August 2014
Dear friend,
“True prayer links itself to the will of God and runs in streams of compassion and intercession for all peoples,” someone said. When we pray, we are a bridge between God and the people we love. Through prayer we lift up countless women from many races and nationalities who share a culture of abuse, pain, and shame, and connect these sisters with the power of a compassionate God who can touch, heal, and save them. We boldly bring women suffering from harmful cultural practices such as fistula and female genital mutilation (FGM) to God. We pray for women in developing countries as well as in the West who are at risk of or already enduring devastating, debilitating, and denigrating consequences of these barbaric practices.
According to the World Health Organization, “FGM violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.” My heart cringes when I read this testimony of a medical doctor working at the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa: “This beautiful patient, from the far north of Ethiopia, suffered permanent spinal damage during an obstructed labor that lasted for eight long days. Eventually her baby was stillborn. She will never walk again ...” She was probably a child bride, and her small body was not ready for pregnancy. Or it may be that her parents wanted to protect her virginity by performing FGM – a circumcision that cripples and denigrates women.
God is already at work! Our friends and faithful supporters from Norea Mediemisjon in Norway, concerned with fistula victims in Ethiopia, asked us to create a media component for their missionary work among the Ari people. So we are producing an audio drama series called Healing Voice. It will inform, educate, and effectively raise awareness of these inhumane cultural practices. Its format and content is designed especially for oral learners. Healing Voice will be placed on handheld devices and distributed along with audio Bible promises and special songs to women all over the Ethiopia.
Thank you for being that bridge between these dear women and God, who will answer our cries as we boldly and fervently pray for them.
Blessings,
Marli Spieker
Global Ministry Director/Founder
Project Hannah
TWR