Mission Photo Album James Fund / Good Goers Mission Trip Oaks, Oklahoma January 9-14, 2012
Team doing the “Wave”
Cheering on the Lady Warriors
New Friendships Forged
Camaraderie
Team members were OPEN
to creating hope, action, and change
PASSIONATE
COURAGEOUS
OPEN
ESSENTIAL
AUTHENTIC
MAGNETIC
Our week at the Oaks Indian Mission was full of God’s wondrous acts. His first wondrous act was to get all 25 us there on time. This was the largest James Fund/Good Goers team ever commissioned to serve. Because of our size we split the group up into four 6– person teams – just like the Navy Seals … but different. TEAM 1 took on the task of building new bunk beds for the Guest House which future James Fund teams will appreciate. Four shiny new bunks and a total of eight new beds for future teams completed and stained by weeks’ end. TEAM 2 built a beautiful deck on which the future Green House and “Gardener Training Center” will be built. They also laid new flooring, new carpet, rehabbed, and refurbished another cottage for future teams. The new cottage is in move–in shape thanks to Team 2. TEAM 3 blessed the house parents of one of the cottages by doing laundry… 22 loads in 6 hours, plus cleaned rooms, walls, closets, and floors to take the burden off of the house parents. Team 3 also rehabbed and cleaned one of the vacant children’s cottages in preparation for future house parents and kids from a growing waiting list. TEAM 4 stocked and organized the garment room and then tackled a total re-painting of the kitchen. Once they were done there, they began the up-dating process and painted the basement in one of the children’s cottages. Busy little team they were.
“Seal Team” ready to serve…
Not deterred by 20째 F weather
Laying a Foundation for the Green House
Indian Heritage
Native American lacrosse is also known as stickball.
Creating Ripples
God will use the team’s TOUCHES to create ripples in the lives of the Oaks family.
Never the Same
Here I go‌ In the crazy beautiful mosaic of pictures that this week has been the biggest image for me is "time concept with intention". As I played and loved on all these special children thoughts of "why don't I do this at home" kept coming to me. Why do I waste time on perfectly cleaning the house? Who cares if the floor is covered with toys? As I sit writing this, Oaks children are waiting for me to come out and play. Here I go‌ Because a long story is less important that the last half hour I get to spend with these beautiful broken children. by Sarah Price
One Body My picture of the week was how the team came together as one body. We served and showed God's love to the children and the staff, making sure that we left no one out. Indeed Christ lives in all of us. Keep pressing forward ‌ by Lasonya Oxendine
At Family Christian, we’ve always sought a greater role in ministry. Helping customers find, grow, share and celebrate their faith through our nearly 300 stores is incredibly enriching. However, we began to see that we were called to do more; for years, we prayerfully considered new opportunities to enter deeper into ministry life. Ultimately, we were moved to take up the call to action found in James 1:27 – to look after orphans and widows in distress. It was the beginning of The James Fund and a mission that would inspire Good Goers Mission-Based Adventures. The James Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Family Christian Stores to meet the needs of orphans and widows in the communities it serves and around the world. Family Christian, through The James Fund, partners with their customers in a shared mission; reaching out to orphans and widows, showing them the love of our Heavenly Father. Through the Foundation, Family Christian customers participate in various in-store promotions. The James Fund serves orphans and widows in four primary ways: • adoption assistance programs • hands-on orphan and widow care work • quality of life improvements for orphans and widows • encourage the Church to fulfill God’s commitments to orphans and widows