We have a team of 22 people, 15 college/high school students and 7 adults, heading to Guanacaste, Costa Rica on August 14 to share the love of Christ.
We have seen the faithfulness of God through team preparations. Fundraising efforts were not without great challenge but He provided every penny we needed and then some. We saw God provide anonymous gifts and donations through generous people. He provided through extra work, odd jobs, graduation gifts, selling bottled water on the street corner, long lost refund checks that were suddenly found, sweating our brains out at yard sales . We also witnessed God’s healing power in the life of one of our team members. So we praise our Abba Father who delights in meeting the needs of His children!
What will we be doing in Costa Rica? We will be working with YWAM missionaries, Diego & Salla Silva, on a Bible distribution project where the goal is to make sure 96,000 homes in this region have a Bible. We will be showing the movie “To Save A Life” in Spanish, playing soccer, ministering in schools, visiting with a pregnant teen ministry. Several students will be leading skits, music, teaching, and sharing personal testimonies in local villages and home visits where we will build relationships, share Christ and pray for the people.
Please pray for as we bring Truth, Light, and Hope to the lost people of Costa Rica through the love of Jesus Christ. This is our prayer: “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”~ Acts 26:18
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Brazil - Day 5 in Ingazeira
Hello everybody! This is Bailey,
Just giving you guys a update on what the Brasil team did today. We went to two schools today and did skits, testimonys, and made witness bracelets. Mrs.Debra, Mrs.Jennifer, Mrs.Jill , me, and Sydney had good talk with the older girls at the second school, and Kp gave his testimony with the boys.
We also worked on the construction project that we started on Monday. The family who´s house we worked on was grateful that we would spend our time to help them. Little did they know how much "doing unto others" blessed us.
Everybody played soccer at Pastor Carlos´ church, and we all had a bunch of fun. Pastor Carlos was really happy that his team beat Mr. Hebert´s and Mr. Doug´s team. Of course, after soccer, saying our goodbyes was difficult, but the people there were happy when we said we would be back next year.
Tomorrow we will be in Pelo Sinal again, with Pastor Moabi and his family. God is definitely moving in the lives of the people we come in contact with, and we are excited to see what He has planned for us tomorrow!
Just giving you guys a update on what the Brasil team did today. We went to two schools today and did skits, testimonys, and made witness bracelets. Mrs.Debra, Mrs.Jennifer, Mrs.Jill , me, and Sydney had good talk with the older girls at the second school, and Kp gave his testimony with the boys.
We also worked on the construction project that we started on Monday. The family who´s house we worked on was grateful that we would spend our time to help them. Little did they know how much "doing unto others" blessed us.
Everybody played soccer at Pastor Carlos´ church, and we all had a bunch of fun. Pastor Carlos was really happy that his team beat Mr. Hebert´s and Mr. Doug´s team. Of course, after soccer, saying our goodbyes was difficult, but the people there were happy when we said we would be back next year.
Tomorrow we will be in Pelo Sinal again, with Pastor Moabi and his family. God is definitely moving in the lives of the people we come in contact with, and we are excited to see what He has planned for us tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Brazil August 2010
Our team of 13 left for Brazil on Aug. 5 from Charlotte. After a very long flight and bus ride, we arrived in Afogados Ingazeria. Day one in the outback was a trip to Solidao for house visits, soccer, and prayer for the city at the mountain top statue. In the evening we participated in an outdoor service with the local evangelical church. We sang, performed a skit, and Daniel preached.
Day two began with a church service in Ingazeria, where Pastor Carlos has his apartment. In the afternoon, we went to a new city named Carniaba to work with the local church there. We visited houses and participated in their evening service. I think there are lots of future opportunities in that city.
Day 3 (Mon., right?) was back in Ingazeria. We helped start construction on a bathroom for a family with 2 small girls. They have been in that house for 2 years with no bathroom. They use the woods. Think about that for a minute.
In the afternoon we spoke to a group at a school. Harper gave his testimony and did a great job. We performed two skits and sang a few songs. Some of the school girls performed 2 dances for us.
Day 4 we went to a small village named Tres Umbuzieras. (forgive my spelling!) Our 3 teams visited about 13 homes to share the gospel. This is another place where the fields are ripe for harvest! Its so exciting to see people so receptive, not only to foreigners, but also to the presentation of the gospel.
This afternoon we were in Pelo Sinal, a town we have visited on all 5 trips to the outback. (Hugs and greetings were given on behalf of past team members to the kids!) We went to a few houses and played with the kids on the soccer field. We will be going back to Pelo Sinal on Thursday.
Tomorrow we will be back in Ingazeria for school visits and to help with the bathroom construction again. We are hoping to get it finished!
Prayers are appreciated for health and safety of team members, as well as receptiveness of the people we come into contact with. Hopefully we will be able to blog again soon!
Day two began with a church service in Ingazeria, where Pastor Carlos has his apartment. In the afternoon, we went to a new city named Carniaba to work with the local church there. We visited houses and participated in their evening service. I think there are lots of future opportunities in that city.
Day 3 (Mon., right?) was back in Ingazeria. We helped start construction on a bathroom for a family with 2 small girls. They have been in that house for 2 years with no bathroom. They use the woods. Think about that for a minute.
In the afternoon we spoke to a group at a school. Harper gave his testimony and did a great job. We performed two skits and sang a few songs. Some of the school girls performed 2 dances for us.
Day 4 we went to a small village named Tres Umbuzieras. (forgive my spelling!) Our 3 teams visited about 13 homes to share the gospel. This is another place where the fields are ripe for harvest! Its so exciting to see people so receptive, not only to foreigners, but also to the presentation of the gospel.
This afternoon we were in Pelo Sinal, a town we have visited on all 5 trips to the outback. (Hugs and greetings were given on behalf of past team members to the kids!) We went to a few houses and played with the kids on the soccer field. We will be going back to Pelo Sinal on Thursday.
Tomorrow we will be back in Ingazeria for school visits and to help with the bathroom construction again. We are hoping to get it finished!
Prayers are appreciated for health and safety of team members, as well as receptiveness of the people we come into contact with. Hopefully we will be able to blog again soon!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Peru Trip
Don't forget to pray for the Peru team as they prepare to leave on Friday!! The team members are: Bill Niccolai (team leader), DeLynne Day, Larry Furr, Toni Little, and Nancy Woodell.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday in Pelo Sinal
Today we went back to Pelo Sinal primarily to put the new roof on Jose's house. How like God to put on our team an engineer and 3 men who work in construction!! The old tin roof had already been removed so our guys along with the owner Jose, our bus driver Manuel, Pr. Carlos, and Pr. Moabi got right to work. Cheryl, Emilie, and Monica also worked at the house throughout the morning. Even better, Jose and his oldest daughter accepted Christ!!! (His wife accepted on Saturday.)
The rest of the team divided up and went on house visits. One team (Bonita, Sheila, Faith, and Katarina) were able to visit with a woman who had attempted suicide when we were there on Saturday. We heard about it after she had been taken to the hospital. They were able to share the gospel with her today and she accepted Christ. She was open with what she had done and our group was able to tell her how devestated we were to hear about it. We were so grateful to have the chance to come back today----especially since this was a change in schedule! She said learning about Jesus and receiving salvation was "just what she needed."
DJ, Shelby, Justin, and Ruth went to a type of recycling center where kids were making things out of recycled objects---cans, cardboard, plastic, etc. Not really sure if this was part of a school or not. But they were able to share Christ with them using salvation bracelets. The teacher and 5 or 6 students accepted Christ. Our kids gave them each 2 bracelets, one to keep and one to share. See! The kids are fantastic missionaries!!
Tomorrow we leave our hotel and travel 3 hrs to a new city called Arco Verde. We will be going to a school and a daycare. Since this is a new place we aren't exactly sure what all we will be doing. But to be sure, God does!!
We'll be staying there tomorrow night and going back to Recife on Friday for the day. Then we come home on Saturday. Not sure if we'll have internet access after tonight. So just keep praying and we'll definitely blog as soon as we can.
The rest of the team divided up and went on house visits. One team (Bonita, Sheila, Faith, and Katarina) were able to visit with a woman who had attempted suicide when we were there on Saturday. We heard about it after she had been taken to the hospital. They were able to share the gospel with her today and she accepted Christ. She was open with what she had done and our group was able to tell her how devestated we were to hear about it. We were so grateful to have the chance to come back today----especially since this was a change in schedule! She said learning about Jesus and receiving salvation was "just what she needed."
DJ, Shelby, Justin, and Ruth went to a type of recycling center where kids were making things out of recycled objects---cans, cardboard, plastic, etc. Not really sure if this was part of a school or not. But they were able to share Christ with them using salvation bracelets. The teacher and 5 or 6 students accepted Christ. Our kids gave them each 2 bracelets, one to keep and one to share. See! The kids are fantastic missionaries!!
Tomorrow we leave our hotel and travel 3 hrs to a new city called Arco Verde. We will be going to a school and a daycare. Since this is a new place we aren't exactly sure what all we will be doing. But to be sure, God does!!
We'll be staying there tomorrow night and going back to Recife on Friday for the day. Then we come home on Saturday. Not sure if we'll have internet access after tonight. So just keep praying and we'll definitely blog as soon as we can.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tuesday in Agua Branca
Today we travelled to a new city called Agua Branca. Pastor Carlos has been preparing for this visit for 5-6 months. It's a rather large city and is in another state---don't ask me the name please.
We started out in the school, in their "gym." It was sort of a covered cement basketball court but they use it for volleyball, soccer, and assemblies as well. Brooke, KP, and Chad shared their testimonies. (And let me just say that 16 yr old KP was a ROCK STAR to the girls there.) They were actually screaming for him when he walked up to speak! We all got a kick out of that and we'll try not to let it go to his head.
After lunch, we went to a small remote village almost an hour from Agua Branca. As with most of the other smaller villages in the outback, our bus can't go on the dirt/gravel/rocky/hole-filled roads. So we rode in pick-up truck taxis. Can I just say that we'll all be needing appointments with a chiropractor when we get home?
This village seemed very oppressed to us. Since it was such a long way there, we only had a little over an hour for house visits, prayer walking, and a school visit. Quite a few children prayed to receive Christ in the school after DJ used salvation bracelets to share the gospel. Another group went to an afterschool type program and another 8 kids prayed there. There were still more salvations through the home visits. As Pastor Carlos establishes more relationships in this area, it looks promising that this will be a place we'll return to on future trips.
I'd like to say that the kids on this team are blowing us all away. They are excited and willing and BOLD. They led our team devotion tonight and we were all commenting that we wished we had been more like them when we were their ages. The parents of the kids on this trip should be very proud. We are honored and blessed that they are on this team.
Tomorrow we return to Pelo Sinal to put a new roof on a house!! We'll also go on house visits and the guys will play soccer in Solidao in the afternoon. Go Team USA!
We started out in the school, in their "gym." It was sort of a covered cement basketball court but they use it for volleyball, soccer, and assemblies as well. Brooke, KP, and Chad shared their testimonies. (And let me just say that 16 yr old KP was a ROCK STAR to the girls there.) They were actually screaming for him when he walked up to speak! We all got a kick out of that and we'll try not to let it go to his head.
After lunch, we went to a small remote village almost an hour from Agua Branca. As with most of the other smaller villages in the outback, our bus can't go on the dirt/gravel/rocky/hole-filled roads. So we rode in pick-up truck taxis. Can I just say that we'll all be needing appointments with a chiropractor when we get home?
This village seemed very oppressed to us. Since it was such a long way there, we only had a little over an hour for house visits, prayer walking, and a school visit. Quite a few children prayed to receive Christ in the school after DJ used salvation bracelets to share the gospel. Another group went to an afterschool type program and another 8 kids prayed there. There were still more salvations through the home visits. As Pastor Carlos establishes more relationships in this area, it looks promising that this will be a place we'll return to on future trips.
I'd like to say that the kids on this team are blowing us all away. They are excited and willing and BOLD. They led our team devotion tonight and we were all commenting that we wished we had been more like them when we were their ages. The parents of the kids on this trip should be very proud. We are honored and blessed that they are on this team.
Tomorrow we return to Pelo Sinal to put a new roof on a house!! We'll also go on house visits and the guys will play soccer in Solidao in the afternoon. Go Team USA!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday in Solidao and Monday in Ingazeria
Sunday in Solidao started in the school with a little program for the kids. The local pastor's teenage daughters led them in singing and games. Some of us hiked to the statue that overlooks the city. It has sort of become tradition to go there and pray over the city. The others stayed at the bottom of the hill and witnessed to a few people. One woman approached the group and asked why they were there. What a perfect opportunity!
We were able to visit with a lady (Damiana) with whom we've had previous contact. Her baby was named after Wendi McCarn who led Damiana to the Lord 2 years ago. Baby Wendi is beautiful and we'll post pics soon. This family is still faithfully attending church and growing in the Lord. Her husband who was an alcoholic 2 years ago is a believer and is now mentored by Pastor Moab weekly. Praise God!
The afternoon was spent ministering to Pastor Moab and Pastor Carlos and their families. We had the privilege to wash their feet---literally. They were encouraged and we were blessed to honor them for all they do as missionaries in this area all year long.
The team ended the day at a worship service. Brooke, KP, and Chad gave their testimonies. The team performed a skit originated by Mark Kessler and the Steele Creek youth (to "God of This City") It was a late night but a very encouraging Lord's Day.
Monday we travelled to Ingazeira and Cacimbinha. These two places are very oppressed and have previously been difficult to witness and form relationships in. Some of the group led a program for the younger kids at the school including face painting and singing. Shelby and Brooke used the story of Joseph and his brothers to teach about forgiveness.
DJ, Chad, Justin, Hebert, and Rico met a group of teenage boys and witnessed to them. All 3 accepted Christ! One wanted a group to go talk to his mother and another wanted to know how to study the Bible and start a Bible study.
Meanwhile, Sheila, Emilie, and Katarina went next door to the boy's home and witnessed to his mother, grandmother, and sister and they accepted Christ as well. God is moving in that little village!
The elders of the village (which is only about 10 homes) met in one house with Pastor Carlos and Pastor Moab and some of our team. This was a time of building trust and relationship.
In the afternoon in Ingazeira, there was a boy's soccer game. Daniel, Hebert, Rico, KP, DJ, and Justin played the Brazilians and actually won! DJ and Justin gave their testimonies and did a great job. The girls played a handball game (NOT the Americans). We had a little worship service afterwards. Kesia sang and Shelby gave her testimony. We also performed the skit again.
During the games, some of the team went on house visits. Many people prayed to receive Christ. God did some miraculous things today and answered prayers of Pastor Carlos as many people he had been praying for were saved.
Tomorrow we go to Agua Branca which is a new city for the team. We are expecting great things!!
We were able to visit with a lady (Damiana) with whom we've had previous contact. Her baby was named after Wendi McCarn who led Damiana to the Lord 2 years ago. Baby Wendi is beautiful and we'll post pics soon. This family is still faithfully attending church and growing in the Lord. Her husband who was an alcoholic 2 years ago is a believer and is now mentored by Pastor Moab weekly. Praise God!
The afternoon was spent ministering to Pastor Moab and Pastor Carlos and their families. We had the privilege to wash their feet---literally. They were encouraged and we were blessed to honor them for all they do as missionaries in this area all year long.
The team ended the day at a worship service. Brooke, KP, and Chad gave their testimonies. The team performed a skit originated by Mark Kessler and the Steele Creek youth (to "God of This City") It was a late night but a very encouraging Lord's Day.
Monday we travelled to Ingazeira and Cacimbinha. These two places are very oppressed and have previously been difficult to witness and form relationships in. Some of the group led a program for the younger kids at the school including face painting and singing. Shelby and Brooke used the story of Joseph and his brothers to teach about forgiveness.
DJ, Chad, Justin, Hebert, and Rico met a group of teenage boys and witnessed to them. All 3 accepted Christ! One wanted a group to go talk to his mother and another wanted to know how to study the Bible and start a Bible study.
Meanwhile, Sheila, Emilie, and Katarina went next door to the boy's home and witnessed to his mother, grandmother, and sister and they accepted Christ as well. God is moving in that little village!
The elders of the village (which is only about 10 homes) met in one house with Pastor Carlos and Pastor Moab and some of our team. This was a time of building trust and relationship.
In the afternoon in Ingazeira, there was a boy's soccer game. Daniel, Hebert, Rico, KP, DJ, and Justin played the Brazilians and actually won! DJ and Justin gave their testimonies and did a great job. The girls played a handball game (NOT the Americans). We had a little worship service afterwards. Kesia sang and Shelby gave her testimony. We also performed the skit again.
During the games, some of the team went on house visits. Many people prayed to receive Christ. God did some miraculous things today and answered prayers of Pastor Carlos as many people he had been praying for were saved.
Tomorrow we go to Agua Branca which is a new city for the team. We are expecting great things!!
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