LOVE EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCLUSION

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35(NIV)

“We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others.”John Wesley.

Proclaiming the gospel to all mankind is a fundamental part of the mission of the Church. We have no reason as a church of Jesus Christ to exclude and judge others because some of us think others are sinners. We should open our mind and our doors for our beloved friends who are rejected by their church community or their beloved church. The inclusion of all people in our community enriches our ministries.

Brothers and sisters, we must ever keep in mind that missionary work throughout the world requires great sacrifice, and all of this sacrifice and efforts of missionaries may be in vain if those who accept the gospel do not receive a loving and warm welcome by the members of the Church.

    

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” John Wesley

We might ask ourselves how those who are excluded, rejected because of how they are, thought about us. Think about them in our wards would be treated if we were the only ones they ever met. Every member of the Church should foster the attributes of warmth, sincerity, and love for those who are different to us. As missionaries, are taught to do.

 “Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing!” John Wesley

Brothers and sisters, members of the church, let us make our wards to be friendly places, with no exclusivity, where all people feel welcome and comfortable.

The church must open its doors to become more inclusive and find ways to make itself relevant beyond Sunday mornings. We need to speak the good news where people can hear it.

                                               Plantation farm 

“Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences.” John Wesley

                                                         Let us welcome all with love.

The Drinking Water problem in Bakanou A village

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

As a missionary, I have visited several times Bakanou A village. The village is full of natural beauty and resources, but it has the highest number of people lacking access to safe, drinkable water. It is situated at 85 Km outside of Abidjan city in Cote D’ivoire. The village has a strong rural United Methodist Church where the members are very committed to fight poverty.  The village has almost two thousands families but with two boreholes only; sometimes the purity of the drinking water from the boreholes is questionable.

       

When there is no water; the villagers are using water from a stream which is not near the village. There is a problem obtaining good drinking water. The villagers and specially women are carrying water in pots on their heads; and there are several miles between the village and the stream. The water which is coming from the stream is always contaminated with diseases such as bilharzia, sleeping sickness, river blindness, guinea worm, and malaria. Besides these, diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and pneumonia continue to kill children in record numbers. Bakanou A village has a small medical center without a maternity. 

                                       

                         The only village medical center. Two rooms for two thousands families.

One or two boreholes again will take care of the water needs in the village. The villagers can’t afford the pumps, or the necessary equipment to have the boreholes drilled. Ending Poverty begins with clean water. Without clean water, the possibility of breaking out of the cycle of poverty is incredibly slim. Would you take a minute and see how you can help others. Let us come together to transform lives to get access to safe water. You can make a huge impact.  You can help to bring positive change in Bakanou A village.

  “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me … And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25: 35, 40, ESV)

                                                Children at Bakanou A village with firewood 

                                                         Left is a plantation farm

                                                     The road to Bakanou A village. 

                                    Pastor Vry Thierry Joel at Nazaret UMC, in Bakanou A village,

                           calling church members for a fundraising on community project.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:35,37 ESV