Loving Life in Kenya

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I recently led a trip to Kenya with 3 other leaders and 20 amazing students! I thought I would give one of them the chance to share our experiences with you. So check out the post below from Caitlin, one of our team’s awesome students. Enjoy!

Jambo! How do I even begin to put into words what we experienced in Kenya? Is it really possible to describe the feeling of holding a child’s hand while walking through an African village, listening to sweet voices constantly praising our God? The best I can do is to tell you about the beautiful people we met. Throughout our trip, we built lasting relationships with our friends who live halfway across the world. Despite the differences in our circumstances, we learned so much from each other and will never forget the bonds we formed.

The people of Ngaamba welcomed us with open arms as we served alongside the community to help build a footbridge. It meant the world to them that we traveled so far just to meet them and share God’s love. They welcomed us into their homes as brothers and sisters in Christ, immediately considering us trusted friends. Seeing the conditions they live in was an eye-opening experience, however in truth these people are richer spiritually than I am. I don’t think I have ever met people who were more desperate for God.

Kenyan church was simply incredible. The women, children, and men all gathered together to sing, dance, and pray for hours. It seemed like they never wanted to stop praising the Lord. It was amazing to realize that these people were worshipping the same God across the world from where we live. The people of Kenya shared an indescribable sense of hope and strength. They depended on God for everything and were grateful for the blessings they received. Life was really only about loving people, loving God, and working hard to glorify Him.

During our time in Ngaamba, we visited several schools and really got to know the kids. They would literally run up, grab our hands, and consider us their new best friends for the day. We spent countless hours getting our hair braided, singing with the kids, running around, playing games, and taking pictures. Although it may seem like we were just playing with some kids, the love we shared went deeper than that. The kids felt so valued and taught us a lot about living in the joy of the Lord. Their unconditional trust and dependence was an awesome picture of how we should approach our Heavenly Father.

At the schools, we also had the opportunity to teach classes and build relationships with the older kids. One of the highlights of the trip was getting to meet our sponsor children at Marwa, the school that our high school ministry partners with. It was amazing to be able to hold the hand of the little boy or girl that we have been praying for, writing to, and giving towards. We definitely formed unbreakable bonds with our sponsor children, as well as countless other kids and adults that we met in Ngaamba. It was extremely hard to say goodbye to our friends, however we will never forget the impact they had on our lives.

If I had to choose one word to describe our trip, it would be LOVE. We saw love in action through the ways that the people in the community loved each other and offered the same love to us. Our team grew extremely close as we loved each other and processed everything together in an environment completely out of our comfort zones. We were able to love Kenyans in various ways, all while experiencing the everlasting greatness of God’s love. This trip was an incredible experience that will stay in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

We Experienced Haiti and Now We’re Changed

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No one that went on one of our six Haiti trips can say they have not changed as a result of their trip. Even those that have been on mission trips before had not necessarily seen the devastation to the extent that they did in Haiti. The first trip we sent to Haiti left in early May, four months after the earthquake. That team, and all the teams thereafter, came back saying it looked like the earthquake had happened the day before. If not for the rubble pushed to the sides of the now one lane roads and the attempt at normalcy for the Haitian people, nothing has changed. Collapsed buildings still remain, family members and friends are still lost, and life will not return to the way it was.

Haiti is known as a third world country, but for many it is considered a fourth world country. A third world country is poverty stricken and in pretty bad shape, but still sustainable, at least in some forms, without outside help. A fourth world country is not. A fourth world country sees little hope on a day to day basis. A fourth world country is a desperate place.

180 people from all three of our church campuses went to Haiti between May and August. 1800 people supported them financially so they could go on this unique trip. The teams worked on various projects while they were there. Teams built multiple homes for widows, where they dug trenches, moved, rocks, mixed cement, and assembled the homes. Team members also worked with local Haitian women to create bags that could be sold, with the proceeds going back into the relief projects in Haiti. And they got a chance to serve and love on orphans, 30 the first week with more coming each week, by playing with them and more, some who had lost their parents in the earthquake.

Our trip members who experienced Haiti are now changed. It is impossible for them not to be. Many of them are changed as a result of seeing the complete destruction and seemingly hopeless situation, but people are also changed because of the glimpses of hope they saw … the thousand Haitians that they attended church and worshiped God with in the middle of this tragedy, the homes that were built for 11 widows and their families, the more than 500 people that were supported and encouraged as a result of our teams being there.

The situation in Haiti is still dire. The needs are still great. Giving still needs to happen. Building still needs to happen. But for a small portion of Haitian people, life is a bit better … hope is a little greater … because 180 people from our three campuses responded to a simple video asking people to go, and because 1800 people decided to support those teams by giving and praying for the teams and the people they would encounter. And for that all we can say is … thank you!

2011 globalX trips will be posted online in early October. If you are interested in going on a 2011 trip, please email globalXinfo@northpoint.org and we will notify you when sign-ups begin.

Haiti Mission Trip: June 18-24, 2010

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Our fourth Haiti trip team returned the last week of June, and it included a good friend of mine on his first globalX trip. I asked him to share about his experiences. Check them out below and experience Haiti with him. Thanks Walter for sharing so well some of the cool stuff that happened with your team and the people of Haiti. And thanks for being open to this opportunity to GO when it presented itself just a few short months ago.

This was my first mission trip, and I was blessed to be part of a team that had many members who have served on mission trips before. The team bonded strongly throughout the week, sharing in meaningful and daily prayer and devotionals, singing worship music, and taking communion together.

After reading the blogs from prior teams’ trips to Haiti, we experienced many of the same things as them: the shock of experiencing abject poverty, the intense heat and humidity, the adjustment to not having the personal conveniences we take for granted every day, the complete destruction of mile after mile after mile of building, roads, homes, and businesses – to drive for over an hour at a time, and witness the same level of destruction as when you began the journey. That first taste of goat meat. Armed guards with shotguns at the doorways of city businesses, streets jammed with cars, few stoplights, few road signs, and few road markings. Diligent and proud roosters who faithfully serenaded the Haitian mountainside every morning at 4:45am. The specialness of the Haitian people.

Our work activities were similar to the other groups, and therefore, I will be brief in describing those here, but will focus on providing detail regarding the unique experiences our team had while performing the tasks. We helped on two construction sites building homes for widows, helped make burlap sacks, and tended to children in the orphanage. The men served largely on the construction site all four work days, clearing sites for building homes and moving the materials needed to build homes. The men were able to make a few enjoyable trips to the orphanage after finishing the days’ construction work to play with the children.

The ladies’ work, however, requires special mention and recognition. They served across all three work areas over the length of our stay. Their contribution on work day 1, however, was immeasurable. Because work day 1 was on a Saturday, the bag making operation was closed. The women assigned to make bags that day served instead on the construction site with the men in the fierce heat and humidity. To say they just served, however, would be a dramatic understatement of fact. They worked with vigor, stamina, and with a servant’s heart that inspired all of the men in the group. Work day 1 was the hottest of the 4 work days, with the heat index roughly at 115 degrees. The women hung tough all day. Was it irony or divine intervention that the most arduous day for the men working construction, that the bag making operation was closed and the men were aided on the site by these “wonder women”? The men believed the latter.

Our team leaders brought us together for several very helpful informative meetings prior to the trip. The conditions discussed in those meetings did an excellent job preparing us for the week. I think some of us really struggled with figuring out how to get a week’s worth of clothes, lunches, and personals into one carry-on size backpack. Somehow we managed, but the above seat baggage areas were bulging after the backpack “stowing” occurred. We were all thankful for no turbulence on the flights!

Traveling during the FIFA World Cup was an amazing experience. While the purpose of our mission was certainly not soccer, one cannot travel to a foreign country during the World Cup and not experience soccer during the mission. We had two noteworthy experiences …

Whether traveling in the Atlanta and Miami airports, or traveling in the country of Haiti, there was an unmistakable site of people huddled around TVs, cheering for their country, or for one of their favorite teams. We exited the plane with time to view the last 25 minutes of the US/Slovakia match in the Miami airport. As the US came from behind to tie the game, the passion and intensity grew. Then, for an intense, manic, magic couple of moments there elicited screams of “Goaaaal,”  “USA,” and thunderous applause up and down the length of the terminal. The screams died out quickly as the sound of disappointment echoed as word passed down the concourse that the US game–winning goal had been negated. The end result was a tie for the US team against a marginal opponent. Another soccer experience awaited us in Haiti.

Just before our plane landed in Haiti, we were greeted with a beautiful rainbow. We interpreted it as a sign of hope, a sign of welcome, a sign of something special to come.

We were surprised at how small the Port au Prince airport was, how old and worn it was, yet it was still functional, serving its’ purpose. This was an important lesson for the week in Haiti, be thankful for anything still functional and serving its’ purpose. Most things there, understandably, were not.

As we stepped off the plane onto the tarmac, one could not help but experience sensory overload. Despite being late in the afternoon, the heat and humidity was intense. The distinct, yet difficult to describe, smell of uncleanliness was overpowering. Our ears rang with the sound of loud honking of horns from vehicles in “rush hour” traffic in front of the airport. A 5-piece band wearing Wyclef Jean shirts played a bluesy-zydeco song for the arriving guests. Habit had us reaching into our pockets for change to throw in their tip container, when we realized we almost broke a “no-giving” rule for the trip and we had only been off the plane for one minute! Could we possibly make it six more days?

We took the 80-minute drive from the airport to Dr. Barnard’s impressive guesthouse, in complete awe of the breadth and depth of the devastation. For the most part, our waves, thumbs-up gestures, and verbal encouragements were well received by those on the street, and returned in kind. We were careful not to be insensitive and photograph in a disrespectful manner throughout the trip.

Jumping a bit forward to Wednesday, also known as work day #4, we arrived at our worksite and saw just down the road from us, the distinct, familiar site of people huddled around a TV. As a few of us walked up, we saw that they were watching the US/Algeria World Cup match. We could tell upon our arrival that the local sentiment seemed to be for Algeria. There was about 10 minutes left in regulation time, and the US was in a 0-0 tie. The US needed to defeat Algeria to advance to the next round. The local Haitians watched members of our team frantically cheering for the US to score one goal at the end to win the game.

But the US missed chance after chance. Groans from our team emerged. Then something began to change. Perhaps it was appreciation for the passion with which we supported our country. Perhaps it was seeing Americans eagerly standing next to their Haitian hosts enjoying the game with them. Perhaps it was the realization that Americans were there in Haiti working side by side with them rebuilding homes, helping make bags for sale, and playing with the native children. Perhaps it was connection that all of the US AID tents with “From the American People” on them, were contributed from the country these visitors were cheering for.

But as the game clock drew closer to the end, the local Haitians began to cheer for the US and shout encouragement and support in English, French, and Creole. Then magic struck, the US scored! A celebration erupted that certainly rang loud and clear throughout the village. “Goaaal” and “USA” chants began. Maybe even a “Do you believe in miracles” comment (me)? It was just like in the US airports. Only this time, it was Haitians and Americans celebrating together, doing high-fives, chest bumps, random dancing. Is it possible that Babel might have been a little like this?

It is cliché – that sports can transcend politics and ethnicity, but we experienced it. It is unlikely that a Haitian who witnessed our team walking across the street after the celebration with them, donning our work gloves and helping rebuild their homes, could believe anything other than that Americans deeply care about the Haitian people.

The other area that is cliché is that music transcends politics and ethnicity, but we witnessed that as well. On the afternoon of our first day at the construction sites, we broke for lunch and returned to our parking spot just outside the village, hoping to find shade and relief from the aforementioned 115+ degree heat index. The road our bus parked on outside the village was a road where children walked to get to school. We greeted the children, spoke some English, and even spoke a little French. The children were very charming and welcoming, dressed to the nines in their very impressive school uniforms, and they were extremely interested in the music coming out of our bus while we ate lunch. Several of the team members and children then began dancing. One of the men on our team had an idea, and said he would be right back.

Within another minute or two, he and several team members returned with concrete blocks, the kind we had been stacking all week. They were used again for building, although not for a physical structure this time, but rather, to build relationships. The most delightful game of “musical chairs” broke out with cement blocks being used as chairs. The bus radio was DJ’d by our interpreter to stop the music as the race for open “chairs” began. When in Rome, do as the Romans, and when in Haiti, well, you make do with what you can!

It didn’t appear the children needed any coaching on the rules for musical chairs. They took to the game immediately, and with gusto. And they are competitive. As the number of cement blocks dwindled, a few of our team members needed to be reminded in a friendly manner to let the kids win. And the children won, several times in fact, but we all won through this wonderful experience.

Music helped transcend politics and ethnicity that afternoon. A cement block was used for a secondary purpose that day: to cement not structures, but relationships. One of our team’s takeaways was that while we all have a primary ministry and gifts we can serve with, we should not overlook the secondary purposes where we can add value. If a concrete block can serve multiple purposes, imagine what we can do armed with God’s gifts? Much like the rainbow we saw coming into Haiti, perhaps we left Haiti with something as well – with a better understanding of the many colors, or gifts, we each individually possess that we can serve God’s will with back at home.

We came away recognizing that there is no quick fix to Haiti’s problems, no magic pill, no easy solution.

But our team left with the knowledge that God was present in Haiti, as demonstrated by the faith, hope, and love we experienced among the Haitian people in the toughest of conditions. We learned a lot about ourselves as well, seeing these three fundamental things practiced amidst our team during the week.

Andy Stanley once suggested that we should always “Pray Big” in life. Haiti definitely needs each one of us to “Pray Big” for them into the future.

We are off to Venezuela!

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Check out this blog post from Julio Gonzalez, one of our globaX staff members:
Although the US has been my home for the last 9 years every time I go to Venezuela I feel I am going home.

This time I am leading a globalX team. We are going to spend a week investing in the lives of abandoned and impoverished children in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

Our partner church in Venezuela sponsors a children’s home and is called “Poyecto Jonas.” It serves as a place of refuge to what is known in Venezuela as “Los ninos de la calle” (Children of the Street). These are children whose parents are not in the picture. Some are drug addicts and not able to take care of their little ones. Others are in jail, and some just don’t care. Proyecto Jonas is rescuing these children off the streets and enrolling them in educational and spiritual development programs. They have a team of young leaders, psychologists, and Christian counselors who are dedicated to making sure these kids get a chance in life.

Today our third team from North Point arrives in Venezuela to help with the renovation projects to make Proyecto Jonas a better place for these kids.

This is not going to be just another trip for our team member John Barranca. When John was growing up he was just like these kids we are going to serve. I asked John to write a little bit of his story and how it is connected to what he is doing in Venezuela with the goal of taking some of his thoughts into this post, but when I read his story, I felt that you should read it just like he wrote it. So please take a few minutes and read John’s story. He wrote it last night after he finish packing, and as I write this he is 30,000 feet in the air on his way to Venezuela.

Here is what he wrote:
It is 11:40 and we just finished packing … I hope we get up in time to get on the plane.

You asked to give you my background and how I grew up … I will try to keep it as simple as possible.

I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico but I grew up in Belen, New Mexico. I come from a family of 11 kids. I was right in the middle – 5 younger and 5 older. We grew up very poor with no running water, no indoor plumbing, or bathrooms. We actually had an out-house for our bathroom. We had to chop wood for our wood burning stove in order to stay warm during the winter months. We got our water from a well we had to pump to fill our buckets. Our home was made mainly from mud and straw – an Adobe home. No TV, radio, appliances, bikes, or games for that matter. We had to make our own fun. We had to walk about 1/2 mile to catch the school bus and along the way were dogs we would have to get by. I do not ever recall getting a ride or being picked up at the bus stop.

My dad was an alcoholic and very abusive to his family. We all scattered and hid when our dad came home drunk. He was very abusive with our mother. My mom did the best she could with all 11 kids. We were on food stamps and welfare most of our lives. When I was about 7 or 8 we moved to Albuquerque and into a home with running water and indoor plumbing. I am not sure how we were able to afford this home because we were still on welfare and food stamps. My fathers drinking and the abuse continued. My mother passed away when I was 10 years old from some type of infection. Our dad could in no way take care of us and I am pretty sure he didn’t care to. The six youngest were put in a children’s home for a few months until our relatives finally took us in. It was pretty rough not being with your own brothers and sister. We were all split up with different family members. After about a year they found a foster parent to take care of us. We were put back in our home and Mrs. Vaughn was a single parent who did not care too much for us. I really believe she was there for the money. Not once do I remember her making us breakfast or dinner. She lasted about a year and she left. We were not quite sure what was going to happen to us.

Across the street lived some young Mennonite adults who knew of a couple in Indiana who fostered kids. They called them and told them of our situation to see if they would be interested in fostering kids. I am not sure if they told them how many because they moved all their belongings from Indiana to New Mexico. They took all nine of us in at that time. My oldest brother had moved out by now and my second oldest brother passed away a year before my mother. My older sisters did not want anything to do with the foster parents and were eventually told to move out with relatives. That left six of us with me being the oldest. After about a year, we moved to a nicer area and in about another year they moved us away from our family and friends to Indiana. We were very scared since we have never been out of New Mexico. We moved to Goshen, Indiana and Steve and Rachel Everingham treated us very good. They were unable to have children of their own so they fostered. They never did file for adoption. I have to thank God for bringing Steve and Rachel into our lives. And I truly believe it was God’s work to bring them into our lives at such a young age. Steve Everingham was 23 years old and Rachel was 21 when they moved to New Mexico and took on a family of 9. I just could not ever thank them enough for what they did for us. We all graduated from high school and I went on to college and received my BS degree.

Steve and Rachel separated when I graduated high school and Rachel continued to keep my younger brothers and sisters together. I wonder where we might have ended up if it were not for Steve and Rachel. When we moved away from New Mexico they took me away from my best friend Manuel who eventually got into drugs, crime, and prison time. He was eventually killed by gunfire. That could have been me right next to him. Again I thank God for taking care of us at a time of need.

I remember when I was very young praying to God to please take care of our mother and keep my father from hurting her. Every night I would pray. I guess by taking our mom it was God’s way of stopping the pain. I did not understand when I was young but I do now. God is in total control and he does listen to our prayers.

Thanks,

John Patrick Barranca

(Juan Patricio Barranca)

6 months ago John and his daughter Alexis started a journey with globalX to visit Venezuela. They, like the rest of our team, worked hard to raise money for their trips. Some of my team members still have not met their fundraising goals. If you feel led to give to our team, visit globalX and follow the online giving instructions. Make sure you select Venezuela, Construction Trip #2.

I am excited about what lies ahead this week!

Julio

Back from Venezuela

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Wanna experience a day in the life of one of our short-term trips? Check out an excerpt from one of our Venezuela team members below.

We wake up to the sound of gentle rain outside our windows and a great appreciation for the beauty of the farmhouse and grounds. It is a grand place, but shows a lot of wear and tear that has not yet been repaired. (Two mission teams will visit them later this summer to help with the repairs they desperately need). The boys make us the most amazing café we have ever had and treat us like treasured guests, serving us our breakfast. They are so very sweet but we still have so many communication barriers that conversation is very awkward. We so want to bond with these wonderful boys.

We head to Buenas Nuevas del Este (the Good News Church) that sponsors the home for these orphaned boys. It is a mini- North Point Church, even down to the 10B4!! It was such an amazing experience to hear “When Life Hurts” from a different speaker and sing “Mighty to Save” in English alongside our Spanish singers. The church seats 4000 each Sunday in 4 services. We were very impressed with our surroundings.
Next we head off to lunch and the vote is again for arepas (did I mention how good they were?) and experience papelon con limon, a drink that tastes like an Arnold Palmer (half tea and half lemonade). It is made with solid sugar from sugar cane and lemons. We love this and decide to make it at the farmhouse after we do the grocery shopping with the boys. The grocery store is in a mall (centro commercial) with an Auntie Anne´s and a movie theatre. The pharmacy is there too, and filled with American brand names like Nestle, Enfamil, Huggies, Dove, etc.

The grocery store is the breakthrough point with the boys. As we are choosing foods to bring to share with the boys, they begin to teach us the names of produce as we teach the English. An employee who speaks a little English comes and joins in when he hears us. It was a wonderful bonding moment and the awkwardness of stilted conversation is smoothed over. After a long two hour shopping trip at the grocery store with the boys, we returned to Jonas (the home, not the band) to recover.

Community Support

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Not only do our friends and families support us when we go on trips, which we appreciate so much, but so do local businesses in the community. ZPizza has helped with some of our teams before, and now Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is joining the list!

From June 21-28 go to Menchie’s in Crabapple and 20% of your purchase will go toward our high school teams going to Kenya this summer! Awesome! BUT … you have to take this flyer with you for it to count toward these teams:

menchies

So print out this flyer, enjoy a sweet treat this summer, and help out these students while you do! Thanks!

Experiencing Haiti

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As our fourth team prepares to leave tomorrow for Haiti, I wanted to share a post from a recent trip member (Jenny Bertotti). I hope it inspires you to pray for the teams that are still going, as well as for the people of Haiti.


Our mission trip to Haiti proved to be an incredible experience. It was a challenging trip where God completely reminded us of His sovereignty and love for all of His children even in the midst of unimaginable circumstances. Throughout the trip, it became more and more difficult to see some kind of reasoning as to why a disaster such as this would happen as we saw more devastation everywhere we went.

This trip was much different than most of our team had experienced before. Prior to our trip, our team meetings attempted to provide preparation for the things we would see in Haiti in order to set a broad expectation of what was there. I found that the devastation was more than I prepared myself for, but truthfully that was not the most difficult part. People are often astounded by the pictures of the endless rubble and overtaking tent cities they find on the news, but I feel as though our entire team was more brokenhearted for all of the people of Haiti we came into contact with and the stories they shared with us. Some stories were those of hope for a progressing and better country, while others seemed to have lost that hope along the road of tragedy and misunderstandings. All of these stories did include things that happened over the past few months as a result of the earthquakes that I think none of us have even come close to experiencing before. Stories of losing loved ones, losing homes, and the endless search for work made many of our complaints seem petty. The people we spent time with had such a vision of hope and prayer for their country that it was much easier to see the good in it all than the overwhelming devastation.

Our second day in Haiti, we were invited to attend church near the area where most of the team would be working for the week. Although the entire message was in another language, it was by far one of the most inspiring things we had seen. The church was filled to capacity and the voices and prayers we heard were absolutely beautiful. Our team was welcomed and invited on stage to share a song with the church. Since just about no one on our team came close to being a professional singer, this made for an interesting performance! The congregation was very grateful for our efforts and thanked us for sharing.

Much like the previous team, our main areas of work throughout the week included: a construction site in downtown Port Au Prince, working with a group of women to make burlap sacks, and the orphanage behind the guesthouse where we were staying. The construction we worked on was mainly for a widow’s home along with helping a few other construction projects nearby. If the work was completed for the day at the site we were working on, we would move to a nearby building that needed help and finish up there for the day. One thing that I clearly remember about our team working with construction was the heat! It was by far more hot on the construction site than anywhere close to where we live. By the end of the week, our team had learned to cope with the heat and had built some great relationships with the Haitian people they worked alongside.

The women we worked with were employed to make burlap sacks using resources that would be readily available to them. When we first arrived, there were 24 women and by the time we left for the the week, two more women had started work there. Our first day visiting with the women and learning how to put grommets on the bags and string cord through correct holes proved to be very challenging. Not only because the majority of us had never even seen a grommet, but because the women seemed hesitant to communicate and work with us. None of the women spoke English and none of our team spoke Creole. For most, this would seem like a big problem and I believe some of us wondered how we were going to communicate with these women. After returning each day though, the relationship bond was evident among our team and the women we worked with as well as the creative ways we used to communicate. One of the women learned how to say “I love you” in English and told this to her new friends from our team often. By the end of the week we had mastered the art of burlap sack making, but much more importantly, we had made some friends, sang together, and prayed together.

Behind the guesthouse that was owned by our new friend, Dr. Bernard, was the orphanage that we were privileged to work with. Our first day there we went down to visit and play with the children and they welcomed us with open arms and smiling faces. The simplest things like holding them or playing with them made them laugh and feel special. There were 20-25 children while our team was there ranging from 5 months old to 11 years old. They had a small area to play, but they made the most out of everything. Knowing their stories as to how they came to live in the orphanage was nothing less than astounding, but the joy and love in their faces reminded us of the grace God provides even for the smallest and youngest of His children.

The people we met in Haiti and the things that we saw made a huge impression on all of our team. Through group discussions and sharing our personal experiences from the trip, it showed that we each where affected by this incredible trip. Although it was one of the most difficult trips to go on, I know God provided each of us with a piece of Haiti to bring home and share with others. My prayer is that the people of Haiti don’t lose the hope they have for a better nation and that somehow our efforts in Haiti may provide some sort of comfort to those we came into contact with. I pray for strength for the upcoming trips to Haiti, that they may look for the hope and find it amidst the rubble and disaster. The main thing I hope we all will pray for is that people around the world do not forget about Haiti. There is a long road ahead of rebuilding lives, homes, and businesses for the people of Haiti.

Dirty Car? Wash it!

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Support our Browns Bridge students going to the Philippines and Brazil by getting your car washed this weekend!

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 19!
Midway Building supply
4865 Atlanta Highway
Alpharetta, GA 30004-2957

A Win for our Relational Goal!

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When we sat down at the beginning of this year and thought about what we wanted to happen on our trips, we came up with a big goal for our trips to be the best ever relationally. We wanted this relational goal to encompass the three vital relationships: community with insiders, influence with outsiders, and intimacy with God.

Recently one of our teams had an unexpected volcano delay their return home. Because of the extra FIVE days in Moldova, our team there connected relationally with the staff of God’s Design Church in a way that would not have happened without that crazy volcano shutting down air travel for days. Isn’t it amazing what God can do with unexpected events like that?

Danielle Klobucher was our team leader for that trip, and she graciously agreed to tell about what happened when the planes stopped flying.

The Volcano That Changed Everything

The team went to Moldova to work with an orphanage that the church works with. When the work there was done but we could not leave, the team decided to help the church staff with the construction of their church building, which they are doing by themselves. We spent Saturday working at the church, mainly cleaning. After a hard day of work we enjoyed dinner with Andre, their pastor, and several church staff and members. On Sunday they had a small meeting and invited members to come by to check out the construction, so we got to meet some more people from the church. Then we spent the afternoon sightseeing. The same group of young people who we had been with us all week at the orphanage were our tour guides. Monday we worked at the church again and visited the orphanage one last time. Tuesday, four of us went back to the church to work, while everyone else decided to rest at the hotel.

As soon as we heard about the volcano, I knew this was going to be a “different” trip for us, but I had no idea what God had in store. You see, we really only spent time at the orphanage while we were there.  Had it not been for the extra days, we wouldn’t have spent time working at the church alongside Andre, Milana, and several of the other staff and church members. It was during the extra days that we developed a bond with them that would not have happened otherwise.

I don’t even know how to begin to thank Andre.  As the leader of the team, I could not have gone through it without him.  He did an amazing job of letting me lead the team, but was always willing to step in whenever I needed him.  Most of this came when we learned about the volcano and each extra day was just “wait and see.”  Andre took such great care of the team.   He was stuck with an extra twelve people for an extra five days while he was preparing to leave for the US just a few days later.  I think he was able to give the team some much needed confidence and comfort during a very uncertain time.  He was always very calm and definitely made the best out of the situation, always keeping us laughing.  And as the leader of a team of people who were anxious to get home, he kept me calm and laughing as well.

Our team was impressed that it is the staff and members of God’s Design that are the ones who are doing the construction of their own church.  A couple of people commented on how they can’t wait to see the church finished.  They said they know how much Buckhead Church and North Point has made an impact in their lives and they want that for the people in Moldova as well.

I think the extra days at the church made a big difference for those who are working on the construction at the church too.  They’ve been working on it for eight months.  The construction workers consist of a small group of staff and whoever decides to show up and help them.  It’s hard work, and it’s very slow moving.  And I think having twelve extra hands for a few days was really motivating to them.

We also realized during this time how similar the people at God’s Design are to us.  I think this was across the board for the team.  I think spending time with the people there definitely stretched some people’s view of God. We were able to see that the people in Moldova are worshiping the same God that we are! I know this comes up a lot on short term trips, but it was so cool to see it first hand with so many first time trip members!  And I am pretty confident that these realizations probably wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t had the extra time due to the volcano.

My Lasting Impressions

I am so encouraged to see Andre and his staff and the things they are doing in their community.  And not just the work they are doing at the orphanage, but the church they are building with their own hands.  There is no doubt in my mind that God’s Design Church is going to change Chisinau and maybe even the country of Moldova.  They have vision and passion and compassion.  After learning a little bit more about their culture, that’s rare.  And although that will sometimes be hard for their community to understand and embrace, I am confident that God will work through them.

I am so impressed that Andre is staying in his own country when so many others are leaving.  He could easily move to the States.  But he is invested and he wants to see change happen in his country.  He can see what the possibilities are and he’s not stopping until he gets there.  It is such an encouragement to see that kind of selfless dedication.  He truly loves his church family.

And it’s not just Andre.  Andre’s wife Olga and his assistant Milana and several of the other staff members we met all feel the same way.  They are breaking the mold of their culture.  And they are doing it together.  If you didn’t know any better, you would think they were all actual family members because they are so close.

God’s Design Church inspires me.  Personally, it has reminded me why I am moving into missions on a full time basis.  I had debated whether or not this trip would be a good idea with all of the other things I have happening right now, but God knew better.  He knew I needed this opportunity to connect globally.  He knew I needed my view of Him to continue to get bigger and bigger. He knew I needed to rejoice in the fact that there is kingdom work happening in Moldova.  I would not call myself a leader in my community, but as I’m moving into full time ministry, I’m finding myself craving connection with leaders who “get it,” who have vision, who think globally, and who have a passion for change.  Now that I have met them, I cannot imagine my life without Andre and Olga and I can’t wait to see how God continues to use them in my life.


How “Be Rich” is helping in Pakistan

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We wanted to give you all an update on the situation in Pakistan and where the money is going that we raised in the fall during Be Rich because of your tremendous generosity. One of the initiatives we were raising money for was for displaced families in Pakistan. Read below to see the cool stuff that is happening as a result of your generosity.

We have visited the Gojra Christian Colony and met two church Pastors, their elders, and members of a committee named as United Christians Unity. They showed us the colony in order to know the present situation about the process of rehabilitation. We saw that all the houses have been rebuilt because so many NGOs took initiative for this task. There are very few household furnishings inside the houses.

We met some of the people in the community and heard about their needs which we can fulfill. Every family has different needs, some need a table, some need chairs, and some need beds, and so on. Then we discussed with the pastors, elders, and members of the committee what to do now. We all decided that instead of giving them relief in terms of goods we should give them relief in cash. With cash relief they can purchase the specific things that they need.

During this tragedy 100 houses were totally burnt and registered with the local police station, but some homes were partially burnt which were not registered by the government. All together there are 425 families, and in some houses two or three families are living together under one roof.

We will (AFC team, pastors, elders, and committee members) go door to door and each family will be given cash relief.

There are two evangelical churches in the Christian colony. One church was totally burnt; and the other was partially damaged. Although the churches have been rebuilt they still need Bibles, hymnals, carpet, and sound systems. Because of the donations we will be able to provide these things to these churches.

In the Christian colony some older people had grocery shops within their homes. Those were also burnt. These people have no capital to start their small businesses again. We will provide initial capital for their business so that they can start their business again and can earn their living respectfully.

In days to come we will go there and distribute this cash relief to the affected people of the Gojra Christian Colony.
Relief to churches requires further efforts to buy these items from different places. Therefore we will go in next month for this relief. Relief for income generation undertakings will be given in the next few months. Altogether these relief activities will be done in different phases of two to three months.

Thanks for giving!


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