Week 2 Theme: LOVE

Last week, we had two groups here serving with us from Briarwood Pres from Birmingham AL and Cornerstone Pres in Columbia, SC and it was our biggest group of volunteer mission teams EVER! We had a total of 68 people between the two groups and individuals who joined us! The Lord was faithful to us in many ways last week, including seeing a few kids come to know Christ, I hope to post these stories as soon as I can get the team members to write them up for me! Praise the Lord with me for those who came to know the Lord and also be praying for them as they grow in their faith!

The theme for last week was LOVE! Each groups teaching surrounding the topic of love and both did a great job! Thank you all for pouring your lives into our kids! I wanted to share with you the videos Cornerstone made. They introduced each day with a slideshow of images from the day, fun music and then also introduced the Praise time topic via a video. I will start with only posting day one's video. I will post the others in the coming days!

Day One Love by Cornerstone Pres from Bobbi Jo Brooks on Vimeo.

A few images from the first week of Summer Program

Jumping for joy :-) Summer program is back!









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More to come!

New Post coming soon I promise

Hi All,
I have been a bit behind on anything related to a computer since I arrived in NYC, so I promise an update with photos coming very soon!

Bobbi Jo

Global Missions Conference

The PCA Global Missions Conference is coming up and we would LOVE for you to join us!

Here's a blurb about it:
Join fellow believers from across the PCA in Chattanooga this November in a joyous celebration of hope hosted together by Mission to the World and Covenant College. Hear about the work of Christ in church planting, mercy ministry, medical outreach, student internships, arts in missions, and much more. Personally connect with others in the PCA as well as in the global church. Learn more about partnerships. Be challenged by ministry updates. Prayerfully explore your role and that of your church. Encourage others. Most of all, join in the worship of Christ—The Hope of Nations!

To sign up and get other helpful information regarding speakers, musicians, schedules, etc., you can go here https://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=GLOB59E&OID=50

Hope to see you there!!!!

Update from Exodus!

Here are a few excerpts from Operation Exodus' latest prayer letter:

"It has been an exciting school year at Exodus - Washington Heights and Inwood. Our amazing God has blessed us in ways we did not expect.
Wonderfully qualified teachers and other professionals, looking for a bit of a financial cushion, have joined our staff and their expertise has influenced our students and staff for the best.
Mentors are consistently coming every Saturday to give children the Good News and students are emotionally more stable and are reading the Bible.
One third grader read the whole Bible in one weekend and is already a little preacher to her family. “The stories are amazing,” she says.
Parents are more engaged. We shared with them that we did not have as much funding for the summer program as in the past (with the implication that we’d have to raise parent fees) and the news mobilized them to find ways to help raise money. They came up with the idea to do a raffle, provided the prize, sold the tickets and this past Friday, one of their friends won a dinner for four at Carmines to celebrate Mother’s Day. Exodus received $2,200 - that is a lot of money coming from the families we serve.
We are encouraged. On May 20, Exodus is hosting a fund-raising event at Dillon Gallery in Chelsea from 7-9pm. The idea is that Exodus friends will connect with our ministry and desire to help us bring down God’s kingdom in Washington Heights and Inwood through quality afterschool tutoring, mentoring and summer achievement programs."

"Please join us in prayer that Exodus after-school tutoring, mentoring and summer achievement programs will continue to support families like Eulalia’s. We are asking the Lord for $100,000 and we hope to get it at the event on May 20."

Please pray with us as we ask the Lord to provide in such an amazing way, and that Exodus will continue to grow and tell many of His wonderous love.

Bring in the Culture

I came across this great article titled, "Uptown in the Carribean". The article is a few years old so some parts of it may be a bit outdated, and it focuses mostly on the culture of food and entertainment, but I do recommend reading it. It paints a wonderful picture of the place you will be immersed in for a week from the smells of food to the domino games on the sidewalks! I was captivated by the imageries and descriptions and I could see the colors, smell the food, hear the rhythms of the musicians....

"When you emerge from the train, you'll find some big changes from wherever you got on: domino games dot the sidewalks; car stereos demonstrate the Doppler effect with reggaetón and bachata music; the price of plantains nose dives. And everything seems to be done a bit louder (and with a little more laughter)."

Read it!!!

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/travel/28weekend.html?ex=1194408000&en=fe73ee9e5c5e9930&ei=5070&emc=eta1

THE SHOCK!

Your team will not be leaving the country this summer during their trip to New York, but that doesn't mean they won't experience culture shock. Many teams may not be used to "Big City" life, different smells, different people and personalities, being away from home, eating food that strays from their usual diet, etc. In order to give you the heads up on how to deal with the situation if it occurs on your team, please read the below information and read some from the suggested reading list from your Project Orientation Manual!

What are the typical phases of going through culture shock?

•Honeymoon: Everything is great, nothing is wrong, you’re having a wonderful time.
•Shock: There are so many differences that you don’t know how to deal with them. You didn’t think things would be like this.
•Negotiation: You learn to deal with the problems set before you and try to integrate them with your own opinions.
•Acceptance: You are able to live well in the environment with the differences you are experiencing.

What are some symptoms of culture shock?

1.Feeling very angry over minor inconveniences
2.Irritability
3.Withdrawal from people who are different from you
4.Extreme homesickness
5.Sudden intense feeling of loyalty to own culture
6.Overeating or loss of appetite
7.Boredom
8.A need for excessive sleep
9.Headaches
10.Upset stomach
11.Depression
12.Loss of ability to work effectively
13.Unexplainable crying
14.Relationship stress
15.Feeling sick much of the time

You will most likely not experience many of these symptoms in just a week's time. But be aware of these things. The stress of being away from home and in an unfamiliar place can open the door for conflict in the team (an article on conflict resolution can be found in the post from April 20, 2010).


There is a lot you can do to prepare your team for culture shock. Reading books and articles, watching films, documentaries, and movies, as well as keeping up with the local news will help you learn more about the people and culture you will be interacting with.

Remember to PRAY without ceasing!!! Pray for your team before you go, while you are there, and even in the days and weeks after your return. Team members may also deal with culture shock once they return home. There will be a debrief time while in New York to talk about the week, but you may wish to have a final debrief once home. A good idea to help the team process what happened is to have a time for them to share with others about their experience whether it is in Sunday school, church, youth group, or just with a small gathering of friends. This allows for the team to process, as well as a way to get more people interested for next year!

A Story

Exodus at Inwood had a Short Story Contest, and two of the kids wrote this captivating story!!!

"When I Accidentally Shrunk my Mom!"

It was a Sunday morning when I was doing laundry for my mom. At the laundry my mom told me to make sure all the clothes were in the washer. After making sure I went to sit down because it takes 45 minutes for clothes to wash. Later that day I went down with my mom to the basement to check on the clothes to put them in the dryer to dry. When my mom went to check in the washer to see if there were no more clothes my sister Nathalie who is 7 years old accidentally pushed the door behind my mom and shrinking her into a Barbie size doll. My little sister picked her up and started shaking her like a worm I was so nervous I called the shrinking company. They came 48 hours later telling us that she will be back to normal in 24 hours, but when I woke up the next day she was not average size she was 32 feet tall. Then I prayed so she can come back to normal. When I finished praying she tapped me on my arm and gave me a hug I was surprised she was back to her regular size. Two weeks later my uncle came over from Texas. He went to the basement to do his laundry and the same thing happened to him, oh no not again.

TO BE CONTINUED…..

Conflict Resolution

Even Christians can fall prey to the work of the enemy! He loves to use every means possible to get to us, eat at us, tempt us, create conflict between us. If he can get just the tip of his finger on our efforts to expand the kingdom, he's doing what he loves - creating mayhem. Conflict among teams can cause damage unimaginable.

Please be advised that your team is not necessarily sheltered from conflict by the mere fact they are Christians. Conflict creeps in sometimes when we least expect it. Team Leader, you should always first try to help resolve the conflict as soon as you are aware of it.

A few ways of responding to conflict are:

(from "Guiding People Through Conflict" by Peacemaker ministries)

Overlook the offense- Many disputes can be resolved by quietly overlooking the offense and forgiving the offender. (Prov 12:16).

Reconciliation- Wrongs that are too serious to overlook should be resolved through loving confrontation or confession, which allows for reconciliation and forgiveness.

Mediation- When it is impossible to resolve a conflict one-on-one, bring a third party in (Matt. 18:16) and allow for a mediator to help. (If it is unable to be resolved, the team leader should talk with the MTW administrator on the field and figure out the best course of action).

Remember that we are all sinners, and in need of God's grace. Having been given grace by God, we should in turn give grace to others. Each day give him the glory, take the log out of your own eye first, seek restoration in conflict, pursue genuine peace and reconciliation. Seek to be a good steward of your time, and maintain a Christ-like love for those you may not completely get along with - for our Lord has loved us when we've least deserved it!

Even if conflict arises, God can use it for his great purposes! If resolved, it can allow for a witness of the church, restoration, team building and strength, the witness of God's power and love and forgiveness, and a way for non-believers to see the Gospel played out in a concrete way!

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Cor. 10:13

One website that is extremely helpful in this area is http://www.peacemaker.net/. There, you can sign up to receive a free publication on biblical peacemaking.

Also, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis provides wonderful insight from Lewis about the ways the enemy likes to create conflict. There are excerpts from the book here: http://bama.ua.edu/~casey006/216/screwtape.html

Don't Know What to do on Your Day "Off"?

We will be posting resources along the way to help you plan for your day off as well as ideas for your time at Exodus, resolving conflict, how to cope with culture shock, local life in NYC, and more! Keep checking back for more inspiration, updates, guidelines, and helpful articles, links, and posts on ways to help prepare your teams for what they will experience in The Big Apple!

Check out these cool sites for ideas on what to do for your day off! Consult your Leader's manual, too for more ideas in addition to these!

Tenament Museum: One time an apartment building for 7000 immigrants, this building has been turned into a museum to take you back to 1863 and help you experience what it was like to live in an unfamiliar place and face the challenges that many feared. Each year 30,000 students visit the museum to learn about the city and immigration through the years. (Students $15, Adults $20) http://www.tenement.org/about.html

Times Square: There's always something going on in Times Square! This website will stay updated as the time of your team's arrival gets closer. Keep checking back to see what will be happening while you are in NYC! http://www.timessquare.com/

Botanical Gardens: Here's the link for New York's botanical gardens. Just beautiful! For groups of 15 or more, there are special discounts for adults! http://www.nybg.org/

Also, it doesn't hurt do some internet searching for coupons for discounts at popular attractions!

We'll be posting more as the months progress.

As always, contact us of you have ANY questions!!!!

Update on Spring Break Teams

The teams had a wonderful time in New York City visiting Operation Exodus! Here are a few great pictures from RUF @ Middle Tennessee University that they have shared with us! Looks like they really enjoyed their time at OE!

Teams are in NYC!

We are so excited that RUF @ MTSU and Graystone Pres are in NYC!!! So far it's been a good week for everyone. The two teams have been at both locations, Washington Heights and Inwood this week. We pray that their time there has been beneficial to the kids and Exodus!

Praying for safe travels for both groups as they go home. MTSU leaves Friday morning at 6 am!!! Graystone leaves Saturday.

Want to learn more about Exodus? Visit their website http://www.operationexodus.org/

You can now become a fan of MTW and Operation Exodus on Facebook!

Making Memories

Recently, Exodus took the kids to Central Park to go ice-skating! The kids had a blast and did exceptionally well, despite the adults being worried of the worst things that could happen. It was described as possibly one of the most fun events of the year!

If you have a fun memory from Exodus or story to tell, please let us know! We'd love to hear what the Lord has done in your life through Exodus or how your time there changed your perspective on ministry.

From someone that went in Summer 2007:

“I really had no expectations for this trip. The only thing I ask of the Lord to use me. I was open to what ever he chose for me to do. I never expected to be a volunteer for a tutor… The first few days I felt almost useless because I didn’t know the plan for the class and didn’t know to what extent I should participate in class…Today during craft time I spontaneously started sharing what God had done for me and gave them [the children] words of encouragement and comfort...My prayer is that they will take what little I shared with them and continue to build on it…I see their faces now and I pray I never forget what they look like. They will always be in my heart.”

Getting Ready!

Spring break teams will be in NYC in just over 2 weeks! We are so excited to see how the Lord will use these teams in the kids' lives and we pray they will be a blessing to the Exodus team! We can't wait to share news from the week on the blog!

While you are getting ready...

For both Spring and Summer teams, here are a few things you may want to include in your suitcase:

Bible
Notebook
Shoes you are comfortable walking in
Warmer clothes incase it gets cold at night or in the hostel (for Spring teams: pack for varying temperatures!)
Rain jacket
Ear plugs
Hand sanitizer
Camera
Flip-flops for the showers

These are just a few things to think about. More detailed lists are avaliable in the NYCOE Team Leader's manual. If you are going to the POT, you will receive a copy of the Team Leader's Manual there!

Transitions

Did you know...

...In NYC, middle school students must complete a high school application and some must take a high school placement test?

...The City of New York is closing 16 high schools in exchange for opening 13 smaller high schools?

Making the transition for any kid from middle school to high school is a huge step in growing up! But imagine if you had to face an application, a test, open houses, and school fairs before you ever even got there! Getting in to high school in NYC can sometimes be as rigorus as applying for college!

As Exodus prepares their middle schoolers for this big event, there is a huge need for prayer around the students. Grades at this point in their school careers will hugely impact their time in high school. Please pray that the tutors will know how to best help these students in preparing, and that the students will have the will, courage, and excitement to learn...Especially with decreasing the number of schools, and increasing the number of students in each school, this time is going to be tough.

Praise the Lord for...

...A comment on one student's report card said, "Has shown extraordinary improvement in her overall grades for second semester."
...One student at Inwood had two quizzes this week and acheived grades of 100 on both!
... One first grader has an extremely unstable home life and no adult leadership. His last report card was very heart breaking, but in class he is making small improvements every day and they are starting to add up! His addition skills are growing every day and his vocabulary is increasing also!

Tips for Preparing. Stories from Exodus.

You've been asked to lead a team to NYC for this summer! And you wonder where to start. You want details, answers, prayer, and... people! You have to stay on track with paperwork, support raising, meetings... the list goes on!

Here are a few tips on getting things started:

1.) Advertise the project: This could be through flyers, emails, phone calls, meetings, Facebook, etc.

2.) Get a core group of interested believers together. Share the details and pray about it.

3.) Once you get commitments, spend time getting to know your team! Have regular team meetings where you talk about details, and make a team Covenant. (You might also want to do some team building time outside your meetings where you get to know each other a little better and can share some great memories).

4.) Send out support letters. If you need ideas for what to write in your letters, we will be glad to give you some samples!

5.) Do some culture study. Check out these links:

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15070
http://www.miamiherald.com/multimedia/news/afrolatin/part2/index.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/in-the-heights-chasing-broadway-dreams/preview-of-in-the-heights-chasing-broadway-dreams/761/

6.) Contact us if you have ANY questions. We are glad to help!


In Other News!

Heights

After School started at the heights on November 12th and everything got into place immediately. Most students re-enrolled immediately, a testimony to great communication between thearent coordinator and the parents. One change is the number of classes – the After School is running 10 classes, not 11. The 11th classroom is being used for HS students, as well as special events like the “readers’ café” and “awesome effort” prizes.

Ashley’s focus this year has been tutor quality, and she has put great training, systems, and evaluation into place. Two tutors have had to leave the Heights this year, but Ashley filled their places quickly, and the new tutors have stepped in prepared and able to deliver.

Inwood

A big praise for OE at Inwood is that one 5th grader has begun thriving after a long time of struggling in school with his teacher. He was struggling to learn his times tables and other areas. He wasn't doing his homework, or writing down assignments, but with the help of Chris and Jacelyn at OE, he is getting back on track! He is now completing homework and turning assignments in on time! His teacher is very impressed (although she never really gave him much of a chance before) and has sent his parent a letter praising him for his turnaround! Please pray for the heart of the teacher- that she would be kind and thoughtful and see that this child and his education are just as important as the other students.

Interesting Happenings at Operation Exodus!

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At both sites this winter, the students have been experiencing college from the eyes of the adults they see every day. Tuesdays and Thursdays a staff member presents information, memories, and other exciting information about the universities they attended! The hope is that the kids will see what it really looks like to go away to college and get them excited about working towards furthering education!
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This past fall, all of our students participated in a story contest. For the national event, Lights on AfterSchool, we had a local story teller, Joe Ricci, a previous mentor for Operation Exodus, come and tell a story. For the next month, students worked on their own creative stories after homework time and we had a contest. The winners of the writing contest had their stories read and acted out at the Christmas Party and a panel of judges picked a Top Winner! The kids were extremely creative and everyone had so much fun!
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The park has been something of the past this January, but the past week has been warming up a little and the kids have gotten to experience the outdoors once again!
The Heights:
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Creative classes are also going well at the Heights site! Kids can pick between original classes like pantomime, praise dance, magic tricks, and Around the World! Around the World is a mix between geography and art, the other classes are primarily art. Right now the students in Around the World are learning about China!
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The Heights site is beginning their Homework Bucks program on Thursday. Students have already been accumulating bucks, but the store opens up this Thursday.
Inwood:
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With a new site, everything at Exodus Inwood is exciting! One thing the tutors have really taken ownership of is the creative class time on Fridays. The students can pick from a variety of arts including: jewelry making, interior design, baking, and drawing. In interior design we have a student designing a WWE themed miniature wrestling ring! And the baking class filled the site with the sweet aroma of brownies this past Friday. It made the staff very hungry!
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Early homework is now an official part of the Exodus Inwood site for kids struggling in different subjects or just struggling to focus during class time. It is giving the students extra time to get work done and it is also helping the distracted kids get done more quickly so they have time to read steps during homework time!
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The Inwood site is beginning Academic Olympics on February 12th and it will close on February 19th with a day of physical events! The classes will each have a color and the color will represent a country. The classes will learn about countries and they will also have trivia games every day at the level that the students are at. The medals will be awarded based on scores from those in class games.

‘Ah-Ha!’ Educational Moments at OE
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At the Heights site, four more students reached the 100 step mark for the 100 Book Challenge last week!
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Tutors had a training on math strategies and learned fun games that help kids work on place value, multiplication, and other math concepts. The kids are really enjoying them!
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A Kindergartener at the Inwood site is beginning to read on his own outloud!
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One fifth grader at the Inwood site, has made giant strides in his academic success. He was a student on the verge of failing and is now striving for straight A’s. It is so evident that his teacher noticed and sent a letter to Operation Exodus.
Seeds of Change at OE
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The three older boys in Brenda’s class have also matured greatly. It is small steps, but they are taking responsibility in class work and being more responsive to authority.
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At Inwood, community students have adapted well to the structure of Exodus and students we expected to see have behavior issues have had no issues and are doing better in their academics.

Greetings from Bobbi Jo

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by the Mission to the World (MTW) /Operation Exodus (OE) Mission team blog! It is our prayer that you will find this to be a resource to assist in preparing for serving with us in New York City. Be sure to check back weekly, as we are gearing up to post regular updates for you.

This year we have mostly all new teams schedule to serve at Exodus, therefore I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself to you so you know who the person is on the other end of the phone or the email you receive.

My name is Bobbi Jo Brooks and I am the Project Administrator for MTW's short term trips to New York City, but also for Asia and Europe! I will also be your host while you are serving in New York City.

I grew up in Western, PA at a mission minded church and it was there the Lord began calling me to serve in missions. After graduating high school I spent a summer serving as an intern with MTW in Miami, FL. Then went on to college in Grand Rapids, MI where I studied Bible and Social Work. After I graduated from Kuyper College, I moved to Europe to serve as a missionary to youth in Sighisoara, Romania. After serving in Romania, the Lord brought me Atlanta to serve with MTW and have been here for just over five years!

In my "free" time, I love spending hanging out with friends, cooking for others, traveling and photographing weddings and portraits. Feel free to check out my photography blog at www.blog.bobbijobrooksphotography.com

I look forward to the opportunity to know you and to see how the Lord will work in and through your teams this year!

Delighting in the Lord's Faithfulness,

Bobbi Jo

http://twitter.com/bobbijobrooks

www.facebook.com/bobbijobrooks

New Project Assistant!

Hi All!

My name is Stephanie, the new project assistant for New York City, Europe and Asia! I work with Bobbi Jo at MTW and I'm so excited to see where the Lord will take us in the coming year! He is sure to move greatly through our efforts at Exodus this coming spring and summer!

I am newly engaged to an awesome man! We have set a date for this year and are looking forward to many years together with our cat, Auldi, and the dog we hope to have one day!

When I have a free minute I love crafting, browsing etsy.com...and planning our wedding! But usually you can find me in the office, or playing drums in my band.

I am eager to see how the Lord will use me at MTW, and I'm so blessed He has placed me here to serve all of you for the glory of Christ :)

Stephanie

Mark your calendars!!

PCA Global Missions Conference

WHAT: MTW partnering with Covenant College to host
the 2010 PCA Global Missions Conference

WHEN: November 5-7, 2010

WHERE: Chattanooga Convention Center -- Chattanooga, TN

A group discount will be available for six or more participants.
Check back with www.mtw.org in January to register online and learn more details.