Updates from Haiti

We will post updates from our Haiti group as we recieve them here.

Pastor Brad Sherwood, John Crouch, Dann Quam, and Dann’s brother-in-law Richard, have joined missionary Steve Tucker in Haiti where they will help with aid work.  They left on Wednesday, January 27th, and they will return on Friday, Feburary 12th.  Please pray for our group and their families while they serve!

Final Update – Friday, February 12

Our group is home safe and resting.  They will share at church and we will post their pictures and journals from the trips in a new blog soon.  Thank you for keeping Pastor Brad, Dann, & John in your prayers while they were serving.  Please continue to pray for Steve Tucker who remained in Haiti.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Sunday, February 14

He’s back! Two week’s growth on the face, a new look in his eyes, and lots of stories to tell. I really like the one about teaching the women who cook in the kitchen how to kill rats with Coca-Cola. Although a runner up is he re-wired a vehicle to get the headlights working. Finally put a flip-switch on the dashboard to turn the lights on and off.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Wednesday, February 10

Hubby’s on his way back. Should be home back Friday a.m. Sent me a message via someone else he’ll call me tomorrow night when he gets into Miami. They’ve taken videos, pictures, and journaled the trip. Should be awesome.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Tuesday, February 9

The guys left a vehicle at the hotel they were at in Chicago. Good thing they left their coats in it as well. They’re gonna need ‘em! Sleeping in tents, they didn’t need a blanket until up in the mountains in that tropical temp of 100+ at times. What a shock to the system coming back to this.

I’ve run into people who have mixed feelings about us being over there and others who don’t believe we should be there at all. I believe we reap what we sew. If total devastation happens in this country, you’d better believe I will be extremely grateful taking food and water from someone who can’t speak my language but has compassion in their heart, eyes, and hands.

They will be changed men. You can’t go to a foreign country, let alone 3rd world, and not be changed. Add total devastation and what you try to do good for is only a drop of water on parched ground. I would think they will have to accept the fact they did their best for the moment and it will have to be good enough.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Monday, February 8

John and the guys are on the fast-track to get things done in the next 2 days. Worked on trucks for 2 days to get up the mountains to do some work. Handing out food/water. Dismantled what was left of a home, dug footings, and totally rebuilding a block house in 4 days. John would like to shoot some roosters that don’t …know when dawn is. Said he’d like some more fried chicken anyway. Drinking lots of coke.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Tuesday, February 2

Ok, prayers needed! While I was at work, Pastor left a message on my phone and I missed a call from John. His call went to my voice mail just as I answered. Pastor said Paul Tucker (Steve’s dad) called to say the Red Cross was warning people they are expecting another earthquake tomorrow (2/2). John’s message said… they were warned and they moved to safer ground.

Their camp is in Cazeau. (Sounds possibly like Kazow) From a satellite map it looks like one of many suburbs of Port au Prince and is hugely residential. Don’t know yet where “safer ground” is.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Monday, February 1

Yesterday they went into Port au Prince. Put Vicks in their nose to mask the smell. Didn’t help. Put on medical masks and covered them with Vicks. Still didn’t help. Children in the street surrounded them. As the guys passed out food to the children they asked the children where their parents were. The kids would point up like their parents were now in heaven.

John called this morning while I was in class at fire school. He’s called a couple times for only a a couple minutes on someone’s Haitian phone. And he’s called a couple times now from someone’s magic jack. Bet we buy one when he gets back! He fixed someone’s truck this morning and said they were getting ready to go up… the mountain to do some work.

Update from Dann Quam – Sunday, January 31

Hey everyone, We are here in Haiti and doing well. We went and toured the destruction yesterday and it was terrible. Like what you might see in a movie but this was real. Thousands of people on the streets homeless, but seemed to be getting food and water. Tent cities everywhere there was open space made from what…ever they could find…Thats all for now..We love you . Thanks for your prayers..Dann

Update from Pastor Richard – Sunday, January 31

Haiti update – the guys made it in and things are going good but very difficult. Their bus ride to Haiti was 12 1/2 hours long. They have connected with the pastor in Haiti and are looking to see how God wants to use them. They are sleeping in their tents at the pastor’s house. They were able to purchase rice and beans to help with the relief efforts.

Update from Kerry Crouch – Saturday, January 30

He said everything was good! Heard from him again tonight (30th) but now I heard something in his voice that is different. I heard sadness. They had a chance to look around today and the devastation is so much worse than what can be shown on TV.They need prayer for PTSD. Post traumatic stress disorder.

Heard from John last night (29th). He called real quick on someone’s phone. Said they made it through Santo Domingo with no problem. They went through the border and no one stopped them. Made it to the church they are going to work on and unloaded their stuff. Went to meet the Bishop. Came back and set up camp. I assume they set up camp at the clinic they are going to restore.

Update from Pastor Richard – Friday, January 29

All we know is that the guys made it to the Dominican Republic and they were trying to reach the Haitian border last night so they could enter Haiti this morning. We have not heard yet if they got in but we do know all their luggage arrived in the Dominican!

Update from Kerry Crouch – Thursday, January 28

They are sleeping at the border right now & will take off for the rest of the way in the morning.

Just heard from John!!! Someone had a “Magic Jack” phone and he called for 20 seconds before their ride took off. They are in Santo Domingo DR. Will drive a ways and get a room and the taxi they’ve hired will take them the rest of the way. He said a van, smaller than our Voyager Expresso had 8 grown men and 30 bags packed into it. He said it was “TIGHT”.

Update from Dann Quam – Wednesday, January 27

Just a short note to everyone. I am leaving for Haiti this afternoon with 2 others to go and help a missionary our church supports. We will be there until Feb 11th. I will try and send updates while I am there….See Ya….Dann

525,600… and then some

Posted by Erica Slemmer from Australia
Erica is halfway through a 2 year study at Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney, Australia.  Erica’s blogs will be posted here!  If you want to see her blog archive visit her on Facebook.

So here I sit. A coffee sitting just to my side, an empty banana muffin paper sitting beside it. I’m typing this in Microsoft Word so I won’t lose it again I’ve been perusing the IKEA website for inspiration for my new room (storage and such) and even the local sport store looking for a scooter. Life is good. I love it here in Australia. Though we may not have the convenience of Walmart, there are plenty other places to look around and shop. But really, that’s not why I am writing this blog. After 12 months of attending Hillsong International Leadership College during the week and serving in Hillsong Church on the weekends while sitting under the preaching of incredible men and women of faith, I should hope I have something better to update you all on besides my current wants and needs. True enough.

This year has flown by so fast. It feels like it was just yesterday that I arrived in Sydney in my sweatpants, welcomed by the 100 degree heat. I was so disorientated. I had no idea where north or south was, how to get anywhere, or how to get a phone. Now here I am, giving advice to new students like I’ve been here forever. It’s so incredible. I’ve made friends with so many diverse people, each having a different impact on my life. This is definitely the most exhilarating experience of my life. But it wasn’t the easiest thing I have done. Picking yourself out of the town you’ve lived in all your life, out of the church you grew up in, and away from all your friends and family and then planting yourself in a foreign country with no familiar faces….you can imagine how I felt at first. But the people at Hillsong are all so encouraging and welcoming that I forgot my fears and looked ahead with so much anticipation.

One of the first services I went to at Hillsong was Vision Sunday. This is where Pastor Brian Houston gives his vision for the church this year in video format. It is when I realised the heart of the church. Hillsong loves and believes in people, just as Jesus lived as an example for us to emulate. They have a heart for the nations, as you can tell by how many campuses there are around the world: London, Stockholm, Kiev, Paris, Cape Town, Germany, Brisbane, and the three campuses in the Sydney area. They hold a few conferences in the year: Colour Conference, Hillsong Conference, and Men’s Conference. Each one has the best of the best preachers from around the world (though most are from the States speaking life and love into thousands upon thousands of people. For Colour conference, I believe they had 4,000 volunteers (most of them college students required to be there because of course requirements and on-the-job training). It is incredible. They have so many people programs within the church and outside of the church that they support. Such as local ones like City Care and Street Teams (like our Adopt-a-Block). And then they also support Compassion, Watoto foundation in Africa where they find abandoned children and educate them, love them, and give them hope and ways to rise up to lead their society towards a better tomorrow. There is also A21, a foundation against slave trade where they find girls stolen and sold into prostitution and rescue them while also giving them hope for their future and a brand new start. But this isn’t about what they are doing…this is vision that God gave them. To see outside ourselves and see a world broken and hurting. And they know for a fact that that’s why the church exists: To reach out.

So, you see, Hillsong isn’t about music. They want to change the world…for the better, for God’s glory. Even if it is just one person, one life at a time. It isn’t about the title, their name plastered on CDs and social foundations alike. It’s about being active in our love for others, really being the church.

God is so amazing. I am so blessed. Seeing Hillsong’s God-breathed vision has helped me realise my own for my life. I don’t know the specifics of where I will be or what I will be doing, but I know I want to be in a place where I can make an impact. How many lives have I changed just by being who God wants me to be, by standing up to peer pressure and making clear my own beliefs? How many lives will I touch this next year? This next decade? Will I personally lead someone to Christ? That’s my dream. To live for Christ in his example, never stepping down or backing away, but living fully in his promise. That’s what I want to do. And I have a long way to go. But hey, I am in the best environment right now to grow and change.

This year has definitely taught me trust. I knew a couple years before I flew out of the states that I was meant to go to Australia. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get here on my own. I told God that if He truly wanted me here, He would have to get me here. I was sure of it. And then everything started falling into place. Money would show up out of nowhere, with God telling me to apply for college with it. It all started working out, my fees paid for, my flight paid for, money to live on for a while. It was a dream. And then the money ran out. I doubted the promise a few times and thought that I should have stayed home another semester or so to save money to live on, but no. That kind of thinking would get me nowhere. So, I hunted for a job for a couple months and at the last minute, God gave me a job. Well, it was still a step of faith because I only had $200 in the bank and I had to go to the city to get my RSA, my alcohol serving license. That took $100 of my money without being assured of the job at the time. But in my interview I was hired on the spot. God knew what He was doing and He has kept me afloat for 6 months with working at Outback Steakhouse. Sure, I have received blessings from home and I thank you sincerely for them, since they came at times when I truly needed it. But it’s by the fact that I am still here and surviving that I know I am supposed to be here in this season. I figured out that if I had come later, then I wouldn’t have had the same experience and met the same people. I wouldn’t be close to the people I am close to, and I couldn’t imagine not being close to these people. They have changed my life for the better and I would not trade them for anything. Love you guys

But I have found this situation like a roller coaster. When I was little, I hated roller coasters with a passion. Just ask Ryan. My family would travel to Six Flags St. Louis every summer and every year, Ryan would try to get me to ride a roller coaster. One year, I remember, he offered me $20 to ride the Batman. I’m pretty sure I broke into tears and cried “Noooooooooooo!” I couldn’t stand the sight of them. When the car would hit the climax and all I could here were people screaming bloody murder…it just wasn’t for me. I was scared of heights and going upside down. It took me forever to even like the ferris wheel! But the last summer before I came to Australia, my youth group went to Six Flags and there stood the Batman. As black and menacing as ever. And plenty of people were trying to talk me into going on it. My lovely Pastor’s wife Diana even brought out scripture: “God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear!” I remember her saying. And I told myself that day after day thousands of people ride this ride safely without falling to their death or something to that degree. So, with Caleb on my left, and Ryan on my right, I sat in the seat and held my breath as the harness came down in front of me. I clasped the guys’ hands as tightly as I could even before we started off. During the ride, I clenched my eyes shut and screamed my lungs out. I could feel gravity shift as we travelled through the track on loops and corkscrews. But before I knew it, it was all over. The car entered the loading bay and I jumped off, exhilarated. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, not even a scratch. Though I’m sure the guys’ hands were probably bruised. But still, I wouldn’t mind doing it again.

From what I have learned, you just have to step out of your comfort zone and how you view things to really experience life. Otherwise, you just might miss out on the ride of your life. My experience here in Australia has been one with highs and lows. There have been times when I felt like I was stuck upside down when I just wanted to get off this ride. But the season didn’t last forever. It moved on and I found that God still loved me, still looked out for me. It’s like He’s the one next to me, letting me squeeze his hand with every twist and turn. I hold to his promise that even if I’m scared now, I won’t regret the ride. I’m still trying to work this out, of course. It seems like a never ending battle between my faith and what I can see. God, please help me hold tight to your word and your promises.

So for this year, I want to do more, care more, love more, trust more. I want to see opportunities and not back down from them. I want to see each person as God sees them, each with a story waiting to be told. I want to be able to show people Jesus in my words and actions. I want to genuinely spend time with people and really know them. I want to grow as a leader.

You know, I didn’t really feel like a leader at home. I felt more like the big sister of the youth group rather than a leader. Sure, I helped lead worship, but it didn’t feel like I imparted into the youth group as much as I could have. And when Mark Hopkins, the vice president of Hillsong College during orientation said “This is a leadership college, so we expect you to step up and lead”. That really freaked me out. Seriously. I felt like I had never led anything or anyone in my life. And now I found myself at a Leadership College. Great. Thanks God. Apparently, He knew what I needed. He knew that I had to be stretched…still need to be stretched. But from what I learned this last year, you don’t have to be outgoing or have new ideas spilling out of you every second. You just have to be willing. Look at Moses, Abraham, David, Mary…they all believed God at his word and their stories have lasted throughout the generations. I realise that in my weakness, God is made strong. Where I don’t measure up, He steps in and makes me strong so I can complete what He wants me to do…for his purposes. I’ll be excited to see where He has me in 10 years And also everyone I am doing life with here in Australia! There are so many gifted men and women here!

You know, I am so proud of you all back home. From what I can see on the website and through other conversations, you have really stepped out this year. From creating a summer outreach in the park, continuing in Adopt a Block, and visiting the nursing homes, you all have really held strong. I love how you also started forming life groups. This will help people get to know each other better and help and strengthen each other. So good! That was last year. This year, I know that there will be greater things done in Jesus’ name. The Bible talks about going from strength to strength: there are no endings in Christ. So this is my prayer for you all this year. I pray that you won’t back down. I pray that you will realise God’s heart for people, and treat them as if they were your brother and sister no matter who they are. I pray that you will hold to your convictions and God’s promises. God, lead them and guide them. Help them not to be afraid of what they can’t see ahead. You hold the future in your hands, nothing surprises You. I pray that You will give them all a heart for Burlington and that they will see newcomers every week. I thank you Lord for all you are doing in and through them. You are such a mighty God and your plans are perfect. We love you so much.

*sigh* And there you have it. My end of the year blog. 525,600 minutes and then some. Microsoft tells me that I have written 2,266 words so far. And I noticed when I was typing that the 2,000th word was prayer. Interesting. Yet, so significant. Prayer works. It is powerful and links us to God. So good. Well, I love you all so much. I should be getting to bed. I’ve been typing for the last 3 hours to come up with such a crazy long blog. Be blessed in 2010. This year, this decade is going to be AWESOME!! God is going to move in powerful ways and more people will know him like never before. Amen and amen. Night all!

Hawkeye & KWQC Article – Haiti

An article was featured in the Burlington Hawkeye, our local newspaper, about our efforts to help in Haiti.

You can view the article online at: http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Haiti-011810

See also: http://www.kwqc.com/global/story.asp?s=11847617

We will post the Hawkeye article and KWQC video here if possible.

Haiti Assistance – Steve Tucker Ministry

Steve Tucker did not make it to Haiti due to the earthquake!

It happened Tuesday and he was due to fly out on Wednesday morning.

He is flying out this Thursday (1/21) after being in contact with his two pastors.

Pastor Brad, John Crouch, & Dann Quam will be flying down on January 26th and returning February 9th.

We would like to help all of them.  Instead of giving to the organizations that are helping we believe your dollars
will go a lot further through the Tuckers and the ministry they have established down there!

You can give towards this at church by marking “Haiti” next to the Missions line on your giving envelope.

In the Middle, God

Last time we took a quick look at Genesis 1:1”In the beginning God…” and how we can see that God is the initiator of all things, He is the one who got everything started. In fact the Bible declares of Jesus (God) in Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

So many people wrestle with this truth. Perhaps because they want to be in control and faith puts or establishes God as in control. Plus, I believe we don’t like this thought about God being so amazing to create all that He has is because we don’t see God as loving and kind. Instead our perception of Him is mean and He is just waiting for us to mess up so He can “bring the hammer down.” The Scripture reveals a very different God. In fact Scripture declares God as good, slow to anger and very gracious. He is just as well so He makes sure the penalties are not only established, but also enforced. This leads me to the main point I want you to get out of this blog. “In the middle God…”

In the middle of a fallen world, in the middle of all our troubles and pain God sent His love for all of us to see! John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave…” Here we go again seeing God as the initiator, “For God…” It wasn’t someone else who had this idea first; it is God’s idea first. And what do we know about God? He “so loved the world.” Did you see it? He loves us! He’s not mad at us, He’s not waiting for us to make the mistake to whack us, the truth is He loves us and because He loves us or since He loves us, “He gave!” he didn’t wait for us to give, He found us right where we are in the middle of our messes and He gave.

And what did He give us? John 3:16 his one and only Son…
And why did He give us His Son? So, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Doesn’t sound like a mean God to me, does it to you?
Friend, will you come to the place in your heart and mind where you can believe God has your best interests in mind and at His heart! He loves you so much and He wants you to get that truth. So today, open your heart up to that truth and receive the eternal life He offers! He gave because He so loved you, us!

A Captive of His Grace,
Pastor Richard & Diana

In The Beginning, God

As the new year 2010 has arrived may we take the time to reflect on all God has done for us in the past and also look forward to 2011 because we remember His faithfulness on our journey.
As we find ourselves here, whether 2009 was a “good” year or a “bad” year there is at least one thing we can be sure of, GOD IS IN CONTROL.

He always has been in control and always will be whether we can see it or not, or whether we will even acknowledge it or not. The Bible declares in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God …” From the very beginning our life has been God’s plan. In creation He prepared all things and then He meticulously created mankind and has set us above all created things. From the very beginning there have been great days for mankind and there have been regrettable days for mankind, but the one thing that is a constant is the truth that God is in control.

So whether we find that the past year was good or bad, or whether we look to 2010 as being a potential good year or a bad year the truth is God is in control and He makes all things turn out good in our lives if we love Him. (Romans 8:28-29) God can do this and make this a reality in our lives because of the work of Jesus Christ and the Cross. His sacrifice and the demonstration of His love are all the proof we need to understand that God is in control.

And when we encounter the pain of this life and the trouble and difficulties it offers we can be certain that His plan of salvation included deliverance for us. We do have an enemy and God knows that and that is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ – to set us free from the things that have held us back, caused us pain or foster shame in our lives. See 1 John 3:8. May you begin this year walking in the reality of God’s love being poured out for you and may we know that God is in control and that He has always been in the beginning God.

A Captive of His Grace,
Pastor Richard & Diana