I grew up as a white, Anglo-Saxon protestant during the 50′s and 60′s, pretty much oblivious to the Civil Rights issues and protests that were raging all over the country at that time. By the time I was in college and thereafter, the gravity of all I had been blind to and insulated from began to seep into my consciousness.

Mostly through maturation and movies that reflected that epoch’s drama of brutality and courage, my new stream of conciousness eventually became a torrent of understanding. I realized, to my shame, that I had been a non-participant in one of the most significant injustices in modern history.

Today I listen to the political rhetoric that debates whether we will, as a country, involve ourselves in, or isolate ourselves from, the unending conflicts around the world. The temptation toward isolation is compelling, particularly in light of our own economic problems and our inability to broker enduring, peaceful solutions, even at the expense of precious lives.

And then I read again the quote above from Martin Niemoeller.

Standing on the sidelines, mute, uninformed and indifferent, is no longer acceptable to me. That commitment stood up and slapped me in the face about 10 years ago when I got the news that an orphaned boy I had come to love in Russia years ago – Artume – had, like so many other desperate orphans in Eastern Europe, committed suicide. I grieve the loss of this boy who, when I first encountered him, was singing a mournful song about a loving mother who would return for her son. My last memory of him was 15 minutes of his crying into my chest telling me I was his best friend (after less than a two week relationship).

And there have been others…many others! In a sense, I have been banished from the Garden of Innocence (perhaps the Garden of Ignorance or Indifference is more apropos). I cannot look at an orphaned girl in Moldova or Haiti without seeing the shadow of a heartless human trafficker lurking behind her. I can’t relieve myself of the knowledge that there are children in Red Hill, South Africa who will go hungry or drift aimlessly into a life of disease without help and guidance. And I can’t turn away from children I know along the banks of the Amazon River whose daily trek to a remote school includes the fear of jaguars, snakes or falling out of boats and drowning in the sleepy, dark hours before sunrise.

At JMI, we make justice personal. We can’t control all the powers that tear away at the flesh and souls of children. But we can stand between one other child in the world and his or her victimization. With partners in other lands, we can keep eyes on them. Through technology and mission trips, we can assure them of our love and share the story that the One who orchestrated the heavens is the same One who lovingly created them, endowed them with value and purpose and ordained invitation into our lives.

Whether through our organization or any other you might choose, is it time for you to speak up? Through a sponsorship or a mission trip, I pray you will make your life count for someone who can never repay you.

-Steve Davis

JMI was recently honored to be the beneficiary of $1,005 raised from a Barrel Race Rodeo put on by Cross Creek Cowboy Church in Vale, North Carolina.  Better yet, Pastor Alan Davis has promised to make this an annual event on our behalf!

Cross Creek is a mission of Hulls Grove Baptist Church.  According to Alan, they provide a ministry that is tailored to, and particularly appreciated by farmers, ranchers and, of course, cowboys!

Alan, himself, is a bi-vocational pastor.  When he’s not sewing seeds from behind the pulpit, he’s a farmer growing apples, vegetables and hay.  Like all farming, it’s a boom or bust life that makes one totally dependent on God and the provision of rain.

“Barrels on Purpose,” as the event was tagged, was the church’s first attempt at a fundraiser and attracted 50 happy participants (there would have been many more save for another similar and more established event across their southern border).  The barrel riders pay a fee, not only for their competitive runs, but also for every preliminary run they make as they acclimate their horses to the arena.

On a personal note, I am proud to have JMI affiliate with the Cowboy Church culture and the good folks that live in the country.  My grandfather was a farmer and I appreciate the values that come with hard work, close families and a deep dependence on the Father.

On behalf of the orphans in Moldova who may never know of your care and generosity this side of Heaven, thank you Cross Creek Cowboy Church!

JMI is ecstatic and proud to announce an amazing new corporate partnership with F.A.I.T.H Riders that will help us change the futures of hundreds of orphaned and abandoned children in Moldova.

F.A.I.T.H Riders is a Christian ministry for motorcycle enthusiasts who want to fold their love for Jesus into their common interest in riding. In December of 2011, Executive Director, Buddy Newsome and his wife Michele went on their first mission trip to Eastern Europe and were dramatically impacted by their encounters with the Moldovan kids we have come to love.

Already sponsoring two children since that initial trip, Buddy wanted to do even more. In the space of a month and a half, he and JMI Director, Steve Davis, conceived of an exclusive, multi-tiered sponsorship plan for F.A.I.T.H Riders to offer their over 220 chapters with a national footprint that encompasses thousands of members.

Three of the four sponsorship opportunities focus on resourcing JMI’s transitional living programs for boys and girls who have, or will be graduating from orphanages. These are an orphan’s most vulnerable years. Finding themselves completely independent after years of total dependency, yet without the benefit of a family to protect, encourage and support them, most will fall prey to devastatingly bad choices or the snares of child predators who profit greatly from their naïveté.

The F.A.I.T.H Riders sponsorship options are designed for individual chapters of the organization, and they include:

• THE FULL GROUP RIDE, a $280/month plan that covers every penny of our expenses for a child’s shelter, food, clothing, psychological care, life skills training, transportation expenses, medical and dental care, tuition and tutoring costs and other vocational, training and social work expenses we incur;
• THE RALLY RIDE, a $140/month plan that splits the actual cost of care with an individual JMI sponsor (as well as lowering that individual sponsor’s cost from its current level of $170/month!);
• THE FAITH HOUSE, a $100/month plan that supports the future purchase of additional transitional living facilities and capital needs so that we can provide for even more needy young people;
• THE SOLO RIDE, a $35/month plan for an individual F.A.I.T.H. Rider (instead of an entire chapter) that supports a child living in an orphanage, and provides the same benefits as our existing JMI Orphan Sponsorships.

What will be the impact of this new alliance for JMI with F.A.I.T.H Riders? Steve Davis says it has the potential to “accelerate our programming and the number of children we can rescue by no less than five years from where we projected just this year.” He goes on to point out that “it also sets an incredible and effective new precedent for demonstrating how a corporate charitable plan can be molded to the culture of that organization to create a winning situation for kids and companies alike.”

That’s great news for children who are lying in bed awake tonight wondering what will become of themselves in just over three months when they are discharged from the cocoon of their orphanages. “I can see the anxiety etched on their faces,” says Steve, “as we talk to them this week about their plans for life after orphanage.”

God is blessing the work of JMI in unprecedented ways right now, and you will be hearing even more exciting news in the coming months.

Stay tuned!

With God’s prompting my wife Michele and I traveled to Moldova this past December.  The only sure thing about the trip Michele and I knew was that God said go!  Everything else was a mystery.

To be perfectly honest with you I never thought God would use me to minister to children.  That is just not my gift and it is definitely not within my comfort zone!  But that’s exactly what He did and I couldn’t be more excited about how God used Michele and I in Moldova and how He is going to use F.A.I.T.H. Riders to change an entire culture.

When I first met with Steve Davis, Executive Director of Justice and Mercy International, I literally had no idea what God was up to.  But the more we talked and dreamed the more it became apparent that F.A.I.T.H. Riders and JMI were to partner in an endeavor that has all the pieces to change an entire culture!

During our time together there were many things discussed but I kept coming back to one.  Steve presented me with his 1, 3 and 5 year projection for JMI’s future.  He told me if F.A.I.T.H. Riders was able to sponsor 25-30 orphans into transitional living it would accomplish in 1 year what they had hoped to accomplish in 5 years.

Folks, I don’t know about you but that is exactly the kind of impact I want to have before God calls me home.  Please take a moment and wrap your head around that kind of impact and what it can mean to the kingdom!  That is what F.A.I.T.H. Riders is all about…not motorcycles…The Kingdom!

-Buddy and Michele Newsome

Sunday, February 12 at 12:30pm in the conference room.
This trip is unlike any other JMI provides. The indigenous people we have the privilege of ministering to live in small, simple villages along the banks of the Rio Negro, the largest tributary to the mighty Amazon River.

While the Rio Negro connects these people to the city of Manaus, they are all but forgotten by their neighbors just a few miles away. They rely on the jungle for their food, shelter and livelihood. Many of them work hard all day to produce bamboo skewers, an occupation now outlawed by the brazilian government because of deforestation concerns. They risk imprisonment for a few dollars a week.

This trip is full of adventure. A boat will be your home and a hammock your bed. You will have an opportunity to walk through tropical jungle that is full of beauty, and if you’re fortunate enough, maybe even catch a few piraña or caiman with the help of our experienced jungle guides. Most importantly, you’ll reach the least, the last and the lost in a land where few dare to go.

“This will be my third trip to Brazil and I can’t express what a profound impact it has had on my life. You always hear it said that, ‘mission trips change the way you see the world’ and I honestly never grasped that statement until I experienced it first hand.
The sheer beauty of the river and the jungle are enough to make someone want to come back. The amazing wildlife and nights on the boat, looking up at stars that seem so close and numerous that you could reach up and touch them, are enough to fill your memories. The fellowship with your teammates and the crew on the boat that move us from place to place, translate for us and cook us amazing meals is alone worth the trip. But for me it was when a boy named Douglas bounced a power ball off my forehead and thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. It was about getting to pray with his mother, who is working to bring about awareness for children with special needs like her son. I’ll never forget that moment and how the simple act of listening and praying seemed to rejuvenate her spirit. I have a 2-year-old daughter and I can’t wait for the day when she’s old enough to make the trip with me and meet Douglas.” – Steve Horton
With the help of our partner, Ray of Hope Ministries, we have an opportunity to change lives. In addition to working on micro enterprise projects that will provide nutrition and safe work for these villagers, we have a tremendous platform by which to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, join us June 16-24 as we navigate the black waters of the Rio Negro and bring hope to a forgotten people.

If you are out of the Franklin, TN area but would like to be considered for this trip, please contact info@justiceandmercy.org!

For those of you who couldn’t make our informational meeting this Sunday (and even for those of you who did), here is the most up to date “skinny” on our planning to impact the lives of the fatherless in Moldova!:

• You have two weeks and three available teams from which to choose:

• June 30-July 7 Two teams, one of them serving in Chisinau and one in Balti/Falesti
• July 7-14 One team serving in Chisinau
• (You have the option of working for both weeks for an additional $615 over the one week cost of $2500)

Teams serving in Chisinau may be assigned to Internat 2 or Internat 3, or even some combination of the two, depending on how our negotiations go with their directors.

The Balti/Falesti team will likely split their time between the Falesti orphanage and the Balti Shelter.

In addition, we are attempting to renew a relationship with the Straseni orphanage, but as yet haven’t received word on whether that will be possible or not.

• We have set Sunday, March 4^th as Commitment Sunday.  That is the date we would hope to hear who are our definite volunteers.  Signing up after March 4^th increases the potential that flights will be full and unavailable or more expensive.  A $500 nonrefundable deposit is due on that date.

• Trip cost:  $2500 for one week….$3115 for two weeks.  This includes flights, ground transportation, accommodations, all meals, translator expenses, supply expenses in country (for snacks and miscellaneous needs for kids), property loss and emergency evacuation insurance, bottled water, JMI luggage tags and a team t-shirt.

• Payment due dates.  We have divided your payment due dates across several months to make it easier for you to participate.
• $500 due Sunday, Mar. 4^th (deposit)
• $750 due Sunday, April 1^st
• $750 due Sunday, May 6^th
• $500 due Sunday, June 3^rd

• (an extra payment of $615 for those who want to stay for both weeks is due Sunday, June 17^th)

• Advance planning to see your sponsored child!  If you’re traveling to Moldova with us and already sponsoring a child, we want to do everything we can to make sure you see him or her!  Because children are often placed out of the orphanage with families for the entire summer, we can’t guarantee we can make those connections.  However, if you’ll contact Ashley@justiceandmercy.org, she will work with our staff to see if we can make those arrangements ahead of time for you.

For all other questions about our volunteer trips and how you can plug into a phenomenal mission experience this summer, please write us at info@justiceandmercy.org.  Our teams will form quickly this year so be in prayer for how you can be used by God this year to change an orphan’s life!

ashley@justiceandmercy.org

Ashley graduated from Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in English Education, and Trevecca Nazarene University with a masters degree in Educational Leadership.  She has a heart and passion for teenagers, and was a high school teacher for five years before joining the JMI team.  After her first trip to Moldova in 2007, Ashley’s heart was awakened to the desperate needs of orphans there.  She is excited to be serving with JMI and to be part of what God is doing in Moldova and throughout the world.

Alex Derry, Administrative Assistant

alex@justiceandmercy.org

Alex Derry is originally from Franklin, TN and graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelors Degree in Business Marketing. For the last two years Alex has been serving as a Student Ministry Intern at Rolling Hills Community Church. However, this year Alex will be joining JMI as the new Administrative Assistant. Alex will be managing JMI’s accounts receivable and payable systems while assisting Ashley with the International Sponsorship programs. He has been passionate about missions since a very young age and is excited to be a part of JMI as they work towards changing lives by confronting global injustice.

Haiti Mission Trip! (March 31 – April 5)

The country of Haiti continues to lie in the ruins of the earthquake that, in seconds, took the lives of a quarter million people. http://justiceandmercy.org/serving/haiti)

As predicted, many of the social service agencies that rushed in to help have since moved on to other catastrophes and fresher headlines.  The political corruption and superstition that have plagued the country for decades tends to suck the hope out of its people as well as the less committed of her “good Samaritans.”

The best hope for Haiti rests with her children!  JMI will link arms this year with The Joseph School project and the Children of Hope Orphanage and Hospice.  Both of these organizations share our belief that children who are undergirded with love, resources, a superior education, a model of integrity and a foundation of faith in Christ, represent the best opportunity to lead Haiti from despair to a viable, more prosperous society.

Our goals for this mission are as follow:

1. Every school age child will memorize and internalize Ps. 23 through the coordinated teaching of English and a VBS program oriented to that theme
2. Every child will be interviewed for inclusion in a JMI sponsorship program modeled after the one we’ve used successfully in Moldova

In addition to these objectives, and dependent largely on the skill levels represented by our team, we may work on constructing a home for an impoverished family and providing some medical care within the community.

Haiti represents an excellent opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a work that can change the country.  The price tag on this trip ($1700) is less than all of our other international mission trips.

Haitians are the poor in spirit.  They are the meek.  Theirs are the desolate and forgotten children of the Savior who promises never leave to them nor forsake them.  And we.…you and I….we are either the good Samaritans who rescue the beaten down, deliver them to a place of healing and safety and promise to return to cover all their additional needs….or we are not.

There is a pathway around Haiti, worn down by people who choose to look the other way.  If you have the eyes to see, please contact steve@justiceandmercy.org.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.  If you followed along with my blog of last year’s trip, you will remember that we:

• were greeted by the battle of the raging baggage porters at the airport,
• suffered van problems before we were even out of the parking lot and wound up stranded for an hour at night at a convenience store with armed guards patrolling the premises,
•  were in Jacmel at the height of the cholera epidemic there,
• were enlisted to provide round the clock care for infants and cook for ourselves when staff were dismissed due to cholera in their homes,
• were unable to return to the airport on our departure date due to the political frustration and turmoil that led to vigilante road blockages and the airport closure, and
• were flown out days later than scheduled by a good Samaritan with a 6-seater private plane!

I guess I can’t really explain my own passion to return any more than I can explain why two members of Rolling Hills Community Church – Chris and Kate Suitter – who were “newbies” on their first mission trip last year (and more than a little freaked out by what we encountered, I might add) have since sold a home in prayerful anticipation that they might be afforded a future opportunity to serve full time in Haiti!
What else but the Spirit of God can create such a miraculous affection?  The same Spirit that accepts the unacceptable….that loves the unlovable….that forgives the unforgivable!  The same God who paved Paul’s way with shipwrecks, snakebites and beatings in addition to turning the world upside down for The Way!

The same Christ who beckons us to take up his cross and follow him!…”Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame!”

This coming Sunday (January 22nd) at 12:45 p.m. after church, you are invited to meet with me at the Bunganut Pig on Columbia Ave. to hear about this year’s trip.  (If you’re out of the area and would like to receive information on the trip, please write me:  steve@justiceandmercy.org - everyone is welcome!).  We’ll have lunch together and make our plans.  And in a few short months, we’ll see if our plans came anywhere close to his!

If there is any truth to the notion of God being especially present on behalf of the children, blessed poor and vulnerable, Haiti is a mission opportunity you MUST seriously consider.  The trip has come together more quickly than anticipated and calls for a trusting and unwavering commitment.

The cost of the trip is $1700, and for that I can promise you an extraordinary experience with Christ and his orphaned children and the company of other volunteers that share your desire to serve sacrificially.  Be on the front end of something bigger than yourself and discover more about the purpose God has for you in this life!

PLAYING FATHER CHRISTMAS IN MOLDOVA:  What I’ve Learned About God

It’s Friday in Moldova and I’m suiting up in anticipation of making my surprise appearance to a room full of orphans in Falesti.

My first experience as a European Santa imposter came on Thursday when our mission team visited the orphanage in Drochia. That morning, as we were doing “ice-breaker” activities with them, at least 3 little girls responded to the question, “If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you choose?” with the answer, “Father Christmas.” Suddenly the gravity of my little part in this brief and happy charade has begun to hit home.

As I make my auspicious entrance into the door at the back of the room and kids begin to become aware of my jingling presence, the excitement mounts and is electric. At this point, I sense their interest is directed toward my jolly old soul rather than the sack of gifts I’m toting over my shoulder. I know that most of them recognize the eyes behind the beard because they’ve known me for years now, but I still feel the sense of newfound celebrity.

With the help of a few of my entourage of elves I begin to pass out the assortment of gifts our team has carried across the ocean.

With every gift I hand off, I am struck by conflicting emotions:  the joy of giving that is matched, at least momentarily, by the anticipation on their faces versus the queasy feeling in my stomach that our gifts, once opened, won’t deliver on the full expectation of their impact. And since I, as Father Christmas, am the delivery agent, I sense that my celebrity status is now in real jeopardy!

In retrospect, I wonder if this experience is the bittersweet bread that we force-feed our Lord on a daily basis.  Is He the gift we crave or are we more interested in what He has for us in His promising bag of gifts?  And how must He feel knowing that, even the most satisfying of those gifts will fade in importance over the years, perhaps ending up in the warehouse of our discarded, once precious memories?

Playing Father Christmas is teaching this dimmest of disciples how shallow the stream of my faith runs and how wise is the Father who yearns for us to love Him more than we love what He can do for us!