Welcome: What this is all about…

This is the sixth edition of the NCC A1:8 missions newsletter! We hope that this will accomplish three goals: 1) give opportunity to the greater community to participate in the experiences of our missions teams and the amazing work that God is doing around the world 2) be an educational resource to learn more about each of the seven issues A1:8 is focused on this year 3) provide a space for missions events, fundraisers, prayer requests, and art to be highlighted and lifted up. Perhaps this will inspire a life lived more fearlessly.

Issue Brief: Child Advocacy

“LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) Advocacy is about being the voice of the voiceless. Child advocacy is using that voice on behalf of children. 126 million kids work in hazardous forms of work. Many kids in developing countries are never recorded as existing. Millions of children in Africa alone are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS, poverty, or civil unrest. Inherent in child advocacy is a deep esteem and care for children – a recognition of their importance as people and as children of God.

To View Entire Newsletter: aoneeight.org/newsletters/june

Photos courtesy of Sarah Bayot (Congo), TJ Clayton (Congo), Eliezer Lee (Guatemala), Nick Welsh Photography (Haiti and New Rhythm), Analisa Sarmiento (Guatemala), and Dave Schmidgall.

Arts & Mission: Congo

Back From the Field: Congo

(Click photo to watch video)

Darkness. Conflict. Corruption. Poverty. Rape. Death. Devastation. Impossible. These were the words that our team came across time and time again preparing for NCC’s first mission trip to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. There were times that I gave in to the burden and became discouraged and fearful at the adjectives used to describe what Lisa Shannon, author of “A Thousand Sisters,” calls “the worst place on Earth to be a woman.” Despite the thick darkness presented before us, a team of 13 men and women pressed on and in faith, stepped out to be advocates for the 68 orphans that have lost one or more parents during the conflict. What we discovered there was immense hope and tireless leaders passionately praying for the opportunity to be positive leaders of change and integrity in their country. What we saw was beauty in the land and in the Congolese people but also pain at the circumstances and the conflict that has ravaged their homes. They coexist together and in that tension, we saw unmistakable markers of the Lord’s faithfulness, protection, and provision for His people. In June 2011, we were able to sow the seeds of God’s faithfulness with 68 orphans, Pastor Jeremiah, and Congo for Christ Center and we became witnesses to what can be when we shed fear and obey the call. This video tells the story of our experience…

Quote – Congo:

“Even the middle of war and seemingly a hopeless situation, we saw so much life and hope.  We witnessed God’s faithfulness in a real way.” – Chris Jarrell

Arts & Mission – Guatemala:

Back From the Field: Hope Rising, Jonathan Vaughan

Hope was rising as we prepared to meet the boys we’ve been praying for over the last 9 months.  How would they receive us?  Would we be safe with these at risk youth?

We’ve heard the stories from the Champion in Action staff that these boys come from the worst areas of Guatemala city that are saturated with violence, gangs, and poverty.   Champions, being an indigenous ministry, knew the stories of these youth first hand.  They had their own war stories as well with battle wounds and scars to prove it.

Read full article →

Quote – Guatemala:

“Hearts were shaped, minds were changed, and eyes were opened” – Kurtis Parks

Witness: Champions in Action, Jon Jackabowski

Q & A With Jon Jakubowski

Jon Jakubowski is an NCCer and the Founder and President of Champions in Action, an organization that connects the disadvantaged youth of Guatemala to mentors through premier sports camps.  We sat down with Jon and asked a few questions:

Dave (D):  We love Genesis stories around here, could you share how Champions in Action was birthed?

Jon (J):I lived in Guatemala back in 2001 for six months.  After seeing the need and violence, I came back to the States with a burning desire to do something about it.  Back then I played Division I soccer and got involved in FCA (discipleship program for university athletes).  One thing I discovered was that you have the ear of youth; you have a platform when you’re an athlete.

Soccer is a passion for so many.  Whether you’re a gang-member or a student; it’s a language of the people.  It helps them cope with the realities of a life of poverty and violence.  It allows them to walk into their own world.  When you combine this platform with Matthew 28 which commands us to go and make disciples, we discovered a vehicle for providing not only spiritual, but social and economic transformation into the youth of Guatemala.it was an indigenous idea where the Guatemalan people that have succeeded in overcoming the difficulties of the streets…they would really drive the vision.

So in 2008, we formed a 501(c)3.

Read full article →

Arts & Local Service: “Time Don’t Wait”

Snapshots in the Community: Creating and Finding Your New Rhythm, Jason Yost

Updates

Since its inception in August of 2010, New Rhythm has had great success in defending the cause of the motherless and fatherless. Here are a few updates that have happened over the last few months:

• We have shared this great cause and action steps needed with many here in the DC area through our galas.
• Ten individuals have signed up to be mentors and families have joined the foster care program.
• We had the amazing privilege of administering personal consultations with numerous individuals and families from NCC as well as different parts of the country.
• We traveled to Haiti to document first time introductions for two of our new rhythm families
• Today we are facilitating adoptions in five different continents!

Read full article →

In the Pipeline: HIV/AIDS Newsletter

Richards Bay, SOUTH AFRICA | June 25 – July 5
In post-apartheid South Africa, the HIV/AIDS epidemic threatens the economic and political stability of this critically important sub-Saharan country.  An entire generation is suffering the consequences of this life-altering disease.  Please pray for the NCC missions team  travelling to the industrial port town of Richards Bay to assist the Farran Family in reaching out to those of all ages impacted by HIV/AIDS through offering emotional, spiritual, and medical support.  If you would like to send the team a word of encouragement or have any questions about the trip, please contact Michael and Jamie Higdon at dchigdons@gmail.com

Upcoming Events

A1:8 Missions Series

Saturday, August 6 – Sunday, August 21 | All NCC Locations
For three weeks, NCC will celebrate the international trips and local projects of the A1:8 Fearless cycle and look ahead to the next year of international missions and local service initiatives as A1:8 builds on this momentum to create a movement. Join us for this series as we explore at all of our locations what it looks like to get caught up in a movement; a movement empowered by the Holy Spirit, to do what Jesus did, together, wherever you are.

Prayer Needs

Chris & Nicole: Undisclosed
Praises that the English school has been running for a month and that Chris is seeking to live an integrated life where what he does at work is part of expressing God’s Kingdom.
Praise that every day they have had amazing conversations during class that highlight spiritual matters. Praise that Nicole has been able to pray for many people to be healed.
Prayer over conversations about Christ.  May God give Chris and Nicole the grace to share the reason for what we hope for, but to do it gently and respectfully (i.e. 1 Peter 3:15-16).
Prayer for opportunities to pray for friends and encounters with God via dreams and visions, etc.
Prayer that God would be their wellspring, and  that everything we do would come out of our encounters with Him.
Also that the love we share would be His love not our own which is so feeble and circumstantial.

Tom & Alana: Nepal
Praise and prayer for Nepali laws being written; new laws that would not penalize a Nepali for becoming a Christian (praise) but would deport/jail the person who led them to faith (prayer). Alana is pregnant and due in December! Praise God and pray for the health of both mother and baby.

Jamie & Tasha: Indonesia
Praise for all of the donations for the villages affected by the volcano eruption and pray for the opportunities to provide for spiritual needs. Praise God for the steady stream of interns from Amernca over the last few months and for over 100 university students participating in Chi Alpha outreaches in the last 10 weeks. Prayer for Jamie & Tasha as they lead a local youth ministry. .

Rick & Elaine Caswell: Mali
Praise for a chief who allowed the team to show a movie and preach to his village. The chief also invted the pastor to return and share again. Prayer for these open hearts to receive the Gospel. Prayer for a village where the chief changed his mind and did not allow the team to show their movie and preach and prayer for the chief’s heart to be opened. Praise for the three American university students who came and helped bless the area with teaching, preaching and painting a church and praise for Kate graduating from high school and going off to Evangel in the fall.

Adam Taylor:: Ethiopia
Praise God for a great three week vacation! Prayer for planning for summer activities for the boys and praise that several apprenticeships have come up which will give the boys valuable work experience.

Brian McArthur: Bolivia
Praise God for providing a guide to the trail Brian had been trying to find. Praise God for one of the older boys taking responsibility without being asked to and praise for half the Grandes showing up for prayer on Thursday morning.

Jon & Jenny Rice: Georgetown University Chi Alpha
Praise for Brooke coming on staff for next two years and praise for a new intern, Jackie Jaramillo. Praise for the momentum from the spring break mission trip leading students to stand up and take action to affect their community through handing out sandwiches to the homeless and roses to the prostitutes.