#2 Testimonies - Year-End 2024, New Year 2025

December 13, 2024 in Support, Transition, Communications & Media

I referenced one confirmation that God has me in the right place for impact in my previous post (see here). More validation continues to push my resolve to work hard to keep CO missionaries on the field for longer, healthier, and hopefully, fruitful ministries.

As we look toward 2025, I desire to give even more time and effort to my International Network Operations role. Read the field testimonies below to understand why!

Rodrigo in Monterrey, Mexico:
Jon, your coaching and training are beneficial to our development and resourcing of our campus ministry team in Monterrey. It helps us connect and see what other regions are doing. Hearing best practices and networking with other international regions will be very helpful.

Zack in Guadalajara, Mexico:
Thank you so much, Jon. I've talked to our Director and we are going to adopt some of these support-raising strategies as a team and individually. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, super helpful!

Fabiana in Belo Horizonte, Brazil:
Your role as a liaison between our field team and other regions, network leadership and CO Serve is valuable because you bring vast international field experience where you walked in our shoes and understand the specifics of what our needs are.

Jeff about Lima, Peru:
Thank you so much for your prep work for the team in Lima. The document you drafted with perspective and practical points about hiring was worth gold. I think this type of information will be so helpful as they consider their first national hires in Peru.

Dan in Birmingham, England:
We are still very much at a pioneering stage in the U.K. That brings with it a lot of excitement but also uncertainty and unfamiliarity. As a Resource Director, Jon’s experience and encouragement are invaluable to me. Having someone who understands the challenges and can give gospel perspective and practical help makes a massive difference to our day-to-day ministry in Birmingham.

Thank you so much for doing your part in reaching college students around the world. I hope that you are encouraged as your investment continues to reap benefits in God’s harvest field in the new year!

To put us in a position of strength for the mission ahead, our 1-time goal for 2025 is $12,000. With your increased monthly investment or year-end gift, together, we can be more effective to boots on the ground in Mexico, Brazil, Peru and England.

Scan the QR code to click on the image to go to our online giving page.

#1 Year-End 2024, New Year 2025

December 09, 2024 in Support, Transition, Communications & Media

At the close of our first full year at Campus Outreach SERVE, I will be sending several updates over our different media, and am mailing a physical year-end update to many of you. We are glad to share how your partnership and investment are impacting our lives personally and CO ministries around the world..

Here is an encouraging message I received recently from a team member in Brazil about the podcast series I produce with CO SERVE:

"The podcast helps keep the vision before me, and even gain a greater vision, for my primary work of evangelism and discipleship on the campus. The interviews, filled with biblical truth and practical ministry experience, are incredibly encouraging. I've even used quotes directly from StaffCast episodes in my one-on-one meetings with staff members."

This is just one confirmation that God has me in the right place for impact. As we look toward 2025, I desire to give even more time and effort to my International Network Operations role. Read the field testimonies below to understand why!

Scan the QR code to click on the image to go to our online giving page.

Praise and Prayer: Housing and Support

April 11, 2024 in Personal, Transition, Support

I am happy to share with you that our 1-time goal of $20,000 to cover our support account from the transition expenses has been raised! I praise God for His provision and for the generosity of our financial partners. The vast majority of the $20k was donated by current monthly partners, and some partners even gave multiple 1-time gifts over several months.

This is an amazing confirmation that the Lord will provide for our ministry and our new season of life and ministry in Birmingham with Campus Outreach SERVE. We, also, share with you two very specific prayer requests.

First, we continue to labor in support raising for our new monthly budget based in the US. I am contacting current supporters to make sure we are well connected and also networking out into new relationships in Chattanooga and Birmingham. I want to be faithful and dedicated to doing the groundwork work as God connects us to new churches and individuals eager to partner. Until we are able to raise 100% of our monthly budget (we are currently around 72%), all 1-time gifts are greatly appreciated.

Second, we are in need of more permanent housing as we come to the end of our first year in the US. Our current housing situation in Birmingham has been such a blessing, this is a big reason for praise! However, we have a deadline for how long we can stay at our current missionary housing, which is June 15th, 2024. Our desire was to be able to use this first year to settle and take a good look at the market here in Hoover, AL (southern metro Birmingham). The market has shifted a bit, but not enough that we have found a property in the "sweet spot" that combines WHERE - so the kids can stay in the same school system, WHAT - our desires and needs for a house, and HOW MUCH we can afford.

I do believe that God answers prayers, so I earnestly ask that you pray with us for a property that fits into that sweet spot, or a rental option that allows us to prepare for a near-future purchase.

Thank you for your partnership and care.

A Special Season of Giving

November 28, 2023 in Support, Transition

Today is November 28, 2023, Giving Tuesday around the nonprofit world. Here's a quick explanation: the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday due to the increase in sales for the upcoming Christmas season (to put retailers in the "black"). Online merchants got on board this marketing train and began to run sales the following Monday calling it "Cyber Monday". Then, with this wave of capitalism running hot, those of us in the fundraising world wanted to participate and began what is called "Giving Tuesday" as we understood that as much as 30% of donations occur within the last 6 weeks of the year.

This year, we enter this Special Season of Giving for our partners amidst our year-long transition from Brazil to the USA for our next season of life and ministry. We invite you to read the summary below of where we are and what the need is for us to begin 2024 in a great position.

Over the past 5 years, we have lost significant monthly support, have not raised enough new support to offset that loss, all while our family's expenses have increased. We have been in a positive support position because of our faithful monthly supporters and our one-time campaigns.
Our transition to a US-based staff has significantly increased our tax and insurance burden, beyond what I had expected. Thus, our support account has gone into a concerning deficit, currently around negative $15,000.
We will participate in a Debrief and Rest for long-term missionaries returning from the field with Mission Training International in Colorado in February. The cost for the program and travel is around $5000.

Just 2 years ago God provided $20,000 for our 20 year celebration, and those funds have been instrumental in our current financial health in the midst of a major life event - uprooting from Brazil and bringing our reality to Birmingham, AL. That was only possible because our partners believed in our labor and our ministry, under God's provision.

Would you consider participating in this Special Season on Giving for these specific needs and help us raise another $20,000 to position our family to begin 2024 in our new role and new season for expanded impact of even more CO Staff and Regions around the globe?

Our online giving link is here: https://www.campusoutreach.org/donate/jon-elam/

2022 Year in Review & Year-End Giving

December 22, 2022 in Campus, Team, Support, Personal

This year brought many things, both rewarding and challenging. 2022 was much different than the previous two COVID years here in Belo Horizonte. I want to review quickly and celebrate with all our partners what God has done.

Personal & Family:

Celebrating 20 years in Brazil with Campus Outreach
Kids - growing and maturing in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man
Decision about the next 10 years of our life and ministry in the USA
God providing for our 20-year campaign
Facing stress, sadness and excitement about new chapter in the US in 2023

Campus Ministry:

Back on campus full-time after 2 years
New contacts, new conversations, new doors open to the gospel
New life! Students coming to Christ
Reinventing ourselves as a ministry at UFMG

Team:

National leadership growing and leading
New Campus Director thinking for the movement
Hiring new staff, both Brazilian and American
Transitioning current staff to new opportunities in the marketplace.
New intercultural families forming

Year-End Giving:

Thank you to everyone who gives faithfully and sacrificially throughout the year. If anyone would like to make a year-end gift beyond your current giving, please follow the link here. These gifts help us make up for the monthly support we currently lack and finish the year in a strong support situation. LINK to Online Giving - https://www.campusoutreach.org/donate/jon-elam/

Official Communication of our Transition in 2023

November 16, 2022 in Personal, Support

I ask for only 4 minutes of your time for an important Video Update about exciting developments and decisions made toward a big transition for the next season of life and ministry. We are ending one chapter in Brazil and beginning a new one in the US.

(Sorry for the audio filter distortion because of wind and background noise. And the video was sped-up so it would fit within 4 minutes)

60% - The Good and The Ugly

February 03, 2022 in Personal, Support, Campus, Team

Sixty percent (60%) is more than half, but not quite full. Sometimes 60% is really good. Sometimes it's just plain ugly.

Let's get to the ugly first:

60% is about how normal our return to Brazil has been since January 23rd. When we expected schools to start-up in February, COVID-19 got in the way. In Belo Horizonte, elementary schools have been delayed from starting in-person classes for the new school year until Feb 14th. Our kids, and Tathiana, thought that was really ugly.
Our COBH team was planning our first team-building retreat since September of 2019. However, COVID-19 got in the way and we decided to cancel for now as we had several positive COVID tests pop-up on the team and in our church.
Our car needed some service, nothing major, but because of a lack of mechanics and parts caught in the supply chain issue, we are on day 4 of being "car-less". That limits what we can get out and do by about 60%.
Overall, life and ministry feel about 60%. That's not a complaint, it's still just the overall reality of a late-stage pandemic in a tropical metropolis.

The good 60%:

Our trip to the US for connection with family and supporters was really great. COVID-19 did limit us some, as during the end of the year the Omnicron variant was in full swing in Chattanooga, TN and Birmingham, AL. We had several meetings canceled and overall decided to not expose ourselves close to our return trip as not to test positive and risk not making our flight back to Brazil. So, the trip was a great 60%. It's better to have a 60% visit than not come at all!
Lastly, our 20/20 1-Time campaign celebrating 20 years on the field has closed its first 2 months, and we are happy to report that we are already at 60% of the goal, with over $12,000 in donations so far. Thank you to all who have donated, encouraged and prayed for this important campaign.

Please continue to pray for us as we try to live-out 2 Timothy 4:2, "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season."