Mastering everyday life

Toilet facilities are essential to reduce the spread of disease. An environmentally-friendly toilet and a well have been inaugurated in Tokpa-Houngodo, Benin. Apostles Matokoo Vincent Yedenou and Josias Houenou officially handed the new facilities over to the Christian religious community of Cherubim and Seraphim and the people of Tokpa-Hougodo. The project was financed by the charity human aktiv of the New Apostolic Church Southern Germany in collaboration with the Jörg Wolff Foundation.

“The New Apostolic Church respects the identity of other churches,” Apostle Yedenou said at the ceremony. “The New Apostolic Church is aware of its duty within Christianity and recognises the ecumenical movement. That’s why we are here today,” said Apostle Yedenou in his opening address. Such moments are an opportunity to explain the doctrine of the New Apostolic Church in greater detail. As a token of their appreciation, the leaders of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church presented church robes to the Apostles as a gift.

Role model: the Good Samaritan

One of the focal points of the relief organisation NAC SEA Relief is education. It has just launched another project to promote education. In June, the aid agency reported that the construction of a school has been started in Mantukdo Jerusalem, a remote and hard to reach region in the Philippines. Construction materials and logistics were financed by NAC SEA Relief with help from NAK-Humanitas. The project is making good progress.

Representatives of the New Apostolic Church of Côte d’Ivoire and the Jörg Wolff Foundation handed over 104 litres of oil and 50 bags of rice to Bon Samaritain, an NGO. Especially widows and children will benefit from the food donation. Apostle Seudie Firmin Zran said in his address: “We encourage you, dear agents of the NGO and dear brothers in Christ, not only to make good use of these donations, but also and above all to always be at the service of anyone in distress as a Good Samaritan. In this way, our heavenly Father will accompany and bless you.”

Connected with nature

Twenty-eight young people completed their agricultural training at Chibombo Farm in Chabota, Zambia, on 16 June. This was not the first time that the two New Apostolic relief organisations NACRO and NAK-karitativ collaborated on a project and implemented it successfully. For years now, the two aid organisations have been offering young people a sustainable professional perspective with this project. To this end, the staff have built a farm where they can grow tomatoes, cabbage, onions, maize, and soya beans with the young people and train them in farming. Plants are bought from micro-farmers, who benefit in the process. In the one-year training course, the disadvantaged young people learn how to grow and process the produce. They sell the processed produce and the proceeds are used to finance the training. Cooperation with local institutes and universities offers young people more opportunities. The graduates were congratulated at a big ceremony.

Spring cleaning with a difference. The members of the congregation of Maulbronn in Germany met in spring for a community clean-up campaign. The local forest needed to be cleared of trash. Equipped with gloves, litter picker tools, and large rubbish bags, they went into the forest. The younger ones even went into the undergrowth to pick up litter. They sang while they worked, and before they knew it they were done. At the end, there was a snack for everyone.

When children let love do the talking

The Sunday School children from the Narraville congregation in South Africa made beautifully knitted blankets for the seniors. They embarked on their project in April. They were provided with knitting needles and wool, and each child was asked to knit squares of 40 stitches in length, which were later sewed together into blankets or lappieskomberse. The blankets, hand-made with love, will remain at the church and can be used by the seniors to keep their legs warm during the services, especially during the cold coastal winters.

At the Dutch teenagers’ meeting in June, all the young people brought a gift for their fellow-teens in Suriname. There was quite a pile of gifts. The gifts will be put into boxes and shipped to Suriname with the next container.