Insight 2010

‘All the children say the food is so delicious,’ notes CCW Haiti Director Mendelson Cesar, ‘and they thank God for sending them such good food.’

Christina Chinchani

Revd. Warwick Lydiate (left) and Don Foster together with Vietnamese church leaders.

Formerly a professional violinist with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Warwick had opportunities to share his musical gifts. In addition to Christian events, he was invited to play his violin as prelude to the Danang International Fireworks Competition!

Alexandrina and her mother Leticia live in very impoverished circumstances.

Loving care helps children of farm workers who enjoy their time in this crèche.

Good sportsmanship leads to Good News about Jesus in South Africa. Dave and Vicky Emmerson undertake ministry to meet physical, social and spiritual needs.

Stuart and Sue Avery, together with their family, cherish their relationship with Kheo.

Living in poverty, as a small child, Kheo was vulnerable.

Today Kheo enjoys her education and can look forward to a more secure future.

The Leamington Mission Team realises that, even in summer, hungry people need the nourishment of one hot meal a day.

Being with the children at the Siloam Baby Rescue Centre Geoff and Janet Clare observed, ‘They all look so well and happy.’

Young Joshua wanted to read for Geoff as his surrogate mother Lydia looks on.

Girls from the Siloam hostel enjoyed putting on a musical programme for the Clares and then visiting with them.

Insight Summer 2010

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Haitians face staggering needs as they slowly recover from tragic devastation…

Rising from the Ruins

Each Haiti earthquake statistic means human suffering. When a school came down and was destroyed, one child was killed. After four hours of being trapped in the ruins and injured, the headmaster was rescued. Yet such loss exists on a vast scale.

In order to hand out food without confusion, Childcare Worldwide (CCW) Haitian staff registered 400 families at three different centres, about 2,000 people. Shipments continue to provide supplies of food, medicine and other basics.

The school feeding programme currently serves a total of 900 children, 300 from three different schools. This food distribution offers security for children who have lost so much.

‘We are living in a very poor village,’ said the headmaster of one school, ‘and the parents have no food to offer to their children before they come to school. This makes it difficult for them to learn, and some are so hungry they fall asleep in class. You have made a big difference in the lives of all the children in my school. God bless you so very much for caring for us.’

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Hiding in forests for three days and nights without food to escape violence and death was the start of a journey…

Help In Sight

Pastor Robert Chinchani and his family come from the Orissa region of India. When many believers in their area were killed, Pastor Robert narrowly escaped. He rescued as many people, women and children as possible, hiding in forests.

Eventually, circumstances led him to bring his five year old daughter Christina (inset photo) to the Siloam Thomas Eye Hospital. She always had defective vision, having to bring objects close to her face to identify them. Also, she suffered night blindness. Both parents did not consider the importance of an eye check-up until Christina was three years. She was prescribed glasses yet this delay worsened her condition.

Dr. Dev Thomas examined Christina thoroughly and diagnosed her as having myopic degeneration in both retinas and retinitis pigmentosa. She was prescribed -7.00DSP in both eyes and oral antioxidant eye capsules.

The dedicated team helps those like this needy family who cannot afford to pay for eye care. With the Chinchanis, their day at the hospital meant sharing encouragement in the Lord who continues to lead His people on their way.

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Large churches prepare meals for hundreds so that everyone can spend the day together…

Sabbatical Time in Danang

A first time trip to Vietnam has been part of the Revd. Warwick Lydiate’s sabbatical as minister of Chard Baptist Church. This spring, he visited the Danang area together with Don Foster, Siloam’s South East Asia Voluntary Representative.

Focusing on the largest denomination in Vietnam, Tin Lanh (or Good News), Warwick observed, ‘The sense of family and belonging in the churches I visited was very strong. This is promoted starting at a young age ... Members are deeply committed to their churches and are willing to serve faithfully within them.’

Also, he observed, ‘Siloam have successfully identified a number of areas and people groups who have slipped through the net in terms of finance and care. As always, these are mainly young children and the elderly or those with disabilities such as visual impairment.

‘At the heart of Siloam’s programme is the sponsorship of very needy children whose families cannot support their education or sometimes even their food. In other cases of severe need, Siloam provide cheaply made but strong and serviceable homes to very poor families.

‘This visit to Vietnam has been a thoroughly thought provoking and stimulating experience which has opened my eyes and heart to Vietnam and its wonderful people.’

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Enough food to eat is something very poor people only dream of…

Climbing for Others’ Dreams

One poverty stricken area of Tijuana, Mexico, is accessible by climbing a hill. Marlies Lange, of our partners Childcare Worldwide (CCW) notes, ‘There is no vegetation, only dust, rocks and dilapidated houses. It is not a place where anyone would choose to live.’

They were climbing to visit a woman named Leticia and her daughter Alexandrina, who is 11 years old. Leticia looks old for her age, haggard, and her face shows the signs of grieving and suffering. Her husband died of AIDS and she, too, is stricken with it. Her life expectancy seems short.

Food is a big problem. Leticia is too sick to work, so the burden falls on Alexandrina. Instead of going to school, she has to sell doughnuts for a neighbour. Alexandrina earns a few pesos and perhaps a few doughnuts. Sometimes neighbours bring them a plate of leftover food from their own meal. This is what they have to live on.

Marlies sums up, ‘Can you imagine what a Survival Pack means to this small family? With our visit, they received things they could only dream of.’

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Getting underprivileged youth out of their environment is an important part of ministry…

World Cup Spiritual Perspective

When the world was focusing on great football expectations, missionaries in South Africa Dave and Vicky Emmerson asked for prayer. They wanted the World Cup to have a positive influence. Yet their spiritual perspective is already making a lasting positive contribution.

Dave and Vicky aim to support people physically and spiritually. When they minister to underprivileged children and teenagers, fun and sportsmanship rank high. Youngsters also enjoy Bible teaching which can be applied to their activities. Sharing love and social values help reinforce biblical messages.

‘We are convinced that getting the youth out of their home environments and into a neutral one is an important part of our ministry to them,’ Dave and Vicky explain. ‘But our car is very small, so getting twenty or so teenagers to our home has been difficult. Please pray that God will provide us with a long term solution and that if it is His will, He’ll provide the church with a minibus or some other such vehicle as there are many areas of church life that would benefit from this.’

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According to Sue Avery, child sponsorship is a matter of the heart for everyone…

Together Child Sponsorship

‘In January 2002, the Lord moved my heart to sponsor a child in Vietnam through Siloam. This has been a very special joy in my life!

‘This little girl Kheo we sponsor has been a treasured part of our family for eight years. It is wonderful to receive her letters which she writes so warmly and from the heart and to see the many lovely photographs of her each year.’

Kheo lives with her parents and siblings in a thatched house without indoor water or toilet facilities. Her parents work hard farming but their monthly income when recommended to Siloam was only about £6.00 a month. Financial help has enabled Kheo to continue her education.
For the Avery family, this is a heartfelt experience for all the generations. Grandchildren here in Britain are fond of Kheo and draw pictures to send her.

‘How we praise God as we see this shy little girl maturing into a beautiful, confident young lady of 16!’ comments Sue. ‘We love her so much! It has been so encouraging to build up a fulfilling relationship with this precious child, and encourage her in her faith, and build up her trust in the Lord Jesus.’

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Leamington Christian Mission

‘If each person cared for just one other person, there would be no need for the likes of us,’ says Steph Devlin who heads the Leamington Christian Mission.

Throughout summer, people coming to the soup kitchen appreciate the food they receive. For most, it is their only hot meal for the day.

Recently, Steph and her husband Geoff went to speak at a church. A woman threw her arms around them and then she explained her warm welcome. ‘Do you see that young lady rehearsing with the music group?’ she asked.

At first, they did not recognise her. The woman explained, ‘She had been heavily into drugs and came to your soup kitchen. Once in desperation, she prayed. She felt God speak to her and knew she had to change. She came off drugs immediately and her testimony now is “My life changed.” I know because I’m her mother!’

The Devlins say it’s a reminder that sometimes things look different to us but God is working – even when we show just one person we care.

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Meeting the children and young girls of Chennai first-hand made a lasting impression…

Meeting the Children of South India

It was a long way to travel from Chester to Chennai, yet Geoff and Janet Clare value their recent visit. As supporters of the Siloam Baby Rescue Centre, they wanted to experience for themselves what the everyday life of the children is like.

Their first impression of Chennai is similar to many visitors. It is a polluted area and poverty-stricken. That is why they were particularly struck by how well protected the children are in the home.

Geoff and Janet noted that our executive Director for India, David Sutharsanam Gururaj and Director of Children’s Ministries Lydia Gomathy act almost like guardians to this extended family. ‘They are dedicated to caring for all the children entrusted to them right through to maturity,’ Janet notes. ‘Lydia is a great surrogate mother. She really combines love and discipline at the same time.’

Girls came from the Siloam hostel to present a musical programme and meet the Clares. Geoff and Janet sum up, ‘It’s very encouraging because you see the children first-hand. They are thriving and learning about Jesus early in life while being so well looked after.’

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