As 2016 is rapidly coming to an end so is the beginning of 2017 and this summer's mission trips to Central America. It is not too early to start making your plans and marking your calendars for the trip to Honduras and to Costa Rica. Paperwork, dates, and projected costs are ready and we are looking forward to another great year of work in "home away from home." Whether this is your first trip or 15th, this year's trips will be challenging, rewarding, and inspiring! Here is a sneak peak of this year's trips:
Costa Rica:
Dates: Thursday, June 22 - Saturday, July 1
Place: Sarchi (San Jose), and surrounding area
Housing: Camp Jenny Sue, a Bible camp located just outside of San Jose
Cost: $825.00 plus airline ticket
Trip details: This trip has a lot of different things to offer those going on this trip. Teens will love the bible camp format that we will be running every morning and evening including Bible classes, sports, bonfires, and more. In the afternoons the teens will be going out into local communities doing service projects, working with local congregations, and schools. For the adults, mornings will center around classes designed for both the locals and the Americans. Afternoons will give the adults an opportunity to work with local congregations going door knocking and more. Evenings will feature campfire devotionals with a keynote speaker. The trip ends with a day of sightseeing opportunities that only Costa Rica can offer. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged.
Honduras:
Dates: Saturday, July 1 - Tuesday, July 12
Place: Tegucigalpa and surrounding area
Housing: Villa Gracia (Mission House)
Cost: $885.00 per person plus airline ticket
Trip details: This trip is a real "hands on" type of trip. Things that this trip will focus on is evangelism, construction, medical, visitation, and service projects. Each year we build between 12-20 houses for families in extreme need. We visit hospitals, schools, children's homes and orphanages. We conduct 3-5 days of free medical clinics in remote areas where medical facilities do not exist. We conduct worship services for local congregations, have a VBS team, and teach Bible classes. We do a lot of different projects while we are in Honduras and most days we have 3 or more to chose from. We work in established areas and communities that we have been before and have excellent relations with and we have our own transportation. Work projects are well supervised by team members with years of experience and we have a top notch team of translators.
We look forward to hearing from you and if you need any additional information feel free to ask, we will be glad to answer your questions or help any way that we can. Out theme this year is GO! Mark 16:15 says to go and preach the gospel to all creation... and that is exactly what we are doing! Why not join us and GO with us?
Terry Reeves
Wednesday, November 23
Friday, July 15
Until next time...
Good day to all of you!! Yesterday was very busy with travel so I was unable to post about our final work day. No worries though, because I am happy to update you now. Am I rested, not fully, but I am getting there!!
July 13, 2016
Wednesday was a fantastic last day of work. We began with breakfast from 7-8. During this time we also said our goodbyes to the Bell Shoals/Foundation Christian crew. They headed home on Wednesday leave about 70ish remaining. My number could be way off, but it's a guess. Anyway, after breakfast we met for our last morning devo from Donald Ballard. This year we have been very blessed to have Donald and Carlos leading us in challenging thoughts during the morning and evening devos. Thank you guys for your hard work in putting together very powerful lessons that challenged and encouraged us all.
When devo was over the ones leaving quickly loaded the bus to make their way to the airport. When they left, the remaining members gathered what was needed for the day and quickly loaded as well. We had 4 teams that we sent out. The first team out the gate was the construction and concrete team. We loaded the tool needed along with the popcorn and cotton candy machine and headed to the Indian Reservation. Once we arrived we split into two separate teams a concrete team and construction crew. A paint team of about 5 stayed on the bus and headed out to Santa Ana to paint a garage for Gaye Davidson as well. It was a hard working day for our crews. The concrete crew worked until about 1:30 when a hand full of the team began the popcorn and cotton candy. While they were playing with the children, the rest of the crew continued with the concrete. There was a team laying the concrete for the porch and another building up the wall for a classroom. It was hard work, but well worth the exhaustion. The construction crew were busy at the same time building the final house Diane Adams raised funds for. The teams worked until about 4 then cleaned up and got ready to load the bus, but not before many of the members gave their shoes to local people.
Another crew left shortly after headed to Didasko. There, they did repairs to the playground and completed the painting. About 20 went to the hospital to visit with the sick for about an hour before headed up to do a medical clinic for the workers at Villa Gracia. While a team was at the hospital some remained at the mission house to complete sorting and organizing of donated items to be given away by other groups. When the team returned to the mission house, they conducted a short medical clinic for the workers of Villa Gracia. They saw about 45 patients.
We all met back at the mission house for our final dinner around 6pm. At 7:30, we met in the chapel for our last devo of the trip. The time we were in Honduras went by so quickly. I hate this part of the trip because we are leaving family. I know we will see each other again either in Honduras or in Heaven but it still hurts a little. We spent the remainder of the night preparing for our departures in the morning.
Thank you all for your prayers, they were felt and helped so much. God is good and until next year, Mas amor por favor!! (More Love Please).
Brandy B
I am going to attempt to post photos from my phone. I am not too sure how or if it will work, but I will try.
https://www.facebook.com/tim.hines.355/videos/10157364339835495/ I'm not sure if this will work, but please check this out. Tim Hines posted it and it has our team working with concrete and the popcorn and cotton candy for the kids.
July 13, 2016
Wednesday was a fantastic last day of work. We began with breakfast from 7-8. During this time we also said our goodbyes to the Bell Shoals/Foundation Christian crew. They headed home on Wednesday leave about 70ish remaining. My number could be way off, but it's a guess. Anyway, after breakfast we met for our last morning devo from Donald Ballard. This year we have been very blessed to have Donald and Carlos leading us in challenging thoughts during the morning and evening devos. Thank you guys for your hard work in putting together very powerful lessons that challenged and encouraged us all.
When devo was over the ones leaving quickly loaded the bus to make their way to the airport. When they left, the remaining members gathered what was needed for the day and quickly loaded as well. We had 4 teams that we sent out. The first team out the gate was the construction and concrete team. We loaded the tool needed along with the popcorn and cotton candy machine and headed to the Indian Reservation. Once we arrived we split into two separate teams a concrete team and construction crew. A paint team of about 5 stayed on the bus and headed out to Santa Ana to paint a garage for Gaye Davidson as well. It was a hard working day for our crews. The concrete crew worked until about 1:30 when a hand full of the team began the popcorn and cotton candy. While they were playing with the children, the rest of the crew continued with the concrete. There was a team laying the concrete for the porch and another building up the wall for a classroom. It was hard work, but well worth the exhaustion. The construction crew were busy at the same time building the final house Diane Adams raised funds for. The teams worked until about 4 then cleaned up and got ready to load the bus, but not before many of the members gave their shoes to local people.
Another crew left shortly after headed to Didasko. There, they did repairs to the playground and completed the painting. About 20 went to the hospital to visit with the sick for about an hour before headed up to do a medical clinic for the workers at Villa Gracia. While a team was at the hospital some remained at the mission house to complete sorting and organizing of donated items to be given away by other groups. When the team returned to the mission house, they conducted a short medical clinic for the workers of Villa Gracia. They saw about 45 patients.
We all met back at the mission house for our final dinner around 6pm. At 7:30, we met in the chapel for our last devo of the trip. The time we were in Honduras went by so quickly. I hate this part of the trip because we are leaving family. I know we will see each other again either in Honduras or in Heaven but it still hurts a little. We spent the remainder of the night preparing for our departures in the morning.
Thank you all for your prayers, they were felt and helped so much. God is good and until next year, Mas amor por favor!! (More Love Please).
Brandy B
I am going to attempt to post photos from my phone. I am not too sure how or if it will work, but I will try.
https://www.facebook.com/tim.hines.355/videos/10157364339835495/ I'm not sure if this will work, but please check this out. Tim Hines posted it and it has our team working with concrete and the popcorn and cotton candy for the kids.
Wednesday, July 13
Let's do this....
July 11, 2016
What a wonderful day to serve our Lord!!! Yesterday was wonderful. We had breakfast from 7-8, pancakes and fruit!! After breakfast we met in the chapel for morning devo and to receive our assignments. We had 2 construction teams, a concrete team and a team that went to Mi Esperanza.
All the teams minus the Mi Esperanza team went to the Indian reservation to work. The house builds were a fairfield house and a Patty house. Like I mentioned before, money is raised by these individuals and Churches so we can help needy families with a home in Honduras. The teams said the house builds went great.
The other team at the reservation, worked with concrete to continue the work on the buildings and sidewalk/porch for the residents on the reservation. Concrete work is probably the most difficult thing we do here. It's a lot of work and there are many sore muscles, but there is just something about working for Jesus that makes the soreness worth it. I promise I am not crazy when I say that!!
The last team went to Mi Esperanza to give the ladies some experience for the classes they are taking at the beauty school. The ladies that are in school there have to have so many hours of practice before they can graduate and we were happy to help them. We also learned more about Mi Esperanza. This is such a great ministry for women. So many great things are happening there. Check them out!! www.thewomenofmyhope.org
We all met back at the mission house by 6 for dinner. Before devo Kelvin, from Fairfield Church of Christ was baptized!! I hope you all will pray and rejoice with our new brother. We then went to devo at the chapel. Carlos, from New Jersey, has been doing a fabulous job (as well as Donald Ballard) challenging all of us to strive to be better Christians. I am really not sure what I will miss the most in Honduras when we leave, but devas are on that list. After devo Terry Reeves made some announcements and then Brian made the remainder regarding tomorrows happenings. July 13, we say goodbye to the Bell Shoals/Foundation Christian team members. For the rest of us we have one full day to work left. Time has flown by here. I cannot believe we are on our last leg and that about 20ish are going home on the 13th. Please pray for those traveling tomorrow as well as the final work day.
Thank you for your prayers and please keep them coming. We love you all and will see you soon.
Brandy Barnett
What a wonderful day to serve our Lord!!! Yesterday was wonderful. We had breakfast from 7-8, pancakes and fruit!! After breakfast we met in the chapel for morning devo and to receive our assignments. We had 2 construction teams, a concrete team and a team that went to Mi Esperanza.
All the teams minus the Mi Esperanza team went to the Indian reservation to work. The house builds were a fairfield house and a Patty house. Like I mentioned before, money is raised by these individuals and Churches so we can help needy families with a home in Honduras. The teams said the house builds went great.
The other team at the reservation, worked with concrete to continue the work on the buildings and sidewalk/porch for the residents on the reservation. Concrete work is probably the most difficult thing we do here. It's a lot of work and there are many sore muscles, but there is just something about working for Jesus that makes the soreness worth it. I promise I am not crazy when I say that!!
The last team went to Mi Esperanza to give the ladies some experience for the classes they are taking at the beauty school. The ladies that are in school there have to have so many hours of practice before they can graduate and we were happy to help them. We also learned more about Mi Esperanza. This is such a great ministry for women. So many great things are happening there. Check them out!! www.thewomenofmyhope.org
We all met back at the mission house by 6 for dinner. Before devo Kelvin, from Fairfield Church of Christ was baptized!! I hope you all will pray and rejoice with our new brother. We then went to devo at the chapel. Carlos, from New Jersey, has been doing a fabulous job (as well as Donald Ballard) challenging all of us to strive to be better Christians. I am really not sure what I will miss the most in Honduras when we leave, but devas are on that list. After devo Terry Reeves made some announcements and then Brian made the remainder regarding tomorrows happenings. July 13, we say goodbye to the Bell Shoals/Foundation Christian team members. For the rest of us we have one full day to work left. Time has flown by here. I cannot believe we are on our last leg and that about 20ish are going home on the 13th. Please pray for those traveling tomorrow as well as the final work day.
Thank you for your prayers and please keep them coming. We love you all and will see you soon.
Brandy Barnett
Monday, July 11
Just another day serving!!
I am so sorry for my absence in posting. I have not been able to access the internet for some reason, but I think we have it figured out now. I will covering July 8 - July 11. I am sorry that I will not be going into a great deal of detail, but I will do what I can.
July 8, 2016
It was just like every day, we got up and had breakfast from 7-8 and then devo. Friday we had two construction teams, a visitation team to the hospital and blind school, and a team that planned for a carnival for Didasko and visitation to the special needs orphanage less than a mile from where we are staying.
The visitation teams spent the day sharing the love of Jesus with the sick at the Hospital and the orphans in the orphanages. It was a great day spending time with the Honduran people that many people neglect. I love visiting the orphanages because it is just an experience that is life changing. God is so good and many times you can see such strong faith of those that are in the homes. Many times we think we are here blessing those that live here, but in actuality they are teaching us something about faith that we often fail at.
When the teams were finished we met at the mission house for dinner. Then we had devo around 7:30. After devo, we received instruction for the following day.
July 9, 2016
Like the other days, we had breakfast from 7-8 then devo. After devo we loaded the buses. We had one team that loaded a bus and headed to the store to buy food to feed those in the dump. The remaining team members loaded the buses with chili and hot dogs for the Didasko kids along with other food that will last them several weeks.
At Didasko, we unloaded the bus and started preparing the food for the kids. After they ate, they were able to enjoy playing games and watching skits from some of the members. The kids also enjoyed popcorn and cotton candy as a snack. We spent several hours with the kids at Didasko before saying our final good byes. This will be the last day we visit Didasko this year. It is always sad leaving because many of the kids have been there for several years and have developed relationships with TORCH members. So with tears in our eyes we said our "See you Laters" because either way, we will see them again whether it be next year or in Heaven!
We met up with the crew that fed those working in the dump at the mission house for supper. After supper we met for devo
July 10, 2016
I am going to keep this part very brief. Sunday was a day of Worship with our brothers and sisters in Diamante. We had two baptisms one from our group Gavin, and one local member. After worship we went to the Valley of Angels for shopping and lunch. After shopping with loaded the buses to come into town for dinner then back up to the mission house for devo.
July 11, 2016
Today started like all other days. We said our good byes to the Barbers who headed back to the States today and had breakfast. We met in the chapel around 8 for devo. After devo we received our instructions. We had two construction teams that built houses with funds raised by Dave Marble and Jenny Lovell. The rest of the crew went to an Indian Reservation to do some concrete work.
We loaded the buses and headed out as close to 9:15 as possible. The construction team headed to Mololoa for their builds. According to both teams, the builds were great. Everyone worked hard to complete the homes for two families in the community.
The concrete crew hit the ground running. We received instruction from Tim Hines and started work. Some were sifting sand, some were leveling the ground for a sidewalk, some were moving blocks, some were moving rocks and others were mixing concrete. Each us rotated out of jobs multiple times to get a feel for each job. Let me back up and just say a little something about mixing the concrete. We did not have a mixer, we were the mixers. Now that is an experience. The work we are doing was funded by the special offering received at Sonquest this year. If you are a part of Sonquest, thank you for you donations!! As hard as the work was, we were happy to help those that live on the reservation. At this time, it is my understanding we will be out there for the remainder of the trip.
At about 4 we loaded the buses and headed by to the mission house to clean up, eat and load the bus again to head out to Santa Lucia. It has been about 5ish years since we have been able to go to Santa Lucia for devo and singing. We go to the oldest standing Cathedral in the Western Hemisphere and have worship. Singing is indescribable. I mean you literally have to experience it because here are ZERO words. We worshiped for about an hour then headed back to the mission house for bed.
Our time here is coming to an end very quickly! Tomorrow we say good bye to 3 members then Wednesday about 20ish leave. I Cannot believe how quickly time has gone by. Please pray for the continued work as well as those traveling. We do miss you all very much!! If internet keeps working for me I will post again tomorrow night. Good night to you all!!
In Him
Brandy B
July 8, 2016
It was just like every day, we got up and had breakfast from 7-8 and then devo. Friday we had two construction teams, a visitation team to the hospital and blind school, and a team that planned for a carnival for Didasko and visitation to the special needs orphanage less than a mile from where we are staying.
The visitation teams spent the day sharing the love of Jesus with the sick at the Hospital and the orphans in the orphanages. It was a great day spending time with the Honduran people that many people neglect. I love visiting the orphanages because it is just an experience that is life changing. God is so good and many times you can see such strong faith of those that are in the homes. Many times we think we are here blessing those that live here, but in actuality they are teaching us something about faith that we often fail at.
When the teams were finished we met at the mission house for dinner. Then we had devo around 7:30. After devo, we received instruction for the following day.
July 9, 2016
Like the other days, we had breakfast from 7-8 then devo. After devo we loaded the buses. We had one team that loaded a bus and headed to the store to buy food to feed those in the dump. The remaining team members loaded the buses with chili and hot dogs for the Didasko kids along with other food that will last them several weeks.
At Didasko, we unloaded the bus and started preparing the food for the kids. After they ate, they were able to enjoy playing games and watching skits from some of the members. The kids also enjoyed popcorn and cotton candy as a snack. We spent several hours with the kids at Didasko before saying our final good byes. This will be the last day we visit Didasko this year. It is always sad leaving because many of the kids have been there for several years and have developed relationships with TORCH members. So with tears in our eyes we said our "See you Laters" because either way, we will see them again whether it be next year or in Heaven!
We met up with the crew that fed those working in the dump at the mission house for supper. After supper we met for devo
July 10, 2016
I am going to keep this part very brief. Sunday was a day of Worship with our brothers and sisters in Diamante. We had two baptisms one from our group Gavin, and one local member. After worship we went to the Valley of Angels for shopping and lunch. After shopping with loaded the buses to come into town for dinner then back up to the mission house for devo.
July 11, 2016
Today started like all other days. We said our good byes to the Barbers who headed back to the States today and had breakfast. We met in the chapel around 8 for devo. After devo we received our instructions. We had two construction teams that built houses with funds raised by Dave Marble and Jenny Lovell. The rest of the crew went to an Indian Reservation to do some concrete work.
We loaded the buses and headed out as close to 9:15 as possible. The construction team headed to Mololoa for their builds. According to both teams, the builds were great. Everyone worked hard to complete the homes for two families in the community.
The concrete crew hit the ground running. We received instruction from Tim Hines and started work. Some were sifting sand, some were leveling the ground for a sidewalk, some were moving blocks, some were moving rocks and others were mixing concrete. Each us rotated out of jobs multiple times to get a feel for each job. Let me back up and just say a little something about mixing the concrete. We did not have a mixer, we were the mixers. Now that is an experience. The work we are doing was funded by the special offering received at Sonquest this year. If you are a part of Sonquest, thank you for you donations!! As hard as the work was, we were happy to help those that live on the reservation. At this time, it is my understanding we will be out there for the remainder of the trip.
At about 4 we loaded the buses and headed by to the mission house to clean up, eat and load the bus again to head out to Santa Lucia. It has been about 5ish years since we have been able to go to Santa Lucia for devo and singing. We go to the oldest standing Cathedral in the Western Hemisphere and have worship. Singing is indescribable. I mean you literally have to experience it because here are ZERO words. We worshiped for about an hour then headed back to the mission house for bed.
Our time here is coming to an end very quickly! Tomorrow we say good bye to 3 members then Wednesday about 20ish leave. I Cannot believe how quickly time has gone by. Please pray for the continued work as well as those traveling. We do miss you all very much!! If internet keeps working for me I will post again tomorrow night. Good night to you all!!
In Him
Brandy B
Friday, July 8
God's not Dead
This blog is covering July 6 and 7.
Good morning from Honduras!! I apologize for not posting, but I have been so tired and busy. I will catch you guys up on the previous two days.
July 6
Wednesday the team started with breakfast from 7-8 am. After breakfast we met for devo and receive instruction for the day. Wednesday we had two construction teams, medical team/VBS, a paint prep team/special needs visitation, a team that worked in Mololoa, and a hospital visitation team.
Both construction teams built in a community near the city dump. The houses were both houses that were funded by donation Jenny Lovell raised.
The Medical team and VBS team loaded the bus to head out to Didasko for the day. When we arrived we were greeted by Jorge, Rosa and Michelle, the people running the orphanage. We received quick instruction on where the team would set up and got to work preparing the Pharmacy. When everything was ready we began seeing patients. The doctors were able to see about 150 patients. While the medical clinic was going on, the VBS team were able to do VBS for the children at the orphanage and once coming in to see the doctor. It was a wonderful day at Didasko!!
A team came to help prepare a building to be painted as well at Didasko. They worked until about 12:30 and left for the the Special Needs orphanage. At the special needs orphanage they spent time with the children and showed them love they do not often receive. The special needs orphanage is always a great place to go and show love.
Another small team went to Mololoa to work in the kitchen and Day Care. They helped the workers prepare food and serve the children a warm meal. The feeding center is always fun to work in and help the people in the community.
The last team went to the hospital to visit with the sick. They split into group and went to different wards throughout the hospital to share the love of Jesus. The Hospital, for me, is probably the hardest thing to do, but is also one of the most needed. Often times children are in the hospital and their parents are unable to stay with them. So when teams come in, it brightens their day for many reasons. Plus, when we are in the hospital, do we not like visitors?
After the work day was complete, we made our way back up El Hatillo to the mission house for dinner. We had rice, beans and chicken for dinner. After dinner we met for evening devo. After devo we received instruction for the next day, had signup and went to bed.
July 7.
Yesterday we continued with the same morning routine with breakfast and 7 devo at 8. After devo we received further instruction for the day and begin our departures.
Yesterday we had two construction teams, a hospital/food breakdown/food distribution team, a team that went to Didasko to paint and finish the medical services, a team who went out to the dump and did a gatorade blitz, and a team that went out to Mi Esperanza. We also had two team members arrive (Holley and Aaron from Bell Shoals).
The two build teams went out to an area around Baxter Institute to build homes for two families. One house build was funded by donations Jenny Lovell gathered and the other was sponsored by the Fairfield Church. When the builds were complete we loaded the bus and headed back to the mission house.
The medical team was able to see about 55 patients and then assisted with painting the dorms at the orphanage. The team that went to the dump first went to the market and bought things for sandwiches, bags of water and bananas to feed the people working there. After they purchased the items, they went and prepared the sandwiches before going out to the dump to feed the people. When they finished, they did another gatorade blitz in the city.
While a team was visiting at the hospital, another team broke down food to deliver in a community. When the medical team was finished they came to get the team and deliver the food.
When all the teams were finished, we made our way to the mission house for dinner. We had beef tips, beans, chips and pico. We had dinner earlier yesterday because we schedule to go to the Jesus statue for devo. We loaded the buses at 6:30 to go to the statue for devo. We had singing and devo and learned about the city from Mark Connel. The Jesus statue is alway awesome to go to at night. It overlooks Tegucigalpa and you can see for miles. It's unbelievable. After devo we loaded the buses and came to the mission house to sign up for what we will be doing tomorrow.
Everything is going great here. You can see and feel Jesus in everything being done. I hope that you all are doing well and please continue to pray for successful work not only in Honduras but throughout the world. God is GOOD!!
I am going to try to stream our devo via Facebook tonight. I have no idea if it will work, but I will try. Devo is at 7:30 here. I think that will be 8:30central time? It can't hurt to try so we will see.
We love and miss you guys
In Him
Brandy B
Good morning from Honduras!! I apologize for not posting, but I have been so tired and busy. I will catch you guys up on the previous two days.
July 6
Wednesday the team started with breakfast from 7-8 am. After breakfast we met for devo and receive instruction for the day. Wednesday we had two construction teams, medical team/VBS, a paint prep team/special needs visitation, a team that worked in Mololoa, and a hospital visitation team.
Both construction teams built in a community near the city dump. The houses were both houses that were funded by donation Jenny Lovell raised.
The Medical team and VBS team loaded the bus to head out to Didasko for the day. When we arrived we were greeted by Jorge, Rosa and Michelle, the people running the orphanage. We received quick instruction on where the team would set up and got to work preparing the Pharmacy. When everything was ready we began seeing patients. The doctors were able to see about 150 patients. While the medical clinic was going on, the VBS team were able to do VBS for the children at the orphanage and once coming in to see the doctor. It was a wonderful day at Didasko!!
A team came to help prepare a building to be painted as well at Didasko. They worked until about 12:30 and left for the the Special Needs orphanage. At the special needs orphanage they spent time with the children and showed them love they do not often receive. The special needs orphanage is always a great place to go and show love.
Another small team went to Mololoa to work in the kitchen and Day Care. They helped the workers prepare food and serve the children a warm meal. The feeding center is always fun to work in and help the people in the community.
The last team went to the hospital to visit with the sick. They split into group and went to different wards throughout the hospital to share the love of Jesus. The Hospital, for me, is probably the hardest thing to do, but is also one of the most needed. Often times children are in the hospital and their parents are unable to stay with them. So when teams come in, it brightens their day for many reasons. Plus, when we are in the hospital, do we not like visitors?
After the work day was complete, we made our way back up El Hatillo to the mission house for dinner. We had rice, beans and chicken for dinner. After dinner we met for evening devo. After devo we received instruction for the next day, had signup and went to bed.
July 7.
Yesterday we continued with the same morning routine with breakfast and 7 devo at 8. After devo we received further instruction for the day and begin our departures.
Yesterday we had two construction teams, a hospital/food breakdown/food distribution team, a team that went to Didasko to paint and finish the medical services, a team who went out to the dump and did a gatorade blitz, and a team that went out to Mi Esperanza. We also had two team members arrive (Holley and Aaron from Bell Shoals).
The two build teams went out to an area around Baxter Institute to build homes for two families. One house build was funded by donations Jenny Lovell gathered and the other was sponsored by the Fairfield Church. When the builds were complete we loaded the bus and headed back to the mission house.
The medical team was able to see about 55 patients and then assisted with painting the dorms at the orphanage. The team that went to the dump first went to the market and bought things for sandwiches, bags of water and bananas to feed the people working there. After they purchased the items, they went and prepared the sandwiches before going out to the dump to feed the people. When they finished, they did another gatorade blitz in the city.
While a team was visiting at the hospital, another team broke down food to deliver in a community. When the medical team was finished they came to get the team and deliver the food.
When all the teams were finished, we made our way to the mission house for dinner. We had beef tips, beans, chips and pico. We had dinner earlier yesterday because we schedule to go to the Jesus statue for devo. We loaded the buses at 6:30 to go to the statue for devo. We had singing and devo and learned about the city from Mark Connel. The Jesus statue is alway awesome to go to at night. It overlooks Tegucigalpa and you can see for miles. It's unbelievable. After devo we loaded the buses and came to the mission house to sign up for what we will be doing tomorrow.
Everything is going great here. You can see and feel Jesus in everything being done. I hope that you all are doing well and please continue to pray for successful work not only in Honduras but throughout the world. God is GOOD!!
I am going to try to stream our devo via Facebook tonight. I have no idea if it will work, but I will try. Devo is at 7:30 here. I think that will be 8:30central time? It can't hurt to try so we will see.
We love and miss you guys
In Him
Brandy B
Tuesday, July 5
I got this, let's go!
July 4, 2016
Good day to you all!! I must say God is alive and well!! Things are going great here and the Word is ALIVE!! Monday we had breakfast between 7 and 8. At 8 we met in the chapel for morning devo. After devo we divided into our teams. We had a medical team, 2 construction teams, a VBS team, a hospital/food distribution team and a very small team that went to the feeding center in Mololoa.
The construction team left quickly after devo to load their supplies and head out to their sites. Both builds were donated by the Western Hills Church of Christ. The teams said they had very good builds and completed the home for two families. As I am sitting here writing this, I can't help but thank God for the strength and support of all of those who have helped with the builds. It is currently raining and I can't help but think that there are two more families that will be able to stay dry tonight due to having a roof over their heads!! God is Good.
The medical team left soon after the construction team with the VBS crew. We made our way to Diamante to serve the people in the community. Once we arrived there was a line of people waiting to be cared for. We quickly unloaded the bus and set up for the clinic. It was pretty much non stop from about 10 - 2pm. Our doctors and nurses worked diligently to care for the sick in the community. There was also those working in the Pharmacy to ensure the patients had medication to help with any symptoms. Our team saw 153 patients during the time we were there.
The VBS team was unable to due their VBS due to conflicting schedules. However, the team help tremendously in the medical clinics helping with crowd control and filling prescriptions.
The team that went to the feeding center spent the day assisting the ladies provide a warm meal for 144 kids. While everyone was working hard, our hospital/food distribution team was doing the same. They headed out to Hospital Esquela to visit with the sick and provide them with the love of Jesus!! They spent about an hour sharing the love of Jesus before heading back up to the mission house to load the bus with food for distribution. After loading the bus the team made their way through La Tigra Rainforest to a place called Trojes to provide the families with the bags of food. A bag of food will feed a family of six for approximately 2 weeks. The team handed out about 250 bags of food before heading to the mission house.
We came back to the mission house for dinner around 5 pm.
July 5, 2016
We got up early to have breakfast between 7 and 8 for breakfast. This morning we finally had cereal!! I have been wanting cereal since we have been here. I know that might be weird but I LOVE CEREAL!! Ok enough about me, HAHAHA!! After breakfast we met in the chapel for devo to prepare our minds to serve!
We had a hospital/gatorade blitz team, two construction teams, a team to Mololoa, a team working with Mi Esperanza, and a medical team. Our teams were eager to start working today!! The first team was the construction teams. After devo, they loaded the buses and made their way to La Tigra. Our teams had their work cut out for them today. Once they got to the sites they had to carry wood to the actual site!! It sounds like hard work, well it is hard work, but there is just something about the experience that is exhilarating. The Lord provided two families with a home tonight!! I can never say this enough, but GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!
The medical team was the next bus out. We quickly were briefed by Dr. Asha of the happenings that will occur in the clinic. Our team then loaded the bus and headed out to Los Piños community. Our team was greeted by people ready to be seen by the doctors. Todays clinic started by 9:30am. Our team, once again our team worked hard so we could see as many as possible in the allotted time given. The team saw about 225 patients today in Los Piños bringing the total about 380ish.
The hospital team went back to Hospital Esquela to visit with the sick for about 2 hours. They then loaded the bus and did a Gatorade BLitz throughout the city. What is a gatorade blitz, you ask? Well let me just tell you!! Our team goes to the grocery store and purchase as much gatorade as possible. Then they load the bus and hand the gatorade out to the street workers throughout the city. It is the most fun thing ever!! Seeing the excitement of the workers is something that is really not explainable.
The Mi Esperanza team assisted the ladies in counting tassels. I honestly have know idea how to really explain this task. They say that is was a tedious job and there was not a dull moment throughout the day.
After everyone returned we had dinner then devo. When devo was over we had announcements and was given the possible agenda for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be another busy day!! Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the work being done in Honduras. If you guys need anything or have questions please email me brandyb06@gmail.com.
Brandy B
Good day to you all!! I must say God is alive and well!! Things are going great here and the Word is ALIVE!! Monday we had breakfast between 7 and 8. At 8 we met in the chapel for morning devo. After devo we divided into our teams. We had a medical team, 2 construction teams, a VBS team, a hospital/food distribution team and a very small team that went to the feeding center in Mololoa.
The construction team left quickly after devo to load their supplies and head out to their sites. Both builds were donated by the Western Hills Church of Christ. The teams said they had very good builds and completed the home for two families. As I am sitting here writing this, I can't help but thank God for the strength and support of all of those who have helped with the builds. It is currently raining and I can't help but think that there are two more families that will be able to stay dry tonight due to having a roof over their heads!! God is Good.
The medical team left soon after the construction team with the VBS crew. We made our way to Diamante to serve the people in the community. Once we arrived there was a line of people waiting to be cared for. We quickly unloaded the bus and set up for the clinic. It was pretty much non stop from about 10 - 2pm. Our doctors and nurses worked diligently to care for the sick in the community. There was also those working in the Pharmacy to ensure the patients had medication to help with any symptoms. Our team saw 153 patients during the time we were there.
The VBS team was unable to due their VBS due to conflicting schedules. However, the team help tremendously in the medical clinics helping with crowd control and filling prescriptions.
The team that went to the feeding center spent the day assisting the ladies provide a warm meal for 144 kids. While everyone was working hard, our hospital/food distribution team was doing the same. They headed out to Hospital Esquela to visit with the sick and provide them with the love of Jesus!! They spent about an hour sharing the love of Jesus before heading back up to the mission house to load the bus with food for distribution. After loading the bus the team made their way through La Tigra Rainforest to a place called Trojes to provide the families with the bags of food. A bag of food will feed a family of six for approximately 2 weeks. The team handed out about 250 bags of food before heading to the mission house.
We came back to the mission house for dinner around 5 pm.
July 5, 2016
We got up early to have breakfast between 7 and 8 for breakfast. This morning we finally had cereal!! I have been wanting cereal since we have been here. I know that might be weird but I LOVE CEREAL!! Ok enough about me, HAHAHA!! After breakfast we met in the chapel for devo to prepare our minds to serve!
We had a hospital/gatorade blitz team, two construction teams, a team to Mololoa, a team working with Mi Esperanza, and a medical team. Our teams were eager to start working today!! The first team was the construction teams. After devo, they loaded the buses and made their way to La Tigra. Our teams had their work cut out for them today. Once they got to the sites they had to carry wood to the actual site!! It sounds like hard work, well it is hard work, but there is just something about the experience that is exhilarating. The Lord provided two families with a home tonight!! I can never say this enough, but GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!
The medical team was the next bus out. We quickly were briefed by Dr. Asha of the happenings that will occur in the clinic. Our team then loaded the bus and headed out to Los Piños community. Our team was greeted by people ready to be seen by the doctors. Todays clinic started by 9:30am. Our team, once again our team worked hard so we could see as many as possible in the allotted time given. The team saw about 225 patients today in Los Piños bringing the total about 380ish.
The hospital team went back to Hospital Esquela to visit with the sick for about 2 hours. They then loaded the bus and did a Gatorade BLitz throughout the city. What is a gatorade blitz, you ask? Well let me just tell you!! Our team goes to the grocery store and purchase as much gatorade as possible. Then they load the bus and hand the gatorade out to the street workers throughout the city. It is the most fun thing ever!! Seeing the excitement of the workers is something that is really not explainable.
The Mi Esperanza team assisted the ladies in counting tassels. I honestly have know idea how to really explain this task. They say that is was a tedious job and there was not a dull moment throughout the day.
After everyone returned we had dinner then devo. When devo was over we had announcements and was given the possible agenda for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be another busy day!! Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the work being done in Honduras. If you guys need anything or have questions please email me brandyb06@gmail.com.
Brandy B
Monday, July 4
Airports, houses, and buses
July 2 and 3
First I would like to apologize for not posting the past two nights. I will be blogging about the past two days in this blog starting with July 2.
July 2 we woke up bright and early for breakfast from 7-8 am. We had eggs, beans and toast. After breakfast we made our way to the chapel for morning devo. Donald Ballard is our keynote speaker for morning devos and is bring us lessons on the minor prophets. After devo, the two teams building gathered and loaded all the building supplies and made our way to the community we would be building in. The remainder of the team stayed back to begin preparing for approx. 40 more members.
The build team left quickly after devo to get started as soon as possible on the builds. We were greeted by smiling faces and two families in need of a home. Pat (Tricky) Guthrie led one team with many of the Foundation group on his team. They hiked their way to the lot and began building. Taylor Sullivan and Tyler Steffy were the leaders of the second group. Both groups were complied of many rookies that were well broken in the first day. Everyone worked very hard to complete the house for the needy family. Our teams were eager to learn today and were eager to work hard for Jesus. The two houses were dedication houses that Patty Johnson and Jenny Lovell raised funds for. We are going to be building about 20 houses this year due to the generosity and hard work of several individuals on this trip.
While the building teams were hard at work the others were at the airport gathering the larger group coming in today. With this team coming in, we will be at approximately 95 team members. I am so excited about meeting new brothers and sisters and reuniting with old friends.
The entire team met back up on the mountain around 5:30. The construction crew unloaded while the ones that just arrived had orientation. At about 6 we had dinner potatoes, baked chicken and veggies. I can promise you all we are not going hungry the food is AMAZING!! After dinner we met for devo, led by Terry Reeves. Carlos (from NJ) will be our Keynote speaker for the evenings starting Sunday. After devo we made our way to our rooms for some much needed sleep.
July 3
Yesterday we were able to sleep in briefly, ok like 5 extra minutes. We had breakfast at the same time but it was more relaxed. We had cinnamon rolls, and fruit. After Breakfast we all got ready to leave for worship with a local congregation. It was the same community we worked in the day before. We left the mission house at about 9:00am to make our way to the community. After worship we had lunch and met up with another 20 group members bringing our total to 114. Once we had all had lunch we loaded the bus and went to Mi Esperanza to shop with a purpose. Mi Esperanza has been going for about 15 years started by Janet Hines and Lori Connell. Mi Esperanza works with the women of Honduras and teaches them a trade so they can go out and support their families. It is a great ministry that just continues to grow!!
Once everyone had made their purchases we made our way up the mountain to sort/break down food for food distribution and to sort meds for the medical clinic. After everything was sorted and ready we had Taco Loco for dinner. Once again, you can count on us not going hungry!! After dinner we met for devo led by our Keynote Carlos. After devo we received our instructions for the following day. We will be working hard over the next several days and I think our team is ready!! We still have about 16 more houses to build and will be doing food distributions as well. Everyone is eager to get to it!!
Thank you all for taking the time to pray for the work and our group. I do need to let everyone know that we will not be streaming the demos live there is just not enough internet power to do so. If something changes I will let you all know. If you need anything or have any questions please email me brandyb06@gmail.com. Thank you all again and God Bless!!
Brandy B
First I would like to apologize for not posting the past two nights. I will be blogging about the past two days in this blog starting with July 2.
July 2 we woke up bright and early for breakfast from 7-8 am. We had eggs, beans and toast. After breakfast we made our way to the chapel for morning devo. Donald Ballard is our keynote speaker for morning devos and is bring us lessons on the minor prophets. After devo, the two teams building gathered and loaded all the building supplies and made our way to the community we would be building in. The remainder of the team stayed back to begin preparing for approx. 40 more members.
The build team left quickly after devo to get started as soon as possible on the builds. We were greeted by smiling faces and two families in need of a home. Pat (Tricky) Guthrie led one team with many of the Foundation group on his team. They hiked their way to the lot and began building. Taylor Sullivan and Tyler Steffy were the leaders of the second group. Both groups were complied of many rookies that were well broken in the first day. Everyone worked very hard to complete the house for the needy family. Our teams were eager to learn today and were eager to work hard for Jesus. The two houses were dedication houses that Patty Johnson and Jenny Lovell raised funds for. We are going to be building about 20 houses this year due to the generosity and hard work of several individuals on this trip.
While the building teams were hard at work the others were at the airport gathering the larger group coming in today. With this team coming in, we will be at approximately 95 team members. I am so excited about meeting new brothers and sisters and reuniting with old friends.
The entire team met back up on the mountain around 5:30. The construction crew unloaded while the ones that just arrived had orientation. At about 6 we had dinner potatoes, baked chicken and veggies. I can promise you all we are not going hungry the food is AMAZING!! After dinner we met for devo, led by Terry Reeves. Carlos (from NJ) will be our Keynote speaker for the evenings starting Sunday. After devo we made our way to our rooms for some much needed sleep.
July 3
Yesterday we were able to sleep in briefly, ok like 5 extra minutes. We had breakfast at the same time but it was more relaxed. We had cinnamon rolls, and fruit. After Breakfast we all got ready to leave for worship with a local congregation. It was the same community we worked in the day before. We left the mission house at about 9:00am to make our way to the community. After worship we had lunch and met up with another 20 group members bringing our total to 114. Once we had all had lunch we loaded the bus and went to Mi Esperanza to shop with a purpose. Mi Esperanza has been going for about 15 years started by Janet Hines and Lori Connell. Mi Esperanza works with the women of Honduras and teaches them a trade so they can go out and support their families. It is a great ministry that just continues to grow!!
Once everyone had made their purchases we made our way up the mountain to sort/break down food for food distribution and to sort meds for the medical clinic. After everything was sorted and ready we had Taco Loco for dinner. Once again, you can count on us not going hungry!! After dinner we met for devo led by our Keynote Carlos. After devo we received our instructions for the following day. We will be working hard over the next several days and I think our team is ready!! We still have about 16 more houses to build and will be doing food distributions as well. Everyone is eager to get to it!!
Thank you all for taking the time to pray for the work and our group. I do need to let everyone know that we will not be streaming the demos live there is just not enough internet power to do so. If something changes I will let you all know. If you need anything or have any questions please email me brandyb06@gmail.com. Thank you all again and God Bless!!
Brandy B
Saturday, July 2
July 1, 2016
Good morning to you all!! Yesterday was a good day! We began with breakfast that consisted of an omelet, toast and some spicy potato wedges. We ate between 7 and 8, then met for devo. After devo a team went to build in a community around the city dump while a few of us went to the airport to meet up with 24 other team members.
The airport crew made it to the airport just in time to meet the group from Bell Shoals/Foundation. They had 18 team members. As they were loading their luggage, they received instruction on what to do for lunch while we waited for the group of 7 from Nashville. The Nashville crew landed and where through customs about an hour later and received the same instruction. All team members made it safely to the country!! After everyone had lunch we made our way to the grocery store to pick up items for lunch then came back to the mission house for orientation.
The build team left around 930 am to head to the build site. They had a good day at the site and provided a home for a family in Jesus name. The weather held off for them as well and made the build a little easier. They arrived back at the mission house around 530 pm.
For dinner we had veggies, spaghetti and a roll. We all enjoyed our meal and fellowship with one another. After dinner we met for devo where Tricky Pat told us his testimony encouraging us to allow God to work through us and explaining God can use anyone for his glory. When devo was over we received instructions for what we would be doing today, July 2. We will have 2 build teams, an organizing team, and a team to the airport to receive about 40 more members of the team. So far the work has been great and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for our team.
Thank you all for reading and praying for us. Please if you need anything or have questions email me at brandyb06@gmail.com.
Brandy Barnett
Good morning to you all!! Yesterday was a good day! We began with breakfast that consisted of an omelet, toast and some spicy potato wedges. We ate between 7 and 8, then met for devo. After devo a team went to build in a community around the city dump while a few of us went to the airport to meet up with 24 other team members.
The airport crew made it to the airport just in time to meet the group from Bell Shoals/Foundation. They had 18 team members. As they were loading their luggage, they received instruction on what to do for lunch while we waited for the group of 7 from Nashville. The Nashville crew landed and where through customs about an hour later and received the same instruction. All team members made it safely to the country!! After everyone had lunch we made our way to the grocery store to pick up items for lunch then came back to the mission house for orientation.
The build team left around 930 am to head to the build site. They had a good day at the site and provided a home for a family in Jesus name. The weather held off for them as well and made the build a little easier. They arrived back at the mission house around 530 pm.
For dinner we had veggies, spaghetti and a roll. We all enjoyed our meal and fellowship with one another. After dinner we met for devo where Tricky Pat told us his testimony encouraging us to allow God to work through us and explaining God can use anyone for his glory. When devo was over we received instructions for what we would be doing today, July 2. We will have 2 build teams, an organizing team, and a team to the airport to receive about 40 more members of the team. So far the work has been great and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for our team.
Thank you all for reading and praying for us. Please if you need anything or have questions email me at brandyb06@gmail.com.
Brandy Barnett
Thursday, June 30
And it begins....for real
Good day to all of you!!! For those who do not know, this is the blog for Terry Reeves TORCH group 2016. My name is Brandy Barnett, and I will be keeping you as updated as possible of the work being done in Jesus name.
June 30, 2016 started at 7 am with breakfast. Our group of 16 (more will be joining over the next few days) enjoyed a croissant with eggs, cheese, and turkey/ham. At 8am the group gathered supplies for our first build in Limones in the rainforest. This house was a house Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville, TN sponsored.
The group had a slower start than we would have liked, but the post holes took a while to dig due to the thick mud (I'm glad it wasn't rock though!!). Once our holes were set and post were in, the build was pretty smooth. The team was a very good team. Everyone was eager to work and/or learn something new about building houses in Honduras. The weather was AMAZING, with overcast skies and light drizzle to keep us cool. We finished around 2:30pm and went to another house build site to pick up another team with TORCH.
While we were waiting for the team to finish, Mark Connell showed us a coffee farm. A gentleman by the name of Jesus began planting coffee about 3 years ago. Jesus was nice enough to show us his farm which also has veggies too. It was pretty amazing to see how they plant their plants along the side of the mountains, but they do!! Mark also shared with us how this gentleman also employees people to help during harvest season, which is great for the Hondurans with a 60% unemployment rate. This past March a group from Freed-Haldeman came and visited Jesus and learned he was having to travel a very long way to roast his coffee beans. Jesus was hoping he would eventually be able to buy his own roaster. Jesus was provided a loan to purchase a roaster and will begin roasting his own coffee beans next harvest (if my understanding is correct). It is so amazing to see the growth of a country. I'm not sure I can put into words how neat and encouraging it was to see the work Jesus has done and will be able to continue to do through the help of God.
After the other group completed their house we loaded the bus and made our way back to the mission house. When we arrived we were greeted by 3.5 other group members. Tyler, Katherine, and Truett Steffy, and Brenda Waller made it safely to the mission house. The remainder of todays wave arrived from Costa Rica at about 5:30. We all reunited with old friends and met new ones over the next hour. Then it was time for dinner! Dinner tonight was so good!! We had beef tips, rice, salad and a roll. I can never explain just how good the food is here, I mean I look forward to it every year!! You guys do not have to worry about us going hungry at all.
When dinner was over we had devo. Terry Reeves led us in our thoughts centered around our theme which is translated more love please. He talk about how before John was the apostle of love that he was known as the son of thunder. He discussed with us how John learned to love and would eventually be know as the apostle of love. When devo was over, we had an orientation to welcome those who are here to Honduras and go over some ground rules. Then it was off to bed for some much needed rest.
Tomorrow we will have a house build and others will be coming in to add to our group!! I'm so excited to be here and to finally be working and serving with my brothers and sisters. I hope you all enjoy what you read and please send prayers for safe travels and successful work.
Thank you all for your prayers!!
Love you all
Brandy B
If you have any questions email me brandyb06@gmail.com
Below are photos from today!! Enjoy
June 30, 2016 started at 7 am with breakfast. Our group of 16 (more will be joining over the next few days) enjoyed a croissant with eggs, cheese, and turkey/ham. At 8am the group gathered supplies for our first build in Limones in the rainforest. This house was a house Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville, TN sponsored.
The group had a slower start than we would have liked, but the post holes took a while to dig due to the thick mud (I'm glad it wasn't rock though!!). Once our holes were set and post were in, the build was pretty smooth. The team was a very good team. Everyone was eager to work and/or learn something new about building houses in Honduras. The weather was AMAZING, with overcast skies and light drizzle to keep us cool. We finished around 2:30pm and went to another house build site to pick up another team with TORCH.
While we were waiting for the team to finish, Mark Connell showed us a coffee farm. A gentleman by the name of Jesus began planting coffee about 3 years ago. Jesus was nice enough to show us his farm which also has veggies too. It was pretty amazing to see how they plant their plants along the side of the mountains, but they do!! Mark also shared with us how this gentleman also employees people to help during harvest season, which is great for the Hondurans with a 60% unemployment rate. This past March a group from Freed-Haldeman came and visited Jesus and learned he was having to travel a very long way to roast his coffee beans. Jesus was hoping he would eventually be able to buy his own roaster. Jesus was provided a loan to purchase a roaster and will begin roasting his own coffee beans next harvest (if my understanding is correct). It is so amazing to see the growth of a country. I'm not sure I can put into words how neat and encouraging it was to see the work Jesus has done and will be able to continue to do through the help of God.
After the other group completed their house we loaded the bus and made our way back to the mission house. When we arrived we were greeted by 3.5 other group members. Tyler, Katherine, and Truett Steffy, and Brenda Waller made it safely to the mission house. The remainder of todays wave arrived from Costa Rica at about 5:30. We all reunited with old friends and met new ones over the next hour. Then it was time for dinner! Dinner tonight was so good!! We had beef tips, rice, salad and a roll. I can never explain just how good the food is here, I mean I look forward to it every year!! You guys do not have to worry about us going hungry at all.
When dinner was over we had devo. Terry Reeves led us in our thoughts centered around our theme which is translated more love please. He talk about how before John was the apostle of love that he was known as the son of thunder. He discussed with us how John learned to love and would eventually be know as the apostle of love. When devo was over, we had an orientation to welcome those who are here to Honduras and go over some ground rules. Then it was off to bed for some much needed rest.
Tomorrow we will have a house build and others will be coming in to add to our group!! I'm so excited to be here and to finally be working and serving with my brothers and sisters. I hope you all enjoy what you read and please send prayers for safe travels and successful work.
Thank you all for your prayers!!
Love you all
Brandy B
If you have any questions email me brandyb06@gmail.com
Below are photos from today!! Enjoy
Wednesday, June 29
I wanted to let everyone know a group of 13 have made it to the mission house. We have 3 more coming in at about 8 this evening. We will have small groups coming in over the next few days. I will post more tomorrow night. If you have any questions please email me brandyb06@gmail.com. Love you all. Stay tuned ;).
Brandy Barnett
Brandy Barnett
Saturday, June 25
Can I have that word in a sentence please.....
Costa Rica, June 24th: What a day!!! Really early rise and shine today! We were up and out the door at 7:00 this morning because today we have a very special activity planned. Today we had the unique opportunity to help with a National English Contest at the district level at the school we have been working with this week. Several of us were judges for the different categories: spelling bee, impromptu speech, conversation speech, and prepared speech. Several of the teachers in our group worked in the different areas and were the official judges. There were three judges for each category. (Terry Reeves was a judge for high school spelling... let that one set in for a moment!) The school allowed us to sing church songs before an assembly of around 300 parents, students, and teachers. We were even allowed to invite people to the church. They served us a really good breakfast and lunch. It was a wonderful ceremony with the presenting of the Costa Rica flag, singing of the national anthem, and watching skits from different age groups. After lunch we prayed with the principle and directors.
There were several schools represented at the event and 3 or 4 schools asked us if we could do VBS at their schools next year! Looks like next year's mission trip is already on the planning board!
In the afternoon, we had classes for the men and women, dinner, and the the Gospel Meeting and VBS. Everyone is doing a great job and we are the busiest as we have ever been working in CR. This was a great experience and a huge PR opportunity for the church and Torch today.
The best part of the whole day? When the principal of the school came to the Gospel Meeting!!!!! She is a wonderful woman. She, along with 2 others, responded to the invitation asking for prayers. Great trip so far!
Some days are like that, even in Costa Rica
Costa Rica, June 23rd: Another early morning for the Torch team. Another breakfast at Denny;s and then on the bu and on our way to battle the daily chaos of morning rush hour traffic! We arrived at the church around 8:30 and had our morning devo. Benjamin Adams, our youngest Torcher, led the English songs and did a great job. You can tell he is a veteran Lads to Leaders participant. We then headed out to knock on doors and do three VBS rotations at the local school. We were able to work with over 200 more children!
The school is so big we have done 7 VBS skits to 7 different groups and we have not seen all of the kids yet! Tomorrow we are supposed to have 3 more groups. Our theme, More Love Please, has a pirate twist to it! The skit actors are the "Pirates of the Mediterranean" and are quite the hit. The slapstick comedy works well down here!
After VBS the door knocking team and the VBS team met up and went back to the church building for a delicious lunch and then afternoon Bible classes. Dinner was sandwiches and finger foods and then Jeremy preached his second lesson. Although the crowd is small the lessons are great and the ones in attendance are really enjoying it. We have workers who are here from Buenos Aries (southern CR), La Fortuna (norther CR), and Nicaragua. After services we had birthday cake and fellowship time before heading back to the hotel to eat some more.
Some days are like that, even in Costa Rica!
The school is so big we have done 7 VBS skits to 7 different groups and we have not seen all of the kids yet! Tomorrow we are supposed to have 3 more groups. Our theme, More Love Please, has a pirate twist to it! The skit actors are the "Pirates of the Mediterranean" and are quite the hit. The slapstick comedy works well down here!
After VBS the door knocking team and the VBS team met up and went back to the church building for a delicious lunch and then afternoon Bible classes. Dinner was sandwiches and finger foods and then Jeremy preached his second lesson. Although the crowd is small the lessons are great and the ones in attendance are really enjoying it. We have workers who are here from Buenos Aries (southern CR), La Fortuna (norther CR), and Nicaragua. After services we had birthday cake and fellowship time before heading back to the hotel to eat some more.
Some days are like that, even in Costa Rica!
Pancakes and cheesecake
Costa Rica: June 22nd- Early rise and shine! Breakfast at Denny's and then on the bus and out the door about 7:15. This morning we had a devotional at the church and then went to the local school. Byron spoke again and Jon Hackett led singing. Some of us went door knocking in an area about 4 miles from the building while, some did a community service project. The main part of the team went to a large public school and did a VBS for grades 1-6. We essentially did 4 VBSs bank-to-back and presented to 400 children.
We returned to the church for lunch and then had separate Bible classes for men and women. Then men's class is being taught by Chase Turner, who has done the class the past 3 years. The ladies class is being led by Diane Adams, who has also being teaching the class the past3 years. After dinner, we had a Gospel Meeting and VBS at the church. Jeremy Crump, from Houston, Texas, is the keynote speaker for the meeting.
After the meeting we had a time of fellowship and then returned to the hotel for the nightly ritual. The team, although from several different places, are bonding together really well. New friends are being made over pancakes and cheesecake!
And so it begins...
We're here!!! The groups arrived in waves today starting at 11:20 until 11:20 tonight. We ate at the food court at a local mall and then headed to the hotel to check in. Dinner was at Denny's and we had a short group meeting in the lobby before heading to bed.
Costa Rica, June 21st: We did VBS prep today at the hotel. We translated lessons and scripts and made copies of skits and then traveled over to the church building. We ate lunch and dinner and fellowshipped with the Purral church, and had a devotional and singing. Byron, the new preacher at Purral, gave the talk and Terry Reeves led the singing. Tomorrow morning we have the opportunity to go into a school to do a VBS and in the evening another VBS at the church and Gospel meeting. We got back to the hotel about 8:00 and the group began the daily tradition of hanging out in the lobby, eating at Denny's, and drinking lots of coffee and Fresca. Yes, it is going to be a great trip!
Costa Rica, June 21st: We did VBS prep today at the hotel. We translated lessons and scripts and made copies of skits and then traveled over to the church building. We ate lunch and dinner and fellowshipped with the Purral church, and had a devotional and singing. Byron, the new preacher at Purral, gave the talk and Terry Reeves led the singing. Tomorrow morning we have the opportunity to go into a school to do a VBS and in the evening another VBS at the church and Gospel meeting. We got back to the hotel about 8:00 and the group began the daily tradition of hanging out in the lobby, eating at Denny's, and drinking lots of coffee and Fresca. Yes, it is going to be a great trip!
Pura Vida from Costa Rica
The 2016 trips have started!!! We have been on the ground in Costa Rica for 6 days and the blogging has begin. In the next few hours we will be downloading the daily blogs that have been written and photos of what we have been doing in San Jose.
Our team of 23 have been very busy and we have a lot to tell!!! The team this year comes from Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Louisiana, and Florida. 13 of us are veterans of Costa Rica trips and 7 are here for the first time. We have 5 teens, 9 school teachers, a youth minister and a couple of people that are even retired.
We arrived this past Monday, the 20th, and are staying in San Jose working with the Purral church of Christ. We are staying at the Best Western Hotel in San Jose and we are using our long time friend Jose Porras to drive us to the work sites. We are safe and sound and having a great time working with the church here.
Stay tuned as we update you on the wonderful works going on down here in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Pura Vida mi amigos!!!!
Our team of 23 have been very busy and we have a lot to tell!!! The team this year comes from Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Louisiana, and Florida. 13 of us are veterans of Costa Rica trips and 7 are here for the first time. We have 5 teens, 9 school teachers, a youth minister and a couple of people that are even retired.
We arrived this past Monday, the 20th, and are staying in San Jose working with the Purral church of Christ. We are staying at the Best Western Hotel in San Jose and we are using our long time friend Jose Porras to drive us to the work sites. We are safe and sound and having a great time working with the church here.
Stay tuned as we update you on the wonderful works going on down here in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Pura Vida mi amigos!!!!
Sunday, July 12
We only Retreat so that we can Advance
Let’s see,
I believe we left off on Thursday night which was our last night of the gospel
meeting. We awoke later on Friday morning since the buses didn’t leave until
9:30. Terry arranged for the hotel to keep a room reserved where we could store
the majority of our luggage—This way our buses weren’t loaded down
unnecessarily and we could travel lighter and faster. The ride to the church
camp in Sarchi was only about an hour and a half, which is long enough for you
to want to take a nap, but short enough to make that impossible. Soon after our
arrival, we ate lunch and had an epic futbol match between the ticos and the
gringos. Since the gringos out numbered the ticos for a majority of the match,
our 7-3 win was to most unfair, but as it was said: Americans will do whatever
it takes to win (I personally disagree with this thought and wish our rematch
had not been rained out). It was a dangerous game between being hit in the face
with the ball by your soccer coach and having limes thrown at you from Laura
Myers. Overall, it was fun to play around for a little while. After the game,
Terry went over our schedule for the afternoon. The group was split into men’s
and women’s classes again on Friday and Saturday. The men’s classes were led by
Todd Mikula who spoke about elders, why they are necessary and what their role
is within the church. The women’s classes were led by Margaret Reeves, who
spoke about whatever she had been thinking of the past few days because her husband
did not inform her of this class until an hour before it was supposed to begin.
After the men’s and women’s classes, we all came together for a class where
Jeremy and Jon Hackett co-taught on the topic of youth ministry. Pizza was on
the menu for our supper on Friday night, which I was excited for because that
meant the lovely ladies that have been cooking all week finally got a break! It
also taught me that I do like pineapple on pizza—that I am still shocked about.
Our evening devotional was led by Thad (Tad, Dad, etc) Butts and he had us all
consider perspectives. We were all on the same trip, yet most of us gave
different answers when asked what our favorite part of the trip was. Our
perspective of this trip has all be different because we are all different.
Sometimes we need a change in perspective to get on the right path. Thad used
two churches mentioned in Revelation chapter 2 to illustrate this. The church
in Sardis seemed live to the worked, but really they were dead. The church in
Laodicea thought they were rich, but they were lukewarm. Both of these churches
had perspectives that were wrong. We may be able to fool others. We may even be
able to fool ourselves. But we will never be able to fool God. It is vital for
us to be able to examine our lives using God’s perspective because it is the
only one that matters.
Jeremy
Myers led our morning devotional on Saturday. His key statement throughout his
lesson was: “We only retreat so that we can advance.” He referenced the book of
Acts to show how those in the church were asking God for help to speak boldly
and with all confidence. During our ladies class today, Margaret had us talk
about what we would say to everyone on this trip if we knew we weren’t going to
see them again. One of the things mentioned that stuck with me the most was the
command for us all to strive our hardest to go to Heaven. I believe it was
Margaret who told us that she wants most for us all to do our absolute best,
above all else, to get to Heaven so that we will be reunited there with our
Lord. There were a lot of tears shed today in class, but that comes with the
territory when you start considering the possibility that you may never see
someone you love again. After all our classes were over and we ate lunch, it
was time to clean up the camp and say our not so good-byes and see you laters. A
group picture brought us all together, and then it was time to give the warmest
hugs we could and load the bus. This is the time when I personally desire to go
to Heaven the most, because this is when I need to be comforted in knowing that
even if I never get to return to Costa Rica in my lifetime, there is a Home in
Heaven waiting for us all if we choose to make it our goal and strive for it
without ceasing.
We headed
out for La Fortuna which was between 3-4 hours on the bus in the rain.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to see the volcano, or really anything for
that matter, but we all have high hopes that the rain will move out tonight so
that tomorrow we can behold more of God’s beautiful creations. Let me just tell
you, our dinner tonight made most of us sick because it was so good we went
back for seconds. Steak and chicken and the best alfredo sauce I’ve ever tasted
on bow-tie pasta and chocolate tres leches cake. (“Tres leches” is “three
milks” in English, basically just think about a chocolate cake that is soaked
in some milk after it comes out of the oven.) I think there were some
vegetables, too, but I didn’t have much room for those. Our devotional time tonight was primarily
singing, which was phenomenal led by Tim Hines in a room that was made for acapella
singing no doubt. There were even a few visitors with us tonight for devo: Luke
and Sam Butler from the Bell Shoals congregation in Florida. They came up for
the day since they knew we would be in the area and there are quite a few
members of Bell Shoals with us on this trip.
Lots of
people have some big plans for our day at the hot springs tomorrow! Right now,
there is a group of 19 that is signed up to go zip-lining in the morning—We even
talked Cristian and his family into joining us. We are all excited to have a
day of fun and relaxation. I hope that Cristian and his family enjoy their time
here as it is one of the last activities they will have together in Costa Rica
before they move. I’ve already written a novel tonight, so I am waiting for our
last night to explain the changes which will be taking place very soon.
I thank you all for your prayers of safety and spiritual
growth! Please continue to pray as I hope you all are able to worship on the
Lord’s Day and remember His sacrifice because of His faithful love for us.
-Leah
Thursday, July 9
Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
Do you want to change the world? Or at least do you aspire to change someone's life? If you do, that is awesome! Don't stop believing it's possible. But how do you intend on accomplishing that goal? These are all questions that I have asked myself before. Sometimes it's easy to say "I want to make a difference," but figuring out how to make that difference isn't always so easy. I think so often we have these dreams, but once we realize it's not that simple, we fear we will be unable to reach such a lofty goal. As we learned last night in Tim's lesson, we have no reason to fear when we allow God to control our lives. We are all capable of changing the world, but it can be a change for the better or for the worst. In order for us to be God's instruments, we must allow Him to do His work through us. Allowing Him to have control requires trust, faith, hope, and love. Jesus, the Son of God, the only example of a perfect follower of God, prayed to His Father saying, "if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matt. 26:39). This life on earth is not about us or what we want. It is about God and His glory. Therefore, we need to use His example when we pray. Ask whatever is on our heart, but acknowledge that His will is greater than ours and allow His to be done.
During our last day in Purral, time seemed to fly by. Manuel started our morning in devotion with some thoughts about Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 1:4-6. Next, we had our last men's and women's classes at the church. Diane had a servant day planned for our class. We worked on displaying how to be a servant by serving the ladies of the church with foot/neck/hand/head massages, manicures, and pedicures. The ladies all enjoyed themselves and had many kind words to say after we had finished. They commented how they could see our love through this whole week and they felt greatly encouraged through all of our work for God. The men finished up their class on the Christian home by delving into communication. Interestingly enough, the men decided to have their class on one of the buses outside the church building because it was cooler with the air circulation, than in the classroom with no windows.
During our last day in Purral, time seemed to fly by. Manuel started our morning in devotion with some thoughts about Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 1:4-6. Next, we had our last men's and women's classes at the church. Diane had a servant day planned for our class. We worked on displaying how to be a servant by serving the ladies of the church with foot/neck/hand/head massages, manicures, and pedicures. The ladies all enjoyed themselves and had many kind words to say after we had finished. They commented how they could see our love through this whole week and they felt greatly encouraged through all of our work for God. The men finished up their class on the Christian home by delving into communication. Interestingly enough, the men decided to have their class on one of the buses outside the church building because it was cooler with the air circulation, than in the classroom with no windows.
We ate another delicious lunch and dinner today. I'll go ahead and tell you the best part: Blackberry Juice. I cannot tell you all how wonderful it is that we've had a different kind of juice every day we've been here. Blackberry, Pineapple, Apple, etc. If you had this growing up, you would probably spit out the juice we have in the States and ask what it is wrong with it. It amazes me the difference it makes when everything is fresh!
The afternoon was split into our 3 groups one last time. A very large group went to the orphanage for the last day so that they could say goodbye to the kids and give away some of the things they had brought. We also did our last VBS there, which went the best it has all week! The painting group did the roof of one of the buildings ( I think ). The door knocking group did one last round around the neighborhood close by the church. We were able to obtain 11 contacts today which was a great blessing! We ended our knocking at the house of one of the members. This couple is the oldest in the congregation and they are one of two couples who started the church of Christ in Purral. We stopped by their home because Fernando had been door knocking with us and his wife Berta had been sick and unable to get out today. It was so encouraging to hear their story of starting the church here and how they had groomed so many preachers and teachers during their time in Purral. There has been so much fruit harvested from this blessed congregation and I pray they continue to flourish.
We have all made friends on this trip, whether they be a part of the TORCH group or the church in Purral. These friends are exceptional because the Lord's work is what brought us together. It is rare that we meet friends with whom we have knocked on door's sharing the opportunity to hear the Gospel. This kind of relationship is more than just friendship, it is a family: the family of God. Our brother Tim spoke about friends tonight. He began by illustrating the story of the paralyzed man brought through the roof to Jesus in Mark 2. These friends did everything in their power to get this man to Jesus because their faith was so strong. They knew that nothing else was more important, despite whatever consequences might follow: that's how much they loved their friend and wanted the best for him. The paralyzed man had friends that changed his life. How many friends do you have that would do the same for you? I hope that you have someone in mind at this time because the truth is: You need friends to help you get to Heaven. We all need those influences in our lives to help us press on toward the goal. Reverse that thought, and consider whether you are being a friend that is helping those around you strive for Heaven. We must be willing to sacrifice everything for our friends if it will get them to Heaven. Now is the time to act without fear for what people may think or what they may say. If the worst thing someone can say about you is, "He tried to convince me that I should believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that I should obey His Word," then what are you waiting for? Tomorrow may never come. You can make all the plans in the world, but if Christ comes tonight, He's not going to recall what you said you were going to do. He will remember what you did, or possibly what you didn't do. We need friends who believe in Christ and help us reach out to others who have not made that confession yet or been baptized to save them from their sins. Our friends should not only support us, but also come to us when we have erred from His way.
The friends in Mark 2 cast out all fear because of their faith. When you are able to find those kind of people, that's when you're going to change the world.
At this time, I am unsure of our access to internet over the next few days. I will be surprised if there is internet at the Camp we are staying at tomorrow (Friday) night, so you should not expect a blog post tomorrow. However, I believe we should have access when we get to La Fortuna Saturday night and stay through Monday morning. Stay tuned for more information and most importantly, please, keep all of us traveling this weekend in your prayers! You never know when a bus may break down going up a mountain...(not that that has ever happened before). Ha!
We have all made friends on this trip, whether they be a part of the TORCH group or the church in Purral. These friends are exceptional because the Lord's work is what brought us together. It is rare that we meet friends with whom we have knocked on door's sharing the opportunity to hear the Gospel. This kind of relationship is more than just friendship, it is a family: the family of God. Our brother Tim spoke about friends tonight. He began by illustrating the story of the paralyzed man brought through the roof to Jesus in Mark 2. These friends did everything in their power to get this man to Jesus because their faith was so strong. They knew that nothing else was more important, despite whatever consequences might follow: that's how much they loved their friend and wanted the best for him. The paralyzed man had friends that changed his life. How many friends do you have that would do the same for you? I hope that you have someone in mind at this time because the truth is: You need friends to help you get to Heaven. We all need those influences in our lives to help us press on toward the goal. Reverse that thought, and consider whether you are being a friend that is helping those around you strive for Heaven. We must be willing to sacrifice everything for our friends if it will get them to Heaven. Now is the time to act without fear for what people may think or what they may say. If the worst thing someone can say about you is, "He tried to convince me that I should believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that I should obey His Word," then what are you waiting for? Tomorrow may never come. You can make all the plans in the world, but if Christ comes tonight, He's not going to recall what you said you were going to do. He will remember what you did, or possibly what you didn't do. We need friends who believe in Christ and help us reach out to others who have not made that confession yet or been baptized to save them from their sins. Our friends should not only support us, but also come to us when we have erred from His way.
The friends in Mark 2 cast out all fear because of their faith. When you are able to find those kind of people, that's when you're going to change the world.
At this time, I am unsure of our access to internet over the next few days. I will be surprised if there is internet at the Camp we are staying at tomorrow (Friday) night, so you should not expect a blog post tomorrow. However, I believe we should have access when we get to La Fortuna Saturday night and stay through Monday morning. Stay tuned for more information and most importantly, please, keep all of us traveling this weekend in your prayers! You never know when a bus may break down going up a mountain...(not that that has ever happened before). Ha!
Adios mis amigos,
Leah -- email leahcwright17@gmail.com
Wednesday, July 8
Torch Against the World
I interrupt this blog to bring to you a guest speaker: Miss Sarah Whitley
Hola to all you loyal readers, I hope you are doing better than fantastic. Thank you for your time and patience spent on waiting for this. This morning many Torch members found themselves arriving to breakfast about ten minutes before the buses left in the name of sleep. Our late start was only the beginning of a very strange and uncooperative day.
We arrived at the church mostly on time and listened to a short presentation from Ricky Butts about the mind of Christ. He talked about how in the book of Philippians, it addresses how there are four parts to the mind of Christ: a gospel mind, a lowly mind, a progressive mind, and a happy mind. Then he left us with one final thought, and that was to trust God.
Shortly after Ricky's talk, we broke into our men's and women's groups for our devotionals. In the women's group, we discussed the topic of women's role in the church. Diane was smart and had everyone coloring "stress relieving coloring pages" during this discussion for the sake of keeping peace. We looked over many passages that explained why women should leave leadership roles in the church to men, and it was really nice hearing biblical reasons instead of the worldly ones that are so popular these days. To wrap up our talk Diane revealed that the coloring sheets were actually symbolic: Men are the black lines creating the image, and women are the colors that make it beautiful, and God is the frame that surrounds the image. How sneaky! Well played Diane, well played.
Lunch was absolutely amazing. The ham sandwich and fresh fruit was just what the missionary ordered. Everybody ate quickly and helped clean. Then we went our separate ways to the orphanage for the painters and the VBS crew, and into the city for the door knockers. Something was definitely working against the Torch members today. The painters didn't end up painting the last two buildings because the boys who lived in them were very opposed to the Pepto-Bismal pink. So the few, the proud, the painters trudged back to the office to put all the painting supplies back and make their way into the gym where VBS was being held. Also known as chaos. Most of the kids were on a field trip today and those left behind were the "problem children" apparently. They gave the VBS-ers a run for their money and were very difficult, inattentive, and rude. Eventually the kids settled down and listened for the most part, but it was still a very exhausting extravaganza. The door walkers had to stop early because there was too much rain. No one felt like they had a successful day when it came to our plans for the afternoon, but sometimes things don't always go as planned.
It was Torch against the world today, but we made it through a-okay. After a dinner of chicken, veggies, rice, and avocado we all worked together to get the chairs in place for Chapel led by Tim Hines and translated by Chase Turner. Tonight was about fear. Tim entertained us all by recollecting a story from his childhood. He was left alone in a big cabin in the jungle while his father went fishing, and he heard the growling of a tiger. He sprinted through the jungle terrified for his life, singing Blue Skies and Rainbows, all while desperately trying to find his father who would bring indubitable safety. He found his father, and was brought back to the cabin, where they discovered the tiger was in fact just a man snoring. Fear prevents us from seeing things the way they are. It gets in the way of doors opening for new opportunities because we're too afraid to look. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, it talks about the punishments and beatings Paul endured, and how he faith prevailed and he continued worshipping God all the same. God asks us to put our trust in Him and not to be afraid. In Acts 2:37, when people realize they had killed the Son of God, they were afraid of the wrath of God. But that was not what God had in mind. He wanted them to repent, come to Him, and live their lives for Him. God is a god of love, who can overcome any evil so there is no reason to be afraid. However, there are people in this world who don't fear anything, when they should be fearing God. Although He is still a god of love, He is also a god of justice. He created two places: one for the saved, and one for the lost. God wants us to not be afraid. Another word for afraid is ashamed. We have to be fearless when proclaiming the word of God, and proud of what we believe. God knows everything we do and everything we think, so what should we fear? God or earthly problems? God wants us to struggle so we appreciate His blessings instead of deceiving ourselves into thinking we can save ourselves.
After chapel we drove back to the hotel and we had a brief group devo where Jon Hackett spoke more on fear and focused on how we focus on little fears when something bigger and more terrifying is lurking right behind us. Terry Reeves then made a few announcements about the next few days and some ladies met to discuss plans for a spa day for the women at the church. Then it was off to bed for the tired Torchers.
Thank you for your prayers and dedication to reading this lovely blog, and God bless you all.
Sarah Whitley
PS- I've been forgetting to include this on the blog the past few days, but if anyone needs to contact anyone for any reason, you can email me at leahcwright17@gmail.com
Hola to all you loyal readers, I hope you are doing better than fantastic. Thank you for your time and patience spent on waiting for this. This morning many Torch members found themselves arriving to breakfast about ten minutes before the buses left in the name of sleep. Our late start was only the beginning of a very strange and uncooperative day.
We arrived at the church mostly on time and listened to a short presentation from Ricky Butts about the mind of Christ. He talked about how in the book of Philippians, it addresses how there are four parts to the mind of Christ: a gospel mind, a lowly mind, a progressive mind, and a happy mind. Then he left us with one final thought, and that was to trust God.
Shortly after Ricky's talk, we broke into our men's and women's groups for our devotionals. In the women's group, we discussed the topic of women's role in the church. Diane was smart and had everyone coloring "stress relieving coloring pages" during this discussion for the sake of keeping peace. We looked over many passages that explained why women should leave leadership roles in the church to men, and it was really nice hearing biblical reasons instead of the worldly ones that are so popular these days. To wrap up our talk Diane revealed that the coloring sheets were actually symbolic: Men are the black lines creating the image, and women are the colors that make it beautiful, and God is the frame that surrounds the image. How sneaky! Well played Diane, well played.
Lunch was absolutely amazing. The ham sandwich and fresh fruit was just what the missionary ordered. Everybody ate quickly and helped clean. Then we went our separate ways to the orphanage for the painters and the VBS crew, and into the city for the door knockers. Something was definitely working against the Torch members today. The painters didn't end up painting the last two buildings because the boys who lived in them were very opposed to the Pepto-Bismal pink. So the few, the proud, the painters trudged back to the office to put all the painting supplies back and make their way into the gym where VBS was being held. Also known as chaos. Most of the kids were on a field trip today and those left behind were the "problem children" apparently. They gave the VBS-ers a run for their money and were very difficult, inattentive, and rude. Eventually the kids settled down and listened for the most part, but it was still a very exhausting extravaganza. The door walkers had to stop early because there was too much rain. No one felt like they had a successful day when it came to our plans for the afternoon, but sometimes things don't always go as planned.
It was Torch against the world today, but we made it through a-okay. After a dinner of chicken, veggies, rice, and avocado we all worked together to get the chairs in place for Chapel led by Tim Hines and translated by Chase Turner. Tonight was about fear. Tim entertained us all by recollecting a story from his childhood. He was left alone in a big cabin in the jungle while his father went fishing, and he heard the growling of a tiger. He sprinted through the jungle terrified for his life, singing Blue Skies and Rainbows, all while desperately trying to find his father who would bring indubitable safety. He found his father, and was brought back to the cabin, where they discovered the tiger was in fact just a man snoring. Fear prevents us from seeing things the way they are. It gets in the way of doors opening for new opportunities because we're too afraid to look. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-27, it talks about the punishments and beatings Paul endured, and how he faith prevailed and he continued worshipping God all the same. God asks us to put our trust in Him and not to be afraid. In Acts 2:37, when people realize they had killed the Son of God, they were afraid of the wrath of God. But that was not what God had in mind. He wanted them to repent, come to Him, and live their lives for Him. God is a god of love, who can overcome any evil so there is no reason to be afraid. However, there are people in this world who don't fear anything, when they should be fearing God. Although He is still a god of love, He is also a god of justice. He created two places: one for the saved, and one for the lost. God wants us to not be afraid. Another word for afraid is ashamed. We have to be fearless when proclaiming the word of God, and proud of what we believe. God knows everything we do and everything we think, so what should we fear? God or earthly problems? God wants us to struggle so we appreciate His blessings instead of deceiving ourselves into thinking we can save ourselves.
After chapel we drove back to the hotel and we had a brief group devo where Jon Hackett spoke more on fear and focused on how we focus on little fears when something bigger and more terrifying is lurking right behind us. Terry Reeves then made a few announcements about the next few days and some ladies met to discuss plans for a spa day for the women at the church. Then it was off to bed for the tired Torchers.
Thank you for your prayers and dedication to reading this lovely blog, and God bless you all.
Sarah Whitley
PS- I've been forgetting to include this on the blog the past few days, but if anyone needs to contact anyone for any reason, you can email me at leahcwright17@gmail.com
Tuesday, July 7
Trailer Hitch
Have you ever seen a hearse with a trailer hitch? If you have, I for one would love to see it. But honestly, does it make any sense for a vehicle which transports the bodies of people who have died to carry anything else with it? In case you didn't already know this, you can't take anything when you go! Not your house, your car, your dog, your job, or even your family. (For those of you who remember me mentioning my mind is 80% song lyrics, this comes from the song "Trailer Hitch"). That is why things of this earth do not matter, and they will never matter. Our brother Bryon made an excellent point this morning in his devotional: "The only thing thing we can take with us is our actions for God here on Earth." Let that soak in a minute as I tell you about another beautiful day in the community of Purral in Costa Rica.
This day ran nearly identical to yesterday's, so I'm going to make it a little bit shorter, and as sweet as I can type. We had a lot more stranglers this morning to get to breakfast on time and catch the bus before it left. Shane Blackburn was our example for the day. Since he was running late, Terry had him make a spectacle of himself for everyone once we arrived at the church building. He promised he would not be late again...TODAY. Ha. Let's hope we all wake up refreshed enough tomorrow that we jump out of bed, ready to serve. After the short devo, we split up into our men's and women's classes. The women looked specifically at raising children in the church. Diane stated we should not just raise up our children in the church, we must give them a hunger for God. Chase's class continued with the topic of a Christian family. The only difference today was that there was a coffee break in order so that we could break up the 2 1/2 hours. That's a very long time to sit still for anyone! We had another yummy lunch, which was assembled by Margaret Reeves, Leah Myers, Tabitha Glenn, and myself. Our chicken sandwiches with tomatoes and cucumbers hit the spot. As Tabitha wisely exclaimed when speaking about the pineapple she had for breakfast: "It was like eating sunshine." Let me tell you, the picky eaters on this trip are missing out. I, for one, am so glad my taste buds have changed. After filling our stomaches with sandwiches, sweet apples and fresh pineapple juice, we set off to our respective jobs for the afternoon. Our three groups continued, one teaching another VBS lesson at the orphanage, one painting at the orphanage, and one door knocking. Since I did not attend VBS today either, I am asking Joanna Fussell to give us some details about how it went.
The kids sat down listened and wanted to hear another story. Lots of different games played and they interacted very well with us as visitors. Compared to yesterday, the kids behaved very well. Before going we were told we couldn't interact with the kids unless they interacted first and no pictures could be taken. I think a lot of people were apprehensive about this, but the kids were very loving and wanted to play with us as much as possible. I spent most of the time being chased by the kids with their VBS craft. They loved getting so much attention and it was easy to play with them even though we were warned they may not be receptive to anything. We sang songs in Spanish and English then had a skit about Joshua fighting and praying to God to let the day last longer. After the skit was over, the kids wanted us to do another skit and we had to tell them to wait til tomorrow. We had a snack and the rest of the time we just played basketball, ninja, and all sorts of other games. I think tomorrow will be even better.
Most importantly, tonight we had another lesson from the Word of God. This is the reason for all of our hard work: To get as many people into this small church so they can hear for themselves the Gospel and choose to obey it. Tonight, Tim and Chase did a fantastic job of answering a question so many of us ask ourselves: Why were we created? or For what purpose were we created? But what really made this lesson one of the best I have ever heard, was how they presented it. Since both Tim and Chase are such talented preachers AND translators, they used their talents to the fullest and went back and forth from preaching to translating for the other, bouncing off the others ideas. Tim started us out with another story to peak our interest, and then he began to delve into the tough questions like When God creates something do you believe it is divine? That God created it all with a purpose that we may not know? He used Psalms 139:13-18, emphasizing verse 14 where David states: "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." The design of God is perfect and God doesn't make anything that isn't perfect. We are created for perfection. Christ said in Matthew 5:48, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." God has a plan for every single thing that happens in our lives, even the most disappointing situations serve a purpose. God is in control, even if we don't understand. The truth is we don't have to understand, but we have to obey. According to Ephesians 2:4-10, we were made to do good works for God and His glory. That is our purpose. Then in Ephesians 4:11, Paul lists 3 jobs in the church for which some have been created: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In verse 12, he explains the purpose of those jobs, "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ." Why are we designed perfectly by God? Because he has a plan for our life. If He's got your heart, He's got your life, your family, and your church.
"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:4
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."
Hebrews 6:1-2
Please continue to pray for all of those working with the church of Christ in Purral. We have only two more days in this community as we try to bring as many souls to God as possible! We have not had anyone respond yet, but the Lord has the power to turn hearts toward Him. Remember much can be accomplished with a fervent prayer.
Buenos noches,
(Good night)
Leah
This day ran nearly identical to yesterday's, so I'm going to make it a little bit shorter, and as sweet as I can type. We had a lot more stranglers this morning to get to breakfast on time and catch the bus before it left. Shane Blackburn was our example for the day. Since he was running late, Terry had him make a spectacle of himself for everyone once we arrived at the church building. He promised he would not be late again...TODAY. Ha. Let's hope we all wake up refreshed enough tomorrow that we jump out of bed, ready to serve. After the short devo, we split up into our men's and women's classes. The women looked specifically at raising children in the church. Diane stated we should not just raise up our children in the church, we must give them a hunger for God. Chase's class continued with the topic of a Christian family. The only difference today was that there was a coffee break in order so that we could break up the 2 1/2 hours. That's a very long time to sit still for anyone! We had another yummy lunch, which was assembled by Margaret Reeves, Leah Myers, Tabitha Glenn, and myself. Our chicken sandwiches with tomatoes and cucumbers hit the spot. As Tabitha wisely exclaimed when speaking about the pineapple she had for breakfast: "It was like eating sunshine." Let me tell you, the picky eaters on this trip are missing out. I, for one, am so glad my taste buds have changed. After filling our stomaches with sandwiches, sweet apples and fresh pineapple juice, we set off to our respective jobs for the afternoon. Our three groups continued, one teaching another VBS lesson at the orphanage, one painting at the orphanage, and one door knocking. Since I did not attend VBS today either, I am asking Joanna Fussell to give us some details about how it went.
The kids sat down listened and wanted to hear another story. Lots of different games played and they interacted very well with us as visitors. Compared to yesterday, the kids behaved very well. Before going we were told we couldn't interact with the kids unless they interacted first and no pictures could be taken. I think a lot of people were apprehensive about this, but the kids were very loving and wanted to play with us as much as possible. I spent most of the time being chased by the kids with their VBS craft. They loved getting so much attention and it was easy to play with them even though we were warned they may not be receptive to anything. We sang songs in Spanish and English then had a skit about Joshua fighting and praying to God to let the day last longer. After the skit was over, the kids wanted us to do another skit and we had to tell them to wait til tomorrow. We had a snack and the rest of the time we just played basketball, ninja, and all sorts of other games. I think tomorrow will be even better.
Most importantly, tonight we had another lesson from the Word of God. This is the reason for all of our hard work: To get as many people into this small church so they can hear for themselves the Gospel and choose to obey it. Tonight, Tim and Chase did a fantastic job of answering a question so many of us ask ourselves: Why were we created? or For what purpose were we created? But what really made this lesson one of the best I have ever heard, was how they presented it. Since both Tim and Chase are such talented preachers AND translators, they used their talents to the fullest and went back and forth from preaching to translating for the other, bouncing off the others ideas. Tim started us out with another story to peak our interest, and then he began to delve into the tough questions like When God creates something do you believe it is divine? That God created it all with a purpose that we may not know? He used Psalms 139:13-18, emphasizing verse 14 where David states: "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." The design of God is perfect and God doesn't make anything that isn't perfect. We are created for perfection. Christ said in Matthew 5:48, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." God has a plan for every single thing that happens in our lives, even the most disappointing situations serve a purpose. God is in control, even if we don't understand. The truth is we don't have to understand, but we have to obey. According to Ephesians 2:4-10, we were made to do good works for God and His glory. That is our purpose. Then in Ephesians 4:11, Paul lists 3 jobs in the church for which some have been created: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In verse 12, he explains the purpose of those jobs, "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ." Why are we designed perfectly by God? Because he has a plan for our life. If He's got your heart, He's got your life, your family, and your church.
"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:4
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."
Hebrews 6:1-2
Please continue to pray for all of those working with the church of Christ in Purral. We have only two more days in this community as we try to bring as many souls to God as possible! We have not had anyone respond yet, but the Lord has the power to turn hearts toward Him. Remember much can be accomplished with a fervent prayer.
Buenos noches,
(Good night)
Leah
Monday, July 6
Hold to God's Unchanging Hand
Good Evening to all our loyal viewers tonight! I know you may be few and far between, but you are mighty warriors if you are up this late anxiously awaiting an update on your loved ones. We started bright and early this morning leaving the hotel about 7:45, which meant there were a lot of people in Denny's at 7:30 hoping they could scarf down their food in time to jump on the bus. We were worried that since it was a Monday morning that the traffic would be much worse than yesterday. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad so we were early for our morning devotional by Cristian. We sang together and Cristian helped us get our minds ready to serve today. He reminded us of Colossians 3:23-24 and how we must do everything with our heart. We are working for God and He will never forget it because our reward is not of this earth, it is in Heaven. The next few days (Today-Thursday to be exact) are going to be a lot of the same things over and over again. With this gospel meeting, we have men's and women's bible classes in the morning from 9-11:30. Next, from 1-4:30, we split up into 3 groups: Painting, VBS, and Door Knocking. Last, we will have a sermon every night at 6:30.
We have two intelligent workers for the Lord leading our Bible Studies this week: Diane Adams from Florida and Chase Turner from Louisiana. Since I obviously attended the ladies class, I have a lot more information about what was discussed there than in the men's class. The ladies began class with a fun get-to-know-you game where we went around the circle and introduced ourselves, while also remembering the names of all the women who were before you. It really helped us learn all the names! Diane focused on 1 Corinthians 13 and how it pertains to all our relationships, but especially the marriage relationship. We broke down every part of verses 4-7 and dug deep to discuss what it means and how we can put it into practice in our lives. From what I understand, Chase spoke on the Christian family and how a Christian home can be established. Also, we had a group assembling hygiene packs for the orphanage while the classes were in session. Many of the group from Arkansas aided in assembling packs like Sherry McCoy, the Myers family, Meredith Blackburn, Philip and Tabitha Glenn, as well as, some others like Caleb Beggs, and Catherine Hackett -- Just to name a few! They were by no means the only ones, just trying to drop the names I remember for their families.
After the classes and packs were completed, we had lunch, enjoyed some free time with our brethren, and then loaded the buses at 12:45. The painting and VBS groups all took the same bus to the orphanage, which is only about 10 minutes from the church building. From the stories I heard, it was one of the wildest VBS groups we may have ever had for VBS in Central America. The kids did not sit still, from climbing the walls to playing on skateboards. They were very loud which made it hard to do just about anything, but especially for them to hear the lesson. When there are 90 kids boucing off the walls, it will certainly make things interesting. The team taught the children the story of Joseph and then related it to the Life of Jesus, which is the VBS theme for this week, and it also ties in with our TORCH theme for the summer which is His Life--that is Christ's Life. They also did a really cool activity where the kids made a snack which was the coat of many colors. Since they were not allowed to take pictures of any of the kids, I am not sure if I can find a picture of the final product, but I'll do my best to find one! Also, I was not given any specifics on what was painted; however, I do know something was painted at the orphanage and no news is good news, right?
Around 20 of us went door knocking this afternoon. Being such a small group, we split into pairs with one Spanish speaker to one non-Spanish, and it did not necessarily mean you were with someone who spoke both English and Spanish. Personally, I enjoy experiences like that because it forces you to pay attention. You must listen carefully and do your best to interpret based off of context clues, or just flat out guess. I'm not saying I knew everything that was said by my awesome partners, Daniela and Karla, but I do know I learned a least 5 or 6 new words, and enjoyed all our verbal and non-verbal interactions. They are my friends even if I can't tell you their favorite movie or their last names (trust me, I'm just glad I know one of their 3 or 4 names haha). They also forced Joanna Fussell to step up and use her Spanish skills to door knock with Brandy. She knows a lot more than she lets on and Brandy has her script she can follow for the rest of the week.
Tonight, we were filled with one of the best meals I believe I have had in Costa Rica EVER: Spaghetti. If my mom is reading this, she's probably thinking something along the lines of "You're kidding, right?" because this girl is not a spaghetti fan. Here's the thing momma: It wasn't made with tomato sauce! Instead these ladies after my own heart made a delicious white sauce with ground beef and topped it with fresh cheese. Now I couldn't tell you what else was in that spaghetti, but I can tell you that if I had as many stomaches as a cow (which is 4 for those of you who are wondering), I would have eaten it 4 times to fill each one.
Lastly, let's wrap up our day with another lesson from our brother Tim Hines. I really hate trying to give you all a summary of it because I could never be able to do it justice, but I can't end this blog without it because you need to hear it! Tonight Tim preached about The Connection to God we have today. In order for us to be the branches in our congregation that produces fruit, we must be connected to the vine and the vine is life. This comes from the text in John 15:1-16 when Jesus describes Himself as the vine. Christ also introduces to us a condition with the word "IF" in verses 7 and 10. He is not saying that His love is not unconditional, but He is saying that IF we want the reward, there is a condition we must follow: Abide in Him and His words abide in you, and keep His commandments. There may be times when we leave worship services and bible studies and we let go of the hand of God. When we have the hand of God, we cannot think of other things. Just like when you held the hand of that crush you'll never forget the first time. You couldn't think of anything else but that person and your desire to be with them. As soon as holding the hand of God was mentioned, I called to mind the hymns "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" and "Jesus, Hold My Hand" because my mind is 80% song lyrics. The first is a song about holding to God's hand when all around us is changing because nothing here on earth is permanent. The second is a song which is asking Jesus to hold to our hands because we need Him every hour so He can protect us and hear our pleas.
I encourage you all to hold to God's unchanging hand, and I can't say it better than the hymn itself:
"1 Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand, build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God's unchanging hand.
2 Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring. If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling.
3 Covet not this world's vain riches, that so rapidly decay. Seek to gain the heavenly treasures. They will never pass away.
Build your hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's Unchanging Hand."
Dios te bendiga ---- DEE-OOS TE BEEN-DEGA
(God bless you) ----- My best guess at the pronunciation spelling
Leah
We have two intelligent workers for the Lord leading our Bible Studies this week: Diane Adams from Florida and Chase Turner from Louisiana. Since I obviously attended the ladies class, I have a lot more information about what was discussed there than in the men's class. The ladies began class with a fun get-to-know-you game where we went around the circle and introduced ourselves, while also remembering the names of all the women who were before you. It really helped us learn all the names! Diane focused on 1 Corinthians 13 and how it pertains to all our relationships, but especially the marriage relationship. We broke down every part of verses 4-7 and dug deep to discuss what it means and how we can put it into practice in our lives. From what I understand, Chase spoke on the Christian family and how a Christian home can be established. Also, we had a group assembling hygiene packs for the orphanage while the classes were in session. Many of the group from Arkansas aided in assembling packs like Sherry McCoy, the Myers family, Meredith Blackburn, Philip and Tabitha Glenn, as well as, some others like Caleb Beggs, and Catherine Hackett -- Just to name a few! They were by no means the only ones, just trying to drop the names I remember for their families.
After the classes and packs were completed, we had lunch, enjoyed some free time with our brethren, and then loaded the buses at 12:45. The painting and VBS groups all took the same bus to the orphanage, which is only about 10 minutes from the church building. From the stories I heard, it was one of the wildest VBS groups we may have ever had for VBS in Central America. The kids did not sit still, from climbing the walls to playing on skateboards. They were very loud which made it hard to do just about anything, but especially for them to hear the lesson. When there are 90 kids boucing off the walls, it will certainly make things interesting. The team taught the children the story of Joseph and then related it to the Life of Jesus, which is the VBS theme for this week, and it also ties in with our TORCH theme for the summer which is His Life--that is Christ's Life. They also did a really cool activity where the kids made a snack which was the coat of many colors. Since they were not allowed to take pictures of any of the kids, I am not sure if I can find a picture of the final product, but I'll do my best to find one! Also, I was not given any specifics on what was painted; however, I do know something was painted at the orphanage and no news is good news, right?
Around 20 of us went door knocking this afternoon. Being such a small group, we split into pairs with one Spanish speaker to one non-Spanish, and it did not necessarily mean you were with someone who spoke both English and Spanish. Personally, I enjoy experiences like that because it forces you to pay attention. You must listen carefully and do your best to interpret based off of context clues, or just flat out guess. I'm not saying I knew everything that was said by my awesome partners, Daniela and Karla, but I do know I learned a least 5 or 6 new words, and enjoyed all our verbal and non-verbal interactions. They are my friends even if I can't tell you their favorite movie or their last names (trust me, I'm just glad I know one of their 3 or 4 names haha). They also forced Joanna Fussell to step up and use her Spanish skills to door knock with Brandy. She knows a lot more than she lets on and Brandy has her script she can follow for the rest of the week.
Tonight, we were filled with one of the best meals I believe I have had in Costa Rica EVER: Spaghetti. If my mom is reading this, she's probably thinking something along the lines of "You're kidding, right?" because this girl is not a spaghetti fan. Here's the thing momma: It wasn't made with tomato sauce! Instead these ladies after my own heart made a delicious white sauce with ground beef and topped it with fresh cheese. Now I couldn't tell you what else was in that spaghetti, but I can tell you that if I had as many stomaches as a cow (which is 4 for those of you who are wondering), I would have eaten it 4 times to fill each one.
Lastly, let's wrap up our day with another lesson from our brother Tim Hines. I really hate trying to give you all a summary of it because I could never be able to do it justice, but I can't end this blog without it because you need to hear it! Tonight Tim preached about The Connection to God we have today. In order for us to be the branches in our congregation that produces fruit, we must be connected to the vine and the vine is life. This comes from the text in John 15:1-16 when Jesus describes Himself as the vine. Christ also introduces to us a condition with the word "IF" in verses 7 and 10. He is not saying that His love is not unconditional, but He is saying that IF we want the reward, there is a condition we must follow: Abide in Him and His words abide in you, and keep His commandments. There may be times when we leave worship services and bible studies and we let go of the hand of God. When we have the hand of God, we cannot think of other things. Just like when you held the hand of that crush you'll never forget the first time. You couldn't think of anything else but that person and your desire to be with them. As soon as holding the hand of God was mentioned, I called to mind the hymns "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" and "Jesus, Hold My Hand" because my mind is 80% song lyrics. The first is a song about holding to God's hand when all around us is changing because nothing here on earth is permanent. The second is a song which is asking Jesus to hold to our hands because we need Him every hour so He can protect us and hear our pleas.
I encourage you all to hold to God's unchanging hand, and I can't say it better than the hymn itself:
"1 Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand, build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God's unchanging hand.
2 Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring. If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling.
3 Covet not this world's vain riches, that so rapidly decay. Seek to gain the heavenly treasures. They will never pass away.
Build your hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's Unchanging Hand."
Dios te bendiga ---- DEE-OOS TE BEEN-DEGA
(God bless you) ----- My best guess at the pronunciation spelling
Leah
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