Teen Mission Notes (June, 2009)

The summer is off and running. June flew by as the days were filled with weeks of Christian camp, Vacation Bible Schools and mission trips. Here is a little more about what’s been happening:

2009 Mission Journeys
Several of this year’s Mission Journeys took place in June with more coming in July. While the trips have be going very well, nothing has been easy about this year’s trips.
The struggles began last fall. The economic recession in our country had many people worried about their money. As a result, Mission Journey volunteers were much more hesitant in committing to going on a short-term mission trip this year.
Our international trips took the biggest hit as people opted for staying inside the United States for a less-expensive project.
The primary focus of our international efforts this year was to be in the Central American country of Honduras, with two teams scheduled to go their this summer.
Our first team led by Ken Henderson (June 18-28) had a great trip.
Ken wrote, “My team did a GREAT work in Honduras for people in GREAT need. God is surely more pleased than I am, and I am thrilled at all that was accomplished. A special thanks to JD Miller for heading up the music contest, and the Madeline Hicks for heading up the dental clinics, and to John Walker and Gay Patton for heading up the medical clinics. Thanks to every other trip member and thanks to the Mission for their excellent organization and care of us while we were there.”
As the team neared time for their departure, a sense of political unrest and uncertainty developed in Honduras. The president of Honduras was removed from office by the military, with the president of the congress being appointed as president to serve until the elections to be held in November.
The team, however, was able to return home at their scheduled time, June 28th.
The instability in the country led us to reschedule the second team (July 16-25) to Saltillo, Mexico, where they will be working on a Christian camp outside of the city with Ernesto Fuentes.
Ernesto was thrilled to have a team coming to work with him. The spring’s H1N1 “swine flu” virus news from Mexico had all but wiped out the chances of his mission receiving any visitors this summer.

Our stateside projects had their fair share of hurdles to overcome, too.
One of our host missionaries on the Yakama Reservation in Washington learned she had terminal cancer. Please keep Jerry & My McNew in your prayers!
Two other missionary couples are having some serious marital problems. I do not wish to name them. However, please keep them in your prayers, too.
A full-time ministry worker on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona wrote me in early June saying, “The situation right now requires a great deal of prayer. Between 22-30 teens/adults (Native Americans we work with) have attempted suicide in the past month, several succeeding. Two added to this number just this week.”

I am reminded of 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
However, I take comfort in 1 John 4:4, “the one that is in you is greater than the one that is in the world.”

Camp/VBS
Along with the Mission Journeys, the VBS/Camp season is in full swing, too.
Teen Mission was the mission for VBS at our home church, Gardenside Christian Church (Lexington, KY), June 14-19.
GCC Children’s Director Shannon Hatfield did a great job with her 1st VBS @ GCC. There were over 80 children in attendance most every night; several of them were not from a church background.
It was one of the best evangelistic things we’ve done at Gardenside in a long time.
The offering for Teen Mission, USA, was $800!
The following week (June 21-25), I represented Teen Mission as the missionary for a Junior High week of camp at Butler Springs Christian Camp near Hillsboro, OH.
In all, TM is the mission for 6 Vacation Bible Schools and 11 weeks of church camp this summer.

NACC (June 30-July 03)
This year’s North American Christian Convention was held close to home in Louisville, KY.
It was good to have Kelly and Autumn attend with me this year. Meredith had a week of camp at Blue Grass Christian Camp and stayed with her Grandma.
We were able to “connect” with lots of old friends and meet some new ones as well.
It was especially good to spend some time with Denford Chizanga and family. Denford ministers in his native country of Zimbabwe, Africa. He and his wife (Shingi) help develop church leaders and plant new churches. Gardenside and my Sunday School class (the LIFE class) support their ministry efforts there.
Denford spoke at Gardenside on Sunday night, June 28th. He, Shinigi and daughter Hannah (15 mos) stayed a few nights in Lexington and rode up to the NACC with my family.
We’d love to bring a mission team to visit them in Zimbabwe sometime in the next few years.

THANKS again for your prayers, support and encouragement!

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Denford @ GCC (06.28.09)

Denford Chizanga and family are wonderful missionaries that my home church, Gardenside Christian Church, supports. They minister in their native country of Zimbabwe, Africa. We were blessed to have them visit us at GCC a few weeks ago (Sunday, June 28th).

Teen Mission Notes (April & May, 2009)

It’s been a busy, but productive spring.
While it’s not summer yet officially, the end of May and the Memorial Day weekend signals that summer is right around the corner.
Here’s some of what’s been going on with Teen Mission over the past few months:

Finances/Development Projects: So far, we’ve had a nice response to our spring Twice Annual mailing with nearly $7,000 raised. This has given some much-needed relief during the spring.
We raised the suggested Twice Annual contribution from $35 to $50. It was phrased, however, in a very low key way.
Our Fundraising/Development team has decided to pursue a concert and meal here in Lexington at Gardenside Christian Church for our fall banquet. The tentative date of Thursday, October 15th has been set.

2009 Mission Journeys: Things are moving into high gear with the 2009 Mission Journeys. In fact, we’ve already sent four teams out this year with many more to follow. Due to the current economic climate, many would-be Mission Journey volunteers have been hesitant in committing to going on a short-term mission trip this year. Despite that, it looks like we’ll have a very respectable number of participants (525) and trips (32).

VBS/Camp Mission Project: Our VBS/Camp mission program is underway and we several Vacation Bible Schools (6) and weeks of church camp (11) using us as their mission this summer.
We have a new theme and a DVD featuring 5 (one each day) of the locations/countries TM, USA, ministers in. These places will be:

Day 01 - Appalachia (Eastern KY/West VA)
Day 02 - Gulf South/Hurricane Relief (Louisiana/Mississippi/Texas)
Day 03 - Native American Indian Reservations (Arizona/South Dakota/Washington)
Day 04 – Central America (Mexico & Honduras)
Day 05 - Africa (Tanzania)

Sam Bowles & Cameron Andry (Marengo, IN) helped us with production of the DVD. Ken H designed the passport books and stamps that the children receive for attending.

Summer Interns: We have two really fine young people working with us this summer through the Joshua Teegarden Internship program. They are: Andrew Eells (Rossville, IL) and Clare McGill (Lexington, KY). A third intern, Sarah Cross (Nicholasville, KY), will not able to join us this summer.

TEEN MISSION, USA, BOARD MEETING (06.01.09)
The Teen Mission, USA, quarterly board meeting will be on Monday, June 1st, 11:30 am @ Gardenside Christian Church (940 Holly Springs Dr; Lexington KY 40504).

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Texas Project Photos

Texas Project

In the fall of 2008, parts of southeastern Texas were hit hard by Hurricanes Gustav & Ike.
In the towns of West Orange, Orangefield and Bridge City, Texas (near the Louisiana/Texas border), there were just over 5,000 houses flooded as result of Hurricane Ike.
Much like those families effected from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many were left homeless without knowing exactly what to do. The majority of these homes are repairable, but, so far, it has been a slow and difficult process of recovery.
Last month (April 20-22), I went down to southeast Texas and looked at a mission site where we’ll be helping folks recover from Hurricane Ike. It went very well.
Two guys from Kentucky flew down with me and two others from Indiana drove down.
While there, we were able to look around at the project site and meet with Garry Jones, Director of Real Life Ministries of Louisiana.
This summer, Teen Mission is partnering with RLM in helping with their first-ever “Project Home” project.
Through this project, our Mission Journey teams will be building a brand new home for widow and her daughter in Orange, TX, who lost their home to Hurricane Ike.
Two work groups have already laid the foundation and sub-floor. The first summer group will begin with framing.
In all, we’ll have four teams working on the project in Texas this summer. They are:

Driftwood Christian Church (Vallonia, IN)
Quincy (KY) Church of Christ
Broadway Christian Church (Lexington, KY)
Arundel (MD) Christian Church

Most of our teams will be staying at the First Christian Church in Orangefield, TX (Jim Hardwick, minister).
They have a nice facility with a kitchen and restrooms/showers.
Our backup facility will be a mobile home (unit #5) in Orange, TX, along with the West Orange Christian Church (Bobby Granger, minister).
If you’d like to help with this project or simply want more information, please contact us right away.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)

Easter Programs in Eastern KY (Photos)

An Easter Blessing in Eastern KY

Teen Mission, USA, held Easter programs/services at two different locations in Eastern KY on Saturday, April 4th.
In Booneville, KY, our team worked with over 60 elementary age children at the Owsley County Elementary School. Nearly 30 volunteers from Catalyst Christian Church (Nicholasville, KY) helped in making this event possible.
The event was a huge success as volunteers worked with the students in making crafts, telling Bible stories and transforming the gym into a carnival-like atmosphere. The day concluded with a massive Easter egg hunt involving nearly 2,500 eggs!

A second program took place in the mountain community of Spencer Ridge (Lee County). Jason Brown (TM Board member and minister at El Bethel Christian Church/Owenton, KY) helped organize a great program that involved preaching, worship, a Bluegrass band and an egg hunt. Also helping out with the program were several folks from Leesburg Christian Church (Cynthiana, KY).
Over the past few years, we’ve done several programs in this community, meeting in a vacant Church of Christ on the top of a mountain. One of the ladies in the community came up to thank us after the program. Her story is very special...

She told of bringing foster children, in her care, to our services last year. Not too long after they came to her home last summer, she saw that a mission group (one of ours led by Jason Brown) was doing a Vacation Bible School at the church on Spencer Ridge. As far as she knew, the foster children had never attended any church function. The VBS was a great success and her first-time VBS attendees had a great time! In fact, when one of them could not sleep at night due to some painful memories from the past, she told the child to think of something good. The little one began singing a song she learned at VBS. That helped the child relax and drift off to sleep.

Its stories like that one that makes this area (Lee & Owsley County) a special place for both me and Teen Mission, USA. In fact, we, as an organization, have “adopted” this community and have committed to doing ministry there throughout the year. Eventually, we would love to have staff people there in the area serving as the mission “hosts” for our short-term mission teams.

Once again, a big THANKS goes out to all those folks who helped with this year’s Easter event. You did a great job! You’re helping bring hope to many people in Lee and Owsley County.

In Him,
Greg Herriford (Teen Mission, USA)