On the Missio Dei

The Fruit of Orphan Sponsorships

Below is another email from Dr. John, our LFC Elder on the board of Asia's Hope. He is currently visiting orphanages in Cambodia and encouraging leaders there. Below are his words about the hope that is spread through orphan sponsorships.

Hello, Missionaries…

What a train ride! We left Phnom Penh yesterday (Thursday) and travelled to Battambang; a five hour drive through the beautiful country-side of rural Cambodia, filled with images of traffic, mountains, streets filled with people, cyclos (rick-shaw type bicycles with a carrier), cars and lorries (trucks), dogs (occasionally ending up on the evening menu), chickens (ditto on the menu part), buses (who stop for NO ONE or NO THING), and water buffalo. (In the case of an unplanned encounter with a water buffalo, usually it is the car which ends up on the menu.)

Heard of You Tube? This is Khmer Tube

Before we leave Phnom Penh, however, we must tell you about the (infamous) water park. I struggle with very elementary Khmer language skills, but no translation whatsoever is needed for the following photos. The language for “fun” is universal and not dependent upon verbalization.

I tell you, there is not much more fun or refreshing than to see 150 +/- kids laughing, splashing, sliding and going back for more. And knowing that these same kids, in their lives have experienced more hardship, rejection, and hopelessness than you and I will experience in a lifetime! AND a Holy and Loving God reached down from heaven, picked them up, and placed them in a home with love and with brothers and sisters, and parents, and a zillion aunts and uncles all over the world, AND…to know that because of your sensitivity to God’s Spirit, and your Missio Dei, YOU have had a part in this great drama, conceived and written by the God of All Nations, the God of All People. Halleluiah. Thank you.

LFC Medical Team Arrives in India

Destination India

  

  

 

 

South Asia Night -- THIS Friday, Dec 11 @ 7pm

Darkness – an Advent Reflection (by Jaye Soss)

Can you remember a time in your life when you knew nothing about Jesus?  I don’t mean just when you were working out whether you believed IN him or not – but was there a time that you had absolutely no knowledge of him at all?  Can you even fathom what that must be like, to have absolutely no awareness of Jesus and what he represents ?

Now add to that imagery a backdrop of high mountain peaks separating small mountain villages, a terrain so rugged that it takes all human energy possible just to etch out an existence each day.  Where life is so difficult that your physical body ages at such an accelerated pace that a young 30 year old appears to be an old man.  Can you feel the despair, the hopelessness, the darkness?

With all the world attention on the region of South Asia, we can easily forget that these mountain regions are the habitat of simple humans, living very difficult lives, with very little resources and without access to every day conveniences we take so much for granted.   Most importantly, they live through these circumstances without the promise and hope of Jesus in their lives – without a Lord they can cry to in their times of frustration, weariness or despair.

Advent is a time of watching and waiting – but it is also a time to capture the darkness, to remember the time “before” Jesus entered our lives.  Sometimes it is difficult to get back to that place – even in this year of financial meltdowns - but it is essential for us as Christians to remember the darkness in order to fully appreciate the LIGHT.

I am so grateful that this Advent season at LFC we have a special opportunity to relate to that darkness as we listen to the stories of the mission teams that work in this region.  Through their experiences we can appreciate the HOPE that Jesus brings to our own circumstances; and we can pray that through the efforts of these ambassadors of Christ the same HOPE can be delivered to the dark regions of South Asia. 

Friday, December 11^th at 7 pm Lake Forest will highlight three mission groups and the members of our own medical mission team as they reflect on this region and how Christ is beginning to shine the light of HOPE through them.  It will be a special Advent celebration as we pray for the relationships that have begun, the relationships yet to be developed, and for the PEACE that is possible only through HIS power.  I hope you will consider joining us as part of your Advent journey this season.

Missio Dei from India Last Day

On Friday

     The orphanage children took us on a picnic to the Teesta River.

Wow! It was wonderful…We cooked on the river bank.  They fed

us delicious food but kept feeding us in love, laughter, hugs and the

Grace of God in their acceptance of us and our strange ways.  What

beautiful, curious, smart and loving children…we feel like we’re in

the presence of little angels.

     We have spent a “year” here in two great weeks.  We are ready

to come home but we are not ready to leave…thanks to all of you

who have prayed for us…we have seen your prayers answered.

It is 9:44 am in Frankfurt, Germany which is 6 hours ahead of U.S. east coast time and we are waiting on our connecting flight to Chicago and then to Charlotte. We have had such an awesome time in India and we will really miss Pastor Nandu, his wife Anu and all of the children and wonderful people we met while there, but we all are ready to see our families upon arrival tonight in Charlotte.

Thanks for your support and prayers!

Missio Dei India Update October 15

This blog begins with some final pictures from the fourth medical camp in the village of Rorathong in the state of Sikkim, which required us to show passports and leave a photo copy. Sikkim is India's newest State and is still fond of its self governed ways. We saw 75 patients in Rorathong and were strongly touched by a father who carried his very sick son 4 hours for medical care. This medical camp occurred in a three story building that functions as the school and church in Rorothong. Lake Forest helped to construct the second floor of the building.  At the end of the camp we posed with the Travel Section of the Charlotte Observer for future submission to the paper. 

We awoke today to a crystal clear view of God's majesty ~ the snow capped Himalayas.  Later we finished the medical assessment for the orphanage children and visited potential properties for a future co-located orphanage and pastor training center. Thank you for your prayers; they are felt here and at home. We especially grasp your prayers as we travel ~ the driving is terrifying. God Bless and Good Night from Kalimpong.

 
 

 

Missio Dei India Update October 13

First we would be remiss if we did not thank Courtney and Krista Roes for driving 5 hours each way to meet us in Munich during our layover there before we arrived in India. Courtney and Krista helped us take the train to downtown Munich and showed us around. Thank you Courtney and Krista!

Sunday we attended 2 of the local churches, Trinity Grace Church and Bethlehem Fellowship Church and the worship and praise was a great experience!

Yesterday we had a medical camp in Oodlabari. We completed our final medical camp today in Rorathang. Over the last 2 days we treated over 150 people with various illnesses and all ages.

Between the long days in medical camp in the villages and the scarcity of the internet here our updates are not as frequent as we would like. Keep us in your prayers.

In Christ,

Mike Whittington

Missio Dei India in Pedong and Bara-Dhura October 9

Today our team traveled to very remote villages in northern India to hold our second medical camp. It was a very exhilarating and exhausting day. We ended the day with a wonderful dinner of spaghetti with our new friends Jared and Michelle Houk in Kalimpong.

Continue to keep us in your prayers.

In Christ,

Mike Whittington

Missio Dei from India Update October 8

After 42 hours of travel our team finally made it to Kalimpong, India. We have had several good days at the orphanage getting to know the children. The 27 children at the orphanage performed song and dance for us and they were awesome. The children are in great health and are very happy at the Grace Children Home Orphanage. Today the team traveled via car and foot to Chibo Village in the Himalayas to provide medical treatment to the local villagers.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers. We are off to another village Bara-Dhuri in the morning for another medical treatment camp. This is such an awesome experience!

In Christ,

Mike Whittington

India UPDATE

Michael Flake here. I have received confirmation that the India team and all their luggage (and medical supplies!) have arrived at Pastor Nandu's home in Kalimpong. The team traveled for 42 hours and is off to bed to rest up for all the work ahead. Now the real fun begins!