Life Story

This past week, as part of getting to know the Journey Corps, we've been sharing our life Stories. It has been very cool to hear and the stories of how God orchestrates the moments and events of people's lives to bring them to Bouake, Ivory Coast.  

I got to share my story this past week. You might think since I call myself a visual storyteller that I would have been excited to share. For me it was nerve racking. As I prepared, I kept thinking how do I do this? What parts of the story do I use to tell who I am? What events do I leave out? Will people really get a grasp of how God has molded me and prepared me from the very beginning? How do I reveal His subtle impressions and guidance over 27 years?  Can I my whole person be wrapped up in only a few minutes?

The good news is that I will continue living with these people over the next few months. They will not know me just by the story I told that night. They will get to know me by the stories I tell along the way, each day sharing with them a little more of my life, and even adding new stories as we experience them together. 

I think this is what community is really all about. This sharing of life stories. This hearing each others stories, accepting each other as we struggle together with a common goal. This overlapping of many lives to create new stories. Perhaps this is what Acts was talking about when it says that all the believers were of "one accord." Perhaps, this idea of community is what Christ intended for all of us in the Church

A Sending

    September 2nd was my last Sunday with my Church, Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago.  It was a holiday weekend so many people were missing.  Ideally I would have had time to meet with everyone, but with my sudden departure plans this became the last chance for me to say thank you and goodbye.
    This was the hardest goodbye I've had to say so far.  For the past 3 years this community has been the closest thing that I have had to "home." With all the travel that I do and jumping from place to place, I always felt like I was back when I walked through those doors and was greeted with the smiles of people who love me. It was hard to look at them and realize I wouldn't see them for... I don't know how long.  With tears in my eyes, I said, " Thank you for loving me. Thank you for caring for me. Thank you for investing into my life. God has used you in my life to prepare me for this project."
    As is the custom at Ravenswood, the whole congregations surrounded me and laid their hands on me to pray for me as I went out. According to Wikkipedia the human hand weighs about 3/4th of a pound.  So there I stood with about 30 lbs of hands laid on me, and instead of feeling pressed down with the extra weight I was lifted up. I will not easily forget that feeling, and when I am third and fatigued I will remember the strength and support I felt with their hands pressing on me.
    It was there surrounded by my Christian "Family" that I understood Hebrew 12:1

 " Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race set before us."
My paraphrase goes like this.
Because you are held in Gods grace by so many faithful believers in the church let no sin, or fear, or obstacle keep you from doing with diligence all that God has given you to do.  

T-minus 15 Days - Video Update

Video Update #6 from Drew Hayes on Vimeo.

The Latest update on the Africa Video Mission Project.

CAD Video Vimeo Channel -vimeo.com/cadvideo/videos

Journey Corps Website - myjourneycorps.com/

Bloopers - vimeo.com/48550624

A Prayer Supporters Journey - Guest Post

The journey to start this project has had it's ups and downs. One of the things that has helped keep me moving when things get discouraging is the team of people that regularly pray for me. Sarah Chambers has been one of the most faithful in supporting and encouraging me along this journey.  She has walked along with me and shared in many of the joys and disappointments.  Here are some of her thoughts on this journey: 

You've heard it said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." When you watch a movie and then you read the book that inspired that movie, you know it's true. Drew has understood this for many years and had the vision to partner with missionaries to share their stories. To help them create what they don't know how to, pictures to give them more words than they could give in a presentation. Drew's vision has grown and changed over the years (whose doesn't?), but being one of my oldest friends it's been a joy to be on this journey with him. 

I remember when Drew told me about this opportunity with World Venture. His face lit up and I could tell, not only was he excited, but God inspired this. To partner with Drew on this idea as it's gone from conception to reality has been a joy and what a ride it’s been! Not only has Drew come along side of me and prayed for where God had me serving, but my faith has grown as I’ve seen God provide for Drew. Then to watch the videos he’s created and see their impact. I have the chance to hear stories I would never otherwise hear, and to see what God [the creator of heaven and earth] is doing through His servants in Africa, though Drew, and in my own life.

When Drew told me that he was still at 57%, I was sad. I longed to see Drew released to serve, to do what he was created to do. So I began to pray fervently. I recounted God’s faithfulness that he showered on me only 2 months ago as I went on a short-term trip to Uganda. What seemed impossible was like pocket change to Him. I asked for the same blessing to be showered on Drew. Then, God did what only He can do. He made the impossible, possible. Drew was given the go ahead by World Venture to begin this amazing project!

To watch Drew’s faith grow during this process has encouraged me. To walk with him on this journey and to see his passion be used by God for God’s glory is inspiring… so if you're not a part of Drew's team, change that! Today. Drew's journey doesn't end when he arrives in Africa. Nor will it end when he comes home. His reach will far surpass him as the videos he creates touches lives around the world. Drew has told me many times that he doesn't feel this video project is his, but rather that the project is Gods and he simply has been asked to join into it. When you partner with Drew, you aren't just encouraging him, strengthening him, and being inspired by his work.  You are joining into God's project. We are all who we are because of the people who have invested in and partnered with us. Consider, "How will you partner with Drew and this God project?"

Good News!

I’m going to Ivory Coast to officially begin the project!  As you may know, the team at WorldVenture has made a language and cultural training program, called Journey Corps, available to me. Held in Ivory Coast the program is designed to help the participants to integrate into the language and culture of West Africa.  I will be involved in this program for 3 months starting in mid-September.

That’s right September! In less than 4 weeks I’ll be in Africa! This was a shock to me given where the financial support for the project is at.  Currently, I have 100% of the one time expenses and about 57% of the monthly costs covered.  After talking with Glenn Kendall, the Africa Director for World Venture, he and I both agreed that it was time to start the project.  With the current level of support I have enough to participate in the Journey Corps program and have all of my living expenses covered.  What is missing is the funds necessary to do the travel and work of producing videos. My hope is that over the months while I am training in Ivory Coast that those funds will arrive.

By the Numbers

Thanks to the wonders of technology, I have been able to track data regarding the videos that I have produced and posted on Vimeo.  To date these videos have been viewed 2000 plus times in over 60 countries!  Open My Eyes - part 1 , the video I produced to share my trip to Kankan, Guinea has been viewed 488 times in 44 countries!  It is so exciting to see that these videos are being watched around the world! Thank you for watching and sharing.
 

A Growing Hope from Drew Hayes on Vimeo.

In the midst of my busy summer traveling and working, I was able to finish a video highlighting the work of Nathan and Becky Kendall, and Brenda Allen in Kankan, Guinea.  After watching it, please share it. Lets see if we can get over 1,000 views for this video in 100 countries!

The Value of Video

I am so excited! The news about Journey Corps and the start of this project coupled with the growing viewership of the videos has driven home the value of this project. This project is all about “Telling stories of Change to create Change.” The goal is to share what God is doing around the world in peoples lives and inspire others to join into what He is doing. This won’t be possible without you. Would you please join this project? I still need approximately $1500 per month or $36,000 total to fully fund the project.  The monthly support breaks down like this. I person giving $200, 5 people giving $100, 10 people giving $50, and 12 people giving $25.  What level can you give at?   

To donate online please follow this link http://worldventure.com/ .  If you have any questions about donating or the project, please contact me
at DocSkribled@gmail.com
or phone at (502)-395-035.
Thank you being part of this project so far and I look forward to what is next.

Your Fellow Servant,
Drew

I'm Coming Home

At the beginning of the summer, I wrote down 3 things I wanted to see come out of time traveling in Europe.  These prayer requests were things too big for me to achieve, but they required consistent effort on my part.  They are as follows:

1. Fully finance the entire Africa Video Project ($35,000)
2. Conversations to change me and change others.
3. Teach me that Christ is my “Home.”

Prayer is … well … confusing at times and at the same inspiring.  I haven’t seen these desires come to fruition the way I had hoped, but still I can’t shake a certainty that they have been answered.

This is best illustrated by the last item on my list. In June, I gave up my apartment in the hope and expectation of being able to start this video project when I returned from Europe. That hasn’t gone according to my plans. I am still living out of two bags and trying to figure out where to go and stay. Part of this I anticipated and hence my prayer at the beginning of the summer.  And yet God hasn’t answered it. Even now that I’m back in the US, I don’t feel any more “at home” than I did sitting in a hotel room in Munich. It would be a lie to say, “I’m not homeless, because Jesus is my home.”

I have often pleaded this summer, “Lord, be my home. I’m tired of not knowing where to return to, of not having anything grounding me, of just floating by with nothing holding me to the ground.”  In reflecting on this summer, I have begun to see that is exactly what He wanted to teach me.  I am homeless.  

Chicago is not my home. Kentucky is not my home.  No place on this planet is my home.  I am a sojourner wandering through these lands and every once in awhile I see a glimpse of my home.  In the smiles of friends, the hugs of family, the laughter of strangers, the singing of the church, the encouragement of scriptures, and the beauty of a sunrise over cloud skirted mountains.  

But these are not my home and so I must carry on, confident that one day I will cross the threshold and drop my bags, kick off my shoes, and breathe in that refreshing aroma of “home.” 

Until that day, I am homeless.

Lovin' Summer

This summer while traveling in Europe for some payed video work, I got the opportunity to work with the Livies and Owens in Chevry Cosigney, France.  Take a look at what they are doing there.

Cooking in Chevry - English Camp 2012 from Drew Hayes on Vimeo.

My summer wasn't all work, I also got to have some fun and to see some beautiful and stunning scenery.  It was quite a great trip.  Here's some of what I got to see when I visited Paris, France. 

Le Gare de Paris from Drew Hayes on Vimeo.