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Dear Friend of REACT Services,Belated New Year's greetings from the rain of Seattle. Remarkably, given our reputation, we're actually setting records for rain here this winter. Some take solace in trying to just describing it in different ways to alleviate the monotony (mist, showers, drizzle, light rain, heavy rain, liquid snow, downpours, sprinkle, deluge, even "spit from heaven")! I trust you'll enjoy this latest update and news from our world. This newletter navigates best by using your back page button on your browser after connecting to one of the links. We've also made some changes to the REACT Services website so please come by and visit. Christine and I deeply appreciate your friendship and support. Brian O'Connell
Over the fall and winter, we were involved in many different events and projects. From working with ministries to children in the Viva Network, to those addressing the complexities of China, REACT was able to add value through our facilitation, training and consulting. We were in England in late September when nearly 400 leaders were convened by the Viva Network to collectively address the needs of children at risk around the world. Brian was privileged to play a leadership role at the event. One of the highlights of the past several months clearly was the Global Connections gathering of the Refugee Highway Partnership. Key Christian leaders came together from every region of the world to talk about meeting the needs of refugees. Brian was the main facilitator of the event and several new initiatives and strategies were launched. One of those is a new South Asia regional effort (see below). 
During the first two weeks in February, Brian will be helping to facilitate a South Asia Regional Consultation on refugees and teaching on partnering to sports ministry leaders in India. In Colombo, Sri Lanka, key ministries and churches are being convened to discuss working together on the needs of the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the civil war and the Tsunami. They want these efforts connected to the larger work of the Refugee Highway Partnership. I'll be facilitating those conversations and helping them explore possible joint responses. In India, we'll be doing 5 days of very intense morning to late night leadership training on facilitating collaboration as well as doing special sessions training others to teach on partnering. Coming alongside these "under the radar" leaders is part of REACT's ongoing goals of enabling others to do the kind of work we do. Can I ask you to please pray for these two activities and our involvement? In addition, will you pray specifically for the follow up strategies developed from these meetings?
"We have been so impacted by the ways in which different ministries and churches are working together in our city -- demonstrating love for us and modeling relationship. It has clearly made a difference in how we are receiving the message about this Jesus you talk about"-- A community leader in West Africa The impact of working together among the unreached is growing -- as this leader from Africa attests. One of REACT's key ministry projects is working to mobilize prayer, people and resources toward the over 1/4 of the world who has no access to the Gospel. These "unreached people" number over a billion and a half in population. The initiative is called Ethnê to Ethnê -- after the Greek word for people. The concept is a simple one: help the peoples of the world reach other peoples with the Good News of Christ, and do it together as the Body of Christ. With the substantial growth of Christianity in the non-western world over the past 30 years, people from every continent now are being envisioned to bringing the message of the Gospel -- to all parts of the world! For the past six years, Brian and REACT Services has been assisting the Ethnê movement. In March 2006, there will be a major global consultation convening hundreds of key leaders to plan strategic outreach for the unreached -- together. We have been heavily involved in the planning of this event and will assist in training the facilitators, helping to implement the partnering process, and participating in the design of the follow on projects around the world. For more information about the Ethnê to Ethnê initiative, check out the Ethnê website
You're invited to attend an Open House on Sunday, February 12 for Abizness Digital Images. It's called "Love Your Neighbor" because 20% of all proceeds will go directly to three charities -- one of which is REACT. Abizness creates matted photography and a variety of greeting cards from our friend Angie Joyce's vast array of digital pictures (like the sample here). So stop on by the to pick out a Valentine's Day, Mother's/Father's Day, Birthday, or Anniversary gift. You might even find something for your own home or office! Items on hand will be in 3 sizes: single & double matted images in "5 x 7" and "8 x 10"; as well as greeting cards. For those of you here in the Seattle area, please come support this event and in the process assist REACT services. The location is the Woodlands Condo -- Cabana, 12712 Admiralty Way in Everett. Click here for more specific details on the event.
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