Dear HealthServe Australia members, and friends,
We have been given so much, we can by sharing in word and in action and in prayer and in giving, see the Kingdom of God continue to spring to life and give life in all its fullness.
Wow what a year of generosity and partnership! Thank you for your generosity and partnership. You have exemplified this by your willingness to pray, to go and to give.
And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14
“The ‘good works’ in question are not ‘living a good moral life’ or ‘obeying the law’. They are the ‘good works’ of giving practical help, particularly money, to those in need, or where there are social emergencies that require urgent assistance. This passage begins to sound, in fact, as though Titus is to set up what we today would call a charity organization.
In a sense, that’s exactly what early Christianity was. One of the remarkable things the early Christians were known for — and one of the reasons for the rapid spread of the faith — is the way they were unstoppable when it came to helping others, both financially and in practical ways. If people were ill, they would nurse them. If they were hungry, they would get them food. If they were in prison, they would visit them. And so on.
Not only with their own family — most people in the world would do that — but with strangers, with people from difference ethnic groups, even with former enemies. This, of course, follows directly from the previous passage [Titus 3:1-13]. Having been gripped by the generous love of God themselves, they couldn’t help acting in the same way.”
N.T. Wright in Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (London SPCK, 2003) 163.
In the biblical text above, the Apostle Paul is instructing Titus (his co-worker appointed to minister in Crete) to help fellow Christ-followers (“our people”) scattered throughout the ancient Mediterranean world to show their faith through fruitful works (Gary Hoag, the Generosity Monk, 2018). As Michael and Jean visit highly valued partners and friends in east Africa next month, pray with us that likewise we will encourage “our people”, that is brothers and sisters in Christ who have been “gripped by the generous love of God”, to put structures in place to help God’s people more generously participate in His work all over Africa, and elsewhere.
Our partnerships continue. Our partnerships are growing. The Papua New Guinea Community Health Worker manual program is making fine progress amongst many challenges . We thank God for all involved especially our own Dr John Oakley, editor and Gerri Koelma, monitoring and evaluation officer.
HealthServe Australia is embarking on a series of new Projects that need funds for the New Year. These include:
- PICCSI PROGRAM Cervical Cancer screening program in the Pacific Islands
- The Gerasa Program in Indonesia – healthcare for the poor and marginalised, women and children living on the streets
- The Wedel Clinic-building Program in South Sudan
And we want to encourage our ongoing programs:
- CBHP India mobile healthcare teams and community health workers in rural villages
- The Muko Clinic program experiencing a resurgence of passion and commitment from the Grainery Church in Newcastle
- The Tarime Water Project in Tanzania
And our vanguard Program – “PRIME” designed to effect a change of culture in the way Christians practice healthcare globally.
PLEASE GIVE TO OUR CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR APPEAL FOR ALL THESE PROJECTS TO BENEFIT IN 2019
To Give to the Healthserve Australia Christmas Appeal please click below
https://www.givenow.com.au/eofy2018hsa
Please pray for Dr Anil Cherian and Dr Shalini Ninan as they establish the Jonglei Health Sciences Institute, Bor, South Sudan. Once the ground work is completed and students are enrolled, they will need Prime Tutors and long termers.
In 2014 ICMDA established a Health Training Institute in Kampala Uganda in partnership with the Government of South Sudan and the Mengo Hospital of the Church of Uganda to train mid-level cadre of medical workers – clinical officers , nurses and midwives. The Institute was to be started in Bor Town, Jonglei but due to the renewal of civil war in December 2013, the Institute actually was run in Kampala. In 2017-18 the Institute completed the training and graduated 68 health workers who are all now working in South Sudan.
In April 2018 the National Health Minister of the Republic of South Sudan, requested Drs Anil and Shalini Cherian to consider re-establishing the Institute in Bor Town, Jonglei State. Jonglei is one of the few states and regions (Greater Jonglei) that does not have any health training institute. So, in July 2018 they consulted with the local CMDA South Sudan unit and with the Anglican International Development (primary supporting partner) to restart the training of South Sudanese Health workers in Bor with the local support from the National and State Ministry of Health who have agreed to provide the building/venue to house the Institute and a portion of the operational costs. So, the institute now called the “Jonglei Health Sciences Institute” will start taking new students in Clinical Medicine and Midwifery from early 2019.
Health Serve Australia is considering how to partner – by praying, going and giving. We invite you to be generous and become HealthServe Australia members – so as to even more generous by praying, going and giving!
May God bless you generously,
Dr Michael Burke
Executive Officer
HealthServe Australia.
Our HSA office will close at 4 pm Friday 21 Dec 2018 and reopen on Tuesday January 8 at 0930.
Thank you for your ongoing support and generosity towards the many individuals and communities you engage and partner together with HealthServe Australia.
