Mission Trip

This is a letter from our soon-to-be 18 yr. old son, Jonathon (above). He asked if I'd share it with my internet friends and, since it's a really good cause, I said I would. Please respond as the Lord leads.


Hello! I hope all is going well with you. It's hard to believe it's already February 2009; time goes by so quickly.

I'm writing to you as an opportunity has come my way and I'd love for you to partner in it with me. The Gaylord Evangelical Free Church youth group is heading on a mission trip to Mombasa, Kenya in Africa from July 29-August 9. On this mission trip we will be helping minister to street kids. These are teens and younger who've been abused and/or orphaned and are living on the streets, surviving by scrapping for food at the local dumps. They deal with their plight through addictions to glue and drugs. Our purpose will be to share God's love with them first by befriending them on the street and by providing a version of our own Fun in the Sun program. So, in the seven days we are there, we will be spreading God's love through sharing our lives and testimonies of what He has done for us through His son, Jesus Christ.

While God has opened up a door for me to develop a greater heart of compassion for His people around the world, an exciting part is that you can share in this compassion in a couple of ways. First, you can pray for me and my fellow students. We need prayer that God will prepare us for our visit and bless our efforts as we minister to the street kids of Mombasa. We also need prayer that our financial needs will be met. At this time, we need to raise $2,500 per student.

I'm also asking you to prayerfully consider supporting me with a monetary donation. If you feel led to contribute, you can send a check payable to the church: Gaylord Evangelical Free Church, PO Box 493, Gaylord, MI 49734. In order for this donation to be tax deductible, my name should NOT be on the check. Send a note with my name and the words "Mombasa trip" along with your name and address for a receipt. Another way to contribute is to click on the "donate" button on this blog's sidebar and give through Paypal. This method is NOT tax deductible.

I will need to raise all of my funds by June 1, 2009. The funds raised will be used to cover my expenses as well as those of the team, and other expenses related to this mission. That includes: air fare, ground transportation, lodging and meals. Any excess funds will go to the support of the Iris, Kenya ministry in Mombasa.

Thank you for considering my request. Regardless of whether or not you feel led to support this mission trip financially, please remember to lift us all up in prayer.

Sincerely,

Jonathon Tubbs