Posted in Haiti Relief by Ashley Musick on 2/4/2010
Before I left for Haiti a couple of weeks ago, I heard some negative feedback from a few different directions. The question wasn't, "Does Haiti need help?" The question was, "Should YOU got to Haiti and be that help?"
Well I prayed, and I got a word from God about my participation and my trip. I was called to GO even though the planning was difficult, the preparations were stressful, and I faced a constant fear of all the unknown emotions that awaited me. So, just 10 days after the earthquake, I pulled into the Dominican border town of Jimani, stared up at the hospital I'd seen on the news clips, and gazed out across the lake to the rattled nation of Haiti.
There were tents from all kinds of organizations. Relief agency trucks rolled one after the other down the street. Helicopters constantly flew over town, some towards Haiti, some back towards Santo Domingo. There were people everywhere helping. The question bubbled up in the back of my mind, "What can you and I really do to help these people?"
I'm not a doctor. I don't really like to see the blood drip from my finger when I peel it rather than the apple. We didn't carry hi-tech equipment that would help us locate those stuck beneath the rubble. Nobody on the team could fly a helicopter. It doesn't seem like we had much to offer.
Basically, all we really had were big hearts and willing hands and feet..... and you know what happened?
God moved.
While we didn't preform a life-saving operation in our week of service, we may have helped somebody who will someday soon. We took two days to help organize a storage closet and shipping container full of medical supplies at a local church. While we didn't bring in a cargo plane of food and water, we were able to give 5,000 bottles of water and 350 lbs of rice and beans to a church that can distribute them to the refugees who are showing up at their door.
There weren't any meetings of heads of states, but there was a meeting for pastors from Port-au-Prince who were able to tell us what they needed. We're now able to partner with them and help them meet the needs of those in their community... the ones they've been serving all along. We couldn't clothe all of the refugees that have fled the capitol without any worldly possessions, but I know a Haitian family and a Haitian police officer who have an extra change of clothes now. We didn't change out IV's at the clinic, but we prayed for a lady with a broken leg who amidst the busyiness of the day, had been mostly overlooked.
We helped a local Dominican church serve soup twice a day to refugees in the park and at the hospital. I know that's not a complete reconcilation between two neighboring countries that have a long-standing relationship of bitterness, contempt, and hate, but it's a big step forward for the Body of Christ when a Dominican church reaches out to the Haitians in need.
So I came to a conclusion... The big time organizations are helping. They're getting doctors and rescue teams and helicopter pilots in there to do some important and really hard work. They are saving lives. Their sweat and tears are worthwhile.
But without the small time peeople.... the ones with big hearts and willing hands and feet, there's nobody to cook the food that they bring in. There's nobody to pass it out to the patients who are hungry and thirsty, laying under tarps and tents of sheets in the hot Carribbean sun. There's nobody to sit and listen to their stories. There's nobody to pray with the brokenhearted and wipe the tears away. Supplies pile up and the things that are needed and within reacht stay hidden. People are up and walking around... yes... Praise God!
But without the intentional care and relationships provided by people like pastors, mission teams, and you and me... they still walk around with despair in their eyes.
I've been trying to describe my feelings about my experience in Haiti last week, and it still sounds a little random. Still, I have an urgency to let YOU know about what can happen by serving the people of Haiti. I'll describe it as a picture, but really... it's something I FEEL. It's weird, but everywhere we went, I would feel this in my spirit.
It's like there is a giant hole, but it was full of stuff... compacted and pressed down, all of this stuff filled the void. When I look at it, you can tell that what fills this hole is not natural. But now, after the earthquake, it's like all of this has been cleaned out. The space has been emptied. What was once full is now empty. There is a space to fill. There's an open window for us as the Church to go and fill that space. I can feel the holy anticipation in my spirit whenever I think about Haiti. The space is waiting to be filled and it wants to be filled.
I know this is true because I saw open hearts and open doors that weren't open before. I was in Haiti exactly one year ago, and there was a very different feel to our ministry. We'd talk about the Lord. We'd pray. We'd love on the people. It was tough though, like we had to give 150% every day to gain an inch of ground. It doesn't seem that way anymore. It's like every word we speak drops 50 seeds of God's love into the void of people's hearts. They are taking root and growing faster than before.
It all seems overwhelming. The number of dead and the endless road of rebuilding that Haiti faces is daunting.
Just because the news is talking more about super bowl ads, tea parties, and recalls on vehicles, don't forget Haiti.
Just because you aren't a doctor or rescue worker, don't think you can't make an enternal impact.
The time to bring hope to Haiti is now and YOU play a vital role in making that happen. YOU get to help fill the void with the love of God.
Pray. Give. Go.
The life you speak over Haiti in prayer could shift everything in the Spiritual realm. The dollar you give can buy formula for babies in need. The hand you hold can bring new life to the empty eyes of a nation.
Stay on top of AIM's continued efforts and long-term plans at the AIM HAITI BLOG and give all that you can to help meet the needs of these hurting people through AIM's HAITI DONATION page.
Posted in Haiti Relief by Casey Wells on 1/25/2010
I wanted to give you a quick update from Ashley and the team.
The whole team is doing really well. Besides being hot and tired they have really enjoyed working together as a team and being able to bless the people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The team has been able to distribute lots of supplies that have been donated. One of their main contacts in the D.R. has found five pastors that they have partnered with. These pastors are going to help make sure that people's needs are taken care of. They will be instrumental in being able to help the people in Haiti as well as helping our future teams be a blessing.
While they have been in the D.R. and Haiti the team has partnered with a church that has been working on the boarder in Jimani. The church has started a food program, serving gallons of soup a couple of times a day. The team has helped the church prepare and serve food as well as help them clean and organize.
Please continue to pray for the team - that the Lord would give them strength and energy as they only have a couple of days of ministry, that they would have divine appointments meeting the right people at the right time, for blessings for all of the people and pastors that have been serving, and that the team will be able to process the things that they have seen and felt and that they would be able to praise and worship through it all.
Posted in Haiti Relief by Ashley Musick on 1/21/2010
It's been one crazy week. Last week at this time I was only beginning to think about the possibility of taking a group of Alumni to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. Now, I'm up at 1:00 AM packing and finalizing some details before I leave on a plane for the Dominican Republic in the morning. All the pictures and videos from the news will get much closer tomorrow. The stories will become real. They'll have faces and names.
When we send out World Racers we don't expect them to come back the same person they were when they left. I don't expect to come back the same person after this week. If I'm honest, I'll tell you that I just don't know what I'm thinking and feeling right now. I'm tired from this past week's efforts to get a team of Alumni together and get the details and vision of the trip hammered out. I'm absolutely trusting God for strength to get through this week, knowing it's going to require more than I have left in my tank. But I want to be empty when I get back.... I want to give and serve and love with every ounce of my being. My heart breaks for these people; it breaks for my brothers and sisters in Christ. If it's already broken, I don't have a clue what it will look like at the end of the week.
I'm excited. I've never had as much love, prayer, encouragement, and support for any other trip I've ever been on. People are dropping me encouraging emails and giving me encouraging words. There are always new notes on facebook. I get phone calls from friends who want to pray with me. I have fun messages when I miss the phone calls. I have a family and church at home in WV who are behind me. The Staff and my community here in Gainesville have surrounded me and laid hands on me to pray for the trip. Alumni have gotten behind the team to support and pray for us 24/7 for the entire length of our trip. Racers on the field in countries like Cambodia, Kenya, and New Zealand are lifting us up by name. It's incredible.
This prayer covering has caused a shift in the atmosphere as we have prepared this week. As I dealt with details over the weekend, it was lonely and confusing and difficult and draining. But as soon as the word got out and people began to pray, the fog lifted. I can't wait to return from this trip and testify to God's amazing love and power through prayer. It's the key to this entire week. Thank you to all who are providing that covering.
We'll be flying into Santo Domingo, getting some supplies, staying with a contact, and then heading out to the border on Friday. We have the opportunity to work at a church and hospital there as well as connect with a pastor with some great needs at another border. Ultimately we want to walk away with a book of information to hand off to the people at AIM who are developing our long-term strategy to mobilize people and resources to bring restoration and redemption to Haiti. We are going to hug those who need hugging. We're going to pray for the sick... we're believing for miracles, the kind where limbs grow back and the dead are raised. We're going to hand out food, and we're beliving it will miraculously feed the five thousand. We want God to multiply our efforts for His glory and out of love for all those that are suffering. Along the way we're going to document what our trip looks like, what the ministry entails, and some personal stories from the people we meet along the way.
It's going to be a busy and amazing week. We are going to call and give updates so they can be posted throughout the week. I doubt we will be able to personally blog until we return. If you'd like to stay up-to-date on what is happening with our team and ministry and how to best pray for us, please subscribe to updates from http://haiti.adventures.org.
Also, please pray about supporting our team and the ministry we will be doing this week. If you feel led to give, please follow these instructions:
Once you're on this page, change the program on the drop-down menu to a "World Race Project." A new box will appear, for a description of the project. Please have supporters put WR HAITI as the name of the Project.
Again, thanks for the prayer, the support, and the encouragement this past week. It's already made a difference and we are all blessed to partner together in this ministry. For His Glory!
Posted in Haiti Relief by Ashley Musick on 1/16/2010
Since the earthquake happened in Haiti we've all been looking for opportunities to help. AIM is launching a huge effort to make a long-term difference. Creating opportunities for short-term teams will take a lot of details and information that you can't get unless you are there. Somebody has to go in first.
I've been working with many people to organize a team of World Race Alumni to go into the country, and we're leaving this Thursday. That's right... we're leaving on Thursday . I'll actually being going out to lead the team. My heart was broken for the people of Haiti on my World Race trip last February, and I want to help. The trip will be from Thursday the 21st through Wednesday the 27th.
We'll be traveling to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and traveling to the border. The vision is that we will go as a first response team representing AIM, gathering basic info on contacts and travel, and to provide immediate relief to the people suffering in Haiti.
I talked with Seth Barnes last night about this trip and AIM's bigger picture. Adventures in Missions has experience working in crisis and disaster situations. They responded to the tsunami and to Hurricane Katrina. We want to make a long-term difference in Haiti. I have hopes that our Alumni trip will help gather necessary information for the many teams that will follow in our footsteps to build into the long-term plan of bringing restoration to a part of Haiti... physical and spiritual.
Being some of the first to go in will not be easy. We're still working on details regarding transportation, communication, and ministry contacts. But we need to start somewhere... there are people dying in the streets. Any hassle in transportation is immediately worth it because finding answers to those problems will make it easier for a team of medical personal going in the next week.
We're going to pray. We're going to minister to those we meet. We're going to tell their stories.
And this is only the beginning.
Will you help us? Will you help send this team of Alumni out to help pave the way?
We have asked each Alumni who is participating to buy their own plane tickets to the Dominican Republic. They are getting friends, family, and supporters to help them with that. In order to cover ground costs and ministry needs (any opportunities to meet immediate needs like food, water, and blankets) we have set up a special project to accept donations. Please pray and give! We need your help to pave the way. Please give to this project to help this team of Alumni!
Once you're on this page, change the program on the drop-down menu to a "World Race Project." A new box will appear, for a description of the project. Please have supporters put WR HAITI as the name of the Project.
We're asking that all Alumni help us raise money for this Project. Reach out to your personal networks of family and friends. If you've watched the news, read the blogs, and wondered what you can do... please do this. We absolutely need you to make this happen. Please give abundantly and sacrificially.
In addition to financial support, this team will need a special covering of prayer. Pray for safety. Pray for open doors and clear communication. Haiti has always been a spiritual battleground as well. There is a war in the heavens for this nation and we are sure to experience it firsthand in the coming week.
Family, friends, supporters, blog readers.... You are needed. You are the foundation for the ministry we do and we thank you.
For Him and His Kingdom! Jesus is the Hope of Haiti!
Posted in Haiti Relief by Ashley Musick on 1/14/2010
It's like I can't escape it. I actually feel a little guilty for trying.
In the past couple of days I've been overwhelmed with gratitude and I catch myself every time I start to complain. Why? Because this morning I got up out of my bed. I left the warmth of my covers and went to my bathroom with running water. I got to stand at my pantry door and ponder the various options for breakfast before I decided I'd rather stop at the Biscuit Shoppe on my way to work.
So many people in Haiti didn't sleep in a bed last night. They no longer have a house to provide shelter. They woke up laying in the street, covered only in the dust and grime from the terrible tragedy that has fallen upon their nation. Once their up, they walk out into the rubble in search of clean water... in search of food. There aren't any options.
I kept the TV on CNN all day yesterday. I watched the pictures and videos finally start to come in from the airwaves. As horrible as we expected it to be... it may be worse than we imagined. The reporters were walking over dead bodies just to take shots of a group of Haitians trying to pull a 15-year-old girl out of the rubble who had been trapped for 18 hours.
I find myself bursting out with prayer as various clips show on my television screen.
We need to help.
We ALL need to help.
I love working for Adventures in Missions. We're already putting all our efforts into getting people to help in Haiti. I have some friends that work in the Dominican Republic long-term with AIM. Miguel and Kristen Shaul have traveled to the border to get as much information as they can on getting teams into Haiti, and to assess what needs can be meet on the smaller out-lying villages that were also affected by the earthquake. I spent most of the evening yesterday trying to round up World Race Alumni who might be able to take off for several weeks and help organize our disaster relief efforts in Haiti and mobilize short-term teams that we want to send down to help. The other directors and many of my co-workers are working around the clock to make connections on the field, to set-up a fund for donations to Haiti, and to make plans for recruiting and accepting teams to send to Haiti. We all want to help.
This past year I led a squad of World Racers. In February we visited and ministered all across Haiti. I worked with a team at the Cambry Orphanage in Les Cayes. It's a town in the south that has suffered some damage, but escaped the major devastation. Some of our teams worked in Gonaives, a city north of Port-au-Prince. They were helping with people there and doing some relief work regarding hurricanes that ravaged the city in late 2008. A few more teams worked with a contact that one of the racers, Liz Froba, had worked with in the past. The word from their ministry, Canaan, is that everyone is fine. They are located closer to Port-au-Prince and are preparing to help as best as they can. Many of the locals there have family and friends that they still haven't been able to get in contact with. Finally, two teams worked with another missions organization in Jacmel Haiti. This is what I read about that city on CNN this morning:
"The people of Jacmel, Haiti, are lining the streets, setting tires on fire to light up a town that has been reduced to rubble in many parts and is without power. The flames are all that illuminate what remains of this town on the southern coast of Haiti, about 25 miles from the capital Port-au-Prince, Haiti." - CNN
While we were in Haiti last year, we committed an hour of intercessory prayer for the country every day. We were living at an orphanage without electricity, and so after the sun went down and the orphans were asleep, we would stand out underneath the stars and pray for Haiti. Last night, Sammie McCowan, an Alumnus from that team organized a conference call for all interested to join in and pray for Haiti. We declared hope, we prophesied life, and we spoke redemption over that nation once again. We need to continue to do that.
If you're like me, and you want to help. If you just can't allow yourself to escape to our everyday lives when something like this is just a few hundred miles off our country's shores... then please join us at Adventures in Missions.
Here's how you can help:
Give a Gift.
Click here to give a tax-deductible financial gift for the purchase of supplies needed for first response (food, blankets, shelters, basic health care, etc.).
Give Prayer.
Continue to pray over the country of Haiti, over the ministry that we're establishing down there, and for the restoration of lives! Leave a comment on this blog with a prayer for the Haitian people.
Give Yourself.
Spots are still open on the July 2010 Race - second stop is Haiti. Apply Here!
Also, we'll be sending more short-term AIM teams out soon for immediate response. Check adventures.org/haiti for updates.
After 11 Months on the field, you learn a few things. You get to see God work in incredible ways. You grow.
Here are the lessons learned, the truths of who God is, and the growth and breakthrough that the January 2009 Squad had over the journey on The World Race. It was an honor and privelage to lead them this year. There is no greater joy for me than to see these people learn and experience God in brand new ways. Seeing them come to life has brought me life. Please watch this video that Di Dinnis made detailing the amazing journey they've all taken. Celebrate with us.... God moved and is still moving in bigger ways than we can imagine.
My Christian life is a balancing act. I am assuming that's how it goes for most people. You hear a sermon or read the Word and get a revelation and you think, "I've got to live a life of faith!" The next day you hear about stewardship and you're like, "I need to be a good steward!" The day after that you're thinking, "Humm.... faith and stewardship. Where do you find the middle of the road on that one?!"
Balance.
I want to walk into life expecting God to be bigger than I can imagine and to do great things. I want to pray big prayers and believe in the impossible. I want to pray away poverty and see Kingdom come. Still I know how we grow in trials. I realize there is suffering. I see that the church in China and other persecuted countries don't pray about their persecution because it propels them to a deeper reliance and focus on God Almighty.
Balance.
I know that when I disciple and minister to WR participants they need love, compassion, and mercy. We are about tenderness and grace as a staff. But discipline and correction and feedback are needed to bring people back on the road after straying off course. Sometimes you have to say that tough word. Where's the line of tenderness and toughness?
Balance.
It's not either/or... it's both/and. I hear that a lot. We all want clear-cut answers to how you live and walk-out your Christian lfie. That thin white line in the middle isn't so clear and when you're the most desperate to find it, that's when it's the most difficult to discern and find. It's a holy tension with which I have a love-hate relationship.
In struggling to find this balance in my life, I've found a few key things to help ease this holy tension.
Community. If you want a reflection, look in a mirror. My community acts as a mirror in my life. When I want to know if I look like Jesus and live a Kingdom lifestyle, I go to my mirrors. Sometimes my mirrors come to me first. At the end of the day I don't have to rely on my own assessment of a situation or circumstance. I realize that my perspective and experience can limit how I read the stuff I go through and the decisions I have to make. I've got a close-knit group that offer their eyes and ears to help me find the difficult balance of life.
Transparency. I've got a great community, but I've learned that if I'm not transparent and honest it's nothing more than a group of friends playing games and hanging out. Eveybody longs for "more" in their relationships. You get "more' by being honest and open with those people in your life. Without this kind of honesty, the crystal-clear mirror reflection turns into looking at a ripply, cloudy and muddy river. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay for things to be messy and difficult. Let's get it out in the open and figure out what to do next. If I'm honest, the struggle to find balance is sometimes a little overwhelming and sometimes I just don't have the patience and strength to come back to the middle of the road.
Coaches. Sometimes what I need is a little more life experience. I look back on my life and see where a little balance would have been good. Now that I'm older and more experienced, I'd probably have some great feeback for that struggling teenage self. It seems to be clear that my new adult problems could use some experience from those who've walked before me. I've also learned that this valuable insight from knowledgable experts doesn't usually just fall in your lap when you need it. I've got some great men and women that can help out, but it's my responsibility to seek them out for help. It would have the exact opposite effect if they were to hold my hand through life and point out each little potential stumbling block that could trip me up. I'd be weak. I'd be co-dependent. Then one day, I'd be alone without the capibilities to fend for myself. So I've got people who love me regardless, that watch from afar, pray like crazy, and answer my questions when I'm ready to ask for help. Who doesn't love that!
QT with JC. At the end of the day I have access to the best tight-rope walker ever. His name is Jesus. He is constantly at work through the whole process. He's there cluing my community into the fact that i'm a little off balance. His Holy Spirit is in me prompting me to reveal the reality of my heart. He's taken others over the same mountains and rough roads. But when my community's attention is focused elsewhere, when it's hard to be honest and vocally put my issues out there, when my coaches' experience just doesn't cover it... He's still there. All I need is Him, but He uses all these other steps to help me out too. It's incredible to call out to the creator of the universe and ask for some guidance. He speaks to me.... and He speaks to me daily if I take the time listen. Sometimes He brings balance to my life through a whisper that shakes my soul and others through those "There's the answer" moments when I read the Word.
Balance.
When I started asking this question about finding balance in my life, He showed up and spoke about all the ways He's helping keep me on the balance beam. With Christ taking the wheels on this process, I can flip, cartwheel, and backhand spring all along that tight little line. When I get to the end of the road, it's going to be a terrific dismount! All 10's...Camera flashes all over the arena...standing ovation. It's so great to be relieved of the pressure of having to do this in my own strength and power.
Have you asked Him to help with the balancing act of your life? I just got tired of trying to do it on my own. I think you'll like doing it this way much better. I know I do.
Hello Everyone! It's great to back stateside and it's good to be back at work in the office. Since leaving in January this World Race thing has exploded! The Squad I was leading was the largest squad we've ever had, but we're about to have a training camp for 90 people leaving on the August 2009 Race.
I love the vision of raising up a generation to transform the world and see the Kingdom of God fully realized in places like Cambodia, Guatemala, and Kenya. The World Race is a journey like no other! For those of you who have been following my journey for the past 3 1/2 years, know that the same adventure and ministry experiences await you on The World Race if you'll only apply!
If you're ready to be transformed through living out the Gospel every day in places all around the world, then it's time you prayed and considered The World Race. People ask me all the time if it was " a good experience." Well... yeah! I've seen and experienced things few people ever have. When I hear about AIDS on the news or about political unrest in Africa, I have faces and names of people I've met that tell the same stories. People think of "The Amazing Race" when I talk about The World Race, but I'll be the first to tell you that the reality of people and places around the world are better seen on this mission trip than on some TV show. The World Race is waking up our generation to the reality of life for people all over the world. It's adventurous and crazy!
The World Race gives you the opportunity to experience true Christian community. You aren't traveling alone! As you seek to grow, the best mirrors are your teammates. Not only do you abandon your bed, Chik-Fil-A, job security, and the normal American life on this trip, you realize you are meant to abandon your rights, your expectations, and your selfish desires. When all of that is stripped away and you find yourself on a cold mountain top in China, you put all your trust and faith in God. He's the one that is changing you to be more like Him and He's the one revealing His glory around the world.
He's inviting you to be a part of this.... Won't you apply???
nobody to cook the food that they bring in. There's nobody to pass it out to the patients who are hungry and thirsty, laying under tarps and tents of sheets in the hot Carribbean sun. There's nobody to sit and listen to their stories. There's nobody to pray with the brokenhearted and wipe the tears away. Supplies pile up and the things that are needed and within reacht stay hidden. People are up and walking around... yes... Praise God! 
e earthquake, it's like all of this has been cleaned out. The space has been emptied. What was once full is now empty. There is a space to fill. There's an open window for us as the Church to go and fill that space. I can feel the holy anticipation in my spirit whenever I think about Haiti. The space is waiting to be filled and it wants to be filled. 
Since the earthquake happened in Haiti we've all been looking for opportunities to help. AIM is launching a huge effort to make a long-term difference. Creating opportunities for short-term teams will take a lot of details and information that you can't get unless you are there. Somebody has to go in first.
ill go as a first response team representing AIM, gathering basic info on contacts and travel, and to provide immediate relief to the people suffering in Haiti. 
Community. If you want a reflection, look in a mirror. My community acts as a mirror in my life. When I want to know if I look like Jesus and live a Kingdom lifestyle, I go to my mirrors. Sometimes my mirrors come to me first. At the end of the day I don't have to rely on my own assessment of a situation or circumstance. I realize that my perspective and experience can limit how I read the stuff I go through and the decisions I have to make. I've got a close-knit group that offer their eyes and ears to help me find the difficult balance of life. 
Race thing has exploded! The Squad I was leading was the largest squad we've ever had, but we're about to have a training camp for 90 people leaving on the August 2009 Race. 
if it was " a good experience." Well... yeah! I've seen and experienced things few people ever have. When I hear about AIDS on the news or about political unrest in Africa, I have faces and names of people I've met that tell the same stories. People think of "The Amazing Race" when I talk about The World Race, but I'll be the first to tell you that the reality of people and places around the world are better seen on this mission trip than on some TV show. The World Race is waking up our generation to the reality of life for people all over the world. It's adventurous and crazy!