by Norma Gunter
April’s circle program from the new ABW Ministries Ministry Focus Resource is See…Conversations of Healing. The scripture is Acts l0. “ We live in a society characterized by division and fear. Rather than simply addressing different perspectives, media personalities engage in angry shouting matches and name calling. We are encouraged to fear those from other places and other religions. Many refuse to talk to people who think or act differently than they do, rather than trying to learn from others. It seems that people are more inclined to find those things that divide rather than looking for areas of agreement. This month gives us the opportunity to look at our relationships with those who are different from us, with a goal of building bridges rather than walls.”
Our ABW does this by building bridges to others by supporting American Baptist Women International’s White Cross Handwork around the world. In March we mailed 100 White Cross roller bandages. You may ask why we tear these old worn out sheets into strips, sew them together and roll them up, pack them in boxes where they are shipped to hospitals in Africa. Without our donations the 10 hospitals in the Congo would not be able to take care of the patients who come there for treatment.
A medical missionary doctor in the Congo wrote about the roller bandages, “I don’t think there is any place in the world where White Cross bandages are used or appreciated more than in the Congo. We say this after working here for years, visiting dozens of hospitals and hundreds of health clinics where White Cross material is used for a myriad of needs. Dressings for burns, slings for broken arms, wrapping a newborn baby—I can think of hundreds of applications for White Cross bandages.”
Some other needs the bandage fill are: when dipped in plaster they make a handy cast, make a tourniquet when fastened with a stick, a sling to hold a shoulder fast, attached to a nail on the wall to hold up a liter of IV fluids and colored strips hanging from an open door or window, will let cool breeze in and keep flying insects away.
Other items we can make for the hospitals are wrappers for surgical tools that have to be sterilized, cotton 4” x 4” squares, surgical caps and masks, triangular bandages, infant gowns and baby blankets. We also mailed a triangular bandage, one surgical wrapper, a baby blanket and a baby gown with the roller bandages. Our Baptist Women from all over the US supply these items year after year.
First Baptist ABW are proud to be a part of White Cross Ministries whose mission is to glorify God in all the earth by crossing cultural boundaries to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for everyone’s prayers. I’m home from the surgery and doing good.