Global Village 2010 13/07/2010

During The Salvation Army USA Central Territory Congress Weekend, June 11-13, the World Missions Bureau and the Historical Museum, in collaboration with Resource Connection, presented the Global Village, an interactive exhibit based on the scripture verse Micah 6:8 – “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Fitting into the overall theme of the weekend, Saved & Called, the Global Village challenged its visitors to take an active role in God’s Kingdom as a result of their salvation and calling.

The Global Village was divided into four sections, each focusing on a different aspect of Salvation Army ministry and Kingdom work around the world. Visitors were given passports that were stamped as they traveled to each of the four stations. At one station individuals were educated through photos and artifacts celebrating the historical work of the International Salvation Army. At other stations missionaries shared about the work in which The Salvation Army is currently engaged and videos showed some of the programs and initiatives run by The Salvation Army around the world. Each individual was called to action as he or she engaged in interactive activities at the various stations and was given then the opportunity to purchase fair trade items. When the visitor had stopped by all four stations and received all four stamps, the passport was taken to the Micah Challenge booth where he or she was encouraged to commit to praying for justice for the world’s poor on 10/10/10, to promise to be part of the change by committing to live a life of justice, and to sign a petition to press our national leaders for a more wholehearted commitment to eradicate poverty. Those presenting a completed passport at the Micah Challenge booth also received a complementary piece of fair trade jewelry made from recycled magazines by women in Kenya affected by HIV/AIDS.

What does the LORD require of you?
When God created man he did it in such a way that each person would be the same and yet different. We all need to eat, sleep and have something constructive to do. We are all different in appearance, personalities, abilities and gifts. To answer the question ‘What does the Lord require of you?” look inward and then outward. As you look ‘inward’ you will see the strength of your relationship with God and the abilities/gifts He has given you. As you look outward God will show you how He wants you to use those abilities and gifts for His Kingdom. The Salvation Army is a great place to explore your answer to that question. Through this station at the Global Village, visitors were able to examine photos and artifacts of The Salvation Army’s work through the years as they reflected on what the Lord was requiring of them as citizens of His Kingdom.

To Act Justly
If the Lord requires us to Act Justly like He mandates in Micah chapter 6 verse 8, what does that mean? What does it mean for The Salvation Army? What does it mean for us personally? In the Act Justly section of the Global Village, there were two areas that displayed how The Salvation Army was responding to this mandate to act justly by seeking justice and being the voice for the voiceless. The first display was about the Dorcus Jewelry project based in East Africa. Dorcus Beads is a micro-enterprise initiative involving the women of East Africa. These beads are produced from recycled paper by woman living with and affected by HIV/AIDS across Kenya and parts of Uganda. When entering this area participants were encouraged to view the visual display showing the process of how the beads are made. The documentary While Women Weep (www.whilewomenweep.com) was also playing – telling the stories of women in Kenya coming out of situations of injustice and desperation.

The second portion of the Act Justly section was the Central Territory’s debut of the Sally Ann Store – Fair Trade by The Salvation Army. Sally Ann is The Salvation Army’s response to fair trade, created in Bangladesh when Norwegian officers Bo and Brigette Brekke saw that people needed ’a way out’ of poverty and prostitution, and needed livelihood and hope. The goal of Sally Ann is to provide vulnerable people in the world's poorest countries hope for the future by creating and offering work under the standards of Fair Trade.

The Act Justly section of the Global Village was intended to teach participants that they have a role in pursuing justice for others. By being a consumer of Dorcus Jewelry and Sally Ann merchandise participants are enabling a better and more productive way of life for the producers and their families. Also, knowledge is power. Being informed and knowledgeable about these injustices makes participants responsible for responding and sharing this information with others. Pursuing justice isn’t a one-time experience - it needs to become a lifestyle.

To Love Mercy
In Zechariah 7:9, the Lord’s words to Zechariah are recorded: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” Through this station at the Global Village, visitors learned about the way The Salvation Army is carrying out this command and showing mercy and compassion to vulnerable people around the world. A vignette showing a humble bed and mosquito net, similar to what might be found in a Salvation Army children’s home, demonstrated the safety and care that The Salvation Army provides for vulnerable children through its Sponsorship Program.

A chalkboard declared the fact that “53% of people in the world live on $2.00 per day” and visitors to the Global Village were able to record their number, the estimated amount of money they live on per day. Upon examining the discrepancies between the financial resources many in the United States have versus those available to many people around the world, visitors were encouraged to appreciate what they have! People of all ages enjoyed making wooden bead key chains which helped to raise awareness about the fact that preventable diseases claim the lives of 29,000 people every 24 hours. Each of the different colored beads on the key chain stood for a different preventable disease including malaria, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, acute respiratory infection, and tuberculosis. A green bead was added to represent the hope that treatment for these diseases will someday be available to all. Children were able to learn about showing mercy and compassion to others as they colored pictures of a Salvationist boy from India and pictures of our Partner in Mission flags. As visitors to the Global Village learned about some of the devastating situations in which people around the world find themselves, it is the hope that they would continue to be led to prayer and perhaps financial giving to help show compassion and bring mercy to those in need around the world.

To Walk Humbly with Your God
How do we enter into ministry with people of other nations, cultures, and languages? The answer is we walk humbly. Missionaries and mission teams come not to teach so much as to partner with brothers and sisters in other lands as we communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of love and kindness. At the Global Village, our missionaries on furlough along with mission team members, educated delegates through videos, conversations and by selling items that were unique to the country they were appointed to, so that even in a small way, the needs of local residents could be met. Visitors to the Global Village could also collect missionary prayer cards and commit to praying for the missionaries on an on-going basis.