Month: July 2023

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Gabharts June 2023

It feels like we have been away as much as we have been home in the last few months. In mid-April, Sam got the opportunity to travel to Chicagoland and share at the 50-year celebration for an organization that had a huge impact throughout her life. Outreach was the community center in Carol Stream where she spent much of her time in grade school, helped her go to camp where she met Jesus, walked with her through traumatic events in high school, and helped her be able to go to college.  It was great to be able to be present for the event and for Sam to be able to talk about how this organization saved her life to people who are supporting this wonderful ministry.

Sam recording her story for future promo videos for Outreach

MFI booth – Moody Aviation’s Missions Week

At Missionary Flights, Haiti continues to be an on-going prayer request. Gang activity is on the rise and people are beginning to be fed up. This is leading to people acting out against the gangs and then the gang members retaliating. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti, that this situation can be resolved, preferably without additional bloodshed. Please also pray for the missionaries to have safety and wisdom as they continue to serve the people of Haiti and point them to Jesus.

James sharing in a breakout session for Moody Aviation’s Missions Week

Sam sharing in a breakout session for Moody Aviation’s Missions Week

At the end of May, Sam and James got the opportunity to spend almost two weeks in Spokane to be able to visit with supporters. It was a wonderful time connecting and updating as we were able. God also orchestrated the trip dates to align with Moody Aviation’s Missions Week. We were able to connect with the Moody students and provide encouragement as they pursue mission aviation as well as share about Missionary Flights. We were blessed by all the opportunities to share while in Spokane and our only regret is that some people were overlooked in our notification that we were coming.

In the interest of improving on that front, we are in the process of finalizing our travel dates for fall. We are planning on being in the Midwest during September and hope to be able to visit with all of those desiring to catch up. Those who receive our newsletter via email, watch your inbox in Mid-August for dates when we will be in your area. We will include the finalized schedule in the September newsletter, but if you want to reach out early and get on the calendar, please let us know.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support as we serve at MFI.

James and Sam Gabhart

Family News

May was a busy month for our family!  Two weekends in a row, we had mud runs.  The first was with the youth group kids at Teen Missions on Merritt Island.  Their Tough Gator 5k was a huge success for our kids. Chris and Abby ran it this year while Sam and Jonny took pictures.  In Sam’s words, she wasn’t going to “punish” her body two weekends in a row doing mud runs.  The following weekend, Sam and Abby ran in an all-women’s mud run in Tampa with the Mud Girl.  They had such a great time doing that this year that they have tickets to do it again next year.  These events are such fun and truly show the progress everyone has been making with becoming stronger!

Chris and Abby at Tough Gator

Sam and Abby post run at Mud Girl

Summer is arriving at Growing Minds Academy, the name of our school.  This summer brings us the joy of sharing that Jonny is officially moving on to high school work come fall!  This feels huge to us, and truly is an achievement for him.  For those unfamiliar with Jonny’s challenges, he battles reading disabilities, as well as learning delays, as a byproduct of his primary disorder, Neurofibromatosis type 1. Also, this next year we will officially have two middle school kids – Chris and Abby met their milestones of moving onto 7th and 6th grade work. As their parents, we are so excited about the next steps as we continue to meet them academically, persevere with them, and to challenge them too.  We are so proud of them!

Jonny with his 8th grade completion certificate

Chris and Abby at Tough Gator

This summer also has a lot in store for our kids.  First up is youth camp for our boys.  The first full week in June, they are off to Student Life Camp with our youth group. Shortly after that will be our church’s High Power Sports Camp and  then Vacation Bible School.  Summer though won’t be all spent at church.  We do want to check out some new beaches we haven’t been to yet, as well as focus on, as a family, finding what truly refreshes our souls so we can start the next school year off well.

Prayer Requests

  • Prayer for people to fill the open positions at Missionary Flights (Director of Development, Marketing, and Warehouse Assistant)
  • Prayer for opening of doors for us to share the ministry opportunity with new people
  • Prayer for the full summer schedule – the ability to participate in the activities as well as the margin to rest around them (in short, a balanced summer)
  • Prayer for Haiti and the continued turmoil, kidnappings, and hurting hearts and for wisdom and safety for the missionaries continuing to serve there
  • Prayer for God to bless our ministry partners in their consistency to support the work He is doing

Ministry Update

We are so thankful to all who are following God’s leading in supporting us. We are currently receiving $5,500 (93%) in monthly commitments.  We need an additional $400 monthly to be fully supported.

Online Giving:
www.missionaryflights.org/gabhart

OR

Mail Checks to:
3170 Airmans Drive
Fort Pierce, FL 34946 
Memo: Gabharts #2837

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Mylinda Bates June 2023

Accompany Cuba training in July

More than one billion people have been affected by violence and disasters around the world. Every day, people affected by a crisis have to make decisions about how to use the skills and resources available to them to best meet their emotional, psychological and spiritual needs.  Often there are not enough pastors, psychologists, doctors or counselors to meet the challenges of accompaniment. In addition, in many parts of the world, especially in Cuba, it is difficult to access services in a meaningful way due to distance, financial means and time available. More needs to be done to support and equip leaders who are already providing vital help in their own communities and cultures but lack the formation and practice in trauma-informed support. This July we are planning to launch a pilot project in Cuba, called Expressive Arts in Transition (EXIT) that will provide capacity, confidence and community support for over-extended care providers who come alongside others in situations of crisis.

Survivors of trauma are constantly looking for a sense of home and security outside of themselves. The EXIT program places attention on finding this sense of home internally in the physical body.  Based on resilience and growth,  the EXIT program started in Norway and is based on longitudinal studies with unaccompanied minors and war refugees from the Balkans. It is an early intervention model, using the expressive arts in trauma-informed ways to provide psychosocial and spiritual support in response to individual and community crisis and transition.  My co-facilitator, Shabrae Jackson and I both received our EXIT training and certification from its founder, Dr. Melinda Ashley Meyer DeMott.  We hope to train and certify Spanish speaking faith leaders, social service providers and peace builders in the EXIT model so that they can train others in their communities to provide accessible and needed psycho-social-spiritual support for trauma recovery.   It will be the first time this internationally recognized program will be offered in Latin America.

Through play, movement and the arts, we will create a space where people can imagine new possibilities and community practices of connection and healing.  We will focus on building hope for the future through practices of spontaneity, movement, imagination, commitment, connection, the here and now and both personal and collective responsibility.  This project will offer access to practical, arts-based accompaniment skills for faith leaders, community organizers, peace builders, social service providers, health professionals, and university professors from every province of Cuba. The 6-day

intensive training will include community meals, daily group-building, sessions of experiential learning, artmaking, body-based grounding and flexibility exercises, and spiritual reflection as individuals and groups.It is our hope and vision to create a Latin American EXIT (Expressive Arts in Transition) team in the next two years of  Latin American leaders who will become trainers of trainers, providing contextual formation for a cadre of expressive arts accompaniers. With learnings from this pilot project, we hope to expand this training to many other Spanish speaking countries.

Access to innovative educational opportunities like this program is beyond the financial capacity of most Cuban citizens where average monthly income does not exceed $150. I am praying and planning to secure funding to provide the week’s room and board ($240 per person) for all participants, making accessible a training opportunity that would not normally be financially feasible for the participants. I’ve already received gifts to cover 4 participants’ food and housing costs. We need 11 more now. Would you consider giving something to make this training possible? I created an original glass art piece measuring 8”X10” to be a reminder of the community effort to support this unique gathering. All gifts of $50+ given to the Cuba pilot project between June 1 – August 1, 2023, will be entered into a raffle to win the art. Until the project is posted on IM’s website, all donations can be made by checks to International Ministries, noting Mylinda Baits Specifics Cuba project or by calling Julie to process your card at donor services 610-768-2314.

A million thanks for caring for this creative as I strive to care for other carers. You make all of the difference.

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Stantons July 2023

We have returned to Illinois for our summer home assignment. We are so excited to be home, but nervous, too. Travel can be difficult. Please pray for us!

This is the end of our second 5-year term of service with International Ministries, so we will attend the Conference for Missionaries (known as CFM or “Sea-Foam”) in July. The conference gives us a time of renewal, and we look forward to the next five years in Hungary.

Thank you so much for making this possible!

We reflect with joy over the friendships we’ve made during our 10 years with International Ministries. Your prayers, ongoing support, and project donations have touched countless lives with the love of Jesus.

We are currently 77% of our personal support goal. This is the ongoing support that “keeps the lights on.” While one-time donations are vital to our ministries in the schools in Hungary and communities in Serbia, the ongoing support—pledged monthly, quarterly, or annually—is the key to our presence here in Central Europe.

If you’ve never partnered with us in ongoing support, could we ask you to join us now? Even small amounts given monthly sustain our ministry over the years. If you do give regularly, we would like to ask you to prayerfully consider an increase in your support.

Évzáró: School’s Out for Summer!

My friend and English teacher Csilla leads the 8th grade class into the graduation ceremony

We have completed our 9th school year in Hungary—time flies! I had the privilege of watching these students grow from children into young adults. Thank you for sending us to share God’s love and the English language with them.

One of my 1st-graders drew this—I think it’s pretty good!

Larry loves to visit his Serbian friends

Larry has made several trips to Serbia so far this year, taking firewood, Easter packets (food and hygiene supplies), and his love.

May God continue to richly bless us as we continue sharing his abundant life!

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One Collective Elgin – July 2023

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Prime Day Deals!

Thank to everyone who has already purchased something off of the Amazon list! The items are making a HUGE difference!

For those who didn’t see the “Call to Action” email I sent out, there are several items that people who are experiencing homelessness need. I’ve created an Amazon list of supplies and I’ve marked some items with priorities.

With Prime Day going on, some of the items are on sale. If you haven’t already purchased something, now is the perfect time! And if you have sent something already and want to send more, please do!

The items will be shipped to me, so I can make sure they get into the right hands.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

AMAZON LIST