Since its inception in 2007, Worship In Action has taken us to some exciting places:

Israel (May ‘09-July ‘09)

This was a unique Worship in Action emphasis as we partnered with the Youth Mission Trip to Israel.  Our emphasis was focused on one thing: prayer.  Forty-nine students and adults made the trek to Israel where they spent four days touring, then split into five mission teams and spent a week serving in Ashdod, Haifa, Galilee, Jerusalem, and Nazareth.  Our two goals were to have 50 people praying for each of our five mission teams and to have one person praying for the team during every hour they were away. We had a total of 241 people sign up to pray for our five mission teams, and filled each of the over 300 hourly prayer slots that spanned the duration of the trip!

Galveston (Feb. ‘09-Apr. ‘09)

The story of Hurricane Ike is familiar to all who live on the Gulf Coast.  We have seen the enormous toll taken in both property and in lives.  Many Gulf Coast residents are still trying to rebuild their lives.  This Worship in Action emphasis sought to help those people in practical ways by partnering with Mission Galveston, an organization that has been helping people get back on their feet by distributing clothing, food, and toiletries.  For the first time in a Worship in Action emphasis we did not have a numerical goal.  Instead, we simply asked you to bring as many of these items as possible.  The resulting donations completely filled a 20-foot U-Haul truck that we took down to the Gulf Coast on the Spring Break Mission Trip!

Kenya (Sep. ‘08-Nov. ‘08)

Our Kenya emphasis focused on three issues that plague not only Kenya, but the whole of Africa: first, the number of refugees that have been displaced by violence and upheaval in neighboring countries and have come to live in Kenya; second, the hundreds of thousands of orphans and street children living on the streets of Nairobi and other cities; and third, the daily threat of deadly malaria.  Each of our goals addressed one of these areas:

1. School Supplies – Our first goal was to collect 250 boxes of pencils and 250 spiral notebooks to give to a school for refugee children in the slums of Nairobi.  You gave 465 boxes of pencils and 337 spiral notebooks! When it became clear that circumstances would prevent us from going to Nairobi, these school supplies were redirected to schoolchildren in the Mombasa area.  Between these supplies and the extra funds you gave in other areas, we were able to provide all the school supplies for six area schools for an entire year!
2. Funds for Orphanages – Our second goal was to collect $5000 to aid orphanages in Kenya.  You gave $7,565!
3. Malaria Nets – Our third goal was to collect enough to purchase 1000 malaria nets at $6 per net. You gave enough to purchase 1250 nets, which were distributed in the rural areas around Mombasa.

Brazil (Mar. ‘08-May ‘08)

Worship in Action partnered with the Medical Mission Trip to Fortaleza, Brazil which provides free medical care to one of the poorest regions of Brazil.  Hundreds of patients will wait overnight to be seen the next morning for a variety of ailments and conditions.  One of the most popular areas of the clinic provides free eyeglasses to those who need them, many of whom have not seen clearly in years.  Every patient that passes throught the clinic hears about the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.

1. Toothbrushes – For the poorest of the poor even a simple toothbrush can significantly improve dental health.  We asked you to give 300 toothbrushes, but you completely blew us away by bringing 2,185!
2. Eyeglasses – Most people cannot afford eyeglasses to correct their vision.  We asked you to provide enough money to purchases 400 sets of lenses and frames at $10 per pair. You gave enough to purchase 837!
3. Medications – The clinic hands out thousands of dollars in free medications on the trip.  They can use everything they can get their hands on.  We asked you to give $5000 for medications for the trip.  You gave $8287!

Houston (Jan. ‘08-Mar. ‘08)

Worship in Action took us to our own backyard as we helped Iglesia Bautista de Fe y Paz (Faith and Peace Baptist Church) get back on its feet.  Recently the church had dwindled to just one member, a woman who paid the mortgage on the empty building for two years.  Now Pastor Jose Flores has begun the process of renewing this congregation among some of the poorest people in our city.

1. Church Construction – The building that Fe y Paz meets in was in quite a state of disrepair.  They also had no baptistry, and were baptizing people in a horse trough in their parking lot.  We asked you to give $4000 to build them a baptistry and address other construction needs around the church.  You gave over $5100!
2. Sports Camp for Children - On our mission trip to Iglesia Bautista de Fe y Paz we ran a sports camp for local children.  We wanted to provide each child with a new basketball, football, or soccer ball.  We asked you to give us 75 new sports balls, and you gave 98!
3. Food for the Needy – It is difficult to believe that in our own city there are people who cannot afford to properly feed their families, but Fe y Paz is located in one of the poorest areas of Houston.  We asked you to give non-perishable food items and you responded with an over-abundance!

Myanmar (Oct. ‘07-Nov. ‘07)

Our emphasis on Myanmar (Burma) helped up focus on a part of the world that rarely receives attention here in the United States.  As widespread protests rocked this repressed nation, we focused on three areas of need and what it means to be healers following in the footsteps of the Great Physician.

1. Treating Malaria – Rampant in southeast Asian countries, most forms of malaria are fairly inexpensive to treat, yet many of the world’s poor lack even the meager resources to buy the medicines.  In most cases $25 will purchase the medicine to treat a whole family.  Our goal was to give enough for 100 families at $25 per family.  You gave enough for 105, over $2600.
2. Training Pastors - The spiritual illness of sin that separates us from God can only be treated by the grace and mercy of the Master Healer.  To help spread the Gospel to this largely Buddhist nation we wanted to provide a training conference for pastors in Myanmar.  Due to the high prices of fuel, this three-day conference will cost $65 per pastor, per day.  Our goal was to provide for 50 days of conference time.  You gave enough for 73, over $4700.
3. Targeting Injustice - The citizens of Myanmar have suffered countless injustices at the hands of a military dictatorship.  Though the United States has urged the United Nations to act on behalf of the people of Myanmar, the vetoes of Security Council members China and Russia have thus far prevented any action.  As Christians we are clearly called to advocate justice for the oppressed.  To show our support for the people of Myanmar we sent 108 letters to both the Chinese and Russian ambassadors to the United Nations asking them to remove their vetoes.

Honduras (Jul. ‘07-Sep. ‘07)

Honduras is one of the poorest nations in Latin America, with half of its population living below the poverty level.  A significant section of the population suffers from some kind of drug addiction, and an even larger portion (40%) is illiterate.  For our first Worship In Action emphasis we worked together on the Great Commission task of making disciples, and to fight these two contributing factors to the poverty of the Honduran people.

1. Teaching Children – At the Koinonia Baptist Church School in Tegucigalpa, local children receive a spiritual as well as a mental education.  Though the cost of going to school for a year is only $120, many poor families cannot afford it.  Our goal was to send 50 students to school at $120 per student.  You gave enough to send 57, over $6900.
2. Clothing Recovering Addicts – A former addict has established a rehab program in the very building where his father once forced him to sell drugs.  The men and women that are going through this program have many needs, including a need for good clothes.  You gave over 500 pounds of clothing to help these recovering addicts get back on their feet.
3. Educating Pastors - Recently the seminary in Tegucigalpa was closed, leaving the burgeoning evangelical movement without a place to train its pastors.  We provided a training conference on our mission trip in November ‘07 for these men who are eager to preach the Good News to their nation.  Our goal was to pay for 50 pastors to attend the conference at a cost of $75 per person. You gave enough for 51, over $3800.