Ghana GO Trip Prayer Calendar: February 23rd

The entire team is blessed to have people praying over this trip and I wanted to share with everyone our Prayer Calendar for each day we are away so friends and family will know what exactly to be praying for based on our agenda/itinerary.  Thank you for your prayers over this mission and for all those participating.

Orientation to Manna

We will meet with Pastor Ablorh and some of the staff today. Please pray as we settle in and prepare our hearts for the coming days. Pray that our team has unity, humility, and only have hearts for God’s work.  

Men’s Fellowship Meeting and Micro Finance Group Meetings
Pray as we have these meetings that they are Spirit led. Pray we are able to assist and advise with any situation they may present.  Pray that we listen to their needs. 

Ghana GO Trip Prayer Calendar: February 22nd

The entire team is blessed to have people praying over this trip and I wanted to share with everyone our Prayer Calendar for each day we are away so friends and family will know what exactly to be praying for based on our agenda/itinerary.  Thank you for your prayers over this mission and for all those participating.

Delta flight (Amsterdam to Ghana) 2:05 p – 7:55 p

• pray we are able to get through customs without problems
• pray we have safe travel to Manna Mission

Ghana GO Trip Prayer Calendar: February 21st

The entire team is blessed to have people praying over this trip and I wanted to share with everyone our Prayer Calendar for each day we are away so friends and family will know what exactly to be praying for based on our agenda/itinerary. Thank you for your prayers over this mission and for all those participating.


Delta flight (IND to Detroit)
5:30 p – 6:47 p
Delta flight (Detroit to Amsterdam)
10:25 p – Friday 12:10 p


Pray for:
1. safe travel
2. no lost luggage
3. no problems w/passports
4. pray we are able to sleep well on the plane
5. pray the team is able to connect & prepare our hearts for what God has planned for us

Five Days in Haiti

Just a few words to try and describe my Five Days in Haiti

Nearly 72 hours home from five days in Haiti and I am still processing the impact of the trip.  During one of our evening "decompression sessions" as a team, we were all asked how we thought we would describe the trip when people asked back home.  We had to give a one word/phrase response.  How do you do that? How do you describe such an impactful trip in just a couple short words?  It's impossible...

Still, my gut response to the question is and was: Motivating.  This trip has been motivating for me in that I was able to see and hear (1) how the work we are doing with Kids Against Hunger is making an impact in the lives of men, women, and children in Haiti; (2) how the food is a part of restoring hope to people struggling to find it most days; and (3) how there is so much more work we can do to make a difference and to share the love of Jesus.  Seeing the opportunity to do more with partners like Kids Against Hunger and Nehemiah Vision Ministries (that's the mission we stayed at while in country) has kept my mind racing with ideas over these last three days.  More importantly, my heart and mind need to be focused on praying for guidance and direction so that I can understand how God wants to use me and our family in more global outreach efforts.  I am certainly feeling a tug on my heart in that direction, but I am praying that the family will have some opportunities for personal experiences so it becomes more than something we send Dad to do and they can feel even stronger that short term mission work is something our entire family actively participates in.

I also have to give a shout-out to the amazing team I was able to travel with.  These are all special people with a passion for the work we're doing with Kids Against Hunger and/or Haiti.  Through this experience I have been blessed with eight great new friends that I look forward to continuing to serve alongside and help further the kingdom of God.

The next few weeks will continue to bring conversations, meetings, and debriefings from this trip that I hope will help set the stage for future opportunities.  I feel very strongly that God used this trip for me as an introduction to Haiti and I will return.

Countdown to Haiti - 28 days

Ok, I know I just announced that I'm going back to Ghana in February, but before I go on that trip, I'm going to Haiti in January with Kids Against Hunger!

For the last few years I've enjoyed all the different opportunities our family has had participating in KAH packing events and about a year ago was really feeling led to try and get involved even more.  I started taking on more responsibility in running the packing events done at Northview, but also began working to bring this type of service activity to Harrison College and other organizations I am involved in.

1 bag of KAH food, provides 6 meals

After a food pack a few months ago, I came home and was debriefing with Marcy about the event.  I told her that night that I thought it would be amazing to be able to go and be part of a team that delivers these meals to those people who need them.  To see the process come full circle and how it impacts real people would be powerful stuff.  In my head I was thinking some place international, but later thought I could probably have an equally powerful experience if I just went to downtown Indianapolis where some of the meals are distributed and served each month.  That's still on my list to do.

Anyways, a few weeks later, I got a phone call at home one evening asking me if I would be interested in being part of a small group representing Kids Against Hunger to travel to Haiti and deliver meals that have been packed here in Central Indiana.  The purpose of the trip would be to document and tell the story of what happens after the packing events - to meet the people and tell their stories whose lives are impacted by the food and the work of Kids Against Hunger.   I said 'absolutely' without even talking to Marcy (not the most sensitive thing to do, but have I mentioned how amazing, supportive, and understanding my wife is?!).  Fast forward a couple months and we're 28 days from going!

We had our first training session today and it was great!  I knew very little about Haiti, but after today I know a little bit more.  This will be a very different trip than Ghana and I am anticipating a difficult trip in many ways.  I look forward to sharing much more about this outreach trip over the course of the next month and beyond.