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Hospital Ministry in Colombia

aheckman — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:33:01 +0000

Hospital Ministry in Colombia aheckman Thu, 04/11/2024 - 19:33

Hospital Ministry in Colombia

APRIL 12, 2024 - AMY HECKMAN

“Today, I believe that this work is very important because, in moments of sadness or hopelessness in the hospital, a word of encouragement arrives.”

These words from Ana, a volunteer who serves with others in providing practical and spiritual care to new mothers and pregnant women in the city of Chía, Colombia, highlight the aim of this church-led compassionate ministry project. As volunteers encourage and support, patients and staff alike are impacted. Before joining the ministry, Ana was once a patient at the same hospital where she encountered the loving care of these volunteers. Their help, encouragement, and display of Christ’s love changed her life.

For many women, pregnancy and childbirth are accompanied by additional vulnerability, both physical and emotional. Colombia is one of many countries where a woman’s lifetime risk of maternal death is elevated due to reduced access to quality care. Even after birth, new mothers everywhere face challenges like sleep deprivation, feeding and care questions, hormonal adjustments, and recovery from birth. In Colombia, an influx of refugees from Venezuela has meant more patients in the hospital who have fewer resources once they are discharged.

The Nazarene volunteers who visit the hospital every week spend time delivering free food and baby blankets to new mothers, and the food packs have become increasingly important as the refugee population grows. When patients request, volunteers with training in infant care also share breastfeeding and bottle-feeding tips. Emotional and spiritual support is provided through in-room visits and prayer times, along with regular visits with administrative staff. The team wears identifying jackets as they minister, so they are easily recognized around the hospital.

“Each of the servants who goes to the hospital days knows that giving refreshments, praying for someone, and being able to bless another is a service to which God called,” said one project leader. The hospital staff is grateful for the volunteers' efforts, and recently asked the team to increase the number of days per week that they are present in the hospital.

Sometimes, the stories of the mothers weigh heavily on the hearts of the volunteers. Recently, the team provided support to a 14-year-old girl, a refugee from Venezuela, who gave birth at the hospital and required intensive support in the days following the birth. Her history was traumatic, and she remained in the hospital alone, without hygiene supplies, struggling to know how to care for her infant. The team immediately intervened, providing toiletries, clothes, and blankets, sharing infant feeding and care instructions, and praying with her for encouragement. Though volunteers tried to stay connected, the young mother was forced to return to Venezuela due to financial need.

“Cases like this are very common in the hospital,” reported the project leader. “[They are] a population that we cannot ignore.”

Ana knows what it is like to be in that vulnerable position as a patient and find hope through this project. Four years ago, as a new mom, she joined a breastfeeding support group led by some of the volunteers.

“From that moment the team began to pray for me,” she explains. “I began to receive [food packs] every week . . . After calls and follow-up, I receive the Lord in my heart and was invited to some trainings and then to meet more frequently on Sundays. There I joined the church.”

Ana’s transformation continued past her spiritual new birth. She is taking classes to learn how to read and write and has joined the volunteer team to visit patients.

“I feel very happy because I know God, I have a church, and I serve in this work,” she said.

The success of this ministry project lies in the commitment of team members like Ana, who faithfully reach out with care to this vulnerable population. With each visit, the team knows they are being Christ’s hands and feet.

“The success of a project happens when four aspects are added together: willingness, time, resources, and prayer,” said the project leader. “God has given us a green field called Chía Hospital to sow and work.”

South America

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After The Storm: Showing Compassion in Peru

aheckman — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:38:56 +0000

After The Storm: Showing Compassion in Peru aheckman Thu, 11/02/2023 - 18:38

After The Storm: Showing Compassion in Peru

NOVEMBER 2, 2023 - AMY HECKMAN

In March of 2023, Cyclone Yaku caused devastation across northern Peru, with rains causing rivers to overflow and landslides adding to the loss of lives, homes, businesses, and schools. At least 71 people died, and more than 131,000 people were impacted. As the summer of 2023 continued, heavy rains continued to plague the country. By August, the Government reported 839,760 people needing humanitarian aid since the start of the rainy season in January. Of this group, 123,691 people have been rendered homeless, and 48,903 houses are reported destroyed or uninhabitable.

The Church of the Nazarene in Peru responded to help families impacted by Cyclone Yaku during the months of March, April, and May. Through distributions, these affected families received mattresses, sheets, food, cleaning kits, and personal hygiene kits. To help others with damaged homes, volunteers installed new roofs or repaired broken walls. For some people, the aid from the church was more helpful than that they received from local authorities, “leaving the name of Jesus Christ very high among the community,” reported one volunteer.

New roof in place on a damaged home.

Concerns continued to grow in the country as the summer went on. Unusually hot and wet weather led to the perfect situation for an outbreak of dengue fever. Political protests have become a reality, and right now, the cost of essential goods has doubled. The El Niño weather pattern has impacted the rates of crop production in the country, leading to more food and economic insecurity. Through compassionate outreaches like this project, churches in Peru are supporting families facing multi-layered difficulties.

One family assisted by Nazarene volunteers included two adult members who live with developmental disabilities. Water from the cyclone had significantly damaged the room where these adults slept. When volunteers met the family, the adults were sleeping on the floor. When new mattresses were delivered, the family was grateful to be able to help these members have safe and comfortable sleep arrangements again. One volunteer summed up the project, saying, “We have left traces of love and compassion.”

Updates From Ukraine: Creating Opportunities to Respond in Love

aheckman — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 21:51:21 +0000

Updates From Ukraine: Creating Opportunities to Respond in Love aheckman Thu, 07/27/2023 - 21:51

Updates From Ukraine: Creating Opportunities to Respond in Love

JULY 27, 2023 – CRYSTAL GIBBONS

As medical volunteers from Global Care Force visited churches and villages across Ukraine over the fall and winter of 2022, they prayed that God would help them find at least one person in each location that would be the right fit for an inaugural trauma-care training.

Global Care Force, an organization founded by Dr. Gary Morsch that sends medical volunteers to crisis areas around the world, was partnering with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to provide basic trauma training for people who are committed to helping those around them and training others in this valuable practice. The first group of 12 trainees gathered just across the border from Ukraine in Przemysl, Poland, in late January, eager to help the most vulnerable people in their communities or those coping with trauma within their own families. After a year of war, the attendees themselves were also dealing with sustained trauma. Through the training, Pastor Volodymyr Masyuk found that he was dealing with the same things as those he pastors.

"Some time ago, I started feeling not myself, I was thinking that something was wrong with me,” Masyuk shared. “I tend to think trauma is somewhere else, not in my life. But I am starting to see the complex trauma that I have experienced. This week was like an emotional MRI. The time here has given me some tools to start to deal with my trauma."

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 70 percent of the world's population has experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Trauma affects our emotional response, our mental health, and even our physical health. A series of traumatic events over a period of time, known as complex trauma, holds our brains hostage in the flight, flight, or freeze response mode without allowing our bodies to return to a relaxed state. In Ukraine, an entire nation has experienced complex trauma on many levels and will take decades—if not generations—to heal.

Valentina Berezniak joined the training from Kazatin, Ukraine. "I want to have more tools to help those around me understand that trauma can be healed,” she explained. “Having a place where you can show your pain can give you a feeling of hope. It will make our healing as a society better, because healing is contagious.”

At times, small acts of love can seem pointless in the face of war. But, although this nationwide trauma is vast and can be overwhelming, those who are trained will become like little pebbles thrown into the sea. Though they are small, the ripples will eventually touch every corner of Ukraine.

Taken from the latest issue of NCM Magazine. Read online here.

A Sacrificial Love

aheckman — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 20:09:08 +0000

A Sacrificial Love aheckman Thu, 07/13/2023 - 20:09

A Sacrificial Love

JULY 13, 2023 - STEPHEN O. GUALBERTO

It has been three years now since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the whole world. The pandemic affected billions of lives globally with disease, death, debt, and distress. It has seriously complicated an already broken world. But in the midst of so much brokenness, we have seen many churches become hands and feet of Jesus, salt and light to the world.

In addition to the pandemic that hit us so hard, injustices around us— corruption, greediness, selfishness, hate, violence, crime, poverty, war, and many others—are on the increase daily. While many world leaders talk about peace and progress, the world is deeply divided. In our hostility to one another, we disagree on important matters and often don’t trust each other. In the Philippines, where I live and am a citizen of this archipelago, we are beginning to realize that what is wrong with our nation is not a political divide but rather moral and spiritual crisis. We need more than money to rebuild our cities, our homes, our families, our marriages, our schools, our business, our churches, and our government from the pandemic and other crises. We need more to preserve the next generation— our children and youth. We need the church of Jesus Christ to be once again more and more loving, living the love of God to the lost, the least, and the last.

We need to revisit our understanding of compassion. We need a rebirth of compassion in the church.

Compassion is to suffer with another person—the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, the hurting. To have compassion means more than just feeling sorry or sad for those who are hurting or have needs. Having compassion moves you to get down where they are in the midst of their need, to suffer with them in the midst of their pain, to lift them up from their brokenness, and to defend them in their desolation.

In the story of the prodigal son, we read that “when father saw his son, he felt compassion with his son, the father ran towards his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). It is beyond feelings or emotion. It is more than being sorry for what people are going through. Compassion is not a program nor a project. The Bible teaches us that compassion is when you see the problem, you are moved by the need to act on it. You go out to where the problem is, stand in the gap courageously, bring hope to the people, and get your hands dirty to help someone.

Jesus Christ is the only perfect model of compassion. Across the Gospels, we see Jesus identifying Himself with the poor, the marginalized, and oppressed, acting on their misery to bring them to better heights in life. Matthew 14:14 tells us that Jesus had compassion on the great crowd following Him, so He healed the sick and then fed the five thousand. His compassion did not stop there. Jesus had the same compassion on another crowd and so fed the four thousand (Matthew 15:32). When Jesus saw the two blind men in Jericho (Matthew 20:34), He was filled with compassion and healed them on the spot.

For our Lord Jesus Christ, compassion was not a feeling; it was a commitment, a sacrificial love, denying Himself in order to get involved with hurting people. Real compassion moves from feeling to action.

As the church, not the building but the believers, is the Body of Christ, we are to live, love, and lead like Jesus Christ. We are to intentionally exemplify compassion. And as we make Christlike disciples in the nations, compassion is not an option but rather the lifestyle of every believer. It should be our heartbeat and our DNA of being disciples of Christ.

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Taken from the latest issue of NCM Magazine. Read online here.

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A Fast That Pleases The Lord

aheckman — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 04:39:08 +0000

A Fast That Pleases The Lord aheckman Wed, 07/05/2023 - 04:39

A Fast That Pleases The Lord

July 5, 2023 - GUSTAVO A. CROCKER

During one of the first international Nazarene Compassionate Ministries seminars on poverty alleviation, I was challenging the participants to mobilize as the healing hands of Jesus. A well-intended believer told me that social ministry was a distraction for the evangelizing work of the church—after all, Jesus Himself reminded us that the poor will always be with us. If that were true, we should stop trying to solve the problem of suffering and focus on evangelism.

I couldn't disagree more. The reality of the gospel is that it is good news for the whole person in the whole world. While Jesus did rebuke the disciples’ false solidarity in what they thought was a waste of money that could have been given to the poor, Jesus was not making light of the reality of poverty, oppression, and exploitation. The disciples were simply putting things out of context. What Jesus told them was that a true act of mercy and justice couldn’t be done in isolation from Him, the source of justice and righteousness.

Besides, from His declaration of mission in Luke 4 to His description of the end of times in Matthew 25, Jesus placed the oppressed at the center of His mission, message, and ministry. His ministry model was to the whole person. When traveling across the villages and communities preaching, teaching, and healing, Jesus was moved to compassion because He saw the people harassed and hopeless, experiencing emotional, spiritual, and physical poverty. The last, the least, and the lost had a special spot in Jesus’ heart; the incarnate God called His disciples to see Him in those who were marginalized (Matthew 25). He challenged the religious practices void of solidarity, giving a contemporary recitation of the message given to the people through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 58. It is interesting that in this rebuke to the religious symbolism void of solidarity, the Lord is encouraging us to address both absolute and relative poverty: spiritual and social poverty. He is asking us to work both in the alleviation of suffering (by sharing our resources) and biblical justice (by speaking up). The message of Jesus is a message of restoration—of God’s people with their Creator, and of God’s people to a full life the way He intended.

In the small Nazarene church in Guatemala where my parents found the saving grace of Jesus, the grace and compassion of Christ was not only preached in word but also demonstrated in deed. It was a church that was established to be with the poor and the lost. And it was also a church that, since its beginnings, had been established to minister to and embrace the poor while preaching and embodying holiness. That’s why I was thankful when my experience of a church that stands for the poor became part of the polity beyond a statement or a declaration.

You can find it in the Manual of the Church of Nazarene (p. 394), an excerpt of which reads: (We) believe that Jesus commanded His disciples to have a special relationship to the poor of this world; that Christ’s Church ought, first, to keep itself simple and free from an emphasis on wealth and extravagance, and second, to give itself to the care, feeding, clothing, and shelter of the poor. Throughout the Bible and in the life and example of Jesus, God identifies with and assists the poor, the oppressed, and those in society who cannot speak for themselves. In the same way, we, too, are called to identify with and to enter in solidarity with the poor and not simply to offer charity from positions of comfort. We hold that compassionate ministry to the poor includes acts of charity as well as a struggle to provide opportunity, equality, and justice for the poor. We further believe that the Christian responsibility to the poor is an essential aspect of the life of every believer who seeks a faith that works through love.

...And that's why we are a compassionate church...

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Taken from the latest issue of NCM Magazine. Read online here.

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Life On The Margins

aheckman — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 21:12:54 +0000

Life On The Margins aheckman Thu, 06/22/2023 - 21:12

Life On The Margins

JUNE 22, 2023 - DEIRDRE BROWER LATZ

Compassion is the essence of how our faith is shown in action. Treating people with dignity, generosity, and open hearts, minds, churches, and homes—each of these is welcoming and honoring others in the same way we would welcome Jesus. This is the shape of our Nazarene life.

The Scriptures reveal Jesus as someone who declares good news through His love and care toward those that are unnoticed, lost, afflicted, outcasts, poor, hopeless, rejected, despised, and overwhelmed. And the Bible calls us—as God’s people—to display love by caring for the world and all who dwell in it; we are to be compassionate. We respond to the prophet’s call to recognize exploitation and oppression. We challenge those who abuse and crush poor people as well as confronting those who shorten the lives of children, destroy homes, and leave people naked and enslaved for their own gain. We join God’s mission of care for “the least of these”—because in this, we love Jesus the most. This, too, aligns with our deep Nazarene history:

“Let the Church of the Nazarene be true to its commission; not great and elegant buildings; but to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and wipe away the tears of sorrowing … The gospel comes to a multitude without money and without price, and the poorest of the poor are entitled to a front seat at the Church of the Nazarene." - P. F. Bresee

In Bresee’s words, we realize our heritage that is marked with holy love for those on the margins of society. Globally, we encounter people without food, water, clothes, homes, freedom, or hope. Some people are so abused and soul-sickened that they turn to alcohol, drugs, pain medications, and more in order to hide their pain; some others struggle to find acceptance in society. How do we approach such needs and situations? We respond through compassionate actions, displaying God’s love for the people, creatures, and even our environment. Compassionate action changes lives.

What does it look like? Years ago, our local congregation—a tiny, thriving, generous, hope-filled place—realized there were people in our city whose asylum claims had been rejected but could not return to their home countries because of the danger. Their lives were in limbo. As a congregation, we joined forces with other churches and offered evening meals, showers, washing machines, and beds for the night. And year after year, we continued extending such practical services.

Another congregation became aware of issues with female bodies, including struggles with monthly cycles, shame, and embarrassment among some groups. The congregation worked with supermarkets and nurses, who gave their time to hold a month-long “woman only” event. Dozens of women dropped in to talk to medical professionals, leaving reassured and aware that the church cares for them. Restoring dignity and being heard are ways compassionate action touches lives.

Magnificently, some senior women participated in training that focused around “what’s in your hand.” They realized they had many years of experience and great skills in mothering and nurturing between them. They opened the church for a warming café, and local residents who were on the margins of the community through disability or life-limiting illness began to drop in and find shelter and hope. The biggest thing they did was to talk with people about normal things. Word spread, and soon the café and then the church were full of people laughing and sharing life together, empowered by love to belong.

Another couple, lifelong church members, were devastated by the husband’s diagnosis with dementia. They started a carer’s café with tea, cake, music, and memories every Friday for any others in their shoes. What began with just the two of them and a friend has grown to more than 40 people. Creative, engaged compassion has changed their lives.

Who are we? How do we align ourselves with God’s compassionate action in the world in service to Christ? Shaped by Scripture and our history, we open our eyes to the needs on our doorsteps, being open-minded about how God can use us. Compassion is who we are called to be: good news.

Taken from the latest issue of NCM Magazine. Read online here.

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Threads of Hope: Conflict, Clothes, and Courage

aheckman — Wed, 24 May 2023 15:39:09 +0000

Threads of Hope: Conflict, Clothes, and Courage aheckman Wed, 05/24/2023 - 15:39

Threads of Hope: Conflict, Clothes, and Courage

MAY 24, 2023 · BY AMY HECKMAN

VAPNIARKA, UKRAINE

“We had no clue what was going on and what we will do.”

With that simple statement, Tolik Galagan sums up the deep feelings of Ukrainians who were stunned when war broke out in their nation. It was February 24, 2022, and in Vapniarka, where Galagan leads the local Church of the Nazarene, confusion soon turned to fear and grief.

“The church was very panicked,” said Galagan. “Everybody was sad that tragedy came to our country.”

Tolik Galagan preaching at the Church of the Nazarene in Vapniarka, Ukraine

LIMA, OHIO

At the same time, on the other side of the world in Lima, Ohio, members of Lima Community Church of the Nazarene began to pray for their friends and fellow believers in Ukraine while processing the same feelings. Clyde and Carolyn Lotridge, members of Lima Community and long-time supporters of missions, prayed with their unique connection to Ukraine in mind.

Clyde and Carolyn Lotridge of Lima, Ohio

Prayer was constant in Vapniarka, too. The members of the church prayed about how to react to these developments and to people in need—and this was not an unusual prayer for them. As a community, they were used to being a place of refuge. The church is home to an orphanage and child development center.

It was in that same orphanage years earlier where Galagan himself found a safe place to live and a refuge from homelessness. He also received mentorship from the pastor, tutoring to catch up on his schooling, and began his walk with Christ. After working in Kyiv once he graduated from university, Galagan was invited back to lead the church where he had grown up, and he returned there in November of 2021. Just three months after arriving to lead and serve with this congregation, war broke out.

Back in Ohio, as the stories about the first stages of the war made their way to the Lotridges’ home, the couple was already planning their next steps. Lima is home to the Lotridge Family Foundation, a ministry that Clyde and Carolyn founded in 2004 with proceeds from the sale of a business. Their initial mission was to support Nazarene churches and ministries in Ukraine, and then other countries, with needed clothing and medical supplies. Local thrift stores and a donation center on the campus of Lima Community Church provided clothing. Volunteers from the church and community joined the Lotridges to fold and pack donated clothes. Nazarene ministries like the Fawn Grove Compassion Center funneled donations to Lima for the foundation to pack and ship.

Over the years, the ministry grew. The Lotridges regularly sent large shipping containers full of clothing, crisis care kits, equipment, wheelchairs, and canes to Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries overseas. Though the COVID-19 pandemic had paused large shipments to Ukraine, when the war started, Clyde and Carolyn prepared to get supplies in again. They were helped by their many contacts in logistics and across the global church.

In Ukraine, people began moving. When millions of residents, especially women and children, began leaving their homes for safety, most members of the Vapniarka church decided to stay. They were convinced they had to do something to help and prayed for the opportunity. They knew that the children living in their orphanage needed to be protected and that people in need would soon come to their door.

Vapniarka is situated in the southeast region of the country, only 80 kilometers from the Moldova border. The town boasts a large train station and is an important part of the Ukrainian railroad system. People who decided to flee often passed through Vapniarka on their way to Poland, Moldova, and other places. Because the church building is situated near the station, church members began reaching out to these refugees, offering food and providing shelter in the church building.

The Nazarene church in Vapniarka

The efforts ramped up quickly as more and more people were traveling through the area. A van donated by Nazarenes in the Netherlands was put into service delivering food and supplies to people in the area.

While putting this van to work, Galagan met an elderly woman on the side of the road. He and other volunteers asked what she needed, and she began to cry, explaining she had been underground for 21 days, hiding with her family. “She couldn’t believe that someone she never knew or saw was willing to give her food,” he said.

At the same time, efforts were ramping up in Lima, too. Pastor Brad Taylor, Executive Pastor of Lima Community Church, shared that their congregation partnered with the Lotridges to donate coats for shipment to Ukraine. "This was probably the third coat drive [for Ukraine] that the church has hosted,” he explained. “That year, particularly because of the war, I think our people’s hearts were just moved because they knew what was happening there.”

In Vapniarka, Galagan continued to struggle with the ongoing crisis, even as his people began to find more ways to serve.

”It was a very tough time ... I had a lot of different feelings,” shared Galagan. “That pushed me to spend time in my room with the Lord. He said, ‘I am with you, I will never leave you and never forsake you, just stay with me.’” This comfort from God has made all the difference for Galagan throughout the war. “When it’s hard and tough, I am holding [on to] that ... strength and encouragement comes.”

Galagan leading prayer with teens from the Vapniarka church

By June, thousands of refugees had streamed through the Vapniarka train station. Many had taken only what they could carry, so material needs were high. Local families were struggling to afford supplies and food as costs rose. While this unfolded, Nazarene leaders on the Eurasia Region realized they needed a leader to receive and distribute regular donations that were now being sent to Ukraine from the Lotriges and Lima Community Church, along with other foundations. The Regional leaders picked the Vapniarka church due to its central location and asked Galagan to supervise the shipments of large amounts of donated clothing, crisis care kits, and food.

When he was told that shipping containers would start arriving, “It was evidence of what the Lord was speaking to me,” said Galagan. “It was an answer from the Lord that he will take care of us and take care of people.”

The day the first container was delivered, missiles started to fly over the community. While the adult leaders were nervous about being outside while unloading the container, the youth group members simply continued to work. Galagan said the peace felt by the teens calmed him and gave him courage as they worked. “We continued to unload the container, [and now the presence of missiles] almost normal life for us.”

Pallets of donated crisis care kits and clothing

Most refugees had fled quickly with only what they could carry, leading many to wonder where they’d obtain all they needed for the coming winter. Every jacket, pair of shoes, crisis care kit, and bag of food supplied had an immediate impact. “People were crying that someone is sending and blessing them with what they needed,” shared Galagan.

So far, the efforts of the Lima Community congregation and the Lotriges have filled seven full shipping containers for transportation into Ukraine. With each container sent, another thread of hope is woven between the two cities and churches. Clyde Lotridge expressed that they could never have accomplished this level of support without people from their church.

”To make this happen a lot of people join hands,” Clyde said. “We all have a job to do, and everyone came out to do it. If you put the word out, the people respond!”

A conflict like this war presents both great need and a great opportunity for local churches to meet those needs. As both church leaders explained, it also provides a chance for those doing the serving to grow in their own faith as they extend hope and help.

Pastor Taylor shared that his teenage sons are among those who have been impacted by their church’s commitment to Ukraine, and how meaningful it has been.

“For us to be able to say to them that there’s a really practical way we can help during such a time as this ... [that] really did change their perspective on the world and on how they can use their resources for good. I know that’s not particular to my family—that’s happened all over our church,” said Pastor Taylor.

Galagan reflected on the lessons he is learning in this season as he coordinates relief efforts around the country.

“God is teaching me first of all to be very strong, and to be so close in relationship with the Lord to keep my sanity. To be in my hiding place, constantly to seek the Lord, to be so close with him, to hear his voice, to know that he is all the time with me,” said Galagan.

Clothing distribution at Kyiv Church of the Nazarene

A family receiving donations in Vapniarka

As war continues and the need for people on the move to find help and hospitality remains high, the Spirit creates moments for believers to courageously put their faith into action. As Galagan puts it, “This is the season where God is teaching me to step out from my comfort zone, to go beyond and above what I will usually do.”

A service at the Vapniarka church

Since the war began, more than 14 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine. This war has caused the fastest forced population movement since World War II. Nazarene churches in Ukraine are standing in solidarity with their neighbors. You can support their efforts by giving at ncm.org/ukraine.

Photos from Vapniarka provided by Genadiy Naumov.

A Ministry of Presence at the Border

aheckman — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:57:10 +0000

A Ministry of Presence at the Border aheckman Wed, 03/08/2023 - 15:57

A Ministry of Presence at the Border

MARCH 8, 2023 · BY NMI STAFF

In Przemyśl, Poland, the global Church of the Nazarene has been responding since the onset of war in Ukraine.

When the war broke out, the first Nazarene responder at the Polish-Ukrainian border was a Syrian pastor, seeking ways to serve. Soon after, a team formed, putting out the call for volunteers to come and physically provide resources to the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes.

In Arizona, USA, Ukrainian Ira Petersen immediately knew that she needed to go.

“The help ‘path’ was kind of obvious,” Ira says. “Get as close as possible to Ukraine and Ukrainians. I couldn’t just sit and watch from the distance when I could actually do something.” Through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries’ presence at the border train station in Przemyśl, Poland, Ira says, “God showed the direction and opened the door.”

Since then, a steady stream of Nazarenes from Ireland, France, Bulgaria, England, the United States, South Africa, and beyond have flowed from their homes toward the tiny train station flooded with people in crisis. Students, families, professors, nurses, farmers, and pastors have all found a place to serve those fleeing the danger of war. Some haul suitcases up and down hundreds of flights of stairs, providing a moment of relief from a heavy burden. Some brew pot after pot of steaming tea, offering warmth within bitterly cold outdoor lines to passport control. Some sit and color with the littlest travelers, giving weary moms the chance to recharge a phone or repack a bag or simply rest in a chair.

Whatever their role, these Nazarene believers are answering the call to provide the ministry of presence in a moment of pain.

“This group of people had their safety and humanity taken from them,” says Caleb Sandlin, who lives in Missouri, USA. “I chose to volunteer on the border because I believe that’s what Christ would have done. I chose to volunteer on the border because I am a servant of Christ, and I refuse to not share the love of Christ with those in need.”

Matteo Ricciardi, of Italy, knew the call for volunteers was meant for his own ears. “I was moved by God to help,” Matteo says. “When we pray that God gives us ways to serve him and opportunities like these come to our attention, the response can only be to commit one’s strength, invest one’s time, and share grace.”

“Here at the border,” Ira says, smiling, “We have people that speak English with many accents, Ukrainian, Russian, and a lot of different languages. But,” she continues, “the language of love, language of care—anybody who cares and loves, they know that language and they could show it, they could share it.”

Shared from NMI Central. Subscribe to this weekly update here.

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Lifelong Pursuit of God’s Love

aheckman — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:22:10 +0000

Lifelong Pursuit of God’s Love aheckman Thu, 01/19/2023 - 16:22

Lifelong Pursuit of God’s Love

JANUARY 19, 2023 · NELL BECKER SWEEDEN

One of the most simple and profound aspects of God’s faithfulness is found in the word love. Love shows up in Scripture when describing both who God is and how God acts in the world on behalf of God’s covenant people. Love is embodied in Jesus’ incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, and it is His call to His disciples.

The Gospel of John talks about love in reference to Jesus returning to the Father and in Jesus’ love for His own in the world (John 13:1). In this passage, as a gesture of selfless love, Jesus takes the form of a servant and washes His disciples’ feet, even as He knows of impending betrayals (John 13:2-5). After Jesus goes on with His teachings, He then leaves His disciples with the statement: Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another (v. 34).

Does it really come down to that simple command—to love? Yes. There also lies the hard part: how to love in all circumstances. The real challenge of faithfulness to God is in how we live out God’s love for the world and express it in our daily lives. Love takes on many shapes and forms in a community through the participation of its members. How do we love our neighbors when our neighbors may not be very lovable, or when their situations seem insurmountable? How we love, especially and precisely then, is where we really begin to lean into what it means to be a Jesus follower.

Of course, what we know in fact is harder in practice. Jesus’ own life and death are further testimony of this. Jesus, as the embodiment of God's love for the world, poured Himself out even when it meant suffering and humiliation, betrayal and death. This simple command “to love as I have loved you,” is completely counter- cultural and—truth be told—quite overwhelming. The reality is that Jesus’ call to love is hard work, and it takes all of who we are as humans. And yet, the equally radical promise is that this kind of love reflects God’s love for us. And it will change the world.

Following the two central commands to love God and neighbor is truly a lifelong pursuit. And yet, as we show up, God’s love and grace shows up, too. In the following pages, you will encounter beautiful, labor- filled expressions of what it means to show up—to love God and neighbor in all sorts of circumstances.

Some in these stories are following in Jesus' footsteps, sowing seeds of love at great risk to their lives. Others endure how to love through many trials and much suffering. All of these faithful servants, through the creative power of the Holy Spirit, are seeking and finding new pathways to express a tangible love for those enduring desperate circumstances— physical abuse, neglect, economic crisis, war. Their love is motivated by the love of Jesus and following His way in the world. It is not an easy road, but one full of grace and hope. What an amazing testimony to the love of God for the world. For as Jesus said: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13: 35). To God be the glory.

This article taken from the latest NCM Magazine. Read more of this issue here.

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How Beautiful Are the Feet Who Bring Good News

aheckman — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 02:20:17 +0000

How Beautiful Are the Feet Who Bring Good News aheckman Thu, 07/14/2022 - 02:20

How Beautiful Are the Feet Who Bring Good News

JULY 14, 2022 · NELL BECKER SWEEDEN

How do we find hope when all seems hopeless? And how do we find God's hope when it isn’t obvious? Perhaps this is what it means to have faith—that thing with the potential to be beautiful gift even in the midst of desperation because it is an anchor, a guidepost. Faith is what reminds that God is there with us.

In times of war, displacement, suffering, and unrest, I wonder: if we as Christians struggle in the times of darkness, what is it like for those who have not heard or known of Jesus’ grace, love, and salvation? The words of Paul quoting Isaiah may point to the answer:

“But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15)

How are they to believe if they have not heard? The answer is through each of us. Precisely in the difficult times, believers are called to give out of the depth of our being for the sake of others. This is what Jesus indeed modeled for us; we give not through words alone, but through actions imbued with the love of Christ. And yet, what is so unexpected is that as we act compassionately, the gift of love is not depleted but rather renewed in us.

It seems most difficult to be asked to give something else in the midst of our own trials and tribulations. But through the call to love others, the heart indeed grows infinitely. As Parker Palmer writes in The Courage to Teach, "…the courage to keep one’s heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able.”

Unlike a muscle that might wear out, love grows stronger each time you use it. We can see this idea again through the words of David Brooks in The Road to Character: "The more you love, the more you can love. A person who has one child does not love that child less when the second and third child come along. A person who loves his town does not love his country less. Love expands with use.”

I am most confident of God's presence even in the darkest times because so much of Scripture attests to this very thing: human beings crying out for God and the confirmation of God's presence and promise to be with us and for us. God in Jesus has made himself one with us even in our sin, even in dying and death. And, God conquered all for us as the greatest act of love. God in Jesus Christ is our healer and Savior. Praise be to God!

Lord, give each of us the courage and the strength to love with the same love that You have for us. Be with those who are serving you in the darkest of times; give them Your abundant love and expand their love infinitely.

This story taken from the latest issue of NCM Magazine. Click here to read.

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