tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78405667460195630992024-03-05T18:59:59.075+01:00The View From Where We AreThe semi-regular perspectives of a family of four serving with SIM in Niger.Jon and Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02829417200999944878noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7840566746019563099.post-88304929319325194502009-10-29T21:07:00.000+01:002009-10-29T21:13:37.735+01:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe41e49dNuj-5DjUcdvQhbeR7GLF_aPoMyKPX_8dkZKbV8RyGeGD1jw_hMABqjvSQI7SA_JQyMa7jvjao2Y5zohchyphenhyphen9O9Wrm3agOh-RXQmUX-zB6I5zaI_u3Mgw-pUv0gp455keE7SObw/s1600-h/October+09+029.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398116725970146242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe41e49dNuj-5DjUcdvQhbeR7GLF_aPoMyKPX_8dkZKbV8RyGeGD1jw_hMABqjvSQI7SA_JQyMa7jvjao2Y5zohchyphenhyphen9O9Wrm3agOh-RXQmUX-zB6I5zaI_u3Mgw-pUv0gp455keE7SObw/s200/October+09+029.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBlXVv_thqsw0PXihTcvY5xL2YBmXczLflzZhBLwWBpSLejVP5m386jO8VMM4yOncYQQrTh2RUm1zMx0_133KlEfHHyLtMaWtPgY2oCk0gPIb1-XQCHTT84jaqzrP_EHsVecE-FuUjus/s1600-h/October+09+035.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398116253470735346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBlXVv_thqsw0PXihTcvY5xL2YBmXczLflzZhBLwWBpSLejVP5m386jO8VMM4yOncYQQrTh2RUm1zMx0_133KlEfHHyLtMaWtPgY2oCk0gPIb1-XQCHTT84jaqzrP_EHsVecE-FuUjus/s200/October+09+035.jpg" /></a> A “Lord of the Rings” fan who loves history and is the son of a teacher at SIM’s Bible School. The daughter of an optometrist, who comes from Pakistan and likes to write plays. A born leader, who is the son of the director of World Health Organization in Niger. The daughter of a Nigerian pastor who never lacks a song to sing nor a greeting for all she passes. A natural conversationalist and serious student, who is the son of a church-planter. The daughter of mission administrators who draws and acts with skill from the Lord. </div><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><div align="justify">These are the Grade 11 students that make up my homeroom class. I enjoy them immensely. We only meet three times a week, but we’ve had lot of good discussions about trust (my personal theme for the year!). We’ve talked through questions like… “Why we can trust the Lord”, “What we can and can not trust Him to do”, “What trusting looks like”.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Once a year, each home room plans a school assembly. I was happy when my class chose “trust” as their assembly theme! We worked on it for several weeks. They wrote and presented a great skit. The whole secondary student body laughed through the skit and two activities. One featured a blindfolded person feeding another blindfolded person a banana with instructions from a crowd. The other activity placed one blinded person in the middle of a circle of people to be passed from person to person. Both activities took a lot of trust!<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">We’re very thankful we can trust God who is all-powerful and all-loving. Imagine how frightening it would be to live in a world with a God who is only powerful or only loving!<br />O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him. Power, O God, belongs to you ; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Psalm 62:8 and 12 </div><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div>Jon and Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02829417200999944878noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7840566746019563099.post-22981775127453968782009-10-02T15:02:00.000+01:002009-10-02T20:16:15.580+01:00Caring for the Outcasts<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"></div><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CBANKEF%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"; panose-1:2 11 6 2 3 5 4 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-2147476737 14699 0 0 63 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1878622136; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:564397972 67895297 67895299 67895301 67895297 67895299 67895301 67895297 67895299 67895301;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"; panose-1:2 11 6 2 3 5 4 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-2147476737 14699 0 0 63 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1878622136; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:564397972 67895297 67895299 67895301 67895297 67895299 67895301 67895297 67895299 67895301;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --</style><span style=";font-family:";font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">She is just 15 years old, but like many girls in her culture, she is already a mother.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">While her counterparts in many parts of the world worry about the next math test or the latest fashion, she finds herself isolated and lonely, caring for her newborn son.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">These days should be joyful ones of watching him grow and develop, sharing milestones with her husband and the village.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">Times to cherish and savor.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">They should be – but they are not.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:";font-size:85%;" ><o:p></o:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div face="georgia" style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">Instead, she has been unable to control her bladder<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> </span>since the delivery.<span style=""> </span>She smells.<span style=""> </span>It is unpleasant to be near her.<span style=""> </span>As a result, her husband has divorced her.<span style=""> </span>The village wants as little to do with her as possible.<span style=""> </span>She lives with her son in a dilapidated hut on the fringe of the village, and her mother brings occasional food and conversation.<span style=""> </span>She lives an isolated existence in a society that places high value on community life.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">The life she grew to love and treasure as a little girl has been destroyed.<span style=""> </span>How?<span style=""> </span>Through the simple fact that she gave birth before her body was fully developed in a country with little to no accessible pre-natal care.<span style=""> </span>Her underdeveloped pelvis was not yet ready to accommodate the baby’s head, destroying tissue between her uterus and bladder.<span style=""> </span>A hole (or obstetric fistula) is the result.<span style=""> </span>This tragic condition is made worse by the fact that the needed operation is not widely known or practiced.<span style=""> </span>As a result,<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> </span>innumerable women are condemned to lives of hopeless despair.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="">
<br /></span></st1:country-region></st1:place></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="">Niger</span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span style=""> has one of the highest incidences of obstetric fistula in the world. At least 100,000 women and girls in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Niger</st1:place></st1:country-region> suffer from obstetric fistula, which can occur in various forms, affecting both bladder and bowel control.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div face="lucida grande" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">About two years ago, SIM Niger formed a partnership with the Worldwide Fistula Fund (WFF) to build a fistula clinic onto SIM’s existing Health and <st1:placename st="on">Leprosy</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype> in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Danja</st1:placename></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>With two experienced fistula surgeons as key members, WFF brings expertise to this partnership.<span style=""> </span>Over 80 years of ministry in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Niger</st1:place></st1:country-region> - as well as an ideally-situated medical facility at Danja - represents SIM’s side of the bargain.<span style=""> </span>A month of bed-rest and medical observation would provide an unparalleled opportunity for Danja’s staff and evangelists to articulate the message of the Gospel alongside the tangible love expressed through the fistula treatment.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">The partnership was formed.<span style=""> </span>Things seemed ready to move forward.<span style=""> </span>Then, political complications resulted in an obstacle to this important ministry getting off the ground.<span style=""> </span>The needed government authorization seemed impossible to attain.<span style=""> </span>The project stalled.<span style=""> </span>As we waited - so eager to begin ministry to these needy women - we also prayed for nearly a year.<span style=""> </span>We<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> </span>knew the apparent obstacle was not an obstacle to God.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="">
<br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="">Just three weeks ago, SIM <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Niger</st1:country-region></st1:place> was given approval to build the fistula clinic by the Minister of Public Health herself! </span></b><span style=""><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN">
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN">Rejoice with us for the possibility we now have to alleviate the suffering of so many women – and demonstrate to them the goodness of God in Jesus Christ.</span><span style=""> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">
<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="">If you are interested in being a part of this ministry’s development…<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande;">
<br /><span style="">A SIM project is being developed to raise a portion of the funds for this clinic and its equipment.<span style=""> </span>Stay tuned…</span>
<br /></div><span style=";font-family:";" >
<br />For more information on WFF…<o:p></o:p></span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN"></span>
<br /><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN"><a href="http://www.wfmic.org/Danja2.html">http://www.wfmic.org/Danja2.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://worldwidefistulafund.org/"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN">http://worldwidefistulafund.org/</span></a><span style=";font-family:";" lang="FR"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> Jon and Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02829417200999944878noreply@blogger.com2