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Found this online this afternoon but couldnt load the original creator’s site.  A useful page to give a quick comparison of Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook to someone.

Home of Hope is a school and orphanage outside of Dhaka accommodating children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many are orphans. Some have only one parent and some come from homes of great need where sickness or other misfortunes have left their families unable to care for them. It was started in 1991 with 7 boys in two rooms – now has grown to 240 girls and boys on a campus which includes a school, aquaculture, agriculture, poultry farm, play grounds, technology labs, accommodation and dining facilities.

Home of Hope

Their shared goal is training children to be leaders in all aspects of life: business, religious, education, and family life. Building up the next generation of leaders, transformed in Christ’s name, with Biblical principles at the heart of what they do.  Children attend and participate in their own church and are taught to tithe from their allowance (from which the Pastors salary is paid) and also as a dorm room they decide how much they will contribute to the building fund.

The school caters for students from preschool up to year 10, they can then attend a transition training before continuing onto possible university studies. Students attend the school from Sunday through Thursday, 8am – 4pm and are also in “work” teams led by coordinators to sustain the operating of the campus.

The school day includes times of lessons and work and weekends enable sustained work on some tasks. Students are paid an allowance up till age 14 but some tasks are considered chores that just need to be done for the “family” – much like any other household. From age 14 students need to be more independent and seek work for their own income. One 17 year old student recently opened a computer shop.

Home of Hope School

Classroom

There are teams involved in work and maintenance tasks: agriculture and aquaculture, developing building components for kitset churches, operating a poultry farm preparing “fryers” and “layers”, doing garden maintenance, as well as all the chores that a typical family requires completing in order to function smoothly.

Biplob - rooftop gardens soon to be planted with lettuce

Biplob Bairagee, Co-ordinator for Food and Farm, leads teams of students in areas of gardening (from seed to harvest), poultry (1 day old chicks are bought and reared to fry or lay stages), aquaculture (two ponds grow fish up to 2lbs in size – choosing three different types of fish which live in varying depths of the pond).  Teams also are involved in food preparation (harvest/kill, prepare, cook), serving meals and cleaning up.

I was really impressed by the way the leaders are equipping and teaching the children to contribute by doing their part to keep the family running. Changing attitudes of dependency and reluctancy to work hard, by instilling into these children the understanding that God wants us to work and apply ourselves and take dominion over the Earth as God intended.

In “Truth and Transformation“, author Vishal Mangalwadi writes, “The consequence of Adam’s sin was that man who was meant to be the ruler became a slave on earth, not only to Satan and sin, but to nature as well.  The earth began to grow thorns and thistles, and man had to eat of the sweat of his brow.  In his struggle with nature , man ultimately lost, died, and became dust.  Physical creation won over its ruler – man. Death became the master. But by defeating death and giving eternal life to those who repent and believe, God is restoring to man his authority over the world”.

By working on practical tasks alongside learning, students are developing the understanding that they are contributors, creators and developers themselves, in God’s image.  Recognising that they have authority and dominion over the earth with the responsibility to manage it and enjoy its fruits -

He causes grass to grow for the livestock
and [provides] crops for man to cultivate,
producing food from the earth,
wine that makes man’s heart glad—
making his face shine with oil—
and bread that sustains man’s heart.

Psalm 104. 14-15

At the Bible College students also work and develop understandings and practical experience which they can then replicate in the areas they live in as pastors – able to teach and equip their church agricultural skills, building skills, technical skills. 85% of the Bible College graduating students are in ministry.

Aquaculture pond

Building concrete pillars for construction

By providing access to online tertiary education opportunities, these students can have an option of studying at university level in areas that they know well through their life experience and can use their learning to contribute to the transformation of their nation.

Students studying online degrees in aquaculture for example may have already been practically involved in rearing and harvesting fish under the leadership of older students when they were younger, and leading others when they were older. By increasing their knowledge through a university education with some of the best teachers available around the world the depth of their potential contribution to transforming Bangladesh becomes even greater.

When I travel to Papua New Guinea areas where malaria is known to be present, I always take up a supply of the right pills so I dont fall victim to malaria.  I just read this blog post from the guys flying around the world in an Australian GA8 Airvan, the same plane used in some of the MAF programs:

“One lady told how she had lost three boys and two daughters to malaria, another man spoke of the three children that he had lost to malaria . . . the stories went on and on.  One chap said that until the missionaries came to Malamaunda, they had no access to any medicine due to their remote location, and the death toll each year was in the thousands.  Even now, the villages “close” to Malamaunda are a number of days walk away, and Bob Kennel told how a man had tried to bring his child sick with malaria to the village where Bob was - a three day walk.  After a day’s hike, the child died in the man’s arms and all he could do was return home to bury his little child.  This is happening right now.  As I write this, people here in PNG are dying from malaria . . . only a very short flight away from Australia.  This should not be happening . . . this must not continue to happen.”

Lets not ask “What would I do?

Ask “What can I do, now?”

Imagining myself as that father carrying his sick child rammed home the impact that malaria has.

MAF Pilot Paul Woodington tells a story of a community dealing with Cyclone Paul in Arnhem Land, North Australia.

On Saturday, 27th Mar 2010, the weather forecast predicted Cyclone Paul would hit Elcho Island around 10pm. MAF pilots on Elcho evacuated and flew their aircraft 90 miles to the new MAF hanger at Gove. At 11pm Saturday night, Cyclone Paul hit Gove, not Elcho Island.

Two days ahead of forecast and missing Elcho completely, the category one Cyclone passed overhead sending debris everywhere. Windows rattled, trees came down, and anything loose became an airborne projectile, but no real damage thankfully. The next day, Sunday 28th Mar, Cyclone Paul continued to develop into a category 2, hugging the southerly coastline, and eventually settling for two days over Yilpara, a homeland of 150 Yolngu people, 80 miles south of Gove.

The previous Wednesday, 24th Mar, was a big day for Yilpara. Yilpara launched the Garrangali band (http://garrangali.bandcamp.com/) a Yolngu band, playing to raise money for the homeland. It was to be a big day; Yolngu came from everywhere. We were to fly in everyone important, and “not so” important, for this big event. The Cyclone however built up near Darwin and despite being over 300 miles away at sea, the Yindi Waltjan big winds – and rain was building up. At 10am and half way to Yilpara, I turned the plane around and headed back to Gove. The rest of the fleet did likewise, there was too much rain.

The leader from the Yilpara homeland, oblivious to the bad weather conditions in Gove, called the office and said, “Send all the planes down now. We are waiting for you. I’m in my long trousers and it is getting hot”. At 11am, two planes set off again: Brett Nel and me. We were off to Yilpara with full passenger loads. At the halfway point, where just an hour ago we turned around, there was enough visibility to pass through and onto Yilpara. That was to be the last opportunity for the day; the rain came in over Gove closing the airport all day. Brett and I were to enjoy the Garrangali band, so we thought.

The atmosphere at Yilpara was electric. The band was tuning up their Didgeridoos; people huddled together with excitement, speakers getting ready, leaders dressed in traditional clothes rushed around. Then the rains came, followed by the winds. A desperate attempt to save the band’s gear stopped all festivities. Temporary shelters built as a sunshade bulged with rainwater to near collapse. Our passengers were ready to go home. Two hours later a speck of blue sunlight gave brief hope of getting back to Gove.

I was first off the chocks in the Airvan followed by Brett in the Cessna 206. However, ruin was in store for Brett. Water had crept into the tubes which measure airspeed, forcing him back to Yilpara to make repairs. I made steady progress until reaching Garthalala homeland, where rain and cloud forced us to land.

We enjoyed mixing with the local Yolngu, sharing stories and predicting if we would make Gove that day. God opened up clear skies once more, giving us one opportunity to get into Gove. Sadly, for Brett, the storms south of Garthalala forced him back to Yilpara where he was to spend the next few days. We squeezed into Gove at low level, giving all passengers great material for a good yarn.

The weather the next day, 25th Mar, did not improve. I had two tries at getting off to Yilpara before success, but yet again, the remainder of the fleet could not get out of Gove due weather. I met up with Brett, who seemed to have survived an overnight with the weather; he flew to Groote Island for more fuel and to drop off passengers. I flew people to places nearer Gove. The cloud was very high and very low at the same time, creating a clear middle corridor. We were flying at 6,500 feet to drop passengers just 20 miles away. Usually we stay at about 2,500 maximum for these short journeys. Again, I could not immediately get back to Gove and once again stayed at Garthalala before a late dash home. Yet again, Brett could not get out of Yilpara after his flight to Groote Island, so he remained a second night at Yilpara.

The next day, Friday 26th Mar, the weather worsened, but Brett did get back from Yilpara, the only flight he made that day. As the Cyclone approached on Saturday, flying became impossible as was for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday 31st Mar, Yilpara was devastated by two days of whipping by the category-two Cyclone, which had remained overhead. Over forty trees came down over the access track; the local billabong overflowed creating a lake. The once vegetable garden became a vast water feature. Sewerage had mixed in with drinking water, and the diesel generator’s electrics had blown on the Sunday leaving them without power for four days.

Wednesday morning, 31st Mar, while flying an Airvan, I headed off towards Yilpara. I had no idea what to expect or what the weather would be like. Everything on the aircraft was at maximum; I had full fuel, four emergency engineers: a diesel engineer, a water engineer, an electrician and another “all sorts of jobs” man. With every spare cavity stacked with emergency food for the Yolngu, the plane was heavy.

On the way down, we flew low-level passes over other homeland airstrips to assess their condition. We inspected vehicle tracks for water and fallen trees. We had to close several airstrips and impose restrictions on others. We found many roads blocked. At Yilpara, the airstrip looked half-underwater, but on closer inspection, much of the water was in the turning area, leaving three quarters of the runway available. At the other end was a washout, where water had eroded the runway. This was also full with water, reducing the runway length to half- just enough.

People lined the centre of the airstrip as we came in on final approach. The Cyclone had moved on just a few miles, and the rain had stopped for the moment. However, the wind was still creating problems. As we flew over the “new water park”, turbulence and windshear made a landing difficult. The increase in speed for these conditions meant a longer airstrip was required, and with the aircraft at maximum weight and the airstrip much shortened and uncertainty about the actual surface condition for landing, I chose to go-around and have another go.

With full power at low level, the noise would have been deafening on the ground. We could see the anxious Yolngu panicking at the thought of the aircraft not able to land, meaning no water, no food, and no electricity. I felt for them. I could imagine the disappointment and was pleased to give it another go.

This time the wheels touched down, the crowd surrounding the plane wanting food and news was extraordinary. Our immediate task was to unload the food and provide some protection for the consignment until local leadership could organise an orderly distribution. My first reaction when looking at the homeland was, “that’s new”, pointing to an enormous lake which once had been a field with a flagged lined path though it for the Garrangali band visitors. I remember a drop-dunny toilet around here too – I did find it later. It had been blown away to the other side of the homeland.

A house/shack had blown down. People were milling everywhere, fixing things, moving trees, tending children and searching for the next thing to do. It seemed to me that at times like this the Yolngu people really do work well together for a common good, in what is usually a dry hot shanty style township, with not a lot going on.

The engineer worked on the generator without much success. An electrical circuit had blown and a new one from Darwin would be required. We would fly this new part in the next day. Nevertheless, they managed to fix the water supply. We could see Yolngu scurrying away from the distribution point with food and water, and the people felt more confident after the plane had arrived.

More planes now came in, more food on its way. Medical supplies arrived, as did doctors and nurses. We now started evacuating the sick and the elderly back to Gove.

The devastation caused by Cyclone Paul continues three months later. More rain has come with tracks getting worse rather than better. Transport vehicles attempting access to the homelands have ripped up the otherwise good roads into boggy swamps. Once the rains stop, there will be much needed repair work done before the tracks are back to normal. Damaged airstrips keep several homelands closed. MAF continue to provide essential service flights, reaching out to the remote people of East Arnhem Land.

Please pray for these amazingly resilient isolated people.

Paul Woodington, MAF Pilot, Arnhem Land, North Australia

www.maf.org.au

Campbell and others in the MAF Learning Technologies team (www.maflt.org) are exploring how to take advantage of mobile phones in ministry. In Papua New Guinea, Arnhem Land and Bangladesh mobile phones are very common with phone companies providing cheap, basic handsets in order to build their customer base.  In Bangladesh it is very common for people to have more than one mobile phone!

We are researching the options for installing Bibles onto mobile phones and also ways in which learning opportunities for isolated Christian leaders can be facilitated.

In New Zealand, Australia and other developed countries life can be very convenient.  From our smartphones we can access the internet, we have applications which connect and provide us with virtually whatever information we want to subscribe to.  I subscribe to podcasted sermons – these sermons arrive on my phone without me doing a thing, so that all I need to do is listen.

They connect us in community also – communities like Facebook and Twitter send updates to our phones and connect us to our friends and family wherever we are.  The world can certainly be small for us.  My teaching pastor lives in California.

But in un-developed countries like Papua New Guinea there are Christian leaders isolated geographically, socially and economically.  If we can help remove the barriers they have through the application of sustainable technology then we strive to.

Please pray that we will be discerning in assessing the needs of isolated Christian leaders and be wise in partnering with them and training organisations so that technology can enhance their opportunities for spiritual growth and the growth of the people they shepherd.