Check out our new Mission: Hope video! Please take time to read about our recent mission in Sakwa, Africa here on our blog. Your donations brought medicine, medical supplies, goodwill, and LOVE to the people. Missionary Roberta Peterson with Hope Africa Ministries said, "The people were just honored that anyone would visit them and that 'someone knows they are there and they are not forgotten.'" On missions, you often go to help someone else. But much of the time, YOU are radically affected. We came home and Mission: Hope sent an additional $1180 to Hope Africa Ministries this past year (not including our visit, medical clinic and ministry to the students). We sent $120 to "Pastor Gideon" to supply a Christmas to his church in the slums. And $300 to other international ministries. Several on our team decided to sponsor a child when they came back. The beauty of Mission: Hope is that we have almost no overhead. Your donations are fluid and go directly towards the need at hand! Thank you! I hope this video expresses how joyful the team felt about going... and a little of the joy we received.  

Click here to view our latest video (Thank you Charlton Taylor Mason for creating and editing this project!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxg_bIjnDgE

We had a really special visit from Missionary, Roberta Peterson, with Hope Africa Ministries.  Roberta hosted myself, Sandi Blankenship, and Maya Bond-Duarte, as well as a team from North Carolina on a trip to Sakwa, Kenya, Africa this past July.  I'm really blessed to be able to say that many of the monetary gifts to Mission: Hope this year went towards medicine, medical supplies, shoes, clothing, support towards Hope Africa Ministries.  In this month's visit, Mission: Hope was able to cut a check for $600 for Roberta and her ministry, as well as Life Church Jensen Beach supporting with $351 in sales of T-shirts and other donations.  So, dear supporters, your gifts DO make a difference.  Please continue to pray for Roberta's ministry.  She was recently robbed at gunpoint in Sakwa.  She is one of the bravest people I know.  Special thanks to Jeff & Cindy Cannon for hosting Roberta this month.

Being Resolute in 2015

Being Resolute in 2015

I will remember that all human emotions are a normal part of life; happiness vs. sadness, etc.  These emotions will not define my entire outlook on life.   Sometimes, despite all human and even spiritual effort, unpleasant emotions can exist.  I will remember that “tomorrow” is a new day.  (read all of Psalms! J)

I will meet each day with extreme thankfulnesss.  (Psalms 138)  In fact, I will keep a list nearby to look at, if I happen to have the misfortune of forgetting J (Lev. 26:42, Psalms 103:2) (Remembering how many times God told us in His word to “not forget” or to “remember” the things of the past.  It is a good and worthy habit to get in to.)

I will attempt to recharge by eating whole foods, juicing, resting, playing, exercising, and reading God’s word to keep my heart and body fit.  I will remember that this has a direct affect on my quality and outlook of life – as well as affecting those around me. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I will clink to Hope, as expressed by the words of Jesus. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I will devote my life to a life of service to my family and others.  I will quit thinking that “someday” I will HAVE such and such, or DO such and such, if that thinking makes me dissatisfied with my current station in life. (Galatians 5:13)

I will remember that I have an active purpose TODAY in my life; that the actions that I do today will have an equal effect to my family, friends or even future descendants.  (Deut. 4:9)

I will remember that we all experience failures; I will allow this to be a learning experience and not dwell on discouragement, but allow them to motivate me further. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

I will keep praying for God’s wisdom, for God’s strength in my life, and to give Him glory for it all.  I will commit my way to Him, recognizing how much I need Him for the very breath that I take, for the strength of my mind and body.  I will remember that I am accountable for everything that I do in this life. (James 1:5,  Psalms 37:5, Romans 14:12)

As I hope in the Lord, my strength will be renewed this 2015^th year.  I will soar on wings of eagles.  I will run and not get weary.  I will walk and not faint.  (Isaiah 40:31)   I will not lose heart. (2 Corinthians 4:1)  I will not become weary in doing good.  (Galatians 6:9)  I will go from strength to strength, til I appear before God in Zion (Psalms 84:7)

T-Shirt for Sale Donating Mission: Hope!

Special thanks to the Jordan & Steph Showe family for the CASES of T-shirts donated to Mission: Hope!!!  For a $5 Donation, you can have your choice of a short-sleeved t-shirt and for an $8 Donation, a long-sleeved one!  These are quality T-shirts, most made of 100% brush cotton!  Really wonderful!  We have men & women's, all sizes!  Please contact me at missionhope1@gmail.com if you are interested in some!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX9W9K2o2Ms&feature=youtu.be

WHAT I LEARNED IN AFRICA

• I learned that children are happy with love, shelter, and food.  That’s about it.
• Regardless of what all the books tell you about traveling to third world countries and how not to give away things (which can promote begging), don’t be afraid to stop and listen to a child.  They might only need just a pen to go to school.
• Love can cover all.  Looking a Kenyan in the eye and loving them face to face can cover a multitude.
• When you travel to another country, you represent America.  Represent well.  You will be the America they will perceive.
• When you travel to another country with a Christian mission group, you represent Christ.  Represent well.
• Apologies can go a long way.  Apologize well.
• Most people respond hugely to a genuine heart.  Love well.
• We Americans are rich, rich, rich.  One sweet college girl we met said that our “ghetto” (which she saw in American movies) looked like the houses they consider “nice” in Kenya.  Their Kibera ghetto is the largest slum in Africa, replete with raw sewage.
• A manual sewing machine can change the life of an entire family.
• There are many, many unsung heroes.  The quiet ones who faithfully serve.  A man named “Pastor Gideon” in Kenya is one of them.  My missionary friend, Roberta, is another.
• A missionary is just an average person who steps out of their comfortable life in America, who does extraordinary things and exhibits great courage, though they wouldn’t say they are courageous.  Missionaries work tirelessly, with little recognition or recompense.  They fight loneliness.  Sometimes, a missionary just needs to be one of the gang J
• I have too much “stuff”.
• There is just something about Kenyan tea.  I believe I will now need milk in my tea now.
• “Asante” is the Swahili word for “thank you”.  Everyone responds to a sincere thank you J
• I wish I had found my calling when I was 20 years old.   However, some of the neatest people I met on this trip, branched out to do their calling during retirement.
• A small gift like needles and thread are a rare commodity.
• In Kenya, if you have aches and pains, you suffer.  If you have a headache, you suffer.  Because you don’t generally have access to something so simple as aspirin or ibuprofen.
•  We live complicated lives.  In the Kenyan countryside, you need a good cow and maybe some chickens.
• I just as easily could have been born in a third world country, as I was - born in this country.  Someday, I will be called to account for what I did with all my wealth.
• I never, ever wanted to go to Africa.  I never, ever wanted to be a missionary.  I never, ever had a desire to sleep under a mosquito net.  I never, ever wanted to be in a country where I could fear for my life.  I now add Africa to the places in the world which I love and hope to go back to again someday.

Rendezvous Divins "Divine Appointments"

Twenty-four days and we are Kenya bound.  We are meeting up with the team from North Carolina, who arrive July 11th.  All of us are packing our luggage to the brim and even paying extra to bring as many of the supplies that have been donated and collected!  One young college minister, three midwives, a lab tech, a young college student and mother of the minister are making this trek!  I cannot tell you how excited I am (and have a bit of anxiety as well!) about joining up with this team!  Daniel, the college minister, is prepared to teach (along with others in the team) up to 500 ministers and laymen from churches all around Kenya.  I can't even imagine what the crowd will look like.  Many will be walking many, many miles to come.  There is a hunger of learning more about God's word that exists in many third world countries.  I can't wait to be a part of this.  I'll be taking lots of photographs and documenting as much of this trip as I can.  We'll also be expecting up to 300 women for our women's clinic; doing HIV testing,  and teaching about various women's issue.  In between all of this, we'll be visiting those who live in deplorable conditions in the city slums, loving on them and bringing food gifts with the local ministry there.  We'll also be teaching a girl's class and do some crafts with them.  Our itinerary is jam-packed, so we ask for lots of prayer...  I have learned in this process, that anything is possible.  You can have a dream to make a difference and you can have an impact.  When the timing is right, you can move forward (with God's help!) and visions can come to fruition.  We will be planning a trip a year at this time and welcome anyone who would like to have a life-changing experience, while making a difference in others' lives.  Who knows what ramifications this trip will have to future generations?  Please pray for those who will be attending these conferences, clinics and classes.  And please pray for our "rendezvous divins". :) And THANK YOU to so many, many people here in the states who have contributed to making this trip possible - as well as donating so many items that will go directly into the hands of the people.  May God richly reward the work of your hands...