Update from last month that I forgot to post ….

Today MaddyChristine and I will be jumping on a plane bound for Burkina Faso.

• We praise God that He has brought us this far. Getting to this point has been an exercise of faith fully rewarded. At each fork or impasse in the road, God has lead and provided. We are excited and expectant of what God is and is going to do. A few updates and prayer requests.

• We praise the Lord that the initial funding has come in for us to begin phase one of the agriculture school in Bobo Dioulasso. This is school will be a non-traditional education for rural farmers to create a sustainable source of nutrition through training in innovative agricultural practices. This project also represents Amoveo’s first collective Impact Initiative – as we are facilitating the collaborating of 4 different organizations. We will be launching this project during our trip and gathering necessary information for a master plan. Pray that God would provide funds and resources.

• While in Burkina we will begin work on developing the project proposal for a Hospital network. This will address the health issues in rural villages by creating a health network so that medical supplies and care can be available (not a 50 km trek) and affordable. The main center will be in Bobo Dioulasso, with 6 regional medical centers and smaller clinics in each village. Pray for wisdom as we dream with our Burkinabe’ partners.

• During the trip MaddyChristine will be shooting video and photo to create a promo for Amoveo. Who we are, what we do and how we do it is a complicated story. Pray for Maddy as she arranges the technical and story script for this and then shoots the footage.

New Opportunity:
We have partnered with a program called I-Donate. With I-Donate you can give your “stuff”, they sell it and give Amoveo the proceeds. Do you have something in your garage or attic you would be willing to donate? If so, could you enter it on this website www.amoveogroup.org/donate and they will arrange to pick it up and sell it.

MaddyChristine will be updating on her blog (please see below) as we have the chance.  Please be praying for us.

We are excited for a new year and we kicked it off with a 10-day tour to VA, NC and SC to visit friends, sponsors and have a key meeting with a potential organizational partner.  We thank God for journey mercies and God inspired connects.  For many, it was the first time to meet MaddyChristine so that was a lot of fun.

As usual I want to pass along some updates and prayer requests.

Update:
1)  We have launched the social media for Amoveo Group – like us on Facebook here or follow us on twitter here.  This is great way to get quick organizational updates and insights.

2)  Renew – Big Days of Serving will happen in 4 locations this spring.  Our Amoveo team put together a 30-day lead-up devotional for participants.  An offering will be taken at each of these events to benefit projects we are part of in South America.

3) MaddyChristine and I will be traveling to Burkina Faso at the end of April to:

• Help lead a vision trip for partner organizations and individuals
• Work with our Burkinabe partners to implement the development index and assessment tool
• Take some much needed media (photo and video) footage.
• See the progress of a some smaller clean water projects we have started

4) Praise the Lord for His provision for new financial supporters which has alleviated some of our financial stress.

Prayer Requests:
1) As I write, we have 3 major funding opportunities for projects and programs that are in play.  Pray for favor and a swift response to the parties involved.  Due to the sensitivity of those involved, I cannot give any more information right now.
2) Finances for the trip in April ($3000.00 total for 2 round-trip tickets)
3) Amoveo needs some help in area of graphic design as we begin to launch our big project in Burkina Faso this coming year.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? Matthew 6:27

Subconsciously I have always thought that we were not to worry because everything would work out.  Real life experience has taught me that this is simply not true.  The truth is, we are not to worry because it will not change a thing, and more importantly worrying means that we have the wrong perspective when we look at life’s events and experiences.

Jesus followed up His statement about worry with the promise that if we would “seek the Kingdom of God above all else” that He would give us everything we need, mentioning nothing about “things working out.”

The destination or the outcome will be experienced differently depending on what perspective we are using.  One perspective focuses on self and our desires but the other focuses on God and His desires.  The reality is that the outcome or result does not change irrespective of how we choose to look at things. However, joy, peace and abundant life are contingent on our decision to choose the “Kingdom of God” perspective.

2013 has been one of those years for Maddy and I.  Four months after getting married, we found ourselves in a major life transition.  We have been forced to cling to Jesus’ promise found here in Matthew.  The challenge has been to daily choose to experience life from a “Kingdom of God” perspective and not our own.  When we have done this we have found joy, peace and abundant life.

I realize that this concept is not new for most of you reading this but it has taken on new meaning the past 11 months.  My desire is that our family would choose to seek God’s kingdom first in 2014 regardless of what dips and turns await us!

It has been a busy fall.  Here are some highlights:

1. My US tour with Robert Sanou, our development partner from Burkina Faso, was very successfully, creating the necessary momentum to launch the Amoveo Group.  We praise the Lord for his Spirit’s movement at the services and meetings we participated in.
2. Amoveo has partnered with Heartwork.tv to provide an online tool called 30 Days of Heartwork.  This tool is an interactive discipleship program that is followed by individuals and their groups as they fund one of the projects that is part of Amoveo’s Collective Impact Initiatives in Burkina Faso and South America. If you or a small group from your church or school are interested in participating click here.
3. A beta version of the development index and assessment tool that we have been working on for the last 6 months is being field tested in 5 villages in Burkina Faso and 5 communities in and around Quito, Ecuador and Trujillo, Peru.
4. The Amoveo Website has been officially launched.

We are grateful that God continues to lead and provide in this amazing journey of launching Amoveo Group.  At each step He has provided the necessary tools, people and resources to complete the tasks required.

Please continue to pray for us during this season.  Pray for favor and provision for our needs.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Financial Support
Please not that we are now being fiscally sponsored by the themapletree.org organization for tax deduction purposes.

Please make checks payable to themapletree.org (yes that is the name not the website) and put Amoveo Collective Impact Initiative in the memo.

BY MAIL:
Amoveo Collective Impact Initiative
837 Marlboro Spring Road
Kennett Square PA 19348

ELECTRONICALLY (Please follow the steps below)

1. Click on the “DONATE” button located on the right side of the page
2. Fill out all the information on the Donation Page being careful to write “Amoveo Collective Impact Initiative” in the comment section.

It has been a busy month for Maddy and I.  It began with a productive trip for me to Colorado to connect with Matt Peace, my ministry partner in the Amoveo Group and some critical meetings with potential collaborators. Three days after getting home from that trip, Maddy and I made a much anticipated journey back to Holland to visit Maddy’s friends and church family.  This was our first visit back as husband and wife and it was refreshing to share updates on our lives and ministry with Maddy’s support network.

We have a very important October ahead of us.  Robert Sanou, my international development colleague from Burkina Faso will be coming to the US to officially launch the work of the Amoveo Group, my new ministry.  Our itinerary is below.  Please contact me if you will be near any of these areas and would like to connect with us and/or the events.

Robert & Tim’s US Tour
October 14-17 (Denver CO) – Amoveo’s Church Network Gathering
October 18-19 (Dallas / Ft Worth TX) – Meet and Greet with Supporters
October 20-21 (Lexington, NC) – Mission’s Sunday
October 22-26 (York, PA) – Amoveo’s Collective Impact Initiative in Burkina Faso non-profits Gathering
- Ignite Student Ministries Night
- Meet and Greet with Brokopp Supporters
October 27 (Chambersburg, PA) – Mission’s Sunday

Here are 4 things that we are requesting prayer for in the month of October:
1)  For health and safety during our travels.
2)  For the Spirit of God to work in and through us at all of the gatherings and events.  That He would give favor and unity as we seek to develop collaborators and momentum.
3)  For favor with strategic donors so that the necessary funding and resources could be made available to start the collective impact initiatives.
4)  For approval from the IRS on the application for non profit status for the Amoveo Group.  Their first communication was favorable but we are still awaiting final notification.

As always we covet your prayers and financial support.  May God bless you as we enter into this beautiful Autumn season.

Maddy with leper in Burma

Here is an update on our adventures the past 6 weeks.

I have continued to push forward with my partners in laying the foundation for Amoveo Group. Starting a non-profit is very similar to starting a business.  There is much work to be done before delivering a product.  This has included:

• Organizing documents to file with our application for non-profit status with the IRS.  We officially filed lasted week – YEAH!!!
• Creating internal organization documents – by-laws, operating values, ministry / strategic plan, recruiting board members, writing copy for the website and marketing materials etc.
• Developing a system that can be used to identify the assets and liabilities of the communities we will be serving in.
• Writing plans and recruiting investors for social business ventures that will eventually provide local / long-term / sustainable funding for the community development initiatives.
• Organizing a church network conference in October where we will be presenting the mission, vision and strategic plan of Amoveo’s community development initiatives around the world.

Because our financial support is still in development, I have picked up part time work as a coach traveling to schools and day-cares teaching younger children the game of soccer.  I have found this to be a fun challenge and feel that on most days, I am the one being taught. Although I am challenged by having to split my focus, my coaching schedule allows me the flexibility to pursue the start-up of Amoveo.

With Maddy receiving her green card, she is finally allowed to work.  Her first job required traveling to Myanmar (Burma) in June to film a documentary on leprosy for the Dutch Evangelical Broadcasting Company.  Although the work was intense with long days she was moved by the joyful attitudes of the lepers. (see picture and video link above).

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we push forward in this ministry that God has called us to.  We are so excited about the future of Amoveo Group and its potential for impact around the world.  Although this means living an unconventional life, we feel blessed and fulfilled to have the ability to be living in the center of God’s will.

PS … check out our new on-line secure donation page where you have the ability to set up a recurring or electronic check options!

Things continue to advance with the foundation of the new non-profit. The name is Amoveo Group and our mission is to be the catalyst (back-bone organization) for faith-based collective impact initiatives in poor communities around the world.

One of the big things that we are working on is organizing a gathering for denominational and network leaders who oversee Youth and/or Young Adult work or International compassion work within their organization this Fall. The purpose of this day will be to create synergy around the concepts of collective impact and the initiatives that we are launching around the world.

There is much work ahead of us to get this funded and off the ground. We are still operating under the financial accountability of Maximum Impact Mission until necessary paperwork has been filed and completed with the IRS. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Praise:
1) Maddy’s Immigration Interview was a success and she is officially a permanent resident of the United States.
2) God has provided a team of research professionals to help with the information gathering necessary to design tools needed for the collective impact initiatives.
3) God continues to provide necessary favor with professionals to guide our leadership team at every step of the organization’s development.

Pray:
1) That we would have a good response for the gathering of denominational and network leaders.
2) That God would provide necessary funding for our family. Our faith continues to be stretched in this area. Although funding is on the horizon for the non-profit, we will need personal support during this start-up phase.
3) That Maddy would feel better. Several months ago Maddy had to go into the emergency room with severe pain in her abdomen. They prognosis was an infection in her colon. She recovered but has had a relapse the last several weeks.

The history of cinema is full of examples of actors who made decisions to not participate in a movie and so their roles were re-written and cast with another actor.  Did you know that Chevy Chase was originally offered the lead role in one of my favorite movies of all time, Forest Gump? Also, Tom Selleck was originally asked to play Mr. Jones in the Indiana Jones movies.  Their decisions to not participate did not stop the movies from being filmed, their roles from being filled by others, or large impacts from being made at the box office.

Last week I shared about the implicit and unique value that each of us has in God’s global transformation plan.  In fact I ended the post by saying:

“ Your part in this story is intricate.”

However, to completely understand this truth, there is a corresponding/balancing principle that must be understood.

God is writing a broad narrative. Our role, though intricate, is part of a bigger story that He is writing that transcends both time and space.  We have been invited to join Him in this narrative, but this story will be written regardless of our decision to implicate ourselves or not.

This may leave you asking, “So what gives?  Are we really that intricate?”  As a response, let me ask you these two questions:

1. What role have you been “invited” to play in God’s global transformation story?

2. What is preventing you from accepting the invitation to participate in this narrative?

Your part in the story is an invitation to an amazing opportunity!  But it is only intricate if you accept the invitation.