Made it smoothly without incident on the med pacs. Got about 3 hours sleep and headed out at 6:00 AM. We hooked up with a German group called the Awakening. We hitched a ride with them to Kahramanmaras where the epicenter of the quake is. This area is very devastated. Tomorrow we head to Hatay to bring the med pacs. This area is a network of villages where much destruction and death is very high. Our partners have a great connection with hospitals and field clinics.
Yesterday was a day full of strategy meetings discussing the shelters and how to improve them. We also came up with a generic field survey to interview the refugees. This will help in the future as the shelter project moves forward. Today we went south to Antakya to where the damage is astronomical. We interviewed several refugee families and discussed the shelters with them. The field survey will help us to now how many shelters the families will need. We also hooked up with the in country non profit ilk umut
at a field hospital and handed off two boxes of meds. Needless to say they were very stoked. Today was a long and hard day.
Kenny is flying into Istanbul today and will be delivering medical packs to field hospitals in Adana this week. Kenny and GMSM has become a go-to source for multiple Christian organizations who need workers in the field in times of great disaster resulting from the Kahramanmaras earthquake. We thank you, our supporters, for all the years of contributions to make this happen.
If you would like to support this week’s mission trip, please prayerfully consider donating today specifically to the relief efforts in Turkey.
We do not know the conditions of cell towers in the area, but Kenny will send reports this week if possible. Otherwise we will post reports here next week.
Please share this with your church, friends, and family so others may contribute. The medical kits have antibiotics and other supplies that are urgently needed in Turkey. Your support for this trip will be helping survivors who are in a terrible situation, dealing with injury, loss, and fear of what’s to come. Please help us TODAY to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a land filled with darkness and pain.
Dear family, friends and church,
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
This past year, 2022, has been a very different year. Most Covid restrictions are gone and we were able to pick up the pieces and move about freely. Your contributions have been a huge Blessing this year and I thank you for all the financial and prayer support.
With your gifts we were able to help start and support an information center on the Romanian and Moldavian border for the Ukraine refugees fleeing the war. In addition GMSM built a latrine at a small school in Grandou, Haiti, a very remote village damaged by the earthquake. In addition we are supporting a small multi purpose building in Tulear, Madagascar, continuing our Hurricane Dorian relief in Abaco, Bahamas, continued support in Mexico with Pastor Felipe’s family as they plant churches in southern Mexico.
Thank you again for all your support and gifts. Please share our mission with others so that they may explore how God will allow them to become part of His mission.
Peace and Blessings,
Hebrews 6:10
Kenny Phillips
Founder/Director
Give Me Shelter Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 864
Shalimar, Fl 32579
Upon arrival at Rick’s house in North Fort Meyers, Ellen, Rick and I unloaded muck out buckets, ice, gas, tarps and a new generator. I grabbed some coffee and breakfast then headed to Immokalee to meet Lupita at her home.
From there we went to Missio Peniel pantry to drop off all food supplies, more ice, buckets and tarps. We immediately hit the ground and started accessing the local area. We did find an enormous amount of damage mostly clean up type stuff. We cut a few trees off fences, surveyed some damage to the mission an helped prop up a fence at Lupita’s mothers home. Pretty much what you might expect. Long day.
We were up early and headed up to Arcadia to meet Adriana, who helps with the mission. We met at her mother and father’s home and began the survey. Totally different situation up here. Lots of standing water, home damage and thousands of downed trees and still no power. This is a very underserved out of the way area with mostly Latinos, African Americans and Haitians. We were able to give out ice, tarps, buckets and cut down a few trees. A very needy area but could be logistically challenging. But a great fit. From there we took a ride up to Wauchula. Other than flooding in the town it self, it seemed to have fared well.
We need your prayers and financial support. For all affected, but especially the people in Arcadia. We greatly appreciate all the donations!
Kenny Phillips / Give Me Shelter Ministries is the Disaster Response Coordinator for The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida. He is now in the disaster zone created by Hurricane Ian. Kenny loaded up a trailer with supplies we have in Ft. Walton and headed south on Sunday, October 1. We will be getting regular updates from the field from Kenny this week.
We can really use your support right now in helping the many who have lost friends and family members, homes, jobs, and more. Please prayerfully consider donating to this effort. Stay tuned for updates from Kenny!
THE LATRINE IN HAITI FOR THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN COMPLETED! PTL!
We were delayed with the same issues facing the world today… construction supplies have been limited and the prices have skyrocketed. We have several photos we will be posting soon to show the completed project. We went way over budget due to the cost of supplies, but praise the Lord we had the funds to cover it. Thank you so much to our supporters for enabling us to do projects like this. Now there are 150+ students in Grandou who are using a latrine instead of the bushes. Please prayerfully consider donating to help us replenish our funds that were spent due to the increased costs involved. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Our school latrine project has been officially kicked off. We were able to gather the funds and did a successful bank transfer to Haiti. Pastor Harry and his help Anddy arrived in Les Ceyes on Friday and hit the ground running.
16 plus years in Haiti and this is the first time I’ve not physically been involved with the work. This is why we’ve worked so hard with Harry over the years. I told Harry that this is his project to oversee while I concentrate on the Ukraine crisis. Please keep Harry and Anddy in your prayers.
Thank you supporters who have contributed so generously to this ministry. We are thrilled that these children and their teachers will have a sanitary latrine at their school!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Kenny
April 17-24, 2022
For some reason this has been a very hard trip to process. On one hand you have the emotional side and on the other you have to hold that in check so you can be strong for the refugees we are assisting and ministering to. Words cannot even remotely describe the empty eyes as the oppressed pile out of vans at the information center that you have helped open.
Here in Isai at the Sculeni border we are able to provide SIM cards for their phones, a hot meal, a warm place to chill for a while and a shoulder to cry or lean on. If they choose to go into the city, they are able to secure train or bus vouchers to help them move on. Most of the refugees I encountered were from Odessa. They immediately want to show you videos and pics of the horrific atrocities as if to validate them. Tears mixed with smiles come from them as they accept our hand in friendship and solidarity.
I also spent time over in Moldova where we were able help deliver food and supplies to refugees that are staying in apartments supplied by a local church. They are able to stay long term if needed and will be close to their own border. Through funds that were donated to GMSM we also were able to buy $2000.00 worth of emergency medical supplies for the wounded in the south. This situation is not going away anytime soon. I’m not even home yet and I’m already planning another return trip. We will need more support as we continue to work with the Crossroads Community Church. Please continue to pray for the Ukrainian people and all aid workers as we do what we can to bring a small amount of hope.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Kenny
These two videos show two of the reasons I am going back to serve in Romania.
This first one is of Pastor Adi’s and his church’s setup at the border to assist refugees . It is his vision that was implemented at a speed that only could have been done by the Hand of God.
This next video is from our Ukrainian friend, Valeriy Bykov, of his brother’s neighborhood. This is why we must help him get his brother and his family out. His brother is not qualified to stay and fight like Valeriy, and it is very expensive at this point to get out of Ukraine.
Most of the wealthy and middle class citizens made their way out pretty quickly, now it’s the lower-income families that are left behind because they do not have the resources required to get to the border. “Mules” have taken advantage of the opportunity, as they do in most embattled countries, and charge up to $700 per person to help them escape the country.
This mission is to assist in both of these efforts, and we thank you for your continued support. Your contributions this month are going directly to these efforts, I will be sending as many updates as possible from the field.
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,
Kenny
I am heading back to Romania this Saturday, and will be celebrating Easter with Pastor Adi (right photo) and serving the continuous flow of Ukrainians fleeing their homes.
We thank all our supporters who supported last month’s trip, and ask you to prayerfully consider helping with this trip as well. The situation at the border is still critical, and our support is greatly needed.
We have been staying in touch with the Ukrainian merchant marine we met last month, Valeriy Bykov (left photo), and his brother’s family is in a town near Odessa that is in the midst of Russian attacks. One of our goals on this trip is to get this family across the border to safety, and we ask for your prayers that this will happen.
We will continue to support Pastor Adi’s church and their service on the border.
We will be posting our progress on this mission next week, and ask that you share our mission with everyone you know who would like to support the Ukrainian refugees.
Thank you again for all your support for Give Me Shelter Ministries… together we are serving the Lord and loving those in most need from Ukraine to Haiti.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Kenny
