World Malaria Day 2011 and the Nuru Healthcare Worker Model

The video above chronicles the beginnings of the Nuru International Community Health Worker(CHW) Model--which is currently doing amazing work in Kuria, Kenya. Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see how the model works first hand by traveling with a Nuru Healthcare Field Officer.

During the months of March and April, a big focus for Nuru's CHW program has been Malaria. Malaria is a preventable ailment that takes the lives of 2,300 people daily around the globe. Sixteen percent of children under five in Africa die because of malaria. Imagine dying from a mosquito bite. When I was a little boy, my body would be covered with welts from mosquitos, and even as an adult, no-see-ums love to attack me. Had I been born in a different longitude and latitude, I would probably not be alive to write this blog post. At least not unless someone had educated my family with regard to malaria prevention.

And that's just what the Nuru CHW's have been doing in villages all through Kuria, Kenya. They visit people's homes and talk to them about what causes malaria, what the symptoms of malaria are, and how malaria can be treated. More importantly, during this time, they talk about how malaria can be prevented.

That's the good news, malaria can be prevented. With proper use of a bed net, malaria risk is significantly lowered. While everyone can benefit from this knowledge, the groups at highest risk are children under five and pregnant mothers, and so Nuru is working specifically to help these at risk populations. As CHWs travel from house to house, they not only talk about the benefits of bed nets for malaria prevention, but they also sell bed nets at a low cost to families. This assigns a value to the net, and it also saves a family the challenge of traveling to a town or medical center to purchase this low cost malaria intervention. The health workers also walk through how to properly use a bed net and even how to repair a net if it becomes torn. If someone doesn't know how to use or repair a tool then it will do them very little good.

Nuru's focus on prevention through a CHW model via sales of bednets as an intervention, particularly for pregnant mothers and children under five sets the organization in a unique category for stemming the tide against malaria.

As I write this post, I find myself reflecting back on my childhood, and the mosquito bites that would appear on my arms on summer nights, and I am thankful that families in Kuria, Kenya, are now equipped with the tools to prevent malaria.

Will you help Nuru continue to empower even more families with tools and knowledge to prevent malaria and so much more? Also, if you'd like to learn more about our CHW program and our work to fight malaria, check out this great article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Thanks for being part of lasting change for the people of Kuria, Kenya.

True Heroes

True Heroes, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past Sunday, we interrupted our series at h2o to talk about something a little different. The title of the message was True Heroes: Extraordinarily Ordinary.

Recently I've been watching the TV series Heroes. If you've seen the show you know how amazingly addictive it is. The show features a number of ordinary people who discover that they have supernatural powers. Each one is unique, and part of the series is about these people learning how to use their unique gifts together for the cause of good.

Last week, a number of real heroes marched around in the woods. They prayed at their workplaces, and in their homes and churches. They made food for a number of search and rescue teams. They donated funds to help provide for the efforts of finding one little boy.

But at the same time, these were ordinary people. People like you and me. People who have bills to pay, and families to feed. People who have homework assignments due, and classes to attend. People who report to other vocations much of the time, but make themselves available when they are needed.

As people ventured into the woods to look for Jacob on different days in Dolly Sods very few were search and rescue experts. They were just regular people who were willing to step out in faith.

I think God has given each one of us a unique niche for influence. He has equipped each one of us differently and has great things he longs to do through us. The great things might not be what we expect, but rather, he is looking for folks who are available.

When folks were walking through those woods, it had very little to do with our expertise—it had to do with availability. When folks were praying for Jacob and his family, it had little to do with expertise—it had everything to do with availability. When we share our faith or listen to a hurting person, or feed a hungry person it has little to do with expertise—it has everything to do with availability. God wants to use each one of us for His kingdom purposes. But will you be used? Will you be available?

It’s so easy to get caught up in a daily grind of tv, internet, clothing, gossip, youtube, facebook, fashion, sports, food, reading, and playing that we drown out the voice of God, and busy ourselves with things that have very little eternal value. Maybe God needs us to tune out of the daily routine, to tune into what he is up to.

Every day you have an opportunity to make a choice, you have an opportunity to invest in something bigger than yourself. You have an opportunity to simply show up. Much of what we are able to do has to do with simply showing up and not checking out from where we are. Lot's of people make it their life goal to check out instead of show up.

Do you believe that God could use you? More importantly, do you believe that God wants to use an ordinary person like you? Every day you have an opportunity to make a choice, you have an opportunity to invest in something bigger than yourself. I think that when we make those investments, and we make ourselves available, we become Heroes in God's story, true heroes.

Search Party

Search Party, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Hallelujah! Jacob Allen is found, and is recovering well from four days in the Dolly Sods wilderness area of the Monongahela National Forest. I am completely amazed at how thoroughly God answered the prayers of so many people this week.

Yesterday afternoon, a search team found him napping in a small clearing in a rhododendron thicket. He was alert and responsive, and they were able to get him out of the woods rather quickly. I am thoroughly thankful for God's care and provision for the Allen family during this time.

I'm also thoroughly thankful for the talented individuals and teams I was able to work with as we all searched for jacob together. In the above picture are my buddy Jeremiah, my friends Gina and Andy, and a handful of high school and college students including Johnny Haring. These folks were amazing, and it was really cool to pray together with these folks who are part of Chestnut Ridge Church. The really wild thing is that Johnny just happened to see me at the base as they were being sent on assignment. Jeremiah jumped out of the transport van when he saw me, and I was quickly added to their team. (This whole set of circumstances was pretty miraculous in itself, but there are much more important things to share in this blog.) It was even more phenomenal that because we completed our assignment which was near the vicinity where jacob was found, we were able to see Jacob come up out of the woods, and share some sweet fellowship/celebration with Jim and Karen as they waited for their boy to arrive!

So many people made the drive from Morgantown (and from even farther away too!). I met some folks from Charleston yesterday as we made our way back to the base station.

This whole series of events was marked with providence, here are just a few amazing occurances. First, Jacob was ok--that's pretty amazing for someone who spent four days in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back. Second, the weather kept getting warmer each day--Dolly Sods is not known for warm weather in October--plus it was supposed to rain, but the rain stayed away for the most part (just a slight sprinkle one night). Third, so many volunteers, search teams, search dogs, etc. came on the scene--this is remote wilderness, and it is extremely difficult terrain for anyone to cover. (my team yesterday ascended nearly 1000 feet in our vertical sweeps over uneven and rocky ground with thick ground cover.) Fourth, a physician's assistant found Jacob--this meant that he could quickly go over Jacob's vitals and make sure he wasn't severely injured. God orchestrated everything to insure that a medical professional would find him.

Dolly Sods

Dolly Sods, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I just pulled back into town late last night from working in Dolly Sods with rescue teams and volunteers from all over the area. So far, we haven't found Jacob.

Here's another associated press article covering the situation. I believe it was updated around 8AM today.

Please pray for Jacob Allen and his parents today. Also pray for the safety of the rescue and search teams. This is extremely rugged country, and, for those who are attempting to scour the landscape, very physically demanding. The area me and the team I was part of searched folled both sides of a stream which runs through the wilderness area. The rocks are extremely slippery, and the canyon on either side is composed of rhododendron that is extremely difficult to navigate. When the thicket thins out, the ground is usually quite rocky and uneven.

It's been cold at night, but thankfully, unless something had changed since I left last night, at least the rain is staying away.

Bloodhounds are being used in the area of his disappearance to attempt to track him.

Please keep jacob and his family in prayer, and spread the word to pray as well. If you google his name, it should be a way to get updates on the situation as well.

Thanks again.

Emergency and Prayer

In this photo are Jim and Karen Allen. They go to church at Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown. For several years they have led an international student Bible study in Morgantown.

Yesterday they were on a hike with one of their three children, Jacob. Jacob was hiking with his parents yesterday and got separated from them. Search and rescue teams (including dogs) are scouring the woods looking for any sign of Jacob. The Associated Press issued this release.

I am writing this to ask you to pray for Jacob and his family. Pray that God would allow the rescue teams to find favor and Jacob would be found. Pray that God would comfort the family in this time of crisis.