Touching Story on Marriage

For those thinking of getting married, just married, or been married for 50 years I recommend you watching this video.  It, at the very least, will challenge you to think about the commitment we are called to when married.  It may also put some things in perspective.  It did for me.
 

Self Preservation

Overcoming Self-preservation from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.

KONY 2012

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Lead for God's Sake- Urban Meyer Interview

Check out what Urban Meyer had to say about Lead for God's Sake. Pretty neat stuff! To God be the glory!

Be a Trader!

Great video introduced to me by my awesome sister in law! Take a few minutes to be challenged!

Lead for God's Sake

I have been wanting to post this for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. But after getting the opportunity to spend some time with Todd this past week I was inspired to post this. Todd is a mentor and family friend- somebody I respect for his willingness to actively fight his sinful flesh and pursue what God has for him. He has written a remarkable book, Lead for God's Sake, but is quick to point the glory back to Jesus. As his book is becoming more popular he is prayerfully trying to figure out how to handle the growth in a way that glorifies God above all else. Take some time to watch how the book came out of his heart to lead others in a God honoring way that matters.

More updates of Post-IMPACT...

Dan Weiss, one of our fearless leaders, is still posting regarding our recent trip to the Dominican Republic. If you would like to hear his perspective on happenings of the trip, please check it out here.

Hope all are well! Parents, thanks for letting us spend an amazing 10 days with your kids in the DR! It was a true pleasure and very refreshing for Ali and I.

Videos

It seems that I run across a lot of videos throughout a week that really resonate with me. I wish I could share them more often, but I don't have a good way to do that. I share a few on the Transformation website, but not all relate to the urban ministry we are doing in Keller Park. I have decided to post them on my blog as I run across videos that challenge, enlighten, sharpen, or encourage me. I am a visual person so videos speak loudly to me.

Hope you enjoy!

Keep pushing!

It's our 5th day in Moca and God has blessed our activities, adventures and fellowship more than we could have ever imagined!

We wrapped up VBS in all three towns (Guanabano, Hoya Grande and Naranjal) yesterday with the salvation story and salvation bracelets. Several hundred children heard what Jesus did for them on the cross and how He wants to live in each of their hearts. Please pray that those seeds will be watered by the church leaders in the DR and God will make them grow into a lifelong relationship with his son, Jesus Christ.

The continuing theme of God's love is still strong throughout each day. We are gaining new perspective of the love He lavishes on us each day, each hour. Pray that the people of the DR will see and feel that love coming through us!

We've been part of church services that past two nights. Thursday night at Naranjal the students presented two dramas and two testimonies. All were incredibly powerful and those in the church were fully engaged. The night ended with a powerful celebration that included dancing, clapping, sweat and smiles. It was a beautiful time!

Friday night the team split up to two locations. Most of the team went to a church service at Hoya Grande. The students again presented dramas, worship, testimonies and even the sermon. God is using these students to do incredible things - things they probably didn't think they could do just a few days ago! Praise the Lord! A small group went to a basketball facility in Guanabano to play an organized game against a team from the town. It gives me great pleasure to report that the American team won the game, but even greater than that the students were very intentional following the game about striking up conversations with people from Guanabano and sharing their faith. God has used so many of our abilities to plant seeds, share our faith and glorify His name!

Please continue to pray for your students and all of the leaders. Now that VBS is over, there could be a temptation to turn off the ministry switch and coast through the rest of the trip. BUT, the ministry isn't done here. Today we've got a great opportunit to spend time in the park in Guanabano interacting with the people there. Please pray that God would speak through us and season all of our conversations with His spirit. We don't want to just spend a day playing at the park. We want to spend a day playing at the park and bringing people closer to Jesus!

Please pray also for the health of the team. Through God's grace, we have experienced very little sickness, no injuries and even very little fatigue despite the long days in the heat. So, lift us up and plead with God to continue blessing us with good health and safety so that we can be effective in serving Him.

We love you all. God loves you all. His love is greater than anything in the world. Please don't ever pass up the chance to share that love with the people you know and the new people you meet.

More to come later!

God loves.

I think that has been a theme so far. God loves the DR. God loves us. No matter what, God loves.

God has been rocking us the past few days (in a good way). We have done 2 extremely hot, intense, and crazy VBS days. The kids are doing so well! They are jumping right in and loving kids like crazy! This group has so much excitement that follows them... in the bus, in the rooms, eating dinner, and all that definitely flows into VBS as well. So proud of them.

This team has blown us leaders away so far. They are unified. There has been no drama. They have bonded as a group with Dominicans (already getting Pastor Quena to do crazy dance moves on the first day and laugh a lot). They are so flexible (despite the difficult living conditions... water in rooms, no showers at times, wet beds from leaking AC, AC that often doesn't work and when it does it's under 40 degrees, etc). They care so much about each other. But because of this, the enemy is going to be trying to break this apart. Be praying for that.

We had a amazing moment of brokneness as a team for debrief last night. Super vulnerable with each other. Lots of prayer. God is good!

More to come later, but sorry for short posts but internet has been shaky.

Thanks for all your prayers and comments. I will try to read some to team.

If you are parents, you would be so proud of your kids. They are rocking it!

-Kory

We are here!

We made it! Flights went smoothly. Some kids slept on bus, plane, and bus again... while others still are going on no sleep. We are at Pastor Quena's right now eating a FEAST! Good thing because the kids were hungry. We will be heading back to the hotel soon to get some much needed sleep. Just wanted to send a quick update to say we are here all safe and sound.

Please be praying for strong rest tonight! Tomorrow will be a prep day, but will be packed full as well. It is a crucial day to prepare the students for the week of ministry.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. We will keep you posted.

-Kory

Get Realtime Updates on your Phone!

No Twitter account? No problem!

Are you a NEW Twitter user and want to start sending tweets from your mobile phone? Just follow the steps below from you phone to set up your brand new Twitter account and begin tweeting via SMS.
(Already have an account? You'll need to read our article about adding your phone vis SMS, or adding your phone via web for instructions.)

To create your new Twitter account...
1. Send a text message to your Twitter shortcode (such as 40404 in the U.S.) with the word 'START'
2. Twitter will send you a reply and ask you to reply with the word 'SIGNUP' to create a new account. Send 'SIGNUP'.
3. Next, Twitter will ask you to pick a username. Your username must be unique and less than 15 characters. Reply with the username you want (see below for advice on picking a username).
4. You will get a confirmation message when you pick a unique username (Twitter will tell you to pick a new name if someone else has the username you wanted).
5. Choose a password.
You're all set! Send a message and it will post as your first Tweet.

To Follow via SMS:

For instance, if you'd like to follow @NMC_IMPACT_DR and get their Tweets delivered to your phone, send a message to your Twitter code with the command 'FOLLOW NMC_IMPACT_DR'. If you do not follow @NMC_IMPACT_DR already, this command adds them to the list of people you follow and sends all of their Tweets to your mobile phone. If you already follow them, the command will simply make sure you get their Tweets on your mobile.

The Team

IMPACT DR 2011 - Here we come!

Hello parents, friends, family, and prayer warriors! This is the blog you will be following over the course of the next couple of weeks to stay tuned with what is happening with the IMPACT team! We are so excited about this group of 20 students who have worked so hard since January to prepare for this trip. Please be praying in the following ways:

-PRAY for divine appointments with the Dominican people
-PRAY for health and physical endurance
-PRAY for VBS-energy, enthusiasm, and a connection with the kids in hopes to plant seeds
-PRAY for dramas and testimonies-allow our stories to relate to their stories
-PRAY that we offer encouragement to the leaders that have been there before us and will stay there after us
-PRAY against the the enemy's schemes
-PRAY for wisdom and discernment by leaders
-PRAY for ready, open, willing hearts from students
-PRAY for debrief time

Please be in prayer and allow the Spirit to lead you to pray for us. Please intercede on our behalf.

Expect more to come on this blog later!

-Kory

Who is my neighbor?

Over the past few months I have been doing a lot of reading and thinking about helping my neighbors. Helping people has become more complex for me than it ever has before. Maybe it’s because I’ve been burned by those I have tried to help in the past. Maybe it’s because I am so afraid of stripping away someone’s dignity if I offer help. Maybe it’s because I will be taken advantage of. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid. The bottom line is that all these “maybes” are starting to paralyze the helpful heart inside of me. All these books that are supposed to better equip me to help people have hindered my willingness to help people. This thinking all came to a head when I picked up the book, “Who is my neighbor?” by Wayne Gordon from Chicago. Wayne Gordon uses a unique approach to answer the question by drawing 40 different characteristics of “my neighbor” by analyzing the story of the Great Samaritan in Luke 10.

About 2 weeks ago I had an encounter with a homeless man in Phoenix, Arizona. I had just bought some breakfast from McDonald’s (Egg, Bacon, and Cheese Biscuits… sooo good!) and walked by a man lying in the shade by an abandoned building. As I stumbled upon him I felt a nudging to give him one of my egg biscuits (I had two and really didn’t need both). It is important to note that this man did not even ask for any food. I don’t even know if he knew I walked by, but it was obvious that he was hungry. I chose to ignore the prompting in my spirit and continued walking. Here is what went through my mind in the moments I walked by him: Will this demean him if I offer him this food? Will this enable him to continually rely on others to supply his daily needs? Will this encourage him to not get a job? Does he really need it? My reasons for not giving him the egg biscuit went beyond the simple fact that I was really hungry and wanted two biscuits. The thoughts in my head were legitimate questions to be thinking about. But once again I let my “paralysis of analysis” get the best of me and I chose to ignore this man. I as I continued walking to my hotel I could not get the situation off my mind. I quickly realized that I let my mind prevent me from helping someone in need once again. I didn’t follow the leading in my heart. After about an hour I went back to buy this man an egg biscuit because I knew I missed a moment to help my neighbor. However, he was nowhere to be found. I asked God to forgive me for not listening to His leading and asked that he would give me another chance to obey His leading.

I could sit here and make a good argument either way on why I should or should not have helped this man in downtown Phoenix, but for me it was clear what I needed to do. Yes, I still believe it is good to process through the questions of helping others in a beneficial way, but I also know I need to think less and help more. I need to put to rest the “maybes” and questions for a little while and learn to help again. I am choosing to help in the times when I am don’t know what to do. I have to believe that God would rather me do something than just simply “think” about the pros and cons involved in helping. I may get burnt, but I would rather that happen than miss another opportunity.

Look to help your neighbors today. And tomorrow. And next week. Think about the “maybes” and questions that may be holding you back, but help anyway. That’s what I’m going to do.

-Kory

Top 10 Things that would help our ministry right now:

1. Ranch Dressing.
2. A big van (preferably denoted to Keller Park Church)
3. Cross Word Puzzles.
4. Frozen Meals. Unfrozen drinks.
5. Prayer.
6. A.D.D. Medicine.
7. TV (that works).
8. Plastic cups.
9. Pencils.
10. Jesus.

Note: These are not in any specific order. If you would like to help out any of these ways let me know. :)

koryandalison@gmail.com

Blessings!

Kory and Ali

Hope In Haiti

India in january!

I wanted to inform you that Ali and I will be leaving for India this Sunday (Jan. 17) and will be gone until Jan. 31. We have been blessed with the opportunity to go with Dave and Christy Engbrecht (Pastor of Nappanee Missionary Church) and to help with 2 family camps. The first camp is in Ragunhathpur and the second is in Northeast India near Bhutan. Ali and I will be in charge of all the games and teaching with the youth of both the camps (this consists of about 2 sessions a day). We are expecting around 700 people at each camp. Some of you may be wondering how we can afford to raise more support for this trip and also leave "The Transformation" at Keller Park. Well... We are NOT rasing any support as Nappanee Missionary will be graciously covering our expenses. We also have things lined up in Keller Park while we are gone. This trip is actually a much needed break as the urban ministry has been pretty tough lately. Satan seems to be working over-time here in Keller Park.

Anyways, we ask that you could pray for our time in India. Here are a few specific prayer requests:

1) Pray for strength and energy as the camps can be very demanding. International travel can really take it out of you.
2) Pray against sickness as this can hamper any kind of ministry you try to do.
3) Technical parts of camp... specifically sound systems as power is often sporadic.
4) Translators... This is a key in any country where the language is different. Pray that the Holy Spirit will speak no matter how "good/bad" the translator is. There are at least 5 primary language groups in these camps.
5) Annointing of Holy Spirit in all services.
6) Safety for 1400 people that will be traveling 2-3 days to each camp.
7) Safety for our travel as in-country travel has a higher risk in India.
8) Humility as we share our messages. We will be sharing about issues such as persecution and many of the kids have already faced more persecution at a greater level than I ever will.

Blessings!

Going Back: Vanuatu 2010

It's official... We are going back!  After much prayer and wrestling with God about the possibility of a followup trip back to Vanuatu we have decided to go back.  We were very careful not to make a rash decision and do something out of our own excitement. Although I am excited to go back it is not because I just want to take a 2 week vacation and see some old friends.  I truly believe that God is calling us to "followup" with what happened on our trip last summer.  I believe that there is a need for discipleship and Biblical teaching as there seems to be a spirit of confusion across the entire island.  We are planning a week long discipleship conference with roughly 30 nationals for one week in July of 2010.  These select 30 will then go out to the forbidden "kustom" villages around them to share the love of Christ with their own neighbors.  There is no better way to reach the people of Vanuatu than to have them reach each other!

A small team of 4 including myself, my brother, and 2 others (yet to be determined) and a key discipleship trainer (possibly Caleb Bislow) will be going back for 2 weeks in July.  Mike Phipps, who also went last year,  will not be going back this year because he is getting married in June (Congrats Mike!) but will be helping out with the preparation.  Please let us know if you would like to join us in this endeavor through prayer or financial support!  Our goal is to raise around $5,000 to make the whole conference possible!  If you would like to give send a check to:

Keller Park Church

1003 W. Bryan St.

South Bend, IN 46616

Write "Vanuatu" on the memo line to make sure it gets in the proper account. Do not write my name on the check.  Please include a slip of paper which says my name.

Please do not feel obligated to give for this trip, but continue to check this blog for more updated information regarding the trip.  I will be posting more specific details, stories, prayer requests, plans, etc. on this site over the next few months leading up to the trip.

God Speed!

Kory

THE TRANSFORMATION

I will not be posting on this blog as much anymore until my next mission trips come around again. So far, the next one on the schedule is India in January. If you want to view posts on THE TRANSFORMATION visit our blog at koryandalison.blogspot.com.