Thanks to Mission Possible Ministries

We'd like to thank Pastor Lucas and Mission Possible Ministries in Citrus Springs, Florida, for their warm welcome. Their generosity and kindess were a blessing to us. We will keep the Mission Possible congregation in our prayers as we go.

And you thought you were having a bad day...

This is a bit off the topic of poverty...and it is a bit irreverant. The only toilet in the international space station has broken leaving the astronauts with rigged...um...facilities. Wrap your mind around that one the next time you're having a bad day!

The reason behind it all

I read a startling UNICEF statistic today: each day, 26,500 - 30,000 children die as a result of poverty - starvation, thirst, and disease. I don't know about everyone else, but when I hear statistics like that (and stats like the tens of thousands of disaster-related deaths in China and Myanmar) I tend to skim past the death toll and move to more pleasant reading. It is simply too many fatalities to wrap my mind around. 26,500 - 30,000 kids every day. 26,500 - 30,000 as I go shopping, enjoy my airconditioning and eat more food than I can handle. Trying to comprehend such poverty can make you feel inadequate and unable to make a dent in the massive need.


Another UNICEF stat says that nearly 3 billion people in the world live on less than $2 each day. You can't even buy an iced mocha at Starbucks for $2! So what can we do? First, we can go where there is need and serve. Josh and I are blessed to be able to personally serve the people of Guatemala, but not everyone can drop their daily duties. Those that cannot go can give. $5, $100, $1,000....God can use any amount, big or small, to make a difference in the lives of the needy. And most importantly, you can pray. Pray that those in need will be blessed by God with the dignity and resources to overcome their need.

These stats aren't meant as a guilt trip....more as of a wake up call to you and to me to affect change in our own way.

~ Jessica
(http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp)

Upcoming visit to Mission Possible Ministries

This sunday, we will be speaking at Mission Possible Ministries in Citrus Springs, Florida. Please pray that God will speak through us as we share our ministry with the Mission Possible congregation. Check out Mission Possible's wesbite: http://www.missionpossibleministries.com/

Thanks to New Life Church

We'd like to say a heartfelt "gracias" to Pastor Tony Farmer and the New Life Church in Deerfield Beach, Florida, for letting us share our ministry with your church. We were blessed by your generosity and will keep your congregation in our prayers!

Check out New Life's website:
http://www.newlifechurch.to/templates/System/default.asp?id=22311

Happy Mother's Day

In this video, the children of Casa Shalom pray for their food before a meal. At the end, Victor, 6, prays for his food, children who are living in the street and do not have homes, and those in jail.

One graduation down, one to go.

On Saturday, Josh became an alumnus of Lee University in Cleveland, TN. With a few hundred other graduates, he received his diploma, shook the University president's hand, and ended his tenure as an undergraduate student. Jessica's graduation is next - on Thursday evening, she will walk across the stage to receive her degree from the University of Tennessee. After closing the door of higher education (for the time being), we are off to St. Louis to visit some family. From there, we will travel to Florida to share our ministry with churches across the state. Please keep us in your prayers during these next weeks of travel and preparation!