Sunday, July 26, 2009

Preparing Your Heart

Thank you Josh for sharing this with us.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

The First Email - Reckless Abandon Ethiopia

Hello Everyone,

This email is going out to anyone who has expressed an interested in going on a mission trip to Ethiopia with Erica and I. At this point we are just trying to find out who is still interested in going.

The estimated cost is going to be around $2000-$2500 this will include your airline ticket, food, room/board, and ground transportation; you will be responsible to schedule your own flight since everyone is coming from all over the country. Erica will be more then happy to help you in scheduling your flight as well as provide travel agent information. The tentative dates are Jan 23rd - 31st. The cost above is greatly based on the amount of the flight, we are hoping to get a group rate but that will depend on how many people we have. We’ve started a blog to keep all of the information in one spot, it hasn’t gone live yet but the URL is http://recklessabandon2010. blogspot.com - we will be covering fundraising information as well as providing a support letter any of you are welcome to use/customize and send out. We will have a small deposit due mid December to hold your spot and solidify the plans in Ethiopia. This trip is geared for adults and mature teens. We leave it to parental discretion on what age is appropriate. We are dealing with extreme poverty, uncomfortable conditions, possible food aversions, and lack of sleep.

We don’t have a schedule at this moment, there are several contacts we have made in Ethiopia but we are still working out the details. The purpose of this trip is to truly be the hands and feet of Christ. We will have more details on our exact points of ministry as the time gets closer. There are opportunities to go into some of the more remote areas, possibly doing a mini-VBS, building shelters, ministering to the AIDS victims, and the lepers living outside the city. Orphanages, prostitute rehabilitation homes, and the fistula hospital are just a few that we are praying about. Ultimately we want what God has planned for us.

Then he said, "Son of man, get all these words that I'm giving you inside you. Listen to them obediently. Make them your own. And now go. Go to the exiles, your people, and speak. Tell them, 'This is the Message of God, the Master.' Speak your piece, whether they listen or not." Ezekiel 3:10

To those of you that aren’t sure if you’re supposed to go on this trip I ask that you pray for God to start preparing your heart and seek His will. For those who feel that God has called you to be apart of this adventure, God is already preparing your heart and those you will be in contact with, which ever it is know that he is sovereign and all we have to do is obey. I challenge you with a couple of verses as you seek His face.

And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17

I look forward to hearing from all of you.

God Bless,
Dave Shubin