Shareathon recap WPFF/WNLI

Well, an amazing staff- so dedicated to His work. The comment i think i heard the most: "Souls are at stake!" We were so blessed to hear testimonies from listeners whose lives were changed. Marriages healed, saving relationships gained-simply and truly amazing. The crew there are so dedicated to making a viable "product" and have been diligent in seeking the Lords guidance. We recently hired a new General Manager there. Dave is a true friend and brother, and has done amazing things already in the 3 months of being onboard. Truly a man after His heart.
The fundraising did fall significantly short, but we hold on to knowing that God is God, we are not, and now we get to see Him move in His people.

I will go back in 2 weeks, both to sturgeon bay and to rapid city- a time to celebrate Christ together.

the crazy begins again in January, we will go to Edmonton Canada-touch bases with great friends, and peek in on Mission of Mercy Canada, then off to ohio, north carolina, montana, SD and California.

God is so good. as i reflect on all the things to be thankful for-i am truly overwhelmed that He finds use in me. I am earthly excited too- mom and dad are coming to Colorado for the first time-a big thanksgiving indeed.

Here we go again

off to Sturgeon bay. It's Shareathon time there. Mark and Tom will fly in to help us out too. We have an amazingly dedicated staff in place at WPFF and WNLI, and we are really looking forward to Him moving in the listeners. There are some big goals, and despite the economy-we know that this is not our ministry, He is still in control, and He is still on the throne. I had a friend in Michigan (hi Jenn) make this statement just a couple weeks ago "We can give our selves out of a bad economy!" How true, and what an incredible picture. Isn't it true that the majority of those that give are like the widow- giving of the mite. What an exciting time to see what He wants to do in the year ahead. The staff is energized, and ready for the challenges and opportunities God gives them. I am saddened to talk to so many friends in the industry that have had to do cutbacks and layoffs. our hearts cry is that God will restore their ministry-and provide specifically for all of their needs in the year ahead. We can NOT do it on our own-it HAS to be Him, or we fail.

Just got back last night from South Dakota-leave tomorrow for Wisconsin. We were not sure if we would get back in time- 4 feet of snow in the black hills, and we ended up stuck in our hotel for an extra day in Rapid City. The interstate, after being closed 2 days, finally opened up last night at 8pm. We sadly did not make it to ND to see my sister for her 40th birthday, but did skype when we got home- so it felt like we were there.

much love to you- thanks for keeping tabs on us. There are so many folks from this past year that i truly desire to talk to, but seem to be struggling making the time to do it-please accept my apologies!

Shareathon at KSLT, KLMP and KTPT

Wow, what an amazing group of folks that i have the priviledge to serve with. 3 day, 12+ hours per day live on the air on all 3 stations. We were reminded that He is in control, and were humbled so many times by the calls and testimonies of those that met Him head on in this past year. Folks that can not even afford to give, giving it all so others can listen...truly amazing. We wrapped up Wednesday night, and 4am Thursday i started a 28 hours of Mercy event with our good friends in Michigan at Smile FM. Jenn and crew are so passionate about what we are doing overseas. Despite a rough economy-kids were still sponsored! God is amazing, i loved being "home" again- gave a small piece of normal back into life. 2 weeks-and off to Sturgeon Bay for Shareathon out there- some of our best friends (you know-the soul mate kind of friends) are there, and we are VERY excited to see them, and get to know the staff better out there. One trip after that-and we are done traveling for 2008.

God continues to show himself in amazing ways. and i try not to take everything back from him(as if i could do it better) and am learning to let Him lead.

Ethiopia

first of all- Sorry that for the past 2 weeks i have not been able to give you updates. The limited email that we had in Addis Ababa was not reliable, and would not allow me to log on to the blogspot. i will give you the short story, and let the pictures tell the rest.

I have been all over the world, and have never seen poverty at this level. People literally starving to death, living in 2 foot x 2 foot x 5 foot sheet metal cubes, ...it seems nearly hopeless, but there is hope- 3000 kids have a brighter tomorrow because of sponsorship. these kids are getting food, clothing, education, and get to know Jesus(hope for tomorrow) ...

we went to construct classrooms for the preschool and kindergarten, task nearly completed.

we went to host vbs for 3 different groups of kids- amazing

we went to have our hearts broken, and to search after His... accomplished

we went as 20 strangers and became family

the kids LOVED their faces painted, and instead of just small pictures on their cheeks, they wanted glasses and beards!... we also got to meet Mahlet- our sponsored girl for 5 years, she is itty bitty, especially for a 14 year old. But-she is VERY smart, and speaks english(a bit anyway-enough to visit with her without an interpretor. Her mom said that they desperately wanted running water closer than 1/2 mile away-we felt horrible, and will try to help)--i also had an incredible opportunity to meet with the President of Ethiopia- WOW, we shared what and why we are doing what we are doing there, and then prayed with him!

the children are beautiful, the staff is dedicated and loves these kids-they are the true missionaries, day in and out they are there to hold, teach and love the children.

The trip was made especially special, as my mom was there. We have always been close, but this really knit our hearts together. All are very emotional as they arrive home. Lack of sleep is to blame for part of it, but the rest is the stark reality of what was seen, and how to process that when we come back to a land of plenty.

I have what may seem to be an unpopular opinion about foreign missions. Many ask me "Thats great that you are doing all of this overseas, but what about the people here at home?"... my response (in love as best as i can) is that here at home we have a social system. if someone is homeless, or hungry, there are systems in place to get back on your feet, get a job, and there is always a shelter with a warm meal. The poorest of the poor in america have it better off than 90% of the rest of the world.

Many would not agree, but i have seen it first hand. I am involved at home, throughout our region, and in the world- as Jesus said " Judea, Samaria, AND the end of the world" I pray that we find favor with Him in reaching "the least of these"

from Philly to Zurich to Brussels to Addis

well, Lufthansa picked an opportune time to strike. The pilots and ground crew stopped service late last week, and resumed some flights today, but ours is not one of them (scheduled tomorrow)... we were due in to Addis at 8pm Monday night, and with the re-routing through zurich and brussels, a 9 hour layover there, and finally to Addis, we will arrive Tuesday morning around 7am. we are arranging with the hotel to be able to check in- shower, and head to the job site then. ... also, i am a bit nervous about the 10:30 am meeting with the Ethiopian President. He is just another man-i am not concerned about that, but i want to be very cautious in greeting him, as to not offend. I am not nearly as well versed in the culture as i should be(do i shake with my left or right hand? :-) ).. irregardless, 10 of the team came in to philly today, the rest show up tomorrow, and tomorrow afternoon we fly out. 9 hours to Zurich, 9 hours in brussels, and the final 8 hours to Addis.

honduras wrap up

ok, as we sit now.. over 875 kids sponsored- A NEW RECORD!!! this is 1/2 of the annual radio expectation-and it all came from KSBJ's Audience. KSBJ is amazing to work with- so incredible with their giving spirit. A genuine staff that truly wants to touch His heart! This is nearly double what we expected to see. They really wanted our ministry to see it and feel it!.

This is the team in Honduras: a whole lotta people!

we leave in 30 minutes to grab the ethiopia team and head over the pond!

new flights

well, we are still a go-with a 9 hour lay over in brussels- hooray- we will leave the airport at the same time, but travel an extra 12 hours with a few extra flights. its all good!.. i meet the President of Ethiopia on Tuesday, and we will build the classrooms and have VBS throughout the week. ... i once again say...Phew...

Ethiopia, here we come

well, we are preparing to go to Ethiopia tomorrow, phew, quick turn around. Need your prayers-as i just received word that Lufthansa pilots are on strike, and we are attempting to find space for the team to fly over... wow, talk about last minute. Waiting on God to move now. will keep you posted, and prayerfully be on our way in the morning.

work and home visits

our final day before a big day of travel. we split into 4 teams again and off we went-painting, scraping, plastering and cleaning. the projects were so grateful to have us come, and we were humbled by their tears and thanks.

a few moments that were very touching. sponsors meeting their sponsored kids.. the pictures speak for themselves-they live in an incredible poor part of Tegucigalpa:

tomorrow, its on the bus, a short 5 hour (give or take a few ) drive to San Pedro Sula, and we debrief tomorrow night. in the past, these have generally been very emotional for the team. Trying to process all that they have seen, and understand why we were born in america. we will do our best to prepare them to join society again, and what they can do to impact the world.

day of worship and rest

(a precious handicapped girl at church)


we have kept the team on a pretty tight schedule, so today, we started out at 8:30, went to worship with one of the local churches... WOW, its always incredible to worship with another culture, who sings in their language.

They were so filled with love for us, their congregation hugged all of us, prayed over us, and thanked us..Who are we that they should thank us? We owe them the thanks. For being good parents in a society that does not embrace moms and dads loving their children, for being active participants in caring for the children in their neighborhood, and for having an abundance of love to share with others.

After service, we took the team to Valle De Angeles (Valley of the Angels) for souvenier shopping and bartering. from 1 item to bags full of stuff-everyone seemed to really enjoy the needed break. We were blessed that our lunch order was nearly double the amount of food that we needed, so we boxed it up and handed it out to the poor and needy in the neighborhood.

the team was having a blast this evening-they are really bonding, and making life long friendships. We just left a mad game of Catch Phrase, where no one was competitive...YAH Right :-) off to bed now, as tomorrow brings the final home visits, work on fixing up, repairing and painting 4 of the projects, and tomorrow night we will have our final debrief-there have been many tears already as He has revealed Himself in a variety of ways, and tomorrow will be a struggle for many of the team... we pray that they will be ready for the reverse culture shock upon returning to America...when you see this level of poverty impacting millions of people, it is always hard to adjust to the american way of life...

many already plan on returning, many plan on sponsoring more kids, and many are changing their habits at home to align with His plan in meeting needs.

I could not be more proud of a team-they have held it together through some rough and chaotic circumstances-yet they have high spirits, and are anxious to serve another day.

pics!

here are a few pics.. for the best videos and info- check it all out at WWW.KSBJ.ORG



can i bend this way?



kids learning and praying

from the outside looking in- we cant help everyone and that hurts...



just a few kids learning

bigger day

another incredible day(sorry, still no pics, we are having technical difficulties, but i can tell you this.. we have THOUSANDS of smiling childrens faces).... a frantic and hectic, enjoyable day, and God has once again proved his faithfulness. amazing to see the lives being changed in the team. they have fallen in love with our kids-and the kids have fallen in love with the team. I have heard some of the most amazing testimonials and stories from the team-things that would just floor you... what they went through to come here, and what He has shown them since we arrived... nearly everyone has chosen a child to sponsor-they understand how vital that is to sustain life here. We partner with very poor churches, in very poor neighborhoods. there is little infrastructure, but the heart and passion is there. Larry commented today..."I saw GOD" he went on to explain that God is Love, and he has seen more of that than ever - amidst the team, and from the moms, dads and kids that live here. Sponsorship is truly making a difference, but the need is so incredibly great. we see children standing outside of and waiting to come into the child development centers... and it breaks our hearts... we want to help them all, but can not. We are eternally grateful for what KSBJ is doing- they are really working hard to share the vision and passion and heart of Mission of Mercy, and at last count- over 200 kids sponsored. We have an opportunity to worship at a local church tomorrow- i am so excited for that.. worship with other cultures is so vital for us to see and experience. God loves them, as much as He loves you and I.

I am so proud and impressed of the Mission of Mercy team back home.. they are crankin away to get it all put together. Melissa has been phenomenal,(as i have had to communicate with her) and i know that everyone is working hard. I pray that they know that it is changing lives. it is so easy for us to be in our offices and forget about what it is all about- to know that children have eternal hope!... today 15 children at our project (1 of the 4) accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

We have an Awesome God!!

big day

lots to share, but not alot of time.. amazing day, great sponsor visits- it really impacted folks to meet the children and families of their sponsored children. KSBJ is doing a phenomenal job in promoting our ministry. 180+ kids sponsored so far. we have a few of the team suffering from travelers issues, but spirits are high.

keep the team in prayer- sorry no pictures -did not have time to download... i will try to get more tomorrow.

day one- VBS

well, i had a whole blog ready for ya here, and the intenet connection was lost. It has been very good. vbs numbers were anywhere from 25 to 120 per session. INCREDIBLE. several of the team met their sponsored kids(life changing) and i am (For now) just going to leave you with some pictures- the need is great- and now over 140 children have been sponsored, well on our way to 500+(praise God).

a skit, kids, kids and more kids. cuz thats what its all about (truly, it is not the hokey pokey)

Mission Honduras- Arrived

10:15pm. we left at 4am, 2 flights, delays, and 5 hour bus ride, we are here... whooped, fed and going to bed. Incredible team, and they are really excited to work with the children, and see what God would have them see. will write more when i am awake :-)... pics tomorrow!
(83 kids sponsored so far.. we are shooting for 500+).. This is great news, as we really need additional sponsors right now. We will be able to spend time with the team members, and see if we can get them to speak to their churches when we get back. our prayers are that they will catch our vision for these children, and make change in their life!

wozahs

30,000 + in attendance tonight, and after the final offering- the event has been paid for.. time to plan 2009... go to WWW.hillsalive.com fill out the survey, and tell us who you want to see next year, what went well this year, and what you would like to see changed for 2009!

500+ people met Jesus this weekend, 130 children were sponsored, $300,000 budget was met, lives changed, strengthened, and renewed.

Next year- bigger and better---and ALL for Him!

Stage

Enough Said....

Phew, a busy and hectic day... and God was in charge. No question about it, this is His festival. with upgrades to the stage, better park placement for all (vendors, kid zone, booths). the crowds were phenomenal. 61 great folks came out and sponsored kids today. We released baloons in those childrens honor. it is incredible to see nearly 20,000 people come together, united in thought and purpose, and praise Him.

Here is the crowd mid day, and it grew well into the night when Toby Mac hit the stage:

doesnt really do the reality and enormity of it all justice, but i dont think a camera can pan out far enough to catch the whole crowd!

Hills Alive Setup

WOW, an incredible day. We are so blessed to have so many servants at KSLT, KLMP and The Point. It takes an army to pull off this event-and the staff sacrifices so much-incredible. Saddle Mountain (formerly known as the red shirts :-)) showed up again- seldom will you see a group of sacrificial servants like these guys. over 20 folks at 8am, and stayed well past 6pm... humpin and workin hard setting the roofing and stages at both locations... here is where it began this morning:

here is where it finished tonight- WOW.

Lights and sound get set up first thing in the morning, and the staff and volunteers will prep the park with tents, electricity, fencing, and everything that goes in for prep. I am praying for 30,000 people in the park at one time Sunday Night---Greg Laurie-doing an altar call in the middle of a Switchfoot set... It doesnt get any better than that!

HIlls Alive

It begins- we marked off for the stage placement tonight, and tomorrow morning it starts going up. Pray for the staff, the volunteers, the attenders, the believers, and those that are going to meet Jesus this weekend--- HOORAY. the weather looks favorable, the buzz and hype is there, and He is set to move. Will post some pics here tomorrow. Gnite!

the calm before the storm

well, 2 days and the crazy starts. Fly out Sunday to GreenBay- praying that we will have a new person ready to lead the team for the next chapter of christian radio there. 2 days there, off to Rapid City for Hills Alive- i am so thankful for such an amazing team -they cover it all, from ice to accounting, fencing to P.R. what great folks. we stay till monday, drive back to Colorado Springs, and fly to Houston on Tuesday to pickup the Honduras team.

We are so blessed that this trip fell together. KSBJ is a benchmark in the industry, and they are targeting 500 children to be sponsored while their staff and audience are with us in Honduras. we come back late night the following wednesday, fly back to Colorado Springs on thursday, and off to Philly on Saturday to pickup the Ethiopia team.(phew)... this one is going to be exciting! Mom, sister, brother in law, and a number of friends are on board. Plus, we finally get to meet Mahlet-our sponsored girl in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. We are for some reason, a bit nervous- we have written letters for over 5 years, and love her and her family dearly- we have seen first hand that sponsorship makes a marked difference. She was my introduction to the ministry-oh how blessed are we!

Back from Ethiopia on 8/13, and off to Portland WMSJ(great folks- i am really looking forward to working with them- this is the first time we have partnered with them).. we are praying for 100+ more children to be sponsored. Sadly, numbers are a bit down, and the need is so immense for the kids-between KSBJ (500), Hills Alive (250), and WMSJ(100+) we pray we can make up some much needed ground in the goal.

I will keep updates on Mission of Mercy's work overseas, and Bethesda Christian Broadcastings sharing the gospel through music and concerts here in the states. We serve such a cool God, i dont get it that other religions have not seen Him and His hand at work around them... we have much work to do for Him before He calls us home.- so quit reading this, and get to work! much love-mitch

it is finished

The house is complete, the field is ready for phase two, and we are home. Reunion will be at Hills Alive-complete with Ice Cream from "Bon"

What began as a team of 34, God grew to 150 in 5 days!

Our prayer-"What began in the DR continues every day at home-neighbors, friends, communities and worldwide.

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Well, the kids didn't learn the song, but we played ALOT of ball!...The community is excited and over 115 people showed up today-incredible!

This is the house we built for Rubelins family-the church members are going to finish it, and the family will move in tomorrow (take that Ty Pennington LOL) Here it is- the house:







We played ball all morning:







and an emotional departure. The pastor and his staff presented us with gifts-another life lesson; people with nothing will give away more than any we know. We leave at 4:45 am, so will be a short night for the team. Arrive in Denver at 9pm, and hop on the bus for an overnighter to Rapid. I told the team they would all be ready to go to work Monday morning-as they will arrive around 4am Monday.





Thank you for your prayers-they were felt! We will have a reunion at Hills Alive to retell stories, and strengthen the friendships. No one is the same after this trip-and perhaps, that is the best thing of all.





The Pastor told us what this field really means to the community. They used to go out to a field close by, and the owner would chase them out with a machette. He said that this will strengthen the local church, and help hundreds of kids to learn the gospel.





Amazing Grace


How sweet the sound


That saved a wretch like me





I once was lost


but now am found


was blind


but now i see.

Team Dominican Republic 2008

Bus, Visit, Bus, Play, Bus, Visit, Bus, Play

Alot of time on the bus today, but incredible! We went back to Cien Fuegos project Genesis- this is the project the KSLT, KLMP, The Point Audience started last year (we did the first floor last year, and other teams came in after us to finish it and get it back to this stage):

Everyone met their children today except Sara. We felt so bad, she was delivering gifts for Laverne and Joan, and the child has recently moved. Her mother passed away, and they have moved to La Vega(about 45 minutes from this project)...we left the gifts for her, and Mission of Mercy is going to switch her to the projects near her home-Praise God!

Tom met his boy-he is very ill, but was very excited to see Tom and Andrew. The boy has a colostomy bag, and many other issues-but is in good spirits, and has hope for the future in Jesus. Andrew has impressed all of us with his love for the kids-if there are kids around, Andrew is close at hand to throw them high in the air, and teach them the art of the "Wedgie".

Here we close to another project...Laurie met her sponsored child and family. We prayed for them, gave them gifts and visited for a while:

Kaiser brought ALOT of silly string-the kids have never seen it before, and we had trouble deciding who were the bigger kids.

We played ball, cried, visited homes, talked to the locals, cried, prayed, ate, and did it all over again at 3 different projects. The kids loved the candy, stuffed animals, flip flops, cards, crayons and toys.

I talked to a girl that is 14 years old today- she was very smart, and spoke with me on the microphone and shared how important it is for her little sister to be able to come to the project each day. She says that her 7 year old sister has shared Christ with their whole family, and she is different now. She is respectful, polite, and has so much love in her heart, that it has changed the entire family...again I am reminded- Sponsorship makes a difference for the short time, and for all Eternity!

Tomorrow.... we play ball!

Clean teeth, visits, and walls up!

Another exciting day here in the D.R. We gave flouride treatment to 100 children at this project(kids with sponsors and waiting for sponsors). They were all smiles showing us how white their teeth were. Michele did an incredible job interpreting for us, and Sue and 5 crew patiently showed the kids how to brush, and why they should keep their teeth healthy. The rest of the group headed down to the new house(or frame work) and spent the rest of the day working hard, cutting 45degree angles with Machettes(there is a lack of tools here) Despite the tools and "Dominican time" (its always in 10 minutes-lol).. great progress was made on the new house. all 4 walls, and rafters are up, the sheet metal goes on tomorrow, and the floor will be hand mixed and poured. This weekend, the family will have a new home! Heidi and Tracy spent alot of time with Rubelin(he is the little boy their friend sponsors-and it just so happens, the child whose family received a new home this week- how exciting! Several of the team met their sponsored children at their homes today-it was very powerful and emotional... again i find my self asking "Does sponsorship make a difference?" the answer: ABSOLUTELY!!!! it is as important to these children, as it is to our souls. These fine people are Christ in the flesh for the lost and needy. I am honored to have an opportunity to serve Christ in a fashion that impacts eternity. Each of the team members has been taking turns in leading several daily devotionals, and Morgan has an incredible voice and talent for leading our worship...

As we pulled away tonight, we drove by the new ball field-and the community is buzzing! There were people there all day, and as many as 40 this evening still playing ball. They are safe and very happy-and have become our Hermana's e Hermano's... (our new brothers and sisters)

Well off to the local restaurant. El Mac Donald's -o... ( i have learned that if i dont know how to say something in spanish i just add El in front and O at the end... the locals sure giggle at me :-))

Play Ball... and Extreme Home Makeover DR edition

A powerful day.. we began this morning leveling the infield and getting ready to play some ball this weekend, when we realized the other needs(we have accomplished almost all that we can at the field)... the other needs, 1 child in the project has 9 brothers and sisters all living together in a small 2 bedroom house...when it rains-it pours in through the walls. There were holes everywhere... the team wanted to make a difference, and purchased 2 mattresses(these people were sleeping on the dirt floors, and rotting fabrics in piles)and enough wood and supplies to redo an entire wall, and repair the rest.... what a blessing it was to be able to help this beautiful family. Then, on to the extreme home makeover.. another house-held together with small pieces of wire, and a few nails, rusty/holy sheet metal precariously positioned in an attempt to make a home... a strong breeze would have knocked it down. We have purchased the supplies to build a new house (about $1500)... the old one came down, and the framing began today.. tomorrow, we expec the walls will all go up, the siding on, and a new sheet metal roof... the owner said that she has Jesus in her heart-and can see Him in ours... we are all touched so very deeply. It was and is the right thing to do for these people. They know how much we love them, and that we are sharing our hearts with them... the amazing story---one of the team is here and ready to visit their friends sponsored child....we just found out(after we tore the house down)...it is this little boys family....HOW AWESOME IS OUR GOD!!!! (sorry to be a bit jumpy and all over in the blog)...

These kids know that it is more than 34 Greengos coming to build a baseball field. We are encouraging them to study hard, to impact change on their communities and families, and that we love them so very much.

It truly was a very emotional day-and the team is in incredibly high spirits!

Tomorrow brings the first of the home visits to meet the sponsored children, flouride treatments for 200 ninos (kids :-)) and a house to finish... Friday-more visits, and we play ball on Saturday...

Side note- roughly 60 neighbors came out today and started a short game with us on the field. It is already making a difference in the community!

2 days...now what?

Two days of work completed-and we have made incredible progress on the field. You can see where the infield will be, as we have staked it off, and begun to level the ground. They are telling us that we will finish early on the project for what was excpected to be done this week!... so, tonight we are taking up an offering to purchase supplies to fix 3 or 4 of the neighbors houses. This is so much more than just a ball field. Tomorrow afternoon, and Thursday afternoon we will work on the houses, with tomorrow morning being our final efforts on the ball field (until we play on Saturday). We will be touring "See if you Can Get out"(a slum that our friend was born in-he has now gone on to run all of our projects here, with over 2000 kids in his care. The sponsor visists will begin on Thursday morning-and the team is really looking forward to meeting their children.

this is the grass we cleared(all cut by machette..oh, on that note-do not hit your shin with a machette-it hurts and will leave a mark...i know from experience :-) )

This beautiful little girl is one of the neighbors...i would love to put her in the backpack and bring her home...

Today, the number of workers and watchers doubled. It seems as though the energy is flying through the neighborhood, with onlookers, and 20+children coming to play with us and sit under the Mango trees alongside of us. What beautiful people!

A few more tarantulas today, as well as foot long UGLY centipedes(the locals do not like these at all)

They will come running with sticks to kill these-they are poisonous, though-no one has ever died from the bites..(i guess if you eat a number of them-you might..:-P )

The team is in great spirits, and we are ready for dinner.. .tonight..... El Pizza Hutto... (roughly translated to Pizza Hut... who would have guessed there would be a Pizza Hut 1 block away)