New Executive Director Sought as Sundholm Steps Down

Jim Sundholm, executive director of the Paul Carlson Partnership, has announced his retirement from that position for health reasons. Due to a recently discovered condition, Jim's doctors are denying him permission to travel to any place where he would not be within reach of good medical resources at all times. That clearly eliminates travel in Congo, which is an essential part of the executive director's work.

Sundholm says he is feeling good and will continue his work from here in the States until his successor is chosen. It is our hope then that he will continue to be involved with the PCP in other ways. For more information about the search for a new executive director, including the qualifications, see the article on the Evangelical Covenant Church website. The PCP is a separately incorporated not-for-profit organization, affiliated with the Covenant Church.

New Materials Now Available Online

All the new 2008 PCP informational materials are now available online. Click here to go directly to the PCP page of the Covenant Bookstore site.

Our theme for this year is "Hope lights the way!" and Paul Carlson Sunday is set for March 9. Covenant churches (and others!) are encouraged to bring the work of the PCP before the congregation and invite gifts, whether an offering, special project, individual gifts made later--or all of these! If March 9 is inconvenient for the congregation, the church can designate any other Sunday for this emphasis. The materials are not dated.

The items available through Covenant Bookstore online are listed below. All are available at no charge. Not just churches, of course, but any interested persons are welcome to browse the items shown there and order any that you would like. The items most requested by individuals are the Project Catalog and Kids Helping Kids!

In addition to these, a short PowerPoint presentation is available from the PCP office. Contact Sally Johnson to request a copy.

• Project Catalog
• Kids Helping Kids!
• "Hope lights the way!" bulletin insert / brochure
  
• "Hope lights the way!" poster
• "Democratic Republic of Congo" poster
• "Making a Difference in Congo" poster
• Response envelope 

Death Toll in Congo Tops 5 Million 

A study just released by the International Rescue Committee found that the intensity of hardship and death in Congo continues without let-up, a full 10 years after the beginning of the recent civil war. Here is the bulletin sent out today by the IRC. Following it will be an update on some of the things the PCP is doing to help restore the foundations of life in northwest Congo, even in the face of this unrelenting  tragedy.

Dear Friend:

A major mortality study released Tuesday by the International
Rescue Committee revealed shocking information about the ongoing
humanitarian crisis in Congo.

The study, which is being reported by major media outlets around
the world, found that conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo
have claimed the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998 and
continue to leave as many as 45,000 dead each month - making it
the world's deadliest crisis since World War II.

An article about the study in the New York Times this week
highlights comments by Dr. Richard Brennan, health director for
the IRC:

"The Congo is still enduring a crisis of huge proportions... the
international engagement has to be sustained and committed for
years to come... Is it possible that as few as five million
people died? It's much more likely that 5.4 million died. But
the exact number isn't as critical. This data can help us
understand the scale of the problem and target our solutions to
save lives."

For complete text of the New York Times article, click here:
http://ga3.org/ct/V13pVo51I42H/NYTimes 

MSNBC offers a multimedia report on the IRC's Congo mortality
study: http://ga3.org/ct/Zp3pVo51I42T/MSNBC

Also, we encourage you to take a look at this BBC News photo
essay by the IRC's Peter Biro:
http://ga3.org/ct/Z73pVo51I42Y/BBC

To access the IRC's full report, Mortality in the Democratic
Republic of Congo - An Ongoing Crisis, click here:
http://ga3.org/ct/Vd3pVo51I42G/CongoCrisis

Thank you,

The International Rescue Committee

PCP Builds on Hope!

In the face of such a scale of disaster that continues without weakening, individual local projects may seem small. Yet this is what we can do. We can join with the people in some places and work with them to make their lives better. And as partners together -- individuals, families, churches, foundations, whoever -- we can make a difference, and we are making a difference.

Since the rebirth of the organization in 2002 the Paul Carlson Partnership has launched over 130 projects in Health, Poverty, and Education. Here is the latest news on several of them.

The design for a solar-powered water system for Loko hospital has been completed, and most of the parts have been purchased in the States and are in a container on their way to Congo. The pumps themselves will be hand carried. The Rolling Hills Covenant Church, in southern California, has raised the funds for the new solar system, along with providing support for the hospital's operating costs. The hospital at Loko was named for Dr. Paul Carlson, who was a member of Rolling Hills.

Rolling Hills is also sending a work team in mid-February with the chief goal of repainting the hospital. Retired missionary Barbara Johnson will lead that group -- and carry the pumps in her baggage!

Five schools have now been roofed with corrugated metal sheeting in a project launched by the Kent Covenant Church in Washington. The five are Lycee Mombonga at IPOK, Institute Molende at Gemena, Institute Bemba at Karawa, Bogene Elementary School, and Bogene Secondary School. The Bosobolo Elementary School is still to be done. Others under consideration include Gefumba Elementary School at Gbadolite, Institute Gbadolite at Gbadolite, Mbenga Institute at Karawa, Sakofio Secondary School at Karawa, and schools at Wasolo, Abuzi, and Bumba.