Nothing but Nets

One of the reasons I got into this pastor gig is because I felt the responsibility to do something constructive, creative, restorative with what I’ve been given. A lot of days, I feel like this is a goal that goes, at best, unfulfilled. (Catching up on emails, filing reports, committee meetings, and the like may be necessary, but rarely seem world-changing.) So when I got the call that invited me to be a part of my Church’s Net Distribution Team, I was beyond elated…but let me explain.

The people of the United Methodist Church are partners in the Nothing But Nets initiative, along with Sports Illustrated, NBA Cares, the United Nations Foundation and many more. Nothing But Nets is a grassroots initiative to eradicate malaria in Africa through the use of long-life, insecticide-treated bednets. Malaria accounts for 50% of all hospital and outpatient admissions in Africa, and 3 out of 4 people affected are children under the age of 5. Malaria is a nasty, killer disease, but the most effective means of curbing its spread and effects is through a simple $10 net.

So this November I’ll be distributing these nets to children in Côte d’Ivoire, where Texan Methodists have a relationship with Ivorian Methodists. Over a 10-day period, our 35-member team will be working with NGOs, the Ministry of Health, and the Church to distribute over a million nets (885,000 of which were donated through Methodists in Texas). That will still leave 6 million at-risk Ivorians unprotected, though...

...which is why I’m sharing this with you. It's not so that I can pump my own ego :) but to invite you to participate. If you haven’t already been to http://www.NothingButNets.net, I encourage you to do so to find out more about what this campaign is doing. You can donate, buy shirts & hats which advertise while providing a net, and share media & news. If you would like to help defray the team’s expenses, you can talk to me directly. I hate asking for money considering natural disasters and economic crises, but let’s face it—almost all of us are ridiculously better off than these infants, children, and pregnant moms. It’s an opportunity to be a part of mending the creation—making the world a better place—or being a good neighbor in the global village. And you can read about the distribution as it happens here at The Expatriate Minister.

Spend $10. Send a net. Save a life.