--- ICE BREAKER: ¾ people living in Sub-Saharan Africa will fall ill from Malaria this year. For every blank card, give 3 with mosquito. Ask anyone who has had Malaria to stand. Ask anyone who has known anyone who has had Malaria to stand. Sit down. ---

Malaria claims 655,000 lives every year. 85% of those lost are children. Every 60 seconds, a child dies of malaria. that means... MALANJE, Angola — Domingos weighed only 7 kilograms (15.5 lbs) when he came into the hospital. He had been sick for several days before the family brought him in for treatment. He was suffering from acute anemia and couldn't breathe. At 3:50 p.m. on Sept. 25, 5 minutes after this photo was taken, 8-month-old Domingos Antonic died. "His veins were so small it was hard to give him the transfusion he desperately needed," Quipungo said. "A pediatric surgeon would have been able to cut deeper and find a vein. It might have saved his life.” Asked what else would have saved his life, she answered softly, "Oxygen." The hospital does not even have an oxygen tank. The heartbreak is even harder to deal with knowing that malaria is a disease that can be prevented and cured, she said. We will never know what Domingos could have achieved in his life. 46 percent of all the deaths in Malanje are related to malaria. Malaria is the No. 1 cause of death for children under 5 in the southwest African country of Angola.

A History of Healing Key Concept: Imagine No Malaria is the next step in our history of work in Africa We, as the UMC, have only begun to let our light shine. But bright already it has shone. Suggested Talking Points: As United Methodists, our tradition of work in Africa spans nearly 200 years General Conference 2008 affirmed Global Health as an area of focus Through a generous grant from the United Nations Foundation and out of the passionate response to Nothing but Nets the UMC created Imagine No Malaria as a comprehensive response to the devastating scourge of Malaria Imagine No Malaria builds on the success of “Nothing But Nets” and takes it beyond, preparing us to engage public health in Africa not only with nets, but with a comprehensive and effective strategy that will attack all the killer diseases of poverty. Where we used to focus only on bed nets, now we fight this disease nets, treatment, education, communication and advocacy – our scope (and impact) are delivering life-saving results! This is why many people think of Imagine No Malaria as “Nets Plus”

Communication Prevention Treatment Education A Comprehensive Approach Key Concept: Prevention and Education Prevention: Insecticide-treated bed nets are still the most effective way to prevent malaria, but we must go beyond nets. Actions like draining standing water where mosquitoes breed, trimming foliage and proper sanitation are also critical to reducing malaria’s impact. Education: We know that local people are a trusted source of information regarding malaria. We work at the community level to train health workers to deliver and install bed nets, and teach people about malaria. This grassroots network will be valuable as we move beyond malaria into other diseases of poverty and health issues in Africa. Communication: Efforts are focused on behavior-change communication. Making sure messages of prevention methods and the importance of net usage are delivered and understood. Treatment: Improving the existing healthcare infrastructure. The UMC operates more than 300 hospitals, clinics and health posts on the continent of Africa. Our work builds the capacity of these facilities to provide adequate care for those seeking malaria treatment. Education

What can I do? Calls to Action for leadership, churches, and individuals Each of you are engaged and active participants in the church . Some of you have hearts for children, some for mission, some maybe even for Africa. But I also know that you care about your local congregations.   I believe that Imagine No Malaria can not only save lives, but that it also has the ability to energize and revitalize our churches as we open our hearts and our doors and step out into the world. I want to invite you to partner with me in this extraordinary effort. I want you to begin today by surrounding this campaign in prayer... because with God - all things are possible. But I also want you to begin dreaming today about what your local church will do to make a difference.

Advocate! Key Concept: Advocacy is a critical part of how we fight malaria as a global community. We must continue this work, our faith in action, to end preventable deaths from malaria in Africa. We do this in three main ways: Advocate! When it comes to saving lives, we have a critical role. The United States government is the single largest support of global health programs in the world. In times of economic uncertainty, budget funding is constantly under a threat of substantial cuts. We have hosted several successful events at the US Capitol, but you don’t have to travel to Washington DC to make a difference. But, we need your help to speak up for the children of Africa! Your voice will be shared with UMC leadership, malaria partners and elected officials to urge continued global health support.  Over and over in the scriptures we are reminded that our calling is to help those who cannot help themselves. Those who consider the helpless will be delivered, those who practice justice will be rewarded, those who practice kindness and compassion towards their neighbors will be blessed. Our lives are interconnected and what sustains the life of another will sustain our own as well.

Raise Funds! Key Concept: You have received, freely give. Raise Funds! In order to provide the resources so urgently needed to fight malaria, we need your help. Please pray and consider what sacrifice you can make for “the least of these.” In Ohio, two little kids decided to start a lemon-aid stand to raise money for kids just like them in Africa. The adult Sunday school class at their church promised to match, dollar-for-dollar every $ that was raised. The adults had to stop matching when the kids raised over $30,000 to save lives.   Every time we celebrate communion, we are asked to become as living sacrifices – to give all we are and all we have to the work of God. Whether that is taking the time to sell lemonade or prayerfully thinking about what you are called to give to this incredible effort, I hope that you will hear God calling you to help save lives today. It only takes $10 to join this movement to save lives. Many people are choosing to give monthly – for example just $28 each month adds up to $1,000 in 3 years! Donations can also be made online at ImagineNoMalaria.org Or by donating through your church

Engage Your Community! Key Concept: Share with your community. Engage Your Community! Spread the word. Share messages about this ministry with friends and neighbors. Expect to change the world. Bringing this mission outside the church into your community is a great way to show how this work in Africa is literally our faith in action. Make Imagine No Malaria part of how you Rethink Church. We have seen conferences engage their neighbors with 5k walk-run events, skeeter shoots (Texas skeet shoot) and even by hosting a public screening of “A Killer in the Dark” The easiest way to get folks involved is to sign up for the INM mobile action network. Just text BUZZ to 27722 to receive updates delivered right to your phone.

African Proverb Thank You. If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this ministry. Give your personal – CALL TO ACTION Together, we can do more than we ever imagined. So I stand before you today and ask you to imagine no Malaria. Thank You.

Questions?