DART Newsletter
Greetings DART Members,
Do you remember the WWJD bracelets? If you are an American and were serious about Jesus in the 1990s, you probably wore one. Despite their commercialism, the message they bore—"What Would Jesus Do?”—posed a thoughtful question, which brings to mind a Scripture that has captured my attention. It's the story of the rich, young ruler from Matthew 19:16-22.
For most of my life I skimmed this passage, basically thinking, "Well, I already follow Jesus and I'm not rich, so this is a story for someone else." Recently, though, I've been reading it differently and applying it to questions I have about life. What does God expect of me? What kind of husband, father, and coworker should I be? Should I be more authoritarian and assertive with people? Should I have more grace? How do I deal with difficult people and hard situations? What about when I want to give up, or when there is so much information and work to do that I get numb and want to check out? How about the programs of Samaritan's Purse? How should I design, implement, and evaluate them? Jesus has one answer to all this—"Follow Me!”
While we do have rules to follow, and the philosophical thoughts that come from the Bible are incredible, our faith is not a system of rules or a philosophy. The beauty and power of our faith is that it is wrapped up in the person of Jesus, who walked on earth and died a cruel death to remove our sin, defeat death, and give us new life. When He rose again, He had all authority in heaven and on earth. He is the Lord of all, and He invites all to accept Him as Lord and Savior, to take up their cross and follow Him. Jesus is God's answer to all the complexities and confusion of life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. The Lordship of Jesus is what we need, and we experience His Lordship when we follow Him as His disciples.
So, I challenge you to go back to that simple question: "What would Jesus do?" Apply it in every area of your life and work. What would Jesus do with that community that has no clean water? What would Jesus do with severely malnourished children? What would Jesus do with that difficult employee or that boss who is giving you a hard time?
When you read about the life of Jesus, you see that He navigated many complicated things, dangerous situations, and difficult people. It is my prayer that, as you follow Jesus closely and listen for His voice in your own life, you will find all the answers to the questions you have.
In Christ,
Dave Phillips Deputy Director, International Projects
Spotlight: South Sudan
For seven weeks, DART member Gabriel Matienzo has provided DART surge support to the South Sudan office. Alongside the local field employees, he has worked in operations to streamline warehouse procedures, support and train on supplier vetting, and assist with the completion of the quarterly fixed asset count. He appreciated the warm welcome he received when he arrived and has enjoyed the hospitality shown to him in the Juba office and at the field location, which has a strong sense of community and camaraderie. Gabriel asks that everyone join him in prayer for Sudan and South Sudan, where many people are being displaced due to internal conflicts.
Save the Date!
We will host our annual Prescription for Renewal Conference from August 15-18, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. The conference brings together Christian medical and healthcare professionals for a refreshing time of fellowship and an insightful look into the medical ministries of Samaritan's Purse, including World Medical Mission, our Disaster Assistance Response Teams, Surgical Subspecialty Teams, Cleft Lip and Cataracts Teams, and Children's Heart Project.
DART members can receive a $200 discount on the full conference package during registration by using code PFRDART200.
More details coming soon!
Sharpen Your Skills!
If you serve in logistics/procurement or are interested in learning more about Samaritan's Purse operations, we strongly recommend completing our Procurement Policy Changes 2024 learning course. While the course has a field office focus, the Procurement Policy is the same one we follow during DART (with occasional waivers in place).
Referrals
Our best source of DART applicants are from our DART referrals. If you have a friend, family member, or coworker who you would like to refer to Samaritan's Purse, please have them contact Charles Hinshaw at chinshaw@samaritan.org. Also, let them know that they can find our current openings at samaritanspurse.org/DART.
