ABOUT US
Our Founders:
Lee and Carol met in the summer of 1975 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, during the Jesus Movement. They were worlds apart yet it was God’s plan to join their hearts and lives together for the Master’s plan.
Lee was from Baltimore and Carol from Birmingham, both as singles engaged in outreach ministry, coffee houses, street evangelism and discipleship. They married on December 6, 1975. Lee holds a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Theology degree. They have three adult children, and have been ministering as a couple for 32 years in Christian service from Church Planters to Missionaries.
They served in the founding of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Queenstown, Maryland in 1976, and founded Cornerstone Church in Americus, Georgia in 1985. They were missionaries in Mexico from 1988 –1994 and founded Family Life Church in Kingwood, Texas in 1996, which merged with Calvary Christian Fellowship in 2005. They returned to Mexico as missionaries in the summer of 2006.
During their first term as missionaries to Mexico from 1988 - 1994, they founded Vida Internacional, a Video Bible Institute whose focus is “Making Disciples throughout the Spanish Speaking World!“
Since the founding of Vida, they have ministered in over 20 countries, “Preparing God’s People for Works of Service”. Lee has ministered throughout Cuba, to Spanish speaking Arabs in North Africa, Spanish speaking people in Europe, the Caribbean, and all over Latin America.
Lee & Carol work on the mission field in Mexico where they are ministering to marginal children and their families in the Bahia de Banderas area. The mission of this part of their ministry is “Feeding Children Body, Soul & Spirit”, with the purpose of building bridges of love over which they can share the Gospel. They are currently creating a website from which “Vida Internacional” can be downloaded for free to train Spanish speaking people around the world. This is an integrated and balanced ministry approach of compassion and leadership development, meeting basic needs & providing discipleship training.
Their ministry operates under the tax exempt organization, “LSMI”, a 501C-3 incorporated in the State of Florida and founded in 1992.
You can find Lee and Carol on Facebook @ LeeNCarol Short. Carol has a blog, http://carolshadixshort.blogspot.com/
Sermons by Pastor Lee: (Mp3 File will open in new page and will play on your designated media player)
Our Mission:
LSMI’s mission is to demonstrate the love of God in a tangible way so that people can respond to Him. We enrich communities and develop leadership by educating and assisting impoverished children and their families without discrimination.
Our Strategy:
LSMI builds partnerships at home and abroad, helping individuals, churches and other organizations who want to make a difference for the greater good. On the foreign field, we partner with national churches and other likeminded community-based organizations to fulfill LSMI’s mission.
Our Prayer:
Gracious and Merciful God,
Give these little ones
Bread for Today and Hope for Tomorrow
so that their every need will be met
according to Your riches
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Our Values:
At LSMI everything is anchored in our C.O.R.E. values:
CHILDREN
Feeding children, body, soul and spirit!
OUTREACH
Church mission teams and other volunteers making an impact!
RELIEF
Providing emergency assistance and ongoing community development!
EDUCATION
Preparing God’s people for works of service!
Our Past & Present Projects:
- After School Programs
- Assistance for single mothers and poor families
- Birth certificates for undocumented children
- Christian ministry
- Construction of Community centers/churches
- Dental outreach clinics
- Educational programs for the underprivileged
- Equip a Minister Scholarship Fund
- Health and hygiene seminars
- Job skills training
- Kids Bible Club
- Leadership development
- Life skills for single mothers
- Medical assistance
- Medical dispensaries
- Medical outreach teams
- Nourishing meals and vitamins for children
- Optical outreach clinics
- Orphan Assistance
- Shelter and basic needs
- Spanish Bible School curriculum
- Sponsor a Child
Our Board:
The LSMI - USA board of directors includes: Rev. James F. Cox of Severn, Maryland; Rev. Michael Collins of Pensacola, Florida; Rev. Randy Barr of Chicago, Illinois; Pastor David Hope of Humble, Texas, and Lee and Carol Short. Records are kept in Humble, Texas and can be reviewed by request.
Life Savers Ministries International, a.k.a. Lee Short Ministries International, Inc., is a 501c-3, incorporated in the state of Florida with its office in Humble, Texas.
Newsletters:
A very special look at LSMI’s history from 1988 til today is available through years of monthly newsletters. These unique updates chronicle the Short Family’s missionary service which evolved into what is now known as LSMI. They are windows into other lives and cultures and tell stories of God’s power and provision.
To review the LSMI Newsletter archives with the option to download the newsletters of your choice, click here now.
FAQ:
Must individuals become Christians in order to receive our assistance?
Never. We serve marginal children, individuals and families regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender.
How does LSMI select the communities or countries in which it will work?
After recognizing a need, we seek God’s guidance and must sense His leading. We partner with church-based organizations and/or other community- based organizations that welcome Christian ministry.
How does LSMI choose which local organizations it partners with?
We form strategic partnerships with those who share and support our mission of serving the poor, and who also demonstrate integrity and compliance with our accountability requirements.
What are LSMI’s religious beliefs?
We are motivated by Christ’s example of reaching out to the poor and needy. We believe in the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, calling us to share the Good News of God’s Love. We believe the Bible.
How does LSMI help chidren ?
We assist impoverished children with benefits such as meals, clothing, medical assistance, education, advocacy, and correspondence with their sponsor family. We encourage you to schedule a time to bring your church group down and meet these children during the summer months!
What are undocumented children?
Undocumented children, or children without birth certificates, are not guaranteed civil rights such as a public school education. There are several reasons why these children might not have birth certificates. Sometimes their parents simply aren’t aware of the registration process. Where possible, LSMI helps to register these children with their government to ensure they receive their basic civil rights.