February update

Dear Family and Friends,

Abundant Life Foursquare Church’s five-person contingent will depart on our Philippine adventure in less than three short, jam-packed days (Feb. 11-22)! Many of you are inquiring as to our team’s progress in preparation, level of excitement, and financial status.

Let me begin with the latter; praise the Lord that my $2,500 for the Philippines trip has been raised! Between your generous contributions, support from my church (ALFC), and some personal fundraising efforts, I am feeling the love! Hearing back from my friends and family and receiving kind words of support, I have been feeling uplifted. At Abundant Life Foursquare Church, our Dessert Auction fundraiser was a BIG SUCCESS after our Family Worship Service on Sunday, January 31! Many thanks to those who submitted dessert entries that raised over $2,100 towards our collective team funds! An additional love offering was also taken in service, as it was Missions Sunday, and those funds are being put towards supplies for when we are working there in the Philippines. We are overwhelmed with gratitude! I am also about halfway to my goal of $1500 for my other service trip, to Costa Rica in July/August. Thank you for your continued financial and prayer support!

Seeing to the logistical preparations, as per my list-making nature, in the last few weeks I’ve been writing out my packing list, adding things as they periodically occur to me. Contrary to my customary last-minute packing from said list, I am currently trying to start packing a couple days in advance, since my schedule has me running around like crazy! The to do list is ever-lengthening, as I juggle life’s events and work: at the high school, dance studio, and team prep at church. We’ve developed a Vacation Bible School program, gathering our resources to put together supplies for crafts and games, writing puppet show scripts, choreographing dances and hand gestures to songs. I work a 12-hour day on Thursday, before driving right to the airport that night for our red eye flight to Hong Kong. (That 15-hour flight is sounding like Zzzzzz!) Therefore, prayer support for strength and energy is much appreciated!

I am very excited for what the Philippines will bring (and not just warmer weather--though these 80º days here in California have been nice this week!). When we arrive Sunday morning, local Philippines time (they’re 16 hours ahead of Pacific Time right now), after literally 24+ hours of travel, we’ll hit the ground running: two church services at which Bethany and I will be performing dances, and attending Valentine’s party. Monday-Wednesday we’ll be putting on two VBS programs per day, before driving to Pampanga Province to do it all again in San Fernando Thursday-Saturday! We’ll do a couple work-service projects, build a puppet stage, conduct/teach dance workshops, probably dance our pointe-ballet and contemporary/lyrical dance numbers countless times, and make a ton of friends/see old ones!  Of course, all these ‘plans’ are subject to change.

Please check in on my blogsites: http://larainthephilippines.blogspot.com & http://larainCRagain.blogspot.com
for up-to-date information regarding fundraising, preparation efforts, getting to know my fellow team members, and reading/seeing photo updates while we are on the trips. On my Philippines blogsite, you will find a link to our team’s group on Facebook, through which you can follow us during our trip. I hope to be diligent in posting photos of our work and the people we encounter, as well as video of our dances!

If you have yet to return a Support Response form, I’m still accepting those. I’m looking ahead to my Costa Rica trip this summer! Blessings,  Lara Lichten

January/New Year's Update

January 2016   

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy New Year! I’d like to update you on how preparation efforts for my Service Trips are coming along. Thank you to those of you who returned the “Support Response” via electronic or snail mail. I appreciate your support, and hearing from you encourages me greatly. It’s wonderful to know I am kept in the thoughts of loved ones during this process. If you have not yet responded, it is not too late! I’m still accepting your response sheets, and am grateful for each one!

For those who are interested in background information regarding the trips, here is a refresher/more info:

PHILIPPINES: February 11-22, 2016. ALFC has had a long-standing relationship with Pastor Lucio Miranda and his congregation in Olongapo. In addition to visiting Pastor Miranda’s home congregation and doing some work-service projects, the team will also travel to San Fernando in the Pampanga Province to run a Vacation Bible School program for local children, perform dance-ministry outreach and possibly run liturgical dance clinics, as well as contribute to other service projects with a new church that is being established: Lord of the Breakthrough Foursquare Church. The total estimated cost of this trip is $2,400.

COSTA RICA: tentatively scheduled for July 2016. This trip will allow me to return to my former Central American home country! The mission team will be working with Bill & Debbie Boling in Naranjito/Quepos area, in the Puntarenas region (Pacific side). Their ministry works in leadership development, involving local churches, Bible institutes, ESL classes, cooking classes, and outreach to schoolchildren. They need some construction work on their facilities, which will allow ministries to expand. I will aid in leading this trip, navigating a country very near and dear to my heart, translating/interpreting, and hopefully visiting with Tico (Costa Rican) loved ones during my time there. The total estimated cost of this service trip is $1,500.

If you’d like to know more about these trips, please contact me personally!

To date, my fund has received $1,325 in contributions of generous donations and gifts from my friends and family. Thank you! The first payment for the trip to the Philippines was due December 9th--a total of $1,000 to cover airfare and preliminary administrative costs. Fundraising continues now we have solidified team members; efforts will start being made here in Hollister--bake sales, auctions, savings cards for local businesses, and perhaps flamingo “flocking” (Google it if you’re unfamiliar with what it is!).

In the first phase of fundraising, an issue with the online giving was brought to my attention (thank you to those who contacted me for clarification). To support your donation efforts, on the attached Support Response page I have updated instructions, detailing steps for how to donate online to the fund.

In conclusion, I’m still asking friends and family for support commitments--both financial and otherwise. (If you have not yet already, please return the “Support Response,” on the following page.) I’m lacking the financial support to meet my fundraising goal for both trips, amounting to a total of $3,900--which includes airfare and other transportation, housing, food, and supplies for work-service projects. Most importantly, I ask for emotional and spiritual support, offering your prayers and guidance as I prepare for these trips. All the logistical details after years of traveling are of little concern, but in the areas of emotional, spiritual, and physical-health, I know I will need the most preparation and support.

I’ve now set up blogsites for each trip, through which my supporters can keep apprised of the most recent news related to the trips. If you want to know more, you have a variety of methods by which to reach me! Thank you for your ongoing support. I look forward to continued communication with you.

Blessings,

Lara Lichten

Contact Info:

Mailing address: 83 Nevada St. Hollister, CA 95023

U.S. mobile phone: (360) 477-0335

e-mail: lara.lichten@gmail.com (also iMessage)

blogsites: http://larainthephilippines.blogspot.com  & http://larainCRagain.blogspot.com

Connect with me via social media:

* Facebook/Messenger * Instagram (lara_lichten) * Twitter * WeChat * WhatsApp

Also, check out my church, Abundant Life Foursquare Church (Hollister, CA) at: https://alfchollister.org/ or on Facebook.

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Support Response

If you are willing and able to contribute support for my trips, or have suggestions to help our teams gather support, please respond using this form. Please keep the teams in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for this trip, and I will be in touch with additional updates as we prepare.

Please fill out and return this paper to me ASAP, via postal mail:

83 Nevada Street, Hollister, CA, USA, 95023

(If you can do so electronically, sending your response to: lara.lichten@gmail.com, that’s appreciated too!)

NOTE: CONTRIBUTIONS ARE WELCOMED CONTINUALLY,

AS FUNDING IS BEING RAISED UNTIL MY GOAL OF $3,900 IS REACHED.

Thank you!

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PLEASE CHECK ANY/ALL BOXES APPLICABLE:

⧠  I will support this mission with prayer

⧠  I would like to be included in updates concerning the trips via email (address noted below).

⧠  I will support you with a monetary donation. Options for giving include:

• CHECK: payable to ALFC, noting in memo: “Lara Lichten missions.”

• ONLINE: here is a step-by-step breakdown of how to access ALFC’s Easy Giving online site...
1. Visit ALFC's giving page: https://www.alfchollister.org/give
2. To make an online contribution, simply click the "Donate Now" button.
3. Once the Easytithe page has loaded, select the "Quick Give" tab. (No login required)
4. Put in your info and in the “fund” field, select from the drop-down menu either:
   "Missions Team Philippines" or  "Missions Team Costa Rica".
5. IMPORTANT! After submitting all your info electronically, please fill out the following info, so we can note the amount of your donation that should be allocated to my specific account.

Please note the amount you donated, for accounting purposes: $_________________

* This is a charitable donation for which you can receive a tax-deduction receipt if the following info is noted:

DATE OF DONATION: ______________ FULL NAME: ________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS:  ____________________________________________________________________

⧠  I’d appreciate future communication to be paperless. Please use my email address noted above.

ANYTHING ELSE TO COMMUNICATE TO LARA? _______________________________________________________________

Support Response Sheet (for easy access)

To be downloaded, filled out, and returned to Lara to express your support!
Thank you in advance for your communication!