hope in a world of hurt - study guide

8/8/2019 Hope in a World of Hurt - Study Guide

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A Wom n of Vis i on St d y

the h e a r t of the m a t t e r

hurt

hopein a world of


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acknowledgements

World Vision Resources produced this educational resource in partnership with Women o Vision. Copyright 2009 by World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716, [email protected]. All rights reserved.

Editorial Director: Milana McLeadEditor-in-Chie : Jane Sutton-RednerProject Editor: Laurie Delgatto Author: Beth Dotson BrownContributing Authors: Laurie Delgatto, Rene Stearns, Cynthia BreilhProject Consultants: Judy Bergman, Cynthia Breilh, Marilee Pierce Dunker, Karen Marion,

Rene StearnsDesign: Journey Group, Inc.Sales and Distribution Manager: Jojo Palmer

Printed in the United States o America

ISBN 978-09819235-2-9

The Scripture in this resource is rom the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used bypermission o Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The quotes in lesson 2, page 8, and lesson 2, page 5, are rom Bryant Myers, as ound inWalking with th Poor (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books 1999), pages 13, 51, and 81-82. Copyright 1999 World Vision International. All rights reserved.

The quote ound in lesson 3, page 8, is rom Mother Teresa in No Gr at r Lov (Novato, CA:New World Library 2002), page 46. Copyright 2002 New World Library. All rights reserved.

The quotes ound in lesson 4, pages 2 and 7, are rom A Citiz ns G id to Advocacy (Federal Way: WA, World Vision, Inc. 2008), pages 6 and 9. Copyright 2008 World Vision, Inc.

Instruction on advocacy in lesson 4 is drawn rom Stewarding Our In uence or Justice:Ful lling Our Biblical Mandate to Speak or the Voiceless, January 2009, by Tim Dearborn,director o Christian commitments or World Vision International.

The litany prayer ound in lesson 4, page 9, was used on Sept. 25, 2008, at an Inter aith

Service o Recommitment and Witness to the Achievement o the Millennium DevelopmentGoals, at the Cathedral Church o Saint John the Divine in New York City, by the Ecumenical Women o the United Nations. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

During the preparation o this resource, all citations, acts, gures, names, addresses,telephone numbers, Internet URLs, and other cited in ormation were veri ed or accuracy. World Vision Resources has made every attempt to re erence current and valid sources, butwe cannot guarantee the content o any source and we are not responsible or any changes thatmay have occurred since our veri cation. I you nd an error in, or have a question or concernabout, any o the in ormation or sources listed within, please contact World Vision Resources.

er photo by andrew goodwin/world vision 2009


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ser ies overview

The Heart of the Matter is a biblically based, interactive study series that ocuseson three areas: how Christians are called to respond to the needs o the poor ( Hopin a World of H rt ); the root causes o poverty and how trans ormational develop-

ment brings hope and lasting change to communities and individuals ( Comm niti sTransform d with Chang that Lasts ); and the ways in which extreme poverty andinjustice uniquely impact the lives o women and children ( To ching th Liv s of Wom n in Pov rty ).

The study o ers opportunities to: explore Scripture. personally re ect, share, and pray about injustices in the world. develop a greater understanding about poverty and oppression. participate in interactive learning experiences. learn about the trans ormational work o World Vision.

The combination o video, printed material, discussion and re ection questions,simulations, quizzes, and other learning activities contribute to a multi aceted,creative learning experience that is easy to lead and engaging or all participants.

study overview

Hope in a World of Hurt :

1. c i c

Jesus demonstrated His heart or the poor through His li e, His words, and Hisdeeds. He ed the hungry, healed the sick, and honored the small gi ts o the poormore than those o the rich. Jesus showed us how to love.

2. t c v P We must seek to see those who are poor through the eyes o Godas preciouswomen, children, and men whose very hairs are numbered, just like ours.

3. t m p c PJesus sought to understand the circumstances o all those He came across, inclu-ding and especially the most vulnerable. With Jesus as our model, we too must

seek to understand the circumstances that create and perpetuate poverty andoppression in the world and discern our call to serve the least o these.

4. g v vScripture calls all ollowers o Jesus to imitate Him in word and deed. Sometimesthat means doing more than eeding the hungry and clothing the naked. It calls on usto give voice to the voiceless and speak out or those who have not yet had an opportu-nity to develop their own voice or make themselves heard among decision-makers.


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using th is s tudy

t is ideal or a group setting, although individuals can easily adapt it ortheir use. Each lesson is designed or a 60 to 90 minute time rame. Some lessonsmight take a bit longer, so choose the sections and activities that work best or you or

your group.

leading grouP lessons

i p,please review the Leader Notes that accompany eachlesson. Leader Notes, handouts, and other resources are available atwww.womeno vision.org/heart . These notes will help you acilitate a smooth-

owing exchange among group members to build community, deepen aith, andincrease knowledge.

Read each lesson be ore you acilitate it; then use it creatively to meet the needso your group members. Knowing your audience will help you determine whichstrategies will work best. Some activities require preparation. Expect to spend20 to 30 minutes preparing or each lessonpraying, reading, working throughtransitions, and contextualizing material. Also review the list o required materials,which o ten include downloadable resources rom the Web site noted above.

individual s tudy

i p to work through this study on your own, you can do so with some

minor adaptations. In addition to the lessons here, the Web site noted above providesresources and a discussion board where you can build community with others whoare also participating individually.

handouts, videos, and additional resources

e includes a list o required supplies and materials. All handouts, videos,and resources needed or each session can be downloaded romwww.womeno vision.org/heart .


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overviewJesus demonstrated His heart or the poor through His li e, His words and His deeds.He ed the hungry, healed the sick, and honored the small gi ts o the poor more thanthose o the rich. Jesus showed us how to love.

key scr iPtureJohn 13:34

essent ia l Ques t ion Who are our neighbors, and how do we love them?

lesson goals Develop a greater understanding o Gods heart or those who are poor. Re ect on Gods personal call to each o us and our response.

materialsPen, Bible, computer with Internet access, candle (optional).

onl ine resources rom www.womeno vision.org/heart Gods Heart or the Poor Gallery Walk handout Precious In His Sight video Prayer at 14,000 Feet in the Andes handout A Response to Homelessness handout Five Days o Hunger video History o World Vision handout History o Women o Vision handout

agenda Introductions and opening prayer View Precious in His Sight video (9 minutes) Re ect on Scripture Consider the situation in our world today

L e s s o n o n e

called to imitate Jesus

Choose a personal response Close in prayer Review homework and urther

study suggestions

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in t roduct ion and oPening Prayer

1. t q .Then share yourresponses with the group or journal about them in the space below:

What one issue do you hope to have resolved as a result o this study?

Have you had an awareness-raising experience with local or global poverty? I so,describe it.

2. o p . Pray or guidance while exploring Gods call to serve those inneed. Spend a ew minutes in silent meditation, concentrating on opening your heartand mind to where this study might lead you.

video

1. v P i h s . It provides a brie overview o theplight o the worlds children living in poverty, raises some o the key issues, and

explores current e orts to bring hope and sustainable change aimed at the rootcauses o poverty.

2. s j b p , , .

a k

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Which o these responses best describes your reaction, and why?[ ] I want to know more right away.

[ ] I eel too helpless to care or those in poverty.

[ ] I want to get on a plane to begin helping now.

[ ] I dont understand the needs.

[ ] Other: (explain)

scr iPture re lec t ion1. r J 13:34.The Gospel o John gives us a direct command that seems simple. What could beeasier and more ul lling than loving someone? The rst time a parent or a proudaunt opens her arms to a newborn baby, her heart can eel like its going to burst withlove. This eeling repeats throughout li e, at birthdays, graduations, weddings, and inthe daily smiles and hugs shared among riends and amily.

But when we are asked to widen the circle o our loving relationships to strangersin our communities and people weve never met, it can become more o a challenge.

This causes us to ask questions:

Who is my neighbor?

What does loving them look like?

How do I respond?

I we are to bedisciples o Jesus, wemust love one another as God loved us. Not only love, but love as

Jesus loves us.

a n

d r e w

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Consider the questions in light o these examples: Someone in the Middle East is su ering rom war-induced hunger. A homeless person asks or money. A young boy in Tanzania is denied the opportunity to attend school because he

cannot a ord the mandatory uni orm or school supplies.

Many women in developing countries walk miles each day to bring even dirtywater to their amilies. Two million children a year are orced into labor or prostitution to earn

income. Two thousand children die each day rom malaria, which has been eradicated

in North America and Europe. Women and children eeing domestic violence and living in shelters or on the

street may not have health care.

The command Jesus gave His apostles makes it clear to each o us. I we are to bedisciples o Jesus, we must love one another as God loved us. Not only love, but love

as Jesus loves us. Thats quite a challenge coming rom someone who sacri ced Hisvery li e!

Share or journal your responses to the three questions above.

2. r l 4:18, j p

q :

a. What leaves a deep impression on you about Jesus li e and ministry on earth?

Loving as Jesus lovesis a daunting task

when we look at thestate o the world

today. But dauntingdoes not mean

impossible. Scripture provides us with

countless examples

o how to love our neighbor.

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b. We can compare how Jesus began his public ministry to todays politiciansand company chie s. For example:

When a politician announces his or her candidacy, the announcementtypically includes a plat ormthe things the politician plans to do.

When a company names a new CEO, he or she calls the employees togetherto share the companys new agenda and direction. When a church gets a new pastor, the rst sermon is well-attended because

everyone wants to nd out whats oremost on the new pastors heart.

It was the same with Jesus inaugural sermon. He set out his plat orm, laid out a newdirection, and demonstrated what was on His heart. He set orward His concern orthe poor and called on the people to join Him in His work o loving.

Loving as Jesus loves is a daunting task when we look at the state o the world today.But daunting does not mean impossible. Scripture provides us with countless

examples o how to love our neighbor.

3. r l 10:3037, j p q :

Which person in this story do you most identi y with? Why?

When have you either passed by or stopped or a stranger who needed help?How did that make you eel?

Why do you think so many in our society choose to not get involved?

Who is most commonly shunned in our society?

What is the message o this parable to us?

Optional questions or urther re ection or discussion: Whom does the priest in this parable represent?

Whom does the Levite in this parable represent?

What is the signi cance that it was a Samaritan who had compassion andshowed mercy to the beaten man?

News o the world canlead us down a dark path o ear. But aschildren o a loving

God, we know theresan alternative that

o ers light and hope.

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cons ider our wor ld today

1. m p p b , , .Yet,when con ronted with someone who needs assistance, we are o ten either uncertain

how to help or hesitant to get involved. In some cases, it is easier to tell ourselves thatit isnt our business.

Share or journal about a time you have experienced discom ort or uncertainty whencon ronted by need.

2. c :Sometimes we encounter the problems o the world not through individual contact,but through the media. These 2009 headlines are rom Th N w York Tim s:

Rebels Kill at Least 620 in Congo, Groups SayKidnappings in Mexico Send Shivers Across BorderSuicide Attack Kills 24 at Iraqi Tribal GatheringUnemployment Soars to Highest Level in 16 YearsA ghan Girls, Scarred by Acid, De y Terror, Embracing School

Then there are statistics: More than one-third o the worlds population lives on less than two dollars a

day, and nearly one-sixth live on less than one dollar per day. So rc : World Bank World D v lopm nt R port, 2008

Some 854 million people worldwide, or one out o seven, lack enough to eat;820 million o them are in developing countries.

So rc : FAO Stat of Food Ins c rity in th World, 2006

According to UNICEF, about 26,000 children under the age o 5 (21 eachminute) die every day, mainly rom preventable causes.

So rc : uNICeF

Women are among those in greatest need, particularly in developing countrieswhere traditions perpetuate discrimination. When women toil in burdensomeconditions, children also eel the weight o the hardship.

News o the world can lead us down a dark path o ear. But as children o a loving God, we know theres an alternative that o ers light and hope.

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3. r P 14,000 a or y p .Spend a ewmoments viewing each image and re ecting on the Scripture passages about Godsheart or the poor. What words or phrases stand out; what images come to mind?

Share or journal about your impressions.

choose a Personal resPonse

s j b q : What is your reaction to the poverty acts presented earlier?

What are some alternative responses or actions to apathy or paralysis?

How might coming alongside those in poverty also be trans ormational or the

less-poor?

What tugs at your heart? What issues do you eel passionate about?

What does it mean that you might be the answer to someones prayer?

What might God be calling you to do?

clos ing Prayer

r m 5:1416 m 25:34-40.Light a candle (optional) and spend a ew moments in prayer. Pray or peoplearound the world who are crying out to God about the needs in their amilies andcommunities. As ollowers o Christ, we are called to be light and hope or the world.

homework or next sess ion

All resources are available at www.womeno vision.org/heart .

1. r the next weeks lesson.

2. r (online or as handouts): A Response to Homelessness,

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The History o World Vision, and History o Women o Vision.

3. v online: Five Days o Hunger (12 minutes)

4. r j or the next lesson:

How would you eed your amily i all you have is $2 per day? Try it, justor one day. What oods could you buy? How many meals would you eat? Alternatively, take some time to brainstorm a possible plan to live on $2 day

or ve days.

Jot down some ideas here:

In Jesus time, everyone was poor except a very ew rich people. Today, 2 billiono the worlds 6 billion people are extremely poor, meaning they live on less than$2 a daynot what two U.S. dollars would buy in their countries, but the equi-valent o what $2 would buy in the U.S. This would be like living or a year on a combined income o $730 rom private sources (what you and your amily canearn) and public sources (taxpayer bene ts).

Relative poverty (North American or European poverty) exists when some

people in a community, region, or nation have incomes that are vastly unequal.The social abric o any community can be severely stressed by such extremedi erences in wealth when some live in squalor and others collect luxury goods.

r QHow would you eed your amily i all you have is $2 per day? Try it, just or oneday. Alternatively, take some time to brainstorm a possible plan to live on $2 day

or ve days.


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or ur ther s tudy

Read und r th Ov rpass: A Jo rn y of Faith on th Str ts of Am rica by MikeYankoski.

addi t ional s cr iP tures or Personal s tudy

Leviticus 23:22 Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Job 5:15-16 Psalm 14:6 Psalm 35:10 Psalm 140:12 Isaiah 41:17

Isaiah 58:6-9 Isaiah 61:1-3 James 1:27

l d d r Using the Scriptures above, try this traditional contemplative practice to listendeeply to what God has to sayto hear with the ear o our hearts.

1. Read one Scripture each day. Read aloud i you can.

2. A ter the rst reading, sit in silence or a ew moments.

3. Slowly read the same passage a second time. Listen or a word or phrase thattouches your heart. Re ect on the word or phrase during the silence that ollows.

4. Read the passage a third time. Where do you see or hear Christ in the text? Isthere an image that comes to your mind?

5. Read a ourth and nal time. What is Christ calling you to do or be, today orthis week, through this text?

+


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a , my wi e and I traveled to Peru. We were there with a lm crew,trying to capture some be ore-and-a ter stories that would appear on one o our World Vision TV specials. We wanted to show our viewers the di erence in the liveso the poor a ter World Vision had worked in their communities or several years,proving to them that we can have a trans orming e ect in peoples lives and literallyrestore hope to their part o the world.

On one particular day, we were traveling high up in the Andes Mountains to lm one

o the be ore stories. It was there that God taught me something about the peoplebehind the statisticsbecause it was there that I met a woman I will never orget.Her name was Octaviana. These are the eld notes I wrote as I returned home a ewdays later:

Today our travel took us two hours fromCusco, high up in the Andes to a mountaincommunity called Callqui Central. Ourvehicle left the main road and began thearduous ascent up a winding and treacherous

dirt road to an elevation of 14,000 feet-almost the equivalent of Mt. Rainierssummit near where I live in WashingtonState. On this gloriously clear and sunnyday, the views of the surrounding peaksand valleys were spectacular. This wasliterally a natural paradise . . . Shangri-

La in this mountain range, second only to the Himalayas in theirgrandeur. Adding to this natural beauty were the occasional adobebrick houses with sheep, llamas, and alpacas grazing on the slopes. . . and the remarkable people-native Peruvian Indians adornedin festive colors with brightly woven shawls and skirts with theirdistinctively colorful hats. Children waved eagerly at the raresight of a vehicle passing through. Most women carried infants slungover their backs.

In the United States, this would be priceless land, dotted with

Lesson One Handout

Prayer at 14,000 eet in the andes By Richard St arns

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resort hotels, ski lodges, and condominiums. But here the naturalmajesty was a deceptive veil hiding the suffering and poverty ofthese beautiful people.

We stopped in front of a small adobe structure and were greetedby a remarkable woman, Octaviana, and her three children-Rosamaria (9), Justo (6), and Francisco (4). This was an exciting

for them because of our visit.

We entered this small, one-room structure with walls and floor ofdirt. We sat and let Octaviana tell us her story. She was widowedjust nine months earlier. Her husband succumbed to respiratoryproblems and suspected tuberculosis, leaving Octaviana and thechildren alone to fend for themselves in this harsh mountainenvironment. She wept in despair as she described the loss of theman that was her provider, her husband, her childrens father, andher friend. She spoke of her loneliness and her fear, with no onebut her and the children to carry on the strenuous work of raisingsheep, growing crops, and the daily struggle just to survive.

In this paradise we had ound pain and su ering. No heat, no lights,contaminated water, and little ood. The entire amily was sick with parasites andrespiratory disease. The children had to stop attending school to help with theheavy workload, and on top o it all, Octaviana was struggling to pay a $300 debther husband had incurred buying his livestock. Worst o all, her only source o income, her small ock o sheep, were dying o some disease. She could no longersell them at the market; she could only bury them.

Octavianas story, sadly, was not unique. Each o the amilies in this region had theirown tale o sadness, sickness, and death. These magically beauti ul people in thisbreathtaking setting su ered deeply and anonymously. How rarely do we pause toremember the poor, to consider their su ering? Some, like Octaviana, are 8,000miles away and even more remote rom us culturally. Some are just a ew miles away,yet their pain is real whether we know o it or not. They su er alone, with no one tohear their cry.

Lesson One Handout continued


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I asked her what she prayed for, because I could tell she was a womanof deep faith. She said that she prayed to God that He would notforget her and her three children on that remote mountain-thatHe would help her carry this burden and that He would send help. Andas I held her hand and prayed for her, God revealed to me a profoundtruth-that I was the answer to Octavianas prayer. Eight thousandmiles from my home in Seattle, 14,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains,

she had cried out to God for help, and He had sent me. God had sentme to help her, He had sent me to comfort her in her suffering, andHe had sent me to be Christs love to her. She had prayed and I wasGods answer, I would be Gods miracle in her life.

And then the even bigger truth washed over me. I could see that allacross the world people were crying out in desperation to God forhelp, for comfort; widows, orphans, the sick, the disabled, the poorand the exploited. These millions of prayers were being lifted up toGod, and we, each of us who claim to be His followers, were to be Hisanswer. We were the ones who would bring the good news of Christto the poor, the sick, and the downtrodden. God had not turned Hisback on the poor in their suffering. God had sent us. This was the goodnews of the gospel-good news indeed for the poor. I will return to my comfortable home in a few days. Ill tuck mychildren into their comfortable beds and read them a story. Thefamiliar routines of my life will resume again. But tonight, Octavianais still on that mountain in her run-down adobe house. She will sleep on

the hard floor with her three children coughing and shivering throughthe night-hungry and afraid, and she will pray again to her God.

I promised her that I would not forget her. I promised her that I wouldhelp. I promised her that I would be the answer to her prayers. MayGod help me to keep those promises.

I promised her that I

would not

forget her. I promised

her that I would help.



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P p A ter my visit, World Vision did come alongside Octaviana and her children,bringing clean water and latrines to her and her community, helping her with oodand nutrition through improved gardening, and training her in basic health andsanitation. But with the poor, not all stories have happy endings. Several years a termy visit, it was discovered that Octaviana had advanced breast cancer. Virginia,one o World Visions caregivers, walked with her through her illness, taking herto the health center in Quiquijana and then to the main hospital in Cuzco, looking

or a relie treatment, since she was in a great deal o pain. World Vision madearrangements or a surgery that allowed her to live or another year. Meanwhile, Virginia visited her constantly and made contact with the local church or additionalspiritual support. When Octaviana died, World Vision paid or all o her uneralexpenses. A ter her death, Virginia looked or a sa e place or her three children.

In addition to the children I wrote o in my eld notes, Octaviana also had olderchildren, who had grown up and le t the community. Her oldest son, Florencio, whohad a amily o his own, agreed to take in the three young children. World Vision thencommitted to help Florencio support his expanded amily. He came to participatein World Vision agriculture and livestock programs. He was given guinea pigs or

breedinga ood source in Peruand also received technical assistance to run hisarm plot and raise his animals. World Vision also provided medicines and extra oodor the amily or the rst ew years, and the children received school supplies or the

duration. Today, Justo and Francisco still live with Florencio in his community.

Octaviana, a courageous woman whom I met only brie y, enriched my li e andtaught me much about aith, perseverance, and prayer. She had no title, rank, or

ormal education, and she lived thousands o miles rom me both geographically andculturally. But she blessed me deeply through the ew hours we spent together. Jesussaid that when we eed the hungry, visit the sick, and clothe the naked, we are doing the same or Him. The day I met Octaviana, I saw Jesus in her eyes. Im certain I did.

Excerpted rom A Hol in Th Gosp l (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson 2009), pages 164-168. Copyright 2009 World Vision, Inc. Used by permission o Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.



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m ip, w v p who works in Seattle, shared one o herconcerns: How should I react when I see a homeless person? The persons situation isusually obvious; perhaps hes wearing torn, dirty clothing; his beard is overgrown; andhe smells bad. Do you walk by but avoid contact? Give him money? Buy him ood?

In searching or answers, Melody discovered that the state o Washington ranks inthe top 10 U.S. states or high homeless populations. Its easy to assume the homelessare addicted to drugs or alcohol, but other primary reasons or homelessness include

poverty and lack o a ordable housing, chronic health problems or mental illness,and divorce or domestic violence. Economic downturns in society also can causeresponsible workers to lose their jobs, rendering them unable to pay the rent. Theymight end up on the street, struggling to eed their children. These traumas can leavea person devastated and with ew options.

Melodys research suggested we should be ready, willing, and exible when encoun-tering homeless people. Sources she consulted recommend not giving money, buto ering to buy them ood or take them to lunch i theyre hungry. Its also possible tohand out water bottles, energy bars, or other packaged oods.

Carol Osher, a volunteer coordinator or Seattles Union Gospel Mission, suggestsavoiding hard oods because homeless people o ten arent able to take care o theirteeth. She also recommends giving out white cotton socks because, next to teeth,

eet are the rst to go. A caring way to help the homeless is to buy socks and ll themwith practical items like a toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, bottled water, deodorant,crackers, a gi t certi cate to a local restaurant, and a Scripture verse o blessing.In addition, shelters and homeless organizations need volunteers or everything

rom teaching to stu ng envelopes.

Even the simplest act can have the most pro ound a ect. Osher says homelesspeople need others to recognize that they are human beings, not just objects that can

be passed by with no human contact. We can make a pro ound di erence in the li eo someone who eels invisible simply by looking them in the eye, smiling, and saying hello. I you eel its sa e and appropriate, you might even stop or a ew minutes toask how the person is doing. Allow yoursel to be used as an instrument o Gods love. A single act o kindness can change a li e.

Copyright 2009 by World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716,253-815-3320, [email protected]. All rights reserved.

Lesson One Handout

a resPonse to homelessness

Allow yourself to be used as an

instrument of Gods love.

A single act of kindness can

change a life.

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human need, and people throughout the world responded to the relie e orts. From1981 to 1985 World Vision provided annually $64 million worth o ood, medicalassistance, and other emergency aid, saving tens o thousands o lives.

Once the immediate crisis subsided, World Vision began long-term e orts to helpEthiopians rebuild their lives. Today, some regions that were once parched and ullo death thrive with nutritious crops, resh water, and hope or the uture.

Also in the 1980s, World Vision began drilling wells in communities, causing in antmortality rates to drop. World Vision o ten uses clean water as an entry point intocommunities, ollowing with other activities that create change. Once the pump isinstalled, World Vision trains community volunteers to become health promoters,who, in turn, teach their neighbors how to use resh water or better health. World Vision o ers classes to villagers in health care, gardening, irrigation, and incomegeneration. Villages evolve rom poverty-stricken, illness-plagued communities tothriving, sel -supporting, healthy ones.

1990In 1990, World Vision began addressing the urgent needs o children in Uganda who

had been orphaned by AIDS. Recognizing the magnitude o the AIDS pandemic andits serious impact on decades o development e orts, World Vision began expanding its AIDS programming into other hard-hit A rican countries.

In Romania, World Vision worked with the long-neglected orphan population andprovided training to health-care workers. In Somalia, World Vision joined UnitedNations peacekeepers to help millions a ected by the civil war. World Vision launched the 30 Hour Famine in the U.S. early in the decade to helpyoung people experience the e ects o hunger rsthand and raise unds to make a di erence or hungry children around the world. In the U.S. alone, 485,000 youth

now raise more than $11 million every year through the Famine.

World Vision also began actively promoting justice or children and the poor, calling or an international ban on land mines, an end to child exploitation, and equal

opportunities or emale children.

2000 bIn the year 2000, World Vision launched the Hope Initiative to call Americans to


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respond to what had become the greatest humanitarian crisis o our time: HIV and AIDS. By 2006, nearly 399,000 orphans and vulnerable children were sponsoredin AIDS-a ected communities. World Vision is helping turn the tide against AIDSworldwide by caring or orphans and vulnerable children, preventing the spreado HIV with education based on biblical principles, and advocating or e ectiveprograms that trans orm communities and save lives.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, World Vision assisted New Yorkers

who were not covered by other aid programs. World Vision also establishedemergency ood programs or more than 1 million people in A ghanistan.

In 2002, World Vision, along with other non-governmental organizations, receivedone o the largest emergency relie grants in history to provide ood and relatedassistance to tens o millions o A ricans a ected by the decades worst amine inSouthern A rica.

World Vision has continued to advocate justice by helping to stop the ow o con ictdiamonds ueling civil wars in A rica; deterring sex tourists who prey on innocentchildren abroad; and calling or an end to the use o child soldiers in northern

Uganda.

When massive tsunamis devastated South Asia in December 2004, World Visions3,700 local sta began responding immediately with li e-saving aid. Generous donorgi ts are enabling World Vision to help amilies rebuild their lives with new homes,schools, clean water, health care, and economic opportunities.

Copyright 2009 by World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716,253-815-3320, [email protected]. All rights reserved. a

n d r e w




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w v is a volunteer ministry o World Vision that unites Christianwomen called to invest their time, intellect, compassion, creativity, and nances sothat impoverished women and children might nd hope and experience a tangibleexpression o Gods love.

We are women o diverse ages, backgrounds, and circumstancesunited in Christ toserve and walk alongside those in need so that, together, we can experience li e in allits ullness.

Recognizing the enormous needs in our world, we seek to educate and motivatewomen in our communities to become women o action in helping create a brighterand healthier uture or su ering women and children.

Women o Vision challenges women throughout the U.S. to help change thesestatistics by providing help and hope to women and children in our communities andthroughout the world.

Contact us: Women o Vision

World VisionP.O. Box 9716Federal Way, WA 98063-9716toll ree: 1.877.WOV.4WOV (1.877.968.4968)womeno [email protected]


history of women o vision

Lesson One Handout

s o p h e a k k o n g / w o r l d v i s i o n 2 0 0 8


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1. c q .Then share your responses with the group or journal about them.

When and where have you encountered someone whom you consider to be poor?Describe your interaction.

How would you eed your amily on a severely limited income? For your homeworkassignment, you planned how you would eed your amily on $2 per day. In groupso three or our, share your plan and what kind o skills, resources, and talent youwould need to keep your amily alive in those circumstances. (I you are working through the lesson on your own, you can post comments on the Bulletin Board atwww.womeno vision.wordpress.com.)

2. o p . Pray or open eyes and an open heart to see others as Jesus seesthem. Spend a ew minutes in silent meditation, concentrating on how this lessonmight change your perceptions and responses toward those who live in poverty.

exPlore s tor ies 1. r :

Like many other young women, Della is spending this spring planning her Junewedding. A ter years o struggling through wrong relationships, she has nally metthe man o her dreams, the man who has promised to care or Della and her childrenas her aith ul husband.

Theyre planning a small weddinga ew amily and riends who will gather at thehome o Dellas parents. Their preacher will per orm the outdoor ceremony undershade trees with green mountains as a backdrop. Dellas aunt will make the cake,

and other amily members will prepare a light lunch or the guests. A neighbor willprovide music to add to the celebration.

With the plans going so smoothly, Della begins to search or her wedding dress. Shewants to be a traditional bride with a oor-length white gown and veil. She searchesarea second-hand stores and locates a white dress. The short-sleeved beauty tsDella and matches the season. The day is nearing, and Della is almost ready. The onething she lacks is a veil.

(contin d n xt pag )

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When her sister is able to borrow a car, the two women drive to a shopping mall anhour rom their home. Della rarely leaves her small community, and going to an un-

amiliar place makes her nervous. With her sister by her side, she walks into the malland keeps her eyes on the oor. She knows she doesnt look quite like everyone else.Shes overweight, doesnt wear makeup, and never has time to think about her hair.

Shes happy to escape the eyes o people in the mall when she walks into the storethat she heard sells veils.

Its a small store with an attractive oor display o urniture and silk- owerarrangements. As she walks deeper into the store, Della sees the urniture displaysreplaced by tall shelves o household dcor. Then they arrive at the wedding aislewhere napkins, owers, ribbons, and other wedding accessories ll the shelves.

As Della reaches or a veil to try it on, a sales clerk materializes. She stretches aroundDella and, without a word, moves the veil to a high shel that Della cannot touch.Dellas eyes return to the oor, and she and her sister hurry out o the store and the

mall to return home.

2. s to the ollowing questions a ter hearing this true story:

Why do you think the sales clerk reacted as she did?

Why do you think Della and her sister didnt ask the sales clerk to get the veilor them?

3. c q : Where do you think Della lives?

Why do you think Della kept her eyes on the oor?

What assumptions did the sales clerk make about Della?

What assumptions did Della make about hersel ?

Not : Th story abov is a tr story of a yo ng brid s xp ri nc in Appalachian K nt cky.

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4. c :Because o where we were born, who raised us, our genetic traits, our li e experien-ces, our culture, our education, and myriad other in uences, we each see the worldin a way that no other human being precisely replicates. Because o this, each o usbrings distinctive gi ts to the world. We also bring our particular biases, or lenses,

through which we view people and situations. Sometimes our assumptions revealthat we see those in poverty as in erior or objects that need our helpas people whodo not understand their own conditions as well as we do.

5. l p b p p :

6. c q b : Has anyone ever assumed something about you that you elt wasnt true? How

did that make you eel?

When have you assumed something about someone else that you discoveredwas alse?

Share your thoughts about the questions above or journal your responsesbelow.

scr iPture re lec t ion

1. r g 1:27 P 139.

a. Make a list o characteristics or traits that re ect Gods image.

Each o us bringsdistinctive gi ts to theworld. We also bringour particular biases.



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b. Share or journal your response to the ollowing questions: Which aspects o Gods image are re ected in those who are not poor?

Which ones are re ected in those who are poor?

Are there aspects o Gods image that are better re ected in the poor and thatcan encourage and inspire those who are not poor?

c. Consider the ollowing: When we see those in poverty as God sees them, we will glimpse His image in their

aces. Mother Teresa once re erred to the poor as Christ in His most distressing disguise.

A grandmother in Appalachia who was speaking with a reporter took exception tothe term poor because she elt she wasnt any poorer than the next person. She mighthave little money, live in a house that needed repairs, and not have as much educa-tion as the next person, but she also has a rich relationship with God and with her

amily. What right does anyone have to call me poor? she asked.

In our society, we generally re er to people who lack in materials goods, income, andeducation as poor. As we move orward in our quest to better understand the causeso poverty and what a community o poverty is, lets try to see our brothers and sis-ters through the eyes o God, as precious women, men, and children whose very hairsare numbered, just like ours. These are people with names, dreams, and amilieswho love them. How we regard the least o these is an indication o how we regardChrist.

2. r l 12:7 m 25:34-40. d j b J .

Mother Teresa oncere erred to the poor asChrist in His most distressing disguise.

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cons ider our wor ld today

1. r :The San people are descendants o those who lived in what is now South A rica andBotswana. They are the original human inhabitants o sub-Saharan A rica.

The San were hunter-gatherers, and some o them still survive in small numbersin the Kalahari Desert. They are small in stature, their skin is brown, and they useunique click languages.

In response to hearing the gospel story, a San woman sitting around a camp re in theKalahari Desert said she elt it is possible that God would let His Son die or a whiteman, and maybe or a black man, but she could never believe God would allow HisSon to die or a San woman. In her marred image, she saw hersel as having no valueand had no idea why she had been created. She was twisted by the poverty o being.This state o mind and heart can become permanent.

Share or journal your response to the ollowing questions. What might have in uenced this woman to see hersel this way?

What do you think is needed to help someone recover rom this kind o poverty?

2. r -p :Consider the situation o people throughout rural India. Li e in India is heavilyin uenced by a caste system. In this system, ruling groups believe they have earnedtheir position through previous aith ul lives. Those who are poor, however, arebelieved to have inherited more di cult living conditions because o sin andun aith ulness in their previous lives. There ore, lessening their poverty wouldnegate the consequences o sin.

This leaves some without access to clean water because people rom a higher caste

do not want to share their water source. The high-caste people might not believethat people who are paying or past sins deserve access to water. Higher-caste peoplemight also ear that the lower caste will contaminate their water i they use it. Soeven when the only water source is in a neighboring village, belonging to those roma higher caste, it is o -limits to the lower caste.

There are also times when its bene cial to those in power or someone to remainpoor. For example, i a money lender in India gets his wealth rom lending to the

The San woman could never believe God

would allow His Son todie or a San woman.

In her marred image,she saw hersel as

having no value and had no idea why she

had been created.



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poor at exorbitant interest rates, then the money lenders wealth relies on peoplecontinuing to live in poverty.

B p i .

Take some time to read about each role and think about li e romeach persons perspective. I you are gathering with a group, consider role-playingassigning each role to a group member and inviting them share the perspective o theperson portrayed in the description. I you are doing this study on your own, chooseone or two roles and journal what it might be like to be in this role.

t b B .He eels that as a member o the highest caste, he has paid or previous wrongsand now deserves to live the good li e. His home is near the border between hisvillage and the next village where a group o Untouchables, the lowest caste inIndia, lives. Thobias has a well in ront o his house that several Brahmin amilies

use. He is stead ast in re using the Untouchables to use the well, earing they willcontaminate it.

l .She lives in a nice house and has what she needs to care or her amily. Herbusiness is on the village border where the Untouchables can access it withoutwalking through the village. She charges an extremely high interest rate on allo her loans, which makes her business pro table. A ter initially agreeing withThobias about the well, Lu tries to change his mind. She suggests he charges a

ee or others to use the well, and she o ers to handle the transactions. She earsthat i they dont allow it, a Western aid worker will help the Untouchables dig

their own well and maybe even irrigate their eldsthen their lives mightimprove, and they wouldnt need her services.

n u b .She leaves her 7-year-old in charge o the other children as she makes the daily90-minute walk to retrieve water or her amily rom a polluted pond. The watershe brings home has made her 6-month-old very sick, and now Nirmala is alsoill. Nirmala doesnt believe she can sustain her daily treks, and she thinks this isa sign that she and her children are destined to die.

a n

. Amita has been to university and lives ar away in Delhi. She and her husbandboth have jobs with a human rights organization. Amita insists that Nirmala approach the Brahmins to use their well.

He eels that as amember o the highest caste, he has paid or previous wrongs and

now deserves to live the good li e.

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Share or journal your responses to the ollow questions:

What is Nirmalas problem?

What seems to be the cause, or causes, o Nirmalas problem?

How might a situation like this play out in our own society, even without thelimitations o caste?

3. r :The poor are poor largely because they live in networks o relationships that donot work or their well-being. Their relationships with others are o ten oppressiveand disempowering as a result o the non-poor playing god in the lives o the poor.Their relationship within themselves is diminished and debilitated as a result o the grind o poverty and the eeling o permanent powerlessness. Their relationshipwith those they call other is experienced as exclusion. Their relationship with their

environment is increasingly less productive because poverty leaves no room orcaring or the environment. Their relationship with the God who created them andsustains their li e is distorted by an inadequate knowledge o who God is and whatGod wishes or all humankind. Poverty is the whole amily o our relationships thatare not all they can be. Bryant L. Myers, Walking with th Poor, page 13.


s j p q : How has this study changed your thinking about poverty and those living in

poverty?

What might you eel called to do di erently as a result?

The poor are poor largely because they

live in networks o relationships that do

not work or their well-being.

Bryant Myers

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clos ing Prayer

l (optional) and spend a ew moments in prayer. Pray or communitiesaround the world to be able to address the needs o all their members. Identi y peopleor groups in your own community or whom you would like to pray.


a are available at www.womeno vision.org/heart . 1. r next weeks lesson.

2. r Seven Steps to Poverty by Richard Stearns, A Frameworkor Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne, PhD. , and Hidden Rules Among

Classes. Payne examines what she learned as an educator about children and

amilies who arrive at schools with a very di erent set o behaviors and desiresthan most teachers hold. Study her chart about Hidden Rules Among Classesto consider how di erently people in di erent economic classes view things likemoney, ood, and education.

3. s i p p b to nd several images o poverty aswell as statistics. Bring them with you to the next study session. There are severalgood Web sources, including www.worldvision.org and www.unice .org .

or ur ther s tudy

Consider relationships with the materially poor in your li e. Journal about howthose relationships have enriched your li e.

Consider the biblical narrative o Creation-Fall-Redemption and write yourthoughts about the causes and solutions to poverty.

addit ional scriPtures or Personal s tudy

Genesis 1:26-27 Genesis 9:6 Mathew 8:23-26 Mark 13:38-40 Luke 5:12-13 Luke 5:27-32 John 6:2-12 2 Corinthians 3:18 Romans 8:29

+

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l d d r Using the Scriptures on the previous page, try this traditional contemplativepractice to listen deeply to what God has to sayto hear with the ear o our hearts.






Poverty is thewhole amily o our

relationships that arenot all they can be. Bryant Myers


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whole amily must sleep in one room on the oor. When it rains, the roo leaks andthe oor turns muddy. How much more can you take?

Takeaway No. 5 is devastating: ood. Your children have long ago lost their smiles;now they are hungry with a gnawing pain that wont go away. You nd a little oodby picking through your neighbors garbage. Its amazing what people throw away. Already sick rom exposure to the elements and rom drinking dirty water, yourchildrens bodies become severely malnourished and cannot ght o diseases. Your

4-year-old girl seems to be slipping away.

Getting her to the doctor is urgent but, tragically, my No. 6 takeaway is health care.To your horror and disbelie , your daughter dies be ore your very eyeso diarrhea!You are trapped in a nightmare. How can this be happening? Why has no onestepped in to help? Unbelievably, everyone around you is living as they always did,but no one seems to care or even notice your su ering.

What else could I possibly take away? No. 7 is hope. Without these basic necessitieso li e, you and your children have no hope or the uture.

Poverty, or most o us, is distant and remote. But this is the pain that billions on ourearth endure each day. Please pray or them and know that World Vision, driven by

aith, is urgently coming to their rescue, thanks to people just like youwho do care.

Rich St arns has b n pr sid nt of World Vision u.S. sinc 1998.


(Originally published in the Autumn 2003 edition o World Vision magazine . )

Lesson Two Homework, continued

u b b ,

, b

.


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Lesson Two Homework

a ramework for understanding Poverty

a p b i all students show up ready to learn. Youll likelyhear the same answer no matter whom you askno. Johnny comes in bright-eyed,homework in hand, eager to learn. Jenny alls asleep, loses her assignments, and

ghts with her classmates.

As an educator, Ruby Payne encountered these sorts o contrasts. She set out toexplore the impact o economic class di erences on student discipline problemsand achievement. Through that process, she learned an immense amount about

the workings o the class system in the United States and how it in uences ourinteractions. The result is her book, A Fram work for und rstanding Pov rty.

Payne put together quizzes to help people understand what is required to survivepoverty. Take a ew minutes to complete the quiz below.

c y s P ?Put a check by each item you know how to do:

___ 1. I know which churches and sections o town have the best rummage sales.

___ 2. I know which rummage sales have bag sales and when.

___ 3. I know which grocery stores garbage bins can be accessed or thrown-away ood.

___ 4. I know how to get someone out o jail.

___ 5. I know how to physically ght and de end mysel .

___ 6. I know how to get a gun, even i I have a police record.

___ 7. I know how to keep my clothes rom being stolen at the Laundromat.

___ 8. I know what problems to look or in a used car.

___ 9. I know how to live without a checking account.

___ 10. I know how to live without electricity and a phone.

___ 11. I know how to use a kni e as scissors.

___ 12. I can entertain a group o riends with my personality and my stories.

___ 13. I know what to do when I dont have money to pay the bills.


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hidden ru les among c lasses

Lesson Two Homework

Possessions

money

Personality

socialemPhasis

ood

clothing

time

education

destiny

language

amilystructure

worldview

love

drivingorces

humor

PPeople

To be used, spent

Is or entertainment. Sense o humor ishighly valued

Social inclusion o people he/she likes.

Key question: Did you have enough?

Quantity important

Clothing valued or individual style andexpression o personality.

Present most important. Decisions madeor moment based on eelings or survival.

Valued and revered as abstract but notas reality.

Believes in ate. Cannot do much tomitigate chance.

Casual register. Language is aboutsurvival.

Tends to be matriarchal.

Sees world in terms o local setting.

Love and acceptance conditional, basedupon whether individual is liked.

Survival, relationships, entertainment.

About people and sex

m cThings

To be managed

Is or acquisition and stability. Achievement is highly valued.

Emphasis is on sel -governance andsel -su ciency.

Key question: Did you like it? Quality

important.

Clothing valued or it's quality andacceptance into norm o middle class.Label important.

Future most important. Decisionsmade against uture rami cations.

Crucial or climbing success ladderand making money.

Believes in choice. Can change uturewith good choices now.

Formal register. Language is aboutnegotiation.

Tends to be patriarchal

Sees world in terms o national setting.

Love and acceptance conditional andbased largely upon achievement.

Work, achievement.

About situations.

wOne-o -a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees

To be conserved, invested.

Is or connections. Financial, political,social connections are highly valued.

Emphasis is on social exclusion.

Key Question: Was it presented well?

Presentation important.

Clothing valued or it's artistic sense andexpression. Designer important.

Traditions and history most important.Decisions made partially on a basis o tradition and decorum.

Necessary tradition or making andmaintaining connections.

Nobl ss oblig (with wealth and prestigecome responsibilities).

Formal register. Language is aboutnetworking.

Depends on who has money.

Sees world in terms international view.

Love and acceptance conditionaland related to social standing andconnections.

Financial, political, social connections.

About social fa x pas .

Copyright 2009 by World Vision, Inc., Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716, 253-815-3320, [email protected]. All rights reserved.


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L e s s o n t h r e e

the multiPle causes of Poverty

overviewJesus sought to understand the circumstances o all those he came across, including and especially the most vulnerable. With Jesus as our model, we, too, must seek tounderstand the circumstances that create and perpetuate poverty and oppressionthroughout the world and discern our call to serve the least o these.

key scr iPtureJohn 10:10

essent ia l Ques t ion What causes poverty? How are we called to be part o the solution?

lesson goals Re ect on what poverty looks like and some o the underlying causes.

Further understand commonalities between those who are poor and those who arenot poor. Consider a Christian understanding o poverty.

materialsPen, Bible

agenda Welcome and opening prayer

Consider cause and e ect Re ect on Scripture Consider your own viewpoint Choose a personal response Close in prayer Review homework and urther study suggestions

a n d r e s v e r a / w o r l d

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1. s j about the images and statistics you gathered rom last weekshomework assignment. Then take some time to consider the ollowing questions:

What do these images have in common?

What do the images and statistics say about poverty?

What has impressed you most?

2. o p . Pray or the situations represented in these images. Spend a ewminutes in silent meditation, concentrating on opening your heart and mind towhere this lesson might lead you.

cause and e ec t

1. m p b p . What are yours? Brainstormideas about the causes o poverty.

2. c :

Most o us are raised and educated to believe in a cause-and-e ect relationshipi we can identi y the cause o a problem, we can propose a use ul response. There ore,we believe that i we identi y the cause o poverty, we will be able to diminish it.

Most o us are raised and educated to believe

in a cause-and-e ect relationship

i we can identi y thecause o a problem,we can propose ause ul response.

s i b u s i s i w e n d l o v u / w o r l d v i s i o n 2 0 0 9


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In his book Walking with th Poor, Bryant L. Myers identi es the ollowing ascommon assumptions about povertys causes and the response each provokes:

* This is partic larly tr for wom n, who ar oft n tr at d as inf rior to m n.

Although these categories can be use ul, we must also be aware that problems rarelystem rom a single cause. Poverty isnt that simple. It is a complicated problemthat requires consideration o its multiple causes and consequences. E ectiveapproaches to alleviating poverty address all o this, not just one small part o it.

I the only thing those living in poverty lacked were resources like clean wateror ood, we could simply give them what they need. This, however, can set up thedangerous result in which people passively receive goods without addressing themultiple causes o the problem.

Poverty is more than a lack o resources. Bryant Myers examines various de nitionso poverty, grouping the causes in our areas:

P causes (example: lack o adequate housing) s causes (example: girls are not allowed to attend school) m causes (example: abilities diminished by poor nutrition) sp causes (example: broken relationships)

Success ul intervention with those living in poverty must address all o the causesthat play a role in a particular situation. That means the intervention must includeteaching skills that create lasting desire or change and hope among those who arestrugglingrather than simply providing material goods that will soon be used up orworn out.

3. c p .List at least one more example o each type o cause.

Physical

Social

Mental

Spiritual

causeSinSinned against (wronged)Lack o knowledge/skillsLack o thingsFlawed culturePoor social systems or governments*

ProPosed resPonseChristian witnessSocial action/need or justiceEducation/training Relie /social wel areChange culture to be like oursChange the system

Success ulintervention with

those living in povertymust address all o

the causes that play a role in a

particular situation.

c o u r t e s y s a r a h m a l i a n 2 0 0 8


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4. s j p q : What do you have in common with those who are poor?

5. e p b . These resourcesare: time, energy, material goods, skills, and desire. Complete the chart as theseresources might relate to you individually.

Resources o people living in poverty as compared to my li e:

i :

time

energy

material goods

skills

desire

6. r b :Most o us have more material goods, skills, education, and time because o conveniences (running water, appliances, etc.) than those who are poor. On thesur ace, it might seem that those who live in poverty have less and because o theircircumstances, they lack hope or a better uture. But those who have worked withthe poor nd something else to be true.

One visitor to an emergency clinic in Niger met a 17-year-old mother with a de-hydrated, 1-year-old son. Feeding tubes were taped to his nose, and a nurse trieddesperately to nd a vein to insert an IV. The child was critically ill. Yet, his mothersheart over owed with expectations or her childs uture. She wanted her son to go toschool, to learn about the world, to speak other languages. She had hope that his li ewould be better than hers.

The child wascritically ill. Yet,

his mothers heart overfowed with

expectations or her childs uture.

k a

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3. i B b , there are more than 2,000 passages that reveal Gods sorrow overpoverty and injustice, and His command to believers to act to eradicate them.Christian leader and commentator Tony Campolo says, Heres proo that aithwithout commitment to justice or the poor is a sham, because it ignores the mostexplicit o all the social concerns o Scripture. Take some time to read and re ect on

the ollowing Bible verses: Deuteronomy 15:7-8 Isaiah 6:8 Job 29:11-16 Psalm 70:5 Matthew 5:16 James 1:27

4. s b . What kind o priority does God place on helping those in need?

cons ider your own viewPoint

1. g p :(activity or individuals is on next page)Your group leader will lead you in an interactive exercise. A terword, share yourresponses to the ollowing questions:

Which station most surprised you?

What was a solution to a problem that occurred to you at one station?

How did being in the company o the other person make you eel?

Did this reveal any o your biases? I so, which ones?

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i a : Fill two buckets with water. (You can use pitchers or gallon-size bottles as an

alternative.)Walk around the house a ew times carrying both buckets. I youeel daring, try carrying one o the buckets on your head. Then re ect on theollowing questions:

How many buckets of water do you think you would need for your dailytasks?

How much more di cult would it be for you if no running water wasavailable in your home?

How would this change your daily routine?

Place a hand ul o rice (uncooked is ne) on a plate. Then make a list o all o the oods you ate or dinner last evening. Place that list beside the plate o rice.Think about the di erence between what you ate (your list) and what many o the poor have to eat (a hand ul o rice), then re ect on the ollowing questions:

How does it make you feel to have this much to eat while others do not?

What might it be like to only have a handful of rice for a meal?

How would this change your daily routine?

Make a list o government or in uential people in your community, state, andcountry. Now consider the ollowing questions:

How would you make your voice heard in this group of people?

w o r l d v i s i o n s t a f f 2 0 0 7

What might it be like to only have a

hand ul o rice or a meal?


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What resources might you have to draw from that would increase yourchance o succeeding?

Locate an item in your home that weighs about 2 or 3 pounds. Also locate anitem that weighs a little over 7 pounds. Compare the di erence by holding both items. Did you know an underweight in ant born in the developing worldaverages 2 to 3 pounds at birth, while a child born in the United States averages7 pounds, 5 ounces? Consider this question:

What do you think each childs prospect of a healthy future might be?

This x rcis wo ld b worthwhil to do as a family, with yo r childr n.

2. r . As we consider who the poor are, we also need to knowmore about how we see ourselves, as well as how others see us. Thus ar in this study,we have considered the di erent lenses through which we view and experience theworld. Now lets take some time to urther explore our identity as Americans byspending a ew minutes answering the ollowing questions.

What advantages do you have over someone who cannot read, must walkeverywhere they go, and lacks access to clean water?

Do you believe that those in well-developed countries have something to teachpeople in less-developed countries? I so, what might that be?

Do you believe people in less-developed countries have something to teach

those rom well-developed countries? I so, what might that be?

We call this kind o learning relationship mutual trans ormation. Do you thinkit applies in our own communities and churches? How might this approachhelp build relationships with those rom di erent backgrounds, cultures, andeconomic circumstances? What might this look like in our own communities?


Did you know that anunderweight in ant

born in the developingworld averages

2 to 3 pounds at birth,while a child born inthe U.S. averages 7 pounds, 5 ounces?


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Answers to these questions re ect some o our biases as people rom a well-developed country. These biases o ten dictate the relationships we orm and on whatwe base them.


God is calling us all to simply respond to the needs o the poor as we eel led. Whenwe do, amazing things can happen. In No Gr at r Lov , Mother Teresa tells a wonder ul story that beauti ully illustrates this point:

Not so long ago a very wealthy Hindu lady came to see me. She sat down andtold me, I would like to share in your work. In India, more and more people likeher are o ering to help. I said, That is ne. The poor woman had a weaknessthat she con essed to me. I love elegant saris, she said. Indeed, she had ona very expensive sari that probably cost around 800 rupees. Mine cost onlyeight rupees. Hers cost 100 times more . . . It occurred to me to say to her, I

would start with the saris. The next time you go to buy one, instead o paying 800 rupees, buy one that costs 500. With the extra 300 rupees, buy saris orthe poor. The good woman now wears 100-rupee saris, and that is because Ihave asked her not to buy cheaper ones. She has con essed to me that this haschanged her li e. She now knows what it means to share. That woman assuresme that she has received more than what she has given.

Return to the idea o shalom as meaning every person lives li e in all its ullness.Perhaps part o our calling to care or those living in material poverty is anopportunity or us to be challenged in our own poverty. Think o your own li eexperiences and ways you have been blessed and taught by those less ortunate.

Share or journal your responses to the ollowing questions: What have you learned?

How have those relationships helped you?

Are those relationships and lessons part o Gods plan?

That woman assuresme that she has

received more thanwhat she has given.

Mother Teresa

r y a n s m i t h / w o r l d v i s i o n 2 0 0 7


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How might those relationships help you to respond more ully to Gods call toserve the least o these?

clos ing Prayer

sp p . Pray or people who do not believe they areworthy o Gods love and redemption. Spend some time in silence, meditating onhow you can bring li e to the ullest to our brothers and sisters.

Conclude by praying the prayer o St. Francis o Assisi. St. Francis was born at Assisiin 1182. A ter a care ree youth, he turned his back on inherited wealth and commit-ted himsel to God. Like many early saints, he lived a very simple li e o poverty.

P r a y e r o s t . r a n c i s

Lord, make me an instrument o your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, aith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;to be understood as to understand;to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;and it is in dying that we are born to eternal li e.


1. r next weeks lesson.

2. r e , chapters 4 to 8.

3. k p this week o anything you do that might be considered advocacy. Forexample, did you speak up or anyone? Do something on another persons behal ?Express your opinion on an issue in some way?



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urther s tudy

Read Th Hol in O r Gosp l by Richard Stearns, president o World Vision U.S.

Go to www.povertyinamerica.psu.edu and use the Living Wage Calculator to

discover the living wage in your state.

Visit Web sites and read blogs rom a variety o aid workers in the eld.Consider their experiences, the work they are doing to help those in greatneed, and how it is also trans orming their lives. World Vision has a number o aid workers who post blogs. Go to www.worldvision.org and conduct a searchusing the key words aid workers blogs.

additional scriPtures or Personal study

Mark 10:17-25 Mark 5: 25-33 Luke 10:25-28 Matthew 22:34-40

l d d r Using the Scriptures above, try this traditional contemplative practice to listendeeply to what God has to sayto hear the with ear o our hearts.






+


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L e s s o n f o u r

giving voice to the voiceless

overviewScripture calls all ollowers o Jesus to imitate Him in word and deed. Sometimesthat means doing more than eeding the hungry and clothing the naked. It requiresus to truly give voice to the voiceless, to speak out or those who have not yet hadan opportunity to develop their own voice, to be present in places where they haveno representation, or to walk alongside the voiceless to empower them to speak orthemselves.

key scr iPturesProverbs 31:8-9Micah 6:8

essent ia l Ques t ionHow do we advocate or our brothers and sisters in need?

lesson goals Develop a greater understanding o Gods call to advocacy.

Learn what it means to be an advocate or justice. Explore tools and practical steps to become a voice or those in need. Re ect on Gods personal call to each o us, and our response.

materials Pen, Bible, computer with Internet access

onl ine resourceHoops o Hope video, available at www.hoopso ope.org

agenda

Introduction and opening prayer View Hoops o Hope video (part 1: 5 minutes 41 seconds; part 2: 6 minutes) Re ect on Scripture Consider ways to advocate Explore the situation in our world today Choose a personal response Close in prayer


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1. t j b q : In what way have you advocated or something or someone this week?

2. o p . Pray or guidance as we learn to advocate with our brothers andsisters in need. Spend a ew minutes in silent meditation, concentrating on opening your hearts and minds to using your in uence and voice to help others.

view video

1. c : A Citiz n G id to Advocacy o ers the ollowing on the practice o advocacy:

Simply put, advocacy is a ministry o in uence using persuasion, dialogue, andreason to a ect change. Advocacy seeks to address the structural and systemiccauses o poverty [or oppression] by changing policies, practices, and attitudesthat perpetuate inequality and deny justice.

The most signi cant audience or advocacy is citizensnot government. The bestadvocacy occurs by educating and empowering citizens and groups to press or

change as part o a unctioning civil society.

2. w p 1 h p h p . t , j p q : What is your reaction to Austin and his work?

How does Austins advocacy work a ect the uture o the village?

What do you think motivates people like Austin?

How might Austins advocacy work reach beyond the particular village hestrying to assist?

Simply put, advocacyis a ministry o infuence using

persuasion, dialogue,and reason toa ect change.


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scr iPture re lec t ion

1. c : I we want to study a biblical model o advocacy, we can look to a peasant woman andher uncle. Esthers story takes place during Israels captivity in Babylon. A ter being

raised by her uncle Mordecai, she was conscripted as a member o the palace haremo the Persian emperor Xerxes. Xerxes banished his queen or ailing to submit tohim. Esther, with her beauty and grace, pleased Xerxes so thoroughly that he namedher queen. Even with that title, however, Esthers sa ety was precarious. Though shewas inside the courts o power, she was outside o true security, because she livedwith a secretshe was a Jew.

Xerxes second-in-command, Haman, was power-hungry and devious. Because o his grudge against the Jews, he convinced Xerxes to order their execution. Thatswhen Esther knew she must take action.

The Book o Esther o ers an example o the steps involved in advocacy. These stepsinclude:

2. r e 4:1-2. Advocacy involves challenging existing power structures. Consider how thisScripture relates to step 1 noted above. Then share or journal your response to the

ollowing question:

What risk does that involve or Esther and Mordecai?

p a u l b e t t i n g s / w o r l d v i s i o n 2 0 0 8

s p 1: Personal engagementbegin with passionate concern and personalengagement.

s p 2: Public outragegenerate a movement o public indignation and personalengagement.

s p 3: Provide accurate in ormation.

s p 4: Accept risks and recognize that you are replaceable.

s p 5: Mobilize a campaign o prayer.

s p 6: Credible in uencework through a person with credible in uence.

s p 7: Strategic processproceed with a strategic plan to achieve speci c results.


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3. r e 4:3. Advocacy requires public movement ueled by more than the passion and outrage o one or two people. Mordecai shared his concern and took it to the streets.

Consider how this Scripture relates to step 2 (previous page). Then share or journal

your response to the ollowing question:

What other sorts o advocacy actions you might encounter today?

4. r e 4:7-8.Mordecai had the acts straight; he could provide proo or his concern. This points

to the importance o having more than personal opinion and zeal.

Consider how this Scripture relates to step 3 (previous page). Then share or journalyour response to the ollowing question:

What are some sources o accurate in ormation you call on when trying tolearn about an issue?

5. r e 4:11-14.Esther aced great personal risk. Yes, the Emperor had chosen her. But she hadreplaced his ormer queen. He could choose a replacement again. Mordecai knewthat, but he did not back away rom asking or Esthers help. In act, he reminded herthat perhaps this was the moment or which God had set her on her royal path.

Consider how this Scripture relates to step 4 (previous page). Then share or journalyour response to the ollowing question:

How do you decide when a risk is worth taking?

Advocacy requires public movement

ueled by more than the

passion and outrageo one or two people.

Mordecai shared hisconcern and took it to

the streets.

m a r g o s a b e l l a / w o r l d v i s i o n 2 0 0 8


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6. r e 4:16 6:1.People o aith have a very important source o help to call uponprayer.

Consider how this Scripture relates to step 5 (chart page 51). Then share or journalyour response to the ollowing question:

How might prayer help you when making decisions about advocacy?

7. r e 5:2-3.Esther had both access to and credibility with the kingtwo important elements oradvocacy.


How might you build relationships with those who have in uence (media,politicians, etc.) so they will see you as credible?

8. r : e : 5:6-8 7:2-4.Esther wisely approached her campaign by working to build a better relationshipwith the king. Justice is about relationships. Its also about planning each step thatneeds to happen to reach the desired end result.


What do Esther and Mordecai model that you would like to embrace in yourown li e?

Justice is about relationships.

Its also about planningeach step that needs

to happen to reach the

desired end result.

c o u r t e s y s a r a h m a l i a n 2 0 0 8


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9. r P 103:6. t :The Hebrew and Arabic words or justice and righteousness share common roots.They describe the quality o character and conduct necessary or people to ourishin relation with God and one another. Justice literally means to make right andrighteousness is to be right. Justice is or li e to be right socially; righteousness is

or li e to be right personally.

The goal o biblical justice is not to punish but to make sa e we are askedto walk humbly rather than arrogantly, gently rather than with anger, unitedin compassion rather than divided in ear.

Tim D arborn

People who live in poverty and oppression dont just need charitythey need justice.Merely giving alms or rescuing them temporarily wont make li e right and resolvethe multiple problems that contribute to the di cult circumstances. The poor need justice, expressed in structural change, protection rom exploitation, and access to

opportunity.

10. r m 5:38-45. t : Anyone who is a ollower o the li e o Christ knows He did not always choose theeasiest path through the world. He con ronted people, He turned old teachingsupside down, He lived a truly radical way o li e. Many o us are uncom ortable withthe idea o being radical. We associate it with doing things that will cause others tolook askance at us. It sounds risky and rightening.

But i we open our hearts and ully embrace the passage rom Matthew with a spirit

willing to ollow where God wants to lead us, then we see that doing justice requiresus to walk in those radical ootsteps o Jesus.

11. s j p q : What does it mean to you to be a radical advocate or justice, ollowing the

example Jesus set?

The goal o biblical justice is not to punish

but to make sa e we are asked to walk

humbly rather than arrogantly,

gently rather thanwith anger, united incompassion rather

than divided in ear. Tim Dearborn

p a t r i c i a m o u a m a r / w o r l d v i s i o n 2 0 0 8


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exPlore our wor ld today

1. c :l ! s j , pp . d

, p .Isaiah 1:17

We stand in solidarity with the poor in a common search or justice,seeking to understand their situation and working alongside them toexperience ullness o li e. We strive to acilitate engagement between thepoor and the afuent in ways that open both to trans ormation. We respectthe poor as

hope in a world of hurt - study guide

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