Financial Need

Dear Friends and Family,

We are writing to tell you about a trip that we are going to lead that will hopefully be a life-changing experience for the people we come in contact with, as well as ourselves.

As you probably know, we both work at Vanguard University, which is a Christian institution. Each summer, Vanguard sends teams to countries across the globe to minister to the people, and this year we were selected to lead a team of seven college students to Tanzania from May 30 to June 14. We are excited about going on this trip and using our skills and abilities for the glory of God and the good of the people in Tanzania.

During our trip, we will be working with Ryan and Stacy Helbling, full time missionaries in Moshi, Tanzania. We will refurbish their guest house so future mission teams can stay with them, and we'll do our best to bless the Helbling families' socks off however we can. We will lead worship at a church service there, and we will also do some manual labor at Treasures of Africa, a home for orphans and abandoned children. Finally, we look forward to the random ways God will use us – last year's Tanzania team served by killing chickens for a couple of hours in order to feed the village. Deep down we hope we don't have to do that (it kind of sounds icky), but we certainly are willing if that's the need!

The importance of prayer – for our ministry, travel, safety, and that which God intends to accomplish through us – is absolutely vital. We expect Him to use us to do amazing things through the relationships we build and the prayers we offer up with those we meet. Will you participate with us in this work for God and His people? Also, we ask for your financial support to help make this mission trip possible for us. Since we are both going, it will cost about $7000. We will have saved about $2500 and are doing some fundraisers, but we are also trusting that God will provide the rest.

If you decide you'd like to support our attendance on this mission trip, please make your check payable to Vanguard University. You can send it in the envelope we have provided and include the slip with our names on it. We hope that you are excited about what God is going to do through our mission trip and your gift. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jeff and Emily Fazakerley

Instructions:

 

Make checks payable to Vanguard University. DON'T write our names or Tanzania on the check. Include a paper that says you want the check to go to Jeff and Emily Fazakerley for Tanzania. Mail it to:

 

Global Initiatives/Tanzania

Vanguard University

55 Fair Drive

Costa Mesa CA 92626

 

E-mail from Work 3

From:        Zachary Bortot

To:        Jeff Fazakerlely

Subject:    Re: Hello!

 

…I have to run, but in answer to your last question, sometimes a favorite movie isn't a favorite movie because it is good.  Sometimes the memory or event surrounding the viewing of that movie for the first time is special enough that it can elevate the status of said film. lol.  I'll talk to you later.

Thoughts and prayers,

Zach

 

From:        Jeff Fazakerley

To:        Zachary Bortot

Subject:    Re: Hello!

 

If we're being honest I have plenty of work to do, I just don't want to do any of it.  I wish I could do what I did today all the time.  The whole meeting with people seeing if they'll sponsor my benefit.  Just shows what I am meant to do and what I'm NOT meant to do.  Don't get me wrong, there are things in theater that I do not enjoy doing as well, but there's something different about them.  Probably because the end result is something different…something more rewarding.

Just so you know, I'm a hard person to offend.  People usually have to remind me that I'm being insulted as I choose to believe most of the time that people always have the best intentions.  I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing but I do like that about myself.  I don't spend my time being offended at everything people say.  I do have friends however that keep me on my toes.  They will say or do things and I never quite know if they are hurt or sarcastic so I end up being overly nice and sensitive around them because I HATE to offend anyone.  Anyway, a little about me.

Another thing about me?  I adapt VERY well to my surroundings.  One the best complements anyone ever paid me when I came to California is they thought that I had always lived in California.  So the fact you think I have a California coolness about me is indeed kind.  My friends however would disagree.  I am a nerd.  I am extremely uncool in a lot of ways and I am blessed to also have married someone who I think is cool but would consider herself uncool as well.  And we're okay with it.  That's the difference.  I've been uncool my whole life, it's when I stopped caring what everyone thought (still kinda working on that one) that I became cool in my own eyes and thus more respected by the general population.  Don't let the pictures of me with aviators fool you…the camera lies.

People in California are driven by their appearance.  It's all that matters to people around here.  I will not lie, I am not affected by it as well.  There are very few people in California that do not get caught up in how they look, including the ones that get annoyed by it and point it out.  We're all guilty of it out here.  But again, there is a difference between the people who are aware of their vanity, and the people who are completely clueless of it.  And I mean COMPLETELY!  Its secular humanism on a completely 'plastic-faced' level, and some of them claim to be Christians.  But then again I fall under a category of persons that judge said plastic people and assume they have no heart/personality/intelligence.  The lesson to be learned here? Don't judge people.  Talk to them.

And while we are on the topic of preconceived judgments…I want to apologize.  I always judge people minutely by the movies they like and to the last sentence of your e-mail I say….TOUCHE!  I don't think I will ever mock a person for liking 17 Again or any of the High School Musicals or any of the other brainless flicks filed with canned humor and cheap marketing gimmicks that bamboozle the heck out of a pop culture thirsty generation; the people that do what other people do because that's what other people do.  There is a lot to be said about movies and shows you watch with other people and the affect that can have on a person.  There are movies I find funny only when I watch them with certain people.  And there are shows that I just cannot watch by myself as it would not be nearly as fun, such as LOST.  LOST has been and always will be a social gathering…the reaction of ten people seeing a shocking moment has much more impact than when watching by yourself.  It's just not the same.  I will always remember when Michael shot Ana Lucia and Libby, then himself.  Oh the screams of horror and shock.  It has to be one of the most shocking moments on television.  Brill.

Well, I think I've stalled long enough.  Don't be surprised if you see portions of this e-mail on my blog…you've pulled some interesting stuff out of me Mr. Bortot. 

Have a great day!  Remember, killing people is wrong, even if it's for the family.

Jeff Fazakerley

www.jefffazakerley.com

 

One Month to Go…

Emily and I are leaving for Moshi, Tanzania on May 30. We'll be serving Ryan and Stacy Helbling for two weeks doing numerous service projects ranging from fixing up the guest house to slaughtering chickens. We'll also be visiting Treasures of Africa to work around there and primarily spend time with the children. We don't expect to change anything as much as we expect to be changed.

Why haven't I blogged about this yet? Good question. Regent has taken up most of my thoughts for some time now…it still does. The preperation for this trip has been quite simple compared to my other missions experiences. Our team of seven students meets at our house on Sunday nights. We pray, we discuss, we wii.

In high school, right after I was pulled over by six cops at gun-point (I'll have to write about that sometime) I went on a trip to Mexico City. We primarily did VBS and spent time with the kids on the outskirts of the city. Months before hand we took lessons from a clown on how to make balloon animals, a skill we used on the streets. Unfortunately I only knew how to make dogs and swords. "Perro o espada?" we said over and over again. "Mico!" (monkey) the children would cry.

In 2006 I went to southern France where we also did VBS. This trip required much more preparation as we were basically creating an American Kids Camp at someone's house out in the country. We arrived a week prior to the actual week of VBS just to work on things like laying cement, building a pirate ship in the garage and filling five hundred some odd water balloons. I was also a performer in all the skits we did that week so there was the obvious rehearsals for that. The kids, in combination with the amazing people I worked with resulted in a life altering experience.

So we may not have planned a VBS program that could compete with a broadway musical or anything and we may not be preparred to make circus animals out of balloons, but at least for Emily and I, God has been doing his own preparations in our hearts. The last few months I know God has been getting Emily and I ready for something. From the moment we found out we were leading a team to Africa, having never been there ourselves, we've prayed that God would change us and use us for his will. We are both excited yet terrified. When you ask God to change you, to mold you, to use you, and if you're trully letting him…he will.

I'm excited to see what God has in store. Emily and I covet your prayers for ourselves and our amazing team. Naturally we are also attempting to raise funds for this amazing trip. So far we've been able to save and raise a little over half of our $7500 goal. If you're interested in supporting us financially please contact me and I'll let you know how!

 

For Mikkele

I read this on my friend Mikkele's blog yesterday...why can't crazy alcoholics talk to me while bagging my groceries...ugh...lucky.

"a conversation between me and the grocery bagger" from The Stars Are Awake
by Mikkele Suzanne

him, as he's bagging my groceries: 'you tired?'
me: 'yep'
him: 'me too. long day. but i think i still have a few drinks in me. and i'm not talking about no budweiser stuff either. i'm talking about the HARD stuff.'
me: 'have a good night.'"

I am surrounded by birds that sound like the black smoke monster from lost...too much tv? Nah...bring it smoke monster.

Daily fun time with technology...

It should be scheduled in to my day...everyday! I have a slight confession. There was a time in my life that I was...well, how do I say it....?....a gamer. Yes...its true. I used to be obsessed with computers and the games that were played on them. My claim to fame is nearly beating Half-Life...the first one...what changed? I was approached by my high school drama teacher one afternoon. I had spent my first semester of my sophomore year in a new high school and was gaining a lot of respectability as a singer in the choir.



Anyway, she approached me and abruptly said, "Hi, I'm Mrs. Seatan. That's SATAN with an E. You wanna be in the musical?" Thus began my acting career and the bitter end to my future as a computer programmer.



However my career goals may have changed, I have always had an interest in the newest technology of the day. There used to be a day when if someone didn't know a computer could do something I would respond with a "Ugh...duh...of course it can...what coma did you just wake up from?" (Yes my jokes were lame then too) But now I'm the one that's a little bewildered when it comes to the machine sitting in front of me...oh, dear God! I've become my parents! Well not quite...Go mom for mastering the E-mail as of late!



Essentially what I'm saying is I love discovering new things about technology. I love that I can text a blog post (even though it limits me to 160 characters...boo). I love that I can receive a daily agenda on my phone in the morning of all the tings I have to do that day via text. I love that I can communicate with my family across the world via a small camera a video chat session...its obviously because I come from a completely different generation, but I do not see myself as the old guy who's afraid of the fancy gadgets. I see my self as the guy who's a little obsessed with them.



Yet with all this love of technology and the great things it can do in society...I still hate the Segway...been there, rode that...found it utterly pointless.

I'm am now texting my blogs. I love technology! I tried this a minute ago and it didn't work. Maybe i need to keep it under 160 characters! Peace.