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Archive for the ‘stories’ Category

What’s her story?

Posted by Matt On October - 20 - 2008

I’ll admit, that often when seeing other people my mind wanders, wondering their story. Like one time, I saw a pink Cadillac with a Mary Kay sticker on it and just three burly men were in the car…what’s up with that? What is their story?

I’ve flown a number of times, but never have had an experience like today.

I’ve been to Africa a few times and have met some absolutely wonderful people from remote areas that I would imagine could experience some big culture shock in my country.

Today, a woman from Mali flew next to me from Chicago to Paris (I’m on my way to Armenia). She was experiencing significant culture shock. She didn’t speak English or French (it was an Air France flight) or any other major language. I’m not sure what language she was speaking. The only way I got her name/country was when she showed me her passport. She’s in her 60s and the passport didn’t have any stamps in it. I didn’t understand the no stamps part.

The flight attendants…and I’ve not seen this before…were drawing pictures of cows and chickens on her menu, so she’d know her dinner choices. They even made cow and chicken noises. She got chicken.

When the plane started backing up from the gate, she got visibly scared, and kept holding on to the seat in front of her. I tried to calm her down. The flight attendant asked me if I wanted to move. “Nope.”

She looked at my cell phone with awe, as if she wondered what it was or something. As we started speeding down the runway, she grabbed my arm with both of hers and held on tightly for quite some time.

I grabbed my camera towards the end of the flight and took this photo…

She loved seeing it. I think it may have been one of the first digital cameras she’s seen up close.

Anyways, while it’s certainly none of my business, I wonder if she was visiting family. I wonder if she needed medical treatment. Vacation? Someone’s guest for a presentation or something? Wander-lust?

That all being said, she’s a child of God, and a special person. I don’t need to know her story, and will never learn it. However, He knows her and understands whatever language that was quite well.

blog, international, stories

Meet Maria

Posted by Matt On October - 11 - 2008

On Monday, the team and I went to a village church about 30 minutes from Sarata Galbena. Many of the homes in the village were abandoned as people had no money and left for other places. We worked with local Christians to share food with some gypsy families, the elderly, and some very poor people. Few times have I seen poverty on this scale.

Here, Claire gives us a bit of a tour and her thoughts…

Then, we went back to the small church building (it’s actually more of a home) where they fed us and we had a service for about 25 kids. What a wonderful time. There’s a family from the main church in Sarata that’s sees this village as their mission…we loved partnering with them for this day. (We also provided a lot of groceries for the church and food for the ministry.)

While there, I met Maria (not her real name…). We were sitting down, and there were balloons on the floor and we, not knowing each other’s language, got in a mild balloon fight. Fun. We palled around for the rest of the afternoon.

I then learned her story. She’s 10-years-old and has a little sister. Her father has been gone for years and her mother left last year as well. She’s taken care of her little sister for months now. This church found her, and has been helping her. In fact, the couple pastoring the church are letting Maria and her sister move in with them. She’s now well fed, warm and has some adults who love her and are telling her about Jesus.

The larger church is working towards perhaps starting an orphanage to help children such as Maria and her sister.

Great girl, fun afternoon, honor for Convoy of Hope and our interns to partner with churches like this.

blog, convoy of hope, international, interns, stories

More from Dani and Lena’s

Posted by Matt On September - 30 - 2008

I texted a blog entry with a small photo as we left Dani and Lena’s yesterday, but wanted to write more.

The village of Mihaileni is a village of about 6000. There are hundreds of them around this country. We partnered with a growing church to help them by painting and reaching out to the poor in the community. In a meeting with the mayor, he told of a family of siblings. The father abandoned the family years ago and the mother is in another country working. She left some money with the market to take care of her children, but the money ran out a long time ago. Thankfully, there are some older siblings in this tiny home, but they’re gone all day, leaving the little ones home alone.

They clearly bathe quite seldomly, are malnourished and in need of some serious attention. Multiple team members have stopped by in the last few days, and I was able to go with some yesterday. They devoured the chicken and soup we brought them, and loved the ball and other toys we shared with them. Here’s Mikellah with Dani…

Not sure how to process that kind of poverty, but I know that God smiles on a young lady going out of her way to help. I know he really smiles on a young couple in the church that have commited to keeping in touch with the kids and doing whatever they can possibly do to help. Igor said, “I didn’t know that poverty like this exists in my village.”

Here are the kids devouring the food…

Is there poverty like that where you live? What can be done? I realize some soup, chicken and toys won’t change their lives…but in combination with a caring couple from a caring church who walks with those kids as they get older…I think it could.

Proud of Zach, Mikellah, Karen, Claire and the team. Here are Zach’s thoughts about the day… http://zachfornerministries.blogspot.com/.

Thanks for keeping Lena and Dani in prayer.

blog, convoy of hope, international, interns, stories

At Lena and Dani’s house…

Posted by Matt On September - 29 - 2008

I've been a lot of places, but few of them are like the home of Andre, Lena and Dani. These three siblings don't know where their father is and their mother has gone to another country for work. She left some money at the local market for her kids to have food. That was last summer and she hasn't returned.

There are older siblings who help watch them but they're in the fields all day. The kids stay home…when it's hot and when it's cold.

We got their information from the mayor. He said they were in desperate need.

Igor is a local pastor's son. He and his wife went with us to their home yesterday and today. Igor said he didn't know poverty like this existed in his village. They were moved.

Sylvia and my grandmother (and Convoy of Hope)

Posted by Matt On August - 26 - 2008

From 1941-45 my grandparents were missionaries in El Salvador. They first served in Santa Ana where they pastored Templo Betel, and then pioneered the Assemblies of God work in San Salvador, the capital.

Grandpa is with Jesus, but Grandma is a strong 87-year-old. Though she hasn’t been to El Salvador in years, she’s been sponsoring Sylvia, an Latin American Child Care student in Santa Ana, a city in which she lived 67 years ago.

The team and I met up with Sylvia. She and her family invited us to her home where she showed us some photos my grandmother sent, some letters she wrote, and shared her amazing personality. To say that she’s thankful for Grandma’s sponsorship is an understatement. Here are her words of thanks.

A few weeks ago, I returned to El Salvador with the team from Oregon. We met up with Sylvia again…wow. We met her father for the first time.

Two things stand out from that night:

1. It was her father’s 45th birthday. We’d asked Sylvia about her favorite restaurant (Pizza Hut). As we ate there with her family, he let me know two things that humbled me, it was his first food of the day, and it was the first time he’d ever eaten out to celebrate his birthday. Wow. We were honored to join him on his special day.

2. I asked about her little brother, Walter. He’s a fun and energetic 9-year-old. In speaking with the familiy and then the school director, I learned that Walter stopped attending school after 1st grade because the family didn’t have money for school supplies, the uniform, or small school fees. A team member decided this should change…Walter will be back in school when the next term begins in January.

Our Convoy of Hope teams have worked in Sylvia’s schools and dozens like them this summer. These are the types of students and families with whom we’ve been working. We loved getting to know Sylvia and her family, learning more about El Salvador and opportunity in this country.

blog, convoy of hope, international, stories

Hoping to get water to the Yezide Kurds

Posted by Matt On June - 10 - 2008

Yezide Kurds are scattered around the northern mountains of Armenia and other places. In this village, where missionary Nick Puccini has made some great connections, they struggle to find clean water.

We’re strategizing the best response of not only getting them water but helping them filter it, which would help keep them well, etc. This is their only consistent water source, and it’s over 1 km from the village.

The area was absolutely beautiful, looking more like Ireland than what I pictured Armenia looking like…at least before it starts snowing here again. It’s hard to imagine we’re only 450 miles from Baghdad.

Here, you see Nick explaining a bit of the situation. I’ll let you know what role our interns will be able to play in helping these great people.

blog, convoy of hope, international, stories, video

An island of Christianity in a sea of chaos

Posted by Matt On June - 9 - 2008

That’s similar to a phrase used in a missions video I saw on Armenia back in ‘03. I first learned of this tiny country on that day and have been excited about possibilities since.

I’m here now.

This country is full of history (saw a 1600 year old monastery today),

Beauty (I see Mt. Arrarat each morning…it’s where they believe Noah’s ark is),

Strategy (I was in some rooms where pastors go over some courageous strategy…and I won’t say more about that on the web),

and Need (I saw a group of people hoping with all in them to receive a home so they can move out of the container…much like a shipping container…that their families have lived in since a massive earthquake 20 years ago that killed 25,000 people).

I also see opportunity. Here’s a short word from our missionary host, Nick Puccini.

blog, convoy of hope, international, stories, video

My first impressions of Moldova

Posted by Matt On June - 7 - 2008

What a place. After some rest I’ll post some more thoughts, but I’m really enjoying time here in Moldova. I’ve met some amazing people, seen some amazing ministry and have begun the dreaming process for what it could look like as our Convoy of Hope Interns come here this fall. Andy hosted me during my stay. Here he is in front of the former Soviet Union’s first officially sanctioned Pentecostal Church.

I’ll share more later about this beautiful place, which tragically is amongst the world’s poorest and was recently listed by a major U.S. magazine as being the “saddest” country in the world. Can’t wait to return this fall.

blog, convoy of hope, international, stories

Jason and Amy are married. Crazy.

Posted by Matt On April - 25 - 2008

So…I remember meeting Jason. In bed. Did I just put that on the internet? We were in junior high and our youth pastor roomed people who didn’t know each other together on the Six Flags trip. It was him, us and another guy who was much older…and we junior highers grabbed one of those two hotel beds. Talked much of the night.

Grew up together…it was fun. Dreamed together. Made life plans for ministry wherever God would take us. I visited him in Texarkana, TX (wouldn’t want to live there…sorry Jason) and we’ve had lots o’ good times.

Amy…I’ve known her pretty well for a long time too. In fact, I was her youth pastor. Fun

days…great memories. She’s always been brilliant, always been a leader. I even baptized her when she was 8. She swam to the steps (she would’ve almost drowned if she had to walk).

When Jason called me 1 1/2 years ago to let me know they were dating, I wasn’t at all surprised. There’s a few years between them, but they’re perfect for each other.

And now they’re married. I got to be a groomsman.

I was there at the kiss when the pyros went off.

They’re in Mexico honeymooning, heading home soon. That Park Crest youth group that I love so much is in very good hands…and I’m thrilled for them and happy for all those kids.

My thoughts…

blog, random, stories

Doug Corbett is a good man…and he’s on his way back…

Posted by Matt On April - 24 - 2008

Doug Corbett’s office is across the hall from mine at Convoy of Hope…but our relationship goes back a lot further. I remember in the mid-late 80s when he and his family went on the mission field to Sierre Leonne. Their family was one of about 3 or 4 that I thought of when I thought of missionaries.

I remember when he got cancer for the first time about 20 years ago. I remember when he had his bone marrow transplant and came to church wearing a mask…the pastor welcomed him back and told us not to get too close to him. We cheered and we prayed.

I worked with him in the Dominican Republic last spring where I would help bandage his head. Radiation treatments from 17 years ago were killing the bone in his skull. The Dr.’s didn’t tell him about the possibility, because they didn’t figure he would live long enough for this side effect to actually effect. He was in a lot of pain.

I’ve never heard him (or heard of him) complain. Just smiles, and thanks for faith.

God’s done a lot of miracles in his life…he’s gotten to see meet his grandchildren. He’s working with an organization he loves (Convoy of Hope), he’s traveled the world and helped A LOT of people.

Check out this video from his digital camera after tragic flooding in Burundi…one of the poorest countries on the world…

Then, he had to have surgery on the skull. Crazy surgery. I won’t get detailed here. If you know Doug, you’ve likely heard all about it. He was sedated for 12 days, had numerous complications, and was in intensive care for a long time. His wife and familiy took really good care of him, and we all prayed and prayed and prayed. You can visit his hospital care page to see details.

He came to work yesterday. Not to work, but to celebrate his life, and his future. The entire staff gathered around the front door…and pretty much everybody cried tears of joy. We love Doug…and it was good to have him back if only for a visit.

He’ll be back for good soon…and will no doubt continue with his corny jokes and forwarding of emails he finds funny. That will be fun. Love ya Doug.

Here are photos of Doug and Bev, Doug at his office, and Doug and Convoy of Hope’s founder Hal Donaldson.