Calvary Chapel Kendall Missions

Text SP to 85944 to partner with Samaritans Purse for Haiti relief. Best $10 you’ll ever spend in your life.

Haiti Info from Calvary Chapel Kendall on Vimeo.

The U.S. Department of State issued the following Travel Warning on January 14:

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the situation in Haiti and urges them to avoid travel to Haiti in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12.  An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck near Port Au Prince, followed by multiple aftershocks.  The U.S. Embassy is working to ascertain the extent of the damage and check on the status of U.S. citizens around the island.  The Department of State has ordered nonemergency U.S. government personnel to depart Haiti.  This Travel Warning expires on February 13, 2010.

There are reports of extensive damage, and communications remain extremely difficult.  Additional aftershocks remain a possibility.  A Tsunami Watch for Haiti and neighboring islands issued by the Pacific Tsunami Alert Center has expired.

U.S. citizens in Haiti should remain in shelter.  If exposed when an aftershock hits, take steps to avoid falling debris by getting to as open a space as possible, away from walls, windows, buildings and other structures.  If indoors, take shelter under a heavy table or desk, or in a doorway.  Avoid damaged buildings, and obey all instructions from local authorities.  Do not use matches, lighters, candles or other flame in case of disrupted gas lines.  Avoid downed power lines.

Evacuation flights have begun to depart the International Airport in Port-au-Prince.  U.S. citizens wishing to depart Haiti should make their way to the airport during early daylight hours, in as safe a manner as possible.  They are encouraged to bring their passport and identification, if available, and food, water and supplies, if possible, as facilities at the airport are limited to nonexistent.

If possible, U.S. citizens in Haiti should contact friends and relatives outside of Haiti to inform them of their welfare.

The U.S. Embassy in Port Au Prince has set up a task force at the Embassy which is taking calls as conditions permit.  The Embassy is working to identify U.S. citizens in Haiti who need urgent assistance and to identify sources of emergency help.

U.S. citizens are urged to contact the Embassy via email at ACSPaP@state.gov to request assistance.  U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy’s Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672.  The State Department has also created a task force to monitor the emergency.  People in the U.S. or Canada with information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Haiti may reach the Haiti Task Force at 888-407-4747.  Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444.  For further information and updates, please see the State Department’s Consular Affairs website.

First, pray.

Second, give.

In an emergency situation reputable aid groups need finances. Samaritan’s Purse has a long history of working in some of the most dangerous and desolate countries on Earth. They have had a team in Haiti since it was hit by a hurricane a little over a year ago, they were also one of the first aid groups to put Doctors, medical supplies, and temporary shelter on the ground in Port au Prince. They are large enough to make an enormous impact and small enough to make decisions quickly, they are also a Christian organization and seek to glorify the Lord with their activities. Take a look at this video.

If your home church is Calvary Chapel Kendall and you have family in Haiti, email us at missions@calvarykendall.com.

Are you blessed with a little extra cash this Christmas? Are you thinking of buying a gift for a missionary? We’re going to tell you what you should be buying your missionaries, and what you should stay away from.

Top 5 BEST gifts for Missionaries

iTunes gift card- You can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card. Why? Because you don’t need to mail anything, clear customs, pay for shipping, or any of the other hurdles to sending gifts overseas. You just buy the gift card and email the card number to your favorite missionary and you’re done, Merry Christmas.

Amazon Kindle- Check out www.amazon.com for a device that has revolutionized reading. If you can hand deliver it, then it’ll make a great Christmas gift. In the following Christmases you can give them Amazon gift cards to help them fill it up.

All inclusive vacation- I know it’s kind of expensive but in many developing countries you can buy a 5 day all inclusive vacation for just $400-$500 including flights. None of my “co-workers” ever turned down a vacation in Turkey.

Frequent Flier Miles/Buddy Passes- This is a blessing of enormous magnitude. If you have accumulated miles that you don’t mind donating, or if you have a friend/relative that works in the airline business who can hook you up with a buddy pass then you are an angel sent from the Lord Himself. Give this to a missionary and you will always have a fervent prayer partner in your corner.

Cash- At the end of the day, cash is king. Please don’t send cash or checks anywhere, technology has eliminated the need to send real cash. Deposit some money in their missionary fund, pay-pal, or directly in their bank account and you will have given them a merry christmas.

Top 5 WORST gifts for Missionaries

Food- Food can go either between best gifts or worst gifts. Many missionaries would love a well timed delivery of snickers bars, but the problem is shipping. Although brownies that stay in customs for 5 days are still edible, and sometimes still delicious, they may not be very healthy for you. Homemade goodies will probably go bad and store bought goodies will carry a hefty customs tax, if they don’t disappear. Most of the time, food goes on the worst list.

Anything you have to ship- First you have to find the shipping agency, then you have to wait in line for hours, then you have to pay $60 worth of taxes on a package that cost the sender $50 to put together. After that, you return to your car and see that you have a ticket on your windshield. The $50 package cost the missionary almost $150. True story.

Alcohol- At Christmas time, most people keep a few good bottles of wine on the shelf, ready to dish them out at the next few dinner parties, but this is not suitable for your friendly third world missionary. Most missionaries don’t drink, nope, not even a sip. Sometimes their sending agencies or churches have a “dry” clause, or alcohol may be a temptation for your missionary, or maybe it’s looked down upon in the culture in which they serve. In any event, even if you can personally deliver it, don’t give it.

Best Selling Christian Book- Surprise! Most missionaries are not interested in the latest Christian self-help, mysticism, philosophical, motivational, christian books that the rest of the United States is interested in. Believe it or not but Dr. Phil books are not on my reading list or on the reading list of any missionaries that I know.

Hand Me Downs- Gifts yes, old, ratted, worn out, dirty clothes, no. Give your best to God and your old clothes to Goodwill.

It is awesome to see how God has blessed the ministry here at the Bible College in Hungary. Not only does He continue to bless the work here through His Spirit and Word, but now the school has received international accreditation through the EU. Check out the story at the College website. www.ccbce.com/degree

Jerusalem awaits you.

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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to exchange some emails with a friend who has a passion for business and mission and is affiliated with a mission organization overseas. While starting off as more of a traditional missionary approach, in his 20 year career as a business consultant he has been apart of developing several businesses. During the past 3 years he has developed a very profitable business that allows him to fuse together faith + business. A few months ago he had the opportunity to speak about some of the invaluable lessons that he learned to some of the key mission agency leaders across the country. I asked him to share some of his thoughts. Here’s what he had to say…

1) God loves Business as Mission
• Doing business (organising people to work together & thus provide for their current & future material needs) is part of the call on God’s people.
• Over the centuries (e.g. Paul was a small business owner & not just a tentmaker) God has blessed organisations which have taken their business abroad & proclaimed His kingdom.
• God is putting in on the hearts of business owners world wide to use their resources for God’s glory.
2) Business as Mission is not just about starting a company in another country
• Starting a company in your home country has a success-rate of 1 in 10. Opening a branch in another country has a similar success rate. Starting a new company in another country does not increase the likelihood of success!
• Starting a company is complicated, time-consuming and requires more money than was forecast. Doing this in another country is rarely less-complicated, less time consuming and never more predicable!
• Effective cross-cultural business takes an existing effective business in one country and adapts it to a new country. Rarely do people who try to re-invent the wheel, succeed in doing something beautiful.
3) Business as Mission is not a way to get more money or more time to do mission
• Running a business is time-consuming so if your workers want more free time don’t get them to run their own company. Being in charge means that they don’t have anyone else to shift the responsibility onto!
• Businesses require money to run. If raising support of US$40,000 a year was hard, why will it be easier to raise at least US$200,000 to open a business in a dangerous country?
4) Business as Mission is vital for communicating the gospel
• The gospel impacts individuals, families and communities. It impacts them physically as well as spiritually.
• Communities need to see the gospel implemented not only in individual lives and in families but also in other social environments.
• After the family, the most common social grouping is business.
5) Business as Mission is not the job of charities
• The type of person with experience to run a business do not often join a mission agency in the way that, say, a teacher or doctor does.
• Charities (and people with a charitable background) have difficulty managing for-profit organisations because of the difference in organisational culture.
• Charities cannot simply own for-profit organisations without risking their charitable status (since the charter for each charity rare permits them to establish or run such businesses).
• The authorities in the US (& elsewhere) are concerned with money-laundering of charitable funds. Moving money to another country to pay money to a business (either for salaries or equipment) with no legal relationship to the charity is likely to be construed as money laundering!
6) Mission agencies have key roles to play in Business as Mission
• Business as Mission people may not join mission agencies in the same way but that does not make them lone rangers. They value professional experience (including in missions) & they expect to work in partnership with the rest of the church.
• Business as Mission people need advice & guidance to how to do mission appropriately. Mission agencies can work with the business leaders to form their Business as Mission strategies & to provide ongoing insight.
• Agencies can specifically encourage certain types of business to enter their fields so that it is easier for other Business as Mission people to enter. For example, if there are experienced sympathetic consultants on the field then it is easier for other Business as Mission people to assess how to enter that market.
• Agencies can fund research into market opportunities to attract Business as Mission people onto their field.
• Agencies can take advantage of effective Business as Mission people by providing them with competent tentmakers with a strong BAM ethic.
7) Mission will look different after this latest Business as Mission wave
• Mission agencies are likely to need to work with Business as Mission people as peers not employees. This means that some agencies will tend towards becoming service providers rather than employers of missionaries.
• Mission will be seen as something done by the inter-dependent church not merely by local congregations sending their members to work for mission agencies.
• If a business leader came to you today, how would you explain what you can do to make the business more eternally effective? How would you relate to that Business as Mission person? How would you enable the Business as Mission person to pay for the services? What happens if that BAMer is from Africa or Asia?
• If a business leader wanted help to do what you do on your field, would they be able to find you at all today? (Business as Mission owner are typically too busy to attend mission conferences so how do they get to hear about you?)

posted by Justin Forman | www.businessasmissionnetwork.com

Hello, CRNH Volunteers/Prayer Warriors!

Just a reminder that the Nursing Home outreach will take place this Saturday, October 31. As usual, we will meet at Coral Reef Nursing Home, 9869 SW 152 Street at 3 pm (till 5 pm, if you are able). Thus far we have two new people who signed up (who signed late last month) and I will be getting word shortly as to how many signed the sign-up sheet at West campus this month. Special thanks to those who volunteered last month while many of us (including myself) were at the Marriage Retreat!

Feel free to bring in sugar-free candies/cookies, hand lotion (for hand massages), combs/brushes (for combing/styling residents’ hair), nail polish/manicure sets (for ladies who would like manicures), etc. More than these things, the residents love to talk and be encouraged and loved by volunteers. I am bringing some spiritual literature (Spanish/English) to read to the residents (or hand-out to read, if they are able) and you are all free to do the same.

Please feel free to e-mail me should you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for all your continued prayers on behalf of this outreach.

In Christ,
Minerva
phoenixfaith@yahoo.com

Dear Family of Friends,

It has been an amazing journey, and it all began ten years ago, on October 4, 1999, when our family boarded the American Airlines jet bound for Lima, Peru.  The Lord has done way beyond what we could ever imagine, and we anticipate Jesus wanting to do so much more in the months and years ahead.

We hope that you will rejoice with us in all God is doing in South America. On behalf of the students and staff of Calvary Chapel Bible College-Peru, and the fellowship of believers at Calvary Chapel Lima, allow us to express our most heartfelt gratitude for your continued prayers and support of this ministry.

Your Missionaries to Peru,

John, Pilar, Michelle, Jason and Joshua Bonner