Team Building - Obedience

Well, ... here we are again, preparing to return to the country of Honduras to serve our Father God by serving the Honduran people.  If you're still following along since last year, so glad you're here!  Hang on ... because you're sure to be blessed by our Awesome God as we follow His leading.  If you're a newcomer to these posts and our support team or if you've just happened here by chance, ... WELCOME!  We're glad you're here too and we hope you stick around.

We've officially begun our Team Building and Training meetings and the first one went quite well.

  

Brian asked Pastor Bob (who is also going to Honduras with us this year) to share a devotion with the group on "Obedience" ... 

... it was perfect for this particular meeting and for those of us who were present.

There are numerous rules, tasks, obligations ... with which we are expected to obey on a daily basis.  We all know them ... [speed limits, dietary restrictions, visiting hours, anti-piracy laws] ... do we obey them?  There is a reason for every rule, guideline, or instruction we encounter.  Obeying speed limits keep us safe on the road.  Obeying dietary restrictions keep us healthy.  You get the point ... 

You know, there have been many people who have had the inner "desire" to go on a mission trip, several who have felt the invisible nudge to accept the invitation to go on a mission trip ... this mission trip ... yet, struggle with following "the pull", accepting the challenge or making the commitment to do so.  Often, we may not even realize it or pay close enough attention to it ... but that "invisible nudge" may actually be God trying to let us know that He has a job for us to do.

The biggest reason to not obey is most likely "FEAR".

One particular team member has really struggled with whether or not this mission trip is indeed something meant for her to be a part of ... I know how she feels ... last year that was me.  She has the inner desire; she feels the "invisible nudge" ... but there's also fear.  

But there is nothing to fear when God is involved.  He is always with us and he is an ever-present help ... 

... after church on Sunday morning she approached me to project her on-going doubts and after responding with a few convicting but encouraging words, she was dangling by only a few threads of confidence as I was reminded of something that Pastor Bob stated many years earlier during a sermon.  

[  It is the account of the parting of the Red Sea.  Pharaoh has finally conceded to free the Israelites from slavery to the Egyptian people after succumbing to the ten plagues.  As the Israelites are fleeing with Moses, Pharaoh changes his mind and sets out after them with his entire army, all of his chariots, all of his horses and every one of his troops. 

The Israelites became terrified and they cried out to the LORD and basically wanted to give up and return to their grueling service unto the Egyptians.  

¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

(Exodus 14)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, ... ¹⁶ Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground ... ²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, ²² and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left ... ²⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[c] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. ²⁸ The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

When did the Red Sea part?

It might be tempting to respond "when Moses stretched out his hand" ... but in reality, and I'm sure you would agree, ... Moses had nothing to do with the parting of the Red Sea.   

So, let's try it again ... when did the Red Sea part?

When Moses obeyed the Word of the LORD.  

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding ... woot-woot ... we have a winner!!!

When did the Jordan River part?

When the priests just barely stuck their little toe into the water ... *translation* ... When they obeyed the Word of the LORD.

All I did was ask my fearful team member "when did the waters part?" and responded "not until they stuck in their foot".  ]

When they showed they were willing to obey what God was asking them to do, God took over and did what ONLY HE can do!! 

Amazingly, and SO LIKE GOD, Pastor Bob was inspired to reference this again during his time of sharing.  Oh, dear team member, if that isn't God's confirmation, I don't know what is!  

Obedience isn't always easy and sometimes it can be scary but it is usually rewarding and it is always for "our best".  In this case, obedience to God, though it starts out seeming as if we are doing a job for Him ends up feeling like an nothing less than an amazing gift has been given to us by God.

So, ... any takers for going on a mission trip to Honduras?

After our devotion, we had a time of "team building".  A member of our church who is experienced in military training and team building exercises has agreed to work with our team each month to whip us into "tip-top-team" shape and to correspond his training with our training.  

For the first gathering, I have a feeling he went easy on us.

Here we were during a little exercise of "let's get to know one another while exercising our memory and attention-to-detail".  

(this exercise involved little animal-shaped bean bags being tossed to one another while stating things that someone else said)

Then, my dear, sweet husband climbed aboard his ship (the tiny blue tarp you see in the photo) and awaited as each member of our team requested admittance to the team, as well as the tiny-blue-tarp-of-a-boat.  Before admittance, Brian would ask each person what he/she had to offer his team to which each team member had to reply with only ONE word.

This is Laura ... her ONE word was "Nursing".

One by one, each team member requested permission to climb aboard and be counted as a member of the team ...

Would everyone fit?

Sure enough ... we ALL FIT!  

What a GREAT team!  

Honduras - GET READY!

Preparing to go Again ... Mission to Honduras: 2013

Dear Family and Friends,                                                                                                                                                             April, 2013

Last year, many of you may remember that we (Brian, Kimberly and Ben) went on a mission trip to Honduras in October.  It was so awesome to share with so many of you about our Medical/Evangelism mission and it was an amazing privilege to serve the Honduran people and share with them the hope in our hearts and the certainty of the joy of our Salvation in the LORD Jesus.  Many of you joined our mission team through prayer, financial support and contributions of supplies.  Your participation was and is so valuable to us and we invite you to come alongside us again as we prepare to return to Honduras in October of 2013.   We (Brian and Kimberly) are excited to, once again, serve the Honduran people and spread the Good News of Jesus, our LORD and Savior and this year, we are also excited to share with you that our roles will be slightly different as we will be leading a team from our own church!  As Team Leaders, we will provide informational materials to those interested in going on mission to Honduras; we will facilitate team meetings and training, maintain necessary paperwork on each team member and track finances for support-raising.  In addition, we will coordinate communications and necessary payments to World Gospel Outreach, the organization with whom we serve in Honduras.

Ben will be a team member once again as he responds to the Spirit’s leading to participate in something that matters to God.  Ben says, “When I went on the mission trip last year, it was an experience like I had never had before.  One of the reasons I really look forward to going back is because I really loved doing “Concrete”.  We would pour a small concrete floor into a family’s home that had previously only been a dirt floor.  It is a great feeling to see their joy by us just putting in a new floor for them.  I hope to, once again, impact the people of Honduras and to provide a way for lives to be changed.  They have so much need!  I pray that God works greatly in and through our 2013 mission to Honduras.”

 

This is an invitation for you to be a part of something that matters … something that makes a positive impact in the life of another human being ... AND it’s an opportunity for us to form a relationship out of purpose. 

Here’s just some of the ways your support impacts the people of Honduras:

1)      Karla came to Brigade to receive dental work … greatly needed dental work.  When she came to us, she only had seven bottom teeth; when she left, she was toothless.  Her teeth were so bad, she was grateful to have them removed.

                                                                      

2/3)This is a home.  Eight people eat, sleep and live in this space, that the family stated has been upon a dirt floor for over thirty years.  Now they have a level, concrete floor.

4)    This young gang member received hope and a way out of a hopeless situation.

                                         
Again, we need to raise $1,595.00 each OR $4,785.00 for the three of us.  As we did last year, each of us will start us out with our $200/person “deposit”, which is due on or before 4/21/2013.  That leaves $4,185.00 that we need to raise via faithful contributors and fundraisers with $1,905.00 being due on or before 6/23/2013 and $2,280.00 being due on or before 8/18/2013.

There is a lot of work to be done but “many hands make light work” and nothing is impossible with God!

No contribution is too big or too small and we just LOVE to watch as one-by-one we become a great, Big GOD Team as more and more people join us through prayer, financial support and contribution of supplies.  If you would like to begin praying for us, here are some specific needs we have thought of:

1) That we follow God’s leading in effectively training and encouraging our team members 2) That our fundraisers would impact the community as well as our funding needs 3) That God is preparing the Hondurans we have not yet met 4) That we would continue to grow and mature spiritually and discern the will of God for our lives

In Honduras, at the beginning of each day of Brigade, after a time of praise and prayer, we would shout out at the top of our lungs, both in English and Spanish (like the shot at the start of an important race) “Let’s Go To Work!”  (vamos a trabajar).  All the Hondurans waiting in line outside could hear this; it was a jolt of excitement and energy to kick off the precious work about to be done …

… So huddle with us now … place your hands to the center … on three … One, Two Three … “Let’s Go To Work!”

With all our love and warmest regards,

Brian and Kimberly Prendergast/Ben Lindberg

Honduran Medical-Evangelism Ministry Information

Honduras is among the poorest nations of the world. It is a nation of neglected and abandoned children and adults in dire need of help. Many families are locked into a devastating cycle of disease, unemployment and illiteracy. Every year, more than 50,000 Hondurans have their medical and dental needs met by medical and non-medical volunteers who make up the Medical-Evangelism brigades of World Gospel Outreach. Lives are changed and communities are transformed as WGO Brigades partner with more than 80 local Honduran churches to serve those in need, bringing medical care to some who have never had it.

Your prayers and financial support are needed to fulfill the call to go to Honduras to serve the people there and to share our hearts for Jesus with them.  Each team member must raise $1,595 ($4,785 for the three of us) and have a prayer team supporting our efforts.  We sincerely covet your support and invite you to invest in us and the work we seek to do for the LORD.  All financial gifts are tax-exempt.  God bless you and be with you.

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I, We… will help Brian and Kimberly Prendergast and Ben Lindberg as they serve as short-term missionaries to Honduras from September 28 – October 5, 2013.  We agree to pray for them ______ and/or I, we would like to contribute $_________ to their mission fund. 

Name - __________________________________________

Address - ________________________________________

________________________________________________

Email Address - ___________________________________   

(so you can receive updates on the mission – YOU WILL NOT BE CONTACTED BY THE MISSION ORGANIZATION)

Please make checks payable to: and mail to:

Community Church of Elkhorn

c/o Kimberly and Brian Prendergast

1614 Meadow Lane

Elkhorn, Wisconsin  53121

*In the check memo line be sure to reference Honduras Team #3913B* and return the remittance form above to ensure that your contribution is allocated properly.