News Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Interserve Australia

Vivienne Stacey Scholarship

13 October, 2015/in Blog, Events, News/by Interserve

Vivienne Stacey studied English at University College London then spent some years as a teacher before joining Interserve in 1954. When she learned that the United Bible Training Centre (UBTC) in Gujranwala trained Pakistani women for their witness among Muslims, she requested that as her place of ministry. From the very beginning of her mission career she was committed to equipping local people to engage in ministry among Muslims in their own context.

Established to honour this innovative pioneer, the Vivienne Stacey Scholarship is for equipping Christian women scholar-practitioners from Middle East, Africa and Asia to engage with the Muslim world. It follows Vivienne’s heart to see women, including those coming from a Muslim background, trained, equipped and engaged in ministry.

Soon after her arrival in Pakistan, Vivienne and Esther John became firm friends. Esther was born in a Muslim family but had become a follower of Jesus through seeing the love of Jesus lived out in her Christian school and through the study of scripture. She went to UBTC in 1957 from where she and Vivienne visited homes in the surrounding villages, sharing the story of Jesus. Esther went on to minister in other parts of Pakistan; she was murdered in 1960, becoming the first of many martyrs that Vivienne knew.

Vivienne was a much-loved friend, mentor and example. She worked with the Community Development Team from Multan Christian Women’s hospital, training them in outreach and setting assignments individually tailored to areas where each member of the team needed to grow. Vivienne challenged them to find ways of integrating what they learned into their work. The full impact of her commitment to that little community development team was immeasurable.

Vivienne encouraged many to scholarly practice – in Interserve and other organisations, in local churches in the countries where she worked, and right across the globe. She formed a study group in Pakistan that gave many their first foot into research and writing on significant ministry issues for working among Muslims.

Ida Glasser, now Director of the Centre for Muslim Christian Studies in Oxford, wrote about her experience of Vivienne’s support as she pursued her PhD:

The great thing Vivienne did for me was to take me out for lunch when I was struggling towards my PhD, and then to ask whether money might help. She then (probably through a trust of which she was senior trustee) provided enough to pay Crosslinks for I think half my time for 3 months, so that I could break the back of the writing up. I might never have completed it otherwise. Another time, after a conference in Holland, she treated me to a day in Amsterdam – took me on a canal trip and gave me a good dinner – things I’d never have done for myself, or been able to afford.

The Scholarship does not just provide financial support. It is also committed to providing mentoring, both individually and as part of a learning cohort; to investing in the development of the whole person as they pursue their studies.

The Vivienne Stacey Scholarship Fund was launched during the When Women Speak… colloquium on 25 September 2015. It is actively seeking partnership with academic institutions in Asia and the Middle East, and in the West, as it builds capacity to support these women. Please join us in supporting the fund. You can do this through your local Interserve Office, marking your gift ‘Vivienne Stacey Scholarship’, or by clicking on ‘donate’ at www.whenwomenspeak.net For further information contact admin@whenwomenspeak.net or cathy@whenwomenspeak.net

Ongoing responses to Nepali earthquakes

25 May, 2015/in News/by Interserve

Aid and relief responses to the Nepali earthquake disaster are ongoing. Interserve Partner Rowan has been working in aid assistance and delivering relief supplies in Kathmandu and regional areas. He shares with us:

At one place the houses had all been destroyed completely, and a seven-year-old boy had been killed in one of the houses. People are living under plastic tarpaulins or recovered sheets of corrugated iron roofing and there have been some severe thunderstorms recently. Many people have not received any help at all.

The second earthquake has really unsettled people, just as things in Kathmandu had returned to some sort of normality. A lot of people are extremely fearful and earlier I saw one lady in Lamjung faint, and it took over an hour to revive her, after a minor tremor (that occurred almost exactly a week after the original quake). She had been in Kathmandu during the first earthquake and had had a nasty experience with debris falling around her.

Rowan is serving with Interserve partner organisation INF. INF released a video last week outlining the planned progression from relief work, to rehabilitation, and building disaster resilience in five of the poorest districts.

We continue to ask for your prayers. Give thanks:

For the generosity of supporters who are making it possible for INF to commit to commit for the long term to those affected by the earthquakes
For the willingness of staff and and volunteers to ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure that those who need help will receive it

Please pray:

For protection of our stand and volunteers making often treacherous journeys to distribute aid
For wisdom for INF’s leadership to know hoe best to use the available resources
For continued good relations between Interserve, INF, partner organisations and government officials
For the detailed planning required to develop rehabilitation and resilience work
That staff will have the time and space to ‘recharge their batteries’

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. For more information, photos and latest updates, see Nepal Earthquake Response.

Nepal experiences second earthquake

13 May, 2015/in News/by Interserve

Nepal has experienced a second earthquake. It struck about 12.35pm Nepali time and had a magnitude of 7.3. All Interserve, INF and UMN staff are confirmed safe.

The epicentre of the earthquake was approximately 50 miles east of Kathmandu. It was not as severe as the earthquake of April 25 but there has still been many injuries and sad loss of life. People are very frightened and much disturbed after beginning to return to normal life following the previous earthquake.

INF has sent the following prayer requests. Please pray:

For those who have lost loved ones near the epicentre of this new earthquake.
For people in the affected regions who, once again, don’t feel safe in their own homes, particularly the children struggling to comes to terms with their experiences and for their parents and teachers, trying to help them while working through their own feelings
For wisdom for Interserve and INF leaders as they seek to decide how best to utilise personnel and resources, in order to meed current and future needs resulting from the earthquake
That government officials will act wisely in managing the aid and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure

God’s hand in Nepal physio response

4 May, 2015/in News/by Interserve

We have received the following update from Naomi Reed, former Interserve Partner based in Nepal.

“At the beginning of the week, we felt torn. We were pre-booked to fly to Singapore for the World Physio Congress and an Interserve event. But our hearts were in Nepal. We wondered what we were doing. But now it’s the end of the week… and being here has meant that Darren has met with three of the key Nepali physios, and with Declan (our INF physio friend in Pokhara) and WCPT representatives, who are all here in Singapore for the Congress. They’ve had time to sit down and plan and co-ordinate a physio response to the disaster. Part of this will mean that Darren will fly back to Nepal with them on Tuesday, to help mobilise physio resources in local hospitals (and I will return to Australia as planned). We’re thrilled that Sydney Uni has given Darren time off to do this. His years training physios at DMI means that he knows many of them in the Kathmandu valley and beyond. Please thank God for his wonderful timing… and pray for wisdom and strength for all the physios!”

Please continue to pray:

For aid workers as they seek to reach isolated villages to assess damage and assist with disaster relief
Wisdom and strength for the physios as they plan and carry out their response
Praise God for his hand in the physio response

“Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.”

2 Corinthians 4:16

INF medical team report back

29 April, 2015/in News/by Interserve

INF Nepal Director, Prem Subedi, has sent the following update from Pokhara:

“Our medical team has reached Gorkha and have been able to help but have found that the need is less for medical care and more for relief. Some of our team members from Gorkha are flying to more affected areas in an Army helicopter. We are awaiting further information from them about the extent of need in that area, which is very inaccessible and far away from district centre. In the meantime, we are finding out the situation in neighbouring district of Dhading. We are expecting more injured persons being airlifted to Pokhara. Also, those injured persons may have Spinal injuries needing rehabilitation and we expect some will be brought to Green Pastures Hospital.”

Please do continue to pray

for those who have been injured and for those who have lost loved ones
for the safety and wisdom of all those involved in rescue efforts
for an effective response from rescue organisations and that help would get to those who need it
and for wisdom for INF’s leaders, for God’s peace for all our staff and volunteers

Also

Rowan Butler, Interserve Partner and publicity officer with INF, is travelling today by bus to a town which was at the epicentre of the earthquake. Please pray that he will travel safely and have a productive trip.

Helping neighbours

29 April, 2015/in News/by Interserve

Prayer request updates

28 April, 2015/in News/by Interserve

Please pray for Partners’ mental and emotional wellbeing.

“I ask you to pray for [the Interserve Nepal team leader] and all Partners for their emotional difficulties. I am sure that all of our Partners carry a tremendous heaviness in their heart and mind. Please pray for God’s comfort and healing for them.”

– Chanwoo, Interserve Regional Director, South Asia

Please pray for Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC). Pray for people sheltering in the football ground there, and for interim arrangements after impacts on the school buildings and power outages.

“Internet is very sporadic and mostly can’t get email but I am fine and most of the people we know are also.
The KISC guesthouse where [some staff] were living is condemned so they are staying with me plus four other young people from school. [Other Australian staff] are also okay.
Continued prayers would be good as we try to work out when to reopen school.”

– Yvonne, teacher at KISC

Please pray for remote areas

“Please pray for the remote areas which cannot get instant help like here in Kathmandu.”

– Rowan, INF

Please pray for daily needs

“Thanks for all your prayers. As well as the relief effort, you could pray that some kind of normality returns to those of us who are less affected so that we can buy food, fuel etc, as everything is closed so far, just with people trying to cope with what’s happened.”

– Rowan, INF

“According to the Partner to whom I talked, everyone is doing OK. I asked them how they solve the food and drink. He told me, he cooked some food in his house when it seemed calm and they have some water to drink at the [building where they are]. And this building has a solar electric power, so he was able to charge his phone. But people in KISC building, they don’t have power now. Please keep on praying for this nation.”

– Chanwoo, Interserve Regional Director, South Asia

Update from Pokhara

28 April, 2015/in News/by Interserve

Sent in by Cris, a surgeon and Interserve On Tracker working in UMN’s Tansen hospital. She and her family were attending a conference in Pokhara at the time of the quake.

The earthquake was yesterday just before lunch, when we were just finishing our retreat program for the morning. The land roared for 30sec or so and rocked like a boat in bad weather. We grabbed the kids and got out of the building into the courtyard.

There was no damage here in Pokhara. I have seen no walls down. A couple of roof tiles fell off the roof, but that was it. The epicentre was halfway between Pokhara and Kathmandu. Tansen is further to the west and we are told there was no damage there either.

None of the people at the conference who live in Kathmandu have found anyone with significant house damage or injury. Both the hospitals and all our staff are fine.

Since then we have felt at least eight aftershocks. Two have been stronger than 6.0. Obviously there has been no further damage, but the aftershocks are very unnerving. We know intellectually that these are smaller quakes, but each one unnerves the kids quite considerably.

We are all going back to Tansen tomorrow (Monday) at 8am, which is about lunchtime or just after for you. The road is open and we will get back to work. We have four doctors going to regional areas nearer the quake to help out. At the moment they haven’t asked for surgeons, but I will go if they need someone. It is likely we will send a group of doctors once we have everyone back home. We are planning to send only small groups of specifically requested staff when needed.

Finally, Internet and phone lines are very patchy. Kathmandu has power out as a regular thing, but it was completely off for at least 24hours. We are using our phones to keep in touch (3G), but there’s lots of time we can’t get a signal at all.

Hope you are all well and please be reassured that most of Nepal is not experiencing devastation. There is no doubt the country will be shattered, just because the poverty is so extreme. However, we are very safe, with electricity, water etc, and will likely be doing our regular work, unless we are called out to help somewhere. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers, and we will keep in touch as much as we can.

Images from Kathmandu

27 April, 2015/in News/by Interserve

These photos have been sent overnight by one of our Partners, Rowan Butler. Rowan works in the marketing & communications team of the International Nepal Fellowship (INF). Please take a moment to pray through these photos for the people of Nepal.

For more information on the earthquake, please see Earthquake in Nepal.

Rowan writes:

Firstly, I’m fine and so is the building I live in. Some of my neighbours weren’t so fortunate with one corrugated iron dwelling being demolished by a falling brick wall. All the people were OK but at least one of the water buffalo, which the family make their living from by milking, was close to death when I was there to help.

I spent last night outdoors with Nepali friends and others under a tarpaulin. Slept in my clothes and motorcycle jacket and as I didn’t have a pillow I just used my helmet. The city is quiet with not much traffic and many people staying outside. Hardly any businesses are open. My area is not badly affected, mostly fallen brick walls but in some places a lot of buildings or parts of them have collapsed. A few hours ago we had a 6.7 aftershock – significant in its own right.

You could pray for the rescue efforts. The only planes using the airport seem to be for rescue teams and aid. Communications here have been difficult with it being almost impossible to get a phone line, text messages usually work but not always.

Thanks for your concern and prayers.

Backhoe working on collapsed house

Collapsed house and shop, Patan

Collapsed house, Patan

Collapsed temple and car, Patan

Collapsed wall

Crushed motor scooter and ambulance

End of house collapsed, Khumbeshwor, Patan

Family quarters of buffalo keepers

Injured water buffaloes

Patan Durbar Square after earthquake

People seeking safety in open space, buffaloes behind

People sheltering on Jawalakhel roundabout

People sheltering under tarpaulins

Roof of complex at Patan Durbar Square

Earthquake in Nepal

26 April, 2015/in News/by Interserve

A devasting earthquake (category 7.8) hit Nepal yesterday morning (25th April), and has had widespread impact. The death toll has mounted quickly and many have lost homes and possessions.

We are thankful that all Interserve personnel working in Nepal are confirmed safe. We are monitoring the situation to see how best we can support them. We will provide further updates here during the week.

Please pray for Nepal, recovering from category 7.8 earthquake. Image via INF.

Please join us in praying for Interserve workers and colleagues in INF and UMN as they respond to the situation and support their friends and communities.

PLEASE PRAY:

for quick rescue of all of those trapped and injured, comfort for those who have lost loved ones, shelter for those without homes
for those traumatised by the events
safety for those families who will be spending the night outside in fear of aftershocks and the risk of structurally damaged buildings collapsing
as rain clouds are gathering we pray that rain will not exacerbate the situation
for God’s peace for all those with loved ones in Nepal
for the leaders of INF and UMN as they assess the impact on our staff, volunteers, patients and the communities we work with
please also pray for the government as they lead the response to this disaster nationally.

Thanks to INF for this prayer update and image.