Dear Friends,
Think for just a minute back to the time when
you were a young child… and one of your memories will probably
include a “blankie” or “stuffie”, or “teddy bear”. Perhaps you
can still recall the feel or sound that “blankie” made as you dozed
off to sleep. It wasn’t ‘just a blanket’… It was your special
comfort at the end of the day or naptime!
We have celebrated ‘Blanket Sunday’ here at
FUMC for several years now on Mother’s Day. The suggested
celebration is quite simple: it all revolves around buying a
blanket in honor of your mother, or spouse, a daughter, or a loved
one… perhaps, buying several blankets at just $5 each, letting
your mom (or spouse, daughter or loved one) know you are honoring
her in this special way.
We live in an era of displacement. Because we
live in relative comfort compared to most of the world’s people, it
is easy to be left with a feeling detached from it all, as if there
is really nothing which we can do to make a difference. Our friends
and partners in ministry at Church World Service (CWS) remind us
that nearly 40 million people are displaced and uprooted worldwide.
Almost 14 million people are refugees and asylum seekers, according
to the World Refugee Survey, and 24.5 million others are displaced
within their own country due to conflict, according to the Internal
Displacement Monitoring Center.
A simple blanket can bring
shelter, warmth, and a comfortable feeling.
In the Darfur region of Sudan which we have
heard so much about, the humanitarian crisis is entering its 6th
year, becoming, in effect, a ‘chronic’ emergency. Amid countless
personal tragedies and challenges, CWS-supported work continues to
help Darfur’s displaced, working in the areas of water and
sanitation, health and nutrition, emergency preparedness and
response, protection and peace-building, agricultural support, and
education.
Recently in neighboring Kenya, disputed
national elections in late December of ’07 triggered 2 months of
ethnic violence that left at least 1,000 dead and some 300,000
people fleeing their homes and communities. Back in February of
last year, you may remember that I was in many of those
neighborhoods where the recent violence has erupted, and I have
remained in touch with our CWS regional director in Nairobi, letting
him know that the people of Kenya are in my personal prayers. I can
bear personal witness to the life-changing affect which CWS is
having among thousands and thousands of Kenyans, Ugandans, and
Rwandans.
In war-torn Iraq, CWS is pressing the U.S.
government to increase humanitarian aid to the hundreds of thousands
of displaced and keep it’s commitment to resettle 12,000 Iraqis in
the US during fiscal year 2008. CWS supports the work of 3 Action
by Churches Together members as well as 3 other partner agencies to
assist war-affected Iraqis. We do emergency medical distribution
to some 48,000 patients who will receive needed drugs; support for
assistance to facilities helping vulnerable children; and support
for food baskets through much of this current year for almost 100
families who have accepted orphan children into their households.
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, CWS and its
nearly 30 year Pakistan/Afghanistan Community Health Project are
working on preparation for the expected departure of at least half
of the 3 million Afghan refugees, most of whom live in Pakistani
camps, to return home by 2009. The CWS project currently serves
over 57,000 Afghan refugees through 3 Basic Health Units in 3 camps
in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province.
I hope that you can imagine quite easily
that, just like our children and grandchildren, little ones in
scary places all around the globe will be receiving one of these
comfortable ‘blankies’ which we are privileged to supply through our
offerings and connections with CWS. I invite you, once again, to
join in this powerful, life-sustaining ministry, providing ‘blankies’,
sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee
assistance in some 80 countries, while honoring your mother this
year on Mother’s Day.
Our 10:45 am Sunday celebration on Mother’s
Day this year will include a message by Deborah Enix-Ross, worship
ideas by our United Methodist Women, including a special treat for
all women in worship, and this special opportunity to participate
in life-sustaining global ministries for the sake of Jesus Christ,
complete with a close up look at what a CWS Blanket can do!
There has never been a more critical time in
recent history to engage some of your energy and generosity to
provide life-sustaining comfort to children and their families…
and, in my opinion, investing in the work that Church World Service
is one of the best ways!
To learn more, I invite you to visit the
internet at
www.churchworldservice.org
Yours in service to the least of these, in
Jesus’ name…
Sincerely,
