I was so involved in writing and handling errands that I didn’t hear about the January 8^th Tucson Shooting until this past Monday, the 11^th. Perhaps I was the only poor citizen found ignorant of the situation for days after its occurrence, but I don’t think I’m alone.  For a country so connected to international developments via social networks and hawk-like news coverage, it’s a strange phenomenon for a tragic event like this to go unnoticed for a couple days.

As it usually goes throughout American history, hearing the President speak during a tumultuous time brought relief and reflection.  After reprimanding his party for pointing fingers and placing blame on Tea Partiers for the attack of their Democratic congresswomen, Barack Obama ministered:

So sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.  That process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions – that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. (Pres. Obama Tucson Memorial Speech, 1/12/11)

I agree with him.  Horrific moments like this do make you think, ‘If I were to die today what will become of my legacy? Have I practiced what I preached?  Have I acted in a manner that reflects my heart and mind?’  I’m not saying this as an evangelical manipulator to guilt you into moldable putty either!  I’m seriously concerned for people that ignore their power to make a difference in the world they live in.

Getting to where you want to be in life is like a squirrel crossing a busy street.  You have to just throw yourself out there.  If you hesitate too many times you will lose it all.  So don’t dismiss your capabilities as inapplicable to movements you passionately align with.  Join them. You will make a difference in someone’s life.  You probably already have.

I’m just now settling back into normal life. I joined the Defiant Missions team on their latest trip to Haiti.  The devastating, poverty-stricken tent cities and mountains of rubble are heartbreaking and it’s hard to find hope within such turmoil, but the progress Defiant is making in the desperate community of Petit Goave is nothing short of inspiring.  In the coming weeks, other team members and myself will be posting more articles, pictures, and videos that are, among many things, influenced by our holiday adventure.

For now I want to show everyone this piece of Haitian art I purchased off the streets of Port au Prince.  Crafted with overwhelming, yet subtle colors, it is a beautiful, textured portrait of fishing boats reeling in the day’s catch.  The sun setting over the horizon illuminates the figures that are battling for their livelihood.  To me it’s an accurate depiction of what I saw in Haiti – a breathtaking landscape matched by backbreaking work and an uncertain future.

Matt and Stephen purchased some art, similar to this, from Haitian artists as well.  Their plan is to offer it over Defiant’s online merch store with ALL proceeds going back into future trips to Haiti.  When I say all, I mean ALL.  The money goes towards water filters, medicines, tents, tarps, etc.  I saw it for myself.  Their funding is allocated in the most efficient, and effective manner I could ever have expected.

So if you like killer art, as well as helping out a cause that is legitimately saving lives (the people there will tell you it’s the truth) then keep your eye on Defiant’s latest updates and merch store additions. Also, watch out for more postings about what we saw, stories we gathered, and conversations we had while in Haiti!

-Keith Wood

Keith is one of the team members who gave up the holidays to go and serve others in rural Haiti, this was written after his return from his first trip with Defiant, and to Haiti.

We’re going back! And you are invited!  We are taking two trips to Haiti this December: the 16th-23rd and the 27th of December -2nd of January  Trip costs are $1300 and include round-trip airfare, food, security, translators, etc.  The first trip is a general volunteer trip working on a wide variety of issues in the community.  The second trip is a medical and public health trip, but anyone can come.  There is a limited number of spaces on each trip and they are filling up quickly, particularly the Medical team trip.

To reserve your slot please send a deposit of $100 either by mail to:

Or you can send it online using our donate page, please make sure to include the purpose.

Please email info@defythirst.org if you have any questions, please note that specific information, packing list, medical forms, etc will be sent our once your space on the trip has been reserved!

You dared us, we did it! $124 was raised for Stephen and Matt to do the Gallon Challenge, so here is the video:

Defiant Missions Gallon Challenge

Dare us to do something else, WE WILL!  All you have to do is get your friends to donate to see us do it!

From here on out, we have a great way that you can help make a difference in the world, but also be entertained! Starting this week, founders Matt Turner and Stephen Dupuis will be completing challenges and dares that you send in for them to do!  They are up for anything! whether its difficult, painful, disgusting or just plain entertaining, they’ll do it! The way it works is a follows: a challenge is selected, we place a price on it that has to be reached in donations before the challenge is completed, when the funds are raised, the challenge will be videoed and completed and placed online for your entertainment! So get creative, send in your ideas, spread the word around and get your friends to donate to make it happen.

Challenge #1: The Gallon Challenge:  $100: Matt and Stephen will have 1 hour to consume a gallon of milk each.  Supposedly the human body cannot handle this stress and induces vomiting!  Which oddly enough, most people find entertaining! So were out to find out if Matt or Stephen have super-human capabilities for milk consumption (everyone has a superpower right?)

How it works:

The challenge will be filmed as soon as the funds are raised ($100) anyone can donate and it is a collective amount, so 10 people donating $10, 100 people donating $1, etc.  So spread the word around to see it happen faster!

Donations will be accepted online here, please include a note of “challenge #1″ or “Gallon Challenge” so we know that’s what the donation is for!

Or, give donations directly to any Defiant Missions Staff member

or mail them in to:

We will announce new challenges and dares as you send them in, Rules for submission:

Nothing illegal, unfortunately, there will be video evidence and Matt and Stephen can’t do good if they are locked up (if you’ll let us do it in another country though, now that’s a different story

Nothing that will get anyone killed, only things that might get anyone killed or injured:)

Other than that, I think we’re good on the rules! We do reserve the right to not accept a challenge for any reason we deem fit, but since Matt and Stephen are pretty shameless that shouldn’t be a problem.

If you want to join in on a challenge, feel free to let us know, please note, you might have to sign a waiver

Let’s get this thing going and see Matt and Stephen make fools of themselves

This summer, co-founder Matt Turner and his wife Jodi spent several months in Ghana, West Africa.  While Matt finished some water and sanitation research for his Emory University Master’s Thesis, Jodi prepared for the coming of the team from Real Life Fellowship, our partner in Corpus Christi, Texas and project partner for the village of Vea in Northern Ghana.  The team, including Matt and Jodi consisted of 24 people committed to improving the quality of life for a group of forgotten people near the border.

Here is the story of how the Vea project got started from Real Life Fellowship’s Dr. Dirksen, a member of the medical team that just returned:

“This village was chosen because of a woman named Ursula. She was sold by her family to settle a debt when she was just twelve years old. Ursula was beaten, starved and treated so mercilessly, that her heart should have grown stone-cold.  After running away at eighteen, she had every reason to turn her back to the people of her village, but she didn’t.  In early 2006, Ursula returned to her home village, a small farming community, called Vea, in the Upper East Region near Bolgatanga. The area had suffered two years of severe drought and many children were starving and dying.  By this time, she had 2 children and a husband of her own choosing.  Because of her new-found relationship with Jesus Christ, Ursula intended to share the grace and love she had found with the village of her birth.  In an effort to extend comfort and aid her people, she faced those who had so harshly treated her and her family in the past.

Because of Ursula’s return to the village and the healing that followed, the village Chief and elders began to listen more closely to her counsel. She encouraged the Chief to allow the children in the village to be treated using modern medicine, rather than relying on tribal remedies. Ursula also encouraged the Chief to allow the young orphans in the village to be cared for by children’s homes, rather than sending them to earn money for themselves in the dangerous market places. She also convinced the elders that education was the key to keeping the young people in this northern region.

By late 2006, eleven children from the region, in the most desperate of situations, were brought to Accra, the capital city of Ghana.  Ursula had befriended an American Christian woman and they arranged to set up an orphanage there. One of these boys, Philip, was eventually adopted in 2008 by a family in Corpus Christi who are Real Life Fellowship members. In 2009, another boy, Eli, was adopted by Micah and Lori Davidson, the lead pastor of Real Life Fellowship.  In the two years that followed, the staff and congregation prayed about how to help the village that these two boys had come from. They enlisted the expertise of hydrologists, physicians and missionaries and worked tirelessly for over 12 months to make sure that their vision and dream would be best for the people of Vea.  Late last month, 24 people boarded a plane for a 13 hour flight and 15 hour bus trip to set in motion their vision for Vea.”

And here is a little of what happened during our two-week stay:

This same woman, Ursula, met with pastor Micah Davidson of Real Life Fellowship and Matt Turner, co-founder of Defiant Missions, and the three of them helped establish the first real woman-owned business in the community: a jewelry cooperative.  Ursula had gone to training in the capitol, Accra, to learn how to make jewelry and had a few bracelets she had made with her at the meeting.  The ladies on the trip loved them and wanted to bring them back for their friends.  Due to their popularity, the idea of the cooperative was started.  Four more women were chosen based on their willingness to learn, their work ethic and their circumstances.  A widow, a woman who takes care of orphans and other in need people in the community, an elderly woman who takes care of her grandchildren, and a young woman trying to finish her education to break the poverty cycle and later record a CD album.  The jewelry that these women create will soon be on sale in our online store, from all of our staff volunteers and at our festival booths!

The government of Ghana has recently constructed a medical clinic in Vea, however most villagers cannot afford the care or to be on the national health insurance plan.  Even if they can afford the plan, they usually still cannot afford the care they need.  Here’s where Real Life came in, providing free medical and dental care to anyone in the community.  An astounding 700 people received both dental and medical care as well and hundreds more received vitamins and dental supplies.  Not only did these people see their medical and dental needs met, but the incredible team from Real Life took the time to listen to other aches and pains, the kind that come from living where food is a daily struggle and clean water doesn’t exist and dirty water takes hours to get, where education is poor and the people even poorer.  But just by listening, the team said much, they told these people that they are loved, they are not worthless, someone cares for them.  That is powerful. That is what changes the world.

Real Life Fellowship has committed 20 years to this community and seeing a transformation from the inside out.  To start that off, a borehole was drilled to provide clean water for the government’s medical clinic.  Then 42 household filters were distributed along with training (that included a demonstration by Matt drinking a slurry of poop and water through the filter to prove that they work) that served 454 people, averaging 11 people per household.  And just to give you an idea, the average household in Vea makes $86 per month, but they do not use currency, they trade in bags and bowls of millet, a grain!  Filters were also provided to the primary school, serving 400 students, two medical clinics and an orphanage nearby.

The needs of these people can hardly be described, pictures do better than words, so please check out our photo albums, but seeing hundreds of people line up outside of a ten room concrete block building after they have walked miles and knowing that they probably will not get seen due to time is heart-breaking.  But having a commitment from Real Life Fellowship ad Defiant Missions, these people have hope, a powerful motivator.  As we move forward into the future, we seek to more deeply impact these lives and begin to establish a snowball effect of change from within the community members.  We invite you to be a part of the process and help change the world, one community at a time.

When Stephen and Matt first created Defiant Missions and Defy Thirst, the documents they placed on file with the US government and the state government were bare of any mention of God or Christianity even though both Stephen and Matt are both firm believers.  They did this intentionally with the idea that it would make things easier for working in certain countries that are in the plans for Defiant Missions and because they believe that relationships rather than labels are the key to sharing Christ with those that Defiant Missions has the opportunity to serve. Over the past six months the founders have felt called to change this in some way, not for the sake of the government and not for the sake of gaining support, but because they feel called to be more open about the Christian principles that govern the direction of Defiant Missions and its programs such as Defy Thirst.

Just as you might find at a certain chicken-serving restaurant in the South, not every volunteer or staff member has these same ideals, but what it comes down to is that Defiant Missions is governed in a manner that reflects the fiscal responsibility and the commitment to take care of the less fortunate that a Christian-based organization is called to exhibit.

We would also like to address one of the criticisms that has been brought up concerning this: “what about working in countries closed to Christian organizations?”  Stephen and Matt believe that God can do anything, and they believe that openness with governments can be a wonderful and powerful thing that will open many doors.  When a country’s citizens are in need, and an organization is standing at the door offering help, there are countless examples in nearly every closed country of the government allowing those organizations to work within them.  We just need patience, openness and a willingness to work within restrictions and we are confident that these doors will be open to us.  And of course prayer always helps!

Along these same lines, we want to share with you some of our specific beliefs:

What we do believe in:

1. Jesus Christ
2. A relationship, not a religion
3. Good stewardship
4. Openness and transparency
5. The power of prayer
6. The power of relationships
7. Community change from the inside out
8. Christians have been causing more harm than good through global missions
9. We can change number 8
10. Hope
11. Long-term commitments to the communities we serve
12. Making the most of every dollar given to us
13. That the financial support you provide us with shouldn’t be spent on staff salaries, but should go to changing the world
14. We CAN change the world
15. The power of youth
16. The power of women
17. Hand-ups not hand-outs

What we DO NOT believe in:

1. Door to door evangelizing
2. Short-term missions trips without long term relationships
3. Treating people as numbers that have said a prayer.
4. Staying in comfy hotels while those we are serving are homeless or in a mud hut  -(come on a trip with us and you’ll see how we live!)
5. Making empty promises
6. Paying bribes to get things through customs
7. Creating dependence

Ways to get involved:

With all of the growth our organization is seeing thanks to you and our support network we are seeing a lot of changes.  With this growth and changes comes a new set of ways you can help meet our ever changing needs.  Our most common emails and phone calls are along the lines of “how can I get involved, I can’t take off from work to go to a developing country?” or “I want to help, but can’t leave the kids here all alone” or “I’m not comfortable working in a setting with no showers, a/c, sleeping in a tent or taking 15 hour crammed bus rides across a country with almost no road, but I still want to help”.  In light of how often we get these emails and phone calls, we’ve assembled a list of opportunities for you to get involved with if you don’t necessarily have time to commit but have financial means or if you have bookoodles of time but are living off of a dime, or if you just have an aversion to the creepy-crawlies we have become such good friends with all over the world!

So here’s what we’re looking for in no particular order:

-Skymiles

-A business/non-profit lawyer to give us some advice on legal stuff, not anything bad, just to make sure we’re on the right track.

-An international shipping agency(ies) that can work with us to provide low-cost (or free!) shipping to the countries we work in.

-Graphic designers, we are looking for logos, t-shirt designs, webpages, etc.

-Web-developers who can work with us to create well-flowing designs and provide the information we need in the languages we don’t understand (AKA Translators)!

-Volunteers for a wide variety of festival booths, race and fundraiser hosting and more.

-Soccer gear that is very gently used or brand new, we collect this year round!

-High level soccer players (college, professional, ex-pro or ex-collegiate, or if you are just really, really ridiculously great) to do some international clinics.

-Medical supplies for our aid teams.

-Medical equipment for our hospital and health clinic sponsorships such as Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana.

-Volunteer photographers and videographers to document our projects.

-A printing company to donate services for our printed goods.

-A custom shirt printing (and other kinds of silk-screening) company to donate services.

-Office supplies  (paper, ink, stamps, envelopes, etc.)

-An accountant to do taxes and help with accounting advice

-Hygiene supplies (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)

-Doctors, nurses, dentists and dental hygienists to volunteer for international clinics.

-Clothing that is gently used.

-Have a decent sized company? Let’s plan a corporate volunteer event or sign up for matching donations and double what you give!

-Help us spread the word by inviting us to speak at a conference, your church, your business or school on topics ranging from water, missions, entrepreneurism, nonprofits, science and more!

-Send us your ideas on how to make a difference in the world.

-Put us in touch with foundations, businesses and other contacts that may have grants available.

We also encourage you to give financially if you can.  $20 may not seem like much, but I promise it can change the world.  We are committed to making the most of every dollar that is given to us, not just to keeping our administrative costs low and making sure all of your donations go towards programs, but also to making the most of every dollar that goes into our programs.  We find creative solutions to some of the world’s toughest problem and work from within communities to inspire change in ways that are not as cost intensive as many might think.  Additionally we have several ways in which we multiply the donations given to us through matching and microfinance and women’s cooperatives that we sponsor.  So rest assured that when you share in our mission and dreams financially you are changing the world.

Some specific project funding opportunities and also fun-doing opportunities:

-A water filter for 6-15 people: $50

-A goat for a family: $50

-A cluster of chickens for a family: $25

-A salary for Pastor John in Vea, Ghana to have free time and money to take care of people in his village and monitor water quality: $25 monthly

-A school, community center, and facility to be used for a medical clinic in Deuxieme Plaine, Haiti: $50,000

-Land for our youth development facility and soccer facility in Haiti: $5,000

-Providing for the medical, dental, and educational needs of a child in a city dump in Manta, Ecuador: $35 monthly

-Training for a woman for handicrafts and jewelry in Ghana to have an income: $100

-A kiln for the women’s cooperative in Vea, Ghana to make their glass jewelry: $500

-Starting an orphanage and facility in Kenya: $55,000

-Starting a community coffee plantation in Haiti or Ecuador: $8,000

-Obtaining a touring vehicle for US traveling booths and cross country cycling fundraiser: $5,000

The end of August 2010 marks essentially the end of 1 year of programs for Defiant Missions and our Defy Thirst program.  We started in Ecuador and just finished a project in Ghana.  We would like to summarize all of the accomplishments that you have made possible over the past 12 months. And we want to give you a sincere thanks, because without you, we are just a small group of volunteers without plane tickets, without supplies and well, pretty much without everything!

So here goes:

Ecuador:

Installed a water filtration system for an orphanage that hosts 24 children as well as 3 families.

Upgraded the same system later in the year to increase volume and efficiency, it now has the capacity to produce enough clean water for there to be excess that can be sold and has created a job for an operator

Provided 200 individuals with hygiene and dental supplies in a city dump in Manta, Ecuador

Provided soccer equipment to a poor primary/secondary school in Montecristi, Ecuador

Gave toys and soccer equipment to nearly 200 children in 4 cities

Haiti

-Took two teams down following the earthquake

-Built two houses that will house 4 families

-Provided short term shelter for 3 families

-Constructed two community gardens

-Hosted a medical clinic that saw 330 patients and 31 patients repeatedly for daily checkups

-Hosted English classes to substitute for school closings

-Completed the legal paperwork for the formation of 4 youth development soccer teams

-Prioritized the community needs with community leaders

-Held an open invitation meal for the community twice

-Field tested 8 new water filters that proved successful, the same type were later installed again in Ghana

Ghana

-Started 2 youth soccer development teams

-Oversaw the drilling of a borehole with partner Real Life Fellowship (RLF)

-Assisted in the RLF free medical clinic helping 700 people and providing dental supplies and vitamins to every community member accepting.

-Provided water filters for 42 households consisting of 454 individuals (average monthly household income for 11 was $86 US equivalent)

-Provided water filters for a primary school with 400 students estimated

-Provided water filters for 2 medical clinics: Vea and Tongo Hills

-Provided clean water for Mama Laadi’s orphanage in Bolgatanga

-Formed a partnership with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana to help provide medical equipment and to improve the standard of care

-Established a women’s jewelry cooperative to provide incomes for 5 women and support their families and the climb out of poverty that additionally raises funding for other community projects and allows for a microfinance association.

-Created a job for a community member to monitor water quality and water issues.

Other

-We installed a water filter as an operational education project at the 4H Camp Wahsega in Dahlonega, GA (please feel free to go check it out!)

-We were awarded the 10^th Man Award by the Gwinnett Braves, minor league team for the Atlanta Braves

-Completed an evaluation of several water filtration and disinfection technologies in order to understand all of their in-field weaknesses and strengths and to determine which setting each will be most effective in

-Shared the issues surrounding poverty and lack of clean water and sanitation with thousands, from the Vans Warped Tour to Bonnarroo and the Sweetwater festival, to schools from Georgia to Texas