First Sunday

in Lent
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, we remember that God’s plans for all creation
are unfolding.

All: God is with us; we need not fear.

One: God has good plans for us;

plans to bring us greater wholeness and peace.

All: God is with us in our journey of becoming.

One: Let us pray.

All: Creator God,

we begin the Lenten journey
trusting that you are
intimately involved in our lives.
Whatever we face, we can
rest in your steadfast love,
and have the courage to
follow you into the new life
you have promised.
Help us to navigate each day
by the power of your Spirit,
and in all that we do,
let us honour Christ,
in whose name we pray.
Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
Emergency Treatment for Malnutrition

In Somalia, Shiindha was worried when her three-year-old son, Abdihakim,

became sick and hadn’t improve after two months. One day a community
worker from a PWS&D-supported nutrition project visited Abdihakim’s
village. After an assessment, the three-year-old was identified as
malnourished.

Abdihakim was immediately provided with a therapeutic food supplement

intended to prevent and treat malnutrition. “He really started becoming
healthier after two weeks of treatment,” shared his mother, Shiindha.
After a month and a half, Abdihakim made a full recovery.

Nutrition staff from the clinic also equipped Shiindha with advice on how
to diversify her family’s diet and how good hygiene practices can help
prevent further malnutrition.

Speaking of how thankful she is for the program, Shiindha commented,

“I am forever grateful for the existence of such services to help our
children.”

This Lenten season faithfully

respond to Christ’s call to serve
families in need. Through
support of PWS&D, we can help
vulnerable families overcome
hunger.

* This project is a collaborative

effort led by Development and
Peace with additional funds
from Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123306
 Second Sunday
in Lent
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, we remember God’s justice is being established

and the oppressed are set free.

All: Let us submit our lives to Christ and be liberated

from the patterns and sins that keep us captive.

One: God’s grace brings justice and is at work within us,

encouraging our relationships
and challenging the flawed systems we are part of.
Sometimes, change is gradual
and sometimes change happens quickly.

All: All things are possible with God.

One: Let us pray.

All: Liberating God, you call us to seek

that justice in the world which
reflects the divine righteousness
revealed in the Bible.
When it is difficult to see
your grace and justice at work,
let us feel a strong sense of
your presence and you at work
in the world.
Keep us focused on the one who
is the way, the truth and the life,
Jesus Christ, in whose name
we pray. Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
New Technique, New Hope

To Memory Nthakomwa, a young farmer from Malawi, it seemed like the

upcoming farming season would be as difficult as the rest.

She had witnessed what climate change had done to previous crops—
with inconsistent weather and floods, crop production had drastically
decreased, yielding very little.

Then, Memory was introduced to a new farming method known as

conservation agriculture. She learned the importance of rotating crops
and how to intercrop seeds so that even when the effects of climate
change did occur, she would be better prepared.

Memory was very hesitant to try the new technique. But after learning more
at a workshop hosted by PWS&D’s local partner, she grew more optimistic.

Today, she has not only increased the amount of land she farms using
conservation agriculture, but Memory is equipped with the tools and
techniques she needs to combat the effects of climate change and
recurring hunger.

This Lenten season

faithfully respond to
Christ’s call to serve
the poor. Through
support of PWS&D,
we can help vulnerable
families better
address the impacts
of the climate crisis.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123307
 Third Sunday
in Lent
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, God hears the desires of our hearts

and chooses what is best for us.
God draws us into a deeper relationship,
offering us compassion, mercy and insight.

All: God hears and responds to our plans when they honour
God’s purposes for creation.

One: While we don’t always recognize it, sometimes our dreams can
be distorted, harmful and not consistent with God’s principles.

All: We praise God for when God says “yes”

and for when God says “no.”

One: Let us pray.

All: All-knowing God, you see and

understand all things.
You walk with us on the journey to
Christian maturity, and we know that
you provide us guidance and wisdom.
Help us to follow your ways.
Make us patient when you correct us,
forgive us when we resist your
newness, and encourage us when
we seek new ways of being.
Let our lives conform to
the pattern of the life of Christ,
in whose name we pray. Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
Empowering Young Women in India

The night her husband came home intoxicated and began arguing with her
and physically abusing their one-month-old son, Murat knew she needed
to get help.

Fearing for their safety, she approached a local group for assistance: a task
force that had been established through a PWS&D-supported project in
Bihar, India.

Murat was appreciative of the task force’s quick actions. They intervened
right away by contacting local police officers who arrested her husband and
brought Murat and her baby to safety.

Since that night, Murat has attended training sessions through the project
where she has learned how to handle potential crises and stand up for
her rights.

While there is still healing that needs to take place, Murat and her son are
being supported by her family and community after their difficult ordeal.

This Lenten season

faithfully respond to
Christ’s call to serve
those in need.
Through support of
PWS&D, we can help
empower women
and girls to advocate
for their rights.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123308
 Fourth Sunday
in Lent
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, we remember that even when we disobey and turn away,
we are still loved by God.

All: God does not give up on us.

One: God breaks our stubbornness and calls us back from our wandering,
so we can experience the joy and peace that comes from
following Christ.

All: May we have the courage to hear, to change and to align ourselves
with Christ.

One: Let us pray.

All: Persistent God,

help us to listen for your voice.
Let us hear what you are
saying to us and make us
willing to change our ways.
Break our resistance,
forgive our sins
and call us back to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
our prophet, priest and king,
we pray. Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
Halidu’s Shop Equips Others in Ghana

Halidu Dayuma spends his days managing a prosperous and bustling

training center in Ghana, where he teaches kente weaving and
dressmaking.

When Halidu was just 13 years old, his right leg was amputated after a
chronic sore he developed didn’t heal. Halidu spent three months in the
hospital, recovering and learning how to use his new artificial limb.

During this time, Halidu also enrolled in PWS&D-supported workshops

where he learned weaving, tailoring and dressmaking. After graduating,
Halidu started his own business teaching other students. So far, he has
helped train 44 apprentices.

Halidu is grateful for the program, “I owe the community-based

rehabilitation program and all their partners, especially PWS&D in Canada,
a great deal of gratitude for contributing positively to my life. I am who I am
today because of your generous work and love. God bless you.”

This Lenten season,

faithfully respond to
Christ’s call to care for
the vulnerable. Through
support for PWS&D, we
are helping people
overcome barriers that
might prevent them
from living their most
abundant lives.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123309
 Fifth Sunday
in Lent
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, we remember that God is revealed in surprising ways

and at unexpected times.

All: All things are under the sovereign care of God’s goodness.

One: None of us ever imagines that God goes to such lengths to show us
the height, depth and breadth of God’s love.

All: Christ was even willing to give up his life for us.

One: Let us pray.

All: Surprising God,

you constantly come to us
in ways that surprise us
and redeem all things.
Help us to recognize
your guiding and comforting
presence as we seek to follow
you in our journey to understand
the meaning of the life, ministry,
death and resurrection of Christ,
in whose name we pray. Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
The Difference Food Security Makes

Before becoming a member of PWS&D’s agroforestry program in Haiti,

mother of four, Elimène Joseph, struggled to make ends meet.

“I wanted to start up my own business but couldn’t because I didn’t have

enough money. At times, I didn’t even have the money I needed to go down
to the market and buy a little food for me and the kids to eat,” she shared.

PWS&D’s agroforestry program is helping farmers by providing seeds

for black bean, pigeon pea and corn crops, which are more resilient
to a changing climate. Farmers learn sustainable field management and
band together in savings groups to make their earnings go even further.

Through the program, Elimène also learned how to pool her resources
together with other women. With help from her savings group,
Elimène started a business
creating chairs and brooms
out of palm branches.
Then, with her profits, she
began buying and selling
avocados. Now Elimène can
afford the school uniforms
and textbooks her children
need to be able to continue
their educations.

This Lenten season

faithfully respond to equip
farmers with the resources
they need to combat hunger
and care for their families.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123310
 Palm/Passion
Sunday
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, we remember that when life seems to change direction,
God is offering a new way of being.

All: Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey as the Messiah.

One: Instead of entering triumphantly as a victorious king,

he came humbly offering peace.

All: The crowd would change from shouting, “Hosanna” to “Crucify.”

One: They hoped that the Messiah would come to defeat the Romans.

All: But Jesus came to defeat sin and death itself.

One: Let us pray.

All: Holy One, blessed are you for you

come among us offering new life.
We recognize that we can be
blinded by our expectations and
are too often unwilling to see
your different and better ways.
Open us to the truth that
there is more to your reality
than we can see or understand.
In the name of Christ, who is
able to accomplish far more
than we can ask or imagine,
Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
Shining Hospital Provides More Than
Medicine in Nepal

It had been three years since Devika visited the hospital close to her home
in Rukum district, Nepal, to get her leg checked out.

“These don’t work,” she would think, day after day, about the medicines the
doctor had prescribed to her without giving her a diagnosis.

One day, after noticing more problems on her skin, Devika visited another
clinic. Then she tried a traditional healer. As her symptoms continued to
worsen, the answer seemed impossible to find.

After a friend praised the help she received at the PWS&D-supported

Shining Hospital, Devika decided to visit.

The professionals at the Shining Hospital helped Devika understand she

had leprosy and provided her with the medicine she needed.

Reflecting on her experience, Devika said, “[The hospital] has helped me a

lot to detect my disease and I am very pleased to receive all the treatment
and support. I am really grateful.”

This Lenten season

faithfully respond to
Christ’s call to provide
care and restore hope to
those who are suffering.
Through support of
PWS&D, we are helping
people build healthy lives.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123311
 Maundy Thursday/
Good Friday
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: During Lent, we remember that even in the darkest moments

of suffering and pain God is with us.

All: Jesus Christ was ridiculed and crucified for all people.

One: While innocent, Jesus died a gruelling death on the cross

to show us the way to God’s love and grace.

All: The hour of defeat, suffering and humiliation was the moment
of victory, honour and glory.

One: Jesus Christ died for us. Let us respond to God’s grace by
living lives worthy of Christ’s immeasurable gift.

All: We will take up our cross

and serve Jesus the Christ.

One: Let us pray.

All: Gracious God,

the gift of Christ’s death on the
cross is beyond our understanding.
In gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice,
we pray for the courage to
follow him and to have our lives
changed by him in whose name
we pray. Amen.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
Helping her Family Lead a Healthy Life

In Guatemala, 43-year-old Adelina López Vásquez lives with her husband

Rafael and their family in Comitancillo, in the highlands of Guatemala.

Adelina is a health and nutrition promotor in her community and a member

of “San Juaneritas,” a group of women working together on agricultural
projects.

The mother of 11 recalls how her life was very different before taking on the
role. “I didn’t put much importance in maintaining a healthy and nutritious
diet for my family,” she reflects.

Through training workshops hosted by AMMID—PWS&D’s partner in

Guatemala—Adelina has gained new knowledge and skills.

She’s learned the importance of maintaining a clean workspace to avoid

germs and the benefits of preparing foods with fresh ingredients grown in
her community instead of buying prepared foods.

“I learned new recipes that my family enjoys eating. I prepare meals for my
family accompanied with fresh ingredients that are sources of vitamins,”
Adelina happily shares.

This Lenten season

faithfully respond to
Christ’s call to serve
those in need. Through
support of PWS&D,
women are claiming their
right to a healthy life.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123312
 Easter
Produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development

One: God’s son was given so that whoever believes in him

will not perish but have eternal life.
We celebrate Christ’s victory and the power of God’s love
to transform all things.

All: Hallelujah! Jesus has conquered death and is risen.

One: Christ is risen indeed. The old life is gone!

All: And the new life has come.

One: Let us pray.

All: Loving God,

life is stronger than death,
love is stronger than hate,
and forgiveness stronger
than bitterness.
We are an Easter people,
redeemed by the gift of God’s
love through Jesus Christ.
We are an Easter people,
filled with joy and peace
in knowing our Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
We are an Easter people,
filled with hope.
AMEN and AMEN.

WeRespond.ca
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1J7
1-800-619-7301 | pwsd@presbyterian.ca
Christ is risen!
Every day that we respond to the poor, the hungry and the displaced,
we discover God’s resurrecting power. The poor are raised up, the
vulnerable are cared for and the sick are healed. Inspired by God’s promise
of abundant life and rooted in the living hope of Jesus Christ, our church
responds to the call to serve those in need with compassion, justice and
love. Through PWS&D, we are working in some of the most vulnerable
communities in our global village to restore human dignity, ease the pain
of want and promote community cooperation that benefits all.

Thanks to your support and faith in action, we are creating positive change.
In a world filled with need, we are responding with medical care, sanitation
services and emergency relief. We are responding with educational
opportunities, sustainable agriculture practices and skills training.
Together, we are promoting human rights and supporting refugees.
Faithful to our calling, we respond together.

This Easter,
please support
PWS&D.

WeRespond.ca

The development and relief agency

of The Presbyterian Church in Canada 2103123313