The Body of Christ (ADRA)

The Body of Christ By Charlene Luzuk, I want to introduce to you, Mr. Lorn. He is a proud father of three children living with his family in a village in rural Cambodia. He will tell you of his past if you ask him, how he has always been poor, struggling to support his family to survive. He speaks of how he could not gather even enough rice for his family to eat at each meal. Schooling for his children was not an option because even the small fees are too much to support even one child. But in 1997, something changed his life. ADRA came into his village with the purpose of developing peoples livelihoods. They started up an agricultural project to promote the growing of vegetables in the village. Mr Lorn jumped at the opportunity to attend the training sessions and learnt many skills and knowledge to use to help his situation. He works very hard in garden development, and is producing enough for his family to move from one meal to two nutritious meals every day. With income from his produce, he saved money and has recently built a bigger house for his family, 5 x 7 metres, giving his old house to his sister and her family. With his children enrolled in the local school, his family’s future looks bright and promising, as they continue to sustain an income and receive education. He will tell you of how ADRA has inspired him to raise himself and his family out of poverty and unfortunate living conditions, to a new life of hope and empowerment. I could introduce you to thousands of people who have been touched by ADRA, not only touched but have had their lives transformed, empowered and inspired. As SDA church members, it is because of your support that these lives have come into contact with ADRA. Our motto here at ADRA is “Changing the world, one life at a time”, and that is exactly what we focus on. We focus on the destitute and marginalized those who are on the fringes of society who are not numerous enough to be helped by others. It is a mistake to think that because we may not be able to measure the results of education and empowerment, that there has been no effect and changes in lives. It is a mistake to think that because we do not require a commitment to Jesus before we serve them, that we are not furthering the work of God. Jesus met the needs of the people before he ministered to them. At ADRA we see ourselves as the ‘development arm’ of the church. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 Paul speaks of the body of Christ and the many parts of the body, how they must all work together, each in their different roles in order to successfully serve the Lord and follow the will of God. While the Literature Evangelists are out knocking door to door searching for hungry souls, and the pastors are preaching to their congregations leading members to commit to a closer relationship with God, and while each individual church member is shining the light to those who work around them, ADRA is strengthening the hands of the weak and needy, ADRA is the arm of the body of Christ reaching to those who are in despair and need, with no where to turn. Mahatma Ghandi once said; “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread” So may it be that as ADRA helps people to feed themselves, as they eat the ‘bread’ of their harvests, may the name of ADRA be a constant reminder of how the Lord has touched their lives.