giving

as jason and i prepare to re-locate to Honduras in a few short months, we are working very hard to check a number of items off our very, very long to do list. each month that goes by brings new challenges to accomplish, ensuring we are ready for this big move! one of the most important items on our list involves faithful and loving servants of god all around the world. we have been supporting missionaries in warrenville, brazil and thailand together and separately for over ten years! the faces and names of these faithful servants have remained close in our hearts as they have become personal friends. as we prepare to leave for a year, it's most important to us that the missionaries we have come to love through our regular monthly support, continue to receive the prayer and funds necessary for their daily work. as we leave and prepare to use our very limited resources to pour in to the Honduran community that god has directed us to, please prayerfully consider joining our efforts in support of those close to us who are caring for "the least of these" all around the world. anything you can give would help. our plan is to continue our monthly giving as normal, but are prayerfully hoping that friends and family help us continue this responsibility as our financial lifestyle drastically changes. we would need monthly contributions from july 2011 - july 2012. if you will help, read on to learn about the organizations we support monthly, and contact us when you're ready to make a commitment.

warrenville youth and family services
http://www.outreachcommunityministries.com/page.asp?p=2&i=57
jason and i re-connected and fell in love while working at warrenville youth and family services. we both worked for the quest program, which serves local middle and elementary school students in the warrenville community. wyfs also offers counseling, financial assistance, mentoring and hispanic outreach services. this local ministry seeks to be the hands and feet of jesus in a hurting community, while restoring hope through opportunities for people working to become all god intended them to be.

thailand: servantworks
http://www.servantworks.com/well
i began supporting "the well" ministry in bangkok, thailand when a group of friends from aurora introduced me to jim larson and the vision god gave him to serve women and girls working in the sex-trade industry. this ministry has introduced many women to the saving and powerful love of jesus, while providing work opportunities to meet the financial needs of their families. one dear friend, prang, has returned to her village to work towards educating poor thai children, in hopes to prevent any more from entering the desperate life of sex-trade. god is doing a miraculous work in so many. i have been privileged to see faith in action demonstrated with such authority and love by the larson family, prang and many others connected with "the well".

brasil: action international ministries
http://www.actionintl.org/index.php?page=countries&item=5
god moved most dramatically in my heart as a 17 year teenager on a short-term mission trip to sao paulo, brasil. (fun fact... jason and i were on this trip together!) thomas and susanna smoak communicated the love of christ for the poor and hurting in the world so clearly and passionately. i was convinced that it's god desire to use anyone who is willing to bless others and communicate his love and truth to a fallen world. for a time i was convinced that the only way i could live out this calling was by leaving all i had in the states, and moving to the favelas of sao paulo. i'm not sure that god answered this question one way or another, yet, but i have learned through many conversations with the smoaks and times on my knees crying out to god, that the "where" of god using you matters little, compared with the "why" we are called to serve others and the "how". i was so fortunate in 2003 to return to brasil for a summer of learning about overseas ministry and god's calling on my life. truthfully, the most influential lessons i have learned about serving god can be directly related to my time in brasil or in community with the smoaks and their brasilian friends. currently, we support the smoak family in their calling to lead local and international missionaries in brasil, as well as local adoption efforts to provide street kids with loving, christian families. join us!

thank you for reading this rather long post, and hearing our desire to continue supporting the few organizations and missionaries that god has specifically laid on our hearts. we know god calls each and every one of us to give, and also that it can be very personal for some. please give cheerfully and out of the abundance that god has blessed you with. this is the best way we can think of to ask for support from our friends and family as we take this step of faith to move to honduras.