the church

One of the most inspiring aspects of working in the Dominican Republic is the partnership we will have with the local church... the people on the ground who are living in the trenches, daily loving and serving 36 orphaned children.  The true heroes who have chosen to sacrifice so much to give what they can to children who are in desperate need.  What a true example of the church "leaving the building" and serving the least of these in their community.

Altagracia de los Santos is the pastor (and leader) of La Inglesia Restauracion Hermosa in Brisas del Este in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Did you catch all that?  In more simple terms, Altagracia is the pastor of a church known as Restauracion in one of the poorest sections of the city of Santo Domingo.  She and her husband started the church eight years ago and since then have planted seven more churches in the area and have built two schools.  After building the schools, they felt called to do something more for the children in the community beyond education and started construction on the children's homes that are so near completion now.  Thirty six homeless children have been identified by Altagracia, and church members have opened their own homes while they wait on the completion of the orphan's homes.  They are putting James 1:27 into action by "looking after orphans in their distress."  Absolutely inspiring!

During their trip to the DR, Michael and Blake had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time with the pastors and asked a lot of questions over an authentic Dominican meal.  The most important question they asked was about their beliefs concerning the Bible and Jesus.  The one thing we decided No Longer would not and could not compromise on was that our partner church would be a Bible believing and teaching, Jesus-centered church. Altagracia answered their questions by saying, "We believe the Bible is God's Word.  It is 100% true.  We also believe Jesus is God's Son and He is the only way to heaven."

They also had a conversation about the seven churches they have planted.  Blake asked Altagracia how they decided where to plant churches.

"We go to the poorest areas of Santo Domingo because we believe that is where Jesus would be.  We look for areas that do not have a Christian church nearby.  Our hope is to plant a church and then in a few years plant a school.  As long as God keeps providing in miraculous ways like He has been doing, we will continue to plant churches so that people know about the love of Jesus."

Won't you join us in praying for these wonderful people and their community as they "seek justice, encourage the oppressed, and defend the cause of the fatherless" (Isaiah 1:17)?

anticipation

In looking back on the last year I realize we have been waiting in a state of anticipation about what the future holds for No Longer.  Almost like we've been on the edge of our seats and doing everything we can to be patient.  At the beginning of this journey we felt God calling us to do something for the weak, for the vulnerable, for the oppressed, for the least of these in the world.  The only "problem"?  We had no idea who or where our focus would be, but we knew we wanted to be obedient and remain faithful despite the uncertainty and questions.  And, oh, was it worth the wait!  God never disappoints when you earnestly seek Him and wait patiently for Him to guide your steps.  We have some big news to share and it's the answer to the biggest questions we've faced...  WHO and WHERE will we be serving and loving and defending?  Some of you might be tempted to scroll to the bottom to find out the answer, but I think if you read through our story from its beginning you will find the news even more exciting. Okay, okay!  Let's get to it!

A few months into the first meeting and planning of No Longer, God led us to a ministry called Global Orphan Project.  GO Project is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and partners non-profits in America with churches overseas who are already caring for orphans.  Their goal is to partner the two groups together to build orphanages and to provide orphan care above and beyond what the local church is able to provide on their own.  After some initial conversations with GO Project it seemed their greatest need for American partners was in Haiti.  In May, several people from the No Longer group visited Haiti on a vision trip, and we were very optimistic about the possibility of one day partnering with a church in Haiti to care for orphans together.  Through the summer the waiting and anticipation for a partnership continued.

But you know what?  God had different plans for No Longer.  A couple of months ago one of the representatives from GO Project called us and said, "We have a church that is ready to be partnered with a non-profit in the United States.  They have already started raising support, built a school and they are currently providing for orphans in their church.  They are ready to build an orphanage but they need a partner."  Of course we were thrilled!  This is exactly what we had been praying would happen.  We were committed to following God's calling, whenever and wherever He sent us.  The biggest surprise with the phone call wasn't that it came sooner than we were expecting, but that it wasn't a partnership with a church in Haiti at all.  It was a partnership with a thriving church in the Dominican Republic!  GO Project was ready to expand to another country and they were asking No Longer to be the first group partnered with this country.  It wasn't where we had originally expected to be working (Haiti), but who are we to tell God where we wanted to serve Him?  After all, it makes no difference to an orphan living in poverty whether they are in Haiti or the Dominican Republic or anywhere else in the world for that matter. As a group we decided to pray about this partnership and send two of us to visit the church for more details before ultimately saying, "YES!"

Blake and Michael arrived in Santo Domingo on a Saturday morning in early November to meet the co-pastors of La Inglesia Restauracion Hermosa and to visit their church and the orphanage/village site.  We'll save details about the church (let's just call it Restauracion for short), the pastors and what they believe, the schools and the city of Santo Domingo itself for later this week, but we do want to give a few details about the orphanage site today. Restauracion has a passion for homeless children in their community and they have already made progress in constructing housing for orphans.  In the past few months they have put a security wall around the grounds of the village to prevent troublemakers from disrupting the work going on in the village.  As of now they have one dorm for boys and one dorm for girls ready for occupancy.  They are in the process of adding and completing an office for the village manager, an office space for a psychologist who will visit frequently, and a kitchen.  All of that is wonderful, but where are the children who will find a home there and what is their situation now?  The church has identified and gained custody of 36 children who had no home or parents and were basically living on the streets.  Right now they are living with church members but will eventually be moved to the dorms when construction is completed and approved by the government.  The hope is that in the near future they can complete construction of the dorms, kitchen, and possibly add more dorms as they begin construction of a garden and sewing center.  BUT, until someone steps up financially they will be unable to complete construction or have the ability to feed and educate these 36 orphans.

After spending a little more than 24 hours in Santo Domingo, Michael and Blake were sold.  No Longer is ready to step up and support this village and this church.  Here is a church with a congregation committed to ministering to the least of these in the absolute poorest area in all of the Dominican Republic.  They have a plan and they have the people ready to make it happen. The church is currently training women to be the mommas in the village.  How could No Longer say anything but YES to this opportunity?  We are beyond delighted to have found a partner for No Longer.  We hope you will pray about joining us as we raise support to complete their work and even build more orphanages and schools as God provides direction.  We also hope your family will consider joining us on a trip in the near future to meet these amazing and inspiring people! Be looking for more information about how you and your family can be directly involved in changing the lives of these children.

speaking up.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, 

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Proverbs 31:8-9

It’s been almost 7 months since we pitched the vision God gave us for No Longer.  We had no idea when we started this journey where the Lord would take us...  We were simply saying that as Christians we could no longer sit on the sidelines and offer our sympathy to the least of these.  Our prayer was, and still is, for the Lord to use us in a way that would glorify Him and make an impact in the lives of those this world has forgotten.  Just like the verse in Proverbs says, we want to "speak for those who can't speak for themselves" by giving a voice to orphans in Hispaniola.

It has been exciting to see literally hundreds join with us in this leap of faith since we shared our vision in April.  Our voice started as a whisper and has turned into a yell! Whether you attended a dinner, purchased something online, retweeted us on Twitter, posted a picture in “Where’s Wooly” on facebook, supported us through one of the No Longer parties or simply shared about No Longer with family and friends...it has been encouraging to see God unite us together in this common cause.  Our vision remains strong: to respond to Christ’s call to look after the least of these through ministering to and providing for orphans.  

Now for what you really want to know!  What is the latest news?  It looks like God’s call for No Longer may be getting a little more clear.  Global Orphan Project has connected us with a potential church partner in Hispaniola.  They have identified a church with a pastor and members who are willing to take on orphan care (providing food, education and basic care), and some of the groundwork is already in place.  GO Project is currently working through their vetting process to make sure the church meets the standards and commitment level required.  We promise to give you more details as the picture becomes more clear.  Two members of No Longer will be making a trip to the site in early November, so for now we are asking for your support through prayer.

Please join us in praying for the following things:

• for God to continue to give us clear direction about what he would have us do
• for GO Project as they handle the logistics of our possible partnership
• for the church we may partner with as they make preparations for the orphans in their care
• for No Longer to have the financial ability to support the construction and maintenance of this possible village for orphans

There are still several opportunities for you to support No Longer through our house parties.  Who doesn't love a party with a purpose?  We have some great items and 100% of the proceeds from product sales will help provide for our future orphan homes.  Instead of giving another sweater, tie, or gift card for Christmas, why not give a gift to someone they will love AND help make a difference in the life of a child?!

We have many parties scheduled in November, so we hope you can make it to one of them.  We will be in Vestavia, Hoover, Auburn, Trussville, and Moody, so keep a watch on the facebook page for the latest news.  

Guest Post: Girl on a Mission

(It's a guest post Wednesday!  Lauren Womack is a young person who has decided inaction is no longer an option and taken action.  The No Longer team has been incredibly inspired by the young people who have taken the initiative to do what they can to aid and bring awareness to the plight of others around the world.  This is a story to be shared!)

My name is Lauren Womack and I will turn 12 in September.  I attend First Baptist Church in Trussville, Alabama.  I wanted to share with you why I want to help others who are in need.  My children's ministers at church, Mr. Blake and Mr. Jonathan, have taught me that God wants me to show his love by helping others. My mom and dad have always supported me and helped me find ways to do it.  I have always served with my family in my community, for example on Friday nights or Sunday afternoons feeding the homeless or stuffing pre-made lunch kits and delivering them.  Sometimes we just serve the food but other times we can actually talk to the homeless and hear their stories of how they ended up there and tell them about how much God loves them and cares for them.  I also like to go to a local school that is downtown to bring a special lunch to the students with a few members from my church.  The kids are always so happy to see us when we show up.  I think it shows them that we love them and that God does, too, and that he can provide for them. Sometimes we play games or do crafts, and I really enjoy it.

My very first project on my own was about two years ago when I decided to do a lemonade stand at my house with my friend for donations for One Verse.  We were able to raise enough money to translate almost two verses.  This past summer at VBS we were going to collect money for One Verse, so I decided to do another lemonade stand.  This time I raised enough to translate one more verse.  To date, between my lemonade stands and my little brother and I saving our money, we have translated four verses.  It only takes $26 to translate one verse of scripture into another language.  It makes me sad to know there are more than 2,200 unreached languages.  That means tons of people don't have access to God's Word in a language they can understand.

This past year I was given the opportunity to serve food at the No Longer kick-off dinner in Trussville.  At the dinner I learned there are an estimated 147 million orphans in the world today and they need our help.  The Bible says we are to look after the orphans and the widows.  It only takes ONE person to make a difference in someone else's life.

This summer I went to Preteen Camp with my church.  We learned about transforming our lives.  We talked a lot about different mission projects and I wanted to do something to help instead of just listening to how much others are suffering.  I decided to come up with some ideas of what I could do to start helping more.  I didn't want to help just one group anymore... I wanted to help them all.  I already knew about the ministries I wanted to help but just needed a way to do it.  I came up with the idea of making bracelets to support each different mission area.

When we do chores in my family, we earn money and my parents have taught us how to separate it into three portions.  We have Spend, Save and Give.  I decided to use my "Save" money to buy the supplies to make the bracelets.  My older sister helped me make over 75 bracelets and 20 bookmarks.  I sold them recently at an event at my church and was able to raise over $180.  All of the money will be divided among the four ministries I wanted to help: No Longer, One Verse, Living Water and ROC Ministries.

If you are a kid just like me and think you can't help because you don't have lots of money, let me tell you some ways you can:

• put away a little money from birthday or Christmas or chores into an envelope for missions and church offering.
• order water at a restaurant and save the money you would have spent on a soda.
• make a prayer journal and pray about them.
• find ways to serve with your own family.
• make a lemonade stand, crafts, bake sale, yard sale, or babysitting.

I love knowing that I am making a difference even if only in a small way.  I will always be looking for other ways to help.

What's next?

Recently while reflecting on No Longer's timeline, we realized it's been almost ten months since a rainy Sunday lunch at Moe's changed our lives forever.  A few of us got together to discuss what God was working in each of our hearts, completely unaware that we were all experiencing similar stirrings...  A desire to make our lives count.  A passion for the least of these in our world.  A life with purpose and meaning.  An undeniable sense that God was calling us to action.

During these past few months it has been incredible to see how God has led us and guided each of our steps.  It has been encouraging to find that we are no longer just a team of a few people, but a group of hundreds of people (you!) working together as a part of this ministry.  We stand together and all agree that "inaction is no longer an option."  Since the start of this journey we have created a website, promoted No Longer through dinners, parties and social media, and we have been on a vision trip to Haiti.  The question many of you may be asking right now is: what's next?

The best way to explain this process is to compare it to an adoption.  We believe that God has called us to provide for orphans in Haiti... there is absolutely no denying that!  We have accepted this call from God and have agreed that we will do whatever He calls us to do.  We have told others about No Longer and have been overwhelmed at the number of people who are now advocates alongside us.  We have pursued a partnership with an organization to lead us through the process of funding a village and homes for orphans (Global Orphan Project).  A few months ago several of us went to Haiti with Global Orphan to check things out on the ground.  We have raised financial support and are humbled by the fact that we have raised enough funds to completely finish phase 1 of construction.    

However, we are still waiting on God's perfect timing...

We are now in the most difficult part of the process.  We are ready for action.  We are ready to begin the process of building homes for children who need a roof over their head.  We are more excited than ever about partnering with a local church in Haiti and meeting the pastor we will work with so closely.  And the most exciting thing is the chance for families to partner together and lead trips to Haiti.  We. Are. Ready.  Yet, in our excitement to go and do, God seems to be calling us to wait for His timing.

As of now, we still feel led to work with Global Orphan Project, but at the same time we are completely open to whatever God may call us to do in the future as it relates to providing for orphans in Haiti through the local church.  We are passionate about pursuing His purpose and plan for No Longer, not just fulfilling our personal desires on our timeline.  It is our prayer that in the next few days, weeks or months Global Orphan will call us with a partnering church and we will begin the process.  But right now we are simply waiting for the Lord to direct our next steps, and in the meantime will continue advocating for orphans in Haiti and raising awareness and funds.  One thing is for sure, though!  None of this takes God by surprise, and He knows we are completely dependent on Him for all that we do.  

Our prayer is that No Longer will be a movement that changes all who are involved as we support orphans in Haiti.  As we become more aware of the needs of these precious children,  we pray God  will show us how blessed we are and stir within us a desire to act.  It is because "the love of Christ compels us" (2 Cor. 5:14) that we are committed to doing whatever it takes.  Thank you for joining us on this journey.  We know it's not going to be easy... but it will most certainly be worth it!

Guest Post: A Dad & His Daughter

(It's a guest post Monday!  Bill Dufrene and his daughter Whitney were part of the group who traveled around Haiti with the No Longer team on the vision trip in May.  They are from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Whitney will graduate from a college in Mississippi this December.  The pair were on their second mission trip to Haiti together, and Bill explains why you should consider making it a tradition with your own life and family.)

The group from Baton Rouge and Birmingham

A Dad & His Daughter

My daughter and I were privileged to serve alongside a group of four men from No Longer in Haiti this past May.  The Baton Rouge group of ten were paired with Blake, Michael, Kevin, and Kent from Birmingham.  My message to No Longer supporters, blog readers, and families is simple: go.  Here is our story...

My daughters and I have always been extremely close.  Anyone who knows me knows my daughters.  One day when my oldest daughter was out of state in college, my wife and I and our youngest daughter joined a great church that places a strong emphasis on missions.  We had only been there for three months when my oldest daughter was home during spring break and visited our new church for the first time.  Ironically, it was, and still is, the only Sunday when church members recounted their recent trip to Haiti.  Two ladies shared photographs and remarkable stories of visiting several orphan villages with a group called Global Orphan Project.  They explained the many blessings they received and encouraged us to go.

My oldest daughter and I looked at each other.  We both knew somehow they were speaking to us.  However, as a father and a self-professed workaholic, I never thought foreign missions was for me.  In my mind, I saw all of the challenges and they were many.  They included, among others, time off from work, expenses, vaccinations, getting passports, living in a third world country, witnessing poverty, travel logistics, safety concerns, health concerns, language barriers, etc.  Meanwhile, my daughter saw the children.

Bill & Whitney

I must confess the only reason I originally decided to go was because I didn't want to send my daughter by herself.  And now, as of today, we have just completed our second daddy-daughter trip to Haiti.  Yes, most people we encountered are struggling to survive, live in unspeakable poverty, and do not have reliable electricity or running water.  Yet they are gentle, loving, and happy.  When you look into their eyes you see serenity, depth, and countless stories.  Their country has infrastructure problems and a storied past.  Slavery, political struggles, perpetual poverty, hurricanes, and earthquakes highlight their history.  In stark contrast, Haiti is nestled inside a backdrop of majestic mountains and blue-green waters.

So, why should you go?  First and foremost, the Bible is pretty clear regarding this topic.  James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says."  Then a few verses later in verse 27, James says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..."  Based on our experience and the experiences of others on both of our trips, be assured that you will receive more blessings than any you give to the children you visit.  The experience is rewarding and fulfilling and often difficult to describe.  Some will say it is life-changing.

Now, what would you do on a trip to Haiti?  It depends on your team and their gifts.  Basically, we did vacation Bible school type activities with the children.  The list included music, singing, dancing, arts and crafts, basketball, soccer, coloring, balloons, puppets, skits, stories, etc.  Even with all of these activities going on, most of the time you will be holding a small child or holding the hand of an older child.  You will struggle with your best Haitian Creole to ask them their name and their age.  You will probably repeat the process at three or four orphanages and encounter between 200 and 300 children during the trip.

The Global Orphan Project is experienced and has the logistical staff in place to ensure that their teams are safe, secure, healthy, and given the best accommodations Haiti has to offer.  Now that I have been twice, I would let my oldest daughter go on a vision trip alone.  However, we have officially made our Haiti trips a daddy-daughter bonding experience and are planning our third of many more trips together.

It's a house party!

So, what is a really fun way to help raise awareness for orphans in Haiti and around the world?  With shopping, of course!  The girls of No Longer have been working to find and create products for house parties that will raise awareness and much needed funds for the care of orphans.  The house parties will give the guests opportunities to share the needs of orphans with friends and to let them know how they can be involved in changing the life of a child who desperately needs it.  Our hope is that conversations will be generated, hearts will be changed, and others will join in the effort to show kids in Haiti how much they are loved...  Please join us at our very first No Longer House Party next week in Trussville!

Putting on a No Longer product party in your home is a great way to support the ministry as 100% of the profits from the sales of items at the parties goes to fund orphan care projects of No Longer.  Interested?  To learn more, please send an email to info@no-longer.com and we will contact you with more details.

hope.

The hope of the world.

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, is known for saying “The local church is the hope of the world.”  In the Old Testament we see that God chose to do His work through the Hebrew people.  However, as we continue to read God’s Word we see that the Jewish people did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and therefore, God chose to use Gentiles (non-Jews) to accomplish His will.  Today, God’s chosen instrument to spread His message of Truth and love is the local church.  We, the body of Christ, are the vessel that in God’s sovereign knowledge He has chosen as the way to demonstrate who He is to a hopeless world.

I have never seen this displayed in such a pure form than I did while in Haiti.  Everywhere we looked - literally everywhere- people were in need.  There we men sitting on the side of the road because they didn’t have a job.  Women were along every street corner trying to sell items they had made or food they had just prepared.  Kids were running up and down the streets with torn clothes and either no shoes or shoes that looked to be 3-4 sizes too small.  This doesn’t even account for the children in the orphanages.  

All of that changed when we arrived to church on Sunday morning.  We saw grown men weeping as we sang to our Lord.  Women were dressed in their nicest as they raise their hands in worship.  Children did not make a sound during the entire service and their eyes were glued to what was happening in front of them.  The people clung to God’s Word and treated it as if it were the greatest treasure they had ever received.  It was evident that people did not just go to church in Haiti for a social gathering or because they were expected to go. They went because it was their ONLY hope.  In the midst of the heartache, the poverty, and the hopelessness of their surroundings, they found hope in the only One who can bring hope: Jesus Christ.  The churches in Haiti are living and active and they are doing God’s work in an incredibly difficult environment.  The Church is providing education for children, training men so they can have jobs, teaching mothers how to raise their children according to God’s Word. The local Haitian church is the one providing care for the 500,000 orphans in Haiti.

No longer is excited about partnering with a local church in Haiti to help them accomplish what God has called everyone to do!  God didn’t call nonprofits to go and provide for orphans. He called His Church to provide care. When God partners us with a local church, we will not just be providing orphan care- we will be helping a local church advance the gospel in their community.  A lot of times when we think of missions, we think about Americans doing the work of the Lord for others.  However, the beautiful thing about what we are hoping to accomplish is that we want to enable the local Haitian church to do missions in their own country! This partnership between our community and their community, both doing missions, is what I believe Jesus envisioned of the Church as a whole: working together to care for the least of these. The local church truly is the hope of the world.  It’s time for the body of Christ to reach beyond ourselves and help the local church in Haiti as they continue to be the salt of the earth.

55 gallons of lemonade later...

No Longer was thrilled to partner up with the Hill family this afternoon with a huge lemonade stand in downtown Trussville.  And we didn't serve just any ole lemonade... we served fresh Toomer's Lemonade straight from Auburn, and it was deliciously refreshing on such a hot day.  The best part of the event was the many opportunities we were given to tell friends (and strangers) about what No Longer wants to do for orphans and how they can be involved in the excitement.  We were also happy to share the Hill family's story with others to raise awareness for the orphans around the world who are waiting for their forever families.  Ashley and Mike Hill are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia, and they have involved their two sons, Hudson and Haisten, in their fundraising efforts and made the whole process a true family affair.  Many, many thanks to all who came out and bought lemonade today.  It was truly a success!  We sold 55 gallons of lemonade and raised $2,200!  Thank you, Trussville!

Thank you to the following groups for making the whole thing happen: Toomer's Drug, Lisa at Kuttin' Up, Randy at Legend's Smokehouse, and Suzie at The Chocolate Biscuit!

Big Upcoming Events

Life is about to get busy for the No Longer team and fund-raising will kick into high gear!  A precious couple is hosting a yard sale this coming weekend and they have decided to give all the proceeds from the sale to help No Longer's efforts in Haiti.  We are so excited to use the sale to spread awareness about the orphan crisis in Haiti and to show people a way they can be involved in bringing about change.  If you love a good yard sale or know someone who does, please pass this information along to them.

On June 15, No Longer is excited to be partnering with Mike and Ashley Hill's family at the ultimate lemonade stand in Trussville.  We will be serving famous Toomer's Lemonade straight from Auburn, Alabama.  The Hill family is in the process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia, and they truly have a heart for the orphan.  Doesn't a cup of ice cold Toomer's Lemonade sound like the perfect treat for a hot summer day?  At the same time you can help bring their baby girl home and offer encouragement and support to orphans in Haiti!  If you are interested in pre-ordering a gallon of Lemonade for a donation of $20 or more, please email Ashley (ashleyhhill@hotmail.com) before Sunday, June 10.  We will also have the new blue wooly shirts available!  

   

A very special thanks to Toomer's Drugs and Kuttin' Up for making this possible.