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Mother’s Day 2014

Church service planning kit

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Dear friends,

Thanks for taking part in World Vision’s Mother’s Day campaign to call for an end to

preventable maternal and child deaths.

Mother’s Day is a time when people around Australia remember and celebrate our

mothers. It’s a special time for giving thanks for their love and sacrifice.

But it can also be a difficult day for some – especially for those who have experienced

the loss of their mother.

Every woman in the world is precious to God. No mother should miss out on being

part of her child’s life. No child should grow up motherless.

This Mother’s Day, we are asking Christians across Australia to take a moment to

reflect on the world’s missing mothers. Every hour, 33 women die from pregnancy

and childbirth related complications.

What makes this even more heartbreaking is that simple solutions already exist that

can save millions of lives. Having access to maternity and basic healthcare services

could reduce maternal deaths by 80 percent.

While celebrating the amazing mothers in your congregation this Mother’s Day we

ask that you also mark this special day by joining us in our call for better health care

for our neighbour’s poorest mothers and babies.

By standing together and showing that we care about this issue, Christians across

Australia will remind our nation’s leaders why they need to act now and save lives.

Shalom,

Tim Costello.

Chief Executive Officer, World Vision Australia.

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Make your Mother’s Day service extra special!

Joining the call to save more mothers’ lives is easy! This service planning kit contains

all the resources you need to make your Mother’s Day service extra special this year:

“My mum, my hero” video clip (on USB stick)

Petition cards

Sermon outline & prayer points

Posters

Inspiring stories of how World Vision is making a difference to mothers and babies

Details of how your church can support a group of mothers and babies in the

Solomon Islands

Mother’s Day ideas for Playgroups/Women’s Ministry

4 simple ways you can choose to take action:

Show video

Adorable

children from

around the

globe sharing

why their mum

is a hero

Sign Petition

Sign action

cards that ask

our political

leaders to save

more lives

Pray

Spend a few

minutes

praying for the

health and

future of mums

and children

globally

Give

Take up an

offering for a

project helping

mothers and

babies in the

Solomon

Islands

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Mother’s Day video – “My mum, my hero”

On the enclosed USB stick, you will find a two minute video clip featuring children

around the world explaining why their mum is a hero. A cute addition to your

Mother’s Day service, it highlights the fact that every mum is precious.

You can also play this video directly from YouTube: http://youtu.be/Qjsk_x09Tg4

Petition cards

These are Mother’s Day cards with a difference! Please insert these cards into church

newsletters or make them available on each seat at your Mother’s Day service.

Signing the cards is a great way for your congregation members to show our

politicians that they care about the health of mothers and babies.

Once signed, please return them to World Vision so we can present them to our

Foreign Minister, The Hon Julie Bishop MP, as part of our call for change:

World Vision Australia

Reply Paid 9944

Melbourne Vic 8060

For more action cards, please email: mariska.meldrum@worldvision.com.au If you

prefer, you can also sign the action card online at worldvision.com.au/mothersday

Mother’s Day posters

Enclosed are some posters you can put up in your church in the lead-up to Mother’s

Day. The infographic poster has lots of interesting facts about health issues facing the

world’s poorest women and children. It’s also available digitally making this a great

resource to include in your church newsletter or share on your church’s Facebook

page or website.

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Suggested sermon notes:

Theme: Let the little children come

Bible readings

Matthew 19:13-15

Matthew 23:37-39

The love and sacrifice of God

In Matthew 19:13-15 and Matthew 23:37 we see Jesus blessing children and

weeping over Jerusalem. They are powerful images of Him showing the loving

heart of God wanting to draw his children to Himself, just as a hen gathers her

chicks under her wings – protecting them and keeping them away from danger.

The love and sacrifice of mothers

In the same way, mothers (and fathers) demonstrate extraordinary love for the

children, many times going to incredible lengths to nurture and protect them.

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the love and sacrifice of mothers around the

world.

Despite what we may think about its commercialisation, Mother’s Day is a special

time to pause and be thankful for our mothers – and those who have shown a

mother’s love to us.

Mothers reflect the love of Christ for all of us. They love without counting the

cost, they sacrifice, and when their love is not returned, their tendency is to

continue to love regardless.

It is said that the act of giving birth is possibly the most painful event anyone can

go through. Yet, every day, women around the world go through the pain of

childbirth to give life and love.

The fact is that we would not be here today if it wasn’t for our mothers.

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The pain of lost motherhood

While Mother’s Day is a day of happiness and celebration, we also acknowledge

that for some – today can be a day of sadness and loss

In a broken world, a world of suffering and pain, the reality is that too often

mothers are not able to provide the care for themselves or their children that they

need and deserve. Children and families are left vulnerable at the death of a mum

in child birth or grief-stricken and bereft of energy at the chronic ill-health or

premature death of an infant.

While becoming a mother is one of the happiest times for a woman and her

family, it can also be one of the most dangerous times – particularly for a woman

living in extreme poverty. Every hour, 33 women die from pregnancy or

childbirth-related complications.

Whenever and wherever a mother or a child dies, families suffer.

Mums in Australia are blessed to have the medical care they need before and after

the birth of their babies.

Compared to Australia, women in Papua New Guinea are 100 times more likely

to die during pregnancy or childbirth.

Children around the world need their mothers. A child with a mother is 10 times

more likely to survive to their fifth birthday than a child left motherless.

The babies of mothers who do not receive proper nutrition and healthcare during

pregnancy are at greater risk of dying during their first month of life.

The deaths of these mothers and children are preventable. Having access to

maternity and basic healthcare services could reduce maternal deaths by 80%.

Every woman and every child in the world is precious to God. No mother should

miss out on being part of her child’s life. No child should grow up motherless.

What love looks like: from brokenness toward wholeness

The mission of God in the world is to move us from brokenness towards

wholeness; to bring faith, hope and love to circumstances where they do not exist.

God wants every man, woman and child to have the opportunity to live lives that

are abundant, full and flourishing.

In this mission God has chosen to work through us, his people, to demonstrate His

love, to build for His Kingdom, to invite people into restored relationships with

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God, with each other with His creation.

This restoration doesn’t just happen. It requires the faithful effort of people, you

and me, to create situations in which children and their families can flourish. To

provide needed resources, to foster the ability of communities to care for their

mums and kids, to speak out in order to ensure people are treated fairly and with

respect.

What does life in all its fullness look like? It looks like love.

Love is:

o A community with the resources it needs to care for its members.

o A woman receiving proper antenatal care and nutrition, to ensure the best

outcome for her and her unborn child.

o A woman being cared for during her labour and having access to medical

help she needs.

o A new mother being supported to give her newborn baby the best possible

start to life.

o Families full of hope for their children.

Conclusion

When the children were brought to Jesus for a blessing the disciples wanted to

send them away. It was typical of the attitude of the day that children had no

rights and were dismissed. Jesus challenges those attitudes and blesses the children.

We see numerous instances of Jesus healing children from illness and bringing

renewed hope to families.

As Christians we are privileged to be the hands and feet in the mission of God as

He redeems it and moves it toward wholeness, invites us to His family of restored

relationships.

To bring faith, hope and love, to these challenging situations we are called to

show God’s love through our generosity, by speaking out about the brokenness

we see, and by praying for God’s Kingdom to come.

It is a privilege we have today to follow Jesus - to follow in his footsteps and serve

others, so they have the opportunity to experience wellbeing and to flourish.

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Prayer points

• Thank God for all mothers around the world;

• for the love and sacrifices they make, and

• that they show us what God’s love is like

• Pray for the hundreds of thousands of women each year who don’t survive

pregnancy or childbirth;

• that their suffering does not go unheard

• Pray for the world’s childless mothers and motherless children;

• that they will know your loving presence

• Pray for mothers for whom Mother’s Day brings memories of loss;

• that they will know the comfort of God

• Pray for mothers struggling to raise their children in desperate poverty;

• that they will receive the support they need

• Pray for those balancing the daily demands of raising children;

• that they will find strength in God

• Pray that we will love as God loves

• Pray for justice and peace for all mothers and all of creation

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During your Mother’s Day service you might like to take up a special offering for a

World Vision project that supports mothers and babies in the Solomon Islands.

Young children and their mothers in the Solomon Islands face a range of obstacles in

accessing quality health services and information.

Women are at risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth because of:

distance from - and lack of transport to - health services

a lack of medical staff and facilities

a lack of training to recognise danger signs during pregnancy

Help save lives!

On Mother’s Day, we are hoping to raise

$20,000 to fund a project assisting mothers and

children in the Makira province of the Solomon

Islands.

By taking up an offering for this project you

will help World Vision assist communities in the

Makira province to adopt improved health and

nutritional practices that ensure the continued

wellbeing of mothers and their children.

Did you know?

30 in 1,000 Solomon Islands children die

before the age of five, and 47 newborns

die per 1,000 births.

Your congregation can help to improve the health

and wellbeing of mothers and children in the

Solomon Islands.

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Cheque

Mail your cheque made out to ‘World Vision Australia’ to:

Att: Mariska Meldrum

Church Team

World Vision Australia

1 Vision Drive, Burwood East VIC

Please include a letter stating:

your church name and address

supporter number (if you have one!)

the donation amount

that the donation is for Maternal Child Health Solomon Islands

the trigger code: C10574-A5174-R3596 Mother’s Day

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

Bank name: ANZ

Address: 420 St Kilda Road Melbourne 3000

BSB: 013 423

Account number: 310 734 464

Account name: World Vision Australia Operating Account

Bank reference: your church name / C10574-A5174-R3596

Narration: church name / MCHSOL Mother’s Day

Please send an email to mariska.meldrum@worldvision.com.au to let us know the

EFT amount and date – thanks!

How to send in your donations

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Playgroup / Women’s Ministry ideas

If your Church has a Playgroup or run Women’s Ministry, here are some other ideas

to consider:

Organise a movie night or other event like a Mother’s Day morning tea around

the theme of mothers and babies. Show the “My Mum’s a Hero” video and ask

participants to sign our petition cards calling for change.

Ask people to considering contributing toward a Mother’s Day gift from our gift

catalogue at worldvision.com.au/gifts Gift include:

$25 – Childhood immunisation

A gift of childhood immunisation is a simple and effective way to save precious lives.

Infants can be protected from deadly diseases such as polio, tetanus and tuberculosis.

$70 – Healthy start for babies

Help give precious infants and children the best start

in life. A gift of healthcare includes breastfeeding and

nutrition training for new mothers, as well as

nutritional supplements for children.

$76 – Newborn baby kit

Help a new mother care for her precious bundle

of joy during this special time. The kit includes

supplies such as a bassinet, nappies, blanket and

soap

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Real life stories to inspire you!

Delivering better health for women

With the nearest hospital a thirty minute boat-ride away, a few years ago it wasn’t

unusual for a woman to die in childbirth in the Kampong Leng district of Cambodia.

Kimsan Lock, 27, pictured with her son Pisit, recalls that pregnant women in her

village abided by traditional practices. They were advised not to eat a lot of food,

have a shower at nighttime or sleep a lot or they would have a difficult delivery.

Tired and undernourished,

many women were simply

too weak for the long

journey to hospital and the

demands of childbirth.

Born at dangerously low

birth weights, their babies

were at greater risk of

infection and disease.

Today, World Vision is

assisting Kimsan and other

mums through a Village

Health Support Group which runs training sessions. The women learn how to take

care of their health and that of their baby before and after delivery.

“Understanding about health is very important for us to reduce death of mother and

child,” says Kimsan, who has put what she has learnt from World Vision into practice

during both her pregnancies.

While pregnant, Kimsan says she received iron and folic acid, a tetanus injection,

advice on eating the right foods like green vegetables and fruit, and breastfeeding

education.

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World Vision has also provided the health centre with much-needed equipment and

has encouraged pregnant women to attend for pre- and post-natal care.

“I delivered both my babies at the health centre because it is safe for our life,” says

Kimsan. She continues to visit the centre for check-ups and life-saving vaccines for

both her sons.

Spreading the world about what she has learnt, Kimsan enthusiastically says, “I want

all mothers to know how to take care of their health and her children’s health.”

Photo Credit: ©2013 Ratana Lay/World Vision

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How one midwife

changed everything!

Khamtan smiles widely.

“Most of the babies here,

they’re my grandchildren,” she

jokes, referring to the children

in her village in Laos.

Khamtan is the community’s only midwife. She’s on call day and night, in rainstorms

and in the severe heat.

“It is hard to reach some areas, especially at night. Some families come to get me by

foot, and then I walk back with them,” she says.

A mother herself, Khamtan serves 94 households in this remote agricultural

community of bamboo houses. It takes both a boat ride and an hour-long car ride to

access the nearest town.

World Vision came to the community about five years ago and decided the village

needed a midwife.

“They asked me to take on the job and my family agreed I should do it,” Khamtan

remembers. She spent several weeks in the city to complete her training in childbirth

and pre-natal care.

Recalling what it was like before for women without a midwife, Khamtan says,

“Women had to give birth by themselves…there was no-one there to support a

mother in labour. Once the baby arrived, they had to cut the cord themselves.”

She describes the sharpened bamboo charcoal that was used to cut the umbilical cord

in the past. “This led to infections,” she explains.

The results of Khamtan’s work have been incredible. Since she took up her job, no

mother or child has died in childbirth.

Photo Credit: 2013 Ammala Thomisith/World Vision

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Giving birth to better health practices

Maternal, newborn and child deaths were very high in the Solomon Islands,

particularly in the eastern region’s Makira Province.

The communities are isolated, have no roads and limited transport networks, poor

access to healthcare and education services and high rates of poverty.

With the help of AusAID funding, World Vision

Australia set up a Maternal Child Health and

Nutrition (MCHN) project to improve the

health of women and children (0-5 years) in

Makira.

The project has trained up 34 Village Health

Volunteers who help increase knowledge of

health issues, nutrition, pregnancy, delivery

and preventing childhood illnesses.

Women are encouraged to make regular visits

to the health clinic for check-ups and advice

and bring their children for growth monitoring.

Regular awareness talks are held during

antenatal check-up days.

Priscilla Pageni, 28, (pictured) speaks about the

changes she has seen since the MCHN project

was established.

“Before World Vision came to our village and

did the awareness, mothers did not know

about the health issues and…were ignorant about their family’s health.

“Now after attending the workshops…the mothers are regularly visiting the clinic for

check-ups and are now more careful in preparing the right kind of food for their

family,” she said.

Photo Credit: ©2013 World Vision