Archive for April, 2009
CYPRUS | An Update from Tony | 2009-4-27
Dear Friends and Family,
First let me excuse myself for sending out another email in such a short amount of time. It has become crunch time here at Gateways so I am having to take care of all my affairs as the end of the school is approaching. As I have mentioned in previous update letters, I am going to Ethiopia for my school’s month long outreach trip. I will be leaving in just over three weeks from now. While I am there I will be working at orphanages and feeding centers, ministering in prisons, working with various churches, and doing a lot of street evangelism. My hope is to be used by God to impact that nation and see a fiery generation run after the heart of God.
In order for me to go on this trip I have to be able to raise $1950 by April 30th. To date I already have $1435 which leaves me a mere $515 short. I am asking for your support to help me raise my final amount within the next three days. Please pray about supporting me and see if God is leading you to help me reach this goal. There are two ways you can support me.
1. You can go to http://www.gatewaysbeyond.org/donate and designate your donation to go towards “Tony Dillon”.
2. You can write a check out to “Gateways Beyond International” with my name written in the memo line and mail it to:
Gateways Beyond International
PO Box 155101
Ft. Worth, TX 76155
Again, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. I really do appreciate you all and your friendship. I look forward to seeing or talking with you and telling you about all the amazing things we will have seen and experienced in Ethiopia. God bless.
Sincerely,
Tony Dillon
Original post by PD .
No commentsGot Heart? Got Muscle? Got a couple hours on your hand?
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Original post by PD .
No commentsRe: Got Heart? Got Muscle? Got a couple hours on your hand?
I wanted to clarify and share with you more about the clean out project we are taking on the in a few weeks. I apologize if I have not been able to communicate the need or the purpose of this effort. I work with affordable housing projects and this one building has been one of the most challenging projects I have encountered. The property has 30 units, 23 are occupied with low income households and without assistance is on an eminent course towards foreclosure. Here is the background.
The property is located in a small enclave of dense populated apartments in NW DC. Historically, housing stock in the area has been substandard. It’s cheap and available to those who cannot find subsided housing, mostly the working poor. During the housing boom earlier this decade the surrounding neighborhood fell prey to development pressures, landlords using illegal tactics to displace families so they could renovate and convert to high end condos. Some of the tactics used include stopping services (trash, heat, repairs). This caused a great distrust and suspicion among the people in the area and outsiders, a problem that still exists today. During the height of the housing boom (2005) the landlord put this property up for sale and the tenants together seized the opportunity to purchase so to determine the fate of their home. Working with a non profit developer they put a plan together that included purchasing, renovating and keeping the costs affordable to all who lived there. The tenants , collectively would homeowners so to be able to determine their own housing circumstance . Long story short they did buy the property but then funding (low cost loans) required renovating the building fell through (that is another story for another time) and the residents are left with a delipated property and non-profit developer who walked away.
The residents here have overcome many obstacles, not just with the building itself but with problem residents, court battles, and security issues. A handful of residents who understand the issues and the impact it has on their families and neighbors have stuck with me as we seek out long term viable solutions. Many non-profit groups I have solicited for support initially were interested have backed out.
Peter, Fidilis, G-Sue, Lori, Daeho, Melisa, Dustin, Lisa and I (the Foundation) and have agreed that this project is worth standing by and we are asking for your help. The Association was able to secure limited funding to renovate many of the inhabitable vacant units. Once these units are renovated, they can be offered to the other low income families and their monthly charges can assist with the mortgage of the building. In order for the units to be renovated they must be cleaned out (the funding received cannot be used to clean out the property). We have committed to cleaning out one of the units on Saturday, April 25 at 10 am. Basically we will be moving out broken appliances, mattress and stuffing trash into bags. The job is a very dirty one, as we might encounter critters (bed bugs, fleas, and ??). I do not want to mislead anyone into thinking that this will be an easy project. Besides the dirty work you can come to support the residents efforts and provide encouragement.
Another way you can assist is donating funds for the cost associated with moving the trash. We have priced out costs and we need about $300 . We already have a commitment of $100. Any amount of funds available would be greatly appreciated. Pat and Daeho are setting up a paypal account if you want to contribute online, we can also take donations on Sunday.
Let me know if you have questions or would like additional details. I am privileged to share this part of my life with you and would love to see you be a part of the effort of these residents to secure safe, affordable and decent housing.
Also for those of you who have already planned on coming, we are looking for people to pick up the uhaul and drive them. We will also try to carpool on to the event. Email me back and i will put you on the details and logistics email.
The Tapestry Foundation has the privilege of inviting
you to join with us as we help a community in need.
We are seeking assistance as we get down and dirty
to a help a group of low-income homeowners in DC.
We will be cleaning out their homes and making minor repairs
in order to prevent displacement.
We are looking for people to donate their time
and man power for this cause.
April 25th, 2009
Starting at 10:00 AM and going until we are finished
(the more people we have the sooner that will be)
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Come out and be a part of
impacting and improving the community!
For more details on this specific project
please call Su Cheng at 703.989.1931
or email her at sujuncheng@gmail.com
For more information on the Tapestry Foundation
Please visit our website at www.tapestryfoundation.net
or email Peter Kim at psk006@gmail.com
We need trash movers, u-haul drivers, and cheer leaders!
What can you do?
Original post by PD .
No commentsthe Thread | 2009-4-23
Hey Guys, the Tapestry Email newsletter is about to change. So, get ready for it. However, before the new one comes, I wanted to share with you one more snippet that Poppa showed me today. The following is from Henry Blackaby’s site. Read it and love it! You will hear more about the Kenya trip and other things going on in my spirit when Grace sends out our brand new email newsletter really soon!
Have a great week!
D
_______________________________________
Living Water
For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns–broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
There should never be “dry spells” in the Christian life. God said that He would be like an artesian well in the life of a believer. Artesian wells bubbled forth with a cold, fresh, never-ending supply of water from the depths of the earth, quenching any thirst and always satisfying. This is the picture of the spiritual refreshment that belongs to the person in whom the Holy Spirit resides.
Have you ever heard people say they are experiencing a dry spell in their Christian life? What are they saying? Are they saying that the Lord ran out of water? It should never cross your mind that the fountain of living waters residing within you should ever be reduced to a trickle. You don’t need to run all over the country trying to find sources of spiritual refreshment. Conferences, retreats, and books can all bring encouragement, but if you are a Christian, the source of living water already resides within you.
Have you exchanged the living fountain for man-made cisterns that cannot hold water? Why would you exchange an artesian well for a broken water tank? Artesian wells do not dry up. Broken cisterns do. If you are experiencing spiritual dryness right now, is it because you have been attempting to find your source of spiritual refreshment from man-made sources, which will fail you every time? Jesus extended an invitation to you when He said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). Have you been refreshed by the living water only Jesus can provide?
Henry Blackaby
Dustin Hedrick
Head Pastor
The Tapestry Vineyard Church
PO Box 2394
Kensington, MD 20891
Phone 301-251-4082 x13
Fax 240-206-3244
Email dustinhedrick@tapestrychurch.com
x10 Children’s Ministry
x11 Youth Ministry
x12 Events And Info
x13 Pastor Dustin
x14 Prayer Line
Original post by PD .
No commentsthe Thread | Kenya & On | 2009-4-9
the Thread | Saturday, March 28 | Family Day!
- Meet at Wheaton Metro at 9:30
- Go down to the National Mall and watch the 43rd National Kite Festival http://kitefestival.org/start.htm
- Grab a bite to eat near by and head back right after lunch
- Meet at Wheaton Metro at 9:30
- Go down to the National Mall
- Hang out at the Building Zone in the National Building Museum
- Grab a bite to eat near by and head back right after lunch
• Curl up with an architecture picture book in the Book Nook.
• Drive bulldozers and other construction play trucks in the Construction Zone.
• Imagine being a craftsperson complete with a hard hat, tool belt, and goggles.
• Explore the National Building Museum’s Project Playhouse, a life-size custom built “green” house sponsored by HomeAid and built by Pardee Homes.
Why Play at the National Building Museum?
Original post by PD .
No commentsthe Thread | Kenya & On | 2009-4-9
Original post by PD .
No commentsINDIA | An Update from Todd Payne | 2009-4-15
i have just made it back to the US this past week< i hope this letter finds all of you fine by the grace of our Lord!!
we can' t say thanks enough for the help and prayer support you have all been to us< you are the backbone of ministry throughout the world today and i say to you God bless you richly>
we will be starting to speak at various places as of the 26th of april so please pray as we speak that our Lord will once again provide the basic needs of his orphan kids in india.
trust me dear friend i have lived in the US all my life< and i know there is need and poverty here as well, but i promise you one trip to india and your mind will change of just how poor we are>
what do you tell a people that includes myself, to encourage them in the midst of all this economicial termoil? my answer is : trust God, he is good and his mercy endures forever!!!!!!
last sunday we were there in india and and i can tell you though we have a sweet spirit in some our churches in the US, we don’t have the hunger they have for the gospel that they do in teh church in india!! we saw 16 people come to the Lord our last sunday there> Praise Jesus!!!!! To him be the glory forever!!!! there was another group outside the city who wanted to hear the gospel, so immediatley after the first service, i was able to dart out to the village and catch them as well!!!
we boarded the train last monday and on thursday we reached the US. we had a great time getting gifts in new delhi< i had a temperture of 103++ after i boarded the plane, and of course this dufas didn't take any medicine with him>>
after i boarded the plane some official came and took me off the plane, talk about scared paranoid and sick all in the same package deal< that was me> and yes you read right, they took me off the plane, down two flights of stairs into the dark room of xrays and luggage, they asked is this your luggage mr. payne? oh boy, i thought what has she (gracy) packed and not told me about???? i will whip her {with a cat of nine tails} if they let me out( just kidding), but to be honest with you my every thought was not captive, as unto the Lord, at that moment> it was only arrows in the bag that they wanted to question me about> i assured them it was only gifts from the kids to the churches of the US, so they let me take them, and you will be seeing them soon at a church near you>
we love you and may we alll be busy doing what the Lord would have us to do with the time he has blessed us with on this side of eternity!!!
Love you all,
todd, gracy, and jeremiah
ps- i will keep you all updated as to what i am doing while in the US, but not as often
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