The unending line of patients in Honduras

A special “THANK YOU” to Rhonda Bartlett and RB Design Studio for sponsoring this series about La Cima World Missions.

Over the next three days, we’ll be describing what La Cima World Missions, one of the two local organizations SonlightLex.com supports, has been doing in the past year. We’ll also hear what they have planned for 2010 and beyond.

You’re going to see the amazing difference that two people, yes, two people can make.

As you may recall from an earlier post (and an even earlier one) about La Cima, Dr. David and Marta Sperow are the creators of La Cima World Missions.  They’re also the ones who do just about everything associated with the organization.  In short, they plan, manage and execute dental and medical mission teams to where they’re most needed around the globe.

Honduras

According to Dr. Sperow, “Last year was a bit tempered in Honduras due to the political difficulties in the country. The former president was deposed in a constitutional crisis, but the country stuck to its laws and a new president was elected in an orderly and legal election.”

Due to the difficulties, La Cima had a major reduction in the number of medical and dental teams in Honduras last year, but they still managed to get in-country a few times. Says Dr. Sperow, “We have focused our efforts on the Island of Roatan in a community called Los Fuertes. This is a community that is under served and the needs are great. A small clinic is our base of operations and the lines are always longer than the time we have available. Once word spreads that a team is working, a line forms and we never get to the end of it.”

Earlier this year, the Sperows met with a volunteer dentist on the island who moved there from Guatemala. They began hatching plans for a dental center that will serve as a location where volunteers can work and impoverished people can receive quality care. This is likely a few years and many dollars in the future, but it has to start with an idea.

The next dental team to Honduras is scheduled for December and, now that the political situation has stabilized, La Cima expects to see a busier team schedule in 2011. “Typically, in a pre-political crisis climate, we have had 5-6 teams per year to Honduras,” says Dr. Sperow.

Remember, Honduras is just one location. In the next post, we’ll feature their 2009 trip to Thailand and what has been happening there.

I’m fortunate to be friends with Tim Cooper, Minister of Outreach and Programming at Broadway Christian Church in Lexington.  A couple of weeks ago, during Sunday School (he teaches our class), Tim casually and quickly mentioned that his book would be published this fall.  As he continued on with other praises, I said “Waaait a minute, you can’t just breeze through that, what did you just say?”

He then explained that his first book, entitled Miles Past Normal (Wipf & Stock, Fall 2010) is soon to be published.  In a nutshell, here’s a little about the book, taken from Tim’s blog:

Today’s sponsor, 5 Minutes to Tee-Time, has remedied a great deal of that for us.  This popular golf preparation program does just what it says, it prepares you for a round of golf in about five minutes. 

As you’ll see on the 5MTTT website, the program “is a series of golf-specific flexibility and conditioning exercises designed to prepare your upper, middle, and lower portions of your body to immediately contribute to a fluid golf swing.” 

It isn’t a substitute for all-around fitness, but it does effectively prepare you for the impact of a round of golf, which is considerably more than most non-golfers, and many golfers, realize.

We’re grateful for 5MTTT’s participation on SonlightLex.com.

Kentucky Tobacco Barn, Jeff Rogers Photography

Speaking from the point of view of a non-Native Lexingtonian, this is a great place to live and raise a family. It is a wonderful Christian community, there are tons of activities in which children can be involved and flourish, family activities, restaurants, civic organizations, everything you’d want in a city, plus the feel of a small town.

As great a place as Lexington is, it wasn’t until I was preparing for this post that I reminded of the beauty and diversity of the rest of our state. Jeff Rogers showed me, once again, that Kentuckians are fortunate to live in one of the best, most unique places on earth.

Horse Race at Keeneland, Jeff Rogers Photography

Amazing how just viewing the photography of Jeff Rogers was enough to give me pause, make me think of what I’ve been missing. Art has the power to do that. God’s Hand, beauty, heritage, history, nature, community, memories, all are enhanced and revealed by the art of great photography. Whether you’re a native Kentuckian, or you’ve come to live here more recently, you’re a child of Kentucky. Have a look at Jeff’s work and you’ll see why.

Nowhere are the people and places that make up Kentucky better represented. We are fortunate that Jeff Rogers Photography has chosen to support and participate in this ongoing project, SonlightLex.com. We also look forward to featuring his work in the future.

Visit Jeff Photography on the web, or contact him at 859.255.9917.

Not to sound flippant or lighthearted, but we’ve all heard it; “I’m glad we didn’t have a girl, at least we don’t have to worry about boys getting pregnant.” At the risk of striking too much of a bold tone, and offending a good portion of parents, that type of thinking doesn’t grow real men, and it shortchanges young women. It can even lead to life-altering occurrences.

Recently, Sally Billings, the Marketing and Events Director for Assurance, provided me with a startling statistic, which is one of the reasons Assurance has chosen it’s men’s ministry as a focus this year.

According to Ms. Billings, “80% of post-abortive women said they would have chosen life for their babies if the men involved would have spoken for the baby’s life.”

Take a moment to consider that statement and it’s impact.

For the counselors, according to Billings, “The first stage goal of their work is to enlighten those men/boys with truth about what abortion does to everyone involved, and to encourage and support them to speak up for their babies’ lives.” For many of the men and boys involved in such a situation, it may be the first time they’ve considered or learned of the true impact of their words and actions. “For those who may have chosen abortion in their past,” says Billings, we want to provide them with the support and resources they need to find healing and freedom.” 

A father and baby.

The third stage is to expose the emptiness of loveless sex, or uncommitted sex, and to lead young men to a new understanding of God’s plan for sex as an expression of the highest, most selfless kind of love and intimacy, meant only for marriage. This includes a new understanding of the nobility of men as protectors and providers and requires life-long commitment – all concepts that have become almost counter-culture in 21st century America. Says Billings, “We believe that young people embrace being counter-cultural and the time is right to challenge them to these extreme notions of manhood.”

It’s simply amazing that Assurance, already providing a valuable service, already changing lives and generations, continued to seek new ways to help the people involved in unplanned pregnancy and crisis. I don’t like popular catch phrases, but the people at Assurance stepped “out of the box” and saw a powerful and crucial next step right before their eyes. Involve the men and boys, empower them, show them the role they are to play in times of crisis and joy.

The Assurance Men’s Ministry isn’t the cure, but it is no doubt a giant leap. It is the giant nudge that makes a massive shift in thinking possible.

For more information, visit AssuranceCare.org.

Image source: AdamSelwood, flickr.com.

One of the best, most unexpected, things about being a golf writer has been the generosity of people in the industry. Whether helping other industry people by lending a hand with a project, a few minutes for an interview or a kind endorsement, most people and companies are willing to help.

One of the Good Guys

I’ve only met Jason through the Internet, but I’m certain he’s one of the good guys. TGG is a golf blog based in Canada. Just like any other website, it has the capacity to reach into Kentucky. Golf has avid fans and players in every part of our world, and TheGolfGolf.com has entered into many of those places. By hearing from me about La Cima World Missions and All God’s Children, and about what Sonlight has the potential to do for them, Jason made the decision become more a part of the Bluegrass than he otherwise would have.

Golf fans are gearheads. No, not in the traditional mechanical sense, but they love golf gear. The also love to learn to play better golf, too. In short, they are in the constant pursuit of improvement. If you’ve ever had a golfer in the family, you know how life seems wonderful when they’ve had a great round of golf. That’s because golf is somehow inextricably linked to life as a whole. That may explain why people love The Golf Glove, because there they can find original articles and information they’re looking for to help them improve their games and their lives. By being a participant in this little project, TGG has decided to help us help two organizations directly improve and change lives.

Even though SonlightLex.com is a relative upstart, the potential for great things is there. It’s a can’t miss, thanks to La Cima World Missions and AGC. That’s the thing about people and organizations with God at their very core; they have the power to change the world and to touch people like Jason and TheGolfGlove.com.

This Canadian company has reached out to Kentucky. Let’s show some support and reach back to The Golf Glove.

We’ve come a long way since the days when a girl or woman was shunned, or worse, for becoming pregnant out of wedlock. The woman who is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy may not realize that society has changed and may not look at her and pass judgment. That same girl needs to know there are places where she can turn that won’t pressure her to make the wrong decision, will provide her with needed medical care and knowledge, will inform her of her options, and help her make the right decision. In Central Kentucky, one such agency is Assurance Care for Women & Girls.

There are so many issues that girls face when learning, or believing, they are pregnant. This blog post can’t possibly do justice to the value of services, and the far-reaching services, Assurance provides. All services of Assurance are free and confidential.

Though the woman or girl may not think it so in the beginning, her physical health and the health of the child she is carrying is of prime importance. In an unplanned pregnancy, how far advanced the pregnancy is may not be known. There are many complications, unnoticed by the women, that could be taking place without her knowledge. The Assurance Clinic provides, free of charge, medical evaluations and even the ultrasound exam.

Women and girls may feel they are being pressured into having an abortion by a boyfriend or husband, fear the reaction of family and friends upon learning of the pregnancy, and other issues. Assurance counselors are aware of what each person is facing and will care for, counsel and educate them on the options available, because there are options.

Aside from addressing the immediate needs of expecting mothers, Assurance provides other services from adoption education, to parenting, to programs and counseling for the fathers involved. Each of these will be discussed, in depth, in a continuing series on this site about Assurance Care for Women and Girls.

In the meantime, you can learn more about Assurance and the role they provide by visiting them here, or contacting them at 800-395-HELP (4357).

Being a golf writer in one of my other present lives, I couldn’t be happier than to have Dr. Pickens as today’s sponsor. He coaches the likes of current British Open champion, Stewart Cink, and 2007 Masters Champion, Zach Johnson, both of whom have professed their belief in Christ on national television, as well as the current U.S. Open Champion, Lucas Glover. I don’t know of another mental game coach, past or present, who has had such success. Thank you, Dr. Pickens, for taking part in this little project.

It’s only natural (and fair) that such professional success be shared with the masses. Dr. Mo, as he is widely known, has done just that with his book, Learn to Win: One Shot at a Time.

Golfers will benefit from, not a new way of thinking about their game, but a redirection of the good things that are already there in each of our minds. The tendency of most amateur golfers is to expect great things each time they step on the golf course. But, most amateurs (Yes, you. Even if you think you’re great.) don’t look at their games realistically. They set unrealistic expectations. So, at the first errant shot, their round takes a nosedive due to a quick onset of anger, a depressed mind set, or embarrassment.

A good round could be salvaged with the right outlook. One shot is just that, one shot. We’re all good for a few, or many, of those each round. Accepting that will make for more enjoyment, and better play. Yes, better play!

By holding to Dr. Mo’s Four R’s of golf, as described in Learn to Win, we can learn to play golf one shot at a time. Here are the Four R’s in order:

Refocus – When you make decisions for the upcoming shot. Before you walk toward the ball to hit the shot.

Routine (pre-shot routine) – This is how you walk in, get set up, and take practice swings if desired. This happens after you’ve made your decision on what to do for the shot.

React – The golf swing. Immediately after the routine. This is where you’re trusting and going.”

Relax – This is how you spend time between shots, and when doing this, “you are not focused on golf. During this time you can think about architecture, wildlife, clouds, hobbies, anything — just not golf.” This is where you spend most of your time on the course, anyway.

Dr. Pickens goes into greater detail about how to achieve each of the Four R’s and make them a part of your game. Reading Learn to Win will do wonders for your mental game, and the result will be lower scores. Also, and I’m sure you will agree, the Four R’s seem to be applicable to any situation, whether on the golf course or preparing for the workday. We can learn to win anywhere and everywhere.

Learn to Win: One Shot at a Time can be found at DrMoLearntoWin.com, at Amazon.com, and other booksellers.

Over the summer, Renee Wolfe-Smith, took a Christian mission trip to Iquitos, Peru.  Before the trip, and even more having visited the city and experienced their work first-hand, she was convicted about Seeds of Love and their special calling for the children of Iquitos.

Renee contacted SonlightLex.com with excitement about the possibility of her business, Creative Memories, sponsoring a feature about Seeds of Love and spreading the word about them.  We’re so happy she did and that we can bring the young organization to readers of this blog. 

As a Creative Memories independent representative, Renee offers the very best products for celebrating your memories, your way through scrapbook albums and digital StoryBooks. In the comfort of your own home through Get Togethers, Renee will help you get start capturing and reliving the best moments of your life.

To learn more about Creative Memories, visit Renee’s website here.  Don’t waste any more time before breathing new life into your special moments.

Iquitos is a city, in the middle of the Peruvian rainforest, with a population approaching 400,000. The Ahuite’s have a huge battle ahead of them; one-third of the children of Iquitos suffer from hunger, one-quarter from malnutrition, and only one in five children are literate. Here are the tools the Ahuite’s bring to the table and how they are and plan to use them with Seeds of Love.

Rachel, a native of Kentucky, began her mission work at age 12, teaching children’s clubs with Child Evangelism Fellowship and working with at-risk youth alongside her father. After graduating from college with a degree in education, she completed Youth With a Mission’s (YWAM) Discipleship Training School in Leticia, Colombia in 2005 (where she met Josué). She then worked with YWAM Iquitos for a year. She received a master’s degree in English as a second language in the US. After completion of her master’s degree in English as a Second Language, she returned to Iquitos to work with Josué.

Josué, from Iquitos started working in missions at age 17, traveling to river villages with his father, a local pastor. Upon completing YWAM’s Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Cartagena, Colombia in 2003, Josué worked for 3 ½ years with YWAM in Leticia, Colombia, teaching children in river villages, doing maintenance and accounting for the base, and helping with evangelistic events, especially in the logistics and children’s events. He returned to Iquitos to study accounting and graduated in 2007. At that time, he joined with a fellow missionary, who has a local ministry, where he began several children’s clubs, planning the logistics for mission trips both to Iquitos and outlying villages, and acts as the ministry’s accountant.

After their marriage, the couple bought property in May 2009 and have started construction of a children’s home on the site. The home, called Seeds of Love, will be a place where children can spend their after-school hours doing homework, taking classes (cooking, construction, English, etc), playing, and learning about God; some will be live in the home. It will be a safe environment - offering food, health resources, education, and love and encouraging the children to know God, to grow spiritually, and to become ministers of the Gospel.

Although they are actively building the home and bringing God to the children now, the plans the Ahuite’s have for their ministry are grand. Here are just a few of their goals:

• Open a children’s center “Seeds of Love” in Upper Belen

• In the back yard, have a soccer field, jungle gym, fruit trees, and a vegetable garden

• Invite more neighborhood children into the Children’s Club; share the Good News and invite them to have a personal relationship with God

• Have weekly Bible studies, prayer and worship meetings, and discipleship programs for boys and girls, including poetry for inner healing, interpersonal relationships, and moral values

• Take river trips to minister to children in the villages

• Take our ministry children to the river villages to evangelize through dramatizations of Bible stories

• Evangelize in the marketplace in Lower Belen (a very poor neighborhood on the River); open a Club for regular ministry

• Organize children’s events several times a year on a large-scale to evangelize throughout the city

• Have mission trips from the US to help with construction, house needs (painting, cooking), and VBS, workshops, etc.

• Visit the children at their homes and invite the parents to come to church

• Partner with the local church to involve the parents, to raise money to pay for electricity and water, and to organize events (soccer games, cookouts)

• Open a dining hall to offer lunch every day, for a small donation

• Open a clothes and food closet, for a small donation

• Have a study hall; tutor Spanish literacy, English, mathematics and logic, and arts and crafts; offer workshops, games (ping-pong, board games), computers, and books

• Offer job training workshops and job opportunities; encourage high school and college graduation

• For parents, offer parental classes/ Bible study, also workshops in sewing, beautician training, hand crafts, First Aid, health, technology, etc.

• Have weekly church sessions specifically for children

• Prayerfully select children to live in the home long-term

• Match a sponsor with a child, to provide clothes, food, medicine, and education

• Open an elementary school for low-income/ at-risk children

• Open more children’s centers in other parts of Iquitos led by Iquitos staff

Mission trips from Kentucky and the United States have already been taking place, as have sponsorships of children. According to Rachel, the cost of the goods, services and materials needed to sponsor one child for one year is relatively minor, $250. That amount will feed, clothe, provide medical care and education for a child.

God is working in these two young people and in their young organization. If you would like to learn more about the Ahuite’s and Seeds of Love, visit their website or contact them at the following address: PO Box 331, Iquitos, Peru.

This post was sponsored by Creative Memories, Renee Wolfe-Smith, Independent Representative.