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...

Prayers please ~

This is my beautiful friend, Roberta Peterson.  She works with Hope Africa Ministries in Kenya.  Our team is planning to travel to Nairobi in July (just weeks ahead!) to hold several women's clinics, minister to HIV/Aids patients and whoever else God brings in our path.  I am aware of the escalating violence in the northeastern part of Kenya, as well as Nairobi.  We will be in the Western region, after flying into Nairobi.   Please, please pray for all of us and especially for Roberta who lives there.  We will not take unnecessary risks and will keep a close watch on any warnings before we embark to travel.  What we need more than anything is PRAYER.  

Would you commit to praying for us?  That is all :)

Africa in July!! It's upon us!

Our travel to Africa is just about upon us!  We are partnering with another team from the Carolina's to join us in Kenya during July 2014!  We will be ministering with the http://www.hopeafricaministries.org/ organization and will be assisting in two Women's Health Seminars, as well as bringing assistance to AIDS patients in the difficult slum areas of Nairobi.  We are expecting as many as 300 women to show up for these and we need HELP!  Our primary need is finances!  Being in a different country, we have costs we have to pay just in order to do our seminars!  We must pay publicity, token gifts to the senior officials in the public service, transportation, bread and drinks for the participants (many of which travel a long distance to come!).  Our other needs are putting together small gift bags for the women.  This will entail "hotel-type" soaps, shampoos, plastic cups and/or pencils, notepads.  We are just trying to gather these supplies.  In addition, we are bringing children's "picture-type" books for the school.  Our hope is to educate and exhibit the love of Christ to all those we come in contact with.  I am very happy to say that Mission: Hope has thus far been able to donate $1000 check to Hope Africa Ministries already to help with the purchase of land, as they expand their ministry to the children and people there.  Our team has a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time!  Please consider donating to this awesome cause!  I anticipate that we will be taking further trips to this region.  I have already been in contact with another ministry that is asking for Bibles and our dear friends ("20-something" twins, Keri & Michelle O'Neil) have a boy's home in Nairobi that they've asked if we could please stop by!  http://grantabundantlife.org/

Everyone on our team has jobs!  We are all taking our vacation times to do these trips!  We are all raising our own funds!  Would you consider donating to this cause?  If so, please send a check to Mission: Hope, c/o Life Church, P. O. Box 1764, Jensen Beach, FL 34958  We still need funds to accomplish all this and more... and our timeframe is closing in on us!

You can scroll through our blog to learn more about this mission.  Our Mission Board is made of a physician, several attorneys, a missionary and a Mom (that's me... I also am a laboratory technologist :).  Our current Africa team is made up of myself, trained & educated midwives, a campus minister and others a part of the Carolina team.  Our Mission Team has been all over the world; Russia, Costa Rica, Haiti, China, South Korea, Cambodia, Lebanon, Thailand, India, Africa, and the inner-cities of America.  They are passionate about their faith and passionate about making a difference in this world.  Read more about our mission on this blog and please consider donating and praying for us!

Sharing more about our Team Board Members

Re-introducing one of our Team Board Members, Dr. Omar Hamada. Dr. Hamada is an extreme mover and shaker; has great insight on Arab culture and is accomplished in so many different ways. I'm excited to see what the future holds for this Mission!

Omar Hamada’s passion is advancing the Kingdom of Christ through discipleship and evangelism in all that he does.  Omar’s life is defined by the “5 Ms” – Marriage, Medicine, Military, Ministry, and Music.

Marriage - Omar is married to Dr. Tara Newton Hamada of Shelbyville, TN, who is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and works at Mercy Children’s Clinic in Franklin, TN.  They have 4 children – Gabriella (12), Annelise (9), Nicholas (7), and Josiah (3).  They live in Brentwood, Tennessee and are active members of Fellowship Bible Church.

Medicine – Omar is Board Certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology and in Family & Sports Medicine.  He is also trained in Aerospace/High Altitude, Deep Sea/Hyperbaric, and Tropical Medicine.  He was previously Director of Predoctoral Affairs at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, the Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at StoneCrest Medical Center, and President and CEO of Cedar Medical Group.  He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, an Emergency Room Physician, maintains a private “concierge” medical practice (Brentwood Concierge Medicine and Fitness), and consults for various organizations.  He recently completed an MBA at Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management.  He is the Chief Medical Officer of Advon Healthcare (www.advonhealth.com) and the Medical Division President and Chairman of the Board for HumaniTV (www.humani.tv).

Military – Omar is a 14-year combat veteran of the United States Army.  Ten of those years were in the United States Army’s Special Forces as a paratrooper, diver, and Battalion Flight Surgeon and Diving Medical Officer of the 1/20^th Special Forces Group, (Airborne).  He is the recipient of many awards and decorations including the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Medical Badge for actions in combat.  Omar is an accomplished outdoorsman and martial artist (Tae Kwon Do, HapKiDo, Judo).  He is the Principal of S3 – Security and Survival Solutions.   

Ministry – After graduating from Columbia Biblical Seminary (CBS) in South Carolina in 1988, Omar was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister.  He is also a graduate of Leighton Ford’s 2-year Arrow Leadership Program, and is currently completing a Masters of Theology at Columbia.  He is a delegate of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and over a span of 20 years, has worked closely with ministries such as OM, YWAM, Campus Crusade, the Zwemer Institute, and the US Center for World Mission in training Western believers as to the needs and methods of Muslim Evangelization.  Dr. Leighton Ford and the late Dr. Adrian Rogers were his mentors.  He is authoring two books under contract – “Warrior Faith: Spiritual Applications of Lessons Learned in Combat” and “a certain hope…:Living Victoriously in the Midst of Adversity”, and editing for republication “The Temperament and Character of the Arabs” by Sania Hamady, PhD. 

Music – Omar is a classically trained spinto tenor in the style of Mario Lanza.  He has studied operatic vocal performance in Memphis, New York, and Vienna, has had offers from the Julliard School and the New York Metropolitan Opera Company, and has performed for over 1 million people worldwide.  He also plays jazz and classical trumpet and is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Just a recap of all the great things that are occurring with Mission: Hope!  I want to thank all the Board Members and all the Team Members for being a part of the start-up of this Mission... for continuing to pray and considering trips for the future!  I also want to thank all the donors who have given to this Mission!  My heart is overwhelmed and excited about our start for this mission!  We're lining up tickets to Nairobi, Africa THIS week for our ministry in the slums of Nairobi with a home-based ministry called "Mumomatei Foundation", which serves HIV+ people in Nairobi, and our ministry to "Hope Africa Ministries" in Sakwa, Kenya.  Because of YOUR donations, we are able to send funds to Hope Africa Ministries to purchase uniforms for the kids and provide some school supplies.  How awesome is that?! We'll also be doing a Women's Medical Clinic, helping to bring education to these women in health care, childbirth and a medical condition known as "fissures", which makes it quit difficult for these women to live.  The community school we are helping was formed in February 2007 with 23 students.  Today it has grown to over 300 students, some of who are orphaned and some who are HIV positive.  We will go with a mindset to work.  Our 1st few days will be in Nairobi working in the slums and then travel 3-5 hours away to Sakwa.  Please pray for us!  We can still use support for some of our team members, if you'd like to help!  We are still collecting GIFT bag items for the women's clinic (shampoos, lotions, etc) and paperback picture books for the kids.