Haiti Team Prayer Requests

HAITI TEAM PRAYER REQUESTS – April 2011

General requests:

1.     Health of the team - especially protection against cholera & malaria, but that if anything does happen, pray that we will be able to get medical help immediately

2.     Safety of the team

3.     That the team will bond in an even deeper way; unity & communication

4.     Adjustment to the culture & that we will be culturally sensitive

5.     That our hearts would be with compassion & not pity

6.     That our time would be maximized & utilized to the fullest

7.     That we will be able to forget our duties/stresses/distraction etc here at home and be able to BE IN THE MOMENT & take in this experience, and to be fully in-tune with our purpose for this mission

Heidi & Cam (leaders):

1.     For wisdom, patience & discernment with the team & any situations that may arise

2.     That we will be empowered & equipped by the Holy Spirit to be the leaders He has called us to be

3.     That all of the supplies & luggage we are taking over will make it there safely & make it through customs

4.     Being open to how God wants to use this experience to change & shape our lives, and that it will deepen our relationship with Jesus

Samar:

1.     Opportunities to serve & love on the children at the orphanage

2.     Focus – that we will keep our eyes off of ourselves & on Jesus & what He wants to do in us

Shellie:

1.     My daughter (Mikayla) is always anxious when I am away, so pray that she can feel safe without me & reach out to her sister if she needs someone.

2.     That I will be able to leave my burdens behind & truly experience this trip; that I will find new strength & be able to move forward in my life

Carly:

1.     Recovering from a cold, so pray that I am healthy before we leave & stay healthy while in Haiti

2.     Safety & assurance for me, my husband, and the rest of my family

3.     Calm nerves

Brandy:

1.     That I will be able to be mentally, spiritually, & emotionally present while on this trip

2.     That I will be open to God altering something inside of me & changing me for the better

3.     That we will bond & connect with the children & people of Haiti; I want them to smile & feel loved!

Cassie:

1.     That God will be able to work through me, so that the kids will experience God’s love & compassion through me

2.     That my relationship with Jesus will grow deeper, and that it will help me learn to be more in –tune with His voice & purpose for my life

3.     That my family’s heart & worries will be put at rest – especially my mother’s

4.     Any last minute anxiousness or worries that may try to deter me from being wholly focused on Jesus

Brad:

1.     To make kingdom advancing connections with churches, pastors, organizations, groups & local people for the opportunity to continue future trips to Haiti in doing whatever God may lead

2.     I will be staying Haiti after the rest of the team departs, so please pray for safety as I venture out in an unfamiliar country.

Team Haiti

On April 29, 2011 a team of 12 from ECC will be heading over to the town of Hinche in Haiti.  


During our 4 day visit, we will be staying/helping out at the Maison Fortune Orphanage (www.maisonfortune.org), which is home to approx. 250 children of all ages.  We will be interacting with the kids daily doing such things as: playing sports & games with them, doing arts & crafts, and giving them lots of love!  We will also be helping out with various projects around the orphanage, as needed.  There are a few items that are hard to find or cannot be purchased in Haiti, so we are bringing over supplies that include: personal hygiene items, arts & crafts, educational supplies, and clothing.

No one on this team has been on a mission trip like this one before, so I love that we are going with no expectations, except that we expect God to show up in amazing ways & make this a life-changing experience for all of us!  This group is so diverse &  has such a heart for God, and we know that a changed world requires change agents, so we are going to be just THAT!  We are excited to be the hands & feet of Jesus to these kids & show them God's love!

God simply calls us to be faithful to the opportunities He gives us.  He doesn't require us to be superstars, just faithful, obedient, loving, serving, giving & caring - doing the small things with great love.

Please be praying for us, the country of Haiti, and for the children we will be serving.  We can't wait to come back & share our stories & the exciting things that we know God is going to do in many lives!


Heidi

Everyone is a missionary...

The word “missions” has some crazy connotations for people…I know. 

I was a missionary with an international organization for a few years, and I had trouble using that term to describe myself.  In my mind, a missionary was someone who traveled overseas, wore ugly dresses, and preached to the masses holding a Bible while someone else translated.

God has been gracious to me in helping me understand just a little bit more about mission work over the years.  He has slowly worked with me to guide me to a place where I feel clear as day about one thing:

we are all missionaries, it just depends on what your mission is.

For some people, their mission is being an excellent mom.  Or curing cancer.  Or teaching children well.  Or being an honest businessman.  Or leading people towards health.  Or having an influential marriage.

You are a missionary for whatever it is that you are passionate about.  You don’t have to travel to Africa to be on a mission.  You just have to be willing to tell people about what you love.

But you can travel to Africa, or anywhere else for that matter, if you want :)

Here at EastLake, we are passionate about our mission of helping people find and follow Jesus.  Sometimes that happens through mission groups.  And here’s the thing with that – both the people we serve and the people on the teams are learning how to find and follow Jesus.  It’s a mission for everyone involved.

You are on mission with Jesus if you are serving and loving people.  Any people.  Anywhere.

We want this blog to be a place where you can read stories about the mission groups at EastLake, pray for them, and also find encouragement as you learn what your mission in life is.  We hope it has something to do with God, because we believe it is God who has given you your passion in the first place.

Kristen