One of the priority initiatives of the Asia-Pacific Church of the Nazarene is developing and facilitating ministries to children across the region, particularly in those nations where children are most vulnerable, such as East Timor.

According to the U.S. Aid web site, East Timor is considered one of the 10 poorest countries in the world with an estimated population of 924,642. Seventy-five percent of the population is rural of which 80 percent rely on subsistence agriculture and live on less than one dollar per day. Over 39 percent of the population is under the chronic poverty level. Unemployment is estimated to be higher than 19.5 percent and the illiteracy rate is 57 percent with an average household level of education of less than three years.

Demographics in East Timor reflect a young population with approximately 50 percent of the population under the age of 15 and with low levels of education. More than 12 out of every 100 children die before the age of 5, making their under-5 mortality rate among the highest in the world. These staggering statistics make East Timor one of the priority nations for developmental ministry to children.

In response to this need, Asia-Pacific Child Development Coordinator Dan Balayo of the Philippines recently conducted an intensive three-day workshop on holistic child development in East Timor. An eager group of 14 people gathered in Dili for the practical ministry training.

According to missionary Warren Neal, “In spite of the large amount of material covered and the language barrier, the Timorese youth stayed by the stuff even when it was hard.”

Indonesian Pastor Acy Lodja, who herself is heavily involved in ministry to youth and children, assisted Balayo by translating most of the sessions from English to Indonesian.

Already the local ministry team is working to implement the principles learned during the workshops. They have selected a site—potentially a donation from a local family—to begin constructing a small building to use for the children’s activities. The bulk of the work will involve writing up the proposal and then recruiting staff who can sustain the ministry.

Prayer is requested for this much-needed ministry, which began as an international effort, to be fully adopted and expanded by the local church. Pray also that the workshop participants will stay enthused and determined to effectively minister to the children of East Timor and their families.
–NCN News-Asia-Pacific