GENERAL ELECTION: TIME TO PRAY Democracy is a wonderful thing. However, election campaigns themselves can be hurtful and divisive and it s not just the feuding politicians that bear the scars. It s easy to join the fray in the same spirit as so many of the politicians and media. As a result we can end up feeling alienated from people we disagree with including our Christian sisters and brothers. It doesn t have to be this way, though. As God s church we are not called to agree on every issue. However, we are called to disagree well. We need to watch our hearts and our tongues as we engage in dialogue with people who see the world so very differently from ourselves. To show there is indeed nothing new under the sun, the following is a quote from John Wesley s journal in 1674: I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them, 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side. (John Wesley, The Journal of John Wesley) It s tempting to divide the world and even our fellow believers into us and them, but Paul keeps reminding the churches that there is no such distinction in Christ. Do join us in praying for our country at this time; ask that passionate disagreement about the future of the UK won t turn to bitter personal division. And pray for the church, that we can model this good disagreement, as well as speaking up for the poorest and most vulnerable around the world. An election prayer for your church God Almighty, Thank you that we live in a country where we can freely and safely vote, Thank you that we can speak to those in power without fear.
Thank you that no matter what happens during this election you can work all things for your good and glory. Protect our hearts, friends, families, communities and churches as we disagree. Protect our country as we undergo changes in our politics. Protect our leaders and politicians as they lead us. Give our leaders wisdom and vision to govern well, overcoming poverty and injustice. Give us the energy to play our part in society. Give us vision of how we can continue to bring your Kingdom here. Amen. Tearfund has prepared a special 2017 election page. It s full of resources to get you thinking, praying and speaking out I do hope you will take a moment to look. And do make your voice heard by voting on 8 June. A NOTE FROM 'What an example the church can show if we stand aside from the typical election fray and learn to disagree with one another well. This is a vital time for our nation, which will undoubtedly have a ripple effect around the world. It's also a great opportunity for us to be united in prayer for our leaders, politicians and communities, and for those with whom we disagree as well agree.' Ruth Koch, Advocacy Team DODGING BULETS IN THE DRC As a bullet grazed the skin of Bob McAllister s forehead, he dropped to the ground. Growing up playing Cowboys and Indians in North Belfast, he d learned to play dead now, with his family, it was their only way to survive. They lay motionless, holding their breaths until the rebels passed by. Bob, his family and other missionaries had been taken hostage in July 1964 in the Boyulu area of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were taken to the city of Stanleyville (now known as Kisangi) and held for four months. Set within the ongoing tensions of the Cold War the rebellion was led by followers of Patrice Lumumba who had been ousted from power in 1960 when the country took independence from Belgium. On 24 November 1964, the defeated rebel leadership ordered troops to flee and kill as many white people as they could. Nineteen missionaries and thousands of local Christians were slaughtered. Bob s best friend and fellow missionary Hector was killed, shot in the back four times. McAllister mustard seeds The McAllister family moved to the DRC in 1952 to begin missionary work. It had been costly leaving the safety of Northern Ireland for the DRC. Bob used his practical skills to teach local people in construction and his skills as a pastor to plant churches. His wife Alma, a trained midwife, provided much needed care for new and expectant mothers. They spent three decades living and working in the DRC, serving God by serving the local people.
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches. This rings true for the McAllister family. Like mustard seeds, their fellow missionaries and thousands of local Congolese Christians had been planted in the darkness of the conflict in the DRC. It was a place with little light, warmth or life. But, the seeds took root and grew. Incredibly, after being rescued, the family went back to continue their work establishing scores of churches, providing skills for hundreds of people and assisting hundreds of new and pregnant mothers. Back into a war zone Today, 50 years later, Bob s sons David and Bill are both bringing hope in the DRC. David is Tearfund s DRC Country Director, running programmes that help thousands of people out of poverty through agricultural training and business support. Bill is currently establishing a university to invest in a generation of young leaders who can play a part in a building a stronger nation. It s particularly striking that a significant amount of this work is carried out through churches and individuals who had been impacted by the lives of the McAllisters over the years. The seeds which were planted in such adversity have taken root, grown and are now nurturing others. But there is much work and prayer to be done. Horrific crimes, including rape, are being committed against women and girls in the DRC on a daily basis, says David. Tearfund is present in some of the most remote areas often the only agency with an active presence on the ground. We work with government, local partners and agencies to help survivors recover from trauma, rebuild secure livelihoods and ensure access to safe water and sanitation. We are also equipping community groups to respond quickly to sexual violence. Bob went back to visit the DRC in 2014, aged 90. He said, As we were being held hostage, a rebel told Alma and me There is no God. There are no Sundays anymore. We are going to wipe out the church of Jesus Christ. But today, in that same area, there are more churches than ever before. It's been worth everything we went through. PLEASE PRAY Thank God for the McAllisters a family through which God has changed so many lives in the DRC. Pray for protection over David and Bill as they continue this work. Pray for all of Tearfund s staff and partners in the DRC as they follow God s call to love and serve those in most need. Lift up the country of DRC, where so many people have suffered for so long as a result of violence and conflict. Pray for peace, healing and stability. (This article first appeared in Tear Times Summer 2017)
INTERNATIONAL SPOKES-MEN Meet James and Callum, they re taking a cycling trip of a lifetime from Haslemere in Surrey to the northern tip of New Zealand raising money for Tearfund. With angry monkeys giving chase and passers-by giving them ice cold baths, it s been a long, strange trip so far... For a while, the Ice Bucket Challenge having a bucket of iced water tipped over you was a fashionable way to raise money for charity. Not surprisingly the fashion seems to have waned. However, for James Couper and Callum Donaldson, two Tearfund supporters from Guildford, the two coincided, rather uncomfortably. We were cycling through Myanmar during the water festival, explains Callum. It s a national holiday. They line the road and throw water at anyone who passes. And that s what we had for four days running. After four days of having buckets of ice water thrown at us, the novelty had definitely worn off. It was just a bit painful. Are you sitting comfortably? Painful it may have been, but when James and Callum decided to cycle 12,000 miles from Guildford to New Zealand, comfort wasn t their prime consideration. After cycling around seven hours a day, chafing is a problem, admits James, taking a short break from their travels, in Thailand. Chamois cream and Sudocrem are two of the most valuable things we have. The pair had started cycling together at university. We did a few tours, recalls Callum. We cycled the length of France, we cycled to Wales, that sort of thing. However, tales of twowheeled derring-do started to inspire them and plans were hatched for their own tour of a lifetime. They set off on 14 August 2016. They have until September this year to complete their travels, when they both return to work. Apart from a couple of stretches of water, there is only one place where they have chosen to cheat : a flight from Tblisi to Bangalore bypasses Iran and Afghanistan a wise move though a source of regret for both of them. The remainder of the route may be a good deal safer, but they haven t opted for an easy ride. As much as we romanticise it in our blogs, the reality is tough; it s dirty, it s smelly, it s lonely. You d have to be the right sort of person to do something like this, admits James. Open hearts, open homes However it has exposed them to the very best of human nature; People have been incredibly kind and generous the whole way, says James. From what I can see, they ve got very little reason to be, because they don t have a lot to give. Complete strangers have been putting themselves out wherever the pair end up. We ve lost track of the amount of free food we ve been given, says Callum. And in Georgia it was too cold to camp, so we knocked on a door. A woman came to the door with her sons. She gave us a bed for
the night, but we found out later that it was her own bed. Goodness knows where she slept that night. Such an open-handed attitude has made a deep impression upon them. It s challenged us, says James. We have so much more than them, yet we can be reluctant to share it. I ve been challenged to be far more generous. This trip has clearly been more than an entertaining distraction for them. A wheelie good cause It s one reason they are glad to be supporting Tearfund through this endeavour. We decided at Christmas when the migrant crisis was bad, says Callum. We liked the fact you were working with refugees around Syria and Iraq and beyond. James and Callum would love to get word out about their trip in order to raise more money for Tearfund giving back to a world that has been so generous to them. For the most part they are concerned with more day-to-day matters than fundraising: things like where to park their tent each night and giving furious monkeys the slip. There were monkeys everywhere we cycled in India, remembers Callum. Initially they just stared at us while we took some pics, only giving the occasional snarl. However, when they did start going for me, I had to yell at them whilst cycling furiously in the opposite direction. Pretty scary! Scary for him, hilarious for me, adds James with a wry smile. You can support James and Callum at their JustGiving page. Read more about their exploits on their Bottom Gear blog. PLEASE PRAY Pray for James and Callum s safe completion of the journey. Thank God for the many hundreds of Tearfund supporters who have been involved in fundraising activities from cake sales to year-long cycling trips. Pray for many more people to be inspired to fundraise. PRAYER POINTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD As the battle to liberate Mosul, Iraq, from the so-called Islamic State enters its final phase, please pray for the safety of civilians still in the city, and for the 400,000 people who have been displaced by the conflict so far. Pray that Tearfund may be able to reach those most in need. Please keep East Africa in your prayers, where 23 million people are facing severe food shortages. Pray for our staff and partners as they respond, and that food and water will reach those in most need. Pray especially for those displaced due to drought and insecurity.
Monday 5 June is World Environment Day. Let's take a moment to praise God for our beautiful, life-giving planet, and ask him to inspire us and our leaders to treat it with care and respect.