For those of you who missed yesterday's meeting, it still isn't too late to sign up for SOAR. The deadline is January 27th. For more info on the SOAR program see: http://boissevainyouthgroup.blogspot.ca/p/sr-youth-handouts.html
Keep reading to see what you missed at the meeting:
Soar is a 10 day full mission experience. SOAR runs programs in Mexico, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Montreal and Vancouver. SOAR is incredible value, it is a low cost mission trip including everything for a full ten days for only $450 per person (with fundraising you could lower the cost to about $150-250!). There is a couple of days for training and education to help immerse us and help us to understand the people we will be ministering to. Then we do outreach, running a VBS for inner city children, and each evening we get to meet up with the other teams, hear what God did that day around the city, learn from a speaker and encounter God through worship. Then at the end of the program we get to spend a day processing and debriefing what we have experienced as a team and individually, and to think about how we can continue to serve God and grow spiritually after we return home. Both Bethany and I have experienced SOAR as youth, and whole-heartedly believe that it was one of the best experiences either of us had during high school.
Common Misconceptions
-distance
Some think that because we are only going to Winnipeg it is not as impactful or as exciting as going to another country like Mexico. And yes we are not going very far, but we want you guys to realize that there are people in different countries and cultures that need to know God's love, but there are also people in our own province, including our own town that need to know God, and missions is not just going far away, it is about living for God no matter where he takes you.
-need
We think that poverty in Manitoba isn't a big deal, and why don’t people just get better jobs. Well, it can be very difficult. Imagine not having a supportive family, you were never able to get an education. Now you have a family, and do not have the time or the money to go back to school, and it is extremely difficult to get a job without that education. Also if people are homeless, and that is all they have ever known it is difficult to be hired due to a lack of trust, and no permanent residence to put on an application. In Canada there are approximately 200,000 people suffering from transitional homelessness, meaning they are homeless and in between employment or unable to secure housing.
-danger
Some may be concerned over the safety of the north end of Winnipeg, because it is known as the murder capitol of Canada. Well Regina has now beat it, but to put that in perspective, in Winnipeg each year there is one murder for every 25000 people, that may sound like a lot, Tijuana, Mexico is 4 or 5 times higher than that, and I have been to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the murder capital of the world, two times, where the rate is 500x higher than Winnipeg. The point is that when we go with God and trust the ministry partners we are going with, we are protected, kept from danger.
-impact
This program can impact you and the people you see just as much as if we went to another country. This program deeply impacted me and the way that I see the world. I love going to other countries to do missions, but SOAR taught me that missions is also at home, which is why Bethany and I are here doing youth, it is a mission to challenge and encourage you guys in your faith. If I never learned that, or I was never taught that, maybe I would be living in Panama, or Africa, or Asia right now. But this program will teach you things and show you things that you might not even imagine. Not to mention the thousands of people in Winnipeg that will experience the love of God in a tangible way because of what we are doing.
FAQ
Where would we be staying? In churches near Fort Gary MB Church, there we will be eating and having our sessions.
SOAR Begins Thursday, Mar 26 and we will be home in time for Supper on Saturday, Apr 4
$450 includes absolutely everything, all meals and all transportation.
Mentorship
To help maximize the impact of this experience we will also partner a youth with a youth leader to meet with before and after the trip so they can help you get the most out of this experience. All of our leaders have been on different missions trips, so it will be a time that you can ask questions before hand, and share experiences afterwards.
Finances
-Fundraisers
As well we are planning a Valentines Dessert Theater for Feb 13. We will do some skits, serve some desserts and raise money for the program. Depending on how many are coming on the trip we are hoping the fundraising will bring the cost down to roughly $200-250 per person.
We will ask each person to pay a deposit of $150
The deadline to sign up is January 27! Don't miss this life changing experience, you will never regret going, but I can't say the same if you don't go.
Email Steve if you have more questions about this opportunity!
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