OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA www.diosef.org Volume 41 No. 4 August 2010 AA Summer Summer of of Mission Mission Success Story ummer is traditionally the season for “mission trips” — opportunities for members of our con- gregations to travel to another part of the world (or the country, or the diocese) to join in min- istry with friends old and new. Much of the Snews of our diocese is always directly concerned with mission; but this issue focuses on our outreach in our communities and around the world with an expanded “Committed to Mission” section offering stories not only about summer mission projects, but also about several ongoing outreach ministries. Paint Crew Photo by Heidi Shott ERD President Rob Radtke (left) and Canon Richard Miller listen as Simon, a NetsforLife volunteer for the village of Asapaligo, translates for Vita, a mother of five, whose family has not suffered from malaria for four years since they've faithfully used long-lasting insecticide nets. Members of a youth mission team from Good Shepherd, Tequesta, and St. Gregory’s, Boca Raton begin to paint the outside of the buidlings at Holy Redeemer, Lake Worth. The team spent five days in June helping to refurbish Holy Redeemer’s facilities, inside and out. (See story p. 16.) Photo by Elaine Greenfield Seeing need and hope with ERD in Ghana By Canon Richard Miller located in the northern part of the country, where we met with the staff of Anglican Diocesan Development and What a wonderful Father’s Day gift I gave myself Relief Organization (ADDRO). Later we met with the this year! From June 19-26 I was one of 12 souls brave Director of Health Services for the region and learned of enough to journey to Ghana on a mission study tour the serious threat of malaria and how the NetsforLife sponsored by Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD). program helped in greatly reducing the incidences of During that week I had the opportunity to experience malaria in the region. again what life is like outside of the United States. We were also introduced to some potentially less It was an 11-hour flight from Atlanta to Accra, hospitable residents of the area at Paga, where we were Ghana, where we landed on June 20. After a night’s rest, challenged to walk up and touch two of about 500 croc- we began our tour with a visit to the ERD Africa Re- odiles in the pond there, where they are revered and pro- gional Office. Later we visited the archbishop of West tected as sacred creatures. (See photo on p. 2.) We were Africa and bishop of Accra, the Most Reverend Dr. Ofei assured that they were well-fed. Akrofi. That evening we had a welcome briefing and The following day our group went to Binaba and dinner with ERD Africa Regional Office staff. viewed ADDRO development programs. There we vis- On Tuesday we took an early morning flight to ited wells that were dug through an ADDRO program to Tamale, which is located in the middle of the country. provide safe drinking water, and saw how the local We met with the Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Anyindana Arongo, bishop of Tamale, and then traveled on to Bolgatanga, See ERD,Page2 2 The Net, August 2010 THE News NET www.diosef.org ERD from Page 1 Joyful planting women filled their five-gallon containers, lifted them to their heads and walked long distances back to their homes. We saw examples of sharing efforts, as women helped each other till fields and plant seeds in the blaz- ing hot sun, so that all will have food for their families, as well as crops to barter for other household needs. We then visited Yelwoko to view development pro- grams. There we saw the results of ADDRO’s micro- loans to women for starting small businesses. One woman used her loan proceeds to buy sheep, goats and Women in Kukore plant grain. She then bred the animals and sold some to neigh- groundnuts (peanuts) as a part of a seed lend- bors, harvested the grain and made both non-alcoholic ing program that assists and alcoholic beverages, which she offered for sale in with income generation her home. for 400 women in the We also visited a school for young men who have Upper East Region of suffered loss of speech and hearing as a result of Ghana. malaria; at the school they are taught carpentry and sewing skills. NICE crocodile On Thursday we took an early morning flight back to Accra, where we visited the ERD Africa Regional Of- Photos by fice, and then had an opportunity to haggle and barter Heidi Shott with vendors in the local market for gifts to take home. That evening we had a farewell dinner with the Regional Office staff. On our final day in Ghana we visited the Cape Coast Elmina and St. George Castles. The castles are actually forts built by the Portuguese and British to house slaves captured from throughout Africa, prior to their being shipped to American and throughout the Caribbean. The dungeons where the slaves were housed were dark, un- ventilated and hot. There was a sense of dreariness and death there. We were shown the “Door of No Return” where slaves left the dungeons and were transported by small boats to the waiting ships. We left for the airport at 6 a.m. on Saturday, to allow plenty of time for customs and security procedures for our flight home. Processing for our departure proved to be interesting and instructive: Every item in both our bags to be checked and our carry-on bags was searched thoroughly by the airport workers; this search included linings of shoes and soiled underwear — everything. Going from one processing point to another made one Canon Richard Miller gets personally acquainted with a crocodile at the crocodile pond at Paga, Ghana. yearn for the TSA screeners back home. I returned home with a new appreciation for the small gifts that God has allowed me to have, as I’ve been re- minded of what others have to go through merely to sur- vive on a daily basis—and of how God’s children live in Diocesan Haiti Task Force to propose harmony with nature, even without the electricity, run- ning water and other comforts that we consider necessi- new companion relationship ties. In the northern part of Ghana, Bolgatanga, I saw The diocesan Haiti Task Force is working Haiti would be the fourth companion diocese houses built from the only materials the people have with the World Mission Commission on a reso- for Southeast Florida; our diocese currently has available — clay, straw and tin. Families subsist on lution that both hope to offer to Diocesan Con- companion relationships with the Bahamas and whatever they can grow, the animals they raise and the vention in November, proposing a new Turks and Caicos; Dominican Republic; and goods they receive by bartering their crops; but they companion relationship between Southeast Antananarivo (Madagascar). work together and share what they have. Malaria used to Florida and the Diocese of Haiti. Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin of Haiti is plan- take its toll on young children in the area, but the ERD Citing the existing relationships based on ning to attend our diocesan convention at the in- NetsforLife program is a lifesaver. “geographic proximity” between the two dioce- vitation of Bishop Leo Frade, and according to It is important for me to tell others about the needs of ses and the large numbers of Haitian-Americans Frade, is pleased with the proposal for the com- ours sisters and brothers in Ghana and how each of us and Haitian immigrants living in our communi- panion relationship. can help through contributions to ERD at www.er-d.org. ties, as well as the need for long-term commit- The Task Force is also developing a plan for NetsforLife truly saves lives of vulnerable young chil- ment to rebuilding and restoration in Haiti congregations in our diocese to send groups for dren and women in Africa. ADDRO provides the tools— following the Jan. 12 earthquake, the draft reso- brief (two or three days) trips to Haiti to experi- education, clean water, financial assistance — to help lution will ask the convention to “express its de- ence the culture, meet with Haitian Episco- individuals, families and communities better their lives. sire to enter into a companion relationship with palians and see the country’s needs first-hand. Each of us has a responsibility to be part of these min- the Diocese of Haiti.” The Task Force hopes to have a proposed itiner- istries. ■ If approved by convention, the proposed re- ary and budget for such familiarization trips Canon Richard Miller is a member of Holy Family, lationship would then need approval from the ready to present at the Clergy Conference in Miami Gardens, an honorary canon of Trinity Cathe- Diocese of Haiti and from the Presiding Bishop September, in the context of a discussion on dral, secretary of Diocesan Convention and president of and the Executive Council of The Episcopal how we might use a companion relationship Province IV. Church. creatively to work with Haiti in its recovery. ■ News www.diosef.org THE 3 NET The Net, August 2010 Photo by Angharad Parry-Jones Participants and facilitators in the planning pilot conversation for the Continuing Indaba project were: (Front row, left to right) Archbishop Paul Kwong of Hong Kong, Archbishop Carlos Touché-Porter of Mexico, Archbishop Colin Johnson of Toronto, Bishop Sunil Singh of Delhi, Bishop John Simalenga of Central Tanganyika, Mrs.