The article in the New York Times has been published. It's amazing to me how much time the writer spent here in Phoenix and how long the interviews were and then how short the article actually was. Check it out yourself:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/09/us/09refugees.html
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
I'm back in the saddle again.....
Yes, we're still "in process" with the community garden. Requirements from the city have increased the price substantially, but we're pressing on. We even have two fundraiser in California that will benefit our project. The hair salon my daughter Katie works at, (Ciao Bella in Rancho Bernardo,) will be holding a Cut-A-Thon for us on Oct. 10. And also on that day, Mary, the mother-in-law of my oldest daughter Jody, has set up fundraisers for us in 4 different Shakey's pizza restaurants in Southern California, (she manages the one in Temecula.) Helen and I will be going over for the fundraisers, along with Peter, a 20 year old refugee from Burma who is of the Chin people.
We're also doing a fundraiser with the Phoenix Suns NBA team on Sunday evening, Dec. 5, when they play the Washington Wizards. If things go as they look like they might, we could actually begin the grading within the next few weeks and have the land and the refugees ready to plant by February 1.
Believe it or not, I was interviewed by a New York times reporter that is doing an in-depth story on people from Arizona that help immigrants. The guy interviewed the governor, the mayor, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and a few others, and I was asked to be part of the story from the "faith" community perpsective. It'll be interesting to see if he actually uses anything I spoke to him, and if he does, if it will be used in the context in which I spoke it. The article is due out some time in the next week. When I get the info, I'll post the link here.
Much more going on, but this is enough for now. I'm back in the saddle.
We're also doing a fundraiser with the Phoenix Suns NBA team on Sunday evening, Dec. 5, when they play the Washington Wizards. If things go as they look like they might, we could actually begin the grading within the next few weeks and have the land and the refugees ready to plant by February 1.
Believe it or not, I was interviewed by a New York times reporter that is doing an in-depth story on people from Arizona that help immigrants. The guy interviewed the governor, the mayor, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and a few others, and I was asked to be part of the story from the "faith" community perpsective. It'll be interesting to see if he actually uses anything I spoke to him, and if he does, if it will be used in the context in which I spoke it. The article is due out some time in the next week. When I get the info, I'll post the link here.
Much more going on, but this is enough for now. I'm back in the saddle.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Only in America!
I went with our civil engineer last week to submit our grading and drainage plan for review by the City of Phoenix planning department. We also submitted what is called an "inventory and salvage" plan which is also required in order to move forward. This is basically a summary of all plants, cactus, or trees on our property, each one listed by species, and then a blueprint of the entire property showing where each of them is on the property. Of course, an officially certified landscape architect must do this, and it isn't cheap.
But we did submit them for review and paid almost $1,700.00 in fees for them to be reviewed! Unbelievable. By the time we get this 2 and a half acres ready to just plant vegetables, we will have spent $50,000.00 And this doesn't include the cost of the water hook-up which was donated by the water utility company. Try explaining this whole process and how much it cost to refugees that are just learning what life is like in this great country. Only in America!!!
But we did submit them for review and paid almost $1,700.00 in fees for them to be reviewed! Unbelievable. By the time we get this 2 and a half acres ready to just plant vegetables, we will have spent $50,000.00 And this doesn't include the cost of the water hook-up which was donated by the water utility company. Try explaining this whole process and how much it cost to refugees that are just learning what life is like in this great country. Only in America!!!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Something ongoing, something new
I just came from a meeting with the city councilwoman that represents the district where our church is located. She seemed very interested and very positive about the benefit the community garden will be to our local neighborhood and of course, to the refugees. Even though I'm not sure how much she can really help with the mound of regulations the City of Phoenix is requiring us to meet, (all of which take money that we don't have,)I think it was valuable and strategic to meet with her. Please pray that she will find favor with the city planning department and that they would give us some grace for such a worthwhile cause, especially one that is completely non-profit and charity oriented.
I'm now a part of the founding board of directors for a new entity here in Phoenix called the Phoenix Refugee Connection. This is a Christian organization that will endeavor to inform local churches about the needs of the refugee community and help them mobilize to meet that need. We want them to see that God has made it possible for them to fulfill the great commission to make disciples of all nations, right here in their own communities.
I'm now a part of the founding board of directors for a new entity here in Phoenix called the Phoenix Refugee Connection. This is a Christian organization that will endeavor to inform local churches about the needs of the refugee community and help them mobilize to meet that need. We want them to see that God has made it possible for them to fulfill the great commission to make disciples of all nations, right here in their own communities.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A public declaration to a religious hodge-podge
The community garden project is still in motion. We'll be going to the city of Phoenix this week to try and get the permit for grading to begin and then move forward from there. There are a few potential obstacles that could crop up, so please keep this in prayer.
This morning, I had the opportunity to teach at the Bhutanese church that was launched out of our church. They are meeting in a small 2 bedroom apartment. With the outside temperature close to 110 degrees and close to 35 people in the living room, it was definitely a "missions" type environment...which I LOVE!!!
About a month ago, I assisted Pastor Phillip with a water baptism at this same apartment complex. 11 people chose to obey Jesus and took this monumental step. We did it at the main pool and quite a few of the people that lived in the apartments surrounding the pool area came out on their patios to check out what was happening. These onlookers were refugees from around the world, some of them Muslim, some Buddhist, and quite a few were Hindus, (which is what those being baptized were before choosing to follow Jesus.) They looked genuinely intrigued at what was happening. What a joy!
God is on the move.
This morning, I had the opportunity to teach at the Bhutanese church that was launched out of our church. They are meeting in a small 2 bedroom apartment. With the outside temperature close to 110 degrees and close to 35 people in the living room, it was definitely a "missions" type environment...which I LOVE!!!
About a month ago, I assisted Pastor Phillip with a water baptism at this same apartment complex. 11 people chose to obey Jesus and took this monumental step. We did it at the main pool and quite a few of the people that lived in the apartments surrounding the pool area came out on their patios to check out what was happening. These onlookers were refugees from around the world, some of them Muslim, some Buddhist, and quite a few were Hindus, (which is what those being baptized were before choosing to follow Jesus.) They looked genuinely intrigued at what was happening. What a joy!
God is on the move.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Why So Angry
This is a recent message I taught at a Calvary Chapel Santa Maria missions conference. How is the Missionary God working in your life?
Time: 1:03:09
Monday, July 12, 2010
Online missions preparation
A few of the Shepherd's Staff guys were here on Friday and Saturday. We're moving towards offering some online missionary training and so we plotted out where we want to go with it. We also filmed some teasers for a few of the courses and then did a round table discussion on various missions topics. You should be able to see some of what we did on the SS website some time soon. The site is: www.shepsstaff.org
It's cooking here in Phoenix....again. We've been 112 and 113 for 4 of the last 6 days. This is now the "stupid hot" season. It's brutal.
The surveying of the property is set to start this week. It'll be close, but it does look like we might make it in time for the refugees to plant by September 15. Please keep that in prayer.
It's cooking here in Phoenix....again. We've been 112 and 113 for 4 of the last 6 days. This is now the "stupid hot" season. It's brutal.
The surveying of the property is set to start this week. It'll be close, but it does look like we might make it in time for the refugees to plant by September 15. Please keep that in prayer.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tidbits
Good news from the doctor yesterday...no surgery on my knee is needed! I will be gradually moving away from using the crutches in a few days and I'll also begin Physical Therapy for the knee within a week. God is good.
Things are proceeding with the garden project, but of course, new obstacles arise. We just found out that because of the size of the property we will garden, in order to get our permit from the city we need to have a complete site plan that includes drainage, elevation, and so forth. This increases the cost for the civil engineering that is necessary to produce what the city needs. Even with this extra cost we're still close financially, but I'd appreciate it if you could still keep it in prayer.
I just came from taking a Karen man to the motor vehicle department so that he could take an oral exam as the written driving test. This guy has been here 4 years, speaks very little English, has a wife and 5 boys, (and the youngest boy, age 2,) has Down's Syndrome. I took an upstanding Karen young man who is 17 to be the interpreter. Suffice it to say it was disaster.
Thank God that a very educated Karen woman has translated the Arizona driver's handbook into Karen. This guy will study in his language for the re-test on July 21.
Refugee ministry is never dull.
Things are proceeding with the garden project, but of course, new obstacles arise. We just found out that because of the size of the property we will garden, in order to get our permit from the city we need to have a complete site plan that includes drainage, elevation, and so forth. This increases the cost for the civil engineering that is necessary to produce what the city needs. Even with this extra cost we're still close financially, but I'd appreciate it if you could still keep it in prayer.
I just came from taking a Karen man to the motor vehicle department so that he could take an oral exam as the written driving test. This guy has been here 4 years, speaks very little English, has a wife and 5 boys, (and the youngest boy, age 2,) has Down's Syndrome. I took an upstanding Karen young man who is 17 to be the interpreter. Suffice it to say it was disaster.
Thank God that a very educated Karen woman has translated the Arizona driver's handbook into Karen. This guy will study in his language for the re-test on July 21.
Refugee ministry is never dull.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
He did it again!
Just a quick update...the Rotary club approved the plan!!! Thanks to those who prayed and to our gracious God who heard and moved. Many details to be worked out, but we're moving forward with God's hand clearly upon our efforts.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
All 8 cylinders needed, right here in Phoenix, U.S.A.
Last week, my wife and I had the privilege of hosting a Hungarian pastor and his family for a night as they drove back from Southern California to St. Louis. Pastor Adam graduated from seminary a few weeks ago after a year and a half of study. The whole family leaves for Hungary in a couple of weeks, where he will step back into his role as the pastor of what is likely the only evangelical Christian church in his city of 65,000 people. His humility and his ability to summarize the plight of his people and their country was astounding. The challenges he faces as he pastors in a very difficult environment are huge. Keep him in prayer.
Even though I can't remember the exact way the conversation unfolded as we stayed up late Wednesday evening discussing what God was doing, I felt prompted to share with him something that I'd like to share with you.
Knowing the foreign field experience that God has permitted me to have, he asked if I was content with not being able to live or even travel outside the U.S. in recent years. In other words, he wanted to know if I was content doing what I'm doing here in Phoenix. Trying to answer that question provoked me to share an analogy with him that I used to use fairly regularly.
To make it as simple as possible, until God planted us here in Phoenix and permitted me to work with refugees from all over the world, I genuinely felt like I was an 8 cylinder engine that regularly ran on 7 cylinders, but not contented to be doing so. Although I know this is probably an expression of my lack of spiritual maturity, the familiarity of life and ministry here in the U.S., (first in Southern California, and then in Nevada,) just didn't seem to require all 8 cylinders to be running to be the blessing I felt God wanted me to His people and to those who don't know Him.
But anytime I buckled into a seatbelt and a plane lifted off from LAX taking me to some overseas destination, as soon as the plane crossed the shoreline of the West coast, Texas, or the East coast, something inside of me came alive that seemed to be lying dormant while I was living and ministering in the U.S. It was like that 8th cylinder was now needed to do what God had called me to do, and it was exhilarating and fulfilling. But as soon as I boarded the plane to head back to the U.S. that cylinder seemed to go dormant again and remain so, as much as I tried to revive it for ministry here in the U.S. Strange, I know.
But now, right here in the U.S. Right here in Phoenix. That 8th cylinder kicks in regularly, (although not all the time.) Plunging into the world of refugees and entering into their apartments and their lives, is sufficient exposure to that which is foreign to require that 8th cylinder to begin operating. And the exhilaration and fulfillment, right here in the U.S., feels SOOOO good!
Can anyone relate?
Even though I can't remember the exact way the conversation unfolded as we stayed up late Wednesday evening discussing what God was doing, I felt prompted to share with him something that I'd like to share with you.
Knowing the foreign field experience that God has permitted me to have, he asked if I was content with not being able to live or even travel outside the U.S. in recent years. In other words, he wanted to know if I was content doing what I'm doing here in Phoenix. Trying to answer that question provoked me to share an analogy with him that I used to use fairly regularly.
To make it as simple as possible, until God planted us here in Phoenix and permitted me to work with refugees from all over the world, I genuinely felt like I was an 8 cylinder engine that regularly ran on 7 cylinders, but not contented to be doing so. Although I know this is probably an expression of my lack of spiritual maturity, the familiarity of life and ministry here in the U.S., (first in Southern California, and then in Nevada,) just didn't seem to require all 8 cylinders to be running to be the blessing I felt God wanted me to His people and to those who don't know Him.
But anytime I buckled into a seatbelt and a plane lifted off from LAX taking me to some overseas destination, as soon as the plane crossed the shoreline of the West coast, Texas, or the East coast, something inside of me came alive that seemed to be lying dormant while I was living and ministering in the U.S. It was like that 8th cylinder was now needed to do what God had called me to do, and it was exhilarating and fulfilling. But as soon as I boarded the plane to head back to the U.S. that cylinder seemed to go dormant again and remain so, as much as I tried to revive it for ministry here in the U.S. Strange, I know.
But now, right here in the U.S. Right here in Phoenix. That 8th cylinder kicks in regularly, (although not all the time.) Plunging into the world of refugees and entering into their apartments and their lives, is sufficient exposure to that which is foreign to require that 8th cylinder to begin operating. And the exhilaration and fulfillment, right here in the U.S., feels SOOOO good!
Can anyone relate?
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Closer, but not quite there yet...
For those of you who have kept up with this blog and that care about what we're trying to do with getting our church's land ready for refugees to farm on, I'd like to ask you to amp up the prayer. Next Wednesday, June 16, will be another appearance before a key Rotary club. If this goes like our advocate with the club envisions it, we could be within $3,000 of our goal of $30,000. for the fence and soil preparation. If they go for this, it will be an act of God, close to what He already did in getting the water utility company to donate the $70,000. water hook-up work we needed done. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep next Wednesday in prayer.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Quick update
The missions conference in Philly went great! Thanks for praying that I'd be able to make the trip. If you'd like to hear the general session messages or the workshops, you can check out www.ccphilly.org
My knee continues to be a challenge. The ortho doc told me last week that I probably have cartilage damage, so he wants me to have an MRI to be sure. If it is cartilage damage, then I'm going to need arthroscopic surgery on it. So, I'm still gimping on my crutches. I can bend my knee quite a bit, but the doctor says I shouldn't be putting any weight on it. Another month or so on crutches doesn't look like fun, that's for sure.
Things are progressing with fundraising for the block wall for our community garden for refugees. We're doing another presentation at another Rotary club this Friday. We're about one third of the way there, with approximately 10,000 raised of the 30,000 that will be needed. We're doing all that we can, it's in the Lord's hands as to whether it will come together within the time frame that we'd like to see, (finishing the wall by the end of June.) Please continue to keep this in prayer.
We just finished our latest session of English as a Second Language classes here at the church. We had a consistent 20 people, mainly Iraqi refugees attending. Some great relationships were made and practical help was given as an expression of God's love to each and every one of the folks that attended. We'll be taking a break until mid-September due to the high cost of electricity that is necessary to air condition our church building during our "oven-baked" summer.
My knee continues to be a challenge. The ortho doc told me last week that I probably have cartilage damage, so he wants me to have an MRI to be sure. If it is cartilage damage, then I'm going to need arthroscopic surgery on it. So, I'm still gimping on my crutches. I can bend my knee quite a bit, but the doctor says I shouldn't be putting any weight on it. Another month or so on crutches doesn't look like fun, that's for sure.
Things are progressing with fundraising for the block wall for our community garden for refugees. We're doing another presentation at another Rotary club this Friday. We're about one third of the way there, with approximately 10,000 raised of the 30,000 that will be needed. We're doing all that we can, it's in the Lord's hands as to whether it will come together within the time frame that we'd like to see, (finishing the wall by the end of June.) Please continue to keep this in prayer.
We just finished our latest session of English as a Second Language classes here at the church. We had a consistent 20 people, mainly Iraqi refugees attending. Some great relationships were made and practical help was given as an expression of God's love to each and every one of the folks that attended. We'll be taking a break until mid-September due to the high cost of electricity that is necessary to air condition our church building during our "oven-baked" summer.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thanks to you, the KNEED has been met.....
Thanks to those of you who prayed about my knee situation. It is improving and I was given the green light to make the trip to Philly this Thursday. I'm still on crutches because I still can't put weight on it, but the swelling is way down and the pain has really lessened. It'll be a bit of a challenge with getting around on crutches and possibly having to teach from a wheel chair, but I can do it and I'm blessed at the opportunity. Mike, a young guy from our church is making the trip with me and he'll be a great help.
Things are still percolating regarding the fence. We met with 7 of the Burmese, (Chin people) who are eager to get started with farming the land. We are now waiting for the response of the other group of Rotary clubs. Of the 30,000.00 we need, 11,000.00 has been committed. We are still believing that we'll be able to build the wall by mid-June.
Next week will be the conclusion of the English as a Second Language classes that we've been doing at the church. We've been having them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon, and it has gone well. The ministry is led by Pastor Issam and we have a few of our people, along with 5 volunteers from other churches. The 20 or so refugees that regularly attend are primarily from Iraq, some of them who are Christians and 7 or 8 who are Muslims. We also have a couple of older gentlemen from Bhutan and a woman from Mexico, and have seen a couple of Korean ladies attend fairly regularly. Some solid relationships are being built and God's love in practical action is being displayed to all of those that attend. We'll break for the summer, starting up again in late September, (when it will still be over 100 degrees every day, but less than the 110 degree and above normal temperatures here in Phoenix in July and August.)
Finally, in the next few weeks, we'll be nailing down how best to house teams from various
churches around the country that want to come to help us by way of our new ministry: Phoenix 10/40 Interface. Once we've solidified the plan, I'll let you know the details of how this will work. It may be that your church might be interested in a little different "spin" on what we believe is a unique short term missions trip.
Things are still percolating regarding the fence. We met with 7 of the Burmese, (Chin people) who are eager to get started with farming the land. We are now waiting for the response of the other group of Rotary clubs. Of the 30,000.00 we need, 11,000.00 has been committed. We are still believing that we'll be able to build the wall by mid-June.
Next week will be the conclusion of the English as a Second Language classes that we've been doing at the church. We've been having them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon, and it has gone well. The ministry is led by Pastor Issam and we have a few of our people, along with 5 volunteers from other churches. The 20 or so refugees that regularly attend are primarily from Iraq, some of them who are Christians and 7 or 8 who are Muslims. We also have a couple of older gentlemen from Bhutan and a woman from Mexico, and have seen a couple of Korean ladies attend fairly regularly. Some solid relationships are being built and God's love in practical action is being displayed to all of those that attend. We'll break for the summer, starting up again in late September, (when it will still be over 100 degrees every day, but less than the 110 degree and above normal temperatures here in Phoenix in July and August.)
Finally, in the next few weeks, we'll be nailing down how best to house teams from various
churches around the country that want to come to help us by way of our new ministry: Phoenix 10/40 Interface. Once we've solidified the plan, I'll let you know the details of how this will work. It may be that your church might be interested in a little different "spin" on what we believe is a unique short term missions trip.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Two steps forward, a buckled knee step back
Cool things continue to happen, but another pothole along the way has been encountered. Cool things first.
Last week I met with the main guy from IRC and the leader of another Rotary club, a much larger one. The gentlemen from IRC answered all of the questions that the very thorough Rotary club leader asked. It was incredible to see the Rotary guy really catch the vision and grow in confidence that if the funds are raised, the project will actually become a reality. The experience and the on-going similar type projects that IRC brings to the table seemed to really solidify to him that it has a real potential to actually work! He has now summarized all of his findings and has forwarded it on to his and a few other clubs.
Meanwhile, we received a couple of missions board members from the church in Albuquerque. They are continuing to raise funds also. As of now, with their fundraising and the one Rotary club, it looks like we have about 35 percent of the needed funds raised. If this bigger Rotary and a few others come on board, we might be able to meet our goal of having the wall up by the middle of June, so we can plant the last week of August.
On a personal note, I've had another strange health issue. On April 26, as I was walking from my car to the church office, my left knee buckled. I didn't fall and at the time, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. As my legs have continued to weaken due to the Kennedy's disease, I've fallen a few times, and my knees have buckled fairly regulary. Well, apparently, this time was different....because of the Cumaden blood thinner that I've been taking due to the blood clot I had.
Within 24 hours my knee started to swell and stiffen and by Wed. I couldn't move it. I made a trip to the VA, got checked out and discovered that there was some soft tissue damage and because of the Cumaden, my knee joint and the surrounding area was filled with blood. Above my knee cap, it looked a mushball, (larger than a softball,) and it was very painful. The doc said I had to get off of it, ice it, and then stop taking the blood thinner. I was given crutches, and last week actually got a wheelchair, which has made mobility a lot easier. But, I still can't drive, and I've basically been cooped up in the house for two week now...and I don't do sitting around very well. My already sore "buns" where I have lost a lot of muscle mass due to the Kennedy's, are screaming all of the time now as I pretty much spend 24 hours a day sitting down.
The swelling is down a bit, but I still have only limited motion and can't put any weight on it. I'm scheduled to fly to Philadelphia on May 20 to speak at a missons conference and then teach at a Sunday morning service at a fairly new church plant outside of Philadelphia. If I had to fly today, I couldn't do it. I need MAJOR prayer that God will get my knee back in shape, at least enough to make the trip...which I REALLY want to do. I see the ortho doctor this Thursday and I'm thinking that's the time when I'll need to make the decision.
Last week I met with the main guy from IRC and the leader of another Rotary club, a much larger one. The gentlemen from IRC answered all of the questions that the very thorough Rotary club leader asked. It was incredible to see the Rotary guy really catch the vision and grow in confidence that if the funds are raised, the project will actually become a reality. The experience and the on-going similar type projects that IRC brings to the table seemed to really solidify to him that it has a real potential to actually work! He has now summarized all of his findings and has forwarded it on to his and a few other clubs.
Meanwhile, we received a couple of missions board members from the church in Albuquerque. They are continuing to raise funds also. As of now, with their fundraising and the one Rotary club, it looks like we have about 35 percent of the needed funds raised. If this bigger Rotary and a few others come on board, we might be able to meet our goal of having the wall up by the middle of June, so we can plant the last week of August.
On a personal note, I've had another strange health issue. On April 26, as I was walking from my car to the church office, my left knee buckled. I didn't fall and at the time, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. As my legs have continued to weaken due to the Kennedy's disease, I've fallen a few times, and my knees have buckled fairly regulary. Well, apparently, this time was different....because of the Cumaden blood thinner that I've been taking due to the blood clot I had.
Within 24 hours my knee started to swell and stiffen and by Wed. I couldn't move it. I made a trip to the VA, got checked out and discovered that there was some soft tissue damage and because of the Cumaden, my knee joint and the surrounding area was filled with blood. Above my knee cap, it looked a mushball, (larger than a softball,) and it was very painful. The doc said I had to get off of it, ice it, and then stop taking the blood thinner. I was given crutches, and last week actually got a wheelchair, which has made mobility a lot easier. But, I still can't drive, and I've basically been cooped up in the house for two week now...and I don't do sitting around very well. My already sore "buns" where I have lost a lot of muscle mass due to the Kennedy's, are screaming all of the time now as I pretty much spend 24 hours a day sitting down.
The swelling is down a bit, but I still have only limited motion and can't put any weight on it. I'm scheduled to fly to Philadelphia on May 20 to speak at a missons conference and then teach at a Sunday morning service at a fairly new church plant outside of Philadelphia. If I had to fly today, I couldn't do it. I need MAJOR prayer that God will get my knee back in shape, at least enough to make the trip...which I REALLY want to do. I see the ortho doctor this Thursday and I'm thinking that's the time when I'll need to make the decision.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A wall in 50 days..Nehemiah (and God) did it, why not us?
We found out a few days ago from the City of Phoenix that because of the zoning area our church sits in and because our property fronts a major street and residential houses, a chain link fence isn't an option. We need to go with a block fence, a six footer. We need it to be 1,440 linear feet. Thus far, the bids we've received are between $28,000.00 and $34,000.00
Funds are being raised from different sources, including at least one local Rotary club and the possibility of a few more Rotary clubs joining together to help us. We're also exploring the possibility with Rotary that there might be a fencing contractor who would be willing to donate some materials or labor, or maybe even both to lower the cost, or maybe even cover the entire thing--which certainly is feasible based on what God has already done to get us this far.
We really need to get it done by mid-June, about 50 days from now, (I think I've heard about that being done before!) If we do so, then we would be on target to have the soil prepared, the refugees trained, and planting started the last week of August for the fall growing season here in Phoenix.
Pray that we get the right 10 families. Currently we are looking at 4 Chin families, (from Burma,) 2 Karen families, (also from Burma,) and then 2 Bhutanese families, and possibly two families from an African country.
Phoenix 10/40 Interface is becoming a reality. More on this next time.
Funds are being raised from different sources, including at least one local Rotary club and the possibility of a few more Rotary clubs joining together to help us. We're also exploring the possibility with Rotary that there might be a fencing contractor who would be willing to donate some materials or labor, or maybe even both to lower the cost, or maybe even cover the entire thing--which certainly is feasible based on what God has already done to get us this far.
We really need to get it done by mid-June, about 50 days from now, (I think I've heard about that being done before!) If we do so, then we would be on target to have the soil prepared, the refugees trained, and planting started the last week of August for the fall growing season here in Phoenix.
Pray that we get the right 10 families. Currently we are looking at 4 Chin families, (from Burma,) 2 Karen families, (also from Burma,) and then 2 Bhutanese families, and possibly two families from an African country.
Phoenix 10/40 Interface is becoming a reality. More on this next time.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Connected and ready for use
Believe it or not, the connection to the agricultural water supply through SRP is finished! Their crew was out here bright and early Monday morning, including a huge excavator. They wrapped it up yesterday and we now have an access point that we will tap in to for our property once everything is done. Amazing!
The next step is the fence. We need about 1,700 linear feet of 8 foot fence. Expensive? By normal fence company prices, it will be at least $20,000.00 But hey, God has moved once and I don't think He'll bail out on us now. In fact, I've been invited to speak to the board of a local Rotary club that may want to get on board and help raise funds for the fence and then the grading we'll need.
I'm pondering the reality of the great missions quote: "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God."
It's already been proven true once again.
The next step is the fence. We need about 1,700 linear feet of 8 foot fence. Expensive? By normal fence company prices, it will be at least $20,000.00 But hey, God has moved once and I don't think He'll bail out on us now. In fact, I've been invited to speak to the board of a local Rotary club that may want to get on board and help raise funds for the fence and then the grading we'll need.
I'm pondering the reality of the great missions quote: "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God."
It's already been proven true once again.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Public utilities...He influences them too!
A few posts ago I talked about our church property and the potential of using about 3/4 of it for refugee families to do organic farming. For those of you who actually prayed about the situation, (and of course, as an encouragement for those who didn't, that maybe they should consider praying,) our incredible God has answered!
The SRP folks, (one of the two public utilities in Phoenix that provide water,) came out a few weeks ago, looked in detail at the situation and told us that to do what really needed to be done to connect their system to our property, would probably cost close to 70,000.00 (not the 25,000.00 we previously thought.)
When we explained to them a little more clearly WHY we wanted to get this done and the potential benefit it could be public relations-wise for any organization that might help us get it accomplished, they were intrigued.
Two days ago they called us and said they were going to do it for us.....FOR FREE! They love what we're doing, they love the idea of helping people who have suffered so tremendously, and they love the idea that they, a public utility, can do something that will take 10 families out of the public assistance realm that they live until they find high enough paying jobs.
They even said it should be done by May 1! Now we can concentrate on the fence we need to put around the property, the soil preparation and a few other things that will total about 20,000.00 But hey, if He can move public utilities to do something like this, He can certainly move some private companies to get on board too.
The SRP folks, (one of the two public utilities in Phoenix that provide water,) came out a few weeks ago, looked in detail at the situation and told us that to do what really needed to be done to connect their system to our property, would probably cost close to 70,000.00 (not the 25,000.00 we previously thought.)
When we explained to them a little more clearly WHY we wanted to get this done and the potential benefit it could be public relations-wise for any organization that might help us get it accomplished, they were intrigued.
Two days ago they called us and said they were going to do it for us.....FOR FREE! They love what we're doing, they love the idea of helping people who have suffered so tremendously, and they love the idea that they, a public utility, can do something that will take 10 families out of the public assistance realm that they live until they find high enough paying jobs.
They even said it should be done by May 1! Now we can concentrate on the fence we need to put around the property, the soil preparation and a few other things that will total about 20,000.00 But hey, if He can move public utilities to do something like this, He can certainly move some private companies to get on board too.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
What happens when...a few answers, part 1
A few weeks ago I shared a few thoughts regarding where things are at with the ministry here in Phoenix. I used the phrase "what happens when" as sort of a skeleton to hang certain facts on regarding the fulfillment of the vision for this little multi-ethnic church in the midst of this fairly large city. Here are a few conclusions that I've come to:
1. We really are swimming upstream by attempting to build a truly multi-ethnic church, when the majority of the ethnically diverse congregation are refugees and are struggling with learning English, finding entry level jobs, and just trying to survive the radical changes they've encountered as they have begun their new lives here in our country.
2. Other than the Lord, the greatest need of any refugee is to acquire English as quickly possible.
3. Our little local church does not have the resources from within its own members to sustain ministry to most of our members, let alone try to continually meet the needs of the larger of community.
So, what do we do?
A. We take the step of inviting other churches around the country to participate with us in the unique ministry that God has provided for us. We become, for lack of a better definition, a "mission outpost" or a "mission church".
B. We seize the uniqueness that Phoenix offers as a major hub for refugee resettlement, recognizing and then promoting the fact that many of the people groups from what is called the 10/40 Window, are now living within a few miles of where our church building sits.
C. We ask churches to consider a "short term missions trip" to the unique destination of....Phoenix, Arizona!!!
There's much more to this next step in fulfilling the vision that God has given us. I'll continue next time.
1. We really are swimming upstream by attempting to build a truly multi-ethnic church, when the majority of the ethnically diverse congregation are refugees and are struggling with learning English, finding entry level jobs, and just trying to survive the radical changes they've encountered as they have begun their new lives here in our country.
2. Other than the Lord, the greatest need of any refugee is to acquire English as quickly possible.
3. Our little local church does not have the resources from within its own members to sustain ministry to most of our members, let alone try to continually meet the needs of the larger of community.
So, what do we do?
A. We take the step of inviting other churches around the country to participate with us in the unique ministry that God has provided for us. We become, for lack of a better definition, a "mission outpost" or a "mission church".
B. We seize the uniqueness that Phoenix offers as a major hub for refugee resettlement, recognizing and then promoting the fact that many of the people groups from what is called the 10/40 Window, are now living within a few miles of where our church building sits.
C. We ask churches to consider a "short term missions trip" to the unique destination of....Phoenix, Arizona!!!
There's much more to this next step in fulfilling the vision that God has given us. I'll continue next time.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Latest and hopefully last health update....
I'll make this brief. Last Saturday, the 13th, I had similar pain to what I had experienced the week before. The VA in Phoenix put me in the hospital and I spent another 6 days in the hospital, having just been released a few days ago on Friday, March 19.
Suffice it to say that the dead tissue from the kidney is causing major problems with my system and is incredibly painful as it is processed through my body. While in the hospital this time, I had a bunch of more tests, including a renal angiogram, which showed the blood clot, but also showed that I actually have an extra artery to my kidney that most people don't have. What's good about this discovery is that it means I only lost 25 percent of my kidney, not the 50 percenet that it looked like before.
With all of the testing complete, they still don't know what caused the clot, where the clot came from, and whether or not I'm likely to have another one. The doppler on my legs, the echo cardio-gram, and the esophagus ultra sound of my heart didn't show any clots any where.
So, I'm now going to be on Cumaden for a while in order to insure that another clot doesn't form.
This is enough writing on my physical issues. I'll get back to the things I really want to write about it in the next few days.
Thanks to everyone who kept me in prayer.
Suffice it to say that the dead tissue from the kidney is causing major problems with my system and is incredibly painful as it is processed through my body. While in the hospital this time, I had a bunch of more tests, including a renal angiogram, which showed the blood clot, but also showed that I actually have an extra artery to my kidney that most people don't have. What's good about this discovery is that it means I only lost 25 percent of my kidney, not the 50 percenet that it looked like before.
With all of the testing complete, they still don't know what caused the clot, where the clot came from, and whether or not I'm likely to have another one. The doppler on my legs, the echo cardio-gram, and the esophagus ultra sound of my heart didn't show any clots any where.
So, I'm now going to be on Cumaden for a while in order to insure that another clot doesn't form.
This is enough writing on my physical issues. I'll get back to the things I really want to write about it in the next few days.
Thanks to everyone who kept me in prayer.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
If it's unusual, it'll find me
Here's the update that I sent out to my church members about what happened to me the past few days. Which is the PRIMARY reason I haven't shared my conclusions that I referenced in my last e-mail.
First, let me say thanks for the love and care you showed for Luke Rider. He was blown away by your interest and genuine love for the work God has given him to do.
We arrived back in Phoenix last night at 9:00 p.m. We drove back from California with our son Travis, his wife Liz, and their two kids, JT and Isabelle. They had planned on spending a week vacationing here beginning last Friday night the 5th, but as usual, that pesky dad (me!) had to go and mess everything up. Here's what happened in summary form:
I arrived in San Diego Wed night at 9 p.m. so that I could be there when my dad went to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning for his surgery. The plan was for my mom to take my dad at 5:30 for his surgery prep and then my brother Rick and his wife Marie, and I would head to the hospital at 6:30.
But, at about 11 p.m. I had this sharp pain in my lower left abdomen area. Within a minute, I could feel it go around my side and then to the center of my back, with most of the pain hitting in the area that I figured was near my kidney. I had a kidney stone years ago, so I knew that pain, and this wasn't like that, but it was definitely painful. The pain then went all the way around my other side, like I had just tightened a belt of pain around my mid-section!!!
I thought it might just be some sort of reaction to that incredible diversity of scrumptous food we ate at our food fellowship for Luke, so I was thinking that if I could use the restroom, it would go away. I did, four times, and the pain was still there and seeming to increase. I didn't sleep all night and laying down made it even more painful so I tried sleeping sitting up, thinking one more use of the toilet would do it. Finally, at 6:00 a.m. I thought I'd better pull my trump-card. I called my good friend, Dr. Nick Yphantides, who lives in San Diego, but who I knew was speaking at a conference in Washington D.C. I told him what was happening and he said to get to the emergency room ASAP because this could be serious and he rattled off a couple of potential scenarios. I then called the VA nurse line in San Diego, described my symptoms and they said the same thing, GO NOW to the ER at the VA hospital in San Diego.
So, I rattled Katie, (my youngest daughter who is 23 and doesn't do mornings,) out of her sleep and told her I needed her to drive me to the hospital and the great trooper that she is, (like her mother and older sister Jody,) she jumped out of bed and she was chauffering me to the hospital within 5 minutes.
The pain was getting worse as I waited for 2 hours to actually see a doctor and jumped through the administrative hoops the VA requires. Finally, the doc came in, checked me out, sent me for X rays, then gave me some morphine for the pain. The morphine did nothing...nada! At this point the doctor really took an interest in me, gave me Dilotten, (not sure on that spelling,) and finally, I had some pain relief. He then sent me for an abdominal CT scan. Within an hour, the parade of 20 or so inquistive doctors began.
The CT showed that a blood clot had somehow clogged one of the main arteries to my left kidney and cut off the blood supply so that 50 percent of the kidney had died! The pain was from the kidney tissue dying, having had it's blood supply cut off abruptly. And, since it had been about 10 hours already, there was no fixing it--I just lost the use of 50 percent of my left kidney.
And apparently, this happening is almost completely unheard of. Blood clots usually go to the lungs, brain, or some other place. Almost never to the kidneys. So, doctors from different specialities started showing up and asking me questions, and all of them said things like, "this is very unusual", "unique", "out of the ordinary", and so forth. A couple of them told me that they don't have a response for this in their guidelines for treatment. One of a group of 3 urologists that came to see me said that this would take someone smarter than them to figure out. When I asked them if they could go call that guy, they said they didn't know who it would be. And of course, during all of this, Katie and Jody would say "dad, you've always gotta be different", and "we knew you were unique but it doesn't have to extend to these kinds of things" with those quirky little smiles they both have.
So, I had a ton of tests done over the next few days, took a ton of pain killer, and wished I was back in Phoenix doing what I love to do in God's purposes there. But, I was able to encourage a fellow Army vet in the next bed over from me as he is facing some radical changes as a result of a heart attack and discovering he had diabetes, (things I've had.) I developed a real love for him, his name is James Washington, he was shot by a Vietnamese sniper in 1973. I also had the privilege of having a World War II vet put into my room the final night I was there. It was hard to talk with him because of his deafness, but he was in pretty good shape for 87.
Of course, my family lavished God's love on me and although the VA isn't a Banner hospital by any stretch of the imagination, God took care of me, as He always does.
They were ultimately unable to find the source of the clot--they checked my heart and did other tests, but it remains a mystery. So, to ensure that my blood doesn't clot again I'm on Cumaden blood thinner, and for the next ten days I also have to give myself injections twice a day of a different kind of blood thinner. I go to the VA tomorrow for my first appointment here and then again on Friday.
But honestly, the biggest pain now is that I've had hiccups non-stop since Friday morning!!!! It's driving me crazy. My throat is raw, my voice is ragged, my chest and shoulder muscles are sore. The only time they go away is when I'm actually eating something of substance, and, if I can be patient long enough, they will go away when I sleep. I've tried every person's recommendation for sure-fire hiccup relief and none has worked. From drinking water upside down, to drinking with my nose pinched off, to drinking as much as I can without taking a breath, to drinking water through a filter like a paper towel, to pressing behind my ear lobes, to rubbing the roof of my mouth with my forefinger, to taking a teaspoonful of sugar and just swallowing it with no water....nothing has worked so far. Prayer-wise, as goofy as this sounds, this is a major priority. I honestly can't keep a normal conversation, and there is no way that I can teach until these stupid things go away. (Having said that, my son Travis will be teaching tomorrow night...it'd be great to see all of you come out!)
So, that's the scoop for now. I'm basically being forced to slow down for a few days since I can't really talk normally, which is what I spend most of my time doing every day.
I'm blessed beyond belief by God's love for me through each of you special people. I'll keep you posted.
First, let me say thanks for the love and care you showed for Luke Rider. He was blown away by your interest and genuine love for the work God has given him to do.
We arrived back in Phoenix last night at 9:00 p.m. We drove back from California with our son Travis, his wife Liz, and their two kids, JT and Isabelle. They had planned on spending a week vacationing here beginning last Friday night the 5th, but as usual, that pesky dad (me!) had to go and mess everything up. Here's what happened in summary form:
I arrived in San Diego Wed night at 9 p.m. so that I could be there when my dad went to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning for his surgery. The plan was for my mom to take my dad at 5:30 for his surgery prep and then my brother Rick and his wife Marie, and I would head to the hospital at 6:30.
But, at about 11 p.m. I had this sharp pain in my lower left abdomen area. Within a minute, I could feel it go around my side and then to the center of my back, with most of the pain hitting in the area that I figured was near my kidney. I had a kidney stone years ago, so I knew that pain, and this wasn't like that, but it was definitely painful. The pain then went all the way around my other side, like I had just tightened a belt of pain around my mid-section!!!
I thought it might just be some sort of reaction to that incredible diversity of scrumptous food we ate at our food fellowship for Luke, so I was thinking that if I could use the restroom, it would go away. I did, four times, and the pain was still there and seeming to increase. I didn't sleep all night and laying down made it even more painful so I tried sleeping sitting up, thinking one more use of the toilet would do it. Finally, at 6:00 a.m. I thought I'd better pull my trump-card. I called my good friend, Dr. Nick Yphantides, who lives in San Diego, but who I knew was speaking at a conference in Washington D.C. I told him what was happening and he said to get to the emergency room ASAP because this could be serious and he rattled off a couple of potential scenarios. I then called the VA nurse line in San Diego, described my symptoms and they said the same thing, GO NOW to the ER at the VA hospital in San Diego.
So, I rattled Katie, (my youngest daughter who is 23 and doesn't do mornings,) out of her sleep and told her I needed her to drive me to the hospital and the great trooper that she is, (like her mother and older sister Jody,) she jumped out of bed and she was chauffering me to the hospital within 5 minutes.
The pain was getting worse as I waited for 2 hours to actually see a doctor and jumped through the administrative hoops the VA requires. Finally, the doc came in, checked me out, sent me for X rays, then gave me some morphine for the pain. The morphine did nothing...nada! At this point the doctor really took an interest in me, gave me Dilotten, (not sure on that spelling,) and finally, I had some pain relief. He then sent me for an abdominal CT scan. Within an hour, the parade of 20 or so inquistive doctors began.
The CT showed that a blood clot had somehow clogged one of the main arteries to my left kidney and cut off the blood supply so that 50 percent of the kidney had died! The pain was from the kidney tissue dying, having had it's blood supply cut off abruptly. And, since it had been about 10 hours already, there was no fixing it--I just lost the use of 50 percent of my left kidney.
And apparently, this happening is almost completely unheard of. Blood clots usually go to the lungs, brain, or some other place. Almost never to the kidneys. So, doctors from different specialities started showing up and asking me questions, and all of them said things like, "this is very unusual", "unique", "out of the ordinary", and so forth. A couple of them told me that they don't have a response for this in their guidelines for treatment. One of a group of 3 urologists that came to see me said that this would take someone smarter than them to figure out. When I asked them if they could go call that guy, they said they didn't know who it would be. And of course, during all of this, Katie and Jody would say "dad, you've always gotta be different", and "we knew you were unique but it doesn't have to extend to these kinds of things" with those quirky little smiles they both have.
So, I had a ton of tests done over the next few days, took a ton of pain killer, and wished I was back in Phoenix doing what I love to do in God's purposes there. But, I was able to encourage a fellow Army vet in the next bed over from me as he is facing some radical changes as a result of a heart attack and discovering he had diabetes, (things I've had.) I developed a real love for him, his name is James Washington, he was shot by a Vietnamese sniper in 1973. I also had the privilege of having a World War II vet put into my room the final night I was there. It was hard to talk with him because of his deafness, but he was in pretty good shape for 87.
Of course, my family lavished God's love on me and although the VA isn't a Banner hospital by any stretch of the imagination, God took care of me, as He always does.
They were ultimately unable to find the source of the clot--they checked my heart and did other tests, but it remains a mystery. So, to ensure that my blood doesn't clot again I'm on Cumaden blood thinner, and for the next ten days I also have to give myself injections twice a day of a different kind of blood thinner. I go to the VA tomorrow for my first appointment here and then again on Friday.
But honestly, the biggest pain now is that I've had hiccups non-stop since Friday morning!!!! It's driving me crazy. My throat is raw, my voice is ragged, my chest and shoulder muscles are sore. The only time they go away is when I'm actually eating something of substance, and, if I can be patient long enough, they will go away when I sleep. I've tried every person's recommendation for sure-fire hiccup relief and none has worked. From drinking water upside down, to drinking with my nose pinched off, to drinking as much as I can without taking a breath, to drinking water through a filter like a paper towel, to pressing behind my ear lobes, to rubbing the roof of my mouth with my forefinger, to taking a teaspoonful of sugar and just swallowing it with no water....nothing has worked so far. Prayer-wise, as goofy as this sounds, this is a major priority. I honestly can't keep a normal conversation, and there is no way that I can teach until these stupid things go away. (Having said that, my son Travis will be teaching tomorrow night...it'd be great to see all of you come out!)
So, that's the scoop for now. I'm basically being forced to slow down for a few days since I can't really talk normally, which is what I spend most of my time doing every day.
I'm blessed beyond belief by God's love for me through each of you special people. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What happens when.......
--What happens when a small, local church is primarily serving a segment of its community that has a 70 percent unemployment rate and those that do work are making minimum wage?
--And what happens when your average American Christian visits a church like the one I just mentioned and the majority of the congregation comes from countries that most Americans have never heard of?
--And what happens when that visiting American Christian is greeted by people from the congregation, the majority of whom speak English with a heavy accent, if they can speak English at all?
--And what happens when that visiting American Christian hears the bible-based message from the American pastor of that multi-ethnic congregation intentionally speaking slowly and as articulately as possible?
--What happens when all of these things are happening, and more?
Most of those visitors encourage the pastor after the service that it's a great work that God is obviously doing here.
And then they are never seen or heard from again.
Because of these things and a few others, the Lord has shown myself and the leaders of our church that we need to begin viewing what we're doing as a "mission" church, station or outpost rather than a stand alone, completely independent local church.
What does that mean? What would that look like?
I'll try to explain next time.
--And what happens when your average American Christian visits a church like the one I just mentioned and the majority of the congregation comes from countries that most Americans have never heard of?
--And what happens when that visiting American Christian is greeted by people from the congregation, the majority of whom speak English with a heavy accent, if they can speak English at all?
--And what happens when that visiting American Christian hears the bible-based message from the American pastor of that multi-ethnic congregation intentionally speaking slowly and as articulately as possible?
--What happens when all of these things are happening, and more?
Most of those visitors encourage the pastor after the service that it's a great work that God is obviously doing here.
And then they are never seen or heard from again.
Because of these things and a few others, the Lord has shown myself and the leaders of our church that we need to begin viewing what we're doing as a "mission" church, station or outpost rather than a stand alone, completely independent local church.
What does that mean? What would that look like?
I'll try to explain next time.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Weeding ceased--families supported...maybe!
Our church sits on 3 and 1/3 acres of property that is completely paid off. We actually occupy about 2/3 of an acre with the remaining 2 and 1/2 acres sitting as an empty lot. It's been empty for 44 years. Every spring and summer we battle the weeds and pick up the trash so that the City of Phoenix doesn't write us up for violations of various rules.
One of the refugee agencies that we work with is the International Rescue Committee, (IRC). They have a micro-enterprise arm that helps refugees set up small businesses and one of the type businesses they help set up is organic farming for refugees who come from a farming backround. But here in Phoenix, there isn't alot of property available to do so....hmmm. You guessed it. I contacted them and we are in the process of trying to turn our lot into what the IRC folks say could be sufficient land to support 10 refugee families full time, (each farming 1/4 of an acre during the 4 growing seasons that Phoenix has).
The major obstacle: City of Phoenix water is not an option, just way too expensive. The only option is what is called SRP water which is used for farming and is one tenth the cost of city water. But, to access it, we would have to pay to bring it from across the major street of Dunlap over on to our property. This will take approximately 25,000.00 dollars. No way we can do it...but it looks like God may be bringing it to pass through a church in Albuquerque that has a heart for people from Burma. They are in the midst of raising the funds for the water. We'll also need funds for an 8 foot block fence around the whole property. We haven't estimated the cost for that yet, but it won't be cheap.
Would you mind keeping this in prayer too?
FOLLOW UP: The apartment complex I mentioned last time is still headed for foreclosure, the deadline is March 8. No miracle yet on that front, so please keep praying.
One of the refugee agencies that we work with is the International Rescue Committee, (IRC). They have a micro-enterprise arm that helps refugees set up small businesses and one of the type businesses they help set up is organic farming for refugees who come from a farming backround. But here in Phoenix, there isn't alot of property available to do so....hmmm. You guessed it. I contacted them and we are in the process of trying to turn our lot into what the IRC folks say could be sufficient land to support 10 refugee families full time, (each farming 1/4 of an acre during the 4 growing seasons that Phoenix has).
The major obstacle: City of Phoenix water is not an option, just way too expensive. The only option is what is called SRP water which is used for farming and is one tenth the cost of city water. But, to access it, we would have to pay to bring it from across the major street of Dunlap over on to our property. This will take approximately 25,000.00 dollars. No way we can do it...but it looks like God may be bringing it to pass through a church in Albuquerque that has a heart for people from Burma. They are in the midst of raising the funds for the water. We'll also need funds for an 8 foot block fence around the whole property. We haven't estimated the cost for that yet, but it won't be cheap.
Would you mind keeping this in prayer too?
FOLLOW UP: The apartment complex I mentioned last time is still headed for foreclosure, the deadline is March 8. No miracle yet on that front, so please keep praying.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
"Legal right", but no heart to exercise it....
In the recent update that I sent out to my mailing list I talked about a couple from Croatia who came to this country with nothing and have been very successful in real estate--specifically in purchasing rundown apartments and fixing them up. They now own two low-income apartment complexes in tough neighborhoods here in Phoenix and the vast majority of occupants in their complexes are refugees. This couple genuinely loves refugees and they have bent over backwards to help them in numerous ways.
When the economy was good, the average time for a non-English speaking refugee to find entry-level, minimum wage work was about 3 months. Since the economy has slowed down, it is now taking 8-9 months for them to find work. The challenge: the resettlement agencies and available funding from other sources is sufficient to cover their rent for a maximum of 5 months.
Because of this couple's love, care, and concern for the plight of refugees, they have been VERY patient with refugees who are unable to pay their rent. They have been carrying the load themselves for some refugees who are 4 to 5 months behind on rent. They don't have the heart to evict them, even though they have the legal right to do so. They know that the refugees would literally have no place to go if they were forced to move out of their apartments. With all the refugees have already suffered in their own countries and in the countries where they lived in refugee camps, this couple just can't bring themselves to play a role in adding the experience of homelessness in America to the baggage these special people already carry.
Well, this last Saturday, while I was visiting one of their complexes, I had a meeting with the wife. In tears, she told me that the other complex, the one they owned first, is now in foreclosure proceedings. Her and her husband have used up their resources, and they were unable to pay the full mortgage payment on the complex for the past two months. Her heart was broken. But it wasn't over the loss of income she would experience or the damage that would be done to their credit. Her heart broke because if it's foreclosed on, a new property manager will be brought in by the bank or a new owner will come in, and it's very likely that many refugees will be evicted when they are unable to pay their rent within the legal time frame.
She said there is a group of people thinking about investing, but it doesn't look good. The deadline is March 8. The clock is ticking. Would you mind praying?
When the economy was good, the average time for a non-English speaking refugee to find entry-level, minimum wage work was about 3 months. Since the economy has slowed down, it is now taking 8-9 months for them to find work. The challenge: the resettlement agencies and available funding from other sources is sufficient to cover their rent for a maximum of 5 months.
Because of this couple's love, care, and concern for the plight of refugees, they have been VERY patient with refugees who are unable to pay their rent. They have been carrying the load themselves for some refugees who are 4 to 5 months behind on rent. They don't have the heart to evict them, even though they have the legal right to do so. They know that the refugees would literally have no place to go if they were forced to move out of their apartments. With all the refugees have already suffered in their own countries and in the countries where they lived in refugee camps, this couple just can't bring themselves to play a role in adding the experience of homelessness in America to the baggage these special people already carry.
Well, this last Saturday, while I was visiting one of their complexes, I had a meeting with the wife. In tears, she told me that the other complex, the one they owned first, is now in foreclosure proceedings. Her and her husband have used up their resources, and they were unable to pay the full mortgage payment on the complex for the past two months. Her heart was broken. But it wasn't over the loss of income she would experience or the damage that would be done to their credit. Her heart broke because if it's foreclosed on, a new property manager will be brought in by the bank or a new owner will come in, and it's very likely that many refugees will be evicted when they are unable to pay their rent within the legal time frame.
She said there is a group of people thinking about investing, but it doesn't look good. The deadline is March 8. The clock is ticking. Would you mind praying?
Monday, February 8, 2010
Pre-boarding announcements
I'm in the midst of putting together my next update that I send out to my e-mail list. Once I launch that update, I'll be boarding this blog again on a regular basis. Thank you to those who have responded here and through other means. I'm continually amazed that so many folks genuinely care about Helen and me and want to hear the latest events in the story that God is permitting us to live out.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Almost ready...
If anyone is out there that still checks this blog? I believe the time might be near to gear up again. Does anyone care?
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