Andrew Benjamin Smith: ohio

Thursday, November 14, 2019

What am I doing now?! 4 years after Cambodia..

Hey everyone. So I'll jump right to it!

For those that have supported me before and for those that have been wanting to support me, now is your chance! I NEED your help!

My current progress is: $2,100 / $10,000

Here is How:

https://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/donate

Click Staff Support - find Andrew Smith on the drop tab. Then select 'one time donation' or 'donate monthly'

I believe this draws from PayPal (paypal guest optional).

Here is Why:

For the last year and nine months I have taken on the role of a Mission Coordinator with the organization i fell in love with, oh, 5 years ago now.. I was offered a full time position to have my dream career.

With my full time career does come some perks of travel and the organization helping in some areas as best they can. But with our non-profit status comes limited income and financial stability.

Since my time with Praying Pelican Missions I have led or assisted 30 mission trips and consulted several more in addition to those 30. My role is to bring in outside mission teams into Pittsburgh and the greater Appalachian area to do ALL SORTS of things. All sorts of different kinds of ministries.

Along with that comes my personal relationship building with the people and pastors of local churches whom we do everything through. Our mission is "connecting the local church on a global level through short-term mission trips". We empower the church, which empowers it's immediate community, which empowers essentially the world.

We're active in 30+ locations now, and as I said before, my baby is Pittsburgh. We currently work with about 15 different churches - working with those close by who are primarily immigrants, refugees, homeless, elderly, and children from all backgrounds! It's a blessing to meet the people I do and the amazing partners and ministries I get to come along side of. Other non-profits we team up with in the Pittsburgh area are as follows - Light of Life Rescue Mission, The Pittsburgh Project, Living Ministry, Urban Impact, North Hills Community Outreach, Daily Bread, and Northside Common Ministries just to name a few. These are a blend of organizations that ultimately have a heart for people and their communities; building, feeding, housing, teaching, and loving on people.

Here is the POWER of our ministry and organization:

I hope you choose to invest into me and my heart, my passion and calling. I hope you see that you're investing into what these teams and others that have felt God move in their lives to action and to spending time in another city or another country to do these missions that I have the privilege of organizing and sustaining.

Real example trip: if I take my 30 person team from Michigan who came to build, repair, do kids ministry and more in Pittsburgh...multiply each individual doing labor/work for appx 6 hours a day...and then multiply that by 4 days..

That's 1 individual doing 24 hours in one week. Now take 30 individuals and multiply that by 24 hours. 720 HOURS! WHICH, is equivalent to 18 forty-hour-work-weeks for one person that we can do in one week..........

Do you understand where this is going and how big this is? How much one team, how much one week a group of people that come together for one purpose can accomplish.

This year alone we worked more than 2 YEARS (every week for 40 hours) of labor that one man could do by himself. That's 3780+ hours.

Numbers. Anyways, I could go on. If you wish to receive my future news letter, pray for me, or donate (JOIN MY SUPPORT TEAM) and need additional information please message me.

I need monthly supporters and annual supporters so I can continue what I am doing!!! I need YOUR help! Thank you and love you all in advance.

Again:

My goal this year is $10,000

https://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/donate

Click Staff Support - find Andrew Smith on the drop tab. Then select 'one time donation' or 'donate monthly'.

I NEED monthly supporters so I can rely on a consistent and constant number. If you need other ways to donate please let me know. The website is the best way for it to be recorded and accounted for.

If you desire an in person meeting for more details or just to have coffee and talk, please don't hesitate, let's meet. Quickest way is to click the link above.

Also be looking out for some of my Visions and moves Downtown Zanesville where I still, mostly reside at through the year.

Thanks.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Counting Down Days

It's been a while. I'm two inches thinner. Have a man bun. Still hot (in both ways). Found a church in my village. And twenty-one days till I step foot in America.

My friends and family,

I'm not necessarily sorry that I haven't written. The dry season was hard and hot. Most of us missionaries stopped writing for about 3 months. I still think of you all daily. But now instead of 3 months, I have exactly 3 weeks from today until I step foot inside the U.S., my beloved home, once again. This is no new feet that man has not done before, gone away for a year, but it's been new to me in leaving for a year and not returning for holidays or anything in between.

There are a couple things I want to share with you..

I'm here as a volunteer, but also as a missionary. Not to force people into Christ, but to walk amongst the people in fellowship, learn about them; and in that, I get to share my heart and experience as well. This is Life.

So let me jump right into it..

After 10 months of living here in Aoral, I discovered a church existed, already. I'd like to think part of our work is to eventually begin the ground work of the future Church here in Cambodia. This past Sunday I had the opportunity to go to a service. One of my students whom I teach piano plays guitar and lives at the church. His name is Chharaty. Why there are two H's, I don't know, but beside the point. We call him T. He's a bold and courageous for only being 16 or 17, and in a culture where his beliefs are a minority. The service made me feel at home. I had the opportunity to speak to the people. During the service, which I mostly don't understand, I could feel a small presence that I haven't felt all year..God..amongst His people. These people are my family, they welcomed me, and I knew they understood my heart and I understood theirs. I encouraged the church and said there will be one coming after me. We prayed for a sick lady, and we also prayed over a man, maybe 60 years old, who came to know the name of Christ that very day. It is tradition that men and boys wear a belt, typically made of a thick string and usually tied and the held tightly all the way around with duct-tape. This is a symbol and presumably blessed to keep ghosts or bad spirits away. We cut this from him and burned it upon his request. I told him after, you won't be needing that, now you have the name of Jesus. I know some friends might think, trading one crazy thing for another, but, alas, I believe and know that this name has all authority in this world and realm.

In other news!

I've been dealing with late year adjustments to eating the food here. Along with about two weeks ago coming down with a stomach virus, which led to a trip to the doctor..which was an experience in itself. But all went well and is mostly well. I'm not so sure I have a bunch to share from my heart, though I'm excited to come home. I miss family and friends and all that comes with my life at home. I have much to be thankful for in this time and upon returning home..

Bullet Points Time...!

Rain has come and people have water
Still teaching English (very part time) at the high school - they have improved
Am now teaching 3 students piano and music
Still hot but cooler now
I've had 5 different phones since being here
Pizza on my mind 24/7
I'll be coaching soccer once again when I return home :)
T-Minus 21 days