What Do Good Neighbor Teams Do?

Written by Joy Mikhail

Whether you are new to Waypoint, or you’ve been here for some time, you have probably heard us talking about ministry to our refugee neighbors here in the Triangle. Although there are many ways to get involved, good neighbor teams are a unique way to form relationships with families and come alongside them as they are adjusting to life in America.

Currently, we have one good neighbor team made up of 8 people. I recently asked them about their experience being on a good neighbor team and how we can pray for them. Here is what they had to say:

“In this day and age there are so many ways you can choose to spend your time and oftentimes it feels like your attention is being pulled in so many different directions. One thing that is really life-giving to me about being on a good neighbor team is that this is one thing on my calendar that I know is a good choice. It makes prioritization easy. In our case, there’s a family with 5 young kids who have suddenly had to start all over in a new country that has a radically different culture from their own. They’ve had to flee because they were serving in special forces with our country to try to make their own a more safe, secure and humane place. It's such an honor to come alongside a family like this during what can otherwise be such a disorienting and lonely time. Of course, the other thing that makes serving so fulfilling is that even though this family has in many ways demonstrated Christ’s character in the honorable way that they've lived, they haven’t really had someone show the love of Christ in the name of Christ to them before and it is such an incredible privilege to step into that role with a good neighbor of friends from Waypoint.”-J. Punt

“One of the things I have loved about being part of Good Neighbor Teams is learning about different cultures. For example, hospitality is a huge part of Middle Eastern Culture. The way I am welcomed into homes is beautiful and inspiring. When I remember that this is the culture where much of the Bible takes place, those stories come even more alive. I have also learned that sometimes I want to be a savior and that is not my role. World Relief Durham and Joy Mikhail, Waypoint’s Director of Local Missions, do a great job of training teams and reminding us that it is better to help and empower refugees so that they can stand on their own. Sometimes it seems easier and quicker to do things for them, but I have learned that that takes away from their dignity and doesn’t help them in the long run. We have been part of two GNT’s now and we have learned the needs of each family can be different. The relationships formed can look different. It has been a good opportunity to practice listening and taking the time to know people as individuals instead of assuming we know what they need.”-Bethany and Stephen Clark

“Overall, it's been a blessing to watch God provide for this family in so many ways in such a short time. God's provided them with a job, a community that speaks their language, a great school, and even a car! It's been special to see how far they've come in less than a year and how quickly they've been able to put down roots here. Also, playing with their 5 kids has been THE BEST! Just because they do not speak English very well, does not mean that you can't have a fiercely competitive game of uno or hide and seek with the whole crew! Finally, they have ended up showing us a lot of hospitality which was something we didn't anticipate. They've made us awesome food (their bread has to be some of the best in the world), and it's been really cool to form a genuine friendship with a family that has such a different set of memories, experiences, and way of looking at the world.”- Amelia Punt

Please consider coming out to the World Relief Orientation Training on Saturday, October 8. (Attending does not commit you to serve on a team.) If you have any questions, please reach out (Joy@waypointrdu.com)

Lastly, we can all be a part through prayer!

· Please pray for the families being relocated. Pray for their mental and emotional needs to be met after experiencing the trauma of leaving home and family. Pray for their physical needs to be me through good steady jobs, learning English, and finding friendships and community. Pray for the kids to adjust well in school.

· Pray for more GNTs to be formed to walk alongside the families that are being resettled in the Triangle.

· Please pray for our team to have wisdom in knowing the best ways to support the family. Pray for times to connect with them and get to know them better.

· Pray that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and walk in step with the Spirit as we love and serve this family.

· Pray that the family will see Jesus in and through us and know the hope and love that he offers.

Loving and Serving International Students

Written by Danny Castiglione

There are 1.8 million international students in North America and 5 million worldwide. Additionally, there are millions more immigrants and temporary residents living in the United States who are linked to universities, hospitals, and global companies. Closer to home, every year thousands of international students and temporary residents from all over the world come to the Triangle. Since our founding Waypoint Church has always been involved in loving and caring for international guests. We partner directly with campus ministries that serve and reach international students at Duke and UNC.

I personally have the privilege of serving part-time as a campus minster to international students at Duke. Praise God that in an average semester, our campus ministry collation of International Student Ministry (ISM) workers can love and serve over 400 students through our various programs and outreaches. Yet, there are only 7 of us serving at Duke (all but one of us are part-time) and there are over 5,000 international students connected to Duke. So how can we do it? How can we meet, love, and serve all these students? How can we plant seeds of the gospel?

The reason we can reach many more students is because of the army of local volunteers that serve with us. Volunteers from dozens of churches in the area, including many from Waypoint, are part of this effort. Some examples of this are:

-Over 20 Waypoint households have hosted international students for a monthly dinner through the Supper Club program

-This past Christmas Eve, 22 international students came to Waypoint’s Christmas Eve worship service and a dinner at our home afterward. Of the 22 students, it was the first time to visit a church for 17 of them.

-We have hosted over 200 students at Waypoint during our international Thanksgiving dinners (with Waypoint volunteers helping with food prep and clean up, and many others as table hosts)

Here are some ways you can volunteer:

-Host 3-5 international students for a monthly dinner during the semester through the Supper Club program

-Be an English Conversation Partner, this program runs from January through April

-Be available to drive a Duke, NCCU, or UNC student to Sunday morning worship

-Sign up for the ISM Realm group, so you hear about all the campus ISM volunteer opportunities, and volunteer when you are able

Prayer Requests for ISM for the 2022-2023 School Year

-Our staff is limited, so pray for wisdom on where to spend our time and energy

-Pray that Christian international students would find us as they arrive on campus so we can connect them with a local church and other spiritual resources

-Pray for these Christian students, that they would not lose heart as they become overwhelmed with schoolwork and life in a new culture

-Pray that seeds of the gospel will be planted

If you have any questions or want to sign up to volunteer, please contact me at danny@waypointrdu.com

Reflection on the Youth Mission Trip

Written by Ryli Mozolak

On the last night in Clarkston Georgia we, as a youth group, decided to debrief our time together on our mission. We sat around on couches, chairs, and the rug when we were presented with a question: “What is one word that describes the trip to you?” We could say any word as long as we could explain why we felt that the specific word encapsulated how we felt about the mission. As we went around in a circle, many words were thrown around including eye-opening, perspective, community, and humbling. When it came to be my turn the only word that seemed to come to mind was “experience.” Now, this may seem vague in the sense that in general, the trip was an experience, however, I didn't mean it in that context. This trip gave me experience in areas I have never had the opportunity to further. Clarkston Georgia is a unique little town that only covers 1.857 square miles of the 3.797 million that the United States is made up of, but here are communities and ways of living that I had never witnessed, problems I fortunately have not had to endure, and languages I had never heard before. I felt as though I was thrown into a melting pot filled with many things I would not see in my everyday life.

One of my, and the groups, favorite tasks during the week was anything to do with the children that lived in the apartment complex nearby. This was a large community with many kids that loved to play games, dance, jump rope, and climb trees. The first time we had the opportunity to meet these children was during an art lesson in which we led an art project that involved drawing and then creating a collage over top. These kids immediately saw us walk in and welcomed us with open arms…very literally. I walked out of an apartment and was greeted by a little girl who, without any hesitation, gave me a large hug and then walked me over to sit with her during the reading portion of the lesson. These children just wanted attention and love and the ability to provide that basic necessity was a good feeling. We got to draw with the kids, listening to their requests and then trying to accommodate. They didn’t care how good it was, trust me I drew some questionable dogs, however it was the act of having someone to play with that was enough for them. Many turned to playing superheroes, or using others as a jungle gym, while others just wanted to sit with us and play with our sunglasses or hair.

To connect back to my idea of experience, with these children I learned how to create relationships with kids who maybe did not know much English or struggled to communicate what they wanted. I learned how to lovingly direct children who were presenting bad behavior without coming off as pushy or bossy. I learned how to set up games and control a group of children in an orderly manner, because believe it or not, jumping rope can cause many issues! All of these lessons just from simply playing with a group of children.

Another area in which I gained new exposure was the act of praying out loud, in a group, over different subjects. Multiple days during the week we were driven out to the schools in the community. High schools, middle schools, and elementary schools were all on the list for our team to visit. Coming into the trip I knew I struggled with intentionally praying, as well as praying out loud, fearing judgment or that I would never have the correct words. When we went to these schools we were split into groups and we would walk either on campus, or around the school depending on the permission we were given and we were asked to pray over everything whether it was the school itself, the staff, students, for God to be a part of the school year, anything was acceptable. As we walked we began to take turns praying. Whether it was a short prayer or a long one, it was accounted for. This was something that stuck with me, I do not need to have a fancy prayer with big words for God to hear it. I do not need to fear judgment when it is an honest prayer from my heart. As the week went on I began to become more comfortable praying in front of others and over different subjects. I prayed multiple times over the group whether it was before devotional or after worship, I began to become more confident in my words. Along with finding confidence, I was able to see ways God was using my prayers. While giving backpacks out for the new school year, my group was able to speak with some residents in an apartment that went to the schools in which we prayed over. This moment was really impactful for me as I was able to see our prayers were connected to something and making an impact. The mission overall had so many other important lessons and experiences, but these are the ones that I will really cherish. I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in the work that Envision Atlanta provides and look forward to hopefully finding more work in which the same experiences are given.