A physician and ordained minister, Karen Durant looks at what it means to have life abundantly.  When Jesus referred to abundant life, he meant that each person should experience life in the fullest -- physically, mentally, spiritually and socially whole.  This Bible Study looks at the stories of Jesus and health.

Global Health Begins Locally
by Kolya Braun-Greiner

"We live in a time when technology and healing have joined forces to create incredible advances in healthcare," says Kolya Braun Greiner, author of this article.  It seems like long and healthy lives, due to modern medicine, are answered prayers.  But this is a skewed view, which doesn't look at healthcare around the world.  Ms. Braun-Greiner explores the North-South gap, the gender gap, and other issues that hinder good health around the world.  Then she looks at a holistic approach to health.

United Methodist Women are helping give a facelift to Clara Swain Hospital -- one of their oldest mission projects-- in Bareilly, India.  The first hospital for women in Asia, now 130 years old, decided that change was needed to keep up with changing technologies and health needs.  This is the story.

Speaking Out Against Tobacco Industry
by David Hilton

The Centers for Disease Control report 400,000 U.S. residents die each year of tobacco use.  This is more than 1,000 each day.  The product will kill you, but we continue to allow the tobacco companies to entice children and grandchildren to use their product.  This article looks at the profits behind the power and the actions Christians can take to stop tobacco company lobbyists.

When Northern pharmaceutical companies moved into Latin America and began marketing their drugs, traditional medicines were replaced.  But now, families don't have money to buy expensive drugs, and they're heading back into the fields to look for traditional medicinal plants.  "We had to return to old times to seek to recover the old wisdom of our mothers and grandmothers," says Luisa Gaitan, a Nicaraguan woman.  

Survivor Finds Kenya Breast Health Program
by Julia Mulaha

When Julia Mulaha was diagnosed with cancer, she cried and screamed.  "In my home country of Kenya, diagnosis of cancer is considered a death sentence," she says.  Miraculously, doctors moved fast and saved her from breast cancer, but it left a challenge for Ms. Mulaha.  She wanted to help other Kenyan women survive breast cancer.  This article is about the Kenya Breast Health Program, launched by Ms. Mulaha.

Burundi United Methodist Women Focus on Reproductive Health
by Athalie Kwizera

United Methodist Women of Burundi is spearheading seminars to teach church leaders about reproductive health and family planning.  Their goal is  for leaders to take the information home and teach others.  This is a story about the training and the dire necessity of it.

Women and AIDS:  A Growing Crisis
by Betty Gittens

Over the past 20 years, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has caused anguish and death around the world.  Still, women are the fastest growing segment of HIV-infected individuals and more than 15.7 million women living with this are between the ages of 15-24.  The bulk of these live in Africa.  This is a story about the rush to stop this epidemic, the underlying causes, and the stigma that needs to be thwarted.

Reaching the Differently Abled
by  A. Victoria Hunter

The Rev. Kathy Reeves, pastor in Illinois, is partially sighted.   But her visual impairment has spurred her to understand and advocate for others who are differently-abled people.  This story looks at the importance of this work and steps to making churches accessible and welcoming. 

Division Supports Landmine Bans
by A. Victoria Hunter

When the Women's Division directors gave $5000 in 1997 to the Campaign to Ban Landmines, the issue was just emerging in the U.S. media.  But for people living in as many as 70 countries, this was not a new issue.  The campaign continues and is critical.  This article tells us why and what we can do.