Join us in praying for these 2017 teams »
Guatemala | India | Haiti | Intercessory | Mexico | North Thailand | Thailand-Cambodia (Central Thailand) | Downtown Eastside Vancouver (Gr.8)
#MEImissions
And they’re off! The MEI Missions Celebration and Send-off was kicked off by the drumline and choir, followed by a time of worship and words of encouragement by beloved MEI Schools custodian Brian Cooper and Head of Schools Vijay Manuel. Cindy Sue Peters, a leader of the Intercessory Team, prayerfully ended our time together and sent the students off to orientation and abroad. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Pictures from March 7 Commissioning
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Team Guatemala
Our team of fourteen will be traveling to El Tizate, Guatemala, where we will be working with Global Shore. While in Guatemala we will spend most of our time serving at a school doing English lessons, crafts and helping on a construction project. We will also do a vacation Bible school in the village and perform DRIMES in local churches.
Please pray that we would bond together as a team, that God would use the vacation Bible schools to spread the gospel, as well as for students who are still raising funds. Also pray for safety on the trip, for the school we will be working with.
Kaitlyn A, Sierra B, Kelly G, Jared L, Michala L, Dylan N, Adam N, Joel P, Nicola P, Chantel R, Lily S, Fumika T
Leaders: Lisa Gossen & Daniel Peters
Team India
We will be travelling to a remote area in northern India where we’ll be serving at a home / school for about 70 children / teens (ages 3 to 21). We’ll be engaged in some work projects (ie cleaning, painting), providing some music instruction (ukuleles), and kids ministries (crafts, songs and games). We will also be leading the children in a devotional each day and engaging them in group discussions and prayer.
Please pray for team unity, for us to continue learning how to play our ukuleles and then to be able to teach the kids at the home in India that we’ll be serving at, for good travelling and stamina – it’s a long trip! Also for good health as we’ll be eating lots of different food that we may not have had before. For open hearts as to what God would have us learn – to see God in the unexpected!
Josh B, Hailey D, Alissa F, Alexa L, Jake L, Sarah N, Garrett O, Marty P, Ashley S, Brennah Toews
Leaders: Katharine Wall & Henry Zukowski
Team Haiti
The first part of trip will be in Grand-Goave, in southwest Haiti, at Heart-to-Heart school and orphanage where we will be leading Bible lessons and ESL lessons for young kids. We will likely lead a soccer camp as well as take orphanage kids to local beach for an afternoon –a special treat!
Please pray for us to connect with kids and share Jesus’ light and love with them!
The second week of trip will be in Désarmes, in central Haiti, where in partners, we will be staying with Christian families in their homes. Please pray for students to have a positive, enriching time at their homestays, even though it will be hard. We will be working with children in a local school, perhaps leading a soccer camp, teaching ESL, and leading Bible lessons. Please pray for God’s light to shine through us, for people to come to know Jesus and that we can bless people in whatever we are doing, through serving, talking, spending time with people. In general, pray for God to work in our lives, for him to shine through us, and for him to give us safety and health
Alan A, Jonah B, Sophie C, Jennae D, Riley J, Jack K, Michelle M, Jillian P, Nathan S, Katie W, Elise W
Leaders: Aileen Vildort & Rick Thiessen
Intercessory Team
The Intercessory Team meets weekly to pray specifically for the members of the other MEI teams during the months before these teams travel to their respective countries. We have attended the DRIME workshop to pray and participate, as well as the 30 Hour Fast put on by the Middle School to raise funds for the teams. We will attend Orientation and spend time preparing meaningful verses to send along with each team. We also meet to pray and engage in a few local outreach activities during Spring Break while the other teams are overseas.
Please pray that the hearts of the members of this team will be knit together in unity as they intercede for the members of all the other teams. Please ask the Lord to give our team an excellent time of unified, fervent prayer and compassion as we pray and participate at the Orientation that all the other teams will also be attending. Also pray that the service projects we’ll be serving at (twice at Hope Central in Mission) would help our team members to identify and pray compassionately for the teams who will be overseas at the time that we serve locally.
Asia A, Jasmin B, Dani D, Zach J, Sonali L, Bryton M, Joey M, Jon R, Meredith S, Grace T, Salome U, Ryan Y
Leaders: Amy Schulz & Cindy Sue Peters
Team Mexico
This year, Team Mexico will be travelling to Primo Tapia, Mexico to work at Casa de Luz Children’s Centre which provides support for families and children at risk. Many of the orphans in Mexico are not without parents, but simply with parents who are unable to care for their children. Many of the fathers in the community are absent. This makes it very difficult for mothers as they try to provide for their children without the father, money or basic help, leaving the children to fend for themselves.
Our team will be running children’s and youth events; creating food hampers and delivering them to needy families; working with a brick maker; sports activities as well as other opportunities as needed. We also want to focus on blessing the volunteers at the centre, by cleaning their homes and leaving a gift for them.
Please pray for team unity – we have the largest team with 19 members (15 students and 4 leaders), for safety and health, for boldness as we step out of our comfort zone and interact with the Mexicans, and that language wouldn’t be a barrier in communicating God’s love to the people the we meet up with.
Kevin C, Melinda C, Jyoti D, Sophia D, Cecilia H, Lynden K, Noah L, Gabriel P, Shane R, Ricky R, Jordan S, Jonah T, Sam W, Lianna Y, Corry Z
Leaders: Linda Mills, Carly & David Iwai
Team North Thailand
Team Thailand will split their time and work with three different agencies. After landing in Bangkok, we travel up north to Chiang Mai where we serve at the Agape Orphanage where children who are HIV+ live. We will serve in practical ways and enjoy spending time with the kids, relieving some of the workers from all the responsibilities that they carry. We then travel to Chiang Rai where we will stay on the YWAM base and take part in Bible distribution in local villages. We hope to travel way up into the mountains to live amongst the tribal people for a couple days. There we will run church and children’s programs. Lastly, we return to Bangkok where we will have the chance to work in the slums. The slums are filled with elderly who are neglected and forgotten. We will deliver rice, fruit and health kits, and pray for them.
We request prayer for our group: (1) that we would be patient, selfless and God-honouring, (2) that we would be safe as we travel throughout Thailand, (3) that God would work through us and strengthen our relationships with him (4) that we will be healthy even in areas where the air quality is terrible due to rice field burns (5) that we will overcome the language barrier and be able to show love and communicate, particularly during Bible distribution.
Sarah E, Ben E, Marissa F, Olivia H, Saya K, Sam M, Vienna M, Colton N, Alexa P, Cade P, Sasha S
Leaders: Heather Smith, Marc Bergen
Team Thailand-Cambodia (Central Thailand)
We will be doing 2 rounds of VBS – 4 days in Thailand and 4 days in Cambodia, 6 one-hour sessions of ESL lessons with teenagers, sports camps in both places – likely soccer, basketball and volleyball. We will also be doing some landscaping/gardening at the orphanage and presenting testimonies and DRIMES in a church service.
Please pray for health and safety, team unity, willingness to take risks for God, humble hearts to serve even if we don’t feel like it, be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and for us as leaders that we will take good care of our team members and teach them well, see their gifts and help them grow in them, and have wisdom as we make decisions.
Brielle B, Emma G, Callie G, Evan H, Addison K, Jenisa L, Tenayah M, Josiah T, Sarah W, Mitch W, Julia Z
Leaders: Sandra Fehr & Mark Thiessen
