Project Go is a summer missions program for college students and recent graduates who want to serve orphans and vulnerable children. They spend half or the whole of their summer serving children in seven countries or on the Texas-Mexico border.

These students will work with children in orphanages and community centers, put on Vacation Bible Schools, teach English classes, serve as mentors and much more. To serve effectively, they need supplies. 

That’s where you come in!

We need people to hold collections until May 15 for the following items:

• 500 8-pack boxes of crayons
• 13 bags of balloons (50 count or more)
• 300 small boxes of markers
• 30 inflatable beach balls
• 500 packages of construction paper
• 100 small bouncing balls
• 100 bottles of bubbles
• 13 large packages of sidewalk chalk
• 20 paint-by-numbers sets
• 13 air pumps for the beach balls
• 150 bottles of lice shampoo
• 13,000 pencils
• 100 large variety bags of non-melting candy

Deliver or mail your collected items to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid:
5405 Shoe Drive
Mesquite, TX 75149

Questions? Please call 214-328-7463.

By Russ Dilday
Buckner News Service

DALLAS — Leaders of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas and Buckner International met Jan. 12 at the Buckner ministry offices to sign agreement that both groups say will help facilitate missions enrichment programs and services for the Hispanic Christian community. Jesse Rincones, president of the 1,100-congregation HBCT, co-signed the “Missions Covenant” document with Buckner President Albert L. Reyes.

In general, the covenant gives each group a higher profile in the other’s missions messaging, offers added opportunities for convention members to participate in volunteer missions service, and seeks to enhance the work of Buckner’s Shoes for Orphan Souls humanitarian aid drive.  

Reyes said the covenant will give Buckner “a more intentional and deliberate focus on the importance of the local church and on our mission,” adding, “This will connect us not just to churches, but churches with a common Hispanic background, language and culture. There are many things we’ll do to tap that background in countries and areas with similar cultures.”

Rincones, who also serves as pastor of Alliance Church in Lubbock, Texas, said the agreement is significant  to the convention because of “the rich experience and resources Buckner brings to our congregations.”

“For many years, Hispanic congregations have been the recipients of Baptist missions efforts,” he said. “Now we’re seeing a change in mindset and we’re looking at ourselves as collaborators and initiators of mission efforts. The training and the opportunities we’ll receive in this collaboration are going to allow our congregations to speed up the process in being missions initiators.”

Rolando Rodriguez, director of Hispanic work for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, agreed. “It’s a new day for Convención, a brand new opportunity. For many years, Hispanic churches have been considered a mission field – now they’ve become a missions force.”

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Her name is Maria Belen. Belen is 5 years old, owns a little dog named Chocolate and loves to dance and play hide-and-seek. She also does not speak any English.

Her beautiful smile was the first to greet me each day and she was the last one to give me a hug when I left. We often communicated nonverbally and by the end of the week I could understand her rather well. What I did not know was how much she understood from me.

Through my spotty Spanish and role playing, I shared with her several Bible stories and verses. It was rather entertaining to watch, I’m sure. Yet, apparently Belen was sharing with her mother each night what we had learned together that day.

At the end of the week Belen’s mother came up to me and handed me a yellow bag she made for me. Belen had shared with her mother that yellow was my favorite color, and she wanted to thank me for sharing the love and joy of Christ with their family.

This experienced reminded me that God’s power and grace is beyond languages and cultures. It is incredible to witness His gospel message spread worldwide through the faithfulness of his followers.

Spending time in another culture always produces barriers, but by actively showing love and leaning on God’s guidance, you can be a useful tool for the Gospel. Isaiah 55:10-11 is a beautiful picture of God’s word and how it flourishes and does not return empty:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

Jeanne Jacobs served as a volunteer with Project Go! last summer in Peru. The deadline to sign up to be a 2012 Project Go! volunteer is Feb. 5. Click here for more information. 

Mother-daughter mission trips offer a chance to bond over shared experiences in an environment like no other.

Barb McDonald and her daughter, Annie, went on the trip to Guatemala last year, when a painful diagnosis prompted Barb to start living out her dreams:

In August 2009 I was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. I asked my doctor what I should do. He suggested that I live in three-month increments and do all the things I want to do in that time. Annie, my daughter, and I had been discussing going on a trip to serve orphans so I went on the search. I turned to Buckner first because I had heard about Shoes for Orphan Souls trips on our local Christian radio station, KLOVE.  

When I explored the website, the mother-daughter trip sounded ideal for us. We had been to Guatemala before and feel in love with the children, so we knew this was a trip that God planned for us.

The Buckner trip was an experience that will forever bond Annie and me together in a new and deeper way. Our faith in a mighty God who calls us to serve the orphans and widows is deepened and filled with hope for the futures of the children we met. Each child, some with devastating stories, had the building blocks for a strong faith because of the work Buckner does in places like this.

With my weakened physical state, I was concerned about the accommodations. The hotel where we stayed was beautiful and a restful retreat after a long and emotional day with the amazing children and mothers of Guatemala.

Buckner answered a dream—one that I always thought would happen later, when we had more money or when we had more time. The cancer diagnosis prompted me to act on our biggest dreams and make them come true. I had a beautiful group of friends who supported us and reminded us that the body of Christ is a blessing. Without their support, it would not have been possible.

Throughout the trip, we bonded no only with the children of Guatemala, but also with the other mothers and daughters and we still keep in touch with most of our group. We were changed forever having done this beautiful trip. We were heartbroken when the translators told us their own stories of struggle and educated us on the state of Guatemalan government, of the corruption and the fight against this corruption. I pray for Guatemala every day and Buckner made it all possible.

Anyone considering this trip will be blessed beyond belief.

Volunteers on the 2012 trip will be serving children and families in the Buckner Honduras Community Transformation Center in El Eden, an impoverished area of the city of Tegucigalpa, as well as children in the Casitas Kennedy orphanage.

They will be working in the Buckner programs adding to the ongoing education, job training and spiritual formation that takes place year round, and acting as mentors to women and young ladies in the community. Volunteers will also distribute new shoes to children.

These trips are not limited strictly to mothers and daughters – grandmothers, granddaughters, godmothers and mother figures are all welcome.

“I looking forward to watching mothers and daughters connect on a spiritual level and expand their worldview together,” said Ashley Marble, trip coordinator. “The influence that will have on their family is priceless.”

Please click here to see a flier with more information about the trip. Or click here to sign up!

Project Go is a summer missions program for college students and recent graduates who want to serve orphans and vulnerable children.

Students can serve in Peru, Kenya, Russia, the Rio Grande Valley, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic or Mexico. Session One takes place from May 31 to July 1. Session Two is from July 9 to August 9. Volunteers can also serve for a full summer.

Country preferences are taken into consideration, but assignments are made on a first-come, first-served basis, and the deadline to apply is February 5.

“After these trips, their whole world view changes,” said Analiz Schremmer, volunteer recruitment and fulfillment coordinator. “I know Project Go has helped a lot of individuals find their calling and decide what they want to do with their lives professionally. Some people have come out knowing they want to adopt one day. Others decide they want to go into full-time ministry or social work.”

One volunteer who served in Kenya appreciated having time to get to know the children, build relationships and be immersed in the culture.

“We got to milks cows with them, help prepare the meals and even watch them play in a futbol game,” she said. “I never could have imagined falling so in love with 70 orphans, but for some reason, those are the faces that I can’t seem to get out of my head since I’ve been home… I will forever have a piece of Kitale, Kenya in my heart.”

Schremmer said volunteers aren’t just changed through their experience – they change the lives of others.

“The biggest differences they make are in the lives of individuals,” she said. “As the volunteers go about their service, they will have the opportunity to develop relationships and share the love of Christ. It’s a permanent impact. Some of the kids they will work with just need to be loved and they will have the opportunity to do that.”

To learn more about Project Go and to apply, please visit http://itsyourmission.com/interns/index.shtml. Or, you can contact Analiz Schremmer at aschremmer@buckner.org.

Stay connected with Project Go on Facebook! Find us at www.facebook.com/ServeWithProjectGo.

Click the first photo below to start viewing the slideshow.

 

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By Diamond Richardson
Buckner International

GUATEMALA CITY – Looking at spit from one of her students on the floor of a newly renovated classroom, Krista Edmonds realized her volunteer job would entail more than just teaching English.

“I have always felt called to work in Latin America but I never thought I would end up as a teacher,” Edmonds said. “But a friend told me, ‘If you hear God calling you to go somewhere and do something, just go.’”

And she did go. Edmonds’s volunteer teaching journey began when she accepted a position as a fifth-grade teacher in American Samoa. She also volunteered in Mexico before accepting the long-term volunteer position with Buckner International to teach English as a Second Language in two Guatemala City communities – El Cerrito and Santa Rita.

“Krista is great as a missionary and a teacher because she has a tremendous love for kids and it is evident in the way that she relates to them,” said Dexton Shores, one of Buckner’s regional directors for Latin America, who worked with Krista in Mexico . “She is willing to do whatever it takes to transform kid’s lives.”

Edmonds arrived in Guatemala in September 2010 to find children with behavioral issues who were uninterested in learning.

“Many kids there grow up in single parent houses where the mom or dad works all the time,” Edmonds said. “They are just out wandering the streets without anyone to set boundaries for them.”

Edmonds found herself taking on the role of a parent. She helped organize an informal before-school care program where students could work on crafts. Edmonds also began setting boundaries for her students by taking away classroom privileges as punishment.

“I never use to understand what my parents meant when they said discipline hurts them more than it hurts you, but now I do,” Edmonds said, laughing.

The teaching portion of her job also presented new challenges. Edmonds had to develop an ESL curriculum from scratch with few supplemental materials.

“It was hard but you do the best you can with what you have. I tried to focus on getting the kids to talk as much as possible in class,” she said.

As time progressed, Edmonds felt she was making progress with the children, in the classroom and on a personal level.

“When people would come from the States, the kids were so excited that they could say ‘What’s your name.’ To hear that they were using English outside of class was encouraging.”

Edmonds grew close to a group of three siblings, two boys and a girl. Evelyn, the girl, was shy and suffered from an untreated skin disease that left scabs on her face. The two boys, Marlin and Luis, were rambunctious and misbehaved often; Marlin was the one that spit on the floor.

“After he did that, then did it again, I told him to go stand outside for five minutes,” Edmonds said. “They needed to learn that their actions have consequences but that I love them, and I believe in second, third and fourth chances. After awhile they began to straighten up.” 

Edmonds also saw drastic changes in Evelyn. Gone was the painfully shy girl that rarely spoke. Evelyn became spunky, confident and loved to talk with the other students.

Later, at a going-away party for Edmonds, the siblings bought her wrapped boxes. In them were a stuffed animal and a necklace.

“Stuff like that really validates your time,” she said. “Not the fact that they are giving you gifts but that they are sacrificing for you; most of these kids don’t have very many nice things, so for them to give me their own belongings as presents meant a lot.”

Edmonds began going on mission trips in middle school, so cultural adjustment was not difficult for her. The one change that was hard to adjust to was the glaring income disparities in Guatemala.

“Driving from where I was staying into the communities where I taught every day was mind blowing. The area I stayed in was as nice as any neighborhood in the States, then I would drive into an area with dirt floors and scrap metal walls. It’s an insincerity that sticks with you.”

Edmonds realizes that in the grand scheme of things, her 10 months in Guatemala were a small part of the work being done there.

“I would love to see people continue to step into roles over there and maybe in 10 years we can see real change,” she said. “What I did was just a small part in the larger story of what I know is going to happen through Buckner in that community.

“My biggest hope is that I left the kids with a sense of worth. I hope I showed them that they are valuable and precious children of God and that they are not limited by their circumstances,” Edmonds said. “I want them to remember that God always loves them.”

To learn more about long-term volunteer opportunities, please contact Jane Ann Crowson at jcrowson@buckner.org.

Click on the first photo below to start the slideshow.

 

Jim Sundberg places shoes on the feet of a special needs child.

Rangers Hall of Famer Jim Sundberg, Chief Operating Officer Rick George, and All-Star pitcher Alexi Ogando helped Buckner put new shoes on the feet of more than 230 orphans Nov. 15. The group was joined by players from the Rangers’ Dominican Academy who conducted a baseball clinic for the children. 

“Getting new shoes and meeting such tremendous role models on the same day had such a great impact on these children,” according to Buckner Vice President Scott Collins. “We’re so grateful to the Rangers for their dedication and desire to be such a positive influence in the lives of others.” 

“It was great to partner with Buckner International to allow these children the opportunity to meet our future players and to be able to provide them shoes that are so needed,” commented George.  “It is important for our organization to give back to the communities that we are in and it was an outstanding experience for our players and staff to have this interaction.” 

During the clinic, Rangers players worked with the children in stations to teach fundamentals such as base running, throwing, hitting, and basic stretching exercises. 

“It was so impressive to watch these talented young baseball players work with children who have been through so much in their young lives,” Collins said. 

Collins said he was also touched by the sight of Ogando, Sundberg, and George “kneeling down on the floor and putting shoes on the feet of the children. I can’t begin to tell you what it meant to the children and to me personally to see the humility of these men.” 

The event was hosted by Buckner International as part of its Shoes for Orphan Souls® program. Each year, Buckner distributes more than 200,000 new shoes worldwide to vulnerable children. Since 1999, Buckner has given away more than 2.2 million pairs of shoes. 

Buckner began work in the Dominican Republic in 2009. Along with distributing humanitarian aid to the country, Buckner opened its first Community Transformation Center in the DR last year and plans to launch two additional CTCs in 2012. In addition, Buckner is in the process of developing a plan to operate a foster care program in the future. 

The Buckner CTCs provide supplemental education to children in poverty-stricken communities by offering music, literature, Bible, and vocabulary classes through an after-school program. Other programs include personal growth classes such as hygiene, self-esteem, and parenting instruction. A new computer lab for at-risk youth is also set to open soon. 

In September, the Texas Rangers worked Buckner to host more than 250 Dallas-area children served by Buckner at a game with the Seattle Mariners. The Rangers Foundation also presented a check to Buckner to support the 132-year-old organization’s work in the community.

Buckner International is a global non-profit ministry that seeks to make life better for orphans, vulnerable children and families.

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Click here to see a slideshow of photos from the trip!

2012 trips include:

Busia, Kenya
July 5-15, 2012
Optional 2-day safari
Mission coordinator: Ashley Marble.

Lima, Peru
Oct. 20-28, 2012
Optional Machu Picchu Excursion
Mission coordinator: Shaun Lester.

San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Dec. 1-8, 2012
Includes a 2-day beach experience.
Mission coordinator: Jeremy Copeland.

These trips will be approximately 10 days long, including travel, and usually include a two-day cultural experience opportunity.

Depending upon your professional experience, there are many fulfilling ways to volunteer your time. If you are an RN, LVN or NA, you may choose to assist a doctor or dentist, work in the wound care clinic or work as a triage nurse.

If you are a general volunteer, you may want to work in the vision clinic, dental clinic, pharmacy, triage, patient registration or be part of the spiritual support team with health education, entertainment and prayer.

If you are an RN, MD, DD or NP, you may volunteer with an active license or with a retired inactive license in good standing.

To apply, contact Cynthia Casperson (ccasperson@buckner.org) with a description of your background and experience, license status and goals for the trip. For questions about a particular trip, please contact the mission coordinator for that trip.