Thanks TMI for posting these photos: keep ‘em coming!

We’ve purchased her airfare from Spokane, WA to Florida, so subsequent cash donations will go towards travel from Robson, BC to Spokane, WA for her flight to Boot Camp; accommodations on the way there; work boots; the USD $100 fee (per leg of the trip from Spokane to Florida) for a “unaccompanied minor”; spending money, etc etc etc…

For these expenses, only cash/cheque donations directly to Celia Friesen will work. Cheques can still be made out to Teen Missions, but these won’t be applied to Celia now that we’ve met her basic expenses. They’ll go directly to Teen Missions for their other operating expenses.

Again, cash and cheques made out to Celia aren’t tax deductible, but are gratefully received.

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We just figured out how to donate electronically to Celia’s missions trip with Teen Missions. Teen missions says:

The total amount of your gift to Teen Missions is tax-deductible. However, credit card companies charge a percentage (2.5%) on each transaction and only the amount remaining after these fees are charged will be applied to the project or missionary that you specify. You may also donate using an electronic check. The full amount of electronic check donations will be applied to the account of the project or missionary that you specify. After your online donation, you will receive a confirmation email.

Please specify “Team Member” and add “Celia Friesen” in the comment box.

Donate online now

A 12-year-old girl in Robson is planning to travel to Malawi this summer to help children who have been orphaned due to AIDS. Malawi is a third-world country in sub-Saharan Africa.

Celia Friesen has lived in Trail and Castlegar.

“Since I was five years old, I have wanted to help orphans. I love babies and children and really want to help,” said Friesen.

“Two years ago my big brother went on a mission trip to Greece. They worked with handicapped kids, cleaned up trash along the highways and other work. I was so excited for him and wanted to go too,” she explained.

“This year my mom and dad said I could go. There is an international team going to Malawi to help kids whose parents died from AIDS. This is a really big problem in Africa.”

“My team will be spending time with the orphans and planting fruit trees to help them have a good, sustainable food source,” said Friesen. “I’ll fly from Spokane to Florida for two weeks of training and team-building, and then we’ll work in Malawi for four weeks.”

“I’ll be raising money from now until May 14. I leave on June 30 and return August 7.”

Friesen’s mother, Bonne, is comfortable with her daughter going so far away to help the poor. She is often asked how she can let her daughter go to Africa at such a young age.

“That’s the first thing people say, but that’s always people who don’t know Celia,” said Bonne Friesen.

Celia will be going to Malawi with Teen Missions, an interdenominational evangelical mission organization that is not associated with any particular church or denomination. The Teen Missions staff, leaders and team members come from a wide range of evangelical denominations and help with building and outreach projects in poor regions of the world.

“Obviously, it’s not something any parent does lightly,” said Bonne. “But it’s an organization I went with myself as a teen and that my older son went with when he was 13. So this is a group – they actually take kids as young as 10 to other countries. The group has been in existence almost 40 years now, so they really know what they’re doing. They have bases all over the place. It’s not like they are going and being dumped somewhere. In Malawi they will have a home base there that’s run by people who are a part of this organization.”

She explained that Malawi is not a violent country.

“Malawi is a very stable country, comparatively speaking, although their population is seriously depleted by AIDS,” Bonne said.

“She’s been wanting to go for many years already. But as the world continues to be more and more difficult to travel in, it’s really important to us that she sees another culture, that she sees how people other than North Americans live. The majority of the world doesn’t live like we live here.”

Bonne said it is important for teenagers to experience other ways of life.

“Especially going into the teen years, I’ve just found that’s so major, to counteract materialism and the entitlement mindset and things like this,” she explained.

Teen Missions exists as much to serve the young North Americans who go overseas as it does to help the needy.

“It’s a double-edged sword. Their actual motto is ‘We’re not just building buildings, we’re building teens,’” said Bonne.

“They take the work very seriously. The children are trained very thoroughly before they go. They have a place in Florida where they go for a while to train. It’s amazing what teenagers and younger actually can accomplish if they’re taught and they’re focused and well-supervised. They take the work aspect of it very seriously,” she said.

“They take the (stance) that we’re here to help the people in another land, but often the bigger impact is made on the North American child. So it’s a win-win situation.”

For more information about Celia’s trip, visit celiafriesen.com/malawi2010.

The landscape of Malawi is mountainous in parts and the beautiful Lake Malawi stretches along almost the entire length of the country. Of the 13 million citizens, 900,000 are living with HIV/AIDS and life expectancy is only 43 years. There are up to 400,000 AIDS orphans. Around 80% of the population survives on less than $1 a day. The major source of income for Malawi is agriculture, especially tobacco. Though Christianity is widespread in Malawi, there are many who practice witchcraft or other tribal beliefs. There is also a large population of Muslims.

Teen Missions in Malawi is located on 160 acres on the beautiful shores of Lake Malawi. Monkeys are a common sight and hippos are sometimes visible in the lake. The first Boot Camp was run in Malawi in 1988. The base, which was purchased in 1995, is home to two annual Boot Camps and a BIBLE, MISSIONARY & WORK (BMW) Training Center (which was founded in 1998). The base also hosts retreats to bring in extra income for its ministries. One of the most important ministries in Malawi is the ministry to the AIDS orphans. There are seven AIDS Orphans Rescue Units in Malawi and two Matrons Units that provide a safe place to stay for young girls who are attending school. The TMI staff also runs a Motorcycle Sunday School Mission Circuit, teaching Sunday schools at several Rescue Units and villages in the Dedza Region of the country.

There were five missionaries who established the first base in the Yao territory of Malawi. All five of the missionaries died and are buried in the area where they served. During the period that the missionaries were there, they won only one convert to the Lord.

We are so thankful that the Lord is opening doors for Teen Missions and AIDS Orphans to minister among the Yao tribe of Malawi. This tribe is over 91% Muslim and is less than 1% Christian. AIDS Orphans has one Orphan Rescue Unit already ministering in a remote Yao village and we are now striving towards opening a Bible School to train up Yao believers in the Gospel.

One of the requirements our Director, Mr. Bland, has setup for us to be able to start the Bible school is to have 1000 prayer partners. He is right to ask this as we are “in the devil’s backyard” and if we don’t have prayer support things could go bad. So we are asking for at least 1000 people to commit to pray daily for the Yao people and our ministry. Specifically, we would ask prayer for Robert and Elley John, who will be our first missionaries there.

If you are willing to pray, please let Teen Missions know and be one of the 1000 who will join us in prayer for this needy tribe and our part in giving them the Gospel light.

Reprinted without permission from Teen Missions International.

Find out how to support Celia as she travels to Malawi in 2010.

Dear Celia,

CONGRATULATIONS! You are now registered as a Teen Missions Team Member on the MALAWI COLORING BOOK/TREE PLANTING (10070) Team. The dates for this team are June 30 – August 7 and the Project Assignment Expense is $3980.00 (Canadian). We look forward to having you with us this summer.

In order to help you raise your support, Teen Missions provides a packet of very important literature including letters and prayer cards to distribute to friends, relatives, and your church family.

A passport is required for this team. Please apply for your passport immediately. You are required to have 6-8-inch construction boots (NO hiking boots). We have also enclosed important medical information.

Included in this letter is The General Fact Sheet, Prayer Partner List, two Release/Health Status Forms, prayer cards and letters. You are required to READ this manual carefully and then READ it a second time. After reading it twice, please sign the card stating you have read it and have your parents sign the card stating they have read it. This card, the Prayer Partner List, and the two Release/Health Status Forms must be mailed in the blue envelope to our office within 30 days.

Save this letter and retain ALL correspondence from Teen Missions for future reference. You should be receiving literature from Teen Missions at least every 45 days. If you have not heard from us in 45 days, please call the office.

We as a staff will be praying for your team every day, so trust in the Lord to provide the support you need to serve Him this summer. If you decide to change from one team to another for ANY reason, there will be a $30 RE-registration fee ($35 Canadian). After May 1, the change fee increases to $55 ($65 Canadian).
The Lord bless you as you prepare for an exciting summer serving Him.

In Christ,

TEEN MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Robert M. Bland
Hebrews 13:8
Director

2010-malawi-acceptance-letter-celia (PDF)

Find out how to support Celia as she travels to Malawi in 2010.

She is kinda sick! and some times she can’t move her arm and leg one side! She has to get to a doctor to take pictures of her brain! I’m worred a bout her! so please Pray for her!

She mite have a disease I don’t know what kind but please please please Pray for my mom! (Her name is Bonne)

Thanks!

j