Special Christmas Edition

​We were on our way to the I-TEC Christmas party, driving with our family through the Pennsylvania hills. We crested a hill and came to a lovely scene of a beautiful rainbow. I’m not sure the picture we took can really accurately convey Gods stunning display of color, dramatic clouds and His timeless promise but it was just gorgeous. As we stopped to appreciate God’s handiwork I had a sense that we were about to experience a special moment in time.
This was a special time to meet the Board of Directors and key volunteers as well as their supportive wives for the first time. We were looking forward to wonderful food prepared by Toms' wife Linda and their amazing hospitality and inviting home. We looked forward to meeting everyone and we were not disappointed by our time together!

As we fellowshipped together and shared our stories I came to realize that we were amongst a very capable but humble group of people. As they shared experiences and their heart for missions it was entirely evident that God had hand selected each team player. It was a diverse group of professionals with uncountable gifts and skills, that time, teaching and experience provide a person. It was eye opening to see the caliber of people God had pieced together to accomplish His task for bringing power to the mission works, faith based hospitals and orphanages around the world. As I listened to the conversations around me I realized this team served because they felt is was a privilege and a blessing to serve God. 

Tom Garber the founder of I-TEC back in 2006 had a goal to surround himself with like-minded people and God had answered that request as Tom had succeeded in surrounding himself with others going in the same direction. The friendships were deep and the experiences of trips traveled were shared by so many of the group. It was inspiring to see such passion and purpose shared. There were some board members and some full time Missionaries but they represented the collective set of skills needed to do one very challenging task. They did share the need for another Solar expert so if you know Solar and God has been prompting your heart for Missions this would be an amazing group of men to join to serve our Lord and Savior!

As we sat around sharing stories and experiences we realized this team had such profound depth as their collective experiences has deepened them in ways I’ve only seen after someone experiences extreme hardship, poverty and need.
One of the stories shared was an experience of deep humility. They shared they were serving the poorest of the poor and as the project was wrapping up they had one night left before departure. In the morning they realized the group of women they had come to serve had stayed up all night, hand sewing everyone new shirts for a gift and they were also presented with a gift of boiled eggs. As people that come from so much, to take precious protein and a shirt that could have brought some income to these ladies, it was beyond humbling. They had come to be a blessing and rather left more than blessed. They left with their understanding of generosity forever challenged. It was truly the widows mite that they had benefited from. The array of experiences this group shares have an inspiring quality as they desire to not only do hard things but to share the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment one has in serving Christ! The heart and passion of this I-TEC team is to pass the baton and their passion is to serve with the next generation. I think the most wonderful part of this time together was in the welcome we felt! We were the new team members and they all welcomed us with open arms. We were included and they celebrated how God had answered their prayer for younger team members to keep the vision going and to work along side doing hard things with everyone. 

There was a gentle quietness to this team that comes with wisdom and I was struck by their strength and resolve to be part of God’s plan. We discussed that we have no guarantee of tomorrow. Each day is a gift and we only need to be available to be used by God in the day we have been gifted with. Each moment we have to bring God glory with our lives is better than any wrapped up gift under the tree. 

This fellowship of servants shared how we at I-TEC don’t serve for our own recognition but rather everything we do is for God’s glory . We are mortal and life is fleeting but we have the gift of today and we are most willing to use our today to hopefully secure someones eternity. 

There is so much more that I could share about this beautiful moment in time. It was over much too quickly and we wished we could have lingered a bit longer to enjoy the company of some beautiful souls.The ministry of I-TEC has the foundation of our Most High God and He has hand chosen a team of people that reflect the light of Jesus and give from their substance to a very dark world in need. We are humbled and in awe that God hand selected our family to join this team. We are praying God would give all of us direction and wisdom in the coming days as we do hard things for Jesus!

Joshua 22:5 "But take careful heed….
To love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Merry Christmas!
Love, Rachael for the Montei Men