Dear Friends and Family,
From Sept. 9 - 27, 2008, I will join a team of seven other men and women from my home church, Wellspring Church (www.wellspringsg.org) on a short-term missions trip to Masoyi, South Africa and Gondola, Mozambique in partnership with Hands at Work Africa (www.handsatwork.org).
Masoyi Home-Based Care (S. Africa) – We will spend about a week in White River, S. Africa where we will visit the Lula Center and K2 (the orphan and youth day care centers run by volunteers from Masoyi). Masoyi Home-Based Care currently reaches over 2500 orphans and vulnerable children and cares for more than 800 patients. The time at Masoyi will allow the team to capture a “big picture” of the work that Hands at Work is supporting to care for orphans and those dying of AIDs and HIV in Africa.
Rubatano Home-Based Care (Mozambique) – For the remainder of the trip, our team will travel to Chimoio, Mozambique to join Carlos Giua, a local pastor, and his volunteers at the Rubatano Home-Based Care (RHBC). While there, our team will help Carlos and the volunteers in their tireless effort of caring for over 100 patients infected with HIV/AIDS and serving more than 560 community orphans and vulnerable children. We will be actively involved in a “fun day” filled with activities for several hundred orphans, home visits to the patients, meal preparations for the children/youth, medical clinic work, construction and providing encouragement to the volunteers and caregivers.
I believe in a God described in one of my favorite praise songs as the “God of the broken, the friend of the weak”… and as one who “wash[es} the feet of the weary and embrac[es] the ones in need.” I want to be more like my God. Sometimes, the busyness of life and even God’s incredible blessings such as our happy and healthy daughter Katie, my work back at Ernst & Young, and all the details involved in finally making the move out to the “burbs”, take my focus away from God’s bigger purpose. I believe that God is redirecting my focus back to Him by giving me the desire to go and opening various doors to allow me to go on this trip. Although I do not bring any specific skills to the table, I pray that God would use me to not only meet physical needs, but in remembering His goodness and grace in my life, I would be able to provide much needed emotional support and spiritual encouragement to the orphans, dying patients and volunteers there.
Support - Even as I prepare to go, God is working through my fears, anxieties and uncertain circumstances in my life. I would really appreciate your support by praying for the following:
- To prioritize the various demands in my life so as to diligently prepare for this trip through reading Scripture and spending more time in prayer.
- For God's provision for Katie and Kenny during the preparation and actual trip especially as Katie is going through a mommy-only stage at her tender age of 22 months. For God to calm any fears and anxieties of Katie, concerned family members and even myself related to leaving Katie for an extended period of time.
- For unity, travel mercies, health, and family of the team during the trip. To help raise the funds of $3300 for each team member.
Thank you for letting me share what God has impressed on my heart. I look forward to going on this trip and sharing with each of you a better perspective on what is on God’s heart and how He is working among those in S. Africa and Mozambique upon my return!
