Iowans for Africa

Intro to Team World Vision from Team World Vision on Vimeo.

I learned this morning about an incredible opportunity forthcoming! One of our staff members, Don Williams, is also a running coach, and he's teaming up with World Vision to organize a team to run in the Chicago Marathon on October 11. This team will be named "Iowans for Africa" and team members will fundraise to help fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

How cool is that? Don showed me his training schedule. He's going to work for the first 8 weeks this spring with people who aren't really runners or who have never run a marathon(that would be people like me). Sometime in June, then, he'll add in those who are runners with that first group and coach through a training schedule that takes you up to the big event.

I'm so inspired by this! If you have interest, contact Don at dwilliams@orchardhillchurch.org. You can also learn more at the following links:

www.worldvision.org/wca
http://www.firstgiving.com/donaldwilliams

Waterloo City Scope

This past Saturday, we had a great day of learning as one of our friends, Heidi, planned out a whole day immersing us in a variety of experiences in East Waterloo. First, we spent an hour and a half together at Cottonwood Canyon. While enjoying scones, fresh brewed coffee, and the company of eighteen friends, we did an inductive Bible Study through the book of Jonah. It was a fascinating way to study the Bible. First, we spent time observing and underlining the who, what, where, when kind of things. Then we spent some time interpreting what we read, and finally we talked about application. We did this in some really nice chunks of independent time, small cluster groups, and the whole group. I loved this, and I really felt like I gained so much from this study with friends! It was a great community builder, and so much applied to what we were embarking upon for the day.

We then had the privilege of listening to Edward Johnson, a 79 year old black male, who shared his story with us. He and his wife, Sallie, live at the Walnut Court Retirement Home, and it was good to hear his thoughts about racial reconciliation and the role of the Church.

After lunch at Sookies Restaurant, we also heard from John Carr, a 73 year old man who grew up in Waterloo and has been active in the community. He, too, shared about his life, and when someone asked him, "If you could have our group do anything for a whole day, what would you have us do?" His response was "to do what you're doing...come and learn."

Then, we had this amazing driving tour that took us around the broader neighborhood. Lots of great information and chances for observation. Rich history and the chance to take in what we saw and talk about it.

I've pretty much provided the "what" of our day, but I'd love for some of our friends who were there to comment on your learnings from the day!

Spring Break: Aspire

This is Maverick, who literally smiles when he gets brushed!

Over Spring Break, there were bunches of trips that took off with high schoolers and college students. Denver, San Fran, Missouri, Philippines, two Mexico trips. For those who stuck around the area, we offered some service locally. One day was a trip to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank to volunteer for three hours in the afternoon.

On another day, we took 10 students out to Aspire, a therapeutic horse riding program located at a farm in south Waterloo. Aspire offers riding programs for children with disabilities, and it looks like some real special friendships happen there between kid and horse.

Our group spent the morning cleaning. We raked out the arena, cleaned a horse trailer and mats, cleaned and took out cobwebs in the barn. In the afternoon, we were able to groom the horses which was a lot of fun.

I think what was important for our volunteers to see is that the passions and talents God gives us can be used for Kingdom purposes. Marilyn Moore, the founder of Aspire, took her love for horses and horseback riding and began to think outwardly about how she might bless others with such a passion. It's a beautiful program.

washcloths with love

Orchard Hill just sent a group to the Philippines to serve alongside our friends the Cleope's who are missionaries there. Another group from OHC, "Knitting for Peace," knitted a bunch of washcloths for the group to distribute while they were there. Here's a photo of the happy recipients of these gifts of peace that were handmade with love by a faithful group of knitters in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

oh, how I love Church

I love how God uses His community of believers in this world. God's love and light and hope radiate through the body of Christ! The past few days, I experienced three encounters with the beauty of this-

On Sunday, I sat with a group of ladies who are covenanting together as a Circle of Friends to build a network of prayer and friendship around a young single mom who has just gotten out of jail. This mom's heart has been touched by Christ, and she's wanting to grow in faith and to develop a whole new set of friends in her life. How beautiful is it to see a group of moms desire to reach out and build a network of encouragement and support for this young woman's life and faith.

Yesterday morning, I went early to the Catholic Worker House and interviewed two men as a part of a national hunger study that our local food bank is helping to conduct. It was a humbling experience to spend 15 minutes with each of these men asking personal questions about income, family life, work, food, housing. Some questions asked about whether they've skipped meals or gone a day without eating due to lack of money for food, some asked about whether they've had to choose between paying rent and buying food, paying for medicine and paying for food. Other questions asked about how often they've received meals through shelters, food pantries, and soup kitchens, and how often they've stayed at shelters like the Catholic Worker Shelter. I looked around at the Catholic Worker; I looked at Fran, and her husband,Mike, who live there and help supervise the house, and I was thankful to God for the shelter and food offered there, but even more thankful for the respect given the guests, for the mercy and care offered there. I know that we talk about how these mercy ministries don't address the deeper issues, aren't often relational, and don't really help a person step out of poverty. That's true, but there is something about meeting felt needs. About offering the love of Christ very tangibly to a person. And in this often harsh world, for a person to come in off the street and find a smile and a warm meal, to be greeted with respect and dignity, that's a really big deal. Hopefully, a guest will gain a sense of God's goodness and kindness, of his provision and care, thanks to the followers of Christ who work so faithfully to serve and love, to feed people and offer shelter at the Catholic Worker.

Yesterday, I attended a Bible Study with a friend of mine who has been walking the hard road of recovery from meth. She shared about how the life she's lived is all she's ever known...and how it can be so scary to know how much change is needed and how unfamiliar it is to be someone different. One by one, other friends who are strong in their recovery, gathered around this friend to pray for her and offered her their encouragement and hope. It was an amazing and powerful experience of a faith community. People who are overcomers and victoriously living in Christ with people who are just discovering a new life in Christ.

Our triune God is working to transform the world with His lifechanging love and power. How? Through His Church! You and me, baby! What a grand adventure!

update from Molly in Australia

Here I am in Week #12 of my Primary Health care school. That means less than 1 week until I’m off to the Philippines!

In just 3 short months I have studied various topics relating to water-borne diseases, Malaria, sanitation, how to have a prenatal clinic, HIV/AIDS, and so much more. As we have looked in to many of the leading causes of illness and death in the world, it is hard to not be overwhelmed. But I have found that most of the deadliest things can be prevented, with simple, effective health care.

As I look at my full notebook of notes I think, “how in the world will I remember all this!?” But I feel God is saying this is just the beginning of a great adventure.

Part of that adventure means teaching others what I have learned. Training is imperative to see people and communities live full, healthy lives.

As I look to our Outreach phase of this school, I am blessed to be going to the Philippines for 7 weeks working with a new YWAM base that focuses on community development in slum areas. We will then finish with a month in Vanuatu training a group of health care workers whose teacher had to leave their school. These young people are the ones that will go back to their islands and be some of the most educated people on health care and we get to help train them!

Another part of this adventure is an opportunity to accompany my school leader and registered nurse to Burma directly following the completion of my school. Four of us will go to Burma for 3 weeks to train a group of women about Malaria and other preventable diseases.

This is an amazing opportunity to learn more about training others and to go in to Burma to help people lead healthier lives and share the truth of Jesus Christ in a communist nation. One year ago a huge cyclone hit Burma. When this happened, you might remember that I tried to get a team from Cambodia in to Burma to help with the disaster. Unfortunately, as an American, I was not allowed in. But God’s Word was, “Go to Burma.” I believe that this is a fulfillment of what God told me over a year ago!

As we are only in the planning stages of our trip to Burma, please pray that God would open up the doors wide. Health care is a huge open door to bring in the truth of Jesus Christ and that’s what it is all about, people coming to know Jesus.

Thank you for your prayers! I am continually trusting God to supply the money to get to Burma. But God has provided all the money I needed for this school in Perth and to go on outreach! Thank you for those who are committed supporters of this great work God is doing in the Nations.

So that’s the plan. Have a lovely day full of peace!
Molly

Michael Frost

Michael Frost is a missiologist from Australia. You can find some of his longer talks on You Tube (google Michael Frost). He has helped me over the past few years with the definition and the paradigm of "missional".