From the Field

I think it’s about time that I update our website! 2016 has been pretty busy for us, and I haven’t had much time to do any updates. We now have some down time between teams, so I’m going to bring you an update from February… yes, February!
Source: Southwest Indiana @ Morazán from Courtneys

Kudjip needs rain.  For the past 2+ months, there has been very little rainfall at Kudjip.  To many in the US, this might be pretty normal, but at Kudjip, we are used to having rain almost everyday.  The rain is what supplies us with water.  Each house has water tanks, that the rain water fills, and then is used for everything – flushing toilets, drinking, doing dishes, laundry and showering.  Not only does rain fill water tanks, it also helps gardens to grow.  In a culture, where most people survive off of what they can grow in their garden, no rain means no food, both now and in the future, as folks are unable to plant. On a mission station with missionaries and nationals and a hospital, no rain is even more worrisome.  If the tanks are dry, it makes it hard to run the hospital, to wash our hands, to clean and sterilize instruments, for patients to use the restroom and wash their hands, to have drinking water, etc.  Our station has a well system, which many of our houses are soley dependent on, but this is being depleted, as everyone is tapping into it. The station is powered by our hydro power, but with no rain, the river level has decreased, making it harder to generate the power we need. So bottom line, Kudjip needs rain.  Please pray.
Source: Pray for rain from Erin Meier – Asia Pacific

Yep, I’m the one that seemingly does awkward things, things that always look better in my head than in real life.  Standing up at a conference and yelling “Member Care” at the top of my lungs, with my arms raised in the air, was no exception.  During the long 5 seconds of silence where you could hear a pin drop, I had a moment to ponder if I had regretted what I did, and you know what?  I didn’t.  I can’t help it – Member Care is something I’m passionate about!  It may have begun years ago when I took a “Self-Care in Mission” class in Seminary.  In that class, one of our assignments was to interview an individual or couple who had been on the field for a long time.  I knew right away who I wanted to call, an amazing couple I deeply respected.  I ended up hearing so many amazing, yet heartbreaking, things about their story.  And while some things have naturally changed since they’ve been on the field, like the introduction of modern technology, which has drastically helped us all feel more connected than we used to, it seems that much of what they experienced in the way of Member Care is not that different than what current missionaries experience today.   The most basic idea of Member Care is about an environment and structure that fosters care-givers being cared for in holistic ways.  The idea of Member Care, though, is not that it would only benefit…
Source: Member Care from Scotts – Eurasia