Photo of Jennifer Lau in duotone

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

Spring is a time to remember God’s faithfulness and rest in the hope that God is doing a new thing. While we witness the new life springing up around us, our hearts are also heavy as we witness the destruction and chaos unfolding in Ukraine.

In times of desperation, Jesus’ Church has the opportunity to provide hospitality, relief and comfort to those fleeing and help demonstrate God’s loving kindness. Churches all around the Ukrainian border are doing just that. In this crisis, we trust that God’s redeeming power is at work. Please continue to pray for the people affected by this violence and turmoil.

We also continue to carry on our other work, as we embrace a broken world through word and deed. In this issue, we provide you with a snapshot of the work that was accomplished in 2021. Through your generosity, over 200,000 individuals worldwide directly benefitted from CBM programs and projects last year. During these unprecedented times, the support of Canadian Baptists has allowed us to grow and expand our programming, impacting even more individuals and families in Jesus’ name. Find more impact numbers by turning to the centre pages of this magazine.

Also inside, we provide an update on the results of our Fall appeal in 2021, in support of church planting, evangelism and leadership training efforts around the world. One of those initiatives is in the mountainous region of Myanmar amongst the unreached Lahu people. The Lahu Villages Project is an inspiring work that has been made possible because of your support.

Providing education for kids at risk is one of CBM’s priority focus areas as the world emerges from COVID. The long-term effects of the global pandemic are putting millions of children’s hopes for a brighter future at risk. Access to education should not be regarded as a privilege, but a basic human right. (UN Universal Human Rights – Article 26). It is the single best tool to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty.

That is why the 2022 Active in Mission – Run – Bike – Walk-a-thon will once again focus on education and helping to keep kids in school. You can read more about this successful effort last year, learn how churches across Canada raised funds, and see the goals we have set for this year.

As we grow our reach and expand our programs, we must also increase our staff capacity to respond to those in need. I invite you to meet our newest Global Field Staff, Kathryn Scott. She is joining the Latin America team, as she faithfully responds to the calling God has placed on her heart to serve.

Empowering women is another important part of CBM’s work. We know that a better and more just world means working together to create gender equity for women in all areas of life. Inside, we share with you two stories from CBM’s Empowerment of Soura Widows program in India, which trains women with income-generating skills that can help lift them out of poverty. CBM has multiple projects around the world that benefit and empower women to improve their own lives and subsequently their families and communities.

On March 8, we recognized International Women’s Day by hosting a special episode of Mosaic where I spoke with Cynthia Westfall, Abby Davidson and Renée MacVicar. We had a meaningful conversation on women in leadership and why representation matters. You can watch our discussion on CBM’s YouTube page. In addition, we also heard from three of our Field Staff – Lilian Yang, Patty Nacho, and Laura Muema – as they shared updates from their region and gave encouragement to women and girls.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in the work of God’s mission. Your commitment continues to help bring transformation to the lives of so many.

Grace and peace,
Jennifer Lau
Executive Director