Posted: 8/19/05

Agency offers healing from
tsunami's emotional damage

By Craig Bird

Baptist Child & Family Services

As staggering as the visible destruction from last December's tsunami still is in Sri Lanka, the hidden emotional damage–especially to children–probably is even worse, Baptist Child & Family Services officials insist.

Eight months after the killer waves shattered the country, the evidence is plain to those who know where to look and listen.

In Matara, schoolteachers have moved all classes to the upper floor because frightened children refuse to meet in the ground-level rooms.

In Hikkaduwa, a college student confesses to massive guilt because he heard a friend's father calling for help but was too afraid to try to rescue him.

A displaced child living in a tent in Galle, Sri Lanka.

In Galle, against all cultural norms, a man stands in the middle of a tent-camp and weeps uncontrollably in front of visitors because he has almost no food and almost no hope.

In Batticaloa, a 13-year-old boy who lost his entire family and was twice swept out to sea himself–surviving by clinging to a large piece of Styrofoam–draws pictures of body parts floating alongside crowded boats.

Also in Batticaloa a 5-year-old girl still hasn't been told her mother drowned last December. She thinks she has “gone away on vacation.”

That's why Baptist Child & Family Services and its international arm, Children's Emergency Relief International, has launched two separate-but-related projects in the Indian Ocean island country.

The agency's primary effort is establishing a permanent foster care/child protective services program for the Sri Lankan government. The second is a training program to equip Sri Lankan volunteers to provide mental health counseling to their family, friends and neighbors.

“Before the tsunami, there was not really a pressing need for a foster-care program because the extended family usually took over the care of orphaned children,” said Marla Rushing of Baptist Child & Family Services, one of two agency staff members who led a nine-person counseling and training team to Sri Lanka for two weeks in July.

A worst memory drawing from the tsunami shows survivors in boats and dead bodies floating in the ocean.

“But the government has identified 500 orphans in just the northeast province country alone. We were a little surprised when they asked us to set up this pilot program–and so were agencies like UNICEF and the Red Cross–but we are glad we are able to do this.”

After carefully drafting guidelines and procedures that combined the best of American child care practices with the cultural realities of Sri Lanka, the program began working with the first four foster families in early July. Currently, 30 children are in supervised care, “with about five being added every week–we already need to hire more staff,” Rushing said.

Rushing, along with volunteer Lari Ainsworth from Calallen Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, concentrated on working with the children in care and in training the foster parents. Sri Lankan society has a general attitude toward tragedy of “just get over it,” and “the concept of counseling is pretty much unknown,” she acknowledged. “We were warned people wouldn't want to talk about their feelings, especially to foreigners. But we found that once a trust level was established, they had lots of things to share.”

She particularly was impressed with one foster father who not only participated in the art therapy sessions designed to surface the negative emotions and remind the drawer of the hope for “safe places” in the future, but also was the most enthusiastic person in the group.

“He told me that before the tsunami he had hated Christians. He wouldn't even speak to them. But since Christians were the first people to come and offer help and since we are still here, 'not asking anything from us, not forcing us to change our beliefs–just helping,' he had learned to appreciate Christians,” Rushing said.

Sri Lanka also is overwhelmingly Buddhist and Hindu, “two religions that are pretty fatalistic in saying that whatever happens is either punishment of just destiny,” noted Richard Brake, the staff psychologist on the Baptist Child & Family Services trip. “Even the Muslim population holds teachings that everything is Allah's will and should be accepted–so to get them to see that it was still OK to talk about emotions is major progress.”

Three two-women teams, all connected to Texas Woman's University in Denton, conducted training sessions in three coastal towns as part of the child care agency's effort. Brake worked with all three teams, as well as with the foster families, primarily using art therapy developed by Bill Steele of the Trauma Loss Center for Children in Detroit.

The five-step process begins with asking participants to draw a picture of their worst experiences, followed by a detailed drawing of the event and then an illustration of “what part of your body hurts the worst when you think about this event” before asking for a drawing of “a safe and secure place,” Brake explained. The final exercise is filling in eight sections of a piece of paper–putting the “worst event” in the first section but then listing seven good things that have happened since.

“The purpose is to acknowledge the pain of the trauma and to begin dealing with it–but then to help them see that there really is hope and that the pain isn't permanent, no matter how deep and real it is,” Brake said. He also found that the fourth step, picturing a safe place, didn't follow the textbook pattern.

“Eight months after the fact, most of the 150 people we worked with couldn't really imagine a safe place–a good sign that they hadn't dealt with the emotions,” Brake explained. “So we had them imagine a time in the future–no matter how far out that might be–when they could be in a safe place. That seemed to work.”

The training group in the northeast province was exclusively Hindu, while the three groups on the west coast were a mixture of Buddhists and Christians.

The trainers were heartened that, by the end of the sessions, the two often-antagonistic groups were planning how to work together to counsel others.

Each team also reported that trainees repeatedly requested additional training.

“They were so grateful and open to learning,” said Barb Cheatham, a registered nurse from Plano and a graduate student at TWU. “I prayed every morning that God would be present in the training and prayed every night to thank him for doing just that. Realizing how all these trainees will go back to their villages and towns and neighborhoods and work with others is humbling.

“They certainly are not fully qualified counselors, but they have some basics now. And imagine the ripple effect as they work with others who work with others.”

Posted: 8/19/05

Pray for Muslim women

By Meghan Merchant

Communications Intern

WACO–Women passed through the door expecting to learn more about Islam and enjoy a cup of tea. Instead, they found themselves covering their heads with scarves and removing their shoes as they entered into a time of prayerful intercession for Muslim women.

During a workshop titled “Tea for Muslim Women” at the Texas Leadership Conference, session leader Teri Hamilton enlightened Baptist women about some of the experiences Muslim women go through daily.

The conference is sponsored by Woman's Missionary Union of Texas, which is supported through the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

“Through our prayer time, we will touch Muslim women all over the world,” Hamilton said. “We will share the burden of Muslim women and intercede for them.”

Going through the “seasons of prayer” by assuming five prayer positions, the women began to pray for the group that represents 10 percent of the world's population.

The five body movements–standing, listening, bowing, worshipping and kneeling–were designed to help participants identify with Muslim women who share similar movements in their ritual praying.

Muslim women cover themselves as a sign of modesty and respect, Hamilton explained. The tea-time setting was an example of the hospitality Muslim women display.

As the gathered women prayed, Hamilton encouraged them to use their veil to help block out distractions and focus on God.

Posted: 8/19/05

WMU challenges: Share the light

By Meghan Merchant

Communications Intern

WACO–Speakers at the Texas Leadership Conference at Baylor University urged Baptist women from around the state to share the light of Christ.

“We are the light in the darkness,” said Nelda Taylor-Thiede, president of Woman's Missionary Union of Texas. Texas WMU sponsored the conference, focused on the theme “Sharing the Light … Passing the Torch.”

She reminded women in the audience that they are reflections of the light, Jesus Christ, and she challenged conference participants to let their God-given passions shine bright.

Speakers at the conference's eve-ning worship celebrations shared ways Texas Baptists are sharing Christ's love across the world, the United States and in their communities through ministries such as the Christian Women's Job Corps and mission work supported by the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

Missionaries from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, South Asia, Cambodia and Sri Lanka shared personal experiences from their time in each highlighted country and ways in which God is working in that area.

Leaders then prayed specifically for the country or region, many in the area's native tongue.

A multitude of international flags decorated the stage, and the conference's evening celebrations were translated into Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese, reminding participants of the diversity of Texas Baptists and the kingdom of God.

During the focus on sharing the light in Texas, Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Charles Wade praised Texas Baptist women for their innovative and creative approaches to ministry. He des-cribed how the Mary Hill Davis Offering is making a difference across the state through Texas missions and ministries of the BGCT, including its River Ministry.

“There's no major turning point in my life untouched by the Mary Hill Davis Offering,” said BGCT President Albert Reyes, who also is president of Baptist University of the Americas. Reyes participated in a question-and-answer time with Taylor-Thiede about the impact the offering has made in Texas.

“I like to say that Mary Hill Davis is one of my wealthy aunts that made things possible,” he joked, after explaining how funds from the offering provided for him in the ministry and helped Baptist University of the Americas to receive its accreditation this year.

Closing the final celebration of the conference, Texas WMU Executive Director Carolyn Porterfield reminded participants why they attended this year's event.

“You only came here to go back home and share the light,” she said.

Posted: 8/12/05

Baptist camp comes alive for
employees and their families

By Elizabeth Martin

Baylor University

Residents of Tigona, a village on the edge of the Rift Valley in the hill country west of Nairobi, serve as staff for Brackenhurst Baptist International Conference Centre and live on the camp grounds, located a short distance from the village’s market.

Although their children live within the gates of the resort-like camp, they generally can’t use the camp’s rock-climbing room or tennis courts. That changed when an outdoor recreation team from Baylor University made the conference center their base camp for missions.

Team members spent most of two weeks in the nearby towns of Limuru, Tigoni and Banana Hill. But three nights were just for the staff and children.

Brackenhurst serves as a summer camp for missionaries’ children, a vacation spot for missionary families and a location for various foreign missions conferences.
“It was great to give the staff the opportunity to use the tennis courts and rock room. They all helped to build this camp, and I’m glad they have finally been able to enjoy it,” Camp Administrator Amanda Clark said.

The male staff members had the first turn on the second night of the team’s stay at Brackenhurst. At first hesitant to climb the walls, the men voiced concern at the prospect of an American woman, team member Sierra Toney, handling the ropes. With skeptical frowns, the men eventually decided to climb at the urging and reassurances from the American team. Later, the wide grins on the faces of the men who reached the top of the walls assured the team of the night’s success.

“I was so proud of Sierra,” Baylor tennis teacher and Outdoor Rec. team member Darrell Thompson said. “The men didn’t want to trust her, but she never let it get to her, and we all ended up having a great time.”

Later that week, the female staff members took their turns on the indoor climbing walls and, like their husbands, began the night with concern etched on their faces. After much encouragement from the American team, however, the Kenyan women eventually shed their characteristic shyness and enjoyed their first chance to climb. It was the staff’s children, though, who most visibly enjoyed their climbing experience.

Cries of excitement and unrestrained laughter echoed from the rough yellow climbing walls and concrete floors the cool night of the children’s climb. More than 50 children strapped on harnesses and mounted the walls. So many children came to climb, the entire American team was called to help manage and belay. Each child climbed several of the high walls, practiced without harnesses in the low caves and grinned as they snapped pictures of their friends and siblings hanging by ropes 20 feet overhead.

The next afternoon Thompson, brought racquets and tennis balls to the camp’s tennis courts to give a lesson to the staff’s children. With only four balls and five racquets for more than 20 children, Thompson organized several relay-type team games for the children. With the help of his wife, Missy Bice-Thompson, and several other team members, he gave the children a chance to enjoy a game previously they had only observed.

“The tennis lessons with the staff kids was one of my favorite activities of the trip,” Baylor junior Jennifer Bubel said. “They had such a good time, and I absolutely loved watching them laugh and play.”

Though tired after several long days serving the Kenyans in the villages outside Brackenhurst’s high iron gates, the American team recognized the importance of serving the camp’s staff those nights and afternoons. The men and women who staff the Baptist camp served as maids, drivers and cooks for the Americans with smiles—smiles that only grew wider when the Americans decided to serve them and their children in return.

Storylist for week of 8/08/05

• Commentary: Christian nurses helping people in difficult circumstances

• Court turns down motion to rehear Missouri case

• Roberts donated legal work to gay rights group

• New BWA president preparing for a marathon challenge

• BWA unveils first 'identity statement' since 1923

• Blackaby warns that 'seeker-friendly' may leave out nature of sin

• Spirit works best when we're weak, Fong says

• Minister remembers call to preach during 1939 congress in Atlanta

• Groups asks BWA to focus on HIV/AIDS

• 'Telling the story' aim of BWA evangelism program

• Baptists should be 'biased toward the poor' speaker says

• Ministries shining light of Christ into brothels

• Praise by 'every tribe, tongue and nation' ends congress

• Woman will head Asian seminary consortium


Articles from our 8/08/05 issue:



• A World of Baptists



• Shoes for Orphan Souls launches annual national drive

• Buckner marks 10 years of international orphan ministry

• Pastor urges Christians to 'get in the game'

• God wants his people to share blessing with everyone

• Bartimaeus church looking for a lift, hoping for help

• Texas Baptist author feels dead certain of prayer's power

• Partnership links Kenyan college and Plainview church

• Texas Baptists care for Hurricane Emily's victims

• On the Move

• Around the State

• Texas Tidbits




Baptist World Centenary Congress
• A World of Baptists

• Africa the new center of Christianity

• British Baptists encouraged by strong showing in Birmingham

• 'We belong to each other because we belong to Christ'

• Fight terrorism with dinnertime conversation

• Fundamentalism divides Christians, Carter tells Baptists

• Couple celebrates 50th anniversary at BWA Congress

• Carter: Hunger for healing, desire for justice transcend differences

• Church should become new health service for the world

• Christ's love commands compassion for hurting & needy

• Newest BWA members feel the power of relationships

• British Baptist unanimously elected BWA president

• Tour helps Texas Baptists understand their heritage

Previously Posted
• Texas, Virginia approved as Baptist World Alliance members

• Warren calls SBC withdrawal from BWA a 'silly' mistake

• Persecution the norm for many Christians, panelists note

• First African elected to lead BWA women

• BWA session looks at world needs

• BWA gathering reflects 'paradigm shift' Lotz says

• Latest bombings not detering BWA meeting



• Vermont partnership positively impacts Temple church

• Northeast a 'frontline ministry,' missions leader insists



• Reviewed in this issue: Why the Rest Hates the West by Meic Piese
Whose Religion is Christianity?: The Gospel Beyond the West by Lamin Sanneh
Honor, Infamy & Just Deserts: Persian Stories That Build Ethics and Character by Norma Walters
Sabbath Keeping by Lynne M. Baab
A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren



• Texas Baptist Forum

• Cartoon

• Classified Ads

• Around the State

• On the Move



• EDITORIAL: There's no place like home (in the BWA)

• DOWN HOME: His 'kingdom' for a glass of iced tea

• 2nd Opinion: When should a child be baptized

• TOGETHER: BWA celebration exceeds expectations

• Texas Baptist Forum

• Cyber Column by Berry D. Simpson: Balancing act

• Cyber Column by Brett Younger: Footsteps of Jesus?

• Commentary: Christian nurses helping people in difficult circumstances



• BaptistWay Bible Series for August 7: God's justice and an unrepentant world

• Family Bible Series for August 7: Once and Future Life

• Explore the Bible Series for August 7: Use Godly Tact and Discretion

• BaptistWay Bible Series for August 14: Follow God daily to be prepared for end times

• Family Bible Series for August 14: Until Jesus comes, live faithfully

• Explore the Bible Series for August 14: Daniel's faith was strong before the lion's pit


See articles from previous issue 7/25/05 here.

Posted: 8/12/05

Music and mission combined in Valley event

By David Wilkinson

Special to the Baptist Standard

HARLINGEN—Musical talent and a heart for missions were on display as high school students from churches across the state gathered in South Texas for the 2005 Texas Baptist All-State Music & Missions event.

During a hectic and intensely hot week this summer, 89 students participated in daily rehearsals led by faculty members of two Texas Baptist colleges and hands-on ministries coordinated by the Valley Baptist Missions Education Center and Buckner Border Ministries.

The teenagers, who successfully auditioned for the choir or band, came from 43 Baptist congregations.

The annual event was created as a ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas to provide “motivating, inspirational and life-changing experiences” for students from Texas Baptist churches, organizers explained.

In daily visits to four Boys and Girls Clubs in Harlingen, the young people used music, group activities, conversation and laughter to touch the lives of children in the community. Over the weekend, the choir, band and handbell ensemble performed two concerts and led a Sunday worship service.

“The opportunity to work with outstanding young musicians who are also committed believers is priceless,” said Tim Studstill, director of the BGCT’s Center for Music & Worship, which sponsors the event.

Shane Boswell from First Baptist Church in Paris praised the Harlingen missions project as the best of his three all-state experiences.

“Mexico (last year) was awesome, but something about this year was different,” he said. “I really enjoyed our work at the Boys and Girls Clubs and seeing how we can affect lives by just showing a little bit of love.”

“Despite the hot weather, I would say the week was perfect,” added Ashley Green from Acton Baptist Church near Granbury. “I was so blessed to spend a week with other Christian kids and to grow closer to Christ through beautiful music.”

For Zachary Mosby from Hampton Road Baptist Church in DeSoto, “The greatest thing about the trip is the way it brings together students with the same heart for God and allows them to see God at work in their individual lives.” Mosby returned home with a new sense of excitement about “what God has in store for my life,” he said.

Choral director for the week was Monte Garrett of Howard Payne University. Band director and assistant director, respectively, were Tom Webster and Brent Farmer of East Texas Baptist University. Handbell director was Jerald Garner of Southmont Baptist Church in Denton. Accompanist was Gena Corley of Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas.

Next summer, Texas Baptist All-State will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a week on the campus of Dallas Baptist University that will conclude with a joint concert performed by the 2006 all-state participants and alumni from previous years. The July 15 concert will be hosted by First Baptist, Grapevine.

For more information about Texas Baptist All-State Music & Missions, contact Debbie Smith at the BGCT Center for Music and Worship at (214) 828-5237 or debbie.smith@bgct.org.

Posted: 8/12/05

Baylor wins suit again student
who started 'lewd' e-mail barrage

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

WACO (ABP)—A Baylor University seminary student who lost his scholarship in 2003 for homosexual behavior also has lost a lawsuit the school filed against him for alleged lewd conduct.

McLennan CountyDistrict Court Judge Alan Mayfield ruled in July that Matt Bass has to pay the school $77,000 in damages and court fees for allegedly sending offensive e-mails to school personnel.

Bass was forced to leave Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary after his scholarship was revoked because he declined to answer school officials’ questions about his sexuality. A seminary official at the time said the school would not discipline a student for advocating for gay rights, but it would for living a homosexual lifestyle.

Baylor personnel received the offensive e-mails in the fall of 2004. In January, Baylor filed suit against Bass for allegedly sending e-mails which often were disguised to look as if they came from seminary employees. The suit said the messages contained “highly offensive pornographic images and/or lewd descriptions of various sexual acts attributable to various Baylor employees or their family members.”

Other e-mails had “inflammatory sacrilegious and pornographic content attributing various sexual activities to Jesus Christ,” the suit alleged.

In addition, the lawsuit claimed Bass sent false press releases, disguised to look as if they came from Truett officials. One erroneously reported that seminary dean Paul Powell had died.

Baylor officials said they traced the e-mails to a computer in Bass’ home.

Bass reportedly did not contest the lawsuit. In an Aug. 4 e-mailed response to queries from a reporter, Bass said he was unable to speak about the case at this time.

However, according to a Washington-based newspaper for the gay community, Bass released a statement shortly after the ruling saying Baylor had pursued the lawsuit as a form of retribution.

“There is much I could say in my defense; church ministers, activists and friends who are privy to all the details of the suit have come down squarely behind me,” Bass told the Washington Blade.

“However, I chose not to defend myself in the civil suit brought against me by Baylor because my legal counsel and I do not believe the court in Texas has proper jurisdiction over me as a resident of Georgia. Additionally, as a full-time student, I simply haven’t had access to the funds necessary for participation in a civil suit. “

After leaving Truett in 2003, Bass was given a scholarship to continue his studies at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.

A Candler official did not answer a reporter’s inquiries about Bass’ current status at that school. However, the school earlier issued a statement to the Blade, saying, “We take seriously the responsibility of Candler to its students, the church and the community, as well as the standards and procedures in place regarding student conduct.”