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REFLECTION: MIRIAM, CALM IN A CRISIS

Australia: Betty Shinkfield (far left) and church friends prepare medical packages that include rolls of bandages, that Betty would send overseas.

When Betty Shinkfield returned home from service as a missionary nurse in Bangladesh, she wanted to continue her ministry. So for over fifty years, she sent medical packages to doctors in isolated areas around the world.

After news of tribal fighting in Papua New Guinea in 2013, she rolled bandages and collected medicines from her church, Light Community Baptist in Melbourne, to send to three PNG Baptist hospitals. Soon friends joined her. When she passed away just shy of age 101, her family found a box half filled with supplies, waiting to be sent. It was one of many ways Betty addressed the world’s injustices, including supporting Baptist World Aid’s Vulnerable Children Fund.

Recently, Betty’s friend, also named Betty (Pitts) and a long-time supporter of Baptist World Aid,* opened the first edition of Better World magazine and read how those same PNG hospitals could have closed during the pandemic without supporters’ generosity. She thought of Betty. Determined to honour their friend, those church friends still send medical packages.

‘Betty’s husband used to call us “holy rollers”’, said Betty Pitts. ‘Now we send packages to a senior doctor in PNG. Betty’s dedication over the decades inspires us.’

‘Betty’s husband used to call us “holy rollers”, Betty’s dedication inspires us.’

BETTY PITTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE VULNERABLE CHILDEN FUND, SCAN HERE OR VISIT BWAA.CO/ VULNERABLE