A Letter from the President

What can I give your Christmas this year?

The Christmas season is upon us. The pageants, the music, the decorations, the shopping, cookie making and family gatherings create lasting memories as we celebrate this powerful season. Children have started making out their Christmas lists. Cabbage Patch dolls, Buzz Lightyear, Tickle Me Elmo—the hot items of Christmas’ past will be replaced by the next latest craze. It’s that time of year again where in the US we’re bombarded with advertisements that help us solve the dilemma of what to buy that special someone for Christmas.

Last year at this time we talked and dreamed with you about the possibility of drilling a well in the community of Olmoran, Kenya. However, due to drought issues that resulted in needing to dig deeper wells and permitting issues that continue to raise the costs, we recognize that at a cost of $75,000 - $100,000 for the well – we’re probably not going to drill any. So what can we do?

Over the course of this past year, God has led us to an organization that has designed and implemented a water purification process that is simple, uses locally obtained materials, and has no moving parts. And it works!

This Christmas, as you’ve looking over the list of things to get others, please consider giving the gift of life through purified and clean water to the 50,000 people that live in the communities of Olmoran and Salame, Kenya. At $35 each, we know this is something we can do and we’re excited about it. In fact, we have a medical team ready to go in February of 2010 and we will build and install as many water purifiers as we receive the money for during this time.

We’re always in search of value. In these economic times I know that I want the gifts I give to have value physically as well as spiritually. By providing these purifiers through the Anglican Church of Kenya we can accomplish both of these goals.

Imagine the joy your family and friends will feel when they learn that a family in Kenya has just received the gift of clean drinkable water in their honor. For every Kenyan family you choose to help in this way, we will send you a beautifully designed card for you to present to each honoree. This way you will be able to celebrate together on Christmas day this gift of love and life.

What are you going to give for Christmas this year? Prayerfully consider giving the gift of clean water to families in Kenya. It’s the gift that really does keep on giving.

Thanks for giving,

Bob Wielenga

President

Global Outreach Development

Contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to Global Outreach Development, Attn: Kenya Water Project, PO Box 80221, Lansing Mi. 48908

Or Donate online

Kenya Water Project Update

Our Goal: Clean Water for Kenyan Families

As you know, we have been looking for practical ways to help provide safe drinking water in remote areas in Kenya, East Africa. Our search has led us to Aquaclara, a company that has designed a product that transforms pond scum into clean, clear, purified drinkable water that exceeds the WHO's standards for drinking water. And it is simple, efficient, and affordable.

The developers of these filtration systems understand the technology and will be teaching us the practical side of building the units which we hope to place in hundreds of Kenyan homes in 2010. While Aqua Clara has the technical know how, our partnership will provide a new network for distribution of these life giving systems.

This Christmas you can partner with Global Outreach Development (the parent organization of Simply Missions) in providing water purifiers for families living in the communities of Olmoran and Salame, Kenya.

In February 2010, a team from the USA will be traveling to Kenya to help with the health issues in these communities. Both communities rely hevily upon streams and standing water as their only source to sustain life. This water is very contaminated but can be cleaned and purified through this simple system. And each filter lasts 10 years.

Click here to watch a brief video displaying the units at work.

Help one family for $35
Help five families for $175
Help ten families for $350
Help more families... you do the math!

Contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to Global Outreach Development, Attn: Kenya Water Project, PO Box 80221, Lansing Mi. 48908

Or Donate online

FSTML Recap

I spent most of last week in Atlanta at the FSTML (Fellowship of Short Term Mission Leaders) Conference. The conference theme was, "The Road Ahead: A Critical Look at the Future of Short Term Missions", and included training sessions focused on the coming trends and issues facing Gods people who are engaged in and impacted by short term mission.

We started the week by attending a pre-conference for organizations that have recently adopted the 7 standards of excellence in short term mission. This introductory workshop helped us catch the vision for how our continued commitment to the standards will impact our ministry efforts. One of the standards is "God centeredness", and as we talked about what that looks like, someone said, "Whatever becomes the center of your short-term trip is what people will worship when you leave." That was a powerful reminder that we must always be intentional to clearly point to Christ in everything we do on a trip.

While the teaching was great, the best part was spending time networking with people from the over 100 other organizations that were in attendance. Unlike other trade shows and seminars, there was a real sense of unity. Everyone was interested in sharing their best ideas and learning from others. We met several others from organizations doing exactly what we do at Simply Missions, but we didn't see each other as competitors. Instead, we spent lots of time talking and learning from one another because we recognize that we are not doing our own work, we are all doing Kingdom work.

Thanks to all who were praying for us while we were in Atlanta!

Heading Home

Since my last update there has been lots going on with little chance to connect to the internet and make additional updates. We had a great time up at YWAM Kruger and were able to help with a feeding program, assist in digging a trench and with building a home, and got to meet some great people.

We have now been in Cape Town for three days ministering at Kensington Worship Center. Friday night I taught at the youth service and today, Dave and I taught workshops focused on helping church leaders work with volunteers. Kim was sick on Friday but is feeling better now, and Dale has been sick today. Pray for both of them to get healthy for the 24 hour trip home, and pray that the rest of us stay healthy. Tomorrow Dave will preach at the morning services, we’ll have lunch with the pastors here, take the afternoon to visit Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner), then we catch an evening flight back home.

This will be my last chance to update you all before our departure so let me say thank you for your faithful prayers while our team has been here in South Africa. The trip has been outstanding.

Peace,
Joe

P.S. My back is almost fully better. Sleeping on a real bed the last few days has helped. Keep praying that it will improve in spite of the long flights ahead of us. Thanks!

South Africa Update #2

It's day 8 of the trip and things continue to go well. Thanks to all of you who are praying for us. Here is a quick recap of some of the things we've been up to...

Monday the team visited the Sisters of Charity home (a place for severely disabled kids). I missed that portion of the day as I was seeing a doctor about my back, but many of the team members were moved by what they experienced there. I met up with the team later at another children's home run by a woman called Mamma Mary. We served the kids lunch there, played with the kids, spent some time with Mamma Mary, and then headed home.

Tuesday we went to the prison in Pretoria and worked with the 13-17 year old kids in the morning. Dave gave a short message and then we just hung out, played games, and talked with the kids. In the afternoon we headed to Danville (an inner city area) and worked with an after-school program for a few hours. We also got a tour of one of the "apartment" buildings there. The living conditions were astonishing. In the evening we attended a bible study at 3rd Place (the small church plant that meets in a storefront down the road).

Wednesday we met some folks that wanted to talk to Dave about twitter/church, then we walked around downtown to meet the folks who run a ministry called PEN (Pretoria Evangelsim and Nurture) that runs down there, and to get a view of some of the inner city needs.

Today was a day off for the Pure Hope team (the group we have been working with each day) so we went hiking at Hartbeepoort Dam and had a picnic lunch up on a peak.

Tomorrow we head back to Mabopane to spend some more time with Mamma Mary and the kids at the children's home. We'll also go to Plasticview, a township (or shanti town) where Westwinds funded two shack builds in 2008. We hope to meet and spend some time with the people who recieved those homes and find out how their lives have been impacted.

Please keep praying for our team as we continue to serve alongside the Pure Hope team. And, keep praying for my back, I am finding some slow improvement. Thanks!

South Africa Update #1

Our team arrived safely here in South Africa on Friday evening. Saturday left us no room for jet-lag as we got up early and headed to Mabopane for our One Life shack-build day. We partnered with a team of folks called "Pure Hope" from Moreletta Park Church. Together we built two One Life shacks. One was for a young man named Sello, and the other was for an HIV+ widow mother of three (the youngest being a 10 month old baby). All were extremely grateful for the help we have provided for them. The Westwinds team paid for the building of one of the shacks and the Pure Hope team paid for the other. These were shacks number 6 & 7 for the One Life program that was started by Pure Hope with the intention of simply changing one life at a time.

Sunday (today) was a day off of the work for us. We attended church at 3rd Place this morning (with lots of our new shack-building friends), and Moreletta Park Church this evening. We've met lots of wonderful South African people along the way.

Tomorrow we head back to the community of Mabopane and will meet a woman named "Mamma Mary" who runs an orphanage there for neglected and disabled children. I anticipate it will be a pretty intense day.

The team is doing great. Everyone is enjoying the time here. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to minister the love of Jesus to all we meet. And please pray specifically for me. After the 16 hour plane ride my back began acting up. Some of you know that I have had recent issues with my back. Our whole time here my back has been in spazam and it has been difficult for me to do any work and ride in vehicles. I see a physiotherapist tomorrow. Pray that the kinks will get worked out and that I will be able to keep up with the activity planned for the team.

Thank you all for your love and prayers!

GoDevelop Olmoran Update

At the end of 2008 we launched a campaign called “GoDevelop Olmoran” focused on developing a community in Kenya that was in dire need. In March of ’09, Bob Wielenga (President of Global Outreach Development) and I traveled to Olmoran, Kenya with a team of six students from Hope College in order to see first hand the issues that the people of central Kenya were facing. We spoke with the people of Olmoran and heard their stories. We found some wells in working order, and in high demand. Other wells we found were broken down and ususable. We also heard about other important issues like the need for agriculutural and economic development.

Since then we have learned about two trees that could make a difference in Kenya. The Moringa tree and the Muiri tree.

The Moringa tree:

It is said that the leaves of the Moringa tree prevent 300 diseases. Modern science seems to confirm the general idea. Scientific nutritional analysis has shown that Moringa leaves are extremely nutritious. In fact, they contain larger amounts of several important nutrients than the common foods often associated with these nutrients. These include vitamin C, which fights a host of illnesses including colds and flu; vitamin A, which acts as a shield against eye disease, skin disease, heart ailments, diarrhea, and many other diseases; Calcium, which builds strong bones and teeth and helps prevent osteoporosis; Potassium, which is essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves, and Proteins, the basic building blocks of all our body cells.

Studies show that, ounce for ounce, the Moringa tree leaves contain…

· 7 x the vitamin C in oranges

· 4 x the calcium in milk

· 4 x the vitamin A in carrots

· 2 x the protein in yougert

· 3 x the potassium in bananas

Another important point is that Moringa leaves contain all of the essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. It is very rare for a vegetable to contain all of these amino acids. And Moringa contains these amino acids in a good proportion, so that they are very useful to our bodies. These leaves could be a great boon to people who do not get protein from meat.

It is noteworthy that Moringa contains argenine and histidine, which are especially important for infants who are unable to make enough protein for their growth requirements. Experts tell us that 30% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are protein deficient. Moringa could be an extremely valuable food source. While native to the Indian sub-continent, Moringa has spread throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

Not only are the leaves highly nutritious, but every single part of the Moringa tree has been used for beneficial purposes. Here is a list of the many specific uses people have found for Moringa.

Nutrition • Disease Prevention • Ointment • Alley Cropping • Fertilizer • Erosion Control • Water Purification • Cosmetics • Textile Printing • Insecticide • Fungicide • Lubricants • Tanning Leather • Dye • Fiber Products • Fences • Ornamentation & Shade • Wind Barrier • Cane Juice Clarifier • Honey Production & Clarifier • Condiment • Cooking Oil • Food • Traditional medicine: Anemia • Anxiety • Asthma • Blackheads • Blood impurities • Blood pressure • Bronchitis • Catarrh • Chest congestion • Cholera • Colitis • Conjunctivitis • Cough • Diabetes • Diarrhea • Dropsy • Dysentery • Eye and ear infections • Fever • Glandular swelling • Gonorrhea • Headaches • Hysteria • Intestinal worms • Jaundice • Lactation • Malaria • Pain in joints • Pimples • Pregnancy • Psoriasis • Respiratory disorders • Scurvy • Semen deficiency • Skin infections • Sore throat • Sores • Sprain • Stomach ulcers • Tuberculosis • Tumor • Urinary disorders • Wounds

So, the Moringa tree not only functions as a source for nutritional value and health benefits, but it also has potential as a dietary supplement for livestock and can be used to help increase crop yields.

(The above data on the Moringa tree is from www.treesforlife.org)

The Muiri tree:

The Muiri tree (Prunus africanus) has been used for thousands of years by inhabitants of East Africa for treating various ailments. However, recently pharmaceutical companies have discovered its potential and have hired agents to harvest the tree by improper methods and to an unsustainable degree. Consequently, very few of the trees now remain and the species is considered endangered.

Read more about Africa's Medicine Tree Facing Extinction From Greed, Corruption

Bob recently returned to Kenya to begin investing some of our resources in these areas. Now, there are 5,000 Moringa tree seedlings and 1,000 Muiri tree seedlings growing on a plot of land that was donated to the cause. We also hired nursreymen to tend this farm while the trees grow.

In February 2010, Bob hopes to return to Kenya with a medical team that would host a free clinic in Olmoran in order to determine the key health issues facing that community. If you are interested or know of someone who might be interested in joining that team, please let us know. There is much work to be done in central Kenya and we need your help.