Life Support Ministries

If you wish to financially support this work you are welcome to make an online donation at our secure PayPal "make a donation" button:

Please note that you will be able to indicate who your donation is made on behalf of once you have pushed the "review donation and continue" button in the PayPal system. At the Pay screen, near the Pay button you will see a box that says "Donation made on behalf of". There is where you can type the team member's name.

. . . . . . . . .
   Thank you for your part in bringing people together
and creating better lives for people in the world!

   Leona George-Davidson
   Founder of Life Support Ministries

Please feel free to contact me at:
leonagd@lifesupportm.org
(415) 271-3629
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Here are qualities we'll be looking for in our team members:

Integrity and Honesty
Responsibility and Trustworthiness.
Cooperation and Helpfulness.
Willingness and ability to fundraise.
Ability to take direction and follow safety rules at all times.
Compassion for fellow team members and Mexico Family.
Confidence to reflect and speak about the mission experience - while on and after the mission.
Being operationally ready and prepared with all the right gear and personal supplies.
Enthusiasm, Vitality, Patience, and Flexibility.

A reminder of what the mission is about:

The Life Support Ministries Mexico Mission is not a party boat. If you are looking for a "Fun" time, a place to blow off steam, or a self-directed adventure to get away from your parents and play with your friends - this is not it.

This is a serious work mission to help a family in need. You will be dirty, hungry, tired, and bossed around. You will work physically, emotionally, and spiritually harder than you ever have. You will be required to wear safety gear. You will get up early and have a camp and bedtime curfew. You'll have to figure out how to relate to and get along with people you barely know. You will be required to fundraise your portion of the mission expenses. You will experience hurrying up and then having to wait. You will be included in reflection and discussion around the campfire to process and share what you are experiencing each day and evening. Did we mention you will be dirty, hungry, tired, and bossed around?

We cannot guarantee a perfect experience where everything is wonderful with no mistakes or angst. This is a mission that will take you out of the American comfort zone and give you a real life slice of what another part of the world looks like and lives like. It is designed to give you the OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH YOUR OWN TWO HANDS AND YOUR ONE BIG HEART. Your life and outlook will be changed by this work. You'll come away with a new sense of appreciation for your life and ALL life because of this work. At Life Support Ministries we put the work and safety first. Then and only then, does it all add up to an amazing time that includes friendship, lots of fun and laughter, and a deep satisfaction that you have made good things happen in the world. Did we mention that you will be dirty, hungry, tired, and bossed around? If you are not ready for this - then take a rest this time and we'll catch you next year. If you are ready, we want you on the Life Support team!

Some of the ideals of Life Support Ministries:

About collaboration:
Life Support Ministries is a non-religious, non-church, charitable non-profit organization that recognizes the value of collaborating and partnering with the many exciting and creative organizations doing good works in the world. Some of our partner organizations may be religious in nature, but we are mindful to carefully select partner organizations who will empower us to do our own independent work, build independent relationships, and who do not require belief or conversion - of our group or the benefiting people being served - even if the partnering organization is evangelical in nature.
About abundance:
We at Life Support Ministries believe that all outcomes are good and that there is abundance in the world for all to share in an emotionally, spiritually, and financially fulfilling way.
About project creation:
We strive to create activities that promote cross pollination of age, cultures, genders, schools, religions, and socio-economic status.
About self-awareness & self-discipline:
Life Support Ministries believes that self-discipline and operational readiness make for more meaningful, enjoyable, and successful projects. Operational readiness and excellence on an individual and organizational level mean having clear plans, fair guidelines, clean and ready supplies, safety gear in good shape, and a positive can-do attitude. Self-discipline means that we call upon ourselves and our team members to step out of our own egos and materialism to recognize that we can delay and prioritize self-gratification, take responsibility for our own actions, and share our good fortune with others to create more enlightenment, empowerment, and joy in the world.
About listening:
We at Life Support Ministries believe that patient, compassionate listening to one another creates understanding, appreciation, and empathy which in turn helps us empower each other to be able to operate our lives more enthusiastically, flexibly, and powerfully.
About empowerment and support:
Life Support Ministries develops youth and adult leaders and team members by fostering both individual and team work efforts toward each of the various goals we set for each project. We believe that no one should have to work completely alone or do everything by themselves unsupported. We believe in creating easy to use systems and plans that give a general structure and guideline, and that provide leeway for creative solution finding and pride of ownership of each project and task.
About mistakes and missteps:
Life Support Ministries believes that in order to be the best people we can be, we must be able to try new things and sometimes fail, trip up, and fall down. Then, learning from those experiences, we recognize and admit our mistakes, pick ourselves up and move on with new knowledge and abilities.
About appreciation and thankfulness:
Life Support Ministries believes that recognizing and acknowledging service, donations, generosity, thoughtfulness, and expertise is crucial to building and maintaining good relationships. We promote written, verbal, electronic, and in person thank you notes, phone calls, emails, gatherings, and other types of communication sources for all people involved in our programs and activities.