No News is Good News

I don't really have anything to add this week.  I'm a little sad that my blog entries have gone from "daily" to "weekly", but I just don't have a lot to add at this point.  Also, the fact that I'm now working 50 to 60 hours each week (I even go in on my days-off to check on the crew), makes it difficult to sit down and write for a while.

Just to update what's going on:

My mission work in the Philippines WILL be the featured mission during First Christian's VBS program this June.  Not only is this a fun way to gather supplies and support for the mission, but it is also a wonderful medium for spreading the word about the work going on in the Bohol.

I am working on a name for the 501(c)3 that I will use to formalize my mission outreach efforts.  After some discussion with my pastor and others, I have decide to limit the scope of my outreach to just the province of Bohol.  I can always expand my outreach at a later date if I see the right opportunities and have the backing of my supporters.  I am not set on this name, but my current thoughts for a name are "Educate: Bohol".  Here is my first attempt at a mission statement for the organization (subject to modification):

Scott in Ms. Maribel's 4th grade classroom

"Educate: Bohol is a faith-based, U.S. public charity which assists the children of the province of Bohol, Philippines, in gaining a basic education, providing school supplies for students and teachers, library books for schools, and establishing church-based literacy programs throughout the province.  We will also provide limited special education-services to schools, church groups, and individuals as needs and resources allow."

I will have the opportunity to speak during an adult Sunday school class this next weekend.  It has already been suggested that this class will take on the project of sending books to the Icthus Christian Academy.  That would be simply wonderful!  What I like about the way these small projects can work, is that I don't necessarily need to be involved in the gathering and sending of books or materials.  Once the group has the basic information on where and how to send their filled Balikbayan box, they can send it themselves.  Using the library project as an example, once a group has started the process, they can continue to send boxes of books on their own as many times as they wish.  If they can fill and ship one completed box of books each month, in a year's time, they could have  made a truly substantial contribution to the gaining school.  All I need to do is educate them on the process and identify the school to receive the boxes.  How simple!  More importantly, what a blessing!  I know that the Icthus Christian Academy will be excited to receive even one box of books - can you imagine their joy if they would receive one box each month!!!

Once I get these initial projects on their way, I will be faced with the challenge of identifying additional recipients of books and supplies.  This may require a trip to Bohol for a few weeks.  I also want to visit the Icthus Christian Academy to examine their curriculum and to do some teacher training as related to providing special education services and intervention techniques.  In order to do that, I need to have gathered some substantial financial support -- for me, this is the difficult part.  At this point, I can only turn it over to God, as on my own, I don't know how to make this happen.  Once I do get to return to Bohol, I will then need to do some campaigning here in the U.S. to find other churches and organizations who would like to participate in one of these projects in Bohol.  Because these are such simple projects . . . Sunday school-level projects . . . getting people interested should not be too difficult.

My son is engaged.  His wife-to-be is the daughter of a Missouri preacher.  Maybe that church will be the first church I approach for one of the other Educate: Bohol projects that I have waiting in the wings.

I guess I had something to add after all.  That's a good thing, too!