As part of our ministry here in Canada we are connecting with different SEND ministries, and sharing stories of what God is doing around the world. I will be occasionally be sharing those here with you.
Christ has Risen!
A story from the Philippines…
Tara* was the last patient before the doctors took a break for lunch. That morning, in this coastal fishing village, more than 200 patients had received health care, counseling, and prayer in our medical clinic. Dr. Sam*, a physician and close friend who has been leading these clinics for more than a decade, patiently listened as Tara complained of severe back pain and a few other ailments. Dr. Sam attended to her needs and then asked if she had any other concerns that he could pray for. Although Tara was silent, a few elderly women sitting nearby told me more of her story after everyone else had left for lunch.
A story from Japan
Blessed are the peacemakers..
The most touchy issue in the temporary housing areas in northern Japan is interpersonal relationships.
Aunty Saki, 72 years old this year, lost her husband in the tsunami and now lives on her own in Sendai temporary housing. There are over 20 households in this unit. Aunty Saki and some other ladies often gather for a chat over tea, or participate in activities together; they had gelled as a group. However, something small that happened in the fall changed all of that, altering their relationship. Without permission, Aunty Saki picked some of Miyo’s tomatoes to eat, angering her. After that, Aunty Saki was excluded from the group; for more than 3 months, no one called her or talked with her.
A story from Russia
“We’ve had 50 years of communism so we need to hear about God now.” For six years, administrators of a public high school on the outskirts of Moscow have welcomed SEND missionary Brenda Bray to teach English every other week. They know she’s religious and give her the freedom to speak on anything she wants.
One Easter during class, Brenda wrote on the board, “Bad things happen to good people. It only happened once.” She then asked the students to discuss. They asked her how she defines good and bad and she turned the question back to them. Finally, one girl connected it to Jesus and the cross. He was the only truly good person and didn’t deserve to die.
Drop by the SEND Canada website @ www.send.org
