Monday, 18 January 2021 — Compassion International
Whether you pray on your own or with a group, the prayers of God’s people are powerful! But sometimes, what we’re praying for seems so out of reach, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Here are 10 prayer points to get you started.
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Wednesday, 13 January 2021 — Compassion International
2020 will be remembered as the year the world stood still. With pandemic lockdowns, quarantines and facemasks—Covid-19 was on everyone’s lips. It was a year of heartache, pain, frustration and anxiety. But to start 2021, we want to share with you 10 sweet, funny and beautiful moments featuring sponsored children from around the world.
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Tuesday, 22 December 2020 — Kevin Riddell
Although I was born and bred in New Zealand, for nearly all of my adult life I have lived and worked in conflict or disaster zones, around the globe. Most people living in the world today have little control of their future. I think this is both unfair and an injustice. I believe I have a responsibility to offer a hand of support to those in need. But not to just feed them for a day, but to offer long-term support.
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Tuesday, 15 December 2020 — Kate Kardol
Tearfund's annual feel-good gift guide—Gift for Life—is chock-full of impactful gift ideas, sure to touch every heart this Christmas. Here's our five most popular gifts!
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Friday, 11 December 2020 — Sean du Toit
The world seems different. The world is different. Various, organisations and communities have had to quickly adapt to various situations changing so fast our plans seem to be in constant flux. And yet, amidst all the uncertainty and chaos, these three remain: faith, love and hope.
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Friday, 04 December 2020 — Compassion International
Oscar’s life had a rough start. He was abandoned by his parents at a young age and was left alone most days with his uncles, who didn’t feed him. He started to get angry and aggressive and when he grew older, he formed a gang with his friends and began stealing. But something happened that turned his life on its head.
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Thursday, 03 December 2020 — Compassion International
Because of sponsorship, these children are not going hungry like some people in their communities are. Because of sponsorship, they received the medicine they needed. Because of sponsorship, they have hope for tomorrow. Children and families around the world have been blessed during this pandemic through our partner. Here’s how.
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Tuesday, 01 December 2020 — Compassion International
Every year around Christmas, families in a tiny community outside Burkina Faso’s capital, excitedly make their way to a special event at the local church. Everyone is welcome, not just those involved in the Compassion project. At this event, children receive a gift and more than 700 people enjoy lunch. When you give a gift to your sponsored child for Christmas it goes into a pool of funds from which every child gets a Christmas gift. It also enables initiatives like the one in this story.
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Wednesday, 25 November 2020 — Grace Stanton
Sandra Johnson found her passion in Tearfund’s Farming and Enterprise cause. She had the amazing chance to visit one of Tearfund’s former Farming and Enterprise partners in India. After meeting the ladies involved in the project, she could not turn her back on them. She decided to raise $15,000 to help the women achieve success.
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Tuesday, 24 November 2020 — Annie Newton-Jones
Christmas is just around the corner and before you start your Christmas shopping, check out our five top tips for consuming less while still giving great gifts this Christmas.
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Tuesday, 24 November 2020 — Ian McInnes
Sadly, women, children and men all over the world become victims of modern slavery by the coercion and the manipulations of human traffickers. Traffickers promise them a better life somewhere else, but the reality is far worse. Our partners work on the frontlines to educate the vulnerable, prosecute offenders, and care for survivors after they have been trafficked.
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Monday, 16 November 2020 — Kate Kardol
As parents, we have a responsibility to teach our children to look outward and consider the needs of others—as we hope others would do the same for our children. And as Christians, we are obligated to not shut our eyes to the world’s injustice, instead “caring for the least of these” as our faith calls us to do. Here are four ways to teach your children about poverty.
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Friday, 13 November 2020 — Keith Ramsay
We have the largest number of displaced people the world has seen in recent history, with 79.5 million people forced to leave their homes for fear of violence or persecution. But have you heard them talking on the news about Internally Displaced People, refugees or asylum seekers, and wondered to yourself, what the difference between them is? Read on to find out more, not only about what these terms mean, but how you can make a difference for refugees who end up in Aotearoa.
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Friday, 06 November 2020 — Brandy Lovelace - Compassion International
A storyteller from Tearfund’s partner, Compassion, had a deep conviction when she was taking photos of sponsored children. She realised she was treating the children as props. She made herself a promise that she would never take a single picture with another child whose name and story she did not know.
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Tuesday, 03 November 2020 — Keith Ramsay
Meet Jenny Yarndley from Te Awamutu. The mother of five has built a wonderful and heart-warming relationship with a young man from Indonesia she started sponsoring in 2013, called Berry. While they have gotten to know each other well through letter-writing, they have never met. So, you can imagine her surprise when we arranged for her to meet him for the first time via a Zoom call.
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Wednesday, 21 October 2020 — Andrew Robinson
Imagine being caught in a moment of crisis—pushed beyond your ability to cope. You are swept up in circumstances outside of your control, left vulnerable, overwhelmed and in need of help, but you don’t know where help will come from. Tearfund hears the cries and responds to disasters through local partners to meet the immediate needs of people. Tearfund also works with the community to help people build back their lives in a sustainable way. What’s important is the people we serve are protected and treated with dignity.
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Friday, 16 October 2020 — Compassion International
As Christians we are called to live generously, not putting our hope in things but in God. He is the only one who can judge us. It’s a balance of enjoying the things God gives us, being generous, doing good, and not chasing riches. Here are six ways you can be generous and not judgemental.
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Wednesday, 14 October 2020 — Grace Stanton
Rosie Paterson-Lima has always had a heart for people, especially people less fortunate than herself. She was exposed to poverty from a very young age. It impacted her so much that she dedicated her life to helping bring people out of their situation and into their God-given potential. She became an advocate for Tearfund in 2010 and is now working for Tearfund as a Programmes Specialist.
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Tuesday, 13 October 2020 — Grace Stanton
The Justice Conference gives you a platform to learn about different justice issues and a chance to see how other people live out justice, so you can learn, advocate and do justly yourself! Here are three reasons why you should attend!
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Tuesday, 06 October 2020 — Compassion International
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the vulnerable. Many people have been unable to work and if they can’t work that means they can’t feed their family. Children are also out of school because of government restrictions and people are scared to go to the hospital to get vaccinated against other diseases for the fear of catching Covid-19. Tearfund’s partner Compassion is doing all it can, alongside the local church, to meet the needs of struggling families.
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Monday, 05 October 2020 — Compassion International
Angelyn’s world fell apart when she discovered her parents were selling drugs. She refused to tell the staff at the Compassion child sponsorship programme out of a mistaken fear that they would reject her. She lost hope and stopped coming to the project. At the age of 12, she began drinking alcohol and going to nightclubs. When her caseworker finally reached her, he invited her to a youth camp. Reluctantly she agreed, and her life changed course.
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Monday, 05 October 2020 — Compassion International
Vivian was just nine years old when both of her parents died. She and her younger sister were taken in by their aunty, who neglected them, stole from them, and beat them. One night their aunty had had enough and kicked them out of the house. Vivian and her sister were left homeless until Tearfund’s partner, Compassion, brought them in. Now Vivian can live out God’s plan for her life.
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Wednesday, 30 September 2020 — Olga Oosthuizen
Despite the injustice we witness and the overwhelming statistics, we refuse to accept that poverty is an inevitable part of our broken and hurting world. We focus on fighting it one child at a time alongside Compassion International and the local church. The local church can have a huge impact on their communities as they know the needs of their people, the context and the culture.
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Wednesday, 30 September 2020 — LIFT International
Human trafficking is a broad term used to describe an organised criminal activity that deceives and coerces people into modern slavery. However, many categories fall under human trafficking. Sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, forced labour, bonded labour, domestic servitude and forced child labour. Our partner LIFT International works to address this through investigations, aftercare for survivors and legal support.
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Friday, 25 September 2020 — Sean du Toit
Racism is not an event or a belief. God can and does change us to view people as those whom he loves and we must love. In the future we are called to create, and which God is creating now through his people, there is a celebration of diversity and no racism.
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Tuesday, 22 September 2020 — Keith Ramsay
Tearfund’s approach is to work through trusted faith-based partners who are part of the communities they serve. Because poverty is complex, we believe that local experts are best placed to find local solutions which will bring lasting change. So we come alongside our local partners, joining them in the work they are doing, and supporting them to deliver the best aid and development programmes possible.
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Monday, 21 September 2020 — Tearfund New Zealand
The landscape of the fashion industry has changed dramatically over the course of the pandemic. Every single part, process and person within the trade has been affected. Because of the change in landscape, we’ve also had to adapt, by creating a new Ethical Fashion Guide and report.
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Thursday, 10 September 2020 — Annie Newton-Jones
Hi, I'm Annie and I’m speaking at The Justice Conference next month on October 31st! Be sure to tune in and hear me unpack the topic of ethical fashion! For now though, keep reading for a little taste of what I’ll be sharing and how you can take some practical steps to make fashion better for all of us, including vulnerable garment workers. Let’s create change through fashion together!
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Monday, 07 September 2020 — Kate Kardol
Nalayini and Chinniah have overcome more obstacles than most couples do in a lifetime. When a brutal civil war turned their world upside down, they worked hard to rebuild their lives and find a way out of poverty. Now, they are breaking the chains of poverty for the next generation.
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Wednesday, 02 September 2020 — Compassion International
A Compassion graduate named his daughter after his former sponsor. He vowed to work hard as a way of thanking her for the great role she played in his life. His five-year-old daughter Lisa is extremely proud of her unusual name.
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Tuesday, 01 September 2020 — Compassion International
Between April to June 2020, Tearfund’s church partners distributed millions of food parcels and hygiene kits, delivered hundreds of thousands of cash transfers and medical assistance. See how generous supporters are making a difference and meet some of the children behind the astonishing numbers.
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Friday, 28 August 2020 — Compassion International
The number of Online Sexual Exploitation Cases in the Philippines has tripled since the Covid-19 quarantine restrictions were established, due to the increasing effects of poverty and hunger. Tearfund’s partner, Compassion Philippines is addressing the issue through child protection awareness campaigns.
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Tuesday, 25 August 2020 — Tearfund New Zealand
Today marks the third year since the Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh, many with physical wounds and all bearing psychological scars and trauma. Let's take this time to respect and recognise the courage, tenacity and resilience of these refugees.
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Thursday, 20 August 2020 — Kate Kardol
For Thilliampillai in Sri Lanka, life had its share of challenges, but she worked hard to overcome them. A horrific civil war stole everything Thilliampillai had worked so hard for. But it wasn’t the end of her story — it never is with God.
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Wednesday, 19 August 2020 — Grace Stanton
A deeper look at what it is like to work on the frontlines of the craziest and most heart-breaking environments on the planet. Today is World Humanitarian Day and we wanted to recognise and celebrate some of our very own amazing humanitarians!
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Tuesday, 18 August 2020 — Grace Stanton
A deeper look at what it is like to work on the frontlines of the craziest and most heart-breaking environments on the planet. Today is World Humanitarian Day and we wanted to recognise and celebrate some of our very own amazing humanitarians!
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Monday, 03 August 2020 — Compassion International
The pandemic in Bangladesh has brought millions of poor families to their knees, including nine-year-old Mredula's. A timely family gift from her sponsor lifted her family out of a desperate situation.
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Monday, 03 August 2020 — Compassion International
After spending weeks living in shelters due to a flood, hundreds of families from Bacabal city, Brazil, were finally able to return to their homes. However, the river waters had taken almost everything they had. Aware of the families' situation, Compassion’s child development centre distributed cleaning and hygiene kits, clothes, and mattresses to children who needed them most.
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Thursday, 30 July 2020 — Grace Stanton
Today is the UN Day Against Trafficking in Persons and this year the focus is on the amazing, resilient, and inspiring workers who work on the frontlines to stop and prevent this terrible trade and stand beside it’s victims. Sreyna Sam is one of them. She was born in a refugee camp during the Cambodian war and has experienced discrimination and abuse. Her trauma has given her an incredible empathy for survivors of human trafficking. She is now the Operations Manager of Client Care for Tearfund's partner Hagar, Cambodia.
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Wednesday, 29 July 2020 — Kate Kardol
At Tearfund, we have a deep compassion for the oppressed and a yearning for justice. We believe the exploitation of poor and vulnerable people is a gross injustice that must be confronted. And it starts with knowing the facts.
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Tuesday, 14 July 2020 — Tearfund New Zealand
Thirteen NZ aid organisations are warning that children in low-income countries will be the most affected by the global pandemic and hunger, and they are encouraging Kiwis to help resource their global neighbours to deal effectively with the situation. The release today of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World by the UN has prompted the call to action.
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Wednesday, 01 July 2020 — Compassion International
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic in El Salvador, many families lost their houses in flooding and landslides when Tropical Storm Amanda hit on May 31. After being evacuated, vulnerable families were hosted inside Compassion child development centres, which provided supplies and protection from the virus.
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Tuesday, 30 June 2020 — Rachel Vince
In New Zealand we are fortunate to have the healthcare we need to get through a pandemic like Covid-19. Other places around the globe are not. Because of the generous support of Kiwis like you we've been able to reach hundreds and thousands of vulnerable people.
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Friday, 26 June 2020 — Grace Stanton
Selina nearly died five times during a brutal civil war that ravaged Sri Lanka. But she survived and went onto create something sustainable that would help her community for years.
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Wednesday, 24 June 2020 — Compassion International
When the government closed schools in Ethiopia, they told students to follow their daily lessons via the radio and TV. Yet children without the technology, like Yodranos and Kidist, missed out. It made them feel inferior and frustrated. The gift of a radio from Tearfund’s partner Compassion not only helped them catch up with schoolwork, but it also showed them that they mattered.
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Monday, 22 June 2020 — Rafique-Rohingya Refugee
Read the first-hand account of a former Rohingya refugee who lived in a refugee camp for 18 years. In 1991, Rafique, his parents and his baby sister, fled Myanmar with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They now live peacefully in New Zealand but his experience still haunts him.
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Wednesday, 17 June 2020 — Compassion International
Mother of three Hana walks 2km dragging a cart loaded with 17 water containers to the nearest borehole every day. Water scarcity is always challenging, increasingly so in a pandemic when handwashing is critical. Compassion's church partner provided vital hygiene supplies and education to overcome the water shortage and protect their health.
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Friday, 12 June 2020 — LIFT International
What's it really like to be a female human trafficking investigator? “I feel like I read the emotions and body language of other women well and that helps us collect evidence and be sensitive to trafficking survivors,” says a human trafficking investigator, as a female, working on the frontlines. Tearfund’s partner LIFT sat down with an investigator from their team to ask her what her job is like and why she does this work.
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Wednesday, 10 June 2020 — Bonnie Graham
Open up your front door, take a few steps outside and look around. Whether it’s a flower growing out of a crack in the pavement, or the sound of the sea, chances are you’ll all be able to find some sort of beauty in your surroundings. Planet Earth is such a gift, isn’t it? One that we need to treasure. So why aren’t we better advocates for its preservation? In the fourth blog of the series, Bonnie Graham from Baptist World Aid Australia unpacks why we need to change the way we buy our clothes to become more sustainable shoppers and reduce the impact on our precious planet.
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Wednesday, 10 June 2020 — Compassion International
As Latin America emerges as the new epicenter of the pandemic, the health system is close to collapsing. To provide access to healthcare to vulnerable families, Tearfund’s partner, Compassion International has launched a telehealth system in Ecuador to provide medical advice over the phone from practicing doctors who are Compassion alumni.
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Monday, 08 June 2020 — Tearfund New Zealand
The impact that Covid-19 is having on the world's most vulnerable children is enormous. We simply cannot turn our backs on them. The poorest of the poor are seriously feeling the affects of this virus, causing many of them and their families to face some incredibly desperate situations.
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Friday, 05 June 2020 — Helen Manson
Eight years ago I went to Sri Lanka. It was so impactful I couldn’t speak about it for three months. We were in the north where the war had come to its bloody end in 2009, to see the start of a new project Tearfund was pioneering. As we drove past bombed-out buildings, met people with war injuries and heard first-hand stories of the devastation, it was all I could do to pick up my camera and notepad and document it.
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Friday, 05 June 2020 — Compassion International
During the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected lives even in their remote community, the children’s playtime is often spent with their pets. Five-year-old Weeview, who lives in a village in Thailand, struck up an unlikely friendship with a buffalo!Read more
Thursday, 04 June 2020 — Chantelle Mayo
Retailers in New Zealand and Australia have experienced immense economic stresses, with global borders being closed and restrictions around shopping, in an attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19 infection. On day three of this series, Chantelle Mayo from Baptist World Aid reflects on the vital importance of supply chain transparency in these times.
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Wednesday, 03 June 2020 — Grace Stanton
Art Green, most known for his role on the reality TV series, The Bachelor NZ, is taking part in the Poverty Cycle. He had no idea how bad human trafficking was and when he learnt more about it, he couldn’t turn a blind eye.
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Friday, 29 May 2020 — Compassion International
Living in poverty, their families cannot afford store-bought toys, so the children cleverly make their own toys to play with.
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Wednesday, 27 May 2020 — Bonnie Graham
Hot and cold, pink and red, Taylor Swift and Kanye West… like these things, ethical and fashion were considered too opposite to ever go together. But recently, there has been a significant shift, making the oxymoron much less moronic. Will the coronavirus pandemic be the turning point which sees the progress of many years reversed… or the catalyst the global fashion industry needs to innovate and future-proof like never before?
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Friday, 22 May 2020 — Compassion International
When Covid-19 hit, single mother Sofia lost her ability to work and was facing homelessness with her three children. A local church was able to give her rent assistance from generous donors like you. Now her family is housed, safe and together.
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Wednesday, 20 May 2020 — Ally Turner
Think back 10 years and picture your wardrobe. Choker chains were back in business, cardigans had moved from your nana’s wardrobe to your own and jeggings were rearing their somewhat questionable head. While those trends have come and gone, another trend that has been growing over that time has been towards ethics in the fashion industry. On day one of this series, Ally Turner from Baptist World Aid Australia is here to tell us more about what brought about that change... read on!
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Monday, 18 May 2020 — Compassion International
With Josephina’s home in danger of collapsing but no income to pay for repairs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she received rent support to move her niece to safety.
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Wednesday, 13 May 2020 — Compassion International
"Being patient with me, thanks for loving me and supporting me to be a good student. I know sometimes I'm stubborn or strong-headed, but you still love me. Thank you, Dad!" In sweet, candid interviews, fathers and children share their favourite memories and their hopes and dreams for the future. Read more
Wednesday, 13 May 2020 — Compassion International
Project Director Martha Tesfaye in Ethiopia proactively looks for ways to support children during the pandemic. Using a network of mothers' groups, she stays updated on children's wellbeing. She has produced hundreds of protective face masks and delivers activity books to keep children entertained and learning. Read more
Friday, 08 May 2020 — Grace Stanton
Being a Mum can be stressful, challenging, and frustrating. But sometimes your children make you laugh until you cry, say the sweetest things, and actually teach you a lesson or two. In the lead up to Mother’s Day, we wanted to introduce you to some of the most amazing, hard-working Mum’s at Tearfund and their frustrating, funny children. We asked them three questions.Read more
Wednesday, 06 May 2020 — Compassion International
The financial situation of Cecelia and her husband Joseph from Ghana looked grim. They were both unemployed and their small farm did not supply enough food for them and their four children. But, through generous donors, a Compassion fund, offered them a lifeline. This allowed Cecelia to start a baby diaper and sandal business, providing enough for the family to live off and to open her first savings account. Read more
Monday, 27 April 2020 — Tim Brown
I have to admit that I am a bit of a city boy, and while very familiar with coffee and local cafes, I have a fairly limited knowledge of agriculture. In November last year, I had the privilege of taking a team to Vanuatu to visit one of our partners called Nasi Tuan. The people of Tanna Island, known for its active Mount Yusar volcano and for being in one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, have been through a lot. We were there to see the work Nasi Tuan is doing with local Ni-Van smallholder farmers, helping them to grow coffee, vanilla and other crops as part of a long term social enterprise project.
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Thursday, 23 April 2020 — Compassion International
We’re so inspired by all the healthcare workers around the world who are sacrificing to save others. It’s no surprise to us that many of these heroes are graduates of Tearfund’s partners Compassion’s programme! From a young age, they learned that loving and serving others is one of life’s highest callings.
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Wednesday, 22 April 2020 — Dale Campbell
In these strange times, the potential for Resentment is high… A lot has changed… Our work arrangements, our bank balances, our domestic rhythms, private spaces… our egos and our hearts are being disturbed and destabilized. We are having to learn to work with colleagues, family members, and flatmates in new and often challenging ways. In this reflection, Dale Campbell (Tearfund NZ) explains how Jesus' teaching on dealing with anger is reflected in the practical spirituality of 12-step recovery.Read more
Thursday, 16 April 2020 — Sean du Toit
Christians are no strangers to epidemics. Throughout their history, they have been on the frontline wrestling with the issues and offering practical help and hope to those being affected. The Plague of Cyprian, named after the Bishop of Carthage, swept across the Roman empire in the year 249AD. Cyprian witnessed the devastating effect and loss of life caused by this plague where it was believed that around 5000 people a day were dying. In his treatise, On Mortality, Cyprian discusses the plagues, its characteristics and its effects.Read more
Sunday, 12 April 2020 — Sean du Toit
“The Lord is risen!”
“He has risen indeed!”
Happy Resurrection Sunday!
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Friday, 10 April 2020 — Sean du Toit
Reading
1 John 3:16-18 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
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Thursday, 09 April 2020 — Sean du Toit
It’s a question that invites a variety of responses and concerns. This article by Time Magazine offers some helpful pastoral wisdom concerning lament. Read more
Tuesday, 07 April 2020 — Compassion International
As the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the whole world, you might be wondering about the safety and health of the child you sponsor. Maybe you’re longing to communicate with him or her about —how they are doing, and to say you’re praying for them. These are great questions that reveal your heart for children in poverty. That’s why we’d like to give you a few tips on writing letters to your sponsored child during a crisis!Read more
Tuesday, 07 April 2020 — Victoria Hanna
There are an estimated 1.7 billion people around the world are in isolation today. But what about the people that are unable to self-isolate? The homeless, the unwanted, the refugee. What will happen to them?Read more
Monday, 06 April 2020 — Compassion International
Eva’s family home in Guatemala was filled with so much abuse and violence that it almost cost her mother’s life. Guatemala has one of the highest rates of violent deaths among women in the world. But a Compassion initiative, that helps to stop domestic violence, transformed their family’s life forever.
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Monday, 06 April 2020 — Mary Mekhail
Mary and Adel Mekhail sponsor eight children and have previously sponsored 14! Meeting four of their sponsored children in Kenya and Ethiopia was an experience they will never forget. Read about the time they met Erick, who has just graduated high school and is studying to be a mechanic. Read more
Monday, 06 April 2020 — Sean du Toit
Last week we looked at digital community. This week I am wrestling with how we can deal with all the elements competing to shape our day-to-day following of Jesus.
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Monday, 06 April 2020 — Grace Stanton
The children at Raleigh Street Christian Centre each put in a couple of coins a week to sponsor their child Prossy in Uganda. Her parents wanted a piggery, to generate income for their family, but had no money to afford it. So, the kids made pig themed items and sold them to their congregation. It was enough for Prossy’s family to buy two pigs, feed and to build a pen!Read more
Sunday, 29 March 2020 — Sean du Toit
Reading
Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.Read more
Saturday, 28 March 2020 — Grace Stanton
After the Sri Lankan war many farming families lost everything. Including their main source of income, rice. Traditionally, locals had only milked their cows for personal use, but Tearfund helped add to their traditional dairy farming knowledge and linked them to a supply chain where they could sell it. Many farmers that were in debt or below the poverty line now have a regular monthly income!Read more
Wednesday, 25 March 2020 — Tearfund New Zealand
Talking to our kids about Covid-19 is an important and delicate thing most Kiwi parents are doing this week. As we all head into lockdown from midnight tonight,
our team has scoured the best advice globally and distilled it into the Top 5 tips below for kids under 13. Read more
Wednesday, 25 March 2020 — Sean du Toit
Help is what we need right now. In times like this, it is easy to focus so much on the problem that we get overwhelmed with the size and complexity of it. We tend to forget that our God is more than able to help and guide us through these troubling times. The psalmist was facing great difficulty, but he knew where help would ultimately be found. Of course we should listen to the government and health officials and take note of best practices to ensure the safety of all. But ultimately, we need to lean on the God who is faithful and able to provide a help that goes beyond what the government and health agencies can do. Read more
Sunday, 22 March 2020 — Sean du Toit
Greetings! Having looked at contentment on our last reflection, we turn our gaze outwards at the opportunities many of us have to be rich in good deeds, to bless and be a blessing.
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Monday, 16 March 2020 — Sean du Toit
Last week was tough as we looked at the idea of greed and how that can be destructive in people’s lives. This week we focus on the virtue of contentment.
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Wednesday, 11 March 2020 — Grace Stanton
Meet the Waikato dairy farmer that didn’t always want to be a dairy farmer but ended up helping change thousands of lives in northern Sri Lanka through dairy farming.
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Monday, 09 March 2020 — Sean du Toit
Having looked at the virtue of gratitude last week, today we look at the vice of greed. It is difficult to have a positive discussion of a vice. So imagine this is leg day at the gym. You know it is going to be tough, but if you do the work, it will pay off and be beneficial later on.
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Monday, 02 March 2020 — Sean du Toit
Last week we looked at the creation story and how that can shape us. Now, we begin our reflections on virtue with gratitude, a powerful virtue that shapes our experience of life.
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Tuesday, 25 February 2020 — Sean du Toit
Kia ora whanau. We begin our Lent reflections by going back to the beginning. By understanding the creation story and the trajectory of what God desires, we can understand how important consumption is and how it can be directed towards the flourishing of all.
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Thursday, 20 February 2020 — LIFT International
Panit* has a round face and an easy smile. His skin has faded tattoos that a neighbour gave him when he was 10 or 11. After school, he sings in a choral group and even enters competitions. Panit spends perhaps too much time playing video games, staying up late at night, but he goes to church on Sunday and then comes home to do chores. He’s living the life of a typical, busy teenager. Panit is also a survivor of childhood abuse.
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Thursday, 13 February 2020 — Medair
Rahim* always dreamt of becoming a doctor. As a child growing up in a small village in Rakhine State, in western Myanmar, he observed his uncle – a doctor – and decided he wanted to follow in his footsteps. However, Rahim and his family were forced to flee, leaving all their possessions behind due to the Rohingya crisis, and it seemed his dream of becoming a doctor was far from ever coming true.
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Thursday, 06 February 2020 — Compassion International
Meet four people in Asia who do extreme jobs to feed their families. Though their occupations are harsh, they can teach us the dignity of work and the beauty of sacrificing to care for your loved ones.
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Wednesday, 05 February 2020 — Compassion International
Ebenezer was exploited at just 8 years old. He was offered a job to work as a fisherboy on Lake Volta in Ghana. He accepted this offer because he and his grandma were desperate for money. But what he received was not what he was promised.
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Thursday, 23 January 2020 — Grace Stanton
Imagine if you could talk to your child sponsor in their language. Imagine sponsoring not one, but three girls, and meeting them all for the first time after two years of sponsorship. Imagine what it would be like realising how much of an impact you were having on a family. The gratitude, the joy, the peace, and the freedom families experience through one person deciding to care for another young person’s life. This is Ly-Ly’s story.
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Thursday, 16 January 2020 — Caroline Mwinemwesigwa
After escaping death as a child sacrifice, young Amuza from Uganda became a sponsored child through Compassion. His life was saved a second time when Compassion provided assistance with medical treatment for tuberculosis.
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Tuesday, 14 January 2020 — Isaac Ogila
Growing up was not easy for Ciku. At an early age, her father died, and her mother turned to alcohol to deal with the grief and the stress of having to provide for five children. For Ciku, soccer was more than just a game, it gave her a purpose.
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Thursday, 09 January 2020 — Grace Stanton
Former sponsor child, Richmond Wandera’s story is one of heartbreak, loss, healing, hope, and success.
Life started out well for Richmond. He had five siblings and a mother and father who loved him dearly. They were blessed. His father was a hard-working lawyer—the breadwinner for the family. Richmond could go to school and had everything he needed. But all of this changed in an instant.
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Monday, 23 December 2019 — Sean du Toit
Last week we considered consumption and the planet. Given our responsibility to work and protect the planet, we must carefully consider how our consumption affects creation. This final reflection turns our attention to the future. What kind of world are we creating and leaving for our children?
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Sunday, 15 December 2019 — Sean du Toit
Last week we noted Jesus’ instruction that we are to love our neighbour. We discovered how our consumption could demonstrate love for neighbour through the supply-chain and by using our power to make wise purchases where people are ultimately honoured. This week we look at how our consumption affects our planet.
Reading
Genesis 2:15 The Lord God placed the human in the Garden of Eden to work in it and protect it.
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Monday, 09 December 2019 — Sean du Toit
Last week we considered how our consumption could affect our commitment to Jesus and how Paul encourages Christians to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so that we can discern the will of God. This week we consider how our consumption affects our neighbours, locally and globally.
Reading
Mark 12:30-31 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your life, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’
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Friday, 06 December 2019 — Rosie Paterson-Lima
Chimini got married at the age of 17 as a second wife. Her and her husband have five kids to support. Life was incredibly hard and living was a daily worry. She heard about the opportunity to work abroad, and desperate to support her children, she made arrangements to leave Nepal. She went believing she would receive enough wages to send home to support her family, but she returned with only bitter experiences. Chimini, now 32 years old, is a survivor from exploitation and slavery in the Middle East. Read her story of hopelessness to hopefulness.
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Monday, 02 December 2019 — Sean du Toit
This week we begin by reflecting on consumption as it relates to our commitment to God.
Reading
Romans 12:1-2 I summon you therefore, family, based on the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, which is holy and acceptable to God – which is your logical act of worship. Also, do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of the mind, so that you may discern what the good, acceptable and perfect will of God is.
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Friday, 29 November 2019 — Helen Manson
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that calls for the prevention and elimination of violence against woman and girls – something it turns out, I’m quite passionate about as a sponsor of four gorgeous little Ugandan girls, writes Helen Manson, New Zealand humanitarian photographer living in Uganda.
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Wednesday, 30 October 2019 — Olga Oosthuizen
Creating a Legacy of Gratitude and Generosity
When Evan and Rach asked their daughter AJ why their family sponsored a child, her response was simple but spot-on; "because we can!"
At first, this sort of wisdom from one so young seems unexpectedly profound; but when you’ve grown up in a family centred on giving, it makes sense. For AJ, there has never been a time when, Mary her family's sponsor child from Ecuador, hasn't been a part of her life. "She thinks of her like a cousin who lives overseas," said her mother Rach, "someone who has always been there, but we've gotten to know through letters."
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Thursday, 17 October 2019 — Ellyse McCallum
It’s that exciting time of year again: time to write a Christmas message to your sponsored child! Before the panic sets in over what to say, here are three helpful suggestions on what to include in your Christmas letter.
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Thursday, 10 October 2019 — Olga Oosthuizen
There are some people who help to change a child's life every month. A child who is not their own and who, often, they have never met. These people give a little of what they earn to provide this child with an education, food, and a chance to enjoy childhood without worrying about poverty. So, who are these people? Well, they aren't celebrities or altruistic millionaires. They don't hold high positions of power. In fact, they're people just like you and me.
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Monday, 30 September 2019 — Tina Bargh
When my family and I made the decision to go to Uganda on a “mission’s exploration” trip we had a limited idea of what we were letting ourselves in for. For instance, we knew we were in for a looooong flight, some food we weren’t used to and being conscious of the needs of our fellow travellers.
We did not know that, despite sponsoring children for many years as a family, we would realise how vital and life-changing child sponsorship is.
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Thursday, 15 August 2019 — Annie Newton-Jones
A few months ago I hopped on a plane and headed to Vietnam. The aim was to get a real world look into the fashion industry, and I was sure I’d be exposed to a generous dose of the grim realities that garment workers face every day.
I wanted to get a good feel of how things were run, and even try to get a glimpse of how workers felt about their jobs and how they were treated. I don’t know what I expected to find or experience but I was determined to go in there with my eyes wide open.
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Wednesday, 14 August 2019 — Lynnie Roche
In Fiji, almost half of the women who experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime have never told anyone about the violence.
The culture of silence keeps forced sex hidden and the cycles of abuse continuous. At Homes of Hope, we have a driving passion to create a culture of freedom for single young girls, young women and their children. Our partner's founder, Lynnie Roche, is here to unpack this for you.
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Tuesday, 13 August 2019 — Ian McInnes
Tearfund NZ's CEO shares what event in history he'd most like to see, what he's grateful for and most proud of, and what 'Faith in Action' means to him.
"For me, faith is as practical as it is relational or theoretical. Those elements were not divisible in Jesus’ ministry and neither should they be in ours..." Read on to hear more from Ian!
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Tuesday, 13 August 2019 — Victoria Hanna
At the end of last month, I had the privilege of travelling with one of the Pastors and an Elder from EastGate Church in East Auckland. We went to visit their Compassion sponsor children and to see the projects connected to the local churches in Kupang, Indonesia.
As a Tearfund employee, and a child sponsor, it was really encouraging to see the work first hand and the hope that is changing children's lives throughout Compassion projects.
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Thursday, 01 August 2019 — Sophie Rice
Earlier this year, I had the huge pleasure of joining Jeffrey Lahva, the Director of our local partner, Nasi Tuan, on his first visit to the Mojo Roastery in Wellington. Nasi Tuan is a co-operative made up of 600 indigenous farmers on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, who export green beans to New Zealand specialty coffee roasters, like Mojo and Supreme.
As a self-proclaimed coffee addict, I was already pretty excited about this trip! But I came away absolutely buzzing, having seen the impact that quality coffee and sustainable partnerships, like Mojo and Nasi Tuan’s, can make to kick-start communities recovering from a disaster.
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Thursday, 25 July 2019 — Helen Manson
For 11 years, fourteen-year-old Violet’s photograph has sat amongst pictures of Paul and Linda’s three daughters and eight grandchildren. For 11 years, she’s been in their prayers and on their hearts despite them never meeting.
Until this moment.
Join Paul and Linda as they fly to Uganda to meet their sponsored child for the first time.
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Friday, 12 July 2019 — Keith Ramsay
The Church’s mission should be to help the poor and the desolate. But the definition of poverty will change depending on who is defining it. The poor may define it through the psychological and social lens while churches in higher income countries are more likely to focus on the lack of material things. Depending on who defines poverty, it can create and reinforce issues of paternalism in Western churches where outside workers provide the "only" answer. The causes of poverty are complex and sometimes people come up with ‘great ideas’ to make life a little easier for those living in poverty. However, they can cause more harm than good if they are not thought through carefully.
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Friday, 28 June 2019 — Helen Manson
For the last 15 months of my life, I’ve been following the stories of three Ugandan Mums from pregnancy to the first birthday in a photo journalism assignment I’ve called, The First Hello.
The idea came about because Tearfund's local partner, Compassion, had recently launched a “Survival” programme that comes alongside mothers in developing countries in the first five years of a child’s life. Traditionally, child sponsorship has always started at 5. However, it became clear that a reasonable portion of kids were not even making it to 5! The Survival project intervenes from the early stages of pregnancy to ensure vulnerable mothers are being given the correct nutrition, the right medical care and the support of the local church to help them on the other end. This assignment was my attempt to bring that to life.
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Friday, 21 June 2019 — Sophie Rice
It’s officially the middle of winter! As we crank out our hot wheat bags, boil up mass supplies of soup, and clock-up on Netflix viewing time from our warm beds, I have recently come to know that it is utterly tropical here compared to winter in Mongolia, where we’re teaching nomadic herder communities to garden amidst the brutal conditions.
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Wednesday, 05 June 2019 — Laura Brookes
"Dear sponsor, you mean so much to me because…"
For the children in our program, sponsorship means they are cared for in life-changing ways. But behind the tutoring, medical care, meals or nutritious snacks they receive through our local church partners, there are also staff and supporters like you who invest in their lives, building their self-esteem and encouraging their dreams.
Through your generosity and letter writing, you are giving children a hope more powerful than poverty. How do we know? The children say so!
Hear what these children have to say about what they love most about their sponsors.
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Monday, 20 May 2019 — Annie Newton-Jones
It’s not enough not to know anymore. In fact, it’s not even enough to know, but not share.
On 24 April, 2013, the eight-story Rana Plaza building housing several garment factories was reduced to rubble. This factory was situated in Savar, 24 kilometers outside Dhaka, and collapsed due to structural failure. When owners first discovered these cracks in the building, garment workers were ordered to return to work despite the danger, and sadly, many paid for this with their lives. The collapse of Rana Plaza led to the death of at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500.
Annie from the Ethical Fashion Guide team is here to explain how transparency has become the new currency of trust in the fashion industry, and how companies have improved since the Rana Plaza disaster.
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Friday, 17 May 2019 — Sean du Toit
When disasters like the Mozambique cyclones strike, we can find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and disheartened by the scale of human suffering. Our Restore cause is based on the biblical belief that we are called to respond with compassion to those in need and that we have a duty to seek 'shalom' in this world. Often, this can seem like a discouraging and overwhelming mission – but we believe that we are called to work towards the redemption of this world here and now. We also believe that ultimately, we will see redemption completed through Jesus.
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Wednesday, 08 May 2019 — Helen Manson
To celebrate Mothers Day, Tearfund partnered with award winning humanitarian photographer Helen Manson to share stories of remarkable mothers around the world. This May 19-26, Helen will be taking people behind the lens and onto the front lines of some of our world’s most challenging places through a nationwide photography and speaking tour called ‘A Celebration of Humanity’.
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Monday, 08 April 2019 — Claire Hart
Check out our official Ethical Fashion Guide 2019 Media Release:
TEARFUND ETHICAL FASHION REPORT: SOME NZ COMPANIES LEAD THE CHARGE WHILE OTHERS FALL BEHIND
An ethical fashion report launched today by Tearfund New Zealand shows some Kiwi companies are leading the charge in ethical fashion, with top performers such as Icebreaker and Kowtow outranking global brands. However, it’s not all good news for New Zealand fashion, with a high number of NZ companies also represented in the D and F grades.
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Thursday, 28 March 2019 — John Watson
Imagine this scenario: You’re handing out food baskets to refugees fleeing a conflict. There are women, children, and men asking for help, including several from the local population who aren’t refugees. Several wounded fighters are asking for help including those from a terrorist group and those from an oppressive military regime largely responsible for creating refugees. You don’t have enough aid to provide to everyone. So, who do you give it to, and in which order? Find out in John's blog.
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Tuesday, 26 March 2019 — Anastasia Ramenska
Last week we noted Jesus’ instruction that we are to love our neighbour. We discovered how our consumption could demonstrate love for neighbour through the supply-chain and by using our power to make wise purchases where people are ultimately honoured. This week we look at how our consumption affects our planet.
Reading
Genesis 2:15 The Lord God placed the human in the Garden of Eden to work in it and protect it.
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Tuesday, 26 March 2019 — Anastasia Ramenska
Last week we considered consumption and the planet. Given our responsibility to work and protect the planet, we must carefully consider how our consumption affects creation. This final reflection turns our attention to the future. What kind of world are we creating and leaving for our children?
Reading
Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’
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Wednesday, 20 March 2019 — Ian McInnes
Friday, March 15, will be marked as one of New Zealand’s darkest days, in the wake of the heartless terrorist act which killed 50 people and left many others injured.
As an organisation, Tearfund works alongside people of all ethnicities and religions affected by tragedy and violent conflict overseas. We are devastated that this act of premeditated evil happened on our own soil, and strongly reject any ideology which advocates or condones such violence.
We stand in solidarity with our Muslim community and share in their pain.
You can help support Tearfund’s work with refugee families and churches in Christchurch affected by the tragedy.
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Thursday, 07 March 2019 — Sophie Rice
On International Women’s Day, we’re taking our hats off to some of the incredible women we partner with from around the world to see lives set free by the power of Jesus.
Around 25 million people are enslaved in forced labour exploitation right now. Of this, 4.8 million—the population of New Zealand—are trapped in forced commercial sexual exploitation.
99% of these are women and girls.
Here are three stories from three inspirational women from Nepal, Thailand and here in NZ who are seeking justice and freedom from trafficking and exploitation all over the world.
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Friday, 15 February 2019 — Rachel Jenkins
After spending time with the Mwangaza Children’s choir last year, our staff member, Rachel, had the idea to sponsor a child deeply placed on her heart. “Enter into my life Joy and Leticia, my two beautiful girls from Uganda, and the beginning of an amazing and humbling sponsorship journey that took me to visit them!" Here's a glimpse of her life-changing trip.
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Wednesday, 23 January 2019 — Keith Ramsay
I have been thinking about the word ‘charity’. The dictionary states that charity is the “voluntary giving of help to those in need”. It’s a good thing to do, but as followers of Christ, the voluntary aspect of charity causes me some problem.
It is true that God gives us free will to do whatever we want with what he has given us—gifts, talents, a privileged position in the world, but what does he expect us to do with these things? Is helping the poor optional?
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Tuesday, 08 January 2019 — Joanne Wieland
Join me for a few days in the life of a devkid (aka Tearfund Development Specialist). A role that is different each day, where connections are made across oceans and learning goes both ways. A few days visiting those who are running the projects that Tearfund supports, doing what they do best, bringing care and change to local communities.
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Monday, 17 December 2018 — John Watson
This is a question we’re asked most around the holiday season and it’s a worthy one because there are people in need in New Zealand and they should absolutely be helped.
As Christians we see it as ‘both’ rather than ‘either or’ when it comes to giving.
Jesus asks us to love our neighbour, and in the parable of the Good Samaritan he demonstrates that our neighbour is anyone in need, regardless of boundaries and barriers.
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Thursday, 13 December 2018 — Sophie Rice
Over the few years I’ve worked at Tearfund, I’ve seen us respond to numerous disasters. And over time, I’ve found a weight of hopelessness can grow in you over the destruction that injustice and poverty inflict on people. But hearing Kevin Riddell, one of our senior Programmes Specialists, talk about disaster response as the first step on a journey from disaster to community development; from hopelessness to hope, from devastated communities to ones that are flourishing, helped to give me hope.
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Friday, 07 December 2018 — Laura Brookes
Every year without fail, we're asked a bunch of honest, raw and sometimes downright hilarious questions about Gift for Life — our catalogue filled with unique and meaningful gifts that can be purchased for someone in the developing world. But there’s one question that comes up repeatedly. Do we actually send goats from New Zealand to families overseas? Read on to find out!
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Wednesday, 28 November 2018 — Kerrie Palma
The church in action is truly an inspirational thing. When communities of Christians unite over a common cause and focus their energy and care and prayers in an outward direction, God moves in power - this is the situation in Lebanon as the local church responds to the Syrian refugee crisis.
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Wednesday, 28 November 2018 — Anastasia Ramenska
The church in action is truly an inspirational thing. When communities of Christians unite over a common cause and focus their energy and care and prayers in an outward direction, God moves in power - this is the situation in Lebanon as the local church responds to the Syrian refugee crisis.
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Friday, 16 November 2018 — Anastasia Ramenska
You know how you can meet some people and they can have such a profound impact on you that you just know you’ll never forget them? I had one of those experiences when I was in Lebanon recently with a man called Bassam. Pastor Bassam's heart breaks for his former enemies, Syrian refugees. This is his story.
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Friday, 16 November 2018 — Helen Manson
You know how you can meet some people and they can have such a profound impact on you that you just know you’ll never forget them? I had one of those experiences when I was in Lebanon recently with a man called Bassam. Pastor Bassam's heart breaks for his former enemies, Syrian refugees. This is his story.
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Thursday, 11 October 2018 — Helen Manson
Whether it’s on the phone, on our Facebook page or through email – we’ve been thrilled to see how many of you want to learn and understand more about one of the world’s largest refugee crises. So here’s the Top 6 questions you’ve been asking and the answers to go with them.
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Thursday, 13 September 2018 — Keith Ramsay
For us in New Zealand, disasters are not nearly as frequent as they are in low-income countries and the people Tearfund works with are much more vulnerable in disasters than New Zealanders, as they don’t have the same resources to reduce their risk or to cope with the aftermath. So what is Disaster Risk Reduction? And what difference can it really make? Read on to find out the power of DRR!
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Friday, 10 August 2018 — Rosie Paterson-Lima
On International #YouthDay, our Programmes Specialist, Rosie, reflects on her own upbringing and celebrates the positive change young people in tough places can make, in the spirit of this year's United Nations theme #SafeSpaces4Youth.
At Tearfund, youth and community development matters to us. We see young people as key leaders with the potential to bring about significant change in their own communities. We believe all young people in Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad have the right to fun, engaging, inclusive and safe spaces.
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Thursday, 12 July 2018 — Murray Sheard
What has food got to do with faith and justice? Lots, it turns out. We take food for granted, yet eating represents one of our most powerful engagement with the natural world. It remakes the physical landscape, determines how we use land, and defines core components of our lifestyle. How we source our food has a profound effect on global justice, carbon emissions, and hunger prevention.
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Wednesday, 20 June 2018 — Claire Hart
We recently sat down to chat with Safia Minney, the founder of the pioneering ethical fashion brand People Tree, which was the first Fairtrade certified fashion brand.
You might recognise her from The True Cost documentary, or from her recently released Slave to Fashion book. Safia and People Tree are world leaders in the ethical fashion industry, and we're incredibly thankful and proud to be able to share the exclusive interview with you.
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