Autumn 2010InsIde:Children Finding Refuge

PEACE AND REFUGE: Seeking Peace and Offering Refuge

Called to be a Peacemaker by the Rev. James G. Layton, Senior Writer/Editor

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

(Matthew 5:9) One of those children is IM Global Consul-tant for Peace and Justice, the Rev. Dr. Daniel L. Buttry.

Dan played a key role in events resulting in the historic September 18, 2010 peace accord signed by three national-ist factions in the northeast India state of Nagaland, an area approximately the size of New Jersey. Armed conflict among the Nagas began in 1980 based on differing approaches in re-lating to the government of India. During 30 years of blood-shed, attempts to bring about peace had been futile. This accord calls for resolving differences in the spirit of reconcili-ation with a pledge to cease all forms of hostilities.

Dan participated in four earlier sessions, held from June 2008 to June 2010 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, including the August 2008 meeting during which the “Journey to a Com-mon Hope” document was signed. This provided a unifying foundation on which the present accord was built.

Becoming God’s Instrument in nagalandDan’s own journey in this Naga process started many years before any documents were produced. In 1997-98 he was part of a team that included the Rev. Dr. John A. Sundquist, then Executive Director of International Ministries. Dan explains, “The high percentage of Baptists and the long American Baptist mission history are what led to the initial relationships that presented the invitation to get involved. As a peace and justice consultant, I only go where I’m invited.”

The seeds for the IM-Nagaland relationship were planted more than 160 years ago, soon after American Baptist mis-sionaries Nathan and Eliza Brown arrived in Assam in 1836. As with the peace process, it required time for the message of Christ to take root in nearby Nagaland. The first Naga

Christian was baptized in 1847, while the first Naga Baptist church was organized in 1872. Today, Nagaland is known as one of the most predominantly Baptist regions in the world with more than 80% of the state’s population being Baptist.

developing as a PeacemakerThe seeds of Dan’s call to be a peacemaker were planted when he was the pastor of the Dorchester Temple Baptist Church of Boston, Massachusetts (1978-87). While there he was a grass roots peace activist and author of a church renewal book, Bringing Your Church Back to Life: Beyond Survival Mentality, published by Judson Press. That led to his being hired as Director of the Peace Program for the Ameri-can Baptist Home Mission Societies (known as National Ministries at that time).

Within a year, while Dan was serving with National Ministries, he met Saboi Jum from Burma. On January 1, 1989, Dan and Saboi began working on a peace process for Burma and went to the Carter Center, eventually meeting the former president. “That’s how,” Dan says, “I was blessed to get involved with a Burma mediation.”

In 1996 Dan became the co-pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dearborn, Michigan and also began part-time work with the Baptist Peace Fellowship. He continued his work with international peace efforts until 2003 when IM named him to his present position.

In reflecting on this call, Dan says: “The question, ‘What does Jesus say?’ has driven my peacemaking action.” As a result, Dan emphasizes biblical teaching and has produced a Bible study manual now translated into eight languages. His IM travels on behalf of peace and justice have taken him to the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Not only is this peacemaker blessed, but he is also being used by God to be a blessing to countless others around the world.

Learn more about Dan Buttry’s ministry at: www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/Buttry

Dan Buttry was commissioned in 2003 as IM’s Global Consultant for Peace and

Justice. Among those present around Dan (counterclockwise): his wife, Sharon,

Alongla Aier, wife of Naga leader Wati Aier, and Dan’s mother, Harriet Buttry.

Naga factions join together in August 2010 for a soccer match and a lesson incooperation. Look closely for Dan Buttry (circled) who facilitates peaceful encountersnot only through Bible studies and workshops but also through activities such as this.

Vol. 2 No. 4 Autumn 2010

“IM Stood with Me in the Darkest Moments of My Life”

For more than two centuries International Ministries (IM) has walked alongside politi-

cal refugees from every continent. Eleazar Zi-herambere, the former General Secretary of the Union de Eglises Baptistes au Rwanda (UEBR)—Union of Baptist Churches in Rwanda—has experienced this fact, saying, “International Ministries stood with me in the darkest mo-ments of my life, exiled from my motherland.”

Before he was forced to leave Rwanda, Eleazar had already observed IM’s sensitivity to refugees in Africa. He remembered how in 1988 thousands of citizens from Burundi fled to Rwanda. Because of IM’s financial support, UEBR was able to provide food, medication and New Testaments. That same type of help came to Rwandan refugees in 1994-96, after Eleazar and others fled their homeland in the wake of the genocide that killed more than 800,000 Rwandans. Many of them sought safety across the border in Zaire (now the Democratic Repub-lic of Congo), where they stayed in refugee camps.

A number of the Rwandan refugees later left Zaire and traveled west, to the Republic of the Congo (known as Congo-Brazzaville). IM again responded to their needs with assistance that included seeds, farming tools and educa-tional materials for children. Today, IM con-tinues to help these former refugees who have established churches in their adopted country.

Eleazar is available to share this and other details about IM’s mission through his present position as Director for African American Mis-sion. If your church is eager to learn more from one who has experienced first-hand how IM works with refugees and with others who have been marginalized, please send your email request to Eleazar.Ziherambere@abc-usa.org.

Some Rwandan refugees walked on a circuitous route for seven months, from Zairian refugee camps

to Brazzaville—2,000 miles!

Eleazar was able todistribute food to

Rwandans in refugeecamps because of

IM’s financial supportfor refugee relief.

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The Prince of Peace needing Refuge

Now after (the wise men) had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt.... (Matthew 2:13-14) With those words, Matthew told how Joseph and Mary sought refuge for themselves and the infant Prince of Peace. Although scripture is silent about the details, imagine if Matthew had captured this dialogue as they attempted to enter Egypt as foreigners:

“Where are the child’s papers? How do we know he hasn’t been kidnapped?”“We already told you. The authorities wanted the child killed. We had to flee by night and had no chance of getting the official papers.”

“I’m sorry but that won’t wash. We have to stick to the regulations.”“What should we do then?”“I don’t know. It’s not my problem. The law is the law.”“But this is a child we are talking about.”“As far as I’m concerned, if the child has no documents, it does not exist. Come on, move along! Can’t you see others are waiting?”

That scenario was published ten years ago in Zagreb, by Croatian Baptist theologian Boris Peterlin. In his small book, RefuJesus, Peterlin viewed Jesus’ experience as a refu-gee in Egypt in the light of biblical texts and present-day refugee experiences. When the former Yugoslavia split into multiple states, local Baptists sought to transform conflict into a just peace while offering refuge and assistance to those displaced, regardless of their religion, nationality, or ethnicity. As grieving families struggled to cope with the loss of their homes and tried to understand the chaos surrounding them, Peterlin assured them that Je-sus was able to fully identify with their suffering. RefuJesus invited readers to discover Jesus as a person needing refuge, not just in Egypt two thou-sand years ago, but also in the present. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35) This issue of International Ministries ON LOCATION is a reminder that the work of seeking peace and offering refuge is integral to mission. (Luke 10:5) This was true in the 19th century when Adoniram Judson worked for just settlements to conflicts in Burma, and it is true today. May this current look at the efforts you are supporting, encourage you to identify the pres-ence of the Prince of Peace as together through International Ministries we approach our third century of mission.

Executive Director’s

Messageby the Rev. Dr. Reid S. Trulson

HOPEChildren Finding Refuge

Brazil—From a Cemetery to a Home of Hopeby Corenne Garrison Smith, IM missionary in Brazil

My ministry focuses on older children who are or-phaned and eventually transition from a boarding

school to independent living. I often feel like the mother many of the children have never had as I share with them the love and hope of Jesus. One such person is Natalie, who came to us in 1996, when she was ten years old. She and her mentally ill mother had been roaming the streets. Fearing the authorities would take Natalie away, her mother made a “home” at a cemetery. They lived underground, in a crypt. Natalie had no friends, other than the stray cemetery dogs. This affected her ability to speak.

Through our ministry over eight years, Natalie grew to have hope. She even named a stray dog we “adopted” HOPE. She learned to read and write as well as to socialize with people, and she graduated with a trade. The Christian love she received taught her how to open her own heart. Natalie is now married and has a son.

Natalie has a life because of God’s love shown to her through our ministry, Hope Unlimited for Children, founded in 1991. Ours is a residential program that provides a safe

refuge to homeless Brazilian street chil-dren and youth rang-ing in age from 8 to 18. Our orphanage is not typical. Presently, we have 250 children who live in homes on three different campuses. The homes have house-parents who make ten-year commitments. We also provide the

children with counseling, vocational training and job place-ment, and we have a thrift store and church.

The church is a refuge as well, providing a place of wor-ship for our orphan graduates who often find local churches unwelcoming. Our congregation now has about 100 in attendance. All of the church ministries—Sunday school classes, worship teams, etc.—are funded by the graduates’ tithes. Many bring their estranged family members with them so that the church has become another way for hope to be unlimited!

Learn more about Corenne’s ministry at: www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/Corenne_and_Philip_Smith

nepal—Let All the Children Come to Jesusby Carole Sydnor, IM development worker in Nepal

I have had the privilege of being involved with Asha

Bal Bikash Sewa (ABBS) in Saimbu, serving children un-der the age of 16 with special needs. Starting in 1993 with a single day-care center hav-ing just three youngsters, ABBS has now expanded to having 20 dedicated staff and volunteers in three centers working with approximately 70 children.

ABBS (Children’s Hope Development Service) is liter-ally founded on hope. That emotion is certainly needed by children with cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and other challenges. ABBS:

` Offers love, encouragement and opportunities to chil-dren otherwise often forgotten

` Identifies the children’s inner talents as well as their problems

` Encourages all aspects of the children’s intellectual and physical development

` Provides therapies to the children such as sensory stimulation, hydrotherapy and games

` Shares knowledge with parents about their children’s problems and ways to address them

` Breaks the cultural misunderstandings of those living with disabilities

The introduction of dance therapy is another way the ABBS children are growing in their physical, intellectual, social and emotional development. Recently their dance pro-gram was broadcast on live Nepali television, bringing posi-tive responses from the audience. The joy of the participants’ parents was also evident as was the reaction of the children who felt hopeful by learning that when given a chance, they can perform as other children and share their talents.

As I reflect on this ministry, I picture the welcoming event told in Mark 10:14. When Jesus blessed the children brought to him, he didn’t omit any. While society often forgets or even rejects children with special needs, ABBS is truly Christ-centered as it is welcomes them—the Bible story comes ALIVE as Christian teachers reach out every day to these children with hope.

Learn more about Carole’s ministry at: www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/Sydnor

Corenne (left) holds Natalie’s newborn son, Vitol, a true celebration of hope for a new

generation raised through the love of Christ.

ABBS children dance to a musical beat,as part of their daily morning devotions,

with their teacher (background) andCarole Sydnor (foreground) leading.

The necessity for refuge goes beyond the gripping stories

of families escaping from political persecution. In every

hemisphere on the globe, children remaining in their own

nations still need a safe haven. IM missionaries reach out

to these young individuals in the name of Christ with

HOPE (Romans 15:13) as demonstrated by the following

stories from South America and Asia.

through

www.internat ionalministr ies .org 3

Water, a source of sustenance, has been flowing through the life journeys of Duane and Marcia Binkley from the time they were children grow-

ing up in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Not only did they meet at Camp Koinonia, an American Baptist camp in northeast Ohio—where Duane was once a counselor on a canoe trip that included Marcia as a camper—but their call to ministry has involved water as well. Duane explains, “I grew up with an interest in all things outdoors and earned a degree in soil and water conservation. Soon I realized that mission work could be a way to combine my interest in conservation with the calling to Christian service that I was feeling.”

After Marcia graduated from Malone College with majors in psychology and sociology, she and Duane were married in 1979. As lifelong American Baptists, the Binkleys applied

to become International Minis-tries missionaries. In God’s tim-ing, a new irrigation and water project was beginning among the Karen (pronounced Kuh-ren’) people in Thailand, and in No-vember 1982 the Binkleys were commissioned to enter that work.

The result of their labors on the project soon brought run-ning water to the Karen. And in the meantime, Duane and Marcia began assisting the

Thailand Karen Baptist Convention’s evangelism program, which gave them an opportunity to share the news of Living Water through Christ (John 4:10-14). Later, their duties also included work in the fields of education and administration. Marcia observes, “When I was in school, I wasn’t very good at math and science, but I was intrigued by the study of hu-man behavior and wanted to work with, and be of help to, people. God provided, and continues to provide, opportuni-ties for that beyond even what any math major could count!”

As part of his responsibilities, Duane served on the board

of the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, an international organization that ministered to Karen refugees who were fleeing from war-torn Burma across the border into Thailand. He says, “We made plans for further involvement with refugee Karen in Thailand once we completed our 2006 U.S./Puerto Rico as-signment—where we traveled to tell American Baptists about our ministries in Thailand. But God had different plans.”

As the Binkleys visited churches, they began meeting Karen refugees who were being resettled in the U.S. In some instances, as many as 50 or 60 Karen would suddenly appear at a church’s Sunday morning worship service. Duane says, “In response to such ‘sur-prises,’ and in light of the 200-year history of Baptists and Karen working together, we felt we could not be mission-aries to the Karen and ignore the tens of thousands being resettled in America. Now we minister to refugees in America. And we marvel at how those we min-ister to also minister to us. Each of us is being refreshed with Living Water as God uses all of us in building His kingdom!”

Learn more about the Binkleys’ ministry at: www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/Binkley

Running Water and Living Water— God Uses the Binkleys in Refugee Settlementby the Rev. James G. Layton, Senior Writer/Editor

Duane recently preached for the BurmeseBaptist Fellowship in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

He reminded the members that if they remainrooted in Christ, they will continue to “bloom!”

Soon after the Binkleys arrived in Thailand, Duane was not only working on water projects but also

teaching in Karen villages.

The border between Burma and Thailand in 1988 looks peaceful as Marcia and son, Sean, stand

on the banks of the Salween River, but elsewhere along the border, gunfire from the Burmese army

could be heard.

Water tanks in Thailand, 1990

4 On Location Autumn 2010

My wife, Marcia, and I have min-istered as IM missionaries in

Thailand for more than 20 years. With heavy hearts, we learned of the mass persecution of the Karen and Chin people in their home country of Burma (Myanmar). The suffering was so wide-spread that many fled as refugees to camps in Thailand.

Through the United States Refugee Resettlement Program, our country began in 2006 to welcome the Karen from Thai refugee camps. The Chin were also continuing to emigrate from settlements in Malaysia. We estimate that 60,000 Karen and Chin have been resettled across the U.S. with more yet to come. Even though the ethnic minorities coming to the U.S. have

escaped the violence and persecution of their home countries, they still face many hurdles.

In 2007, Marcia and I were called to serve in the U.S. in a new, but related, ministry—assisting these newcomers. Some of the same refugees we would have helped in Southeast Asia were now in need as they were adjusting to the U.S. culture. Today, we serve by explaining refugee resettlement and providing resource materials. Gener-ally, we become a bridge between the former refugees and the U.S. churches welcoming them. It has been over-whelming with so many refugees com-ing at the same time and being sent to so many locations around the country. But it has also been exciting and fulfilling.

In the past three years, it has become clear that God is using the refugees to energize our churches at the same time the churches are helping the refugees. This influx of people has had a particularly strong impact within American Baptist congregations. Of the more than 150 congregations of Karen and Chin around the U.S. that we are aware of, approximately 90 are related to American Baptist Churches, USA in some way.

It is a credit to the Karen and Chin people that they can make the needed adjustments to live in the U.S., and it is a credit to the receiving churches that they are giving of themselves to make the refugees from Burma feel accepted. It is also inspiring to note that these refugees are not asking much from our churches. Mostly what they want is a place to hold worship services. It is a real example to us in America that in the midst of needing so much, they have been making worship a priority.

As we began a journey in Christ with the Burmese in 1813 through our missionaries Adoniram and Ann Jud-son, so Marcia and I believe that God has something in mind for us to do together in the future. It will be excit-ing to see where He leads!

Rev. Mark Caruana of Tabernacle Baptist Churchin Utica, N.Y. shares the children’s story during

morning worship. Most of the children are Karen.

Fast Fact: Today, up to 30% of Karen and 90% of Chin worldwide iden-tify themselves as Christians. This is due, in great measure, to American Baptist International Ministries mis-sionaries who served in Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as those who continue to serve Christ in that way today

Refugees from Burma (Myanmar) Bring New Energy to U.S. Churchesby Duane Binkley, IM Missionary

Rev. Bill Englund (background left), pastor of theFirst Baptist Church of St. Paul, Minn., joins in

as Karen youth lead worship songs duringthe church’s Karen language service.

INDIA

B a y o f B e n g a l

North EastIndia

State of Nagaland

CHINA

BANGLA-DESH

BHUTAN

BURMA(MYANMAR)

THAILAND

NEPAL

MALAYSIA

What’s a Refugee? Definition: One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution. For the Karen who enter refugee camps in Thai-land, it is only a little better than being in jail. They have no status in the country and no real hope of ever being accepted permanently in Thailand. In essence, they have been rejected by their home coun-try and by the country to which they had to flee. Experiencing the open arms of Christians in the U.S. is a living example of the love of Christ in action!

IM missionaries serve Christ on your behalf throughout Southeast Asia.

www.internat ionalministr ies .org 5

Mentoring: Sowing for the Harvest to Comeby the Rev. Dr. Daniel L. Buttry

You could call it a rolling leadership workshop for peace. Two Zimbabwe Baptist youth leaders, Lancelot Muteyo and Philip Mudzidzi, joined me as we traveled for hours throughout Zimbabwe, leading workshops as part of the Nonviolent

Conflict Transformation Initiative. As we drove from city to city, we talked about every aspect of the training. By the end of our tour, Lance was leading some sections and co-facilitating with me for some of the exercises. A key goal in International Ministries’ missiology is for missionaries to work them-selves out of a job. We delight in seeing our gifts replicated in emerging leaders, then adapted for their culture and context far better than we could ever achieve. For me peace work is not just what I personally do, but far more what others do, which I can sometimes call forth, enable and support. Akum Longchari, a young human rights advocate from Nagaland (map on page 5), participated in major conflict transformation training programs I led in 1999. A few years later he and I co-facilitated workshops for Naga political leaders so they could sit at peace talks with the government of India. Now Akum is a leading force in the Forum for Naga Reconciliation that has achieved historic breakthroughs. (See page 1.) Rusudan Gotsiridze is a bishop in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia (Re-public of Georgia—once part of the Soviet Union). She’s been in many of my train-ing sessions in experiential education and Bible-based conflict transformation. She wanted to do more training, so we designed a workshop, led it together and then debriefed—a great way to learn directly from a mentor. Rusudan is now conducting

workshops throughout Georgia for the Inter-national Center for Conflict and Negotiation. There are many emerging peacemaking leaders also in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Last January I facilitated a two-week program for people who want to be active in peacemak-ing missions. Another is planned for August 2011. Those who attend these sessions, no matter where they are held, don’t just re-ceive help for their own context; they will be able to carry on the mission work of cross-cultural peacemaking around the globe!

I’ve stood at the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. As the tears flowed down his face he said, “If you,

even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Jesus then saw the holy city of the fu-ture utterly destroyed. (Luke 19:41-44) I’ve seen the shells of churches burnt by violent mobs, multi-story apartment buildings pancaked by bombs, stumps left from limbs that had been hacked off by marauding rebels and the vacant eyes of traumatized survivors whose wars still go on. I weep with Jesus.

But one thing that keeps me going in my ministry around the globe is the image of drying the tears of Jesus. If we learn “the things that make for peace,” and then put them into practice, are we not drying our Lord’s tears? Those tears are found on the faces of the ones who have suffered from war, from violence, from repression, from persecution, from social discord. When we do the things that make for peace, we bring hope, courage and support.

The Bible speaks One of the Ministry Focus Areas for International Ministries is Seeking Peace and Offering Refuge, described on page 8. This area is rooted in biblical exhorta-tions. Psalm 34:14 commands us, “Seek peace, and pursue it.” Jesus told us to

“love our enemies” (Matthew 5:44)—a command with no exceptions or exclu-sionary clauses related to our personal or national enemies. Paul tells us to

“live peaceably with all” and to “over-come evil with good.” (Romans 12:18, 21) James 3:18 tells us: “The harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” IM’s work in this area is an act of obedience to a consis-tently repeated biblical imperative.

We Respond In my mission work as IM’s Global Consultant on Peace and Justice, I try to help those being trained to learn about this obligation and then apply these teachings in their own context. Every cultural situation and every social

and political setting is unique. So I use experiential methods and participant-centered training tools to help people engage with the Scriptures and discover the “things that make for peace.” I can’t bring peace to anyone’s place on the globe. That task belongs to the citizens who live amid the conflicts and suffer

Dan Buttry employs more thanwords in his peace workshops.This exercise, used in Orissa,India and many other places,is called “chairs of power,”

an experiential way to learnabout changeable dynamicsand relationships of power.

PURSUING PEACEby the Rev. Dr. Daniel L. Buttry

from them. However, I can join with them in partnership, using training and consul tative skills to help them access their own strength, courage and creativ-ity and to tap into the power of the Prince of Peace. When that happens, then amazing and wonderful things can occur even in the most difficult conflicts!

Working with Dan Buttry in the September 2010 conflict transformation training in Zimbabwe,

Lance Muteyo began leading role play exercises.

6 On Location Autumn 2010

Rescuing Victims of Domestic Violence in Mexicoby the Rev. James G. Layton, Senior Writer/Editor

Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that’s noneof my business,” will that get you off the hook? (Proverbs 24:11-12, The Message)

A s stated in the International Min-istries (IM) Ministry Focus Area

on peace and refuge, IM “stands with those who are seeking refuge from struggles, violence, or persecution.” Those who need such protection in-clude families fleeing political persecu-tion (pages 2, 4-5), youngsters strug-gling against hopelessness (page 3) and women and children who experience violence within their own homes. Ada-lia Gutiérrez and Raymond Schellinger, IM missionaries in Mexico, respond to this heart-breaking, domestic reality.

Adalia and Ray work with the women of the “Dios Con Nosotros”

(God with us) Baptist Convention of Northern Baja California, Mexico. Together, they founded Deborah’s House, a ministry to victims of domestic violence. This unique refuge provides a range of services, including crisis intervention, health-care, shelter for victims, counseling and education for both victims and abusers. Adalia and Ray also offer workshops to churches in the region on relationship skills, self-esteem, communication and alternatives to violence.

Ray grew up in Washington, D.C. and developed an expertise in micro-enterprise. Adalia was born and raised in Mexico, where she became a medical doctor. She says of her missionary calling, “When I was 24, I began working as a physician and saw patients who asked for advice in dealing with daily problems. I said to my parents that I needed more tools for this, and they encouraged me to go to seminary. My father, who was a pastor, said that since women weren’t welcomed in ministry in my own country, I should go to seminary in the U.S. I studied at Eastern Baptist (now Palmer) Theological Seminary. It’s there that I met Ray in 1989. We fell in love with each other and with our mutual calls to mission work—serving the poorest in Latin America.”

After their marriage and seminary grad-uations, Adalia and Ray began their work in 1994 with IM as missionaries in Nicaragua, where there was a need for specialties in economic development and medicine. Seven years later they were called to their present ministry in Tijuana, Mexico.

Adalia’s sensitive medical skills are also literally a God-send for these victims of do-mestic violence, and Ray addresses economic development since abused women need to learn how to make a living—an alternative to returning to the environ-ments where they and their children were abused. In October 2010, the first of three micro-enterprise workshops was held for the women of Deborah’s House. This new program could well improve the lives of 70 families!

Learn more about Adalia and Ray’s ministry at: www.internationalministries.org/missionaries/Schellinger

The Fulfillment of a Dream Is Ending Nightmares for Mexican Families

The women of the Baptist Con-vention of Northern Baja had a dream to open a shelter where

victims of domestic abuse could receive counseling and begin to put their lives back in order. These vision-ary women—housewives, factory workers and pastors’ wives—included two nurses who were also former victims of abuse. With the help of IM, the dream became a reality in 2006 and was named “Deborah’s House,” after the prophet and judge of the Old Testa-ment. Deborah accomplished what men were hesitant to do. (Judges 4:6-9) Before Deborah’s House, a Tijuana woman in a violent relationship was often counseled to endure abuse, submitting to her husband out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:22), even a husband that beat and raped her. Rarely was Ephesians 5:25 cited—

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” It is estimated that 80% of women in Tijuana will sometime be physically and/or sexually abused by a partner. The tension, poverty and violence that permeate life in Mexican border cities comes back home, where it finds the victims of last resort, the women and children. Today, Deborah’s House is a place for healing and evaluation of options. A three to six-month stay begins the process of placing in the past a night-mare of abuse. It also gives these families opportunities to increase their skills used in taking the next steps toward a new way of living.

Young volunteers, in addition to Adalia, Ray and a staff of two, care for the children of Deborah’s House.

Dr. Adalia Gutiérrez not only has a physical healing ministry at Deborah’s House, but she also participates

in therapy/training workshops for residents.

Ray Schellinger’s ministry presently includes teaming up with American Baptist work groups

building a 2nd floor for Deborah’s House.

www.internat ionalministr ies .org 7

Autumn 2010

The American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, (operating as International Ministries), organized in 1814 is the first Baptist international mission agency formed in North America and the second oldest Baptist mission agency in the world. We serve more than 1,800 short-term and long-term missionar-ies annually, bringing churches and individuals in the United States and Puerto Rico together with partners in more than 70 countries in holistic, cutting-edge ministries that tell the Good News of Jesus Christ while meeting human need.

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PEACE AND REFUGE: Seeking Peace and Offering Refuge

8 On Location Autumn 2010

INSIDE:

Seeking Peace and Offering RefugeFaith in Action (1813–Today)During IM’s First Century of Mission

Howard Malcom (1799-1879), member of the American Baptist Board of Foreign Mission and American Peace Society president, worked to settle world conflict through arbitration. He wrote concerning war: “…the chief wonder is that Christians, [who are] followers

of the Prince of Peace, have concurred in this mad idolatry of strife....”

During IM’s Second Century of MissionJ. Howard Covell (1896-1943), American Baptist missionary in Japan, martyred in the Philippines, advocated non-violent peacemaking. Before World War II, when students at Kanto Gakuin school in Japan were forced to practice military maneuvers, Covell appeared on the field

dressed in black funeral clothes. When asked, “Whose funeral is it today?” Covell replied, “It is Kanto Gakuin’s funeral.”

Approaching IM’s Third Century of Mission

1 Called to be a Peacemaker Buttry

2 The Prince of Peace Needing Refuge Trulson

IM Stood with Me Ziherambere

3 A Home of Hope C. Smith

Let All the Children Come Sydnor

4 Running Water & Living Water Binkley

5 Refugees Bring New Energy Binkley

6 Pursuing Peace Buttry

Sowing for the Harvest Buttry

7 Rescuing Victims Schellinger

The Fulfillment of a Dream Schellinger

Global

Congo–Brazzaville

Brazil

Nepal

Thailand

U.S.

Global

Mexico

Peace & RefugeSeeking Peace and Offering Refuge

“Seek peace, and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed....” Psalm 9:9

IM missionaries are pioneers in the Christian movement to help resolve great questions of the 21st century like: How shall we live together in peace amid our own diversity? How can people enter into a loving rela-

tionship with Christ while maintaining important social and familial ties in their home communities? IM personnel deal with these questions direct-ly as they are invited by Christian partner organizations to conflict areas around the world. Using the Bible and employing experiential learning techniques, they teach hands-on approaches in conflict resolution and transformation—with American Baptist values at the forefront. IM also stands with those who are seeking refuge from struggles, violence, or persecution. Church workers are trained by IM missionar-ies to help these refugees find a new home and experience a new beginning in the name of Jesus. In both cases, IM is responding to the scriptural teaching of living in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18) and welcoming the stranger (Deuteronomy 14:29). IM sends six long-term missionaries and 112 volunteers and short-term missionaries to work with Christian partners in the ministry focus area of conflict transforma-tion and service to refugees.