The Pope Has Resigned

The Pope has resigned.

On February 28, 2013 Joseph Ratzinger will cease to reign as Pope Benedict the 16th. He will be 85 years old and is the first Pope to resign in office since Pope Gregory the 12th in 1415.

Strange that the man seen by some as God's representative on Earth has resigned due to failing health. A courageous move that shows humility but to think that a Pope can and would resign is just a little mind blowing.

Once Benedict has left office the world's 1.2 billion Catholics will have to wait for the Catholic Cardinals to meet in Rome and for a new Pope to be elected from their midst, this process should be completed by Easter. So for the next few weeks at least we will be inundated with news stories about certain candidates, their pasts and policies and suitability. Already the jokes and jibes are beginning to flow and there is a lot more to come.

This is a serious time for Catholics and it should be serious time for Protestants as well.  The choice of a new Pope is as crucial as who wins the US Presidential elections. In politics it is not just America who has to live with the policies of Barack Obama the whole world is effected by the decisions he makes. If his policies drive down the US share market Western Europe, Japan, China, South Korea the Middle East, Australia, everyone else is effected because our economies all linked.That's why people who are not US citizens should pray when America goes to the polls! A bad US President is bad for everyone!

In the same way a new Pope can make a difference to the way the Catholic world relates to the Protestants. It is important that Protestants pray that the right man to become the leader of the Catholic world. The world needs a Pope who can lead the Catholic church in wisdom and righteousness, in truth and humility, in healing and honesty with respect and dignity. The world needs a Pope who reflects the character of Jesus.

Whilst Protestants do not recognize the Pope's infallibility or  his leadership over them we do recognize that a bad Pope could make a big difference to how the church works and functions together in communities all around the globe.

That's why now is a good time to pray for the Catholic church!

Buzz Off needs your help to save lives

Buzz Off Needs your help to save lives

Recently I had to write a report about Buzz Off our malaria initiative. For the last three years we have had an emphasis on Burma (Myanmar) and some of the stats are worth repeating because they are quite amazing.

Just in Burma in that last 3 years Buzz Off has:

• Distributed 21,151 LLIN mosquito nets (18,101 in IDP areas) that are protecting 63,753 people from malaria.
• Provided 21,110 Rapid Diagnostic Testing kits to clinics in IDP areas and other remote areas inside Burma.
• Treated 15,425 cases of malaria.
• Trained 395 attendees at malaria seminars held in greater Burma (Yangon, Mandalay, Lashio,Maubin, Hpa 'an, and Sittwe)
• Trained 122 primary health care workers in malaria awareness and treatment on the Thai / Burmese border.
• Trained 30 IDP medics in microscopy and maintained microscopes in 8 clinics
• Established 4 healthcare networks in the remote areas of greater Burma with another expected to be established this year. 
• Produced educational flip charts, and training resources in the Burmese language together with the establishment of a Burmese language malaria website with downloadable resources in the Burmese language. (www.myanmar.buzzoff.org - you will need Burmese font on your computer to be able to view it).

These stats speak for themselves and are an amazing accomplishment of which we can be justly proud. However, the outside funding for the program is over and we are now in a serious predicament where we have lost funding of $US115,000 a year yet the need we are trying to address in Burma alone are as bi as they have ever been.

In May this year the monsoons will start in South East Asia and with the increased rain mosquitoes will breed   and malaria outbreaks will increase and people will die if we cannot distribute mosquito nets into the impoverished areas of Burma where we have been working.

Last year in total Buzz Off gave away 14,280 LLIN mosquito nets. (These were given away in Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Africa, PNG and Timor Leste). This year we are aiming at 20,000 mosquito nets. For budgeting purposes we cost each net at $10, last year the average net price was $7.74 per net which means that with the money we have left over from we just buy more nets.

Each family sized net we give away protects on average 3 people and saves at least one life.

We need to rise up an army of people who will donate nets to help us to save lives. Do you have 10 dollars to save a life? Can you raise enough for more than one net.

Please pray about joining the helping Buzz Off to save lives in Jesus name.

Donations to Buzz Off can be made here

https://australianmercy.org/giving/ (select Buzz Off donate a net from the menu)

Australian donations are tax deductible. US and Canadian donors should click on the flags to find out about tax deductibility in those countries.