Last week, Ron and Lauris Fuller left their home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia for Niger, where they are spending ten weeks serving as International Relief Managers (IRMs) with CRWRC. Since April of this year, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, now known as World Renew, has focused its West Africa drought response efforts on Niger, and Ron and Lauris will be helping provide food assistance to Nigeriens struggling to survive chronic drought and food shortages. They are grateful for this new opportunity to use their time, experience, and skills to equip thousands of people in need.
Last week, Ron and Lauris Fuller left their home on Vancouver Island, British Columbia for Niger, where they are spending ten weeks serving as International Relief Managers (IRMs) with CRWRC. Since April of this year, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, now known as World Renew, has focused its West Africa drought response efforts on Niger, and Ron and Lauris will be helping provide food assistance to Nigeriens struggling to survive chronic drought and food shortages. They are grateful for this new opportunity to use their time, experience, and skills to equip thousands of people in need.
The Fullers became International Relief Managers (IRMs) with World Renew in 2006. At that time, they were both recently retired, and felt certain God was calling them to intensive volunteer work in this stage of life—but they were not sure yet what that work would look like. When they heard about World Renew’s IRM ministry, they felt that this volunteer position of managing international disaster response programs on CRWRC’s behalf was indeed what God had in mind for them.
“We said to ourselves: this is exactly what we’ve been preparing for all our lives. The cross-cultural work of empowering people and being resources for them,” remembers Ron. He and Lauris have since served as IRMs in Kenya, Haiti, and Malawi. This is their first trip to Niger.
While serving as IRMs, Ron and Lauris have been struck again and again by the resilience of people in disaster-affected communities—and they fully expect to find the same resilience in Niger. They have a deep appreciation and passion for World Renew’s emphasis on equipping disaster survivors for the long-term and helping them embrace their God-given potential.
In Niger, the Fullers will help World Renew and its partners manage food distribution, food for work initiatives and the distribution of improved seeds. Such efforts are not only designed to meet the immediate needs of Nigeriens affected by the drought— they also help sustain people until the next harvest.
“It’s a real privilege to represent World Renew and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank—to engage with permanent staff, project staff, partners and beneficiaries in ways that respect their culture and also build on their capacity,” says Lauris. “We’re working with survivors, with their own abilities to bring to the table… [and] with CRWRC we have always felt that fostering dignity is something beautiful—the way God would have us be.”
Over their years as IRMS, Ron and Lauris have also learned that every project comes with its own challenges and hurdles. In Niger, for example, it is currently the rainy season—and washed out roads will very likely make food distributions more difficult. But Ron and Lauris are up for the task, and they are excited about acting on behalf of Christians throughout North America in this way.
“We get to represent the generosity of people in our churches,” says Ron, “and we get to translate that generosity into hope for the people on the ground who are really struggling—allowing them to stand tall through that process.” Please pray for the Fullers, and for all of those involved in World Renew’s West Africa drought response efforts. Pray for the safety of partners, staff, and beneficiaries as they work together for a better future.
Please also prayerfully consider supporting this effort with your financial gifts. For the food assistance portion of the response, donations from Canadians for the West Africa Drought Response will be matched 4:1 by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through CFGB. Donations outside of Canada will not be matched, but are still urgently needed, particularly to cover some of the non-food needs.
Support World Renew’s response to the drought in West Africa!
World Renew US
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Ph: 1-800-55-CRWRC
World Renew Canada
3475 Mainway
P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
