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Welcome to Inside Reach
All six teams have made it safely to their outreach
locations. The following excerpts
are from emails we have received from the teams.
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Thailand Team
Bekah (TL), Bethany, Kimberly, Janessa, Charity,
and Naomi
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The Thailand team is focusing on language study, building
strategic relationships, and is beginning to teach English in a Buddhist
school. They are also becoming involved with several local m-nistries. Janessa writes…
“Yesterday when we were visiting with our Thai friends they
brought us to two different temples. One of the temples was quite small but
as we entered the actual building there were a scattered number of people
and some of them were putting money on the statue of the Buddha. Money was
all over the front of the temple. We knelt in the temple and were looking
around at the murals on the wall. Our Thai friend told us that she was
going to pay her respects and bowed to the Buddha. After that we left that
temple for the next one. At this temple we actually walked inside the
Buddha and got to see descriptions of the religion through pictures. As we
got to the feet of the Buddha they painted pictures of Hell. At this point
our friend said 'scared', she was obviously worried at the thought of Hell.
All of these events made me think a lot about the emptiness of Buddhism. I
don't see hope in people's eyes. In fact, I feel a lot of depression. It
makes me depressed just thinking of what these precious people all do just
to gain some merit. For example, at the temple you can buy turtles or fish
and then put them back into the water and by doing this you're gaining
merit with Buddha. But don't these people realize that they are putting the
same fish and the same turtles back into the water time and time again?
That definitely caught my attention. This stirs up thankfulness in my life
for the hope that I have and the grace that I have been given.”
Pr-yer requests for the Thailand team:
·
Pr-y for continued energy to
make more friendships and learn the language better.
·
Pr-y for the ability to find
places for each of us to serve where we can come alive.
·
Pr-y for team unity.
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South Africa Team
Jonathan, Andrew (TL),Kalen, Karen, Meredith, and
Joseph
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The South Africa team is volunteering with a nongovernment organization
as teachers, laborers, children’s aid workers, and office personnel. They
are continuing ministry that began with the last REACH team. Meredith
shares…
“Because I'm working on the Home Based Care team, and there
had been no one really checking up on them, the whole system is a mess. The
people on the team don't really do anything, and they don't really know
what to do. Refilwe just hired a full-time nurse
to oversee the HBC program and also a clinic they are going to open.
There's also a new volunteer who is a nurse from Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
who is helping in the leadership of the HBC program. We are working
together pretty closely, so I've been getting to know her a lot. There has
been a lot of frustration, and just a lot of not doing anything in the past
two weeks, which is incredibly frustrating to me. I am involved in the
aftercare program here in the afternoons. I help 2nd graders
with their homework, and I'm teaching a little one
English. It's been a challenge, but I actually really enjoy
teaching, especially the English. I think Dad is showing me kind of why I'm
here. Like, for what purpose specifically. I mean, yes, of course it's to
serve with works and to help people, but once again relationships have just
been ground into my mind. There's a lot of down time with the HBC team, and
with Amanda, the new volunteer. Also, Evy, who
works in the office, I seem to talk to a lot. So, I'm really convinced I
just need to chill, and let things work out. I'm here for relationships.
That really puts the pressure off me too, the feeling that I have to earn
my stay here…etc.”
Pr-yer Requests for the South
Africa Team:
- Pr-y for physical protection.
- Pr-y for team health.
- Pr-y for joy for the whole team.
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Kenya Team
Sara, Jeremy, Amanda, Zach & Allyah (TL), and Brittany
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The Kenya team is working in the desert assisting a local ch-rch planter. They are also being a light in the
nearby refugee camp. Amanda shares…
“Thursday ended up being not-so-much how we expected. After
the rain on Tuesday we rescheduled our IDP visit, being assured they were
notified of the change of plans. As we trudged up to the barbwire-bramble
fence with the backpacks of flour aiding our perspiration output, we saw
that the meeting place was empty and were a little unsure of what to do. Thankfully,
Dad gave a new plan and we ended up just walking through some of the nearby
village handing out maize to whoever needed it—or at least, 48 of the
everyone who did. I love meeting the older and completely tribal men and
women, seeing history in the lines of their faces even though I can't read
it.
Friday was again
our talking-to-that-awesome-Father-of-ours and lunch-fasting day, which is
a great time to be able to really relax and spend some quality time with
Him. I also had time to teach our host's daughter, which I've been
attempting to do recently, occasionally joined by several neighbor friends.
I kind of have no idea what I'm doing, especially with only my colored
pencils and notebook to work with and somewhat of a language barrier, so
it's good we can just work on basic math and the alphabet—thankfully I know
that well enough, plus we draw enough pictures to keep both of us
interested, although if we get past subtraction who knows if my brain can
handle it. J
Walking down the
sand lane up to the gate to 'home' on Saturday, I was just thinking how it
feels like I've done this before—most likely because I have, almost every
day since we've been here. It kind of felt routine; which is both nice for
my scheduled mind and dangerous at the same. Routine is okay as long as it
doesn't become routine (that makes sense in my head even if it comes out
less clearly in words). Sometimes it's easy for us to just look at each
day, full of sun and walking and Swahili, and already look to the end,
seeing the day's contents as just what we do. And I realized, no matter how
many times you've done something or how many times you'll do it again, it
is never just routine. Life as a Him-follower is never boring! Every single
day, every activity, every breath you breathe, is another chance to
experience Him in a new way: rhema/fresh bread from His Word, a refreshing sense of
His presence, a new glimpse of who He is. I think that's exciting.”
Pr-yer Requests for the Kenya
Team:
- Pr-y for continued physical and sp-ritual protection.
- Pr-y for energy, endurance and patience.
- Pr-y for team unity.
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Israel Team
Nick, Carla, Matt, Derek (TL),
Creigh, and Laura
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The Israel team is
spending time building intentional relationships with the many travelers
seeking truth as they tour the holy land. They are also teaching
conversational English. Carla writes…
“This week has been basically the same as the past couple
weeks. We do construction work from approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
work gets kind of old, because it's so monotonous. It gives us something to
do though, and I'm thankful for that. Also, now that we're about three
weeks into the project, the end is in sight and that's exciting. It has
been extremely slow at the Fauzi the past couple
weeks, which leaves us a little bored sometimes. On the flip side, this
slow season gives us a chance to focus on personal goals and build deeper
relationships within the team. Also, it gives us an opportunity to
volunteer at other places and spend some extra time with locals or other friends
we've met.
Earlier this week, a girl from Kansas who works with Derek
at Nazareth Village invited us over for supper. She is really nice. While
we were there we had a sharing time and a little w-rship
service. It was really uplifting and refreshing.
Yesterday, a new volunteer from Denmark arrived. His name is
Jakob and he's going to be here for two months. He's staying in Derek and
Nick's room while he's here.”
Pr-yer Requests for the Israel
Team:
- Pr-y for more opportunities to build relationships with
locals.
- Pr-y for an easy adjustment in living with another
person, and that we would be a light to him.
- Pr-y for positive attitudes as we work.
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Madagascar Team
Keith, Matt, Courtney, Erin (TL),
Stacey, and Ryan
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The Madagascar team is partnering with MAF (Mission Aviation
Fellowship). They have spent time building airstrips in the bush, teaching
conversational English, painting, and helping at an orphanage. Erin shares…
“On Monday morning we had our weekly pr-yer
meeting at the hangar and I taught my beginners English class to some of
the MAF national staff. I have seven students in that class, all of which
are a lot of fun to work with. We learned about pronouns and prepositions,
and I think I learned more Malagasy than they learned English when we went
through the vocabulary list. My mispronunciations of the long Malagasy
words eased the awkwardness of their attempts at the English. The rest of
the team went to the garage to work on the trusses that have been our
ongoing project. After an hour break for lunch, Keith and I went to the
Gendarmerie office for class. As a sign of these restless times, there is
extra security everywhere, especially at the airport. The guard with the
gun at the gate on the way to lunch from the hangar happened to be one of
my students, and he assured me that although he was not free that day, his
colleagues would be in class. On the contrary, Keith and I were informed by
some of the other Gendarmerie when we got to class that none of them were
free, and class was cancelled. This happened with all three of the
afternoon classes, so we all found different things to work on for the
remainder of the day.
So here are the
plans for the next… month and a bit. On Monday, Courtney, Stacey, Matt, and
I will head to Anjabetrongo, a village in the
bush close to the southwest coast north of Tulear
to help with a Madagascar Medical Safari (MMS) led by a Malagasy doctor.
Right before we return on Friday, Ryan and Keith will leave for Maralambo to help finish the work on the runway there,
which will include disassembling a Bobcat or two and some other equipment.
The other four of us will meet up with them around the 18th in Maralambo and then go to Ampasinambo
via Helimission soon after. Three of us will stay
in Ampasinambo until March 4 and the other three
will return to Tana somewhere around the 17th.
Along with the rest of the team, I am really excited for next week. I am so
blessed to have all of these sweet opportunities to do exactly what has
been laid on my heart to do and then some things that I hadn't even thought
about or expected. Our Father is good.”
Pr-yer Requests for the Madagascar
Team:
- Pr-y for effectiveness in showing the Father’s love to
others.
- Pr-y for safety during the medical safari.
- Pr-y for peace and restoration for Madagascar
sp-ritually and politically.
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Southeast Asia Team
Andrea (TL), Alicia, and Justin
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The Southeast Asia team is learning the language and partnering
with an organization to teach English, do library work, and build relationships
with young adults. Alicia writes…
“People make me happy, I'm thankful for people. :) Whether
people from Indonesia, Korea, America, or Australia, whether or not I share
the same culture and know the same language, people of different ages,and different religions. Thinking
about the past week, I realized how many different people I've interacted
with, how many people I've met and all the unique experiences that people
bring to life.
Let me give you
several examples.......
Last week we had
the privilege, along with the Australian girls, to go to an elementary
school for a special storytelling time. Kids are people too. And those kids
made my day. They were all very excited to have us there. More than once, I
would catch myself watching a specific little girl as she very methodically
worked on her craft. Several times she 'caught me' watching her and would
flash a smile that quickly turned into a giggle that was soon shared by her
friend who sat beside her. As I helped them both with the ripping of tissue
paper and the gluing of popsicle sticks, I was cheered and encouraged by
their smiles.
Earlier that same
morning while walking to CB I had an experience that made me chuckle. Every time I walk to CB I see the same old man
at the corner. I call him the 'self-appointed traffic man who doesn't
really know what he's doing.' Normally, the interaction amounts to a nod, a
smile (his happens to be toothless), and a 'pagi'
(morning). On this morning however, whether it was because he was feeling
extra chipper, or was just surprised to see me in a skirt and not the
normal t-shirt and capri combo, made sure that he
was in my path as I turned the corner. He then patted me on the shoulder
and grinning a little bigger than usual said 'Bagus
yah' . Bagus
meaning...good/excellent. He waved me on towards CB as always and I grinned
to myself at the random way that G-d put a smile on my face.
Andrea met some
random girls at a mall during her day off last week that we all hung out
with some last night. They're all just out of high school age and a lot of
fun. Even though they don't speak much English (and I barely speak
Indonesian) we were all able to laugh and have a good time hanging out
together.
Also this week we
were able to visit the 'Bogor House of Pr-yer.'
It was a special experience to pr-y and worship with other C's from
Indonesia. It was G-d really reminding me that He is here. Even where it
seems like we are alone and almost everyone has been blinded to the truth,
and deceived, it's a challenge for me to remember that our Daddy is in the
midst of everything. He sees, He cares, and there are people here who are
truly seeking Him.”
Pr-yer Requests for the Southeast
Asia Team:
- Pr-y that we would be able to have depth in our
relationships with friends.
- Pr-y for creativity and enthusiasm about our teaching
opportunities.
- Pr-y for growth in our personal relationships with our
Daddy and each other.
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