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Top Stories for the week of May 1, 2015
Nepal: Six days after the earthquake
When a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, it was a Saturday. In Nepal, that’s
the day when Christians gather to worship. That meant that most churches were full when the
ground began to violently shake beneath their feet.
Prakash, the pastor of the Nazarene church outside Kathmandu, said that because everyone
in his family was at the church with him, there were no casualties in his family.
“I was preaching when the earth started to shake,” Prakash said. “I told the congregation to
stay still and remain where they are, as we were meeting on the third floor. I told them not to
go outside because to do that they would have had to go through the lower floors and on the
top they were safer."
Hermann Gschwandtner, retiring South Asia field strategy coordinator, was in a Nepal church
service during the quake.
”Right in the midst, the building shook, and we were reminded of Matthew 24,” Gschwandtner
said. “We wondered whether this is the rapture.”
Prakash said his building did not collapse, "but it has huge cracks, so in the near future we will
have to hold church services outside. We can't have fellowship there anymore. But most of our
people live in solid buildings that only have minor cracks.”
Not everyone in Nepal was so fortunate.
More than 5,500 people have been reported dead so far, and there are at least 11,000 injured,
according to the BBC on April 29, numbers that no doubt will keep climbing.
The country has a critical lack of clean water, which has already resulted in more than 1,200
recorded hospital visits due to water-related disease from drinking contaminated water. The
next big fear in the country is a cholera outbreak.
Addressing the critical need for clean water is among the strategies that the Church of the
Nazarene in Nepal has decided on as part of its immediate relief efforts. Nazarene
Compassionate Ministries is partnering with churches in these efforts. NCM Nepal leaders met
with Rev. Dilli*, who serves as both the Nepal district superintendent and NCM coordinator,
and Eurasia Regional NCM Coordinator Jörg Eich to develop a relief and recovery plan.
They decided to first concentrate on the most critical short-term needs: shelter, water, and
food.
To address the serious lack of food in affected areas, NCM leaders in Nepal would like to
combine short-term food aid distribution with long-term seed and garden projects — a
successful strategy NCM has used in some rural areas of the country to create food security.
The Nazarene Disaster Response team, made of church leaders and NCM staff, traveled to a
community called Dharmasthali where NCM Nepal owns a small piece of land, and where a
small Nazarene church meets. Seventy percent of the houses there were destroyed by the
earthquake, so people are taking shelter in makeshift tents made out of tarp and plastic. The
visit was one example of the critical need for providing tents and blankets.
On May 1, the disaster response team began serving in the Sindhupalchock district, one of the
hardest hit areas, about 30 kilometers east of the capital city, Kathmandu. The team is
providing aid to a community of about 1,000 people where the United Nations estimates 64
percent of homes were destroyed in the quake.
The Church of the Nazarene has more than 300 churches and church plants and
8,000 members in Nepal. Their focus following the earthquake will be to meet the needs of
their neighbors, both through short-term emergency aid and longer-term community
development efforts — all in the name of Christ.
How to help
Pray for grieving families, pray for vulnerable children and families, pray for those responding
to the disaster, and pray for our church leaders and members in Nepal.
To send a prayer or message of encouragement, visit ncm.org/nepal.
NCM has also created a bulletin insert and presentation slides for use in church services.
Churches and individuals around the world can support disaster response efforts by giving to
the Nepal Earthquake Fund. Donations will be used to meet immediate needs, such as water,
food, and shelter, as well as long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.
To send donations by mail, find your country below.
In the U.S., make checks payable to "General Treasurer" and send them to:
Global Treasury Services
Church of the Nazarene
P.O. Box 843116
Kansas City, MO 64184-3116
Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.
In Canada, make checks payable to "Church of the Nazarene Canada" and send them to:
Church of the Nazarene Canada
20 Regan Road, Unit 9
Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3
Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.
In Germany, send your donation to Helping Hands Germany:
Helping Hands e.V. - Gelnhausen, Germany
IBAN DE56 5075 0094 0000 022394
SWIFT-BIC HELADEF1GEL
For any other country, give through your local church or district, designating your gift to the
NCM Nepal Earthquake Relief.
Virtual seminary offers classes in Portuguese, Spanish
The Virtual Nazarene Seminary, an alliance between the Church of the Nazarene's seminaries
on the South America and Mesoamerica regions, began offering online courses in Spanish and
Portuguese last month.
Spanish classes include Spiritual Formation (78 students) and New Testament II (62
students). The Administration of the Church of the Nazarene course in Portuguese has 56
students from across Brazil. Nearly 200 students from 16 Latin American countries are
enrolled in the seminary.
The seminary strives to offer educational excellence in ordination courses through virtual
modules. Through an agreement with Northwest Nazarene University, the seminary uses the
professional educational platform CANVAS.
Enrollment is currently open for the next classes. For Spanish, visit nazarenovirtual.net. For
Portuguese, visit seminarionazareno.com.br.
--Church of the Nazarene South America Region
Philippine pastor dies
Pastor Salvador Ofilanda of the Salcedo Church of the Nazarene passed away last week after
a lengthy medical struggle, including heart ailment.
Salvador was an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene for more than 30 years. His
wife, Rylin, now pastors the church.
The Ofilandas barely escaped as both the parsonage and the church were completely
destroyed during the landfall of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013. A
stronger structure is now in place thanks to Work & Witness.
Continued prayer is requested for the Ofilanda and Salcedo church families.
Free webinar explores Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act has prompted many changes and questions about health care since
going into effect in 2014. The act affects clergy and churches, and non-compliance may be
costly with fines up to $100 per day, per person.
Stewardship Ministries and Pensions and Benefits USA are sponsoring a free webinar May 19
at 2 p.m. (CST) on the impact of the act on clergy and churches. Among topics discussed will
be changes in health care reimbursement and health care exchanges. Ministers and church
treasurers are encouraged to participate. Continuing Education Unit credit is available for this
event.
The webinar will feature Allison Gardner and Danny Miller, attorneys and healthcare experts
with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Conner & Winters, LLP. They will address how
churches can comply with the ACA and avoid costly penalties. A time will also be provided for
questions. To register, visit this link.
--P&B USA, Stewardship Ministries
Know before you go: Medication
Work & Witness leaders on the Asia-Pacific Region prepared the following information about
traveling with prescription and over-the-counter medication:
Are you preparing to go on a short-term missions trip or other international travel? Do you have
some prescription or over-the-counter medications that you like to take along?
Beware. Most prescription drugs, particularly narcotics and drugs that are habit-forming,
require additional consideration. Some countries, for example, the United Arab Emirates, will
only allow narcotic items to be brought in with prior permission from the country's director of
medicine and pharmacy control. Having as little as three grams of morphine in Singapore is
sufficient for a death sentence.
Careful consideration should be taken for groups of travelers (such as Work & Witness teams)
that maintain a collective first aid kit that includes an EpiPen® not prescribed to one individual,
particularly if an administrator has not been trained to use the device. Ideally, only those to
whom the device has been prescribed should self-administer in case of an emergency;
otherwise local laws may interpret the use as unlawful.
The bottom line is that medication commonly prescribed in the U.S. could be an unlicensed or
controlled substances in other countries. Failing to follow specific guidance may result in
confiscation and stiff penalties — including imprisonment on drug trafficking charges — with no
available recourse from the U.S. government.
Some guidelines:
§ Check with your doctor regarding your medications at least two months before
departing to another country. Obtain a list of comparable generic names,
including their dosage and composition, in case there is a need for a refill if the
medication is licensed.
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Travel with requisite medical documentation, which includes a letter (translated
into the host language and certified if appropriate) from the prescribing doctor
with his/her contact information, credentials, the diagnosis, treatment, and the
medication regimen, including need for needles or syringes. The name on the
prescription, container, and traveler’s passport must match!
If the medication contains narcotics, some countries will require an application to
the local narcotics control division for permission prior to entry. Some countries
consider amphetamines illegal; if the traveler’s U.S. doctor cannot make a switch
before departure, the traveler will need to request permission in advance from
the local country’s food and drug administration.
Medications should be packed in original containers with the traveler’s name on
it (different medications cannot be combined in one container to save space), in a
clear plastic bag, inside a carry-on since checked baggage is occasionally lost or
delayed.
Third parties should not carry prescription medication designated for another
person, particularly if the medication contains controlled substances (i.e. a parent
re-supplying medication during an abroad program). Medications should not be
mailed. The U.S. Postal Services restricts mailing medications, and the local
customs authorities may stop the package. Both means of acquiring medication
refills can be considered drug trafficking.
Travelers should not travel with more than personal-use quantities. Generally,
this means no more than a 90-day supply (in some countries 30 days), provided
the U.S. doctor can prescribe the whole amount and the insurance carrier will
approve the quantity.
Some medicines need to be kept at room temperature (below 25ºC) or
refrigerated. If traveling to a warm, humid country, the traveler should get advice
from a pharmacist or doctor about storing the medicine.
The Department of State Consular Affairs maintains the Your Health Abroad website with
various guidance and considerations for medical emergencies.
Travelers may call TSA Cares, a helpline to assist travelers with medical conditions, toll-free at
1-855-787-2227. TSA Cares hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Eastern Time
and weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Calls should be placed at least 72
hours before travel.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers guidance for traveling with
medication.
--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region
Information sources: U.S. Department of State, DOS Consular Affairs, Bureau of Diplomatic
Security, Transportation Safety Administration, Center for Disease Control.
Mango Tree Respite Centre reaches out to visually impaired children
Asia-Pacific Communications recently received the following update from In-Kwon Kim, a
missionary serving at Mango Tree Respite Centre in Tonga:
In the first week of January, Jeong-Seok and I attended a forum in Melbourne, Australia,
regarding children with visual impairment. Representatives from Australia, Tonga, Fiji, Papua
New Guinea, and Kiribati came together to discuss and set up an action plan for 2015 – 2017.
Many children with impaired vision who live in Tonga are neglected by their parents and
teachers at school and eventually leave the school entirely due to bad grades. Saddened by
this, we recently began helping visually impaired children.
William is a 6-year-old visually impaired boy. Due to genetics, his father and most of his
siblings are already losing their eyesight. Hino, William’s older sister, is learning Braille at our
centre.
We decided to enroll William into an English speaking primary school. This is because it is
difficult to learn Braille without knowing English. Thankfully, with the active help from the
principal, William was able to enroll into an English-speaking Christian primary school, and he
was also greeted by a warm-hearted and helpful teacher at his assigned class.
William’s school fee is funded by the students from a college in New Zealand. We have made
a tilted desk for William at our centre and a reading desk that helps him read books at a closer
distance by changing its height. We have also been providing him with transportation so he
can safely go to school.
Every morning in our van, William happily says, “Good morning. Thank you.” When he arrives
at school, his friends from his class come running out to welcome him.
Our vision is that through this assistance, William will grow up to become a warm-hearted
young man who knows how to love and take care of others, but most of all, knows and accepts
the love of our Lord and Savior.
--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region
MVNU receives $500,000 for scholarship endowment
The Church of the Nazarene Foundation recently presented $500,000 to Mount Vernon
Nazarene University President Henry Spaulding for the establishment of the Harlan S. and M.
Marie Ault Endowment.
“The Ault Endowment will be a source of support for generations of those preparing for ministry
at MVNU," Spaulding said. "The stewardship and faith of the Aults will become incarnate in the
lives of those preparing for ministry."
The gift was presented by Donald Lain, the foundation’s vice president of gift planning.
“As Nazarenes, our great treasures are our colleges and universities," Lain said. "As far back
as 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Ault understood the value of these and set in motion the establishment
of this endowment that will bless ministerial students for years to come.
“I often sit with donors trying to determine where their generous gift might be best used. Many
give consideration to remembering their college or university — either the college or university
they attended or the one in their region.”
This endowment will be used to provide tuition scholarships to MVNU ministerial students.
Applicants for the scholarship will be required to submit a written commitment to serve full time
as a pastor, missionary, or evangelist in the Church of the Nazarene for a minimum of four
years.
--Mount Vernon Nazarene University
In Memoriam
The following is a weekly listing of Nazarene ministers and leaders who recently went home to
be with the Lord. Notices were received April 27 - May 1, 2015.
Roger Brown, 83, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away April 26. He was a retired song
evangelist, serving in Illinois, Florida, and Indiana. He is survived by his wife, Elsie Brown.
Elouise Durham, 81, of Palm City, Florida, passed away April 26. She was the widow of
retired minister Harold Durham, who served in Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Arkansas. Harold
Durham passed away in 2012.
John Euton Jr., 87, of McDermott, Ohio, passed away April 24. He was a retired minister,
serving in Ohio and Kentucky. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian (Crabtree) Euton,
in 2009.
Wilda Holland, 85, of San Diego, California, passed away March 5. She was the widow of
retired minister Zane Holland, who served in Missouri, Arkansas, and California. Zane Holland
passed away in 2009.
Frances (Duncan) Hoskins, 85, of Mitchell, Indiana, passed away April 21. She was the
widow of retired minister Paul Hoskins, who served in Indiana. Paul Hoskins passed away in
2012.
Laura Mangum, 93, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away April 27. She was the wife of retired
minister and district superintendent Paul Mangum Sr., who served in Oregon, Idaho, Texas,
California, and lead the Philadelphia District. Laura Mangum was preceded in death by her first
husband, retired minister, evangelist, and educator Marvin Sporleder, who served in
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Marvin Sporleder passed away in 1989.
Salvador Ofilanda of the Philippines passed away last week. He was the pastor of Salcedo
Church of the Nazarene. He is survived by his wife, Rylin Ofilanda.
Donald Oneal, 85, of Hetland, South Dakota, passed away April 10. He was a retired minister,
serving in Illinois, Texas, and South Dakota. He is survived by his wife, Jean (Rottum) Oneal.
Michael Prince, 75, of Kerrville, Texas, passed away April 26. He was a retired minister,
serving in Virginia, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Alaska, and Texas. He is survived by his
wife, Darlene Prince.
Delois Taylor, 87, of Canon City, Colorado, passed away April 23. She was the wife of retired
minister John Taylor, who served in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, and Georgia.
Letitia (Millerman) Thomas, 94, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away April 25. She was the wife of
retired minister and evangelist J. Melton Thomas, who served in Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska,
Ohio, Washington, California, New Mexico, and Idaho.
Carol (Tooley) Wilkinson, 92, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, passed away April 17. She was a
retired minister and missionary, serving in Indiana, Argentina, and Uruguay. She was preceded
in death by her husband, retired minister, missionary, and evangelist Melvin Wilkinson, who
served in Indiana, Kentucky, Argentina, and Uruguay. Melvin Wilkinson passed away in 2011.
For previous editions of In Memoriam, see the "Passings" section by clicking here.
Note: Please join with us in prayer for the families who have lost loved ones. Click on names
for full stories, funeral information, local online obituaries, and/or guest books (if available). To
submit an entry of a minister or church leader, send to [email protected].
--Compiled by NCN News