Episcopal Relief & Development

Travels in Ghana

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:11:15 +0000

This week, a group of Episcopal Church leaders and lay members are on an Episcopal Relief & Development study tour in Ghana, West Africa, to visit the agency’s field partners and programs. Some of their individual responses from the trip will be published on the blog. Here, Nancy Davidge, editor of Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices, reflects on a day in the field.

For years I've given malaria nets as Christmas gifts to my (now adult) children, as well as other children and teens on my gift list, through the Episcopal Relief & Development NetsforLife® program. And this week, I had the chance to visit Tamale and Bolgatanga, in northern Ghana, to meet and talk with not only the Episcopal Relief & Development affiliated staff who make this happen, but also some of the families whose lives have been changed because of this program. I'm eager to share their stories with my family.

After a very early morning flight to Tamale, we stopped for breakfast, then walked over to the local offices of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale and the Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organisation (ADDRO) – Episcopal Relief & Development's partner organization in northern Ghana. Walking into their office, the first thing I saw were large bundles containing nets. Each bundle contained 100 nets; the pile was four feet high and maybe six feet long. These nets will be brought to area communities where local volunteers will train families in how to use them and ensure they are properly installed.

Later in the day I learned that this Episcopal Relief & Development and ADDRO model of providing installation and training in the use of nets, as well as basic malaria prevention, has been so successful that the government of Ghana has adopted it as the official method of distributing nets. I also learned that this model, with its emphasis on a strong network of community volunteers, is leading to community members looking to ADDRO volunteers for guidance with other urgent needs.

As a person of faith, I see opportunities for Episcopal churches to look to this model for inspiration in our own communities. Looking for and lifting up local volunteers to serve as full partners with our congregations or organizations transforms our work. It changes from “doing a program for” others into one that serves God by honoring the gifts of others, as we work together in transforming our broken world and reconciling ourselves with God.

Photo: Communities are partnering with ADDRO and Episcopal Relief & Development to enable children like these to stay healthier. Courtesy of Brian Sellers-Petersen.

Ash Wednesday, Bolgatanga, Ghana

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:50:00 +0000

This week, a group of Episcopal Church leaders and lay members are on an Episcopal Relief & Development study tour in Ghana, West Africa, to visit the agency’s field partners and programs. Some of their individual reflections and responses from the trip will be published on the blog. Today, on Ash Wednesday, the Rt. Rev. Wendell N. Gibbs, Jr., Bishop of Michigan, shares some of his thoughts, adapted with permission from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.

This is my second trip to the African continent; my first trip to Ghana. I am struck by the amount and severity of poverty that seems to have a stranglehold here. Yesterday, the bishop of the Diocese of Tamale, Bishop Jacob Ayeebo, shared that the census indicates as many as 80% of the people of the diocese live below the poverty level, making this the poorest diocese in Ghana. The opportunities for the church to reach out are plethoric. The partnership between Episcopal Relief & Development and the Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization (ADDRO) is making a difference.

In Ghana, the NetsforLife program has distributed approximately 1.9 million mosquito nets, touching the lives of millions of people. The program is successful because the distribution of nets is accompanied by education and training that encourages the recipients to actually use the nets and seek additional nets when the effectiveness of the net expires after three years. The success of NetsforLife has convinced the government of Ghana to adopt this methodology as a national standard for fighting malaria.

The question I brought with me to Ghana was, "But what else is being done in these communities?" I have not had to wait long to get my answer! The regional staff of ADDRO oversees programs that address 1) food security (teaching sustainable farming practices); 2) needs for micro loans (helping widows and the disabled to be self employed and thus self sustaining); 3) health issues (HIV/AIDS, etc); 4) needs for clean water; 5) education (especially females); 6) issues of child abuse (especially that which occurs if the mother dies in childbirth and the baby is identified as the cause of that death). These are just to name a few!

I am struck by the stunning contrast between life in the United States and life here in Ghana. In the US we take so much for granted; here every drop of clean water, every morsel of food, every smile on the face of a child is so incredibly special. Bishop Jacob said to us yesterday that the Gospel and our response to the Gospel must be concurrent. How we reach out to others is not to be a second thought, but rather an immediate reflection of the Good News of God. May it be so!

Photo: Along the road from Tamale to Bolgatanga, in northern Ghana. Courtesy of Bishop Wendell N. Gibbs, Jr.

Teaching Gardening to Children, Part 2: Helpful Resources

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Cynthia Coe is a Christian formation consultant and writer of the Abundant Life Garden Project, a children's curriculum by Episcopal Relief & Development. This post is adapted with permission from her personal blog.

After spending a LOT of time online and in the bookstore, I have found these are my go-to books for teaching gardening to children in easy-to-understand terms:

• Mel Bartholomew, All New Square Foot Gardening. This is a brilliant way to teach children (and others) how to garden easily and efficiently. This method also provides children with a defined working space, along with easy-to-follow directions. Website is www.squarefootgardening.org.

• Reggie Solomon and Michael Nolan, I Garden: Urban Style. These guys explain gardening in terms all new gardeners can understand. This book is geared to people who live in urban areas with very little space in which to garden and who want to hit the “easy” button. The photos in this book are inspiring. Website is www.urbangardencasual.com.

Two books by British authors that deal specifically with gardening for children are also worth looking at:

• Stefan & Beverley Buczacki, Young Gardener (London: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2006). This book features large print and language suitable for children. If you want something for children to read themselves, this would be the book.

• Karen Liebriech, Jutta Wagner, and Annette Wendland, The Family Kitchen Garden (London: Timber Press, 2009). This book is much more detailed and includes information pages on growing many individual vegetables, fruits and herbs.

Note: These books are geared for the British market; you may need to tweak your use of them to adapt to your specific location and hardiness zone.

Happy planting!

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Photo: Students create square foot gardens atop raised beds. Courtesy of Kelly Norell for Episcopal School of Knoxville.

Teaching Gardening to Children, Part 1: Handy Hints

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Cynthia Coe is a Christian formation consultant and writer of the Abundant Life Garden Project, a children's curriculum by Episcopal Relief & Development. This post is adapted with permission from her personal blog.

This school year, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching gardening to children at the Episcopal School of Knoxville. And it has truly been a pleasure. Children have said that gardening is their favorite class, one child said it was more fun than recess, and two young ladies told me they want to be garden teachers when they grow up.

Yet figuring out exactly how to teach gardening to children has been a bit of a challenge. Though an overwhelming number of books and resources are available on gardening in general, scant few of them address the process of teaching gardening to children. Even books that claim to teach children will simply tell you the basics of constructed raised beds, getting a garden started, or how to grow various veggies – NOT how to present these skills and concepts specifically to children.

Many Episcopal parishes and schools are getting ready to involve children in garden projects, community gardens, and Vacation Bible School or Lenten programs centered on the Abundant Life Garden Project by Episcopal Relief & Development. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the last few months in teaching gardening to children in group settings:

• Teach the basics. In teaching children from mostly suburban neighborhoods, I’ve found the need for simple demonstrations on things like how to put on garden gloves, the names of basic garden tools and how to use them, safety rules in using garden tools, and how to weed.

• Children need a defined space in which to work. Turning a group of children loose on a vegetable garden can lead to absolute chaos. We’ve used the “square foot gardening" concepts and techniques to create small definite spaces in which each child has an opportunity to plant a seed or bulb in a specific place. Assigning two or three children to each raised bed has also been successful.

• Children love hands-on garden work. Two of my most popular lessons have been “weeding” and “how to use a trowel/hoe/shovel.” In a world where children are often overscheduled and are getting huge amounts of “input” in their lives, they seem to need some “down time” to simply pull weeds or work in the dirt. I’ve noticed that children also love to do manual work – a huge contrast to sitting at desks all day, and seemingly a welcome contrast to brain work or more organized activities.

• Don’t sweat the small stuff. Seeds get dropped. Newly planted seeds get hoed over and spread someplace you didn’t intend. In working with children, you can’t worry about your garden being “perfect” (not that anything is perfect, anyway!).

In Part 2, I’ll share some informational resources that have been especially helpful in this process.

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Photo: Cindy Coe (back row) with her gardening students. Courtesy of Kelly Norrell for Episcopal School of Knoxville.

Parable of the Three Coordinators

Nagulan Nesiah — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:50:00 +0000

In a great land, prior to an extended clergy retreat, a diocesan disaster manager called together her three regional coordinators and imparted to them her wisdom. She entrusted the three of them with her disaster preparedness skills and tools, distributing them based on the size and capacity of the parishes in each region. Then she left on her trip.

The first coordinator kept his share of the manager’s talents in safekeeping; he felt that he should not squander away limited resources, and so didn’t use any of them. The second coordinator waited for emergencies to happen and was quick to respond to any disaster with her available talents. The third coordinator put the manager’s talents to immediate use. He began further training and equipping parishes in his region in preparation and response methods, while also utilizing the trained personnel in responding to disasters.

The Sudanese Development and Relief Agency (SUDRA) is an outreach arm of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and a longtime partner of Episcopal Relief & Development. SUDRA is currently in the middle of a multi-year initiative that strengthens the capacity of each of its 31 dioceses in core relief and development competencies.

I am currently in Juba participating in the second and final part of a training course, facilitated by SUDRA staff. This second phase includes curricula on proposal writing and reporting, financial management and program administration, while the first phase focused on disaster preparedness, mitigation and response. Trainings have been conducted in clusters of five to seven dioceses over the last 18 months.

The Church has made a significant commitment to devote resources towards this farsighted effort to equip churches in professional approaches, so that as the political situation continues to stabilize, they can take advantage of new resource opportunities. The energy level and enthusiasm of the participants have been remarkable.

After some time, the manager returned and asked all three coordinators to account for the distributed talents. In response to their reports, the manager was full of praise for the third coordinator. He took some risks in order to multiply the initial training investments through empowering staff, building systems and piloting programs in communities to apply what they had learned.

SUDRA is likewise making full use of its gifts to develop competencies throughout the dioceses. I am privileged to be able to contribute towards these efforts on behalf of Episcopal Relief & Development.

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Nagulan Nesiah is a Program Officer with Episcopal Relief & Development.

Photo: Benjamin Sindan, Emergency Training Officer for SUDRA. Courtesy of the Episcopal Church of Sudan.

Birthing Pains

Nagulan Nesiah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:50:00 +0000

Soon after the birth of our daughter, my wife, Dhushy, and I began fighting more. Our arguments suddenly grew in both intensity and frequency. We bickered about things from the household chores to parenting styles to how many layers of clothing were appropriate for our newborn in a New York winter. But we kept reminding ourselves that this was a normal part of a transition with the addition of a newborn. Quarrelling was part of the process of adjusting to our new family dynamics.

I am now in Juba visiting the Episcopal Church of Sudan. The Church is one of the largest civil society organizations in South Sudan and plays a significant role in the delivery of social services throughout this new nation. The country was “born” less than seven months ago on July 9, 2011, and the country is settling itself into this new reality. Without meaning to make light of the very serious challenges facing South Sudan, it occurred to me that the situation is somewhat similar to my family’s.

There are conflicts between ministries, between local and provincial governments, and between ethnic populations (with the latter being very violent). However, the Church is quick to recognize that this is not so much a reflection of a failed state, but of birthing pains. With six separate relief operations currently running in various parts of the country, the Episcopal Church in Sudan is instinctively responsive to the humanitarian needs of affected populations, while also sensitive to the newness of the country, and is seeking God’s blessing in helping to guide this country into a peaceful, functioning democracy.

Our daughter is now just over two years old, and Dhushy and I are now much more comfortable with our family structure. Episcopal Relief & Development will continue to support and encourage our brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Church in Sudan as they walk with, and provide prophetic leadership in the formation of, their new country. There will be ups and downs in the next few years, and we in the Church will stand in solidarity through it all. In fact, like my wife and I are experiencing now, there could even be a temporary phase of the “terrible twos.”

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Nagulan Nesiah is a Program Officer with Episcopal Relief & Development.

The Episcopal Church in Sudan responds to humanitarian needs
of people displaced by conflict in South Sudan. Photo courtesy
of the Episcopal Church of Sudan.

Wanted: Your Advice

Rob Radtke — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:45:00 +0000

It’s already a few weeks into 2012, and looking back at the past year, I’m very thankful for your partnership with Episcopal Relief & Development. Together we’ve been able to accomplish some extraordinary things, working with communities worldwide to create lasting solutions to poverty. I hope that you stay up to date on our news by checking our website, or joining our Facebook page.

This year is the last in the current triennium, and one of Episcopal Relief & Development’s major tasks is preparing our next strategic plan, covering 2013 to 2015. As you are friends to this organization, your views and advice are very important to us. I would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to fill out an online survey.

Your feedback will help inform our discussions about new priorities and goals. One part of the plan that’s especially exciting will be ways to celebrate Episcopal Relief & Development’s 75th anniversary in 2015. We welcome your ideas!

Again, I would very much appreciate your time in taking the survey. You can find it by clicking here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/MZ83DTV. The survey will be open through the end of the day on Sunday, February 5.

Thank you for helping us in our work of healing a hurting world.

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Rob Radtke is President of Episcopal Relief & Development.

Two Years Later, Moving Toward Hope

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

“The Episcopal Church in Haiti and CEDDISEC have helped many people to rise up and take steps forward toward healing and restored hope.”
- Père Frantz (Fanfan) Cole

January 12, 2010, marked a new page in the history of the Haitian people. While two years have already passed, the consequences of this terrible earthquake are still present. Here in Haiti we are reminded each day of its effects, as we step outside our front doors and continue to see the destruction and debris.

Unfortunately, reconstruction is moving slowly; many people are still living in tents; and many more remain unemployed. Port-au-Prince is not the same Port-au-Prince that we knew in the past — so many buildings, homes, businesses and jobs have been destroyed.

It is very challenging for us to forget that moment — 4:53 p.m. It is a moment that is constantly in our minds.

Yet, as we participated in recent commemoration ceremonies, we were also constantly reminded that we are not alone. Through the action and collaboration of both Haitians and our international brothers and sisters, the Episcopal Church in Haiti and CEDDISEC have helped many people to rise up and take steps forward toward healing and restored hope.

CEDDISEC (Centre Diocésain de Développement Intégré et de Secours) — the relief and development arm of the Episcopal Church in Haiti — with the support of partners like Episcopal Relief & Development, has worked hard this past year to help people take both spiritual and physical steps toward healing and reconstruction. For example, through CEDDISEC’s Shelter Program, 1,240 individuals (265 families) left behind a precarious camp or living environment and moved into new homes. Further, over 1,000 individuals have been gainfully employed in the construction of these new homes.

Amelicia Elizee is one of these individuals. Since the quake, she had been living in a tent, which she had to pack up and move every few months as private and public spaces were forcefully cleared. In July, she shed tears of joy as she became a new homeowner in the urban center of Carrefour.

Similarly, Mme. Jean Heclaire, formerly a trader and renter in Carrefour, found herself homeless and displaced. With four others, she lived in a tent she erected on family land in her hometown of Trouin, a rural community of Léogâne Commune. Today she, too, is a new homeowner, and also is rebuilding her business as a femme Sara (traditional Haitian rural-urban trader).

On the second-year anniversary of the 2010 earthquake, many people expressed their gratitude for the Church’s and CEDDISEC’s assistance. Many shared testimonies of the new sense of security their homes provide. And many shared a wish and prayer that this New Year brings additional opportunities for more people to move into new homes, be employed, feel proud, and feel hopeful about what the future holds.

For more information and a slide show about CEDDISEC’s Shelter Program, supported by Episcopal Relief & Development, visit http://www.er-d.org/HaitiShelter.

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Père Frantz (Fanfan) Cole is the Director of CEDDISEC, the relief and development arm of the Episcopal Church in Haiti and Episcopal Relief & Development’s key implementing partner in the Haiti Recovery Program. Père Fanfan is also the Priest in Charge of Ascension de Thor Parish in Carrefour, an urban center southwest of Port-au-Prince, near the quake’s epicenter.

Photos: Top, Mme. Jean Heclaire, a new homeowner, is rebuilding her business after the Haiti earthquake. Bottom, Père Frantz (left) with new homeowner Amelicia Elizee.

Rise Up and Move Forward

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:55:00 +0000

A message from the Rt. Rev. Jean Zaché Duracin, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. Bishop Duracin's original note in French is included at the end.

Today we commemorate the second anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti and took the lives of more than 300,000.

On this sadly remembered occasion, the Episcopal Church of Haiti will offer special prayers for the victims and their families. Religious services will be organized among the different parishes with appropriate reflections to motivate the people in the spirit of our slogan: Haiti, RISE UP AND MOVE FORWARD.

Thanks to the various activities that we’ve engaged in since the earthquake, we now feel more or less armed with courage and determination to engage in the spiritual and physical battle of reconstruction.

We would like to thank God almighty, our creator and redeemer who rescued us. In addition, our sincere thanks go out to our brothers and sisters who have remained by our side during this most difficult time. We are eternally grateful to the Episcopal Church and our brothers and sisters of the Anglican Communion for their support.

And so it is with this continued effort and faith that we look forward with great anticipation and hope – that the day will come when we can all celebrate together with joy and jubilation over the renaissance of Haiti.

Please receive our prayers of love, peace, happiness and posterity for 2012.
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Photo: Bishop Duracin, courtesy of Harvey Wang for Episcopal Relief & Development.

Leves-Toi et Marches

Aujourd’hui, nous commémorons le deuxième anniversaire du tremblement de terre qui a dévasté Haïti et fait quelques 300.000 morts.

En cette occasion, tristement célèbre, l’Eglise Episcopale d’Haïti aura une pensée spéciale pour les victimes. Des services religieux seront organises dans les différentes paroisses et des réflexions appropriées pour motiver les gens dans le sens de notre slogan : Haïti, LEVE-TOI ET MARCHE.

Grace à différentes activités que nous avons eues après le tremblement de terre on se sent maintenant plus ou moins armé de courage et de détermination pour s’engager dans la lutte de notre reconstruction morale, physique.

Nous remercions tout d’abord le Dieu Tout Puissant notre créateur et rédempteur qui nous a secourus ; nos remerciements vont a tous nos frères et sœurs qui ont chemine avec nous pendant toutes ces difficultés. Nous sommes très reconnaissants envers TEC (the Episcopal Church) et tous nos frères et sœurs de la communion anglicane pour leur support.

Nous espérons un jour célébrer ensemble dans la joie et l’allégresse la renaissance d’Haïti dans un environnement ou il fait bon de vivre.

En cette année 2012; Nous vous prions tous de recevoir nos meilleurs vœux d’amour, de paix, de bonheur et de postérité.

Jean Zaché Duracin
Evêque d’Haïti

Short-term Employment Projects Still Appreciated

Tammi Mott — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:55:00 +0000

“In times like these we all need to keep moving.” - Mr. Pompee

Mr. Pompee, age 72, was one of 66 individuals employed in an Episcopal Relief & Development–supported employment project in the urban center of Carrefour, Haiti.

During this 20-day cash-for-work project, CEDDISEC (Centre Diocésain de Développement Intégré et de Secours, the relief and development arm of the Episcopal Church in Haiti) worked with the Episcopal Parish Ascension of Thor to coordinate the removal of over 50 cubic tons of rubble from an urban walkway. This debris from the January 2010 earthquake had been obstructing access to a residential area; families feared for the safety of small children and the elderly in the precarious climb over the mountain of rubble.

While employment opportunities through cash-for-work programs are temporary and short-term, participants like Mr. Pompee continue expressing appreciation for such initiatives. The extra 4,000 to 5000 gourdes (about $100 to $150 US) typically earned is a welcome addition, helping meet needs for everyday food and goods, housing reconstruction supplies, and repayment of debts to local merchants.

Additionally, the engagement of Haitians and Episcopal parishes in community-led recovery contributes to their psychological well-being as they gain a voice and active role in helping themselves and their communities. Like Mr. Pompee’s, work projects typically facilitate community-wide recovery, resulting in removal of rubble; rehabilitation of markets, clinics and schools; sanitation campaigns; hurricane preparedness and response; road and ditch repair; reforestation; agriculture production; and special assistance for vulnerable residents.

As a Program Officer with Episcopal Relief & Development, I have seen numerous post-disaster studies debating the pros and cons of short-term cash transfer programming such as this. However, when I questioned Mr. Pompee about the value of the CEDDISEC project, his response was direct and without hesitation: “We need more programs like this.” And when I further asked whether such projects should employ fewer people in order to pay higher wages, he responded, “It is better to employ more people and to keep everyone moving. In times like this we all need to keep moving…and we all need to eat.”

Since 2010 CEDDISEC, with Episcopal Relief & Development’s support, has launched 137 cash-for-work community recovery projects, providing short-term employment to 4,768 individuals.

It is true that 2011 was a year of progress and restoration in which many people were able to regain their traditional social and employment activities. Yet, as we approach the second anniversary of the earthquake, many people remain blocked by Haiti’s unresolved land issues and the quake’s lingering economic impact on their lives.

Therefore, as we move into 2012, CEDDISEC intends to keep people moving forward by continuing cash-for-work projects that specifically target the creation of employment opportunities for individuals who remain chronically impacted. These include youth and adults still living in urban tent camps, as well as micro business women and men who have been unable to recover the capital needed to re-launch their trades. At the same time, in conjunction with the Directors of Episcopal and public schools, cash-for-work projects will also provide employment opportunities to parents that had to withhold their children from 2011-12 school enrollment for economic reasons.

For more information about cash-for-work programs and other Phase III recovery activities supported by Episcopal Relief & Development, visit http://www.er-d.org/haiti.

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Tammi Mott is a Program Officer with Episcopal Relief & Development.

Photos: Top – Mr. Pompee (right), with Hipolite, project coordinator from the Episcopal Parish Ascension of Thor, Carrefour, gives a thumbs-up to the cash-for-work program. Center – Program participants moving rubble from the walkway. Bottom – Mr. Pompee (center) with Riguad, manager of the cash-for-work program, and Mrs. Ylofeme, a fellow participant, on the cleared walkway.

Ready

Esther Cohen — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:50:00 +0000

By the time you read this blog post, Advent will be long gone. All of the waiting and preparation is completed: the gifts wrapped and unwrapped, Christmas pageants rehearsed and performed, candles burned, hymns sung, Christmas Eve service just a wonderful memory. Despite the fact that Advent is supposed to be a time of anticipation, I’m often most grateful just for having gotten through the holidays. For good or for bad, I made it to the finish line (December 25), and can breathe a hearty sigh of relief.
It’s easy to feel that way at work, too. Here at Episcopal Relief & Development, we’ve also had hectic preparations over the past few months – completing next year’s budget, coordinating with our partners on next year’s work plans – and by the time we get to the end of the year, I’d love to be able to sit back and announce, “Job well done.”
So now what? I don’t think that I’m the first person to get to this lovely, quiet week – it’s either the peace between holidays or the calm before the storm – and ask this question.
In theory, we all know that Christmas is not supposed to be an ending, but a beginning. All of this preparation, whether spiritual, emotional, or physical, is not meant to help us wind down, sit back and observe the world. We’ve had our time of reflection; now we should be prepared to act. Now, we’re supposed to be ready.
I guess "ready" really describes the work that we do at Episcopal Relief & Development. Ready to work with our partners to alleviate poverty, fight disease and strengthen communities around the world; ready to respond when disaster strikes. Ready to assist US dioceses as they prepare community disaster response and mitigation programs. Ready to provide Christian Formation resources that focus on seeking and serving Christ in all persons. And happily ready to acknowledge the support of thousands of Episcopalians who make this work possible.
Thanks to all of you – and many blessings for a joyous New Year.----------Esther Cohen is Chief Operating Officer at Episcopal Relief & Development.

What It’s All About

Brian Sellers-Petersen — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:50:00 +0000

As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the season of Christmas, I am reminded of all the blessings of this life. In particular, those I have connected with over the past year through the work of Episcopal Relief & Development bring the Good News to mind. As I sing “Joy to the World” this Christmas Eve, I will thank God for:

Bishop Emmanuel Anyindana Arongo of the Anglican Diocese of Tamale, our partner in Ghana. Bishop Emmanuel’s leadership of our development programs has brought hope and abundance to countless people in Northern Ghana. As he moves towards retirement and a well-earned rest in his hometown of Binaba, the world has been left demonstrably better. Families sleeping under insecticide-treated nets are safe from the deadly disease of malaria. Young women with vocational skills are starting businesses that will change their lives and communities. Farmers with seeds and tools and know-how will be feeding their families and communities today, tomorrow and in the years to come.

Carlos and Mercedes of San Juan de los Remates, Nicaragua, who work their small farm from sunup to sundown. Growing corn, beans, tea, mango, bananas and many other crops, they provide for their young son and their community. The couple is helping their neighbors learn to increase crop yields and maintain land fertility using barrier crops and wind breaks, capturing rainwater and controlling soil erosion. For me, Mercedes and Carlos are a witness to God’s abundant love, and what the agri-parables and stories of the New Testament are all about.

The Episcopal Relief & Development Network, a group of some 3,000 volunteers who tirelessly share about our mission in dioceses, parishes and seminaries across the Church. I think of many Network members who have given their time and energy for five, 10, even 15 years or more, helping connect Episcopalians with the needs of people in poverty worldwide. Our lives are blessed and our ministry strengthened by the witness of these passionate and committed Diocesan Coordinators, Parish Representatives and Seminary Coordinators.

On what I know will seem like a totally unrelated note, my favorite holiday television special is A Charlie Brown Christmas. (I promise this will come together in a minute.) Charlie Brown desperately wants to know what Christmas is all about and Linus sums it up. Quoting the Gospel of Luke, he points us to the reason for the season. So, too, do Bishop Emmanuel, Carlos, Mercedes, our Network volunteers and countless others who embody Christ’s message of love, hope and peace – now and throughout the year.

…And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. —Luke 2:8-14

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Brian Sellers-Petersen is Director of Church Engagement at Episcopal Relief & Development.

Photos: Top, Bishop Emmanuel Anyindana Arongo, courtesy of Canon Heidi Shott. Center: Carlos and Mercedes. Bottom: Province IV Network Diocesan Coodinators, courtesy of Eugene Johnston.

Twelve … Umm, Eleven Days of Gifts for Life

Xerxes Eclipse — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Going through old emails allows for some very fascinating discoveries many months later about the things you don’t yet want to delete. Boy, am I glad I saved this one!

Below are the actual lyrics that the Episcopal Church Center Christmas Choir came up with several years ago, sung to the melody of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” We thought it would be fun to mention some items from the Episcopal Relief & Development Gifts for Life Catalog. These simple but life-saving gifts allow families and even entire communities to flourish, while enabling givers to honor friends and loved ones for Christmas or any other occasion.

The choir members also thought we would get a few chuckles by throwing in “Twelve Robert Radtkes” – our President. As we sang, we held cardboard cutouts of Rob’s face mounted onto handles and waved them at the very appreciative crowd.

I remember lots of applause and cheers. Rob may remember it differently, as he stood there mortified that we singled him out in our song. He was indeed a good sport that afternoon, and afterwards I thanked him profusely!

The Gifts for Life program has grown since these lyrics were written. It continues to provide Episcopalians with the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of individuals and families. This holiday season, let us not forget the great many things we still must do to ease the causes of suffering and empower families to better their lives, here and around the world.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve Robert Radtkes
Eleven sets of netting
Ten health educators
Nine mobile health clinics
Eight medicine kits
Seven smokeless stoves
Six water systems
Five milking cows
Four beehives
Three baby goats
Two piglets
and some drought resistant seeds

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

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Xerxes Eclipse is Director of Donor Services at Episcopal Relief & Development.

Photo: Xerxes Eclipse (second from left) with colleagues, from left, Jon Froehlich, Rob Radtke, Adrienne Smart and Ken Gilkes.

Following in Their Footsteps

Rob Radtke — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:50:00 +0000

During the Christmas season, as we reflect on the birth of Jesus and the meaning of our faith, it’s important for all of us to take stock of how we serve God in our everyday lives.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with my teenage daughter. It was a blessing to worship and pray with her every day, and to experience the Gospels coming alive.

Everywhere we went … Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem … scenes I had read about in the Bible suddenly transformed in my mind from black and white to glorious Technicolor. Stories that I studied from an intellectual perspective became visceral and real, immediate and present. At the Sea of Galilee, I prayed at the place where Jesus fed the 5,000 and imagined what it might have been like. Wherever he went, Jesus reached out beyond boundaries, caring for people in need. He showed the abundance of God’s love, and he worked to heal a hurting world.

Visiting the Church of the Annunciation with my daughter was especially poignant. It was there that the Virgin Mary — at the time, roughly her age now — was visited by the angel Gabriel, who told her she was carrying God’s child and would become the mother of Jesus.

What courage it must have taken for a woman at such a young age to say yes — to accept the word of the Lord through His messenger and take on the unimaginable responsibility of giving birth to our Savior. As a father, I understood the Annunciation in an entirely new way. I could easily imagine the fear and concerns that Mary’s parents must have felt and thought.

I came away from the Church of the Annunciation feeling deeply that all of us must try our best to emulate her … to take risks to serve God. To have the bravery — and the faith — to move out of our known experience in pursuit of Jesus’ ministry.

This Christmas, we celebrate the birth of a child who came into a hurting world to heal it, and we honor the courage of His mother, who knew He would sacrifice himself for all of us. Let us resolve to follow in their footsteps as faithfully as possible. Whether it involves supporting Episcopal Relief & Development or moving out in faith in other ways to seek justice, uphold the dignity of every human being, and help those in need, I hope you will do what you can to put our faith into action.

Please accept my thanks and best wishes for a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Year. May God bless you and those you love.

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Rob Radtke is President of Episcopal Relief & Development.

Photo: Lorenzo Lotto, The Anunciation (circa 1534-35), cc by waldopics

The Joy of “Now!”

Episcopal Relief & Development Stories — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:43:33 +0000

A new joy of mine this fall has been teaching the Abundant Life Garden Project, a children's curriculum by Episcopal Relief & Development, with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at the Episcopal School of Knoxville. After three months of garden class – along with doing several “Water Walks,” planting seeds, learning about soil and checking on the growing chickens – I wondered, are the children really getting the point of this class?

I knew the children loved to visit the garden any time they could, and they seemed very attentive as I showed them videos and pictures of gardens and farms in Burundi, Nicaragua and the Philippines. But were they “getting” the concept of water, seeds, soil, animals, and harvest as gifts from God to be shared with others?

So I took some time in my classes the other week to ask children to journal and write about what they learned. I was delighted to find that, along with the basics of gardening, they could also understand the needs of others. A young lady named Ashton wrote, “I used to think everyone could just go right to a faucet and get a drink. But now I know how fortunate I am to just walk to a sink and get water. And some people can’t.”

At the end of class, I asked children to write about times they were hungry and someone fed them, times someone gave them clothing, and times they were strangers and someone welcomed them. As my last question, I asked, “When can we give these gifts to others?”

A young man named Brandt simply scribbled one word on his paper, got up from his seat, and walked up to show me his answer: “Always.”

I whispered, “Well done; you get an A+.” Hearing this, the other young people stopped to think hard for the one-word answer their classmate had successfully discerned.

The rest of the children silently scribbled out a word, left their seats and surrounded me with papers held out. In answering, “When can we give these gifts to others?” they had written, “Now!” “Always!” and “Right after school at 3:00.”

I felt the joy that children often share with us – the joy of immediately and effortlessly “getting” concepts that we struggle to answer later in life. I experienced the joy of “now!”

The third Sunday of Advent celebrates joy. Visit our Advent website for videos and stories about how hope, peace, joy and love are helping heal a hurting world.

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Cynthia Coe is a Christian formation consultant and writer of the Abundant Life Garden Project, a children's curriculum by Episcopal Relief & Development. She teaches at the Episcopal School of Knoxville.

Photo courtesy of Cynthia Coe and the Episcopal School of Knoxville.