Stories from the 2012 Christmas Store

Each year we hear amazing God stories from the Christmas Store, and we hope to celebrate these many moments, experiences and stories that you share with us. By posting your comments to the questions below, we will capture these stories for future generations of volunteers, bringing glory to God and "spur[ring] one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24).

Please share your Christmas Store experience with us by responding to the following in the comments:

1. What role did you serve in and why did you sign up?
2. What did God show/teach you through the experience?
3. What is your fondest memory of serving at the Christmas Store this year?
4. What would you say to someone who is thinking of serving in a similar role at next year's Christmas Store?

Pray for the Stickneys

Below is an email and prayer request from Tom Stickney, VRBC-supported missionary and director of African Christian Outreach (ACO).

ACO Partners,

  We are asking that you pray for safety. This time of the year crime rises in Nairobi, carjackings double, home invasions are more frequent, and petty theft is rampant. We take precautions as a family and ministry by adding extra security at night for the compound, know the exact routes we are driving from place to place, watch for following cars, stay in at night, limit travel within the country to needed trips only, etc. However, the past few days Nairobi has had some issues. The public transportation system has gone on strike because of new traffic laws that will take effect December 1st. This leaves 4 million people walking to work or not able to get to work. Riots in the city have shut-off most main roads and violence in the downtown area has begun to spread, making backroads and shortcuts dangerous as well. Unfortunately it is a few that create the havoc, but there is enough of them for violence to spread quickly throughout the country.

Pray for these things:

1. Safety for our Students & Staff as they finish up the semester and begin traveling home.

2. Safety for the Stickneys as they shrink their world to just a few kilometers around school, home and shopping.

3. Tom flew to the US November 30th. Pray for safety for Kerry and kids as he is away.

 

4. Pray for God's ANGELS to surround the ACO Compound, kids' & Kerry's school, and our staff homes as they finish up over the next two weeks.

5. A resolution between lawmakers and public transport operators to end the strike and get Kenya back to the relaxed country it usually is.

6. Pray for those who do not have and decide to resort to taking from others at this time of year.

Thank You, we will try and keep you updated.

 

Tom Stickney

Executive Director

African Christian Outreach

stickneytk@mac.com

More Sandy Relief--Volunteers and Donations Needed

Texas Baptist Disaster Recovery

Marla Bearden, Disaster Recovery Specialist

Gerald Davis, Disaster Recovery & Development Specialist

Chris Liebrum, Disaster Recovery Director

Baptist General Convention of Texas

Disaster Recovery & Development begins weeks, months and even years after the initial response, working through our local churches, associations and Long Term Recovery Teams.  We provide a holistic approach to community development, working with disaster survivors throughout the long term restoration process.

 

Hurricane Sandy Recovery Teams will be needed!

 Go to www.texasbaptists.org/disaster

Click on the GIVE button to provide funds to assist as teams will be needed. Click on the CONNECT button to provide your contact information to join our TEXAS BAPTISTS VOLUNTEER CORPS as we serve those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

 

We will contact you when we need teams to assist.

PRAYER REQUEST!

Pray for Hurricane Sandy victims and workers today, 11/7. The cold front has moved in and snow is dropping in the region.

Tim Buehner

Baptist Convention of New England

 Hurricane Sandy  Distribution Items Needed Now

The Church at the Gateway in Staten Island, New York is collecting items and serving as a distribution center.  Please start collecting these items.  We are working on drop off places through out the state.  If your church would like to serve as a drop off place please let me know.

 Needs List for Hurricane Sandy Recovery 

 NO CLOTHES OR SHOES WILL BE ACCEPTED! 

Gallon zip lock bags
Contractor bags
Bleach, other industrial cleaners
Toilet Paper, Paper Towels
Sponges, Buckets
Shovels
Dust masks
Work gloves
Crow bars
Plastic Shelving units (like the ones for garages)
Bubble wrap
Packing tape
Empty boxes
Hand sanitizer
Towels, Washclothes, Blankets, Sheets, Air mattresses
School Supplies
MREs (such as Heater Ex Meals)
*Gift cards for clothes, food, diapers, etc.  (Wal-Mart,Target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.)
*Cash Donations - can be given through www.texasbaptists.org/give and click on Disaster Response
 NO CLOTHES OR SHOES WILL BE ACCEPTED!

You can mail gift cards directly to the church at: 

The Church at the Gateway
200 Boscombe Ave.
Staten Island, NY 10309.

Coordinator of Distribution Center: Jenny Wilen, 718-966-4500

A gracious man from the Houston area had volunteered to rent a large U-Haul truck and take these items to Staten Island.  We have a drop off place in Houston but are looking for a place in the DFW Metroplex.  If you are interested in being a drop off/collection place let me know.  

 The Church at the Gateway is a Southern Baptist Church. 

  HURRICANE ISAAC DISASTER RECOVERY  

OPPORTUNITIES IN LOUISIANA

We have been in contact with Billy Puckett of the New Orleans Baptist Association.  They are now coordinating Baptist efforts.  

 

In the Plaquemine Parish area contact:

Lynn Rodrigue: (225) 335-1269

lrodrigue@juno.com

Port Sulphur Baptist Church

27080 Highway 23, Port Sulphur, LA 70083 

Housing and feeding of incoming teams, and a list of assessed work requests.  The church can comfortably house 30 workers at one time. The teams have access to a kitchen if they need. The work in Port Sulphur is primarily roof tarping and mudout from water that came in from above rather than flooding.

In the LaPlace area, St. Charlies Parish

Michael Heath: (504) 799-8199

mheathrun@yahoo.com

First Baptist Church Norco

626 Fifth St., Norco, LA 70079

FBC Norco is providing housing for around 25 workers. Norco is about 5 miles outside of the work area (Laplace). Incoming teams will need to provide their own food and cooks. The church kitchen is available to the incoming teams. Michael has a list of assessed work requests that he can provide the incoming teams. The work in Laplace is primarily mudout due to flood damage.

Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery is planning a group trip January 2 - 6, 2013.  If you would be interested in joining this trip go to www.texasbaptists.org/disaster , click on the CONNECT box and complete the information sheet. More information will be available soon.

If you have any questions please contact:

Marla Bearden or Gerald Davis
Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery & Development

Marla 214-537-7358

Gerald 214-924-6401

email: marla.bearden@texasbaptists.org or gerald.davis@texasbaptists.org

Neighborhood in La Place, LA

Updated Opportunities to respond to Superstorm Sandy

Here are the latest updates from our partners regarding opportunities to respond to Superstorm Sandy.

Texas Baptist Men
Volunteers from Texas Baptist Men are focusing on feeding in New York, New Jersey and West Virginia. See the latest updates at www.texasbaptistmen.org. Click here to donate.

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Millions ontinue to struggle in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Basic necessities like food, water, and shelter are in short supply in many places. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its partners have been monitoring the developing situation. Although this is not the time for short-term teams to venture into some of these hardest hit areas, there are opportunities for individuals and churches to provide tangible assistance.

 In metro New York, one of our partner congregations, Metro Baptist Church, has already been the hands and feet of Christ during this ordeal. Daily, they have been opening their doors and giving whatever they had to there community in need. A bowl of soup, a simple bag of toiletries, or even a quick place to charge a dying cell phone are some of the simple ways that they have been the presence of Christ in New York City.

Below you will find three simple collection projects that would be a GREAT benefit to hurting people in New York. Please prayerfully consider participating.

Toiletries Project: Travel sizes or shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, lotions, tissues, and Chapstick

Snacks Project: Breakfast bars, granola bars, packs of crackers, raisins, juice boxes (Metro has been offering “snack bags” to people who come to the center. These are quart sized Ziploc bags that are filled with portable snacks.)

In working with both of the above projects, quart-sized Ziploc bags are needed.

Clothing: Heavy coats (all sizes-especially larger sizes, for layering purposes), gloves, socks, hats, scarves, sweaters, and men’s pants. (Please keep in mind that these should be either gently used or new items.)

All items can be collected and shipped directly to Metro Baptist Church. Please do not send these donations to CBF National.

Metro Baptist Church
c/o Tiffany Henkel
410 West 40^th Street
New York, NY 10018
Thank you in advance for your assistance!


World Vision

Areas of Focus will be:
New York: Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Westchesterm Yonkers
New Jersey: Atlantic City, Hoboken, Newark (as needed)
West Virginia: Philippi and surrounding communities, Eden, Kentucky

Key Headlines, as of Nov 2nd:
- Distribution of Disaster Response Items started 11/1/2012 in WV; some unscheduled distributions were done by assessment teams.  More distributions this week see below.
- Disaster Response Shipment from N. Texas has arrived in NY 11/2.
- $368,000+  raised for relief efforts to date
- Three of our field sites are responding from within the impact zone.
- Our flagship site in the Bronx NY was heavily damaged from flooding, causing significant loss of relief supplies.
- We have established and opened up a second distribution point in the Bronx.
- We have multi-state assessments taking place and have eleven focus communities.
- We have over 600 partners that we will connect with and mobilize.
- Product relief has begun flowing in those communities.  
- Relief has included food, water, sanitation, and shelter.
- NYC has one of the highest poverty rates in the US where 30 percent of youth under 18 live under the poverty line.
- Over 30 calls to DCS, Church and Staff offering Volunteers groups and individuals to assist.  Staff is mobilizing to engage volunteer connection asap.

Response to Hurricane Sandy

VRBC partners with many individuals and organizations who are on the front lines of response in a disaster like Hurricane Sandy. In the initial days following, donations are incredibly helpful as they provide immediate relief. In the coming weeks, there will likely be more opportunities for personal involvement, after they have had a chance to mobilize and equip their field personnel to receive teams. Please see below for giving opportunities to assist our partners responding to Hurricane Sandy.


Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
The Fellowship's model for response ministry is to be a long-term presence, helping communities recover and rebuild. You can help those affected by the storm by giving online or mail your check to CBF with “Disaster Response” in the memo line. Stay up-to-date on other ways you can assist through CBF’s Disaster Response Mission Community.

World Vision
World Vision is responding with kits of relief supplies (flood clean-up, hygiene, and family food kits) pre-positioned at its warehouse in the Bronx, which also suffered flooding. Up to a third of the stock in the warehouse has been destroyed, though much of the supply pre-positioned for emergency relief operations remains intact. Additional relief supplies are en route to New York from World Vision’s national domestic disaster headquarters in North Texas. Our offices in Washington, D.C., and West Virginia remain closed. You can stay up to date with what World Vision is doing here. If you are interested in contributing to World Vision's disaster relief in these areas, we have three opportunities:

• GIVE to World Vision's US Disaster Response Fund
• PRAY for the victims, first responders, communities, and WV staff impacted by this disaster. (Email Amy Wilkins for the WV prayer guide.)
• VOLUNTEER to assemble hygiene kits

Texas Baptist Men
Due to the widespread damage caused by hurricane Sandy, Texas Baptist Men have been asked by Coy Webb, the Kentucky Baptist Men Disaster Relief Director to be ready to provide volunteers to work with Kentucky Baptist Men feeding units in Orange County, New York. The Kentucky feeding units are en route now to Orange County, New York to set up feeding operations to support American Red Cross in feeding the population affected by the storm. Find updates here. Click here to make a donation to support TBM's disaster relief ministry. Click here to get information on volunteer trainings.

Eikon New York
While not yet an official VRBC-supported missionary, Steven Dilla is a friend of VRBC children's pastor Amy Goble. Steven and his wife Emily are planting a church in lower Manhattan and have the relationships in place to begin serving those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Their area was hit hard and is without electricity until Friday or Saturday, no drinkable water, and many are running out of food and water supplies. They are mobilizing now to help get food and water to those in the Lower East Side, a low-income area that was one of the hardest hit by the storm. Their new church, Eikon New York, is gathering friends to deliver food and water to an apartment building with many single moms, elderly and a few wheelchair bound (who are stuck on their floor without elevator service) where all are without power and about half have run out of water and have limited food. Visit Steven's blog for details on the project and the latest updates on their relief efforts. They need to raise about $2,000 for this project. Click here to donate to their efforts, and be sure to mention 'Sandy' in the notes section.

WMU of Texas Home Build

VRBC members Deirdre Lanoue and Carolyn Porterfield traveled to the Rio Grande Valley two weeks ago  with the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) of Texas. In partnership with Buckner, they spent the week building a home for a family in Peñitas, a colonia outside of McAllen where Buckner operates a Community Transformation Center.


WMU of Texas 2012 Home Build Participants
VRBC members Deirdre Lanoue & Carolyn Porterfield at right

Over five days the group built a new home from the ground up for new homeowners Maria and Osvaldo Salazar and their children.



Day One, adding the trusses



Deirdre Lanoue, front left, helps shingle the roof

The family participated right alongside the WMU team. Even the neighbors got involved by bringing a fruit basket to bless the team working in 100+degree heat.

Osvaldo helps with the framing

One of the Salazar's children gets to help build his own house!

One woman on the trip said, "This week wasn't so much about building a house. It was about life transformation -- a family, a team, a community." And lives truly were transformed. On Thursday Osvaldo, the young father, came to know Christ. And on Friday, his wife Maria did the same. As Deirdre put it, "Now this family has a foundation for life, not just a house."

Maria prays to accept Christ

This family now has a home in Peñitas and a home in glory!



VRBC member Carolyn Porterfield, who serves as the Multicultural Consultant for the WMU of Texas, had the privilege of handing over the keys to the new homeowners. We praise God for ministry partners like WMU and Buckner who make these opportunities possible. Please pray for the Salazar family as they settle in to their new home and their new faith.

Carolyn Porterfield welcomes the Salazars to their new home.

Please pray for our new brother and sister in Christ!



For more pictures and information about the trip or about the ministry of WMU, please click to visit their Facebook page or their website.

This is our final post in our partial fast to focus our attention and prayers on behalf of the world's poor. We hope you will join us tomorrow for our Global Missions Fair, with a heart prepared to learn how God would have you engage and serve among the poor around the world. Hopefully these posts have helped you to form a habit of praying for the poor. I would love to hear about your experience with family meals of rice and beans and how God has moved your heart this week. Please post in the comments anything you don't mind sharing. And now, back to our prayers.

Luke 14:13-14
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

• Pray that God would give you opportunities to engage the poor relationally. Ask God to help you love them the way God loves them: unconditionally, as precious children.
• Ask God to move you beyond a general love for the poor and into true friendships with those God has called you to serve. May God move you beyond compassion into brotherhood.
• As you befriend those who are poor, may you be blessed beyond measure. Although they cannot repay you financially, they often have so much to teach us about generosity, loyalty and authenticity. Ask God to provide and preserve deep friendships that cross economic and demographic divides.

As we continue this partial fast to focus our attention and prayers on behalf of the world's poor (see previous posts for details), we hope to develop regular habits of praying for the poor.

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Living in suburbia, it can be easy to push the issue of poverty to the recesses of our minds. We get caught up in the busy-ness of many good things, but our lives are far removed from the plight of the poor around the world.

• Pray that we will not "close our eyes" to the poor living in the Majority world. Pray that God would help keep them on your heart and mind, and as a focus of your prayers and generosity, on a regular basis.
• Pray that we would, as VRBC's missions strategy says, "intentionally [go] where we would not otherwise go" even here in the Metroplex. Pray that we will not "close our eyes" to the blighted communities around us. Pray that God would remind you to pray for our partners at Cornerstone and for all those who are working among the poorest places in DFW. Pray that God would provide you with opportunities to get directly involved yourself in these areas.
• Pray that we would not "close our eyes" to the poor in our own neighborhoods, schools and communities. Especially in this downturned economy, many are still living in homes and driving cars that are now far above their means, trapped in a lifestyle they cannot afford. Their poverty may not be obvious, but they may be struggling to put food on the table, caught in a cycle of despair and disgrace. Pray that God would open your eyes to their plight and give you opportunities to serve then with compassion and generosity.

Today we continue our partial fast, to focus our attention and prayers on behalf of the poor around the world. For more details on what we have invited the VRBC congregation to do, please see previous posts from this week. Check this blog each day this week for Scriptures and suggestions to help guide our prayers.

Is poverty our problem? Sometimes it is tempting to disassociate, to think about it as someone else's problem, especially if it's not right in front of our face every day. Consider the following Scriptures:

Jeremiah 22:15-16

“Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.

• Pray that God will take away your lust for "more and more."
• Remember that it is God who has provided you with food and drink. Pray that God will teach you "the secret of being content" (Philippians 4:12).
• Pray that God will show you what it means to truly know God, a knowledge not just of right belief but of right actions, to do what is right and just and to defend the cause of the poor and needy.

Luke 12:48b


From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

• Remember that "your" possessions are really gifts from God, and that God has chosen you to steward these gifts. Thank God for entrusting you with these gifts.
• Jesus spoke this verse to define what it meant to be a faithful and wise steward. Ask God to shape your identity as a steward, rather than an owner, of all that God has entrusted to you.
• Ask God what you are to do with what God has entrusted to you.

Luke 3:7-11
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “...Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.... “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

• As we consider all that God has done for we who didn't deserve it, pray for a spirit of repentance and gratitude.
• Ask that God would shape your gratitude into generosity.
• Ask that God would teach us this kind of sacrificial sharing with those in need.

 

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pray-ers :)

Thank you for continuing in our partial fast--minimal amounts of beans, rice and tap water--in order to focus our attention and prayers on behalf of the world's poor. Today's prayer suggestions will be a little different. John Robb of World Vision once wrote, "Wherever in the world there is significant development--people coming to Christ, health improvements, economic opporunities, adoption of kingdom values--it is the direct result of Christians praying." May that be true of us!! We want to build a habit of praying for the poor, so that we can say like Samuel, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you" (1 Samuel 12:23). Today we hope to give you some practical suggestions and habits for praying for the poor on a daily basis.

First, it is important that we ask God to give us a heart for the poor. The righteous Job, even in the midst of terrible hardships himself, could say, "Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?" (Job 30:25). Have you wept? Has your soul grieved? Ask that God would break your heart for the same things that break God's heart.

When you are ready to pray with a heart full of love and compassion for the poor, here are seven steps toward integrating prayer for the poor in your daily life (excerpted from The Hole in Our Gospel, pg 291-292). By the way, these are great habits to form with your kids as well!

1. When you take your morning shower, pray for families in poor countries who do not have access to clean water, forcing mothers to spend hours collecting inadequate water and causing children to suffer and even die from water-related diseases.
2. When you pack your lunch or your child's lunch, pray for the one billion people who are chronically hungry in the world today.
3. As you commute to your job, pray for the adults around the world who can't find consistent work to feed their families, or pray for the millions of children forced into harmful or exploitative labor.
4. When you drop off your child at school, pray for children around the world who cannot get an education because of poverty or discrimination.
5. As you take a vitamin, pray for the families without adequate health care, leaving them and especially their children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
6. When you arrive home after work, pray for the children and families who are homeless due to poverty, conflict, or natural disasters.
7. As you tuck your children into bed, guide them to pray for the millions of children who have lost their parents around the world--especially the fifteen million AIDS orphans around the world, many of whom must survive without guardians.

Today we continue our partial fast to focus our attention and prayers on behalf of the world's poor. For more information on our invitation to join us in the subsistence diet of minimal amounts of rice, beans and tap water, please check out previous posts from this week. Be sure to check this blog each day for Scriptures and prayer suggestions.

Prayers for Tuesday, September 25th:

Luke 4:18-19

He has sent me...to release the oppressed,

• Pray for those who have no voice, who are unable to speak out against their oppressors.
• Pray for those who are held captive in slavery, including those who are trafficked for sex or forced labor.

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

• Pray for Christians around the world to be united in love and charity, that those of us who have much would pour out blessings on those who have little.

This week we are inviting everyone to join us in putting ourselves in the shoes of the world's poor. We are committing to eat a subsistence diet--a minimal amount of rice, beans and tap water--in order that we might share the burden of those battling hunger and malnutrition around the globe. Decide with your family how you'd like to participate: one meal, one meal each day, one day this week, or even all week. Use this partial fast to focus your attention and prayers on behalf of those living in poverty around the world. Each day we will post Scripture and prayer prompts to help guide your prayers.

Prayers for Monday, September 24th:

Continuing from Luke 4:18

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
• Pray for those who languish in captivity but have committed no crime. Pray for those who are imprisoned for their faith in Christ and for those imprisoned due to injustice.

and recovery of sight for the blind,
• Pray for those with no access to health care.

• Pray for those who have been intentionally maimed due to malice, because of gender, race, or class.

• Pray that those hardships that blind people to the love and light of Christ might be removed.

Identifying with and praying for the poor

Scripture is replete with commands to love, serve and give generously to the poor. This year, VRBC's Global Missions Fair will center around Jesus' mission statement in Luke 4:18, "to preach good news to the poor." Most of us have never had to wonder where our next meal would come from, or where we would lay our head at night. Even those who grew up in poverty in the US had access to health care and a basic education. It is hard for us to identify with the poor around the world.

This week, we challenge you to eat a subsistence diet--a minimal amount of rice, beans and water. Decide with your family whether you will do this for one meal, one day, one meal/day, or even the entire week. Consider it a partial fast, a way to focus our attention and our prayers on behalf of the poor around the world. Each day, we will post some Scriptures and/or thoughts on this blog to help guide your prayers. At the end of the week, when we come back together for worship, Bible study, and the Global Missions Fair, we will have hearts and minds prepared for what God would like to teach us.

Prayers and Scripture for Sunday, September 23rd:

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

• Pray that the Spirit of the Lord would lead you in the path of Jesus. Ask that the Spirit would guide you, teach you, and give you a heart of compassion for the poor.
• Pray that God's Spirit would make clear your "anointing"--your calling--to the poor.
• Pray that God would reveal to you what truly constitutes "good news" to the poor. Be assured that the gospel is good news, but it is good news to the whole person, not just to the soul. 

Responding to Hurricane Isaac

We praise God that Hurricane Isaac has not wreaked havoc to the same degree as Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. Nevertheless, as the storm camped out on the Gulf Coast it brought flooding and winds that caused many to seek shelter from the storm. These families may return to find their homes flooded and treasured possessions damaged. Check out the following opportunities to give, pray and serve:

From the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship:
While volunteer opportunities are expected to emerge in the coming weeks, the best way to help now is to give online to CBF's disaster relief fund. Stay up-to-date with the latest response news at CBF's disaster response online community. Specifically check out the network for responses to Hurricane Isaac. Currently, CBF disaster response personnel are reconnecting with hurricane response partners and encouraging Fellowship Baptists in affected areas to prepare their homes and churches for Isaac's landfall.  

From the Southern Baptist Convention:
For information on the SBC's physical response coordinated through the North American Mission Board, read this article. Southern Baptists and others who want to donate to the disaster relief operations can contact their state conventions or contribute to NAMB's disaster relief fund via namb.net/disaster-relief-donations. Other ways to donate are to call 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543.

Shelters:

Volunteers with the American Red Cross were ready Tuesday at a shelter at Faith Baptist Church in DeSoto. American Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster says shelters also have been set up at St. Louis Baptist Church in Tyler and Williams Memorial United Methodist Church in Texarkana, Texas. Each shelter can accommodate about 150 people. (Source:

http://www.wbrz.com/news/3-texas-shelters-open-for-isaac-evacuees/)

Disaster Relief Opportunities

One of VRBC's denominational partners is making a big difference in areas that have been hard-hit by fires. Read on about opportunities to serve with the Baptist General Convention of Texas in the coming weeks.

 

Texas Baptist Disaster Recovery 

 

Bastrop County - One Year Later

 

September 4th marks the one year anniversary of the Bastrop County Complex Fire, a massive wildfire that struck Bastrop County, TX. The fire destroyed 1691 homes, 38 businesses, burned over 34,000 acres. Two people lost their lives. This was the largest fire in Texas history, the third largest in US history. Approximately 276 of the homes destroyed had no insurance, 52% of all homes destroyed were underinsured. Over 700 of these homes are considered low income.

 

This event opened up a huge ministry field for Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery. Many churches and BSM groups have volunteered. More volunteers are needed. Meals, lodging and volunteer opportunities are available at the Faith Village Volunteer Center located at FBC Smithville. Go to www.texasbaptists.org/disaster for more information and to find out how you can help.

• Pastor, Harold Welch, of Primera Baptist Church in Bastrop has discovered a few fire survivors who don't fit the traditional mold for assistance. If it were not for Pastor Welch and his loving heart and commitment these folks would not be getting any kind of help at all. Find out how to help Pastor Welch and "the least of these" by contacting Marla Bearden at 214-537-7358.

• The Bastrop County Fire Relief Center, 201 Childers, suite 107, A non-profit organization continuing to serve the fire survivors with donated goods, furniture and appliances. Many of our churches and BSM Groups have volunteered in this center. Their Annual Fundraising event is Saturday, September 8th located on the parking lot of the center. There will be live music, silent auction, moonwalk, BBQ and much more. For more information contact Ruth Rogers at 512-629-9504.
   
• The Bastrop County Longer Term Recovery Team will commemorate this anniversary with a "Night Of Hope" at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa on Tuesday, September 4th. They will look at the past year and see how far they have come in recovery. Keynote speaker will be Juddy Maggio, anchor at KEYE, a local TV station in Austin. Tickets are $75 each. Contact Marla on how to get tickets.

 

Need for Volunteers in Mannford, Oklahoma

 

The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Disaster Relief Director, has asked Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief to assist them by deploying ash-out and chainsaw teams. He is asking for 7 teams of 8-10 volunteers to work in Mannford, Oklahoma (near Tulsa). He reports that there is ample work for experienced ash-out teams.

 

In addition, this is a GREAT opportunity to get volunteers some ash-out experience. He says that he will pair inexperienced volunteers with experienced ash-out volunteers.

• Housing will be in local Baptist churches 
• OK Baptist Men feeding volunteers are providing meals 

His hope is for a quick response in light of the fact that the heart of hurricane season is upon us. Teams are needed beginning Thursday, August 16. We hope to complete all work by August 31.

 

 

 

Texas Baptist Men has asked that if any Church Groups and BSM Groups would like to go and work with the TBM trained volunteers, contact TBMDR's Volunteer Coordinator, Cookie Slate. The cost will be your transportation expense. Lodging and meals will be provided.

 

If you are available to respond in any of the expected time frame, please email VolunteerDR@texasbaptistmen.org or call Cookie Slate, 972-754-4734.

Tatarstan Russia

Mission Trip:  Tatarstan Region of Russia
Purpose:  Evangelism through teaching English as a Second Language
Dates:  June 28-July 12, 2012
Church Partner:  Church Revival in Chelny, Russia
VRBC Member Participating:  Angela Benge...Sims/Struffolino ABF
Prayer Points:  Travel safety....it is a LONG way...by plane, train, & bus! 
        Endurance for team......fast-paced & rather non-stop camp setting
        Open & receptive hearts....Tatarstan is a Muslim region with less than 1% Christians. God must open hearts for us to plant seeds of salvation.



Neighboring church, Coppell Bible Fellowship, has been partnering for several years with Church Revival in Chelny, Tatarstan Russia for a church-sponsored language camp. (I have learned that in Russia, adults often go to focused camps in the summer.) The big draw is that Americans teach the classes! The popularity & size of the camp has grown & more teachers were needed, so Coppell Bible Fellowship reached out to other churches in the area with ESL ministries. Since I LOVE teaching ESL at VRBC & with this trip being primarily in a camp setting and my YEARS as a Girl Scout, I signed on. I am one of only 3 "newbies." The rest of the 11-member team have been before & know what to expect & are so organized. I have been amazed at all the planning & preparations that go into the trip! Along with English classes, we will be teaching American baseball & football & America's culture of Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, & the 4th of July...from a Christian perspective.

I will be teaching about the 4th of July & the devout Christian faith of our Founding Fathers & the Bible as the basis of our Constitution & laws. Marshmallows are not known to Russians, so on the 4th we will have a bonfire by the river, toast marshmallows (that we will bring with us,) & make S'Mores! :)

 As a fun activity to build vocabulary, classes will compete at "Family Feud." I want to thank VRBC's 86:12 for being a large part of the survey group. We received 188 responses to the survey! Awesome! Thanks too for the prayers & support of my VRBC family!



Texas Tornadoes

Many have been praying for and wondering how to respond to those affected by the tornadoes that ripped through DFW this week. You may have also heard that flooding and hail last week did a lot of damage in the Rio Grande Valley, one of VRBC's mission partnership areas, as well. Here are some opportunities to work with VRBC mission partners to serve those most affected by the storms:

TEXAS BAPTISTS DISASTER RECOVERY

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!

 

Texas Baptist Disaster Recovery

Marla Bearden, Disaster Response Specialist

Chris Liebrum, Disaster Response Director

Baptist General Convention of Texas

Long Term Recovery Missions Opportunities

Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery - Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus to those who need a touch from God...

Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 DISASTER RESPONSE FUNDING IS NEEDED...
We are experiencing the largest Disaster in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in many years. Funding will be needed to assist with responding by Texas Baptist Men and Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery. Please go to www.texasbaptists.org/give click on Disaster Response. Or mail checks to the BGCT, Disaster Response, 333 N. Washington, Dallas, Texas 75246.

There will be many volunteer opportunities. Once these are discovered we will keep everyone informed. Texas Baptist Men and Texas Baptists Disaster Recovery are engaged with the State of Texas and the (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) in this response.

Volunteers are needed now at the following places:

• To Volunteer in Lancaster contact Spencer Harvey at 972-978-5918 of the Lancaster Public Safety Department. He will be coordinating volunteer opportunities and making assignments. The volunteer Reception Center is located in the Lancaster Public Library, 1600 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Lancaster, TX.
• Volunteers are needed in Forney. To volunteer contact Mustang Creek Community Church at 972-564-4250 located at 13851 FM 548, Forney, TX. This church is coordinating volunteer opportunities and giving orientation to assist volunteers.
• Donations are being accepted at Mustang Creek and the churches listed below. Go to the Forney Disaster Relief Facebook Page and click on docs for an up to date list of the items that are needed and where to take them.

*Please call before traveling to these towns to volunteer or bring donations. Volunteers and donations will be needed for many weeks. If you are traveling from out of town you will need to be sure of lodging.

18 Tornadoes Hit DFW April 3, 2012

Currently Disaster Response, Texas Baptist Men, are responding to needs in the Lancaster area with a feeding unit. Chain saw units are standing by. Some areas are still assessing the damage and do not need volunteers right now but that will change. We are working to discover any churches or church members affected and volunteer opportunities. Please call Marla Bearden at 214-537-7358 if you have any information about needs and volunteer opportunities in our Texas Baptist Family.

 

Watch for more information on this Disaster Recovery e-news letter as the days and weeks progress into this recovery.

Flooding and Hail in The Valley in McAllen, Texas.

On the evening of Thursday, March 29th a huge rain and hail storm struck the city of McAllen with flooding and 6 inches of hail, 1,100 homes and businesses were affected. The Director of Missions with the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association is working to coordinate volunteer opportunities. Many elderly folks homes were flooded and are in need of assistance with clean out, removal of furniture and boxing up home goods. If you can volunteer call Robert Cepeda at 956-371-8516 or email him at rgvdom@gmail.com Volunteer housing and meals will be at the Rio Grande Valley Retreat Center at a cost of $120 per week.

Click on the link below for news stories from local news about our Texas Baptist Response to McAllen.

http://www.krgv.com/news/volunteers-helping-woman-with-storm-damaged-home/#.T3uZmdWylG4.email

Pray for VRBC's mission trip in Peru

This week VRBC has a group of students and families serving with e3 Partners in Lima, Peru. A few of the group members are pictured above preparing to do outreach with host church members and translators. Please pray for them as they evangelize, start I Am Second groups, and serve with VRBC mission partners in Lima. They are doing outreach, discipleship, children's ministry and sports ministry, and will arrive home on Friday. Here are a few pictures from their time so far. Hopefully we will have a chance to hear from them personally on the blog before they return home. Below you will some of the group participating in their I Am Second group before heading out to do their mission work for the day.

Pray for our VRBC Leaders in Africa

Yesterday Pastor Larry arrived safely in Nairobi, the first of several VRBC leaders heading to Africa this week to seek God's vision for potential partnership opportunities in Kenya and Sudan. Larry will spend the first few days with VRBC-supported missionary Tom Stickney, the director of African Christian Outreach (ACO). ACO is a ministry begun by Tom's parents to disciple Kenyan college students, and under Tom's leadership the ministry has expanded to involve the discipled students in community development ministry and global missions in other countries. Above you can see Larry teaching at an orphanage, one of the community development sites where the ACO students regularly serve.

Today (Feb 2) VRBC leaders Todd Szalkowski, Landa Parker, and John and Deirdre LaNoue depart for South Sudan, and Larry will join them en route tomorrow night in Uganda. The team will do evangelism, church planting, worship under a tree, and microfinance visits with e3 in South Sudan from Saturday through Monday. Tuesday they begin their trek back to Kenya, where Wednesday they will hop on another flight to visit schools and foster care ministries with Buckner International. VRBC leader / Buckner staff Jeff Jones will join them at this point in their trip. Thursday night they return to Nairobi; Pastor Larry begins the long flight home to preach on Sunday, while the rest of the group spends that weekend with Tom and ACO, visiting a college campus and then teaching at a leadership development conference for key students in ACO's ministry.

The trip obviously entails a LOT of travel and a lot of ministry. Please cover this group in prayer.

• Pray that God would multiply their rest and refresh their spirits as they make the most of their time in Africa.
• Pray also that God would give them wisdom and discernment as they visit ministries and churches and seek God's vision for VRBC's future partnerships in Kenya and South Sudan. Pray that they would identify ways that we could partner (1) in love, prayer and online communications to equip leaders across the distance, (2) through funding key projects that are capably led by African Christians, and (3) through opportunities that might require our presence and give us a chance of in-person relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters in Kenya and South Sudan.
• Pray for the actual ministry they will do on the trip--for effective evangelism, for powerful teaching, that the Holy Spirit would use whatever they do to bring people to Christ and to strengthen and equip the believers in Kenya and South Sudan.
• Finally, pray that their visit itself would serve as an encouragement to our mission partners in that country. Pray that they could share the love of Christ and of VRBC, that they could encourage and strengthen the believers there, and that even in the short time allotted they could build lasting relationships that would bring glory to God and be a witness to others.

Prayers for the Vega family

Moises Vega, one of our VRBC-supported missionaries and e3's National Director for Panama, went home to be with the Lord very early Sunday morning after a battle with cancer.

Moises and his wife Talsy have five children: Moises Jr (31) and Jose (26) live in Panama city and run a software business that supports the Vegas' ministry, while David (21), Ruth (19) and Thalsidia (18) live at home with their parents and have actively participated in the ministry. Please continue to pray for Talsy and their wonderful family.