getting ready for Haiti

You probably know by now that Chad and I absolutely love being a part of our youth ministry. In addition to events & activities throughout the school year, we have had the opportunity to go on a few summer mission trips with a handful of students. This summer our church is sending two student mission teams. The first team of around 20 just got back from Red Lake Reservation, Minnesota. In three more weeks, Chad and I will be serving on the second team of 15 students and 6 adults in Port Au Prince and Carrefour, Haiti.

Why Haiti?

January marked the one year anniversary of the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that killed 230,000 people and left 1 million people homeless. With cholera outbreaks and political riots, Haitians suffered loss in 2010 on multiple levels. Today, less than 10% of their country has been rebuilt. Our team hopes to do a very small part by serving clean water and food to those who have nothing, building relationships with local people, playing soccer with kids and ministering to them by sharing the hope they can have in Christ.

Missions are a unique chance for us to put what Christ teaches into practice. By helping to lead on this trip, we will help provide opportunities for our students to serve in brand new ways and experience global needs. Our project is fast-approaching (July 31-August 6)!

How you can help:

While we are extremely anxious and excited for this trip, we definitely have some concerns. We know it won't be easy, but nothing we face will be too big for God to handle. As we step out in obedience, we'd love your help...

• PRAYER
  By praying for us as we prepare and go to Haiti, you will have a direct impact on our ministry. Pray for the hearts of Haitians to be open to God's message, boldness in our team to share it, safe travels & good health, but ultimately, that we would be exactly where God wants us, at the time He needs us there.

• SUITCASES
  We've been collecting lots of items (flip flops, t-shirts, soap and blankets) and have been truly blessed. We look forward to giving it all away, but we need a few more suitcases to get it all there. We're hoping to be able to fill donated suitcases that we can actually leave in Haiti. Do you have any old ones that need a new purpose?

• FUNDS
  The cost of the project is $1,350 per person. The church youth ministry has pledged $400 to each student to help with the cost. Each team member has been raising the funds beyond that to cover their own costs and contribute to the group total. As a team, we are still just under $9,000 short with three weeks to go. [UPDATE: as of 7/13, we only have around $2,000 left to raise! Praise God!] Will you consider supporting us financially?
  
  Donate to our team online here »

We truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted with details. Thank you for sharing in this opportunity with us to influence the lives of many people, not just in Haiti, but also in the lives of our students, and in our own.