Missionary Friends Spotlight: Jake Kersh

Meet my friend Jake!

Jake lives around Birmingham, Alabama. I met Jake this past summer on Lifepoint's bi-annual Mexico mission trip. Let me just tell you that my friends Natasha Terrell and Jessica Bearden sat in the same van as him and Jamey Walton, who also joined our church for that trip, for about 15 hours wondering who these strange people were in the van with us. Haha! Eventually we started talking to each other and what an awesome week we all ended up having. I can honestly say that was my favorite Mexico trip so far. Jake is such an awesome servant of the Lord, and is an encouragement and inspiration to a lot of people, including myself. He fell in love with Mexico that trip, just like I knew he would... because who couldn't help falling in love with these faces? 

So, we go to Mexico and help a missionary family (Roy and Rebecca Busby) that is also from Alabama build a house (or 2) for a pre-selected family from the canal and other miscellaneous things they need help with while we are there. Rebecca and Roy bring many teams down to Reynosa, Mexico, to help people who are living in houses like this:

Get houses like this:

 Jake is taking time out of his summer coming up to head down to the canal to help Roy and Rebecca and then join our team from Lifepoint in July and head back to Alabama with the team. Below is an interview with Jake about his upcoming trip:

Q. What led you to go to Mexico the first time?
A. What led me to Mexico my first time? Hmm…My buddy Jamey Walton was told about a mission trip to Mexico by Ben Salter at work. I’ve been called to into the ministry (Missions) since I was bout 15-16 years old. So, when I had the opportunity to go on my first mission trip I was like, “LETT”S GOOOO!”

Q. What made you want to go back?
A. I believe everything happens for a reason and I do know that it was set before hand by Christ for me to go to Mexico. I think all the time on how many things had to happen to allow me to go. Things such as:
1. My buddy Jamey Walton becoming an electrican allowed him to get a job 10+ years in the future to meet Ben Salter who attends Lifepoint.
2. Ben Salter becoming a Christian and leading him into a friendship with Jamey Walton.
Just so many others to name. It’s awesome how God works and the chain of events he uses to get us to where HE wants us to be. But, I say that to say this…Christ wants…called me back to further relationships with the people of Reynosa, Mexico.

Q. Why are you going on the next trip?
A. What I’ve interpreted from consistent prayer and meditation (not hindu meditation ;D) that Christ wants me to further my relationship with the people, assist Roy and Rebecca (Main mission family there), and to follow God’s will in my life. Plus, why waste a summer doing pointless things when I can impact Christ over 1000 miles away. I live serving Christ by serving others.

Q. How long will you be staying?
A. I’ll be leaving May 31st and returning July 14 with the Lifepoint Group. It’s going to be off the hizzy.

Q. How much (estimate) are you looking to raise money-wise before you leave?
A. I hope this doesn’t come across as a “jerk-move” but, I don’t want to say because I believe that Christ will provide for his flock and by just stating the need for money all the money will be met perfectly. Christ works in mysterious ways. I’ve just seen so many AWESOME things happen all by the grace of God.

Q. What other needs do you have for the trip besides money?
A. Other needs? I’m a worry wart and I hate asking for stuff I’ll just say, “Whatever the Lord calls you to give!” I love seeing my needs provided for by God through allowing others to serve. I can live off basically nothing, but anything to give away to the people. It’s really nothing about my need but, what I can do for the people. Things such as bibles, tracks, devotionals, (all in Spanish of course..). THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!! All I want to do is make the TRUE Word of the Lord known to the people. 

Q. What will you be doing on this trip specifically?
A. I’ll be helping the Busby family with WHATEVER they need. I’ll be like a little gopher man and building my relationship and trust with the people. Since’ I feel led to do some full-time missions in Reynosa, Mexico…

Q. Contact info?
A. I have a bunch of ways. Everyone has a facebook and if not they are not human. Lol. 
Facebook.com/jakethelobster
Twitter: @jakethelobster (I’m a pretty cool tweeter. ;D)
Email: jake.kersh@hotmail.com

I’m reachable anytime. I can receive all three within hours or even within minutes. So if you think it’s too late in the night. I’ll most likely get it. :)

I hope you will join me in praying for Jake and the people of the Canal in Reynosa, Mexico. I pray that if the Lord is calling you to help Jake in any of the ways listed above, that you will be obedient to that and contact Jake from the info he provided or email me and breannarains@gmail.com. The people in this colonia have a very special chunk of my heart and it means so much to me and Jake knowing that there are people praying for life change and basic needs in the area. Also be in prayer for Roy and Rebecca Busby as they continue their ministry on the Canal. Pray that the Lord gives them perseverance, and strength, and courage, words to speak when needed, and a smile on their face when words aren't necessary.  

If you want to read Jake's blog (which shows his passion for the mission field and Mexico) go here. Roy and Rebecca have a blog, also (here) with a great video of the Canal from when they first arrived in the colonia until today.

Missionary Friends Spotlight: Ashley Lightfoot

Meet my cousin, Ashley.

She is 17 years old and lives in Senoia, Georgia. You may remember her from my last blog post. I met Ashley when my mom married her uncle when I was about 5 or 6 years old and she was probably 4 years old. Okay, so she is not technically my cousin anymore, but even though we were only related for a few years, we've always considered each other family and claimed one another as such. I remember screaming at her when she was at my house for a sleepover and telling her to go home because I was tired of her... I remember teaming up to play jokes on my brother... I remember wishing I didn't have to go to her house to play. I have a lot of memories with Ashley from when we were little and I look back now and cherish all of them. I have watched her grow up for the most part and now looking back and seeing the awesome young woman of God she has become is such an awesome thing! We got to spend a week together when I was home for Christmas... she came in from Georgia to stay at our house with us, and it was definitely a fun week full of laughter, shopping and inside jokes! I wish we could spend more time together, for sure!

Ashley is taking her first EVER mission trip to Romania in the Summer to work with an orphanage. I am SOOOO excited for her! I love that she is stepping out in faith and doing what God has called her to do, and I know that she will return from her trip a better person than she already is. She has an awesome story about how God got her attention turned to Romania and you can read that story on her blog. It is one that gave me chill bumps for real! Our God is just so overwhelmingly AMAZING! It is great to see young followers of God taking up their crosses and following Him with everything they have.

**A Romanian Orphanage background:

Under the rule of Nicolae Ceauşescu, contraception and abortion were illegal, which led to an increase in birth rates... which led to an increase in children being abandoned on the steps of orphanages or worse, the streets to fend for themselves. Images of Romanian orphanages were released after the fall of the Communist government in 1989, and the standard of living for the orphans is still horrible, despite huge improvements. The children have no access to medical treatment or proper food and clothing and are often subjected to physical and mental abuse in the orphanages. There are some, obviously, more poor than others and some where the children are not treated totally horrible. The number of orphans in these state ran homes are increasing and the amount of care providers is not, so this leaves many children without the comfort of having someone wrapping their arms around them and being nice.**

What is Ashley going to be doing in Romania? Here is her story below: 

I am going on a mission trip this summer to the country of Romania. I am going to be part of a team of people from Crossroads Church who will hold a summer camp for orphaned children, ranging in age from 8 to 18. I am very excited about this opportunity and I would like to ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me through prayer and giving. The dates I will be traveling are June 29-July 8 and the cost is approximately $2,800. I’d like to share some information with you about the children we will be serving.
There are approximately 125,000 orphaned children living in Romania. Many of these children have grown up in state run orphanages from the time of birth. Some have been left on the doorsteps of these institutions by family members or parents who suffer from poverty, addiction, and mental illness. These children grow up suffering physically, emotionally, and psychologically. They are regarded as unwanted and undesirable and are treated as outcasts in their society. The care and education they receive is substandard and sets them up to repeat the vicious cycle of dysfunction.
For the past 10 years, teams from Atlanta, California, and Colorado have gone to Mures County in Romania to minister to the "least of these." These teams have held week long, overnight camps that focus on sharing God's love and His hope with these children. These teams have built play structures, provided dental care, and transported medical supplies, clothing, and school supplies to various counties in the western region of the country.
I believe that God is calling me to join Him where He is already at work and be a part of this year’s team. I want to share His love and His hope with these children at camp and remind them that they are cherished and valued and that their lives have purpose and meaning.
Please pray that our team will be knit together and that God will speak through us during our week with the children in Romania.

These children need someone to hold them and tell them it will be alright. They need to find some kind of hope, and the hope that will get them through these tough lives they have can only be found in Jesus. It is our job, as people who are not able to attend these trips ourselves, to send workers out into the harvest as Jesus says in Matthew. Mission trips, especially foreign ones are so expensive. There is the passport expense, the visa expense(if she needs one) the travel expenses, and of course the base expense of the trip as listed above. The first $100 is due at the end of this month(in 2 days!!) and then 75% of the remaining balance is due by March 15 which is $2,025 if my math is correct, plus anything else that needs to be bought or paid for as this trip winds closer. I fully believe with all of my heart that we should support missionaries both monetarily and prayerfully. Ashley is going to receive the funds she needs to get to Romania, because the God of Creation is on her side. I totally believe that this is what God wants for her life in this moment, and if it is... He will make it happen! Please join me in prayer for her and her team and all of the people the team will encounter on this trip. If you would like to help support her trip in any way, send me an email at breannarains@gmail.com :) 

*photo credit: Blog post*