A Prayer Request from Colombia

Tyler and Adrienne work with children in a slum near Bogota, Colombia. The children that they work with, along with their families and their whole community of about 500 families, are about to be uprooted by the government. It looked for a while like they were going to be able to move their community intact, which would mean that the ministry could move with them, but now that won't be possible and they'll all be scattered.

Pray for the kids they teach, that they will be able to continue their education wherever they end up, that ministries will be present wherever they go so that they won't be relegated to life in the dumps or begging. Pray for their families, that they will be able to find somewhere to settle and some means of survival. Pray for the ministry, that it will know where to go next and will have peace and trust with regards to the kids that they have come to love, and will lose touch with. Also pray for the policy makers in the government, that they will quit band-aiding problems and shoving the marginalized farther and farther out from the cities in an effort to make it look like they are actually erradicating poverty.

News From Colombia (via Adrienne)

Below is a letter from Adrienne Mickler. For those who don't know, a group of our members went down for a mission trip a couple of weeks ago. If anyone has stories or testimonies from that trip that they would like to post here, please email them to me at abbeyrenee@gmail.com.

Adrienne's letter:

"Greetings from the South!

~

In the hallway at the Other Way was a little plastic tub overflowing with warm water, soap, and happy two-year-old Heiner: a beautiful little boy. When he first arrived last year, he wore a stern look across his face, rarely laughed, and hated water. Now he plays hard, laughs often, and loves baths, which are a novelty for him because he is not often bathed at home. As I watched Heiner playing in the bath water, tears welled up in my eyes and I swallowed hard to maintain my composure. I realized how much I have grown to love him and how difficult it was for me to accept the way in which he lives. That moment took me by surprise. I see him every day. I see where he lives every day. But this day was different. I felt raw again. The way one should feel when confronted with the injustice in which this little boy is forced to live.

~

Mayerly: a tough six-year-old girl. As I watch her play in the park, our glances often meet and huge smiles take over both our faces. She glows with an indescribable contentedness when I finish cleaning her face, or washing her hair, or combing out her lice. It is as though the physical dirt on her body is representative of the manners in which she is calloused, used, and unable to express genuine joy. When clean, her innocence is finally permitted to surface and manifest itself in her smile and in her laughter. She clings to me and lies on my lap with unconditional trust and obvious need for love. When she holds my hand close to her chest or hugs me through metal bars of open windows, I realize that even though she wears a hard external shell, she is still a vulnerable little human being. She deserves so much more than dirt and disappointment. I often find myself wishing she were mine. I believe God is using her to teach me about real love; about His love.

~

I know I have mentioned this before but I cannot emphasize enough its' significance: there is a depth to life that can only be experienced through true sacrificial love. The romantic notion we often place in our minds of what love is, is a very surface level love. The reality is, if you love with your entirety in the same manner that Jesus loved, you will be used, you will be hurt, because real love makes you vulnerable and puts your life at risk. However, it is also the most valuable, rewarding way to live your life. Love pierces every nerve and penetrates to the very core of your being. It consumes your mind, heart, and soul. With real love comes this depth to life so profound it continues to affirm the existence of the divine, of God.

Give of yourself. Better said, give everything. Give your life: love people.

~

Note: The Colombian government continues to make attempts to "clean up" Bogotá. Tearing down Colombianita (the area where our kids live) and sending its inhabitants to the outskirts of the city is one of the ways in which they are doing so. The date when this is supposed to take place is theoretically April. Unfortunately, we have been told that we will have little to no warning as to when our kids will no longer live there. They will be scattered in the most dangerous sections of the south of Bogotá. In a selfish sense, this will probably be one of the most difficult things I will ever experience. I do not want to see them leave. I avoid thinking about what will become of them if they do, because the undeniable reality of the situation is too painful to broach. If the kids are moved out, we can no longer work with them as we do now. I do not know in what way to ask you to pray but I do ask that you pray. Pray for the kids.

~

Having what has been coined the "Texas Team" here was awesome! Personally, it was super refreshing to see so many familiar faces and be able to just soak in the love you guys emanated with your smiles and hugs. Thank you a hundred and one times!

I have finally found and gotten involved in a local church. (FUMC has spoiled me. :)) It took a while, but for the past month or two, I have consistently attended the same church and I find the people quite genuine. I have started teaching English to a group of people from the church, which allows me to get a bit more involved in the lives of individual members of the congregation. The youth pastor and his wife, as well as the head pastor have been more than welcoming. In fact, this past week I went bowling and ate dinner with them. It was a neat experience to be able to hang out and speak openly with leaders in a church. I guess I say all this to express how important being a part of a church body is and being an active part of one again has been uplifting.

I am returning to the United States on April 28th for my brother Drew's wedding. I am excited to spend some time with my family again, and of course to see Drew get married.

~

Thank you guys, again, for all the different ways you are continually supporting me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

With love,
Adrienne

Update from Sara Kaiser

Columbia Mission Trip

After a delay in Atlanta, our group is finally all in Columbia. Please continue to pray for them as they meet up with Adrienne and Tyler, and work with the street kids. Also pray for a smoother trip home than they had coming there! I will post pictures and updates as soon as I receive them from the mission team.

Newsletter from Charles and Becky Jackson

Missions Sunday

Hey everybody!

Be sure this week to visit the missions tables in the back of the sanctuary, and also on the way into the CCA cafeteria to hear Tyler Savage speak about his experiences in the mission field during both Sunday School hours. Information will be provided about all of your opportunities to be involved through prayer, giving or direct service.

Also be sure to sign the sheets at the front of the sanctuary if you have participated in a mission trip. These names will be added to the mural that will be put up so that we can have a visual record of our progress toward the goal of every member going on a trip in 5 years.

And don't miss this opportunity to wear your jeans and sneakers to church! We are wearing our grey missions shirts this Sunday. They will be available in the foyer in front of the sanctuary if you don't have one.

Brief Overview and Updates from Charles and Becky Jackson

Brief Biography of Charles and Becky Jackson

Charles and Becky Jackson are affiliated with the Mission Society and Generous Hands Ministries, Inc. They are working as members of the “Global Resource Team” that provides spiritual development, discipleship, teaching, church planting and economic development in those areas that request assistance. They are currently working in Brazil and India.

Their primary focus in Niteroi, Brazil (city adjacent to Rio de Janeiro) is the supervision of a monthly food basket program to the poorest of the poor (30 families) in the Nova Mexico “favela” (slum), support and guidance for a mission church which was planted in 2002, and coordination of the construction of a worship center for the Santa Barbara Methodist Church. They also host short term mission teams who visit the residents in the slum and conduct programs (youth and adult) for the mission church and the Santa Barbara Methodist Church.

Their ministry outreach in India is located in the Hyderabad area (south central India) and “Tirchy” (southern India). In the last three years they have started 10 micro loan programs with over 100 Hindu and Muslim women. The loan program has been a key to evangelism amongst these women and their families. The loan repayments are used to develop more micro loans and to subsidize the salaries of the local evangelists. Teaching and training these evangelists is a vital part of the work as well. The Jacksons are also involved with a girl’s home in Hyderabad which houses 25 girls. They are actively raising funds to help them construct a facility which can accommodate 100 girls and will include a Christian school. When they are not on the foreign field they travel throughout the U.S. sharing about this marvelous work to which the Lord has called them and raising funds for the ministry.

Prior to their present assignment, they spent 7 years in Latin America ministering in Paraguay and Brazil. Before their entry into full-time mission work, the Jacksons served churches in Virginia for 14 years. Charles is an ordained elder in the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The home base for the ministry is Lewisville, Texas (suburb of Dallas). They have 4 children; Matt, Sam, Aaron and Elisabeth, who served on the field with them from 1996 to 2002. They especially enjoy being grandparents to Wesley and Audrey, Matt and Carolyn’s children and to Paxton, Sam and Joni’s son. Sam and Joni are expecting a “new” arrival in February 2008.