Dear Partner,

This week end our time on the Jersey Shore. Last week we had a group of high school students coming all of the way from Canada to serve in the area for three days. We are constantly amazed at the willingness of people to travel long distances to help complete strangers put their lives back together.

The Bible talks about us being a part of God’s family (Ephesians 2:19, NLT). Family is supposed to come together in times of need to help each other out. God wants us in community and not alone so that we can help and support each other. We are supposed to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice (1 Corinthians 12:26). As hurricane and tornado seasons begin, we will keep our ears and hearts open for where we can go to support God’s family in times of need. Please be praying as we prepare to follow God wherever He takes us next.

Thank you for your prayers and support during these last two months on the Jersey Shore. We know that you have played a crucial role in the work we have been able to be a part of in this disaster area. Our rewards are the same before the Father!

Thank you and God Bless

Scott & Dara Simons

Dara working at the food pantry in Brick, NJ

Dear Partner,

We all have heard at some point that it doesn’t matter how you start, but rather how you finish. At a recent disaster responders’ conference they talked about compassion fatigue, a.k.a. burnout. It is one of the leading killers of great pastors and ministers. It sneaks up on people, and before they know it they are no longer any good to themselves, their families, or the people they are trying to help. So many people have done great things for God and end up burning out and finishing short of their goal. Compassion fatigue is a very real, and very serious, problem in ministry today.

One thing that we have noticed recently is how our ministry can help battle compassion fatigue. We have the unique opportunity to come along side of some of the greatest people doing extraordinary work and encourage them as they continue on their path with God. We can be fresh eyes during a difficult time in their community. We can assist on whatever level they need us.

Thank you for your partnership. Without your support we could not do this vital work. There is much work to be done, and you are making a huge impact on the lives of hurting people.

We are always looking for ways to better use our financial resources. This is why we have decided to convert our Partner Letter to a digital format. This means we will be contacting you over the next two months to get your email address. You can help us speed up this process by going to www.rightsideupministries.org and click on the “E-Partner Letter” tab on the left side of the page to sign up for our e-newsletter.

God Bless

Scott & Dara Simons

Schedule

• March 12-April 30- Brick, NJ
• May 1- May 19- Joplin, MO
• May 18- Joplin, MO Run for the Village fundraising event

Help Needed

• March/April- Volunteer to help the Jersey Shore
• Run/Sponsor a Runner- Help us raise money for Volunteer Village @ Abundant Life

We are excited to partner with Volunteer Village at Abundant Life for a fundraiser to benefit the Volunteer Village. Since the May 22nd tornado that swept through Joplin, MO, Abundant Life Campus has been host to thousands of volunteers who have come into Joplin to help with the cleanup, and now rebuild of Joplin. They have committed to making themselves available through the end of the rebuild phase to house volunteers who are wanting to come into the area to work. We are partnering with them in this fundraiser to help them kick off the 2013 summer of rebuild right. It takes thousands of dollars to run the Volunteer Village when it is in full swing. Abundant Life charges a small fee to stay at the Volunteer Village, but with numbers down over the past few months they are in need of a financial shot in the arm to push into the 2013 summer season.

Getting involved is easy. It only takes four steps on your part.

1. Sign up for the Joplin Memorial Race
2. Find financial sponsors to donate to your run
3. Collect donations from your sponsors
4. Come enjoy a weekend of racing and fellowship

That’s it! It is that simple. With a little of your time and a bit of physical effort you are on your way to making an impact in the community of Joplin, MO as they continue to rebuild their city. Prizes to be given for the person raising the most money, as well as for those who finish highest in both the 5k and half marathon in both men’s and women’s category. For more information on the run you can click on the “Run for the Village” menu tab above. Also be sure to check out www.joplinmemorialrun.com to register for the run. It will be held on Saturday, May 18th at 6:30am. With a $100 donation you will get a two night stay in the Volunteer Village and a whole lot more. Hope to see you in Joplin on May 18th.

For additional information visit www.purposedrivenrunning.com.

Tree laying on several headstones in the cemetery behind the church.

One thing we are reminded of every time we deploy into a disaster area is that you never know when you will impact someone’s life. The first couple days in New Jersey were no different.

While helping Presbyterian Church at New Providence cut trees off some headstones I met an 82 year old woman named Margaret. Margaret had two grave sites that were in the path of the fallen tree. One was her sister’s, which was at the base of the trunk, and the other was her husband’s, which was further down. It didn’t take long to see how concerned she was about the tree and how it had affected the two plots she owned.

We talked for ten minutes or so before she asked me if my house had been damaged. I told her I was not from the area. I shared how Dara and I had a ministry and how a big part of our ministry was responding to disasters. Her eyes lit up when she found out we were based out of Tulsa, OK and we were in the area to help those in need. Her face showed her gratitude as her eyes started to water. She talked about how unexpected it is for someone to travel all that distance to cut this tree for her. She thanked me several times for my willingness to come and specifically for cutting the tree that lay across her sister and husbands graves.

She left me smiling with a thought running through my head, “what if this is the only reason we came, would it have been worth it?” The answer for us is yes. This is exactly why we do this. We love to see people impacted with the love of Christ. We do what we do because Jesus first loved us, then commanded us to love others the same way. If He loved us as sinners, regardless of what we had done, then shouldn’t we love others the same. Jesus showed us His love, now we want to show it to others. This little task of cutting a tree in a cemetery may seem small to you, but to this 82 year old woman, it meant the world. To this 82 year old woman it meant that someone loved her enough to do the last thing she ever expected.

Will you show the love of Christ to someone that you don’t know today?

You can help us continue our response efforts in New Jersey and New York through prayer and financial support. Thank you for all you have done to make our ministry possible.