October 12, 2018

What Are the Advantages of Giving a Hurricane Relief Gift Through IDES?

IDES occasionally receives phone calls from people who want to know which churches we are partnering with in a disaster zone.  They want to help, but wonder if it might be better to send their gift directly to an area church rather than through IDES.
As we assure them of the advantages to giving a gift through IDES, we often discover their desire to give directly to a local church was based on one or more false assumptions.

False Assumption #1: That way 100% of my gift will be used for disaster relief efforts, not IDES’ overhead expenses.
The Facts:  Anytime IDES receives a designated gift, 100% of the donation is used for the purpose indicated by the donor.  Whether the designation is specific (“Hurricane Florence relief in North Carolina”), or general (“Disaster”), 100% of your gift will always be used according to your designation.  That is true whether the designated gift comes from an individual, a church, a class, or a business.

False Assumption #2: It is easier & quicker for the affected churches if I just send my gift directly.
The Facts: Gift processing places a significant burden on churches whose time and energies are already stretched thin by the demands of responding to a disaster.  IDES staff members are skilled at quickly and efficiently processing gifts of all sizes, and getting those funds quickly into the hands of churches who are responding to a disaster.  Additionally, IDES is a 501(c)(3) organization, and we promptly provide a printed receipt for all gifts received. This means that gifts from individuals and businesses can be claimed as tax-deductible contributions by donors who are able to itemize their deductions.  It is much easier for a church to process one gift from IDES than hundreds of gifts from separate donors.

False Assumption #3: IDES’ involvement doesn’t really offer any extra value to churches in the disaster area.
The Facts:  Efficient gift processing is just one of many benefits IDES brings to churches in disaster affected communities.  IDES also brings the following benefits to partner churches:

• Expertise in developing and implementing a recovery plan based on a congregation’s strengths and interests
• Recruiting volunteers from outside the local community
• Experienced volunteer coordinators to assist early on & train local coordinators for the longer-term
• Tools & equipment needed for all stages of the recovery effort
• Connection to church leaders who have faced similar challenges in past disasters
• Lessons learned from 45+ years of disaster relief ministry
  
  Thank you for partnering with IDES as we assist our brothers and sisters in Christ.
  
  

How IDES Handles U.S. Disaster Response: Hurricane Florence

September 27, 2018 
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Hurricane Florence made landfall at 7:15 a.m. on Friday, September 14, 2018. Over the course of three days, the category one hurricane dumped nearly 18 trillion gallons of water onto the east coast. The estimated damage from the storm could range anywhere from $38 billion to $50 billion, not to mention the loss of 36 irreplaceable lives.
 
OUR PLAN
IDES’s response to hurricanes is very strategic. Before the event even occurs, we establish connections with local churches in the areas most likely to be affected. Once the storm passes and the damage has been assessed, IDES deploys our U.S. Disaster coordinators along with supplies (sheds, care kits, shower trailers, tools, etc.).

IDES U.S. Disaster coordinators are an essential part of our approach to disaster response. Not only do these team members provide expertise in the area of relief but they also help churches create a game plan for clean-up, volunteer management, and donation allocation. Once on site, our U.S. Disaster coordinators begin working in partnership with the churches to help them mobilize their communities and share the hope of Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, back at our headquarters, our staff stays busy organizing volunteers and receiving monetary donations to be used at the disaster site. 

Individuals who call IDES looking to go to the disaster site are put on a list and contacted once the churches we’ve partnered with are secure enough in their own capacity to begin accepting volunteers. We prefer that volunteers have gone through an IDES disaster response training before being deployed. You can learn more about that in the “Get Involved” tab of our website.

For those share monetary donations with us, we always like to emphasize that 100% of any designated gift goes towards the project costs (no operation percentage is removed).

Whether individuals are called to go, give, or pray, IDES is blessed to be able to connect those willing to serve with those who need serving.

WHAT IDES IS DOING NOW
IDES U.S. Disaster coordinators are currently deployed at Two Rivers Church in New Bern, North Carolina and are coordinating with churches in the Wilmington and Jacksonville areas.
Volunteers will be needed at these locations. If you would like to get involved with our Hurricane Florence relief efforts connect with us at volunteer@ides.org. 

HELP & HOPE for Haiti
08/28/2018

On July 25, 2018 Joe Brackemyre, the GAP Food Packing Director at IDES, and I embarked on an 11 day trip to Haiti where we visited our mission partners and worked to bring help and hope to the people there.

​During our trip, Joe and I had an incredible time experiencing our partnership in action as we saw our meals being fed to Haitian children at schools. These meals, packed by volunteers in the U.S., are sometimes the only meal that these children will have the entire day. The cooks at the schools will testify that when the children know they are going to be fed that day, they light up with excitement.

One of the most humbling experiences during the trip was when we traveled with Damou Mission in Jacmel to a remote mountain top location where we delivered meals to a family who has gone through tumultuous times. The father is blind and struggles to find work to provide for his family ; when he has walked on the side of the road, he has often been hit by motorbikes and cars. His wife recently had a stillborn baby and had to have a doctor come to their home (which is a shack with a single blanket on the bumpy floor) due to the risk of infection. To add to their desperation, their three children all have sickle-cell anemia. Despite the challenges that life has thrown at them, the family givespraise to God for His goodness and faithfulness to their family.

​One of the biggest highlights of our trip was in Jacmel, Haiti where Joe and I stayed with Damou Mission. One of the best programs Damou does is called Milk For Mothers. Having a child is a very significant thing for a woman in Haiti, but unfortunately a lot these mothers are single and don’t have much help from the fathers of the children. It’s difficult to be a single mother in any country, but in Haiti where resources are limited, it’s even more difficult. Thankfully Damou Mission has the Milk For Mothers program to help these mothers who are receiving medical care and food for them and their children. Joe and I witnessed this program in person, and it was an incredible sight to see these mothers come in with their beautiful babies and be so thankful for what God is doing in their lives. The most rewarding part about this is that Harvest of Talents money from IDES is going toward this program and changing these mothers’ lives.  The Harvest money goes towards providing food and other needs for the mothers and their children. Milk For Mothers is literally saving lives and IDES is excited to continue to support this program.

Overall, the trip was a success because we saw how God is working in Haiti and using IDES and its mission partners to know they are loved by Him.

B.G. Moore, IDES Media Specialist

How Livestock Encourages Ministers and Opens Doors in the Philippines

Recently, one of IDES' faithful mission partners in the Philippines who specializes in medical care for families who are underserved decided to pursue a new venture in community development. They knew well that one of our Five Focus areas is Development & Sustainability, and they could see the massive potential that projects with this focus have for lifting families out of poverty and on to their own two feet. 

So, they prayed, considered, then took the risk for the sake of showing the love of Christ to their neighbors. As you will soon find out, the risk was worth it and their execution was well-organized and effective.

Instead of paraphrasing and condensing our partner's report, we want to share their own words with you. (Click "Read More"...)

Transporting the carabao by motorcycle. (Yes, you read/see that correctly!)

"The Philippines is largely an agricultural-based country, with farmers (especially in the rural areas/provinces) dependent on work animals to manually plow their fields. Tractors and plowing machines are simply too expensive; even carabaos and oxen are expensive and out of reach for the average farmer. Most of them resort to 'leasing' work animals, and pay out of their field-produced sales, leaving minimal money left for their families' daily needs.

"The purpose of the project was to provide work animals (carabaos/oxen) to previously identified needy and deserving farmers in rural communities. This will allow them now to more efficiently plow/plant/harvest their fields, and provide more sufficiently for their families' daily financial needs. Since this is a pilot project, it required protocols/guidelines, coordination with local churches who will supervise/monitor the use of the work animals, and a lot of travel to identify the most needy recipients within a province /community. The goal was to focus on a specific needy rural community which has our local church in its immediate vicinity, and to donate 6 or more work animals to previously identified farmers. The work animal is distributed within a 'co-owner' relationship with the local church pastor functioning as the community coordinator to ensure proper and optimal use/care of the work animal, and sharing of the gospel message. Thus, the local church is allowed to have a much deeper and more meaningful personal relationship/s with the recipient/s and their families. Evangelism becomes personal, deeper and more meaningful.

"A total of 8 work animals were distributed: 6 carabaos and 2 oxen with the IDES funds. The 8 beneficiaries were spread among 8 local churches, with 2 beneficiaries who are unbelievers and the rest being believers/actively involved within their local congregations. Thus, 8 local congregations are actively involved with the project, and have been greatly encouraged because of the project. The 'co-owner' relationship established a continuing partnership between the beneficiaries and their families and the local coordinating church/pastor, thus providing personal time for discipleship and evangelism...

"The project instantly connects the local church to its recipients: from the start (which involves interviews, home visits, assessment-which opens the homes of the recipients and their families to the message of God's love and mercy) to the 'co-owner' relationship status moving forward (which involves constant contact and communication/follow-up), the gospel is front and center. The gospel is not being peddled or sold via the work animals; rather, the project is a manifestation of God's care and love for the families -- a way by which God's presence and grace is made manifest by God's people coming to where they are, where the need is, instead of compelling them to come ('Can we come to visit you?' instead of 'Can you come and visit/join us?').

"This mission not only brought great encouragement and joy to the immediate beneficiaries and their families, but also to the pastors/field workers who were involved in it. [The assistant field coordinator] was so overjoyed the first time he learned that IDES provided this grant to us. He is a young pastor, who only a few years ago was so discouraged and disillusioned that he was about to quit the ministry totally. Because he is now very actively involved in all the IDES projects (Rebuilding and Emergency Assistance missions), his joy, enthusiasm and courage has been overflowing after being directly in the midst of all of God's magnificent display of love and mercy. His travels have taken him to places he had not imagined he woulf be visiting, and doing almost unbelievable missions of mercy and love, and to brethren/churches he had not even heard of.
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"His amazement of God's provisions through IDES' faithful partnership at times of crisis and deep need has brought him from the brink of walking away from what he knows is his calling to a deep abiding faith and courage in his labor of love for His Master and Savior. He pastors around 100 members in his local church, and his enthusiasm and faith is now so contagious. Perhaps, instead of [only] relating how God has moved in the life/lives of those who the project was intended for, God now wanted His workers/shepherds in the field to be greatly encouraged and to see Him at work so powerfully. Perhaps the spirit in this pastor's heart now says, 'never again, oh my soul, will you ever doubt this powerful and glorious God that you serve and preach about.' For like Job, he will perhaps say, 'I have heard about you.. now I see you...'

"The Carabaos are a BIG blessing to the recipients/farmers! Praise God for IDES which chose to award this blessing to us, so we in turn can be be a blessing to these needy farmers and their families.

"All the recipients/beneficiaries of this Livelihood/Development Project were so surprised and so thankful that there are still people/organizations that do this just to help them and their families. This brought so much joy and encouragement to their families... Now that they own the animals themselves (co-owned with the local churches), they can just use all the proceeds from their farm produce to provide for their families’ needs. The congregation likewise rejoiced with them, and thank God, for IDES [and our churches], for reaching out to these needy farmers, and sharing God’s magnificent love and mercy in this manner.

"These water buffalos’ cost, at an average of P30,000 (around $ 600), is simply too much for these poor farmers to afford to buy on a one-time cash basis. These work animals may outlive the farmers (due to hard physical daily toll on the farmers), and are usually passed on to their children—a lifetime gift indeed for most of them! Each day they go out to till the field and use the work animal, they are reminded of God’s loving hands on their seemingly small and insignificant lives.. These blessings remain with them for a long time… Who knows if God reached out through this blessing to a farmer or his family who have given up, and are hopeless, not knowing what to do next?

"Praise God for IDES for giving us the resources so we can be partners, and not just recipients, in this life-changing blessing for these needy and poor families. Maybe not even one of them prayed for this miracle to be given them, and yet it was given them… 'Now unto Him who is able to do abundantly exceedingly above all we can possibly ask, think, or even imagine…' "

-IDES' local mission partner in the Philippines

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Local church congregation responsible for serving the local farming families