I WILL, WILL YOU?

Sometimes the words just come out, and although I know where they come from I am inspired by how quickly they come and how much they impact me. My only hope is that they impact those they are spoken to and for! I was emotionally moved today to speak with our staff, after a great team building activity, a simple yet impacting message that could have only come from the Holy Spirit, began to transcend my brain and transform my feelings! I had not planned for those words to come to me, but when they did, I couldn't stop them from being shared with those that were being held captive in our meeting. Maybe those at the meeting don't feel the same way, but when the meeting adjourned a new sense of peace came to me! Not only a peace of mind, body, and spirit, but also a peace that I am in the right place doing the right thing. What was it that came to me ....No matter how tough the job gets, we must remember 2 things;

1) If you don't, who will? and

2) We are placed where we are for reasons beyond our knowing, we are not put where we are by chance. There is great purpose to why the great teachers of our school are where they are. If we don't take care of this responsibility who will.

After the meeting I finished my thoughts for the night as I sat in the parking lot of our Church before I met with the Southbrook Youth and had some quite time. I feel a need to share with those that were and were not at this meeting my final thoughts, if I don't get it out it will race around my brain for countless hours and I will be cranky tomorrow! I'm not looking for your response, but rather your silent reflection!

Who Will

If you don't make them smile,
Who Will?

If you don't make them feel welcome,
Who Will?

If you don't comfort them, console them in their failures or rejections,
Who Will?

If you don't wrap them in your arms when they need it most,
Who Will?

If you don't celebrate with them, tell them how proud you are of them,
Who Will?

If you don't encourage them, lead them, or show them they can reach their goals,
Who Will?

If you don't teach them to think, to explore, to take risks,to shape their own future,
Who Will?

If you don't share what you know, model what is right, speak what is true,
Who Will?

If you don't pray for them in the quietest times at night or before a new day begins,
Who Will?

If you don't stand up for them, protect them, or fight for their justice,
Who Will?

It is You Who has been called to do all these things. You are their promise, You are their protector, you are their hope, you are their opportunity!

You Are Their Teacher!


You have been placed in this position for a very special reason, this is the greatest gift of all!

Mark 10:16

And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

I will! Will you?

Mike

Clark W. Griswold!

One of my favorite Christmas movies of all time is Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. You know the Griswolds! Many of you think that they live next to you with all the Christmas lights and the Walmart vomit on the front lawn.

My favorite character in the movie is of course Cousin Eddie! No matter how many times Cousin Eddie screws up or how many times his unique inability to be socially acceptable gets in the way, Clark W. Griswold unconditionally shows his ability to forgive and manage being around those that scratch the chalkboard with their finger nails when they are around.

One particular scene when Clark and Eddie are shopping, Eddie acknowledges that he has no money to buy presents for his kids. Clark as he usually does, submits to his kinder side, he volunteers to buy gifts for Eddie and his family. Eddie's response is for Clarke to buy himself something nice while he is doing his shopping for Eddie's kids with his own money. How thoughtful of Eddie.

What's the point right? Over these next few weeks we will be exposed to those that take our generosity for granted. We will come face to face with the socially inept. In each of these interactions we have a dilemma,our reaction. Let us all remember the very special reason for this season. Let's stop and think before we speak and choose an empathetic approach in our communication. Let's try to be more like the forgiving and understanding Clark. Let us share what we have with others, whether it be a smile, a kind word, a special message to children, or of course our Christmas lights!

Up Hill Both Ways

"When I was a kid, we had to walk to school...... and it was uphill both ways" How many times have we used those words? Today I met a lady that walks up hill everywhere she goes. She is in her 70's and is taking care of her grown daughter. At the Christmas party today, my friend Chris and I noticed this lady pushing her disabled daughter up the hill, she was really struggling. We offered our help, but she refused. All she really wanted was our prayers. We stoped and prayed with her "Voy a orar" - Which in Spanish means - let's pray. We learned later that she had walked from her home with her daughter to seek a Navidad bag and some of the food we were giving out at the party. As I began to pray, I thanked God that the younger women in the wheelchair was given to a mother that had so much compassion to take her and push her uphill to be certain she would eat that day. We held hands for what felt like 10 minutes. How weak and feeble I am to complain. How strong and determined this woman is. Please pray for this family and all the families that we spent time with today at our last Christmas party in Ecuador. May we all have the compassion for each other that this woman had for her daughter!

Dios le bendinga,

Mike

Choose Compassion

Many of you know the story in the Bible when Jesus fed 5,000 people with 5 loafs of bread and 2 fish. Maybe you haven't heard it this way though. We are learning this week to choose compassion. Today we, The Southbrook Team, chose compassion. You see in the story in the Bible, Jesus and his disciples wanted to be alone because they had just learned of John the Baptists death. As they set their boat on shore, more and more people started to show up, the disciples wanted to send all the people to town to get food for themselves before it got dark. However, Jesus knew these people were grieving and he chose for them to stay, and told his disciples what little food they had would be enough. He wanted these people to be with him so he could share his compassion with them.

Today at the Christmas party at the Quito Dump, there were so many children that did not get in. I would say there were over 2,000 that did not get tickets. Many left after several hours of waiting to see if they would be let in. As we were leaving I noticed the girl in the photo above crying her eyes out. She had waited over 6 hours to get into the party and get a food bag to take home to her family and a Navidad bag for herself. Not speaking Spanish, I asked Bob Seavey to talk with her and see if we could comfort her. The Southbrook team grabbed one of the Ecuadorian pastors and asked if we could give her a food bag. We lifted this 10lb bag of food and a Navidad bag over the fence for her. While she did not get to play the games or dance to the music, have her nails painted or have her picture taken with Santa, we can rest tonight knowing that she will have a meal. I am thankful that God has chosen me to go on this trip with these Godly people! I am continuously amazed at their compassion.

Thankful,

Mike

American International School

Today I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting a school in Quito. Tuesday when I arrived in Quito, I met a gentleman by the name of Tommy. He is a full time missionary and also works as a teacher at the Alliance International School in Quito. This is a Christian based school where many of the missionaries that live here full time send their children. Tommy is an amazing guy. A former marine, a father of two, a teacher and a man of God! I would love for him to come back with me and become part of the staff at our school because of his passion for working with children. He is a model of what every one of us should be, a servant to God. While connecting with him this week I have witness a servant's heart. Today I asked him if I could help him with anything. He told me he had to go to the Alliance school to get some things and offered me the opportunity to go with him. Would I ever!

When I got to the school I was amazed at what I saw. Students from 32 different countries with over 40 different languages spoken. I thought about the challenges we have at our school with students from Latin America and then again felt selfish is what I have complained about. What I found interesting about this school is that they too have a desire to serve God through working with children. The same as the people in Monroe, NC. I met the Principal, several teachers and the secretaries. They are wonderful people and they reminded me so much of the people that I get the privileged of working with each and every day. Thank you Tommy and thank you BHESA Staff.

Miss you all,

Mike

How can I ever?

I hope this post finds all of you well. I'm sending this before the start of our second day. Yesterday we were blessed to have been able to visit the garbage dump in Quito, Ecuador. While the parents work for $35.00 a week about 35 children play in a little house or daycare center. We were able to visit with these children and share some time with Pastor Jose, who leads 5 ministries at the dump. They are so fortunate to have such a loving pastor. Please pray for this man and his family. He has been doing this for 9 years. For Jose, Faith is not a weekend thing. He lives it and believes it every day. The children were so happy to see us and spend time with us. Our time there was short, but it will forever be tattooed in my brain. I felt selfish as I left there for all the little things I had ever complained about.

After our trip to the Quito dump we spent time preparing with other Extreme Response members for our afternoon Christmas party where we played games, met Santa, sang praise songs and delivered meals to all of those that attended. It was a great party we fed and ministered to almost 500 poor and homeless people. Thank God for allowing me this opportunity! And thanks to those of you who continue to pray and those that supported this outreach for me and the Southbrook Team!

Lovingly,

Mike

Back for the First Time

I'm back sitting in the airport in Charlotte, preparing for another trip. Usually I am flying to see family or friends. However, today I'm back for the first time. This time my trip isn't to make myself content, but to make others lives better. Am I worthy, can I do this daunting task? Of course, together with our team from Southbrook, and with God, we can do all things!

This is my first trip that was planned with a giving heart and not a receiving heart. You see usually when we travel we plan to get something out of it. Maybe seeing a place we have never been, or seeing someone we haven't seen in a long time, we always seem to want to get something out of it. Back for the first time, I realize there is nothing I want to get, but just something I want to share!

Back for the first time and about to leave .... see you on the other side of the equator!

Mike