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God has been our strength and ever-present help over our New Hope Missions travel. Despite many miles, we have been safe and protected. One slight fender bender in Chicago and two downed limbs at home were our only mishaps over the summer. Looking back at our inner-city mission trips this spring and summer, we are thrilled with the effective ministry of the participants in these cities. We have had students from California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Iowa, New York, Maryland and Delaware participating in our ministry this summer. Each team did an excellent job serving the Lord and the local missionaries we work with in each city!
Roanoke, Virginia
In Roanoke, Virginia we worked with Straight Street Ministries. An inner-city ministry offering a safe place for youth to get help for themselves and their families. Don loved working with their staff, led by Keith Farmer, and is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to serve with them again. Our team hosted and ran three community block parties where we shared the love of Christ and promoted the ministries available through Straight Street. We also helped Camp Eagle prepare for their summer camping season by cleaning and readying their dorms for use. Our team was also able to bless a new start up church by doing physical labor to prepare the grounds and building for worship and ministry.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In Philadelphia, we worked with Pastor Frank Vega and the ministry he founded, Inner City Missions. He is truly one of a kind, with a passion to reach societys outcasts and the hurting on the streets of his community in one of the hardest cities in America. Each day, the team conducted prayer walks and cleaned up trash in the neighborhoods and parks. The team also played with children in these parks and shared the Gospel of Christ with them and their families. Each day also included intimidating, for some, street ministry. While a portion of our team sang songs and effectively drew in a crowd, the rest of our team handed out gospel tracts, had conversations with people and distributed food and drink on one of the most drug ridden corners in America, Kennsington and Somerset. Again this year, we were able to assist Anthonya Christian man who operates two of the City of Philadelphia parks. Highlights for the team with Anthony this year include cleaning, raking and lining a softball field so the City League players can play on a nice field. Also, the team was very excited to pick up glass and prepare the graffiti covered pool to be painted and filled with water so the children can swim on hot summer days.
Berlin, Germany
Vision for Youths New Hope Missions went global this summer. We took a team of 17 people to Berlin, Germany to run a teen camp for Crossway International Baptist Church under the effective and fun leadership of Kristi Walker. Kristi is a missionary and leader of the youth ministry for Crossway. If you ever get the chance to serve alongside Kristi, I promise a great and memorable tripshe is a hoot to be around! Kristi did an excellent job showing us
around historical Berlin and providing us real-life ministry opportunities. Our New Hope team did a great job building relationships with the local students. After sharing the Gospel with the 45 teens attending the camp, we realized that many of them had been attending for months and struggling to make that leap of faith and trust Christ for their salvation. Their atheistic society makes the process of placing their faith in Jesus prolonged and cerebral. However, it was such a thrill to see several cross that line and decide to respond to the Gospels wonderful invitation. We are so thankful for Kristis faithful and patient work with those students, which gave us the opportunity to be there, at the right time, to reap a great harvest along with her.
Support Needed
The five New Hope mission trips went very well and we are excited that all of the local missionaries were pleased and want us back again next year. We knew going into this summer that it would be difficult financially. Julie and I work in the schools but not during the summer and I was unable to earn extra funds by speaking due to the grueling New Hope Mission trips schedule. It was a wonderful storm of effective ministry and no funding...we have definitely been living by faith and not by cash. Heres how you can help: 1. Send a financial gift to help us meet our current needs directly to us. (Don Jackson 100 W. Sunset Blvd. Battle Creek, MI 49017) 2. Send a gas gift card to help keep us on the road. 3. Ask your Missions Committee to consider taking on the Jackson family for monthly support. 4. Encourage your S.S. class, small group, church or other group to take a love offering for our ministry. 5. Schedule Don to speak at your church, school, camp, etc. (We need more fall and winter bookings!)