Update from Lakeshore, MS

It's been a productive time here in Lakeshore in spite of the really cold weather (it snowed today). It was funny to see so many people excited about snowflakes, but a good reminder that our God is creative and amazing - something I forget to remember when watching the snow fall.

In addition to getting to see some of the projects that are going on down here, I was able to jump in with a team from Kentucky and get my hands dirty with some "real work" as some call it. It was not only cool to be a part of a project but it was cool to make some new friends who have been dedicated to the ministry here since "the storm" hit. So here you'll see a picture of me installing a kitchen sink in a new home that is being built for an 80 year old man whose home was destroyed by the waters of Katrina on August 29, 2005.


It is crazy to think that Katrina was three years ago and there are still people living in FEMA trailers and MEMA cottages. The FEMA trailers are mostly phased out now and the MEMA cottages are scheduled for removal begining in March of 2009. There are roughly 2,000 people in Lakeshore alone who will be displaced by this action. The need then, for teams that can come here and help build homes is obviously still present. Below is a photo of a MEMA cottage that is just a stones throw from the church.


One of the toughest things to see was the gentlemen that we visited who was living in this tent (pictured below). Remember that it snowed today and he has no electricity. He doesn't even own the plot of land, he is a squatter. There are a whole host of issues that are raised in considering his life and I need a bit more time to process it all. If nothing else, meeting him forces me to rethink my view of "the storm", the systems used to manage the people here, and what my role is.

I am sitting now in the Mockingbird cafe in Bay St. Louis. There is live music playing and the loud ring of voices chattering over the songs. Being here in the cafe for the past few hours is a good reminder to me that peole live here! I know that may sound strange but when we in the north think of Katrina, I know some wonder "Why rebuild?" Sitting here reminds me of at least one reason... it's home.

I head back home tomorrow. Pray for safe flights and for people to join in with this project in the future.

Headed to Mississippi

I leave this morning for Mississippi. I'll be hanging out with the folks from Rebuild Lakeshore, a relief organization that we hope to partner with for future domestic mission experiences. Pray for safety in travels and a productive time in building relationships.
Thanks!

SOE Provisional Members

We are happy to "officially" announce our partnership with the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission (SOE) as provisional members. There are a number of benefits that come with this association but we are most excited about being able to connect with other like-minded ministries who will help us become more effective in what we do. Read about more of the benefits here. One big change you may notice is that we will now proudly display the SOE seal on our website and other publications.

Not sure what the standards are? Check them out here.

GSM in Action - Guatemala

This is the latest video from Global Soccer Ministries (our ministry partners in Guatemala). They have been doing soccer camps this month and using the camps as a connection point for sharing Christ with the kids. Please keep GSM in your prayers. We hope to take another team down to assist them with a building project in February.

Missions Confrence Update

We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Gingellville Community Church in Lake Orion, Michigan for their annual missions conference. We were one of six different ministries who made presentations throughout the weekend.

The theme was “You Too Can Be a Missionary” which really worked out well for us as that concept is a foundational principle for what we are doing with Simply Missions. It was great to hear many of the other missionary presenters speak specifically of the important and encouraging role that short-term missions plays in the life of missionaries on the field. Hearing the testimonies of other Missionaries was both encouraging and motivating to us as we continue our effort in getting this ministry rolling.

Since I used to be on staff at that church, it was great to reconnect with old friends and see what God is doing in that congregation. It was a blessing to be a part of the conference and we felt privileged to share what God has been doing in our lives through Simply Missions.

We are hopeful of the things God has in store for GCC.

Thanks to those of you who prayed for us as we participated in this conference!

A view of "Paradise" : Guatemala City - zone 18

Here is a short video with some pictures of what Paradise looks like. Being there was eye opening.

Guatemala Preview Update

We are on day 3 of the preview trip here in Guatemala. It has already been an extremely valuable experience for us as we have developed a great relationship with our host missionaries. The ministries that we have seen here are in great need of short-term teams. I'll try to explain. Above is a picture of the squatters village called "paradise". It is basically built on an old garbage dump. We are told that digging footers for foundations in new construction projects is like doing an archeological dig as each shovel full has mysterious treasures of the past.

Today we were able to visit some of the homes of just a few of the people who GSM has been working with. Below is a picture of from inside a house that is currently under construction. This will replace a tin shack that several people are currently living in.

Here is Drew, pictured with 6 of the 15 people that live in this small house. I can't explain how small it actually is and didn't feel good about doing a photoshoot inside their living area. They were gracious enough to let us take this photo. What we saw was shocking.


Here we are pictured on one of the soon to be soccer fields located behind the Shalom Baptist Church. Some of the guys worked hard today, hacking weeds with macheties in order to clear this ground for a future field. GSM has plans to develop this property with several soccer fields and it will take the work of many to make it happen.


This is just the view east across the valley. It is always amazing to see these homes.


Here we are taking a tour of Hogar de Ninos in Vida Nueva (about an hour from Guatemala city). This is a childrens home/private school that educates about 400 students and is a residential care facility for approximately 40 children. They have amazing facilities with plans to continue improving and developing their ministry to also include a day care.


I cannot say how important this trip has been for Simply Missions. I am extremely excited about what God has in store for us as we continue to partner with these excellent ministries that are on the front lines in a country with tremendous need. Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us as we have lots of traveling ahead of us.
Peace,
joe

In Guatemala

I'm in Guatemala right now with four other guys who are exploring the ministry opportunities down here. Some of this team is looking to lead teams down in the future, others are along just to get a vision for what God is doing here in Guatemala. Our time here has already been extremely productive as we have had the chance to get an up close look at Global Soccer Ministries (an organization that Simply Missions plans to partner with long term for service opportunities in the future). We ask that you continue to pray for our safety and health as we travel and interact with other ministries and these wonderful people.
Thanks!
- joe

At retreat!

I'm up at Grace Adventures Camp this week. I'm teaching for a Jr. High retreat for a Christian High School from Lansing. The camp is absolutely amazing. This is one of the best Christian camps I've ever seen. They have awesome facilities, great staff, and an incredible location. Last night we walked over to Silver Lake Sand Dunes (about 1/2 mile). The view is so amazing it's hard to believe you are still in Michigan. I think I forget about how beautiful this state is since I live in the middle, not on the lakeshore. These kids are having lots of fun and listening well. I've got a talk tonight and then one more Friday morning, and I'm praying that God would use the scriptures and stories I share to help shape the hearts of these kids. Please pray with me!

September Prayer Calendar

September is a here and there is a lot happening for us. Last week Jackson Christian called me to see if I was willing to teach 11th grade Bible for the first semester because the teacher they had lined up was unable to fulfill that commitment for medical reasons. I accepted and will be teaching one hour of Bible each day at the school along with setting up the chapel services for the middle school and high school. The school is graciously working around my travel schedule as I quite a bit going on in the next few months.

Next week (Sept. 10-12) I am teaching and leading worship for the Lansing Christian Middle School retreat. I will be doing four talks during those three days and will also be serving as the MC.

On Sept. 18, I'll head to Guatemala with four other guys on a preview trip. We will be meeting with several ministries there who are potential host sites for short term teams. My hope is that at least a few of the guys going along with me will gather teams to head down to one of these sites next summer. That's the game plan anyway.

On top of all that, Austin starts first grade tomorrow!

We sincerely appreciate your prayers this month as we look for God's care and provision in all that we do.

Peace,
joe

Success in Jamaica

While Jamaica was winning Gold at the Olympic games in China, Simply Missions was celebrating some successes in Jamaica. Although many people think only of resorts when they hear "Jamaica", I saw another side of the island. In fact, I saw almost every side of the island as I spent time in Kingston, Mandeville, Knockpatrick, Whitehouse, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay. It's always difficult to measure success in ministry, but as I returned from Jamaica on Wednesday I knew that this trip had been a success in several ways. The team from Chapel Point worked hard all week at building structures and relationships. As with many missions trips, we left with work yet to be completed, but also with hopes of returning to assist these ministries in the future. Personally, my time in Jamaica was extremely productive. I developed contacts with ministry leaders across the island that will open the doors to the possibility of numerous groups working in Jamaica in the coming years. These are not just business relationships, these are now friendships and I look forward to seeing my friends in Jamaica again very soon. Thanks to all of you who prayed over this trip and made it possible financially.

Kingston Trip Is Going Well!

We are on day 5 of the Chapel Pointe Orphan's Hope Mission Trip here in Jamaica. Tropical Storm Fay dropped quite a bit of rain here Saturday night, but the biggest trouble we faced was a little water leaking through the roof of our townhouse. It appears as though Fay will not hinder our departure plans on the 20th but we would all appreciate your prayers as we return on Wednesday.
Saturday was our free day. We always try to do something fun on a trip and it is usually the last day, but it worked best for us to go on Saturday and it was a nice break for everyone at the mid-trip point. The labor and interaction with kids is emotionally and physically draining. The team loved Dunns River Falls and had nice relaxing day there.
Sunday we visited a church across the street from where we are staying, and later we headed over to the NEST. The Chapel Pointe team had done a great job of organizing backpacks filled with items specifically for each child. Jill, one of the team members, really put a lot of effort into that whole process. Each of the kids were excited to receive a new backpack just before school resumes again, as well as some fun things like games, toys, and slippers.

Today the teams are back out to the two ministry sites where we have been working all week, but I am headed to Montego Bay. I will meet with leaders of another ministry today and tomorrow will visit the CCCD campus there (it's the only one I have not seen since I have been here).

Pray for safety for the teams working today in the Jamaican heat. Forecasts said it would feel like 96 degrees. Also pray for me as I travel and meet with other leaders to talk about opportunities for teams to come down here in '09.

Jamaica Update - God at Work!

Today was our first day of ministry here in Jamaica. The team split into two groups. Twelve traveled to the CCCD (Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf) and worked extremely hard at sanding cement to prepare it for paint. Everyone on that team was really wiped out when they returned back to campus. The rest of us traveled to the Nest Children's Home where we scoped out a doorway project and hung out with the kids who were there. The team brought several different crafts for the kids to work on and they were busy all day playing games and making bracelets.

When we wrapped up our day Jill shared an exciting story about how God moved. As we were sitting with the kids, Jill mentioned to Major Scarlet that the team had brought down book bags with school supplies for each of the kids. Major Scarlet looked at her with some surprise and said, "I was lying in bed last night wondering how I was going to buy book bags and school supplies for the kids. I am here now waiting for the van to return so that I might go out and purchase those items because we needed them." What an exciting God moment. We have prayed that God would "go before us" on this trip and moments like that prove that He has answered that prayer.

What will happen tomorrow?

Chapel Pointe Team In Jamaica!

The team of 19 from Chapel Pointe arrived safely today in Kingston. Praise God for a safe and uneventful journey. Everyone is feeling good and looking froward to a great week of ministry.

Another great day in Jamaica

I spent all of today traveling with Chad from CCCD. We toured the Knockpatrick campus, went to YS Falls, and toured the Jamaica Deaf Village on the Mandeville campus. I am more and more convinced that working with CCCD is a great opportunity for the future of Simply Missions. The people here are great and they really understand our vision for what short-term missions is all about. I'm looking forward to partnering with CCCD on many trips in the future.

Below you'll see pictures of the construction that is underway at the medical clinic on the Knockpatrick campus, the beauty of the YS falls, some of the woodworking projects done by the deaf residents here at CCCD, and the view from the Mandeville campus.

The Chapel Pointe team arrives tomorrow. Keep them in your prayers as they travel.

Behind the Scenes in Kingston

I came down to Kingston a few days before the Chapel Pointe team is scheduled to arrive so that I could get things set up for them here and get a little work done for Simply Missions. We are developing a new partnership with the CCCD (Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf) and tomorrow I will tour several of their facilities here on the island and meet with some of the leaders. I am really excited about the work that this group is doing down here and am looking forward to seeing first-hand what God is doing through their ministry. Pray for great meetings tomorrow and Wednesday, and for the safe arrival of the Chapel Pointe team on Wednesday as well.

Encouraging Report from Katrina Trip

As you know, Shiloh Church went down to do Katrina relief work in July. I spoke with Tom, the youth pastor there when they got back and he was really positive. I wanted to let you all know about that conversation but didn't think I could appropriately quote him without having it in writing first. It was one of those too-good-to-be-true kinds of conversations. So here is what he wrote on his blog.

"This was probably the most amazing trip I have been on in my youth pastor career. I have not seen so much transformation happen in such a short amount of time, even in myself. The way that God moved on this trip was so amazing."

We're always excited to hear stuff like this, especially when we were a part of it. And, as supporters of this ministry, YOU are a part of that as well! Thank you all!

Read more from tom's blog here.

Guatemala Preview Trip in September

I'm putting together our first preview trip to Guatemala on September 18-23. This trip is designed for supporters or prospective trip leaders to come along and get a glimpse of what a short-term trip looks like in Guatemala. This is the first time we have gone to this particular ministry so it's a preview for me as well. I am already excited about the organization and leadership of the ministry we are partnering with in Guatemala. We have an exciting itinerary lined up. Trip will cost $535 plus airfare. If you or anyone you know might be interested in joining us on this trip please contact me ASAP.
- joe neill
Director

Shiloh Church returns from hurricane relief trip in Mississippi.

On July 28^th Shiloh Church returned safely from the gulf coast. The team had a tremendous week of ministry working in Pass Christian, Mississippi and getting to know the people of that community. I spoke with the Youth Pastor at Shiloh Church today and he said “This was the best missions trip I’ve ever been on.” I know it’s easy for me to say that so I asked him to blog about it on his website. He’ll do that later this week. In the mean time, click here to see pictures of their experience in Pass Christian, MS.

Thanks for your prayers while this team was “on the field”!

- joe

Striving for Exellence with SOE Membership!

At the heart of this ministry lies our passion to see every believer become a participant in the Great Commission. We recognize that short-term mission experiences have tremendous potential to encourage that participation by introducing individuals to the work of God around the world. But we also realize that passion and potential won’t accomplish anything without planning, preparation, partnerships, proper leadership, peer accountability, and, of course, prayer.

It is with these things in mind that we have begun the process of becoming members of the S.O.E. (U.S. Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission). This is a three-year process that will help us successfully navigate this ministry toward fulfillment of our passion. The process begins with our commitment to the seven standards of excellence: God-Centeredness, Empowering Partnerships, Mutual Design, Comprehensive Administration, Qualified Leadership, Appropriate Training, and Thorough Follow-Up.

By joining this association we will let the world know that we pursue the highest ethical standards in all our short-term mission endeavors. We will also improve our partnerships, training, and effectiveness, and reduce our risk through better planning and resource-sharing. Here are some more of the benefits:

Becoming a member of SOE means that we will...

• Let donors, prayer partners, sending partners, host receivers, and other participants know that our program applies nationally-derived measures of excellence.
• Let everyone know that we are committed to effective short-term mission.
• Become networked with similar groups who are also striving for excellence in short-term mission.
• Have assistance in identifying risk and applying appropriate risk management and crisis planning.
• Have assistance in becoming a better financial steward by avoiding costly mistakes.
• Have links to other valuable resources (publications, training media, training conferences... and hundreds of other Christians who are also doing short-term mission).
• Have opportunities to help mentor churches and organizations who are less experienced in short-term mission.
• Have opportunities to be mentored by more experienced churches and organizations.

Please pray with us as we begin this Membership process.

August Prayer Calendar

We've got some exciting things coming up this month and next month. Here are the things we need prayer for:

• Chapel Point Orphans Ministry will be in Jamaica August 13-20.
• Joe will be in Jamaica doing ministry development and leading Chapel Point team August 11-20.
• Joe will be teaching at Lansing Christian Middle School's annual retreat, September 10-12.
• September 18-23 is the Guatemala preview trip: Joe will be taking some guys down to Guatemala to preview two different ministry opportunities. We still need a few more to sign up.... Anyone interested?
  
• Fund raising needs: We are still quite shy of our initial budget goal. Pray for more supporters that will partner with us financially so that our vision can be accomplished.

Thanks for your prayers. We need them!

Welcome to the Simply Missions Supporters Blog

This blog is designed to provide up-to-date info about what is happening behind the scenes at Simply Missions. Thanks for stopping by to see what God is doing in this ministry.
- The Simply Missions Team