Often people engaged in overseas missions get asked why they don’t serve the needs in their own backyard. The first week in August we will be taking a trip to Jamestown NY to serve needs right here in the United States.
Our main work will be partnering with First Covenant Church’s week long Vacation Bible School. Each morning we will be working with elementary aged children, teaching them about Jesus through fun, song and dance, arts and crafts and spending quality time with them. In the evenings, we will also be partnering with a homeless feeding program, a multi facility ministry center, another evening VBS, a home for women in recovery from addiction and possibly an old folks home. As well as doing some street evangelism.
This trip is also intentionally a retreat. We will take time to worship, study the Word of God, share and pray for one another as well as take a good hard look at ourselves to see if we are living by our values. I believe that by investing in hardworking young professionals, and giving them the time and space to be refreshed, and hear from God, we are setting up these individuals to further the Kingdom more effectively everywhere they go. We will intentionally look at how we can use the experiences on this missions trip to further our service in our own local backyards when we return home.
As a team of 7 people we need around $7000 to cover our travel and lodging costs. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with us, so that we can further the work that God is doing in Jamestown NY and grow and be stretched in our own relationships with the Lord so that we can be more effective ministers when we return home.
To donate online, you can use the button below. You will be giving to The Bakers Ministry 501c3 which is hosting the trip. Please include in your note who and what the gift is for.
If you’d rather write a check, you can write the check to “The Bakers Ministry” please attach a separate note telling who and what the gift is for, do not write anything in the memo section.
And send it to:
The Bakers Ministry
c / o Jim and Jess Baker
2707 Hipawai Pl
Honolulu HI 96822
Meet the team!
Jeff Stanford – Columbia MD
I am an HVAC consulting engineer, avid reader, tinkerer, and (for the next month) a french revolutionary on the barricades of the 1832 June Rebellion. I’ve been blessed to consider Jim a friend for over ten years now. I am going on this trip mostly because all my reasons not to go are lame. I trust that God will have much to teach me as I seek to follow Him, and that He will be glorified in my weaknesses on this trip!
My name is Hannah B. I teach at a high school in Maryland. I want to go to Jamestown, N.Y because I believe this is an open door! I have a heart for girls and women, so I look forward to visiting the women’s house and serving in whatever capacity I can. There is certainly a lot for our team to do in the 10 days, and I want to be open to all that is in store.
Julia Aquino
I personally met Jesus about four years ago and have been in love ever since. I just graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education. I will be going straight to grad school for teaching English as a second language this Fall. I wanted to have a great summer and I thought going on my first mission trip would be a way to do that. I want to know Christ more through this experience and learn more of what it means to truly serve and love others.
“Hello! I’m Shannon and I just recently graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I am going on this trip to Jamestown because, well, why not?! Something I catch myself saying a lot is “God, I want to be available to you and to your people”. I don’t want to just say those words just to say it, I want it to be true. This is an opportunity for God to do whatever he wants to do and I want to be a part of it. I think we forget that missions is needed in the US and so I’m looking forward to seeing what God will do in Jamestown!”
Nicole Peterson lives in Erie, PA and manages a convenience store. She has a degree in culinary arts and will be serving by preparing our team delicious meals.
Jim and Jess Baker – Honolulu HI
We’re privileged to be leading this team, along with Jeff and Hannah who were both on our recent trip to the Philippines. We’ll be able to meet up with April who was on our Philippines trip too because Jamestown is her hometown. We have a lot of connections with ministries in the Jamestown area because we pastored there our first year of marriage. We are excited to partner with established ministries and provide encouragement and hands on help with a team thats ready to serve. We’re also excited to see what God does in all of our hearts, as we make sacred time and space for Him to do in our hearts what He wants to.
by Jim Baker