For those who are interested: I'm taking off this afternoon, (Monday 01OCT) to fly to Hong Kong for the first leg of my journey. Whilst there I'll be meeting with Salvation Army Command leadership and having a look at what the Army is doing.
Hong Kong administers the work of The Salvation Army in mainland China, so I'll be talking to them about the administration of the Xinghe Community Development Project.
Hopefully I'll be able to keep you posted with the news and views of my journey, so if you're interested check back with me later, and maybe leave me a note, I like notes!
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Spirit of Jesus
And now may the Spirit of Jesus:
The One who hugged the demoniac,
Touched the leper,
Accepted the worship of a prostitute
And honoured Samaritans -
Infect our thoughts and attitudes
So that the God who is not far from any one of us,
Will touch the lives of others we meet this day,
For the honour of God's name.
Amen.
The One who hugged the demoniac,
Touched the leper,
Accepted the worship of a prostitute
And honoured Samaritans -
Infect our thoughts and attitudes
So that the God who is not far from any one of us,
Will touch the lives of others we meet this day,
For the honour of God's name.
Amen.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Xinghe, Inner Mongolia
On Monday, I'm off to China to conduct a project assessment visit. The Salvation Army NZ have been working in Inner Mongolia for a few years now, and the project we are involved in now is outlined here.
Xinghe County, situated in Inner Mongolia is home to a population of about 296,000 people. Persistent droughts, overgrazing and deforestation have resulted in serious soil erosion, this has lead to a sharp decline in productivity from the land resulting in poverty for the traditional mountain farmers. (Approximately 28% of the rural population lives in extreme poverty, with less than NZD120.00 annual net income per capita ($0.33 per day).
The mountainous nature of the county and the scattered population makes it difficult for the government to provide basic health, education, electricity, water, information distribution and administration to much of the county.
The Xinghe Integrated Immigration Scheme is part of the China National Northwest Development Programme to restore exhausted mountain and hill country by relocating the people and replanting the hillsides in forests and allowing these areas to return to their natural state. The Scheme has resettled about 900 families from thirteen inaccessible mountainous villages to the town of Xinghe.
Under the scheme, the government offers each of the families to be resettled an 18m2 brick house with water and electricity connected on a 800m2 yard together with a small shed to house animals. Some families have managed to purchase sufficient bricks to build a high perimeter wall around their yard so they can keep their property safe and keep a few animals such as chickens, goats or sheep, or a cow.
The Salvation Army’s part in this scheme is to provide the social infrastructure for the new immigrants to assist them in building a community in an urban environment. The Government has leased to The Salvation Army, long term, 35 acres of land adjacent to the new settlement. On this land The Salvation Army have built a multifunctional community centre, a training centre, accommodation for staff and officers, and a demonstration training farm. Regular farm training is being provided to teach basic animal husbandry and horticulture technology. At the local primary school, less than 500 metres from the village, TSA has also funded the building of two new blocks of four classrooms to accommodate the children at the school.
The resettlement has broken up extended family households with the older generation being resettled in different cities. The immigrants come from two major ethnic groups, (13% Mongolian, 87% Han) and unrelated villages so few know other members of the village. Life in the rural communities is harsh, with no work for the women. Many of the young women do not want to marry the mountain men as they have to live in the home with the husband’s parents. The new wife becomes the worker for the husband’s mother. Many men have “bought” wives from the illegal human trafficking agents. Life is so hard for the purchased wife that, in many cases, she has deserted leaving the children in the care of the husband and his parents. A number of the immigrant women in the new village were purchased as brides and they have very few skills, vocational training or literacy. Their options in life are very limited.
While the living conditions in the new village are better than the mountain villages, there is no drainage system, rubbish collection, no private or public washrooms and only one toilet block per 50 households. These toilet blocks are semi enclosed structures with a concrete slab floor. Human waste is just left on the floor. At some stage someone shovels the human waste into an open pit behind the toilet block.
The new village has no social or community amenities and very little sense of community. This project will be part of The Salvation Army’s work to provide health, hygiene, literacy, vocational, family relationships and community development training options for women and to provide these women with the capacity to build a new and better community in this village.
Xinghe County, situated in Inner Mongolia is home to a population of about 296,000 people. Persistent droughts, overgrazing and deforestation have resulted in serious soil erosion, this has lead to a sharp decline in productivity from the land resulting in poverty for the traditional mountain farmers. (Approximately 28% of the rural population lives in extreme poverty, with less than NZD120.00 annual net income per capita ($0.33 per day).
The mountainous nature of the county and the scattered population makes it difficult for the government to provide basic health, education, electricity, water, information distribution and administration to much of the county.
The Xinghe Integrated Immigration Scheme is part of the China National Northwest Development Programme to restore exhausted mountain and hill country by relocating the people and replanting the hillsides in forests and allowing these areas to return to their natural state. The Scheme has resettled about 900 families from thirteen inaccessible mountainous villages to the town of Xinghe.
Under the scheme, the government offers each of the families to be resettled an 18m2 brick house with water and electricity connected on a 800m2 yard together with a small shed to house animals. Some families have managed to purchase sufficient bricks to build a high perimeter wall around their yard so they can keep their property safe and keep a few animals such as chickens, goats or sheep, or a cow.
The Salvation Army’s part in this scheme is to provide the social infrastructure for the new immigrants to assist them in building a community in an urban environment. The Government has leased to The Salvation Army, long term, 35 acres of land adjacent to the new settlement. On this land The Salvation Army have built a multifunctional community centre, a training centre, accommodation for staff and officers, and a demonstration training farm. Regular farm training is being provided to teach basic animal husbandry and horticulture technology. At the local primary school, less than 500 metres from the village, TSA has also funded the building of two new blocks of four classrooms to accommodate the children at the school.
The resettlement has broken up extended family households with the older generation being resettled in different cities. The immigrants come from two major ethnic groups, (13% Mongolian, 87% Han) and unrelated villages so few know other members of the village. Life in the rural communities is harsh, with no work for the women. Many of the young women do not want to marry the mountain men as they have to live in the home with the husband’s parents. The new wife becomes the worker for the husband’s mother. Many men have “bought” wives from the illegal human trafficking agents. Life is so hard for the purchased wife that, in many cases, she has deserted leaving the children in the care of the husband and his parents. A number of the immigrant women in the new village were purchased as brides and they have very few skills, vocational training or literacy. Their options in life are very limited.
While the living conditions in the new village are better than the mountain villages, there is no drainage system, rubbish collection, no private or public washrooms and only one toilet block per 50 households. These toilet blocks are semi enclosed structures with a concrete slab floor. Human waste is just left on the floor. At some stage someone shovels the human waste into an open pit behind the toilet block.
The new village has no social or community amenities and very little sense of community. This project will be part of The Salvation Army’s work to provide health, hygiene, literacy, vocational, family relationships and community development training options for women and to provide these women with the capacity to build a new and better community in this village.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Wesley on Why
Have you ever questioned why you do some of the stuff you do? Ever wondered if ministry is worth the cost?
A question I am asked regularly is why I, (or the Army) is engaged in Emergency Services, or development, and given that we are - how do we introduce faith issues and Jesus? Essentially I guess what they're asking is where does evangelism come into community services?
I read a great quote from the father of Methodism and the influencer of the Booths the other day that I thought made great sense:
I'm not sugessting that I never speak of Jesus or faith, (there's always a time and place for that) but caring and meeting needs is ministry in and of itself!
A question I am asked regularly is why I, (or the Army) is engaged in Emergency Services, or development, and given that we are - how do we introduce faith issues and Jesus? Essentially I guess what they're asking is where does evangelism come into community services?
I read a great quote from the father of Methodism and the influencer of the Booths the other day that I thought made great sense:
whether they will finally be lost or saved, you are expressly commanded to feed the hungry and clothe the naked... It is your part to do as you are commanded; the event is in the hand of God. You are not accountable for this: leave it to him who orders all things well. (The Works of John Wesley, 2002:38)
I'm not sugessting that I never speak of Jesus or faith, (there's always a time and place for that) but caring and meeting needs is ministry in and of itself!
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Church in All It's Wonderful Chaos
Last night we celebrated the engagement of our Assistant Officer. It was a "Family Event", so members of all the Church ministries were invited, and they showed up!
The building was filled by an amazing eclectic group of people, but chief amongst them were the members of our community ministries. It was an awesome sight and sound - here were the people that society generally ignores: those that are lonely, misfits, mentally challenged, antisocial and (some) smelly!
But last night they sat around the tables and ate desert with the rest of the church family and friends. The misfits joined the 'respectables' around the tables. And they enjoyed each others company. It added a great dynamic to the night when during the proceedings they interjected, (you could say heckled) voicing their opinions and comments.
But you know what was so special - everyone laughed together, everyone enjoyed themselves and maybe - just maybe - some more barriers (on both sides) began to crumble, and some new bridge work and foundations were laid.
Church happened here last night (and wasn't even Sunday morning!)
The building was filled by an amazing eclectic group of people, but chief amongst them were the members of our community ministries. It was an awesome sight and sound - here were the people that society generally ignores: those that are lonely, misfits, mentally challenged, antisocial and (some) smelly!
But last night they sat around the tables and ate desert with the rest of the church family and friends. The misfits joined the 'respectables' around the tables. And they enjoyed each others company. It added a great dynamic to the night when during the proceedings they interjected, (you could say heckled) voicing their opinions and comments.But you know what was so special - everyone laughed together, everyone enjoyed themselves and maybe - just maybe - some more barriers (on both sides) began to crumble, and some new bridge work and foundations were laid.
Church happened here last night (and wasn't even Sunday morning!)
Monday, 3 September 2007
Relationships
I've been thinking about the necessary relationships for development - whether that is church development (growth), individual development or community development. I am convinced that sustainable community (and individual) transformation occurs only as a result of a relationship built on mutual respect and trust – and a relationship can only be built by an invitation to walk together.
The reality is that we are usually the ‘outsider’ expert. We come from outside the culture and community, we usually have no local 'language' skills, and little understanding of the cultural framework. And yet by virtue of position, appointment (or our superior training) we presume to know what the 'answers' are.
The fact is that the only way to effect substantial and sustained change is from the inside, and this change must be based upon a valuing of local knowledge, local culture, local resources, local skills and local processes. Building relationship, and credibility, as a change agent is an essential first step in the process of guiding change.
The ultimate goal is to become an ‘insider’ – but this is not a reality for the relatively short-term church leader, (or development worker). To become an insider requires a committment we cannot give and time that we do not have.
In my opinion the best we can hope for is to become an ‘alongsider’ – one who is accepted by the church (or host community) and has the privilege of walking alongside – learning from and sharing with the hosts. The ‘alongsider’ can operate as a mediator, seeking to bring change by empowering the community to identify and release capacities that will produce transformation.
The reality is that we are usually the ‘outsider’ expert. We come from outside the culture and community, we usually have no local 'language' skills, and little understanding of the cultural framework. And yet by virtue of position, appointment (or our superior training) we presume to know what the 'answers' are.
The fact is that the only way to effect substantial and sustained change is from the inside, and this change must be based upon a valuing of local knowledge, local culture, local resources, local skills and local processes. Building relationship, and credibility, as a change agent is an essential first step in the process of guiding change.
The ultimate goal is to become an ‘insider’ – but this is not a reality for the relatively short-term church leader, (or development worker). To become an insider requires a committment we cannot give and time that we do not have.
In my opinion the best we can hope for is to become an ‘alongsider’ – one who is accepted by the church (or host community) and has the privilege of walking alongside – learning from and sharing with the hosts. The ‘alongsider’ can operate as a mediator, seeking to bring change by empowering the community to identify and release capacities that will produce transformation.
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