I received the following email from Martin Vargas, who has done a wonderful job of keeping track of and servicing the needs of the Haiti Relief Team. I will continue to post communication I receive from him. As Martin notes, pray for the people of Chile as well as Haiti.
~Jim
------------------------
From: Martin Vargas [mailto:martvarg1@msn.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 5:22 PM
Subject: CHILE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF TEAM
Dear friends:
Since 9 am I have been trying to contact the team of Chilean Pastors who are church planters and partners of Come Over Ministry. Pastor Waldo Bascur & Pastor Alex Rodrigo are located in Santiago.Javier Zuñiga, A Chilean Pastor whois the Pastor in Guayaquil,Ecuador was in Chile recently.
We are evaluating damage reports as they come in and preparing initial response plans, if it is determined that a significant response is needed. We will keep you update with more news as soon as we have it. Shelter Boxes are on the way to Chile to assist the victims.
Please pray for the Chilean families.
Pastor Martin Vargas
Come Over Ministry
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Clarity
Mark 8:25: Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (ESV)
I have always thought of what took place in this man's life from a salvation perspective. It is true that this passage reveals this man's spiritual blindness and need for salvation, but there is also an application for each of us individually and corporately.
Following this incident, Jesus' disciples also began to see more clearly as they came to understand in a deeper way His mission and purpose. They experienced clarity as they understood that He must go to the cross and die for the sins of the world.
Clarity is defined as clearness in what one is thinking, and clearness is simply being free from anything that darkness or obscures.
I really need clarity because my life and work are often obscured by the issues and challenges of life. As the saying goes, I often don't see the forest for the trees. I am glad there is someone who can bring clarity to life, and I experience that when I seek wisdom and direction from the One who sees all.
I need to remember this the next time I see men like trees, walking.
I have always thought of what took place in this man's life from a salvation perspective. It is true that this passage reveals this man's spiritual blindness and need for salvation, but there is also an application for each of us individually and corporately.
Following this incident, Jesus' disciples also began to see more clearly as they came to understand in a deeper way His mission and purpose. They experienced clarity as they understood that He must go to the cross and die for the sins of the world.
Clarity is defined as clearness in what one is thinking, and clearness is simply being free from anything that darkness or obscures.
I really need clarity because my life and work are often obscured by the issues and challenges of life. As the saying goes, I often don't see the forest for the trees. I am glad there is someone who can bring clarity to life, and I experience that when I seek wisdom and direction from the One who sees all.
I need to remember this the next time I see men like trees, walking.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Haiti Relief Update: 02/10/10
From: Martin Vargas [mailto:martvarg1@msn.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:39 PM
Subject: UNITED NATIONS VIDEO
We were in the UN and MINUSTAH during our trip in Haiti. We were able to get food, generators, water, shelter boxes, and medicines.They have a lot of stuff...but no logistic or relations to distribute it.!!!! What a sadness.
See attached video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3nT3Tw9L9U
Martin Vargas
Come Over Ministries
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:39 PM
Subject: UNITED NATIONS VIDEO
We were in the UN and MINUSTAH during our trip in Haiti. We were able to get food, generators, water, shelter boxes, and medicines.They have a lot of stuff...but no logistic or relations to distribute it.!!!! What a sadness.
See attached video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3nT3Tw9L9U
Martin Vargas
Come Over Ministries
Monday, February 8, 2010
Matthew 9:37,38
Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
I have been thinking alot about these verses, and will probably develop them into some kind of sermon or Bible Study.
In any case, here are a few initial thoughts. I believe the harvest Jesus refers to is the multitude of people He was trying to serve and to meet their needs. When He saw them He was moved with compassion towards them.
Rather than point the finger at someone else, or berate churches for not focusing on their responsibility regarding the harvest, I point the finger at myself. When was the last time I was moved with compassion for the multitudes and when was the last time I engaged in the harvest? How concerned am I for the multitudes and that they are weary and scattered like sheep with no shepherd? Answer: Not nearly enough.
It is time for me to not only pray for laborers for the harvest but also to be an answer to someone else's prayer. For, the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.
~ Jim
I have been thinking alot about these verses, and will probably develop them into some kind of sermon or Bible Study.
In any case, here are a few initial thoughts. I believe the harvest Jesus refers to is the multitude of people He was trying to serve and to meet their needs. When He saw them He was moved with compassion towards them.
Rather than point the finger at someone else, or berate churches for not focusing on their responsibility regarding the harvest, I point the finger at myself. When was the last time I was moved with compassion for the multitudes and when was the last time I engaged in the harvest? How concerned am I for the multitudes and that they are weary and scattered like sheep with no shepherd? Answer: Not nearly enough.
It is time for me to not only pray for laborers for the harvest but also to be an answer to someone else's prayer. For, the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.
~ Jim
Sunday, February 7, 2010
New 2010 Mission Mid-Atlantic Conference Information Available
Rickie has posted alot of new information about our 2010 Annual Conference at our website: www.missionmid-atlantic.org. The updates include:
* Conference Information and Registration
* Group Registration Form
* Lancaster Area Hotels
We encourage you to visit the information, print the registration information and send it into our office as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you at Grace Baptist on April 23 - 24.
~ Jim
* Conference Information and Registration
* Group Registration Form
* Lancaster Area Hotels
We encourage you to visit the information, print the registration information and send it into our office as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you at Grace Baptist on April 23 - 24.
~ Jim
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Trisha Hartman's Update Regarding Haiti Relief
I received this update yesterday from Martin Vargas. Trisha Hartman just returned from Haiti and sent her update to a newspaper in Florida. She gave me permission to post it on my blog. Thanks Trisha!
~Jim
---------------------------------------
From: Trisha Hartman
To: afins@sun-sentinel.com
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:14 AM
Subject: Just returned from Haiti
We just returned from Haiti on a mission trip with Come Over Ministries, headed by Pastor Martin Vargas. The need is great. We witnessed a people who were thankful to God for their lives. They managed to smile. They were thankful that God had sent us on this trip to let them know that God had not forgotten them.
We were surprised at the article about the food distribution that we read when we returned in the Sunday paper. It said the UN was distributing food in Cite-de-Soleil on Saturday. Our information is that no one was helping this already impoverished neighborhood. We set up medical, water and food distribution on Sunday and Monday. We did not encounter the kind of turbulence that is described in your article.
The UN helped us with some security, but did not stay. We only had three local policemen with us all day. In fact, the UN left a group of our men after sundown that was waiting for a van, even though the group asked them for help. They had committed to help keep us secure while we were in the city. We stayed in a compound outside the city at night. Thankfully, everyone was fine, and never felt threatened. One Brazilian soldier commented that he was surprised that we were able to do this in a neighborhood that was already dangerous to enter before the earthquake with only three policemen. He said it should take 75 military to pull this off. God was with us.
Our understanding is that there is food sitting in ports and on the UN grounds with no one to distribute it. We could not get our container that we shipped before the trip out of the port to be able to distribute the medications, food and water that we had intended to distribute. We negotiated with the UN to get water and food to distribute, and had to pay to have it delivered to our base camp outside the city. We did not witness any military distributions of food by them. We had a Washington Post reporter with us on Monday.
The need for children is the greatest. Of the hundreds who showed up for medical help, we only had a handful who came without babies. They need medicines for children and vitamins for pregnant women. They also need those orange buckets that they sell at the hardware stores to carry water.
Trisha Hartman
www.TrishaHartman.com
~Jim
---------------------------------------
From: Trisha Hartman
To: afins@sun-sentinel.com
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:14 AM
Subject: Just returned from Haiti
We just returned from Haiti on a mission trip with Come Over Ministries, headed by Pastor Martin Vargas. The need is great. We witnessed a people who were thankful to God for their lives. They managed to smile. They were thankful that God had sent us on this trip to let them know that God had not forgotten them.
We were surprised at the article about the food distribution that we read when we returned in the Sunday paper. It said the UN was distributing food in Cite-de-Soleil on Saturday. Our information is that no one was helping this already impoverished neighborhood. We set up medical, water and food distribution on Sunday and Monday. We did not encounter the kind of turbulence that is described in your article.
The UN helped us with some security, but did not stay. We only had three local policemen with us all day. In fact, the UN left a group of our men after sundown that was waiting for a van, even though the group asked them for help. They had committed to help keep us secure while we were in the city. We stayed in a compound outside the city at night. Thankfully, everyone was fine, and never felt threatened. One Brazilian soldier commented that he was surprised that we were able to do this in a neighborhood that was already dangerous to enter before the earthquake with only three policemen. He said it should take 75 military to pull this off. God was with us.
Our understanding is that there is food sitting in ports and on the UN grounds with no one to distribute it. We could not get our container that we shipped before the trip out of the port to be able to distribute the medications, food and water that we had intended to distribute. We negotiated with the UN to get water and food to distribute, and had to pay to have it delivered to our base camp outside the city. We did not witness any military distributions of food by them. We had a Washington Post reporter with us on Monday.
The need for children is the greatest. Of the hundreds who showed up for medical help, we only had a handful who came without babies. They need medicines for children and vitamins for pregnant women. They also need those orange buckets that they sell at the hardware stores to carry water.
Trisha Hartman
www.TrishaHartman.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)