Project 153: From Our Backyard to the World

NEW! In 2012 we are adding our fourth mission team to the growing list of those we’ve supported during their year of training. Over the next five weeks, we will introduce the families of the Tabora Team who begin training in June 2012 and are bound for Tanzania in the summer of 2013.

Meet Joe , Erin & Gianna Howard (Week 5)

Where are you from? We currently live in Flushing, MI, which is about 10 minutes north of Flint, MI.

Birthdays? Joe Howard 6/5/81, Erin Howard 4/5/82, Gianna Howard 11/9/09.

Degrees? Joe has a Bachelors of Business from Rochester College, and is currently a Case Manager at Carriage Town Ministires (Men’s Homeless Shelter). Erin has a Bachelors of Social Work from Rochester College, and is currently a child care provider for a local family.

How/When did you join the team? We joined the team in the fall of 2008, after looking for an opportunity to be a part of a team focused on ministry outside of the US.  We had recently started going to the church where the rest of the team was attending, and we got connected with them.

What excites you about Tabora? The adventure of a new culture and new experiences. We are excited about relating the message of Christ within the cultural settings of the Tabora area.

What are some gifts, passions or talents God has given you? Goals or ministry interests that you have for Tanzania? Joe – Working one-on-one with people or in small groups, encouraging, counseling; Erin – hospitality, teaching, encouraging.

Goals or ministry interests that you have for Tanzania?  Our biggest goal is being able to leave after 8-10 years with churches in place with leaders that can keep the churches continuing, growing, and vibrant.

What are some things you might miss while abroad? I’m sure at first there will be a huge adjustment to the language, even if we have already studied it beforehand; Also, the ease of being able to travel from place to place in a quick manner.

How are you involved in your community currently, or in the recent past? Erin and I both teach the two-year old class on Wednesday night; I am a part of our praise team on Sunday mornings; we are both involved in a weekly small group; we transport individuals from the homeless shelter I work at to church on Sunday mornings.

What are you personally doing to prepare yourself to live abroad? Learning Swahili; gradually giving away items so that we don’t have so many things that we have to give away at the end; trying to get rid of any outstanding bills so that everything is paid off before we go; also, we both work in jobs where we are scrutinized quite a bit, which we think helps prepare us for working abroad where we will stand out and be scrutinized on a regular basis.

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Meet David, Krystal & Eden Rotberg. (Week 4)

Where are you from? Krystal was born in Linden, MI. David was adopted from Curitiba, Brazil and brought to Michigan when he was eight months old.

Birthdays? Krystal:  August 31, 1982; David: July 4, 1984; Eden: January 18, 2010.

Degrees? Krystal has a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Biology and Behavioral Science from Rochester College. She also has a nursing degree from Oakland Community College. She formerly worked as an R.N. but is now staying home with Eden. David has a Bachelors in Professional Studies from Rochester College and Elementary Certification from Michigan Montessori Training Institute. He works at a private Montessori Academy as the lead Elementary teacher.

How/When did you join the team? Krystal joined the team after attending some initial idea meetings; she had previously considered another team but joined the Tabora Team as of 2007. David, along with Ty, started the team when they returned from Africa in 2006.

What excites you about Tabora? For Krystal, the opportunity to minister to people and raise our family in a family-oriented society. For David, the dream of living out what he feels called to do is what most excites him about Tabora.

What are some gifts, passions or talents God has given you? God has given David the gift of passion, love and empathy for people and for social justice to be done in the world. Krystal has a passion for medicine, and she loves to listen to people’s stories, and to organize details.

Goals or ministry interests that you have for Tanzania? Krystal wants to raise our children (including some home schooling) and help educate villagers on safe health practices while teaching them the Lord’s healing. David desires to work out in the more remote villages. He hopes to teach and preach God’s love for His children.

What are some things you might miss while abroad? Krystal will miss family, our church family, ease of getting around, and a first-world life. David knows that being away from family and friends will be very difficult. He will also miss the the ease of conveniences and what he has learned to truly be the blessings of modern American living.

How are you involved in your community currently, or in the recent past? During our college years we were involved in local and global missions efforts over Spring Breaks and summer vacations. We are currently involved with our church, preparing for Tabora and raising our daughter.

What are you personally doing to prepare yourself to live abroad? We are currently using Rosetta stone to learn Swahili. As a team, and couple, John and Sara Barton, previous missionaries in Jinja, Uganda, and Jay and Andrea Baker, previous missionaries in Mbarara, Uganda, have mentored us for the past few years. We also are collecting supplies and studying culture and missions.

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Meet Adam, Katy & Madaline Hacias (Week 3)

Where are you from? Adam is from Sterling Heights, Michigan.  Katy is from Burnsville, Minnesota

Birthdays? Adam: June 20, 1985; Katy: April 2, 1985; Madaline: July 10, 2011

Degrees? Adam received a Bachelor’s of Secondary Education-Mathematics from Rochester College and is how a math teacher and basketball coach at Rochester High School. Katy received a Bachelor’s of Biblical Studies from Rochester College and is now a full-time stay-at-home mom with one-month old Madaline!

How/When did you join the team? Adam officially committed to the team in the spring of 2008 after God spoke to him during prayer, making it clear that this is what He wanted. Katy officially committed in February 2007 when she experienced a spiritual renewing and was actively seeking God’s calling in her life.

What excites you about Tabora? Adam is excited about the fact that we know this is a place that needs Christ.  We have heard from distinct mission groups that this is a place they’ve been praying about for years.  It is encouraging to know that God has fashioned our team to be an answer to those prayers. Katy is excited to begin a women’s ministry in the villages with the other women on our team.

What are some gifts, passions or talents God has given you? Adam is gifted in discipline, organization, and a strong work ethic.  His prayer is that these traits can help our team with the logistical aspects of the work.  Adam is also very personable and people feel comfortable around him, which will be important as we establish relationships that will be vital to planting churches in the villages. One of Katy’s passions is creating on the computer.  She looks forward to creating and updating our team website and handling any work that needs to be done with technology.  Katy also loves learning about new things, so is very excited to be immersed in a new culture and learn from a new people group.

Goals or ministry interests that you have for Tanzania? In addition to our primary focus (village church-planting), Adam has thought much about a ministry in education.  We have 4 teachers on our team, so he has envisioned us possibly building schools or creating some kind of vacation bible school program. Ever since her trip to Uganda in 2008, Katy has seen herself in some sort of women’s ministry that makes women feel empowered to share the gospel of Christ on their own.

What are some things you might miss while abroad? Adam: #1: Family and Friends   #2: On-Demand electricity!  #3: Pizza and cheeseburgers!   Katy:  #1: Family and Friends  #2: good restaurants  #3: Target!

How are you involved in your community currently, or in the recent past? Our community involvement stems from opportunities presented by our church and Rochester College.  We recently helped in the kitchen, preparing meals for an over-night Christian youth camp.  We have helped members of our church move.  Katy assisted at the church’s preschool, and Adam has helped at summer basketball camps. Adam also will be teaching classes for the church’s teen group.

What are you personally doing to prepare yourself to live abroad? Adam has been studying Swahili for the past couple months using Rosetta Stone, trying to get a head start with language learning.  He is also trying to spend as much time as possible with family before we move.  He has been praying for our work once we arrive and that God is already working in the people who will cross our path. Katy has been practicing preparing more foods from scratch!  She is also researching and collecting information on home-schooling.  She has created the pamphlets and packets that we are sending to churches to gain financial support, and will be creating our team website as well.

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Meet Ty, Brandi, Brehm and Lucas Warczinsky (Week 2)

Where are you from? Ty has lived many places in Michigan. Brandi is from a small town called Ithaca, Michigan. They currently live in the metro Detroit area.

Birthdays? Ty: October 17, 1984; Brandi: December 12, 1982; Brehm: April 3, 2008; Lucas: January 4, 2010

Degrees? Ty has a Bachelors and a Masters in Missional Leadership from Rochester College. He currently works for Playworks, an inner-city program that teaches kids in schools how to play and resolve conflict.  Brandi has a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and Language Arts from Rochester College. She is currently in her sixth year of teaching middle school English.

How/When did you join the team? Ty and David started the team when they returned from Africa in 2006.  Though interested before, Brandi officially joined the team when she and Ty married.

What excites you about Tabora? We are excited about learning a new culture, building relationships with the Nyamwezi people, seeing what needs arise there, and living the love of Christ.  I am sure there is more that we’ll discover as we begin training.

What are some gifts, passions or talents God has given you? Ty is very compassionate, patient and a visionary.  He is full of ideas at every turn, and this gift, especially, will be of great service on the mission field.  Brandi is organized, curious about the world around her, an encourager and passionate.  These gifts will help her assimilate into a new culture.

Goals or ministry interests that you have for Tanzania? Ty wants to be fluent in the native language, build relationships with people in the villages and see what other needs arise.  Brandi wants to learn the language, learn how to cook and live, and especially wants to focus her attention on the women and children she meets around their house.  We know that the needs God has for us to fill will arise as we discover the culture.

What are some things you might miss while abroad? We are already sad thinking about leaving our families and taking the grandchildren so far away.  Brandi will also miss American cooking, cheese, and the convenience of living so close to everything she needs.

How are you involved in your community currently, or in the recent past? Ty has been involved in the Detroit community through his job for the past 3 years.  He regularly plays soccer in our community and we both volunteer in our church nursery.  Brandi is less active in the community since working and having two babies, but she still tries to get out. Her job as a teacher involves her in many activities.  We have also taught some classes at church.

What are you personally doing to prepare yourself to live abroad? We are both working on the language; spending time in prayer for our families, the transition, and the Nyamwezi; we are having many conversations with our families and the people in our lives to try to prepare and educate them about the endeavor, and we have not bought a house or made any long term commitments to our community here.  Ty completed his Master’s degree, so that would be complete before we left.

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Meet Garrett & Stacy East (Week 1)

Where are you from? Stacy is from Abilene and Garrett is from Austin. We currently live in Abilene.

Birthdays? Stacy: January 25, 1986, Garrett: September 11, 1987

Degrees? Stacy majored in early childhood education at ACU and is certified in special education; she is a special education teacher at a preschool in Abilene (Locust Early Childhood Center). Garrett majored in Biblical Text at ACU and is currently a 2nd year Master of Divinity student in the Graduate School of Theology at ACU.

How/When did you join the team? We joined in August 2009; we met Adam and Katy Hacias on an internship in Jinja, Uganda the previous summer and they invited us to meet the rest of the team; we met everyone in March 2009, loved them, but decided to go through a process of discernment over the next 6 months, then officially joined the following August, realizing that this team was a perfect fit for us.

What excites you about Tabora? Tabora has largely been isolated, neglected and abandoned; its people are primarily Islamic or followers of the traditional religion; the people need to hear the gospel of Jesus; We are excited to work in a place in such great need of the gospel; We cannot wait to see the way God will transform people’s lives there.

What are some gifts, passions or talents God has given you? Stacy has a passion for learning about new cultures; she picks up new languages quickly; and she is gifted in working with women and children. Garrett has a passion for understanding and exploring Christian Scripture and theology; He is gifted in teaching, discipling, and leading; and he also loves learning about new cultures, languages, and people.

Goals or ministry interests that you have for Tanzania? Stacy is particularly interested in working with women in villages, discipling them and empowering them to follow after Jesus with their whole hearts; Garrett is most excited about church planting and evangelism in villages and helping young Christians to mature in Christ; we want to see churches begin, mature, and multiply.

What are some things you might miss while abroad? We will most miss our families and friends, but we will also miss the food (Tex-Mex, BBQ and double stuffed Oreos), the San Antonio Spurs, and consistent electricity.

How are you involved in your community currently, or in the recent past? We are volunteers for the International Rescue Committee. We work as mentors for East African refugees as they try to learn English (most only know Swahili), get jobs, and understand American culture. Garrett also interned with Highland Church of Christ as a college and youth intern for the last 3 years, and Stacy is involved in VBS-style camps for children with special needs.

What are you personally doing to prepare yourself to live abroad? In addition to team training with the Halbert Institute for Missions and other experienced missionaries, we have been studying Swahili with Sonny Guild; we are trying to immerse ourselves in the East African refugee community in Abilene; and we are trying to learn everything we can about Tanzanian/Nyamwezi history, culture, and religion, while also studying Scripture and missions.

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HISTORY. In the early 2000′s, we looked at the unique make-up of our church and realized the quality (and quantity) of young people actively involved in our congregation through Aggies for Christ. We realized many of these students have a heart for missions, but may not have an opportunity to explore the notion of mission work unless we intentionally offer such experiences. The result was an increased number of summer mission trips led by the AFCers themselves. We currently send four or five summer teams per year that spend about five weeks serving alongside missionaries and local churches.

In 2001, we launched Serve Abroad, a mission internship lasting six-months to two-years equipped by a team currently in the field. Each student who commits to Serve Abroad receives a half scholarship from our church family and are then challenged to raise the remainder of the funds through partnerships with family, friends and their homechurch. By the end of 2011, we will have empowered 55 Serve Abroad interns to stretch their wings by serving in the mission field.

In 2006, we decided to change our focus regarding long-term mission work. Due to the potential among our university students, we realized our best efforts at expanding the Kingdom of God would be to recruit and encourage these young people to form teams, train well and move to their chosen field together to express and demonstrate God’s love in community.  Particularly focusing on Aggies interested in missions, Project 153 began. Once formed, these teams are supported by our church family during their year of training at the end of which we pass the torch to their respective supporting churches.

MEET P153 TEAMS.

Wes ’02 & Stacy ’01 Yoakum
Justin & Alison Thompson
Mark Clancy ’02
John Mark ’03 & Tara ’03 Davidson
Lee & Stephanie Fletcher

Team Blog: www.twentyeight19.org

Chris ’00 & Tonya ’00 Fikes
Derran & Ann Reese
Ryan & Ning Binkley
Haley Edmiston ’03

Wes & Ellen Shutt
Reid ’06 & Meriden Overall
Deanna Meredith
Chad & Sara Lukkason

Team Blog: Conce Team

International House (iHouse)

iHouse is our global outreach right here in our own “backyard”. We own a house on the north side of campus that is within walking distance for international students who live in the area and for those studying at Texas A&M University. No one lives at the iHouse, but it is our gathering place for Conversation Clusters (like the one in the photo), Potluck Dinners, Prayer Time, Bible Studies and more. Each August we host an iHouse Market where international students who have just arrived can receive free furniture. In November, we host our annual Cowboy Cookout in which we take 300 students out to a local ranch for a rootin’ tootin’ good time. Throughout the year we host campouts, retreats and service projects. iHouse is a wonderful service to the international community while also offering our AFC students an opportunity to put their faith into practice.

World Bible School

World Bible School has been sending Bible correspondence courses free-of-charge to students around the world for more than fifty years. Since 2005, our congregation has contacted more than 26,000 individuals, and today we have more than 4,000 active students.  Contact Fred Heath if you would like to learn more about this ministry, or if you would like to order a correspondence course. WBS courses are also online at www.worldbibleschool.org.