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shawn time 23.58.50..07.16.04
DHOP Support Letter
first Downtown House of Prayer support letter......
enjoy.
pray.
send money.
pray again.
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Hello friends and family,
It has been a while since I have sent a letter like this. But, the time has come to get you all up to date with some of the happenings in my life.
So, hunker on in. I’ve got some exciting things that I want you all to know about.
Most of you know that during the school year, I run a tutoring company. From September until the first week of June, I tutor like crazy. Every year seems to get busier and busier. I can barely keep up! But after that first week of June, tutoring dies. There are not a lot of students that need (or want!!) a math tutor throughout the summer. During these hot, non-tutoring months, I am able to pursue some unique and exciting opportunities.
Over the past few years, I have been involved with a ministry called the Downtown House of Prayer. The House, as I will call it, is an amazing ministry that my heart beats in rhythm with. Their passion and vision is to pray for God’s purposes to be known in our city. A great amount of time and energy is spent praying for youth, the poor, the unity of the local churches, and an increase in God’s power and presence in the greater Portland area. It has been a joy of mine to be involved in this ministry, and for some reason, they even seem to like me!!
The House has been running for close to 4 years, and, as ministry goes, is always in need of people willing to give their time and resources to help it continue. As I began to build relationships with others that are committed to this ministry, I soon realized that the majority of the burden and responsibility of leadership fell disproportionately on only a few people. As my heart grew to appreciate and understand the role that a prayer ministry like this is to have in the “big picture” of who God is in our city, I soon realized that my skills, abilities, resources, and relationships could be used to help relieve some of the burden that the current leadership is under. The Downtown House of Prayer is in need of people willing to contribute their hearts and passions to moving along this truly Divine vision.
In light of all of this, I have chosen to increase my role and responsibility at the House. I have committed to fill a summer staff position. This role will allow me to not only participate in various sessions during the week, but also allow me to help push the vision of the House forward in ways that I could not previously. During these months I expect to be at the House 15-20 hours a week playing music, praying, creating new sessions, fund raising, helping with administrative duties, etc.
Additionally, August 9-20, I will be traveling with a team to Edinburgh, Scotland. Every year, the world descends upon Scotland for the Edinburgh International Arts Festival, as well as a secondary festival called “The Fringe”. The team from the House of Prayer will partner with the Youth With A Mission base and the 24-7 Prayer Ministries to set up a prayer room in the heart of The Fringe festival at a Salvation Army building. This prayer room will run 24 hours a day for 3 weeks during the festival, praying for the people, travelers, and participants of Edinburgh and the festival.
We will not just be in the prayer room, though. We will also be involved with building relationships throughout the festival with artists, musicians, and whomever the Lord places along our path. We will potentially have opportunities to join in and play in various gigs and shows in the festival. It is exciting to think that in a matter of weeks I will be meeting, talking, playing music, and praying with people from all over the world. I am excited and blessed that God has chosen me to participate in an overseas ministry like this one!
So, friends and family, I write to you not only to let you know of the decision I have made to be involved with this ministry, but to let you know that I want and need you to be involved with me. Over the years, I have occasionally written letters to gather prayer and financial support for the ministries I have been involved with, and I have always been amazingly humbled and awed by your love, encouragement, and generosity in supporting all of my crazy decisions!!! I truly believe God has called me to live a life that is a bit different than I am sometimes comfortable with, and this decision to go on staff with the House of Prayer is no exception.
In the few weeks since I have started this commitment, I have become very aware of the amount of prayer support I will need to sustain my role there. I believe that the House of Prayer is a strategic and important ministry in this city, and it needs (and I need) willing, faithful prayer supporters to commit to praying as I am involved there.
I am always hesitant to ask for help. I tend to want to do everything on my own. I cannot do this alone. I desperately need people praying for me. I need people to COMMIT to pray for me. I need people to understand what I am about and what this ministry is about and support me in and through it all.
Please consider praying.
To be able to keep track of those of you that want to pray, please fill out the enclosed card. Maybe you want to pray just for the trip to Scotland...GREAT! Maybe you want to commit to praying for me everyday...GREAT! If you feel like you are to pray for me in any way, please fill out the card. Filling out the card is an easy way for me to be able to keep you all in the loop a bit more specifically and regularly. If I am asking you to pray, I want to hold up my end by communicating regularly so that you can be informed on how to pray.
Finally, being on staff at the House (a non-profit organization) allows me to raise financial support for myself and for the general ministry of the House. As I mentioned, the burden of this ministry has fallen on a few shoulders, and I want to attempt to relieve that burden. Part of my desire to help is to communicate the needs of the House. Financially, like any other ministry, it survives by people giving freely. If you would like to donate money to support the Downtown House of Prayer, or our trip to Scotland, or me specifically, please do!!! Feel free to give a one-time gift, or a regular monthly gift.
Specifically, funds are needed for the Scotland trip in August (less than 1 month away!). Each team member is raising $2000 to pay for airfare, lodging, food, and other expenses. Help get me to Scotland!! Support this trip!! SEND MONEY ASAP!!
Other, more general, financial needs are for utilities, lease of the building, insurance, staff, audio/visual/computer/musical/software gear, office supplies and equipment, etc.
Please make your check payable to In The House Ministries. All donations are tax-deductible. If you do make a donation, please make sure to fill out the enclosed card.
Also, if you want to know more about the Downtown House of Prayer, or would like to participate in any of the various sessions throughout the week, please get in touch with me. I would love to talk to you more about what is going on and how you could be involved. I would love to show you around so you can get a feel for what I am doing and what it is all about.
Here is a map of downtown Edinburgh, Scotland
We will be staying in an apartment just up Broughton Street off of this map. In a few weeks, these streets will be teeming with thousands of people attending the arts festivals…including me! Let this map remind you to pray for us as we go to pray in and amongst those people in these exact streets.
Thank you for taking the time to hear my life and consider being involved in this next chapter.
Love ya,
Shawn Cardwell
shawncardwell@mac.com
503 806 1087
p.s. I moved. My new address is the return address on the outside of the envelope.
Comments
amber wrote this at 16.46.38..08.24.04
I hope you'll post an update soon of how the trip to Edinburgh went...
