This is a Tax Deductible OARF project
We had heard their stories for years. The bombing and the loss of homes and farmland. The broken bodies and trauma.
We also had read the church history of these people – SUM Bible College first reaching these lands 100 years ago, the translation of scriptures, the disciples that were made, and the indigenous church that multiplied after the missionaries were asked to leave.
In 2015, whilst their homes were still being bombed, we visited church leaders in the refugee camp. They shared about the ripe harvest field. We were invited to come and continue ‘what our grandparents had started’. Making His name known amongst these people. Bringing His Kingdom. Sharing His love.
In 2016 we moved to live in that refugee camp with our 4-month-old son. For two years we lived there and shared our lives together with these people. They taught us how to live and thrive in that harsh environment. They became our friends. We worked together with the church and community to build and train and disciple.
Now that the bombing has stopped people are slowly moving home to The Mountains. As a family, we have moved with them to work shoulder to shoulder in rebuilding communities that have been bombed, help livelihoods to restart, and to bring His Kingdom near. With so many practical needs to be addressed, we identified the need to start Pioneers OARF project – The Mountains Development Project (MDP).
Briefly, MDP aims to come alongside the Mountain people with three focuses:
- Healthcare
- Education
- Sustainable building and technology
- Healthcare
We define health as physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. There is a three-tiered healthcare focus:
i. Community
Through training community health advocates with holistic health messages, the MDP aims to equip previously untrained community members to help care for the health of their communities and promote disease prevention. Healthcare messages are spread through networks of mother’s groups and a structure of home visiting using the Community Health Evangelism model.
ii. Clinics and health outreach workers
The MDP aims to provide support, training, and equipment health workers in the outreach clinics around the Mountains.
iii. Tertiary
MDP partners with the major referral hospital in the region to assist in:
– The development and rehabilitation of facilities and equipment
– Staff training and mentorship including the initiation of a paramedical school for nurses, midwives, and clinical officers.
- Education
The MDP will be partnering with local teachers and the ministry of education to help provide quality teacher training.
- Sustainable building and technology
MDP aims to provide practical assistance and skills training, as the Mountain people seek to rebuild their homes and villages.
Our prayer is that His Kingdom come and His Will be done through this project.
Anyone interested in hearing more or supporting this project please email candnlow@gmail.com.