M I N U T E S for M I S S I O N

Nijaz Faznic is a Bosnian Muslim who lives with his Serbian wife in the village of Hadzici near Sarajevo. A few years ago, Nijaz's village was occupied by Serb forces and most of the Muslim inhabitant's fled but Nijaz decided to stay with his wife and mother-in-law. He literally hid in his apartment for over a year. Thanks to a dear friend and neighbor, Nijaz was spared. Because the neighbor was Serbian, he could answer the door when Serbian troops came and claim there was no one else in the building (meaning there were no more Muslims!).

Meanwhile, Nijaz's upholstery workshop was burned to the ground during the fighting. After the war he had to start from scratch. Thanks to a grant from Week of Compassion, Nijaz now has two new industrial-sized sewing machines. He has been able to start working again. He has been able to maintain his dignity. Nijaz hopes to employ a worker to help in his shop. People know of him and his work. Thanks to word of mouth, his fine craftsmanship and the compassion of North American Disciples, he is doing what he loves to do and is able to give back to his community a community still in such great need. Week of Compassion not only helped Nijaz rebuild his workshop, but is also helping Bosnia-Herzegovina heal from war. "A gift of living water!"

Sometimes our gifts of living water are literally gifts of water. The Rubate Teachers College in Kenya is a very important ministry of Disciples' church partner in Kenya, the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. The college trains much needed teachers for this struggling African nation. When Week of Compassion learned that the school did not have a source of sufficient and safe water, a WOC grant was made to the school through the Africa Office of the Division of Overseas Ministries for a well. Shortly afterwards Damaris C. Nyaga, Principal of the College, wrote:

"I have no words to convey my heartfelt gratitude to your people for it is through you Rubate College now has permanent water. You donated the needed money, and last week Living Water, International sank a borehole at a depth of 140 meters. Now we have too much water! Classes and activities are taking place without students running to and fro to get water. We thank you and pray for you. Our hearts are delighted."

Through Week of Compassion, our offerings do become gifts of living water indeed! Please share generously.

Water is one element that is essential for all life. Yet too much water can be a curse. The people of eastern North Carolina certainly know that after the deadly and devastating floods from Hurricane Floyd. Entire communities were inundated. Homes, churches, businesses and farms were ruined. There were more than 400 Disciples families alone that were affected. However, Disciples through Week of Compassion, helped to turn a curse into blessing. A member of one of our congregations wrote:

"I was standing on the porch of my house amidst the stench and mess, when our pastor arrived with a check from Week of Compassion. He said this gift was a symbol of our whole church's concern and that I was to use it however I needed to care for my family. It looked like we had lost everything and I couldn't get money from our bank. It was underwater! I just broke down and cried. But they were tears of joy and gratitude. That evening my kids and I decided to go to church to help prepare relief kits for other flood victims. Your gift gave us the strength to do that. Thank you so much. Week of Compassion will never be just another offering for me and my family. God bless you."

It takes many, many raindrops to make the rain that waters and renews the earth, that nourishes and brings life to plants, flowers, fruits and crops. And it takes many, many contributions from our members and friends to become the gifts of living water that enables the Christian Church through Week of Compassion to offer help and hope to hurting, thirsting people throughout the world. And because of the remarkable network of partnerships through which our church works, our Week of Compassion gifts are often multiplied many times over to become "rivers of living water." Shortly after Hurricane Mitch struck Central America in the fall of 1998, a Week of Compassion grant of $40,000 to Church World Service became a shipment of urgently needed humanitarian aid valued at more than $400,000 dollars. Another grant of $40,000 to Interchurch Medical Assistance provided critically needed vaccines and antibiotics valued at $1.2 million to hurricane survivors in Honduras!

Jesus said, "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38) Our gifts to Week of Compassion will flow together and join those of other Disciples in North America and with believers everywhere to become streams of compassion, rivers of living water. May we open wide our hearts!