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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
April 2001 |
BLESS THE GRANDMAS
My daughter, Becki, has taught in our city high schools for many years. One day she said to me, "It's the grandmas who have saved a majority of our kids." I perked up my ears.
"Really?"
"Oh yes. I could name you child after child from broken homes where the grandma has been the child's stabling force."
My thought pattern took off on a long journey. I knew she was right. And sometimes grandmas even have as many as 70 years of grandma opportunities! Grandmas, hang in there. And in the process, tell them how our missionaries share God's love and how they can too.
Recently I had a letter from a long-time friend and faithful reader of this column, Ellen Brashares. She mentioned grandchild-sitting this winter. I know she won't miss an opportunity to teach sharing.
God bless the Grandmas and -pas and uncles and aunts and all the others whose lives touch our children.
REV. ROBIN PAUL
Director of Sports Outreach India, will be in Indiana from April 16 until the end of the month. He was a Person in Mission with the General Board of Global Ministries from l988-1997. He talks to churches about using sports to build bridges in their communities. For further information contact Rev. Charles Britt, Associate pastor Plainfield UMC, who met him in India during the World Mission Tour last fall. Chuck's address: 600 Simmons Dr. Plainfield, Ind. 46168. 317/ 839-2319; e-mail: cbritt@pumc.org.
THE ENRIGHTS and VANCES
The John Enright family is going back to Africa the end of July. And the Ken Vances will return later in August after having spent most of the past two years in Marion, due to the Congo Civil War. They were in the States on home assignment when the war became more intense and the Board asked them not to return to Mulonga, Congo at that time.
While the Enrights were also affected by the war, their situation in Nyembo was slightly different. Since John's parents, now retired, had been missionaries to the Congo, he grew up there. He and Kendra were in the Congo, (then called Zaire) at the time of the Board's decision. Being familiar with the setting and feeling as much at home in Africa as in the States, John and Kendra moved their family, Brian and Nathan, across the southern border to Zambia. Later they returned to the States for home assignment. But before coming back, in their typical, enthusiastic manner, they started another mission in Zambia similar to the one in Nyembo.
In January of this year the two brothers-in-law flew to Zambia to gather first-hand information so Ken could plan for his family's move back to Africa. In a March phone conversation, Ken shared his roller coaster thoughts.
He said Africans can cross the Congo/Zambia border freely but some Americans cannot -- those whose names are on a list. Since John's name was on it, he did not attempt to go with Ken to evaluate the damage to his former Mulonga village and specifically, his former home.
However, Congo ruler, Kabila, died at the very time Ken crossed the Congo/ Zambia border. Immediately officials closed the borders, which meant Ken was trapped in the Congo.
Ultimately, he was able to leave, but not without long frustrating hours of red tape.
Sadly, he discovered the people in his village are prisoners, with no food, no medical supplies, no clothes and almost no hope.
I asked him about their airplanes, which played such an important part in their earlier ministry. He said one is in South Africa being refurbished. Another is in an International Hanger in Lubumbashi, just waiting. Planes #3 and 4 are also waiting at another location.
In the meantime …
When they go back in August, one possibility is for them to go to the location of John's ministry in Zambia. Or they might go about fifteen minutes away from it to stay for a year in the home of another missionary family while they are in the States.
Last updated January 14, 2004