Baptist Press Stories for Sep. 19 2012 --------------------------------------- Dying Paraguay mission hospital is transformed, given new life http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38747 Appalachia mine closures strain ministry centers http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38751 'Unconditional,' others, redefine faith-based film http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38752 'Focus on God even more,' Perkins says http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38754 WMU announces young women's outreach http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38750 Paraguay Baptist clinics treat, minister to poor http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38748 Baptist hospital implants new heart, new hope http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38749 BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38753 FIRST-PERSON: The facts about the 'Jesus' wife' fragment http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38755 --------------------------------------- Dying Paraguay mission hospital is transformed, given new life By Tristan Taylor Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38747 Read the other stories in this package: [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38748]Paraguay Baptist clinics treat, minister to poor[/URL] [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38749]Baptist hospital implants new heart, new hope[/URL] [IMG=33498@right@250]ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (BP) -- Marlin Harris' mission was clear in 1988 when he arrived in Paraguay as a Southern Baptist missionary: guide the transition of the mission hospital into a Paraguayan-run Baptist institution. But during one of Harris' first meetings with the Paraguayan Baptist leaders, a convention leader stood and said, "There's an elephant in this room, and that is that you all are trying to give to us the Baptist hospital. And it's in such bad shape, we don't want it." "Man," Harris realized, "we've got a long way to go here." Harris, who had helped administer hospitals in Mississippi and Texas, assessed the hospital's needs. The accounting system needed to be completely reworked for financial soundness. But more importantly, the administration needed to be reorganized to involve the Paraguayans more in management. Harris identified key leaders with the conceptual ability and the maturity to handle more responsibility, he said, but realized he needed one more person in place. A contact put Harris in touch with an Argentine pastor's son named Ernesto Simari, a solid businessman who wanted to work in ministry. Harris hired Simari as his assistant. "It was an adventure of faith, knowing that I was answering a call from God," Simari said. "We started working under a participatory leadership, and we defined the vision and the mission of the hospital, which gave us a clear view of where we needed to go." Shortly after Simari's arrival, Harris and his family returned to the United States to care for Harris' ill mother. The hospital was left in the care of Simari and the new Paraguayan management. It was almost a year before Harris was able to return. "I remember when I walked [back] into the hospital," Harris says. "I could just feel things were different. ... They were able to move forward." The struggling mission hospital had transformed into a full medical center with a reputation for excellent medical care and fair business dealings. It was this credibility that inspired a group of local medical professionals from non-evangelical institutions to approach Harris with an idea. "They said, 'We want to start a heart institute, and we don't feel like any other institution in the city could pull it off except this institution,'" Harris says. Harris and Simari had not considered taking the medical center in such a specialized direction, but they couldn't ignore the significance of the request. To generate the revenue needed for financial stability, the medical center already was building 20 private patient rooms. Creating a heart institute meant taking on an additional million-dollar project. "It was risky at the time," Harris said. "But it was just a decision of faith, and we felt like God wanted us to do it." A year after its creation, the heart institute performed Paraguay's first successful heart transplant in 1996. The history-making procedure brought unprecedented publicity to the medical center -- and also led the patient to Christ. Almost everyone on the hospital staff has a story to share about patients meeting Jesus at the medical center. Chaplains comprise a branch of the medical center's administrative structure. Six full-time chaplains and four medical chaplains maintain a 24-hour presence at the hospital to provide counseling for patients' families and ensure that every patient has the opportunity to hear the Gospel. "About 16,000 patients a month walk through the hospital," Harris said. "That's just a tremendous opportunity for evangelism and to share the Gospel. And usually those people are in a very vulnerable moment where they really need to hear something from the Lord." The medical center ensures this legacy of medical ministry will continue through the Baptist Medical Center University. At a campus adjacent to the hospital, more than 900 students earn degrees in nursing, occupational therapy, family medicine, mental health, clinical pastoral education, university teaching and hospital administration. But an added feature of the university is the spiritual training it provides all the students. "I think that the biggest legacy I can leave is the forming of men and women that are competent, compassionate and committed to the institution," says Simari, now the general director of the medical center. "[They] allow us to undertake great things for God." Harris left the field in late 1998, and now teaches Spanish at an Alabama high school. Upon retiring, he set up the Paraguay Baptist Medical Center Foundation, which has raised close to $800,000 to support the hospital and fund university scholarships. The hospital is financially sound, but the foundation keeps Harris connected to the institution where he invested two decades of his life. The medical center has not forgotten him. "For the Baptist hospital, the transition has been gradual and effective to such a level that today we can see a self-sufficient hospital, thanks to that gradual transition of forming professionals," says the Rev. Odenir Figueiredo, the university chaplain. "It was done in the right length of time." In similar cases in other countries, transitions rarely have been successful. But in the case of the Baptist Medical Center of Paraguay, the transition not only worked, but also brought unexpected benefits. The medical center is now thriving and furthering the Gospel through the medical care it provides. "Since I left in '98, the leadership has been really all Paraguayan Baptists," Harris says. "It has given the nationals a greater sense of identity -- that it's their work. They're not dependent on American missionaries anymore." In 2011, Harris returned to Paraguay to celebrate the nation's bicentennial with his friends at the medical center. It was a time for everyone who had been through the transition to reflect on the work God had done there -- and continues to do today. "The Baptist Medical Center exists so that we can reach people and tell them about Jesus," Figueiredo says. "And I think we have achieved this basic principle left by the missionaries." --30-- Tristan Taylor served as an International Mission Board writer in the Americas. Read more stories about what God is doing among the peoples of the Americas [URL=http://americanpeoples.imb.org] here[/URL]. Click [URL=http://thepbmcf.org] here[/URL] to read how the Paraguayan Baptist Medical Center Foundation continues to support the hospital. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Appalachia mine closures strain ministry centers By Dannah Prather Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38751 PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (BP) -- Ministries in Appalachia are bracing for a tough winter as hundreds of residents have been furloughed or lost their jobs because of cutbacks in coal production amid the nation's changing energy industry. A single employer, Arch Coal, laid off 750 workers across Appalachia in August. Other companies have been forced to idle employees or close operations. Added stress on an already economically depressed area has created a sense of urgency among a number of Baptist ministry centers. "These ministry centers rely on in-kind donations as well as financial contributions," said Eric Allen, leader of the Kentucky Baptist Convention's missions mobilization team. "There's no doubt that their resources will be stretched thin because of the increased need in these communities." John Fitzwater and his wife Melissa direct Loaves and Fishes Ministry in Lynch, Ky., as Mission Service Corps missionaries. The ministry provides food boxes to the needy each month. On a recent Thursday evening, "we had 66 new [people] or regulars who had not come to get a box in months," Fitzwater said. "We usually average about 200 boxes per month. We gave out 225 [in July]." Now that the layoffs are in effect, the Fitzwaters expect demand to go even higher in coming months. Judy Caulder, who directs Kentucky Sacks of Love in Benham, Ky., with her husband Frankie, said needs already were profound even before the mine shutdowns. Kentucky Sacks of Love provides backpacks, school supplies, clothing and other necessities to needy children. Before the school year began, "teachers were anticipating more students being eligible to participate [in Sacks of Love]," Caulder said. "We assisted with clothing and school supplies at two schools before school started and overheard several parents comment that they did not know what they would do without the giveaways." Allen noted that it is often during times of great need that God's people and His love shine brightest. "Each of these ministries is focused on sharing the Gospel as well as meeting physical needs," he said. "Kentucky Baptists can have confidence as they support these works." Other ministry centers reporting a need for added support are Freedom Center Ministries, Inc., in Lynch and God's Love from a Diaper Bag in Jenkins. Another ministry in need of food donations is Emergency Christian Ministry in Williamsburg, Ky. Director Bill Woodward said the shelter's location creates the demand, not mine layoffs. The shelter is only three blocks from an I-75 exit. People come because their vehicles are out of gas and there's no money to fill the tank, or maybe the car has broken down. Still others come on foot. Woodward said the needs are basic -- a safe place with a meal and a bed until they figure out their next step. "We have enough food for our clients," he said, but until recently the ministry also had enough to provide emergency food aid to families in need, even if they weren't staying at the shelter. Woodward said demand "usually picks up in October," and he hopes the pantry can be restocked by then. "The Lord will make a way," he added. David Aker, director of missions for South Union/Mt. Zion Baptist Association, said Emergency Christian Ministry "is thought to be one of the last centers for food operations" left in the area. Gifts to Southern Baptists' World Hunger Fund assist ministries in Appalachia and elsewhere in the U.S. and the world. For details, visit [URL=http://www.worldhungerfund.com]www.worldhungerfund.com[/URL]. --30-- Dannah Prather is the Kentucky Baptist Convention's marketing & media relations associate. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- 'Unconditional,' others, redefine faith-based film By Michael Foust Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38752 [IMGONLY=33504@left@90]NASHVILLE Tenn. (BP) -- Remember when "faith-based film" equaled "cheesy?" That label was blown away with such films as "Passion of the Christ" and "Courageous," and it certainly doesn't apply to the latest movie that is being marketed to churches and that opens Friday -- "Unconditional." Rated PG-13 and starring well-known Hollywood talent, the movie tells the [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=38721]true story[/URL] about "Papa Joe" Bradford (Michael Ealy) and his ministry to inner-city children. Bradford's love for the kids impacts his friend Samantha (Lynn Collins), who is questioning her will to live after her husband is murdered. The acting is stellar and the story gripping. It seems almost unfair to categorize it as "faith-based" not only because that label leads to negative reactions for many moviegoers but because Unconditional likely will have crossover appeal. Sure, "cheesy" still does apply to quite a few faith-based movies, but the landscape has changed in recent years, with solid movies hitting the big-screen regularly and finding success. Bob Waliszewski, director of Focus on the Family's Plugged In media/movie review website, says it's "definitely" the best run of solid faith-based films he's seen in his two decades of reviewing movies. In addition to the ones already mentioned, there's "Bella," "Fireproof," "Grace Card" and "October Baby" -- all of which had relatively low budgets but somehow looked bigger budget on the big screen. And that's not even including ones such as the "Chronicles of Narnia" series and "The Nativity Story," which actually did have much larger budgets. [QUOTE@right@120=Read our related story, "Unconditional film promotes faith in action," [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38721]here[/URL].]Asked why he thinks there's been such an influx of faith-based films, Waliszewski said Christians are seeing that they can "make a difference" and "impact culture" through movies and reach people who aren't interested in coming to church. Through films, he told Baptist Press, "we have the opportunity to bring in a whole lot of people and help them think differently about life, God and the bigger issues." Waliszewski wasn't talking specifically about Unconditional producer J. Wesley Legg, but he could have been. Legg and Unconditional's other producer, Jason Atkins, spent $2 million of money they had made managing a hedge fund to produce Unconditional. Legg, Atkins and a couple of other men launched the hedge fund in the mid-2000s. All of them were Christians, growing stronger in their faith, and they began looking into ways they could invest their money into God's Kingdom. So they created a foundation and gave to widow, orphan and evangelistic ministries.
"Then the Lord started talking to us about media," Legg told BP. "And I think it really probably first came from a conviction of, 'Hey, here's what media is doing to you, here's what it is doing to your family, here is how the enemy is using it.' Through prayer, the Lord kept talking to us about it -- particularly Jason. And so Jason had a tremendous burden. Passion had already come out and Facing the Giants came out." So the men used their hedge fund profits to launch an annual short film competition called the Doorpost Film Project. They'd pick a topic -- forgiveness, for instance -- and ask for submissions. They'd receive hundreds. They picked 10 winners, each of which would then receive enough money to make another short film, this one focusing on the subject of "hope." The film competition, though, only whet their appetite for filmmaking. "God wouldn't really leave us alone about it -- particularly Jason," Legg said. And in 2009, they shut down the hedge fund, returned the money to their investors and launched into filmmaking, starting Harbinger Media Partners. There were at least two problems, though: They didn't have a story idea, and they had never made a movie. God, though, had a plan all along. While participating in a Nashville inner-city ministry they met the real Papa Joe Bradford, who headed a ministry called Elijah's Heart. One day while eating lunch with Atkins, Papa Joe began disclosing secret details about his background -- how he had been in prison, how he had nearly killed a man while there, and how he had moved to the projects after getting out of prison and felt compelled to help under-served children. That sounded like a good story for a movie, but who would help make it? God was at work there, too. The Doorpost Film Project had put them in contact with dozens of good filmmakers. They started contacting them. One of them, Brent McCorkle, had won third place one year and became Unconditional's writer/director. Others from the film competition joined the Unconditional crew, too. The film was shot in the fall of 2010. "Jason and I never believed that we would make a film," Legg said, "and all of a sudden, it was like a farm league: We were sitting surrounded by all of these filmmakers, and different levels of filmmaking -- not just directors but cinematographers, writers, costume people. God had built a network for us with all of these people, and us not knowing we were going to be making a film." For the Unconditional cast, Legg and Atkins wanted the best Hollywood talent their money could buy. Collins and Ealy each have been in major films. "If we really want to reach people, if we really want to reach those that are going to movies every weekend, we have to raise the bar on the quality, or they're never going to see our movies," Legg said. "... We just took it as an opportunity to say, 'Hey, let's get the best actors we can get, just like if you're building a church, we'd say let's get the best carpenter we can get.'"
It's been a joy to watch the quality of faith-based movies improve. Sherwood Baptist Church's movies -- their last three being "Facing the Giants," "Fireproof" and "Courageous" -- have gotten better with each release. (I still rate Courageous one of the five best movies I've seen.) October Baby was solid, and Unconditional builds on all of those. Interestingly, all five of those films have Southern Baptist ties. Sherwood is an SBC church, while October Baby director/producer John Erwin attends The Church at Brook Hills, an SBC church in Birmingham, Ala. Legg's church -- Judson Baptist Church in Nashville -- is SBC. B&H Publishing and LifeWay have released three products to accompany the release of Unconditional: a Bible study, a novel and a children's book ("Firebird"). The latter is referenced in the movie. Legg said he wants Unconditional to have a bigger impact on moviegoers than do most mainstream films. "I want people to know who God is and that God loves them -- and no matter what's going on in their life, no matter what they've done, no matter what's been done to them, no matter what they've gained or lost, that God is a loving and caring God that cares for each one of us, and that He's with us," Legg said. Unconditional is rated PG-13 for some violent content and mature thematic elements. It has no language or sexuality. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. It has no language or sexuality. More information: http://unconditionalthemovie.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- 'Focus on God even more,' Perkins says By Anne Reiner Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38754 WASHINGTON (BP) -- American politics needs more of God, not less, a pro-family leader asserted during the three-day Values Voter Summit in Washington. "It is time to focus on God even more," said Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council. "The threat today is greater than it was in the cold war." Perkins' comments, voiced in a news conference, came a little more than a week after the Democratic National Convention restored a reference to God in its party platform, which initially failed to include such a mention. He addressed reporters' questions at the Values Voter Summit, sponsored by FRC and other socially conservative organizations. During the news conference, Perkins said the election is not just about one issue. Though he is president of a pro-family organization and focuses on such issues as abortion and marriage, Perkins cited the importance of foreign policy in this election. He referred to the recent attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Libya to make his point. The attacks in Libya must not go unpunished, and people are looking for America to lead in that endeavor, Perkins said. This is an example of the United States' failed foreign policy, and many people understand that and want it to change, he told reporters. "We are an economic leader; we are a military leader," Perkins said. Other countries look to America to help solve the world's problems, and the United States must once again lead globally, he said. Perkins also acknowledged many families consider the issues of their mortgages and the economy as the most important parts of the election. Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum focused on the importance of American values. He urged Americans to keep God in the forefront of politics and to hold to traditional family and church involvement. "The basic premise of America and American values will always be sustained through two institutions, the church and the family," Santorum told participants. Abortion was also a key topic at the Values Voter Summit, with Lila Rose, pro-life activist and president of Live Action, addressing the importance of protecting the weakest in the country. "We believe in an America that protects and respects every human life, we believe in an America where the weakest and the most innocent among us should be protected, should be cared for," Rose said. Rose described her experiences doing undercover work inside Planned Parenthood clinics. Her work has shed light on various practices at Planned Parenthood centers, including support for sex-selective abortions. In addition, Live Action's hidden camera investigations have shown Planned Parenthood employees demonstrating a willingness to assist self-professed sex traffickers whose prostitutes are in their early teens. She accused the Obama administration of pushing an increasingly extreme abortion agenda. She pointed to Obama's four votes against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act when he was in the Illinois Senate. Despite her opposition to the current administration's policies, Rose is optimistic when Americans see the facts they will begin voting accordingly and turn America around. "I believe that we are going to see that day again soon when every life is respected and protected in this nation, and it's up to the people, like the people here in this room, to take on the call and say we can do this together. We are under a just God and we can prevail," Rose said. In addition to Family Research Council, other sponsors of the Sept. 14-16 event were FRC Action, American Family Association Action, American Values, Heritage Foundation, Liberty University and Liberty Counsel. --30-- Anne Reiner is an intern with the Washington bureau of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- WMU announces young women's outreach By Staff Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38750 [IMG=33496@right@250]BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) – The national Woman's Missionary Union has announced myMISSION, a new, primarily web-based organization for young adult women in missions. Jean Roberson, national WMU ministry consultant, said the new initiative celebrates young women as a force for Christ. "[Young women] combine their desire for a deep, authentic faith and a passion for reaching those who are suffering in this world," Roberson said. "We hope myMISSION can be that place where faith and practice meet." The new organization builds on the website [URL=http://www.mymissionfulfilled.com/]mymissionfulfilled.com[/URL] that WMU created in 2007 to provide missions discipleship resources to the next generation of young women. The organization will connect young women through Bible studies, community events and missions projects. The Web site features missional Bible studies and products, interactive blogs from six young adult women in different stages of life, and articles on such topics as prayer, social justice, time management, money and relationships. The site offers event planning guides and get-started kits for churches, schools and others interested in beginning myMISSION groups. The first myMISSION Bible study is myGod: A Study on the Attributes of God. This 15-session study focuses on five attributes of God: Creator, All-Seeing, Leader, Relater and Redeemer. In each unit, young women will engage in Bible study, community building, and a hands-on missions project. A unique feature of the site is a community art gallery allowing members to share their individually created art. "Art is an outlet for people to express themselves while connecting to others" said site content manager Courtney Simpson. "It can be an expression of worship, and it is not bound by language, culture or ability. Anyone can create art and it can connect us to the 'creator' attribute of God. "Ideally, a myMISSION group develops Biblical knowledge, grows in Biblical community and provides opportunities to share the knowledge of Christ with others through missions," Simpson said. --30-- Reported by WMU communications staff. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Paraguay Baptist clinics treat, minister to poor By Tristan Taylor Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38748 Read the other stories in this package: [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38747]Dying Paraguay mission hospital is transformed, given new life[/URL] [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38749]Baptist hospital implants new heart, new hope[/URL] [IMG=33494@right@300]ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (BP) -- When Edith Cáceres de González says she loves Paraguay's indigenous Maká people, she means it. The Paraguayan nurse has spent her career working full time among the Maká, who live near the edges of Asunción, providing medical care to people most medical facilities in her country refuse to treat. "There's a lot of poverty; there's a lot of need," says Cáceres. "Very few are able to sell their crafts now, and crafts are their only source of income." Missionaries strive to leave behind a ministry legacy that will be carried on by local believers like Cáceres. But few have realized this goal as comprehensively as those who worked at the Baptist Medical Center of Asunción, Paraguay. Over a 12-year period, the International Mission Board transitioned its Paraguay mission hospital to the ownership and management of Paraguayan Baptist nationals. In the process, the hospital expanded into a medical center with a heart institute and a medical university, but never lost its focus on missions. Cáceres works on site at the Maká colony in a clinic built by the medical center. She has helped the Maká face such joys as pregnancy and such trials as addictions, cancer and most recently, scabies and tuberculosis. "I love them so much. I love them," says Cáceres. "They fully rely on me, and we need to keep helping them." Cáceres asks for prayer to handle the many challenges she faces with the Maká. It can be hard to convince the people that taking medication will help them, and when they return from selling their crafts, they often introduce new diseases to the community, Cáceres said. But if the Maká go to other treatment centers, prejudiced doctors won't even see them. "We're very thankful to the Baptist hospital, because the nurse is always helping us out a lot," said Maká Chief Andrés Chemhei. "The Lord uses the hospital to attend us, because there's no other hospital in the country that helps us. If it were not for the Baptist hospital, our tribe would not exist today. They don't distinguish between Indian and Paraguayan." At an auxiliary community clinic, family doctors provide exams and medication at a reduced cost for patients who struggle financially. The clinic sees about 20,000 patients a year, including an 83-year-old woman who suffered an asthma attack, has bronchitis and is getting her medications through the community clinic's pharmacy, said Alica Lezcano, director of the medical center's Department of Community Health. The medical center also provides weekly support groups for people with eating disorders and alcohol and drug addiction. Groups for expectant mothers promote healthy deliveries and breast-feeding. In true missionary fashion, the medical center expands its geographic reach through mobile clinics begun 60 years ago when the hospital was built, said Marlin Harris, former medical center director. "They started doing the mobile clinics, and they didn't stick around here in Asunción," Harris said. "So you could say 'Baptist hospital' in the remotest area of the country and people would know what you're talking about." The mobile clinics, called The Baptist Medical Center In Your Community, travel to low-income neighborhoods throughout Paraguay and into neighboring Argentina, setting up temporary clinics at local churches. The medical center provides medications for distribution, and doctors, nurses, administrators and chaplains staff the temporary clinics as volunteers. "Through our clinics we have had an impact in those communities. The churches, after having a clinic, always grow," Lezcano said. "It is a way of supporting the local church." Providing discounted or free health care to those who can never repay it requires an uncommon investment. But that is part of what makes the Baptist Medical Center unique. As a national Baptist institution, it continues a legacy of outreach began by the hospital's missionary founders and thereby ministers through medicine. "It's hard; it's tiring; it's stressful. The limitations are many," Lezcano said. "But I know that we do all we can." --30-- Tristan Taylor served as an International Mission Board writer in the Americas. Read more stories about what God is doing among the peoples of the Americas [URL=http://americanpeoples.imb.org] here[/URL]. Click [URL=http://thepbmcf.org] here[/URL] to read how the Paraguayan Baptist Medical Center Foundation continues to support the hospital. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Baptist hospital implants new heart, new hope By Tristan Taylor Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38749 Read the other stories in this package: [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38747]Dying Paraguay mission hospital is transformed, given new life[/URL] [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38748]Paraguay Baptist clinics treat, minister to poor[/URL] ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (BP) -- At only 5 years old, Tatiana Benítez was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a severe heart condition. Doctors told her parents that without a transplant, the Paraguayan girl would die within a year. "You can imagine how I felt when I heard that," says Tatiana's mother, Lilian Isaurralde. "We were in pain, both suffering as parents." Isaurralde sought help for her daughter, but the Ministry of Public Health of Paraguay told her national insurance doesn't cover heart transplants for children. With no other option, she and her husband, Sebastián Benítez Jimenez, decided he would find work in Spain so the transplant might be provided by Spain's national insurance. "We felt so alone, because we were young parents, and we both come from humble families. ... We didn't have medical insurance," the mother said. "We asked God to lead us to the right place, to put us on the right path, and to put us in the hands of people that could help us." Meanwhile, the condition made the little girl's lips turn blue and her hands turn yellow. She became thinner, but her abdomen swelled. She had so little energy she could only leave her bed to use the restroom. "I don't want to watch the other children play, because I can't play," Benítez told her mother. "I can't play, and I feel bad because of that." As the girl's condition worsened, Isaurralde continued to search for help. She took her daughter to the Baptist Medical Center of Asunción. "I didn't know anything about the hospital," Isaurralde said. "But we felt well there. So we continued going there." The medical center was once an International Mission Board hospital, but through a 12-year process, was transferred to Paraguayan management. It is now a thriving medical center with a heart institute, a medical university and a legacy of sharing the Gospel with its patients. Cardiovascular surgeon Jorge Jarolín took on Benítez's case. "She came in a very bad state and went straight into intensive therapy," Jarolín said. "She went into a state called 'terminal cardiac insufficiency' that wasn't even responding to the medications. In other words, we needed to find an organ for Tatiana right then." Jarolín knew the difficulty of finding a heart that would be the right size for Benítez. He also knew the difficulty of dealing with the little girl's rare Type B blood. But most of all, he knew the difficulty of finding an organ donor on such short notice. The situation looked grim. "She was not going to live two or three more days," Jarolín said. "We needed to find a heart at that very moment ... and a miracle happened." Two days later, a doctor in another city called saying he had heard about Benítez's case and might have a donor heart for her. The doctor's patient was a child Benítez's size with Type B blood who had been diagnosed as brain dead. Jarolín took a team of pastors, assistants and a psychologist to meet the other doctor and the patient's family. "The hardest part was convincing the family to make the donation," Jarolín said, "a very, very difficult thing." But the family agreed to the donation, and Jarolín performed the transplant the following day, Sept. 1, 2007, about a week before Tatiana's 7th birthday. Today, she is nearly 12 years old. "Her outcome was spectacular!" Jarolín said. "Tatiana's case is a miracle from God!" Only three weeks after the transplant, the patient was discharged from the hospital, and her father returned from Spain to find his little girl walking and playing again. Benítez's parents were overwhelmed with gratitude for the medical center's help. "There was always someone there giving us strength, a chaplain praying with us, reading biblical passages with us," Isaurralde said. "It was like we could never feel alone because we felt well accompanied. We felt very secure. There was warmth, a trust." In addition to performing the heart transplant, the Baptist Medical Center also underwrote the costs of the operation. Such monumental acts of generosity are part of the hospital's mission to show God's love to its patients. Ernesto Simari, general director of the medical center, praised God for guiding Benítez's case. "Everything worked out in such a synchronized manner," Simari said. "We give glory to God, because He allowed this girl to receive a heart and have a new life." --30-- Tristan Taylor served as an International Mission Board writer in the Americas. Read more stories about what God is doing among the peoples of the Americas [URL=http://americanpeoples.imb.org] here[/URL]. Click [URL=http://thepbmcf.org] here[/URL] to read how the Paraguayan Baptist Medical Center Foundation continues to support the hospital. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012 By Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38753 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum. Bible Passage: Matthew 25:40; Deuteronomy 31:8, 1 Timothy 4:12 Discussion Question: What kinds of ripples and waves are you setting into motion with your words and works for Christ? Food for Thought: Scores of little kids as well as older folks alike were captivated last month by the Olympic Games. Whether they were wishing to have an opportunity to compete one day or nostalgic for what could’ve been, the Games will create ripples and waves in the sports community for months to come. Others will work on their athletic craft until the next Olympics in 2016. One athlete who captured the hearts of thousands worldwide is Oscar Pistorius. The South African runner who competed for gold in the 400 meters track event and carried his country’s flag during the closing ceremonies was born without the smaller bones in his lower legs. He never thought of himself as disabled. “My mother used to tell us, ‘Carl, put on your shoes. Oscar, put on your prosthetic legs.’ So I grew up not thinking I had a disability. I grew up thinking I had different shoes.” Jonathon McEvoy, Olympics correspondent for the London Daily Mail, wrote, “Oscar is a giant of modern sport. A pioneer. The master not only of the possible but the seemingly impossible.” Pistorium, however, credits just one for his success in life and on the track. He has a public commitment to Christ: “God is the most important person in the world to me,” he says. “If I’m on the right path spiritually, it helps with everything else…. He is the reason for my success and the one that takes me from strength to strength. Christ makes all the difference. He aids me in my struggles and makes my glories that much greater.” That’s something we all need to keep on our minds and in our hearts despite the number of medals we may never earn. MASTERWORK MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors, offering pertinent messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at [URL=www.LifeWay.com/MasterWork]www.LifeWay.com/MasterWork[/URL]. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at [URL=www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool]www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool[/URL]. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The facts about the 'Jesus' wife' fragment By Thomas White Sep. 19 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38755 FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- With all the media publicity over Karen King's release of information about the fragment of "Jesus' wife," pastors likely will receive questions from members this weekend or in the near future. For us, there will be two main questions. First, was Jesus married and does it matter? Second, what does "she will be able to be my disciple" mean in the discussion over proper women's roles? I was interviewed by a local media representative, and since I had to do a little research I thought I would share it with others. The Facts About the Fragment: -- The fragment is smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side legible under a magnifying glass, with about four words per line. -- The fragment comes from the middle of a text, which means you lose context on all sides. -- They think the fragment comes from the fourth century. It is written in an Egyptian language -- Coptic, and is thought to be a translation of a second-century document. This has not yet been verified. The Facts About Karen King: -- The Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, she holds the oldest endowed chair in the United States (1721). -- Her books include "The Secret Revelation of John;" "The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle;" "What Is Gnosticism?;" "Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity;" "Revelation of the Unknowable God;" "Images of the Feminine in Gnosticism" (editor); and "Women and Goddess Traditions in Antiquity and Today" (editor). -- King currently is teaching a class titled "Women, Sex, and Gender in Ancient Christianity." -- For reference purposes, King has named the "gospel" of which this is a part the "Gospel of Jesus's Wife." No matter how good a fish tale you weave, this fragment is small. You can see the translation at Boston.com (http://www.bo.st/PUeBsU). Also, the document dates too late to have impact. The Gospels have authenticity because of the date of their writing, the connection to an eyewitness, and consistency with the rule of faith. Any fragment too far removed from Jesus' time loses credibility because of the distance from Jesus' life, and we can't know who wrote it or what agenda that person may have had. At best, this document tells us what some people were thinking in the second or fourth century. Yes, it is interesting, but no, it does not change anything. Bottom line is that we have older and more reliable documents in our Bibles. Check the sponsors. King has an agenda. The naming of the fragment and the naming of the gospel play into her research field of women's roles and unknown gospel accounts. This is like a hunting show demonstrating how you can't kill a deer without a Rage broadhead on your arrow. Then at the end of the show you find out the only sponsor is Rage. While King may be considered a fine academic scholar, she has an agenda. Was Jesus married? The New Testament never says so. We would expect to find this information in the Gospels if Jesus had a wife. Furthermore, Paul, when discussing this issue of marriage, notes in 1 Corinthians 9:5 that Peter was married. He likely would have stated Jesus also married to make his point, but he doesn't. Most theories of Jesus' wife have him married to Mary Magdalene. Even King says it is unlikely that Mary was Jesus' wife because she is known by the area of her birth, and if she was married, she would be known by her husband. What about women disciples? Jesus treated women better than did anyone of that time. He had believers and followers who were women, and He appeared to a woman first after the resurrection. So if "disciple" means "follower," which it likely does in the second or fourth century, then there is not an issue here. But don't miss the possible agenda. The New Testament clearly lists that men made up the twelve. The deacons chosen in Acts were men. Scripture gives the man the authority in the home and in the church. At the end of the day, this unverified fourth century Coptic fragment from an unknown source written by an unknown author doesn't compare to the New Testament record in our Bibles. So we should take advantage of this opportunity to reassure our congregations of the reliability of Scripture and warn them of the feminist agenda that pervades our society. --30-- Thomas White is Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's vice president of student services and communications. This column first appeared at his blog, [URL=http://www.thomaswhite.wordpress.com/] www.thomaswhite.wordpress.com[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net