Through My Eyes: Missions, My Sponsor Child and Where I Want to Go

(Abby has recently started her own blog inspired by her love of writing this series. This blog was originally posted on Through My Eyes...)

Hey everybody! Today, I’m going to talk about what I have been thinking about doing with my life for quite a while. Missions is something that I used to look at and think “All the bug bites those people must get…” and I really never looked at the bigger picture. Last year at Bigstuf, I gave a bible to a little boy in Kenya named Bilha Njeri. That was when I first realized that missions were more than bug bites and living in a clay hut. Over the course of this past year, I have grown to love missions. I mean, at first I wasn’t like “Oh my gosh, I need to go save all the little children NOW!”  But now I’m definitely all about it.

I really started loving it about two or three months ago. One day, I was aimlessly walking down the hall at Bayshore when I came along this table with these pictures of kids on them. I look at each picture, seeing how old the kids are, where they live and stuff like that. So I venture back to my mothers desk and I say to her “Mom, I want one of those children.” On the way home, she goes “Call your nana, and maybe she will do the money part of everything.” So I call my Nana up and after various moments of explaining what it is and what I want, she agrees. That weekend, I make my sponsorship happen. I did it with One Child Matters and now, for 31 dollars a month, I sponsor Juana F. Reyes Fuentes, a 12 year old girl from Honduras. Juana lives with her parents and her four brothers and sister in a simple concrete blockhouse which lacks many amenities. Her father is a factory worker and their family appreciates what the Casa de los Ninos Child Development Center does for Juana. (I believe Casa de los Ninos is Children’s home in Spanish..) The place where Juana lives is in the community of La Joyada. In this agricultural region of southern Honduras, unemployment is very high. Malaria and worms often affect children, and medical treatment is expensive. Children have limited access to education and may be forced to work.

I cannot tell you how happy I was when we got her and Juana definitely means the world to me. I had to wait to get a packet to write Juana her first letter, and that took only forever…but when mom posted on my Facebook wall that my packet came while I was at Bigstuf, it only made my week so much better. Right when I got home, I made sure to write my letter perfectly. It took me almost 5-6 tries and several pieces of paper before I was confident enough to send it. I put the silliest picture of me and Lily, my dog, so that she could see me and put a smile on her face first thing, and the best picture of my family. I don’t know if she got my letter yet, but I hope Juana keeps it forever. I can’t wait for her first letter to me. I plan on writing her at least once a month, or however often I can. Really, Juana just boost my want to go places and meet kids in need.

This title also says where I want to go, right? What I have wanted to do since Bigstuf, is go to Uganda in Africa. Bigstuf this year really focused on missions, I feel, and Bob Goff made me want to go to Uganda. I want to go and help all the people and meet them and talk to them and its something I plan on paying for and doing before I turn 20. Yes. Before 20. I tell people this, and most of them are like “No, no! That’s dangerous!” but really, its just what I feel like I want to do. I feel like its what God wants me to do. I plan on asking for another child for Christmas, which is something I definitely want, and if that is my only Christmas present…I will think that it is the best Christmas present anyone has ever gotten me.

 

Through My Eyes…..God’s path is the one I am running down, and there is no way to stop me!!! 

Abby

Through My Eyes: Student Life Camp with Bayshore

Hello everyone! This past week I was in Toccoa, Georgia for an amazing week with Bayshore and their youth group at Student Life Camp. Not only did we have fun on the way up, we also served the Lord, had a fantastic speaker and an amazing worship leader. 

We set out on our adventure at 7 o’ clock Sunday morning. Too early!!! We arrived in Atlanta that evening and visited World of Coke. I made sure to try Speitze (Mezzo Mix, which is the most popular drink in Germany and my dad's favorite.) Then we ate at The Varsity. It wasn’t anything to write home about, except I’m writing home about it. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriot hotel over night (nice!). On Monday, we drove on to Toccoa to begin camp.

So there we were, all 40 of us ready for Student Life’s Mission Camp. Tom, Bayshore’s youth minister, separated us into three groups for 3 different missions’ sites: 10 of us at the local YMCA cleaning and volunteering for the summer camps, 10 of us painting a fence at a low income housing place, and 20 of us working on mulching a trail at Henderson Falls. I was one of the lucky 20 that was working on the mulching. Five hours a day for the next 3 days, I mulched, I sprayed too much bug spray, and filled wheel barrels with dirt. After we finished the work for the day, we were lucky enough to have the best water fall to play in. It was right across the trail and we would all go down and have a blast playing in the water (well, I only went in once, on the last day). On the last work day, everybody from the 2 other mission sites from our group came and played in the water fall with us. Good times…

Jeremy Kingsley was our camp pastor (think Jon Acuff’s older brother - they look like they are related too…). Jeremy has a story for pretty much everything. What he does best is tell stories to illustrate what he is teaching. Whether it is he threw an oatmeal cream pie at his teacher, or he was telling us about secret guy school, Jeremy always had an amazing way to say the point through a story. He made it funny at times, and even once, he cried on stage. He taught me about God’s kingdom and ROTC. R is rely; O is obey; T is trust; C is cling. We can always rely, obey, trust and cling to God. Look this guy up! He is awesome.

Tom said “our group couldn’t help but be enamored with the worship leader” in his sermon Sunday (I was at Bayshore, cause I was sharing about the experience with their church.)  He couldn’t have said it better...

Our worship leader was Aaron Keyes. When I looked this guy up, I couldn’t help but think “He isn’t going to be as good as Chris Tomlin, or David Crowder Band…and I have worshipped with both of them!” On the second day, when I was still kinda iffy about Aaron, Tom said to me “Aaron radiates peace.” The very next time we had worship, I looked for what Tom was talking about. Five minutes into my search, I saw what Tom meant. Every single session, I would see different things. Peace. Love. Passion. Aaron just brought God into the room everywhere he went. That same week, his trailer got broken into and 20,000 dollars worth of stuff was stolen. And he still radiated Jesus.

He is also a walking Bible. Tom was telling a story about how in the Youth Group Leader Meeting one day, Aaron gets up and starts by saying “You know what this reminds me of? Exodus 17 when the Israelites are under attack….” And all the youth ministers are just like “Yeeaaahh….” as they flipped through their Bibles searching for the story. If you start a conversation with Aaron, I’m pretty sure he could just pull a verse out, no matter what you’re talking about. It’s insane how much he memorized. He would just say these long verses during worship, know it by heart, and we all would just be in awe. Well, I would be anyways.

One thing that I LOVED that this camp did was focus on the Compassion program (which I will tell you more about in my next blog)….what is really amazing, though, is that on the trip, our group started sponsoring 12 children from all over the world. ISN’T THAT AMAZING?!?!

Through my eyes….Student Life camp isn’t just a camp…it’s a way to change your life.
Abby 

Praying for the Kingdom: North Korea

COUNTRY	North Korea
DESCRIPTION	North Korea’s isolated regime is the most oppressive in the world. North Koreans are indoctrinated with an ideology called “Juche,” a philosophy of self-reliance that centers on worship of the country’s leaders. Following Kim Jong Il’s death in December 2011, power was transferred to his son, Kim Jong Un. Jong Un seems determined to carry on his father’s duties and policies. North Korea maintains one of the world’s largest standing armies. Category: Restricted Nation Religion: Cheondogyo (compulsory state religion) 99.5%, Christian 0.5% Ideology: Juche/Communism Head of State: Marshall Kim Jong Un North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world. Christians are tortured, imprisoned and murdered. Private, non-state-sanctioned religious activity is prohibited. Anyone discovered engaging in clandestine religious activity is subject to arrest, torture or even public execution. Under Juche, the only acceptable religion is Cheondogyo, or “Kim-Il-Sung-ism.” However, the North Korean government is careful to maintain a facade of religious freedom with four “show” churches in its capital city. When Christians are executed, they are typically charged with being spies or being involved in illegal activities. As many as 100,000 believers are thought to worship secretly. Experts estimate that of the hundreds of thousands incarcerated in labor and concentration camps, about 30,000 are Christians. Religious prisoners are typically treated worse than any of the other inmates. Possessing a Bible, saying the words God or Jesus and meeting together are all offences punishable by death. VOM supports radio broadcasts into North Korea and participates in balloon launches that carry the gospel message and literature into the country.
RELATED LINKS	Persecution.com Story - North Korea: Persecution to Continue Persecution.com Story - North Korea: Fax threatens VOM project Persecution.com Story - North Korea: Bibles Fall Like Rain PrisonerAlert Prisoner - Son Jong Nam PrisonerAlert Prisoner - North Korean Prisoners BiblesUnbound Operation - NK - Inroads #4 BiblesUnbound Operation - NK - Inroads #3 BiblesUnbound Operation - NK Inroads #2

Praying for the Kingdom: Kazakhstan

COUNTRY	Kazakhstan
DESCRIPTION	Kazakhstan is the second largest country among former Soviet republics, after Russia. Its president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been in office since Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991. Ethnic Kazakhs, who make up only a slight majority, practice Islam loosely. Other ethnic groups practice Sunni Islam, Russian Orthodoxy and Protestantism, among others. Category: Restricted Nation Religion: Muslim 53.7%, Christian 12.2% Ideology: Islam Head of State: President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev The country’s religion law includes strict registration procedures for churches and stiff penalties for noncompliance. Only the traditional religious groups may practice freely. Religious groups are required to register with the government, and unregistered religious activity, private religious education, proselytism and the production of religious literature are forbidden. Christian converts face harassment from authorities, devout Muslims and family members. VOM is involved with the printing and distribution of Christian literature.
RELATED LINKS	Persecution.com Story - Kazakhstan: Pastors Fined for Praying Persecution.com Story - Kazakhstan: New Anti-Religion Laws Persecution.com Story - Kazakhstan: Small Churches Banned Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - Kazakhstan Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - Kazakhstan Refugee

Praying for the Kingdom: Belarus

COUNTRY	Belarus
DESCRIPTION	Belarus became an independent country in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Although it is officially a republic, it is often called “Europe’s last dictatorship.” Under authoritarian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, the government maintains tight control over the country’s citizens, restricting freedoms of speech and the press, peaceful assembly and religion. Category: Restricted Nation Religion: Christian 70.5%, Non-Religious 28.1% Ideology: Communism (remaining influence) Head of State: President Aleksandr Lukashenko A 2002 religion law severely curtailed religious freedom, banning unregistered religious activity, meetings with fewer than 20 members and religious activity in private homes. Unapproved churches may not buy or rent property. All religious literature is subject to censorship. The Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches enjoy special status, while other denominations or religious groups have great difficulty operating openly. A number of religious leaders have been subjected to arbitrary arrest, harassment, fines and imprisonment. Nevertheless, the church is growing despite Belarus’s overall declining population. VOM is involved in printing literature for Belarus.
RELATED LINKS	Persecution.com Story - Belarus: Bishop Deported Persecution.com Story - Belarus: Church Evicted Persecution.com Story - Worldwide: Religious Freedom in 2012

Praying for the Kingdom: Chiapas

COUNTRY

Chiapas (Mexico)

DESCRIPTION

Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico. Since 1994, the leftist Zapatista paramilitary group has used Chiapas as a base for its anti-government activities. Many indigenous Chiapans are descended from the Maya and are largely marginalized by the government. Catholicism in the region is blended heavily with traditions from indigenous religions. Category: Hostile Nation Religion: Folk Catholicism 64.5%, Christian (evangelical) 21.9% Ideology: Mixture of folk Catholic syncretism and liberation theology Head of State: Governor Juan José Sabines Guerrero Evangelicals in Chiapas face prejudice, harassment and expulsion from their villages, as well as attacks against their churches and private property. Opposition to evangelicals is mostly due to their refusal to participate in syncretistic community religious events that involve pagan rituals and heavy drinking. Evangelicals are considered a threat to local political and religious leaders’ control. VOM provided support to a group of displaced Chiapan Christians.

Praying for the Kingdom: Cuba

COUNTRY	Cuba
DESCRIPTION	In 2008, Fidel Castro turned leadership over to his brother, General Raul Castro, and Cuba’s relationship with the United States appears to be improving. The Cuban government seeks to control most aspects of Cuban life through the Communist Party, government bureaucracy and state security. The Ministry of Interior is the principal organ of state security and control. the country is now run by General Castro and a team of Communist Party loyalists. Raul is slowly implementing economic reforms, and Category: Restricted Nation Religion: Christian 56.5%, Non-Religious 25.0% Ideology: Communism Head of State: President General Raul Castro Ruz The constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but religious groups experience interference, harassment and discrimination, and their leaders are sometimes imprisoned. Cuba considers church growth a threat to regime stability. The Religious Affairs Office, an arm of the Cuban Communist Party, actively tries to control churches through surveillance, infiltration and harassment of church leaders. Pastors understand that their congregations are infiltrated and monitored by government agents. Cuban law prohibits the unauthorized assembly of more than 12 people. Many Christians meet in unregistered house churches even though they have been strictly regulated since 2005. VOM is involved in repairing house churches and supporting evangelistic teams.
RELATED LINKS	Persecution.com Story - Cuba: Persecution Increases Persecution.com Story - Cuba: The Faceless Enemy Persecution.com Story - VOM: Secret Christian Work PrisonerAlert Prisoner - Carlos Lamelas BiblesUnbound Operation - Cuba-Intensifying #3 BiblesUnbound Operation - Cuba-Intensifying #2 BiblesUnbound Operation - Cuba - Intensifying

Praying for the Kingdom: Colombia

 

COUNTRY	Colombia
DESCRIPTION	Colombia is plagued by violence, but the government has made progress toward improving security since 2002. A number of paramilitary groups as well as FARC guerrillas vie for power in the southern region of Cordoba, a significant coca cultivation area that is strategically important to the drug trade. Colombia has the world’s second highest number of internally placed people, numbering 3 million. Category: Hostile Nation Religion: Christian 94.4%, Non-Religious 2.4% Ideology: Marxist terrorism (FARC) Head of State: President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon Guerrillas and paramilitary groups target religious leaders who oppose their drug activity. The church is also a target because when guerrillas and paramilitary fighters become Christians, they quit fighting and drain the organizations’ manpower. Many pastors have been assassinated or fled the country. Paramilitary and guerrilla groups have openly committed murders in public streets and on buses. Still, Christianity continues to grow in the country. VOM supports a prison ministry, provides tools to evangelists who serve in hostile areas and prints and distributes Christian literature.
RELATED LINKS	Persecution.com Story - Colombia: Pastor Martyred Persecution.com Story - Colombia: Rebels Kill Widow Persecution.com Story - VOM: 1 Million NT's Mailed BiblesUnbound Operation - Colombia-Stability 3 BiblesUnbound Operation - Colombia-Stability 2 BiblesUnbound Operation - Colombia-Stability 1 Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - Colombia Widow Killed Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - FARC Closing Churches

The Golden Years

It all began at a very early age, I think somewhere between 9 and 11. That was when I took my first job selling newspaper subscriptions, then in the fifth grade I bought produce from my neighbor who had a farm, taking the produce in my wagon around the neighborhood and reselling the vegetables and fruit.  In May of 2007 it began to come to fruition.  That is when I turned 59 ½ and the government let me do with my 401k investments as I wanted without penalty.  Then in November of 2009 I hit the magic number of 62 and became SSE (social security eligible).  I put in my paperwork to retire on June 30^th 2010, choosing this date since the company I worked for was changing, reducing and just messing with our retirement money on July 1^st 2010.  Had I known that I was/am this good at doing nothing, I would have planned my retirement much, much sooner.  I say that in jest, as it now seems that I need to return to work just to take a break.  I never had this much going on when I was working and now do not know how I find the time to keep it all going.  God has blessed Kate and I with enough of what we need that we can do many of the things we want to do and because He has blessed Kate with a good paying job that we Pray she can keep till she can retire in April of 2013.  I would urge anyone who reads this (regardless of your age) to attend one of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University courses, I promise you that it will make a great positive difference in your financial situation and the way you handle your finances.  Just as when I worked Monday through Friday and took Saturday off and used Sunday to worship our Lord, I still do the same thing in retirement with a few exceptions.  I now cut some of my neighbors yards during the grass growing season to pick up some extra spending cash, my grand kids spend much of the summer with us and I take them to the water park Monday through Friday (adventure island has a summer pass that is $50.00 and the kids can go every Monday through Friday), we still go to the airport and park on the top level (first hour is free) and watch the planes takeoff and land, riding the long term trolley as a small train going nowhere and then go to the third floor and have breakfast and visit some of the shops.  One of the most special things I get to do now (again, I would urge any and all of you who can, to do this as often as you can) is work for the Church on Tuesday afternoon.  While the Church staff is in their weekly meeting, I get to update some of the reports, prepare drive-in service bulletins, answer the phones and anything else Shirley will let me do.  My Prayer every Tuesday morning is that my work at and for the Church will make my Lord smile (Having done some stupid things before that is not a far reach if He is watching me).  I think sometimes when it sounds like thunder outside, it is really the Lord laughing at me or something I did or said.  I am also able to devote more time to our Missions Program at NBCC and to more easily go when we have trips planned.  One of the more personal things I am able to do in my retirement is read those books I was not able to during my working years.  One last story for you about my retirement.  We do not always have a weekly income  and for decades I have been accustomed to tithing on a weekly basis, not too long back I had no income for the week and could not bear the thought of not writing a tithe check, so I wrote one (my concern was for breaking my habit, since we had plenty of money in the bank to cover the check) and put it in my envelope and went to Church as usual to do my 8:00 AM greeting and pass out bulletins.  In walked two of my favorite people and he handed me a CASH for three times the amount of my tithe to help me pay for the missions trip I was going on.  AIN’T GOD GREAT?!!!!! 

John Hartley

elder 

Bahamas Team - Dale

All Saints Blessings

First, I would like to give all praise and glory to the Lord, Who’s love and care we were blessed to witness first hand this past week. 

I want to also thank all of you for your gracious support and prayers for our travels.

You need to know this morning that GOD IS GOOD, and His people are strong, and His love still endures. Amen!

“All Saints Camp” in Nassau Bahamas first began as a leper colony. It is now an AIDS/HIV camp that houses about 20 or so residents that are either HIV positive or suffer from some other sever infirmity.  

The residents at All Saints are completely quarantined from the general population. They have little more than a 6x8 room with a small bed and very well wore clothes on their backs. Yet, they possess the most unbelievable spirit, and sense of worth that I have ever seen. They would never ask for anything, for they know with certainty that the Lord provides for their needs Our very presence there is undisputable proof.     

Our team was there with a large youth group from the Cincinnati area. Together, we worked to start the rebuilding of the camp, board by board, so that each resident will, eventually, have clean, sound housing with sewage and running water.

But, even more important, we were there to minister. We were there to talk, to listen, to pray, to laugh and cry with the residents. These are real people, God’s children, no different than you and I save for their afflictions.      

This was a PEOPLE first mission trip with a building secondary. Many of the youth helped to feed and groom the patients. Some cannot eat or drink on their own. Many are incontinent and require assistance. Some are blind and lame. We spent some time each day talking with them and listen to their stories and getting to know them and them, us.

It was a delight each morning to see Patrick, a stroke victim, waiting at the top of the hill for our arrival with a big smile and his loving charm. Even though he could barely speak, it was very obvious that nothing would suit him more than to grab a hammer and dive in, but his bent and broken body would not allow it.       

Vincent is blind, a stoke victim and has AIDS, but is also a strong man of God. I have heard few give a more moving testimony.

As you can see from the slides and photos, if it were not for Next Step Ministries the residents of All Saints would have even less. It is our prayer this day that these pictures and our testimonies might in some way allow all of you to see the need, and to understand that YOU can make a difference in people’s lives. Yes, you can! But!!!  Yes…. there is a but. But we can only make a difference by getting up and stepping out of the comfort that we are so used to. And putting our faith into action.  This is your call.

Will you answer?

Thank you! God bless.

   

Dale Hammond

Bahamas Team  

Bahamas Team - Pam

In my previous blog entry, I mentioned that my prayer was for God to rip my world apart and break my heart for what breaks His.  Well, in the words of Ms. Moxey at Camp, “Sho’ Nuff!”  God did just that and what a tremendous blessing it was all week.  
We served with a youth group from Wyoming, Ohio.  They were a wonderful group of teens that ranged in age from 14 to 20.  Their leaders were amazing and gracious as well.  The Next Step staff was outstanding.  They worked very hard to make everything come together for all of us and even when obstacles came up like no water, and no gas for the stove and no Internet – they adapted and made everything work out.  Our God is awesome!!  
We all worked very hard at camp and actually finished all the projects ahead of schedule.  When we first arrived, there were pillars for the houses to be built on and that was it.  Teams filled in the dirt back around the pillars and built the floor frame and floor joists, painted the plywood flooring and installed that.  We did this for a two-resident home and a four-resident home.  In addition, another team used machetes and cleared away brush and trees around the camp, as a security fence needs to be installed.  These residents don’t have much at all and, yet, people try to steal from them.  Another team dug holes in the ground (using a jackhammer) to be able to put in 6x6 poles to rerun the electrical wires.  Concrete was hand-mixed for those holes by using wheel barrels full of rock, sand and 100lb bags of concrete and buckets of water.  Teams used shovels to mix the cement slowly to make sure it was the right consistency.  

While all of this work was going on, we were all encouraged to go meet and talk and visit with the residents.  This was the absolute best part!  The work was challenging and rewarding –but visiting was the true blessing.  We thought we were going there to bless them, and we received it back ten fold!  Ms. Moxey has been at the camp for a very long time – John says that she’s been there long before he started going there in 1999.  Using another one of her catch phrases, “I’ve been here umpteen years!”  Another resident, Patrick, greeted us each day and tried his best to help us out even though he is partially paralyzed from enduring strokes.  He was always joyful and was just so happy to be around us and to be included.  He prayed with us daily as we gathered in a circle, held hands and prayed each day before we began the work.  Vincent, who is blind, but blessed with such insight, sold us “Goombay Punch” and other sodas as well as joined our lunch devotions and prayed with us.  The Holy Spirit was definitely present and flowed through him as he would share and pray with us.  So many other residents were just happy to see us there and thankful for our service.  Garvin is an amazing person, and we got to witness the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.  
My personal favorite (if that’s possible in a place like All Saints Camp) has to be Lillian.  I brought her a pair of slippers and was able to personally deliver them to her with her lunch and her eyes lit up, and she just repeatedly thanked me.  From there she trusted me enough to take her key and unlock her door for her later that day – which is a big deal as again, everything they have is in their tiny room.  Thursday was the icing on the cake, though.  We visited her and told her how beautiful she was and how lovely her family was – 3 daughters, 2 sons and 20 grandchildren!!  Her smiles and laughter were so intoxicating. I’ve never previously felt God’s love showering over me as much as I did that day.  Definitely one of the best weeks of my life!  
Following God’s will for me to go on this trip has definitely opened my heart and mind to know that the mission field (no matter it’s location) is where I want to be and I will WILLINGLY go wherever it is He sends me next.


Pam
Bahamas Team

Bahamas Team - John

Okay, we are back from the Bahamas and my prayer before leaving was that I would keep my mouth shut and let this team hear, feel, smell, touch, love and be loved like I have been since the year 1999 when I first began going to the All Saints Camp. I think the Lord made me successful in this regard and yet, it was like it was brand new all over again.  

The All Saints Camp is an old Leper Colony that now houses those with HIV and full blown AIDS as well as a few with major other health issues. Often times, the residents when found with these ailments are loaded in the car and taken to the camp and usually dumped at the front gate with whatever items they can carry, and seldom see relatives, family or loved ones again. Their existence is meager at best, with little to call their own.  They live in a room that is about ten foot by ten foot, most are bedridden or have trouble walking or even using a wheel chair. Their breakfast, lunch and dinner (usually a PB&J or Tuna Fish sandwich) is brought to them, and they are helped with their personal hygiene and diaper changes and bed baths. Yet with so very little, they give so much of themselves and most offer no complaints, only praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. One of our team told me on our return that the first night she was glad to be back home, yet felt so guilty that she could eat a filling hot meal, take a warm bath and lay in a comfortable bed (none of which the camp residents have).  

There are so many highlights to this trip that a book could not contain them, however, a few stand out. One is Miss Moxey who by her own admission has been at the camp for umpteen years and I know for a fact that she has been there since 1999 as that was when I first met her. She is a joy with a capital J. When I took a few of our people down to meet her (the first day at the camp), she greeted everyone with a warm friendly smile and words of praise to our Lord. She let us read Scripture to her and ask her about the pictures of family she had on the wall. Then, there was Patrick who can walk (with difficulty) and is partially paralyzed on the right side due to one of many strokes he has had due to his HIV/AIDS condition. He was always at the top of the hill with a great big smile and welcome as we came up in our school bus. He watched us close as we began building, and when we let him use our hammer to pound in a nail, you would have thought that someone had just given him a million dollars.  Patrick was also invited to join us in morning prayer before we began work and to join us during our lunch devotions, you could see that he knew we both loved him and cared for him. 

We stayed at a retreat that was run by Next Step Ministries (.com, if you want to go to the website). They have a staff of interns that take care of: the week coordination, job site management, cooking, devotions and worship. I know that when our Lord hears the name Next Step, or Heather, Rebecca, Craig, Maple, Kaylee, Travis, Jesus or Audrey that He smiles. We thank the Father for them all.  There were days we had no water at the camp, no gas for cooking, no cooking spray for the pancakes on the griddle and at times no air conditioning, yet this staff worked around it, making the best of a sometimes bad situation.  We had confidence in them from the moment they met us at the airport and that confidence only increased with every hour that passed.  I hope and pray to get Tom C, Justin J, Pam R, and one of our senior youth down there before this summer season is over.  This trip  allowed us to meet 26 people from a church in Wyoming (suburb of Cincinnati) Ohio.  One of the girls, Alex, came with her mother as her mother was not okay with her working at an HIV/AIDS camp.  That changed real quick, and I would look for her return next year.  This group was one of the best groups I have ever met. Their leaders taught us much, and we could see their investment in their youth and their youth's devotion to our Lord. 

I will stop now only because of space and the fear of boring you by going on too long. I pray that you will invest yourself in our Lords Kingdom and do as Jesus said, GO!  And what you do for the least of these you do also for Me.

We will be planning the Summer 2013 Bahamas trip very soon, get your passport and get ready to experience God showing up everyday in everyway.  You will be changed, I guarantee it.  

Love and Prayers…john hartley 

missions team chair

Bahamas Team

Praying for the Bahamas Team - Pam

This is my first out-of-country mission trip and technically only my second mission trip ever (the first being the Steppin' Stone road trip on 5/5/12).  I think I've blown up John Hartley's email box with all of my questions about what to bring, when and where we are leaving from, what can we bring for the Camp, what else, etc.  I'm a "planner" and a list person.  This is how I stay focused and organized at my job and it overflows into the rest of my life.  This is good, though.  I'm "ready" from the perspective that my suitcase is packed (under the maximum weight of 50lbs - per the scale at Publix) and all my lists have been checked as completed.  So, one would think that I am prepared for this trip - or at least it looks good on paper.  

This is where Pam stops and God takes over.  My prayer is that God will open my eyes to truly see the world and these people we are going to serve and serve with.  I pray that He will clean my ears out to hear the needs, concerns, prayers and praises of this trip.  Mostly, I pray for our Lord to just rip wide-open my Heart for what hurts His.  I want to feel their needs and feel their joys.  I want to identify with each person I come in contact with.  I live in such a "bubble" here.  I have a great job, a nice apartment, food, clothes, a car, money, great friends and a wonderful church family.  I have no idea what it will be like there, but I know it's not going to be the nice, neat little box that I currently call Pam's world.  I want God to take my world apart and bring me into the world He wants me to serve in the name of my Savior Jesus Christ.  
The song that's been on my heart recently is "Worlds Apart" by Jars of Clay.  All I want is for Him to "...take my world apart, I am on my knees...".  To bring this full-circle right to where it started...it started with John Hartley at the Faith Promise Rally handing out a piece of chalk and telling us all to go home and draw a circle around ourselves with that chalk and think about Isaiah 6:8:  "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!".  What's left of that chalk and that passage are hanging on my bulletin board at home. 




Pam Rosky
Bahamas Team Member

Praying for the Bahamas Team - John

Having been to the Bahamas' on mission trips several times since the year 2000, it is with great anticipation that I return after a few years absence. I am excited to take a team down that has not been on this type of mission field before.  Of course, all the residents at All Saints Camp where we are going to serve are either HIV positive or have full blown aids.  In the Bahamas, if you are found to have this type of condition, you are taken to a camp like this and left with whatever you may have been able to take.  You may or may not see your family or relatives again.  The camp is just up the hill from the constant reminder for those who have aids - a local cemetery.  We are going on this trip from first to serve our Lord who in His Word says go.  We are also going so that we can get more of our members into the mission field (it is the one thing that will cause us as Christians and our church to grow). We also want to see if this is something we want our youth to be part of in the future and lastly, to look at the mission itself to see if it is something we want to support as part of our missions program.  Please be in prayer for our hearts and minds to be open to our Lord's will and direction and that we would honor Him in all we do, say and think.  
The two missionaries, Tim and Felicia, we have known since the year 2000 when I all went down on a short term mission trip with them and did so again for the next few years.  Tim and Felicia listened to God, sold all they had, solicited support and went there full time as missionaries.  To watch Tim feed Garvin, who can not feed himself or to watch Felicia fix one of the ladies hair (she used to have her own hair salon) is really seeing God's people doing for what our Lord calls the least of these.  I know our Lord will use the folks going down to recruit others to come join us as we hope. We are praying to make all our trips annual trips just with many different folks going each time.  There is no reason that everyone at NBCC can not go into the mission field for a short time. God has something for each of us to do, all we have to do is GO.
  


John Hartley
Bahamas Team Member
Missions Team Chair

Mission Moment - Steppin' Stone Farm

Remember the group of young ladies that came and sang for us a few weeks ago?  They were from Steppin’ Stone Farms.  Well, a group of us from the Missions Committee as well as a couple others went to Steppin’ Stone Farm on Saturday, May 5, 2012.  When we first arrived we were greeted by Lady –Steppin’ Stone’s mascot – a super friendly basset hound.  Lady walked with us to Cindy’s home where she began the tour.  She walked us down the path to the school.  There’s a bell outside the school that the girls that graduate from the program get to ring upon their completion.  On our way to the cottages (aptly named Faith, Hope and Love) Cindy told us how she was actually a participant in the program years ago – what a testament to God’s great plan that He took her from a bad situation (most of the girls are court ordered to be in the program) and led down a path that would bring her to a place where she is now passing on what she was taught all those years ago.

Cindy left us in good hands with two of the senior girls.  One will be graduating from the program this month and going off to college in August.  The other young lady is graduating from high school early and will be heading off to the Air Force to become a nurse.  They took us on the rest of the tour which included the area where the animals are that the girls are responsible for taking care of, especially when they receive demerits.  They have chickens, ducks, goats and pigs.  They also have horses, which they get to ride when they receive good merit points. A little further down the path we came upon where they have bon-fires - a good place to roast a hotdog or marshmallow and fellowship.  Further down the path is an outside area to have service.  Being out in nature like that – how can you not see the wonders of our God!  Next to that was the pond.  They’ve done baptisms there in the past – but Cindy says it always seems to rain when they would try to hold them (tears of joy from our Lord, I say).  So, now they do the baptisms at Cindy’s husband’s church (He’s the pastor there).

The girls treated us to breakfast for lunch.  It’s their traditional Saturday lunch.  Right before lunch, a few girls shared their testimonies.  It was wonderful to hear how their lives were changing/improving due to their surrender to the Lord and allowing the Spirit to lead them.  After lunch the girls sang a song for us – it’s called Blessings – by Laura Story – and what a blessing it was to hear those young ladies sing.


The funds that NBCC sends in support of this mission are definitely going to good use.  They have a good success rate (the rules are that a girl only gets one chance at Steppin’ Stone and Cindy shared that many of the graduates are doing well) and a great program.  I invite you all to check out their site to see/read more about them and/or to get involved.  They always need volunteers and have additional needs to be filled.  So come and join the mission committee or join us on one of our next field trips and get involved.  There will be more information provided in future bulletins and announcements.  We look forward to seeing you with us.


Pam Rosky

Missions Monday - Be a Doorholder!

We have the privilege of serving the next generation by ushering them into the presence of Jesus. The future of the church is gathering in Atlanta in January. What a joy for us to serve them as we develop a servant's heart that beats for the glory of our Savior! Join a group of doorholders from NBCC. See John Hartley or Troy or Kelly Borst for more about this opportunity.