Greetings to all of our friends and supporters! It continues to be a privilege to be serving as missionaries with GoServ Global.
It is exciting to see how God is moving and changing lives!
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| GoServ Global presented Sukup Manufacturing with a letter from Governor Branstad & Lt. Governor Reynolds at Sukup's Dealer Meeting regarding the success of the Safe T Homes® in Haiti. Dennis, Charles Sukup, Paul van Gorkom. |
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You may already know that Dennis wears multiple hats in his role as Domestic Director.
Hat 1: Promotion
We are involved in the promotion of GoServ Global to continually tell God's story and raise funds to support projects in all areas of the organization. We'd like to share two of the many God-appointed meetings that happened during these events.
When we set up a Safe T Home® in Eldora, Iowa during RAGBRAI (a week-long bike riding event) in 2015, it inspired 5 local pastors to work together to set up an all-town Lent campaign in 2016. They presented GoServ Global with a check for $15,000 or close to 3 Safe T Homes®!
The Safe T Home® was set up at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines this past summer. Our Executive Director had a conversation with a member of a small church in Minnesota. That person was so inspired by how God was moving in our Haiti ministry that he went home and shared the story with his church, resulting in the church financing the entire birthing center that will be built in Haiti.
We also told God's story at many parades this past summer, fairs and agricultural events, as well as a Christian camp and a regional-wide church conference.
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Domestic Disaster Relief Volunteer Coordinator Linda Zwiefel with GoServ Global Executive Director Paul van Gorkom.
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Hat 2: Domestic Disaster Relief
We are thankful for very little severe tornado activity in our response area this season. However, a tornado did go through our very own Eagle Grove, Iowa (home of the GoServ Global office). We responded to the storm and our domestic disaster relief volunteer coordinator, Linda Zwiefel, took the lead when Dennis left for a scheduled mission trip to Haiti. Five days of work resulted in some great conversations, a lot of goodwill to the town of Eagle Grove, and increased positive exposure and awareness. More than 400 hours were logged
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| The Anderson kids stacking and wrapping 5-gallon buckets to be sent to Haiti. |
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and 50 loads of debris were hauled out of
town.
Here is a quote from one family in Eagle Grove:
"We want to thank you, along with all the volunteers, equipment and hot labor hours.We were overwhelmed by the amount of work and help you provided to us. I still get tears just thinking about your generosity. Eagle Grove is very blessed to have your organization located
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Dennis (left) prepares food boxes for Haiti with GoServ Global Ambassador Al Koenecke. |
here. I hope this helps with your continued support and
response to those in need."
We will be once again preparing our equipment and tools this winter and early spring to be ready for another disaster season.
In addition to disaster response, Dennis manages the warehouse space. This involves securing, receiving, and organizing donations received for all arms of GoServ Global. In October this became critical as the need for urgent response occurred in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.
Managing donations often becomes a family event as seen in the picture above as the kids stacked and wrapped 5-gallon buckets to be sent to Haiti.
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| Building a Safe T Home after Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti. |
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On October 3, Category 4 Hurricane Matthew devastated the Les Cayes, Hai
ti area with 145 mph winds. Most homes were completely destroyed, fruit trees toppled, and livestock killed. We were so thankful to God that all our orphans and staff were able to ride out the storm. 100% of the nearly 200 Safe T Homes® stood the test with just minimal damage. In fact, our children at the Center of Help orphanage all piled into the one Safe T Home® on site while every other building was destroyed. We are thankful for the support that came in to provide food, water, and to begin to rebuild. The need in Haiti continues to be overwhelming; so many more people are now homeless and cholera is a growing problem. Please pray for continued giving and that GoServ Global, along with many other organizations, can provide relief and hope in a desperate time.
GoServ Global Truck
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The GoServ Global truck is in the background at the disaster site in Eagle Grove this summer.
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A crucial component to Dennis' job as Domestic Director is using the GoServ Global pick-up truck for promotion (hauling the Safe T Home® and other displays), disaster relief in the Midwest, and coordinating and often picking up and transporting donations for Haiti and our international projects. These behind the scenes efforts are an essential piece to the puzzle in carrying out GoServ Global's mission. This pick-up truck is still being paid off and we are in need of additional gifts to make this happen. Would you consider a gift to help pay off the $10,000 that remains on the loan?
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One of Dennis' teams he led to Haiti following the hurricane.
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Hat 3: Mission Team Leader
Dennis leads 5-7 mission teams per year to Haiti and Peru. In 2017 he will also begin leading trips to Guatemala where GoServ Global's Mark and Kelly Lee are serving as church planters. These trips generally last 10 days each. Dennis loves shepherding teams, helping team members process their experience of the culture and often seeing poverty for the first time, facilitating an environment where teams can build friendships with nationals, and challenging members with daily devotionals, times of prayer, and listening to the Holy Spirit in regard to learning and growing in the Lord.
Most recently Dennis led back-to-back teams to Haiti after Hurricane Matthew. He stayed a few days extra to help our partner, Les DeRoos with Laborers With Christ, prepare the ground to plant crops again, as they were completely destroyed during the storm. Please continue to be in prayer for Les and his wife Catherine, as well as Eddy and Djoune Constant who direct the Haiti projects. Eddy faced dozens of people everyday before Hurricane Matthew with requests for medical help, food, shelter, and schooling. Now the need is simply overwhelming and we pray for God's wisdom as he distributes limited supplies, takes care of over 150 orphans and their staff, and will be making decisions about which communities and families receive the Safe T Homes® that are coming in thanks to our generous donors.
One amazing story told by our co-founder Ken DeYoung during his last trip to Haiti was visiting the Centre de Vie Church right after the Hurricane. Approximately 95 out of 108 families at the church lost their homes, yet that Sunday - just a few days after the hurricane hit - they enthusiastically praised God in song like it was any other Sunday! It is humbling to see this kind of gratitude and worship that isn't tied to life circumstances.
The two teams Dennis led after the Hurricane built 4 new Safe T Homes® at the Center of Help for the children to sleep in. As they waited, all the children and staff crammed into one Safe T Home® at night.
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| 4 newly-built Safe T Homes® at the Center of Help Orphanage in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew. |
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We are in need of increased support at this time. We rely heavily on yearly gifts and are behind right now. Additionally, rising healthcare costs and some tax law changes over the last couple of years have meant that we have had to take a cut in our income. Would you consider a gift or monthly support?
We pray that you will continually experience the overwhelming love of God in your lives as you love Him and love others. To our monthly and yearly givers, we thank God for you daily! Thank you for your partnership in our adventures with GoServ Global!
Here are a couple ways to give:
1. You may give online at our website goservglobal.org/give. Choose Dennis Anderson Support or Domestic Disaster Relief in the dropdown to designate your donation.
2. You may send a check to GoServ Global, PO Box 193, Eagle Grove, IA 50533. Be sure to write Anderson Support or Domestic in the Memo Line.
In Christ,
Dennis and Julie Anderson
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GoServ Global | PO Box 193 | 310 E Broadway | Eagle Grove, Iowa 50533
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