Many of you know that I’ve worked for several years with a youth and family ministry called Solid Rock Foundation Ministries (SRFM). They have taught me, supported me, encouraged me, trained me, been my best friends and have released me to start my own organization. The lessons that I’ve learned and the growth that I’ve experienced during my years with SRFM have been invaluable.

One of SRFM’s ministries is called Audience of One (Ao1). It is a youth discipleship ministry. With Ao1 I’ve traveled to several countries including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and Hong Kong. This is where I have not only overcome my fear of teenagers, but I have also learned to enjoy them as individuals.

I always imagined that the Christian teenagers that were able to go on missions trips were a) from wealthy families, b) from perfect families, c) somehow capable of never messing up or making bad choices, and d) nothing like me. What I’ve discovered is that I was wrong on every account.

The Ao1 kids that I get to work with are “normal.” Only about 10% of the team members that come on our missions trips have the money up front. A lot of our kids come from single-parent homes, either because of divorce or the death of a parent. Some kids come from unstable homes or have experienced unthinkable traumas. They have the same fears and insecurities that we do. Like the rest of us they are trying to make good choices for their lives and some days they do better at it then others.

I know that working with these youth, these “normal” kids, has prepared me to work with the kids that I’ll be serving in Hope’s Journey. The kids that come to Hope’s Journey Int’l will have experienced severe physical trauma, they will not feel “normal” and they will struggle with that feeling.

While they may not appear “normal,” I say that they are. They will respond to their trauma the same way that any other person would respond to an equivalent injury. They will experience loss, grief, confusion, questions, frustrations, sadness, and anger. They will struggle with fears and insecurities and they will make choices. In fact, they will have to make many of the same choices that the “normal” Ao1 kids have had to make.

They will choose whether or not their past will dictate their future. Will they be a victim or an over-comer? Will they live life in fear or in courageous attempts to face their fears? Will they let others tell them who they are or will they walk confidently in who they know they are?

There is something that sets the Ao1 kids apart from the masses of teenagers that surround them each day. They are taking their “normal” lives and living them for God and His purposes instead of for themselves and their comfort. They choose to believe what He says about them instead of what their peers say about them. They work for months in advance and raise their own money to go on these missions trip. Therefore they are not “normal” but, “beyond normal.” That is my hope for the future participants of Hope’s Journey Int’l, that they too can learn to live a life “beyond normal.”

I’m excited to travel this year with Ao1 to Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden). I recognize that my work for Hope’s Journey Int’l will take my future in another direction. I will no longer be available to work with Ao1 as I have in the past. I see this summer’s trip as a completion and a closure to that season. I look forward to my continuing education from the teenagers that have already taught me so much. I love seeing them grow and take steps to overcome their personal pains. It fuels my hope for the kids that I will serve in the future through Hope’s Journey Int’l.

So check out Solid Rock Foundation Ministries at: www.solidrockfoundationministries.com it is an amazing organization!

Lucy and I attended a Writer’s Conference at Mount Hermon, near Santa Cruz, California at the end of last month. The setting was beautiful.  About 330 people attended the conference including publishers, editors, agents, and authors.

One of the walking paths at Mount Hermon

It was a whole new world to me. My emotions were up and down and all around like a rollercoaster.  One moment I was encouraged that I can write a book that people may actually want to read.  The next moment I felt very small, wondering how could I ever compare to these “writers.”   Of course I also made a lot of new friends, which is always the fun part of attending conferences.

I learned so much about the publishing process and writing techniques in a very short amount of time.  I have been very thankful to have Lucy along on this project.  I realized that she has been teaching me a lot in the last month as we’ve been working together on this book; her patience with me is astounding.

The biggest thing that I’ve learned is that a book doesn’t just happen.  It takes so much work (kind of like a non-profit).  I’m anxious to implement all that I’ve been learning and see my book through to completion.  I know that it is a necessary part of Hope’s Journey Int’l.

Other news:

The burn camp that Dave Roever was planning to start this summer has been postponed a year while they continue to build their facility in Texas.  So, my summer plans have changed.  I’ll be joining the staff of Audience of One on their summer mission’s trip to Scandinavia.  I’m very excited about this opportunity.  I love working with youth.

There are also some other possible projects on the horizon. I’ll keep you posted as those are solidified.

Adam Woodden has been working hard on a new website for Hope’s Journey Int’l. It is making great progress and we look forward to having it up in the weeks ahead.

We are contacting the State of Colorado this week so that we can begin the process of determining our classification with the Department of Health and Human Services. We have contacted them in the past and came to a bit of a stand still. Now we will approach them again to discover what is necessary for us to do so that we can move forward.

We recognize that there is a lot to accomplish with the State and the County before we can even begin to locate a county approved property, fundraise for it, and build. This will take more time than I ever imagined when I dreamed of providing a ranch for burned, disabled, and traumatized children to come and adjust to their injuries while developing coping skills and gaining emotional healing. It has been obvious to us there are many other people involved at many levels that are not very concerned about our time tables, so as we wait through the process we are thinking of ways to offer hope and healing now.

My current primary goal is to write a book that will provide a resource for those that are in pain. I would also like to make our website an interactive resource for those that need hope. I’ll do this by writing articles, providing connections to other organizations and people that can help, and providing a place for positive discussion.

I am planning on attending a one-week Writer’s Conference in California at the end of next month, with a friend and author, Lucy Allen. There we will make connections with publishers and other writers. We will submit our plans for a book and get the instruction necessary to keep me on target. I will also learn how to write better articles for the website, and possibly magazines, and how to publicize my book, and concurrently Hope’s Journey Int’l. There are workshops that incorporate public speaking and marketing as well. I am taking Lucy along because her knowledge, experience, and connections will help me to gain the most out of this conference, and it’s nice to have a friend. The total cost of the conference with travel and accommodations is $3,000 for both of us.

As you know, we submitted our tax exempt (501(c)3) application last October. As of right now, the IRS has not yet gotten to our application. Hopefully, in the next month we’ll hear from them. Despite the delay, we are able to receive donations and issue tax-deductible receipts while our tax-exempt status is pending.

Will you consider giving a one-time or monthly donation to Hope’s Journey Int’l? Your donations go towards the operating costs of Hope’s Journey Int’l, to the upcoming Writer’s Conference, and ultimately to our goal of offering hope and healing to those that are in pain. Checks should be made payable to: Hope’s Journey Int’l. You can also make a donation by credit card through PayPal here on our website by clicking on the “donate” page.

We cannot thank you enough for your prayers, support, encouragement and interest in Hope’s Journey Int’l.

I’m looking forward to the New Year and all that it has in store for Hope’s Journey Int’l.  It will be exciting to see where our journey will take us in 2010.

I pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas and that your New Year will be full of amazing and delightful surprises.

I am thankful for what has been accomplished this year. We have become our own non-profit incorporation, we are awaiting a response from the IRS granting us our tax-exempt status, we have a wonderful board that has a heart for Hope’s Journey Int’l, and we have an Executive Director, Chris Gray, who is faithfully working to keep us moving forward. I am also thankful for our prayer team, those that come to the prayer meetings and those that pray for us from afar. I am thankful for all of our friends, the ones that have been following our progress for the last two years and the new friends that have shown interest in Hope’s Journey Int’l and its vision. I’m thankful for those that have offered to volunteer in the future. You are such a gift to our organization. I’m thankful for the words of encouragement and the support that we receive. It keeps us going.

We are continuing to take steps to educate ourselves about the ins and outs of a charitable organization and to begin to educate others about the healing process. We have a fan page as well as a cause on Facebook and we are brainstorming improvements to be made on our website.

Thank you for showing interest in Hope’s Journey Int’l and sharing our vision with others. I pray that you will have much to be thankful for this holiday season.

P.S. Our monthly prayer is cancelled for November and December due to the holidays. We will make an announcement in the new year about when the prayer meetings will resume.

The Phase 1 School is focused on teaching business principles, public speaking, and other techniques to people who have been through painful situations so that they, in turn, can help others. There were thirteen of us attending the school; two of us were non-military. We had morning sessions with Dave Roever, mid-morning sessions with his son, Matt and early afternoon sessions with other speakers. Mid-afternoon we would go on outings. The first day we went to Bishops Castle where we were challenged to climb to the top of the towers in teams. On the other days we went 4-wheeling, skeet shooting, bowling, walking, and were treated to amazing meals by the staff and some of the local businesses.

What most impacted me was the change that I saw take place among the soldiers during the week. The staff accepted them where they were at, loved them, and continually expressed their care for them and their thankfulness for the service that the soldiers provided for their country and our freedom. As the soldiers relaxed they let down their guards they reconnected with themselves, the core values that were trained into them, their dreams, and their aspirations. It’s like they remembered who they were. I felt like I watched several miracles take place.

It was a pleasure to stay at a beautiful ranch in a lovely part of Colorado, in a comfortable room with amazing people. I have been asked to help staff a new children’s burn camp that Dave Roever is starting in Texas next summer. Mr. Roever also wants me to help recruit campers, so I’ll get to be in on the start up. I’m pretty excited about it. I am also looking forward to a Phase 2 school some time this winter. While Phase 1 focuses on business and public speaking, Phase 2 digs into biblical teachings and principles in order to train for ministry.

Bishop's Castle

After all the company left, Chris and I got busy with our tax-exempt, charitable organization (501(c)3) application. After two board meetings and many hours hashing out the details we are proud to say that the application is complete and going into the mail tomorrow!!

I’ve also been preparing to attend “Phase 1 School” at Eagle’s Summit Ranch in Westcliffe, Colorado October 5-10. That means I leave tomorrow. This is a school that I was invited to attend by Dave Roever. I am very excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to see where it will lead.

Dave Roever is a Vietnam Vet that was burned in an explosion during the war. He is an incredible overcomer and inspirational speaker. When I was 16 he came to the town we lived in (Houma, LA) and some friends took me to see him speak. This was the first time that I had ever seen a burn survivor. The message that he spoke was about life and hope and faith. This was an important message for me because a year after I heard Dave Roever speak, Roseanna and I were in our car accident. A few years ago I was reminded of Dave Roever and I realized that his story imprinted on my subconscious that burn injuries were something that you can live through, overcome, and still have a full life. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rover a year ago and share with him how he impacted my life.

If you would like to see more about the school I will be attending here is their website. www.woundedwarriorsalliance.com. If you don’t know who Dave Roever is, here is his website: www.daveroever.org.

For those that have given to Hope’s Journey Int’l, I again want to thank you. Your donations have been a great assistance in getting us this far. They have covered the costs of starting our organization, our 501(c)3 application fee, our computer equipment and software necessary to communicate with you, our logo design, initial printings, county zoning fees, trips to a Burn Camp, World Burn Congress, a Non-Profit Conference, and they have helped us to make many contacts and connections that will prove invaluable.

Now that we are our own organization future checks should be written to: Hope’s Journey Int’l. Our new mailing address is: P.O. Box 854, Montrose, CO 81402.

Thank you again to everyone!! I look forward to sharing with you the outcome of my week ahead!

“This was my first time at a burn conference. It was a great experience, but not quite what I expected. Since I have only known Charity after her accident I am able to see her in a different way than my family or others see her. I didn’t have to go through the trauma of losing her or part of her. To me she has always been the same, whole person I know and love. Seeing the people at the conference made me realize that there is a lot of pain and hurt out there that I could never even imagine, and a lot of people don’t know how to get out of that situation, so they just give up and stay there. During one of the teaching sessions a lady quoted, ‘Those who go through the fire are great, but the ones that get stuck are in trouble.’ That’s a great example of some of the people there.  Some of them truly have overcome intense stuff and they are whole great people but the ones that got stuck in the emotional trauma are struggling. Seeing these people made me learn a lot about myself too. I don’t want to get caught in sticky situations no matter how hard. I want to be able to overcome and grow.  They really helped me learn that and also to love the skin you are in and wear it in pride no matter if you are scarred or not because you are more than just your outside appearance. If you don’t love it and accept it, people won’t be able to see the inside as well. Over all, I am very glad I went and I’m looking forward to going to more if God allows.”

World Burn Congress 2009 – New York, NY

Posted in Miscellaneous ]]> http://charityfreeland.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/166/feed/ 0 Charity IMG_7185 IMG_7266 IMG_7245 IMG_7046 http://charityfreeland.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/burn-camp-chriss-perspective/ http://charityfreeland.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/burn-camp-chriss-perspective/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:27:30 +0000 charityfreeland http://hopesjourneyintl.org/?p=154 ]]> What’s it all about? I have had a few friends ask me what Hope’s Journey is all about. They know I am working with this new ministry but “what is it all about?”

It’s about the kids. It is about the children who are born perfectly normal and then one day find themselves in pain and “no longer normal”. They suddenly have to be under emergency, traumatic and constant medical care. Their parents and family are rushed into horrible circumstances. The children are then placed in a world in which they are in pain, horrible pain, constantly.

They endure horrible medical procedures for months on end. They are now faced with being “different” than their peers. They “look” different. They “feel” different. Frankly, they are different.

They have to wear hot pressure garments. They have to have surgeries to repair skin and bones. Often limbs that once functioned normally are no longer there or are no longer able to function normally.
After what is often months and months they have to return to normal, go to school, church, the Mall, and the doctors and surgeries….

What happens to those kids? Never do they just return their normal life. They return to a “no longer normal” life and that life is hard. Often, they are stared at, laughed at, discriminated against….you name it their life is “no longer normal.”

My heart is in this ministry but I still don’t get it. On Sunday August 23 I got to see a little of it for myself. Charity and I were guests and observers at Cheley’s Boys and Girls Camp in Estes Park. There the Denver Hospital held their annual burn camp. I saw them. I saw a lot of them. I saw beautiful bodies that were forever marred by scars. I saw faces that were once innocent and lovely scarred. I saw adult burn victims cheering for their charges. I saw a mass amount of volunteers serve and love on these kids. But mostly, I saw children who came here to just fit in to find their normal. They were able to be normal for a short time.

I left there just a little sadder and a little scared that the dream of bringing these kids to a place where they can heal completely from the inside will be difficult, but completely possible.
Hope’s Journey is a place that will bring these kids into a place in which they can look at their “no longer normal” lives and reconcile them to the Heart of God. Hope’s Journey wants to give those kids their voice and identity back. HJ wants to love on those children and show them that they are “no longer normal”. But neither am I and neither are you.  They will have an opportunity to not only play and learn but they will be able to be “safe” as they work through the spiritual issues that will bring a healing not so much to their body but to their soul, emotions, and spirit.

If God does what we think he is going to do. Kids like that will be able to stand tall, look in the mirror at their “no longer normal” bodies and smile back at who they are in Jesus. And know that God loves them, God has every tool available to them to bring them into their “no longer normal” world and assist them in loving the face that looks back.

Is it possible that you yourself today can look in the mirror and think, “I am not normal” Know this….God knows and he loves you anyway…..A lot…..
Please keep the mission of Hope’s Journey in your prayers.