11/21/2009
I'm on the ground in Chicago two hours ahead of schedule. It feels great to be back home and with my family. I look forward to seeing you all soon!
11/19/2009
I'm now heading back to the captial city of Mozambique and will be getting on my flight tomorrow morning arriving back to O'Hare late Saturday morning. See you all soon!
11/18/2009
Hey there friends, this is Scott reporting from the bush way out in the back country of Mozambique in Africa. Out here in the village it is a totally different way of life. It is very interesting teaching with chickens clucking all around you. The church here has no walls it is just a big room with a big thatched roof with wooden beams holding it up. It rained yesterday but it was warmer today. It was almost a 50 degrees difference between when we were in Tete up north and yesterday when it was raining. I am guessing it was about 60 degrees. Today when the sun came out it was much warmer. All day long is was probably in the mid 70’s. We ate another goat today and this one was a lot better than the one we ate in Tete. Tonight there is a beautiful black sky with all the star of the southern hemisphere. Stars I have never seen in my life. I noticed tonight as I was walking to my tent a spider about the size of my hand. It is interesting out here in the bush - there is no bathroom, no toilet no showers... you wash out of bucket and you have to be creative taking care of everything else. It has been really great being here. Two days of teaching just completed and we are just about ready to begin the journey back. I will give you more information soon. I just thought I would touch base. Thanks for all the prayers.
11/17/2009
We're spending a few days teaching in Machaze. Some pictures and videos are attached. Check out the giant ant hills!
11/16/2009
I'm safe in the rural village of Machaze but won't have cell coverage for a few days. I'll talk to you soon. Thanks for your ongoing prayers!
11/15/2009
Hey, Village Bible Church, thanks so much for your prayers. This is Sunday, November 15, and I appreciate you remembering not only me, but the students and the churches and the host families that have been taking care of us. Pastor Titus is the head of the group of Zion churches in this area, and I’ve been staying in his house with his family. They are very, very kind. As I mentioned in my last note, his family has been touched by the AIDS crisis here. He lost his daughter and son-in-law due to the son-in-law’s unfaithfulness. And he brought AIDS into their relationship and it cost both of their lives. It was a period of significant, extended suffering for his daughter, the pastor’s daughter, and it orphaned their six-year-old boy, Tito. I posted (below) a picture of Pastor Titus with his namesake, little Tito – short for Titus. Now Tito is eight and has made a new life with his grandparents. But can you imagine? And this is in the pastor’s family, and the Church of ____ has gone through a lot with this.
The AIDS crisis in Africa is huge, and it’s particularly bad in southern Africa. Swaziland, where Bridget Buenz went and served last summer, has an AIDS rate somewhere between 25% and 30% of the adult population - South Africa and Mozambique are nearly 25%, almost one in four. Richard Akers said that in one town where they lived in the Transkai, that 90% of the women who were pregnant tested positive for HIV. That ‘s just huge. And the lifespan for those in South Africa and Mozambique is 37 and 39 years of age, respectively, because of how drastically the death of so many young people in their twenties has on the average for the population.
I guess my big question for us tonight is: Will you pray, and will you remember these families and the churches and the continent suffering? And then we should think together, what else can we do? So anyway, hope you are doing well. I look forward to talking to you later.
I was moved by Pastor Titus' plea for more missionaries to be raised up to train the pastors of the Zion churches ... to reach the Amazioni people.
11/14/2009
Go into all the world and disciple the nations – Matthew 28:18. What an exciting charge has been given to us, the Church who have been redeemed from utter darkness and hopelessness to live for such a noble task as the glory of God. I dream of places like this and of countless places like it around the world, and whether it’s with Zema in South Africa and Mozambique or with the Kehns in Uganda or with the Bonifases in the Middle East, the Culletts in Thailand, the Schusters in Ireland, or the upcoming Reesers in Spain, or Hattons in Papua New Guinea, we are a part of this. We, Village Bible Church, are a part of what God is doing in the world. We may not live here at these outposts, but somehow all of us must live every day with our brothers and sisters who labor in these places in our hearts and prayers as they do. I know deep in my heart that the Lord is calling many of us to have a greater role in this mission. This work is not nearly done, even in the 2000 years since Jesus said, “Pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into the harvest. Look, these fields are ripe for harvest.”
Next time I’ll record a message and share with you how the AIDS epidemic has personally affected this Zion Church of Beira, where I am right now, and the Pastor’s family.
For His harvest.
11/12/2009
Tete, Mozambique: We spent the day teaching, it was our final day of our ZEBS class in Tete and there was a big storm that blew in just as we finished teaching our final class. It was a good thing it came in after our class because the sound of the rain on that tin roof made it impossible to talk in there. But it did lower the temperature from about 100 degrees to about 85 degrees which was a very pleasant surprise. We have taught about 40 sessions now and have been covering classes such as Biblical Teaching Methods, Christian Discipline, and the Minor Prophets, Joel, Amos, Jonah and Hosea. We leave for Beira tomorrow around 7 o’clock in the morning. We have a full day of driving. There is a petrol and diesel shortage up here where we are so it is a very good thing that we filled up four days ago when we got here. You can pray that the fuel is not an issue while we are gone. Pray for the heart of the people that are traveling home now from Tete to their churches and homes. Also, pray for the ones that are just now traveling to Beira for our classes there. Look forward to being in touch more soon.
11/10/2009
Tete, Mozambique: Hey Village Bible Church! Today is November 10 and we are teaching ZEBS classes today in the city of Tete. I will not talk about that too much right now. I am going to get back to a question someone asked: "What is it like to teach through a translator?"
We have some really good translators here and it is really not that hard at all. I can speak normally at a quick pace and the translators get it right and keep moving right along. It about doubles the time to get all the points across so you have to keep things moving. The real trick is when we needed double translation. Our translator was delayed by traffic at the Tete Bridge and so we ended up having our primary translator, who does not know the local dialect, translate into Protégées and then a man from the congregation, translate from Protégées in the local dialect. So that really slowed things down and that caused a little confusion, like playing the game of telephone when you have to translate it more than one time, but anyway it’s a lot of fun.
Today was a hot 109 degrees at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. We were sweating like crazy. It is a great relief when the sun goes down and the temperatures start to fall and they fall quite a bit. It is interesting as I was talking to my missionary friend Richards Ackers today about David Livingston a pioneer of missions in Africa about his description of Tete, Mozambique when he pass through here a long time ago. He described it as a dust bowl, a very dusty hazy place a, place where he wondered why anyone would want to settle. That is back when it was a very small settlement; today it’s a town of 153,000 people. So it is no small village today. Interestingly enough after talking to Richard about that dusty, hazy place, probably about an hour later a dust storm blew up that was really crazy. The church does not have glass windows just boarded wood shutters that close when they need to be closed up and we had to close up the whole church. The dust storm lasted for 15 or 20 minutes and it was real dark in the church as we continued on with our teaching and the dust storm passed. Anyway, if you are interested in learning a little more about Tete, Google the word Tete which is Tete and then put the word wiki in and then hit enter and you will find out a lot about Tete and Mozambique and you will also see a picture of the bridge that the translator was caught up on today. Say a prayer for the 153,000 in Tete and also say a prayer for Richard and myself and I am so thankful you are there. So long, we will talk to you later.
I was asked how people could pray for the ZEBS students this week:
Pray for ZEBS attendees...
1 - The material we're teaching though basic for us is very advanced for them... Pray they grasp it.
2 - Pray they'll be able to implement it back home... We're focusing a lot on Biblical Teaching methods these two weeks ... If they could really bring it back to their villages it would have a big impact.
3- Some of these men come in teams from their churches ... others come alone. Pray particularly for these guys who don't have others to lean on for implementation and encouragement of these "new" ideas for them when they get home. Note: many of these pastors and church leaders have no real training before entering into ministry.
11/07/2009
Maputo, Mozambique: It’s great to be here on the edge of a great mission field. I call it “The Outpost” because I think of the words of Richard, he says that on some of these days when things get hard, his wife reminds him that when he’s tempted to go back into the pastorate to remember that there are 50 men willing to fill that kind of role when only one in fifty are willing to come to a place like Richard Akre has come. He’s really a hero of sorts to me. This is a hard area not because it isn’t beautiful but because there is a lot of darkness here and contrast the beautiful church music – the African choir – to the loud noises and drums that sometimes can be heard at night time. It’s just a place that really needs the Lord. There are many people groups in a small area which communication difficult.
We just got done with our first ZEBS class today in Maputo and we’re packing up getting ready to head out of town. This first ZEBS class was at Pastor Zechariah’s church and it turns out that I learned that Pastor Zachariah is not just pastor over one church but over several churches. They all meet in either house churches or little local neighborhood churches and then once a month they come together at the big church where we held our ZEBS today. I thought that was neat – it sounds a little bit like the adoption that we’re considering and perhaps a little bit like the New Testament. But anyway it’s been great to get to know his family. He’s packing up as well because he’s traveling with Richard and I to be our translator for the next two weeks.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed the snippet of music that I sent you from the African singing – it kind of reminds me of the music of Selah – the brother and sister singing team on Christian radio. They grew up as missionary kids here in the fields of Africa somewhere and brought back a lot of memories. I kind of go back to the memory of my first night in the chapel here where our prayer meeting was done by the light of a single light bulb as we worshiped the Lord together and came around on our knees for our family and for this neighborhood.
I’m sorry that I can’t get to all the questions people give to me on Facebook– I try to answer a few. One of them I am going to answer is the question about wild animals. About the wildest animal I’ve seen around here are chickens walking all over the place – so you don’t have to worry about me getting eaten by any lions over here.
The question that I am going to try to answer next time is, “What’s it like trying to teach through a translator?”
Thanks for tuning in to the weblog and lot’s of love from The Outpost.
___________________
Question: How's the cuisine down there?
Answer: Mostly rice and beans ... A little fish (heads and all) but cooked and flavored well.
Question: What is the lesson of the day?
Answer: Principles of Biblical Teaching today ... They have not had a lot of formal training so it is pretty basic: We're teaching up to 30 classes in 4 towns / villages ... 150 - 200 students expected in all.
11/06/2009
Maputo, Mozambique: It’s very exciting what God’s doing here in Mozambique and I’m really happy to be able to stay in touch with you guys who are praying for me back home. Yesterday was hot and Johannesburg was probably comfortable in the middle 70s but just going a few hundred miles towards the Indian Ocean and north it is a psaltery 90 degrees yesterday and expected to be near 100 degrees most of this week.
Yesterday we were getting settled in and got to Pastor Zachariah's house and set up our tents inside the church – small mosquito tents we’re sleeping in. We went down to the open markets to do some shopping. We’ve had some wonderful hospitality from Pastor Zachariah’s family who has been keeping us in their home.
We had a beautiful African Christian music and singing and I was able to share from God’s Word about the importance of spiritual fruit in our life. You can tell what kind of tree it is by the kind of fruit it produces. There was a beautiful mango tree outside of the chapel and I brought in a mango as an illustration of how important it is for us to have life that actually produces fruit that God is looking for.
Thanks for following. I’ll be in touch!
11/03/2009
I was first asked to consider visiting ZEMA (the Zion Evangelical Ministries of Africa) several years ago when I was still with the Grace Bible Church of Aurora. It always seemed like the impossible dream to break away from all of the daily needs of the church there, though I always said "someday". Well that someday has come!
Now that I have been serving in my new role at the Village Bible Church of Sugar Grove, I have been enabled to focus much more on missions, and as you already know have been able to lead a couple of short-term mission teams in the past couple of years. I will not be leading a team this time, as I will be traveling by myself to minister alongside Richard Akers in the ZEBS of Mozambique. ZEBS stands for the Zion Evangelical Bible Schools of ZEMA . ZEBS is an extension studies strategy for bringing Bible training to the pastors and leaders of the AmaZioni people group. This group, estimated at up to 15 million people, trace their spiritual roots back to Zion, IL and missionaries who originated from there in the early 1900's. ZEMA has graciously offered to pay for my travels to be a part of this awesome ministry opportunity . . . which is a huge blessing.
Still, I'm going to need a lot of prayer support, so it is vital that the church rallies behind this ministry opportunity on our knees! We are trusting that the Lord will enable our church mission team to cast a passion-capturing vision of what the future of missions could look like at VBC. We're not satisfied with the status quo, or just sending our money to support missionaries on the field. We are preparing to equip a generation of missionaries. Are you ready?
Thanks for your prayers for me as I prepare and then as I embark on this journey.
For His Harvest,
Scott Capp
Equipping Pastor
We'll be teaching in 4 places along the way. Pastors and leaders will be traveling from all over to come and be with us... Some will come from Zimbabwe and Malawi to attend the ZEBS training. In all we'll probably have been 150 and 200 church pastors and leaders in attendance. Here are the dates...
Nov 7: MAPUTO
Nov 10-12: TETE
Nov 14, 15: BEIRA
Nov 17-19: MACHAZE
Plug these coordinates in to Google, and look down from the satellites on where we're headed... 20 49’ 48.53” S, 33 22’ 12.48” E: Click Here
10/18/2009
Greetings to all,
I arrived safely home three weeks ago and have been working on a report to share with you. It was a wonderful experience to travel to Kyrgyzstan and to work with the city and the local Christian Church on the playground project. Click Here to read my summary of the week - and THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH for your involvement in this project.
Sincerely,
Dave
10/15/2009
Today we had one of the best dedications we have ever had! After a week of building the playground and developing relationships with the local leaders, we were done and ready to give the children their gift! It was a very lively ceremony filled with traditional dances, songs and speeches from some people in Kara Balta. The best part of the dedication was all the children that were present and in the ceremony. There was a youth band from the orphanage, Kyrgyz dancers and several solos from some local teenage kids.
There were also a lot of speeches from the government...which is normal. But the spirit in which they were talking was inspiring and hopeful for the future. We hope that the government will continue to bless the Mercy Foundation and their continued work in Kyrgyzstan. There has already been great things happening since the playground has been dedicated. The goverment of Kara Balta met with the Mercy Foundation today to talk about future partnerships with schools and farming projects. They are also working on an institute that will educate kids after high school. It's incredible to see the work that the Mercy Foundation is doing and we see the future being bright for them.
At the dedication we have heard several stories of local people accepting Christ. One woman kneeled in front of the playground sign and started weeping after seeing the committment Christians have given to children they don't even know. She accepted Christ on the spot. There were two other women who accepted Christ after seeing the hard work of the team all week. They were so impressed with the gift and the genuine love we showed to the city that they wanted to have what we have. They wanted to know the joy that we have and they accepted Christ!
What a joy it has been to be here and serve the Kyrgyz people! We feel so blessed to be able to witness and be part of the work that God is doing here. There is a lot more to tell and we hope to tell you all in person soon. But for now, please pray for our team as we head home tomorrow and please pray for Kyrgyzstan. The people here, the government and the Mercy Foundation!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support for us! God Bless you all.
10/14/2009
Today we had a great day! Since this is such a large playground, we have had to rely on a lot of help from city workers and local people just passing by. We have developed some great relationships with these people and have had some fun along the way.
There is one little man in particular that we have gained a lot of respect for. He is really small and looks to be in his late 60's...but is around 50 years old. He has been working with us every day. It seems he just wants to be part of the excitement that is spreading around the city with this playground. He works very hard and doesn't say much. No one is paying him to work with us...he just wants to help.
It seems each project we have there is a person like this. They gravitate to us because what we are doing is exciting and perhaps could be one of the more exciting things to happen in their city. What we have been realizing that is different in this city and country is that not a lot of people are smiling. There is a very somber look on the faces of most people we meet. But when you look at our volunteers and the local Christians we are with, we all have smiles. They can tell there is something different about us. They can see the joy and hope we have and want to be part of it.
We hope these relationships and our time here will have the people we meet wanting to know more about the hope we have. We hope the playground will open up these possibilites to the local Christians and churches we are working with. They have already expressed gratitude for the doors this project is opening up.
We feel blessed to be working here with local Kyrgyz people and the local church. We know our investment in this city will reap great rewards in the future.
Thanks again for your prayers for our team. Tomorrow we will be finishing up our project and preparing for the dedication on Thursday.
10/13/2009
On Sunday we attended a small, local Russian church pastored by one of our translators. It was "Harvest Day" so church was outside in the sun. A big part of the program was centered around the children! It was perfect for us. They had some dramas and skits. Jim Rosene had a message as well, about our work and how we all need to stand firm for the cause of reaching children. After church we had tea and snacks with the members of the church.
Then we headed up into the mountains just south of us. We are staying on a large valley/plain and the mountains are just in the distance. They are beautiful and snow covered. We had a great time seeing the mountains and the views as well as the Mongolian "yurts" that were scattered across the valley.
On Monday we had a great day of working on the playground. It's starting to look really nice and the kids can't wait! We were surrounded by kids for most of the day and they were enjoying talking to us. There was a hub of activity at the playground site with lots of city workers fixing the power lines, moving rocks and dirt and helping us move sand and concrete. They are really trying to fix up this park for the dedication. It should be a great ceremony!
Today we head back to the playground site to finish up. The weather has been cooperating with us so we should have a full day. Thanks for your continued prayers and support for us.
10/12/2009
Today we started working early and worked late into the day. We got a lot accomplished in one day. We constructed the little kids unit and one of the large swing sets and poured concrete for them.
While we were building, we saw exactly how popular this park is. There were people walking through stopping to check out our work all day long. There was also a lot of kids that were interested in speaking English to us and they wanted to help as well. At the end of the day we had some bonding time with the kids. There is definately a large communication gap but we were able to play with them and have some fun.
The project is turning out great. The city put in electricity and converted it to 220V on the Jesus House. We also talked to the Pastor that will run the Jesus House and put a full time staff person there to manage the ministry. That will be incredible for this playground and we were excited to hear this news.
Today we are heading to church in the morning and then in the afternoon we are going to the mountains to visit the local Kyrgyz people and see how they live. It should be interesting and really cold!
Thanks for your continued prayers for us while we are here serving in Kyrgyzstan.
* Please note: due to the poor internet connection in Kyrgyzstan we are unable to receive pictures from the Dave at this time.
10/09/2009
After 48 hours of travelling, our team of 11 is finally in Kara Balta, Kyrgyzstan! It was an exhausting trip to get to this small city in a country that is far away! Once we arrived we headed to the playground site to see how it looked after all the rain. The container for the Jesus House is on a concrete slab and surrounded by beautiful trees. Next to it is the playground site which is in between a forest as well. Just to the right of the Jesus House is a large silver statue of Lenin. Fortunately, he is looking away from the playground and Jesus House site!
Once the rain stopped, we headed to the site to start laying it out and digging the holes. It was really muddy but we got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. We even got to meet the city officials who were very happy to see us.
We ate all three meals at the Mercy Foundation School and Orphanage which is near the playground. The ladies that served us were typical Russian women and we had a great time with them eating potatoes and soups. We also celebrated Steven Knight's (one of our volunteers) birthday with "Happy Birthday" in Russian!
Tomorrow the real work starts as we look to continue building. We are excited to be here and can't wait to continue working! Please continue to pray for us as we minister to the children of Kara Balta!
10/06/2009
Dave Mogle will be serving on a short term missions team in Kyrgyzstan for these next two weeks (10/7-10/18). He will be part of a team of 11 men participating with Kids Around the World, a Christian Organization that ministers to kids and their families by constructing playgrounds, sharing Christ, and training local Christians in the use of resources that teach Bible lessons to children. He will be serving in Kara-Balta, a northern city of approximately 70,000. There is some openness to Christian ministry at this time in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the north, but recent laws have been passed that will restrict religious freedoms in the oncoming months, so this is an opportune time to go. The make up of this country is roughly 75% muslim, 25% russian orthodox and 5% "other" that includes a small, but active evangelical body of believers. "I would appreciate prayers that the fairly large playground being installed by a fairly small team in a short time frame can be completed on schedule; that the training time with the local Christians be received with enthusiasm; that there would be mutual encouragement between the team and the local churches who will be hosting us and working with us on the playground and training; that as a result of the name of Christ being proclaimed that many would believe in and/or recommit their lives to Him." - Dave
08/29/2009
To view a full-screen version of this slideshow including VIDEOs that don't show up here, click here.
Hi church family!
This past month in Africa has been an amazing month. When we arrived we did clinics in the rural parts of Swaziland every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The smallest number of people we served during one of these clinics was 300 people, and the largest was about 1,000! It was an amazing opportunity to practically show the love of Christ to the people of Swaziland. We gave free medical care to everyone who came as well as free eye glasses to everyone who needed them. It was amazing to see the people sing and dance in happiness about their new medications and eyeglasses! It was a huge blessing to me to be able to meet these needs for the people. We also shared the Gospel with everyone who came to the clinics. Many times we gave away Bible?s in Siswati (their national language) and the people were so thankful for even the chance to read the Bible. We had the amazing opportunity to give out Operation Christmas Child boxes at a few of the 
schools we visited. It was amazing to see the children get so excited over a pencil or a pair of underwear. It was very convicting to me about how much we have here in the US and how sometimes we can become ungrateful. We also built wheelchairs for people who were disabled and could not walk! It was amazing to build something that would allow these people to be self sufficient again. One man who came to get a wheel chair had been pushed in a wheel burrow for 20 years by his son, and the wheel chair brought a sense of life back to him. The first thing he did when he received this gift was thank God alone, what a heart! I learned a lot from the Swazi people. We were also able to work in the hospital in Manzini where I worked in Labor and Delivery ward. I delivered a baby all by myself which was an amazing experience and I loved it! I was also able to help with about 20 other deliveries. Unfortunately, the country is devastated with HIV/AIDS as 47% of their people are positive for this terrible disease and 20% of their population is orphaned because of HIV/AIDS. Please continue to pray for the country and healing which only God can bring to them. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support for this trip. You all made a huge difference in my life as well as the lives of many Swazi people!
In Christ alone,
Bridget Buenz
07/25/2009
To view a full screen version of this slideshow, click here.
We had a great week serving God and being used by Him to reach children in the heart of Detroit. What a joy it was to see the transforming power and hope of Jesus Christ vitally at work. The above slideshow is a como of our whole week. Thanks to all who prayed for us during this ministry.
07/21/2009
Our students jumped right in to loving the kids in our first day of day camp at Central Detroit Christian. We also started out day camp with a puppet show and songs and at the end of the day canvassed the neighborhood around us inviting everyone to our upcoming block party.
In the pictures you’ll see Jenn teaching the craft of the day. Tony, the CDC children's pastor is getting ready to dismiss the kids. Naomi & Allie teaching us some new fun worship for the kids and Jenn sharing as we debriefed the day.
07/20/2009
To view a full screen version of this slideshow, click here.
We picked up the luggage from Faith Bible Church in Farmington Hills, the student ministry of 8 students and 3 leaders we are teaming up with. Then we worshipped at Tony McDuffy's church, Mario's friend of 20 years, and the Central Detroit Christian Children's pastor. Tony preached and gave a powerful message on forgiveness and then they fed us a chicken, green beens, mac & cheese..
Megan Katie Allie Kaity & Naomi are about to eat dinner and are looking forward to whay God will do this week.,,
After dinner we got ready for the next day ( the first day of daycamp) by practing songs, puppets and the lesson. We had an hour long prayer, worship, sharing and instructional time before bed.
07/19/2009
To view a full screen version of this slideshow, click here.
We were off to a late start, and we were caught in heavy traffic once we arrived in Indiana, so we didn't make it to a park in Trenton, MI for our solo with Jesus since it would be too dark, so we exited at Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan and ate Cottage Inn Pizza (Mario's favorite pizza) and then had a 2 hour solo time with Jesus from 8:30-10:30 pm Michigan time in the Law Quad reading room. Kayla, Amy and Robert were already home sick and tried calling home from the cell phone book and pay phone booth (just kidding about them being homesick:). Then we walked to the dead center of Campus and took a group picture on the Michigan "M" which tradition holds if you step on the "M" you flunk your first exam at u of m, which no one cared about breaking that rule since no one plans on attending there. We arrived at our hotel bu 12:30 am and are looking forward to attending church at El Shaddai ministries as well as looking forwatd to meeting the team members from FaithBible Church tomorrow.
07/17/2009
Hello from Swaziland! It has now been almost 2 weeks since we left the U.S. and we are doing well. We have been so blessed and feel incredibly welcomed by the Vanderwal family and the Swazi people. We have been to 3 mobile clinics so far and spent a morning at the hospital. We have also worked on various projects for the Luke Commission on the days in between clinics. So far, Sundays have been spent at church, going out to eat, and resting. Today we were blessed to listen to Harry and Echo participate with the worship team at church - Harry singing and Echo playing the keyboard!
Each of us has been challenged and stretched in new ways. The 4 students have each participated in HIV testing, blood sugar, blood pressure and blood draws at the mobile clinics. They have also each worked in the eyeglass department using the auto-refractor and computer system to determine which glasses would work best for each patient.
Within the first few days of our trip the Luke Commission received a shipment of many personal tranportation devices...much like wheelchairs but have a hand crank to move the wheels. They require some assembly and our team quickly learned how to assemble them. So far we have been able to give 3 of these out to very needy people at the clinics! The look on their faces and the joy and gratefulness with which they received these gifts was priceless!
Our first day at the hospital was a good learning experience. I had 2 students in Labor Ward and Tiffany took the other 2 to Pediatrics. In the span of approximately 2 hours there were 6 babies born in Labor Ward and the students were able to learn newborn assessment and newborn care. They also observed the deliveries and assisted the midwives. In Pediatrics, they gave IV medications, and did dressing changes and vital signs.
God has blessed us with some good times of sharing and encouraging one another. Please continue to pray that God would draw our team closer together and closer to Him as we learn and grow through our many experiences here in Swaziland. Thanks so much for your prayers for all of us!
Many blessings in Christ,
Bridget Buenz
06/26/2009
This week has truly been about learning about how big our God is! We have seen him work in tremendous ways. In chapels we have worked our way through the Gospel Banners (God, man, the fall, the offer, Jesus and the response) and we have seen a couple campers take those points to heart. Two campers have professed to have accepted the offer. Their names are Kylee and Riley. Please pray for them as they live out that decision.
The campers have finally overcome homesickness which is great because they are opening up more with the counselors, but it also means that they are hyper and rambunctious. We are seeing Satan try to distract us as we learn about the Armor of God. Today in chapel we were interrupted by a moose walking by the window! We all stopped to look out the window and came back together. Not something we are used to, but it somewhat common here.
The rest of the week were are focusing on our theme of the Armor of God and fighting the spiritual battle. We are definitely fighting that this week! We have all been challenged, counselors included, to memorize Ephesians 6:10-18 and it may be harder for the us! It's been wonderful to see the campers hide God's Word in their hearts and it's been good for us to do so as well.
Megan has a camper who is hungry for God's Word in a way that we all should be. As she goes to bed at night and sometimes wakes up earlier than the other campers she asks if it's okay to read her Bible. Her name is Lydia, and Lydia even spends Flop on Bunk (the counselor's favorite time of day!) reading the Bible and memorizing verses. She's memorized all the verses and has read through Genesis 48 this week. Lydia has kept coming up with really deep questions about what she's reading and is truly hungry for the Word!
We've had a ton of fun getting to know the kids and just spending time with them has helped them open up. The first day none of them would talk and that's not really a problem anymore. We have camp-wide activities every night and last night was the campers' favorite/counselor' least favorite game. It was the counselor hunt and three of our own were found. As a penalty for being caught by a camper a counselor is pushed into the lake. Melissa, Chuck and Vic were all found, but Chuck took Melissa's punishment. We're really learning about sacrifice! :)
Today is the first truly sunny day and it's amazing to be in God's creation and to help these kids see the world in light of what God has done. It's been a wonderful blessing to be here and to be supported by your love and prayers.
06/24/2009
We've finally made it and are enjoying camp! After the long process of getting out to camp we know that God has something great in store for us. We've already seen that through time with our campers and with the other staff. We definitely saw Satan trying to discourage us through the canceled flight, a delay, a missed flight, and team being booked on separate flights on the major airlines we thought everything else would be easy. But we went through being bumped back on the puddle jumper too! The team ended up taking separate flights and one ride was horrific. We finally all made it by 8:30pm on Sunday, so of us a little more shaken than others.
Linda, Chuck, Darlene, Greg, and Megan are all counselors. Vic is the camp activity director for the week and Brittnee is on kitchen staff.
We spent Sunday evening getting to know our co-counselors and staff workers. It was a rushed night, but some of us got to hike up to the falls and experience the beauty of God's creation. We were just in time to see the summer solstice (at 11:45pm) as we hiked back to camp.
The first day of camp went well. The rain held of until the last camper arrived. But when it rained it poured! But a rainy day at camp is better than a sunny day anywhere else! It really gave us a chance to spend some time talking with the campers and really getting to know them. Since we are working with the youngest age group (entering third and fourth grade) it is the first time many of these children are away from home for the night. For some of them its the first time they are out of their villages.
We have definitely seen Satan at work trying to discourage the team, but we have seen God at work keeping us unified and relying on him.
The first night was rough for many of the campers. There were a lot of tears, homesickness and bed-wetting the first night, but the second night was much better. We've had rain everyday, but it holds off and lets up at the best times. We've lost power, but not when we've needed it and we know that God is in control.
The campers are asking great questions, asking great questions, taking notes during chapel and really opening up to the staff. It is great to see what God is doing. I wish that I could send pictures of them so you could put faces to these children.
Please pray that God would continue to work and we would continue to rely on him for strength!
Thank you,
The 2009 Alaska Team
06/22/2009
On our layover in Salt Lake City on Saturday we met a boy names Ivan.
Ivan is from the Ukraine and we only met him because we missed our flight. One of the airport workers asked if we'd be willing to hang out with him because he was going to Anchorage too.
His English was limited but we were able to communicate fairly well and we spent the day with him. We were all given meal vouchers so we all ate together and got to talk with him about why we were going to Alaska. He is going to be working in a fish processing plant all summer and had spent two days traveling from the Ukraine. It was a total God thing that we even met Ivan. We were all on the same flight to Seattle and then on to Anchorage and got to sit with him on the plane.
Greg spent the most time with him and they were able to talk about God a little bit. Please be in prayer for our friend Ivan as he works this summer. We hope that there will be someone else along the way that shares Christ's love with him!
06/21/2009
Are you looking for a way for the Lord to stretch your faith and use you in ways you never thought possible? Consider using your gifts this summer on an adult short-term mission trip to Port Alsworth, Alaska, to help our missionaries James and Sharon Walsh who operate the Tanalian Bible Camp.
The camp is located in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, 160 miles southwest of Anchorage, and is accessible only by plane. It exists to reach Native American families living in the remote areas of Alaska.
This trip will offer many different serving opportunities depending on your gifts and passions. The needs range from counselors for the kids who come to the camp to kitchen, cooking, and support projects.
View last year's blog: Click Here
06/20/2009
This mission trip experience is one the of most real life type "missions experiences" our junior high students have ever took part in. Our students were participants in the Salvation Army's green camp each day. The reason why it is called "green camp" is because all of the campers learn how to build giant vegetable and flower beds and then plant different kinds of flowers and vegetables in those beds. Throughout the week, campers also participate in athletic activities, learn drumming skills on 5 gallon Home Depot buckets, take a field trip to a local nature preserve, and most importantly, listen to a Bible story each day. We studied and helped teach the life of Moses each day. The 
role of our junior high students was to participate in the camp and build relationships with students their own age. They continually prayed for opportunities to share the gospel with their new friends, and starting on Tuesday, were challenged to have at least one spiritual conversation a day for the rest of the week. Just like a missionary who travels to another culture to share the gospel, our students received a taste of missions because they went into a different culture, built relationships and then prayed for and took the opportunity to share the gospel with their new friends.
Each evening, we debriefed the day, and I wrote down some of the ways our students were able to share the gospel:
One story that impacted me was Pastor Vincent's story. Earlier in his life, Vince was in and out of drugs and started getting involved in the Salvation Army in the early 1990s. He was in and out of half way houses. God rescued him from his life of drugs through the Salvation Army and these half way houses. Back then, he said, some day, he would like to do the same for others and help others who are in tough situations. A few years ago, Vince was working on a garage roof and he fell off and broke his femur bone. He received a $70k settlement and now he has a metal rod in his femur. As an African American male, the thing to get was a brand new Cadillac. So, the first place he went was to the Cadillac dealership to buy himself a spanking brand new Cadillac. He found his dream car, and it even had a push button to start it up. As the car salesman was getting the paperwork together for Vince to sign, Vince received a phone call from a real estate agent about a foreclosed home for $42k that he could remodel as a halfway house. The Lord was telling him to walk away from the car. He walked away, bought this second home and uses it to house women as a halfway house until they get back on their feet. Two weeks before we arrived in Chicago, Vince was teaching a Bible study, and in off the street walks in a mom with 5 kids and a 6th one on the way. She had no food and no place to stay. The Lord was telling Vince to provide a place to stay at his new house. Now, she lives up stairs with all 5 of her kids, while an older loves downstairs. We were able to eat dinner with Vince and this mom and her children in that house on Tuesday night. Through Christ's strength, Vince was able to do what the rich ruler had a hard time doing - "...Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come follow me" (Luke 18:22b). Pastor Vince just joined the Salvation Army staff earlier this year as the pastor of outreach.
06/19/2009
To view a full screen version of this slideshow, click here.
It had to end at some point. I suppose it is the logical flow of things. The things is, we really think our week on the South Side of Chicago--although it ended--was actually just the beginning of something quite massive. Overall, it was an A+ trip. Mario and I, and the rest of the leaders were really impressed with how smooth everything went. That doesn't mean there weren't any difficulties or challenging situations. But the Lord really overwhelmed us with His care and faithfulness! I am so proud of our students, all of them! We would be missing the point if we said that they 'worked hard.' The most important aspect is that this week they lived out their faith.
They were immersed in a scenario in which they had many choices, and chose to show Jesus through their actions and words and intentions. By the end of the week, nobody wanted to leave. We all wanted to stay for the second week of camp! On Thursday evening, we were scheduled to go downtown to eat and hang out in the ritzy part of the city. But that morning we all realized that no one actually wanted to do that. We wanted to stay in the community we were in and continue spending time with our friends there. We ended up just going to a local Portillo's and enjoying a great time with our Salvation Army hosts. Then we went to a nearby park to have fun in the playground, get soaked by the sprinklers (perfect weather for that), and play some tennis. On Wednesday night, Topaz and I taught for youth group. She taught for kids 10 and younger and she did a phenomenal job on an object lesson with folding papers; super creative. Thanks for praying for her on that. I taught for the other group (10 and older) from Jeremiah 1. It was great to see that our own students were praying for me as I taught. Again thanks for praying for us on that. Saying goodbye on Friday afternoon was tough for everyone. We made lots of awesome friends who kept asking us not to leave and to come back soon. The truth is that we have SO much to thank God for, because He really provided us with a gorgeous ministry partnership that will now be ongoing. David is taking his group from Grace this Monday. Please be praying for him and his group. There is very little doubt that, God willing, we will be back over there soon. There are so many ministry projects that Mario and I were dreaming about with Major Harvey and his team. And if God hadn't spoiled us enough during the week, even when we drove back right smack in the middle of rush hour, we didn't run into any traffic! We got back to church in less than an hour. As I keep telling everyone, this week was really about details...details that embellish the doctrine, as Paul talks about in Thessalonians...details that make Jesus shine to those around us. The details the Salvation Army had with us and in every aspect of their ministry undoubtedly made Jesus shine to us and to the community very, very brightly. His Name was exalted this week, absolutely!
06/19/2009
As I went on this mission trip, I will honestly say that I was scared out of my mind before going. The night before, I was crying and was nervous to go, but knew I had to because this is what God was calling me to do. I was scared, knowing the stereotype of the South side of Chicago. When we arrived there, you know it’s always hard to make friends when you are new but in this case, it was different. It was great! These kids were so nice, open, friendly and just fun to be around. By day 2 or 3 we were already getting hugs as we walked in the door each morning and getting out of our comfort zones. These kids were so easy to talk to and I loved having conversations with them. They were very welcoming.
On Monday evening, we had a fun time eating tacos at Major Harvey’s house and we were “kickin’ it at Pastor Vincent’s house on Tuesday evening and we had some chicken that was “FINE”” (Pastor Vincent taught me how to say that!! :D) and on the 2nd to last day of camp, I was invited to go to 6 flags with 2 of the girls and their family. (I couldn’t go because we had to leave) On Wednesday, we went to the Salvation Army’s youth group, that was really fun and really cool to see how they do things there. They had some amazing dancers and really good singers that performed. During this whole time, I learned to appreciate things at home a lot more. These kids have so much less than me and don’t have as many privileges because of their surroundings, and yet, they seem so happy and don’t think about the “big” things they may not have, but by stringing all the little things together, they really make their life full and complete.
I made lots of new friends and did not want to leave. I hope to go back really soon and visit all of them. That one week in Chicago made me some friends and memories that will last a life time.
Rachel Galmarini
06/17/2009
He was about to purchase a Cadillac, literally in the dealer about to sign the papers, when God got a hold of his heart. He didn't buy the Cadillac; instead he bought a run-down house on Egglestone and 118th, fixed it up the best he could, and opened it up to house temporarily men and women who have perhaps just come out of jail, or come out of prostitution, or drugs, or who are homeless and jobless and need to get back on their feet. His name is Vincent Johnson and there is no doubt that he loves the Lord with all his heart. God rescued him from a life in the gangs, dealing drugs, going to jail, and ruining his marriage. Tuesday night, we ate dinner at this house he bought for this purpose. The hospitality and acceptance were unbelievable. They fed us catfish and BBQ ribs. Caramel cake to top it off. Vincent's testimony blew us away. He now owns two of these houses, and a small apartment he rents out to a family. In total he now owns 4 properties, including his own house. But he's not rich; he's simply used all the resources God has given him and his wife. We as a team have been impressed with the staff of Te Salvation Army! They are Spirit-filled men and women who love the Lord and want their community to come to know Him. Vincent just came on staff about 5 months ago, as a right hand man to Major Harvey and as a pastor as well. His testimony has challenged us and encouraged us tremendously.
Tuesday (Day 2) was phenomenal! We started with a worship and devo session in the early morning, then proceeded to camp for the second day of it. We were very adamant about challenging our students to pray for and have at least one spiritual conversation with their new friends. It was incredible to see how much they had connected with the kids here and by this second day they were buddies with them...they were in...they were 'kicking it' with them. Our students are stepping out of their comfort zones. It is common to see them now side by side, arms over shoulders, all of them just messing about and laughing and enjoying together. 'Mario' (Mario) and 'Yoshi' (Josue) have become popular nicknames for the two fearless leaders. Spiritual conversations did occur and even though weren't necessarily very deep, many kids were asked about their faith and invited to youth group Wednesday night.
We praise the Lord that He continues to guide and bring to successful fruition all the little details of this trip. We continue to be blown away by God's care, protection, provision, and even spoiling, not necessarily materially, but in His display of faithfulness.
We ask that you continue to pray for us. Topaz has now been invited as well to teach at youth group Wednesday night for kids 10 and under (Josue is teaching for 10 and older). Pray for both of them as they prepare. Pray for continued 'fertile soil' to share the Gospel with the kids. we also ask you to pray for some of our students who find themselves struggling a bit more than others to connect and open themselves up to this new experience.
With that we close Tuesday. We'll keep you updated. God bless! And as they say here...this trip is 'Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!'
06/16/2009
To view a full screen version of this slideshow, click here.
The gang bosses are sitting out in the driveway playing dominoes.
There's a lookout in the corner. Less than 4 driveways down a retired cop is rocking in his chair, having a beer with a buddy. There's no threat between them, no tension in the air, no suspicious looks nor hands reaching for a weapon. They're all a community. They live side by side. A block away, multitudes of children play in the park. A couple makes out in the playground. The community pool is mostly empty, even though the day is hot. We are in the middle of the forgotten far south end of Chicago, where the city ends and the suburb begins, but they actually look the same. Nothing changes from one side of 'the line' to the other, except perhaps loyalties and political interests. And yet, in the middle of all this, we have been handed on a silver platter the best missions experience our junior high student ministry has ever had. We are participating with The Salvation Army in their Summer Green Camp, a program to educate children in the community about ecology and the importance of respecting and taking care of the environment. More than anything, however, our students are being the key players here taking the role of 'undercover' missionaries. They have already begun making friends and building relationships. Mitchell has taught some boys a cool handshake. Our students are embedded in teams participating in the camp alongside kids their age who need to know about Jesus, and we've given them the challenge to have at least one spiritual conversation per day. Really, this is not just for fun, but they are living what missionaries go through in an extended period of time. It's a crash-course for them.
And they will get out of it as much as they put into it. The ministry match is pretty much perfect. There is no doubt that the Lord orchestrated all of this, because seriously, this is just not normal.
We have never been in such an incredible ministry partnership. The attention to detail is excellent. The house where we are staying is impeccable, with a well stocked fridge, air mattresses, and bathroom odorizers and cinnamon rolls. Mario had an opportunity to experience Chicago politics at its 'finest' at a meeting with the local alderman and her chief of staff. It was really tense at one moment, but God smoothed things over. In the evening we were 'kicking it' at Major Harvey's 'crib' eating tacos and playing ping pong. They showed us a presentation of the upcoming building project that TSA is working on (more on that later). We ask that you continue to pray for us. It is evident that God is working here and making His purposes a reality.
Pray for our students that God would get a hold of their hearts to really have a burden for the souls of those around them. Pray as well for the kids and the community in which we are serving. Keep Josue in your prayers too, since he's been invited to preach on Wednesday night to a big group of students 10 to 16 years of age. Thank you. We'll keep you posted. From the forgotten south side, this is Anderson Cooper...I mean, Josue Valdez.
05/02/2009
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." -2 Corinthians 5:20
It is exciting to watch our church family get involved in practical ministry and outreaches of various sorts outside the walls of our building. This coming summer things are ramping up all the more. This is definitely an adventure!
In just a few short weeks we'll begin sending out three teams to be a part of the Lord's harvest field. We have an adult team returning to Alaska to continue to do outreach at the Tanalian Bible Camp in Port Alsworth and a senior high team heading to inner-city Detroit where our students will help with a day camp and some service projects. A junior high team will also be ministering at a day camp with the Salvation Army on the south side of Chicago.
As you probably know, we also had a trip planned to southern Mexico. Due to safety concerns surrounding the swine flu, we have decided to cancel this trip. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a notice on April 27 recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time. This Travel Alert is in effct until July 27." As it says in Proverbs 16:9, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Safety is always at the forefront of our planning, and at this juncture, the elders concur that the wisest decision is to cancel the trip and to ask those on the Mexico team to consider serving instead on the Detroit team this summer.
It's NOT too late to be a part of what God is planning to do through these teams. We need prayer and financial supporters to get behind these efforts to share the love of Jesus!
Unfortunately, in order to receive the best airfare, we purchased nonrefundable plane tickets to Mexico. The Mexico team has already raised around $2,500 through fundraisers we've hosted such as the pancake breakfast, the 5B's dinner, and other meals and services. At this point, we still need $5,000 to cover the cost of those tickets. A portion of any money you give will also help to defray the expense of the unused air tickets to Mexico City.
01/01/2009
We'll be working with a church called Iglesia G316 in Mexico City and with La Quemada Camp in Guanajato, 5 hours northwest of Mexico City. We're striving to develop a long-term partnership with Iglesia G316 and the work they are doing to reach the people of Mexico with the Gospel.
The main items on the trip agenda are:
The remainder of the time will be used for relationship building and fellowship (meals, visits to different people's homes, shopping, recreation, tourist activities).
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