Prayer for Domestic Project Mission Trip
Tomorrow, July 23, 2011 is the departure date for our South Puget Sound Women of Vision second annual mission trip to Phillipi, West Virginia. Laura, Patty and Corri from our Chapter will time-travel to Jesus' Hometown Nazareth where they will participate in helping with vacation Bible school each morning while in costume they mingle with the town's children providing crafts, joining in songs and teaching them about Jesus. In the afternoons they will trade their costumes for work clothes and a tool belt and help with painting houses and other lighter construction work for local residents. They will be attending church services and visiting the local World Vision office and storehouse, They will view and participate in World Vision’s U.S. Programs work taking place in rural West Virginia.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly,
We come to You in the Name of Jesus asking that You would go before our South Puget Sound Chapter team as they travel to West Virginia and become Your Hands to the people there. Give them Your grace and mercy as they meet the demands of each day both physically and spiritually. keep them safe in their travels and in their work. Give them joy unspeakable and laughter as they work with the children. Put a song in their hearts and give them boldness to share the Gospel unashamed to any who will listen whatever their age. Bless them with something dear to each of their hearts that they can return home with that will encourage and empower them as they return to their daily lives here. Be with their families and fill in the missing space with your provision. We thank you for these women who are willing and who go in faith answering Your call.
Dear Heavenly,
We come to You in the Name of Jesus asking that You would go before our South Puget Sound Chapter team as they travel to West Virginia and become Your Hands to the people there. Give them Your grace and mercy as they meet the demands of each day both physically and spiritually. keep them safe in their travels and in their work. Give them joy unspeakable and laughter as they work with the children. Put a song in their hearts and give them boldness to share the Gospel unashamed to any who will listen whatever their age. Bless them with something dear to each of their hearts that they can return home with that will encourage and empower them as they return to their daily lives here. Be with their families and fill in the missing space with your provision. We thank you for these women who are willing and who go in faith answering Your call.
Patty called this morning to say that everything is going well in Phillipi. They have a very productive schedule each day and are up early with devotions, off to VBS and then on to doing landscaping and repair work on people's homes and evening meetings and night time devotions. They had a tour of the World Vision Warehouse and she said that it looks amazing. They have changed it quite a bit from last year.
ReplyDeleteThe family that is with our team from California has four children; two teenage young ladies who are doing a fantastic job at VBS as well as with the construction. Patty said that the family is delightful. She also reports that there are many youth groups about so there is a ton of energy,laughter and fun along with all of the hard work.
Laura and Patty are enjoying getting to know Corri, a World Vision Speakers Bureau employee who is also a new member of our Chapter. Patty says that Corri is a "go getter" and great to work with on any job. What a blessing to have Corri as part of our team!
They are just starting to adjust to the time change:-) and the hot weather. It has been in the 90's with humidity.
Laura is already thinking of getting a group going who will commit to next year. She has done an excellent job organizing this year's trip and has built more relationships with the people. What a blessing that we have this opportunity to share in this ADP (World Vision Area Development Project) right here in the US! Let's all pray about joining Laura next year!
I asked how we could pray and Patty in her usual unassuming and kind manner replied, "Just pray that we would be a blessing to the people here."
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We are so grateful that our Chapter women have this opportunity to be Your Hands extended to these people. We pray that they would be a blessing in Appalachia and that they too would be blessed. Thank you for giving Laura, Patty, Corri and the rest of the team an extra burst of energy each day, keep them safe from harm and give them traveling mercies when they return after this week. Bless their families who have sacrificed so that these ladies can serve. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
8/2/11 Report Back: Part 1
ReplyDeletePatty reports that the trip to our Appalachia Project was a success. She was so impressed with the World Vision staff! They are organized, work hard, have compassion for the people they are serving and they take good care of their volunteers!
She shared that the countryside is beautiful with lush, rolling hills and that there are many lovely, well-kept houses with big front porches, no fences, and that people visit with their neighbors in a casual and friendly atmosphere. They went to a large church in Pittsburg, a nondenominational Anglican culture, on Sunday. She said that it was a little formal, but interestingly it had two services simultaneously with one being traditional and the other contemporary. She said that at the service they attended the message was on Job and that their drive and this service was a good way to start their week.
The projects in Grafton, WV that the team worked on were 20 miles from where they stayed at AB College in Philippi, WV. Energetic Corri was the chauffeur the whole time and Patty and Laurie were grateful! People who lived in the projects were also grateful. Patty said that they so appreciated the work that the volunteers did and they expressed their thanks. Laura and Patty hung insulation, pulled nails and weeded gardens in the afternoon after doing VBS in the mornings. In one house in particular there was a couple with many children who were so inspired by the volunteers that they would work way into the night and got up early to work before the World Vision team got there. Patty felt that they had just kind of gotten overwhelmed with all that needed to be done and when the volunteers came in and got things started they took over. She said that it was great to see this kind of response.
Pastor Eddie was the pastor at the church where the VBS is located and Patty mentioned that he is the dearest person who was helping with everything. He is the Pastor of two churches which is not unusual in such a well-churched area. The team enjoyed their time with VBS church people who were really caring.
Two families stood out from the VBS experience for Patty. One family in the town brought all of their children to the Vacation Bible School at the church except for one child, Trevor. He is their 13-year-old boy who has a type of leukemia and he just had surgery and was undergoing chemo that week but they found that he was allergic to it. The night before they left they found some lumps on his chest and they were taking him back into surgery. Patty asked that we would pray for Trevor. A second family that so impressed Patty was a family that came to volunteer from San Jose, CA. she mentioned them in her first report. They are the wonderful family with four children ages 7-14. The two older girls did the entire Mary’s House drama every day making it very helpful for Patty and Laura. In addition, she mentioned that these four kids did everything at the projects. They painted, swept, took off loose paint working hard the entire time. This family along with our Chapter ladies was the only team from the West Coast and the only ones with jet lag!
8/2/11 Report Back: Part 2
ReplyDeleteThis trip gave our Chapter ladies a great opportunity to meet folks from across the country and to see what is being done there by World Vision. It was a fantastic learning experience. In addition to VBS and the projects, they saw the huge WV warehouse in Pittsburg, PA on Sunday after church. They have what looks like miles of building materials, linens, blankets, clothing, school materials, household goods, and much more. They have a large room with tables where hundreds of volunteers put together medical kits with medication, Toms Shoes, back packs, Caregiver Kits and more. Since last year they re-did the entire warehouse with new signage and photos and set up a prototype for the Teacher Resource Center (TRC) to be used throughout the US with many bright colors, new carpet. Patty noted that the gifts in kind are down so they are not receiving as much materials so that is another area for prayer. There is also a warehouse in Philippi.
Thursday was a day off and all of the volunteers went river rafting but Patty and Laura were blessed with a photo shoot with World Vision women who signed themselves out for the day. Then there was a picnic for everyone that night—volunteers and the families in projects. It was a huge picnic in the town park. Patty stated that it was wonderful to see how connected these families are to the World Vision staff.
Patty feels that this trip was life changing for her. She was able to see firsthand the poverty of this area as well as the beauty of not only the surroundings but the people: The World Vision people who are called to serve are a testimony of God’s Hands extended to the poor and marginalized; the people receiving the blessing of these hands extended who are showing others their courage, humility and sweetness and teaching them much. Our Chapter women had devotions three times a day, grouped with people from all over the US who were mostly youth church groups and worked side-by-side with people in the projects all in the Name of Jesus. They lived the lesson that it isn’t about building materials and programs; it is about creating relationships with people so they can see the Love of God.
Prayer:
ReplyDeleteDear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the opportunity that you gave Laura, Patty and Corri to go to the Appalachia Project. Thank you for Laura’s organization of this trip. We ask that you would multiply back to her and to Patty and Corri the time, talents and tithe that they gave to make this trip happen. Thank you that you kept them safe and injury free and that you encouraged their hearts about You and Your Love for the world.
We pray for Trevor, Lord, and ask for a miracle for this 13 year old. We pray for his salvation if he does not know You. We ask that You will would be done in his life, Lord. Comfort his family during this difficult time. Give him the strength that he needs to face each day. Help all to see Your Hand in this and may You be honored and glorified through this trial. We commit Trevor to You.
We pray that the gifts-in-kind would be on the rise for the materials in the WV Warehouses not only in Pittsburg and Philippi but all over the US. Thank you Lord for moving on people’s hearts and cause them to think of the needs of the poor. Inspire corporations to give, encourage businesses to give, call people to give. You know the needs, Lord and we ask that You would meet them in an extraordinary way.
We pray your blessing on the Appalachian Project staff. Lord, we all know that they have other choices to work places where they could make more money and have more status. For this daily sacrifice that they make, bless them. Thank you for calling them to this mission field. Thank you for providing for all of their needs spiritually, emotionally and physically. Pour out a blessing from Heaven that they cannot contain
We pray for the people in the projects. Encourage their hearts. Open their eyes to Your Love for them. May they experience life in all its fullness through the World Vision Project in Appalachia. May they come to know You, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior if they do not know You. May those who know You grow daily in their spiritual lives. Thank you for the lessons that they teach everyone who meets them. Thank you for the many gifts and talents that You have given them.
We love You Jesus. We live to serve You and to be Your Hands extended. Thank You for the times when we can see You move in our midst. We are grateful.
In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much Karen for sharing this report from our friends who went to Appalachia. Takes me back to my trip there last year. Thank you also for such a beautiful prayer.
ReplyDelete