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