What's in Store? - Haiti Reverse Mission Trip

Hello friends,

Since it's the summer, it would seem that we don't have a lot to update in terms of student encounters, but we wanted to give you a taste of what we're currently working on in preparation for this year. If you received our most recent newsletter, you might have read about our plans briefly.

So let's start with our biggest project this year: it's a transformational experience, and we call it the...

Haiti Reverse Mission Trip

What: Haiti Reverse Mission Trip

• REVERSE mission trip
• We receive and learn more than we provide
• We affirm culture rather than foster dependency
• We work alongside rather than “work for”
• We travel a short distance rather than a long distance
• Going to Philly, NOT Haiti
• We encourage long-term deep relationships
• We empower and encourage Haitian natives to help their own nation, as they are more equipped then we will ever be
• Fundraiser
• Cost of traveling to Haiti, avg. $2000 per person
• Avg. annual Haitian income = $500
• We will ask participants to raise $1800 in order to attend
• Benefit Gala will raise money
• Money raised will be given to
• Haiti Relief
• Long-term sustainable missions
• Ethnographic Study
• CCTI’s Justin Poole will be assisting in the interviewing of many of the people involved in order to create a play that will be produced in Philly

When: Friday Dec 31^st—Sunday Jan 9^th

Where: In Haitian-American houses, churches, and communities in North Philly

Who is already involved:

• World Vision and World Vision Act:s
• Beyond Borders
• Eastern University Missions Department
• The Coalition (Board of Haitian Churches in Philly)
• Equitas Group
• CCTI
• CCO’s Cross Cultural Ministry

How you can help:

• For our friends and supporters reading this blog, please keep this trip in your prayers. Pray that the Lord provides at least one other person to step up and help us plan. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time. And yet, we've received confirmation from the Lord and fellow believers "not to be discouraged" in these efforts, but to keep going.
• Please keep the prayer as a whole in your trip - the students going, the leaders going, the churches involved, the connections and relationships established, the money raised, and that above all, we would remain in the center of God's will.

CCO Spotlight: Elliott Simko!

Check it out - Elliott is in the CCO Spotlight this month on the website:

Just wanted to share!

-Rachel

Living in community

Hello friends and supporters,

I'm writing to you from my apartment-style dorm room on the campus of Robert Morris University, just outside Pittsburgh. The mouth-watering aroma of simmering vegetables and chicken wafting from our crockpot has been filling the walls of our room for the past 8 hours. Mason Stumpf, the 10-year-old son of one of the new staff just stopped by to see where the smell was coming from. Before him three different people came knocking at our door almost exactly 5 minutes apart. Before that I was in a meeting with four other trainers trying to plan an intricate event just a couple days away. All this is to say Rachel and I are in one of the most unique and trying forms of training ever conceived of by human beings. All our time is tapped with learning, reading, applying our learning, and rediscovering what it means to love and be loved in the context of community.

It's an important lesson to learn (and re-learn) as a campus minister. Our students will be living under similar conditions almost the entire time they are in college...with the exception of the 10-year-old kids stopping by...and oh yeah, I got to pick my roommate, and we are best friends...the coolness of that never wears off :)

In a few minutes seven new staff will come through my dorm room door to chow down the stewing crockpot meal. It seems our periods of rest here are mostly filled with preparation for whatever is coming next. But, it only goes on like this for another two weeks. On July 23rd Rachel and I get to return to the comfort of our third-story apartment town-home in Philly--a luxury the typical college student will not have.

I'm realizing more and more through this time at RMU the constant pressure students feel as a result of living in community. You must be wondering to yourself, "wait a minute, wasn't Elliott in college just two years ago?" Yes, I was. There's a certain wisdom that is gained when you get to stand on the outside of an experience. When I was inside the college community I felt a pressure and stress, but couldn't fully comprehend it's origin or affects. Looking back, I realize now that community is both a beautiful thing...and a very intense thing.

Community has a way of both creating support and unity (when done correctly) and also a way of amplifying our brokenness. After all, anyone who is married knows that the longer you are with a person the more their hidden brokenness comes to light. I don't think that bringing brokenness to light is a bad thing, but I do realize now that it's helpful to have people around you who are attentive to the angst and internal struggles often caused by living in community who can help you process through these things. I'm really looking forward to being that attentive person for some of my college students in the fall.

A quick happy note: I just found out a student I ministered to in High School, Hannah McLean, will be coming to Eastern University in the fall. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with her , and hearing how Jesus has been working in her life since the last time we talked. Pray that the Lord will provide Hannah with discipleship opportunities at Eastern, and that she matures in her faith when she gets there in the fall.

Thanks for all your prayers and support.

In Him,
Elliott

Support-Raising Mondays!

It's "Support-Raising Monday!" Please keep us in prayer throughout the day for the following matters:

-that the Lord would provide full support by the end of August

This request is really important to us. Many missionaries and friends/families of missionaries think that 80% of support is "enough to get by on," and that 100% of support is impossible. This shortchanges the power and call of the Lord. We know we have been called to this ministry by the Lord; He has directed our every step to this place. There is no reason we should not reach 100% of support. However, it is our job and part of our calling to invite people into the ministry. We have to keep working to spread the good news of the gospel working in college students' lives. We cannot cease our efforts, and we cannot wait to see how miraculously the Lord will provide!

Also, we would like to reach full support so that we may spend more of our support-raising time on current donors. We have promised them a partnership, and we long to fulfill that partnership by calling, visiting, and praying more consistently. The sooner we reach full support, the sooner we can strengthen those already a part of this mission.

-appointments for our SR trip in August

We have a support-raising trip schedule for August 2-7. We currently have no appointments and people have been difficult to reach. This has been discouraging. Pray that we receive word from the Lord today on how best to utilize that time and our time now in preparation for it. Pray that we receive appointments or find a better way to use that time. If you know of anyone who would be willing to have a conversation with us about our ministry, please e-mail us - chellysimko@gmail.com.

-continued grace to rely solely on the Lord

It can be easy to get discouraged, frustrated, and confused when support-raising. We try to rely solely on the Lord, but sometimes we rely too much on our own efforts. Pray that grace abounds--that God would renew us and encourage us today and this week. Pray that we absolutely trust in the Lord for our support.

-direction

Every Monday we are faced with a multitude of choices: Whom should we call? Should we write thank you cards? Should we send out our next newsletter? Whom should Elliott call and whom should Rachel call? What should we do with this time? How does God want us to use it? Pray that we use our time wisely and lean on God's direction.

Thank you for your prayers, friends! We are so grateful to be a part of this work and praise the Lord that you have joined us!

Leading Bible study at The Well

Every Tuesday, the entire CCO New Staff makes the trek over to Orchard Hill Church to lead Bible studies at The Well. This event is a four-week Bible study lead by CCO staff on the book of James. It's really exciting to be a part of this event because although we a learning a TON here at New Staff Training, it's much better to put what we're learning into practice.

In the past, I think The Well was a lot larger, and numbers have been dwindling slightly throughout the years. Although this could be discouraging, I think we can see the opportunity in it. We have the fantastic chance to connect one-on-one with the students that are coming. For instance, Zeke and I (Rachel) are leading a Bible study together, and we only had two students the first night. The students were incredibly engaged and thoughtful, and really added to our understanding of James and how it effects college students. Afterwards, I sent them an e-mail asking how we could pray for them throughout the week. One student, I'll call him "Derek," asked for specific prayer. This week, Derek told me in detail how God had answered his prayer! I told him to keep sending us prayer requests--even beyond the summer--and to tell us how and when God answers. It's absolutely beautiful to see God working in these lives, and it's a blessing to be even a small part of it.

All that being said, please keep The Well in your prayers. Pray that more students come out, that we prepare solid Bible studies that help students see Jesus, and that each staff member connects in depth with at least one student.

Thanks, friends! I don't have pictures yet of this event, so I'll share with you a shot of a bunch of us staffers going up the incline in Pittsburgh.

New Staff Training 2010: What We're Studying

Hello from Robert Morris University! Elliott and I have been here for the last week, and still have four weeks ahead of us. We've been keeping very busy--our days are filled with study, prayer, and fellowship. To follow some of the revelations God has been showing me, you can always catch up on my personal faith blog here.

Still, we'd love to give you a brief look at what we've been studying. We'll be reading through the following books in five weeks (in addition to several articles and countless seminars):

The True Story of the Whole World: Finding Your Place in the Biblical Drama

by Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen

(Re)Thinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in this World

by J. Mark Bertrand

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

by Timothy Keller

The Outrageous Idea of Academic Faithfulness

by Donald Opitz and Derek Melleby

Leaving for Summer Training

Today we officially relocate to Pittsburgh in order to attend training. For Rachel, this will be a five-week intensive training session required for all new staff. For Elliott, he will be returning in order to train.

As we leave our students, our church, and our home for the summer, please join with us in prayer for the following things.

- For training to be a place of fellowship and growth -- with others and with the Lord.

- That Rachel would learn a lot of practical things!

- That Elliott would teach thoroughly and well.

- That God would prepare their minds for the work He has in store in the fall.

- That we would grow in prayer, Bible study, and discipleship.

- For our campuses and students.

- For full financial support; also, that we would discern with whom God would want us to share our ministry.

- Praises for God's amazing provision so far!

There are so many ways to pray for us and the ministry, so wherever the Lord takes you in prayer, Amen! :)

Thank you, friends, for all of your continued support and love.