Global Ministries

If there’s one thing I learned during seven years as a pastor among the Timorese people, it’s that prayer is a simple, effective way to cope with anxiety.  They take their cue from St. Paul.  In his letter to the Philippians, Paul admonishes:

The Protestant Church in East Timor (IPTL) was founded in 1979 as a coordinating body between formerly independent churches in East Timor. The IPTL is fully committed to and engaged in spiritual, cultural and social reconstruction of their young country. They provide ministries throughout the country to offer hope for establishing peace and justice in East Timor.

Lectionary Selection:  John 20:1-18

Prayers for East Timor:

God of all newness, as we face a world of suffering and injustice, despair and cynicism, awaken us to the hope found in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Energize us by the power of your Holy Spirit for the renewal of the world. We pray especially for partners in the Protestant Church of East Timor (IPTL). We rejoice in the ways you have sustained them in faith and hope. Therefore we lift up to you their ministries on behalf of the Timorese people. We pray that the witness of our partners would be a source of hope and wholeness for many. God bless and strengthen the women of Clinic Immanuel Lospalos. May their ministry surge forward with healing energy. God bless and strengthen the new leadership of Immanuel Church as well. We pray for their unity in mission and ministry. We also remember the Synod of IPTL as they prepare for the upcoming General Assembly. We ask that you be at work midst the choosing of new leaders and ministry directions. We remember as well that political unrest lurks in East Timor as another government has recently collapsed. Therefore pray, in Easter hope, for unexpected newness and possibility.

In the name of the Crucified and Risen Son, Amen.

First, a story from Delhi that resonates with the sighs of millions in the region.

Baby Devi has already lost 80% of her monthly earnings to the spread of the coronavirus - and the worst in India may be yet to come.

The 38-year-old mother of four, who cleans homes for a living, lost jobs with two of her three employers. Like many relatively well-off Indians, they've begun social distancing to fight the highly infectious virus.

For Devi, who is now taking home about $0.67 a day, her diminished earnings are as much of a concern as her living conditions. As India races to break the chain of transmission of the illness known as COVID-19, her family - living in a cramped single room and sharing a bathroom and toilet with two other households - is among those most at risk.

Rain, glorious rain!  It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting in our living room basking in a cool breeze and watching rain pour off our corrugated iron roof.

Since you last heard from us we’ve entered what we call the “three-shower-a day season.”  This morning I woke up at 5:00 AM as I always do, and it was 86 degrees!  The humidity comes later in the day. 

Lectionary Selection:  Luke 17:5-10

Prayers for East Timor:  

Loving God, in our fractured world you have brought us together with partners all over the world. You call us to unity and make us one in the sharing of bread and cup, the water of baptism and meditation on your Word. You ask us to be your people wherever we are. We are thankful for all that we learn from all our global partners. On this day we pray for the Protestant Church of East Timor. We ask that you lead and guide them in their ministry of the Word. Bestow upon its ministers wisdom, patience, and courage. Strengthen the faith of its members. Bless the clinic workers, teachers, and young people. May their ministries in your name be salt and light for all your children in East Timor. In Jesus name, Amen.

Global Ministries mission coworkers Tom and Monica Liddle share these success stories of young adults of the Protestant Church of East Timor.

Alberto Viegas was the intern at Imanuel Church when we came back to Timor in 2016. We worked together for 9 months before he went back to school in Indonesia. Alberto has been in Lospalos this month doing some research for his Master’s in Theology. His topic is the church and poverty. For his research, he’s interviewing church members about their lives, work, struggles, and faith. Since Alberto is Timorese, he’s familiar with what life is like here. But after studying theology for the past two years, his perspective has changed. He sees with new eyes. His questions are different. He’s more preoccupied with people’s suffering and the church’s response. He wonders how people interpret their world, their suffering, and their future. He wonders how Jesus’ vision of the Kingdom of God can kindle a new mission for IPTL’s ministry.

Porque él es quien hace la llaga, y él la vendará; El hiere, y sus manos curan. Job 5:18

El camino hacia el pueblo de Motara en Timor Oriental es un pantano de lodo durante la temporada de lluvias. Cuando llegamos a las 9:00 am para una clínica móvil, docenas de pacientes ya se han reunido. Las madres y los niños pequeños constituyen la mayoría, pero también hay hombres y mujeres de edad avanzada. Dos empleados de la Clínica Emmanuel y un médico del gobierno descargan varias cajas de suministros médicos y comienzan a consultar. Para cuando la clínica haya terminado, más de 60 pacientes habrán tenido la oportunidad de recibir atención médica que de otro modo no habrían tenido. Esta clínica es un esfuerzo de colaboración entre la Clínica Emmanuel y el Ministerio de Salud de Timor Oriental.