In preparation for Harvest of Talents I keep wondering what in the world can I create? Then enters the wonderful world of Pinterest! I believe that my first project is going to be taking an antique window that I have had for months and to buy some chalkboard paint to go over the glass panes. Then each pane can become a designated to do list section, message section, or shopping list section. I have posted the link of how to create this project below. We will be hosting Pinterest evenings where groups of people can come together to create individual projects or to create one big project. Watch for those dates to come out soon. We are hoping that people will keep posting their creations on here, so that it will spur on the excitement and the creativity of others! Bring on the ideas!
Vintage Window=Message Board
- Rachel
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Seeing the Faces
It's sad to admit, but I often worry that Americans have grown numb to the recent onslaught of world hunger commercials, usually inundated with sad pictures of starving children wearing raggedy clothes and covered in flies. I think maybe we steel ourselves to these realities partly because the idea is overwhelming, and what could we possibly do about it? I think the other factor in our avoidance is the mere disconnect with the reality of the situation. How bad could it really be? Surely somebody is going to take care of the situation.
I've been blessed enough to visit several developing countries and missions around the world. I have always come back feeling that the people have changed and served me more than I could possibly serve them. I have built wonderful relationships and learned many great life lessons from the friends I have made.
Harvest of Talents is a very personal experience for me, because I have MET the people that this endeavor works to benefit. Two summers ago, I had the great privilege of visiting and working with the Massai people in Kenya. They were a happy people group, hardly like the sad faces you see in the commercials. But they are also a group of people in great need. I have learned recently that the people that I met in Nchishi are currently suffering from an overwhelming famine. The friends that we made, and the students we taught, are literally starving to death. HOW could I possibly sit by, knowing that my friends, and brothers & sisters in Christ, are STARVING?
I hope that, even if you have not had a chance to meet some of these people, you would really look at them. Imagine your own child, or sibling, or parent literally dying because there is no food.
I am SO excited about Harvest of Talents. And I am comforted to know that, while our Harvest of Talents is still a little ways out, IDES has already stepped in to help my friends in Nchishi, Kenya. They are using funds from programs like Harvest of Talents.
Friends, YOU can make a difference. Our talents were given to us through the grace of God. He is the all-powerful and the epitome of creative. Who are we to underestimate or undermine what he has created in us? Whether it's car maintenance, tutoring skills, a craft, music, food... anything... YOU can feed my friends in Nchishi, and our brothers and sisters all around the world.
See you in May! And again in October :)
- Denise
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
1 Peter 10.
I've been blessed enough to visit several developing countries and missions around the world. I have always come back feeling that the people have changed and served me more than I could possibly serve them. I have built wonderful relationships and learned many great life lessons from the friends I have made.
Harvest of Talents is a very personal experience for me, because I have MET the people that this endeavor works to benefit. Two summers ago, I had the great privilege of visiting and working with the Massai people in Kenya. They were a happy people group, hardly like the sad faces you see in the commercials. But they are also a group of people in great need. I have learned recently that the people that I met in Nchishi are currently suffering from an overwhelming famine. The friends that we made, and the students we taught, are literally starving to death. HOW could I possibly sit by, knowing that my friends, and brothers & sisters in Christ, are STARVING?
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| Katie with some of her 4th graders |
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| Denise, teaching 3rd grade |
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| Rachel, with some of her 6th graders |
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| Denise & Students |
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| Team with students at a local traditional dance competition. |
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| Rachel, teaching class |
I am SO excited about Harvest of Talents. And I am comforted to know that, while our Harvest of Talents is still a little ways out, IDES has already stepped in to help my friends in Nchishi, Kenya. They are using funds from programs like Harvest of Talents.
Friends, YOU can make a difference. Our talents were given to us through the grace of God. He is the all-powerful and the epitome of creative. Who are we to underestimate or undermine what he has created in us? Whether it's car maintenance, tutoring skills, a craft, music, food... anything... YOU can feed my friends in Nchishi, and our brothers and sisters all around the world.
See you in May! And again in October :)
- Denise
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
1 Peter 10.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Christmas presents
I spent this Christmas at home with my family in Cincinnati. The older I get, the more I appreciate those rare times when we all get to be together. Opening presents is always a big ordeal at our house. Everyone has to open one at a time, and the order is strategically designed so that we all finish opening around the same time. I like to wrap my presents in as many separate packages as possible so the whole experience lasts longer. For me, the opening of gifts in itself is a present: the time spent with family, laughing and joking about what we've received (all mine were kitchen-themed), the presentation (my brother tries on purpose to use the ugliest wrapping paper), and the procedure for unwrapping (the relative merits of taking one's time vs. ripping it open). Once the production of opening presents is over, I have a second gift to enjoy: the actual presents! I can't wait to try out my brand new immersion blender. That butternut squash soup won't know what hit it. :)
Reflecting on Christmas presents reminds me of the products for sale at the Harvest of Talents. When you create an item, you have the joy and pleasure of doing something you love that God has given you the ability to do. But it keeps on giving! Not only do you get pleasure out of creating, but your gift will benefit those in need. In the same way, when you buy a product, not only do you get the actual item, but you know your purchase will help people around the world with their physical and spiritual needs! It's two gifts in one! And who doesn't love buy one get one free?
-Katie
Reflecting on Christmas presents reminds me of the products for sale at the Harvest of Talents. When you create an item, you have the joy and pleasure of doing something you love that God has given you the ability to do. But it keeps on giving! Not only do you get pleasure out of creating, but your gift will benefit those in need. In the same way, when you buy a product, not only do you get the actual item, but you know your purchase will help people around the world with their physical and spiritual needs! It's two gifts in one! And who doesn't love buy one get one free?
-Katie
Community
As I reflect over this past year I think about different events that took place and the highs and lows in between. As I contemplate this past year I realize that with many of those events I associate certain people and friends. Life is made more tolerable or more joyful dependent upon who you get to share it with. As I walk through different phases of life I have come to realize that often times people are only in your life for a season. However the need for those people in your life never fades. We were designed to need relationships. The cultivation of community is often times a puzzling factor. What is it that connects you to people? Why do you instantly connect to some people and not to others? How do I foster community?
One of the major goals of Harvest of Talents is to create community. When people are working towards one common goal or mission that unites them together. Through this event the prayer is that people will connect with people who share similar interests or talents and it will unite people who have different skills and gifts. I look forward to Harvest of Talents East TN in this new year, but even more than that I am anxiously awaiting the new friends and community that will be discovered through this journey.
- Rachel
One of the major goals of Harvest of Talents is to create community. When people are working towards one common goal or mission that unites them together. Through this event the prayer is that people will connect with people who share similar interests or talents and it will unite people who have different skills and gifts. I look forward to Harvest of Talents East TN in this new year, but even more than that I am anxiously awaiting the new friends and community that will be discovered through this journey.
- Rachel
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Preparations
As we prepare for the Harvest, it is exciting to see our to-do list get shorter (or at least not grow immensely), see others catch the vision, and see things beginning to come together. Last weekend, Rachel, Denise and I gathered at my house to put together a short movie to advertise HOT. We wanted to have something we could show at Lakeway, Crossings, and any other churches that were interested.
Even though we each cracked up as soon as the camera was turned on us, Matthew Davidson did an awesome job editing and think it turned out pretty cool! It was great to make the video and spend a little downtime with these great girls. My favorite part was just talking about the Harvest. We had each researched certain aspects to talk about and it was so cool to hear how we can each use our talents to serve God. I get excited when I think about how God can use each of us to serve His purposes and the interconnectedness of it all. I love how God can use a 20-something teacher in East Tennessee to feed a 60 year old man in Africa! Making this video reminded me of how big our God is and how He can use each of us to fulfill his purposes. I hope you all get to see it soon!
Have any of you thought about how you can use your talents to help others around the world? I'm thinking something along the baking/cooking line. I might also do a gift certificate for tutoring sessions. Leave a comment with your suggestions to give others ideas!
-Katie
Even though we each cracked up as soon as the camera was turned on us, Matthew Davidson did an awesome job editing and think it turned out pretty cool! It was great to make the video and spend a little downtime with these great girls. My favorite part was just talking about the Harvest. We had each researched certain aspects to talk about and it was so cool to hear how we can each use our talents to serve God. I get excited when I think about how God can use each of us to serve His purposes and the interconnectedness of it all. I love how God can use a 20-something teacher in East Tennessee to feed a 60 year old man in Africa! Making this video reminded me of how big our God is and how He can use each of us to fulfill his purposes. I hope you all get to see it soon!
Have any of you thought about how you can use your talents to help others around the world? I'm thinking something along the baking/cooking line. I might also do a gift certificate for tutoring sessions. Leave a comment with your suggestions to give others ideas!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thankful
Over Thanksgiving break I was able to have some much needed time of reflection. Fortunately I was able to go to the National Missionary Convention right before the holidays. I have to admit that the day before the convention started I had a really foul attitude and perspective on my life and feeling overwhelmed with daily responsibilities.
At the convention I had the opportunity to go to lunch with my parents and a man from Myanmar. Over the course of this lunch I began to learn a little more about this man's story. His home village was kicked off of their land by the local government. He appealed to IDES to help out his people. He was a recipient of HOT money and has continued to help out local villages and has also started a boarding school for children. As I listened to this humble man I was blown away by his continued service in the midst of hardships and trials. At the end of the convention this man was up on stage singing a hymn with a choir. The camera focused on him when the verse said," Well done my good and faithful servant." This brought tears to my eyes as a reflected on how selflessly this man has served and how he has handled this responsibility of caring for his people.
He taught me an important lesson without even knowing it. He realized that it wasn't his mission. It is God's mission of bringing people back to Him. He also realized that he doesn't have to tackle this mission alone. He appealed to the global church to come alongside of him. Through this act of humility, look at all that God has done! It reminded me of the parable in Matthew 25 of the bags of gold. God has given each of us talents and if we are willing to use them to glorify Him, He will bless and multiply those gifts.
I often times get so caught up in the daily tasks that I forget that I have so much to be thankful for. Everything that I love and enjoy is a gift of grace from God. It is nothing that I deserve or have earned. Along with those great blessings, I feel a great responsibility. However that responsibility is not my own, we are in this together. God has equipped each of us with different gifts and talents to use for His glory. He will do the work if we are willing to take the step of faith. Harvest of Talents in East TN is a huge step of faith, however it is exciting to think of all the ways that God will use this to bring people closer to Him.
- Rachel
At the convention I had the opportunity to go to lunch with my parents and a man from Myanmar. Over the course of this lunch I began to learn a little more about this man's story. His home village was kicked off of their land by the local government. He appealed to IDES to help out his people. He was a recipient of HOT money and has continued to help out local villages and has also started a boarding school for children. As I listened to this humble man I was blown away by his continued service in the midst of hardships and trials. At the end of the convention this man was up on stage singing a hymn with a choir. The camera focused on him when the verse said," Well done my good and faithful servant." This brought tears to my eyes as a reflected on how selflessly this man has served and how he has handled this responsibility of caring for his people.
He taught me an important lesson without even knowing it. He realized that it wasn't his mission. It is God's mission of bringing people back to Him. He also realized that he doesn't have to tackle this mission alone. He appealed to the global church to come alongside of him. Through this act of humility, look at all that God has done! It reminded me of the parable in Matthew 25 of the bags of gold. God has given each of us talents and if we are willing to use them to glorify Him, He will bless and multiply those gifts.
I often times get so caught up in the daily tasks that I forget that I have so much to be thankful for. Everything that I love and enjoy is a gift of grace from God. It is nothing that I deserve or have earned. Along with those great blessings, I feel a great responsibility. However that responsibility is not my own, we are in this together. God has equipped each of us with different gifts and talents to use for His glory. He will do the work if we are willing to take the step of faith. Harvest of Talents in East TN is a huge step of faith, however it is exciting to think of all the ways that God will use this to bring people closer to Him.
- Rachel
Thursday, November 17, 2011
HOT Testimony
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| NICM uses money from HOT to feed children at a village school. |
A missionary who uses Harvest of Talents funds wrote us expressing their thanks,
"I want to express a big thank you to IDES for the funds you have granted. We are so blessed and we praise God for organizations like IDES who stand along side missionaries to provided needed resources. I would share with you how much the HOT program has meant to us over the past 2 years. During that time we have fed thousands of children, homeless families and lepers. It has opened more doors to the Gospel than I can ever tell you about.
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| NICM uses money from HOT to feed members of a local leper community. |
For example, the HOT program has given NICM the means to reach out to the people at two leper colonies and life there has improved in so many ways. At that time the only means lepers had to obtain food was by begging. Some days they would receive enough to buy a meal and somedays they they did not. Now, through the generosity of the HOT program enough rice is provided each month for one hot meal a day. Through this outreach, we have been able to share the Gospel and today many of the colony residents have accepted Christ as Savior. It is amazing how the love of Jesus, exhibited by the giving of a bag of rice in loving kindness has brought happiness where there once was none."
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