Raising Support!

As David posted in an earlier blog, we are officially heading to the Dominican Republic (DR) as part of the A1:8 Project (http://www.aoneeight.org/). In partnership with NCC and Salt & Light Ministries...David and I will be leading a team to the DR January 17-24, 2009! David and I have decided to take Colin with us on the trip as well. He is 10-years-old now and continues to learn the importance of living out his faith with action; we would like to broaden his perspective to the needs of people internationally who are often not blessed with the comforts of life in the United States.
We would like you to partner with us to make this mission trip possible.
Yes, we need your prayers but we also need your financial support. The cost of the trip is $1500 per person. Those costs break down as follows (approximately): 1/3 travel, 1/3 room, board, & transportation in the DR, and 1/3 directly to Projects and Needs in the DR.
I am sure that you can do the math. We need to raise $4500 to make this mission trip a reality. (see the bottom of this post for how to make a Tax-Deductible donation.)

Our mission in the DR will involve education, hygiene/health teaching, and sharing the love of Jesus. Part of our work will be in the community of El Valle. El Valle is a town in the mountains NE of Santo Domingo. We will be working with several missionaries at the "Center for Aid to Children". The goal of the center is to meet the spiritual and physical needs of children.
Many of the community children are 'orphaned' by the economics of the country. In the DR, schooling is expensive and not run by the government; many parents can not afford to send their kids to school. Parents often leave early in the morning and travel to a larger town to find work or food. They don't return until late at night. Their children would otherwise be roaming the streets, but the center takes them in and provides for them. The center provides these kids with a school, meals, medical aid, and a safe, supervised environment with hope in Jesus Christ. The center is currently serving 42 children. The Center for Aid to Children along with the community hospital (also run by these missionaries) has the desire and ability to win an entire community for Christ. We are blessed to unite with them to bring the love of Jesus to this area.

Donations:
Make checks payable to National Community Church. In the Memo line, please write "Simon-DR Trip." A Tax Receipt will be mailed out in January to all whose checks are received by Dec 27th.
Mail checks to:
3873 Chain Bridge Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22030

*If your employer provides for matching donations, the EIN number for NCC is 52-2016840, please make sure to notify us about the matching donation so that we can link it to the DR Trip.
**Any funds raised beyond the required $4500 will go directly to projects and needs in the DR.
We appreciate both your financial and prayer support!