Outreach to Migrant Farm Workers
Monday, April 28, 2008
Invision Global Network Video
Overview of non-profit international organization - Invision Global Network
Saturday, April 26, 2008
New Shoes
Just recently I was talking with a colleague about how we can travel light seeing as the airlines are putting more and more restrictions on the weight and number of bags we can bring. This led our conversation to shoes... the perfect shoe for intnernational travel that is. We eventually found ourselves looking on-line for a good pair of travel shoes and discovered that they were all to be too expensive for our budget.
I remembered a conversation I had with a gentleman I had recently met at a church function; a man I had served with on many occasions. He had told me he was in the shoe business and that gave me the brilliant idea of talking with him the next time I saw him.
As it worked out I saw Jim that next Sunday and actually remembered to ask him about the best way to get a good pair of "all around" shoes at a reasonable price. He asked me my size and said he thought he could help me out. A few days later as I was leaving town, I stopped over to his house where I was warmly greeted by his wife who told me Jim had left these shoes for me. I was almost in tears. They are beautiful! I'm sure that most of us take shoes for granted and have far more pairs than we could ever wear, but for me, someone who hasn't purchased a pair of shoes in years these shoes were like a gift from God.
How often do we take for granted simple things like shoes, clothes, dental and medical care, health insurance, gas for our vehicle or even simple utilities like water, electricity and gas.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tax Day
I was reading Luke 12 where Jesus is talking to his disciples. He says, "Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
When Jesus had to pay his taxes he told Peter to go catch a fish and in its' mouth he would find enough money to pay both his own and Peter's tax and that's exactly what happened when he did what Jesus said.
This has got me thinking more about doing what Jesus says. Every day I strive to do what Jesus says in the Scriptures, but I'm learning that Jesus is talking to me through other means and I'm not doing a great job of listening.
Every day we are making choices that will effect the rest of our lives and every day God is speaking to us and guiding us through the Holy Spirit. He's using people and promptings to talk to us. How we respond will either bring us pain or peace.
How do we learn to trust God and listen to what He is saying more and more each day?
When Jesus had to pay his taxes he told Peter to go catch a fish and in its' mouth he would find enough money to pay both his own and Peter's tax and that's exactly what happened when he did what Jesus said.
This has got me thinking more about doing what Jesus says. Every day I strive to do what Jesus says in the Scriptures, but I'm learning that Jesus is talking to me through other means and I'm not doing a great job of listening.
Every day we are making choices that will effect the rest of our lives and every day God is speaking to us and guiding us through the Holy Spirit. He's using people and promptings to talk to us. How we respond will either bring us pain or peace.
How do we learn to trust God and listen to what He is saying more and more each day?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
New Development!
INVISION GLOBAL NETWORK, or IGN, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing strategic partnerships that help people reach their full potential through education, empowerment and short-term serving experiences. We provide wholistic training for under-developed communities and serve as advocates connecting those who have resources to those with who lack them as well as mobilizing volunteers to help meet physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs throughout the world.
IGN has been going through a process of transformation; a time of determining how we can truly realize the full scope of our calling. Until now, our primary focus has been on short-term serving trips but the greater part of our mission is developing strategic partnerships, empowerment and education.
Recently, Cindie and I were invited to participate in a missions’ conference in Arlington, Illinois. A young couple was speaking at the conference and shared a little about their mission in Southern Africa. After the conference we got together for lunch and talked more about their work, a program or development tool called “CHE”. We were mesmerized; totally drawn in by the stories and testimonies of the lives impacted and changed through the philosophies of this program.
“CHE” stands for Community Health Education. It’s a multifaceted, community-based, development strategy that deals with the whole person: physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
It’s about:
Equipping Nationals for Ministry
Long Term Development, not Relief
Local Ownership / Control
Emphasizing Local Resources
Integrated “Wholistic” Discipleship
Sustainability
Basic CHE Training Lessons are in:
Evangelism / Discipleship (how to share Christ, Pray...)
Disease Prevention (vs. cure)
Emotional Care
Appropriate Technology (water purification, solar & mud stoves)
Agriculture (home gardening)
Animal husbandry (raising chickens, goats, odorless pig pens)
Family Planning
Addictions
Cindie and I have always felt that we’ve needed a stronger concentration on development and we believe that “CHE” will provide that. What does this all mean for IGN – for us? First, we would like to spend 75% to 85% of our time on the field doing training and partnership development. As we develop these relationships our goal would be to connect under-resourced churches from all over the world with churches wanting to come alongside them, partner with them and to help alleviate poverty and suffering at all levels.
We would continue to work with teams, providing training and tools (on-line) to help get them on the field and since we would already be on the field, the costs of short-term serving trips would be significantly reduced.
This new strategy also requires a big step of faith on our part. We would have to develop a support team; partnerships with churches and individuals who recognize that this as an investment into God’s Kingdom.
We are in the process of defining what partnership means and how that might look. Our desire is to serve the whole Body of Christ, helping all people reach their full potential in life. Helping individuals discover their true purpose, how God specifically designed us and how we can employ His gifts and talents for to make a difference in the world.
IGN has been going through a process of transformation; a time of determining how we can truly realize the full scope of our calling. Until now, our primary focus has been on short-term serving trips but the greater part of our mission is developing strategic partnerships, empowerment and education.
Recently, Cindie and I were invited to participate in a missions’ conference in Arlington, Illinois. A young couple was speaking at the conference and shared a little about their mission in Southern Africa. After the conference we got together for lunch and talked more about their work, a program or development tool called “CHE”. We were mesmerized; totally drawn in by the stories and testimonies of the lives impacted and changed through the philosophies of this program.
“CHE” stands for Community Health Education. It’s a multifaceted, community-based, development strategy that deals with the whole person: physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
It’s about:
Equipping Nationals for Ministry
Long Term Development, not Relief
Local Ownership / Control
Emphasizing Local Resources
Integrated “Wholistic” Discipleship
Sustainability
Basic CHE Training Lessons are in:
Evangelism / Discipleship (how to share Christ, Pray...)
Disease Prevention (vs. cure)
Emotional Care
Appropriate Technology (water purification, solar & mud stoves)
Agriculture (home gardening)
Animal husbandry (raising chickens, goats, odorless pig pens)
Family Planning
Addictions
Cindie and I have always felt that we’ve needed a stronger concentration on development and we believe that “CHE” will provide that. What does this all mean for IGN – for us? First, we would like to spend 75% to 85% of our time on the field doing training and partnership development. As we develop these relationships our goal would be to connect under-resourced churches from all over the world with churches wanting to come alongside them, partner with them and to help alleviate poverty and suffering at all levels.
We would continue to work with teams, providing training and tools (on-line) to help get them on the field and since we would already be on the field, the costs of short-term serving trips would be significantly reduced.
This new strategy also requires a big step of faith on our part. We would have to develop a support team; partnerships with churches and individuals who recognize that this as an investment into God’s Kingdom.
We are in the process of defining what partnership means and how that might look. Our desire is to serve the whole Body of Christ, helping all people reach their full potential in life. Helping individuals discover their true purpose, how God specifically designed us and how we can employ His gifts and talents for to make a difference in the world.
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