I've been way past due in posting and sharing my pics from our trip to London. Check them out at http://picasaweb.google.com/kristishack/LondonJune07. I hope you enjoy them. We had a blast!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
School has begun :o)
This has been an incredible week so far. I've realized that I actually haven't lost my mind. :o)
The kids started school this week and a funny thing happened--I can complete my thoughts and I can actually check things off of my to do list.
The kids have loved being at school. Ben had a little rough start, but once he got over the hump, he has done great. He's got a great teacher and has met a boy who is actually taller than he is.
Grace did awesome her first day. Ben and I walked her to her class and she was so excited that she didn't think twice about saying goodbye. I noticed that Ben kept looking back as we were leaving to see if she would cry. I think he was amazed that she didn't. I wasn't.
When Grace came home on her first day, she said, "Mom, I just want to do it all over again right now."
It's so awesome to have kids that love school and do so well.
The kids started school this week and a funny thing happened--I can complete my thoughts and I can actually check things off of my to do list.
The kids have loved being at school. Ben had a little rough start, but once he got over the hump, he has done great. He's got a great teacher and has met a boy who is actually taller than he is.
Grace did awesome her first day. Ben and I walked her to her class and she was so excited that she didn't think twice about saying goodbye. I noticed that Ben kept looking back as we were leaving to see if she would cry. I think he was amazed that she didn't. I wasn't.
When Grace came home on her first day, she said, "Mom, I just want to do it all over again right now."
It's so awesome to have kids that love school and do so well.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
3rd Service Started Today
We added a third service today and it was incredible! We had close to 1500 people attend the 3 services, 60 visitor cards turned in and many hands raised for salvation or rededication.
The thing that I loved the most was how the church came together to make it happen. Everyone did their part and did it joyfully.
When I asked my kids about their service, they said they learned about how we are all a part of the body of Christ and how we must all do our part.
This was walked out this past week as we did a stage expansion and media overhaul in 6 days--yes just 6 days! Pete got about 5 hours of sleep in a 72 hour period, but the cool thing was that he wasn't the only crazy one. There were MANY others who did WHATEVER it took to get it done. I love how we see the big picture--lives touched and generations changed. That's why we do what we do-there's nothing better than to see people give their lives to Jesus and then see the transformation.
The thing that I loved the most was how the church came together to make it happen. Everyone did their part and did it joyfully.
When I asked my kids about their service, they said they learned about how we are all a part of the body of Christ and how we must all do our part.
This was walked out this past week as we did a stage expansion and media overhaul in 6 days--yes just 6 days! Pete got about 5 hours of sleep in a 72 hour period, but the cool thing was that he wasn't the only crazy one. There were MANY others who did WHATEVER it took to get it done. I love how we see the big picture--lives touched and generations changed. That's why we do what we do-there's nothing better than to see people give their lives to Jesus and then see the transformation.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Children's Cup 40 Days of Prayer
I would love to invite you to join with me and others around the globe as we pray for Children's Cup and all that they are doing. The 40 days of prayer started August 1. You can go to www.childrenscup.org and click on the 40 days of prayer link. There will be prayers posted every day for you to follow along with. It's been awesome praying every morning knowing that I am agreeing with others around the world and that we're touching heaven to make a difference. Prayer changes things!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Shoes
We got a price for the shoes for the Swaziland children. They are $10/pair and will be bought in Swaziland.
How awesome that for only $10, we can make a huge difference in the life of a child!
If you want to get involved, go to www.Childrenscup.org, click on the Engage link and then the Shoes link. You can sign up there to be a part.
You would simply mail the amount of your donation to Children's Cup and in the memo line, write Engage:Shoes.
Go ahead and do it today!
How awesome that for only $10, we can make a huge difference in the life of a child!
If you want to get involved, go to www.Childrenscup.org, click on the Engage link and then the Shoes link. You can sign up there to be a part.
You would simply mail the amount of your donation to Children's Cup and in the memo line, write Engage:Shoes.
Go ahead and do it today!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Picasa Web Albums - Kristi - Go Global Trip
Well, after 5 days, I've finally finished my photos to be shared. Check them out. I hope you enjoy them!
http://picasaweb.google.com/kristishack/GoGlobalTrip
http://picasaweb.google.com/kristishack/GoGlobalTrip
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Back from Swaziland and Nairobi
Sawubona!
That means hello in Siswati. It’s one of the few words that I managed to learn while I was in Swaziland.
Well, I made it back safe and sound with my heart a lot larger and my emotions a little raw. I’m still trying to process all that I have seen and I’m asking the Lord daily just what it is that He wants me to do with the knowledge I gained and experiences that I had.
We had a wonderful trip! Swaziland is incredibly beautiful and the Swazi’s are very warm and friendly. Contrary to what the media portrays, it’s also a safe place.
We worked with an organization there called Children’s Cup. They are doing an incredible work! They have 14 CarePoints where children come and receive a meal (the only meal of the day for most), education for the younger ones, a medical clinic, Bible teaching and lots of love. Most of the children are orphaned by one or both parents due to the AIDS virus.
The ladies on our team did craft projects with the kids, walked in the community handing out blankets and praying for the ladies. The guys mixed and poured cement the old fashioned way for a veranda and dug out a 5-foot deep trench to lay a foundation for an addition at one of the CarePoints. We all cut, assembled and stained 12 benches for the kids to sit on, held two Bible clubs, helped with the medical clinic and gave out lots of love.
We celebrated July 4th at one of the missionaries’ homes in 40-degree weather by grilling hamburgers and chicken and shooting fireworks. It was quite different being able to blow smoke from my mouth in July.
One day, we visited the government hospital. It was more like a gathering place for the sick than a hospital, as one of the team members put it. I think it was this visit that will forever stay with me. There were no doctors or nurses to be found. The conditions were disgusting to put it in a nice way. At the end of the hall, there was what they call the abandoned babies room, which was also the laundry room for the hospital. Leaving that hospital, I thought my heart would literally break.
On Friday, we left Swaziland and headed to Nairobi, Kenya. Saturday, we actually visited Kibera, the 2nd largest slum in Africa. There are 1 million people that inhabit 600 acres. Words can’t even describe the living conditions there. It is like living in a garbage dump with open sewage running through it. The walkways are lined with various shops such as butcher, small grocery store, clothing, barber, etc…The peoples homes are behind their storefront. Most homes and storefronts are no bigger than my closet with dirt floors and tin roofs.
One man has started a church there in the center of this slum. We made our way to the church where we had a time of prayer for this Pastor, his church and the people living there. We then visited a few homes of church members where we prayed for them.
After our visit to Kibera, we made our way to a market to souvenir shop. It just didn’t seem right after what we had just experienced.
One of the highlights of the trip was attending Nairobi Lighthouse Church on Sunday morning. This church is where our Pastors John and Leslie Siebeling served as missionaries for three years. It is from that church, that The Life Church of Memphis was birthed. They now have several thousand members. It was so great to see how they are making a difference in their community and raising up leaders.
Prior to going on this trip, I frequently asked God why I was going. Once in Swaziland, I was overwhelmed with the huge amount of need there. I remember being at a CarePoint and saying to God, “there is SO much need here. What could I possibly do and would it make any difference?” As I was all bundled up in my coat and hat and shivering from the cold, I looked down and realized that many of these children didn’t even have shoes and many that did were wearing shoes that were very worn with holes and flapping soles. It was then that I decided that I could at least help to get them some shoes.
When I returned home, I got on the Children’s Cup website and saw that they did special projects from time to time. One was to provide hats and gloves to the children. I contacted someone from Children’s Cup, told them my story and asked them if they would be willing to do a special project to provide shoes for the children. They emailed me back and told me of something new they are doing called Engage. It is for people who want to help make a difference in Africa. She explained how I could lead an Engage team that would help to provide shoes for the children and that I would be responsible for motivating others to get involved. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and am so thrilled that I can help to make a small difference in the life of a child.
If you would like to be involved, you can go to the Children’s Cup website at http://www.childrenscup.org/, click on the Engage link and join the Engage: Shoes team. It’s an awesome way to get involved and to make a difference!
Thank you to all of you who supported me financially and made it possible for me to go. My life will never be the same! You can check out my pictures on the web at http://picasaweb.google.com/kristishack/GoGlobalTrip .
That means hello in Siswati. It’s one of the few words that I managed to learn while I was in Swaziland.
Well, I made it back safe and sound with my heart a lot larger and my emotions a little raw. I’m still trying to process all that I have seen and I’m asking the Lord daily just what it is that He wants me to do with the knowledge I gained and experiences that I had.
We had a wonderful trip! Swaziland is incredibly beautiful and the Swazi’s are very warm and friendly. Contrary to what the media portrays, it’s also a safe place.
We worked with an organization there called Children’s Cup. They are doing an incredible work! They have 14 CarePoints where children come and receive a meal (the only meal of the day for most), education for the younger ones, a medical clinic, Bible teaching and lots of love. Most of the children are orphaned by one or both parents due to the AIDS virus.
The ladies on our team did craft projects with the kids, walked in the community handing out blankets and praying for the ladies. The guys mixed and poured cement the old fashioned way for a veranda and dug out a 5-foot deep trench to lay a foundation for an addition at one of the CarePoints. We all cut, assembled and stained 12 benches for the kids to sit on, held two Bible clubs, helped with the medical clinic and gave out lots of love.
We celebrated July 4th at one of the missionaries’ homes in 40-degree weather by grilling hamburgers and chicken and shooting fireworks. It was quite different being able to blow smoke from my mouth in July.
One day, we visited the government hospital. It was more like a gathering place for the sick than a hospital, as one of the team members put it. I think it was this visit that will forever stay with me. There were no doctors or nurses to be found. The conditions were disgusting to put it in a nice way. At the end of the hall, there was what they call the abandoned babies room, which was also the laundry room for the hospital. Leaving that hospital, I thought my heart would literally break.
On Friday, we left Swaziland and headed to Nairobi, Kenya. Saturday, we actually visited Kibera, the 2nd largest slum in Africa. There are 1 million people that inhabit 600 acres. Words can’t even describe the living conditions there. It is like living in a garbage dump with open sewage running through it. The walkways are lined with various shops such as butcher, small grocery store, clothing, barber, etc…The peoples homes are behind their storefront. Most homes and storefronts are no bigger than my closet with dirt floors and tin roofs.
One man has started a church there in the center of this slum. We made our way to the church where we had a time of prayer for this Pastor, his church and the people living there. We then visited a few homes of church members where we prayed for them.
After our visit to Kibera, we made our way to a market to souvenir shop. It just didn’t seem right after what we had just experienced.
One of the highlights of the trip was attending Nairobi Lighthouse Church on Sunday morning. This church is where our Pastors John and Leslie Siebeling served as missionaries for three years. It is from that church, that The Life Church of Memphis was birthed. They now have several thousand members. It was so great to see how they are making a difference in their community and raising up leaders.
Prior to going on this trip, I frequently asked God why I was going. Once in Swaziland, I was overwhelmed with the huge amount of need there. I remember being at a CarePoint and saying to God, “there is SO much need here. What could I possibly do and would it make any difference?” As I was all bundled up in my coat and hat and shivering from the cold, I looked down and realized that many of these children didn’t even have shoes and many that did were wearing shoes that were very worn with holes and flapping soles. It was then that I decided that I could at least help to get them some shoes.
When I returned home, I got on the Children’s Cup website and saw that they did special projects from time to time. One was to provide hats and gloves to the children. I contacted someone from Children’s Cup, told them my story and asked them if they would be willing to do a special project to provide shoes for the children. They emailed me back and told me of something new they are doing called Engage. It is for people who want to help make a difference in Africa. She explained how I could lead an Engage team that would help to provide shoes for the children and that I would be responsible for motivating others to get involved. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and am so thrilled that I can help to make a small difference in the life of a child.
If you would like to be involved, you can go to the Children’s Cup website at http://www.childrenscup.org/, click on the Engage link and join the Engage: Shoes team. It’s an awesome way to get involved and to make a difference!
Thank you to all of you who supported me financially and made it possible for me to go. My life will never be the same! You can check out my pictures on the web at http://picasaweb.google.com/kristishack/GoGlobalTrip .
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