Imagine No Malaria

       I just attended our Missouri Methodist Annual Conference. We are blessed to do great things for others in our combined efforts as disciples of Jesus.  The United Methodist national conference and our state conference have been fighting the terrible disease of malaria since 2008.  At that time we together worked with the "Nothing But Nets" program to bring needed mosquito protection to our brothers and sisters in Africa.  For nearly 2 hundred years Methodists have been in partnership with African Christians to give help to the sick, increase sanitation, and promote healing.
     Our Bishop has challenged each church to give a special offering to this new program called, "Imagine No Malaria".  He asks that we give $10.00 for each person who is average in attendance in worship. This means Rogersville UMC is being asked to give $300.00. This generous giving is putting our faith in action.
      This new program of "Imagine No Malaria" distributes insecticide -treated bed nets, it delivers sustainable and accountable public health systems. It works closely with the village elders, teachers, pastors, and mid wives who all know the people who need help. This system means that the medical supplies and nets are not stolen and then sold by thieves. This way of ministry means that there are regular and on going checks by trained local medical workers to make sure the supplies are being used in the proper life saving and preventive way.
       James 2:14-17 is the foundation of our efforts to give aid to our family in Christ in Africa,
"What good is it, my brothers and sisters; if you say you have faith but do not have works? If a person is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." It is good to see the Methodist Church in action to make a difference to save children from dying from this preventable disease.  It only cost $10.00 to purchase on insecticide-treated net!
      The World Health Organization reports that in Africa every day 3,000 children die under the age of 5 years.  In 2010 reported malaria deaths were 660,000 with 90% of those in Africa. As Methodists we can and will make a difference.  Many lives are being saved, churches are being started and communities becoming healthier because of the generous sharing of the Methodist Church.
    Here is an African proverb to consider, " If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night with a mosquito."