2013 Devotional Booklet

Thank you to all the individuals who contributed to or allowed us to reproduce their stories and reflections for this Devotional Booklet. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Day 1: Imagining a New Future Joel 2:1-2 “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near - a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.” The prophet Joel is calling upon his listeners to use their imaginations. He asks them to imagine what is unimaginable: a day of darkness and gloom, the end of life as they have known it. He’s talking about an insect army, storming its way across the land and wreaking havoc as it goes. Imagine No Malaria asks those of us who have never experienced malaria to imagine the army of mosquitoes that plague families and young children in Africa, wreaking havoc wherever children die, parents can’t work, and young people are unable to fulfill their dreams. It is the end of the world for a child every 60 seconds when the light goes out of a child's eye because of malaria. But it doesn't have to be that way. There's good news in the prophet's message. The future can be different if people will come together to weep and fast. We too are called to weep and fast in order to change the way the story ends for many people in Africa with malaria. Through awareness and education, we learn about the effects of malaria on our brothers and sisters in Africa, and we weep. The prophet calls for fasting and to leave a blessing. Imagine No Malaria calls us to leave a blessing: to give generously so that others can live. Maybe our fasting from a daily latte or a weekly night out for dinner could change the future for someone else. The Lenten season is a time to return to God; to repent of our lack of imagination for what it's like to lose a child to malaria and the imagination that shows us what we can do to change that reality. When the people of the United Methodist Church come together--just like the prophet said--to weep for those in need and to sacrifice what we have so that there's a future without deaths from malaria. Imagine that! Prayer: Dear God, give us the imagination like that of the prophet Joel, that we might see the need and imagine a new future for our brothers and sisters in Africa who suffer daily from malaria. May this time cause us to both weep in support and give in abundance that others might have life and health. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bishop Sally Dyck, Northern Illinois Conference

Day 2: Beyond Nets Mathew 25:40 “Truly I tell you, just as you did to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did to me.” He came into the hospital in the arms of his mother. Anemic and frail, 8-month-old Domingos died within hours, still cradled in her arms. His veins were too small to withstand the blood transfusion he needed to survive. And the hospital, which is barely able to provide basic care, lacked the equipment to save him. With scant resources, the Malanje Provincial Hospital in Angola serves a population of 1.2 million people. Malaria alone accounts for 40 percent of the hospitals’ cases. Dr. Laurinda Quipungo, a physician, said, “The image of a dying child is very frequent here. It is our reality. Sometimes we will have two or three children die in the same day.” We could easily be lulled into believing that Domingos is nothing more than a statistic: we’ve never met him or his family. We didn’t see the sadness in his mother’s face as she held her dead infant or the disappointment of his brothers and sisters when they heard the news. Attached to each number is a name, a heartbeat, a loved one, a soul. Malaria is a crisis that affects individuals, families and economies. Even if a child survives beyond age 5 with a well-developed immune system, that child will still get malaria, again and again. When they are older it will prevent him/her from working at times, which will eliminate food from the family’s table. Poverty in their household will lead to poor health, which will cause the statistics to grow. There is, however, an amazing reality in the midst of all of this. Malaria is preventable! Our Imagine No Malaria ministry goes beyond providing nets. It is a comprehensive approach that also supports efforts to educate about prevention, establish community-based malaria control programs, and revitalize hospitals and clinics across Africa. This approach is working. Malaria rates in parts of Africa are on the decline. For example, after increasing net coverage and access to medication, the mortality rate for children under age 5 in Rwanda dropped by 66 percent in two years. There are similar reports from other areas where a comprehensive approach has been used. I am a leader of the church, a person driven by convictions of the heart, words of scripture, and inspirations of the Spirit. I am driven by a desire to make real God’s call that we love one another as God loves us.

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, Western PA Conference,

Chair of Imagine No Malaria

A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose.

Day 3: ACTION DAY! Fasting is a time-honored Christian practice… one that we don’t have to practice only during Lent. John Wesley fasted from after dinner on Thursday until mid-afternoon each Friday. Could you give up a Friday meal, coffee or soda, sweets like chocolate, even fasting for a whole day each week? Fasting is one way that we can prayerfully focus on a spiritual goal… in this case, our desire to bring global health. Use the time you might otherwise be drinking your coffee, eating chocolate, or even while fasting at mealtime to remember those who are tragically affected each day by malaria. To get you started, below is a picture of Francess Beecher—a young mother in Sierra Leone who has felt the tragic touch of this disease. Want to take it to the next level? Make your personal sacrifice a means to generously donate the cost of the chocolate, meals or other sacrifices for Imagine No Malaria! Dec. 2, 2010 | BO, Sierra Leone (UMNS) Francess Beecher knows the staggering cost from just one mosquito bite. In September, she lost her firstborn, 2-year-old Jonathan, to malaria. “He caught high fever and within a few days became weak and anemic.” The family eventually took Jonathan to the village health center, but he was too weak to recover. He died a few hours later. Now five months pregnant, Francess is hopeful her child will enjoy a long life. She received three insecticide-treated bed nets [from a UMCOR distribution in the Bo District of Sierra Leone] to protect their family from the mosquito-borne disease.

Excerpts taken from a UMNS article by Phileas Jusu, Dec. 2, 2010 (”A Mother Pays Highest Price of Malaria”)

Day 4: Where Christ Meets Us Luke 3:3 “He (John) went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus begins his public ministry not at the Temple, but on the banks of a river. Jesus gathered himself not with the scholars or priests, but with the tax collectors, Roman soldiers, and that significant “character” in the gospels called “the crowds.” John’s message was not some esoteric insight into the divine mysteries; he told the people who had something to share to share, and the soldiers not to bully the people they dealt with, and the tax collectors to quit padding the accounts. John met them all, and Jesus joined them all, out on the edges. We know where we usually are comfortable doing our business, living our lives. John calls us somewhere else. If you were one of the scholars, or a Roman official, you might have seen this all as some eccentric little disturbance of the daily routine, something so much to the edge of “real life” that it scarcely merited any notice. However, for those who were there that day - hearing John’s message and seeing his dismay when Jesus presented himself to John, and then seeing or hearing the Divine affirmation of this scene - this wasn’t the edge at all, but the heart of God’s action in this new Kingdom about to break into our world. Blessed are those who can see what’s really happening at the river, with these people on the edge. Lent begins at the edge: remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. There’s not much comfort there, except for the way Jesus leaves the river and heads toward the cross. He will be left out to die on the edge of Jerusalem, and he will meet us all there. He will meet us when we hear John, really hear and give up illusions of control and really seek out righteousness. He will meet us and introduce us to the malaria victim who is my sister or brother. He will meet us in the mission that is underfunded, the church that is understaffed, and the project that to the rest of the Board looks like meddling. And later there will be joy. For the women who simply wanted to do the right thing at the tomb, there would be the greatest of discoveries of something that’s not there. For the eleven who felt it sensible to stay in a locked room, there would be the presence of the One who can’t be locked out. For the crowds by the river, they each will get to be somebody, and that river bank becomes holy ground. Prayer: God you meet us and change us through Christ our Messiah. Thank you for the possibilities that lay beyond Ash Wednesday, for the hope of all things new in You. Amen.

Rev. Harry Riser, Grace United Methodist Church, Alamogordo New Mexico Conference

Day 5: Jesus Renounces the Tempter Luke 4:1-13 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.” There are times when we have to say “No.” Even “no” to things that, at first glance, may appear to be good things. As Jesus went into the wilderness he was tempted by Satan in a number of ways. In each case he takes a stand against the tempter, even though in many regards the things he is being offered could be good for him, things that would benefit his ministry. The first temptation was the offer of bread. Have you ever gone to the grocery when you are hungry – everything looks good. Even if I went in to buy a couple of things, if I am hungry, I come out with a basket load. Worst of all, most of the things I’ve bought are the most unhealthy choices possible. Now imagine going to a grocery after not eating for a number of days? Surely, after fasting for forty days, the stones were, indeed, beginning to look a bit like loaves of bread. Jesus was being tempted to succumb to the focus his mission on himself and his own needs, rather than the great mission God had called him to. The second temptation was about winning the favor of human beings by putting on an amazing show. Can you imagine how Jesus’ fame would spread if people heard stories about him jumping from the pinnacle of the temple only to be saved from sure death at the very last second by angels? Couldn’t this be a good thing for him? He is trying to draw crowds and win converts, right? Couldn’t this be part of his outreach plan? The final temptation has everything to do with temptation to gain power. Jesus was tempted by Satan to sell his soul for “all the power in the world.” Satan was saying: “Jesus, you can be a King! And not just A king, you can be THE king. You can be King of the entire World! Imagine what good you could do with all that power. All you have to do is partner with me. But Jesus knew this too was not the kingdom way. God’s kingdom grows up from below as the poor hear the good news, the imprisoned find liberation, the hungry are fed and the blind come to see. Most of the things that tempt us are good things. In many ways the things that tempt us are similar to the temptations laid before Christ – the lure of having our human needs met, the promise of popularity, power and prestige. In their place these things are not evil in themselves. What made them evil in this case? They were evil because they were seductive promises that would draw Jesus away from the mission of the kingdom. He was being tempted to let his own interests take precedence over the call of God. To follow God means to put God first before all else and not let ourselves be seduced by the wiles of the tempter. Prayer: Help us, O Lord, to not take our eyes off of you. Help us not be seduced by the promises of the world that lead us to turn away from your desire for us. We need your help God to see clearly and remain focused on the work you would have us do.

Rev. Clayton Childers, Virginia, General Board of Church and Society

Day 6: A Portion… Deuteronomy 26:7: “We cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.” The story of God leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, to freedom and to a life of abundance, is one of the most important stories of God’s work for liberation and just social relationships found in the Bible. During Lent, we are drawn toward the images of the wilderness, as we remember Jesus’ time of fasting and temptation, and as we explore the barren or overgrown places in our own spiritual journeys. But as I read Deuteronomy 26:1-11, I notice that we begin not with slavery, not with liberation, not even with the forty years of being lost so as to un-learn the way of life the Israelites had known before. This reading begins with a kind of end-point, the people’s arrival in the promised land. The instructions that follow are not logistical, but liturgical: when you arrive and settle in, when your life begins to go well, and you are able to harvest the fruits of the land and your own labor, what matters is that you remember God. Put aside a portion of the abundance you are so eager to experience, rather than claiming it all for your own enjoyment or storing it away for a rainy day. Take your offering to the priest and remember, not just for yourself but for all to hear: recall the story of how you got here. Remember where your people came from, the journey you have been on, the struggles you have gone through, and God’s faithfulness and care throughout the generations. The story can have meaning for any of us, whether we are currently experiencing God’s bounty or still crying out to God from a place of pain and suffering. God is faithful, and we are called to respond with our own faithfulness and generosity as we move toward the abundant life God desires for all people and all creation. Prayer: God of our ancestors, when your children are suffering, hear our cry. Help us to remember your faithfulness in ages past, and teach us to offer ourselves and our gifts as generously as you do. Let our giving bear witness to your love and make it possible for others to experience the abundant life Jesus offers. May our journey this Lent draw us closer to Christ and so to you. Amen.

Rev. Kerry Greenhill, Field Coordinator, Rocky Mountain Conference

Day 7: Princes and Princesses Matthew 19:14 “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” About a month ago, I traveled to Haiti as part of a building team. Our group included folks from all walks of life - a lawyer, a pastor, a chef, a church secretary, and a nurse to name a few. What we all had in common that week was the desire to serve and to connect with our brothers and sisters in Christ in this country. But we had something else in common that week. We were all at risk of contracting malaria from a simple mosquito bite. Without proper medication, we could become severely ill from a wound the size of a pin prick – a mark so tiny and yet full of deadly potential. So while we were unpacking our luggage, our host was explaining the use of the mosquito net that we would sleep under each night. As we prepared to go to bed, my roommate joked that she felt like a princess sleeping under the net. I laughed, but visions of Disney fairy tale characters like Snow White ran through my mind as the gossamer net wafted in the nighttime breezes. As my body relaxed and I felt the tensions of the day’s travel subside, I thought of this country and others like it, where a mesh fabric so thin you could easily see through it was helping to save so many lives..a simple mesh net. How many young ‘princes’ or ‘princesses’ in this country had such a life-saving advantage each night, in countries where the smallest of insects could bring your life to a horrific halt? How about the continent of Africa - how many young children there would have the benefit of a net this evening, or the advantage of life-saving medical treatment should they contract the illness? Imagine No Malaria works for the princes and princesses of this world, for the mothers and children of Sub-Saharan Africa who will not live in luxury, but for whom a bed net and access to medical treatment seem like great and glorious treasures. They may seem like the uncounted and unimportant to some, yet they are valued, they count, they matter to God. Around our globe there are those who care enough to fight the good fight to protect the vulnerable, and to eradicate this menace once and for all, and they are making significant progress. We as United Methodists are part of that good fight. But it starts with seeing people differently. It starts with seeing a ‘prince’ or ‘princess’, instead of a poor child with ragged shoes, and torn clothes. It starts with knowing that they are truly the sons and daughters of God who deserve this net to protect them from harm, and deserve the medications being developed to keep them far from the hurt which otherwise might befall them. It starts with a life that is valued in the eyes of God, and by us all. Do you see princes and princesses in this world? I do. Prayer: God, give us the wisdom to see our neighbors as you see them. Amen

Rev. Pam Carter, Western North Carolina Conference

Day 8: Hope Romans 8:24-25 “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” On a journey through West Africa, I was left with an a-typical loss for words to describe the depth of the experience. In Côte d’Ivoire, I visited schools in rural communities where there is no water. Fetching water, a responsibility of the young girls in a family, is a task that can take hours each day. When the family is faced with the choice of having water or sending a daughter to school, the decision is simple: the family needs water. A well can make all the difference. In Liberia, I saw the amazing work of the Camphor and Ganta missions, where health care is being delivered in the most limited conditions. I had the privilege of meeting the traditional birth attendants (TBA) at the Camphor mission. Mothers-to-be in rural villages entrust their prenatal care to the TBAs, and each day, they deliver their babies into the hands of these dedicated women. The incidence of problematic deliveries has been reduced in the villages thanks to the TBAs. In Guinea, I visited a small clinic supported by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) that is the only hope for those who suffer from malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases of poverty. Similarly, in Sierra Leone’s Kissy Hospital and the Manjama clinic, life-giving care is provided to the people of a war-ravaged country. It is difficult to find words to adequately respond to the sight of a baby gasping for breath as she struggles with malaria and pneumonia. Or of the child lying in bed whose life is being cut so short by tuberculosis. Or of the man in a wheelchair who lost his leg to leprosy. It is hard to find words…. But in each of the places I visited, I knew I was a privileged witness to hope. My trip to West Africa was a long one, but I measured it in more than distance or days; I measure it in hope. As I held the baby gasping for breath and prayed for the young boy dying from tuberculosis, it became clear to me that this was not a journey that required words, it was a spiritual journey. It was a journey of love and of possibilities for a new future. It was a journey of hope. Prayer: Gracious and holy God, it is often difficult for us to see hope in situations that appear hopeless. Our human eyes do not allow us to see life as you see it. It is only when we see life through our eyes of faith that we catch a glimmer of hope that only comes from you. Give us eyes to see the world through eyes of faith and hearts to love as you would want us to love. Amen.

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, Louisiana Conference

Day 9: Finding Contentment in a Holy Life Philippians 4:11b “…I have to be content with whatever I have…” Have you ever counted the number of products it takes to get out the door in the morning? Soap, body wash, toothpaste, mouth wash, shampoo and conditioner, shaving cream, moisturizer, mousse or gel, hair spray, deodorant, body lotion, powder, after shave or cologne… and we’ve not even started on make-up! And recently, Madison Avenue has convinced us that none of us have teeth that are white enough. Take a survey of your bathroom and estimate the cost of the products you use every day. You will be astounded at the dollar figure you discover that you spend mindlessly on products that we’ve come to view as necessities. Small wonder that it is easy for us to be content with what we have. Even if we make the “sacrifice” of using store brands instead of name brands, our shelves are bending under the weight of luxuries that we deem necessities. One of the important life lessons that is attached to the Imagine No Malaria ministry is the stark truth of how little ordinary people of Africa have. They have a totally different understanding of what the Apostle meant about contentment. Regardless of how difficult our lives might be, if preventing a terrible disease meant covering our beds in netting, there are very few of us who could not make it happen before too many pay checks came and went. Our generosity in sending mosquito nets will not cause undue hardship for many of us. Perhaps we can use this campaign as a time for re-ordering our perceived needs and the amount of our resources we invest in pampering ourselves. Prayer: Gracious and generous God, show us what is needed for a holy, content life. Make us careful of our needs and giving of our means. In Jesus, who gave the most. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Jaime Potter Alvarez, Pennsylvania

Georgina Maria Domingos cares for her daughter Maria Costa at their home in the

Cacilhas village near Huambo, Angola. Photo by Mike DuBose, United Methodist News

Service.

Day 10: Action Day It’s time to make a list. Write down all of the items you can buy with just $1. Not very long, is it? You can buy a soda, a candy bar, something off of the dollar menu at a fast food restaurant, or something at the dollar store. These days, you can’t even buy a cup of coffee for just one dollar! Consider this: you can protect 100 lives with less than $1 a day. That certainly seems a lot more valuable than a can of soda, doesn’t it? Less than $1 a day (just $28 a month) pledged over three years has the ability to protect 100 lives in Africa, and help to eliminate deaths caused by malaria. Prayerfully consider today if you can change 100 lives. If you decide to make this commitment, go to www.ImagineNoMalaria.org to make your pledge (or a gift of another amount). Every time you spend one dollar today (or two dollars, or three…) stop and pray for a child in Africa. Pray for their health and pray that they are safe from malaria today.

Day 11: Size 1 Samuel 17:50 “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

Early Sunday morning, I headed out to a small church in rural Texas. I didn’t know where I was going, because the district directory didn’t list an address for the church, nor did the Internet. Strangely, I made it without needing an address at all. The smallest church I had ever seen was impossible to miss in a town that looked more like a tiny subdivision than a community. Staring at the surroundings, I was disappointed though. With so few people worshiping in such a remote place, I wasn’t sure they would believe they could save lives in Africa, no matter how the pastor felt. Nevertheless, I made my presentation. Then, they amazed me. The 13 people who joyously filled the pews that morning unanimously decided they could be the healing hands of Christ for more than 1,000 people who lived in places that were so remote and seemingly insignificant that they too had no addresses. Some people see those who are living in address-less villages of Africa as overwhelmingly unreachable, but the people of Bruni saw their potential to serve God by fighting malaria and sending relief to those in need. That morning 13 people reminded me of what David knew when he faced Goliath – when we are in God’s service, size doesn’t matter. The desire to serve and knowing God stands with us, that is what matters. Bruni was small. They stood against this mammoth disease anyway, because they knew they would win. Prayer: Lord give us the boldness to serve, even when the task seems impossible. Help us to remember that nothing is impossible for you and with faith as small as a mustard seed we have the power to move mountains for your kingdom. Amen.

Leia Danielle Williams, Northwest Texas Conference

Day 12: Caring for Each Other Luke 13:34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing.” Outside my office window there was a nest for a Canadian goose. The mother sat there quietly and patiently day after day, waiting for the natural process and spring birthing of young. We grew quite friendly as she watched me work at my desk and I engaged in a morning review of the status of the coming young. As I closed my office door each evening, she looked longingly at me as if to say, “Are you leaving me here alone?” I confess it was quite a daily routine to watch as she protected and provided for her small ones. Now I understand a little bit more about the scripture references to Jesus’ sorrow over Jerusalem and weeping for the unwillingness of the people to accept his lordship. Are we weeping over the lost and wandering ones? Are we brooding, protecting and nurturing the ones who can’t find their way? Are we gathering with loving patience those who need the fresh assurance of rebirth? May we once again long and pray and patiently hold on for the re-birthing that is needed in the churches and communities where we serve. “I thank God upon every remembrance of you,” is what St. Paul said to the church, when he wrote in recognition of their faithfulness to the gospel and their hospitality and care for him personally. I thank God today for you: For your life given in covenant and service; for your labor of love and your message of hope given out in acts of kindness; for your vision to meet the needs of many and minister his grace; for your family and those whom you embrace as family; for your daily, steady working so that life is improved for someone. I thank God for you, because you are important to the kingdom of God. May God bless you abundantly today, for he is good; His love endures forever.

Rev. Bramwell Kjellgren, Pennsylvania

Day 13: Imitation Philippians 3:17 (new RSV) “Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.” My youngest son had just learned to walk. We were at Annual Conference surrounded by people who knew us. I enjoyed spending time walking with my child. Later one of the clergy came to me and said, ‘I saw you and Matthew walking away from me down the hall. It was so great to see. He walks just like you!’ At the time, I thought how great that was. You see, my son is adopted. Walking like me isn’t genetic. It is environmental. He truly was learning from my example. We teach our children to walk and talk and pray. We teach them to live safely and to care about the safety and welfare of others. As Christian, we learn from the example that Jesus the Christ set for us. We walk in faith. Each step we take can help others live a healthy safe life. Imagine No Malaria gives us the opportunity to follow Jesus and offer a better life to God’s children around the world. We can teach others how to be safer from the mosquitoes that carry the deadly disease. It’s simple really. We look around our homes and our communities and ask ourselves how can I help my child live a good, safe life? We look around the world and ask what can I do as a child of God to help God’s other children live a good and safe life? Prayer: Great and Loving God, may others look at the way I walk through this life get a glimpse of how you walk and love and reach out and care for your children all around the world. Amen.

Rev. Tom Boller, Field Coordinator, Yellowstone Conference

Day 14: Sharing out of Love Philippians 2: 3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Nothing could have prepared me for our welcoming into the village we received in Bo, Sierra Leone. When we arrived at our first village the brownish-red dirt road was lined with people. Men, women, and children were waiting for us, and as we piled out of our vehicles we began walking up the road and the singing and drums began. I was, as was the rest of our group, surrounded by the throng. I have never experienced being in a throng before. Children mostly surrounded me, smiling and laughing and talking. Overcome with warmth of emotion I pumped my two fists in the air and shouted, only being heard by the children closest to me, “This is BIG!” The few that could hear me above the song smiled, and pumped their fists in the air and shouted back to me, “Yes, this is BIG!” We were led and seated at a long table as “dignitaries” facing the seated villagers. After being introduced to them, we were introduced to their leaders. When the formalities were ended we toured their medical building. Inside the walls were lined with educational posters concerning AIDS, eye conditions, malaria, etc. One man proudly took me into the supply room (which held only a few boxes of empty syringes), but he was especially proud of a white enameled, freezer sized, temperature controlled storage unit for medicine. A generator kept the device at constant temperature. I asked if I could see inside it. He acted as if he had never been asked that before, and after a bit of tugging was able to lift the lid. We both peered down into the rust lined interior of the unit only to see two single dose ampoules of medicine on the bottom. I had expected to see racks of various pharmaceuticals, but they were non-existent. Afterwards we were educated by local leaders about the organization, communication and distribution of insecticide impregnated bed nets to prevent malaria. This initiative had been well-designed, extensive and largely complete for this Bo district. Bo is only one district, and there are eleven more districts in Sierra Leone. Paul tells us in Philippians that since we have received the love of Christ, that we are to be like-minded and to share that love and concern for others: not for our own glorification, but because we truly value others. Those in Africa who are suffering the ravages of death due to malaria truly need our help, and God willing we will stand united, and be generous in our contributions to help eradicate this disease. Prayer: Dear Lord, make me an instrument of your peace and love by sharing with others that they may have freedom from the disease of malaria. May we do this not for our own ambition, but simply out of interest and love that we have of others, as Christ has for us. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Dr. Peter L. Paulson, Illinois

Day 15: Muddied Waters

Revelations 22:1-2: “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Water burst into the air, jetting straight up from the well we had just drilled into the volcanic El Salvadoran soil. Like a brown fountain, the murky water sprayed high above us in the sunshine, full of drill mud and rock cuttings. A powerful blast of compressed air, carried by a hose running down more than a hundred feet to the bottom of the well, drove the stream. We stood and watched joyfully, blessed by the sight after three days of patient drilling, and the exhausting work of clearing mud lines and mixing concrete by hand. Gradually the water jet lost its muddy color as the rushing air blew away the impurities caused by our drilling. The unpolluted life-giving water from the deep aquifer replaced the drill mud and cuttings. The fountain became clear and pure. Soon the local villagers would be enjoying clean drinking water, and the well would be protected against contamination by a thick concrete cap supporting a sturdy hand pump. How often are our lives muddied by the work we do, filled with the gravel and soil of daily life? We may have tapped into a deep vein of God’s pure Spirit, but the cuttings and grindings of our routine existence cloud the flow. Stop, He seems to say, and let My mighty rushing wind blow away the debris. Your work has proceeded far enough, My child, under your own power – be still, and watch as My flame purifies. Prayer: Father, as we fill our lives with fretting and fury, call us to a quiet place where we can see You at work – and rejoice. Amen.

Nels Hoffman, New Mexico

Children play alongside a sewage-filled ditch in the

Maxinde neighborhood near Malanje, Angola, site of a

cholera outbreak in 2005. Public health officials are concerned

about malaria-carrying mosquitoes breeding in the

stagnant water. A UMNS photo

by Mike DuBose.

Day 16: A Life of Wholeness John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Several years ago I was on a mission trip in Cameroon, which is in west Africa. Our team was working with former GBGM missionaries Wes and Leah Magruder. We were visiting different congregations all over the country. Every day we spent lots of time driving to a new village and a new church, where we stopped and visited for a few hours. As the trip progressed I began to notice that our van driver began to spend all our breaks, meal stops, and church visits sleeping in the van. I questioned our interpreter about it (because our driver spoke only French) and our interpreter simply said that our driver was sick. Shortly afterwards I asked our team leader if she thought our driver might have malaria. Her answer surprised and enlightened me. She responded that it was quite likely that our driver did have malaria, because in a sub-Saharan country like Cameroon nearly every adult carries the malaria parasites. Several times a year they may be stricken with flu-like symptoms that are so severe they can barely function and work. Yet work they must, if at all possible, for they have to provide for their families. Often they suffer through it as best they can with no medications, because they can’t afford them or have no access to them. The Imagine No Malaria initiative helps prevent malaria and offers treatment for those that do have it. In the future, as we reach our goals in this initiative, fewer and fewer children will have malaria. Those children will grow into adulthood healthy and whole. In John 10:10, we see that God’s will for us is not sickness and weakness, but a life of wholeness and abundance - for everyone. By being healthy and experiencing a life of wholeness we fulfill God’s promise to all generations. Prayer: God of all nations, your love and mercy surrounds us, wherever we are. So many people are suffering from malaria. Help us to learn about the suffering of others and give us the wisdom and compassion to act. It is so easy to look the other way. With open hearts and open minds, we seek to learn what you would have us do. We ask all this in your son’s name. Amen.

Rev. Marji Bishir, Texas

Day 17: ACTION DAY Spread the word! Encourage your church to use Imagine No Malaria as a means of inviting the community to worship, whether for a service that includes an offering for Imagine No Malaria, or to Easter Sunday. Download our easy ‘how-to’ for Pipe-Cleaner Cleaner Mosquitoes from the website at www.ImagineNoMalaria.org/Resources/activity-ideas. Work with the youth minister and Sunday school classes to make 2-3 mosquitoes for each person who comes to worship on Sunday. Attach a small card to each mosquito with facts about malaria on one side, and an invitation to worship on the other. Make sure to include a map or address for the church so first-time visitors know where to go! One week before your Imagine No Malaria Sunday (or before Easter), ask members to take 2-3 mosquitoes home to distribute to neighbors or friends. They can hand-deliver the mosquitoes, or leave them in the mailbox. Not sure if you can get the whole church involved? Make a few pipe-cleaner mosquitoes anyway to hand out to friends, neighbors, or fellow church members to spread the word about Imagine No Malaria!

Day 18: From Where I Sit Ephesians 5:8-13 (Good News Translation) “You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Try to learn what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light (It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed;” When my children were young, doctors, hospitals and medicine were available to them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They were immunized as infants as preventation for several infectious diseases. Even if they became ill, treatment and medicine were only a phone call or short drive away. From where I sat, I didn’t have worry about them getting sick or catching a contagious disease. When you don’t have to worry about something, it’s easy to forget it exists. You forget where others sit. I never had to worry about malaria, in fact I never thought about it. However, since I started my work with Imagine No Malaria, I think about it daily. In Africa, a child dies from malaria every 60 seconds-yet it is preventable and curable. I cannot imagine living in a place where death is the norm and not the exception. I cannot imagine my child suffering from and possibly dying of this devastating disease. I can however imagine children and adults healed, every day, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Imagine No Malaria provides bed nets, the drainage of standing water (where mosquitoes that carry the disease breed), training, education, and communication as means of prevention and treatment. Through this ministry, I imagine that one day, families in Africa won’t have to worry about malaria either. I used to watch the cartoon series “G.I. Joe” with my children. One of the things that caught my attention was the last scene. It always had a short moral lesson. One lesson might show a person about to hurt someone else either physically or emotionally. Another lesson might show someone not being responsible by helping someone or something when they saw the need. In the middle of the act, G.I. Joe would step in and explain to the person how the action (or lack there of) could hurt or cause harm. It seemed as if a light came on in their heads. They would make a statement that showed they didn’t realize what their actions could do and ended with the statement “But now I know!” G.I. Joe would respond “And knowing is half the battle!” The light bulb has come on for me and now I know. I sit in a different place. I know about malaria-and that’s half the battle. Supporting Imagine No Malaria is the other half... the half that will help us win the battle against malaria. Prayer: Oh God, I thank you for your marvelous light. Help me to walk in it and share it with others. Help me to do what pleases you and help others no matter where they sit. Amen.

Diane Maloney, Tennessee

Day 19: The Power of God Isaiah 55:1-9 “ Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food” I recently traveled with Imagine No Malaria to witness a large-scale net distribution in Sierra Leone. After our morning visit to celebrate the progress of the distribution and hanging of mosquito nets in a nearby village, we returned to the city of Bo. As we drove, a mixture of images flowed through my mind: abject poverty, resident volunteers proudly committed to the well-being of their neighbors in the village, as well as the deep, joyful gratitude expressed by all whom we met. Stepping out into the blistering heat, I noticed a blow-up Santa perched atop the railing outside the restaurant. It seemed an odd contrast to see Christmas decorations when the sweat was running off my forehead, but then again it was the first week of Advent. As we all sat there, uniformed in our white Imagine No Malaria T-shirts that boldly proclaimed “Saving Lives in Sierra Leone,” the contrast of the poverty outside and the reminders of comfort and commercialization inside stirred uncomfortably in my soul. Noticing my T-shirt, a young woman from another country introduced herself as a social worker with women in prison and asked how she might get some nets for the women. The news of the net distribution was widespread; she had heard of the work of INM and celebrated with us. As I introduced her to the others and we conversed, my eyes were suddenly opened to the Incarnate Christ among us. There we were - a diverse group of folks from places all over the world, most of us never having met prior to our gathering for this event. And yet we were there – intentionally gathered to celebrate, to equip, to encourage, and to hold accountable the work of our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone. Mysteriously, we were all joined in heart, mind, and spirit in the single-minded purpose of saving lives and offering the possibility of life abundant to the least, the last, and the lost. What other force but the power of God could draw strangers from all over the world to work together for the sake of helping people who they will probably never know? What but the power of God can stir in the hearts of individuals, one by one, to produce a world-transforming reaction that will reverberate around the globe? Prayer: Creator and Lord of us all, we are marching with you to Zion. Remind us again of your power to break through even the dissonance and incongruence of life. We pray for the people of Sierra Leone and all of our brothers and sisters on the continent of Africa who daily face the challenges of poverty and disease. In the words of Isaac Watts, may “we who love the Lord…join in a song of sweet accord and thus surround the throne.” May the harmony of our individual voices create a symphony of praise that gives life to your children around the world. We pray in the name of Jesus who died that all might have life. Amen.

Rev. Janice Griffith, Illinois Great Rivers Conference

Day 20: God’s Love Completes Us 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. "Give me five, on the side, up high, down low...too slow," I say as I go through the motions of a little game my four-year-old nephew at home loves too. Here in the mountains of Jamaica, the rich, mahogany hands of the bravest four-year-old boy at the preschool contrast so sharply with my Minnesotan, February-pale ones. As we continue playing, suspicious uncertain looks or shy smiles are replaced with breathtakingly beautiful, missing baby-tooth revealing smiles and the sound of gleeful laughter and the chorus of "again" and "my turn" fill the air. Our work team finds welcome and acceptance as we begin the journey from strangers to friends. I haven't had the chance to travel as much as I hope, but the travel I have done confirms what my friends, who are true global travelers and volunteers have said, "people everywhere are more alike than they are different." Each child is a child of God, filled with promise and hope; each child's unique laughter is a gift from God to the world. How blessed are we when we have the chance to share love and care for children in whatever way is appropriate: helping to build a preschool, playing a simple game, reading a story, or sending a bed net to the other side of the world? We are so blessed, that in doing so, according to this passage from First John that God is present in us, and we are made complete. Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the many opportunities you give us to make your love and our joy complete as we love and care for your children. Amen.

Rev. Brenda North, Detroit Lakes UMC,

Minnesota Conference

Dodo Koua, 5, smiles after her father hung an insecticide-treated mosquito

net at their home in Bonous, Cote d'Ivoire. A UMNS photo by Mike

DuBose.

Day 21: Accountability

Luke 13:6-9 Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”’ In my work as a field coordinator for Imagine No Malaria, I am committed to being a good steward of the resources and gifts that we receive. It was important for me to understand the process of accountability for our gifts and how they are put to use. One of the amazing things about working through the United Methodist Church is that 100% of the dollars that we raise go to the work of eradicating malaria. We distribute funds not by showing up with a shipment of nets, but by asking communities what they need and inviting them to write grants for the work they need accomplished. All along the way, we are building relationships of accountability. If funds are being misused or if a particular program is not bearing fruit, we can say no and direct funds and energy to the places where it will be used effectively. All of that information about transparency in the funding process got me to thinking about my own financial and spiritual health. What about my pocketbook? Who is holding me accountable? God has given me so much in this life. I am like the fig tree planted in good and healthy soil. But have I been bearing fruit? Have I been sharing my gifts with others? Have I fulfilled my purpose? During this season of Lent, take some time to examine your spiritual health. Are you growing? Or are you wasting the soil you were planted in? Our efforts to “give something up” or “take something on” during Lent are like heaps of manure – filled with good, fresh nutrients – that can revitalize our spirituality and spark growth. By participating in Imagine No Malaria, you have the chance to help bear fruit for the life-saving work of God Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for another day to serve you. Help it to be a fruitful one. If there are places in my life where pruning is needed, help me to accept them. Show me the places where I can grow in my faith and serve you in even bigger ways. Thank you for the sun and the rain and the earth that nurture me, the friends and colleagues who support me, the life of grace that sustains me. May these things not go to waste. Amen.

Rev. Katie Dawson, Field Coordinator, Iowa Annual Conference

Day 22: Love your Neighbor as Yourself Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV) “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus replied, ‘love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself”. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” On August 5, 2010, ten persons were killed on a mission trip to a remote village in Afghanistan. The majority of the folks were Christians who were living out their faith, sharing their gifts for the sake of helping those who found themselves in the margins of the Afghan society. Each had given up livelihoods and made sacrifices as they sought to live out the two greatest commandments. I have heard the questions asked, “Why would folks travel to a place so dangerous? Why would they risk their lives in a place so far from the security of their borders?” the answers lie in the Biblical text---each one who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord is to love God with heart, mind, and soul. Equally as important is to love one’s neighbor as we love ourselves. Neighbor is not bound by geography, but rather by one’s ability to connect with others who have been created in the image of God. Those who journeyed and died a horrific death knew the reason why they were willing to give of themselves sacrificially---for the love of God. We are being asked to support the cause “Imagine No Malaria.” We are asked to save lives, and we can do that by raising awareness that malaria is preventable through communication, education, and better health care. What we are being asked to do seems so small in comparison to what others have sacrificed. The challenge, however, is not to compare our tasks to the tasks of what others are doing, but rather to ascertain how we are living out our faith in relationship to how God has called and is calling us as individuals. The call is not about equal giving but equal sacrifice, for we do not live out sacrifice in the same manner. For example, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr, Oscar Romero, and Mother Teresa all lived prophetically, each using their own gifts as given by God. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself, and in the words of Paul let us live a life worthy of the calling we have received.

Rev. William B. Meekins, Jr, Pennsylvania

Day 23: Blaming the Ill Luke 8:47-48 “When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was stricken by polio he was in the prime of his life. His star was rising. Shortly before this time he had been chosen at age 32 to serve as the Democrat’s Vice-Presidential candidate. The campaign was a losing effort but Roosevelt had made a name for himself and in the process he began laying a foundation for his own presidential campaign sometime in the future. People were talking about him as an “up and comer.” Then he was stricken with polio and his life changed for-ever. He would never again stand on his own. In our day, it is hard to imagine what a dreaded illness polio was. It was so feared that many people felt compelled to remove any family members who had polio from society entirely. They would hide them away in a back bedroom and close the blinds. Biographers say that Roosevelt’s mother encouraged him to do just this, to retire from public life and spend the rest of his years at their home along their family home on Hudson River. But his wife, Eleanor, refused to let him give up. She convinced him to put up a fight. Within ten years he was elected president of the United States and went on to lead his nation through the Great Depression and World War II. In Luke 8, we read about a woman who also refused to give up hope. Society taught that women in a situation like hers were to retire from society. They were to go off by themselves. They were not to touch anyone. They were not to be seen in public. But she refused to give up on life and she believed with all her heart that if she could just touch the robe of Jesus, she would be healed. Remember, according to the law, she was not even to be in public, much less intentionally touching people. So when Jesus called her out, she was terrified. But Jesus did not condemn her, he praised her and celebrated her faith. Even today, some blame illness on the people who are ill. There is a temptation to close our eyes and deny that illness even exists. Sickness reminds us that we are all vulnerable and blaming the victim is one way we assure ourselves that what happened to them will never happen to us. Jesus challenges us to move beyond our fears and to choose, instead, the way of compassion and love. Prayer: Help us, O God, to put aside our fears and care for those who go through difficult times. Our faith can give them strength in times of need and their courage can inspire us to greater faith still. Open our hearts, Lord Jesus, and fill us with compassion for those in need.

Jen Manier, Minnesota and Rev. Clayton Childers, Virginia

Day 24: ACTION DAY Malaria can be overcome, but only if enough people know about the cause, and care enough to eliminate the disease. Help spread the word! Today, tell two people in your life about Imagine No Malaria. It can be your co-worker, classmate, grandmother, or neighbor. Nervous about how to start the conversation? Here’s a guide for you: “Hello [NAME]. As part of my Lenten focus, I am praying for and learning about Imagine No Malaria—a ministry of my church, The United Methodist Church, that is working to eliminate deaths caused by malaria in Africa by 2015. Today I am sharing information about this ministry with two people in my life, and you are one! Did you know that nearly one million children die each year from this disease? It starts off feeling like the flu, but gets much worse. Kids often fall into a fever-induced coma. Adults can’t work. If a person isn’t treated for malaria fast enough, it kills. In fact, a child dies from malaria every sixty seconds. The good news is that malaria is preventable, treatable, and BEATABLE! Since malaria is spread by a specific mosquito that only bites at night, bed nets can help stop infections. So can cleaning up areas where mosquitoes breed, like puddles and trash-filled creeks. We can also help by training health workers, putting reminders to use the bed nets on the radio, and by improving and revitalizing our hospitals and clinics in Africa so they can better serve their patients. If you want to help, you can come to my church on [DATE OF SPECIAL SUNDAY] to hear more, or go to www.ImagineNoMalaria.org: you can learn more about malaria, and even make a donation if you feel called.

Day 25: Shine, Shine, Shine! Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” So many children’s songs hold profound truths that we only truly appreciate when we get older. One such song is “This little light of mine”: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! Jesus asked us to be His light in this world of darkness. He reminds us not to allow our eyes, which are the lamps of our bodies, to be filled with darkness, but to be “completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” Luke 11:36 Our light needs to shine out for more than one morning or one day out of the week. We need to stand out daily with our words and actions as lights that bring truth, love, compassion, and acceptance to our society. During these hard economic times, I have found it hard to shine when I am worried about my job, my family’s finances, my children’s education, and so much more. But God reminds me in gentle ways of how I can still be his light—by taking food over to a grieving neighbor, babysitting for an ill co-worker, or visiting with a depressed friend. These actions cost me so little but share so much with others. Prayer: Holy Father, help us to hold our lights in a world of darkness. Let us become the lights that live in truth and love. Brighten our lights by reminding us of the compassionate actions and words of our Lord, Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Donna Trimble, North Carolina

Hope for Africa Children's Choir Uganda, Photo by Kathy Gilbert

Day 26: An Empty Bed Luke 15:31-32 Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'" I had the opportunity to travel to Sierra Leone to witness the work of The United Methodist Church in the elimination of malaria. While there, we traveled to Bo, the second-largest city and home to Mercy Hospital – part of the United Methodist network of health-care facilities in Sierra Leone. We were graciously welcomed and guided through a tour of the hospital by a doctor. While viewing the children’s ward, I asked the doctor how many patients were being treated for malaria. He replied that of the five beds (all filled), three of the patients were suffering from malaria. He pointed to two beds that held infants, carefully watched over by their mothers who eyed us with interest. The doctor assured me that those two were recovering well, and that they would be expected to go home shortly. Then the doctor pointed to a third bed, where all I could see were rumpled sheets and no patient. The doctor explained, “That child was brought to us in a coma, suffering from a severe case of cerebral malaria.” The family, it seemed, had waited too long to bring him to the hospital, whether for fear of not being able to pay or in hopes that it might be something other than malaria – something that would pass without the cost and inconvenience of a hospital stay. I turned to the doctor and asked a question to which I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to hear the answer – a question that sent a shiver of fear through my mind: “Where is the patient now?” The doctor replied, “We were able to treat the malaria, and nurse him back to health. He is already outside in the courtyard, playing with the other children.” Thanks be to God for the wonderful work of the doctors and nurses of The United Methodist Church in Africa who work tirelessly every day to save the lives of little children suffering from a preventable disease. Every 60 seconds, a child dies from malaria somewhere in Africa. But on that day, in that hospital, a child lived. Prayer: Lord, we can still see miracles performed by your hands, if only we look. Allow us to be your hands and feet here on Earth each day so that the miracle of the elimination of malaria may occur. Every life that is saved is a reason to celebrate. Praise be to you, o God. Amen.

Margo Jacobs, Michigan

Day 27: Patience Numbers 21:4 “They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;” A little boy found his grandpa working on a gate and asked, “Whatcha doin’?” Grandpa replied, “There’s five kinds of broken things. Some are broke so bad they can’t be fixed. Some are broke, but, if you leave ‘em alone, they’ll fix themselves. Some are broke so bad only God can fix ‘em. Some are broke, and somebody else has to fix ‘em. Some are broke, and it’s up to me to fix ‘em. I’m fixing something I gotta fix.” It doesn’t take a genius or a prophet who can see directly into the mind of God to know that things are broken. Consider any aspect of life that is of concern to you. Things just aren’t the way they ought to be. Most of us get impatient about things that need to be fixed. We try to do the best we can with our tasks. We try always to witness to the ‘wonderful love of our blessed Redeemer.’ We try to fix the things that are our responsibility. We scurry after ways to fix the problems that plague our world. Often we spend so much time and energy putting out little fires that we don’t have anything left for the important things. For a while everything may be calm, as at the beginning of “The Wizard of Oz” before Miss Gulch or the tornado arrives and the biggest concern is how to take care of the chicks after the incubator breaks down. In the midst of the tranquility, we hear a roaring like a freight train, and the whole world falls apart. There’s another option. With God, there’s always another option, another possibility for bringing good from seemingly hopeless and thoroughly evil situations. When Christ came into the world, the true light shone forth. So long as God lives, the light of Christ can never be put out. People in the midst of wars, plagues, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes, or something so common as a terminal disease must surely feel it’s way past time for things to be fixed. But God’s will is always directed toward the most excellent way, the way that we have come to know in Jesus Christ, the way of love. Evil may interrupt the smooth flow of our lives, but God continues to work on those things only God can fix. We may get impatient when our favorite problem isn’t fixed before we ask, but the love of Christ has come into the world and even a torturer’s cross will not overcome it. Prayer: Holy One in whom we live and move and have our being, help us to deal calmly with those things which are up to us to fix. In the midst of frenzied impatience, help us to know your peace. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Lew Kaye-Skinner, Adjunct Faculty Bryan LGH College of Health Sciences

Hallam and Martell United Methodist Churches, Nebraska Conference

Day 28: Worship God Isaiah 58: 6-10 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” According to Isaiah, if we want to worship God we'll look out for others and share what we have with people who are hungry and need a place to rest. My earliest memory of seeing something like this was as a little girl with my dad running errands. We would see someone on the highway asking for help. My dad would pull over to the nearest fast food restaurant, order food, then drive back around where the person was to give them the meal and a small Bible and ask if there was anything else he could do to help. I learned more about worshipping God during those moments with my dad than almost any other time in my life. When he helped someone, he wouldn't plan or schedule it. We were always on our way to a place where we had to be. We had a schedule to keep, but my dad would intentionally help anyone who God put in his path. It wasn't about making time for an extra service project or mission trip, it was a reaction…a reaction to what God calls us to do…a reaction to seeing someone we're called to love in need…a reaction to God's incredible love that leads us to worship him by loving others. Eric Samuel Timm tells us that "as the body of Christ our greatest crime against humanity is our indifference and indecision towards the cultural problems we are faced with. This tolerance lulls us into a state of limbo that kills action. Without action there is no rescue. For some, without rescue there is no hope. You can be that hope. You can be that rescue." This reminds me of a friend in college who had a heart for the homeless. Coming from a broken and eventually non-existent family, she decided one summer to live out of her car. I remember arguing with her and her gentle, wise response to my protectiveness: "Katie, God is giving me an opportunity to reach my homeless brothers and sisters on their own turf; on a level they'll respect and understand. It's what Jesus did for us. How can I do anything but what He's called me to do?" How can we do anything else but what He has called us to do? God longs for us to worship, love, and know Him. Let us live out Isaiah 58 so that we may worship God. Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love. Forgive us when we miss out on what you have called us to do. Help us respond to those in need, near and far away, out of our love for you. Bring us to the point where we connect meeting the needs of others with worshiping, knowing and loving you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Katie Kautzmann, Youth Director, Fairmont UMC, Minnesota Conference

Day 29: I Love Africa 2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 (CEB) “What I mean is this: the one who sows a small number of seeds will also reap a small crop, and the one who sows a generous amount of seeds will also reap a generous crop. Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.” I love Africa. I love children – all children, all shapes and sizes, colors and cultures. As I returned on the long flight from Sierra Leone, West Africa, I had many hours to pray and contemplate how I could give more to bless the children of Africa. This year, 2013, is the year Iowa United Methodists will be fully engaged in “Imagine No Malaria,” saving the lives of children in countries I have visited. Iowa is one of the leading producers of corn and soybeans. Millions of seeds are planted every spring. Farmers work faithfully to produce a productive plentiful harvest. Spring and summer 2013 will be seasons for me to encourage as many people as I can to join the efforts that plant seeds of hope, advocacy, education and fundraising. Like the famers in Iowa, we do not intend to sow a small number of seeds, but a generous amount of seeds of encouragement and invitation expecting a generous response. We really believe as Paul records in II Corinthians 9:7, “God loves a cheerful giver.” Every effort every gift big and small will save lives and stir the gifts of revival in Iowa and Africa. Prayer: Dear God, translate our love for all God’s children into specific acts of generosity. Amen.

Bishop Julius C. Trimble, Iowa Conference

Day 30: Help Me to Love John 15:12-15 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father”. In a New Yorker magazine cartoon, two seminary students are walking across the cam-pus. One of them says to the other: “What gets me in this business is having to love everybody even if you don’t like them.” If we have been hurt deeply, or betrayed, or humiliated, it is very difficult to love that person. Yet, if we do not love as Jesus commands, our own spiritual health is jeopardized. I learned that truth many years ago as a missionary in the Congo where I met someone whom I thought impossible to love. But God loves us infinitely. And he offers us, through his Holy Spirit, the strength to love others, as he has loved us. The same God, who gives us this commandment, gives us the strength to obey it. This love is an incredible gift of grace. And, I believe the church is beginning to rediscover the need to follow this example of our Lord. Prayer: Gracious Father, teach me to love, to really care about others. Help me to share that love through my attitudes and actions. Amen.

Rev. Jerry Schmidt, Pennsylvania

Day 31: Action Day No single organization can beat malaria—we must all work together to do our part against this killer disease. One of the major contributors to global health funding is the United States government, which means part of our work to end malaria includes being a voice for those who have none. You can speak on behalf of the mothers and children and families of Africa to help protect funding for malaria programs in Africa. One place to start is by visiting our website - http://www.imaginenomalaria.org/advocacy/ There you will find information about signing our petition, calling up your Senators and Representatives, and a sample letter. To beat malaria, it’s going to take a global village. So, get your family, church, college and entire community involved! Commit to being a voice for the voiceless today. Advocate on behalf of global health funding by making a phone call, sending an email, or writing a letter. It’s easier than you think.

Day 32: Go Into the World A church member recently inspired a time of pondering for me: “You know,” he said, “I’m getting a little bit tired of hearing about this whole Imagine No Malaria thing.” “Why you think that is,“ I asked? “Well, “he said, “It seems like we’re being asked to give a whole lot of money to people who are a world away instead of using that money to help the people who are right outside our doors.” We often fall into the trap of believing that our mission is to reach THIS person or THAT person instead of embracing the biblical mandate to go into “all the world” with the Gospel-not to mention the Wesleyan idea that the entire world is our parish. The church mission field is always “both/ and”-it is both the house next door and the house on the other side of the world, and both houses are inseparably linked in the beautiful and mysterious unity of the Holy Spirit. The body of Christ, in other words, cannot afford to be territorial in its mission and outreach. A few years back, I had the opportunity to visit and pray with patients in a hospital in the village of Ankaase (Ghana, West Africa). I prayed with a mother and her small child, both of whom were seeking treatment for malaria. We did not speak the same language, of course. However, in those sacred moments, we found unity in the shared vocabulary and intonation of prayer. The mother wept during that time of prayer. She wept, I assume, for the sick child that she held in her arms. Her tears became something sacramental for me-baptismal water that flowed into the depths of my soul. When I think about the Imagine No Malaria ministry, I don’t think first of dollars and bed nets (as important as they are). Rather, I think of that mother and child in Ghana. I think of their faces and souls. I think of their tears. Most of all, I think of the truth that, if one person in the body of Christ suffers, then the entire body of Christ suffers. In recent days, my wife Tara and I have prayerfully discerned some ways in which we sense that God is calling us to expand our personal discipleship to Jesus Christ. Our heartfelt commitment to Imagine No Malaria is part of that extension. Even as I type these words, I find myself thanking God for Imagine No Malaria, not only because of its life saving efforts, but also because of its impact on my personal walk with Christ. Through the ministry of Imagine No Malaria, I’ve come to understand in a whole new way that, if I do not see the eyes of Jesus looking back at me when I gaze into the face of a hurting human being (no matter whether that human being is right next door or on the other side of the world), then something is seriously wrong with my soul. Prayer: Forgive me, o God, for the ways in which I’ve often hardened my heart to your people and your world. By the power of your holy spirit, transform my thoughts and impulses that I may resist the temptation to walk away from a hurting or needy soul who may very well be showing me the face of your Son. Bring me more deeply into the kind of discipleship that will inspire me to look upon every portion of my life as my mission field and every portion of the world as my parish, all for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whose name I humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

Rev. Eric Park, Washington District Superintendent, Western PA Conference

Day 33: Unburdened Isaiah 43: 16-21 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. There’s a story about a pair of monks who were traveling together when they came upon a woman standing by a stream. The stream was swollen by spring rains, making the current too swift for the woman to cross. She asked if they would carry her across to the other side. The first monk scoffed at her saying, “Stupid woman, we are holy men. Don’t you know we have taken a vow to never touch a woman? We will not help you.” But the second monk knelt down, put woman on his back, and carried her across the stream. As he placed her safely on the other bank, she thanked him, and went on her way. As they continued walking, the monk who had refused to aid the woman was fuming, thinking to himself, “How could he do that? He touched a woman. He’s broken a sacred vow and carried that woman on his back.” He became more and more upset, outraged by his friend’s actions. The second monk, sensing his brother’s agitation, asked what was bothering him. “You broke a vow,” he shouted. “You touched a woman. How could you carry her across the river?” “Brother,” the monk gently said. “I put the woman down at the river’s edge. You have been carrying her ever since.” When we dwell too much on past hurts or affronts, we become blind, unable to see the new things God is doing. If we carry the baggage of self-righteousness and ego, our hands are closed and we are unable to be part of God’s healing of a hurting world. Prayer: Lord, help us to unburden ourselves, to put down what prevents us from participating fully in your new work. Free us so that we may take part in Your work with glad spirits, joyful hearts and open hands.

Rev. Martha Taylor, Field Coordinator, Arkansas Conference

Day 34: Actions James 2:15-16 NIV “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily bread. If one of you says to them, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” As a child, I always was told we were poor. We lived on a farm and had no electricity or running water. However, I never thought I was poor as we always had enough food to eat, and plenty of clothing and shelter. My parents were loving and caring. I was able to go to school and even to college on a scholarship. A few years ago, my husband and I went to Jamaica on a mission trip. I saw firsthand what it meant to be poor, and yet being with the Jamaican people, I saw they were like me. They did not think they were poor either. Many children were unable to go to school, because they lacked uniforms and the money to get them. Many had no electricity or running water either. However, they were happy. I think of the people around the world, especially the children who go to bed hungry or who do not have nets to protect them from the malaria-bearing mosquito, and I wonder what I can do? I see people making pillowcase dresses for little girls in Africa. I see children collecting money for the mosquito nets for children who would otherwise be in danger of malaria. Others collect books, clothing and medical supplies to be sent where it is needed. Again, I wonder what can I do? The book of James reminds me that I need to do more than wonder or wish them well. I need to put my faith into action. I can share what I have whether it is time praying for my world, sending money to help, or actually going somewhere on a mission. Everyone can do something. Prayer: Dear Lord, Open my eyes to the world around me. Give me ears to hear your voice, eyes to see the need a heart to care and a faith that moves me to action. Amen.

Reva Husby, Mission Chair, Detroit Lakes UMC, Minnesota Conference

Day 35: Partnering for Mission Luke 10:1-2, 8-9 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” Jesus sent 70 people in pairs on a mission trip that involved healing and proclaiming the kingdom of God. Most of us would not go on a mission trip alone, but when we are paired with others, we gain courage and are able to take advantage of opportunities to show the love of Jesus and bring about many kinds of healing. My opportunity came in 1991, when I learned of a group going to Haiti. Preparations included lots of shots to ward off diseases and a weekly pill before, during, and after the trip to prevent malaria. While in Haiti, we visited four mission projects and then decided where we wanted to work for the week. I selected a nutrition feeding station for children whose parents had tuberculosis or AIDS. Each day when I arrived, a three-year-old boy named Charles was waiting for me to pick him up. He wanted to be carried constantly. Since I couldn’t speak his language, I sang to him as I carried him around to see what was happening with the other children. The staff didn’t ask me to do anything else. They recognized that Charles needed full-time, tender, loving care. I had never before met a child so starved for attention. While he received physical food at the center, he had a greater need for the healing that comes from knowing that someone cares. Twenty years later, I still remember Charles and my week of singing to him. Also vivid in my memory is the allergic reaction I had to the anti-malarial medication. Fortunately, the head-to-toe hives and itching did not start until I was home and had immediate access to an emergency room. Unfortunately, the hives returned every six hours for ten days in spite of Benadryl and steroids. For years I have banished thoughts of going on another mission trip to a malaria-plagued country. Today “Imagine No Malaria” offers the hope of a pair of mission blessings: the gift of health for the millions of children and their families who can be saved from a prevent-able death from malaria, and the possibility of a mission trip without the threat of malaria or medication reactions for Christians who are called to take the love of Jesus around the world. Prayer: Loving God, we thank you for the partners you give us for the mission you have called us to. Help us to respond in faith to your call. We pray for healing for all who are sick, and we ask for your blessing on all who are working to combat malaria. Amen.

Rev. Barbara Drake, Pennsylvania

Day 36: Calling Out for the Kingdom of God Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they are?” We have three bird-feeders in our back yard. Most days, there will be anywhere from 20 to 30 finches and sparrows and half-a-dozen to a dozen dove feeding from these three bird-feeders. I try to wait until all three are empty before replenishing the supply of food in the bird-feeders. When I begin filling the feeders, if there is one finch or sparrow around watching, they begin singing. Within thirty-minutes after I finish this task of refilling the feeders, the flock returns to feed. One small bird singing, calling out to the other birds to come and feast for there is a fresh supply of food available. As I think about this one small bird calling out to the other birds, I think of the Great Commission given to the disciples and to us as we read it in Matthew 28:18-20. This one small bird in essence is sharing good news with the other birds. If we would take lesson from them, we too, could easily spread the Good News of Christ, in leading others to the spiritual food Christ offers us abundantly. Likewise, if we were to use this same approach to spread the word of Imagine No Malaria, we could also help in the fight to end malaria deaths in the world. What a challenge in a simple way - each one reach one for the Kingdom of God, to tell the Good News and to put our faith in action for our neighbors by helping to eradicate malaria deaths! Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to learn from the birds, so we become the disciples you call us to be. Help us to point others toward you in advancing the kingdom of God, and to serve our neighbors in as many ways as possible, including the inexpensive means that we can collectively help in eradicating malaria deaths from our world. In your holy name we pray, Amen.

Rev. Tom Carter, Knox City United Methodist Church, Northwest Texas Conference

Day 37: Offering Love Psalm 71:9-14 “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.’ Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me. May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace. As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” The Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio opened its doors on Feb. 26, 2010…sort of by accident. We weren’t planning to open that day, and in fact had very few medications on our shelves. But our director received a frantic phone call from a woman whose husband had already suffered three strokes, and she was terrified that he might not live through another one. Recently released from prison with a two-week supply of medication, he had no resources with which to purchase more. By God’s grace, the medication this man needed was one of the few we had in stock that day. Our director, Allan – compassionate man that he is – gave them directions to the pharmacy along with a warning that they would be our very first patients. Meeting us at the door, the woman gave both Allan and me a big hug, thanking us before we’d filled a single prescription. That day, and every day since, the Charitable Pharmacy’s staff and volunteers have provided our 2,000+ patients with much more than medications…we’ve also given them hope. Hope is precisely the commodity we as Christ-followers have to offer our fellow human beings. Jesus never promised wealth or health to his disciples; what he did guarantee was a hope-filled life in which God never leaves or forsakes us. God offers us hope…of forgiveness…of unconditional love…of healing…of eternal life. God’s hope never fails. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the hope you give us through Jesus Christ. Help us to find ways of offering your life-giving hope to the world around us. May we be a people of your grace and love. Amen.

Mariellyn Dunlap, UMC Missionary – Church and Community Worker at the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio

Day 38: ACTION DAY Be the true life of the party! Host a house party to support Imagine No Malaria. It’s simple: just invite a few friends to a get-together, make sure that they know it is for a cause, and have fun! Blank party invitations, party ideas and more are available on our website at www.ImagineNoMalaria.org/HouseParty. A gathering of friends can mean the world to people you’ve never even met.

Day 39: Finding Our Place at the Table Psalm 116:12-15 “What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” Our confession of faith is that God is good. In fact, in the formulaic language of the southern church in which I was raised, “God has been better to me than I have been to myself.” This is truly one of the mysteries of our faith. God has the amazing capacity and tendency to bless us even when we are not aware of God’s hand of blessing upon us. Jesus invited those closest to him, even his betrayer to the dinner table for a time of blessed and sweet communion. Our Lord turned an ordinary meal into an extraordinary time of remembrance. He invited those closest to him in the sharing of the now sacred meal to remember him and to remember the great cost of his love. I have eaten at many tables. Some lavish and full of abundance, and others so sparse that it seemed as though there would not be enough food to go around. I have eaten at tables in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, Australia and island places too numerous to count. In every place, I have discovered the amazing presence of Christ at table. I believe that God reminds us of our commonality at table. I believe God invites us to find our place at the table where difference is diminished, even extinguished, and we find oneness and unity in Christ. I believe Imagine No Malaria is one of those unifying places for our church. Imagine No Malaria is a place where we can also lay aside our differences and unite around the saving of lives. Please join us at this welcome table. Prayer: Good God, we are so blessed that Jesus made room for us at the table. We are so blessed that the love of Christ breaks down every wall and helps us to see the entire human family as brothers and sisters. Help us to see Imagine No Malaria as a way to “return to the Lord for all his bounty.” Let our support of Imagine No Malaria be just another expression of your invitation to be at table together, sharing of the abundance you have given so freely. Hallelujah! Amen!

Rev. Gary Henderson, Nashville, Tennessee Executive Director, Global Health Initiative of The United Methodist Church

Day 40: Life

Romans 6:3-11 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. We all want to live a long life. The conventional wisdom for doing so is our busy western culture is to carve out time for yourself…to prepare healthy meals, to exercise 30 minutes a day, to spend time calming our minds through prayer or meditation, and to cultivate meaningful relationships. And yet, in recent research, there is one other critical factor of those who lived a long life. Consistently, people had something or someone to live for. When they expended their life on behalf of someone else, it actually added to the quality and length of their own life. The United Methodist Church is engaged in a conversation, particularly in the United States, about our future as a denomination. We are spending much time trying to figure out how to save our life as a church and what we need to be doing to be vital congregations. A repeated refrain in many churches is, “how do we get more young families to participate in our churches?” Rarely is the primary starting point for these conversations, “What does the gospel have to offer to these young families.” Rather our focus seems to be we need these young families for the future of our church. What might Jesus have to say to that? At the same time, as the United Methodist Church, we have an audacious goal of Imagining No Malaria in Africa, and raising $75 million towards accomplishing it. This effort has energized the people and the churches of the Minnesota Annual Conference. We started out fairly skeptical that we could meet our goal of $1.8 million. Many churches were facing financial crisis. Our membership and attendance have been declining. How could we possibly imagine such a thing? Well, when you start giving away your life for the sake of the gospel, God shows up. To date, we have over $2.6 million in pledges and gifts. And we have wonderful stories of congregations finding new life as they rediscovered what it means to be in mission, and in fact, this is what we exist to do: to save lives. So, today, how are you giving your life away for the sake of the gospel? Prayer: God, teach us to trust your ways. We don’t have to try to save our lives because you have already done that for us in Jesus Christ. So help us live with joyful abandon, giving, sharing, loving others, and discovering as we do, that we have the privilege of participating in your great mission, and that is what brings life to us and to the world. Amen.

Rev. Cindy Gregorson, Director of Ministries, Minnesota Conference