So, we are finally back in the U.S. and somewhat recovered from our ten-day trip to Love-A-Child Orphanage in Haiti. It has taken some time for me to get back onto the blog to write this "wrap-up" entry, which is partially a result of the long list of "to-do's" awaiting me upon my return and partly due to the need for some time to mull over everything that we experienced. So, here are my final thoughts...
The Haitian people have demonstrated a remarkable resiliency, and a rock solid faith. Although their future is far from certain, they show a guarded hope for the future.
I want to thank everyone who followed our team's activities during our time in Haiti and who covered us in prayer while we were away. On the return flight to the U.S., I was struck by the huge number of things that could have gone wrong while we were away - transportation, food, sickness, personality conflicts, injury, etc., etc. - the list could go on. I believe firmly that these issues were kept at bay by your prayers. THANK YOU!
Hi Family and Friends,
Today was another good day at the Love a Child Disaster Recovery Center (it's official name). Most of the Haitians in the camp attended Sunday service from about 9 - 12, so most of the medical care had to be provided before 9. It led to a busy morning, but everything got done.
The big event of the day was a ceremony to recognize community leaders who have helped out over the last few months. People spoke (with a bit of speaker feedback), children sang (adorable) and certificates of appreciation were handed out (they were appreciated). One of the more poignant moments was when a member of the medical staff got up and sang a couple bars from Amazing Grace.
It has been such a blessing to be able to spend time with the Haitians. As you walk around the compound, kids are running everywhere, patients hobble around on crutches, some step gingerly as they try out new prosthetic limbs and the local interpreters are rattling off sentences in English, Spanish, French and Creole. The one consistent thing is that EVERYONE seems to wear a smile. All things considered, it's a pretty joyful place to work. That said, there is a lot of pain here and we're learning more about people's individual stories. It is hard to "stay up" when your heart is just breaking, so I would ask that you please pray for all of our team members that we'll be able to stay positive, be encouraged despite the challenges and be strong for those we are serving. Pray also that we will be able to process everything by sharing it with one another, by journaling and by leaning on God's strength when ours fails.
Thanks for supporting us!
Pastor Dan
Hi Everyone,
So today was the first full day of getting into the work and providing patient care. All of our PTs, RNs and our MD got right into the thick of it with patient assignments and doing rounds. There were language challenges, as there aren't enough interpreters to assist all of our practicioners, but we made do as best as possible. Everyone is showing a great attitude, and a make-do spirit.
Here were some highlights:
One member of our team was pulled in to observe an orthopedic surgery, which she described as fascinating. Apparently, she didn't mind sitting in the air conditioning for a while either!
Another team member went with a small team to a partner site to provide PT care to the population of Haitians that have been discharged from the grounds of Love a Child, but need follow-up care.
Our videographer captured some great footage and several interviews with Haitians in the camp, one of which was incredibly compelling. In brief, 23 year old Darline was at her job, getting supplies from the basement of the building when the earthquake hit. She fell to the floor and a wall collapsed onto her arms. She said as she lay there that she knew her arms were gone. She laid in the basement for five days until rescue teams finally pulled her out. Darline did not remember the last day at all.
Today, she sat under a tree in a wheelchair and spoke to us about the ordeal and her time here at Love a Child. Her right hand is gone, just above the wrist and her left arm was amputated above her elbow. She told us about her family: her mother, who needs her help to cook and clean and take care of her brothers and sisters. She said she was anxious to get the prosthetic limbs, but doesn't know when that will happen. As she sat there talking to us, she brushed the hair out of her eyes with what was left of her right arm. She was praising God, saying that she didn't understand why this had to happen, but that she was certain it would be clear a couple of years down the road. She demonstrated a faith that could move mountains and it was all I could do to pray for her without losing it.
In fact, that's the biggest surprise for us at the moment. We came thinking that we would bring medical and spiritual aid to the victims of the earthquake. Instead, we find that the Haitian people in the camp are drawing upon God and each other to survive and thrive. He's answering their prayers. They worship each night and reflect a joy that can't be explained by their circumstances. They are inspiring us! It seems to many on the team that the opportunity for us to serve as a witness to Christ will be to our colleagues from the secular medical organizations represented here. Please pray for opportunities there.
OK, that's it for today. More tomorrow!
God bless,
Pastor Dan
Hi Everyone,
We made it safely to the Dominican Republic. After traveling for nearly 20 hours, we are now at Children of the Nation's facility in Barahona, DR and we are looking forward to a very good night's sleep! The power has already switched off once since I began typing, so I will keep this message brief, but our flights went well and the only losses we suffered were sleep and the use of the bus' air conditioning during the drive from Santo Domingo to Barahona. After getting a good meal and playing a mean game of Speed Uno, we had the chance to meet with the outgoing team. They briefed us on several of the patients at Love a Child orphanage and gave us more detail on what to expect. The trip to the orphanage tomorrow may take up to five hours given a chaotic border situation between Haiti and the DR. Please keep that trip in your prayers, as well as our health and stregth.
Thank you for your prayers already...we have seen the results in several ways and it's very encouraging.
I will try to write again tomorrow from Haiti!
God bless and good night!
Pastor Dan
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to send you a report on our outreach to Skid Row, which took place on February 19th. I have to say that the response from those who went and those who supported us was tremendous. Thank you in advance! Several small groups got together to prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as well as cookies and water. I think we had over 800 sandwiches, as well as clothes and blankets! I pray that all of you who prepared food were as blessed by the opportunity to get together and do this good work as we were to share it!
The day of the outreach brought clouds and reports of rain coming our way. We decided to go regardless, knowing that we may see fewer people than we had originally expected. We met at the warehouse shortly after eight and by 9, we had finished loading food, clothes and people into the church vehicles. As we left, the rain started coming down harder and everyone got ready for a wet night. Our first stop was in Compton, which has become so much more familiar to us over the last few months. We met Pastor Alejandro Leon of Victory Outreach (VO), the church that agreed to show us the ropes in Skid Row. We also connected with Eddie Arellano, a former gang member who has had a pretty harrowing life/spiritual journey. Eddie was VO’s ministry lead for Skid Row, the Compton Outreach and several other ministries that give VO a strong presence in Compton. (I guess every church has a Chris Gibbons!) Anyway, Eddie has a huge heart for God and he was the perfect host for us.
After Eddie briefed us on what to expect, we jumped back in the vehicles and made our way to LA. Driving into the area of Skid Row, we saw tents and tarps set up on the sidewalks. It reminded me of some of the photos I’ve seen recently from Port au Prince, Haiti with people seeking shelter wherever they can. It was a sad sight. We set up between the LA Rescue Mission and the police department. The rain slowed and pretty much stopped by the time we arrived, which was a welcome blessing. The VO team set up with a pot of soup, boxes of PB&Js and a collection of jackets and clothes. Most SCGers gathered together and did a trip around the block, handing out food and trying to connect with people who were doing their best to stay dry. During the two hours we spent there, we probably saw about 75 people. Well less than the 300 – 400 we had been planning for, but it was clear that those who were there appreciated the food, dry clothes and words of encouragement we were able to offer.
One of the best parts of going down with Victory Outreach was that they run a men’s ministry where people can come in off the street, live in a home, get a warm shower and if they commit to a discipleship program, stay until they get their lives back on track. So, not only did we provide people with food and clothes, but we were also able to offer people an alternative to spending another night on the street. That night three guys decided to give it a shot. Please pray that they continue to choose God’s path for their life. It’s hard to know how many people stick it out, but while I was there, I did get to meet one of VO’s team members, Octavio. He told me that he had been “picked up” by VO six months ago. He had stuck with the program and was now with the VO team, trying to encourage others from Skid Row to make some good choices. Very cool to see it come full circle.
Shortly after midnight, we had pretty much covered the whole area and the rain started to fall again. We got back into the vehicles and returned to Compton. We still had sandwiches and clothes left over, so we donated them to Victory Outreach, as they were doing a community event the following day. They were very appreciative and it was good to be able to bless some of their other ministry activities.
Despite the rain, the night was a success. Everything went smoothly and safely (thanks Rich). We got to connect with some great brothers and sisters in Christ over at Victory Outreach and we were able to serve the urban poor - giving back to God by caring for those living in the streets. The experience affected everyone from SCG a little differently, I’m sure, but most everyone said that they’d like to go back. So, we are planning to partner with VO on a monthly basis to continue the ministry. We will plan for the last Friday of the month, so the next outreach will be on March 26th. If you’d like to be a part of the next trip, or if your group would be interested in supporting our team by making sandwiches again, please let us know.
Thanks to everyone who went, everyone who prepared food and everyone who covered the team in prayer. To God be the glory!
Pastor Dan
Hey Everyone, Over the past few weeks, volunteers from SeaCoast Grace have been stepping up and giving back to the the women and children of Precious Life Shelter. They've worked side-by-side making cookies, decorating the womens' home and just celebrating the season! They've had an impact. Here are some of the "thank you's" we've received over the last few days: Thank you so much for everything you do for me and my daughter and the shelter. God bless you! Thank you so much for including me always and for taking the time to spend helping at Precious Life Shelter. Merry Christmas to you all. May it be filled with lots of family and love. Everything you do is so appreciated. You are all so wonderful and so kind. Thank you and I hope you have a Happy Christmas and a truly blessed New Year. Dear SeaCoast Christmas Party Volunteers: I'm sorry I don't remember everyone's names, but I just wanted to Thank You all for everything. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! XOXO Thank you for the kindness and love you have shown us. God bless you.
I want to take a minute to let everyone know about how our October/November ministry activities are going. First off, our Turkey Drive for the Long Beach Rescue Mission was a huge success. We raised over 3,900 dollars to purchase turkeys and hams for the mission. In fact, we raised so much money that we have been able to bless some other food providers in the area as well. Thank you for your generosity!! We're also making great progress on the Lydia House Transition House. In fact, we've given ourselves a deadline of December 13 to hand the home over. Walls are painted, floors are installed (great job Sam!) and lighting and plumbing fixtures are going in steadily. We have one more big work day on the 12th where we plan to have all the big pieces wrapped up . Come join us on the 13th at the Transition House from 4 - 6 for the official handover and thanks to all the volunteers who have made this project a huge success! Finally, our Angel Tree ministry is going full tilt. It's great to see the presents stack up as people return gifts for kids in our area. If you want to help distribute presents to individual families, you're welcome to meet us on December 19th at 9a.m. at the Warehouse West. Details and directions will be provided. Great job SCG!
Hey Everyone, As we gear up for the holiday season, life gets busier and we tend to get more focused. That can be a good thing as we get a lot accomplished, but it can also make it harder to see some things that are staring us in the face. Today, as I was running from one building to another during and after services, I had one of those moments where God tapped me on the shoulder and told me to stop and look. Standing in front of the Ranch House, I saw a man who was clearly homeless. He was slowly walking by on the sidewalk in the direction of the riverbed, head down, shuffling his feet. It struck me that at SeaCoast, homelessness is something we usually don't come into contact with unless we're looking for it (going to serve at the Long Beach Rescue Mission for example). This gentleman reminded me that there is an opportunity to serve the homeless right here in our community. I kind of think that's what we should be about. I wonder if anyone else at SeaCoast feels the same way and if so, would you be willing to explore the issue with me? If you do, drop me an email at giveback@seacoastgrace.org and let me know about it. God bless, Pastor Dan
Hey Everyone, As usual, there are lots of things going on at SCG Give Back in the days and weeks ahead. FIrst, however, here's a read-out on our trip to Mexico and our ongoing service project at the Lydia House in Long Beach: Mexico School & Church Building – Sixty SCGers travelled to Girasoles, Mexico October 9, 10 & 11. We had a GREAT time getting to know each other and spending time with our local partners, Pastor Francisco and his family. In just three days, we built a two-room school house and painted the entire school complex. We also completed an addition to our partner church, Lo Mejor del Trigo (The Finest Wheat). This addition will be used to host a breakfast program for the kids of Girasoles, as well as the church's regular bible study. Perhaps the best part was getting to to see 40 kids crowd around some surprise playground equipment we were able to build. The kids loved it and we can't wait for next May's trip! Lydia Transition House – Over the last five weekends, we’ve had an average of 15 SCGers donating their Saturday mornings to renovate a home for the women and children of the Long Beach Rescue Mission's Lydia House. These volunteers have done a tremendous job, gutting the interior of the home, installing drywall, repairing plumbing, gardening, installing cabinets and painting. These gracious folks have put in some long hard hours and they have met some new friends in the process. This project isn’t complete, so email us at GiveBack@SeaCoastGrace.Org if you can lend a helping hand. The project will wrap up on December 5th! Here are some other things that are going on this holiday season... Turkey Drive – SCG is hosting a Thanksgiving Turkey Drive for the LBRM and Lydia House. $10 bucks will buy a bird! Take your donation to the Give Back booth in the courtyard, drop it in the offering or donate online. Be sure to specify “Turkey” on your donation. Thank You Vicki & Russ Madsen and their small group for leading this project! Angel Tree – The talented Sheri Johnson is once again blessing SCG by leading another year of this wonderful ministry. SCG has joined efforts with The Angel Tree Network in spreading love and the good news of Jesus Christ through gifts and visits to 300 hundred children in the Long Beach area who have an incarcerated parent. There are many volunteer opportunities, so email scg-angeltree@sbcglobal.net today! Compton Lt. Meeting - Join us on November 9th from 7p to 8:30 to get a read-out on the last Compton Work Day, share lessons learned and begin planning for our next work day on January 23. This is a great chance to get to know good people and to have a dramatic impact on the LA area.
Hey SCGers, Do you remember the amazing backyard restoration job we did at the Lydia House in Long Beach last fall? Well, we have another great opportunity to bless the women and children of the Lydia House. Throughout the month of October, we will be renovating the Lydia House Transition House, a new facility that will complement the Long Beach Rescue Mission's ministry to women and children in need. Work starts on October 3rd and will continue for the next three Saturdays of the month. Get your small group together (or grab a friend) and let us know when you can make it. We will have two shifts each day, from 8 a.m. - 12 noon and from 1 - 5 p.m. We'll be serving pizza from 12 - 1. The first weekend, there will be demo work and disposing of trash. The next two weekends will be “light” construction. The fourth weekend will be finish work, such as painting. At the end of the month, we'll get together to bless the home and open it up for women and children to use as they continue their journey of restoration. It's going to be a powerful experience, so please join us and be a part of the experience. Thank you for serving! Pastor Dan
Hey Sarah (and everyone else who will be working with us in Compton)! Here are the details for the upcoming Compton Work Day scheduled for October 17th. The event runs from 7 am to 12 noon. We will meet at Dominguez High School, which is located at 15301 S. San Jose Ave., Compton, CA. When you arrive, volunteers will show you where to park and where to go. Look for the SeaCoast Grace sign in the check-in area and let us know you're there. We'll give you a site assignment, help you get a Compton Initiative Shirt and then point you to the breakfast tables. After grabbing a bite, find your work group and meet some new people from SCG. We'll have a short pep rally at 7:45 and then it's off to your site. We're looking forward to welcoming you on the 17th as we come together to encourage our brothers and sisters in Compton by "just doing good!" God bless, Pastor Dan
Hey Everyone, I wanted to let you know about a couple of great Give Back opportunities that are coming up this fall. First off, we plan to run a food drive for the We Care Family Support Center of Los Alamitos. This food bank provides needed items for many people who live right here in our community. Donations can be brought to the Give Back booth on the courtyard starting October 1. From October 9 - 11 we're heading to Girasoles, Mexico (just outside of Tecate) for a construction trip. Our plan is to build a school and a church addition for this community! If you want to learn more about what we're doing in Mexico, check out http://www.seacoastgrace.org/give/mexico. Also, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 17th. We'll be returning to Compton to help bring hope and healing to the city through the Compton Initiative. This time SCG will be leading up teams on three separate sites, so be sure to sign up online or at the booth in mid-September. This is a great way to get to know other people from SCG. You won't want to miss it. Watch this space! More opportunities are coming up! Have a great week! Pastor Dan
Hey SCGers! I just want to let you know that we had a great trip to El Salvador this past week! We made a lot of progress constructing a water tank for the community of San Antonio, which will provide clean water to over 125 families. We also spent a lot of time investing in the people of the village through house visits, school visits and just playing together! (We held our own on the soccer field!) We saw the impact we had on Thursday afternoon when we dedicated the water tank to God. Nearly 80 men, women and children came out to help us celebrate what God was doing in this remote, but loved village. It was great! Everything went really smoothly on the trip and we definitely felt God's protection, as the worst injury received was a skinned knee and a few blisters. The team was awesome and we returned with some good stories, lots of laughs and a bunch of new friends. You should definitely join us next year! In Him, Pastor Dan
Hey Everyone, Great news! The 2009 SCG El Salvador team made it down to San Salvador safely today, July 11th. Despite a tired crew after the all-night flight, we spent the day visiting the region where we'll be working all week and gaining a better understanding of how our partner organization, ENLACE, helps to empower local churches. For our part, we're excited for the opportunity to come alongside the church of San Antonio and contribute to their work. They need clean water, and we need a good nights sleep so we can help build a water tank! Tomorrow, we're going to take the morning to review the work ahead and then worship side by side with the people of San Antonio in the afternoon. Construction starts Monday. Please pray for continued safety, health and a fun experience! God is good! Pastor Dan
Hey SCGers! I just want to let you know the dates of the remaining 2009 Compton Initiative Work Days. The next work day will be on Saturday, July 25th. We will be meeting at Gonzales Park, 1101 W Cressey St. Compton 90222 at 7am Sharp! The final work day of 2009 will take place on October 24th - meeting location TBC - so be sure to mark your calendars. Remember, you can always contact us at giveback@seacoastgrace.org if you have any questions, or if you'd like to be more involved in this amazing outreach! Thanks, Pastor Dan
I want to let everyone know about a couple of things that are going on in the "Give Back" ministry over the next week or two. First off, the Precious Life Shelter is having a Volunteer Orientation on June 10th at 6 p.m. If you're not familiar with PLS, here's a thumbnail sketch of what they do: PLS provides a safe, loving environment for the homeless pregnant woman as she learns to care for herself and her child. Short - sweet - and incredibly powerful to know that by getting involved, you may be able to save the life of an unborn child AND minister to a mom who needs you. The orientation is a great way to get more details about the work the shelter does and to learn how you can give back using your own unique skills and gifts. One thing to keep in mind...this isn't a ministry just for women. There are a list of handyman needs all around the PLS facility, so women, BRING YOUR MAN ALONG! Stop by the Give Back booth to learn more, or email us at giveback@seacoastgrace.org. Men of SCG, if PLS isn't quite your thing, check out the Compton Initiative. We are looking for “lieutenants” who can lead an SCG work team during the quarterly Compton Work days. This is a great way to put your handyman and leadership skills to good use. Even if you're not "handy," we still need people who can help us out on the safety, prayer and organizational aspects of the work days. To learn more, join us for a BBQ and planning meeting on Monday, June 22 in Paramount. Email me at giveback@seacoastgrace.org to get all the details. I look forward to working with you in God's name! Pastor Dan
Hey Everyone, Praise God for an incredible trip to Mexico this past weekend. The team that went down was so well-balanced and effective. Not only did we build a great home, but members of our team were led by the Spirit to bring the man of the house - 16 yr. old Alonso - to Christ. Everyone was blessed by the experience and many were encouraged to go deeper in this ministry. We are now planning a follow-up trip later this summer to minister to the same community. We are currently identifying ways that we can bless the community in a sustainable way. One team member has already agreed to teach the mom of the house how to cut hair! We also plan to focus on health and hygiene issues. God is good!
Hey Everyone, I want to let you know that despite a couple of hurdles, SCG is still planning on sending a 30-person team to Tecate to build a home for a deserving family. There have been plenty of reasons not to go, including violence along the border and the outbreak of swine flu. That said, we have weighed the potential risks (real and imagined) against the impact we're going to have on a family in need and we've decided to go forward. So, if you're reading this, I'd ask you to say a quick prayer for our group. Please pray for protection for those traveling, pray that everyone participating will be in the right frame of mind [For God gave us a spirit not of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.—2 Timothy 1:7] and please pray for the family that is waiting expectantly for us to arrive. God bless!
Hey SCGers! I want to thank EVERYONE who participated in the Compton Initiative this past Saturday. About 250 people from SeaCoast SHOWED UP and joined 1150 other Christians to pour love out on the people of Compton. You were truly God's hands and feet. I hope you were inspired and encouraged by the opportunity to serve and give back. Some great stories came out of the Compton Day and I'm looking forward to sharing them with everyone on May 7th. We're going to meet at the Warehouse West at 7 p.m. to give you some insight into what the Compton Initiative is all about, share some stories from the day and talk about the future of this initiative at SeaCoast Grace. Be there!
Hey Everyone, I've been hearing a lot of concern from people lately about safety issues related to our Mexico House Building trip scheduled for May 15 - 16. I'll be the first to admit that from the media reporting, it sounds like the border is a good place to avoid right now. That said, I have some insight I'd like to share with you. As a former media specialist with the State Department, I have seen many instances in which an issue captures the imagination of the media. Increased media attention leads to a rush of reporting in which journalists desperately seek a new angle to report on. This flood of reporting can create a perception – in this case, the level of violence in Mexico – that is often not accurate. When this type of media attention hits an area, it’s vital to go to the source…someone who is on the ground that you trust to explain what’s really happening. For the last several weeks, I have been in steady contact with the director of Rancho La Paloma near Tecate (where we stay). He has assured me that the situation in Tecate is stable; missions groups are visiting and serving normally and he has not witnessed any increase in violence. The article below is yet another source that seeks to separate perception from fact. It specifically mentions Baja Christian Ministries, which is our partner in Tecate. http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Apr09/Art_Apr09_01.html ChristianExaminer - USA I don't want to minimize the violence that is occurring along the border. Everyone who goes should be aware of the risks. I just want to make sure that your decision about whether or not to go are based on facts and not fears. On a final point, I take the safety of everyone who participates in missions trips very seriously. Mexico is no different. At this time, I believe that by taking reasonable precautions (traveling by day, driving via caravan and remaining at the ranch in the evening) we will be no more exposed to gang/drug related violence that we are here in the greater Los Angeles area. If the situation changes as we approach the May 15-17 build dates, I will not hesitate to postpone or cancel the trip. As always, I’m available to talk to people on a one-to-one basis to address any specific concerns. Thanks and God bless, Dan
Hey Everyone! I want to introduce the Give Back Blog - the newest way to connect with SCG's missions department. Use this site to get details about upcoming service opportunities and missions trips, or to share new ideas for ministry. Let us know what you think! God bless, Pastor Dan
