In the hills of northern Thailand, there is agricultural innovation among marginalized hill tribes. Progress is occurring with Bible translation among the Romany in Europe. Relief efforts bring care to victims of hurricanes, tsunamis and other catastrophic events.
Each of these ministries plays a key role in fulfilling strategic priorities for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship by focusing on partnerships with churches, ministry to the most neglected and birth of congregations. By meeting basic physical needs, laying a foundation for access to the Bible and responding to emergencies caused by disasters, the Fellowship provides the best possible channels for the bread of life to multiply in hearts and lives.
Thailand
Ellen and Rick Burnette engage in community transformation today in northern Thailand. They identify with a hill tribe group of people, the Palaung (pah-LONG) from Myanmar, formerly Burma. High in the green hills along the border, these clans have been taking uncertain refuge from civil conflict in their homeland.
Having now no title to land of their own, the Palaung live day by day in crowded villages with few rights recognized and limited government services. Thai army and police squads at times sweep through the area making arrests for illegal use of government land.
“We established the Upland Holistic Development Project and now work in 12 communities, nine of which are Palaung,” Rick says. The Burnettes also help other hill tribe communities and evaluate technologies appropriate for the rural people groups. The work features demonstration plots related to agroforestry and small livestock development that the Palaung are integrating into their new lives. Prior to arriving in Thailand, the people’s entire existence was bound up with the forest: its food, materials and spirits.
In all areas of work, the Burnettes seek to develop trust through solid relationships. “When we show respect,” Rick said, “we also gain respect and that opportunity to be a witness for Christ.”
With the spiritual bread of life, traditional forms of material sustenance are being “rediscovered,” as well. With the help of hill tribe partners, the Burnettes are examining native forest crops quite exotic for westerners. Rattan, from which wicker chairs are fabricated, is also food. Stressing indigenous knowledge, project workers are identifying dozens of native forest species to supplement the upland rice and corn for a famished land and famished hearts.
The Romany
Keith Holmes and Mary Van Rheenen, as CBF personnel serving among the Romany (Gypsy) people, develop and coordinate resources for various ministries across Europe. These include the Scriptures in multiple media, as well as other materials to assist the Romany as their faith develops and congregations form.
Each holding a graduate degree in anthropology, Keith and Mary have adjusted well to the linguistic and cultural mosaic reflected in Europe as a whole and among the Romany in particular. Their children attend Dutch school, while they relate to an entirely different set of cultures among the Romany, who comprise at least 20 distinct groups.
Some are identified by their language, others by their location and still others by their occupation or religion. Strict internal laws among some of the Romany dictate with whom they may have table fellowship and what makes one unclean. Others elsewhere on the continent have almost abandoned their language and old customs. Addressing the needs among such diversity remains one of the biggest challenges.
“To date,” says Mary, “Keith has been involved in recording projects in three different languages or dialects, but he anticipates involvement in many more.”
Keith lives for those moments, such as he experienced among the Sinti people in Germany not long ago, when hearing the Scriptures in their own language touched hearts so deeply that it was clearly shown through people’s faces.
Disaster relief
David and Merrie Harding met in Nigeria serving with different organizations. They married, settled for a time in North Carolina as a water-development specialist and physical therapist, respectively, before recommitting themselves and their family to overseas life again as field personnel for CBF. In Jordan, David established a circuit of water-development projects in a famished land. His African and Middle East experience led him recently back to the United States to coordinate international relief work for Global Missions.
When disaster strikes, the Hardings move into a different mode, and David very likely will be headed to the scene. In 2004, a series of hurricanes racked Florida, including the Orlando neighborhood where the Hardings had resettled. This time the disaster came to David and Merrie. Their home was spared, but neighbors suffered greatly.
While trying to dig out in the wake of that one, David had to help pull together emergency response elsewhere in the state. Teams of volunteers soon took leadership at various points on the Gulf Coast and elsewhere.
In January 2005, he left once again for Southeast Asia to assist in tsunami follow-up. CBF teams in four countries labored alongside other international workers and local families to help survivors get back on their feet.
“There are many stories,” David says, “but they mostly boil down to where a simple gesture of love—providing shelter, food, medical care, school supplies, water—brings a smile or a joyful tear, no matter how brief it lasts.”
Meanwhile, the CBF has sent $10,000 to support a search and rescue operation for victims of Pakistan’s earthquake.
“As resources become available, the CBF will work through partners toward transformational development in parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India that have suffered from this catastrophic event,” Harding said.
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship