New Hope Missions 2012

God has been our strength and ever-present help over our New Hope Missions travel. Despite many miles, we have been safe and protected. One slight fender bender in Chicago and two downed limbs at home were our only mishaps over the summer. Looking back at our inner-city mission trips this spring and summer, we are thrilled with the effective ministry of the participants in these cities. We have had students from California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Iowa, New York, Maryland and Delaware participating in our ministry this summer. Each team did an excellent job serving the Lord and the local missionaries we work with in each city!

Roanoke, Virginia
In Roanoke, Virginia we worked with Straight Street Ministries. An inner-city ministry offering a safe place for youth to get help for themselves and their families. Don loved working with their staff, led by Keith Farmer, and is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to serve with them again. Our team hosted and ran three community block parties where we shared the love of Christ and promoted the ministries available through Straight Street. We also helped Camp Eagle prepare for their summer camping season by cleaning and readying their dorms for use. Our team was also able to bless a new start up church by doing physical labor to prepare the grounds and building for worship and ministry.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In Philadelphia, we worked with Pastor Frank Vega and the ministry he founded, Inner City Missions. He is truly one of a kind, with a passion to reach societys outcasts and the hurting on the streets of his community in one of the hardest cities in America. Each day, the team conducted prayer walks and cleaned up trash in the neighborhoods and parks. The team also played with children in these parks and shared the Gospel of Christ with them and their families. Each day also included intimidating, for some, street ministry. While a portion of our team sang songs and effectively drew in a crowd, the rest of our team handed out gospel tracts, had conversations with people and distributed food and drink on one of the most drug ridden corners in America, Kennsington and Somerset. Again this year, we were able to assist Anthonya Christian man who operates two of the City of Philadelphia parks. Highlights for the team with Anthony this year include cleaning, raking and lining a softball field so the City League players can play on a nice field. Also, the team was very excited to pick up glass and prepare the graffiti covered pool to be painted and filled with water so the children can swim on hot summer days.

Chicago (Cicero), Illinois

In Chicago, we excitedly returned once again to work with Inner City Impact (ICI) and our host, BJ Bechtel. They will soon be opening their new three story location in Cicero where they will be running weekly kids clubs and daily afterschool programs for children and teens. Our team ran two block parties and distributed fliers to help promote ICIs new facilities. On Friday, the New Hope team helped run the weekly kids club. It is always exciting to serve a longstanding, effective ministry reaching people with Gods love.

New York City (Astoria - Queens), New York

In New York City, specifically Astoria, Queens we served alongside a church plant called City View Baptist Church. We assisted Pastor Rob Rodriquez and his team by organically spreading Gods love through the simple means of passing out hundreds of water bottles with Connect cards (information about the church), running Kids Community Bible Clubs in two separate parks, cleaning the parks, playing with children in the parks and conducting surveys to glean what people are looking for in a church and how City View can best reach its community. As Pastor Rob encouraged us to let people know, God loves you and so do we. We are excited to see how God is going to continue to grow this new body of believers.

Berlin, Germany
Vision for Youths New Hope Missions went global this summer. We took a team of 17 people to Berlin, Germany to run a teen camp for Crossway International Baptist Church under the effective and fun leadership of Kristi Walker. Kristi is a missionary and leader of the youth ministry for Crossway. If you ever get the chance to serve alongside Kristi, I promise a great and memorable tripshe is a hoot to be around! Kristi did an excellent job showing us

around historical Berlin and providing us real-life ministry opportunities. Our New Hope team did a great job building relationships with the local students. After sharing the Gospel with the 45 teens attending the camp, we realized that many of them had been attending for months and struggling to make that leap of faith and trust Christ for their salvation. Their atheistic society makes the process of placing their faith in Jesus prolonged and cerebral. However, it was such a thrill to see several cross that line and decide to respond to the Gospels wonderful invitation. We are so thankful for Kristis faithful and patient work with those students, which gave us the opportunity to be there, at the right time, to reap a great harvest along with her.

Support Needed
The five New Hope mission trips went very well and we are excited that all of the local missionaries were pleased and want us back again next year. We knew going into this summer that it would be difficult financially. Julie and I work in the schools but not during the summer and I was unable to earn extra funds by speaking due to the grueling New Hope Mission trips schedule. It was a wonderful storm of effective ministry and no funding...we have definitely been living by faith and not by cash. Heres how you can help: 1. Send a financial gift to help us meet our current needs directly to us. (Don Jackson 100 W. Sunset Blvd. Battle Creek, MI 49017) 2. Send a gas gift card to help keep us on the road. 3. Ask your Missions Committee to consider taking on the Jackson family for monthly support. 4. Encourage your S.S. class, small group, church or other group to take a love offering for our ministry. 5. Schedule Don to speak at your church, school, camp, etc. (We need more fall and winter bookings!)

Don's Speaking Schedule

September: 2 Ogden Church Adrian, MI 9-14 Roanoke Valley Christian School Roanoke, VA 16 Youth Outreach Event Kalamazoo, MI 23 See You At The Pole Before Event Battle Creek, MI 29 Youth Outreach Marcellus, MI October: 13-14 First Baptist Church North Tonawanda, NY 19-21 Fall Youth Retreat Roanoke, VA 26 Substance Abuse Counsel Breakfast Battle Creek, MI