Relevant’s 9th team just returned from another amazing trip to the Thai/Burma border where they worked with our partners at Safe Haven Orphanage and Outpour Movement! God moved in powerful ways in and through each of the 13 team members throughout the trip! Here are some highlights…
Safe Haven Orphanage
The children and staff at Safe Haven had the opportunity to bake for the first time EVER! Our team was able to bless Safe Haven with two tabletop ovens, and they had awesome interaction with the kids and staff teaching them how to bake and decorate cakes and cupcakes. Safe Haven so enjoyed the delicious treats and they look forward to baking more on their own now that they have ovens!
The team enjoyed connecting with Tasanee (founder of Safe Haven Orphanage) and the children and futhering Relevant’s relationship with Safe Haven that has blossomed over the years. They enjoyed playing soccer, volleyball, guitar, and worship with the kids.
Tasanee has completed work on her bachelor’s degree, which she has worked very hard to attain all the while serving as the director of Safe Haven! Tasanee shared with the team that, unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to walk at her graduation ceremony as she couldn’t afford the trip to the university in Singapore that she’ll be graduating from. Relevant was able to bless Tasanee with the money she’ll need to fly to Singapore and walk at her graduation. She was SO excited and shared that this was a “dream come true!” We can only imagine how special this will be for Tasanee and how it will motivate her kids in their future endeavors. Moments like these show that generosity is generating transformation!
“Because of your love and kindness, Safe Haven can breathe. The children are happy. They have a future, good health, and education because of [Relevant’s] support.”
– Tasanee, founder of Safe Haven Orphanage
Tasanee and Ronnie
Outpour Movement
On the trip, our team relationally grew Relevant’s partnership with Outpour Movement as well. We’re excited about having a long-term partnership to support and come alongside our brothers and sisters who are the church on the Thai/Burma border in Mae Sot!
The team participated in an outreach project in Burma, where they served a meal to local villagers, met with a Burmese military leader that Ray Ward (founder of Outpour) has developed a relationship with, and spent time playing with kids in the village.
Ray Ward (of Outpour) and Burmese military leader
Our team’s Katie Barlow—who works as a Business Coach with Jimmy John’s—provided a business coaching seminar where she was able to help Outpour’s Famous Ray’s restaurant and Braverly coffeeshop/café develop their processes for employee hiring, training, and development, while instilling good customer service skills and human resource practices. So cool to see how God used her skills to impact others on the other side of the world!
Relevant’s Nicki Carson and Zane Frederick shared a seminar on personal finances, teaching skills on budgeting, saving, loans, and financial stewardship which was very well-received!
The team had a HUGE turnout for a Saturday morning sports day, where Gess Gdowski and Nicki Carson—UNO women’s volleyball players—taught a volleyball clinic and team members played soccer with kids from the community who came out for the sports camps!
Jim Work taught an epoxy art/table top building class to local youth and restaurant staff at Outpour…they loved it! Even those who didn’t consider themselves “artists” couldn’t believe the work of their hands!
Jim and one of Outpour’s staff members, Mason, designed a template for making Adirondack style chairs. They were able to finish one chair and cut all the pieces to make 4 chairs, which Mason will be able to complete. This will provide Outpour the opportunity to make comfortable chairs at a reasonable cost in the future as well!
Jim, Ray, Jordan, and Mason (seated) in the new chair
The ladies taught Outpour’s Braverly (café) staff how to make a variety of gourmet cupcakes and chocolate truffles to add to their menu! The Braverly staff were so excited to market and sell their chocolate peanut butter cupcakes!
The guys on the team were able to break up old concrete and lay new concrete at the Outpour Training Center in preparation for the church planting conference Outpour would host just a week later. Relevant’s Cory Nelson and Jimmy George took a separate trip to be part of this conference and had the incredible opportunity to be a part of sending out 30 passionate Burmese ministers to plant churches throughout Burma!
Myanmar church planting conference
Love knows no language barrier. Love identifies us as Jesus’ disciples. Love does. Love serves. Love transforms.
We can’t possibly summarize the impact of the trip or all that God did in this one post. But just know that God is working on the other side of the world through the efforts of our church!
Devin Armbrust, Katie Barlow, Nicki Carson, Zane Frederick, Gess Gdowski, Anthony Isaac, Ben Kolosso, Jordan Marescalco, Coleman Marion, Ronnie Rothe, Kelsea Stough, Jim Work, and Caleb Work—AMAZING JOB, sharing your talents, passions, time, energy, and resources! We are so proud of and thankful for you!
Relevant, it’s amazing to see the impact of our generosity half a world away. Keep being generous!!! And keep praying for our partners at Safe Haven and Outpour!
