These notes are about the CMF Developing Health Course 2014.
The focus of today is HIV & AIDS. I made notes on the whole course in 2012 – you can read about this day here.
Each day I’m just going to write about things that impacted me, and things I need to read later…
This morning started with a brief spot in chapel, with a preach that focussed on Matthew 13:44-46, more about treasure, all fitting in with the message of being aware of our glorious inheritance (from Ephesians).
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46
A wider vision to cure HIV
Gisela Schneider asked us some difficult questions…
Why are we here? Why are we doing Medical Mission? What is our role, what is our ministry as Medical missionaries? There has been a sea change in how we, as the church, do mission work over the last few decades:
No longer pioneers, but partners.
HIV is not a medical problem: its a social one that needs churches, politicans, traditional healers and schools working together. Obviously, when things happen like the health minister for South Africa announcing on national TV that beetroot was a cure for HIV, that holistic solution is not being helped!
My friend Marli recommended that I try to attend the SA HIV Society 2014 Conference, where I could learn about how this problem is being addressed in the country…
Gisela shared with us the declaration made at the Difaem international health conference she just got back from; they made the declaration, then spent a few days trying to work out how to address it. You can read it here: A_call_to_health_and_healing_-_Declaration_Tuebingen_III 2014
Talking to a Missions Agency
During the morning today, I received an interesting call, from one of the organisations I emailed last night. I was blatant, honest and fairly excited – hopefully giving a realistic impression of what I’m like usually.
Frankly, the conversation was encouraging: we were on the same page spiritually. Some excellent new Christianese jargon about people being “Sent” church or “Local” church, but ultimately a passion to see the Kingdom come, to see lives changed, a world impacted, and walking alongside others authentically. We agreed to meet on Monday morning, with my wife and his, to see if we may be a fit for each other.
Even that little detail – us meeting his wife – just confirmed the focus on relational work these guys are into. I’m not sure where Christian Gender Equality is currently up to, but I believe that husband and wife are a unit, and so with something as personal as working together on mission, its pretty important we are all “agreed”, to quote Amos 3:3.
2 hours of African singing
I’ve been vaguely leading worship at the conference morning devotionals, but some of the African delegates wanted to make it, well, frankly, less white, so we had a little worship practice in the evening.
It lasted 2 hours, it was tremendously fun, and it kept nearly stopping, then starting again. You can see a clip of it below…
