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July 23rd (Trip update 4)
After only 4 hours of sleep on Sunday night, I got ready for the trip down to New York City (my planned 48hr 'vacation sight-seeing' part of this trip). I met up with Joe (my companion for the trip) and we drove to Stamford, CT, where we left the car and took the train into Grand Central Station. From then on I had my camera out ready to take lots of pictures! We walked over to Broadway, passing through Times Square, and we managed to get tickets for Phantom of the Opera. Unfortunately, all they had were 'standing tickets', which meant that we had to stand through the entire production, but at least we got to see it and it was much cheaper! After the show, we saw Times Square at night and then headed back to the house where we were staying - a place called the Hephzibah house, which is a place reserved only for Christian workers and church leaders. We each had quaint little rooms decorated in an old-timey style - very in keeping with the house overall. The big disadvantage to the place was the lack of A.C. so the rooms were about 89*, which was a tad warm! However, we were thankful to be able to stay there.
In the morning we took our breakfast to Central Park to eat there and then we walked to Trump Tower where we had Trump ice-cream! Apparently Miss Universe was due to arrive that day, but we ended up leaving about 15 minutes before her due arrival time since we still had much we wanted to do. I'm sure it would have been interesting to have seen her and Donald Trump, though! We went up the Empire State Building, which took a couple of hours (much longer than I anticipated) so we didn't have time to do a couple of the other things we wanted to do, but at least we got to see the city from the top and see some of the sites from a distance that we weren't actually going to make it to in person due to time.
One of the places on my high priority list to visit was the B&H Photo store! I know that's not on most people's priority list for a visit in NY! However, this store is a great place for videographers and photographers so I was able to gather a lot of information regarding some equipment that I could use in my ministry. Joe had to leave to get back to NH after only 40 minutes in the store so I spent the remainder of my time there (another 1 1/2 hours) by myself. I had become familiar enough with the city in the last 24 hours that I felt comfortable staying longer by myself. I made it back to Stamford later that evening and then drove down to the same place I stayed at in NJ before. All in all, I can say that my brief visit to NY was very enjoyable and I look forward to being able to visit again and see more!
Wednesday was a quiet day - a chance to catch up on sleep and paperwork. In the evening, I went to a local church's Wednesday night service and had a chance to talk to the pastor and give him a packet of information about my ministry. Thursday I head down to WV for a presentation I'm giving to a group at a church in Martinsburg and then I head on down to Washington D.C. on Saturday afternoon.
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July 20th (Trip update 3)
I'm still in NH and enjoying my time here. Since I didn't have any meetings scheduled for Friday or Saturday, on Friday afternoon I went to Maine for a visit to York and Ogunquit. We went to York first and went on the beach very briefly because within minutes the weather prohibited us staying out. We later found out there was a tornado watch in our area! We made it into the Golden Rod right about the time the electricity went out in the whole town and we were left in the dark. After hanging out inside for a while and being tempted by all the treats and not being able to have any because they couldn't sell without electricity, we made our way to the car and headed over to Ogunquit to see the famous Nubble Light. Despite the pouring rain, I ran around outside taking pictures of the light house and the shore line of the town and in the process got rather wet. I think I got some good pictures, though! I'll find out when I'm able to download them :o) We never got to see the production of Beauty and the Beast at Prescott Park in Portsmouth as we had planned due to the weather.
On Saturday we headed down to Boston for the day. We took the T (train/underground) into the city and started our tour just before lunch. We came across some street performers from Peru who were playing some really good music and I was able to get some information about the quena - an instrument I'd love to play! We had lunch at Quincy Market and then continued our walking tour of the city taking lots of pictures along the way. It was a fun, but exhausting day!
I went to church at Trinity Baptist this morning and then headed over to another church in a small town nearby for a meeting with a missions elder. The meeting went well and they indicated that I would be able to give a presentation at the church if I were to come back to the area another time. However, at this time they are not taking on any new missionaries. I had another presentation tonight with a couple of people at Trinity Baptist and that also went well. I'm excited about the possibilities that might come from the contacts I've made this week.
I'll be leaving in a few hours to go to New York, which I'm excited about. However, I'm leaving my leopard gecko behind. My friend up here in Concord will be taking care of her since I'll not be able to take her back to England with me. I know it's just a gecko, but it was kinda sad to leave her behind. She seemed to enjoy her new environment, though, and I'm sure she'll be well looked after. Now I'm hoping to catch a couple of hours sleep before the drive down to NY.
Thanks for praying!
Demelza
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July 18th (Trip update 2)
The time on this trip is going so quickly! It's hard to believe that it's almost the 2nd weekend I've been away. I had two meetings on Monday morning in the Philly area and they both went well as far as being encouraging conversations with the pastors. However, I'm hearing the same thing a lot at the moment and that is that, due to the economy, churches are typically increasing support for the missionaries they already have (which is great), but it doesn't help me out. I did have a nice time with them, though, and one of the churches did say they might be able to help towards some of my outgoing expenses, which will be great!
Tuesday started off a bit uncertain regarding meetings because I hadn't been able to confirm times with the pastors I had spoken to earlier. However, I decided to just go ahead to the churches and hope that it would all work out. It did - at least with the first one. I arrived at the church (a small one with only the pastor working at the building) just before the pastor arrived. I shared with him my ministries and he has a big interest in the UK so he was especially enthusiastic regarding the church plant. So much so, that he took an extra packet to take to another church and he said that he'd show my DVDs at his church without me even being there in order that I might get exposure and hopefully some support. This was definitely the most encouraging response yet regarding monthly support.
I visited 5 other churches in the Lancaster area through the remainder of the day, but didn't really get to speak to the pastors for various reasons. However, I did get to see some Amish country and that was fascinating. I headed up to NJ in the late afternoon/evening and I stayed with my friend's parents overnight which was a huge blessing.
I left for Concord, NH, on Wednesday morning and took the beautiful drive up through New York and Vermont. I did make a couple of unintentional detours, but I made it to my new host family with 20 minutes to get my things into the house, change, have a bite to eat, and then get to the church service. I had expected to be giving a ministry presentation either at the service or afterwards to a small group of people, but it didn't happen - misunderstanding I suppose. However, I did get to talk to the man I had spoken to on the phone and he came up with a bunch of suggestions of people I should contact and that he would help with - as well as setting up a presentation for me to give to a few businessmen on Thursday evening! I was encouraged coming away from that meeting.
I took Thursday quietly since I hadn't had much time to really catch up on some things. So I made some phone calls to try and secure more local meetings among other things. The presentation in the evening went very well. The men were very enthusiastic about my ministries and I think they represented 3 different churches so that was neat. There's a possibility that I might be able to give a presentation at one of the churches they represented, but since it's such short notice, I'm not sure if that will actually happen or not. Either way, the meeting was very encouraging and I look forward to seeing how God might work through it.
Thanks again for your prayers!
Demelza
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July 14th (Trip update 1)
Well, I have almost completed the first week of my trip and I've been keeping pretty busy! I left Greenville on Tuesday afternoon and spent the evening with some missionary friends in High Point, NC, that my family had met while we were still in England. It was good to start off this trip catching up with them.
I left there early on Wednesday morning to get to Reidsville, NC, for my first meeting at 9am. The pastor and mission board leader were excited about what I'm doing and, although unable to commit to financially supporting me at this point, it was a very encouraging meeting. That night and Thursday night, I stayed with a friend's family who had never met me, but made me feel very welcome and I enjoyed getting to know them.
On Thursday I had two churches to visit in Winston Salem and then headed back for another one in Reidsville. I spent over an hour with this pastor and his family who were so excited about what I'm doing that they called another local church and scheduled a meeting for me to go to right after leaving them. When I arrived at this other church, the same thing happened and they tried to schedule a meeting for me with yet another pastor. Unfortunately, that one didn't work out due to the fact that the pastor was leaving for the day, but I left an extra packet of information with the secretary who will be passing it on to this other church. This was all very encouraging to see how God worked it all out!
After these meetings, it was nice to be able to relax back at the house, play with the 18 month old, swim, and get an early-ish night before the long travel day on Friday. I left the house at 9am on Friday and traveled up through VA on the 81 and took the 76 into Philadelphia. The trip was pretty uneventful and I was thankful that when I got sleepy I was able to talk to family on blue tooth and I was also thankful that my neck and shoulder didn't hurt too much!
In PA things got more interesting since I didn't know what to do on a toll road! I figured it out 'on the go' and with some help from a friend who told me I paid at the end of the road, not the beginning! Once I got off the toll road, I needed to find somewhere to stop to put the address of where I was going in my GPS. However, I chose the wrong exit and ended up in the 'wrong' area of town. I pulled over long enough to punch in the address and then followed the directions to the restaurant where the rehearsal dinner was being held. That last part of the trip was particularly challenging since it was about 9pm and I hadn't had a chance to eat so my blood sugar dropped and I was dizzy and had practically lost the use of my left arm. Needless to say, I was thankful to arrive at the restaurant before I crashed completely.
It was good to see my friend Rebecca, the bride, and after the rehearsal dinner I stayed with her and two other girls in the hotel. I spent all day Saturday with her helping where I could. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with her and be so involved in the wedding. The reception was held at a Moroccan restaurant where we sat on couches and had a 7 course meal! It was VERY filling, but neat to try some of the food that Rebecca and her husband, Chris, are used to having in Morocco. Throughout the evening, I had a chance to talk to several people and was able to share what I was doing, out of which some possible meetings might come in the D.C. area.
I am now staying with Rebecca's sister and brother-in-law and I went to church with them on Sunday morning and took the opportunity to catch up on some things in the afternoon/evening, including sleep!
I have 5-6 scheduled meetings over the next couple of days in the Philadelphia area and would appreciate prayer for traveling on these unfamiliar roads and for the actual meetings. On Monday evening I plan to take a mini tour of the city of Philadelphia with a group from the church I attended on Sunday. It'll be nice to see the city and sites without having to do the driving myself :o) After my meetings on Tuesday, I plan to head up to NJ to stay with Rebecca's parents, which will cut an hour and a half off my journey to Concord, NH, on Wednesday.
Thanks for your prayers for my trip so far. I have definitely sensed God's protection and blessing and look forward to seeing how He's going to work in the rest of this trip. Please also pray that the Devil won't have success in causing me to be discouraged. It would be easy to eclipse all the blessings God is pouring out on me by the realities and logistics of not having extra support coming in yet and what that means for the future of my ministries. I know God can and will provide so that I can do these ministries if it's His will so I'll do my part and trust Him for the rest.
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July 8th
I’ve been keeping pretty busy the last couple of months with various deputation opportunities and planning for my trip up the East Coast. I leave for that trip this afternoon (July 8th) and plan to get back into Greenville late on August 2nd. I’ll be visiting High Point and Reidsville, NC, on my way up to Philadelphia, PA, where I’ll be able to attend a friend’s wedding as well as meet with a few pastors. I will then head on up to Concord, NH, and meet with people in that area before heading back down to Washington D.C., after which I'll return to Greenville. You can keep up with my schedule for my trip on my calendar page. I’ll be keeping this updated as I get new meetings and things become more clear as to where I’ll be at what time. I am still trying to schedule more meetings while I’m away and connecting with people while I’m in the area.
I’ve already done quite a bit of traveling this past month. I went down to Lawrenceville, GA, to my mission board HQ for Synergy, which was a great time of encouragement and relaxation with fellow missionaries from various parts of the world. It’s so encouraging to make new friends who are serving God on the foreign field. I also had a chance to teach a class on photography tips for the 3rd year running. It went well and, as always, was good fun.
I was back from Synergy for a week before heading down to Orlando, FL, with my sister and a friend for a vacation. We were given the opportunity to go to Discovery Cove and a couple of the other parks, including the Holy Land Experience. It was so nice to be able to relax in the middle of this hectic and uncertain time. However, I did take the opportunity to talk to some pastors about my ministry as well.
I returned from Florida last Monday, which has given me a week to get ready for the trip up north. Many years ago, I was in an accident that caused a neck injury and I have since had neck and shoulder trouble when I drive or carry bags for any length of time. Due to the amount of driving I’ve been doing recently, my neck and shoulder have been quite uncomfortable. I would appreciate prayer for the many miles and hours I’ll be driving on this trip that the pain in my neck and shoulder will not bother me too much. I have been given some exercises and a heat pack to help, but even with two chiropractic treatments and a separate massage therapy, I’m still a little uncomfortable and that’s before I start the trip! I also tend to get particularly sleepy when driving so would appreciate prayer that I’m able to stay awake and get to each destination safely!
There are still many unknowns regarding my immediate future. I should have a better idea of timing and plans regarding the videos I’ll be doing in Italy by the beginning of August and will then be able to schedule my departure date accordingly. At the moment, I don’t have anywhere near the funds that I need in order to cover living expenses in England. I am at 43% of what I need, which means in practical terms that I need to raise about another $3,000/month. I also need to raise a significant amount for my outgoing expenses – ideally, $19,000.
With the financial situation as it is and the time running short before I leave the States (8-10 weeks approximately), I’m wondering if you might pray with me that God would supply all that I need to make the move back to England. That includes ‘special gifts’ that can go towards my outgoing fund (which has nothing in it right now) and my monthly support needed to live in England.
In order for you to pray specifically, I’ve included a breakdown so you can pray about whether you can be a part of helping yourself and/or pray that others might take on the challenge and be one of the 9, 15, 44, or 150.
Challenge:
Monthly support needed: $4,920
Current support: $1,910
Need an extra $3,000
These goals can be met by:
9 people giving $100 = $900
+
15 people giving $50 = $750
+
44 people giving $30 = $1,350
Total = $3,000
or
150 people on this mailing list giving $20 = $3,000
Thank you again for your prayers and support.
Trusting Him,
Demelza
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Can you help?
The Newquay DVD is now online for you to watch. This DVD will provide more information regarding the church plant, where it'll be located, and the needs related to this venture.
Click here to watch the Newquay DVD
Also, I am planning a trip up the East Coast in July. My main target areas and approximate route is planned to be:
High Point, NC
Take the 81 to...
Philadelphia, PA (over the weekend of the 12th July)
Head on up to...
Concord, NH
Back down to...
Lancaster, PA
Down to...
Washington DC (days leading up to the 29th of July)
Back home via 95 and 85
I'm interested in anywhere that lies approximately en-route of these cities. See 'Calendar' for approximate dates.
Do you have friends, family, churches, Christian businesses, etc. that you think would be interested in knowing about my ministry? I'm looking for opportunities to share my ministry during week days as well as weekends so would love to be able to schedule lunches, afternoon coffees, dinners, etc. with anyone you might know in these areas that might be interested.
Please could you email me names and contact info. (phone numbers and addresses) so that I might be able to contact the people you recommend and see if I can schedule a time to meet them?
I will compile your suggestions and plan a more definite route so that I can schedule actual dates and times with your recommendations. Then I'd ask that you might contact them to let them know about me before I call them myself.
If you can help in this way, that would be awesome! I don't really have many contacts in these areas so it would be great if I'm able to make the most of the time away being able to schedule as many meetings as possible. This is a very practical way you can help me with my ministry needs and would be really appreciated!
If you could send your suggestions to me by the 24th of April (next Thursday), that would be great - I've got to get this trip organized soon! You can email me at: djarrett@biblicalministries.org .
Thanks in advance for your help. I look forward to hearing from you!
Demelza
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April 7th, 2008
God is good! It's been exciting this month to look back at the road
God has brought me along to bring me to this point and to see how He
is working to move me forward towards what He has for me with video
ministry and church planting.
This month, I have been blessed to meet with several friends and
groups to present my ministry and update with the recent changes. It
has been such a blessing to share and be encouraged at these
meetings. One of those meeting was pretty neat because it was a
pastor who contacted me to do a presentation at his church - something that
doesn't occur very often, but it was very encouraging. To see my
schedule of meetings, please see my calendar on the 'calendar' page
which is updated as meetings are scheduled. If you would be
interested in meeting up while I'm still here, please email me or call
me - I'd love to see you.
One of the couple of projects I was able to complete this last month
includes my new prayer card. It's designed as a bookmark this time
and includes my new ministry aspect of going to Newquay, England. You
can see pictures by clicking here. If you would like one or more of
these new prayer cards, please let me know - djarrett@biblicalministries.org - Please include your address if you need me to mail it to you.
The other project I've been working on is the Newquay DVD. This DVD
is about 6 minutes long and is designed to promote and inform about
the area of Newquay as a mission field and why a church plant is being
planned for this area. I hope to have the DVD finished this week, at
which time I'll upload it on my website as the featured video for the
month. We are looking for people who might be interested in being
involved in this church plant. If you are interested in finding out
more information, please let me know.
I would appreciate prayer for tonight (Monday 7th April) as I have the
opportunity to present my ministry on Channel 16's 'Nite Line' between
8pm and 10pm. I'm not sure exactly when I'll be on the show but it'll
be sometime within those two hours. I am thankful that the Lord has
provided this opportunity for me to let more people know about my
ministry. Please pray that I will ultimately glorify God in all that
I say and that I'll be able to communicate clearly the potential of
video ministry and the Newquay church plant. I want to be able to
encourage viewers regarding mission work around the world. It would
be great if, through this opportunity, viewers that otherwise might
not have heard about what I'm doing might be led to support the
ministry in some way. I'm aware that I have a lot of funds to raise
over the next 4 months before I leave for England so it would be great
to see if God might provide in some way through this opportunity.
Serving a Great God!
Demelza
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March 5th 2008
I'm sorry it has been a while since I updated you all with what I have been doing. As you can see, I now have my new website up and running and I hope that this will be more effective than my previous one, which, although creatively designed, I had outgrown with what I envisioned doing in order to keep you all better informed.
On this new site you'll find several pages with the same information that was on my previous site, but also many more pages with more information, pictures, media, and other things to help you keep better informed with what I'm doing.
There are several major changes taking place at the moment. I've not only updated my website, but I have also taken a slight change in my career missionary path. There is a new church plant taking place in Newquay, England, and I have been in prayer for the last couple of months as to whether I should be a part of this adventure.
The benefits to me participating are many - but primarily the fact that I'm English is a huge plus. I will be getting involved in 'traditional' missions by being involved in the church plant, but I will also be continuing with the video work. Being in Europe will actually make it easier and cheaper to travel to all of the BMW European fields to do videos.
The last couple of months, I have not only been working on the website, but also on redesigning my prayer card and making other necessary adjustments to my materials. Now that this site is online, I am working on the DVD showing the need for the Newquay church plant. I plan to have this new DVD online when it's finished along with my new prayer card design. In the meantime, please take a look at this month's featured video.
At the end of 2007, I put together a deputation DVD for the Louks who are raising support for being missionaries in Romania - specifically wanting to minister to the large orphan population. You can watch this video on the 'media' page.
Regarding the next few months, I plan to do full time deputation (raising support). I haven't been able to devote as much time as I would have liked to specifically raising support due to projects I've been working on at the same time. However, I now have 5 months to raise my support for moving to England. I will be leaving the United States in August this year and I'm trusting God to provide the support I will need before then. If I am short of any support, then I will need to return on a visa waiver for 11 weeks to try and raise the rest (or as much as God provides), but I won't bother you with details right now, although feel free to ask questions if you have any.
I will be leaving the United States in August in order to head over to Italy to do a couple of videos for missionaries in Venice and Florence. You can read more about these projects on the 'projects' page.
Please take a look around the new site. There are several new and updated pages such as my support page with my new needs, the NCCC page which elaborates a little more on the church plant, my calendar, as well as pictures from my Romania trip.
Thanks for your support and interest. I look forward to keeping you updated with the ministry through this medium.
God bless,
Demelza
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