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BY JOHN COLEMAN
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT

A Baltimore-Washington Conference team just back from a 10-day mission trek to Zimbabwe shared heart-touching stories, images and insights from their trip before a luncheon gathering of nearly 200 local church and conference leaders in Washington, D.C., June 19.

The focus of their remarks, and of the luncheon at Metropolitan Memorial UMC, was Nothing But Nets, the collaborative campaign to fight malaria and save lives by delivering insecticide-treated bed nets to people throughout Africa.

Team members shared emotional testimonies, complete with visual slides and statistics, about the devastation caused by the mosquito-borne malaria disease and the great need and appreciation of the Zimbabweans who received more than 7,000 bed nets.

Half of the monies to purchase and deliver the nets came from the people of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, the other half from matching funds given by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

'We delivered nets to about 10 villages,' reported Beverly Schol, wife of Bishop John R. Schol. While clergy team members were teaching their peers at Africa University in Old Mutare, Mrs. Schol worked with three other lay team members to deliver the nets and teach people how to assemble and use them.

'We have a great responsibility, especially to women and children who are the largest group to die from this disease,' she said.

The clergy also helped deliver nets. 'We weren?t just teaching at Africa University (where the biennial local pastors? school was held), we were distributing nets,' said the Rev. Herb Watson. They also trained the 300 pastors at the school in the use of the nets and gave each pastor two to take home for their families.

The United Methodist Church is partnering with the United Nations Foundation, both the men?s and women?s National Basketball Associations, Sports Illustrated magazine and other groups to raise millions of dollars for the bed nets, which can significantly abate the malaria epidemic.

'This is a spiritual issue,' said Bishop Schol, who reported that the more than 7,000 nets the team delivered had been prayed over by his conference.

'Malaria, AIDS, poverty are first and foremost spiritual issues. Until we realize these are God?s children, we won?t be able to effectively address (these diseases),' he said.

'Every 32 seconds, someone in the world dies of malaria, and that includes 100,000 children a year in Africa,' Schol reported, snapping his fingers steadily like a clicker to count off the disease?s death toll. He likened those grim statistics to a 747 jetliner crashing everyday in Zimbabwe, taking the lives of all on board but inciting far more reaction than the silent but steady deaths caused by rampant malaria. 'What are we going to do about it?' he asked.

As team members opened and held up one of the blue nets, Bishop and Mrs. Schol pooled their dollars and dropped them into the open net. This prompted a procession of luncheon attendees who came forward to add their donations and pledges to become involved in the campaign. They raised a total of $1,746.

While Schol described the recent visit to Zimbabwe as his seventh, but 'the best and most meaningful for me,' it was the first for other team members who also shared their reflections.

'At first I questioned why go to Africa rather than just send the money,' said the Rev. Ianther Mills, Washington East District superintendent. 'But I learned the experience of being there with the people can?t be equaled. Being there changed my life forever.'

Watson, pastor of St. Mark UMC in Hanover, called his journey a blessing. 'As we visited the clinics and saw the faces of children there, we saw a vision of hope,' he recalled.

Yet, noting the prevalence of extreme poverty, he also recounted meeting a man who said many people were using the donated nets to catch fish. 'Why deal with malaria if you can?t find the means to feed yourself and your family?' the man asked.

The Rev. Robert Slade, pastor of Mt. Zion UMC in Washington, said his dream of going to Zimbabwe 'became a nightmare' once he arrived and saw the suffering there.

'My life will never be the same again.' Slade, who chairs the conference?s Connectional Ministries Table, was moved when he heard Zimbabweans singing 'Lord, We Need You Now.'

Two staff members of the UN Foundation expressed their agency?s need and thanks for the partnership with the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Adrianna Logalbo accompanied the team to Zimbabwe and helped teach the people there - including pastors - how to set up and use the bed nets. 'I was amazed at how many people there, especially children, had already had malaria,' she said.

Elizabeth McKee, head of the foundation?s campaign and a member of Foundry UMC in Washington, said 300 million nets are needed throughout Africa, and United Methodists have helped raise $7 million so far.

'The average donation is just $60,' she reported, emphasizing that most of the money raised is coming not from wealthy individuals or institutional donors but from people and churches of modest means.

McKee shared additional information and answered questions about the campaign, other health factors affecting the malaria epidemic in Africa, how the funds and nets are being distributed and the role of faith-based partners in the global effort.

'There are still many more people for us to reach,' said Bishop Schol. 'We want you to not just go back and share this story, but do something about it. We have to reach more people in our churches and communities with the message that by donating just $10 per net, they can save lives. We have to believe in this goal to end malaria in Zimbabwe because with God all things are possible.'