Mission Dominican Republic

To follow the team in the Dominican Republic June 23-30, please visit www.missiondr2010.blogspot.com

 

I wish going to the Dominican Republic was more like a hot dog.

There are only a few times in my life where I have had absolutely no idea what to expect. Going to college, getting married, moving to Oklahoma for a job... everything else I can picture how it will work in my head.

For example, I know when I get home tonight, I will walk in the door, open the fridge, grab a hot dog, put it on a plate, place the plate in the microwave, set the microwave for one minute and hit start, take the hot dog out and put it in a bun, add mustard and ketchup, and finally enjoy the hot dog.

I can mentally picture this series of events and know of the outcome, tasty meat-like flavors satisfying my appetite.

With that said, I am really nervous about going to the Dominican Republic in a week, because I can't imagine what it will be like. I can't mentally walk through what landing in another country for the first time will be like and what I will see when I step out of the airport. I can't emotionally prepare for the Children we are going to try to reach who dig through the city dump all day for a living. I can't spiritally fathom what God might to to my life.

I usually don't worry, but I am worrying now. not because I am afraid of something bad happening, but that God is going to turn my world upside down and after many years of being a so-so Christian light something inside me that changes everything.

So if you happen to be eating a hot dog anytime in the next week I hope that you would take a moment to pray for me and the entire Missions Trip Team as we step out into the unknown and have faith that God's hand and guidance will lead.

The Team

 

 

Mitch – Team Leader

Kenya and back again- a short recap from Mitch-Team Leader

From Nairobi to Malindi- all for the kids.
With views of Mt. Kilamanjaro, impala, camels, and giraffes abounded. Kenya is truly a magical place. Mud huts, Acacia trees, and of course; Cashew Nut trees- what a diversity! We traveled the country with views of mud huts, zebras, horrendous slums, seas of waste running down the streets, and stunningly beautiful children. Hundreds of them, all with hope for a brighter future.
If you mention the name Barak Obama in Kenya- you are instantly famous, if you mention the name Jesus Christ-a thunderous applause will break out. Powerfully beautiful people in abject circumstances-open and ready to hear a message of mercy, hope and love. As always, we are the ones that benefit from such a trip-Americans come with much-and give some... Kenyans come with little-and gave us all. The receptions(entire villages of hundreds in their best attire come running, hundreds of children in their uniforms/tshirts reciting verses and singing songs), the tribal ceremonies, the countless gifts they poured out on us.. Warm Fanta soda, hand crafted baskets, chairs and of course ceremonial robes.
We had hundreds of pounds of tools that we carried-and needed none. Everything was done with our hands, buckets of water and sand carried on heads, and mud mixed by hand and foot to make the walls of the CDC's(Child Development Centers) Once again we are reminded that ONE CHILD does MATTER! Every child that receives education now has dreams, every child that is sponsored now has love, and every child matters!
The Mzungu's are home.. (white faces in Swahili)
Mitch-Team Leader

Share the love

One thing God has been teaching me is to love unconditionally. For a normal human that is hard, do you do it well?

 

About a year ago God brought some people into my life. What a joy it has been to get to know them, engage them, embrace them. I have invested in their lives. If anything were to happen to them, I would be devastated. There will come a time when I won't have them in my life as much as they are now. When that happens, there will be a huge hole in my heart.

 

The lesson I have been learning here is love. I can love them unconditionally, just like Jesus loves me. It's easy to do because these people are lovable. But also God has been teaching me that it's His love, THAT kind of love, is what I need to show and embrace others with. Especially the lost. The lesson is to love no matter what. No matter the circumstances, backgrounds, ethnicity, age, personality, behavior, etc.

 

Wow....my heart is full and just in time for the mission trip although I don't think this is a coincidence. It's what I have been praying for. Dear God, give me a love for the unlovable, the lovable, the lost. What happened in the process was that I fell in love with Jesus...again, and with the idea of loving everyone. I would like to think that God has given me a love like His, although I don't actually think I have the capacity to love completely like Him.

 

My prayer is that THIS kind of love will permeate into my heart, overflow to those who need it. To everyone I meet. When I meet someone that could be different, God quickly brings to my mind, "remember those precious people I have already brought to you? Yes.....love the least of these like that."

 

THAT kind of love excites me. We are family already.

Mission team has landed in London. All are well, but hearts remain in
Africa! Back to USA in 20 hours.

First Time...EVER!

Another great day of activities on Saturday (remember, we're 8 hours ahead of you!).  Each day we visit a different project for construction, Bible school and playing with kids.  After each day's visit, one of our leaders always says, "OK, these were my favorites!"

 

Specifically, we dug up and carried dirt, added water and applied the mud to 'stick framed' huts.  Seriously, you have never seen anything like this!  Our ladies mixed the dirt with their bare feet.  Crazy!  We also were on the site where water was delivered to communities for the first time.  And, amazingly, we are the first white people EVER to visit each of these Mission of Mercy projects. 

One battle that we had to overcome today was the concern from several women in the villages is whether we are Christians or devil-worshippers.  You see, there is a legend that when someone who you don't know shows up to help you, they are devil-worshippers.  We had great opportunity to pray with and love in JESUS' name - proving who we serve. 

 

Sunday, we will divide our group into three, each visiting a different church to worship with the Kenyan villagers.  We can't wait to share the many WONDERFUL experiences with you.

You are missed and Loved!

Hello from Kenya

Today was Vacation Bible School Day. Our three teams were able to minister to more than 600 kids. The joy of these kids at receiving even such simple kindness was humbling. Perhaps these pictures can say it better than many words. Keep us in your prayers

 

Jamin

All is great!

The team is doing well. We are just finishing vbs this afternoon. We
do not have telephone access right now...and are greatful dot that! ;-).
We planned on 120-150 children at each of 3 locations...300+ have
shown up. We had a "bread and fish" experience-enough supplies and
crafts for everyone.
We were greated by songs and performances. And the village slaughtered
a goat when we arrived. Truly humbling to see them serving us with
such grace.
This weekend brings one more day of construction(flinging mud into hut
walls) and Sunday services. We will take a break sunday afternoon and
allow the team a few hours of rest on the beach of the Indian ocean.
Monday brings our final work day and goodbyes.
Each member of the team is well, and God is revealing himself in a
numbe of incredible ways. How blessed are we!

Mitch-team leader

Poems by the children here in africa.

Why me
It's a cold morning, yet very fine;
No porridge, no tea, I take cold water.
No warm water, no soap for bath
Without soap with cold water I bathe
Shivering like bird in rainy season
I run to school. Is this my life? Is this my future. And why me?
Will I see. Will I read. Will I write.
Instead of abc and d I see stars
Instead of reading I sleep
Will I succeed?
Always punished because of unfinished work.
Is this my life. Is this my future?
And why me... Why me

No uniform no shoes
Walking barefoot in the hot sun. Who cares?
Putting on tattered clothes yet very dirty. Who cares. And so where is
my future. Absenteesm part of my life. No school fees no books no
pens. Sickness part of my life. Medication poor. Will I achieve my
dream. And where is my future. Total darkness. Total darkness. Who
cares. And so where is my future
Because of mission of mercy we have future
Because of your help we have hope
Because of your help we have access education
Because of your love we enjoy good health
Because of your love we eat balanced diet

Mitch-team leader

Kids Are Kids Everywhere!

After another day at a Mission of Mercy Care Point I have come to a conclussion.  Kids are kids no matter where you are!  They like to play, they like the attention of adults, they like to learn and they are adventurous.  However, here in Kenya, we have come across to 'different' type of kids.

 

First we met the kids in the slums of Niarobi.  In most cases, kids in the slums are apprehensive.  As C.J. from Wisconsin mentioned, "There was a sense of hopelessness in these kids.  Their eyes look empty."  In the words of the poet, 'here they were born and here they will die.'

 

In contrast, the sponsored kids of the Mission of Mercy projects that we visited were much different.  They enjoy life!  Over the course of two days the nearly 1,000 kids that we met through the ministry were significantly heathlier, much more educated and had far better communication skills that their counterparts in the slums. 

As the members of our team get to meet the children that they sponsor through Mission of Mercy there is a consistant theme - Hope!  These kids are real and they are REALLY enjoying everyday and the knowledge that they have a future. 

 

NOTE:  Everyone on the team is healthy.  The roads are VERY bumpy, they drive on the 'wrong side of the road,' and everyone waves at our buses.  Most of the ladies have learned to carry baskets on their heads.  We mudded huts and mortared handmade bricks.  Charlotte, Dave, Mitch and Shane have each received the 'ownership' of a village - being named Elders in the respective areas. 

We love you!

 

www.mofm.org

 

 

Mission Kenya Day 3

Today was our first day on the ground with the children. We split into two groups to visit two different projects. Each project is a child development center. These centers are partnered with a local church to provide food, education, and medical care to the children of a community. The church facilitiates selecting the children and families of greatest need than mission of mercy works to find sponsors, help with infastructure, as well as direction and organization. Both the projects we visited were in desparate need of buildings. The project I (Jamin) visited had 3 standing buildings a mulitpurpse building, a kitchen, and an outhouse. Only the first had a roof. The Building we would be working on was a new administrative buiding for the center. The three room building was 15 feet wide and twentyfive feet long, framed entirely of tied bamboo. The step we were there to help with? Mud. They stuff the bamboo frame with a local clay found in abundance. Not the greatest building material by our standards but its incredibly reslilent as long as it doesn't get wet. So we set to the task of mixing mud balls. As we worked to place the mud the local people out did us by their generosity, leaving their tasks to help us build. And build they often puting our building skills with mud to shame. And yet I have never experienced a greater sense of community. these people want to help change their communites for the better, and they're willing to get dirty, quite litteraly to see it. 300 children recieve food and education at the center I was at today. 300 children that will have the best opportunities set before them in the simple task of getting an education. Though Kenya has public education, fees are charged to the family to enrole. For many families that means choosing between food or school. The resuling choice is obvious, but it is also what keeps them imprisoned in poverty. With no education they make only enough for food, sometimes less, and another generation faces the same fate. Here that cycle is being broken. That is worth celebrating.

Blessings

Jamin

Getting To Know You

You get to know people when you spend time with them.   We have learned that Carrie, Chelsea and C.J. will spend hours yelling 'JAMBO' out the window during our 12-hour bus ride on Tuesday at every person that they see.  Just the same, we have learned (in much LESS time) that nearly every Kenyan recipient of the greeting, which means 'HELLO' in Swahili, will joyfully smile, wave and return the greeting.

 

We have also learned that the Kenyan people are a people who love building relationships.  They build them over a long period of time.  Most Kenyans don't watch 5-6 hours of television at night, instead, choosing to spend it with their family or neighbors.  Sure.  Economics play a big part of that.  But, it is a great lesson for we Americans to learn, too.

 

Kenya is 7-9 hours ahead of our listeners in the states - so, we have just concluded our Tuesday.  Today we rode on a bus from Nairobi, to Mombasa, to our present location of Malindi.  This is where we will begin several days of construction projects and VBS events with these precious children.  Pray for relationships to be built quickly so that we can show Christ's love affectively.  We can't wait to see what God has for us, too!  Miss you!

My Couch Has a Name - Child Sponsorship.

Yeah, it's true. My couch has a name, doesn't yours? It's called the couch of "great comfort and joy." Now this might be silly to you, but you would understand if you sat on it. It's great! It's soft, comfy, conformed to my body shape. Yeah, it's true, at the end of a long day or even a short one, it's still a soft place to land. Ahhhhhh!

 

With that, God has been convicting me about how spoiled I am. I am blessed! Plain and simple. I have a couch to sit on, I have a roof over my head, I food to eat on my table or lap. I have a car to drive to work, and it works well, at least today. I drink special Dunkin Donuts coffee for goodness sake! Who drinks special coffee?? Ashamedly, I do. I am spoiled. Are you? Take a look around, see how blessed you are.

 

Looking forward to the mission trip and meeting kids who don't have it as good as I do I am humbled that God has blessed me. With love, most of all, but also with forgiveness, salvation, a house, a car, a job, a couch, and coffee. Because of these blessings, I want to be a blessing to others. I don't want to take my couch or coffee for granted. I am making some changes in priorities and supporting/sponsoring a child with Mission of Mercy. Yes, I did it. I've always wanted to do that but didn't think I could afford it. After God reminded me of how spoiled I am, how could I not? I am blessed and want to bless others. How about you? Does your couch have a name?

Leaving Nairobi

We are pulling out of Nairobi now. A 10hour drive will deliver us in
Malindi. Tomorrow we start our work at the projects. Life giving
water, and plenty of mud to cram between sticks-making walls of mud
school buildings. All are well, rested, and ready!

Mitch-team leader

WHAT a DAY!

    Team Kenya checked in today (Monday) with the radio stations and report that they have spent their first day holding beautiful babies at New Life Home in Nairobi.  We heard from Shirley who was holding a baby at the moment the team called.  She talked of a facility filled with tiny ones approximately 6 months old and younger who were rescued and now live in a place of hope.  Praise GOD! 

    The team also went into the slums and saw the living conditions there.  They were able to visit a Mission of Mercy school in the slums called  Hope Academy.  Approximately 350 children attend this school, many of whom would not be able to be in school without child sponsorship.  The team saw the smiles and heard the children's hearts for the Lord, all taught in this wonderful school who looks to expand soon so that it can serve and teach more children.  There are so many more who could learn and grow and hear about Jesus if there were only more room.

    Tomorrow, (Tuesday) the team will be heading to Malindi.  We can't wait to hear what God has in store for them then! Look for personal stories and updates from Team Kenya to keep coming in here.  

   ~the radio stations

Team Kenya

Just heard that the team has landed safely in Nairobi and arrived at their hotel after a long couple of days of travel.  Sleep will be short, but they are excited as they will get up and head out very early tomorrow morning to begin their adventure in country.  We are all very excited to hear what God has in store for them. 
~from the radio stations

Countdown!

Ok, so people don't normally start a countdown with 19 days to go, but actually I have been on the countdown, waaaaay back when I first started praying for the opportunity to serve on an international mission trip. I have not been cramming for a final, to put it in simple terms. I feel like that God has been preparing me for a long time for such a time as this, to travel to the DR with 30+ other believers.

How? I have been spending time with Him. He's been showing me how I can serve to those who have needs. He has been breaking down the walls, pushing me to see those needs, thinking about others, teaching me to do whatever it takes at any expense, to help. God has taught me to focus on Him, not myself. And I have seen some wonderful things. He has taught me patience, love, peace, gratitude, integrity, purity, sacrifice, honesty. 

He has reminded me that He has already equipped me with what it takes to do this. And believe me I am not talented soooooo you can do it too. What it takes is a willing heart for His Spirit to work. Fertile ground I like to call it. 

So other words, you could call the countdown, a germination period, where God is cultivating His seeds to bust forth for harvest. A great bloom is about to emerge and bust forth. Honestly, I don't think I will wait for another 19 days. I think I will start now.

Break Camp

God has NEVER led anyone to the point of indecision…it’s NOT that we don’t know what to do most of the time…but rather we know EXACTLY what to do, but in order to obey it will cause us to break out of our comfortable routine and actually put forth some effort.  God had promised the Israelites the land they were going into.  He had spent years preparing them for the takeover, but when it came time to make things happen He didn’t tell them “Sit here while I go do it all,” but rather, “Break camp and advance…”  Which translates in my mind, Get out of your place of comfort.  Go!!!  “Advance” …DON’T try to keep things the way they are…there are MUCH better things in store.  I love how God doesn’t call His followers to be passive…to sit back and do nothing.  On mission!!  We serve a living and active God…which means if we seek to imitate Him then the same should be said of us.  What are you waiting for??  You can’t lead where you haven’t been.

 

Give Me Your Eyes

I have been praying that God will give me "His eyes" to see people, life, situations. I was praying that specifically for the mission trip to the DR. But one of the side benefits is that God is giving me His eyes to see myself. I like this. Sometimes, I think I am bit complicated, or make things so. Not sure why that happens but it does.

I have been praying that my desires are His desires. Break my heart for the things that break yours God. In that process, I see the things he wants to change me to be and to be more for Him. Stretch me to be all I can be for you God. Make me uncomfortable. 

These are dangerous prayers, ones that God will always answer. What are you asking God to show you in your prayer life? How are you being stretched out of your comfort zone?

 

Mowing is My Spiritual Gift

It's mowing season and depending on the weather, I mow once a week. You are probably wondering why my husband, Terry, doesn't mow because usually it is a "man-job". The reason is that he has a medical condition that prevents him from being able to it. He has the desire to do it, likes mowing but if he does it causes him more pain. Therefore, I am the official mower in the family. 

Yesterday, God reminded me that mowing is my spiritual gift. Even though it's a "sometimes-not-fun" job. I love to serve and when I see the need, I just jump in with everything I've got. That's why I mow. That's why I serve. It's a way I can serve Terry and my family. It's the way that God wired me. Also, if I don't mow, then our landscape will turn into a jungle of phenomenal proportions. AND another thing that God taught me was that this servant's heart is destined for more than just mowing. Sometimes that is all God requires of me is to be consistent in doing the "sometimes-not-fun" jobs. The point is seeing the need and allowing God to work through you to meet the need, and therefore showing the love of Christ. 

Look around you...where can you serve and meet someone’s need? If God is calling you to serve in a area, I believe He has already equipped you with the gifts needed to carry out the task. What are you waiting for? Mow....like the best of them! With fervor, flair, joy and......sunscreen.

Hit the Streets

Dear God give me tolerance!! I know that traveling to a third world country I will see slices of life as I am not used to. There will be some culture shock. Dear God give me tolerance. Dear God make me an instrument of your grace and love. It will be different than what I am used to. We have been told so, by those who have been there. But the people that we meet will need God's love and will need to hear the gospel message. I guess that is what makes it difficult, at least in my mind, because of our differences, it builds a barrier.Today the song Walls by Manic Drive spoke to me. "Lift your hands, move your feet, get yourself, get yourself ready. Lift your flags, hit the streets, and charge!" I have the desire to "charge" but I not am ready yet. That's what I am praying for. God give me your eyes to see them as you see them. No matter their circumstances, slice of life, their background, culture. Break me out of my comfortable bubble!!

I pray for acceptance of the differences. After all, people need Jesus. They need to be loved, know that Jesus died on the cross for them. You don't have to travel on a mission trip to share the story about how God has worked our life. BTW, Jesus hung out with the undesirables, the sick, the down-trodden. Why? Because he could see their need. Because someone is different, don't let that create a wall or barrier that satan uses to get in the way of the gospel being shared. Hit the streets, and CHARGE!

Serve like Jesus

Janelle Keith here with some initial thoughts about the mission trip to the Dominican Republic. During the mission trip orientation meeting, it was recommended that we start praying about what God will do in the lives of those whom we will meet and in our hearts. I hear this often about people that travel on mission trips are often the ones that are changed instead of those you are serving. I know God is at work with this trip. I have also heard from several others how God is working in their lives too. That's very encouraging to me.

 

This morning as I am reading John 13 about the Passover celebration of Jesus. He is spending some time with his best friends and knows that his time with them is very short. What struck me about this chapter, was he didn't give a long oration of all the things he forgot to say during the previous 3 years of teaching, like one would cram for a test. He was a peace or so it seemed. There were no freak outs knowing that he was going to die in a few short hours. There was no angst as to what was ahead, no jitters or whining. But there was simple servanthood. Jesus knew the plan, He knew that Judas was going to betray him, when and how. v. 3 "Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God." So instead of dismissing himself from the gathering, as one would think to retreat by himself, He does the ultimate. He serves.

He humbles himself. v.4 "So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, v.5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel had around him." Jesus didn't hesitate to serve his friends, even the one who was going to betray and deny him. These friends were going to leave him when he was at his most desperate point in all of his life. Yet he was on his knees, washing their feet. It didn't matter that he was the Savior of the world, miracle worker, great teacher, and healer. He took off his pride and humility and served. He did the lowest job, but he served in love.

This speaks volumes to me. Jesus gives the most perfect example to follow. Let this be a model of servant hood. As Jesus serves so shall we. And as we serve, let love be our guide.

 

Mitch www.bcbradio.org www.missionofmercy.org Please forgive typos. Sent from my mobile.

Entire Kenya team on the ground in wash dc and boarding for paris www.missionkenya2010.Blogspot.com

Mitch-team leader

Final 48 hours..

I am so excited that God has called a group of 40+ individuals from all around the country to come together as one large family to serve our Father in a country where there is a severe shortage of clean water. With a nation of 30 million people and 10 million of those residing in urban centers, water remains a nightmare urbanites have learned to live with. Your social status means little since everyone has to deal with the shortages. The need for clean water is how God called both myself and my husband to this missions trip.  As soon as I learned that on this trip we would be bringing water to several projects in Kenya, it was like God had taken a stick and hit me over the head and said "I want you to go and help my children, now will you go?" 

 

I am normally the type that has to plan everything out, cross the t's and dot the i's. I almost always have a plan and focus that means there is not much room for 'going with the flow'. I have been dealing with several physical challenges the last several years, which I have used as a crutch for not going on prior missions trips, but this time I knew that He would be my protector and through Him all things would be possible.

 

These past few months have been so calming to me. Never before has anything given me such a sense of 'stillness' and completeness. I am not anxious nor nervous. I am at peace. I believe this means that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I pray that God will use me as his hands in the field to reach his children who need clean water. But most importantly though, I trust that the Lord will soften my heart and help me show the love of Christ to those that I come in contact with.

 

I ask that you continue to pray for each of the team members as we do our final planning these next 48 hours. Please pray that we have open hearts to do His will in whatever manner He wants us to.

 

Until the Whole World Hears,

Angie Foster-Hintz

KSLT, KLMP, The Point Office Manager

 

 

Team's final preparations

With an excited and energetic team in their final preparations, we have asked everyone to set aside any/all personal agendas.  God has something special to show this group of Americans as they serve in Nairobi and Malindi Kenya.  Hearts will be broken, but OH what a beautiful “rebuild” He does!  This team makes over 500 people that Charlotte(my wife) and I(mitch) have led overseas.  We are thrilled to be able to watch defining moments in others lives as He touches them, reveals something new to them, and shows them His love.

Scheduled for departure this Saturday-and we ask for your prayers in travel, connections and all that goes with it.  ½ of the team will overnight by bus to Denver to catch their flight-starting off their journey already sleep deprived.

Day 1 will bring a heart wrenching day-filled with joy and hope as we visit New Life Home(they rescue “discarded” babies and find adoptive parents for them).  We will hold, pray with and play with toddlers! 

Day 2 brings a long bus ride across the country to Malindi, a town on the Indian Ocean.  Where we will begin our construction projects and VBS.  At this point-we have the funding for 6 projects to receive water(trenching and piping) as well as roofs, windows and doors on at least 4 of the projects.  A project is where hundreds of children come each day for meals, education, medical aid and most importantly- to SEE and feel the LOVE of Jesus Christ.

I love Africa, and have a feeling this team will too.

We will do our best to call back to the radio studios – KSLT, KLMP, The Point, WPFF and WNLI, as well- update this blog as often as we can!  Please keep the team in your prayers as they prepare to be His hands and feet.

 

Mitch Hildebrant – Team leader