Mission:Haiti email update Spring 2010!

Hi everyone!

Happy Spring!

I know it is making me happy to be outside these days, in spite of life being so crazy! On that, I do apologize for the delay in this update getting to you! The delay has been more from lots of activity happening, rather than less activity, so without further waiting, let’s get to it, and I can tell you more of the latest news!

* Earthquake/Timeline

As you know, Port au Prince, Haiti, and the surrounding area, suffered a devastating earthquake on Tuesday, Jan 12th, late in the afternoon. While some needs have been addressed in the past two months as Haitians look toward rebuilding, they still have so far to go. Here is an article which points out a not so visible loss to both Port au Prince, and Haiti: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=10065808&page=4

Many residents of Port au Prince have left forever, either to go stay in the overcrowded homes of extended family who live in other regions, or they have hopped planes to other places, to just start over. Since most can barely afford the elevated food prices, there are few in that second category. There are now tent cities in many other communities, even in Les Cayes, which is over 100 miles away, and only suffered minimal damage. Since Port au Prince is a port, actually THE main port for imports, it has been difficult to get supplies anywhere in the country without their cost skyrocketing. That aspect has improved some, and there is talk (and I hope action by now) to get the port at Les Cayes running more business while Port au Prince is rebuilt.

Other communities suffered extensive damage as well in the earthquake and aftershocks. Many of those communities are also devastated.

I tell you all of this, not to depress you, but so you can pray. There is hope for Haiti. The Haitians have hope. Pray that their government will steward resources well. Pray that it can be figured out how we can stimulate the Haitian economy in the rebuilding process, but with the money kept out of corrupt hands as much as possible, so that each dollar can do the most good. Also, here is a photo essay, updated each day, which shows many Haitians’ hope: http://voicesofhaiti.com/photos

The Earthquake in Haiti does change things for me some, but more in how I come around the new needs when I get on the ground. My departure date is a little flexible, and the main thing affecting it is the amount of support that I have. When I have all of my financial support, I can go. So in that way, the earthquake has not changed anything for me. My goal now is to get to Les Cayes when I can this summer, so that I have time to get settled and prepare for the upcoming school year which will start in August.

* Ministry Overview/Personal Support Grid – brochure

The pictures you see are a brochure I’ve put together. It talks about why I am going to Haiti and answers some other “why” questions, and it also contains a snapshot of what my Haiti budget looks like. I hope you’ll check it out! If you would like a print version, I can send you one – just let me know. I plan to send them out with the prayer cards.

* Prayer Cards will be on their way soon!

I haven’t forgotten about sending these to you! I am still working on the logistics of getting the Prayer Cards printed. They will be on their way as soon as I can get them in my hands. I hope that is able to happen by the beginning of next month. If you want one, and I do not have your address yet, you should give me your address.

* Fundraisers

Fundraising for my one-time costs has been going well! I have had two fundraisers in 2010 so far. The first was a Hair Cut-a-thon hosted by my good friend and cosmetologist, Kadi Drennon! We had a great afternoon hanging out, saw a good turn out, and Kadi cut lots of hair. The event raised over $250 towards my one-time costs.

On Friday, my second fundraiser will be coming to a close, and there has already been an overwhelming response! I have partnered with Tupperware, your mom’s favorite brand! They will give 40% of the profit from what you sell to your cause. Right now, sales are over $350! So I am very thankful for how well the sale has gone, and for how generous people have been. If you want to get in on the Tupperware action, here is a link where you can buy direct: http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/!twx$eparty_ctl.p_guest_welcome?pv_eparty=096e7b87e8859ea25a490cc37064bc7f&pn_guest=

* Prayer Requests/Praises

Finances – I still have a loooong way to go before I will be buying that plane ticket to Haiti. But God is already showing how faithful He is and will be in this, as I rely on Him. Pray that I am open to what I am supposed to learn through this process, and that God will continue to bring people alongside me in this ministry.

Mission:Haiti Team – This awesome team of people are a HUGE help to me as I am preparing for Haiti. Some of them have been through crazy stuff lately. Please pray for them, that God will protect them and give them strength.

Health – Right now, I am working a LOT. Please pray that God will sustain me as I make sure I fulfill my responsibilities. I am doing all I can to stay healthy, but I cannot do it all.

Car – I was able to find a good, honest mechanic who was able to get my car working well for a reasonable price. It still needs some work, so I am saving in that direction.

Holidays – The holidays can be a rough time for me, but this year was good. Not easy, but good. I took some time to do some soul searching, spending some extra time in prayer and singing. I really tried to take the carols to heart, and really sing them. Out of this time, I composed a sort of "Life Mission Statement" which I will share with you now.

“Placing myself in the service of others to benefit the last, the least, the forgotten and the lost; leveraging influence and skillset on behalf of the voiceless.”

I also spent several days with my paternal grandmother. You may remember that I just recently found my father and his family again. This was the first time that I have spent any time with her, and only the second time that I remember ever seeing her. It was a really sweet time, and she is an awesome lady. I hope to get to visit more with her soon.

Thank you as always for reading and praying! I value your part in my ministry, and I cannot do any of this without you! Please let me know how I can pray for you, and I will do it!

Nov/Dec Mission:Haiti Update!!!

Hi friends (and family, too!)
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that all is well in your world. It is Mission:Haiti update time! So let me not stall for time here…read on! Here is some of what you can read about in this update:
Updated, spiffy blogsite. (which you just found! :-))
Prayer Cards are coming!
What is a Ministry Overview?
Conversations with Dan Shoemaker of RMI.
Dreaming about the future classroom…
Thanksgiving thoughts.
Prayer Requests/Praises
AND MORE!

So….just read on! 

Updated, spiffy blogsite –
I have updated the blogsite, and it is almost like having my own website! It now has more than just the content of the email updates. I am very excited about it, but I’ll let you tell me what you think...

Prayer Cards are coming! (for your fridge, or where you wanna stick ‘em) –
If you want one, I need your address! Thanks to all of you fast responders. If you sent your address, I got it! For all of you new to the updates, if you would like me to send you a Prayer Card, I need your mailing address, and they will be sent in the next couple of months.

Ministry Overview –
I have been writing my Ministry Overview as of late. This is a document that answers the following questions:
Why Haiti?
Why the CLCS (Cite Lumiere Christian School)?
Why World Team?
Why Geri Bass?
Why Now?
I am putting the finishing touches on this document, and I hope to have it soon to share with all of you! I am sure it will answer many questions and clarify any preconceived notions about me teaching in Haiti.

PSG (Personal Support Grid) –
Something else I have been working on is my personal support grid, which details all of the financial goals for Mission:Haiti. It is currently being finalized. Please begin to pray that the finances will be provided in God’s perfect timing. Unless there is a surprise change, I anticipate a monthly need of about $2800, which covers my daily expenses, insurance, and other benefits. (If you are curious to see more of a breakdown, just ask.) I will also be responsible for about $24,000 in one-time costs, which covers many things, from training to relocating and all associated expenses.

Conversations with Dan Shoemaker of RMI –
I recently had the opportunity to chat with a career missionary, Dan Shoemaker of Reciprocal Ministries Int’l, who spent (I think) 20+ years in Haiti. He is a veritable fount of knowledge, and funny to boot! He had much wisdom to offer, and he also was very encouraging as we talked about some of the fine points of the process of moving my entire life to another (third world) country. Dan also strongly advised that I obtain an ATV for my Haitian transportation. I previously planned to purchase a bicycle, but he gave several quality reasons why that was not a practical idea. So, though it added a chunk to my one-time costs, I heeded his advice and added a four-wheeler to my one-time cost list. I know he knows what he is talking about, and I trust his judgment on this one.

Dreaming about the future classroom –
I have been coming up with all sorts of equipment ideas for my future classroom. I hope to be able to make subjects like science interesting and fun, by having them as hands-on as possible. I am investigating the costs of getting a couple microscopes and some magnifying glasses for the school. If you are a teacher (or remember cool things you did in science class), I am taking ideas! (And the ideas can be for any subject area…)

Thanksgiving thoughts –
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We all have so much to be thankful for! My Thanksgiving included some downtime, since I finally have some much needed time off from work (I actually have FIVE consecutive days off. CRAZY!) I also got some quality family time having dinner with my mom, step-dad, step-sister, niece, and uncle. It was good family time.
I have something special to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I recently found my father on Facebook, and we have been talking. I am probably driving him crazy by peppering him with a thousand questions, but I am enjoying getting to know who he is, who his family is, and ultimately understanding more of who I am and where I come from. It has been really cool. Fun fact: I might have gotten my slight obsession with deviled eggs from my father. He made like two dozen for Thanksgiving. 

Churches partnering with Mission:Haiti –
As I begin developing Haiti partnerships, I hope to partner with a few local churches (or at least investigate that possibility). So, if you go to a church other than CrossRoad Church (my home church), I would love to know what church community you are a part of. As I consider different churches to contact, I would love to have members with whom I can partner as I speak with your church leadership. Also, I would love to come and share with your Sunday School class, small group, or other gathering about what God is doing in Haiti, and how you and your group can get involved!

Fundraisers! Everyone’s favorite topic –
Obviously, fundraisers help in raising support to reach a one-time financial goal. Several fundraisers are in the works. So, as those come together, I will get you the details! The FIRST fundraiser supporting Mission:Haiti is for Christmas Photos. Check out the prior post's flyer for more details, but the proceeds from the sitting fee all go toward Mission:Haiti.

Mission:Haiti Accountability Team –
As I am working toward moving to Haiti, there is a LOT that has to be done. World Team, in their great guidance, asked me to put together a team of people who can help share the burden of work, and encourage me along the journey. This small group of folks is a GREAT asset, and they are AWESOME people. Anyway, if at any point you get correspondence about Mission:Haiti, and it is not from me, do not be alarmed. It is one of the team members.

Prayer Requests
Car – My car needs about $1500 in work. So I am trying to determine whether I should invest the money into car repairs when I will not need the car in less than six months. If I am not going to fix it, I need to come up with alternate transportation that is not my mom’s car (which I am currently using). I’m not sure what the best solution is, so please pray for God’s guidance and providence concerning this issue.
Holidays – The holidays are an interesting part of the year for me for so many reasons. Just pray that I keep focus on Jesus and have a good attitude as we go into December.
ACCESS218 CD – (Shameless plug)  ACCESS218 is putting out a CD project called “Freedom Songs,” which I was able to be a part of. I am really excited about the message and the mission within it. The CD Release will be on Dec 6. Pray that it will be more than just a concert, that it will be the beginning of something much bigger – world change. And if you are in JAX, you should come! Dec 6, 7pm, Murray Hill Theatre.
Finances – As fundraisers and letter writing, etc. all get going in earnest, please pray that God would begin to bring in the finances for Mission:Haiti. I have been on many mission trips where the money came in at the last minute, and God comes through, always faithful. However, in this situation, especially because of the monthly support dynamic, the last minute scenario can’t successfully work. I am trying to change my mindset so I can work ahead on the things I can, but I ask you to pray for God to work out the things over which I have no control.
PLEASE send me your prayer concerns so that I know how to pray for you!

Praises
Getting back in contact with my father, and finding that my paternal grandmother is still living.
Good, quality time off from work.
A good Thanksgiving holiday.
My helpful and supportive Mission:Haiti team.
Good friends who are patient with me.
And YOU, who are willing to pray for and with me as this dream becomes a reality! 


God is SO FAITHFUL, in everything. He just leaves me dumbfounded in so many circumstances. May we each follow him closer each day. When we do, we are in for the most incredible life journey. So fasten that seatbelt, hold onto your hat, and keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle, ‘cause it’s gonna be a wild ride!


Love you all!

The First Fundraiser! Check it out!

Hey hey friends! Wanted to get this info out to you, as it is the season for Christmas Photos! :-)

In case you can't read all of the small print, it follows:

• Various times available at the location of your choice!
• All sitting fee proceeds go to Mission:Haiti.
• Photos will be uploaded to an online account for you to purchase directly.
• Contact Cindy Coates to set your appointment: (904) 887-7125.
• Call soon for best availability!

Sept/Oct Update (Reporting on the Summer)

Hello to all of you, my dear friends and family members!

As we enter the fall months, I have been thinking that it was time for a Haiti update, so here it is!

Since I last wrote you, some good ground has been covered in working towards Haiti. I recently was released to begin Partnership Development (PD). PD is the phase of my preparations where I can raise support. Naturally, prayer and relationship building goes hand in hand in the whole process.

So I hope I can still count on you all to pray!

I will be networking to forge new relationships as I figure out what this all will look like, and some other ideas are coming down the pike as well. I am excited for this season of my life, but I am intimidated by it on several levels.

I just want to be a good steward of what I am given, and to be faithful to God's call. But that is a little more difficult in practice I guess, than in theory.

Other than this exciting news, not too much has been new over the summer. I have just been working a lot, and trying to bloom where I am planted, learning all that I can, from work, friendships, and life. I am still hanging out in Forward, the post college gathering of ACCESS218, and at CrossRoad Church.

I am very thankful for new friendships which have grown over the summer with some of the Forward folks. It has been great to have people who are in the same season of life to do life with! They have been more of a God-send than they probably even know.

The summer was not empty of challenges, but God used them to draw me closer to Him, and to make me grow up more. God challenged me in some areas to take new risks, and I was obedient. For one example, God challenged me to open myself up to growing my relationship with my step-family. He asked me to do specific things along the way, which weren't so significant in themselves, but they were HUGE steps of faith and trust for me. And God was faithful; I have no regrets.

Thank you again for your willingness to pray for and with me as I take this journey (both to Haiti, and the longer one of life). I would like to update you on the prayer requests in my last email and share some answers to prayer, as well as share some new prayer requests. Please let me know, too, how I can pray for you! Also, for those of you I don't see that regularly, I'd love to hear how you are doing, and what is new in your life!

Updates on prayer requests:

I am still trying to figure out a job solution...I will go more into this in new prayer requests.

It looks like I will be able to stick with my current living situation (as far as I know). That was uncertain before. Yay God!

Prayer requests:

I am still working at Kumon (tutoring) and subbing, but I am unsure if I should try to pursue anything full time (I have had trouble finding anything). But I may have a new part-time job that will be more consistent than subbing. I will find out in the next week. It would be good for the consistency, but I would be working 2 jobs 5 days a week, and working still at Kumon on Saturday. So pray that I can figure out what is best, so that I can take care of myself, too.

Please continue to pray for spiritual protection. It is amazing what weaknesses you realize you have when working to grow in faith. God is faithful and merciful, but stumbling blocks can come at any time. So please just pray that I would be able to keep relying on God's strength as I run the race before us all. :-)

Pray that, as I begin raising support, that God would lead me to the right places and people at the right time, and that it would help all involved to continue to learn how to be the hands and feet of Jesus on the Earth.

Lastly, please pray for focus as I tackle all of the aspects of this process, and for calmness as I try to keep it in small chunks (not looking at it as an insurmountable mountain). I know that God will give me what I need to do what needs to be done each day. I just need to do my part consistently. So please pray that I can do that.

Praises:

God growing me in Him this summer.

Getting to start Partnership Development.

Growing closer to my family in recent months.

Great friends, new and old!

Again, thank you sooooooooo much for partnering with me in prayer! I value your prayers more than you know! And I hope to, in one form or another, hear from you soon!

Blessings!

Update June 2009

Hi friends and family!

Sorry for the lateness of this update. As you know, we went to Haiti at the end of May. Promptly upon our return, I had some interesting challenges to come around. I am just now finally getting into a routine again (because my job situation shifted as soon as we returned) and I am working on a number of things to get them moving forward.

So the Haiti trip was amazing, as many of you have heard. Here are links to my pictures on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2141139&id=25102982&l=e8b61c5607;

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2141476&id=25102982&l=f79ef3a969

The first one is from our time together as a team, and the second is when I was on my own in Les Cayes (and it was more just fun downtime pictures).

Our time together as the team visiting our sister church in the fishing village of Tiburon was very sweet. We have been visiting once a year since 2002, so it is like visiting family each time we go. I was so glad I was there as we were present for the dedication of the new church sanctuary, and the historic moments as our Pastor Gee, and the Haitian Pastor Lundy, stood together, praying together, before the church, and it felt like our churches were one church with two locations (and they are, as we are all the body of Christ!)

We had good times meeting together with the children, young adults, women, and deacons. We also helped as the Haitian church did two outreach meetings during our time there.

Bringing the message to the ladies went okay for me, even though I was very nervous. I had a great translator, Savana Moses, one of the missionary kids. She is fifteen and very intelligent, talented, and just great to be around. She was a great asset to our team, and felt like one of us.

The team all did such a great job in the areas they were responsible for. All of the meetings went so well. There was also good cohesiveness in the team, and we all worked together well. We all got along well, too. Praise God for unity!

I wanted to especially mention the youth meetings, which Derrick Scott (leader of Access218) had with the young adults, and subsequent meetings with just the leadership. Just seeing the hope that was awakened in these young people as a result of these meetings was worth the whole trip to me. I am excited to see what God does as a result of the seeds planted during our days in Haiti.

Near the close of our trip, I split off from the team for a day to meet with World Team people. I met some great people, and had a meeting with the President of MEBSH, the church organization for the south of Haiti that most of the missionaries do some work with (all of the sister churches are MEBSH churches). He was a kind man, encouraging, yet had worthwhile challenging thoughts he wished to share with me about working in Haiti. When he found out I was from Florida though, he said something along the lines of, "Well the same sun shines on both Florida and Haiti," and I think he is somewhat right about saying the heat is the same, but not comparing Jax to down there...

I had the opportunity to meet with several long term missionaries who have been in Haiti a while, and they were all ever so helpful. I got to ask lots of practical questions, and got really good answers. (And if you know me well, you know that meant more than anything else!) I got a lot of information that I really needed in order to logistically plan to move to Haiti. I also got to hang out at the school with the other teachers, and we were able to brainstorm ideas and otherwise talk shop. I really enjoyed that time with them, and that we were able to be productive, too.

Everyone I met was so welcoming, and I really felt at home. I did get to see Cite Lumiere (the mission center in Les Cayes, where I will be living) as it is more from the insider's view. I was able to begin to discern where I will run into challenges acclimating culturally, which was very interesting for me. But I look forward to the challenge and making the adjustments that must come.

Thank you all, as always, for praying. Once we returned home, one of our team members, Anna, contracted Malaria, but she is doing much better now, thanks to God. The evidence of your prayers was there as we went through the trip.

For this update, here are some current prayer requests and praises:

Praises:

Good productive time in Haiti! (I can't say it enough!)

Jesus has been teaching me a lot lately, and I have been listening. It has been hard, but awesome.

I got a sitting job to supplement Kumon for the summer, and we get along very well.

Finances have been manageable since my return. (That was a huge prayer request before...)

Prayer Requests:

I am trying to discern still whether to seek a teaching job, or just full time office work, for this time before Haiti. There are a lot of factors involved in that, so just pray for wisdom and direction for me in figuring that out.

Please also pray for my living situation. My current place was agreed upon only through August, so I may be looking for new accomodations soon. Pray that I can get some good notice, and that God would work that out if I do have to find a place to live.

Pray for focus and prioritization. There are a lot of little things that I need to do, but they add up and tend to be overwhelming.

Pray for spiritual protection. I have had to deal with a variety of very interesting stuff lately. It has not all been inherently bad, but the timing was strategic enough to make me question whether it was the enemy trying to shake things up. And there have been other things (like my car the day we got back, really?) that were just, come on?! (That one really didn't get to me more than just being annoying, but you get the point.)

Lastly, please just pray that I would be able to work toward all of this, while also being present in serving where I am right now. It is very easy to get sucked into one or the other, and I need to be able to be faithful where I am now, while working toward this other future reality.

Again, again, again, thank you soooooooo much for praying!!!!!! Merci, merci, merci!!!!!!

Please let me know anything that I can be praying for you about. I would be honored to do it!