Missions Heart

We believe that God has called our Missions Ministry a "ready" place of abundant overflow in resources, service and life. Not only will we be known for loving and supporting the Nations but also for cultivating that same heart of outpouring and service close to home. We'll be present and supportive for Dear Friends who have allowed God to lead the course of their lives into the field. We'll be known for our consistent readiness to serve and to be sent out year round. This means that we won't pour our efforts into focusing only on our next Missions trip, instead we'll focus on growing a constantly fruitful heart hungry to surrender to God and say, "Here am I, send me", no matter what that might look like.

Being a missionary on the Go Team or Send Team at Living Waters is about listening, obeying, serving and surrendering. We'll keep learning Christ's dreams for us in reaching out, and pouring out--giving out of the resurrection power of God in our lives.

Secondarily, Living Water's heart for our commitment to Haiti is to invest our time and energy to honor the Haitian people by recognizing and supporting their individual and cooperative ability to be self-sufficient. We are dedicated to sustainable practices in a creative framework of stewardship with the goals of providing jobs and educational opportunities as well as meeting basic daily needs. We plan on consistently giving of ourselves long-term as we realize that specific projects supporting these goals will take time.

We consider relationship with the Haitians a privilege and we are excited to work alongside them to plant and increase God's good gifts for their lives. We enjoy working with Foursquare Missions International and John and Debbie Booker at the Foursquare Base Camp in Port Au Prince. Anyone who would like to donate finances or supplies towards our service in Haiti can be sure their gifts are directly reaching Foursquare Base and being invested wisely for the hope and health of the Haitian people, and most importantly, for the glory of God.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Going



It was hot and it was humid when our team arrived in Haiti on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.  But we were ready to go and willing to do anything that was asked of us.  Members of our team included Trevor, Dale, Fern and Jasmin.  Our group from Medford, Oregon was so glad to have been able to spend the week with Thomas and Stephen, two gentlemen from our home church who will be staying there for an extended period of time. 

Our first day in Haiti was spent being introduced to two orphanages.  Not far from base camp in an area known as Torcell, is the building site for an orphanage where teams have been working alongside Haitians to help bring it back on schedule for its completion.  There are a group of girls that are temporarily staying at the church compound as the orphanage is being built, while the boys are staying with Pastor Bellande in a house not far from where the new orphanage will be.  He pastors a church in that area and took these children in after the earthquake claimed the lives of their parents.  Back at base camp and the church in Port-au-Prince, our team spent the rest of the first afternoon playing jump rope and laughing with the girls.  We had so much fun loving all of the children and learning about the various sustainable projects happening in Haiti, such as agriculture, tilapia ponds, chickens, hydroponics, building plans, ministry and business training, education and relationship building. 


The following day, our team divided up and the guys worked on the orphanage in Torcell, while the ladies visited a girls’ orphanage located in Sarthe.  All of those guys worked so hard that day.  Tremendous progress was made on the orphanage, having two additional guys from our Medford team to help the rest of those who had been working for several days already.  The ladies joined forces with a few members of the other team as well and set off for Sarthe.  It was there that each young girl received a dress, a pair of shorts and a shirt.  It was also very rewarding to have left the pastors there with a variety of donated clothing for men, women and children.  We sang songs and even taught sign language to “Jesus Loves Me”.  The girls and some children from the local community painted, made creative creatures with craft materials and learned to make friendship bracelets.  Later on that day, the president of Foursquare Missions visited and spoke in Port-au-Prince that evening.


One day, two of us from the Medford Team spent some time at the boys’ orphanage.  We made a small craft and passed out candy and laughed a lot!  The guys just kept on working so diligently and so incredibly hard on the orphanage!


On another day, our team spent an afternoon visiting a tent community near the church in Port-au-Prince.  We were invited to hand out and help set up a few tarps for some families in need.  We were also asked to pray for several families, including a young woman who was having difficulties in her pregnancy and was very ill.  Candy and tracts were given out to anyone and everyone that we met with.   


The rest of our time in Haiti was spent visiting with the children at the church compound and with the girls in Sarthe.  Later on in the week, a medical team from New Jersey visited the Sarthe orphanage and each young girl received a medical examination as well as treatment for varying conditions.  It was emotionally challenging learning of each child’s diagnosis, but we used the opportunity to cover them in prayer and to be filled with hope and healing.  Our last days in Haiti were spent organizing, cleaning and taking inventory of supplies and materials at base camp and at the church. 


It seems as if it is always difficult to say “goodbye” when leaving such an embracing culture and people in Haiti.  Every single one of us has experienced a greater measure of hope, promise, faith and love in believing for a more abundant Haiti.  It is from this adventure of serving the precious people of Haiti that we can see once again God’s provision.  It is absolutely amazing to see the Lord’s work in refreshing, restoring and releasing God’s people.   


The Go Team

Living Waters 
Medford, OR  

Monday, January 9, 2012

Next Haiti Relief Trip: January 17th-24th!

Hi Everybody!

Trev's taking off January 17th for Port Au Prince with some devoted team members: Dale Southmayd, Fern Helle and Jasmin Williams. We are so excited for this team. Their ministry this trip will be a shift for now from our latest building projects in Les Cayes towards support of orphanages and tent cities in the direct area of Port Au Prince, so they will be staying at the Foursquare Base Camp. This is a God ordained assignment for this team as all the members are deeply plugged into children's ministry at Living Waters and specialize in providing support for children who are facing tough life situations. The team has plans to provide some special craft projects, transport much-needed supplies and do some sharing, teaching and lots of loving :-). I will be holding the fort here in Medford, OR and Trev will send me updates so I should be able to post fresh info on this blog as I hear from the team during the trip. Please join me and the Living Waters support team ("SEND") team as we pray Holy Spirit guidance, presence, protection and multiplication of blessing after spiritual blessing on this team.

Thanks so much for your continued support. If you wish to give financially, scroll down to the bottom of the page for details!

God Bless!

Kate Bruce

Monday, March 14, 2011

February 2011 Haiti Relief Trip Report

Hi Friends!

We apologize for the delay in getting this update to you all. Trev returned from Haiti to dive into a busy week of work with our business and then had surprise surgery to have his appendix taken out. Our past week has been spent in the hospital and getting lots of rest at home.

As we continue on in our growing relationship and support of Haiti, we are pleased to share that the February trip went amazingly well. Working with Foursquare Missions International and Living Waters Church, Trev led a team of 10 awesome workers to Les Cayes, a coastal village five hours (by taxi) out of Port Au Prince. The team worked on several projects including sorting and putting together seed packets for family gardens, fencing a large area, building bunk beds, preparing soil and spreading gravel on driveways. They accomplished everything they set out to do and then some.

We spent several months before this trip building relationship as a team, and interceding together for the Haitians and for our impact to be maximum--we love to go with our hearts prepared for whatever God has in store! The prayer covering from all those of you supporting the team was also greatly felt. The out-going trip went smoothly and when some problems came up on the way home the team worked through them really well. They had lots of time to hang out with the people of Les Cayes and just love on everyone there. The children especially really loved the games the team put together and all the hugs. Of course, all the ladies on the team had their hair done; the kids always love to get their hands on our Caucasian hair and it's hard to escape Haiti without at least a few braids!

Our LW Team loved worshiping with Les Cayes. The village is full of dynamic people and they sing and dance their hearts out for the Lord. During one of the chapels, a 90 year old woman led worship with a spontaneous song from the Holy Spirit. The words were simple and amazing. She was singing, "we say yes, Lord, we say yes" as she danced in the chapel. Towards the end of the trip, during a church meeting, the team had the opportunity to pray for about 30 Haitians for both physical healing and emotional and spiritual needs. The bonding with the village was really precious and everyone on the team came home saying they had a hard time leaving and want to go back sometime soon.

Thanks again to everyone who supported this trip financially and in prayer! It was a phenomenal trip and so much was accomplished in every way!