My team leaves for Haiti tomorrow morning. While we're gone pray that God would use us and that we would be effective in changing the lives of the Haitians we will come into contact with! Also, pray for our safety and health. While on my trip, I'm going to try and update my blog two or three times. You can read it at twoapugrads.blogspot.com or nelsons.posterous.com There will also be links posted on facebook and Twitter. Thanks for the prayers and support!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Haiti Relief- It's all about the People
When we think of Haiti, out thoughts go to the death, injury, homeless, hungry; in short, to the suffering and physical issues brought about by their calamity. As we prepare to send a mission team there this week, it is important that we spend time praying and thinking about the “human” objectives of the mission – the spiritual, emotional, psychological healing that needs to take place in Haiti.
Pastor Kirk DeWitt sent a note the other day to remind us of the importance of working with the people of Haiti. In the note, he forwarded a commentary apparently by someone in Haiti. While I don’t know the author of the commentary, I’m going to quote from it:
Jesus didn't just come to earth and dump a bunch of stuff on us.
He spent time among us. Every day.
He took on our lives in every way.
He taught us.
He showed us life.
He spent time among us. Every day.
He took on our lives in every way.
He taught us.
He showed us life.
Our first Haiti Relief mission was packed with people involvement – from Jolie Pfahler saving the life of a little boy because she cared enough to check on him, to David de Vos praying with an old man alone in a hospital who later died, perhaps with a degree of comfort because David took the time to care. There are many such stories from our first Haiti Relief mission. As our team performed their tasks – all with a physical focus – they also found time to help the people in more important ways.
When he returned from Haiti, Ian Armstrong commented about the US military presence in Haiti. They went in to restore order and maintain safety. They did that, but as Dr. Armstrong said, they did it with a smile and a helping hand.
Quoting again from the commentary that Pastor Kirk forwarded:
I don't see much CONTACT being made with the actual Haitian people.
Work is getting done, rubble is being cleared.
But why are not more people joining in with the actual Haitian people?
Taking on their lives. Spending time at their homes.
We can give them a bunch of "stuff".....but really, does that help in the long run??
But why are not more people joining in with the actual Haitian people?
Taking on their lives. Spending time at their homes.
We can give them a bunch of "stuff".....but really, does that help in the long run??
All the aid that is coming in to Haiti is amazing. It really is.
But it can't stop there.
But it can't stop there.
The author did not see our first mission team; he could not have. He probably won’t see our next mission team either, but that doesn’t matter. What is important is that all of us – those on the ground in Haiti and here at home – not lose sight of the people, because in end, as the author points out, that is what it is all about.
Pray for our team that leaves this week; pray for them in the physical tasks they will undertake; and pray for them that when they engage with the people, they help the needs that go beyond the physical.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Leaving in 8 Days
In eight short days, our team of 14 will be flying out of LAX and heading to the suburbs of Port au Prince, Haiti. While we're there, I'm not sure how much internet access we'll have, but I will try and post at least one or two updates on this blog.
In the meantime, I am still trying to raise financial support. There are two ways you can support me:
1) donate money directly to our trip
2) buy raffle tickets ($20 each). We're raffling off a $1,500 vacation package good to any of the over 5,800 RCI resorts worldwide of your choosing!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Haiti
As you know, on January 12th, the small island nation of Haiti became the focus of world attention when it was rocked by a deadly 7.0 earthquake. Since then, our hearts have been broken as we see the pain, suffering and death taking place. As of February 12th, an estimated three million people were affected by the quake; the Haitian Government reports that between 217,000 and 230,000 people had been identified as dead, an estimated 300,000 injured, and an estimated 1,000,000 homeless. The death toll is expected to rise. They also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
I am joining a team of 14 people who will be traveling to Haiti from March 20th to March 27th to help the people of this nation, which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. This team is part of strategic partnership between the church I grew up at, Calvary Community Church, and two other organizations, Christian Associates International and Hope Outreach International, to try to help improve the lives of the Haitian people, working in partnership with the Haitian people and their local churches. Calvary already had one medical team go down in January and do amazing things!
Our March team will be personally delivering and distributing thousands of pounds of food, hundreds of tents and other shelter items, as well as providing medical treatment and psychological and spiritual support to the Haitian people. We will also be working on the planning and building of a water reservoir project which will deliver clean water to a community of 15,000 people who are walking over a mile to get dirty water from a ravine. We will also be working to further develop a long-term strategy for our ongoing involvement in Haiti as rebuilding and restoration occur in the coming months and years.
We need your help to bring together the resources needed to effectively provide relief to the Haitian people involved in this tragedy. Here are some ways where we need your help:
PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS: We ask that you hold our team in your thoughts and prayers while we are on the ground. We also ask that you continue to hold the Haitian people and all of the people involved in relief efforts for the Haitian people in your thoughts and prayers, for all to find strength in this time of tremendous need.
FUNDING TO COVER THE TRIP COSTS FOR THE TEAM: The estimated total cost for the transportation and other trip costs for the team is about $1,500 per person, for a total of $21,000. All of the team members are donating our time and given talents to make this trip a reality. We are paying as much as we can out of our own pockets. However, we are not able to cover the total cost of the trip for the whole team without outside support.
We realize that these are tough times for everyone, and appreciate whatever support you can give us, whether financial or otherwise. Many contributions of smaller amounts can ultimately provide the needed resources. Checks can be made payable to "Calvary Community Church." PLEASE BE SURE to notate "Account 720-Team 2" on the memo line for donations to the Team's trip costs or notate "Account 720-Tents" on the memo line for tents and relief supplies, so that your donation is properly credited. Please do not put my name on the check, or the IRS will get cranky with all of us! You can mail a check to me directly at 16530 Manchester Street, Victorville, CA 92394, or mail it to Calvary Community Church at 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake Village, CA 91362. If you prefer to use a credit card, you can call Calvary at 818-991-8040 and ask for Kathy Sanchez.
Thanks for considering this opportunity to make a difference for the people of Haiti!
I am joining a team of 14 people who will be traveling to Haiti from March 20th to March 27th to help the people of this nation, which is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. This team is part of strategic partnership between the church I grew up at, Calvary Community Church, and two other organizations, Christian Associates International and Hope Outreach International, to try to help improve the lives of the Haitian people, working in partnership with the Haitian people and their local churches. Calvary already had one medical team go down in January and do amazing things!
Our March team will be personally delivering and distributing thousands of pounds of food, hundreds of tents and other shelter items, as well as providing medical treatment and psychological and spiritual support to the Haitian people. We will also be working on the planning and building of a water reservoir project which will deliver clean water to a community of 15,000 people who are walking over a mile to get dirty water from a ravine. We will also be working to further develop a long-term strategy for our ongoing involvement in Haiti as rebuilding and restoration occur in the coming months and years.
We need your help to bring together the resources needed to effectively provide relief to the Haitian people involved in this tragedy. Here are some ways where we need your help:
PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS: We ask that you hold our team in your thoughts and prayers while we are on the ground. We also ask that you continue to hold the Haitian people and all of the people involved in relief efforts for the Haitian people in your thoughts and prayers, for all to find strength in this time of tremendous need.
FUNDING TO COVER THE TRIP COSTS FOR THE TEAM: The estimated total cost for the transportation and other trip costs for the team is about $1,500 per person, for a total of $21,000. All of the team members are donating our time and given talents to make this trip a reality. We are paying as much as we can out of our own pockets. However, we are not able to cover the total cost of the trip for the whole team without outside support.
We realize that these are tough times for everyone, and appreciate whatever support you can give us, whether financial or otherwise. Many contributions of smaller amounts can ultimately provide the needed resources. Checks can be made payable to "Calvary Community Church." PLEASE BE SURE to notate "Account 720-Team 2" on the memo line for donations to the Team's trip costs or notate "Account 720-Tents" on the memo line for tents and relief supplies, so that your donation is properly credited. Please do not put my name on the check, or the IRS will get cranky with all of us! You can mail a check to me directly at 16530 Manchester Street, Victorville, CA 92394, or mail it to Calvary Community Church at 5495 Via Rocas, Westlake Village, CA 91362. If you prefer to use a credit card, you can call Calvary at 818-991-8040 and ask for Kathy Sanchez.
Thanks for considering this opportunity to make a difference for the people of Haiti!
Friday, February 5, 2010
AMPED
Starting in June of 2009, our Children's Ministry team decided to do quarterly events to encourage our church families to invite their oikos to church. Oikos - greek for household (for more info click here)
On January 30-31, 2010, we held our first AMPED weekend of the year. The theme was Winter Olympics. We brought in 10 tons of snow and had each grade compete for the gold medal. Here's the video from our "Opening Ceremonies," as well as some highlights.
The event was fun. The snow was cool. Our volunteers were great. But the best part about the weekend was the God moved and our families responded to the challenge of bringing their oikos to church. We saw our numbers go from 650 on a normal weekend to 977 kids in elementary alone! We also saw 146 kids who had never been to our church before! Not only that, but our adult attendance numbers were noticeably up as well.
If you helped make AMPED happen this weekend, THANK YOU! God so badly wants to reach our oikos and our HDC families are getting it. They are changing their worlds for Christ!
Thanks to the HDC custodians, maintenance workers and facilities crew for allowing us to destroy some grass, clog vacuums, and create a mess of fake snow. Thanks to our families for responding to the challenge of inviting oikos families to church. Thanks to all our volunteers who spent time with kids this weekend, cheered for them and encouraged them in their olympic feats. Thanks to our coordinating team. Without you, we would not have been able to do this. Thanks to Debbie and Kati for running games and services, for directing volunteers, and for making sure everything went smoothly. Thanks to Todd and Jeff who not only provided oversight and vision for the event, but also got their hands dirty (literally) and did whatever needed to be done. Thanks to Sara for organizing and planning, and then adapting and changing those plans and ideas.
I love serving with all of you and look forward to our next AMPED weekend! If you are wondering, the next AMPED weekend is May 22nd and 23rd... mark your calendars now!
On January 30-31, 2010, we held our first AMPED weekend of the year. The theme was Winter Olympics. We brought in 10 tons of snow and had each grade compete for the gold medal. Here's the video from our "Opening Ceremonies," as well as some highlights.
The event was fun. The snow was cool. Our volunteers were great. But the best part about the weekend was the God moved and our families responded to the challenge of bringing their oikos to church. We saw our numbers go from 650 on a normal weekend to 977 kids in elementary alone! We also saw 146 kids who had never been to our church before! Not only that, but our adult attendance numbers were noticeably up as well.
If you helped make AMPED happen this weekend, THANK YOU! God so badly wants to reach our oikos and our HDC families are getting it. They are changing their worlds for Christ!
Thanks to the HDC custodians, maintenance workers and facilities crew for allowing us to destroy some grass, clog vacuums, and create a mess of fake snow. Thanks to our families for responding to the challenge of inviting oikos families to church. Thanks to all our volunteers who spent time with kids this weekend, cheered for them and encouraged them in their olympic feats. Thanks to our coordinating team. Without you, we would not have been able to do this. Thanks to Debbie and Kati for running games and services, for directing volunteers, and for making sure everything went smoothly. Thanks to Todd and Jeff who not only provided oversight and vision for the event, but also got their hands dirty (literally) and did whatever needed to be done. Thanks to Sara for organizing and planning, and then adapting and changing those plans and ideas.
I love serving with all of you and look forward to our next AMPED weekend! If you are wondering, the next AMPED weekend is May 22nd and 23rd... mark your calendars now!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
this hour
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
I love my dad. He is so many things to me. My dad. A confidant. My number one fan. A teacher. A mentor. A support. A role model. A hero. A friend.
July 21st: I got a call from my mom wondering if Heather and I could meet and talk with my parents in person the next day. My gut-reaction was "this can't be good."
July 22nd: My gut-reaction was confirmed. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cancer? Cancer.
After that, Heather asked most of the questions, my mom answered. Dad and I just sat there in silence. Cancer? It's been almost three months and I still can't convey my thoughts and emotions from that day. I just remember the overwhelming weight of the fear I felt. I spent the next few days and weeks researching prostate cancer, praying for my dad, and trusting that there was a plan. My parents spent those days and weeks meeting with oncologists, radiologists and other "-ists"; praying; and trying to find the best plan.
September 30th: Surgery, City of Hope. All over friends, family, acquantainces, and complete strangers prayed for dad and his doctors. Dad and mom got there at 5:30am, Heather, Sean, Jenna, and I got there around 6:45am. Dad was already being prepped for surgery. He did call right before they took him back, but only mom got to see him. 10:45am Doctor came out and said surgery went well and commented that dad's in really good physical shape which helped. 11:45am Dad is brought from recovery into his room. He sleeps most of the day, waking up only when the pain made him.
He was released from the hospital the next afternoon and came home to begin the healing process. The thing about dad is that he has a high tolerance for pain; doesn't react well to pain medicatoin; and doesn't communicate when he is in pain. So it's hard to really guage how much pain he is in.
October 6th: Post-operation meeting with COH staff. Turns out cancer had spread into the fat and/or tissue immediately surrounding the prostate. That means radiation treatment, but his doctors aid that would take care of the rest of the cancer. That was a blow to what we hoped was going to be a "one and done" type cancer surgery.
October 14th: Mom calls right before our small group started. Dad's leg is swollen, which could be a sign of a blood clot, which can be a side-effect of any surgery. The ER is busy, so it takes a long time to get tests done, but they finally decide to admit him and run some more tests.
That's where we stand now. Dad's in the hospital (Los Robles), mom is there as well, I'm sure, and I cannot sleep.
At our small group, I shared what was going on with my dad. I also told them that my biggest prayer for this trial is that God is glorified through this. I said I didn't know what that looks like in this situation, but that's what I want. Kasey shared a verse from John 12:27. It says "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
Take my life and let it be
all for you and for your glory
take my life and let it be yours
I love my dad. He is so many things to me. My dad. A confidant. My number one fan. A teacher. A mentor. A support. A role model. A hero. A friend.
July 21st: I got a call from my mom wondering if Heather and I could meet and talk with my parents in person the next day. My gut-reaction was "this can't be good."
July 22nd: My gut-reaction was confirmed. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cancer? Cancer.
After that, Heather asked most of the questions, my mom answered. Dad and I just sat there in silence. Cancer? It's been almost three months and I still can't convey my thoughts and emotions from that day. I just remember the overwhelming weight of the fear I felt. I spent the next few days and weeks researching prostate cancer, praying for my dad, and trusting that there was a plan. My parents spent those days and weeks meeting with oncologists, radiologists and other "-ists"; praying; and trying to find the best plan.
September 30th: Surgery, City of Hope. All over friends, family, acquantainces, and complete strangers prayed for dad and his doctors. Dad and mom got there at 5:30am, Heather, Sean, Jenna, and I got there around 6:45am. Dad was already being prepped for surgery. He did call right before they took him back, but only mom got to see him. 10:45am Doctor came out and said surgery went well and commented that dad's in really good physical shape which helped. 11:45am Dad is brought from recovery into his room. He sleeps most of the day, waking up only when the pain made him.
He was released from the hospital the next afternoon and came home to begin the healing process. The thing about dad is that he has a high tolerance for pain; doesn't react well to pain medicatoin; and doesn't communicate when he is in pain. So it's hard to really guage how much pain he is in.
October 6th: Post-operation meeting with COH staff. Turns out cancer had spread into the fat and/or tissue immediately surrounding the prostate. That means radiation treatment, but his doctors aid that would take care of the rest of the cancer. That was a blow to what we hoped was going to be a "one and done" type cancer surgery.
October 14th: Mom calls right before our small group started. Dad's leg is swollen, which could be a sign of a blood clot, which can be a side-effect of any surgery. The ER is busy, so it takes a long time to get tests done, but they finally decide to admit him and run some more tests.
That's where we stand now. Dad's in the hospital (Los Robles), mom is there as well, I'm sure, and I cannot sleep.
At our small group, I shared what was going on with my dad. I also told them that my biggest prayer for this trial is that God is glorified through this. I said I didn't know what that looks like in this situation, but that's what I want. Kasey shared a verse from John 12:27. It says "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!"
Take my life and let it be
all for you and for your glory
take my life and let it be yours
Thursday, October 8, 2009
stolen spotlight
"Taylor, I’m really happy for you and imma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!"
First, I'll say that this is a little bit delayed... I mean, it happened almost a month ago. But I was thinking about it today...
I heard someone say that it wasn't whatKanye said. It was when he said it. They said that his message wasn't necessarily bad (the message being "Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time"), just that he delivered it in the middle of someone else's acceptance speech. Had he said this same thing at another time, it would have been fine.
The message of Christ is similar to Beyonce's music video. Too often, it seems that Christians choose the wrong opportunity to share Christ with others or put him on display. Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift is like the guys I saw outside of a sporting event a few years back. They were literally yelling at the fans as they left the game, telling everyone within earshot that they were going to hell and needed to repent.
The message was essentially: "Jesus came to save you." The message is true! The timing is... not. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) says "speak the truth in love."
We have the choice. Steal the spotlight and force people to hear our message or earn the audience's respect and attention and then share the message of Christ in love.
Learn from Kanye's mistake. People don't respect the message that's given in a stolen spotlight.
First, I'll say that this is a little bit delayed... I mean, it happened almost a month ago. But I was thinking about it today...
I heard someone say that it wasn't whatKanye said. It was when he said it. They said that his message wasn't necessarily bad (the message being "Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time"), just that he delivered it in the middle of someone else's acceptance speech. Had he said this same thing at another time, it would have been fine.
The message of Christ is similar to Beyonce's music video. Too often, it seems that Christians choose the wrong opportunity to share Christ with others or put him on display. Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift is like the guys I saw outside of a sporting event a few years back. They were literally yelling at the fans as they left the game, telling everyone within earshot that they were going to hell and needed to repent.
The message was essentially: "Jesus came to save you." The message is true! The timing is... not. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) says "speak the truth in love."
We have the choice. Steal the spotlight and force people to hear our message or earn the audience's respect and attention and then share the message of Christ in love.
Learn from Kanye's mistake. People don't respect the message that's given in a stolen spotlight.
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