Posted on Thursday, August 29, 2013

Hurricane Isaac Celebration?!

HURRICANE ISAAC August 29, 2012 ONE YEAR AGO today. As a way to thank all of you who partner with CitiIMPACT Missions and JD Smith, we’re sharing this letter with you…

A letter from Louisiana came in to CEO JD late last night for CitiIMPACT. Today they commemorate the event and give thanks in various celebration services around the region.

The letter IS really to all of you who collaborate and partner with us in times of disasters. It reads,

“Dear JD,

A year ago today, St. John Parish was devastated by hurricane Isaac. Over 7000 homes, several schools and churches flooded due to storm surge and heavy rains. Thousands of residents were left homeless without food or shelter.

Yet as a result of your partnership, and generosity more than 35,000 meals were served within the first two weeks after the storm. Relief items of food, water, cleaning and building supplies were distributed to thousands of residents. We were able to house and feed over 2500 volunteer workers, who came from all over the US to help the citizens of St. John Parish rebuild. In the past 12 months, we have been able to assist 1007 home owners to rebuild their homes. St. John Parish has experience an amazing recovery. It is estimated that 90% of the homes that were damaged, have been completed. Although there are still families who are attempting to rebuild,

I just want to pause and give thanks to all of you who made our recovery possible. Team work makes the dream work. There are people who you may never meet who are eternally grateful for you standing with us during our time of crisis.

West St. John’s Parish High School Volleyball Team helps their community in crisis. You can too! www.CitiIMPACT.org

On behalf of New Wine Christian Fellowship and St. John the Baptist Parish Long term recovery group, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is my prayer that God would richly bless you.

Sincerely, Pastor Neil Bernard

Chairman of St. John Parish Long Term Recovery Organization”

Thank all of YOU. This is for you!

There is a lot to do in multiple states, Please continue to partner for sustainable positive IMPACT! JD Smith

Posted on Thursday, June 20, 2013

“Mommy, Hold Me!”

One Month. Ashley and Jason S., and their two children, have been surviving the horrific tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma on May 20, 2013. Last week, as I sat with them face to face Ashley recounted being in the storm shelter that saved her children Andrew (11) and Jacob (6), as the tornado roared overhead.

“We held hands and prayed for Jesus to help us no matter what happens. Andrew cried out, “Mommy, Hold Me!”, sobbed Ashley. Andrew has aspergers and has never before asked to be held, which is common with his symptoms.

Her whole house blew down around them. Yet, they are ALIVE!

Recounts Jason just last night, “My family and I were in a state of disbelief”. That was made even further difficult in that Jason was in Afghanistan at the time of the tornado. It took him 5 days to get home. His entire home was destroyed, except just a few possessions. Yet his beloved family did survive with their lives, in a storm shelter in what was once their garage. He adds, “A normal day in Oklahoma, in just a few minutes suddenly turned into the single most life-changing event in our family history. We felt helpless and overwhelmed, but most of all blessed that we had made it through the tornado with our lives.”

“Today”, he goes on, “we’re cleaning up the few items we could salvage and are gaining a sense of hope. With help of therapy and love from CitiIMPACT Mission Teams, our children are slowly beginning more normal levels of activity. We’re still overwhelmed with all that has to be done, but remain optimistic the future holds stability for our family.”

Because of your efforts with CitiIMPACT, many such stories of HOPE and HELP arise from the destruction of natural disasters, and the disasters of life in general. Please continue to Support and BE Part of the efforts with us for those who need “a sense of hope”. Together we are reaching families like Jason’s in several states right now.

Be and ACT like this, another young man named Andrew long ago:

Mark 1:16 “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said,“and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.”

Blessings to you today!

JD Smith

CEO CitiIMPACT

Posted on Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Serving with CitiIMPACT in Disaster Zones

www.CitiIMPACT.org www.facebook.com/CitiIMPACT.org

www.CitiIMPACT.org
www.facebook.com/CitiIMPACT.Ministries

We really do need you to bring your HELP & HOPE to disaster zones, because impacted people are falling through the cracks…and THEY NEED YOU.
Please read & follow the steps so that your Mission Team can have the best experience possible without putting a burden on the people and community you desire to serve.
We’ve worked with close to a half million volunteers in the last 8 years, so we’ve been able to discover a functional structure that brings great sustainable impact to people’s’ lives.
Blessings,
JD Smith
CEO CitiIMPACT Missions
www.CitiIMPACT.org

Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013

TEXAS Tornado Response

We have Mission Teams on the way & Relief Aid shipments.
Get connected.
CitiIMPACT Missions
Blessings,
JD Smith

Posted on Thursday, April 18, 2013

West, Texas and Boston and…

We’re all living in some very chaotic times, as we were up all night with the newest disaster in West, Texas. The rise of evil and terrible tragedies truly seems to be coming at an increasing rate. It’s as if evil is being made to seem to be good and good to be evil. I urge you to go to one of the ultimate warrior stances of perhaps all time. There are some Sparks in the Dark as we stand strong together.

Ephesians 6:10-18 We all need this, truly.
The attached video of Amanda Thatcher reflects that (the text follows the video):

Ephesians 6:¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God,so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

May the Lord bless us all with His Peace again, one and all. After all, Love will conquer all.

JD Smith

Posted on Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Sparks in the Dark

I want to be like Martin in promoting PEACE, a true to life, and in death, Spark in the Dark. He’s a great example of “What Love’s Got To Do With It“.

Blessings,

Martin

JD Smith

Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013

Cliche: What’s LOVE Got To Do With It?

“What’s Love Got To Do With It? Well, pretty much everything!

Nearly every life story we get involved with comes down to a search

LOVE !

for , loss of, or grand expressions of, LOVE !

Following are a few ways to love with temporal and eternal sustainable merit. Please feel invited to add and share your own ways!

Some WAYS TO LOVE

1) Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18:13)
2) Speak without accusing (James 1:19)
3) Give without sparing (Proverbs 21:26)
4) Pray without ceasing (Colossians 1:9)
5) Answer without arguing (Proverbs 17:1)
6) Share without pretending (Ephesians 4:15)
7) Enjoy without complaint (Philippians 2:14)
8) Trust without wavering (1 Corinthians 13:7)
9) Forgive without punishing (Colossians 3:13)
10) Promise without forgetting (Proverbs 13:12)

OK! Let’s all get out there and share the LOVE !

Follow this link for more ways to engage with Agape LOVE, in practical ways! CLICK HERE

Blessings & Much LOVE ! JD Smith

Posted on Monday, March 18, 2013

No Time to Die

Ecclesiastes 3 “There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die,..”

Meet Tim Davis! A few months ago, I met Tim and his wife Pam during CitiIMPACT’s earliest First Response efforts for Hurricane Isaac in La Place, Louisiana. I shouldn’t have met Tim at all. Tim is supposed to be DEAD.

Friday night March 8th around midnight, while waiting with Tim for an overdue tour bus full of college students, I learned that about 20 years ago Tim was given 2-5 years to live due to a catastrophic lung ailment. His life changed dramatically from a highly paid contractor for a major oil refinery to near death and poverty. Tim and his wife, Pam, had four little children and what seemed to be no hope….but God..

At the bottom points of their lives, they discussed the nearing end. At that moment, by faith alone, Tim decided, with encouragement from Pam, to live every day he had left for the glory of God, rather than lay down and die; to believe God wasn’t finished with him rather than merely believe the fatalistic but real doctor reports. That’s been about 15 years ago now. Tim no longer contracts nor makes a six figure salary, he doesn’t even have insurance. He has raised his kids. He serves in a local church in La Place Louisiana as the maintenance supervisor. I call him The Maintenance Missions Minister. I have yet to meet anyone in Louisiana who can keep up with the pace Tim has everyday as he serves, with less than half a lung. How many times I’ve heard Tim say, “JD, I can rest in heaven, people need HOPE.”

Your Missions Team can be served with HOPE, too!

As we all go through our lives, we have the awesome opportunity to live every day for the glory of God, or just wait to die. It may be less obvious a decision than Tim made, possibly not as overt. Yet, the decision must be made. Tim and Pam have experienced the grace of God for real in their lives and give Him all the glory for that. They have served about 200 Mission Teams in the last 7 months alone, who have come to the area to bring HOPE and HELP to families overcoming Hurricane Isaac. Those teams have received the same amount of real life HOPE as they have brought, from such people as Tim and Pam.

What ways are you deciding to live daily rather than die?

HOPE given on Staten Island by college women!

When have you met God at a dead-end and received new HOPE in life?

You can be part of giving HOPE and receiving HOPE in places torn by tornadoes as in Henryville IN, West Liberty KY, Hattiesburg MS, Petal MS, Tuscaloosa AL, Joplin MO.

AND in places like Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Isaac and other disaster occurrences in life, like the Sandy Hook E lementary shooting.

My prayers for God’s richest Blessings and HOPE for all of you as you LIVE! JD Smith

Posted on Tuesday, March 5, 2013

2 Things in common: Liberia and Myrtle Beach

We are so excited to announce this, we just couldn’t wait! Join us in celebrating what the LORD is doing! JD Smith and CitiIMPACT Ministries

There are many new developments to share with you concerning Liberia!The details are being hashed out but we couldn’t wait any longer to share with you some of the headlines!

GET YOUR PASSPORTS READY!! We anticipate the need for teams in Monrovia, Liberia this summer to get our school building ready for students come September!! Specific needs for those with construction experience and teachers. Let us know if you are at all interested as the details come available. Also looking for teachers who would like to serve there for the school year.

CitiIMPACT’s Meal M.A.N.I.A. (Millions Are Needing Immediate Aid):Gearing up to pack ONE MILLION Meals at the Myrtle Beach convention center this October (World Hunger Awareness Month)! These will go to malnourished children worldwide. Including Liberia; our school, the sponsored children, and further into the interior village regions (as we scout out future school locations where there are NO SCHOOLS at all). Would you like to take part? Can you facilitate such an event in your city?

SPECIAL OFFER: CitiIMPACT’s own fair trade coffee, (Proceeds go towards starting the school in Liberia.) Now through April 30th you can buy 20 bags at $10 each, and get 5 bags FREE including Shipping charges. Consider selling these at your church or workplace on or before May 11th – National Fair Trade Day! Form a coffee club at church or with friends, neighbors, and co-workers to share the 25 bags or keep them all to yourself! Help us Help the Children of Liberia. To get you must email us or like us on FB and mention this offer.

Bridge Brew on Facebook Bridge Brew Twitter

ITEMS Needed for the School:

Hoping to send a container of supplies to Liberia in May or June full of:

Books and School Supplies (paper, pencils, crayons, etc.) for K-3rd graders.
Tables and Chairs (have a donation now near Philly can anyone store them for a few months and/or transport?)
Copy Machine
Computers
Generators (no electricity in Liberia)
Child Sponsors
Teacher Sponsors
Cash DONATIONS to purchase supplies and cover shipping charges