Christmas end of semester at S.T.A.R.T.S.

What a joy was the end-of-semester event at S.T.A.R.T.S!  Toya had, with good assistance from our other volunteers, prepared a Christmas play with the children.  Parents and families showed up in good numbers and waited patiently in the seating section we had set up inside the gym. 

While addressing the crowd it suddenly dawned on me that this was probably “it” for most of them in regards to their kids participating in a Christmas play!  What with school doing all they can to be politically correct and religiously neutral, there are hardly any traces left of Christmas celebrations for them there.  Several of the mothers had dressed up and done their hair, and almost everyone had a camera or video.  There were smiles all around and the kids were practically unrecognizable  during the play from the practices; they sang out when they were supposed to, they acted their roles – and didn’t act up – paid attention and did their parts to conserve the dignity of the Christmas play.

With monetary help from the food bank and Parkcrest Seventh Street church we were able to purchase a van load of food.  Every family went home with a huge box with food, and some with extra plastic bags filled with food items, too.  All the children went happily home with one wrapped gift each.

“It’s more blessed to give than to receive”, yet the blessings we received from sharing this event with the families we serve is something we all carried with us in our hearts.

http://vimeo.com/33921358

Don’t give to feel good; give till it hurts!

Last Saturday we saw the joy on the faces of the children as they received their ornately wrapped, personally labeled Christmas gifts at our three children’s homes in Mexicali.  By a “clerical error” one of the girls valiantly put on a smile when asked to show her gift.  It was evident that she had only received a “generic” gift, so a second search under the tree was necessary until our volunteer found the gift with the girl’s name and picture on it.  What a difference, what a beaming smile was produced when she saw the result of some unknown benefactor having purchased a gift with only her in mind!

YesWeServe is about “changing the world, one child at a time”, and you have an open invitation to make that happen, in Mexicali, in Ghana, in India, and at S.T.A.R.T.S. right here in Long Beach, CA.

Research shows that 1/3 of giving to charities takes place during the last month of the year.  As we all know, children often lose interest after the beautiful grift-wrapping has been ripped off, or the wheels come off the new toy truck, or the battery to the talking doll goes flat. 

Our ministry, on the contrary, focuses on long term, sustainable impact. All year long.  And we need your help to make it possible to continue providing the growing help and support we have been offering over these past six years. 

Please prayerfully consider sending a year-end check to support the exciting ministry of YesWeServe!

Please send your tax deductible donation to this mailing address: 

YesWeServe Inc.

2436 East 4.th Street, #44

Long Beach, CA 90814

God bless you during this Advent and Christmas season!

You are "Rebecca".

In North India, YesWeServe partners with AGNI - Association of Good Neighbors, India.  The ministry is carried out among the Dalit caste (The "Untouchables"), and a lot of it takes place in rural areas.  As if the caste system isn't enough of a disadvantage to the Dalits, being a woman makes things even more of a daily, ongoing trial. 

Imagine growing up without a name, without your own identity.  You meet someone for the first time, say, the administrator at the school where you are hoping to enroll your children. 
Imagine the routine interview when you're are asked for your name, and your reply is restricted to something along the lines of "I am so-and-so's wife, or - mother, or daughter:"  Imagine your feeling of helplessness when the person across the desk from you reiterates the question: "No, what is YOUR NAME?" - and you have nothing further to offer beyond what you have already offered...

Imagine that the person across from you is the Principal of Thomas Academy, which operates under the AGNI ministry umbrella, and she sizes up your situation and offers you a possibility  which has never even existed within your frame of reference; "You are Rebecca."

Imagine all the floodlights going on in your eyes, in your heart and in your soul when you realize that you have an identiy, that you are Somebody, that you exist not only as someone else's relation, but that God has created you, wonderfully, to by YOU, to be "Rebecca"!

Changing the world at S.T.A.R.T.S.

We often use the tagline "Changing the World, one Child at a Time' when describing what YesWeServe is about.
Last year was a horrible one at school for six year old "Mindy".  She had no friends; all the other kids spoke Spanish, and she didn't.  Insecure, and feeling unloved, she spent recess by herself, facing away from the other children, staring at the wall, and chewing her finger nails.  She was also doing very poorly in school.
"Mindy" has been coming to S.T.A.R.T.S. since the beginning, three weeks ago.  A shy, frail, introverted little girl when we first met her, has now become... - better hear it from her legal guardian, who now is beaming when she picks her up at the end of the day; "She has completely come out of her shell!  Because she is part of S.T.A.R.T.S., the other kids now wave to her, smile and greet her by name when they meet at school.  She participates with the other children, and her school work has improved drastically.  She is so happy!"
Wheteher we walk single-file - well, almost single-file  : )  - from Luther Burbank Elementary to the S.T.A.R.T.S. site, or put in extra extra time to help a child with his homework or enjoy their imaginative creations during crafts time, or guide them through P.E. drills, or ---- we are inspired by the positive change we see in someone like "Mindy"!

S.T.A.R.T.S.

- Soaring To Achieve, Reaching to Succeed -

is about to start!

We are excited to announce that S.T.A.R.T.S., a new YesWeServe after school ministry for K-5 children, is only a couple of weeks from opening!  On Saturday 24 September from 10 a.m. till noon we will have a sign-up and orientation meeting for volunteers who want to be part of this exciting program.  The first day of "class" will be Monday 26 September.
The location for both the orientation and S.T.A.R.T.S. itself is Grace UMC on the corner of Third and Junipero in Long Beach, CA.
We will focus on the Arts, Music, Sports, and Academics (homework help/tutoring), as well as Nutrition.  If you are interested in helping out in any of these areas - for a day a week, two days, or every day - please let us know.

We look forward to your being part of this YesWeServe ministry.  Remember: we're changing the world, one child at a time!

Announcing S.T.A.R.T.S.!

We are excited to announce a new YesWeServe program! The after school program S.T.A.R.T.S. (“Soaring To Achieve, Reaching To Succeed”) is a local expression of YesWeServe’s mission to “serve children and others”.  S.T.A.R.T.S. will help to provide grade schoolers at Luther Burbank Elementary School in Long Beach with some of the important aspects of their growth that have suffered under recent heavy budget cuts.

We will focus on Sports, Arts, Music, and Academics (homework help/tutoring).  We already have people who are leading each of those areas, but we are looking for volunteers in both these areas as well as general help so, if you are interested, please send an email to michelle@yesweserve.org and you will receive more information about S.T.A.R.T.S. 

The program is scheduled to start at the end of September and we will have orientation briefings for those of you who sign up.  This will also be a great opportunity for students who need community hours!

S.T.A.R.T.S. will take place Monday through Friday for three hours after school is out. Even if you are unable to volunteer the entire time, you are welcome to apply for the time slots and days you are available. More information about exact hours will be provided later.

S.T.A.R.T.S. after school program will take place at Grace United Methodist Church on Third and Junipero, who will partner with YesWeServe and who will provide facilities for both volunteers and the children.

Announcing logo competition!

Martin's taco business - check the blog a few months back - is now almost ready to start!  Several of our guys; Paul, Pete, Oscar, and John, have worked tirelessly on transforming the original, rusty and ready-for-the-scrapheap cart. The result is great and will last a long time! 

The plan is to serve the first tacos from the cart on our next visit, which is on Saturday 2 July.
Martin wants to call the business Tacos Vikingos, or something close to that.  And he is inviting all of you to submit your logo design for the new business!  Incorporate the following elements; "Tacos", "Vikingos", "carne asada", etc.  No guidelines outside of that, we only want it to attract a lot of business to help La Esperanza de los Ninyos have a sustainable business going to support the running of the children's home.

Oh, and the Grand Prize is a "carne asada de lujo" supper for the winner's family at La Esperanza de los Ninyos!

Deadline for submissions is Saturday 25 June. Please send them to Geir@yesweserve.com.

The Story Behind the Music - Part Two

In this second instalment from contributors to our CD "For the Children", Khadia Handon gives us a look at the backstory for "Happy Ending":

When writing “Happy Ending,” Andrae Alexander and I wanted to truly capture the true essence of what “YesWeServe” is all about. We wanted the song to tell a story of an innocent girl who was born into despair, but was able to overcome adversity and follow God’s path, leading her to her own Happy Ending.

I recall Andrae sitting at his piano simply playing some beautiful chords and I began to hear the melody and lyrics. It just flowed very naturally–-it was magical! He began telling me about all these amazing little girls he met in his travels to Mexicali and some of their backgrounds. Their stories were extremely sad and depressing yet, the girls were always smiling, playing and looking very happy. They didn’t seem to let the cards they were dealt get them down. They were the inspiration behind what made our song come to life!

We began to write our song as a narrative chronicling a girl’s life and how she was able to hold onto her faith that, things will get better. No matter what she went through in life, she remained positive. Our goal was for our listeners to remember that no matter what your immediate struggles are in life, your situation will get better!

After going on the mission trip to Mexacali and meeting the beautiful little girls and boys, I definitely feel we captured the energy they give off in our song. Every time I listen to it, flashes of their innocent faces run through my mind. It makes me so joyous that I had the unique opportunity to play a part in the Yes We Serve’s ministry by writing a song on the “For the Children” CD. Most importantly, I was able to fulfill one of God’s missions to nurture, love and enrich the lives of ALL of HIS children!!

The story behind the music on "For the Children"

I have asked the various musicians on YesWeServe's CD "For the Children" to talk about the songs and compositions they so graciously contributed to our cause.  In this first instalment Marcus Gerakos shares his thoughts.  In addition to the two pieces Marcus composed for our CD you will also hear his excellent guitar playing on several of the other pieces, as well.

   

In writing “Overture: Arrival In Ghana”, I wanted to create the visual image of descending upon the city of Accra by airplane, to capture the tribal mystique of this ancient land. This piece is in 6/8 time, common in African folk music, and I’ve tried to give the feeling of a sweeping panoramic view from the sky. I enjoy the challenge of evoking visual imagery through melody, harmony, and rhythm. In “Five Minutes Till Recess” I wanted to convey the image of a roomful of Ghanaian students on a sweltering afternoon, eyeing the clock on the wall and counting the minutes until they can rush outside for recess. In fact, there’s a very fast sixteenth-note run in the melody that represents the moment the bell rings and the kids sail out the door to the playground!

           There are several defining moments in the life of a musical composition. First, there’s the moment of completion, when the score is inked in and ready to be presented to the musicians. Second, there’s the first successful run-through by the ensemble. Third, there’s the process of recording the piece so that it’s fixed in time and people can enjoy it as often as they want. And lastly, there’s the live performance, when music meets the audience. All these steps are deeply rewarding for the writer. What made this project especially rewarding, above and beyond these steps, was the spirit of ministry and the camaraderie among the musicians that was present throughout the recording process. Geir and Cindy Engøy inspired us all with their dedication, their commitment, and their faith. Having the opportunity to contribute to a project like “For The Children”, being able to use our minds, our hands, and our hearts to reach out to people halfway around the world, was a reminder to us that God speaks through our gifts, that all we have to do is let Him work through us.     

Announcing the "Rhythms for Hope" benefit Friday 27 May 2011 at 7 p.m.

Come and join us for another great evening of music, missions and getting involved!

We will present you with information and challenges to become part of our expanding YesWeServe ministry; mission trips, child sponsorships, prayer team, etc.  The proceeds raised from the evening will go towards expanding the support of three orphanages in Mexicali, Mexico and our support of Beacon School in Ghana, Africa.

We see an amazing difference in the lives of the children in the three Mexicali orphanages we have worked with over the past five plus years. Our partner school in Ghana, Beacon International School, is growing, and we also seek to improve the facilities in Mexicali and the proceeds from “Rhythm for Hope” can achieve this today and as we continue during 2011 and beyond. This event is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of our efforts and talk more about our model which seeks to impact and enrich the lives of children through ”teaching, compassionate care and sustainable development.”

Tickets are only $5.00 per person and will be “the best five bucks you ever spent!”  Gifts to our ministry are also tax-deductible and all proceeds will go towards expanding YesWeServe’s outreach projects in Ghana, Africa and Mexicali, Mexico.

Great, contemporary, R&B, and virtuoso jazz music will be provided by Lakin, the YesWeServe Band (we will bring you some of the back stories for the music on YesWeServe's CD "For the Children" over the  next few weeks), and the wonderful dancing of ENTHEOS dance team!

Mark your calendars, bring your friends; see you at Parkcrest Christian Church, 668 Obispo (corner of Seventh Street), Long Beach on Friday May 27 at 7 p.m.

Seeing the kids from different perspectives

We have been going to our orphanages in Mexicali at least monthly for more than five years.  Inevitably, they have won our hearts, simply by being themselves, being “cute”.  People who come with us for the first time fall in love with their “favorite” child (although very often we have trouble singling out only one!). That’s one of the reasons we keep going back.  But let’s dig a little deeper.

Look at them, or your “favorite” child, from the perspective of their PAST:  There is a reason that they are in this home.  The father figure, if any, in the lives of most of the kids is mom’s abusive boy-friend, whoever he happens to be at any given time.  The male adult in their lives is a person to be feared.  Most of the children still have contact with their mother, but too often the contact is sporadic and undependable. The innocence of the children has been violated, they have seen and heard things their precocious eyes and ears have had no capacity to deal with.  When they arrive at the orphanages, after they have been abused physically and emotionally, they are little more than broken pieces.

Look at them from the perspective of their FUTURE:  At YesWeServe we come alongside the ministries we support.  We are in this for the long haul.  We are in this for the children.  We want to provide hope and a future where the children can break away from the faulty “heritage” handed on to them from their parents.  We are helping to carry out the promise from Jeremiah 29:11 “ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

Look at them from the perspective of their PRESENT:  Through our ministry, YesWeServe contributes to the kids having a safe zone while growing up, where they will have a roof over their heads, healthy meals, encouragement and help while going to school, and a loving, God-fearing family where they can belong.  There is barely any joy that surpasses witnessing the broken pieces alluded to above “coming together” and made whole!  That’s what is taking place at El Niño Feliz, La Esperanza de los Niños, and Mision Frontera. 

I pray that looking at the kids from a multi-faceted perspective like this one will help us to go deeper in our ministry and impact in their lives – and that we will grow as God’s servants in the process.

Child Sponsorship for a dollar a day

On a recent “Missionary for a Day” trip to Mexicali I was talking with Martin. Or rather, he was talking with me!  Less than a week before our conversation he had admitted four new siblings into La Esperanza de los Niños children´s home.  There really wasn’t room for them, of course, so he wanted to explain to me why he had increased the number of children.   The story was a familiar one:  the biological mother’s current live-in boy-friend was abusing her children, verbally, physically, sexually.  Martin had sent me a couple of pictures he took the first or second day they were at the Home.  The look in their eyes told you all you needed to know, and more than you perhaps wanted to know, about the fear, guilt, anxiety, and desperation inside of them.   On one occasion, when the oldest of the siblings happened to block passage through a doorway, Martin gently lifted his hand to accompany his “could you please move a bit so that I can get through?!”, she jumped back with fear in her eyes, throwing her hands up for protection.  Assuring her that she had nothing to fear, that he would never lay hand on her, she finally relaxed.

The mother, who is now pregnant with her fifth child (all by different “fathers”), perhaps somewhere in the depth of her heart realized that these children would have a better chance of a hopeful future at La Esperanza de los Niños than with her.   

By the time I was introduced to the siblings, the innocent, joyful spark you would expect to find in kids their age had begun to return to their eyes. People like Martin and Elena who model God’s love provide a nurturing environment which has started to ignite a hope in the hearts of these children.  A hope they may never have known in their dismal, fearful young lives.

I am sharing this story in this space not just because it is fresh in my mind (I am reminded of similar stories on every visit!), but because I want to give you the opportunity to minister with us, even if you never get closer to crossing the border with us than looking at a picture on your refrigerator.  At our “Rhythms for Hope” benefit concert, YesWeServe will launch a new  initiative.  For “a buck a day” ($30.00/month) you will help us fulfill our mission to change the world, one child at a time. Maybe you have been on one or many of our “Missionary for a Day” trips to Mexicali and have felt a special connection with one of the children. 

When you sponsor a child, you will receive a picture with their name, their age, their favorite thing to do, and you will receive letters from him or her.  Additionally, child sponsorships will provide YesWeServe and the orphanages with more predictability in budgeting.  More information about YesWeServe’s Child Sponsorship program will be announced at “Rhythms for Hope” and subsequently on our website, www.yesweserve.org.   Since YesWeServe is registered as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the IRS, your donations are tax deductible.

By the way, Ana, the oldest of the four newly admitted siblings, has a 9.5 grade point average (out of 10), which is quite an achievement given her “handicap”.  Sponsoring Ana and all the other children who find themselves in a similar situation to hers will help to keep them in a safe zone while they are growing up, staying in school, and learning what it is to live in a God honoring community.

Announcing the "Rhythms for Hope" Concert benefit

You will not want to miss YesWeServe’s ”Rhythms for Hope” concert event on Saturday, 19 February, 2011, @ 7 p.m. 

About once a year we put on a local event in Long Beach for you to learn more about YesWeServe, who we are, what we do, and why, as well as our plans and upcoming ministry opportunities.

 We are blessed to have great musicians who support our ministry, and you will get to enjoy them live and first-hand at “Rhythms for Hope” on February 19.  The performers include the YesWeServe Band (Alfonso, Marcus, Chris, Sari, Aurora, Cindy, Andrae), plus Lakin, and Isaac Agyeman.  For those of you who are not familiar with YesWeServe music (now there is a wonderful new term for you!), and who would like to hear some of it before the event, we have a solution:  check out “For the Children” on iTunes (search: For the Children Cindy Engøy, click on the album cover).  Listen, download, play and enjoy!

But there’s more: Belinda is bringing her ENTHEOS Dance Team which will dance to both Mexican and African rhythms, reflecting where YesWeServe is currently ministering.

They won’t be singing, but Live Mechanics, the cutting-edge urban clothing line company which has supported YesWeServe for a long time, will show off some of their latest jackets and shirts, and you’ll get a chance to walk home with some of it, depending on your participation in the auction at the end of the event!  Remember, you are helping to support the great cause of YesWeServe, and you can look good doing it!

At “Rhythms for Hope” we will also launch a new feature for YesWeServe which will benefit the children we minister to; child sponsorships. 

During “Rhythms for Hope” we will also show powerpoint presentations from last summer’s Ghana teams, as well as from or monthly “Missionary for a Day” trips to Mexicali.  The benefit concert  will be emcee’d by pastor and recording artist Joshua Chavez.

We’d love to see you – and all your friends – there, so spread the word!

Tickets for “Rhythms for Hope” is $5.00 at the door.