YOU, yes YOU, can help in Haiti!

Jan 23, 2010 | Uncategorized

Hi dear ones! I am excited to share with you about this opportunity, because I hope some of you folks in the North Carolina, or USA area will answer the call!

Our dear friends Frank and Sharon Dees run a wonderful missions organisation back in NC called Youth On Mission (YOM)and they are organising trips to Haiti in the next few months to help with the relief efforts there. I personally don’t think you could sign on with a better couple of folks to be a part of a life-changing experience to touch lives and be a blessing in an incredible time of need.

Before you switch off or click to another post I just want to encourage you — yes, you — to consider that this could be a possibility for you. Your boss might actually give you the time off work to go and be a part of this. (You won’t know until you ask). Your church might be willing to do some car washes, bake sales, etc., to raise the funds to help you be a part of this. (You won’t know until you ask.) People might even offer to help take care of your kids. Your professors might say it’s okay to miss a few classes. So before you say n-n-n-oooo think about the possibility of saying yes. Rich Mullins used to say, “If you ain’t called to stay, you’re called to go!” (That might be my paraphrase…but think about it!)

Here are the details from Frank:

Good afternoon, I pray that you are all well. I want to let you know about opportunities for you to directly help with the current relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. I will be traveling with our International Mission coordinator Bob Adams and a team of 12 volunteers into Haiti the week of February 27. The team will work with YOM’s partner ministry SCORE International, which has a served in the Dominican Republic for 20+ years. Below is specific information on where we will be serving and what we will be doing.

The level of interest and desire to help has been amazing the last several days as God has brought about the right partners and opportunities to go and assist in whatever capacity the Lord allows. The small contribution that our ministry can make is summed up in our mission statement:

“Youth On Mission exists to meet spiritual and physical needs by equipping and mobilizing short term mission teams for the purpose of sharing the love of God through His son, Jesus Christ.”

This is why we exist and what we seek to do every day. The disaster in Haiti is another opportunity for all of us, as the body of Christ, to meet these spiritual and physical needs by sharing the love of God through his son Jesus Christ. I pray that we will all assist in whatever capacity and by whatever means we are able.

YOM will recruit another team for the week of March 6-12. This is the second week that I will be in Haiti after our initial group returns to the U.S. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti and YOM as we seek what our part in this will be going forward. Please let me know if you have any questions, thoughts or concerns that we can help with.

March 6-12  – Trip Cost: $1,300 per person

1. $500 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is due at registration to secure a spot. Tickets will be purchased at the time of registration; therefore, no one is registered until the deposit is received.
2. Spots will be given on a first come first serve basis; we cannot hold spots without at deposit.
3. Final balance is due by FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19

Cost includes: Airfare, meals, lodging, ground transportation, insurance, and supplies. Application and notarized Medical Release form must be completed by February 19. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent.

Ministry Locations:
You will travel to one of the following ministry cities during your trip at the discretion of our partners on the ground. You will not be able to choose which city you go to. As of 1-22-10, most ministry is currently based in Jimani.

1. Port au Prince (PAP): In PAP we are working with an orphanage that sits right beside the runway for the airport. Teams will use the orphanage as a base camp to distribute supplies and provide medical help.
2. Jacmel, Haiti: this is a town on the southern coast of Haiti, about 30 miles south of PAP. Jacmel is not getting relief teams because of the difficulty of reaching the location. SCORE is working with the Mayor of Jacmel and we have a building that we can use for our base camp there.
3. Jimani, D.R. This is the town right on the border of Haiti. Refugees are flooding out of Haiti and coming to Jimani. A local hospital there has offered to let SCORE International use an entire floor of the hospital to work with the refugees. This will be a location where medical teams can provide much needed relief.

Tentative Trip Schedule:
Saturday: Fly from USA to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. SCORE will pick you up at the airport and take you to a hotel in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic.
Sunday: Purchase food, water, and medical supplies. Travel to your ministry city.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Work in your ministry city. (Medical clinics, food and water distribution, etc.)
Thursday: Travel from your ministry city back to Santo Domingo. Stay in town of Juan Dolio that night.
Friday: Fly home to USA from Santo Domingo airport (SDQ).

What to Bring:
Pack light! Bring two to three changes of clothing. $100 or less of spending money will be plenty unless you are bringing extra cash to buy donation supplies with. Sleeping conditions may vary in your ministry city, so be prepared to sleep on the ground or in rough environments. Most common items needed on the trip include: flashlight, sunscreen, towel or wash cloth, snacks or protein bars, bug spray, sleeping bag or tent, and toiletries. Also, it is a good idea if everything you bring for your own needs fits in a backpack.

How to Sign Up:
Call YOM @ 1-800-299-0385 or email yom@yom.org or visit our website (www.yom.org).

Send in the paperwork via email or fax as soon as possible. YOM needs full payment for your trip by FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19. We accept Visa and MasterCard, and check.

Safety Concerns:
As of right now our people on the ground do not foresee and safety concerns in the Dominican Republic. This is why we feel it is best to bring teams in through the DR and stage the trips from there. As the groups go into Haiti, we will have a security envoy that will travel with them. The situation on the ground changes day by day and safety in Haiti is never guaranteed. We will do our best to keep you posted about the safety level of the teams in Haiti

Health Concerns:
There are no required immunizations at this time. You can refer to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for up to date information about shots and immunizations. (www.cdc.gov)

Passports:
Yes, passports are required to fly into and out of the Dominican Republic as well as travel between the DR and Haiti. If you do not have a passport and want to get one with an expedited service, try www.visahq.com The 2 day service costs $200 (plus the regular passport fee of $135). At checkout, enter the promo code HAITIHQ to get 50% off of the service fee, making it only $100.

Extra Nights:
We have had some inquiries about people wanting to go on a Rapid Response trip and stay for longer than the 7 day / 6 night trip that we have planned.
If you would like to go and then stay an extra week, we can do that. The price is $50 per person per night for any extra nights ($350 for one extra week, $700 for two extra weeks, etc).
Please understand that when the team leaves their ministry city on Thursday morning that you will have to return with them to Santo Domingo.
We will not be leaving anyone in a ministry city or in Haiti in between the trip dates.
You will return to a ministry city with the next team on the following Sunday.

Ultimate Goal:
The ultimate goal of our Rapid Response Mission Teams in twofold. We want to go and provide physical and medical relief to those in need, but more importantly we want to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and meet their spiritual needs.

Frank Dees
Youth On Mission, Director
frank@yom.org
www.yom.org
www.facebook.com/YouthOnMission
1-800-299-0385

(Caroline here) Well, guys and gals… I think that sounds like an amazing opportunity! If I wasn’t halfway around the world here in SA I would really be keen to jump in! If you are interested or have more questions, I would definitely suggest touching base with Frank or visiting www.yom.org. If you decide to go, please let me know! We (me and hopefully your fellow readers) will keep you in prayer during the trip, and I would love for you to guest post on the blog about your experience when you get back! Please pass this post on to anyone you think might be interested!

Call Waiting

Jan 23, 2010 | Prayers in Poetry & Prose

Until You feel the timing’s right
for You to speak or move,
Lord, I’ll wait and I’ll hold on,
cos I’m holding on for You.

Though waiting seems much harder
and I don’t see the way through,
I mean it when I say I love You,
and I’m holding on to You.

I Love You, Too

Jan 21, 2010 | Baby Photos, Stories, The Good Word

In some ways I’ve been experiencing a sort of spiritual renaissance lately. I think there is something really significant about going through trials, learning to trust God and count it all joy. Plus, I’ve just been challenged, as I may have shared with you, that if I want to be real about anything, I want to be real about seeking and loving God.

One little tidbit of delight that has been bringing me joy lately has sprung out of my continued realisation that the Lord really loves me. As I shared with you at New Year’s, I’ve been allowing myself to soak that in, and really believe it all over again. And as a result I am reminded of so many beautiful truths. The Lord loved me long before I loved Him. The Lord loved me before I even knew what love was. He knit me together in my mother’s womb, and He gave me a great mother, so He really must’ve loved me even then! 😉

In response to this love, instead of saying “I love you, Lord” in prayers and quiet moments here and there, I’ve often been saying “I love You, too.” This simple sentence is such a beautiful reminder to my soul that I love the Lord because He first loved me. And that I’m only able to love Him because He already loves me, and has put His love in me.

I can't wait to hear an "I love you, too" from this little guy. I wonder if that's how the Lord feels about us.

I can't wait to hear an "I love you, too" from this little guy. I wonder if that's how the Lord feels about us.

It just feels different to say “I love you, too” no matter whom you’re saying it to. The first statement, “I love you” feels like you’re taking the action and onus on yourself — to profess love, to point out something you are doing or feeling or being, and you might often say it without really knowing whether the other person will also say it in response. It can be a bit risky, hey? But “I love you, too” says “I know you love me. I am glad you love me. I am happy to be in your love, and I am responding to your love with love.”

At the moment it occasionally feels like a tiny revolution in my heart, to constantly remind myself that I am loved by God, as I tell Him I love Him (too). And although it may not feel that way forever, as we are created beings which tend to tire of doing something a certain way (shouldn’t we be thankful for seasons and time and all the changes the Lord has given us, since we are the way we are!?) I thought I would nevertheless share this potential tiny revolution with you, in case it would stir your heart to be reminded of the goodness of God toward you. He already loves you. Very much. I hope it causes you to worship, to be so very glad, and to love Him, too.

Trust Me.

Jan 20, 2010 | Stories, The Good Word

How often have you heard that statement? A few times too many? Enough to get you in trouble? Sometimes I hear it from people who I feel pretty certain I shouldn’t trust. Sometimes it comes from the guy on your doorstep trying to sell you some miracle cleaning solution or oceanfront property in Kansas.

More often than not, it’s not a serious statement — and it can almost be an indication that you ought to take lightly whatever the person you’re speaking with is about to say next. I always picture Aladdin saying it to Princess Jasmine just before they jump off a building and land in a sand pile, and I guess he was trustworthy. I digress.

Do you trust me?What if God says “Trust Me?”  Is that a different kettle of fish for you? For the past wee while, Mark and I have been praying about some decisions regarding our next steps here in South Africa — about perhaps getting part time employment to make ends meet, or trying to raise more support or — whatever other direction the Lord might lead us in.

Can you guess what the Lord’s response has been as I’ve brought this before Him in prayer? Yup. Trust Me. No booming thou shalts, no other thoughts or directions, just a still, small Trust Me.

I have found hearing a Trust Me from the Lord really encouraging. It has given me an expectation that He is going to do something great…that He’s going to come through for us in some unexpected way…or at least that something is going to happen. But today as I was spending time in the Word and in prayer, I noticed a heaviness on my heart.

The first thing that came to mind was “my thoughts are a mess.” As I went over what I’ve been thinking about and dwelling on. You know those random thoughts you find swirling in your head while you’re shampooing your hair or waiting for the baby to finish his bottle or driving along or absent-mindedly stirring a pot on the stove? Those are the meditations of your heart. They’re a good indication of what’s really going on in there.

And what’s been going on in there ain’t none too purty. I’m full of fear and worry, and mis-trust. Un-trust. Non-trust. Well whatever it is, it ain’t trust! It is really remarkable that Trust Me was God’s Word for me, before I even knew I needed it.

The Bible has a really simple solution to this issue. Would you like to hear a few thoughts on it, dear one? Great! Today I returned to II Corinthians 10 which talks about, among a lot of other really good things, “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” What I understand from this is that I should consider the thoughts in my head in the light of God’s truth. If they don’t line up with what His Word says, I need to get to a place in my heart and mind where they do line up.

What does that look like? Well, let’s say I’m worrying… be reminded, dear ones, worry is actually a sin…we are specifically instructed not to worry or be anxious about anything! Nevertheless, I am in process and working on this, so let’s say I am worrying about provision for the future. I’m worried about our finances and how all the ends are gonna meet. What does the truth have to say to this concern?

Therefore, do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)

That’s a great answer, hey? It’s a good idea at this point for me to ask the Lord to forgive me for not trusting Him and for giving so much of my heart over to worry and to fear. Then it’s a good idea for me to begin thinking about that promise from God’s Word, and exchanging my yucky meditations for meditations on God’s Word…His truth and His promises. Think about it until you’re convinced! I think it is good to think about what you’re thinking about…don’t you think?

I look forward to telling you how the Lord brings things about in the days ahead, but in the meantime, perhaps we can all learn and grow and be a little more conformed to His image thanks to the opportunity we’ve all been given to simply trust the Lord, and believe what He says.

The Sermon in a Nutshell: Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. (Corrie Ten Boom) And take some time to do some thinking about what you’re thinking about! (Me)

Travelling Tuesday: Close to Home in GB… with History!

Jan 19, 2010 | Baby Photos, South Africa, Travel..ling Tuesdays

Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is going great, dear ones! We went for a walk on the beach Saturday morning. The sun was high and shiny, the water cool and inviting, and the Bear more than willing to be a superstar photo subject. The pictures were too cute not to share. My apologies if you feel like you’ve seen too much Bear so far this week. We’ll move on tomorrow! 🙂

Enter said beach, stage left. And the Bear, desperately hoping a beach walk is on the agenda. Somebody preez open dis gate!! he seemed to say.

Beach, preez?

Here’s a good shot of a bit of the area where we live. A lot of the houses nearby are amazing, huge beach houses that people only live in one month out of the year. It’s kinda sad!

Close to Home

See the rounded windows with balconies in the background? Our apartment is in the complex through the entrance underneath. We would love to take care of one of those houses while the people are away, though! 🙂

Chilly Toes

The Bear decided that even if it’s chilly, walking in the water ain’t so bad! Yes, I can see his hair is scruffy and a cut is in order! Leave me alone about it, I’m not ready!

See the “GB” with an anchor spelled out of white rocks in the background of this next shot? (It’s rather faint). It’s in honour of General Louis Botha, a steady fighter of the Brits in the Second Boer War. (You might remember me telling you before that the Boer Wars were similar to the American War for Independence aka the American Revolution, except the British won. There’s a little more SA history for you in some other posts here and here if you’re interested.) Anyway, years later, Botha visited London seeking assistance for the rebuilding of South Africa after the wars and Winston Churchill remembered him as the man who captured him in a Boer ambush of a British armoured train! He eventually became the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, the forerunner to the modern state we know as the Republic of South Africa. He was seen as the leader of the Boers for many years after the wars, so it was a good thing he had a mind to make peace. The Naval Station in Gordon’s Bay was originally named for General Botha, thus the letters on the hillside. How’s that for a history lesson from a blurry mountainside in the back of a photo?

And this is the excitement of seeing an airplane go by!!

Airplane

Hope you’re having a great Travelling Tuesday, and the road rises to meet you wherever your journey takes you next!