Baseball with the boys from the boys home on the Roatan anyone wanting to contribute to the baseball equipment and funds for a backstop? #roatan #erinternational #childinthemidst

This trip actually did change my life

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This trip actually did change my life.

In 2004 I found myself on a small community stage, in front of about 100 young people (high school age), at an evening event, telling them my testimony. The pain I had been through, and the healing and help I found in Jesus. My depression, my cutting, having been suicidal, it was all there. I stood there, not really able from stage to see the reactions on their faces, sparing no single detail.
After the end of the entire show I had a small group of 8 or 10 come up to me. Through their broken English and a translator, they began to tell me of their similar experiences, and their hurts. They thanked me and hugged me, and some of them said they had even accepted Jesus into their hearts that night. That validated me. That validated every hurt that I went through. To know that it had been redeemed and that God was willing and able to use that to help others, if I was willing to go, and to tell.
That was 8 years ago, and since then I have been on several other trips as well. And the love, acceptance and validation continues to come, on every trip I take. That was my story, do you have a story? And if you don’t I you are encouraged to take a trip and go, make stories and memories. It will change your life.
One of the most important things in many faith’s, is a pilgrimage, or hajj, or a trip of some sort. These trips are often to a holy place or sacred city. What about us Christians? While Israel and the Red Sea, and Gethsemane are certainly important, the most sacred of places becomes our own selves. We know carry within us the Holy Spirit. We are lead and guided by God, through His Word and His Spirit.
We are commanded to go. Not to visit some specific sanctuary, or place, or something from the past. But to go and tell others about what Jesus has done for us. We go to tell them about the love of God, and His grace, and forgiveness.


Anonymous!
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Missions Fund Raising

Process to fund raising for short term missions. Commit to the process, not the outcome God controls the outcome. Our job is to be faithful. Faithfulness is success. This is a rule for evangelism, discipleship, preaching, missions even fundraising. We don't control the outcome. When we fixate on the outcome, we become desperate and are tempted to manipulation. Fear and guilt become levers we're motivated by in our fundraising. And we fail. Don't do this! Commit to the process. Pray If you're going to be asking people to get behind you, to come on your team and to support you by funding your trip, ask God first. This is low-hanging fruit. No one loves you more than God, affirms you more than God. And He provides. Identify Who are you going to ask? Think broadly. Be generous in your estimation and expect people to be generous. Don't discredit people who can only give small gifts. Don't decide for them whether or not their going to give. Give them an opportunity. Notify Don't jump straight to asking. Give people a heads up. Let them know what you're going to be doing and that you're going to ask them to join your funding team. Here's a sample of simple notification ... I'm trying to go to Honduras to serve orphans in a month and I'm really excited about it. I'll give you a call this weekend to tell you more about the trip and see if you want to help me make it happen. That heads up removes awkwardness for them (Why are they calling?) and for you (How do I bring it up?). ways to notify: Paper newsletter E-mail Facebook message Text message Announcement at Small Group Do this in person if possible. Over the phone is okay, but awkward. You have to wade through silences and give people space to think. Make sure people know what you're going to do and where you're going to do it and why. Feel free to share the total amount you need, but don't feel like you need to explain where every penny goes unless they ask. Don't hesitate to suggest an amount this helps people know you aren't asking them to bankroll the whole trip. Make sure you know how they can give. And while you're asking put the money part first, but remember, you're building a team. Talk with them about how they might pray for your trip, supplies they might provide, ways they can follow your progress. Do the hard extra work to really include them. If you can't or won't do this, don't raise funds. People have to see how the trip went. They need to know that their generosity and sacrifice meant something. They need to hear stories and see pictures. Don't keep all the joy to yourself. And if you do this, they're more likely to go on a trip in the future and more likely to give to missions work in the future. A lot of us don't give to missions because we feel like we're giving into a black hole, throwing our money away.