We absolutely love Ecuador. It is a beautiful country and the people are amazing. This year we spent two weeks in the Galapagos Islands. We traveled by plane, bus, ferry, bus, and a three-hour boat ride to get to San Cristóbal, where we spent our first week.
We had two projects on San Cristóbal. Part of our eighteen-member team did some finishing work on the church building and the rest of the team did a Kid’s Club. On Sunday, we attended the second service the church has ever had. There were about a dozen people plus our team.
The construction team mixed and poured a ton of cement to finish flooring and sidewalks. They also moved huge lava rock boulders and built a lava rock wall around the perimeter of the church. This will eventually be used as a foundation for future growth of the church. Some of the team installed lights in the church.
The Kid’s Club team went out on Monday to the schools and soccer fields to invite kids to come to the church for the Club de Niños. Tico the clown(a.k.a. Taylor) and team members made animal balloons and gave them to the kids. Each afternoon at the Club de Niños, we played games, learned a Bible verse, had a puppet skit, gave out prizes, and had a lot of fun playing with the kids. The first afternoon, we had about 75 kids and about 10 parents. The second day the kids started arriving 30 minutes early to play with Tico and the balloons. On the third day, we had over 120 kids and parents! The kids had so much fun. They laughed and played and learned about Jesus. It was an awesome time!
On the Wednesday night, Pastor Wilson wanted to have a closing service with the team. When we arrived at the church, there were 12 boys from the Club de Niños at the church. We thought that they would leave when they realized there was no clown, puppets, games, or prizes. But, they stayed. The boys sat on the first two rows and listened. During the service, the team prayed for Pastor Wilson. We gathered around them and laid hands on them and prayed. The boys watched what we were doing, came up, put their little hands on the Pastor and prayed with us.
At the end of the first week, we traveled to Santa Cruz. The rest of the team went home. We facilitated leadership training for seventy-five church leaders and people in the church who are business owners. This was exciting for us as well as those who attended the training. This was the first training these leaders and workers had ever participated in. Their eagerness to learn, excitement and gratitude amazed us.
Pastor Wilson was at the training. As soon as he saw us, he grabbed the missionary, Bill McDonald, to interpret for him. He told us that on Sunday there were 30 kids from the kids club at church. They were all asking for Tico. Pastor Wilson said that the parents stood outside the building and listened. When church was over, he talked to the parents and they were pleased with what their kids were learning. Someone in the church bought a clown outfit for the pastor. He told the kids to come back on Friday for Club de Niños. Thanks to all those who donated supplies, we were able to leave games and other tools for the church to use for Club de Niños. Pastor Wilson said they are doing something every Friday for the kids.
Pastor Wilson told us they didn’t know what to do to get people to come to the church. But they watched the team go out to the schools and soccer fields and talk to people on the street. He said they learned from us and are excited about what God is doing in their church.In our November newsletter, we told you about the team member that had been a professional clown. He taught Taylor how to do balloon animals and told him some things to do with the balloons to share about Jesus. A week later, Taylor was using those very things in Ecuador. Coincidence? No. Divine? Definitely! God is doing great things around the world.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
China 2008
China is an amazing country. The scenery is gorgeous, the culture is fascinating, and the people are exceptionally kind. Our team worked on building a church in a small village about an hour outside of WuHan, in the Hubei province.
When we arrived at the jobsite, the ladies had prepared a feast for us for lunch. They made about 18 different dishes for us to eat. Each day we were on the jobsite, we were blessed with the delicious food. Can you imagine cooking 18 different dishes each day for about 30 people on two little Coleman burners? They are true servants.
We laid brick for the walls of the church. We made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. The government officials were there watching us the entire time. Although we went to China to lay brick for a building, the real focus and purpose of the trip was to build the church – the people.
On the last day, we had a dedication service. We arrived late because we attended a wedding that morning. When we got there, it was raining but there were a couple hundred people standing outside waiting for us. The ladies had prepared another feast for us and they insisted that we eat first. So, while we ate, the people stood outside and waited in the rain. No one rushed us and no one left. After we ate, we gave some small gifts to all the children – marker, coloring book, small toys, candy, and balloons. Then, we began the dedication service. Still all this time people waited. The team purchased a keyboard for the church, which we were able to present to them at the dedication service. The church had about 12 people in it, but there were over 250 people at the dedication service! Even with the communist officials there, we were able to pray with almost all of the people!
Jimmy and another team member spent a morning teaching a theology class on the Holy Spirit at the seminary. DeAnna and two other team members taught in two English classes at the WuHan University. We were able to share about ourselves, our family, and our culture. I talked about Jimmy playing the guitar and me singing; next thing I know Teacher Xu is asking me to sing a song. So, I sang Amazing Grace in a class at a communist university. We explained why that song is special to our culture. Then I sang Silent Night and was able to share about why we celebrate Christmas.
When we arrived at the jobsite, the ladies had prepared a feast for us for lunch. They made about 18 different dishes for us to eat. Each day we were on the jobsite, we were blessed with the delicious food. Can you imagine cooking 18 different dishes each day for about 30 people on two little Coleman burners? They are true servants.
We laid brick for the walls of the church. We made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. The government officials were there watching us the entire time. Although we went to China to lay brick for a building, the real focus and purpose of the trip was to build the church – the people.
On the last day, we had a dedication service. We arrived late because we attended a wedding that morning. When we got there, it was raining but there were a couple hundred people standing outside waiting for us. The ladies had prepared another feast for us and they insisted that we eat first. So, while we ate, the people stood outside and waited in the rain. No one rushed us and no one left. After we ate, we gave some small gifts to all the children – marker, coloring book, small toys, candy, and balloons. Then, we began the dedication service. Still all this time people waited. The team purchased a keyboard for the church, which we were able to present to them at the dedication service. The church had about 12 people in it, but there were over 250 people at the dedication service! Even with the communist officials there, we were able to pray with almost all of the people!
Jimmy and another team member spent a morning teaching a theology class on the Holy Spirit at the seminary. DeAnna and two other team members taught in two English classes at the WuHan University. We were able to share about ourselves, our family, and our culture. I talked about Jimmy playing the guitar and me singing; next thing I know Teacher Xu is asking me to sing a song. So, I sang Amazing Grace in a class at a communist university. We explained why that song is special to our culture. Then I sang Silent Night and was able to share about why we celebrate Christmas.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Building a Church in China
Today was our second day of work on the church in China. We've made a lot of progress on the building, but even more importantly, we have had some wonderful interaction with the church people.
Taylor absolutely loves China. He's had a lot of fun learning how to lay brick, eating great food, and talking to Teacher Xu.
It's hard to explain how amazing it is to be in China. We visited an older church (built in 1989) today after we finished work. You could just sense the presence of God in the place.
Tomorrow will be an exciting day. Jimmy is teaching a class at the seminary and I get to go to the University to teach an ESL class.
God is doing great things in China. The people are so open to God and seek him & serve him with all that is in them.
Taylor absolutely loves China. He's had a lot of fun learning how to lay brick, eating great food, and talking to Teacher Xu.
It's hard to explain how amazing it is to be in China. We visited an older church (built in 1989) today after we finished work. You could just sense the presence of God in the place.
Tomorrow will be an exciting day. Jimmy is teaching a class at the seminary and I get to go to the University to teach an ESL class.
God is doing great things in China. The people are so open to God and seek him & serve him with all that is in them.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Countdown to China
We are so excited to be going to China again. Just a little more than a week & we'll be arriving in WuHan. I am anticipating God doing tremendous things while we are there. Then a few days after China, we go to Ecuador. Ecuador is an amazingly beautiful country.
The past few weeks have been busy with a ton of paperwork. It's amazing all you have to do to go out of the country! Visas, insurance, emergency contacts, etc., etc., etc.
As we've been preparing for these trips, I have been continually reminded to run with endurance…
We have faced tremendous battles the last couple of years. It feels like one monstrous war with a bunch of little battles and some pretty massive massacres. I know that is a graphic description, but it feels pretty accurate. It seems like everything is a struggle. I’ve asked God several times if it would be possible for something to be easy. I would love to hit the Staples “easy button” and have everything become simple. Unfortunately, that’s not the way life works. If there were no difficulties, we would not get to know God as our rescuer, our strength, our provision, our banner. I admit that it is not fun to go through, but it is amazing to see God work and to internalize who He is. As we have been preparing to go to China, it has looked like the project was going to fall apart numerous times. It would have been so easy to just quit in March when we had to reschedule or when we didn’t have the funding for the project or the people or when the airline prices were too high. We’ve had to remind ourselves often that we can’t give up. We can’t let circumstances dictate what we do. God is the one who is control. He’s the one who gives the directions. He’s the one who makes all things possible. Even when all we see are impossibilities, if we continue with endurance, fierce determination, God makes the impossible possible.
The past few weeks have been busy with a ton of paperwork. It's amazing all you have to do to go out of the country! Visas, insurance, emergency contacts, etc., etc., etc.
As we've been preparing for these trips, I have been continually reminded to run with endurance…
We have faced tremendous battles the last couple of years. It feels like one monstrous war with a bunch of little battles and some pretty massive massacres. I know that is a graphic description, but it feels pretty accurate. It seems like everything is a struggle. I’ve asked God several times if it would be possible for something to be easy. I would love to hit the Staples “easy button” and have everything become simple. Unfortunately, that’s not the way life works. If there were no difficulties, we would not get to know God as our rescuer, our strength, our provision, our banner. I admit that it is not fun to go through, but it is amazing to see God work and to internalize who He is. As we have been preparing to go to China, it has looked like the project was going to fall apart numerous times. It would have been so easy to just quit in March when we had to reschedule or when we didn’t have the funding for the project or the people or when the airline prices were too high. We’ve had to remind ourselves often that we can’t give up. We can’t let circumstances dictate what we do. God is the one who is control. He’s the one who gives the directions. He’s the one who makes all things possible. Even when all we see are impossibilities, if we continue with endurance, fierce determination, God makes the impossible possible.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Frequently Asked Question ...
We are frequently asked, “what do you do when you are not traveling?”
We communicate almost daily with missionaries. Our communications vary from coaching to encouragement to planning. This is a critical part of our ministry. One of the guiding principles of our vision is to be an encouragement and support to our missionaries. We also use this time to do fundraising and plan for our upcoming projects. Both of these activities involve a tremendous amount of phone calls, email, and some in-country travel. We are always looking for new people to go with us on projects. Time is spent meeting new people and sharing about CVM.
We communicate almost daily with missionaries. Our communications vary from coaching to encouragement to planning. This is a critical part of our ministry. One of the guiding principles of our vision is to be an encouragement and support to our missionaries. We also use this time to do fundraising and plan for our upcoming projects. Both of these activities involve a tremendous amount of phone calls, email, and some in-country travel. We are always looking for new people to go with us on projects. Time is spent meeting new people and sharing about CVM.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Honduras - March 2008
Click on the link below to see pictures from our trip.
http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/deannakitchens/Honduras%20March%202008/?albumview=slideshow
As I tried to think about what to write about our trip to Honduras, my mind went in circles. There’s so much to tell. The stories of the girls and the kids are heart wrenching and unbelievable. It’s hard to imagine being 5 years old, not knowing your birthday, and being left curbside for some stranger to pick up and care for. Or to be an 11 or 12 year old girl and being raped by your brother, uncle or father, and then kicked out of your home, pregnant and nowhere to go. The stories are too numerous to tell. These are the lucky ones – the ones who now have a home with someone to feed them, love them and tell them about God; someone to help them break the cycle. In the six months since our last trip to Honduras, there has been a distinct change in many of the kids at Casa Grande & the Casitas. Smiles are more abundant, girls are loving their babies, they are learning to be loved. I absolutely cherish every single hug, kiss and laugh from those precious kids.
We also got to spend time with the feeding station kids. These kids are starved for attention, for love, for life, for food. I wonder did we give them enough. We just had a tiny breath of time to give them – was it enough? Do they know how precious they are to God? Imagine being 4 or 5 or 8, dirty, no food in the house, with parents who may or may not be around, who are most likely physically abused. Kids that go crazy for a piece of candy or a balloon or a picture being taken of them; pushing each other out of the way so they can have a picture. It makes me think about what is going on in their minds. Are they thinking – take a picture of me so you can remember me; so someone can care about me? It was so cool to be there when 50 kids heard the story of Daniel and the Lions Den for the first time. I pray that they remember that God loves them and that He is there to protect them.
Every where we go the churches are a little different. Each country, village or town has it’s own church culture. One thing remains the same – we all worship the same God. As we were in the church service at Pastor Oscar’s church, the presence of God was so real. The people truly worship Him with all they have. People who have so little, yet they are so willing to worship and give. God is all many of them have. Really, though, isn’t He all that we all have? We have nothing without Him. He is the source of all that we do have.
The Compton’s are amazing people. They have given so much of themselves to save these kids. You can see their love and compassion as they interact with each one. It’s tough to run an organization, but they do it with such grace in the face of obstacles that only God can understand. They are heroes.
Hebrews 10: 35 Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. 37 "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 And a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away." 39 But we are not like those who turn their backs on God and seal their fate. We have faith that assures our salvation.
http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/deannakitchens/Honduras%20March%202008/?albumview=slideshow
As I tried to think about what to write about our trip to Honduras, my mind went in circles. There’s so much to tell. The stories of the girls and the kids are heart wrenching and unbelievable. It’s hard to imagine being 5 years old, not knowing your birthday, and being left curbside for some stranger to pick up and care for. Or to be an 11 or 12 year old girl and being raped by your brother, uncle or father, and then kicked out of your home, pregnant and nowhere to go. The stories are too numerous to tell. These are the lucky ones – the ones who now have a home with someone to feed them, love them and tell them about God; someone to help them break the cycle. In the six months since our last trip to Honduras, there has been a distinct change in many of the kids at Casa Grande & the Casitas. Smiles are more abundant, girls are loving their babies, they are learning to be loved. I absolutely cherish every single hug, kiss and laugh from those precious kids.
We also got to spend time with the feeding station kids. These kids are starved for attention, for love, for life, for food. I wonder did we give them enough. We just had a tiny breath of time to give them – was it enough? Do they know how precious they are to God? Imagine being 4 or 5 or 8, dirty, no food in the house, with parents who may or may not be around, who are most likely physically abused. Kids that go crazy for a piece of candy or a balloon or a picture being taken of them; pushing each other out of the way so they can have a picture. It makes me think about what is going on in their minds. Are they thinking – take a picture of me so you can remember me; so someone can care about me? It was so cool to be there when 50 kids heard the story of Daniel and the Lions Den for the first time. I pray that they remember that God loves them and that He is there to protect them.
Every where we go the churches are a little different. Each country, village or town has it’s own church culture. One thing remains the same – we all worship the same God. As we were in the church service at Pastor Oscar’s church, the presence of God was so real. The people truly worship Him with all they have. People who have so little, yet they are so willing to worship and give. God is all many of them have. Really, though, isn’t He all that we all have? We have nothing without Him. He is the source of all that we do have.
The Compton’s are amazing people. They have given so much of themselves to save these kids. You can see their love and compassion as they interact with each one. It’s tough to run an organization, but they do it with such grace in the face of obstacles that only God can understand. They are heroes.
Hebrews 10: 35 Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. 37 "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 And a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away." 39 But we are not like those who turn their backs on God and seal their fate. We have faith that assures our salvation.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mission's Fair
This weekend we participated in a mission's fair at our church. This mission's fair was unique because it was the kid's church mission's fair. We talked about China. The kid's were great. We received several letters from the kids and band-aids and shoelaces to take to China in May. It's really cool to see kindergarten-sixth graders interested in missions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
