It's language school time! (Well, almost.) God has continued to bless us with a growing base of support, and because of this, we'll be heading to language school in Costa Rica this January! As you can see from the graphs on the right, we're not quite to our fundraising goals, but we are confident in God's call for us to begin in January and trust in Him to provide.
We've put our house on the market, and we both have already told our respective bosses to expect our two week notices come early December. We ask that you please be in prayer for us:
-that we would be patient
-that God would provide the right buyer for our house, at the right time
-that our relationship with God will continue to grow stronger through this period of waiting
-that God would continue to grow our team of supporters and prayer partners
-that God will continue to prepare our hearts to learn a new culture, a new language, and to continue to grow our love for the Honduran people
Thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement! If you would like to know more about us or our call to Honduras, or if you think your church would be interested in hearing about us, please email us at JeffandLeslieV@gmail.com! God Bless!
Jeff and Leslie
2018-Feb
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
New Video!
A big thank you goes out to our good friend Jeremy for putting together an awesome video for us! You can watch it by clicking below or by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp5d-cbpjqM.
If you would like to know more about Forgotten Children Ministries and the ministry God has called us to in Honduras, you can find us on Facebook or email us at JeffandLeslieV@gmail.com.
If you would like to know more about Forgotten Children Ministries and the ministry God has called us to in Honduras, you can find us on Facebook or email us at JeffandLeslieV@gmail.com.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Thank you, Alcoa Chick-fil-a!
We owe a HUGE thank you to the Chick-fil-a here in Alcoa! Our fundraiser there on Thursday the 7th was a great success! Hundreds of our friends and family members turned out to eat and fellowship with us, and 10% of their purchases went towards our fundraising efforts, bringing in $266! The donation jars they sat out for us brought in almost $200 more for a total of over $450! Thank you, Chick-fil-a!
We had a great finish to 2012 and a fast start to 2013, bringing our total amount raised up over $12,000 and our monthly pledged amounts over $600. Please continue to pray for us as we raise funds and prepare ourselves for the ministry that God has put in front of us. Please also pray that God would continue to give us patience and joy as we spend our (hopefully) last few months here in the States before we leave. Please also pray for Pat and Michelle Corley, who are brand new missionaries in the field with Forgotten Children Ministries as of January! We're so excited for them, and we can't wait to join them!
We had a great finish to 2012 and a fast start to 2013, bringing our total amount raised up over $12,000 and our monthly pledged amounts over $600. Please continue to pray for us as we raise funds and prepare ourselves for the ministry that God has put in front of us. Please also pray that God would continue to give us patience and joy as we spend our (hopefully) last few months here in the States before we leave. Please also pray for Pat and Michelle Corley, who are brand new missionaries in the field with Forgotten Children Ministries as of January! We're so excited for them, and we can't wait to join them!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
We're at 10%!
Thanks to everyone who has pledged to give monthly! We're just over 10% of the way there! Our estimated monthly living costs are $3,500, and we now have $360/month pledged, with the majority already showing up in our FCM account each month. We also have a total of $4,153 raised, meaning we're also about 10% of the way towards the estimated $42,000 we'll need for a year of language school. God is good, and He's got us well on our way to full-time ministry!
We've got a few events coming up that you might be interested in. We'll be speaking at our home church, First Baptist Alcoa, on Sunday the 25th from 6-7 PM. Everyone is invited! We've also got a friend throwing us a Thirty One party at our house on December 2. (Contact Leslie on Facebook or send us an email at JeffandLeslieV@gmail.com for more info.) We're also looking at having a fundraiser at a certain local restaurant. If you know what "pollo" translates to in English, you might be able to figure out where! More info on that soon!
We know it's been a little confusing with the different ways you can give, so we want to list those again, hopefully with a little more clarity this time around. It's a little confusing to explain, but here goes!
Option 1: Give through your bank (like an automatic bill pay): To give directly each month through your bank, you'll have to go to your bank and set up an automatic payment to be made each month. This payment would go to Forgotten Children Ministries -- Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor Account, PO Box 24085, Chattanooga, TN 37422-4085. Tell the bank the amount you'd like to send each month and they'll do the rest!
Option 2: Give with your credit card: Go to fcmhonduras.org, and click "Donate" at the top of the screen. On this page, there is a blue "Donate Now" button on the right which you'll need to click. Type in the amount you'd like to give, check monthly in the "I want to make a recurring donation" box, and select "Other" as your designation. You can then type "Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor" in the "Child Names" box (this was designed as a way to sponsor children, but is also used for missionary sponsorships), and fill in your information on the rest of the screen to donate. Note that donations done this way will have a percentage taken out as a credit card fee. However, it is a small percent, so if this is the way you'd prefer to donate, go for it!
Option 3: Check sent directly to FCM: Please make checks out to Forgotten Children Ministries -- Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor. You can send checks directly to FCM at:
Forgotten Children Ministries
PO Box 24085
Chattanooga, TN 37422-4085
You can also contact FCM at 423-892-4979 and have them send you pre-addressed donation envelopes. (These are the pink envelopes we talk about.) Simply check our name from the list of missionaries on the back and send in your donation. These can serve as a great reminder to give each month!
Option 4: Give through First Baptist Alcoa: Our home church, First Baptist Alcoa, has set up an account for us where those who attend our home church can give. Simply make out a check to FBA -- Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor Account, put it in one of the envelopes located in the pews, and drop it in the plate on Sunday morning.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support! We've got an awesome God, and we're so happy to be part of His plan for these children in Honduras! Please continue to pray for us, for the teams from the States heading down there all year 'round, for the missionaries serving with FCM now (Richie and Lori Womack, Gordon and Christy Diegelman, and Stan Nowell), and the children in the ministry! We're excited to see how God is working there!
We've got a few events coming up that you might be interested in. We'll be speaking at our home church, First Baptist Alcoa, on Sunday the 25th from 6-7 PM. Everyone is invited! We've also got a friend throwing us a Thirty One party at our house on December 2. (Contact Leslie on Facebook or send us an email at JeffandLeslieV@gmail.com for more info.) We're also looking at having a fundraiser at a certain local restaurant. If you know what "pollo" translates to in English, you might be able to figure out where! More info on that soon!
We know it's been a little confusing with the different ways you can give, so we want to list those again, hopefully with a little more clarity this time around. It's a little confusing to explain, but here goes!
Option 1: Give through your bank (like an automatic bill pay): To give directly each month through your bank, you'll have to go to your bank and set up an automatic payment to be made each month. This payment would go to Forgotten Children Ministries -- Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor Account, PO Box 24085, Chattanooga, TN 37422-4085. Tell the bank the amount you'd like to send each month and they'll do the rest!
Option 2: Give with your credit card: Go to fcmhonduras.org, and click "Donate" at the top of the screen. On this page, there is a blue "Donate Now" button on the right which you'll need to click. Type in the amount you'd like to give, check monthly in the "I want to make a recurring donation" box, and select "Other" as your designation. You can then type "Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor" in the "Child Names" box (this was designed as a way to sponsor children, but is also used for missionary sponsorships), and fill in your information on the rest of the screen to donate. Note that donations done this way will have a percentage taken out as a credit card fee. However, it is a small percent, so if this is the way you'd prefer to donate, go for it!
Option 3: Check sent directly to FCM: Please make checks out to Forgotten Children Ministries -- Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor. You can send checks directly to FCM at:
Forgotten Children Ministries
PO Box 24085
Chattanooga, TN 37422-4085
You can also contact FCM at 423-892-4979 and have them send you pre-addressed donation envelopes. (These are the pink envelopes we talk about.) Simply check our name from the list of missionaries on the back and send in your donation. These can serve as a great reminder to give each month!
Option 4: Give through First Baptist Alcoa: Our home church, First Baptist Alcoa, has set up an account for us where those who attend our home church can give. Simply make out a check to FBA -- Jeff and Leslie Vanvactor Account, put it in one of the envelopes located in the pews, and drop it in the plate on Sunday morning.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support! We've got an awesome God, and we're so happy to be part of His plan for these children in Honduras! Please continue to pray for us, for the teams from the States heading down there all year 'round, for the missionaries serving with FCM now (Richie and Lori Womack, Gordon and Christy Diegelman, and Stan Nowell), and the children in the ministry! We're excited to see how God is working there!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
FCM Video
Welcome back! We're busily working our way toward raising monthly support. Thank you to those who are supporting us! We're so excited every time we get just a little bit closer to being able to go!
For those who want to learn a little bit more about FCM and the situation for the street children of Honduras, I've added a video below. This video was made by FCM about 5 years ago, but the situation for the street children and the city of Tegucigalpa in general is essentially unchanged. The video is narrated by Stan Nowell, the founder of FCM, and goes through several of the most important issues that the children face while on the streets and includes several interviews from boys in the ministry. If you were to take a trip down with one of the teams now, you would see several of these boys still in the ministry at either the orphanage or the farm. Unfortunately, there are several boys in this video who you would not see now, as the lure of the drugs and lifestyle they had on the streets was more than they could resist. Please pray for the boys and girls in the ministry, that they would be able to open themselves up to the love that God is providing through the ministry and that they would desire that over anything else!
For those who want to learn a little bit more about FCM and the situation for the street children of Honduras, I've added a video below. This video was made by FCM about 5 years ago, but the situation for the street children and the city of Tegucigalpa in general is essentially unchanged. The video is narrated by Stan Nowell, the founder of FCM, and goes through several of the most important issues that the children face while on the streets and includes several interviews from boys in the ministry. If you were to take a trip down with one of the teams now, you would see several of these boys still in the ministry at either the orphanage or the farm. Unfortunately, there are several boys in this video who you would not see now, as the lure of the drugs and lifestyle they had on the streets was more than they could resist. Please pray for the boys and girls in the ministry, that they would be able to open themselves up to the love that God is providing through the ministry and that they would desire that over anything else!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Our first Honduras video!
We're hoping to make some videos about Honduras and the ministry to help us raise funds. The first video was shown this morning in the church service at our home church, First Baptist Alcoa in Alcoa, TN, and is available below. Hope you enjoy it!
Friday, June 29, 2012
FAQ's
We're back from an awesome week in Honduras! A big thanks to the Womacks and the Diegelmans for making us feel like part of the FCM family, and to Cindy and the Indiana group for allowing us to join you! You can find pictures of our week on Leslie's Facebook account. We also wanted to post the answers to a few of the frequently asked questions we tend to get so that everyone can get more information on the who's, what's, and when's of our future in Honduras.
Q: When will you be going?
A: Once we've established enough monthly income to support us full-time in the field, we'll head to Costa Rica for language school. We'll need a minimum of $42,000 total funds (equal to 1 year of support) before we go so that we don't run into any issues with funding while we're there. Language school is expensive, plus moving expenses, etc., make this necessary. Once we've completed language school, if enough funds are still coming in, we'll head straight to Honduras after a brief trip home.
Q: How much do you need to raise?
A: There is no specific total amount needed in our account before we can go, except for the minimum needed for us to be sure we can get through the whole year of language school without funding issues. The key to us being able to go is consistent monthly support. Once we've established consistent support of $3,500/month, we'll be able to go. That's the equivalent of 70 people giving $50/month, 175 people giving $20/month, or 350 people giving $10/month. We hope you'll pray about whether God would have you give!
Q: Why are the monthly living expenses so high?
A: Despite what you might think, living on Honduras is surprisingly expensive! Rent in a safe neighborhood will be around $800-$1,000/month, food costs about 20% more there than it does in the States because most things have to be imported into the country and are not locally produced. We'll also need to purchase health and vehicle insurance. Electricity and water are also MUCH more expensive there than in the States.
Q: What does my donation go towards? Is there any overhead taken out?
A: FCM already has donors that cover the overhead that goes along with running the ministry. 100% of your donations will go towards our living expenses while in Honduras. (The only exception to this is that, should you donate via credit card, the typical credit card processing fees are taken out. If you can give by check or direct deposit, that is best, as we will then receive 100% of the donation.) As mentioned above, this includes rent, insurance, and daily living expenses such as food, gas and other vehicle expenses, utilities, and any other necessary personal expenses. We assure you we will be very frugal with your donations!
Q: If I want to give monthly, when should I start?
A: The sooner the better! This will allow us to begin building our account up and reach our necessary financial goals before entering language school. An early start to monthly giving also allows us to view our progress towards the monthly giving we can expect to see once we get closer to entering language school. We understand that not everyone is in a financial position to give now, but might be in the future, and that's ok! But for those who are choosing between giving now or waiting until we're ready to leave, please know that this early giving is necessary for us to be able to enter the mission field.
Q: I'm not in a financial position to give. Is there anything else I can do?
A: Please, please pray! We know that building up prayer support is every bit as important as building up financial support. Some items we'd appreciate you praying about include our families as they prepare for us to leave (and us, as we will miss our wonderful families very much), God's protection over both the children in the ministry and the missionaries already in Honduras, us being able to sell our home and other items, and for God's blessing on our transition to living in another culture, learning a new language, and adapting to a new lifestyle.
Q: Are you bringing your dog with you?
A: Of course! :) She will not need to be quarrantined in either Costa Rica or Honduras. All we need is the necessary paperwork stating she is a healthy dog.
Q: Will you sell your house before you go?
A: Yes, we will be selling our house, vehicles, furniture, etc. A few of the missionaries we know have attempted to keep their homes here and rent them, but have found that, as you might expect, it is a lot of work to keep up with a home you own while you're living in another country. We're going to be busy enough in Honduras as it is! The potential financial burden of continuing to make a mortgage payment should we not be able to consistently rent our home also affects this decision.
Q: Are you continuing to work while you're waiting to go?
A: Yes, both of us are continuing with our jobs while we raise support. 100% of your donations go towards our living expenses AFTER we move and enter language school and the mission field. None of those donations go toward our personal expenses while we are raising funds and preparing to leave.
We're always excited to talk about missions and Honduras, so keep the questions coming! We hope you'll continue to pray for us, for our fundraising, and for the people of Honduras! Thank you for your support as we move forward to where God has called us!
Q: When will you be going?
A: Once we've established enough monthly income to support us full-time in the field, we'll head to Costa Rica for language school. We'll need a minimum of $42,000 total funds (equal to 1 year of support) before we go so that we don't run into any issues with funding while we're there. Language school is expensive, plus moving expenses, etc., make this necessary. Once we've completed language school, if enough funds are still coming in, we'll head straight to Honduras after a brief trip home.
Q: How much do you need to raise?
A: There is no specific total amount needed in our account before we can go, except for the minimum needed for us to be sure we can get through the whole year of language school without funding issues. The key to us being able to go is consistent monthly support. Once we've established consistent support of $3,500/month, we'll be able to go. That's the equivalent of 70 people giving $50/month, 175 people giving $20/month, or 350 people giving $10/month. We hope you'll pray about whether God would have you give!
Q: Why are the monthly living expenses so high?
A: Despite what you might think, living on Honduras is surprisingly expensive! Rent in a safe neighborhood will be around $800-$1,000/month, food costs about 20% more there than it does in the States because most things have to be imported into the country and are not locally produced. We'll also need to purchase health and vehicle insurance. Electricity and water are also MUCH more expensive there than in the States.
Q: What does my donation go towards? Is there any overhead taken out?
A: FCM already has donors that cover the overhead that goes along with running the ministry. 100% of your donations will go towards our living expenses while in Honduras. (The only exception to this is that, should you donate via credit card, the typical credit card processing fees are taken out. If you can give by check or direct deposit, that is best, as we will then receive 100% of the donation.) As mentioned above, this includes rent, insurance, and daily living expenses such as food, gas and other vehicle expenses, utilities, and any other necessary personal expenses. We assure you we will be very frugal with your donations!
Q: If I want to give monthly, when should I start?
A: The sooner the better! This will allow us to begin building our account up and reach our necessary financial goals before entering language school. An early start to monthly giving also allows us to view our progress towards the monthly giving we can expect to see once we get closer to entering language school. We understand that not everyone is in a financial position to give now, but might be in the future, and that's ok! But for those who are choosing between giving now or waiting until we're ready to leave, please know that this early giving is necessary for us to be able to enter the mission field.
Q: I'm not in a financial position to give. Is there anything else I can do?
A: Please, please pray! We know that building up prayer support is every bit as important as building up financial support. Some items we'd appreciate you praying about include our families as they prepare for us to leave (and us, as we will miss our wonderful families very much), God's protection over both the children in the ministry and the missionaries already in Honduras, us being able to sell our home and other items, and for God's blessing on our transition to living in another culture, learning a new language, and adapting to a new lifestyle.
Q: Are you bringing your dog with you?
A: Of course! :) She will not need to be quarrantined in either Costa Rica or Honduras. All we need is the necessary paperwork stating she is a healthy dog.
Q: Will you sell your house before you go?
A: Yes, we will be selling our house, vehicles, furniture, etc. A few of the missionaries we know have attempted to keep their homes here and rent them, but have found that, as you might expect, it is a lot of work to keep up with a home you own while you're living in another country. We're going to be busy enough in Honduras as it is! The potential financial burden of continuing to make a mortgage payment should we not be able to consistently rent our home also affects this decision.
Q: Are you continuing to work while you're waiting to go?
A: Yes, both of us are continuing with our jobs while we raise support. 100% of your donations go towards our living expenses AFTER we move and enter language school and the mission field. None of those donations go toward our personal expenses while we are raising funds and preparing to leave.
We're always excited to talk about missions and Honduras, so keep the questions coming! We hope you'll continue to pray for us, for our fundraising, and for the people of Honduras! Thank you for your support as we move forward to where God has called us!
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