The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts and American Baptists Churches USA are going on the next mission trip to China and then onto Tibet from May 6-19, 2012, hosted by me, Kevin Porter.  There is still room for additional people to join this team traveling to the “Top of the World”.  However, the DEADLINE for signing up for this trip is February 10, 2012.  For more information, or to register, go to www.tabcom.org (scroll down).

We will demonstrate our Christian beliefs of serving all people and to support the children of the Jatson Chumig School & Orphanage in Lhasa, Tibet plus see the mission work being done by American Baptist International Ministries missionary, Judy Sutterlin, in China.

I have encountered children with severe physical handicaps, severe overcrowding, and sanitation issues that most of us have not had to deal with.  However, I have seen these same children work together as a tightly knit family, working to do well in school, supporting each other in overcoming challenges they face, and treat each other as equals.  The staff is compassionate and zealous in their commitment to these children and each other.

One of their challenges is to improve the overcrowding issue by having a new dorm built and another challenge is to improve the sanitation by building a new public toilet house.  We have pooled our funds with the Jatson Chumig Education Corporation to construct these buildings.  Although we have had success in reaching our 50% mark by building one dorm and toilet house to date, we have a tougher challenge for raising the remaining funds to construct the second dorm.  Through the building of the first dorm, we saw that budgets, time lines and quality that were all achieved and ensures that we have the proper team assembled to finish this effort on building the second dorm.

I will be leading a third mission trip to China to see success of your IM missionary, Judy Sutterlin, in Nanjing and then continue to Lhasa, Tibet to visit the Jatson Chumig School & Orphanage to visit with the children in the classrooms and in the Therapy Room.  Our last mission team made great strides in helping the handicap children that comprise 1/3 of the student population and to further the therapy protocols that are needed for each child.  Our team was also able to communicate with the students on the geography and life in the USA as an educational experience.  Would you like to join us in May 2012 to connect with the students in the classroom, in the Therapy Room, and visit major sights in Lhasa, Tibet?  If you would like more information or a brochure, please contact me at kep@tiac.net.