ICOM

Kontaktmission is at ICOM! ICOM is the International Conference On Mission, it's a huge conference for missionaries, organizations and people interested in missions to get together and learn and mingle! We have a great big booth, and have enjoyed talking with passionate people! Pray for our team today and tomorrow as we are continuing to talk with potential partners and planters!!

Cincinnati Christian University

Camping out at CCU today! Talking with students about mission, short term, and long term!!

 Two weeks ago I was at Union University for their GoWeek! It was great talking to students about their passion for church planting and mission! Spain was a big hit at that school, lots of Spanish majors wanting to go spend time in Spain. Then I drove over to Knoxville to speak in Chapel and classes for their mission emphasis week!! The hit trip there was Ireland!! Exciting stuff!! I will post more next week, and also post some pictures of the wedding I was in!! Lots going on this fall!!

Gearing up for FALL

So fall has begun. At least in the world of school.. even if the calendar still says its summer.

Here I thought I was out of reach from the grips of school schedules, college campuses and students. Alas, that is not the case. I am about to plunge head first into the world of school again. But not as a student! I am so excited to connect with students and engage them in cross-cultural ministry! Not only am I excited to send them out, but I am ready to experience ministry with them. Serve with them, lead them, teach them, and then walk with them when they return home from their service.

Some schools on my list to visit:
Union University, Johnson University, Central Christian College of the Bible, Cincinati Christian University, Carson-Newman University and MTSU!

So much is ahead of me. So many goals. So many plans. So many people I haven't met yet. So many places I haven't gone...And you are connected to all this. Maybe as a friend, a partner, a supporter. No matter what your relation to me and this ministry I am excited to share this journey with you.

Last week I was in Humboldt for a team meeting at our U.S. office. It was refreshing to be with my fellow team even for just a few days. We brainstormed and made plans, but also shared about what we were working on, how God was moving and what we were planning on doing in the following months.

So my fall is getting busy. But I am excited to get this work started. I have set out a goal of 8 trips in the next year! I will need leaders, and of course participants! I am excited about the task before me!!

Before I close I want to share a note from one of our participants from a German trip. They worked at a summer camp with German youth. Loren observed this about her experience working with German Christian youth and the need for discipleship and mission in Europe:

"That's what those teens need- people to come alongside them and equip them to equip others to live a life for Christ. And those churches in Germany need those people to do that."

Its encouraging to hear students talk about the need for Christians to serve in Europe. This is what fuels me: Seeing peoples lives change by the experiences they've had, people they've met and things they've learned while serving overseas. 

Things to keep in mind & in your prayers:
Travel & Safety
Support raising (still need about 70% of my monthly commitment goal to be fully supported)
My interactions with students and potential tripsters!


Blessings and Peace!!

Settling in and digging in

Its hard to believe its been a month since I've been in Germany at our CrashKurs mission weekend where we trained, worshiped and fellow-shipped before sending out 30+ German and American young people into short term mission service. One has already returned from a short survey trip of the ministry work happening in Spain. Upon his return, Josh, shared how encouraged he was by the missionary and all the work his team is doing in Murcia, Spain. Another of our short termer is in Yena, Germany serving for 3 months and he shared how heart broken he is by the apathetic nature toward the Gospel by the young and the old within the community in Yena. I am so encouraged by the stories they tell and the excitement they have for sharing the gospel with Europe.

I've been working in this position for less than 3 months and already I am seeing so many rewards from it. I am anticipating the next year to bring blessings, lessons and challenges. All of this makes me very excited and extremely nervous! But I know that I have a great team at Kontaktmission to help me, a wonderful partnership with my supporters who lift this ministry up in prayer, and a God who is faithful and giving. He is the reason I am in this position and why I am so excited to see young people experience mission and grasp the reality of it.

The last few weeks I have been working on ordering business cards, designing brochures for the GoConnect trips, networking with campus ministers, and support raising. I am happy to announce I am at about 35% of my ideal  monthly ministry budget. So until I am at 100% of monthly commitments I am working a part time job. Hopefully I wont have to keep this job for long because starting in August I will be traveling at least 3 times a month doing college visits and recruiting.

I am so thankful to you all who encourage, support and love me and have joined in this ministry with me. I am excited to share church planting with you, Kontaktmission, and my life. Continue praying for my support raising and also for good networking because in the next few weeks I will be setting up my college visit calendar for the fall.

In other news: I dont think it has been below 100 degrees at all in the last two weeks! [slight exaggeration..but seriously, everyday has hit over 100 and one day I think it was like 112!!]

I have found a church here in Murfreesboro! And I love it!! Its called the City Church and it meets on Sunday nights. I've started to make some great friendships with some great ladies!!

Kontaktmission Headquarters

Isabell (from our Mission Academy) giving a
testimony of culture shock at the Crashkurs

Hi again! I am excited about what is happening in Germany right now, and more specifically the Kontaktmission  world! This weekend we held our annual Crashkurs. A time for everyone who is going on a short term project (anything from 2 weeks to 2 years!) to gather and learn about Kontaktmission and prepare for their time on the field. [These participants include Germans, Americans, Russians, etc] It is also a great time of fellowship and worship.

So I have sent out the Americans and I am excited to hear how their trips go! I will be praying for their time and then after they are done I will spend time with them on the phone debriefing them about the their reactions to culture and what they experienced.

Today I am in the office of Kontaktmssion Germany. I have spent the morning working with Rahel Trefz discussing future opportunities and planning for next year. Her role at KM is short term in Europe and media development. I am excited to work with her on trips in the future. We are planning to have a multinational team for a summer 2013 mission trip! Hopefully it will work well, Kontakt hasn't done anything like it before!

This has also been a time to aquatint myself more with the German side of Kontaktmission and familiarize myself with our missionaries and the various ministries we are involved in.

In Schwäbisch Hall (one of the few cities
in Germany that the old architecture wasnt
destroyed by bombing in the war) 

I am excited to get back to the states and begin working on planning for GoConnect 2013. I think it will be a great year, busy and challenging, but great. This summer will be spent support raising and making contacts for visits in the fall to talk with students about Kontaktmission and their future as missionaries.

Join me?

Prayer. Partnership. GoConnect.

www.kontaktmissionusa.org/donate
racheldowns3@gmail.com

CrashKurs

Hallo! I am in Germany right now! I am attending the Kontaktmission annual CrashKurs in Germany! It has been great so far. On Monday I will spend some time in the office working with our German team! I am excited about it. This is Willi, he works with the Missionaries working in Russian speaking countries! He was speaking to us about motivation in mission!

West TN Strawberry Festival

So today I went to a parade for the west tn strawberry festival. It was an hour and a half of marching bands, pageant winners, and various other representatives from all over the surrounding areas! It was quite a southern experience! There were some interesting names like Miss Washer Throwin'.

It was a good time, then afterward we ate some carnival food! The whole town shuts down for this event and thousands of people come from all over the state! Just another day at the office.

Full-time, Faith, Finances and Fears?

Most of you probably know my newest news. But some of you may not. What is it you say? Oh, just my becoming the Director of GoConnect [a short-term branch of Kontaktmission]. This is still hard to believe at times. But I am so excited about the upcoming year. I cant wait to see where this position leads me. Now, thats not to say there wont be challenges, but I am ready for them! I am excited to connect with the missionaries we have all over Europe. I am anticipating meeting each and every person I send on the trips I set up. I am excited to hear their stories, see their visions for mission, and experience their journey as they experience GoConnect.

I've already begun to do this with this summers GoConnect trips. I look forward to hearing the stories of the trips as they begin in less than a month! {its hard to believe summer is already upon us}

In just a few weeks of working on these trips I have realized how important communication is with this job. Communicating with missionaries who are busy, keeping college students focused on the trips and support raising.. you get the idea! Also, communicating with my supporters is vital. Even though I may not be on field in another country, this is still missions. I still need prayer and support; love and encouragement. 

So this is me keeping you informed. I have just launched my full-time support campaign. I already have one church supporting me monthly, and I am praying for others to join in this work. But I am also asking you. As an individual to come alongside this ministry with me. To pray for me, to give financially monthly [in whatever capacity that may be]. Even if you give up 2 Starbucks drinks a month [that's $10.00 and that would be a help]. This ministry will require me to travel and spend time on college campuses. The more money I have in my account --> the more miles I can cover --> the more people I will meet --> the more missionaries we can have serving. 

I pray you will consider this. Give up something else.. That Friday night pizza, that manicure, that tool that will collect dust in the garage. If you have any questions about my ministry please call me or email me. The same if you have questions about Kontaktmission, giving, etc. 

Checks can be sent to Kontaktmission USA P.O. Box 825 Humboldt, TN 38343 [made out to Kontaktmission with my name in the memo]. We also have Automatic transfers available [contact me for more info]. And by Paypal. All of the information for the ways to give is located here: http://kontaktmissionusa.org/donate/ 

Random updates: I am back in Tennessee. I will be spending a few weeks in Humboldt at the office and then in June I will be moving over to Murfreesboro, TN. Its hot and muggy up here! I am going to a Renaissance Festival this weekend! Should be entertaining, I am excited for some jousting and a turkey leg! 

Rachel Downs

Director of GoConnect

407.744.1182

rdowns@kontaktmissionusa.org

Office/hospitality/mobilization

I have migrated once again. Seems I can't stay in one place too long. I have settled into the small town of Humboldt, TN. The only reason anyone may recognize its name is because it is famous for strawberries. Strawberries, you ask? Why yes, apparently they hold the largest strawberry festival.. they host over 100,000 visitors each year and its celebrating its 75th year this year. Crazy huh? Anyway, its a small town and I work in an office in the center of town with Rob and Carla Harris. We also have some satellite workers, Kieth Wilkins is based in Joplin, MO and is our head of development and Rob and Allie Marmion live outside of Atlanta, GA and they work on graphics, short term projects and teach support raising/help. So that is the stateside office, Kontaktmission Germany is larger because it began there. There are also supporting offices in Austria and other countries like Ireland are working to have a base in their countries. Kontaktmission has mostly indigenous workers (native ministry workers working within their own countries/cultures) and those indigenous workers are supported by KM and often American KM workers to help multiply and reproduce the churches with national representation.

I have had the blessing of moving in with a family of 3 (1 is away in college). They have taken me in. Their names are Wayne and Lisa Rushing and Meg is their daughter who is 18. Its been great so far, they have made me feel super comfortable and I have enjoyed getting to know them. They truly  have the gift of hospitality.

So I have been working on getting students connected to short term trips this summer. This job isn't particularly glamorous but it is an important one to say the least. Raising the awareness for the unchurched generation in Europe and what can be done (raising up national leaders and churches) to reach them is a a huge need. So by recruiting these students to go on short term trips or survey trips is an great first hand way to raise that awareness! I'm also involved with some other projects in the office, primarily working with fundraising development. I'm excited at the work I am doing, but more so excited to see where this could lead and what other opportunities arise from my time here.

I would appreciate some prayers:
-for me as I am seeking direction for my next step (continue work work KM? move? etc)
-for the work I am doing now, and the people I am connecting with
-support so I can do what I am doing
-planning, I have been asked to lead a short term trip to Portugal and Spain this summer

Praise:
-Brad, my boyfriend, was offered a position at Nissan in Smyrna, TN he will be Production Scheduler! Yay!
-a family willing to host me for a few months here in Humboldt!


In other news. I am making banana bread today. In honor of National Banana Bread Day!

Also, heres the website for the Strawberry Festival if you wan to come visit!
http://www.wtsf.org/

Home [there is nothing quite like it] and Apologetic

Well. I made it home. All the months of being gone and in the slow moving, time stands still to have a coffee with a friend, culture of Europe I come back a week before Thanksgiving and I haven't had a chance to stop through all the festivities and catching up until now. So for that I am sorry.

Luckily I have seen a lot of you, my faithful and loving supporters and partners in this, in person. But there are far too many that I haven't seen. But I am happy to say that I have enjoyed being home, although I have missed the people and places often enough. But I think that is expected. I spent a lovely Christmas with my family. I've been able to visit Tennessee twice and visit some friends and one friend in particular ;)

I must say 2011 was a great year. I cannot believe it is over. But looking back at all I experienced I guess it shouldn't surprise me! I am looking forward to this new year. I will tell you though, I am not 100% sure what 2012 will bring, and it scares me a little but also excites me more. I do have some plans so I want to share those with you. To keep you in the know.


In February I am planning on moving to Humboldt, TN. This is where the home office of Kontaktmission is. There I will work in the office for a few months [starting with 2] and see how it goes from there. I will be helping with development and fundraising. I'm not completely sure of all the tasks they have for me, but I am looking forward to experiencing a different side of the mission. I will still be living off of support while I am working at Kontakt. Just to give you an idea. Even the director of Kontaktmission USA raises support for his salary even though he is based in the USA.

I hope to get involved with a local church plant while I am in the area. I have already contacted them and I am excited about learning more about the missional community and the church planting movement in the states.

I cannot express my gratitude for you. Over the months I was comforted knowing people were praying over me and reading/joining in my adventures! It was a wonderful time but it was hard at times and hearing from you helped.

Our family Christmas. My niece Gabi excited about her Doll House!!

Our skinny tree!!

The Downs' siblings. Finally all together!

Bradley and I out to dinner!!  Visiting in Tennessee!!

Thank you, sincerely.