QUENCHING POVERTY

Years of working in developing countries has shown that grants for aid can actually turn out to be destructive rather than helpful. One of the great problems is the development of dependency that requires recurring aid support year after year. In addition, all over the world there are projects that have been abandoned because of a lack of maintenance or skills to operate equipment. One of the factors that has contributed to that is that so many people live in extreme poverty and are struggling every day just to survive. People who live close to the survival line usually do not have the energy for envisioning and dreaming for new projects, nor do they have a paradigm to address issues such as maintenance or depreciation. Sometimes, tragically, farmers even need to feed their seed corn to their families. That means that not only is the next harvest eliminated, but the potential for future harvest is compromised.

Ekklesia is combating this problem with a strategy to provide training to help people to have long-term vision and develop a mindset of planning for the future. While we are dependent on the Lord and never completely self-sufficient, we can learn ways to design and operate projects in a way that is economically sustainable.

Woven into the training has to be prayer ministry and spiritual warfare to tear down the influences of strongholds that exist in the way people live and think. It is wonderful when the Lord reveals His truth to people so that they become truly free. It is exactly what Jesus promised, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!”

Originally begun to provide clean water to those who did not have access to it, the Bishop’s Well expanded to be a Well of Resources to make positive differences in people’s lives in many areas, not just with water. We have pursued projects to build radio stations, process mango juice for sale, bottle and sell water, and many other projects.

Lake Malawi is the second largest lake in Africa and one of the deepest in the world. Even so, there was very little fishing going on. With a grant for nets and boats, a wonderful fishing venture was launched, through Ekklesia. You can see the enthusiasm from these new fishermen who are able for the first time to “launch out into the deep.” Sharing their faith as they fish and as they sell their catch, they are both fishermen and fishers of men.

Many dioceses and parishes operate health clinics to provide medical care for people in the community. All the ones that we have seen offer care to anyone who needs it, with very low fees, and most often care is free of charge. The staff are typically well trained and make good use of any supplies available. However, due to the great need, the clinics are generally very poorly equipped and understocked.

Over the years, Ekklesia has sent countless amounts of supplies and equipment worth well over a million dollars. We also work to find partners for the diocesan clinics in their own nations so they can be economically self-sufficient. We are currently working to supply a digital X-Ray machine for a diocesan clinic in rural Nigeria.

We are initiating a 3-4 year project working with our GAFCON Partners to equip local churches to bring healing to traumatic wounds and experiences. The Healing the Wounds of Trauma Initiative will pay particular attention to conflict areas in Africa where rape has been used as a weapon in tribal and religious conflicts. The Healing the Wounds of Trauma Initiative consists of a 3-pronged approach that will not only bring healing to traumatic experiences, but also equip local churches to address the cultural patterns of abuse that keep the cycles of violence alive. Because of your support YOU are there when we bring these ministries!!

While visiting South Sudan, Bishop Bill found out that even though Archbishop Paul and his church have access to mango groves, they pay to buy mango juice that has been imported from other countries. There isn’t local  access to the equipment needed to process the mangoes into juice. This situation has all of the things we look for in a development project - Local relationships that are trustworthy, an economically viable idea, a reasonable cost, the ability to put the plan into action, and the opportunity to use the project to share the good news of the Gospel. Not only does this project have the potential to make a huge impact on the people of South Sudan, there is also a commitment to use proceeds to help set up other additional development projects. All of them have a Gospel component through which the Good News is shared.

In August of 1998, with the words, "This is the inaugural broadcast of South Rwenzori Messiah Radio," the project that had been more than two years in the making was on the air!  Massaih Radio is a Commercial Christian Radio Station that uses profits from advertising and "Shout-outs" to run eight local health clinics. More than two decades have passed, and Messiah radio is still going strong!

For years, radio stations built through Ekklesia have been broadcasting Christian music and programming in Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria. Now, a license has been granted in Malawi for another station. 
     Christian radio stations are real game-changers. They allow for the Gospel to be shared with tens of thousands of people in an instant, and they help local leaders to make announcements and coordinate activities. In addition, worship services and teaching can be broadcast.

Drought has devastating consequences in communities that are not big enough to garner international attention. We have partnered with the International Diocese Annual Bishop’s Appeal to supply relief for some of the most needy people living in remote areas.
When you see the looks on the faces of people who are thrilled to receive even modest supplies, it is a tremendous encouragement. Giving to Ekklesia impacts many projects in a whole range of places.

Millions of people live without basic sanitation such as clean running water and toilet facilities, causing disease to run rampant. That was the case in the town of Dilaire, Haiti. After an earthquake damaged much of Haiti, the people were getting sick from the waste contamination and were in desperate need of a bathroom facility. Ekklesia, Bishop’s Well, and a doctor from an International Diocese parish, doing a medical mission in Dilaire, partnered together to build the first bathroom facility the town has ever had. Can you imagine how life-changing it is to have sanitary latrine facilities provided in a village where there were no facilities at all before?