Welcome aboard!
Whirlwind Missions offers something truly remarkable to your team. There are now 761 language groups located within 5 miles of our headquarters! You are about to take a real, live foreign mission trip!
We work in the International Village in Metro Atlanta. It is truly a unique area in America. Within about four square miles there are 145 different countries represented. Until recently Wycliff Bible Translators had a missionary doing a version of the Hmuong Bible living at Woodgate in Chamblee!
Imagine for a second that you have been transported to Cambodia. You don't understand the language, don't know how to use the transportation system, or what food is safe or how to see a doctor. Two Buddhists dressed in orange robes come to your door, speaking English. You're excited because they know your language. They say, "Hello, my name is Phoung and this is Than. We want to welcome you to our community. We realize that you don't speak our language and we want you to know that we have Cambodian classes downstairs. We understand that you have children. Since you probably can't help them with their homework we have set up classes to help them after school. If you have a problem getting to the doctor, or need help translating, call me." And he hands you his card. After a while, what do you think your impression is going to be of Buddhists? I don't know what you thought about Buddhist back home, but they start to look pretty good in Cambodia! This is exactly what we do in the International Village, except instead of Buddhists, we're Christians!
Since most people don't speak another language (I speak six) we work mainly with children. There is no language barrier unless the children haven't started school or else they have just immigrated to the USA. I usually have at least three or four new kids to our community every month. They speak no English. I have to teach them, "Hello, my name is Nathaniel.
Most groups come and do backyard Bible Clubs with us during the Summer. This year we worked at 62 different apartment complexes. We have thirty-eight established missions. Most of these have inside facilities, five of them have complete kitchen facilities. Most of the apartments have an average of about 20-25 children who participate. They range from 1st through 7th grade. Three or four moms with their pre-schoolers is also common. There will be some high schoolers as well. The largest group we hosted in 2006 was around 700 college students. Each group is broken down into teams. A good missionary team size will have 6-8 youngsters and 2 adults. Each team will cover one location. Most teams lead one mission from 1-3pm and a second mission from 3:30-5:30pm. So if your group is 30 people you will have three teams and cover six locations. My preference is to have a ratio of 1 missionary (you guys!) to 3 residents of the complexes. I don't like too many more missionaries than that because then people in your group start to feel like they are not needed.
All of the children will be internationals. They come from three major religious groups: Muslim, Buddhist and Catholic. We are there to share Jesus in a loving way.
Arguing about how we are right and Mohammed is wrong will never work. People are converted through and by love, not logic. I am very evangelistic, but I have found that an antagonist approach never works.
So let your groups know that we always have to be friendly first. It is my preference that your group has an overview on what these three faiths believe before they come. Here are a few links to help get you started:
I think it's great to use the material that you had for your own VBS to use with our kids. Just remember that most of them speak English as a second language, so their reading ability may not be all that great. Don't worry if another group has already used the same material. With the kids we're working with repetition is not necessarily a bad thing.
I am very flexible as far as when you want to come. I have plenty of work! Most teams start around 1 p.m. There is a good reason for that - the kids that live in the apartments aren't up till around then! The mornings are used for team briefings, planning sessions, service projects, and Prayer Walks. The best scenario is to start after lunch. Perhaps 1-3 pm for the first mission group then 4-6 pm for the second group. Recreation starts most sessions, followed by a short break for refreshments. A group will usually have a Bible story and then a craft that somehow relates to that story. Ends up the day with more recreation time and some more cookies or goodies.
Some groups do lunch for the kids. Other groups leave the site and come back after a couple of hours. You can have a morning session and then do something else with the kids in the afternoon. Or you can do another complex in the afternoon, or you can have the afternoon and evening as free time. It really depends on your group and the needs that you feel that you have.
My partners at Mission Arlington in Texas have developed some fantastic Bible story material. For ideas about presentations for the Backyard Bible Club check out Mission Arlington Curriculum. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader to see these files (and for the maps to the missions!).
If you need some ideas on simple crafts to do with the kids at the missions check out these links:
Supplies can be bought at Michael's which is across the street from Northlake Mall on LaVista Road, or at Office Depot, which is on Peachtree Industrial just around the corner from Azalea Mission.
We deal with Super 8 Motel. It is located at the corner of 85 and Chamblee Tucker on the west side of 85. The management gives us a meeting room for free for you guys to have group sessions in at night. If you need a larger place to meet our fellowship hall at FBC Doraville is available. You need to talk with Mike Vescio at 404-234-7589 or email him at mikevescio@yahoo.com. He is the sales manager and will give you the best prices. A room with two double beds big enough for four people is $52.00. Make sure you tell him that you're with Tim and Whirlwind Missions. Here are the pictures of the hotel.
All of the churches listed below have facilities that could be used by a visiting team. Contact them directly and ask about their facility and the price/schedule availability. Take a look at the Host Churches part of the Photo Gallery.
We have an exciting partnership with North Peachtree Baptist Church. They are located just off of 285 near the International Village. They are offering the use of their facilities for $20/person/WEEK. That is an outstanding offering. Starting in 2008, the church will require a $200 deposit IN ADVANCE that IS refundable when you leave IF nothing breaks or is broken, etc. The rates in 2008 will be Stay 1-2 Nights = $5/person, Stay 3-4 Nights = $10/person, Stay 5 Nights or more = $25/person. They have terrific facilities and can host a maximum of 150 people. They do have kitchen facilities but if you have a very large team, it would probably be better to plan on cooking at our home church of FBC Doraville, which is just a few minutes from NPBC. Jonathon Carnes is the Youth Director and is scheduling the facility. Contact him directly at 4805 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30360. Telephone: 770-457-1148
Rehoboth Baptist Church also has capacity for large teams. Call Taylor Smith at 770-939-6987 ext 138 to schedule your stay. Rehoboth charges $7 per person per night.
Briarcliff Baptist Church will host teams. Call and ask for Kathy at 404-633-6103. They are a terrific church near the International Village right off of I-85.
Briarlake Baptist Church can host teams of around thirty people. Call Susie Parker to reserve your stay at 404-325-9638.
Our friends at First Baptist Church of Doraville let us use their big kitchen for group meals and have been very helpful with that. We just have to make sure that we leave the place absolutely spotless. I usually suggest that we give them a love offering for their utilities as well, but that's up to you. Several of our missions have kitchen facilities, but if you're cooking for a big group it'd be better to use FBC Doraville. You can call them at 770-457-0244.
The majority of the costs are in lodging and food. That is really up to you as to how fancy you go with that. Atlanta has a LOT of fun stuff to do including Six Flags, White Water, Stone Mountain, the Zoo, the Braves, and Sci-Trek.
Atlanta is also home to CNN, Underground Atlanta, and the World of Coke.
Atlanta's newest attraction is the home of the world's largest fish tank: the Georgia Aquarium.
I'm sure you'll have other questions later. Email is a great way to get in touch with me. For even speedier results don't hesitate to call me at 770-490-1668.
Don't just take my word for it! Take a look at Youth Director Testimony to hear what one of our partners experienced!
My wife and I are faith missionaries. We would appreciate a love offering from your church to our ministry so we can continue our work after you've gone back home. Our board has asked each church to budget at least $25/team member to help us with ongoing expenses at the missions. The liability insurance doubled in 2006 from $5,000-$10,000 per year! We need your support!
Love,
Tim