Thirty eight years ago I was exchanging audio cassette tapes with a missionary journeyman (and girl friend) who was serving in a Baptist Hospital in Nalerigu, Ghana. In the last couple of days, I have read stories that make me feel that the medical needs haven't changed much in that region. Particularly, it is hard to believe that malaria is still a problem.
Bruce Prescott points to a couple malaria fighting sites including HISnets. Within the HISnets site is a story that tells me that we have a new generation of Baptists growing up who are ready to skip the bickering and not let something like a few thousand miles and an ocean get in the way of taking action to remedy a problem that shouldn't exist in the 21st century. From the story, GA's at FBC Jasper Start a Movement:"Friday afternoon my secretary came into my office with a bag of money. She had just returned from the bank to change a sack of change into paper money. She wanted to know what to do with the money. I asked her what it was for and she said that the GA’s had been giving their personal money to buy nets for Africa. They had enough money to buy 8 nets. I was so very touched and moved y their simple expression of mission and their personal gifts. The make-up of the money made it obvious that parents had not given the money but the girls had done it themselves. On Sunday, during my sermon, I was talking about the power of dreaming and told about what the girls had done. I referred o the Messianic passage in Isaiah 11: 6, ... and a little child shall lead them. After the service a lady came up to me and said that she was touched by the girls gift. If they could give 8 nets, she could do the same. Suddenly 8 had become 16. At deacons meeting on Monday several of the deacons mentioned it and 8 became 25. Tuesday I received an e-mail from a member of the Mission Council challenging the council to take the girls lead and make this a project of the church and set a goal of 1000 nets. He pledged $100.00."The First Baptist Church - Jasper, Georgia story is a couple of months old now. More recently, Nashville blogger, Sharon Cobb, hit the nail on the head with her post,"People Shouldnt Die for a Mosquito Bite"... and following that is a flurry of stories in the national news about a US initiative to combat malaria in Africa.
There is a point coming: It does not matter to me how this problem gets solved. Personally, I give the young ladies in Jasper, Georgia and the teams over at Madness Against Malaria a better shot at being more effective than the federal initiative. I am joining one of the Madness Against Malaria teams where 100% of the money given will go toward insecticide treated bednets. If you are looking for something a little different to place in someone's stocking this year, a $5.00 donation gets a treated net to an African family that will last 4 years...I'm thinking a small piece of net with a thank you note attached may be part of stocking stuffers in my home this year.
There are a bunch of Madness Against Malaria teams to choose from and the current leader is Team USA. If you are so inclined, spend 5 bucks and help make malaria ancient history.
Merry Christmas!*
*Translation: I will be posting less over the next several days. There are places to go and salad bars that require my attention.
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