I am officially back in Washington until March. I have exciting news: God has opened doors for me to move to new things. I was offered the opportunity to head the humanitarian relief and development projects in Armenia. The missionary couple in Armenia are excited to launch new programs partnering church planting with the humanitarian relief as an outreach to reach the needs of the Armenian people.
I will be moving to Yerevan, the capitol, and work on developing programs for 2 years. I am now raising support to be able to reach the people of Armenia with humanitarian relief and church planting.
More to come on what all is going on in Armenia, and whats next for me. I just wanted to update you where things are at and ask you to pray as I step out in this new adventure that God has opened for me...
Until next time
Chad
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Bagging Groceries In Sarata Galbena
We bagged over 500 bags of groceries for families in this community in need. We then did a big Convoy of Hope Outreach with games, kids activities, testimonies, and prayer with the message of the Gospel. Great day all-together. This is a video of the Convoy team bagging the groceries.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Blessings in Moldova
we have had the great opportunity to work in a town this past week named Strasen. we stayed in homes of people in the church. during the day we were able to rebuild a concrete wall that was old and cracked on the sanctuary building. it would have cost the church over 500 dollars in just labor for our work - not counting the cost for materials. all week we worked on that wall during the day. then, a group would go to the orphanage that had about 100 kids in it. we had a service for them with fun versions of Bible stories, songs, and games. great ministry! we were also able to be a part of a feeding program the church in Strasen has for elderly people every day for lunch. saturday we had a service for visually impared people. we gave out 200 bags with groceries and slippers. the service was in the community center, and most were non Christians. we sang songs for them, gave testimonies of God in our own personal lives, and presented the gospel to them talking about the salvation that Jesus offers us all. it was an amazing time to meet their needs physically, give them some entertainment, and let them know that they are not forgotten. they really needed to know that people do care about them that and Christ has a plan and purpose for them. elderly people in Moldova are often forgotten and left alone. with physical disabilities it can be even lonelier for them. the church in Strasen is doing an amazing job of reaching out to their community with physical help as well as spiritual help. they really "get" what it is all about - going into all the world whether it is your neighbor or someone at the store and show them Christ's love and compassion and share the message of His saving grace to all.
i made some great friends. on our way out of town, the father of my host family, peter, who i worked with all week, was waiting for a bus across the street. i ran over to say goodbye and he gave me a huge hug. even though we don't speak the same language we became great friends. its all about relationships here.
today we worked at the "home of hope", the house for trafficked women to help them recover. they officially open next week and we were finishing up making cabinets and odds and ends so it will be ready for the girls when they come in. we prayed for each room and the girls who will be there and that they would have peace and feel the comfort of jesus.
great times. delayed till Saturday to head out to Armenia.
till next time
your friend
chad
i made some great friends. on our way out of town, the father of my host family, peter, who i worked with all week, was waiting for a bus across the street. i ran over to say goodbye and he gave me a huge hug. even though we don't speak the same language we became great friends. its all about relationships here.
today we worked at the "home of hope", the house for trafficked women to help them recover. they officially open next week and we were finishing up making cabinets and odds and ends so it will be ready for the girls when they come in. we prayed for each room and the girls who will be there and that they would have peace and feel the comfort of jesus.
great times. delayed till Saturday to head out to Armenia.
till next time
your friend
chad
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Update on Moldova
the last few days we have been up north where there was the most flooding since 1900. in the village there was standing water covering the whole village over a meter and a half high. many houses were totally caved in and others had half fallen off. many have molding problems. lives were devastated, homes lost, with families losing all that they have. we were able to come in with 7 tons of food consisting of flour, vegetables, protein soups, beans, noodles, and salt. these are all non-perishable goods. we reached over 500 families in need. we also gave families slippers. Moldovan people don't wear shoes inside. but as it is very cold, they need something inside. it was great way to bless them. at the outreach they held, an evangelist came and gave a salvation message. we came to meet physical needs, but he explained that only God can really meet all their needs. the mayor of the town gave us the list of the families needing help, and most were non-believers. great opportunity.
we split into groups of 2 to spend the night in the village. chris and I were put into a home that was very quaint. we got to the house around 10 pm and they still wanted to feed us. sitting at the table (which was also where their beds were) we ate the meal that they worked so hard to provide for us. i had the great opportunity to use the restroom which was right next to the pig pen. it was dark, and i slipped right into the pig pen, and ended up in ankle deep pig droppings!! i had a great laugh about that.
we were also able to go and visit a family in a nearby village who had recently lost their father. he was the pastor of the church in town. he decided one day to go down into the well and clean it out. he had a heart attack and died. he left a wife, 2 kids, grandchildren, a church, and a house not finished. they now have no one looking out for them. the mother had been praying that God would send someone to encourage them, and they thought they had been forgotten by everyone. we came un-announced and they were blessed with groceries, slippers, and the reminder that they were not forgotten by God or by believers. it was a great experience.
we split into groups of 2 to spend the night in the village. chris and I were put into a home that was very quaint. we got to the house around 10 pm and they still wanted to feed us. sitting at the table (which was also where their beds were) we ate the meal that they worked so hard to provide for us. i had the great opportunity to use the restroom which was right next to the pig pen. it was dark, and i slipped right into the pig pen, and ended up in ankle deep pig droppings!! i had a great laugh about that.
we were also able to go and visit a family in a nearby village who had recently lost their father. he was the pastor of the church in town. he decided one day to go down into the well and clean it out. he had a heart attack and died. he left a wife, 2 kids, grandchildren, a church, and a house not finished. they now have no one looking out for them. the mother had been praying that God would send someone to encourage them, and they thought they had been forgotten by everyone. we came un-announced and they were blessed with groceries, slippers, and the reminder that they were not forgotten by God or by believers. it was a great experience.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Flood Relief in Moldova
We have been very, very busy - visiting villages, doing outreaches, visiting people in need, and giving out groceries. i have very limited internet, but wanted to let everyone know that we are meeting a great need here in Moldova both physically and spiritually. there is a great need for both food, and spiritual direction. firstly, poverty looks completely different around the world. Moldovan poverty is very different from poverty that i have seen in the other countries i have been to. you look around and see houses that look decent. they have a yard, a shed, a garden, and sometimes i find myself thinking 'do they really need help?' but what we don't know is that many times the house has been passed down from one family member to another. it may have taken them years and years to build. many times people put all their money right away into one thing. they don't know any better and forget to think about the future. also, here in Moldova, half the country has moved to other countries to get work, and because of this, Moldova's employment rate is extremely low. so, if a family does have money, most of the time it is coming in from outside of Moldova.
tomorrow we are heading north for 6 hours to give flood relief. we will be within spitting distance of Romania and the Ukraine. the river between Moldova and these countries has flooded and there is a great need. we will be bringing food and cleaning supplies that are needed after flood damage. when we give gifts of any kind we explain the reason for the gift - the gospel.
keep us in your prayers as we will be traveling a lot in the next few days.
chad-
tomorrow we are heading north for 6 hours to give flood relief. we will be within spitting distance of Romania and the Ukraine. the river between Moldova and these countries has flooded and there is a great need. we will be bringing food and cleaning supplies that are needed after flood damage. when we give gifts of any kind we explain the reason for the gift - the gospel.
keep us in your prayers as we will be traveling a lot in the next few days.
chad-
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Moldova
we have been in Moldova for over a week now. we stayed in a village 3 hours away from the capitol. the village was called Beltz. we stayed in a church for most of the time. we were there really to encourage the church and its building process. they have been building their church for 6 years. they have had a lot of persecution from the orthodox church in the 90's. we helped them work on finishing the inside, mudding the sheet-rocking, taping the walls, sanding, spraying texture, and painting. there is a pastor there that is in charge of 10 churches. he was there every day, along with the pastor of the actual church. they also have many evangelists (as they call them) that work at the church everyday. we also had about 8 men from the village working with us every day. we made great friends with them. we had a great time trying to communicate without speaking the same language. we were also able to visit several homes in the area that were very needy. the town we were in was only about 6,000 people. we went to many different houses giving a bag of groceries, visiting, sharing the reason we were there... the gospel, and praying for and with them. we also got the chance to visit the local school and talk to them. a lot of doors to encourage the local christians and to help them reach out to their community.
the culture here is amazing. they pray a lot - before and after meals, in the morning and evening, and many times during the day. each prayer is a group event. everyone prays aloud, and someone closes after everyone is done.
i had the chance to get a ride with "sara taddy", a local missionary, back to town one day with a pastor and his family. we ended up taking a 2 hour detour to his church because he was so proud of it and the work they are doing. they ended up filling me with amazing cheese, fresh bread they made, and crapes filled with cheese. i can never say no to food.
last night i again got another crazy chance to stay the night at the pastor of the local 10 churches. he has 10 children. i stayed in his upstairs that had just been finished. they, of course, wanted to show us all his land and farm. he has a lot of property with vegetables, fruit trees, sunflower plants, chickens, and ducks. then, as it got dark, they decided to take us to their friend/s house out in the middle of nowhere to get a ride on a tractor. we all rode along on this tractor, talked in the field for awhile and went back to the house. then, at about 9:30 ate dinner consisting of bread with cheese, mayo and fish. i really dont enjoy fish!!! we ate pickled watermelon. really interesting. then they had me play guitar for them and harmonica. amazing experience. this pastor was in the russian army. had some really tough times - great man of God. we then got up at 6 and prayed. finished texturing the church and headed back to Chisinau where we are based out of.
it is amazing here. God is doing some amazing things. we are helping many many people. encouraging the local church, and sharing the love of Christ in practical ways. we are walking out our faith and being the hands and feet of Jesus.
the culture here is amazing. they pray a lot - before and after meals, in the morning and evening, and many times during the day. each prayer is a group event. everyone prays aloud, and someone closes after everyone is done.
i had the chance to get a ride with "sara taddy", a local missionary, back to town one day with a pastor and his family. we ended up taking a 2 hour detour to his church because he was so proud of it and the work they are doing. they ended up filling me with amazing cheese, fresh bread they made, and crapes filled with cheese. i can never say no to food.
last night i again got another crazy chance to stay the night at the pastor of the local 10 churches. he has 10 children. i stayed in his upstairs that had just been finished. they, of course, wanted to show us all his land and farm. he has a lot of property with vegetables, fruit trees, sunflower plants, chickens, and ducks. then, as it got dark, they decided to take us to their friend/s house out in the middle of nowhere to get a ride on a tractor. we all rode along on this tractor, talked in the field for awhile and went back to the house. then, at about 9:30 ate dinner consisting of bread with cheese, mayo and fish. i really dont enjoy fish!!! we ate pickled watermelon. really interesting. then they had me play guitar for them and harmonica. amazing experience. this pastor was in the russian army. had some really tough times - great man of God. we then got up at 6 and prayed. finished texturing the church and headed back to Chisinau where we are based out of.
it is amazing here. God is doing some amazing things. we are helping many many people. encouraging the local church, and sharing the love of Christ in practical ways. we are walking out our faith and being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Hurricane IKE
Here are some pictures of Hurricane Ike in both Texas and from a friend in Haiti who took pictures of hurricane Ike's effects there. I was there earlier in the year. An orphanage that convoy supports was massively flooded and only could be reached by helicopter. They rescued all the children and took them to another orphanage.
Hurricane IKE
we got back from port arthur, texas on thursday afternoon. it was an amazing experience. we were able to reach 9000 families/cars in three days of distribution. if you think of that in terms of around 3 people per family, the number of people reached could amount to around 27,000 people. It was great to be able to meet their physical needs with the love of Jesus. we also had people walking the mile-and-a-half line of cars with tracks and talking and praying for people while they waited for their turn to get MRE's, water, ice, powerade, trash bags, bleach, and other odds and ends. MRE's are "meals ready to eat." they are a complete meal in a bag - no need to cook or anything. they have a heater inside that uses a teaspoon of water to heat them. each family got a box of 12 MREs. we had 6 stations at a time giving out our products. we worked from 7:30 am until 4:00 pm when we would run out of products for the day. convoy of hope has so far sent 66 semi truck loads of goods totaling just at 1.9 million dollars. it was an amazing experience to be apart of helping so many lives when they needed it most. we spent the nights in the mobile command center which is a semi with 6 beds, shower/toilet, and all the things needed for disaster response. radars, internet, radios - basically a weather station on wheels. it was our "home away from home" for a week.
the thing that stuck out the most to me was the southern hospitality. the people, in the midst of chaos and having their homes and lives torn apart, were so hospitable to us. they would volunteer to help in any way possible. one man named thomas came every day at 8 am and worked till 4. he never took a break. we were able to minister and talk about our faith with him. he brought his grand kids as well to help. when we left he found each one of us that worked with him, thanked us and gave us hugs. it really meant a lot to me. i took some pictures of us along the way with our caravan of 5 semis and 2 rv's that came from missouri. thanks for your prayers.
the thing that stuck out the most to me was the southern hospitality. the people, in the midst of chaos and having their homes and lives torn apart, were so hospitable to us. they would volunteer to help in any way possible. one man named thomas came every day at 8 am and worked till 4. he never took a break. we were able to minister and talk about our faith with him. he brought his grand kids as well to help. when we left he found each one of us that worked with him, thanked us and gave us hugs. it really meant a lot to me. i took some pictures of us along the way with our caravan of 5 semis and 2 rv's that came from missouri. thanks for your prayers.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
An Amazing 5 Months!
Short video showing my trips so far:
well i'm just about 5 months into this journey!!! it has been an amazing time that i really can't put into words. being in Haiti, Nicaragua, and El Salvador have all been incredible in themselves, but to have had the opportunity to minister to all three is more than i could have ever asked for. going from the poorest country in the western hemisphere (Haiti) to Nicaragua, the second poorest country, has opened my eyes to the need for compassion around the world. to see first-hand the hardships that so many people face on a daily basis has changed me. i have been able to be apart of what Convoy of Hope is doing to make a change for the world, both spiritually and physically.
i have worked in schools, churches, youth retreats, pastors conferences, teacher conferences, communities and villages giving food, water, clothes, hygene kits, friendship, hugs, and been able to share the love of Jesus in a real and tangible way. so many have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior because we came first with compassion, meeting there physical needs, and showing them the love of Jesus. i have preached in churches, led alter calls, been in front of hundreds and hundreds of kids acting like a complete goof - all for the sake of sharing the gospel to as many as possible.
this summer was an amazing adventure where God led me to make relationships with so many people from El Salvador and Nicaragua. i truly love the people that i met and made friendships with. one pastor actually gave me his vary own Spanish bible after i spoke in a service. i cant even begin to tell you how that made me feel.
my last day in El Salvador left me with the realization that there are still so many lives that need someone to offer their hand in compassion. a little girl named Beatriz (8 yrs old) was in an assembly where we gave wan opportunity to get prayer for a number of things. she was in the front row, and raised her hand. a team member went and prayed with her, and she was crying. we ended and she still was crying. i went to her and picked her up. with a interpreter i asked what was wrong. she said her dad beats her and her mom cant do anything about it. i held her for over 2 hours. hugging her and praying with her. she asked God into her heart! not only was she in need for food and other physical things, she also has to endure being beaten by her father.
it's people like Beatriz and so many others that i believe God has put me in this calling with Convoy of Hope. i want to thank you for all your prayers and support. please keep me in your prayers as i continue to reach the world with God's compassion.
adios
chaditto
P.S. Next stop Armenia and Moldova... more on that later!!!!
well i'm just about 5 months into this journey!!! it has been an amazing time that i really can't put into words. being in Haiti, Nicaragua, and El Salvador have all been incredible in themselves, but to have had the opportunity to minister to all three is more than i could have ever asked for. going from the poorest country in the western hemisphere (Haiti) to Nicaragua, the second poorest country, has opened my eyes to the need for compassion around the world. to see first-hand the hardships that so many people face on a daily basis has changed me. i have been able to be apart of what Convoy of Hope is doing to make a change for the world, both spiritually and physically.
i have worked in schools, churches, youth retreats, pastors conferences, teacher conferences, communities and villages giving food, water, clothes, hygene kits, friendship, hugs, and been able to share the love of Jesus in a real and tangible way. so many have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior because we came first with compassion, meeting there physical needs, and showing them the love of Jesus. i have preached in churches, led alter calls, been in front of hundreds and hundreds of kids acting like a complete goof - all for the sake of sharing the gospel to as many as possible.
this summer was an amazing adventure where God led me to make relationships with so many people from El Salvador and Nicaragua. i truly love the people that i met and made friendships with. one pastor actually gave me his vary own Spanish bible after i spoke in a service. i cant even begin to tell you how that made me feel.
my last day in El Salvador left me with the realization that there are still so many lives that need someone to offer their hand in compassion. a little girl named Beatriz (8 yrs old) was in an assembly where we gave wan opportunity to get prayer for a number of things. she was in the front row, and raised her hand. a team member went and prayed with her, and she was crying. we ended and she still was crying. i went to her and picked her up. with a interpreter i asked what was wrong. she said her dad beats her and her mom cant do anything about it. i held her for over 2 hours. hugging her and praying with her. she asked God into her heart! not only was she in need for food and other physical things, she also has to endure being beaten by her father.
it's people like Beatriz and so many others that i believe God has put me in this calling with Convoy of Hope. i want to thank you for all your prayers and support. please keep me in your prayers as i continue to reach the world with God's compassion.
adios
chaditto
P.S. Next stop Armenia and Moldova... more on that later!!!!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
new update from el salvador
i have been in central america for almost 5 week now! it has been an amazing time and has flown by very fast. i have made a lot of friends. we have ministered to over 4000 people - last count 600 people had given their lives to the Lord. we have distributed food and hygiene kits to so many needy people. i have preached in churches and schools and loved and hugged so many beautiful salvadorian kids. i've eaten some amazing food. i've also been privileged to work alongside some of the most amazing men of God here that are salvadorian pastors. this weekend we are having a big event for single moms, prostitutes, and others at a huge park in san salvador all day. we will be giving out food, hygiene kits, and presenting them the hope that is Jesus Christ. we are doing a lot of amazing things here, and can only do them with the power of the Holy Spirit in us and with your prayers as we go!
until later
chadito.... as they call me here
below is a short video from a youth conference we did here in el salvador. it was the first-ever youth event for this church, and they had youth groups from all over the city there. really powerful. we were able to have a great time of ministry with them.
until later
chadito.... as they call me here
below is a short video from a youth conference we did here in el salvador. it was the first-ever youth event for this church, and they had youth groups from all over the city there. really powerful. we were able to have a great time of ministry with them.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
el salvador
hey hey! el salvador has been amazing. we are very very busy here, but God has been moving a lot in and through us. we have been working in schools doing assemblies for students from pre-school through high school. for 2 weeks we are focusing on spiritual emphasis in the schools. we present a few dramas, get the kids dancing and interacting, give testimonies, and then ask for responses. we pray and lay hands on every student there. in the last week alone we had 150-200 people accept Jesus as their Savior. we've prayed for many students in abusive or broken homes. we've prayed for children that have tried to kill themselves. We have seen healing of sick and watched God move as we prayed for teachers and administration of the schools. it has been amazing. and of course, we spend much time loving on kids with hugs, games, smiles, and showing the love of Jesus.
along with all that,we were at a big youth rally this past weekend with youth groups from many churches in san salvador. we were able to pray for every student there, and God moved in the lives of so may youth.
as far as what i personally have been doing, i have been leading 15 of the 30 interns when we go out to minister. we break into 2 groups, and go to different schools. i have been giving alter calls, testimonies, and directing. it has been a very stretching time, but very good.
thats what has been going on here. i miss everyone from home, and would love to hear how you are doing in an email anytime. keep us in your prayers!
your friend chad
along with all that,we were at a big youth rally this past weekend with youth groups from many churches in san salvador. we were able to pray for every student there, and God moved in the lives of so may youth.
as far as what i personally have been doing, i have been leading 15 of the 30 interns when we go out to minister. we break into 2 groups, and go to different schools. i have been giving alter calls, testimonies, and directing. it has been a very stretching time, but very good.
thats what has been going on here. i miss everyone from home, and would love to hear how you are doing in an email anytime. keep us in your prayers!
your friend chad
Monday, June 30, 2008
nicaragua
i have been in nicaragua for over a week now. things are going great. we were working with a church from missouri, along with the missionaries here, bonny and levys. they are amazing people. we have worked mostly with one school doing alot of painting, cleaning, and using there church to do a lot of ministry. we helped host a big pastors seminar for the local pastors, blessed teachers with bags of food, clothes, school supplies, toiletries, and much more. we distributed 500 family food packages to hungry families. some of our work was in the town of seboco which is about 2 hours away from the capital city of managua. we ministered in school assemblies and church services. we were at one service tuesday night for fathers day and got to pray for a bunch of fathers.
a lot of the team got really sick for a few days, and i was one of them. really sick, but got through it ok.
God really showed up through us in nicaragua and tomorrow morning we are off for el salvador for about 4 weeks. keep us in your prayers as we are doing a lot of ministry and food distribution, and need our health and energy. pray that God would use us there for his glory and purpose.
God is good
chad-
a lot of the team got really sick for a few days, and i was one of them. really sick, but got through it ok.
God really showed up through us in nicaragua and tomorrow morning we are off for el salvador for about 4 weeks. keep us in your prayers as we are doing a lot of ministry and food distribution, and need our health and energy. pray that God would use us there for his glory and purpose.
God is good
chad-
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