August 2005 Archives
Taiwan 2005
Andrea Carstensen traveled to Taiwan this summer to serve at an English Language Camp for junior high students. The photo (above) is a roasted pig prepared for a school barbecue!
"Our team of eight worked well together in keeping up with the behavior of 53 typical junior high students. (They were just like American kids in many ways!) The school had enlisted help from many young college age girls to be our assistants. These girls spoke English quite well and quickly became our friends and ready servants for whatever we needed.
"I had 13 teens in my class along with three assistants. Each day after our morning English class, all of the students went to music and story time, where they were taught worship songs and Bible stories. Due to the language barrier it was difficult to know how much the students really understood about the Bible. But our college age assistants were hearing the Word of God clearly and many for the first time. Meggie, one of my assistants, asked me: 'Do you have to believe in God to work for Footsteps Missions?' She was so sweet and this gave me a great opportunity to share Christ with her.
"On the last day of camp I shared my testimony of how I received Christ at age 14 and I had Meggie translate for me. I wanted the students to hear in their own language why I came to teach them and how they can receive eternal life. They listened more attentively than any other lesson I taught!
"Thank you for partnering with me in bringing the Gospel to those who need to hear of their only hope of salvation, Jesus Christ! We have been invited back for a camp next summer!"
Belgium, 2005
The team consisted of the band Dead in the Water (Zac, Matt, Ricky and Paul), JJ Soto, and Mike Forrest. The purpose of the trip was to encourage the missionaries there through music, basketball camps and fellowship while working with a large service project that they organized.
About 50 short-term missionaries from the US and another 30 or so from all of Europe joined forces to serve Brussels for six days. We ran a basketball camp in a Muslim neighborhood; gave haircuts and manicures to refugee women; ran a VBS for a struggling local church; taught English as a second language for another small church; and, worked in numerous homeless shelters serving food, sorting clothes, doing construction and more. Through it all, we made lifelong friendship with fellow believers from around the world as together we learned to think of the needs of others before our own.
Dead in the Water ended up playing three shows in front of over 600 people. The shows worked as a catalyst, drawing people to our service team with questions of who we were and why we were there. They demonstrated that following Jesus can be fun and exciting, and that sin is not necessary to enjoy yourself or God's creation.
During a few of the days, the guys played music in subway stations, giving the money they earned to homeless people. They also helped to lead worship during our morning meeting times and at a local church.
Most of us California boys were able to serve with a convent for the Sisters of Charity, a group of nuns following the order of Mother Theresa. I (Mike) was personally touched by their humility, grace and devotion. While there, I read the following quote by Mother Theresa: "Humility always radiates the greatness of God. Let us not be afraid to be humble, small and helpless to prove our love for God." During our two weeks there, each of us on the team chose to serve, to become small to demonstrate our love for Him. While none of us served perfectly, we did learn much of His grace, His sustaining power, and the joy that we receive when we become small and helpless. It is so amazing to be used by God. We praise Him for such an opportunity!
Pray for the nation of Belgium. This place is an incredible mix of all nations, with very little of the presence of God. He is at work and He is making His mark on this city, the capital of Europe and one of the most influential in all of the world. But it is a dark place.
To see God at work in a city that is so closed to the Gospel was really encouraging. To be part of a multi-cultural team from all over the world, and to realize how much we have in common - serving Jesus together - was amazing. And to be challenged to ask "Am I doing everything for Jesus that I could be?" was both difficult and rewarding.
-Mike Forrest
NE Africa & Middle East
In the Sudan, I had the privilege of experiencing my first Action Team (land project of a week or more. Our assignment involved living with a local Christian family and conducting an English course at the local Community Centre.
My team of six was struck by the poverty in Sudan and the stark living conditions. The Community Centre was nothing more than scrap metal thrown together to form a shed-like building. Our host family, like most Sudanese families, had no running water or electricity in their home. They had so little, but were eager to give what they had and welcomed us into their home.
The English course was a great challenge for us. But the classes were very well received and Christ's love shone through our actions. After teaching six hours a day for 10 days straight with no showers, we returned to the ship exhausted and dirty but very blessed.
-Naomi Delgado