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Author: CEDAR Fund

The Righteous will Live by Faith

Written by Dr. Kwok Wai Luen (Associate Professor of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University) For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ Romans 1:17 When I was a relatively new believer, I would sometimes come across this saying in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11: “The righteous will live by faith”. Seeing that Paul taught the relationship between the law and God’s grace, I always thought this particular verse was quite obviously about being saved by grace through faith. However, I later came to realise that Paul’s words were actually an

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‘Share’ 242 – ‘This generation doesn’t want sectarianism’

In areas rife with conflict, intergroup communication does not come easy, and any form of reconciliation seems even further out of reach. However, when we fall back on humanity’s most fundamental instincts – the desire to listen, understand, and accept – such dialogue no longer remains an excuse to judge others. Instead, it manifests into a space for acknowledging past mistakes, providing the opportunity for competing communities to construct a future together. Under ‘Focus’ of this issue, we travel to Lebanon, where we get a glimpse of the meaning behind interfaith dialogue and the ministry of reconciliation. We also invite CEDAR’s partner and staunch advocate of peacebuilding Dr. Kwok Wai Luen to share how the Bible encourages believers

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When Trust is Exploited: The story of Mitra

Trust is a good thing to have in any relationship. However, there are times when trust could be exploited, and that is when tragedy happens. Mitra came from a poor family and lived an impoverished life. When she reached 15 years old, the sister of her stepmother said to her, I have a job for you. Although you will have to move to another country, you will earn a lot more to provide for your family. Mitra completely trusted her aunt, given that she was a close relative to her family. As a result, Mitra listened to her and moved to a neighbouring country for work. Unbeknownst to Mitra, her aunt owned and managed a brothel. When Mitra

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Report on Emergency Response in Afghanistan

Ever since the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization both decided to withdraw forces from Afghanistan earlier in the year, Afghanistan has been in the spotlight for media and news reports worldwide. As the Taliban swept through Afghanistan and entered the capital Kabul, the world is shocked by the scenes of thousands of Afghans fleeing from the airport. It is heart-breaking to witness Afghanistan turning into a battlefield raining in bullets.   As a response to the recent situation in Afghanistan, CEDAR began its rescue work in June to provide relief to the people of conflict-affected areas. Through our close-knit relationship with the local partner, we have efficiently delivered emergency food and hygiene items to 320 families,

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CONTINUALLY INSPIRED, UNCHANGING MISSION

Written by: Edward Lai  (Senior Communications Officer) A Haitian woman sits on the floor beside several circular mud cakes. She rubs pieces of dust off the mud cakes, and slowly puts the cakes into her mouth, chewing slowly. To her, and to many other Haitians living in poverty, these cakes – made by mixing mud with water and salt, kneading the mixture into the shape of a cake, and setting the cakes under the sun to dry – were their daily meals; their life-saving meals. Our founders, Mr and Mrs Oliver Mark, were deeply touched by the sight of women eating mud cakes. They were in the UK at the time; after returning to Hong Kong, they were

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READING THE BIBLE FROM THE MARGINS

Written by Winnie Fung (Board Member of CEDAR Fund, Academic Head of Lumina College) Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy… Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work… Deuteronomy 5:12-14 When you read this passage, what jumps out? Many of us may answer: the seventh day is meant for rest. However, for the impoverished, it may be the opposite. Justo L. González, in his book Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes, shares about a pastor who, when preaching this passage, asked his poor and urban congregation: How many of you were able to work

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‘BEYOND FEEDING THE POOR’ CAMPAIGN

Written by Edward Lai (Senior Communications Officer) ‘I hope that my little donation will help you and can make a change to your life!’ ‘I pray that you will be joyful, that the Lord will help you and that you will have a prosperous life!’ These are the words of primary school students in Hong Kong when they wrote words of blessing to our beneficiaries overseas. Though most of them have never seen the beneficiaries of CEDAR’s projects. They have realised, through our activities, that there are people living in poverty: these people only want a simple, happy life; they do not want extravagance. There is a popular saying in Zimbabwe, ‘Hungry men are angry men.’ When one

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CEDAR’S PEOPLE. CEDAR’S TOUCH.

Banner Photo: Bonnie with her husband who has supported her throughout the years. Written by: Edward Lai  (Senior Communications Officer) Editor’s note: In this issue of ‘Learn a Little More’, we’ll introduce you to our ‘coffer keeper’, Bonnie. Through sharing her experiences and thoughts while serving with CEDAR, you will understand more about what kind of Christian community CEDAR is, and witness God’s unending grace. ‘Time flies when you’re having fun. In a blink of an eye, I have served CEDAR for 23 years,’ said Bonnie Ho during her sharing in a prayer meeting with co-workers. Over the past 23 years, Bonnie has witnessed several milestones of CEDAR. From the 1990s, when founder Mr Oliver Mark ran CEDAR

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‘SHARE’ 241 – Special Issue: CEDAR 30th Anniversary “Beyond Feeding the Poor” II

This year marks the 30th anniversary of CEDAR. This year is not only a year of celebration, but also a year that teaches us to move forward courageously by standing firmly on the foundation built by our predecessors. In this issue of ‘Focus’, we will share exciting testimonies from our 30th anniversary event and the direction our ministry is headed towards. We encourage you to continue to walk alongside us on this journey. We also interviewed a staff member who has served at CEDAR for many years where she shared stories about being part of the organisation. (‘Learn a Little More’). Additionally, we lead everyone in reading the Bible through the eyes of marginalised communities, which allow us

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THE LETTER FROM CEDAR | JUL 2021

Dear supporters, In just a year, I went from being the Acting Chief Executive of CEDAR to officially becoming the Chief Executive. Thanks to the trust of my colleagues and the board members, I have the opportunity to continue to assume the leadership role of the team. I am also grateful for the team’s concerted efforts. Even in the middle of COVID-19, we have been able to continue with our poverty alleviation project supervision and evaluation, as well as local fundraising, education and a series of activities and promotion work for the CEDAR’s 30th anniversary. We have also received the support and dedication we hoped for, so the projects and ministries supported by CEDAR have not been greatly

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