North Michigan District - IVY Ministry Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 1

Index
Human Trafficking
Awareness Evening

January 31, 2015

Human Trafficking Awareness Evening

Michelle Mowatt
On Monday, December 1st about 100 people filled Crystal Lake Community
Panama
Church(CLCC)
to hear from Senator Judy Emmons and Women At Risk founder/President
Transformation
Becky McDonald share about human trafficking. CLCC raised almost $1900 to help stop
From the Director
human trafficking through the items that Women at Risk had for sale that night!
There are 27 million people in slavery today - more people in slavery now than at
Christmas at
any other time in history, and it is the second largest criminal industry in the world.
Chapel Hill
Contrary to popular belief, human trafficking is not just an international issue - 300,000
children in the US are at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation. Michigan
Come to ALIVE!
ranks 5th in the nation for human trafficking, and over 2500 people trafficked right now in
West Michigan. Another staggering fact is that a huge number of those trafficking are not
men - they are little old ladies, soccer coaches, & a mother at your child's school.
For the past 4 years, Senator Judy Emmons has been working on legislation for the
State of Michigan - there are 22 bills going through legislation currently. Recently
reelected to a second term, Senator Emmons will continue her passion to stop human
trafficking.
Women at Risk are in 45 countries and all 50 states. They rescue women, provide
safe environments, help in the healing process, address their dreams by providing
schooling, teaching a trade (like making jewelry and other items for purchase at seminars),
and giving them dignity.

Editor:
Sue Schram
g_schram@
yahoo.com

BE INVOLVED:
PRAY - independently; at a weekly group; include abolishing trafficking in
your church's prayer concerns. Pray for Victims, those helping, laws will be
passed and for the salvation of perpetrators.
HOST - a WAR jewelry party. WAR will ship you the items for your date, time or
place!
SPREAD - the word; make your aware community of warning signs of victims and
possible human trafficking issues in your neighborhood!
WRITE - to your elected officials about concerns and VOTE for government
officials who support bills to abolish human trafficking.
CHECKOUT - WAR's website at www.warinternational.org, or email
info@warinternation.org.
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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Connect - Channel - Change

Panama Transformation
Joelle Mabey
Well, everyone has made it home safely from our trip to Panama, and many people on the team,
including myself, have been thrust right back into the craziness of our schedules in the U.S. Although
Ive been right back into my planned schedule (just as I had a quick turnaround last year after Haiti it is
still important to me to continue to take time to reflect on my time in Panama and how it has been a
transformational experience, even though it was my third time back. This year was a little bit different
from the last two years because for one, we had a larger team of 20 as opposed to 12, But nevertheless, it
was a mutually transformative experience for both me and Kathy Wicker, a nurse, who was on her first
mission trip overseas.
Before I left, I was in the process of reading the book Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge. The
main point of the book is re-discovering the personality of Christ and being able and willing to fully
experience him in our everyday life. When we think of Christ, many people tend to have a
one-dimensional thought process of him, but if you read through the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of
John, you can see that there are many aspects to his personality. He was, and is, honest, cunning, playful,
disruptive, confrontational, compassionate, loving, generous, humorous, and so much more. However,
we, as Christians, get too tied up in doing religious things, or things for Christ such as church, Bible
studies, etc., that we forget the true personality and ability for relationship with Jesus. When I read that at
the beginning of my time in Panama, it hit me how true that was for my life. This year working at
Bayview and still being mom being involved in the theater at the playhouse and the high , going to
church, reading books about Christ, but what was lacking was a fuller and more true relationship with
him. Almost as if putting on a facade of Christianity, but allowing religion to take over instead of the
relationship with Christ. But Im not saying this was my life, but rather there are times and tendencies
where I let me things for Christ get in the way of a relationship with Him. (In addition, Im not ranting
against religion, because I feel the importance of organized religion, but it needs to come out of a
relationship first.)

Hanging with the guys!

Kids everywhere like to play/

Joelle Mabey

Connect - Channel - Change

Panama Transformation

(continued)

When I got to Panama, I realized how much of his personality is evident in so many aspects of my
time there. When I go out on trips, its under the mindset of people being transformed by people being
transformed. If you know me, you know that I am passionate about this statement. When I go to Haiti, I
dont go with the mindset of I have so much to give so I am going to give give give, nor with the mindset
of what can I get for going to Haiti I had to have that same mindset for Panama. But rather there is a
mutual exchange of transformational experiences with one another. While driving through the streets of
Panama, people stop and stare at our van because we, as Americans, are a minority, but when we show a
little compassion and give them a smile and a wave to acknowledge their presence, their faces lights up as
they wave back to us. Second, any time we are interacting with children, I see Christ in them. But its not
just in the love that they show.
When Im with the kids, I see all aspects of Christ in them. When their feeling rambunctious, sad,
overly honest, loving, or generous, I see Jesus personality. Sure, as I come in to Ghana, as an American, I
am statistically more wealthy than they are, yet they dont care about the material things as much as we
do. When we are there, we know that we are on Panamanian time rather than clock time because they
care more about that time spent together or that one conversation over getting to a meeting at a specified
time. It is hard to get into the groove of being on Panamanian time, but the relationship is what matters
most. For Jesus, he didnt have a schedule, but took his time cultivating relationships, spending time with
people, and showing everyone his multi-faceted personality.
As I return to The States, it has taken a conscious effort to realize that Jesus personality emanates
from all kinds of things, and not simply people, but also through creation and experiences as well. As I
continue to process my time in Panama, it is my prayer that it is through the eyes of one who experiences
the fullness of Christ, and not the mortal aspects of what I think my time in Panama should have looked
like, but rather how Christ shaped my time there. No doubt that my time was fulfilling and centered on
Christ, and I learned so much from being around those kids, about how we can emulate Christs
personality in our everyday lives.
My time in Panama was another occurrence of mutual transformation as we shared life together,
both with those we encountered and with our team as a whole. I know I could lean in to my fellow
teammates, my friends, as we experienced Panama together. I pray that we continue to reflect on our time
there and how those transformational experiences will continue to transform our lives back in the U.S..
Over the coming weeks, I will still be processing my time in Panama and how it has transformed my life.
Discovering the heart of The Father was just one aspect of my trip. I have many other experiences and
stories from my time, but I will continue to glean from them and share them as I have time and feel lead.
All together the team treated 2100 people, the dentist pulled about 155 teeth, gave out 900 pairs of
eye glasses. The most important is around 30 people were saved.

From the Director

God bless you all in 2015!
As you begin planning activities for this year,
SAVE Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 the IVY Annual Day Away!
More information to Follow!
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Connect - Channel - Change

Christmas at Chapel Hill

Nila Cooper
Our ladies at church were busy, a blessing to others and ourselves as we served Christ. We had
our first ever Ladies Christmas brunch at the parsonage. Twenty ladies attended. Pastor's wife, Pauline
Boven presented the devotion. We had fun playing name that tune and other games. What a joy! My
helpers included Pauline, Nancy, Cara, all new workers this year. God is GOOD!
We held our fifth annual Marion Preschool shopping day! We served 45 students. Each child
shopped for a gift present to the woman and man in their life. Families consist of numerous
configurations: some live with grandparents; or step parents; or single parents, etc. Three newer ladies
helped for a couple hours in the morning. They were unsure about all-day. From 9am-11:30am we
served 30 students. The ladies were so excited; they stayed for the afternoon group. We all experienced
the joy of serving the Lord and HIS children. Count on us for next Christmas!
We will begin 2015 with: January- gathering baby layette items for Care Net in Cadillac: February
providing phone cards for our Military and a Valentines Day Dinner including the teens and other S.S
students. Praise the Lord!

Come to Alive!
April 17-19, 2015
Nashville, TN @ LifeWay Conference Center
The 2015 North Michigan Womens Retreat combined with General Church Wesleyan Womens
Movement. Women from all over the denomination will travel. Join us! (brochure attached)
Keynote Speakers:
Bianca Olthoff - www.inthenameof love.org
JoSaxton - www.3dmovements.com
Jo Anne Lyon - www.wesleyan.org
Bev Kimball is coordinating transportation. Bkimball6@gmail.com
Save a few dollars: Early bird registration deadline of February 23, 2015.
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