Reach Out

Mission Direct update - July 2009

• We are encouraged that our bookings are about 15% ahead of this time last year so we should be taking over 400 people form the UK this year.
• Look out for a new web site at the end of August.
• I want to particularly thank Simon Farmer who has helped us in Communications, among other things as he completed his work with us on 30 June.  Our logo and Missionzones are largely his doing.  We send our love and gratitude to Simon and Rachel.
• It will also be shortly time to say goodbye to Ally Kern who has been our Volunteer manager since March.  For her to have stayed required a work permit and this will not come through in time.  Thank you to Ally for all she has done in the few months she has been with us and please pray for her as she sorts out life in the UK.  It means we are also now looking for a new Volunteer Manager
• Claudio has joined us to focus on caring for our staff and work with Gordon to manage staff and GAP placement enquiries.  After 20 years with YWAM and 10 years in member care
• It is remarkable to see what God is doing in the lives of our volunteers through the summer.  It is great to hear those personal stores and acts of kindness as each person is making a personal difference in the lives of those we meet.  In Zambia we have Geoff Emily Carol and James and the first team leaves tomorrow.  There we need £37,000 to complete our core school project so with £17,000 in it’s a way to go.  In Uganda, Tom and Benji have been ill so do pray for their recovery and Claire and Pamela give us a great leadership team there and our third team go tomorrow.  There we continue to build classrooms with John and Alice.  In the DR a team also leave tomorrow and Lawrence is joining Shaun and Rob and Tina there.  A busy time at the airport this weekend with 60 or so going out.
• In Moldova, Claudio led the first team with Ronnie and the next two have Rainer, Steve Lorryman and the my daughter Rebekah is helping lead the first one.  Its great how these teams and leaders have come together and we are grateful to God for sending us people in time.  Alison and Beccy are back from Sierra leone (Brian came back a bit earlier) and we have made significant progress there.  The Hastings ladies second block is almost complete and a 12ft wall surrounds a 3 acre plot for the City of Rest.    
• As we look to next year we will be running 2 sets of teams in both Uganda and Zambia and dates and contribution levels are now out.
• Please pray for our teams doing the exhibitions through the summer.  Thanks to Andrew, Ally and Derek who are doing a lot of leading and organising.  This is a key time.  We still need a couple more for the second week of Soul Survivor form 17 August for 5 days so if you could help with that please let us know.
• We do need additional staff to join us in fund raising and communications so please pray the Lord will send people with the right experience.  As we plan now for growth in the coming years we do need some additional directors so please pray the Lord sends
• Linda has joined us to focus on medical and extreme teams.  We do need more people for our first extreme team so if you know anyone wanting to try something a bit more challenging in September in Uganda please ask them to get in touch. We are also looking forward to Oli and Kim heading out to Brazil in the autumn and thankful for Keith and Ron who recently returned from teams this spring where we completed house number 10.
• We have just had our first significant gift of £60,000 promised for our work in Zambia which is just a tremendous help and step forward.
• My brother Andrew and Julie Driver met on a Mission Direct trip in 2005 to the DR and get married this weekend.  We also send our love and Congratulaions to Daniel and Linda who met with Mission Direct in Sierra Leone.  We may get a page on the web site called Missionmatch.
• In the states Lawrence has been encouraged by adding Jackie and John to the team in recent months.  Do pray for them as they seek teams and funding for the coming year.
• There has also been a great step forward with our trustees with Keith Stevens and Jackie Price joining the board.  Paul Holbrook has also taken over as Chairman and we are thankful to Terry who has help the reigns for these first few years.  Please pray for this team who are helping us develop and govern the mission.

Thanks for all your love and prayers.