion of loving the children of the world.

Wiebe Quotes Allen on Missionary Methods

“From what has already been said it is manifest that St. Paul did not go about as a missionary preacher merely to convert individuals: he went to establish churches from which the light might radiate throughout the whole country round. The secret of success in this work lies in beginning at the very beginning. It is the training of the first converts which sets the type for the future. If the first converts are taught to depend on the missionary, if all work, evangelistic, educational, social is concentrated in his hands, the infant community learns to rest passively upon the man from whom they receive their first insight into the gospel. Their faith having no sphere for its growth and development lies dormant. A tradition very rapidly grows up that nothing can be done without the authority and guidance of the missionary, the people wait for him to move, and, the longer they do so, the more incapable they become of any independent action. Thus the leader is confirmed in the habit of gathering all authority into his own hands, and of despising the powers of his people, until he makes their inactivity an excuse for denying their capacity. The fatal mistake has been made of teaching the converts to rely upon the wrong source of strength. Instead of seeking it in the working of the Holy Spirit in themselves, they seek it in the missionary. They put him in the place of Christ, they depend upon him.”
(Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours?  page 81.  Roland Allen © 1962.)

Source:  Bob Goodnough - flatlanderfaith.wordpress.com

Wiebe Quotes on Which Side of the Peer Group You Stand

In December I attended the baptism of one of my good friends from a neighboring tribe.  I watched her sober face as she knelt and said her vows, and thought back to my own baptism day.  For me, it was a joyful day full of praise and thanksgiving.  I loved God with all my heart, and had only a dim realization of the magnitude of what I was promising.  I think the seriousness of her vows was far more real to my Kenyan friend.  For me, to put on a covering was to be one with my peer group.  For her, it meant to stand out from everyone in her peer group…

Kenya, East Africa

The Christian Mission Voice

May 2013

Wiebe's Quotes on Six year old Haitian girl weighing 23 Ibs.

Here is an article I recieved six days ago from Wiebe's Quotes. I believe the last time I contacted Keith the hunger situation has abated somewhat in their area. However we need to rememer how good we have it and not forget that we may be able to help others. At least I need to remember that. It never hurts also to sigh a prayer for a family like this even though you may never see them. The end of the world will come not because of injustice alone, but because people lack faith in God.......

Last week we had a 6yr old stick thin girl of average height come in to the clinic and she weighed 23 lbs. 23!!! 23 lbs on this growth chart is the weight of a thin 2 yr old! http://www.pampers.com/en_US/article/images/articlemedia/WeightgirlB-36m.gifLet me tell you… a 23 lb 6yr old is a sight that you don’t want to see. When her clothes came off I went out to the ambulance garage and bawled like a baby. Mostly out of frustration at everything. Why does this happen to a family? How can we help people be self-sufficient? Why am I able to eat so well and not they? What can be done? Why is it always so political? Why do we have to be so careful on who and how we help? Did Jesus send them to us? If so then what then does Jesus want us to do? What would he do?  The whole family of 8 is in bad bad shape. The local brethren with whom we consult on these kinds of matters said that the family had descended too far and they now need survival help. So even though we don’t have program for this, we concocted a nutrition program where they will come in every 2 weeks for weighing and checking and then leave with food. Just pray that they don’t fall sick. If they do… they could die easily as they have no reserve. The girl’s big eyes haunt me every day. 

Pray for us,

Keith Toews

Administrator- Confidence Health Center

Oriani, HAITI

Tel (011) 509 37 83 9058

www.chcenter.wordpress.com

Articles on Haiti Hunger

Here is an excerpt of an article sent to me with a link to the whole article below. This was news about two days ago. 

Three years after an earthquake killed hundreds of thousands and international donors promised to help Haiti "build back better," hunger is worse than ever. Despite billions of dollars from around the world pledged toward rebuilding efforts, the country's food problems underscore just how vulnerable its 10 million people remain.

In 1997 some 1.2 million Haitians didn't have enough food to eat. A decade later the number had more than doubled. Today, that figure is 6.7 million, or a staggering 67 percent of the population that goes without food some days, can't afford a balanced diet or has limited access to food, according to surveys by the government's National Coordination of Food Security. As many as 1.5 million of those face malnutrition and other hunger-related problems.

"This is scandalous. This should not be," said Claude Beauboeuf, a Haitian economist and sometime consultant to relief groups. "But I'm not surprised, because some of the people in the slums eat once every two days."

Much of the crisis stems from too little rain, and then too much. A drought last year destroyed key crops, followed by flooding caused by the outer bands of Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy.

Here is the link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/two-thirds-of-haitis-people-face-hunger-and-malnourishment-as-problems-worsen-in-storms-wake/2013/06/10/9253ec30-d1a1-11e2-9577-df9f1c3348f5_story.html

Help Haiti Distress

For those interested in our conference to help our church in Haiti. Get your deacons to phone Daryl D. in W. KS in Scotts ___.  He is a committee man that can give the latest info. Our congregation has went through these channels and found ways we can help in the present situation. I only post this to encourage others to find ways we can help. Thanks.