To Go or Not To GO?

Recently we had a visiting group member make this comment, "I wish I had just sent the money to come here to the mission than to have traveled all this way and just dug dirt for a wall for you.  I feel like it could have done you more good the other way."

The comment was made in innocence, and yet for us it made me want to share how blessed we are with groups.  Plus I have more fun pics of our last group I have taken awhile to post.

Without groups we would not have the school, church and house we live in...as it was groups that built them by hand mixing them with buckets of concrete.  Without groups we would miss out on the encouragement and passion you bring and share as you get excited and join in the work here. Without groups we are hard pressed to get back to your church thank them for support and show pictures of the work they support here.  Without groups it takes longer to see projects through as we have only a few hands working each day, so even digging dirt for a wall makes it possible to get the school walls retained better and reinforced more quickly and less cost here since projects are finished in days that over months.  Without groups our current students miss the insight and friendships you provide as you interact here. 

We know you work so hard to raise lots of money to come, work hard while here giving up vacation time, and are exhausted when you leave....but we would hate to be without groups.   Thanks for coming.

More fun at Kids Club...how excited we are to expand and offer more sessions in the fall.  Plus Maddie is a professional dancer, so we are going to be able to offer tap, jazz, and ballet to the community for kids....what a outreach as we teach them about Christ!

Hilarious skits by the youth at CCC.

Big John directing.

One of the classes offered by the youth at the retreat.  I think this was the sports class.

Our retreat t-shirts...we have extras...so if you are interested they are only $15 for you to own one.

Some of the youth at the retreat!

Missionary Kids with cousins and Erin entertaining...so fun!

One of the games they played.

Jamaica's Big Gain

At the end of this month, we say good-bye to sweet friends and amazing, faithful workers of WISE.  Bro. Lance and Sis. Lisa are heading back to their home country of Jamaica.  They have given us years of dedicated teaching, nursing, and guidance but now have to leave to help their aging parents.  While we selfishly want to keep them at WISE forever till God's work is done here, we know this has been a plan for the last few years to get back to Jamaica. 

Below are some of their good-bye words:

His Work by Lance & Lisa Brooks 

One of the beautiful things about a personal relationship with God is the way in which He touches our lives and changes us, making us His, and not our own. As “His own” one of the things that He asks is that we would be a  “fragrance of Christ to God” (2 Cor. 2:15), to show forth the goodness of God  to all our fellow men.

It  has  been  a  privilege  and  an  honour  to  have  served  at  W.I.S.E. In working here we have seen ourselves as being partners with Christ in passing on the “Word” which is mighty to save.  We have also seen ourselves as your fellow partners in the work of God, laboring in this part of His field. In all our accomplishments we have seen God’s hand at work and recognize that it has been by His might and power and not our own.

We  take  this  opportunity  to  say  a  big  thank  you  to  all  those  who  have supported our ministry over the years.  We pray that God will continue to strengthen and establish you in the faith.

Thank you, Lance and Lisa Brooks for all you did at WISE!

A bit of time goes by...

We get to be back in the States briefly right now.  It was our annual board meeting in St. Louis, MO this past weekend and then next we head to the North American Christian Convention in Fl in a few weeks and then back home to St. Vincent.  A whirlwhind of meetings, churches, dental and doctor visits, missions teams, grandparents, cousins, and fun foods we have not had in awhile.  We apologize if we don't get to see you, it was a very brief visit.

We are thanking God:

 for a great meeting with a very wise groups of board members to help guide us and encourage us.

for an easy adjustment to car seats since our baby usually is crawling all over the vans here in St. Vincent.

for a great time of fellowship celebrating Brice's b-day with lots of dear friends and some family...some including our recent team that just came to help us from Campus House and also future team members to come.

And we ask for prayers for:

travel- the kids ask each day, "Where are we going today?" since it changes everyday.

students studying hard back at WISE and teachers still teaching summer courses back there.

Naiyah as she undergoes some major mouth surgery Wed, the 27th of this month and has to be put under for it.

for a continued passion for this side of the job adventure of sharing and raising support.

A difficult time

Recently our family went through one of the toughest times in our lives.  For protection of all involved I am not giving specifics.  But, we do ask for prayers.  For many familes and lives involved here.  The board and staff here had to make a hard decision about a staff member who needed to take time to work on things in his life and family.  We ask for prayers for their family, friends, the students and staff, the community, and our family.  We are all hurting and sad as it is a close community.  We feel completely God's leading as we follow His word, but also ache for the hurt involved in all the change. 

In cases such as this so easy to speculate, tell your side, explain, but we want to be honorable and honor the family that is involved and just ask for prayers at this time.

Waiting & More Waiting

We're trying to learn the Caribbean way of life and just go with it:)  But, it is not in me, this planning side of mine!   One day this week we spent the afternoon at a local cement block company.  We are rebuilding a wall on the side of the school that was falling, and we had paid this company to deliver the blocks for it.  After promising delivery, 3 weeks later and $500 US dollars later we still had received nothing.  So, we had to get other block and this company told us they were not making anymore blocks.  Well, (yes, I am a cheapskate and especially when it comes to supporters money) I decided this was not okay, even if we are in another country and they do things differently.

So after being told they have no number and can't do reimbursements.  Afternoons if we miss naps can be crazy in our house.  So, we packed the kids up and unleashed them on this company for the afternoon.  I was determined that my crazy, sleep deprived 3 yr old and 11 month old boys would drive them crazy into giving us the money or blocks.  Not to mention surely 3 hours of a 5 yr old asking you non-stop questions would convince you to hand it over so we would get out of the tiny office.  I was determined to wait it out until they delivered.

Waiting them out at the cement company.

Here were the people really out waiting us.

I underestimated Caribbean life.  They are used to waiting and doing nothing but wait.  So, after all that time and repeated phrases, "We did not take your money.  It just happened.  Someday you will get the bricks."  I realized I was not going to be able to reason, drive them crazy, or out wait them.  Such is life here sometimes.  

Mizzou Campus Christian House

These are from the group's photos.  They have a blog set up at Mizzou Campus Christian House and are showing all the amazing work they are doing here at WISE.  I think you can click on the link below.  We are so grateful for all their help and laughter! 

Please pray for them as most of the work they had done the past few days and all the buckets of dirt they hauled was washed away in the big rainstorm yesterday. 

http://cchmissions.tumblr.com/post/23202293042/today

Why do they always give me things?

"Mommy, why does everyone that visits always give me things?"  asked my 5 year old daughter when a recent group member brought her a toy to have.  By no means does she not want the toy they brought her, but she has noticed that every person that visits comes bearing gifts.  And it challenged me.

As a missionary overseas for 5 years now, I do notice every time a visitor or groups comes, they come bearing gifts.  It's a treat and one I am sure every missionary is grateful for.  They come from hearts of love.  And my answer to my daughter of  "They love you" can't work as she says,  "But we don't even know them. "  So I answer, "And they want to help.  They are sharing what they have and want to share with you."  She accepts that answer and is excited to play with her new toy. 

It makes me think of the countless faces I have seen receive gifts from strangers when they visit.  Just this past week a visiting group handed out bouncy balls to our community kids.  You could see the excitement, lit up eyes, and eager hands to grab theirs.  I know where some of these kids live and how they live without most everything but their families, clothes on their back, and a tin roof over their head.  And I can see now why they expect when a group is here to get something fun.  I see better now why every time we are in a home here we are asked for money to get food or gas for a generator if they have one. 

White skin here often makes people see wealth and affluence.  I can't tell you the number of times we are asked for things, even our stroller has been begged for.  Anywhere we walk in a 2 mile radius we can stop and talk to someone and they can tell us where we live down to the house.  I can recall how Brice had been taking his lunch hour to meet with a man who had denounced giving up his job (if you call it that or else crime) of burglary and handed over his mask to Brice.  I remember telling Brice to meet the guy away from our house, so if he went back to that profession, he would not know where we lived to hit us next.  Of course he already knew where one of the few white families lived in our area without us pointing it out to him.  On one hand it is nice to know people know where to find you when they need you and what you are about and doing here.  On the other hand, sometimes constantly being begged for things can be hard and downright disheartening.

My own daughter can see the pattern that when a visitor comes, they usually will bring something for her.  By no means, am I trying to brag or expect this, it just happens.  If anything, I loved the initial idea of my kids being missionary kids to have less and focus more on sharing with others.  Who knew I would be fighting the battle of my daughter being indulged because we do this?  So, if my family sees this, it is no wonder people with less beg and expect.  When we see them we want to help and give, and they see this and after a pattern, they come to expect too.

The hard part - realizing that saying no is okay and for the best, even though it is so hard.  Helping them learn to help themselves and others encourages them.   For instance, rather than giving them the money we are so often asked for, we are trying to give them a job or a way to support themselves.  We don't always do this, sometimes we have done money, but we are learning.  Even this man that promised to give up his burglary profession for a nice pair of clothes to start going to church, we have yet to see.  But as we live in this, we begin to see.  Rather than just handing out gifts to our community kids who need things, we encourage them to make things and help pick family fruits/vegetables to share that we and others can buy to help them.  Or for the grandma who can't afford to send her son to school next year, we are excited to have her son come to our preschool next year and in return she can help serve at the preschool.

It seems simple and yet makes me see all over why people expect handouts.  Though, we are away from politics...I often hear complaints over the handouts the government gives in the United States.  And I can't help but think if we all abided my these principles of not just giving, but encouraging for all to valued to help.  It truly is better to give than to receive.  So can we teach those who are so poor they have only received that they can give too?  I think so.  Even in the States when I was involved in homeless ministry just handing out food every week was okay, but when we had them each helping and one of them cutting hair  for all and another playing music for all to enjoy, they felt encouraged and that they could offer something.  I love seeing faces light up when they realize how gifted each of us are.  And we all are, God made us that way!

So I guess what is in your bag to hand out does not matter as much as what you come to share with your words and your hearts to encourage them.