As we begin the New Year, Integral continues to coordinate joint responses amongst its Members to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and the Syrian refugee crisis. Situations being closely monitored by Integral are South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) – conflict in both countries has displaced large numbers of people. In South Sudan Country Reps from Integral Members are meeting together regularly to share the latest information and look at where they may support each others programming …
Fiona Boshoff, Director of Integral, says, “There are many situations around the world which do not reach our news headlines, or are in areas in which it is very difficult to respond. By sharing information about emergencies such as South Sudan and CAR, we as Integral can see what opportunities there may be to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and those most affected by these conflicts.”
Fiona continues, “As Integral enters its tenth year, it is a good opportunity for us to give thanks for how wonderfully faithful God has been to us in our efforts to promote a collaborative way of working amongst our Members. In 2005 we started with a big vision to see an end to poverty, and still passionately believe that the most effective and ethical way to achieve this is by sharing the resources that God has so generously provided for us.”
“At the start of this year, I have personally been reflecting on Psalm 46; how much it is still true that in the context of our troubled world, fraught as it is by human and natural disasters, that: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’ And ‘though the earth should change and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea’, we need not ‘be afraid’. Even in the turmoil of life we can ‘cease striving’ and know that God is God … My hope and prayer for Integral for this coming year is that we, along with all our Members, would know His presence, inspiration, protection, leading, guiding, and receive an ever clearer vision of how much stronger we are together than apart.”
