Welcome: What this is all about…

This is the fifth 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: Trafficking

More people are in slavery today than over the course of the entire trans-Atlantic slave trade. 12.3 million people are victims of trafficking worldwide. 80% are women and kids. 2 million children are exploited into the sex trade annually. Prevention comes through educating women about the issue of trafficking, and empowering them economically to minimize the temptation to be lured away. For the women who are already victims, it’s about restoration that is holistic – physical and medical, economic and educational, and spiritual and emotional.

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

Photos courtesy of Andy Pisciotti unless otherwise noted.

Arts & Mission: Athens

Back from the Field: A Mission of Convergence, Heather Zempel

Convergence. That’s the best word to describe the adventures experienced by NCC Team Greece. We find these divine moments all over the Bible. David and Jonathan, Paul and Ananias, Peter and Cornelius, Jesus and the woman at the well. Only in the Story of God do we find collisions of such Dickensian proportions. Meetings that seem to happen by chance but are marked by the fingerprints and destiny of God.

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Mission Greece:

Team Members (left-right): Tasha Mitchell, Katie Cowles, Andy Pisciotti, Amy Foley, Dawn Crowell, Maegan Stout, Heather Zempel, Diana Fang, Pat Cooper, Colin Murhy, Daniel Gonzalez, Kimberly Casey, Steph Modder, Reagan Chaney, John Hasler (met with Team Greece in Athens).

Quote

“On most mission trips you go and fulfill a mission. On this trip we found a mission. The trip is over but the mission is not.” – Tasha Mitchell

Investigation: Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No., Andy Pisciotti

We were sitting in a van at the border between Bulgaria and Greece. Eighteen people total split evenly into two vans. As we attempted to cross the border, we handed a stack of passports to the border patrol. When he realized that they were American passports, we were asked to pull over. We watched as car after car was waved through by border patrol with only a wave of their Greek or Bulgarian passport from behind closed windows. No closer look needed; no inspection of the vehicles; not even a simple question about where they were headed or what they were doing.

After ten minutes of waiting, a border patrol agent approached our car and handed one of our team members the stack of passports, all stamped, and without saying a word he turned and walked away.

It’s no wonder that the Berlin Institute for Comparative Social Research has declared that Greece is “the center of trafficking in Europe.” [1] A quick tour of some local towns just across the border in Bulgaria confirmed how easy it would be to lure girls from their poor farming communities to big cities in Greece with the promise of jobs, money, and easier lives.

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Introspective: Awareness & Action, Reagan Chaney

Awareness: having or showing realization, perception or knowledge.

Indifference: lack of difference or distinction between two or more things; complacence.

Action: a thing done, deed or the initiating of a proceeding

What are your choices when you suddenly become very aware of inhumane actions and situations? Indifference or action, complacence or awareness, apathy or empathy. At some point you realize that it’s your move to make; word to spread; be proactive and do something about a crime that affects every person in every nation or ignore the problem. These are thoughts I have on a daily basis since returning from a whirlwind mission trip with thirteen other NCCers to Thessaloniki, Greece. We spent five days submerged in learning about the issue of human trafficking and came out on the other side of the trip ready to make some moves.

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Witness & Snapshots in the Community: Putting Principles into Practice, Helen Wong

“Would you be comfortable talking to a 12-year-old girl about masturbation?” I am being interviewed as a potential mentor for girls who leave prostitution and being asked to weigh advocating masturbation as an alternative to engaging in sexual activity with older men. Somehow, all my years of church never quite prepared me for this. As the leader of the fledgling NCC Stopping Sexual Exploitation (NCC SSE) group, I am working to learn as much as possible about anti-trafficking organizations in DC in order to better direct group members interested in volunteering. Along the way, I am learning the reality of modern day slavery’s perpetrators and victims—and the similarities I share with them.

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In the Pipeline: Child Advocacy Newsletter

Uvira, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | June 6 – June 14
The Congo team spent 8 days working with Pastor Jeremiah of Congo for Christ Missionary Church and the Congo for Christ Center, a newly built center that cares for orphans affected by the longstanding conflict in Eastern Congo. In addition, the team helped run a Youth Conference for over 400 members of the community coming from various villages and cities in the Eastern region. If you would like to send the team a word of encouragement or have any questions about the trip, please contact Chris Jarrell (chris.jarrell@theaterchurch.com) or Sarah Bayot (sarah.bayot@theaterchurch.com).

Izabal, GUATEMALA | June 24 – July 3
Please pray for the Guatemala team as they will be working to counter the lifestyle of gangs, crime and violence that threaten to endanger 6 million youth. While in Izabal, the team will be working behind the scenes to run a camp called Champions in Action, which takes an indigenous and organic approach to connect disadvantaged youth to strong and dedicated mentors. If you would like to send the team a word of encouragement or prayer, please contact Jon Vaughan (jonathan.vaughan@gallaudet.edu) or Kurtis Parks (kurtis.parks@theaterchurch.com).

Prayer Needs

Brian McClimans: Ethiopia
Pray for this new season as he has moved to Addis Ababa to work with Adam Taylor for the next 6 months

John Hasler: Berlin
Pray for the spiritual climate in Berlin. Pray that God would counter the exhaustion of Christian workers from being in such a spiritually dead place to one of strength and renewal. Pray that the community and spiritual life of NCC in DC would overflow to Berlin.

Brad & Glenda McMath: Spain
Praise for getting up to 80% of needed support. Pray for remaining support to come through as new deadline is June 30th. Pray for FBI background checks and visit to Consulate of Spain to get visas. Pray for house search in Spain. Pray for preparation for language school. Pray that God will begin now to prepare the soil of people’s hearts to receive the message about Jesus and that lives will be eternally changed.

Russ & Rebecca Sermon: Chi Alpha OSU
Praise that Joy has made tremendous gains in the last year because of the surgery. Pray for no more seizures, Joy’s developmental gains, wisdom for doctors and parents, comfort, grace and strength.

Kari & Ann Olsson: Haiti
Pray for Le Tan Village which is being rebuilt on higher ground as water has risen to cover old village. Pray for pastors and businessmen that will be visiting Haiti to see the work of Convoy of Hope. Pray for Haiti’s new president, Michel Martelly. Pray for two new students who are coming to partner in the work for a short time.

Steve & Julie Kramer: Netherlands
Pray for us as we will be speaking several times in churches across the Netherlands this summer. Pray for Team Netherlands and our seven missionary associates raising money to come and serve the ministry here. Pray that God will continue to open doors for us here in university ministries and strong partnerships with local churches.