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By Lloyd Mackey
RALPH BROMLEY comes by his missiology honestly.
His father Percy, now 98 and still enjoying life,
served for decades in Asia and taught missions-related courses at Prairie
Bible Institute for almost as long.
His lawyer brother, Blake, advises governments and
non-profit agencies in the setting up and administering of charities which
enable faith-based relief and development work.
His sister, Lois Bromley Hammond, founded Christian
Info in Calgary 30 years ago. Now in the Fraser Valley, she continues to
nurture a range of Christian social service and missional projects.
Hope For the Nations, the Kelowna-based humanitarian
agency directed by Ralph Bromley, has been in the news recently.
Two of its workers, John and Eloise Bergen of
Vernon, were viciously attacked at their widows-and-orphans support garden
project in Kitale, Kenya.
Although they wanted to stay in Kenya, they were
persuaded to return home for a period of healing. Before going back to
Africa – not necessarily to Kenya – they are expected to
address church groups across North America about their experiences.
For his part, Bromley continues to line up partnerships
in many countries in both Africa and Asia, with a view to supporting
projects specifically designed to assist widows and orphans.
His efforts with HFN grew out of his work in the
Okanagan in the early 90s. An early project, operated through the Society
of Hope, was to develop residential housing clusters specifically designed
for single parents .
He notes with satisfaction that he and partner Luke
Stack were able to provide 340 “doors” (housing units).
In due course, the idea of applying similar
Judeo-Christian service concepts to meet the needs of orphans and widows in
other, far-off nations, captured Bromley’s attention.
Hope For the Nations was the result, with a board of
directors including Okanagan business people John Devries, John Brinkerhoff
and Nick Arkle.
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Asked how HFN leaders choose the countries and partners
with which to work, Bromley speaks of “divine intersection.”
Partnerships often involve “individuals who are already building and
working with children at risk, helping mostly with orphans.”
These orphans – and often the grandmother widows
who are trying to care for them – may be in their situations because
of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
But there are other reasons, as well, Bromley
maintains.
“They may be war-affected, or the victims of
extreme poverty or the sex trade.”
Bromley adds: “The majority of our activity
involves partnership, the forming of alliances to develop together.”
The partnerships, Bromley says, are Christian-based,
although financial support might come from a variety of individuals or
foundations not specifically Christian.
HFN does not get involved with larger Christian
non-government organizations. They are usually capable of standing alone,
he adds.
“We would have less than a dozen North American
couples, because so much is being done through national workers.
Contact: hopeforthenations.com.
September 2008
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