Chad's Internship with 'Convoy of Hope'

Update on Things

2009-01-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

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

NEW PICTURES

2009-01-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Bagging Groceries In Sarata Galbena

2008-10-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

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.

More Pictures

2008-10-21T13:17:00.001-07:00

Blessings in Moldova

2008-10-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

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

Moldova Pics

2008-10-11T02:49:00.001-07:00

Update on Moldova

2008-10-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

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.

Having a Little Fun!

2008-10-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

got to relax and have a little fun every know and again.....

Flood Relief in Moldova

2008-10-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

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-

Moldova

2008-10-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Hurricane IKE

2008-09-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

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.

News Clip About Convoy

2008-09-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Our Trucks on the Highway

2008-09-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hurricane IKE

2008-09-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

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.

An Amazing 5 Months!

2008-09-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

amazing children...

2008-08-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

photos from Central America

2008-07-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

Click here to see the whole album!

new update from el salvador

2008-07-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

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.

el salvador

2008-07-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

nicaragua

2008-06-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

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-

Central America Here I Come

2008-06-14T20:54:00.001-07:00

so I officially leave friday the 20th of june... that's less than a week away. i have a lot to do before i go, but things are coming along well. it is sometimes forgotten how much work has to be done before you get to go and actually do ministry. i am getting a first hand look at all that is done in preparation to taking a team. everything from loading trucks that have things we need to do our work in el salvador and nicaragua, to making phone calls, sending letters, and more fun stuff.

i am very excited to see what God has in store for us in el salvador and nicaragua. we will be heading to nicaragua first, be there for about 9 days, then leave for el salvador for a few weeks and back to nicaragua. we will be doing a lot of food distribution, spiritual education in schools, blessing single mothers, and work in schools fixing them up.

be in prayer for me as i try and get an appointment with a doctor here in springfield, MO before we head out friday for my headaches. and for safety and health while we are out.

all for now. more to come.
your friend

chadillac

Update From The Office

2008-06-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

A Convoy of Hope team is currently managing its Myanmar disaster response effort from Bangkok, Thailand. After clearing initial authority inspections, two truckloads of supplies were sent to in-country partners. Upon arrival, these supplies were distributed to victims of the cyclone.

Six large shipping containers, (approximately 240,000 lbs.) are currently en route to Myanmar. These loads consist of protein-enriched rice casserole (donated by Feed My Starving Children of Minneapolis, Minn.) and other nonperishable food items and supplies.

In addition, Convoy of Hope has purchased and shipped 10,000 LifeStraws, a personal water purification device that will provide an individual with up to one year’s supply of safe drinking water. Federal Express has generously donated the transportation of these life-saving devices along with five-gallon buckets, latex gloves, face masks, and more. An additional 5,000 LifeStraws have been ordered and will be supplied to an in country partner for distribution upon their arrival.

Your generous contributions are what make these type of response efforts possible.

Along with a primary partner, a long-term staging area for the recovery effort is being established in Bangkok for the continued receipt and distribution of food, water, water decontamination tablets, water filtration units, and medical supplies to treat dysentery and diarrhea.

With knowledge gained through the tsunami and Katrina responses, Convoy of Hope leadership is anticipating the magnitude of the long-term recovery needs. A regional response team has been assigned to Bangkok to oversee ongoing activities and partner relationships for at least the next several months.

So this week I have been helping load shipping containers full of feed my starving children, boats, tarps for shelters, among a ton of other supplies that are needed.

Also we just found out that we distributed 132,600 meals during the 15 days we were in Haiti... Praise God for that.

Just a little update on what is going on back here in Missouri

your friend
chad

Home from Haiti!

2008-05-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the U.S. now. Haiti was amazing to say the least! We really hit the ground running. The 15 days there were full and had no room for any slack. The other team leader, Becca, and I arrived in Haiti a day before the full team. We set up schedules with the Convoy of Hope staff and got things ready for the team. The full team arrived from the airport, dropped off there bags at the mission, and we were off to orphanages. We visited 2-3 schools every day doing education programs with them about common diarrhea which is a very serious problem in Haiti and around the world. We also taught them how to take care of cuts and the other basics of first aid. Then we presented how God can also help heal our cuts and scrapes as well as our spirit We showed how, just like drinking clean water helps our bodies to be hydrated, reading the Bible, praying, and going to church keep our spiritual bodies hydrated. In the schools we measured the kids' height, weight, and arm circumference for the U.S. Aid the feeding program. After the schools we went to 1-2 orphanages in the afternoon. The same programs happened there as well.

We traveled everywhere in a "people moving" box truck with a Haitian driver. Drivers in Haiti are amazing at their job to say the least. We had two bodyguards that traveled with us as well as two interpreters, and two Haitian Convoy of Hope staff members. The feeding program feeds 6,000 kids a day with food from either "Feed My Starving Children" or "U.S. Aid Breedlove". Twenty-five schools and ten orphanages are apart of the amazing feeding program Convoy has going on in Haiti. The children are also given food to take home to their families. The professors and staff at the schools and orphanages are also given food. We also had the chance to hike into the Orangers Mountains to reach 4 schools that can only be reached by foot. Many of these schools had never seen white outsiders either! It was amazing to be able to teach them, distribute food, and love them. We also got the chance to have church services in the mountains with the villages. They would call everyone out and we would have service at 9:00 pm. None of the villages have power so church happened by candle light. They sang songs and 2 team members were able to preach with interpreters as well. It was amazing to see how they didn't have any modern music equipment, sound gear or lights. They just worshiped God with all their hearts. Meeting kids like Christopher or Frederiks or Sara (who I have pictures on the slideshow) who remember your name, jump into your arms, and just want to be loved is something I will never forget.

The "Mission of Hope" where we stayed also has an orphanage that we helped in. One brother and sister, Mishlove and Macinlove (6 and 3 years old), were found by some people in a nearby town in March. They had been living for a month in their house with their mother, who had passed away a month earlier. They didn't understand she had died, and would go out every day and gather food and fruit and come home. Their mother had been sick for a long time so they thought she was just sick. They were taken in to the orphanage. They wouldn't speak to anyone at first. Now, when we met them, they jumped into our arms, sang songs, and have a happy life. The orphanage there teaches them English, sends them to school, and teaches them about Jesus.

Haiti is really a place in severe need. Almost the whole country is without power, clean water, jobs, and food. Malnutrition and disease are a real problem. There is hope though. God is doing some amazing things through many amazing people in Haiti. We need to be in constant prayer for these people, and people in need all over the world - asking God how we can help the people in need.

All in all I believe we did what God wanted us to do. We came into the country with the hand of compassion and followed it with the hand of Gods love and salvation. We met amazing people and saw God's amazing beauty in His people and creation.

If you want to know more stories or have questions, don't hesitate to email me. I didn't want to write too long in this summary, but there is a lot more to tell.

Your friend,

Chad

TO SEE A COMPLETE ALBUM OF ALL THE PHOTOS I TOOK IN HAITI - CLICK ON THE ALBUM BELOW.

Haiti '08

Orangers Mountain Trip

2008-05-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

tomorrow we leave at 6:00 am for the orangers mountains outside of port au prince. we will be traveling 3 days through them distributing food to schools we can only reach by foot, and camping under the stars. we will be at 4 schools that are about 5-6 kilometers away from each other. pray for safety, weather... cool weather, and God to go before us there to prepare the hearts of the villages we will be going to. much more about it later!!!

chadalonos

God is doing amazing things in Haiti

2008-05-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hey hey, i am in the great country of Haiti. Things are amazing here. It is first of all super super hot!! it is 8:00 pm and is probably 85, with like 90% humidity. we are doing some amazing things here. i dont have time to go into detail now, will when i get home, but we are visiting 2-3 schools in the mornings, start at 6:00 am, then 1-2 orphanages in the evenings. we are doing school education with the kids who are anywhere from pre-school to high school. we are teaching them sanitation, first aid, and how to take care of djare (creole for diarrhea) we also talk about how God can take care of your body as well. we pray with them, and most of all love on them. some of the school have upwards of 700 kids. we are also part of an ongoing feeding program. we are giving food to the children for a lunch, and also food to take home to there families. haitian people are so welcoming and loving people. they have been such a blessing to me as well. we travel with 6 nationals, 2 drivers, 2 body guards, and 2 haitian convoy of hope staff. they are all amazing people.

that all the time i have for now, but i will have much more when i get home. pray for the country of haiti. God has given me his heart for his people here, and they need Jesus. God is doing amazing things here.

chad

The Disaster in Myanmar

2008-05-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

This is an update from my Uncle Rick who I am working with. This gives you an idea of the large mandate that Convoy of Hope has to reach out to the world. (**I am CURRENTLY in Haiti. Read the blog entry below this one to find out more about that trip)
------------------------------------------------------------
From Rick Ryan - International Director, Convoy of Hope

Dear Friends,
As you know, there has been a major disaster in the nation of Myanmar (formerly Burma). The national church in country is small but very strong. Convoy of Hope is going in before other groups to mobilize the national church to provide food, water, and other first response needs. We will buy food on the ground because it is impossible to get food and water shipped there. Convoy of Hope disaster relief personnel are departing for Myanmar to respond to this cyclone on Friday. An assessment team just returned from the region and reported massive destruction and widespread human need.

When residents emerged from their shelters after the twelve-hour storm, they found roads were completely washed away or obstructed by large debris. Most areas remain without electricity, clean water and phone service. The damage is of tsunami proportions with unconfirmed estimates of 20,000-50,000 people dead, another 40,000 unaccounted for, and 3 million people remaining homeless.

With the worldwide food crisis, food conditions in Myanmar were already strained. Kenton Moody, international director, said Convoy of Hope will continue to monitor conditions to determine when large quantities of food and supplies can be shipped and delivered in country. There is an immediate need for cash, he said, in order to provide victims with life's essential needs food, clean water and shelter that will be purchased from neighboring areas.

"Convoy of Hope is about helping people and we want to be sensitive to the people and their culture," Moody says. "We want to do whatever we can to help relieve the immediate suffering of survivors with what will be a long-term recovery."

"The needs today and two weeks from today are far different," Moody says. "With a limited amount of food and hygiene, people are hungry today, but in two weeks it could be a matter of starvation and rampant disease."

The people of Myanmar need your help! You can help Convoy of Hope respond to this and other international disasters by making an online donation today or sending a response to the Convoy of Hope, 330 Patterson, Springfield, MO 65802. Make sure you mark your donation: International Disaster Relief. That way the monies can get processed and out as quickly as possible.

I won't send you this request unless the need was urgent. Please pray for favor when our team tries to get their visas in Thailand. Please pray for the financial help we need to accomplish the task. Please pray for the national church in the midst of this tragedy. Please pray for a great revival to break out in this country.--

Living for an Audience of One ...

Rick Ryan
Convoy of Hope
417-849-0539

Preparing for Haiti

2008-05-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

I'm here in Springfield, Missouri which is our home base. I'm unpacked and getting things in order. Yesterday I was in the office at Convoy of Hope meeting all the staff and some of the people going on the trip to Haiti. I hit the ground running. Meeting about logistics for the trip. Budget stuff. Schedules. The works.

Just an update on the dates for the trip to Haiti. We leave Monday the 5th of May and return the 20th. We will be mainly ministering in schools, homeless shelters, and with orphans. The trip is jam-packed and we will be working non-stop to meet the needs of as many people as we can. Haiti is mostly catholic with some who practice voodoo. Be praying for that.

Prayer requests:
*religious stuff in Haiti
*safety, a lot of traveling
*no problems getting the team in
*health for the team, also me with my headache situation - strength and wisdom
*for God to show up and touch the island of Haiti

That's all for now!

Your friend Chad

Morning Breakfast

2008-05-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

This morning my family and I had a breakfast with some friends. My Uncle Rick Ryan shared in depth about what Convoy of Hope is all about and the vision they have for this year. Sure enough, God provided again with more support that puts me within around $100.00 of my total budget for the year. It's exciting to see how God works when we earnestly seek him and ask for his help.

Just wanted to give you this encouragement.

A Letter from My Uncle Rick from Convoy of Hope

2008-05-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Below is a great letter from my Uncle Rick who I will be working with:

At Convoy, three of our primary objectives are Pray ... Go ... Give!
Without the first objective, we could not do anything else because we would be doing everything in our own strength and wisdom. Too many lives hang in the balance for us to depend on our own strength, wisdom or capabilities. Recently in the country of Nicaragua I was struck again with the understanding that every decision made by us, as believers in Jesus Christ and as a ministry, directly impacts a child ... a family ... an eternal future. They are waiting for us ... for our prayers ... for our going and ministry to them ... and by our giving ... of our time, our energy, our passion, and our resources.
With that in mind, let us passionately pray for:
1. Our U.S. Disaster Team is responding all over the Midwest, right now, to flooding and tornadoes. Pray that they will have strength, favor and creative to meet the needs of people who have been devastated by these disasters.2. Our U.S. Outreach Team is reaching to Mountain Home, AR this weekend. Pray that their will be a great in gathering of souls.3. Our Hope Walk El Salvador is happening this next week. Business and Church leaders are convening in El Salvador to see what we are doing and find ways to partner with us to help the 6,000 children we are feeding everyday in that great but needy country.
The next Hope Walk is scheduled for October 13-17, 2008. This is a special Hope Walk especially for women. If you are a woman, contact a few friends and come with and see Convoy in action. Denise Ryan (dryan@convoyofhope.org) and Elsie Moody (EMoody@convoyofhope.org) are leading this team of national and local women leaders. Any woman can be involved. Contact them today.
4. We have 500 people going with us on summer Convoy of Hope teams to reach people with Compassion Ministry and Evangelism. We are in need of 100 white boards and 100 doors for the country of Nicaragua and the schools there. The white boards are ($45) and the doors ($100) each in Nicaragua. Pray that we could find a contact here in the States that could give us the boards and the doors. To these schools, where we are doing our feeding programs, the boards will provide a great tool for teaching for the teachers and the doors will keep the elements out and the distractions to the classrooms down.
5. Pray for Eric and Vineese, both who run our procurement department, that God would lead them to new donors and new products that can help us help others in need. With the world food prices soaring by 15-30% in the last few months, more and more people are unable to afford a nutrition for their families, here in the States and overseas. Pray that we can find more farmers willing to give a tithe of beans, rice and other grains or their seeds to help people move from poverty to a sustainability lifestyle.
6. Pray for Souls. We desire to take our Compassion Ministries, our Development Ministries and our Outreach Ministries from meeting physical needs to seeing people get the ultimate help ... salvation of their souls. This summer, in the U. S. and Internationally, we will be in from of thousands of people. Pray that we will have the anointing of God to present the Gospel so people can make the decision to enter into personal relationships with Christ.
Until next time, may the Lord bless your ministry with abundance, creativity and souls.
Love and Passion,
Your Convoy of Hope Team

Here I Go...

2008-05-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

The next 2 months are important as I get ready to go. Pray for me - I have a lot of things to do before I leave. I am working like crazy to train my replacement at work, hanging out with friends and family as much as I can, and preparing spiritually and physically for the adventure I have ahead. Getting the word out that I will be gone for the next year is harder than you would think. I want everyone to know about this new step for me, but it is hard to not leave anyone out. Probably the most stressful piece is trying to raise financial and prayer support. Conveying God’s plan for me is sometimes hard. There are people all over the world that will only hear the Gospel if I go. Not to say that someone else can’t, but God has called me here and now to go. People are starving both spiritually and physically, and Convoy of Hope is bringing both the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them along with food. We are meeting them at their point of most need. That's just a little of my heart as I prepare to go serve. Until Later,Chad