Lesson two The Bread of liFe— More than spiritual …...The Bread of liFe— More than spiritual Food overview Jesus often referred to the “living water” and “bread of life”

Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Two | Page 21

Lesson two

The Bread of liFe—More than spiritual Food

ov e rv i e wJesus often referred to the “living water” and “bread of life” as He spread the good news. For people who have difficulty finding water and food to sustain them, it can be challenging to understand Jesus’ words.

k e y s c r i p t u r eJohn 6:48-51

e s s e n t i a l Q u e st i o nHow do people get the food and water they need to survive?

l e s s o n g oa l s» Develop a greater understanding of the essential roles water and food play in

community development. » Reflect on how water and food projects can lead to transformational development.

m at e r i a l s Pen, Bible, computer with Internet access, and video player

o n l i n e r e s o u r c e s from womenofvision.wordpress.com/hotm» “Water for All” video» “Lonica’s Story” handout

ag e n da» Introduction and opening prayer» View “Water for All” video» Reflect on Scripture» Consider our world today» Choose a personal response» Close in prayer» Review homework and further study suggestions

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i n t r o d u c t i o n a n d o p e n i n g p r ay e r

1. review the food and water logs you created last week. Consider the following:

» Did you use food or water excessively?

» Were you ever in need of food or water but didn’t have it?

» What role did that food and water play in your day? What purpose did it serve?

» How would your days have been different without easy access to these resources?

2. offer a prayer. Pray for those who are hungry and thirsty today. Spend a few moments in silence praying for those you know and those you do not know who are in this situation.

v i d e o view the video “Water for All” to gain a greater understanding of the role water plays around the world.

Which of these responses best describes your reaction and why?

» I was surprised to learn how unavailable water is to some people.

» I don’t know what I would do if my water looked like that.

» My feelings evolved from fear and anger about the situation to hope and joy.

» I want to know more about how to assist villages that need clean water.

» Other: (explain)

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s c r i p t u r e r e F l e c t i o n

1. Food and water have been a driving force for action throughout history. Read the following Scripture passages and consider the role nourishment plays in each.

» Genesis 26:1 » Exodus 3:8» Luke 9:12-16» John 21:1-14

2. consider the following questions in relation to the Scripture passages. Then share or journal your responses:

» What does food cause people to do in each passage?

» How does each of these actions demonstrate providing the “bread of life”?

» What relevance do you think these passages have to people today who lack food and water?

3. read John 6:48-51. Consider how the Scripture passage might help you in your efforts to help communities gain access to the food and water they need to nourish body and soul.

Could you understand what these passages truly mean if your hunger and thirst here on earth were never filled? Jot down your thoughts.

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c o n s i d e r o u r wo r l d t o day

1. read this information about the availability of water and food in our world today:

waterThroughout the developing world, women spend hours each day walking to a stream or lake to retrieve water for their family’s needs. Yet even after their arduous work, this water is polluted by:

» People bathing in it.» Parasites, bugs, and germs that live in the water.» People washing their clothes in it.» Animals wading in and drinking the water.» Contaminated jugs used to carry the water. » Lack of proper sanitation that causes streams to become “toilets.”

The problem of water safety is so widespread that The Washington Post reported 1.2 billion people use a water source that is filled with deadly bacteria, parasites, and waterborne diseases. As many as half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by people with a water-related illness.

Many people who rely on polluted water do not understand the risks it carries or how to purify the water. They also do not have access to wells and other sources of water closer to home that might eliminate the need for using the polluted sources.

FoodHunger is not a new problem. It has traditionally risen in countries that experience war (farmers are not able to tend to their crops as needed) and weather problems such as drought and flooding.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), world food prices have been rising steadily since 2002, with a dramatic upturn in 2007. Food prices have risen 83 percent since 2005—jumping 47 percent between January 2007 and January 2008 alone. Sharp increases in the prices of cereals, dairy, rice, soybeans, vegetable oils, and, to a lesser extent, meat and sugar have directly impacted the prices of food products on grocery shelves and in small marketplaces around the world. Imagine what that means for someone who was already struggling to feed his or her family. Today there are as many as 37 countries around the world that are in desperate need of food. The causes of rising food costs and diminishing food supplies are complex, but the reality for families affected by shortages of staple foods is simple and harsh. As food prices increase, standards of living decrease. Malnourishment

As many as half of the world’s hospital beds are

occupied by people with a water-related illness.

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and starvation become real possibilities, and families are forced to make difficult choices. The United Nations reported that one out of four children in developing countries is underweight, and some 350 million to 400 million children are hungry. The World Food Program reports hunger and malnutrition as the number one risk to health globally, greater than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

For vulnerable children, lack of food can lead to: » Riots and social unrest.» Children leaving school to scavenge for food or to seek work.» Early forced marriage.» Permanent damaged health.» Sexual and labor abuse.» Loss of basic rights.

In the United States, the effects of rising food prices, while far less critical, are also being felt. Some companies have announced an increase in the price of bread to compensate for rising wheat prices. Higher fuel prices are expected to push up the prices of fruits and vegetables that are transported long distances to markets. Food banks across the country are receiving fewer donations of certain surplus food items from grocery chains, such as cheese, yogurt, eggs, and meat. At the same time, they anticipate an increase in demand as low-income Americans struggle to pay higher grocery bills.

One issue that affects the hungry everywhere in the world is climate change. Increasingly damaging storms cycle with droughts and erratic rainfall, wreaking havoc for farmers around the world. In addition, forests are disappearing at unprecedented rates, displacing indigenous peoples. Fisheries have collapsed in coastal communities, leaving people hungry and unemployed. Access to water may be the biggest issue of the 21st century.

The increasing awareness about environmental problems on our planet has created a high demand for alternative energy sources. One of those sources is biofuels, which are made from farm products like corn. It can be more profitable for farmers to grow crops for biofuels than for human consumption. In 2008, an estimated 30 percent of U.S. corn production was used to make ethanol. While an alternative to gasoline, an unintended consequence is increased demand for corn and, therefore, higher prices for those who subsist on corn. Once again, the most vulnerable are disproportionately affected.

As the search for solutions to climate change continues, we are called to consider the wide-reaching effects of the issue on the most vulnerable.

Access to water may be the biggest issue of

the 21st century.

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2. consider the problems and consequences related to water and food. Share or journal how you have seen these issues play out in your community or in places you have visited.

Water and food are not abundantly available in many communities around the world like they are in U.S. communities. Most of us can turn on a tap and get clean water. We can go to the grocery store and choose whatever food we want. For most Americans, finding the nourishment our bodies need isn’t difficult.

Yet water is essential for life. Anyone who farms or grows a garden can share the impact rain or lack thereof has on crops. Water is crucial for sustainable development, including the preservation of our natural resources and the alleviation of poverty and hunger. The United Nations says nearly two out of every 10 fellow human beings have little choice but to resort to using potentially harmful sources of water.

The Environmental News Service reported that as many as 5 million people die every year of water-related illnesses. For children, that risk is especially high. Water Partners International says a child dies every 15 seconds of a waterborne disease.

The World Food Program reports that almost one in seven people (854 million) worldwide do not have enough food to sustain them. This chronic undernourishment feeds a never-ending cycle of disease, stunted growth, delayed development, and poverty.

About 25,000 people die each day of hunger or related causes—this is 9 million people per year. Yet the world produces enough food for everyone to have 2,500 calories a day.

c H o o s e a p e r s o n a l r e s p o n s e

1. read John 6:48-51 again. Considering what you have learned about the food and water challenges of people around the world, what do you think their reaction might be to the passage?

Nearly two out of every 10 fellow human beings

have little choice but to resort to using

potentially harmful sources of water.

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c l o s i n g p r ay e r

1. offer a prayer for all those who are in a position to provide food and clean water to those in need. Challenge yourself to eat one simple meal this week in solidarity with your brothers and sisters who are hungry.

H o m e wo r k Fo r n e X t s e s s i o n

all resources are available at womenofvision.wordpress.com/hotm. 1. read the handout “Lonica’s Story.”

2. visit www.endmalaria.org and learn about malaria. Consider donating an insecticide-treated bed net to prevent a child’s death.

3. Journal about experiences you’ve had with people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. If you have not encountered someone in this condition, have you ever encountered someone with an illness or disability that might put him or her at the same disadvantage as a person with HIV or AIDS?

Fo r F u rt H e r st u dy

» Read John 4:1-27 and reflect on the cultural issues and access issues in the story that are similar today.

» Read Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman.

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Communit ies Trans formed: Lesson Three: Handout | Page 28

in mozambique, endemic malaria is responsible for 30 percent of hospital deaths, 60 percent of hospitalized children, and 40 percent of outpatient consultations. Poor communities are now fighting back with support from World Vision in the form of life-saving mosquito nets.

Eleven-year-old Lonica has been closer to death than many girls her age in Lifidzi village, in the central province of Tete. On two consecutive occasions she had to be hospitalized for urgent treatment due to malaria—one of Mozambique’s main killer diseases. That was, however, before she received a mosquito net.

Lonica’s father, Jamiti Came, is a visibly relieved man. When asked about malaria, he said: “I received two mosquito nets in September 2008. From then, none of my children had gone to hospital because of malaria, and it was so frequent to take them there.”

Lonica tells her story: “I started going to school very late because I usually got sick and my parents did not know what it was. They took me to [the] hospital and there the nurse told us that it was malaria.” Lonica looks around and then longingly looks at her mum. “I was in-patient, twice at the post health. My mother was crying, because if were not me at the hospital were my brothers who were in the hospital. . . . Life was very difficult for my mother.”

So what has changed since then? “Dad sets up for us the mosquito net every night and all of us, my two brothers and two sisters, sleep under it very peace-fully! No more mosquito bites. Good riddance, malaria!”

Then, like any other 11-year-old girl, she does what she likes doing best when not in school. She goes and plays with her friends, grateful for the life-saving mosquito net she has at home.

Lesson Two Handout

lonica’s storyBy Claudina Lembe, World Vision communicator

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BELOW: Lokol, a boy in Kenya, sleeps under

a mosquito net.

Documents

Lesson two The Bread of liFe— More than spiritual …...The Bread of liFe— More than spiritual Food overview Jesus often referred to the “living water” and “bread of life”