Join us in praying for these 2016 teams »
Guatemala | India | Intercessory | Mexico | Thailand | Athletes in Action Volleyball Haiti
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Team Guatemala
Our team of eleven will be travelling to El Tizate, Guatemala, leaving March 10th and returning March 25th. Partnering with Global Shore, we will be serving in at least four different areas: construction projects around the school and ministry buildings, English language and classroom instruction at the K-8 school, VBS programs for children in the community and evangelism and street outreach using DRIME and conversation to share the gospel.
Please pray that God would provide our team with the required funds for our trip in these remaining weeks; for open hearts to love the people that we will meet, as well as for health and energy throughout our trip.
Cassidy B., Kayla J., Charlie L., Brendan L., Mhari S., Robert S., Marissa W., Wendy W., Paige Y.
Leaders: Lisa Gossen & Fred Brown
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 gardening / landscaping, painting), providing some music instruction, putting on a sports camp, as well as kids activities (crafts, songs and games). We will also be doing some community service, cleaning up a designated area. As well we will be visiting the local hospital and using our musical and drama talents in various other settings.
Pray for resilience, as we’ll be travelling 20 plus hours in the air before getting to our final destination. As well, pray for health, enthusiasm as we interact with the kids, for team unity, and for God to fill our hearts with his compassion.
Mikaela A., Cherokee J., Lynden K., Mark K., Celina L.,
Colton L., Dylan N., Raquel S., Cierra S., Naomi W.
Leaders: Sandra Fehr, Henry Zukowski
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, and possibly at Gleaners) would help our team members to identify and pray compassionately for the teams who will be overseas at the time that we serve locally.
Kaitlyn A., Asia A., Jasmin B., Savannah B., Ben E., Danica F., Cat J., Bailey P., Christy P., Nathan S., Ashley S., Sasha S., Sam W.
Missing from picture: Joelle D., Jake L., Emma O., Matthew W.
Leaders: Cindy Sue & Daniel Peters
Team Mexico
The Mexico Team will be going to with Stoney Creek expeditions to work with “One Life One Chance Ministries” to build a home for a family in Mexico. The family we are going to build a house for has probably never owned a house before. We will also be involved with bringing food to hungry people at the garbage dump, playing games with children while their parents work in fields, doing crafts with children in an Elementary School in a VBS setting.
Prayer requests: We will be staying in tents at night for 7 nights and so we ask for prayer for good and warm weather. Pray also for good health. We are a team made up of only 2 Canadian students and 7 international Chinese students. Because of this, communication will likely be a challenge and there will also be some cultural differences in our team that we will have to address. Pray for unity, energy, attitudes, and an openness to God working in us in powerful ways. Pray for the family we are building the house for, that they will have a great life in their house and that it may bring a lot of joy and security for them. Pray for all the team members that they would all be ready for the trip, physically and spiritually. Pray for that the experience in Mexico will impact their lives positively.
Helen C., Jennae D., PJ P., Camille Q., Isabella R., Cindy W., Shay W., Joanna X., William Z.
Leaders: Linda Mills, Brad Knodel, Charlie Zhao
Team Thailand
Team Thailand will be flying into Bangkok where we will have the chance to work in the slums. The slums are filled with elderly that are neglected and forgotten. We will deliver rice, fruits and hygienic supplies, as well as getting the opportunity to talk and pray with them.
After a few days in Bangkok, we will be going to the North of Thailand where we will go into a village in which few have had the opportunity to see white people. There, we will live for 4 days and get a chance to witness, but also learn a different culture. We will attend church and use this as a place to meet with the kids and engage with them in games and VBS activities.
Following our time in the village, we will be blessed with the opportunity to visit the Agape orphanage. This orphanage opens their doors to children that have HIV. We will also do VBS like what we did with the students in the village.
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.
Alan A., Vanessa C., Julianna F., Kirah J., Matthew K., Janelle L., Hudson O., Martina S., Celia X.
Leaders: Heather Smith, Sean LaForest
Athletes in Action Volleyball Haiti
For the last three years, Athletes in Action Volleyball has developed a partnership with Rod & Debbie Wray, a missionary couple working with Harvest International, who built a ministry at Camp Mahanaim in Les Cayes, Haiti. We will be heading out on March 17 with a group of both male and female, high school and university/college athletes and returning March. 29. Our tasks will include running volleyball camps, competing against local club teams and the national teams as well as helping out with various community outreaches put on by the Wray’s. This trip has created a wonderful opportunity in the past to provide a short burst of energy to the ministry of the Wray’s, while also allowing many of our own athletes to experience personal growth in various ways.
The team will be situated at Camp Mahanaim for the duration of the tour. As a result of Haiti’s unstable political climate, there is an opportunity for prayer regarding safety for transportation as well as physical health. Each individual will be challenged in their own way. Our desire is to see each participant stretched wherever they are at in their spiritual journey.
Keep updated in the ‘AIA Haiti 2016 Updates‘ Facebook group
Team members: Josh W., Karissa M., Carson B., Ashley H., Danielle W., Jada W.
Leaders: AIA Volleyball Director Ryan Adams & 2009 MEI Alumnus & Men’s Volleyball Coach at CBC, Jason Warkentin
