Last Sunday night we were having a great time cleaning up after our community Bible Study/BBQ.  People were taking turns washing dishes, three people racing to dry the dishes, one sending dishes back to the washer as he did “quality control”, snapping each other with the towels, dancing to music playing in the background, and laughing a lot.  It definitely felt like family.  One of our friends from the community, who was on the drying crew, said, ” I wish our community could work together like this.  I just really want to see that happen.”  I smiled, hearing these words coming from this man, who once stood on the corner with a serious face, selling “herb”.  The transformation that has come over him the last six months has been beautiful to see, after (as he puts it) he “decided to get his life right with God.”  He’s always been one of those people who knows everyone in the community, but now he’s using those connections to  spread God’s love, which shines out of his quick smile, friendly greetings, and genuine concern for people.  He has taken big steps in moving forward: He is raising up as an example of a Godly father to his three children, going back to school for his GED, working hard.  He is actually the one who wanted to do a community Bible Study in the first place and got that started.  He often talks about how much he wants to see other lives around him changed too.  I don’t share any of this to give Urban Resurrection a pat on the back.  This is about God’s movement and us just being there to walk along-side the people He is transforming; ourselves also being transformed in the process.  This gives me hope, keeping my dream alive to see Godly leaders rising up and our community transformed.

We have an opportunity coming up for you to be a part of raising up these community leaders. The CCDA (**Christian Community Development Association) annual conference is being held in Chicago, from Sept. 7-11.  This is all about learning how to transform our communities from the inside out.  We would love to take rising community leaders to this, but we need people to sponsor them to go.  Our goal is to take 5 local leaders.  The cost is a total of $750.00 per person (this includes conference cost, travel, food, and accommodations for the five days). If you want to give toward this, click the “GIVE” link on our homepage, and follow the instructions.
(*Make sure to write in the memo of checks: “Preferenced for: Urban Resurrection Team-CCDA” or when making your donation online, choose “Urban Resurrection-Miami team” in the “Purpose of gift” tab and add “For CCDA conference” in the “note” box.)  Thank you for being a part of raising up community leaders in West Coconut Grove.

**http://www.ccda.org/conference

Click here to view the embedded video.

We just received a great video put together by CRM (Church Resource Ministries, of which InnerChange is a part) that helps give just a short glimpse of the Haiti Relief effort that we were a vital part of back in Jan/Feb of this year in response to the Haiti earthquake. This video shows how Urban Resurrection (as a team of InnerChange/CRM) was involved and how each of the other pieces fit. There is so much more to what God did than any video could ever capture and many other Haitian and Dominican brothers and sisters who tirelessly worked to make the supply line happen. Without their permission and help in making these efforts work it wouldn’t have gotten very far. BUT because of the deep relationships that were established by Matt and Pam McCormick of Fellowship International Mission and Jared and Jen Ebenhack of Kids Alive as well as the relational networks of each of the mission groups we supplied in Haiti we had a very successful time in distributing about $250,000 in supplies over the vital first 3 weeks of the crisis. There is also an overwhelming sense that ONLY GOD could do something like this in the way that it was done and we had the extreme privilege and honor of being His hands and feet in His loving response to the cries of the people of Haiti.  Enjoy!!

Last Thursay night, Kristy and I experienced a true moment of God’s divine intervention.

First, we had our Learning Community and it was a great time of everyone sharing and being honest with each other. One of our team members had a birthday so we celebrated with the famous birthday song, cake and ice cream and giving her words of encouragement.

While we were getting kicked out I started to purposely act silly to stay longer but needless to say we left – dropped off a friend at home stayed talked for about 15 min then Kristy and I were on our way home – By that time it was about 12am……our appointment began….

We pulled onto the corner where we live and there were two of our neighbors chillen on the corner…Let’s call them Brad and Tre

We stopped the car, started with the “Wassup” and “how ya doin”, then we asked them, how come they don’t come to our Sunday dinners? They responded with the typical “well ah.” Being the smarty I am I said, “it’s not like we are going to hold you down and anoint you will oil or try to baptize you!” They laughed.

Brad made a comment about how he fears God….I was like, “what, no you don’t.” A real man that fears God knows God, he reads the Word, he tells others about the Word….” He looked at me and said well “I pray.” My response, “that’s not enough.” I said hold up let me park the car…

I parked the car walked over to the corner sat and it began – Two other guys came over and joined the conversation one being Cliff (one of the guys that we have been working with.) Kristy and I shared our testimonies, scripture and even some how got to UFO’s (LOL). I felt like Kristy and I were playing tennis with the conversation bouncing the conversation back and forth to each other. It was great we knew just what the other person was going to say and where to pick up.

The guys talked about the struggle they face with temptation and how hard it is as a man. We talked to them about the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. All and all there were tears involved, mainly mine, but tears came out because I got very passionate about telling these guys that there is more to the life that they are living, there is more that God wants for them. I think they got the point because one of the guys came up to me hugged me and whispered to me, “E, I’m trying.”

Cliff who originally wanted to start the bible study I mentioned before, invited them to it and said that if they are really trying then come to the bible study. I was impressed with him and his boldness through out the conversations we were having.

We wound up talking until 2am!! We ended the conversation in prayer! They may not have repented and accepted the Lord but I know that Kristy and I were used to speak truth into their lives and to call them out on being truly fearful of the Lord.

God allowed our learning community to go way longer then usual, me being silly to stay longer, for us to drop our friends off at home and then to be driving by at that very moment to talk to the guys on the corner. Part of me didn’t want to because I was tired but I knew that that was God’s divine appointment.

How many times has God called you to stop and talk to someone, to go to the corner and start talking to people, in the grocery store, work, at home with your family….it can be anywhere and anytime but are you willing to be open to His divine appointments!!!

Please pray for the people in the Grove, pray for our team to continue to remain open to Gods leading!! Pray for the three young men we were able to talk to. Pray for our Sunday dinners which are turning into a bible study.

On this Journey!
Elaina

Back in November, our home hosted a barbeque and movie night in our backyard.  We left a flyer with every home on our street and the surrounding streets inviting them to participate and contribute to the event.  We were blown away as each and every person that we spoke with expressed excitement at the idea of bringing together all of the neighbors for such an event.  The week before the big event, we eagerly prepared our home and reminded neighbors as we came in contact with them.  On the day of the event, we set out the tables, fired up the grill, put on the music, opened the gate, and waited for the crowds to arrive.  Well … although we had some of our neighbors show, the crowds never arrived.  The day wasn’t a waste but it was not what we expected.

Fast forward three months…

Over the Christmas holiday, I made door-to-door deliveries of homemade cookies to neighbors.  Although this activity was of a much smaller scale than our first attempt at connecting with neighbors, it proved to be effective.  In following weeks, there were many inquiries about the next batch of cookies and even offers to purchase ingredients to expedite the process.  I’ll never forget the day “Cliff” came up to the car as we drove by with excitement in his voice and said, “I got the chocolate chips!”  Who would have thought that young men hanging on the corner until the wee hours of the morning would be so interested in homemade cookies?

The cookies broke the ice leading to conversation among our neighbors about ways in which we could gather together as a community.  Although we were invited, Elaina and I were not going to hang on the corner drinking with the fellas every weekend; we needed a different venue that would be appropriate for all ages.  The solution… old school “Sunday Dinner” like grandma used to do.  We come together every week at our home to share a meal in which each neighbor has mutually contributed to the planning and preparation.

Sunday Dinners have carried on for about seven weeks now.  Each week, dinner looks a little different; one week it might be good conversation over plates of spaghetti, the next it might be an engaging movie with a helping of chili, and the next week might be intense card games with a side of tender ribs covered in barbeque sauce.  What I see at our dinners is that neighbors look after one another’s children, serve each other plates of food to ensure everyone has enough, and clean up after one another so the burden is not on a select few.  Not only are they examples of us caring for one another in the most basic ways, but every interaction from meal preparation to table set up to meal clean up has become an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation about transformation of our community.

During our most recent dinner, we first filled our bellies then focused our attention on the task of planning the upcoming “Easter Sunday Dinner”.  Each neighbor expressed a desire to make this dinner extra special with a traditional meal and fun activities for the kids.  Facilitating this planning process was a lot of fun where I was able to see the gifts, talents, and interests of each neighbor come out as we discussed the roles they would play in making the dinner a success.  We got Cliff and “Nathan” on the kids’ games, “Kevin” and Cliff on the egg decorating, Elaina and Erika on the meats, Asquith on the mashed potatoes, and so forth.

In the midst of our planning, there was a side conversation being carried on which quickly became a loud debate.  Back and forth each party passionately made their point.  When the volume came down and the discussion was over, it was clear that the love remained.  Sunday Dinners have actually become a place of honest discussion, familial security, and unconditional love.  That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!

That said, discipleship and incarnational ministry have its challenges. It is not the quick and easy results oriented type of ministry; it is long term, intimate and grittily authentic. In other words it tends to hurt a bit for those who are experiencing it. It often means that the victories happen at such a gradual pace that we have to constantly remember where we have come from, why we are called here, what we have to celebrate and where we intend to go. If you can keep your eyes on Jesus and walk in His footsteps then this life is indeed challenging, but oh so rewarding as well.

If those last two paragraphs excite you and you feel a stirring deep in your gut that says that is what I want my life to be about, then maybe you should check out the new internship and apprenticeship opportunities we have just posted at www.join.innerchange.org

We are looking for some good solid followers of Christ who have some experience in what I have just briefly described above. We are looking to gain some good co-laborers who can hang in there and who will bring the needed energy and focused long term passion to discipling young men in our neighborhood who are coming out of addiction and sometimes tough backgrounds of brokenness but who are striving and desiring to do the right thing and live life after Christ. For more information check out the descriptions on the www.joininnerchange.org website and we will go from there. We are praying for those of you who will respond to the challenge laid before you.

This post will go online sometime in the early hours EST of February 14th—Valentine’s Day; also Pam’s due date. No baby yet! In Haiti, our midwife said 2/19 and the ultrasound showed 2/14. So, any time now. While in Miami we are assessing the long-term opportunities that have emerged from our role in the relief & recovery effort. Although Haiti has been on everyone’s heart for the past month, the devastation and onslaught of aid is only the tip of the iceberg. We are encouraged by how many people have expressed a commitment not only to the relief, but to the recovery and rebuilding as well.

Earlier this week we debriefed with the Miami crew along with the guys from New Orleans, and started reading through e-mail conversations between our team and the ministries we have been serving. From all accounts, the rapid-response “operation” was highlysuccessful. As we compared notes, it’s tough trying to explain precisely who we are and what we did—yet that’s the beauty of it. Our non-traditional approach (no organization, no stated mission) enabled us to be quick and nimble, networked and relevant. Through this effort alone, dozens of people put their lives on hold to volunteer; thousands committed funds and prayed. In other words: those who love God are serving those who God loves. It’s bread-and-butter Gospel (Philippians 2). Since there is no organization to describe who we are, and no mission statement to detail what we did, let me defer to stories and pictures to illustrate how God is using us for such a time as this.

Within days of the earthquake we scraped up $10K and sent 2000 gallons of diesel fuel to a PAP hospital. Due to security concerns (hijacking), we lined the floors of city buses with fuel in 30-liter containers (pictured above) and made runs to PAP during the night. From the outside looking in, you would never guess this bus was carrying 800 gallons of fuel. At the peak, we were sending a convoy of three buses every other night. We worked in cooperation with the director of public transportation in Fort-Liberte. Each bus had two drivers, two mechanics, and two police officers on board. Only Haitians were allowed to ride so we wouldn’t blow our cover. On the return trip, the buses evacuated hundreds of refugees.

These folks oversee the hospital at the Baptist Haiti Mission—where we sent a lot of the fuel. Chris Lieb (pictured left) wrote us, “I just wanted to thank you for your hard work in getting us out of a fuel crisis here at Baptist Haiti Mission. You literally saved lives at our hospital and it allowed us to be able to distribute much needed relief. May God continue to bless your efforts. It is great to see the body of Christ working together.” Chris, Kyrk, and Rob told us that when they got the first shipment of fuel they split it among several other ministries including orphanages and MAF.

In 2001, Jeff Fogle and I played collegiate soccer together. Jeff was key to us winning a national championship—the man can flat out play. Now, Jeff is the chaplain for the 82nd Airborne, 173rd Cavalry. Jeff’s squadron was the first to arrive in PAP. Although the phones had been down, he found a way to get a call through. I remember it well, “We’re staying at some sort of country club. We have helicopters—a lot people are critically injured. Do you know of any hospitals?” At the time we didn’t know which hospitals had been destroyed, so we gave him a few names. It turned out that he met Chris, Kyrk and Rob (previous picture) and the army began airlifting patients there.

It didn’t take long for our supply line to earn credibility. Although ground transport was the most risky means of moving supplies into PAP, it was effective early on. We avoided bottlenecks and delivered supplies to PAP ministries quickly. Pictured are: Cameron, Francisco, Jay and Kyle.

Our Miami central command office began fielding hundreds of e-mails and calls. Requests came in for everything imaginable. One hospital asked for vinyl mattresses to handle the patient surge. Within hours, our guys in Santiago found a mattress factory (above) that could make anything we wanted overnight! From Miami, our team hunted down and delivered things like bone saws and cauterization equipment for PAP clinics.

To streamline the movement of supplies, we used a transshipment point just north of PAP. Since it was a remote location, drop-off and pick-up was safe and easy. Dennis and Jarod are loading sacks of rice and beans for a school and orphanage. This location also happened to be where Samaritan’s Purse set up their base.

News from the frontline was encouraging. I spoke with people fromChristianville Mission as we loaded food into their truck—they were feeding 5000-6000 each day. Julie Scott from Haiti Child Sponsorshipwrote, “Please extend our gratitude to all who helped Jenn-Vi (Young Life) and the Good Shepherd School receive supplies! Your ministry was really the only open door for us as we struggled to get supplies to them. Thanks for all you do and will continue to do in Haiti! May God continue to bless your efforts!” What wasn’t mentioned is that Good Shepherd School is in Cite Soleil. Google it.

Samaritan’s Purse hand delivered 1.5 million pesos (36 to the dollar) to the hotel where we were staying in Santiago. They needed helicopter fuel urgently—plus a semi-truck full of rice. No problem. Santiago immediately dispatched a truck with ten 55-gallon drums of fuel. However, the border closed at 5:00 PM and we snapped this picture…oh, 90-minutes later. Adam and Mike (pictured) and I asked officials on both sides if we could pay everyone overtime to keep the border open. The picture above was taken on the bridge over the River Massacre, the divide between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Gerald, Jacques and James are rolling the drums from a Dominican truck to a Haitian truck. The truck drove through the night to deliver the fuel by morning.

For many of the “big” loads, MINUSTAH, the peacekeeping arm of the UN, offered our trucks armed escort. The Uruguayan battalion was great, from the commanders to the soldiers! It was a pleasure serving with them.

Besides transporting supplies to PAP, we worked directly with the mayor’s office in the city where we live. At last count, Fort-Liberte took in almost 2500 refugees. Here, Luis is pumping 1500 gallons of fuel into the city’s tanks to help keep utilities and public services (like the police) operational.

For more pictures, click here.

All of us still struggle to comprehend the earthquake. I remember staring at the headlines of the DrudgeReport on January 13th: “Hell Came Up”. If that’s what happened, then this is God at work.

Soli Deo Gloria

Because we were able to answer the call for supplies within days of the earthquake, and to strategically target orgs we knew were both legitimate and capable of in turn providing care through their long established networks; our efforts were focused on an intense but short term bridging effort. This means we were bridging part of the gap between when the large NGO’s could get on the ground and get organized and start distribution of the mass quantities necessary to help the mass population of Haiti. That is thankfully now happening. The huge NGO’s and others have gotten massive distribution points set up and are now giving out approximately 42 metric tons of supplies each day at each site!! Due to this we are now looking to stage 2 of our effort.  For more on this stage of our  please visit the link to the right  www.highwaytohaiti.com

In all, we serviced about 25 organizations, partnered with several others, and shipped tons of supplies from DR to PaP over the last few weeks. Our efforts to support those ministries will continue but in a different way by networking resources and others working in PaP to them. We always new our first stage would only last until our services were no longer vitally needed in PaP and then we’d shift to other long term development. This effort is far from over and the funds many of you have given and will continue to give will continue to be used 100% for the Haiti relief efforts of Urban Resurrection/InnerChange/CRM, Fellowship International Mission, and Kids Alive International. This partnership is not over and we are excited to see what God has in store for us in stage 2 and the many years it will take to help Haiti recover. Please stay tuned and engaged with Haiti and the people of Haiti. This is a long term process and will need long term commitment both from a support standpoint and from the on the ground hands on ministry. Thank you for your support and desire to serve God by serving the people of Haiti with us.