2010 Year Review & The Hunger Strike

Dear friends and ministry supporters, As 2010 comes to a close, we wanted to thank you for your continued support and involvement with Willet. Below is a glimpse of what God did this past year around the world!

2010 Year in Review

• One-month Evangelism concert tour in New Zealand (1,000+ people trusted Jesus!)

• 721 children from Haiti and Mozambique sponsored through Food for the Hungry! (www.fh.org/willet)

• Funded full-time missionary (Kathleen Willet) in Haiti as a community development facilitator before and after Haiti Earthquake (www.willetmissions.org).

1. Registration of over 3000 children in the sponsorship program

2. Opening of 75 Child Friendly Spaces for 12,000 children

3. Numerous medical clinics for the children in the mountain and PAP areas

4. Numerous visiting medical and other support teams from the US

5. Distribution of food and non-food items to over 5000 children

6. Psychosocial support assessment for over 1200 children for trauma

7. Data-­‐base and reporting documentation for all child program areas

• 250+ USA tour dates in front of over 100,000 people including performances at Lifelight, Alive, Ichthus, Lifest, Parachute and Ignite Festivals.

• Raised funds for 15 clean-water wells in Mozambique

• Led teams to Haiti following January 12th earthquake

• Led team to Mozambique, Africa to adopt 4th community (200+ people trusted Jesus!)

• Released full-length album, “Teeth of a lion, fangs of a lioness” and sold over 2,000 copies

• Published & released new book by Jeremy Willet & Justin Hanneken called, carried. (www.carriedbook.com). Acquired distribution from Amazon & Barnes and Noble. Contributed $5,764 for food aid through Food for the Hungry and USAID matching funds grant from sales of “carried.” book.

• Raised over $3,000 towards Jeremy & Kat Willet’s adoption from Ethiopia, Africa (www.jeremyandkatwillet.com)

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Over the past 3 years, we have been developing a program called, The Hunger Strike. After working with our partner, Food for the Hungry, we recognized that the potential impact of the concept we were working with was bigger then just a “youth program”. At the end of this year, we were faced with a decision.

Option 1: Sit back and take a year or 2 off living on 5 years of non-stop touring and record sales

Option 2: Invest our music sales, time, and energy into something to make a difference

Based on the places of extreme poverty that God has sent us to over the past 5 years, the friends that we have made, and the emergency (global food crises) that we have encountered, we knew what we had to do, and chose option 2. Therefore, today, we are pleased to announce that in 2011, we are merging Willet Missions & The Hunger Strike Program into a new organization called The Hunger Strike.

Mission Statement

The Hunger Strike exists to bring the love of Jesus Christ to those living in domestic and international poverty through advocacy, community development, short and long-term missionary support, youth programs, pastoral training and disaster relief. The Hunger Strike was founded by the band, Willet, and is an official partner of Christian relief and development organization, Food for the Hungry.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9

Where we serve

Haiti, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Congo, Bangladesh, Burundi, Guatemala, Uganda, Bolivia, Peru, U.S.A, New Zealand, Bahamas, and Jamaica.

Because of gracious friends and ministry partners, we now have office space in New Windsor, MD. As a band, we still plan to tour the U.S. with over 100 concerts in 2011, as well as many international trips.

*PLEASE NOTE: In 2011, please send all tax-deductible donations payable to: The Hunger Strike.

The Hunger Strike

P.O. Box 176

New Windsor, MD 21776

Coming February 2011: Brand new website, artist program, matching-grant fund, and tour dates. For more information, please visit www.thehungerstrike.org

11/29/10- “Since Being Home…” by: Kat Willet

I wanted to share with you all how my time being home is going so far. I miss being in Haiti very much and helping FH out in community. Whenever I look at photos from Haiti and think of all I was able to do in a year and I get overwhelmed and have to remind myself God pulled me from Haiti for a reason. God told me it was time to go home and I had no idea what God had in store for me being home. He does that with Jeremy and I all the time. God tells us to move but doesn’t show us the next steps or what we are to even expect so we always move and rest in the fact that God knows where to place our feet.

Since being home I have enjoyed catching up with family and friends and going on the road with Willet here and there. I celebrated Thanksgiving this year with family, which was so different from last year as I spent it with my kids at the orphanage. I will never forget those kids and pray for them often.

The beginning of November I found myself helping Willet move into the new Hunger Strike office and ever since, I have been working hard. My new title is the Director of The Hunger Strike Challenge. What that means is I am working with youth pastors interested in holding Hunger Strike events and making sure they are all set to do their event and I work on the follow up after the event. I am so excited to be taking on this new role as I love building relationship and truly believe in what The Hunger Strike stands for. It’s easy to work for an organization your heart is into. I also still have a great relationship with Food For The Hungry as The Hunger Strike is partnering up with them for all of the events.

 

December I will get to travel with Willet on their Christmas tour helping with merchandise and FH sponsorship. This will be my first time going on a whole tour with the band and I am excited to see how God uses me through this.

The latest news in Jeremy and I’s life is our decision to start the journey of adoption. For many years we have been praying about adoption and me coming home made things very clear to both of us that this was the right time. Click Here to read our adoption blog.

I want to thank you all again so much for your support and prayers through these times. Without your prayers and financial support I couldn’t do this great work God has put before me. You all are a big part in what God is doing through The Hunger Strike and FH.

Kat Willet

Tags: food for the hungry, the hunger strike, willet

11.24.10 Jeremy & Kat announce adoption from Africa!

Jeremy and Kat Willet are excited to announce that they have started the process to adopt a boy (0-1 year) from Africa!

You are invited to join them in the journey. Please visit www.jeremyandkatwillet.com and subscribe via RSS Feed or email subscription to receive immediate updates.

Jeremy and Kat are trusting God to provide the $35,000+ to adopt their little boy. Information on how to make a year-end tax deductible contribution is on the website.

www.jeremyandkatwillet.com

11.14.10- 25 Days of Mozambique Photos on Willet’s Site

To view the photos, please visit http://willetonline.wordpress.com/

11.11.10 1st Annual Willet Fundraiser Video

Our friend, Kevin Carmack just completed a short-form film documenting the 1st Annual Willet Fundraiser Video. This film was made for local TV and will air in Maryland later this year.

Watch here:

Tags: food for the hungry, the hunger strike, willet, Willet Missions

11.5.10 Mozambique, Africa (Blog/Video/Photos)

11.5.10

Field Report from Mozambique, Africa

By Jeremy Willet

Over the weekend of 10.22.10 – 10.25.10, over 4,000 pastors, worship leaders and ministry directors gathered in South Africa to hold a conference on several concerns of the Church. One topic in particular was justice. On 10.18.10, myself with members of the band Willet, Pastor Glen Willet, and Pastor Pete Green flew into Johannesburg, South Africa, however, this was not to attend the conference on justice, but rather part of a layover in route to a place where injustice dominates communities.

This trip is our 3rd visit to the continent of Africa (Ethiopia in 2007 & 2009), but our first time to Mozambique. This was a very exciting time for us to visit our new adopted community of Gorongosa, Mozambique with partner, Food for the Hungry, because it was following the launch of The Hunger Strike program. The 24-hour event was held at Uniontown Bible Church in Maryland, and over the weekend through the event, Willet concert, and presentation Sunday morning, 47 children were sponsored! Only 3 days after that event, we were able to visit those same children to give them the good news that Jesus loved them, and that they had been sponsored! More info @ www.thehungerstrike.org .

Below is a review of our trip, facts about the communities that we are working in, and ways you can help.

Facts about Mozambique:

• Millions infected with HIV/AIDS

• Over 469,000 children become orphans each year

• High adult illiteracy

• Belief in ancestral spirits / witchcraft

• Malaria is #1 killer

• Poor water sanitation

Trip review:

* Held conference call with country director of Mozambique to discuss development strategy

* Met with Child Development Program Managers in Gorongosa who are overseeing community development, education programs, medical check-ups, and sustainable agriculture programs

* Discussed water sanitation, malaria, and illiteracy issues

* Reviewed micro-financing “Savings Groups” and found tremendous results from the members. After sitting in on a meeting with the members, they presented us with gifts of sugar cane, roots, carrots and more! We were completely overwhelmed by their sacrificial giving and were later told that they didn’t give out of their “abundance”, but they gave us EVERYTHING they had! (In addition, the harvest this year was extremely slow, so many families would go without food that night because of the food they gave to us).

* Discussed the importance of sponsors sending letters to their child. It directly allows the community level staff member to open a discussion about Jesus!

* Found that WHEN YOU SPONSOR A CHILD, YOU ARE ALSO FUNDING A MISSIONARY! Each child has a community-level staff member that is overseeing the physical and spiritual development.

* Filmed a short film with children of Mozambique for upcoming Hunger Strike Video.

* Completed over 23 home visits. Met: Willet’s sponsored child, individual sponsored children, and children sponsored through the MD Hunger Strike Event. Many children lived 2-3 hours off of any main road resulting in drives with a range rover truck, dirt bikes, and long walks. Field visits resulted in long 12-hour days.

* God opened a door for us to sit and talk with a Witch Doctor (Witch doctors are very prevalent in Mozambique). We asked tough questions, told him about Jesus, and ended the discussion by praying in the name of Jesus while holding hands in a circle around the area where he practices witchcraft.

*Pastor Glen led a Pastor Conference to over 12 pastors (many of which walked over 3 hours to get there). Pastor Glen and Pastor Pete also preached at separate churches on Sunday morning.

* Visited orphan-headed households as well as a garden raised by a group of orphans to provide food for them and their siblings. Left with broken hearts as it was difficult to walk away from a young girl who would spend the next several years struggling to survive while also providing for her many siblings.

* Visited water sources and new clean-water wells that were dug by community members (with materials provided by FH). Many children in the community still walk over 1 hour each way to unclean water sources. We are working with FH to be able to provide more clean water wells in each community.

* Visited a school project. Currently 1,000 students gather daily around a mango tree for education. A partner church is working to construct a new school.

* Participated in Bible Study under a mango tree with over 50 children. Surrounding the area were pigs, women at a well, and small huts.

* Prayed for healing of hernias, malnutrition, worms, malaria and HIV/AIDS.

*Prayed for rain (hasn’t rained since March 2010) and “rainy season” was late, resulting in slow crop production. When we returned to the states, we received word that it had been raining everyday since we left! Praise God for answered prayers!

Goals / How can you help?

• 9,000 children need sponsored by 2015. So far, 1668 have been sponsored! Sponsor a child on www.fh.org/willet

• An initial 15,000 mosquito nets are needed to combat malaria. We plan to partner with Operation Net and community staff leaders on a 2011 malaria initiative.

• 15 initial clean water wells need installed. The cost for these wells is only $300 each because the drilling is done by community members! Please contact Jeremy if you would like to make a donation towards these wells.

Conclusion

Upon returning to the states, we experienced many flight delays, cancelled flights and delayed bags due to a storm. In addition, when I returned to my home in the states, my wife and I discovered a major plumbing issue resulting in a $1000 repair bill to get running water in our home again. However, the travel frustrations and repair bills seemed minimal to the survival of young children to gain access to clean drinking water. I am thankful tonight for the clean water that I have access to, and will not stay silent about those that are thirsty.

November is a month for all of us on the team to reflect on the experiences that God has allowed us to be apart of this year. My wife just returned from the field after a year in Haiti, and I am still fighting off the jetlag of 27 hours of travel from Africa, but there is one thing that we have found in common everywhere we travel to; God is there. Thank you for your prayers through this ongoing journey.

It is difficult to describe everything that we experienced while in Africa in just words. Therefore, we have included a Willet Field Report (edited by Jordan Willet) below documenting the trip.

Watch the Video Here:

In addition, starting on 11/13/10, 1 photo (by Justin Willet) from the trip will be released daily for 25 days (leading up to the “5th Annual Willet Snow On Christmas? Tour” on www.willetonline.com. Subscribe to the blog or www.twitter.com/willetonline for updates of when the photo is posted.

10.11.10 – The Hunger Strike – Friday, October 15th

This Friday is a special day for us as a band, as “The Hunger Strike” program officially launches! (www.thehungerstrike.org). We will be having 2 representatives from Food for the Hungry flying in from Nashville to observe the event. The 40+ students participating in the 24-hour fast on Friday/Saturday raised over $8,500 to sponsor 23 children for the whole year! Praise God!

Details for the concert are below.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 15TH – Willet concert
Uniontown Bible Church
4272 Watson lane
Union Bridge Md 21791
7pm Willet w/ Scarlet Letter & Rebel Posse
$5 at the door

10.7.10 – Willet October trip to Mozambique, Africa

Please join us in prayer from October 18th – 27th as the band travels with Pastor Glen Willet and Pastor Pete Green to Gorongosa, Mozambique to adopt Willet Missions’ 4th community with partner, Food for the Hungry.

Watch a video about Willet in Africa:

In the comment section of this blog, feel free to post your prayer requests for the team and the people of Africa.


The band will have the opportunity to visit their sponsored child, Felipe, who lives in Mozambique. Join the band, and sponsor a child from Gorongosa, Mozambique today: www.fh.org/willet

Tags: africa, food for the hungry, mozambique, poverty, willet, Willet Missions

9.29.10 *Important update regarding Kat in Haiti

“A New Place”

By Kat Willet in Haiti

9.29.10

With my time here in Haiti, I have learned so much about the Israelites. It has been almost a year, and I continue to see a reflection of myself in them. They were in a land that was a burden, holding them back from worshiping God. After much persuasion from God, Pharaoh decided to send the Israelites out to worship their God. In the desert, God’s chosen people came across many tests and challenges that grew some closer to God, and sent others to die in a dry and weary land. The Israelites wandered the land moving only when God told them to go, never staying in a place for very long. They were allowed to see God through so many different miracles, and when they consulted God about decisions, He was there with them to direct their paths. Finally after much wandering in the desert, they reached the Promised Land that God had planned out for them…but it wasn’t a time for celebrating and setting up fences and planting gardens. It was a time to clear the land of all evil and wickedness in order that they may be a people holy and pleasing unto the Lord. As the theme with the Israelites continued, they whined and complained at every turn as God dealt with them in His own way.

In November of 2009, I left a land (USA) that was holding me back and not allowing me to grasp the fullness of God. I entered a land (Haiti) that was dry and weary in Christ. I began to help people who lived in extreme poverty and had lost all hope.

Then, the earthquake happened.

My wandering in Haiti has led me to many different places as I followed God’s voice. I set up my home at the orphanage, moved it to the Dominican Republic, and was redirected many times in Haiti as of where I was going to stay next. I have been blessed to witness many miracles of God along the way and grow closer to Him then ever imagined. I struggled, as did the Israelites, in wanting to go back to “Egypt” or the place that was familiar and comfortable. I fought through it and came out stronger and more aware of God’s call on my life.

Since arriving in Haiti, many people were concerned for our marriage, worrying that the long distance would pull Jeremy and I apart. After a year in Haiti, I can truthfully say that God did the exact opposite; he brought us closer. After moving to Haiti, people continually asked Jeremy and I, “How long will you be staying in Haiti?” Our answer has always been, “Until God calls us elsewhere.” Well, the time has come, and God has told me to pack up my tent and move so that He can show Himself to me in a new way.

During my time in Haiti, God has allowed me to be apart of some amazing opportunities to serve “the least of these”. Below is a timeline of my year in Haiti:

2009

August: Jeremy returned from Haiti with the band WILLET, and informed me of children in need of a caretaker.

November: Left on the 5^th for Haiti with my mom. Arrived at the orphanage with a medical team for one week. Traveled to Port-au-Prince and met Jeremy to travel to the DR and discuss child sponsorship in Belladere. Traveled back to the orphanage to work alone for 3 weeks.

December: Continued at the orphanage and before returning home for a break over Christmas.

2010

January: Arrived back in Haiti on the 3^rd and helped at the orphanage. Earthquake struck on the 12^th. Worked with families in the area to get stable emotionally and assisted with those coming in from PAP for medical assistance.

February: Attended a church service on the 12^th for 24 hr prayer. Headed home on the 16^th. While home I traveled with Jeremy on their book tour and spoke about my experiences. Attended FH conference in Phoenix and had training before coming back to serve with FH in the DR.

March: Accepted non-paid staff position with FH as Community Development Facilitator. Arrived in the DR on the 2^nd and started language classes and traveling around to different areas in Santo Domingo where FH was working. After two weeks, I moved to Elias Pina office where I lived until mid April. I took language classes and participated in a medical team from the DR going to Belladere and another team working in the DR from the US.

April: Attended FH Latin American conference and was relocated to Port-au-Prince. Right after the conference I moved to the FH Haiti guesthouse and helped with child registration. Began assisting with U.S. teams coming into Haiti and helped Building 429 as they came down to do a vision trip. Traveled to Belladere with FH Canada.

May: Worked on child registration. Church vision trip came for a visit and we had the GEO visit. Jeremy came the last week to visit. Visited Belladere to work on child registration.

June: Child registration. Worked with a team from the U.S. for a few days to see Siloe and the damaged palace area.

July: Church vision team from FL and CA came in for a few days. I began preparing for the August team.

August: Took a week to visit home. Came back and had AshLee with me. The Willet Missions team came to spend a week in Aux Cadets. Worked on entering RQC information.

September: Had team evaluation meeting with CDP members. FH informed us that the necessary programming/funding/and oversight was not in place to support long-term volunteers. Made decision to not stay in Haiti. Spent a week in KafouTenten with Willet Missions team, then went away with Jeremy and AshLee for three days to regroup. Was told by FH that it would be best to leave by October.

The Next Step

On October 16^th, 2010 I will be making my home back in Westminster, MD where I will continue my journey working as a non-paid staff member of Willet Missions. God has opened a door for me to work alongside my husband in my hometown and on the road with WILLET. I am not returning to “Egypt”, but rather a new path on the journey because I am not the same person I was before. God had me in Haiti for a specific time and is ready for me to return home a different person, ready to do the work of the Lord. I will continue to leave my gods (lowercase “g”) behind and not carry them with me as I enter into this new step. My God has equipped me with renewed strength, eyes that see the needy around me, and a passion to spread God’s love to anyone who is near me.

I thank you all for your prayers and support this past year as I walked into a new land where God brought me to Him in ways I could never imagine. Please continue your prayer and support as I travel on, following God on a new journey. Proverbs 16:9 says, ”In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” I continue to step in the places God has laid out for me and I will not give up in being a servant for my Lord.

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say,‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” Luke 17:10

- Kat Willet

Tags: food for the hungry, haiti, Kat willet, Willet Missions

9.29.10 “The American Dream” By: Jay and Nett

Conceptually, the process of ending poverty should be simple: Christianity.  Realistically, that is not the case.  It seems that there is an endless tug of war between the American Dream and what I (Jay) have dubbed the Christian Dream.

Matthew 25:31-46 should be one of the scariest scriptures we have read as Christians.  In this story, Jesus is describing judgement day.  He describes two groups of people.  The first were people that have done several things for Jesus.  They have fed him, gave him something to drink, clothed him, invited him into their home, healed him, and visited him in prison.  When the group says “Lord, when did we do this for you” he replied “whenever you have done this for the least of my people, you have done this for me.”

If the story ended at this point, we’d think “wow, what a nice gesture.”  But it doesn’t.  Jesus goes on to describe the second group of people.  They were guilty of NOT clothing, healing, etc. Jesus.

The outcome?  The first group spends eternity with the greatest lover in history, Jesus.  The second group is sent away to the “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (NIV).

If we really believed this and took it seriously, how would our lives change?  What would we do for the person standing on the side of the road with a sign that reads “will work for food.”  How would we handle the person with outstretched hands sitting on the street corner?  What about the people you drove by sleeping in a parking garage?

Where would our excuses go?  How would we look at our car payments, our mortgages, our white-picket fences?  What would our American dream turn into?

These are hard questions that Jay and Nett have recently had to face.  Is our premium cable package worth a neighbor going hungry?  Is our fast internet worth a neighbor freezing tonight?  How many “least of these” will suffer because we have decided that our cars, televisions, furniture, internet, etc is more important than making a sacrifice on their behalf?

Mother Theresa said “It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”  The American Dream seems like a noble cause, but are we letting this obsession control our eternity?  What is this dream really worth?