HOPE FOR A BETTER WORLD

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POSTCARDS FROM OUR PARTNERS

FROM OUR CEO

WELCOME TO THE

! B ETTER WORLD MAGAZIN E Hope For A Better World

It is not an understatement to say 2022 has been a tough year. There have been earthquakes, floods, and volcanos, affecting millions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tonga, and other parts of the world. There have been violent military conflicts, displacing millions of families in Ukraine, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sudan and beyond. And there’s been a subsequent global hunger crisis so worrying that the United Nations wonders if we might have to take food from the hungry to feed the starving.

All this, along with COVID’s ongoing impact has made it understandable why we might have felt hopeless this past year. But our God is a God of hope. And because of his great work planting hope in followers of Jesus, hope springs up in acts of kindness, care, and practical help for those who’ve been affected by all that 2022 brought.

We know this is true each time we read the Christmas story, the message of hope born into a messy world, as we read in this edition’s feature article, ‘Born into Brokenness’ (page 4). We see hope in the hundreds of workshops our Christian Partners provide on agricultural practices, health, and savings groups. We see hope each time a young person has a new sense of purpose they’ve discovered in one of our Child and Youth Clubs. And we see hope every time God’s people come together for those caught in the crossroads of disasters.

That’s why this special edition of Better World Magazine highlights all the hope in action we’ve seen this past year. From pages six to 11, it’s exciting to read an overview of the hope and change that emerged in our programs, disaster responses, and sponsorships throughout this past year, thanks to your generous support.

As an extra treat, we want to make sure you get a special Christmas greeting from our Christian Partners around the world on our Postcards pages (12-13). And we’re especially grateful to our guest columnist, Dr. Brian Harris, for his thoughtful and wise response to this edition’s Curly Question: What if we stopped celebrating Christmas? (page 14)

Recently, I was privileged to attend the thanksgiving service for Rev David Groves, National Director from 1990-2000. David was a remarkable man who’ll be remembered for his courageous service to make a better world for all. We’re honoured to continue his legacy.

We know it’s not always easy to hang on to hope in a world where famine, conflict, poverty, and injustice are rife (see our new devotional on page 15). And yet God in his mercy has given us a timeless hope in Jesus, one that truly does make the weary world rejoice. Thank you for joining us this year and in the years to come as we work for a better, more hopeful world for all.

Because of Jesus,

Melissa Lipsett CEO Baptist World Aid