My role with AIM is in the Admissions department. This is the team that begins talking to a person the very first time they express interest and helps find the right trip for them and then prepare for that trip. A big part of the Admissions process is a phone interview. After an applicant fills out an application they have a phone call with one of the staff for that program. This is the point where we really ask the deeper questions and make sure this applicant is a good fit with this trip.
As I was preparing for a recent interview, I knew this girl and I would have a lot to talk about. She had been through a rough life and wasn't in a good place right now. Quite honestly, I wasn't surprised... most of this upcoming generation comes with plenty of baggage.
As we began the conversation, "Sue" (we'll just call her that) shared about growing up in a youth group and how great she felt when she would be at church. At school she would have negative influences all around her, but then she would get to church and things were better. In the summers, she would struggle to make good decisions at home, but then she would go on a mission trip with the youth group and feel so much peace and warmth.
"Sue" now finds herself at college, away from her youth group and any good influences in her life. She's again making poor choices and when she heard about the World Race she saw an opportunity to find that peace and warmth again. However, any World Racer can tell you that those 11 months just don't work that way... they are hard and challenging and without a firm foundation in Christ it's going to be rough. So asked "Sue"... "Where do you see God in your every day life right now?"
Sue paused... "Hmmm... I don't know." I knew then that it wasn't time for her to pursue the Race. I talked a bit with Sue about the difficulties you would face in 11 months overseas and suggested that over the weekend she should look into a shorter trip where she could find some discipleship and begin to build her foundation. She was very surprised... maybe even devastated. But she agreed to look into it, pray, and we would talk again on Monday.
Monday comes around and I give "Sue" a call. "How you doin? How was the weekend?" I'll never forget her words... the door that then opened:
"You know Laura... when you asked me that I got really scared. The truth is that God is not in my everyday life."
"Sue... has anyone ever told you that God wants a PERSONAL relationship with you? He wants to be with you at school, in class, in your dorm.... Not just at church."
"Wow... I have never heard that before."
At this point my mind hit the brakes. WHOA! Okay... reverse... time to head another direction.
"Sue... Jesus came so that we could be with God every single day in every single situation. He didn't come just so we wouldn't have to go to hell. Our sin created a gap that separated us from God and Jesus laid down His life to be a bridge so that we could be with God right now, every day."
"Really?"
"Sue, to have that... all you have to do is pray and ask. There are no right words or specific prayers. Just tell God that you want Him in your everyday life."
"Can I pray now?"
This is why we do what we do... It amazes me that a person could grow up in church their whole life and have no idea that God wants a PERSONAL relationship... But God is such an amazing, persistent God that He will even introduce you to to a random missions organization in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains so He can show you how much He loves you. Wow...
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give
the reason for the hope that you have." -- 1 Peter 3:15
Over the past month I have been a part of two really great weekend training's. The first was for a group of college students from the Wesleyan foundation at Georgia Southern University (near Savannah, GA). 20+ students and their leader, Carl, came with an expectation that God would do something in their lives; that he would speak to them, touch them in some way.
The week before they where scheduled to come I got some "bad" news from my boss, Clint. "Corey I'm sorry but this weekend I am going to Haiti with some other AIM people. Sorry dude. But your it. You got it, I know your gonna do great."
Even while he was giving me full confidence I was doubting that I could pull it off. "Shoot. This means I have to do..." and the list of "how to cover my butt" began. We had talked this weekend up for the students and built this into a wonderful weekend even before it began, and all I could envision was a weekend of chaos, no direction and more importantly - me looking like an idiot.
I knew that God would show up and that it'd be an awesome weekend, but I was fighting to believe that. And more than once I thought "all is lost, I should call Carl and tell him not to come." One time as I was wrestling with this thought I heard something (no, some one) rise up inside of me and say "Oh no you don't! I am taking Clint and the others away from this so that you can rise to where I want you."
Wow...All I could do was say "Yes Lord! I won't fight you. Only, please show upbecause I don't have anything to give them!" That whole weekend I was pleading the Lord to come and have His way among the group, myself and the other staff. There were times throughout the week when it was evident that God's Spirit was working on individuals. I wasn't sure if everyone was catching what the Lord was wanting to give us but I decided not to let that distract me. "I'm not here to make them listen, or make them hungry for all of God. God, thats your job right?" He said "Yup"
On the last morning I asked them "Whom did God speak to this weekend?" All of them raised their hands and smiled big! God showed up...at that moment I was filled with a peace and I heard the Lord say "Well done".
A dear friend passed away this morning. Jason St. John was a part of my community in Texas before The World Race. Only a few years ago, he married one of my closest friends - Kaci. We are headed out to Texas in the morning to love and support Kaci in every way possible and to attend Jason's funeral.
Kaci overwhelmed me today. As she planned the funeral, she asked gave people the option to donate to a charitable organization in Jason's honor - one of which is us. For those of you visiting this website to honor her request, we are overwhelmed. Thank you. Know that our vision is to spend our lives helping this generation find and experience all that God wants to offer. Jason's life was lived in pursuit of just that and the way we want to honor him is to help others finish the Race. To donate, simply click "Support The Jacobs" on the left.
Our prayer right now is that God would give us the words when needed and the silence when that's needed... that we would hold Kaci when possible and hold up those who are holding her when not. We appreciate you all who hold us up as we walk this incredibly unfortunate road.
Just a quick note [that became long] to say I'm back in Gainesville as of 9pm Monday night. I'm wiped out but still broken and now very hopeful for what God has planned for Haiti. I think I'm beginning to understand that our response is so very important and that the Kindgom of God needs to be awakened on this earth, and we were meant to do that...I was meant to do that. I was born to, and so are you.
In Santo Domingo we were getting our bags at the airport and another of the 100 or so aid workers that were on our plane said to me and my firends "well good luck and give them heaven!" (as a posed to "give them hell", hey I didn't get it at first either). I thought it was so appropriate for that day to keep that thought in my head, I'm supposed to help others find the abundant life I found. And I believe I did in some ways, and it feels great. You don't sleep much, and some days you go without food for 8+ hours just becuase your busy, and sometimes when you do get time to eat you can't because the restaurant ran out of food because there are so many American, Boivian, Canadian, Dominican, etc, doctors and church groups...besides the inconvenience just think how good a problem that is. So many decided to give and some went because they could. A friend of mine, who I lost touch with when we left Georgia for Ireland last August met me the night before I left and handed me a envelope with the money he and his young family wanted to give to me for supplies and on those in Haiti. I didn't open it until he was gone and I was buying mosquito netting. When I did I was moved and almost cried. I know this guy doesn't have much so to see so much given I could see his passion and heart was in my hands. Jesus brought attention to the widow who gave all she had, 2 small coins.
In Jimani, Miguel and I were singing (in Creole!) and praying with a group of refugees. I asked God to "meet everyone of their needs", I very clearly heard a whisper that said "You meet their needs".
If we don't respond who will? I think the response from most Americans has been great, very generous. But is that it? It's between you and God. Not anyone else. What is HE asking of you?
Here is a video of Pastor Etean Profe'. He and his wife Betty live in the Haitian Town of Fond Parisien where he is a pastor, doctor, father figure, and much more to many. We are hooking up with him to get supplies accross the border into Haiti and plan to have him funnel our supplies to 100 other pastors that have relationships with him.
Just wanted to let you know that we (Sam Borg, Marcia Borg, and I. Mitch left this morning with other Americans and flew home) left Jimani this morning after dropping off a load of supplies from a very full jeep. We bought in 7 pairs; 7 propane tanks, 7 stove tops, 7 sets of food and clothes, and other things for 7 pastors who have heard the same word from God that Miguel has heard. We believe that the Lord is raising up pastors who will become fathers to their people in Haiti.
We poured all we had into this vision, we felt that this was the best way to use most of our resources as most immediate needs are being met, of course there are always exceptions as to who gets or doesn't get fed.
We will have plenty of stories in the days to come; we spent a lot of time runninf around shopping but we did spend a good amount of time on the streets talking to people who were camping out on the sidewalks or in the park.
Now that I have sat with these people and talked with them; heard their story and in a small way felt their pain, I have to make room in my heart for them. They are a beautiful people with a unique dialect that sounds beautiful and mystical.
On another note we felt an aftershock last night in Jimani, it only lasted 4 or 5 seconds. It was very strange....
We rolled into Jimani, the second biggest focus point besides Port Au Prince, yesterday afternoon with expectations of finding hundres upon hundreds on the streets. We were prepared for what we saw on tv and youtube to be in our face, enter ¨expectations change¨.
There are people in the streets, maybe 70 to 120, all of them trying to get a ride to the Dominican capital where they believe more hope lies than in Haiti. Most of the hospital paitents are in post opt care. Last night Miguel and I walked through the hospital, there is need for love there. Lots of people with casts and one leg or one arm missing. It was alittle overwhelming to see so many in the halls, some with family some not so lucky.
Miguel and I found need. We walked around with a bag full of little ¨bolsas de agua¨ handing them to anyone who wanted water, nurses, doctors and of course the paitents themselves. We walked in back and found a women who had a plate of food next to her on the bed, Miguel knew what to do...he started to feed her.
Before visiting the hospital we were blessed with the company we sought out, a group of Haitians who were sitting in the city park, searching (not intently) for a place to sleep. Ezekiel was the man of the group, he was living in the DR when everything happened. His sister was in Port au Prince, along with her 3 kids. Her husband died, not sure if anyone else in her family did or not because we didn´t talk about people dying. Instead Miguel, full of the Holy Spirit and His energy, was entertaining the kids and having them sing worship songs in Creole ( Haitian French). It was beautiful. We were soon joined by more people as a man and his wife, along with a few other women settled up to us. We all talked awhile about different things. Then Miguel started asking them about Jesus. I could see that the burden to share the Gospel was spilling out of His mouth, it was as beautiful as the singing. Turns out Ezekiel and his family are christians but the other man wasn´t. I believe that he heard and accepted, Miguel was very straight forward with him specifically.
Corey and crew are in Jimani (border town DR/Haiti). All are safe and healthy.
This morning they arrived in Jimani not knowing what to expect. Last week our DR staff member Miguel Shaul has made contact with a pastor in Port-au-Prince who needed medical supplies and food. Since then we've been unable to contact him due to communication lines being down. They prayed. The team met up with Miguel in Jimani and were praying and discussing options when Miguel jumped from the car saying, "There is the pastor!"
The pastor was at a gas station, dropping off a wounded person, and headed back to Haiti. The team were able to immediately hand over ALL the supplies they had gathered in Gainesville - $2200 worth – and put it in the back of the pastor's truck. The plan is tomorrow the pastor will return and the team will meet him with a load of food stuffs they can buy on the DR side.
They say the hospital is full, but the streets are "normal." There are lots of aid workers there. They have been talking with two young mothers with young children who were from Port-au-Prince, had fled after the earthquake and were just sitting exhausted on the sidewalk. They seemed traumatized – every time a car went by they felt as if another earthquake was coming.
Depending on how things go they may go into a small town near another border that has gone from its normal population of 3000 to more than 20,000 – people are leaving Port-au-Prince in drives going wherever they can for help.
Please keep praying as they follow the Lord's leading.
My role with AIM is in the Admissions department. This is the team that begins talking to a person the very first time they express interest and helps find the right trip for them and then prepare for that trip. A big part of the Admissions process is a phone interview. After an applicant fills out an application they have a phone call with one of the staff for that program. This is the point where we really ask the deeper questions and make sure this applicant is a good fit with this trip. 
