Our motivation is not just to create fun trips for people to experience different parts of the world or cultures. These experiences are packed with potential to change lives and help us to live “missionally” not only on the trip, but when we return home.
Our driving focus is to fulfill the principles set out in Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
We have been given an unimaginable power source and we are intent on glorifying God, and doing great things with that power!
While each trip has specific goals unique to each location they all have one main mission – to glorify God! We want His glory to be known, and for the people we reach and serve to experience the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. In the process we will be raising up short-term mission trip leaders for future mission endeavors, and expanding the broader Kingdom of God. Through prayer, study, equipping, and encouraging one another… these trips will not only change those we visit, but we will never be the same.
To view short-term mission trip blogposts from the past, visit the "Archive by Month" section on the right side of this page.
The morning sessions for Thursday have already concluded. The week is more than half way over, but the time has gone by quickly and the relationships we've built have been a great encouragement.
The men in our training module have demonstrated a deep commitment to the Word of God. The discussion has been rewarding and their insights into the Scripture have been surprising. Sometimes it's easy to forget that God's Word and God's Spirit can build up God's people anywhere in the world. What a great reminder.
Yesterday we got to see the city of Yaroslavl between sessions. How many 1000 year old cities have you visited? Yaroslavl has a rich history, and like any Russian city, it places a heavy priority on monuments, churches, and artifacts. The city is gorgeous, and the Kremlin evidences the architecture of its day, complete with thatched roof, portals for shooting arrows, and high walls. What an experience!
We've also had some interesting foods. Yesterday I picked up a slice of roast beef and ate it with my bread. It was tender and appetizing. I later found out that I was eating cow tongue. Wow! I wish I didn't know that. Today I was happily enjoying my potato cakes and chopped beef gravy and later discovered I was eating liver. It tasted great! We're being treated so well, it's hard to believe we're in a different country sometimes.
We have two remaining sessions; one that begins in an hour (3:00 pm local time), and one that will begin tomorrow morning at 10:00 (we're 9 hours ahead of you). So far the week has been fruitful and effective. Each lesson has been engaging and helpful. The men have received the lectures with grace and appreciation. Thanks for your prayers.
Please continue to ask for the Lord's wisdom, discernment, and power as we try to bring all of the lessons to a close. I know each of the teachers have pages of material left to communicate, and it's likely that we will not finish everything we prepared to give. Please pray that the Lord will use the information we'll share and strengthen the ministry of the men who've come to listen.
The second day of teaching brought new students to our class. We began with 10, and on this second day of classes we added 3 more to the mix.
In addition, the pastor was encouraged that even though many of the men have some difficult things happening at home, they are still committed to learning God's Word so they can be more effective in leading God's people.
The men in the class are serious about their spiritual lives, hungry for the Word of God, and thoughtful about the text. The discussions have been lively and interactive as the men have provided their own helpful insights throughout the class lecture.
It's been a great time of teaching, learning and fellowship.
Well, we're on the train to Yaroslavl, a 5 hour train ride in a slow commuter train through the Russian countryside. Everything about the trip screams, "You're not in America anymore!"
From the different look of the people to the new language on everyone's lips it is clear that the setting has drastically changed. Convenience and comfort must give way to necessity.
On this train ride, three riders are crammed into a seat and are forced to sit face to face with another three riders opposite them. Our knees are touching and it is hard to be courteous to a person who speaks a completely different language than you.
To be sure, inconvenience can be a cause for gloom or joy. I would like to think of the alternate. I am grateful for the train that is warm compared to the freezing temps outside. I am grateful that I am sitting down rather than standing up. (what most mass transit here requires)
I am grateful I am on a train that has a rail and no traffic. After the hair raising taxi ride that we had on Friday, I will take this any day. That is a story for another time. :-)
We should get to our destination tonight and we will begin our classes tomorrow (Monday) morning. Each teacher (three in all) will teach once in the morning and once in the afternoon for the entire week. There will be one class on the missionary journeys of Paul, one on OT Theology, and one on the fundamentals of teaching. (as a side note we are 9 hours ahead in time.
We are looking forward to making new friends, sharing new insights and being challenged in new ways. God has graciously given us some great weather and the small group of teachers are closely knit. Praise the Lord for His goodness.
Thanks for your prayers, you are also a vital part of this team.
Click here for a description of the children who are waiting for sponsors.
One of the things our team walks away thinking about is how we spend our own money. We also find ourselves questioning where we could reduce spending on ourselves and redirect those funds to where they can be more impacting. For example, did you know that in Uganda alone, there are more than 800,000 children living without parents or guardians?!? We were VERY impressed with the ministry that Juna Amagara is able to accomplish in the lives of these children and how far they can stretch a dollar. It’s really quite amazing. On about $2 a day, Juna Amagara is able to provide for an orphan a home, three meals a day, spiritual discipleship and a great education. (Even though their school building seems very ‘poor’ their teachers do an outstanding job – the test scores of the seniors are among the highest in the country!) It was really quite a sight to see. For all they do, however, Juna Amagara can’t print their own money. They need people like you and me to step up and help sponsor more children so that they can serve more children. For less than $2 a day we can literally save the life of an orphan child in Uganda. In a place where there is no government welfare system, where tens of thousands of children live in child-headed families, where children do hard, menial labor just to eat one meal a day, you can give a child hope. You can also build a relationship with a child through letters – and we saw first hand the HUGE impact of those letters. One of the women who was on our trip (Linda) has sponsored a little boy for several years. She was able to meet him and his family during this trip. (I was also able to meet Walugembe Francis, a young man who I have had the privilege of knowing for the past 25 years because of the opportunity to sponsor him for 13 years when he was a child! Very cool!)
We’re hoping to find sponsors for each of the 60 children who are currently waiting. Are you’re interested in helping one of these children?
It costs about $50 a month for Juna Amagara to provide a home and education to these children. However, you can sponsor a child for as little as $30 a month if you can't afford to cover their entire cost of $50.
Download and print the application form: Click Here (Or call us and we'll mail you one - 630-466-7198.)
You can select a specific child from the slideshow above - or you can allow Juna Amagara to select a child for you. If you select a specific child (AWESOME!) please email us and let us know so that we can remove their picture:
You have a huge opportunity to mentor and be involved in the life of your sponsored child. We saw how powerfully impact the children were by letters from their sponsors - just the fact that someone cared enough about them to write is a huge thing. It's hard to express to you the level of joy that brings to them.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or anyone from the Uganda team. We were very impressed with how far the Juna Amagara ministry can stretch a dollar. They are indeed extremely good stewards of the funds God provides.
We hope you will seriously consider partnering in this life-changing ministry.
Child sponsor information and application: Click Here Juna Amagara website for more information: Click Here Or call us and we'll mail the information to you - 630-466-7198.
Linda and I stayed in a hostel on the outskirts of Kampala for a few days last week. We enjoyed hot showers sometimes and good food. While Matt and Crystal went to a doctor's appointment, we took Asher & Steven into the little dipping pool at our hostel. Linda was able to do a mini-swimming lesson for them and they really enjoyed it.
Saturday we moved out of the hostel and the Kehn's moved out of the guest house they'd been staying in about 30 minutes away. We all moved into a home just outside of Kampala called Kijjansi. The Kehn's have some missionary friends that are letting us stay in their house since they are on furlough in the States right now. We have been enjoying running water and many power outages with the electricity.
Originally Linda was hoping to spend some time at Amagara School of Fashion and Drapery Design (ASFADD), one of Juna Amagara's ministries, but we were unsure of how that would work out. Transportation was the main question. The two of us took a special hire taxi to the school (with the help of Matt's negotiation skills). We got a little bit lost, but after the the taxi driver showed a few people our hand-drawn map, we headed the right way and we recognized the building.
Linda and I went out to lunch with Lilian (the director of the school and wife of Ben, the founder of Juna Amagara). During our lunch Lilian asked what our biggest challenges had been so far. Linda said her biggest challenge would be travelling in the taxi's by herself the rest of the week. We had a great lunch with great conversation. When we returned to the school, Linda taught the students how to hand sew a mouse pin cushion. While she was doing that, I was helping Lilian clean up/organize her office a bit. When all of that was happening, Lilian came back into the office with a young man. She introduced me to Kenneth as a product of Juna Amagara (Ben had sponsored him through university) who is from Kijjansi (where we are staying) and has time this week....He was able to take us home (instead of a taxi) and will be able to take Linda the rest of the week! Recently Kenneth has been in Kenya for 3 months because of health concerns and surgeries. Lilian didn't even know that he was back in Kampala. God brought him to the school on the perfect day, at the perfect time, to fit our needs and remove Linda's uneasiness. Praise God!
Linda is excited to be able to do some teaching at the school this week. We are still waiting everyday for baby Adellynn to arrive, and are hopiing she comes before we leave the Kehns this weekend. If she doesn't, then we might have to go home without seeing the newest member of the Kehn family. But, we are trusting in God's perfect plan. Well, lunch (which involves chipattis, tortilla-like) is ready, so I'm off!
Zoom: click on image above and then click on the magnify icon.
Hayley, Ralph, Nathan, Tim, Amy and Kaity flew out of the Kilgali airport in Rwanda today and are heading home. Tomorrow, Keith and Max will fly to Tanzania to serve alongside of our missionaries Phil & Sara Nickels - and their girls for next five days (Tanzania boarders Uganda to the south). Linda and Lisa will remain in Uganda until August 5.
We have reached the final day of our time in Uganda. I am so thankful that God brought this ministry together because its impact has been great and numerous.
We are nearing the end of our time in Uganda. I am so thankful that God brought this ministry together because its impact has been great and numerous.
We debriefed as a team last night and it is very clear that the individuals on our team return home from Uganda different people from when they arrived. God has grown us all in significant ways. He has stretched us way out of our comfort zone. He has given us opportunities to proclaim the gospel – and pushed us to do it. He has challenged us to consider our own lives back home – and to reconsider the time we waste on leisure, the money we waste on self and our Laissez-faire approach to evangelism and outreach. We leave convicted by the $50 we spend to take our family out for one meal that could also be used to provide food, education and spiritual formation for an orphan in Uganda for a whole month… Or the $100 spent on cable that could buy a case of Bibles for children hungry to receive and read one… We considered ways to get serious about discipling others and about sharing the gospel with a true fervor. We leave with a love for the people of Uganda, a great appreciation for the ministry of Juna Amagara, a heart for the orphans, a longing for the children who are hungry for the word of God and a great blessing from the love, kindness, excitement and warm welcome we experienced from all we encountered (even those we just drove past on the road!). We have been blessed.
It is also clear that God used us to accomplish much ministry that simply would not have been possible otherwise. It was amazing to see how incredibly thankful and excited the children were to have us visit and share God’s Word with them. The children in the orphanage were hungry for our time and interaction. Our presence and ability to cover our own costs of ministry made it possible to proclaim the gospel and love of Jesus Christ in 7 schools to thousands of children that would not have otherwise happened – and resulted in hundreds of primary and secondary age students making public professions that we hope will be the beginning of lifelong commitments to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior and their Lord and opened doors for local churches and believers we partnered with to begin the discipleship process with these students.
We came wondering exactly how God was going to use us – but I don’t think any of us expected to end our days nearly as exhausted as we did – but neither did we expect that God would open nearly as many opportunities to serve as He did – nor did we expect half as many blessings out of it all as we received.
We leave with a heart to return. We leave with many new friendship.
Cick here to view a full-screen version of this slideshow.
Today as we headed out of the country we had the opportunity to visit a Juna Amagara site in Kamwengye. In addition to caring for orphans, this site has also begun a farming initiative that I think many of you would be interested in.
The main crops of Uganda are plantains, bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum, corn, groundnuts, coffee and tea. Actually, it's a pretty interesting farming climate as they have almost every growing condition - from tropical heat in the low lands to cooler temperatures in the higher altitudes. A few years ago Rev. Ben envisioned and began a project that introduced soy beans as a new crop – and one that substantially increases a farmer’s overall income.
The project provides to the area farmers their initial seed, training on how to plant the seed, how to harvest it and how to sift the shaft from it. They have also created a co-op to buy the beans once they’re harvested.
The most common crop of this region is maize (corn). Farmers can grow about 10 tons of corn per acre. By comparison, they can grow 6-8 tons of soy beans. Maize sells for 250 shillings per kg while soy sells for 1,000 shillings per kg. They grow all year long, so they have two seasons and rotate beans and corn. The end result is two fold – good agriculture of rotating crops and a doubling of the farmer’s income! Those are impressive results!
While at the site, we also played with their baby goats (raised for meat, not milk) and visited with Moses, who oversees the project.
Click here to view a full-screen version of this slideshow.
Today was a day of rest. Granted, our math is not so great as we've been here for 13 days and are just now taking a day of rest, but I think it's safe to say that this one could easily qualify for two days of rest - after all, it would probably take 10 trips to the zoo to see all of the animals that we saw today. Elephants. Water Buffalo. Eagles and lots of other interesting birds. Antelope. Nile crocodiles (which by the way are among the largest in the world and can live up to 100 years old). Hippos. And many other animals. Whle we did not have the opportunity to see lions, we did see gorillas, red tail monkeys and other types of monkeys swinging through the jungle.
Of course, Tim wanted to get out and go hiking, until Godfrey prevented it and told him that the pythons, gorillas and cougars (not to mention hundreds of other types of animals) would eat him alive in no time!
As you rise on Monday morning you will undoubtedly hear that last night two terrorist bombs went off in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Current word is that approximately 70 people were killed as a result.
Our team is fine and we are safe.
We are currently in the city of Mbarara, about 4 hours west of Kampala and we are heading further west today. Then on Wednesday we will continue our westward journey to Kilgali, Rwanda where we will fly home from.
Accordingly, we are proceeding with the ministry plans that have been set before us. Today and tomorrow we will be ministering in several elementary schools in the Fort Portal area.
Please pray for those in Kampala that are affected by the attacks.
Also, pray for our team as we proceed with ministry. That God would give us both wisdom, discernment, safety, resolve and continued effectiveness - along with other points that He may bring to your mind!
We love you.
Hayley, Tim, Amy, Lisa, Kaity, Ralph, Nathan, Linda, Max & Keith
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Monday, July 12
Over the past few days, we have had visited 8 public schools (5 elementary schools and 3 high schools) and have shared the gospel to probably 3,000 children. Unlike America, in Uganda, Christianity is welcome in the public schools and it's amazing how excited the teachers, administration and children are to see us at each school.
I have to admit that when we were first asked if we would hold evangelistic outreaches at schools as we traveled from point to point, I was more than a bit skeptical. "How will we do that?" I thought. Then I learned that at most schools we would be sharing in front of 300 - 600 children. "YIKES - How will we do that!?!" Then I learned that half of the schools would be high schools... "We can never do that!" I thought...
And I was right - we could never do that. BUT God took the willing hearts of the team and worked through our inabilities and uncertainities. In advance of landing in Uganda, He had already put together the perfect team for the task and had already begun preparing us - we were just not aware. We took the lessons we taught in the mountains of Kishanje and expanded them for this outreach and our team of non-actors acted out the stories...
AND the kids have LOVED it. They were incredibly welcoming, warm, friendly and excited to hear from us. In the elementary schools, we shared the creation story and the story of the fall which led to the need for our savior, Jesus Christ. In the high schools, we shared testimony and taught about the love of God and our need for a savior. Hundreds made new or renewed commitments to follow Christ. It has really been quite an amazing thing to be part of. We are thankful that God has been willing to use our group in this way.
The great thing is that He used us to be a blessing to these students and teachers. And in return, he used them to be a HUGE blessing to us. It is incredible to be surrounded by 500 Ugandan children singing praise to God and finding delight in your visit and your words of truth about our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Click here to view a full-screen version of this slideshow.
Well another long night, but totally worth it. I had the opportunity to go camping with Matt and the Abide guys. We had a few four man tents and had four to five guys in one tent. I was lucky enough to have five. So I slept shoulder to shoulder, on ground that has not been rained on in months. It was rock hard.
We woke up the next morning and Matt grabbed the guitar and Matt and I started singing worship songs. Soon all the guys had joined in and we worshiped and dances non-stop for about 30 minutes.
After we had breakfast, two brothers wanted to be baptized in the lake we had camped by. Matt agreed to it and before I knew what was going on, everyone was gathered around the lake watching these two boys getting baptized. One guy had a guitar and we were all singing and praying as the baptism was taking place. When Matt was done the two boys and Matt came to land and we sang and danced in celebration for a good 25 minutes. As we sang and danced the brothers got on their knees as multiple people prayed out loud for them. It is hard to explain, but they were praying all at once out loud. It was different but very exciting. It gave me a whole new outlook on baptism and worship.
I feel like when I worship back at home, there is an order to every song. You follow that order and don’t change it. I feel like there is no room for the Spirit to work and move. Now I feel completely different. I feel that if one feels lead by the Spirit to sing the song again or feels lead to sing another chorus (for example) they should do that. I have learned that as Americans we are very scared that the church service will go to long. I have learned that we should be more concerned about how God wants to speak to us and less concerned about going over our scheduled time.
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July 9: Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi ("Place of many little birds") lies in south western Uganda between Kisoro and Kabale Town - close to the border with Rwanda. Located at 6,440 feet above sea level, it is about 15 miles long and 4 miles wide and it is surrounded by hills that are 7,200 to 8,130 m high and intensely cultivated. The depth of the lake is 3,000 feet deep, making it the second deepest in Africa. It is one of the few lakes in the region that is free of bilharzia and safe for swimming.
Today we left the orphanage at Kishanje and headed to Lake Bunyonyi (Place of many birds) traveling by open truck, foot, and boat. The drive and walk down the hillside was breath taking.as was the view of the lake tucked between the hills. It is one of the few lakes in the region that is safe for swimming. The depth of the lake is over a mile (3,000 feet).
Next we traveled by van to Kabale where children from two elementary schools awaited for us. We spent the afternoon sharing in song and storytelling from the Bible. Max took the lead role as he played the serpent in the creation story. The children blessed us with their hearts and friendship in the short time we were together. The second school prepared tea for afterwards. It was a sweet time to visit with the staff and interact with the children. Be sure to ask us about the African instruments that the children played for us. It was so refreshing to be able to share the gospel in the school system of Uganda Rainey will be thrilled to know that storytelling has now moved to Uganda. Blessings,in Jesus Linda.
Our team joined back together in Mbarara for the last half of our trip. While eating dinner we experienced a fairly strong earthquake trimmer similar to the one we had in our area last spring. There was so damage but it lead to a bit of excitement for the evening.
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Thursday, July 8th
Today was an exciting day. We went up for “Morning Glory” (devotional time with the high schoolers) as we do every morning at 7am. Harriet, the housekeeper, made some awesome Spanish omelettes for breakfast, which is a change from the usual bread, peanut butter and bananas we normally get. Keith, Max, Kaity, Liz (a college age volunteer from nearby Kabale) and I all decided to go up the hill to the primary to spend the recess time with the children since it was our last day. It was so much fun! Max brought his football (soccerball) and all the children loved playing so much, even though it kept getting kicked down the side of the mountain and had to go get retrieved often. Linda sent up a beach ball with me and I blew it up for the children. They were just amazed as they watched me blow it up. I don’t think they had ever seen one before. When it was full, I hit it up in the air with my hand and all the children went crazy, screaming and laughing and trying to keep it going. It was really windy which meant it kept going over the side of the mountain, but they continued on. It was so awesome to see how something so little, that our American children take so for granted, was so enjoyed by these kids.
The highlight of the day was that Kaity and I each chose a child to sponsor. It was children from the primary school that we had bonded with throughout the week. The girl I had chosen is named Costa. Harriet, who is the housekeeper but also sort of what we would consider a caseworker, suggested that we go to see where the children live and meet their guardians. They took the children out of school a little early so we could leave in a truck down the mountain. Costa was so excited, because she had never had a ride in a vehicle before in her life. ~Amy Hett~
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July 7: Tim, Ralph & Lisa: Mbarars; Rest of team in Kishanje
Scott Capp, here in Sugar Grove, was able to use Skype to get through to Matt Kehn in Mbarara today, and to speak also with Tim Calhoun and Ralph Cervantes. Here is a little bit of the action that has been happening there:
Tim Calhoun recounts that three days ago they hosted a “crusade” meeting in the market in the mountain village of Kishanji. Hundreds of people came to the meeting and several of the team members, including Tim gave a testimony, Ralph & Keith both gave a messages. And one woman accepted Christ!
The service was about two hours, but after a while Keith decided that we had to get going because it was getting dark. Also, the Sunday morning church service was three hours long! Whoever had a song and whoever had a scripture, they just shared it. It made our 90 minute service, and 60 minutes sermons seem short in comparison to African culture!!
Three days ago, Tim and Ralph left the other team members up in the mountains to come to help with the ABIDE program. The other team members are traveling down out of the mountains tomorrow (Friday – July 9th) to meet them at ABIDE (about a 3.5 hour drive). Matt Kehn reports that the eight students from ABIDE program finished their exams today, and they are spending the rest of the day, and overnighter just outside of Mbarara. They spent today relaxing by a small lake, and then will enjoy one night in a hotel. Ralph and Tim are with them. Lisa is with Crystal at the Kehn house about a 10 minute drive away.
Ralph and Tim have been at ABIDE for these past 3 days, working with students, getting to know them, hanging out, building relationships… Tim has been also able to help with some of the teaching. Keith prepared the team to all be ready to teach through the Fruit of the Spirit, which is the topic of our church’s summer sermon series back home in Sugar Grove!
Ralph says they are doing fantastic and has been enjoying getting to know Ugandan Pastor Bernard, and also Pastor Ben Tumuheirwe who began the Juna Amagara ministry that Matt and Crystal Kehn serve with. Ralph has led 4 – 5 devotionals… working through the book of 1st John.
Since coming down out of the mountain villages three days ago, he’s been enjoying the city of Mbarara, where the Kehn’s live, and seeing the different cultures… even the differences between the mountain people, and the city dwellers. He recalls seeing the young children who living on the side of the mountain carrying very heavy water jugs on their heads up and down the mountain. He says “They are a very gentle and polite people… God’s spirit is moving in Uganda and Africa…"
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July 5: Kishanje
Our first few days have been tremendous and it has been an incredible journey. Many times we are concerned about our ability to fill the roles we are constantly asked to serve - but God has been so faithful and so good to use us and to work through us - and at the same time to work in us. The team has built some deep relationships here - if it wasn't for our family and friends back home, I think we might just stay!
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July 4: Kishanje
Today is Sunday and so when we woke up to get ready for church, I “showered”. Showered is a term I use loosely here in Uganda, because the water is extremely cold! Not only that, but they have to haul all of their water up the side of a mountain from a community well down in the valley. The children here start hauling the water at the age of 2, hauling canisters of water that abouts about 1 gallon size. The older children haul canisters that are about maybe about 2 ½ gallons and teens about 4- 5 gallons. They hike down, fill up the canisters and then balance them on their heads up the side of the mountain. Tim and Nate helped them with this task today, and they said it was quite a rewarding experience.They said there were small children at the well that were so excited and screeching. One of the teens said it was because they have never seen a white person before and they were excited! They also said that a local woman kept saying something in the native language and the teens said she said she was happy to see a white person work for water that he would not use. I was very proud of the boys serving in this way.
We also were a part of the church service this morning. We taught them a song, Hayley did the scripture readings, Nate preached and Ralph even did an impromptu solo! It was so emotional to keep back tears from flowing as we watched these people truly praise the Lord with singing and dancing! It really makes our services look dull! Nate did an awesome job preaching on the subject of peace , his parents/grandparents should be proud! What an awesome responsibility for a young man, to preach to a couple hundred children, teachers, and parents! Time was not an issue for this service. There are no watches, so nobody was worried about the service going over, basically Tim Badal’s dream :). There was a time were anyone who wanted to come forward to sing a song, could do so if they felt led. It was at this time that Ralph went up and sang a song for us.
After we ate lunch, we went back to the school to lead a devotional with the teenagers of the school. It was yet another great time of fellowship, worship and teaching. We sang the song with them again that we taught them this morning, then sang another that they were familiar with. They enjoyed us singing and dancing with them. Tim did the teaching during this section, and spoke on self-control. It was very convicting and he did such a good job! I was so proud of him! We then spent time with the kids, some of the teenage girls taught me, Hayley and Kaity some of their native worship songs, so that we can worship with them during the services.
I have to mention a very neat thing that happened today. Linda was hoping to meet a child that she had been sponsoring for five years right here at Kishanje. During the morning worship service, I turned to see her little boy, Bruce, sitting next to her, worshiping God together! Praise the Lord! How often is it that two people on a mission trip are able to meet their sponsored children on a single mission trip? Tomorrow, Linda will hike down to Bruce’s grandmother’s house to meet her, and they are excusing Bruce and his sisters from school so they can spend time with Linda and their grandmother.
The trip so far has been completely amazing! I can’t even believe that I am here yet, my mind hasn’t quite wrapped itself around that fact yet, but I am enjoying every minute of it!
Hi, Josh, Clayton, Micah and Elianna! I love you so much and I can’t wait to share with you how God has been working here in Uganda! I miss you all…..Amy
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July 3: Travel from Mbarara to Kashanje
We are now in Kashanje at Rev. Ben’s house just down the road from the Juna Amagara Kashanje Learning Advancement Center (KLAC). We haven’t been able to see the kids yet though. It was pretty late when we got here. We’ll see them tomorrow. This morning, we had breakfast with the ABIDE team. They are very friendly and made sure that they had a conversation with everybody. After breakfast, we drove up to Kashanje from Mbarara. The ride was about three hours. We got to see the mountains for the first time. They were absolutely breathtaking. Its hard to wrap your mind around on how beautiful they are! God is an artistic God, (In terms of scenery), and He has proven it many times since we arrived. We also went to a market this evening and we proclaimed the Word of God. We were able to see the worship team from Juna Amagara as they sang songs. The energy they had when they praised the Lord, was very convicting. We don’t do that at church. We stand there and act bored. But they were dancing and they had so much energy in what they were doing and it was just awesome to be a part of. Seeing them get into it makes you start to dance to the music. Its great. The kids at this yard sale would come up to you and start talking. It was in there native language of course, but it was adorable, none the less. After the yard sale, we had to drive literally up the mountains. We went so high up. I’m terrified of heights, so it was a very nerve wrecking ride for me. There were times when the driver would go so close to the edge of the cliff and I would just lose it. Haha. When we arrived in Reverend Ben’s house, there was a bat flying around inside! It was so freaky. Also on the way to Kashanji, Herbert, a guy who works at the Juna Amagara orphanage, bought us a bunch of mini bananas, I had about 5 of them. They were delicious! The food here in general is just amazing. One of my biggest factors about coming on this trip was the food but the food is great. While driving up to Reverend Ben’s, we stopped at this gas station and there was a van that drove by and the driver yelled out the window, “Whites! You are welcome!” That just warms my heart to hear that. Everywhere you go, you constantly hear the word “Muzungu’s!” Which means white people in their native language. Some of these people haven’t even seen a muzungu before and they just get so excited. Driving through the mountains, there were a lot of oxen. It was really funny because little kids would be chasing them with sticks! It was so cute. God is an amazing God. It is my pleasure and honor to be here in this absolutely breathtaking country. Thank you God, for giving me the opportunity to be here. I love You.
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July 3: Mbarara (Lisa)
Back in December when I first talked with Matt & Crystal about the possibility of me coming to visit, I didn't know we would have a team together. So, when we had discussed it, I told them I'd simply like to live life with them for a few weeks. When the team was put together, some specific ministries were put together for our time here in Uganda, however, with Crystal being in her last month of pregnancy, my original thought has turned out to be my role on the team.
Crystal's official due date for baby Adelynn to arrive is July 28th. She went to the doctor last week and was told she could come off of her 3 week bedrest and that the baby is ready to be delivered any day. It is uncertain whether or not they/we will still travel to Kampala for the baby to be born, or if Crystal will deliver at a hospital here in Mbarara. With that being the case, I have spent the last few days helping her with her two boys Asher (3 1/2) & Stephen (2) with daily activities. I'm learning their daily routines, so in case she goes into labor, I will be able to take over the boys with as smooth of a transition as possible.
The boys and I have had a lot of fun playing and reading together. The team brought some new things for them, and they especially love puzzles from Linda and soap in a sponge from Kate (Duff). Crystal and I were able to go through piles of diapers and clothes for the baby and get Adelynn's room all ready. This girl already has a great wardrobe! It has been fun for Crystal to anticipate the arrival of her baby girl with a house full of boys and losing Jerusalem after only a few days in January.
Today I went with Matt to Juna Amagara's ministries here in Mbarara. I met Monica, the house mother, and Stella, the school's director. The school has 57 students in preschool through grade 3. The house is a home to 14 children, 7 girls and 7 boys. Monica was telling me that there used to be 39 children there. However, with the economy crunch some sponsors have stopped sending their support, so most of the children have moved on to Juna Amagara's ministries in Kishanje (where the rest of the team has been this week). She was sad to see them go, but is excited when some come back to visit her on holidays. Stella was telling me that the school desperately needs a new building. It has a foundation, but the structure is wood. The government sees that as temporary and dangerous. There is a possibility that it could be closed down if they do not build a new brick structure. Stella's dream is to have the funds for that and to expand the school in order to go through grade 7. I played with some of the children a bit, but didn't go into their classes. They were taken exams today, and I figured my being a Mzungu (white person), would be quite a distraction during an important time at school.
Instead, I spent the afternoon at ABIDE (on the same property). Today was their last day of classes, and I was able to attend some of them. It was quite a blessing to hear the students discuss and critique their outreaches from this past weekend and throughout the past six months. One of the ABIDE students from last year, Medrad, led one of the classes today. He did a great job of answering some tough questions. The last class of the day, and of the term, was taught by Pastor Bernard. He is a Ugandan man who has been a teacher for ABIDE from the very beginning. Today he reviewed the basics for his Spiritual Leadership class. I was really blessed from his teaching. I wish I could sit under his teaching more often! These young men are in good hands. Pastor Bernard relates well to the students, challenges them, encourages them, and occasionally breaks out into song! Matt certainly has found a good teaching partner for this ministry. The graduation service and ceremony will be on Sunday. Matt has invited the ABIDE students from the past two years and expects all but two students to attend. He has also invited some perspective students for next year's program. It will surely be a bittersweet day for all those who have invested in the ABIDE program.
Continue to pray that Asher and Stephan will adjust well to my presence and helping out in the Kehn house, the ABIDE graduation ceremony on Sunday will be a great day of celebration and send off, God will bring Crystal into labor in His perfect timing. Pray for the 8 ABIDE students that they would be prepared for their exam on Thursday, that Ralph and Tim will have a Spirit-led time with the students, and the students will go home to their villages and still remain faithful and put into practice all that they have learned together.
Lord, what an adventure you have me on! The rooster woke me up this morning and as it still sounds I stand in awe of you. The simple life that is all around me helps to give me a glimps into others’ lives – and the lives of those that have lived before us.
The sites, the smells, and the sounds around me are foreign, oh Lord. They are foreign and exciting. In the midst of the newness, I pray that you will help me to see the world from your eyes. You came down and you saw the need. Help me to see others for who they are and what you can do for them……
…..What a day! God, you have been so good in blessing us with enough experiences in one day to make a full lifetime of memories. If this is what you had for us today I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for us to learn! We awoke early and had a wonderful time of fellowship over breakfast. The men who have been with us so fare are wonderful guys—so passionate about the Lord and His people. It’s very refreshing!
Father, you have been hard at work, perfectly orchestrating everything that has happened so far. Last minute, Keith’s compassion child (who is only four years younger than Keith) was able to meet up with us. He had breakfast with us and we took time out of our journey (that is what the natives call traveling) to stop by the compassion site that he was sponsored from and then we had the opportunity to visit his aunty’s home – the place he grew up.
The home was about twice the size of my room and in the middle of a community where everything was covered with red dust from the ground. She was so hospitable! Barely knew a word of English, yet she served us all a meal consisting of fresh fruit and cakes (more like cornbread muffins) and sodas. The size of her house and her status as a landlord leads me to believe that she is one of the wealthier women in the community.
Children kept peeking into the windows to see the “Muzungus”, or white people, so I was able to take some cakes out to them and play with them a bit. Lord, they did not understand a word of English but as Ralph said “A smile is the universal language” and we were able to communicate through laughing and smiling.
God, you are so good! Our team has been one since the second meeting and you have clearly planned every little detail, even if that means our plans have had to change. You have hand crafted all of this and I pray that though this sites I see, the people I meet, and the conversations I will have that I will learn and serve in everything you would have for me. Keep us all safe and healthy. Give us a boldness we’ve never had before and keep our hearts open as well as the hearts we will come into contact with. I love you, Lord!
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July 2: Kampala to Mbarara
It's true, Hayley Roberts did manage to trip over the equator today... So no longer can anyone say that hasn't been done. Tim Calhoun was not, however, really eaten by a hyena - that rumor was the result of a bad telephone connection back home...
One BIG surprise happened today. 25 years ago, when I was 13 years old, I somehow decided to begin sponsoring a child through compassion. I was linked up with a young man named Francis Walugembe, from Uganda, who was 6 years old. I've been able to maintain a relationship with him for the past 25 years and by God's good grace and huge surprise, I was able to meet him today and then took the team to his auntie's house where he grew up and is currently living. It was a very poor area and rather challenging to get to, but his family welcomed us very warmly and served us a very nice lunch of bread, fruit and soda. Certainly will be a highlight of my trip - something I've wanted to do for at least 18 years but doubted I would ever have the opportunity.
We then headed west to meet up with our missionaries Matt & Crystal Kehn. It was a 5 hour drive west on a major road, but one that was very narrow with lots of people walking, riding bikes and motorbikes on each side and cars driving in all lanes. I don't know how our driver managed to make it the whole way without hitting a pedestrian and without getting hit ourselves by a large petro truck - but he did! It's crazy though. The streets are lined with shops and produce stands - almost the whole way. And always TONS of people on the streets, walking, riding, taking taxi buses, etc.
It was great to see our friends Matt & Crystal and to have dinner with them. Matt cooks up some mean Ugandan food - it was very good. We all agreed that we're used to Matt & Crystal coming to see us but it seemed surreal to be in their home this evening. It was a real blessing.
Tomorrow we will spend some time with the ABIDE students (Matt's ministry to post-high school students) and then head to the Kishanje Learning Advancement Center. From there we will have very limited (if any) communication options. There is no internet, very limited cell coverage and power only occasionally - so you probably won't hear from us for a while.
Thank you for your prayers and support for our ministry!
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July 1: Kampala, Uganda
After 23 hours of travel, we arrived safely in Uganda. It was such a surreal experience to actually be on the ground walking in Africa. By the time we landed and made it through customs it was about 10 pm, Uganda time. We were warmly welcomed by a team from the Juna Amagara ministry that we are serving alongside - the founder of the ministry, Rev. Ben, and several others from the ministry met us at the airport and drove us to the hotel where we spent the first night. Nothing quite like the Fairfield Inn or Spring Hill Suites back home - but it was nice and comfortable - and provided a much needed bed after being awake for over 30 hours straight.
The Uganda team took off from Village Bible Church Wednesday afternoon. Check-in at the airport went smoothly; all their bags went through without any problems. The last communication from the team reported they were all on board the plane waiting to take off for Amsterdam.
Hello! Thank you all for your prayer thus far! We know that God is at work in the lives of the kids here at camp and in the lives of the workers as well. Each day, kids have fun times with their friends on the playground, at the dock, and in their cabins. This is a pleasant sight to behold, but more pleasant still is the sight and sound of kids asking questions about Jesus, the Bible, Heaven, and salvation! I do not know all of the conversation that has taken place in the other cabins, but in my cabin, there are two boys who seem to be very interested in putting their faith in Christ. Please pray that as we deliberately guide time to allow more cultivation to mature, God will bring them to Himself and they will start a genuine relationship with our Lord.
Each day, there is an evening game time. Last night's game was "Find the Leaders". The basic idea of the game is that the counselors hide and if a child finds them, the camper gets to push the leader off the dock into the icy water of the lake! I'm sorry to say that both Jennifer Wood and Jenn Kuryliw were captured and laked. I'm sure you can all imagine my grin of smug satisfaction when I say that I escaped those children and the fate worse than death.
This morning, each cabin made a fire on the beach and cooked eggs and ham for breakfast. The food here has been delicious and has kept the team well-nourished.
I have gotten the word from a few of our team members that they miss home and their families. However, they are enjoying the time that God has given them to be strengthened in their faith and endurance.
Finally, only God knows who is close to making a decision to follow Him. In my cabin, it seems as though both Rayden and Jack are interested, so please be in prayer for them. Also, pray for the other campers that they may understand the Gospel and have a foundation that would lead to salvation. Thanks from Alaska!
Hello! Much has happened since the last update! We learned that 12 of the original 48 campers who signed up were not able to make it and canceled last minute. Even if they had come, this number would have still been lower than in the past years. With that information, we have two options for response. Being discouraged would feel very natural right now, but we know that there is a better choice. God was not surprised with how many kids came this week, nor was He discouraged. The 2-1 camper to counselor ratio will allow for even deeper relationships and conversation to occur. Please pray that we will take advantage of the situation and that God will bless our efforts.
A few more things have happened. Because of the previously mentioned cancellations, Jennifer Whybrew has been switched to kitchen crew where she will work with Lucinda and the rest of the crew. We are praising God because the weather has been incredibly ideal despite the negative forecast. This has helped the week start off smoothly.
Last night, I was awakened by what sounded like a propane tank exploding outside our cabin, however I soon realized by some scuffling in our room that one of my campers had fallen off of the top bunk and caused the sound. He was ok and probably suffered more from embarrassment (very little) than the actual fall. He found it funny which was a relief because we did too.
Well I'm off to go help my guys with some games in the field soon, here are some prayer requests that we have. Please pray that - the campers would be attentive during each chapel session - the counselors would rely on the Lord's strength this week since our own will be spent
Hello! The beginning of our journey to Alaska went quite smoothly. Most of us were a little nervous about getting through security, (and for some it was the main concern of the whole trip!) but even though we had two expired ID's and too much toothpaste among us, we got through without incident and on-time.
We had a layover in Denver for a few hours, and then finally boarded our flight to Anchorage. As we flew through the air, the nervousness turned into enthusiasm as we realized that we were really on our way! As we touched down in Anchorage, we were awed by the beautiful, albeit clouded, view of the surrounding mountains and water. It was pretty weird, though, because we touched down at 10:35 PM Alaska time, (1:35 AM Chicago time) and it was still daylight out! (The sun doesn't go fully down through the summer, which has been a little weird, but really cool!)
We spent the night with Mary and Kent Huey, a couple that attends a church in Anchorage that supports Tanalian Bible Camp, and were blessed by their hospitality and kindness. On Saturday morning, we made our way to the smaller airport where, after a short wait, we boarded some small planes which took us over the water and through the mountains to the Tanalian Bible Camp.
After we settled in, we began to familiarize ourselves with our new surroundings and the other counselors that had just arrived for this coming week. Through volleyball, Bump, (a basketball game sometimes called "Knockout" at home), craft preparations, and fun conversations, we feel as though we've made some new friends with our fellow camp staff, and we're eager to get to work!
This morning we were blessed to be able to attend the church here at the camp, which was a neat experience that was a little different from what we're used to. One of the many things we loved about it was the breathtaking view of the mountains and lake that we could seen out the windows. It was incredible to be able to worship our Creator through song as we stood in awe of His handiwork seen through the large windows. We were also very encouraged by a powerful sermon, on 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, delivered by James Walsh about the need for men, particularly fathers, to be strong in their faith and love. Anyway, tomorrow morning is when the campers from this past week fly out, and the primary (3rd and 4th grade) campers, with whom we will be working, fly in. We're all both eager and nervous to put aside the leisure of the day we've had, today and last night, to begin working with and loving the coming campers! With the exception of Kathy and Lucinda, (who have been placed in Crafts and kitchen duty, respectively,) we are all counselors or co-counselors, so we're pretty excited!
Here are some things you could pray for:
Rest as we look forward to the long week ahead
Loving enthusiasm for the new campers we'll meet tomorrow
Clearness of mind as we assess and keep track of our responsibilities
Opportunities to be examples of Christ's love as we show compassion to the campers
Continuing unity among us and the other staff for the week.
Thanks so much! We're about to head out for a hike, with our fellow staff for next week, to see a waterfall, so we'll give you all another update another time. Thanks for your prayers and support!
The Alaska team met at VBC at 9:00 Friday morning and prayed with a group of family and friends who sent them off. They had a long day of traveling, but made it safely to Anchorage. They spent the first night with host families, which is a new experience for most of the team, and made it out to Tanalian this morning.
The team can't wait to see what God does and they are so excited to meet the campers!
We threw a party in honor of the nannies on our last afternoon at the orphanage. We had brought them gifts from America, ranging from neck-ties for the director to bath and body lotions for the nannies, and more... They were such gracious hosts while we have been serving them that we wanted to leave a tangible thank you for allowing us the opportunity to share the love of God with their babies, and with them. We bought a huge cake, and had the opportunity to talk to them through our interpreter Qiao (Chow). Also, the director of the orphanage wrote us a very touching letter thanking us for coming, and inviting us back again.
One of the women who worked at the orphanage really wanted us to play basketball with her 15 year old son "Tony". We ended up traveling to his school on Friday afternoon, and 4 of us (Scott, Scott, Qiao, and Tony) took on 2 other teams in a match where the winner of short games stayed on the court... We won 3 out of 4 games here and had a great time. We brought several of the girls of our team as cheerleaders who gathered a very large crowd for our game. Fun times for all!
Yesterday was our last day at the orphanage, and it started off with a special morning session. For the first time all week, the nannies allowed us to take the babies out into the courtyard. It was the first sunny day all week, and perfect time to take our little girls for a stroll.
Traffic in China is absolutely wild. There are traffic lights, and even police officers in the street, but the custom is to pay much more attention to the flow of traffic than to any of these modern means of control. It seems that it all moves at about 15 to 20 miles per hour in the heart of down-town, and it really doesn't matter what side of the road you drive on... as long as you blow your horn... A LOT. Pedestrians, bikes, mopeds, cars, moving in all directions... and it seems like there are hardly any accidents, because of the slower pace. But if you ride in one of these electric powered "taxis"... you're really in for a ride!
Hang on for a wild ride !!!! And all for only 4 Yuan (.59 cents). :-)
Every night after dinner we ventured out into the city streets of Heng Feng to try to meet people. We definitely stuck out, and sometimes attracted very large crowds. Thankfully, almost every night we found someone who knew enough English to be able to have conversations with. The tents you see at the end of this brief clip were set up every night right in the middle of the street as a mini cuisine bazaar. From duck heads, to chicken feet... anything you might desire to eat!!
It's hard to believe that this is our last day at the orphanage. We have our regular sessions with the babies in the morning, and then in the afternoon we will be throwing a party in honor of the nannies. We have all brought personal gifts for them, and for the orphanage staff that we have really enjoyed getting to know. They have really opened themselves up to friendships with us, instead of just organizing the details of our stay. It has been a real pleasure to find ways to communicate accross cultural and language barriers to share hearts, and even beliefs with our new friends.
Our chinese hosts invited us to a ping pong match. Their star player was a retired doctor who now volunteers her time at the orphanage. This video shows Topaz Williams taking her on. I don't know... it was pretty close, but I think the Chinese doctor won.
The food here in China has been very good. They have been taking very good care of us. Most restaurants we eat at have a very large lazy susan in the middle where the food is rotated throughout the course of the meal. Everyone takes little bites of everything, until it is all gone. We have NEVER left a meal hungry!!
We have been making many friends in addition to caring for the babies. Aeveral of the people who work for the orphanage have been so kind to us. On Tuesday night we even had two families come to our hotel and join us for our evening devotions. We had a really fun time with introductions, and the Scott Etchison carried on with our scheduled Bible reading of Jesus' calling of the disciples.... from Matthew 4:18-22. The children at the Heng Feng orphanage are certainly growing attached to us now, and vice versa. Each day when we show up, there are looks of joy on their little faces... and vice versa. We're praising God for what he is doing here.
It hasn't taken long for us to settle into a nice routine and to become attached to these precious babies we are caring for. It was so fun today, to see the babies laughing and giggling, and warming up to this group of strangers! There are still a few babies that aren't quite sure of us, but I have a feeling by the end of the week they will all be enjoying our loving arms. The nannies have welcomed us with open arms and seem to enjoy the little bit of break we can give them in the time we are there. Everyone we come into contact with is so gracious to us....from the nannies, who give gifts of flowers and food, to the orphanage director, who eats every meal with us, and makes sure there is always food that we like and that we are all satisfied.
Speaking of food, I think we have all gotten the hang of chopsticks, which is a good thing, since silverware is not really an option! We also have a few brave people on our team who are always willing to try anything that looks a little different. Last night our guide Qiao was telling us about the strangest things he knows of that people in China might eat, including monkey brain, cat, dog, baby mice and silk worms. We have not had anything like that at our meals! The strangest so far has been the seaweed soup and the fungus called "wood ear". Our meals together are always fun and interesting!
Thanks for all of the prayers coming from home. We have so far all been healthy and pretty well adjusted to the time change. Please continue to pray for our team and for everyone we come into contact with. Our prayer is that we can be a light to the people we meet and serve here in China. "Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be bright as day" Isaiah 58:10
Besides our ministry at the orphanage itself, we are able to go out into the city streets and try to meet people twice per day. After lunch, and after dinner we have set time in our schedule to walk around. People are very interested in talking to us, and we are seeing God's answers to prayers in this way. We don't even have to try to initiate conversations, people are wanting to know why we are here, and this opens up a a great opportunity to talk about the ministry at the orphanage, and also the Love of God, and Jesus has put into our hearts.
Please pray specifically for these two girls, whose names are ZchuHong and Rujia. They are finishing up their secondary education (high school), and today they are taking their exams to get into college. Very few make it in, though they say that they are very confident. Most importantly, they were asking us about why we were here, and we had the most significant conversation with them last night as we walked through Heng Feng.
The group has evening devotions every night up in the hotel rooms. We've had some great times of sharing about what God is doing. We take turns opening up the Word of God to each other every morning at breakfast, and at these night time opportunities for building one another up.
The orphanage was situated in a quiet area. The orphanage itself is in a pristine place where the orphans were well cared for.
We were welcomed with an incredible hospitality. It is obvious that we are wanted and appreciated. The director of the orphanage gave us a warm speech to let us know how glad they are that we have come to help. We assured him that we are here to serve them, and to let us know of any ways we can serve them. We were given a tour of the facility, and then allowed to go from room to room to meet the nannies and the babies. Most of them are between 1 month and 2 years old.
There are 5 rooms with 5 to 6 children per room. We got right into the swing of things helping the nannies, holding the babies, and getting to know our surroundings. It was an impactful first day, especially on us. We are overwhelmed by the need, but seeing God's gracious hand in bringing us here to help.
We arrived in Beijing on Saturday night after 11 pm, and didn't get settled into our rooms until 1 am. We were met in the airport by Qiao (pronounced Chow), and Carla... (whose Chinese name is really Yam). Team members had some prayer time up in their room before going to sleep. Most of us got 3 - 4 hours of sleep before getting up at 5 am, and ready for departure to the airport @ 6 am. We had a box lunch on the bus back to the airport.
We all have cameras, but Heidi is definately our resident photographer... she has taken the most pictures by far.
We had a 2 hour flight to Nanchang, and then a 3.5 hour bus ride to Heng Feng.
This morning I read Psalm 19, which says in v. 1 "The heavens declare the glory of God"... and in v. 3 "There is no speech where His voice is not heard"... and that includes this wonderfully mysterious Chinese Mandarin tongue we have been hearing all around us.
It is great to know that the Lord's voice is already here... "pouring forth speech". God himself is reaching out to these precious people. It is great to be able to be a part of this missions to spread His love.
Our tour guide Carla gave us Mandarin lessons on the bus ride to the airport. If someone asks us: "How are you doing" (Nee How Ma?) a good answer would be (How), which means "very well".
(Wha Ay Knee) = I love you... which is the message that all of the team members wish to send back to family members and friends back home who are praying.
We just got done with our Sunday night "prayer service" up in the hotel bedroom... All of our team members, plus Qiao spent some time going through the Scripture and praying. It is great to see the team coming together. We can tell we've got a lot of people lifting us up to the Father.
We head to the orphanage first thing in the morning (Monday here, but Sunday for you) to begin our ministry there. Everyone is very excited to meet the babies. We met the orphanage director today over lunch and dinner. His name translates as Mr. Yellow.
It is 11 pm here ... We are now off to find a hotel for a few hours sleep. We have one more flight in the early morning (we have to be back at the airport around 5:30 am) in-country flight to Nanjing, and then a 3.5 hour bus ride to the Heng Feng Orphanage.
Here is some fish that we had, served with head and tail...
and Qiao (pronouned Chow), who is our guide and translator, along with Becki our team co-leader. Becki was roomates with Kate Duff at Wheaton College, she lives in Plainfield, and has been to the Heng Fung orphanage twice before, and has adopted a little Chinese girl into her family! She and her husband Russ attend church in Naperville.
We are now boarding the plane in Minnesota to fly to Tokyo, Japan where we’ll have a short lay over before we head to China. I am thinking about Hosea 6:6 which says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” and I think this is going to be a verse that God bring to light to us on this trip as we see incredible need and learn to heave a heart for the people of the world in a whole new way.
We are excited that our last team member, Missie, arrived here in Minnesota just about 20 minutes before our plane for Tokyo was scheduled to depart. Her passport and visa arrived just 2 hours before she headed to the airport this morning. Ours arrived last night via special delivery at O’Hare airport, so we’re very thankful to the Lord for pulling all the details together so the trip could start off so well.
We have some long flights ahead of us. We have about a 13-hour flight to Tokyo and then we have a layover before going to Beijing and we’ll spend the night before we go to Nanjng, which is the city closest to the orphanage, Heng Feng. We really desire to be the hands of Jesus to this orphanage. So thank you to everyone who has been praying as we’ve been getting ready.
From June 4-14, a team of 10 people will be serving at a government run orphanage in Hengfeng, China - Social Welfare Institute (SWI) - striving to carry out our James 1:27 biblical mandate to "visit orphans" in their distress. We will strive to bring love and assistance to the orphans living at the orphanage. (There are millions and millions of orphans in China alone.) Our purpose will be to serve and to love children in need. This will include spending time holding babies and playing with children, doing crafts and service projects for the orphanage, but we will also have the opportunity to interact with the nannies who regularly care for the children, the orphanage director and our tour guides along the way.
From July 1-15, we will be serving orphans in southwest Uganda. In sub‑Saharan Africa alone there are over 10 million children who have lost both of their parents – most who have died because of the AIDS pandemic. While there we’ll be the hands and feet of Jesus to a small group of those children. We’ll be serving with two of our missionaries in Uganda, Matt and Crystal Kehn, and the Juna Amagara ministry they are part of. Juna Amagara provides hope for AIDS orphans in Uganda by providing them with safe shelter, quality education, balanced nutrition, health education and vocational training – thus empowering their personal and spiritual growth. There is also a one-year Bible school (ABIDE) that they operate for young adults. While there we’ll play with, teach and love on the orphans and some of the team we’ll also teach some of the ABIDE classes.
From June 18-29, we will be serving the families of the Bristol Bay region of Alaska through the youth camp ministry of Tanalian Bible Camp, in Port Alsworth. This camp is operated by our missionaries, James & Sharon Walsh, and reaches out to the native people who live in the villages surrounding this area where there are no roads - so nearly all of the students who attend this camp will need to be flown in. We'll work with 3rd & 4th grade students, helping them memorize scripture, learn practical outdoor skills, play games and show them Christ's love.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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:
Elyse talked to Jamilia who asked she what she believed, and then Jamilia in turn, asked Elyse what she believed. Elyse shared the gospel with her, and Jamilia said that she already fully put her trust in Jesus. Erin asked Keisha what she liked doing in her spare time and if she liked going to church? Keisha said yes.
Then Erin asked Keisha what her favorite Bible story is, and Keisha said Jesus' crucifixion because it shows Jesus love for her. Rachel talks with Antoneisha who said that she is going to start coming to the Salvation Army church every Wednesday night because of Rachel's encouragement for her to come to church (Mario visited the Salvation army church two weeks later when Grace Bible Church had their Chicago trip, and Antoneisha was there, asking for Rachel).
Nathan talked to his friend Bryce. He asked Bryce if he was a Christian and he said yes.
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.
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.
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!
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!!'
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.
"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.
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:
a concert of worship for about 3,000 people
a week of summer camp at La Quemada, where we will help Iglesia G316 host a fun week of Bible camp for children
a street evangelism project in Chapultepec
The remainder of the time will be used for relationship building and fellowship (meals, visits to different people's homes, shopping, recreation, tourist activities).
REQUIREMENTS
Active participation in the student ministry.
A growing relationship with Jesus.
Read one or two books and prepare a report on each one.
Participate in at least six of the eight Sunday training sessions.
Memorize scripture.
Learn some basic Spanish.
Have spiritual conversations with unbelievers at least once a month.
Solicit prayer support and $800 in financial support through your own work (50%), fundraisers and prayer support letters.
During the week of July 26, a group of 21 senior high students and young adults returned to Detroit to be with the kids they became friends with two years ago. In partnership with Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation, this group conducted a week of Vacation Bible School during the mornings, and worked around CDC host churches in the afternoons, and spent their evenings worshiping, sharing, praying for the neighborhood, and spending time at neighborhood block parties.
Tuesday was an amazing day. God's Spirit poured out on our block party and Steve Sterkel led a young man named Anthony (20 yrs old) to the Lord. And we had the most incredible time of praise and worship where all of our team was filled with so much joy that half our team was in tears because of the pure joy of experiencing the awesome presence of the Holy Spirit!
To view a FUL SCREEN version of this slideshow, click here.
During the week of July 26, a group of 21 senior high students and young adults returned to Detroit to be with the kids they became friends with two years ago. In partnership with Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation, this group conducted a week of Vacation Bible School during the mornings, and worked around CDC host churches in the afternoons, and spent their evenings worshiping, sharing, praying for the neighborhood, and spending time at neighborhood block parties.
Tuesday was an amazing day. God's Spirit poured out on our block party and Steve Sterkel led a young man named Anthony (20 yrs old) to the Lord. And we had the most incredible time of praise and worship where all of our team was filled with so much joy that half our team was in tears because of the pure joy of experiencing the awesome presence of the Holy Spirit!
To view a FUL SCREEN version of this slideshow, click here.
From July 5-13, a team from our Refuge group (Sr. High) went to the deep-woods of North Carolina for "Jungle Jump-Off", where they experienced a week long simulation of missionary life in a 'remote village'.
The team united as they "skywalked" on the high-ropes course. They dined as never before on food prepared on mud stoves, and even better, underground! They were stretched as they heard words spoken from a new language. They worked together to accomplish tasks that they usually take for granted. And guess what, they loved it, and they'll never be the same again!
After a day blending challenges and fun, sleep was sweet for some on a wooden floor in a champa (house built on stilts), and for others, in a hammock strung between trees in a heavily wooded area at the Jungle Jump Off site.
These experiences will helped explode some myths about missions and exposed our team to the realities of missionary life.
Tuesday morning was a work time and we pulled weeds and put down some new mulch.
Tuesday afternoon we learned about "Vernacular Media Services". They showed us how the means to communicate the gospel through different media. As part of the lesson they showed us how they will doub a movie with a new language. We paticipated in doubing a section of a movie. Look for a move clip with our voicec doubed in when we return :)
In the evening we cooked spegettie for supper and then headed off for more training. Martin taught us about the tough choice that poor third world people have to make.
Then we listened to testomony from a MK ( missionary kid). He was in the Ivory Coast Africa until his second grade and then came to the states for a few years then returnd to the Sehara Africa. He can speak Swedish, French, and english fluently, and parts of some other launges.
Monday started out with instuctions on how to set up our hamocks and then took rest of morning to set them up. Most of the kids slept in them.
Then in the afternoon we the afternoon we toured Jaars. We saw the avatiation center where they repair and service the aircraft.
In the late afternoon we were got a chance to enjoy the pool. Monday evening we made burgers on the open campfire.
In the evening then Dean gave us a lesson on how and why Wycliffe translates the bible to other languages.
After the lesson we built a campfire and enjoyed some smores.
Our junior high students served on a short term mission trip in the Aurora and Chicago areas. The purpose of this experience was to gain exposure and a heart for missions locally. On Monday, the team ventured to Wayside Cross and Pregnancy Information Center (PIC) to do some work projects and learn about those ministries. On Tuesday, the team traveled downtown to the Chicago Food Depository to package food for homeless shelters and then traveled to the south-side neighborhood of Zion Hills Missionary Baptist Church for an inner-city immersion afternoon to learn about and pray for the people of that community!
6/23: We are so grateful to God for his providence over our lives, and the safety he afforded over our travels. Accross nearly 8,000 miles we experienced his mercy and had our awe of his creation increased exponentially. We are all back to our "normal" lives, and yet sense that mission is what we were made for both there... and here. Thank you to everyone who suppored through prayer and finance to make this possible.
The final night of camp there was a special banquet for the kids. The camp counselors all decided it would be cute to dress up at geeks... for effect.
Macho Men...
Final Awards & Skit Night...
Each team member was given some kind of award from the counselors, and had the opportunity to put together a skit to perform the rest of the campers.
BIG Bonfire... And Goodbyes...
Our final night of chapel went really late, and our bonfire on the beach got over with around 1 am. The Lord was really at work in the lives of the teens, and several of them gave testimonies during our final time togther.
7500 Feet ...
It was a very cloudy day for flying back to Anchorage. The pilot flew via instruments for several minutes until we could get above the clouds. We flew higher above the mountain pass then we ever have before for a completely different vantage point.
Back in Anchorage...
Our trip is just about completed. We landed safely back in Anchorage at 9:40am on Monday morning. We're staying overnight with some friends of Scott's. God has been so good to us on this ministry trip. Thank you SO much for following along with us, and for your faithful prayers!
Glorious Waterfall After a pretty challenging hike, about 45 minutes of ups and downs from camp... Anne and I made it with a couple of dozen campers. Greg and Vic stayed with others for water-front activities... They had already climbed it the day after we got here.
Anne @ Waterfall
Quackers
Missionary pilot, Mark and Andrea's daughter Katie feeds the ducks up close.
Surprised by Sun Though the weather forecast called for more rain... the sky opened up and poured down sunshine most of the day. It ended up being the warmest day yet.
Greg's basketball class - A League of His Own...
Though Greg's specialty is baseball, he has found some kids interested in learning basketball and he's made some new friends.
Friends of God
Anne is using her talent of teaching sign language. Though there are no deaf kids at the camp, she is teaching about 5 hearing kids who have an interest in learning many signs including the lyrics to "I am a friend of God", by Phillips, Craig, and Dean.
Tough Guy's Softer Side - Vic giving a piggy back ride
Vic's huge arms may look intimidating, but they come in handy in giving a lift to a jr. high girl. We're all having a ton of fun.
Re-Energizing Landing
A very large DC-6 is landing on the longer of the village's two runways. This plane lands frequently to deliver the fuel which powers everything.
Aylah and Ashley snuggle up for the frigid "hobo" breakfast on the beach on Thursday morning. It's been raining off and on for the past two days... It looks about the same for the next two days... but should be warming up a bit.
Wrestling Lessons Vic figured that the dock would be a great place to teach me some wresting basics... with the water hovering in the mid 40's... the kids loved it! NOTE: (I was already wearing my bathing suit) ;-)
Tippecanoe and Life Vests Too!
You can probably figure out why the #1 rule of the canoe club is NO TIPPING. Kids sign up and get two days of lessons, then they switch to another activity, and I get a new group.
We've seen several eagles flying around which has definitely inspired awe in God. My pictures didn't turn out near as nice as this one I found, however the greatest one seen was flying right outside our chapel windows with a huge fish dangling from it's claws.
Worship with us...
Our God, You reign forever Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not faint You won't grow weary You're the defender of the weak You comfort those in need You lift us up on wings like eagles
Kids from all over south-western Alaska... here are the names of some of the villages... Egegik, Iliamna, Igiugig, Kakhonak, Dillingham, Nushagak, Kenai, Naknek, Kanakanak... your love, prayers, and gifts are enabling the grace of Jesus into some pretty remote areas...
Vic's group
Anne's group
Greg's group
Another group
View of Chapel from Across the Bay
p.s. Some people have been having trouble seeing their blog comments... Be assured they are coming through to us.
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."... Isaiah 2:3b
The massive mountain in our view is named Tanalian, which means "Mountain that runs into the sea" in the native language.
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Day of Worship
Sunday has been a day of rest as we await the arrival of the kids tomorrow. We joined the Port Alsworth Bible Church in worship this morning and the church was packed standing room only. Pastor James brought a sermon from Acts 17.
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Saturday Staff Training
James and Sharon Walsh led the staff in a time of training on Saturday so that we would be ready to hit the ground running as soon as the teens arrived.
Our final approach gives you a unique perspective on the bay where the Tanalian Bible Camp is situated along Lake Clark. Lake Clark is over 60 miles long and 5 miles wide. We arrived safely, and are grateful to the Lord for an incredible traveling day.
We’ve begun some staff training are getting rested up for the kids who arrive on Monday morning. All of the kids have to be flown in just like us since there are no roads connecting the little villages out here in these remote areas.
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A Walk Through the Clouds
Flying through the mountain pass at a higher altitude than last year made it look completely different, the sun was shining, and the clouds were above and below us at times. Awe inspiring!
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Almost There!
After 4 short hours of sleep, we gathered at Merrill Field at 7:30 am Alaska time. We are three hours behind Chicago. Team members Anne Camey, Greg Hess, Vic Epperson, and Scott Capp are standing ready to head to the village.
Answers to yesterday's trick question: Parents and a couple of friends were included in the photo of our prayer and send-off at church.
Today's weather might not be quite as clear as this photo indicates. Regardless, we are trusting God for traveling mercies as we traverse the 4068 miles to Anchorage and beyond to Port Alsworth Alaska.
It means a lot to us to have so many people following... and praying along the way. Feel free to post messages. (Team members won't have easy ability to reply... but your thoughts will be passed along).
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We had a great time of prayer at the church before leaving for the airport... How many of the team members can you recognize? Hint: This is partly a trick question... :-)
Our missions conference this year was the first “peak” of what we hope will be several several summits in the missions ministry of Village Bible Church this year. The missions committee decided that this would be a great time to put all of our mission talk into action with our 1st ever Missions Conference cross-cultural project (right in our backyard – Aurora) partnering with World Relief. The refugee’s that we reached out to are much more than a “project” to us... They are new friends whom we hope to be able to build friendships with throughout the year! Thanks to so many who made the Saturday ministry a total success. Sunday was dynamite as well. Dr. Jim Pluddemann gave a resounding affirmation of the vision of our church to spread the glory of God to ends of the earth. What a joy it was to have the Kehn’s, Fornelli’s, Sutherlands, and Jinette Griefenberger with us. Our vibrant worship of our mighty God is something we can NOT keep to ourselves(Psalm 67). We have been blessed mightily by God... To be a blessing to others. Thanks to all & glory to God!
The project provides to the area farmers their initial seed, training on how to plant the seed, how to harvest it and how to sift the shaft from it. They have also created a co-op to buy the beans once they’re harvested.
the recess time with the children since it was our last day. It was so much fun! Max brought his football (soccerball) and all the children loved playing so much, even though it kept getting kicked down the side of the mountain and had to go get retrieved often. Linda sent up a beach ball with me and I blew it up for the children. They were just amazed as they watched me blow it up. I don’t think they had ever seen one before. When it was full, I hit it up in the air with my hand and all the children went crazy, screaming and laughing and trying to keep it going. It was really windy which meant it kept going over the side of the mountain, but they continued on. It was so awesome to see how something so little, that our American children take so for granted, was so enjoyed by these kids.
It's true, Hayley Roberts did manage to trip over the equator today... So no longer can anyone say that hasn't been done. Tim Calhoun was not, however, really eaten by a hyena - that rumor was the result of a bad telephone connection back home...
nice lunch of bread, fruit and soda. Certainly will be a highlight of my trip - something I've wanted to do for at least 18 years but doubted I would ever have the opportunity.
Team Leaders:
Team Leader
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
From July 5-13, a team from our Refuge group (Sr. High) went to the deep-woods of North Carolina for "Jungle Jump-Off", where they experienced a week long simulation of missionary life in a 'remote village'.
