Today the US government added Guinea-Bissau to it's "Human Trafficking Blacklist" which is a list of countries that may receive US sanctions due to human trafficking.
The unfortunate victims that Erica and I will be working with as we build and run an orphanage are in part caused by this lack of protection. Hopefully this will eventually influence the direction of Bissau for the better.
Jason
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Road Trip!
This is our planned route for coming to visit several of our close friends and family members this summer. We're planning to see as many people along this route as possible and will be leaving Colorado on July 17, returning on August 1 in time for MTI training in Colorado Springs for three weeks! If you're along this route, please let us know, we'd love to come see you!
If you live in CO, we're planning to schedule a going away party in a city near you. It's important to us as we prepare to leave to get to spend time with the folks who are praying for and supporting us as we're in Africa. Your time means the world to us and we are SO very thankful to have you with us.
We're less than three months from our departure date and all momentum is moving us forward. It feels so good, but almost weird to have our departure date nearing, instead of it being this obscure thing out in the future, it's getting closer each moment. HOW AWESOME!
We love you all bunches!
(For friends in Illinois area, we're going to be heading through IL on our way to the airport in Washington DC-we're flying out from DC because it's actually cheaper and less complicated that way. We do plan to stop in IL, so let us know if you'll be around at the beginning of September!)
If you live in CO, we're planning to schedule a going away party in a city near you. It's important to us as we prepare to leave to get to spend time with the folks who are praying for and supporting us as we're in Africa. Your time means the world to us and we are SO very thankful to have you with us.
We're less than three months from our departure date and all momentum is moving us forward. It feels so good, but almost weird to have our departure date nearing, instead of it being this obscure thing out in the future, it's getting closer each moment. HOW AWESOME!
We love you all bunches!
(For friends in Illinois area, we're going to be heading through IL on our way to the airport in Washington DC-we're flying out from DC because it's actually cheaper and less complicated that way. We do plan to stop in IL, so let us know if you'll be around at the beginning of September!)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Things lining up for a departure date!
Hey, friends!
We've been so busy we haven't posted here in a while. Oops. :)
Things are going well with plans for Bissau. We've been talking to the pastor of Mafi Church, Pastor Bobo, in Guinea-Bissau and he is very excited to have us come and join the work going on there. He has a lot of truly awesome ideas about things we could be doing once we get there and we're thrilled to step in alongside that work and join in. Initially, we'll be working at a Children's Home (orphanage) in the city to prepare it for an increase in numbers as well as teach life skills (eating healthy, washing hands, proper self care, learning strategies, etc) to the kids already there. We're also planning to begin working as discipleship leaders at the church for young people there. We'll be taking language classes to get adjusted, and once we're more settled in, we're planning to take a short trip to see the other projects in some nearby villages, some on nearby islands, etc, so we can see where we may end up spending a large amount of our time as missionaries in Bissau.
Red Rocks Church, here, has continued to be a great help to us as we prepare to leave. They've been in contact with YFC and are currently discussing timing for release of our funds from YFC. Those conversations are going well, and God is truly blessing this transition.
All plans line up for us to be leaving for Bissau at the end of July. Hopefully it can be like Jason's birthday present. :)
We SO appreciate your love and support and value that you took the time to read this and stay up to date.
Watch for our newsletter, it will have a logo on the outer envelope that looks somewhat similar to the heading on this webpage. It will say, "Jason and Erica serve Guinea Bissau".
We've been so busy we haven't posted here in a while. Oops. :)
Things are going well with plans for Bissau. We've been talking to the pastor of Mafi Church, Pastor Bobo, in Guinea-Bissau and he is very excited to have us come and join the work going on there. He has a lot of truly awesome ideas about things we could be doing once we get there and we're thrilled to step in alongside that work and join in. Initially, we'll be working at a Children's Home (orphanage) in the city to prepare it for an increase in numbers as well as teach life skills (eating healthy, washing hands, proper self care, learning strategies, etc) to the kids already there. We're also planning to begin working as discipleship leaders at the church for young people there. We'll be taking language classes to get adjusted, and once we're more settled in, we're planning to take a short trip to see the other projects in some nearby villages, some on nearby islands, etc, so we can see where we may end up spending a large amount of our time as missionaries in Bissau.
Red Rocks Church, here, has continued to be a great help to us as we prepare to leave. They've been in contact with YFC and are currently discussing timing for release of our funds from YFC. Those conversations are going well, and God is truly blessing this transition.
All plans line up for us to be leaving for Bissau at the end of July. Hopefully it can be like Jason's birthday present. :)
We SO appreciate your love and support and value that you took the time to read this and stay up to date.
Watch for our newsletter, it will have a logo on the outer envelope that looks somewhat similar to the heading on this webpage. It will say, "Jason and Erica serve Guinea Bissau".
Friday, January 7, 2011
New Sending/Receiving organization
So A LOT has happened in the past 90 days. First of all, we are fully funded. Yay! Due primarily to a heavy, yet exciting, decision to move from YFC as our sending organization to Red Rocks Church (our church). Red Rocks has blessed us by deciding to handle our donations and not ask a service fee of us. Funding has also continued to come in and we find ourselves SO incredibly blessed by all of you!
Friends, those wonderful individuals, are stepping forward to handle other dynamics like sending out letters and helping us stay in touch or finding us a safe place to stay once we are in Africa. Thank you!
God is moving, changing the world (not renting a U-haul for those of you that think that way) and our lives. All of a sudden we have a path under us. Once we are in Guinea Bissau, we will be working with the local church and we will do what the church tells us they need, while Erica and I listen, learn and follow. I am very excited about this because we can rule out bringing fish to quench their thirst or water to satiate hunger. We'll be sure that what we do is applicable and needed to the people we live among.
We are currently waiting to hear back from a church called Mafi in Guinea Bissau to see if they will be our receiving church. We expect this reply on African time, so it could be a little while or it could happen quickly. Once we receive this confirmation, we can start the process with YFC to get all of the launch fund money that has been donated so far switched from YFC to Red Rocks Chuch.
Once that is done, we'll have a couple of minor logistics (like we are still going to MTI) and we leave! So as it stands right now, we believe we will leave some time between March and late June. It is up to that path that is only known by one, -God alone understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells.
Thanks for your love, prayers and friendship!
Friends, those wonderful individuals, are stepping forward to handle other dynamics like sending out letters and helping us stay in touch or finding us a safe place to stay once we are in Africa. Thank you!
God is moving, changing the world (not renting a U-haul for those of you that think that way) and our lives. All of a sudden we have a path under us. Once we are in Guinea Bissau, we will be working with the local church and we will do what the church tells us they need, while Erica and I listen, learn and follow. I am very excited about this because we can rule out bringing fish to quench their thirst or water to satiate hunger. We'll be sure that what we do is applicable and needed to the people we live among.
We are currently waiting to hear back from a church called Mafi in Guinea Bissau to see if they will be our receiving church. We expect this reply on African time, so it could be a little while or it could happen quickly. Once we receive this confirmation, we can start the process with YFC to get all of the launch fund money that has been donated so far switched from YFC to Red Rocks Chuch.
Once that is done, we'll have a couple of minor logistics (like we are still going to MTI) and we leave! So as it stands right now, we believe we will leave some time between March and late June. It is up to that path that is only known by one, -God alone understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells.
Thanks for your love, prayers and friendship!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Africa Is Getting Closer
Now, I don't know if Africa is ACTUALLY getting closer to the US, but Erica and I are getting closer and closer to going. We are now well above 75 percent and yet I still find myself sitting and wondering where the last month went. Month? Wait. Where? Oie, must of missed it. My brother and his wife blessed this month with a new little boy. Yay!
But that certainly didnt take the whole month. Anyway, here comes the home stretch and it is a feather on the back of neck type feeling that we are almost done.
Till later
Jason
But that certainly didnt take the whole month. Anyway, here comes the home stretch and it is a feather on the back of neck type feeling that we are almost done.
Till later
Jason
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)