Thursday, April 26, 2012
Serbia Trip in Review 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Day 4
Day 4
Most of the crew went up to the village of Los Algadones this morning to visit with some of the elderly again and deliver some of the food and charcoal we'd promised them from wednesday. Ms. Debbie again provided us with an excellent lunch back at their house and we set off for the ocean in the afternoon.
At the beach, Lucas, Bryson and Tyler tried their sea legs at surfing, which proved much more difficult than portrayed on TV. After a couple hours we retired back to the house to prepare for the night's teaching. Ms. Debbie again raised the bar with her cooking and we headed to class.
Lucas taught on the Rich man and Lazarus and KV taught the second hour on the Persistent Widow and Tax Collector & Pharisee. Unlike the night before, where Kennon and Roosevelt had to shout over the pounding rain storm (which lasted almost exactly the duration of his talk), tonight we were able to overcome the noise of the rain on the tin roof without shouting. It was again encouraging to see all the Haitian students actively engaged in the talks as we knew most had worked long hours and likely walked to class.
The team was able to relax after a great night of ministry amid a gentle soothing rain with Luke and KV prevailing in a friendly poker game on Bill and Debbie's back porch. All is well in the DR.
Most of the crew went up to the village of Los Algadones this morning to visit with some of the elderly again and deliver some of the food and charcoal we'd promised them from wednesday. Ms. Debbie again provided us with an excellent lunch back at their house and we set off for the ocean in the afternoon.
At the beach, Lucas, Bryson and Tyler tried their sea legs at surfing, which proved much more difficult than portrayed on TV. After a couple hours we retired back to the house to prepare for the night's teaching. Ms. Debbie again raised the bar with her cooking and we headed to class.
Lucas taught on the Rich man and Lazarus and KV taught the second hour on the Persistent Widow and Tax Collector & Pharisee. Unlike the night before, where Kennon and Roosevelt had to shout over the pounding rain storm (which lasted almost exactly the duration of his talk), tonight we were able to overcome the noise of the rain on the tin roof without shouting. It was again encouraging to see all the Haitian students actively engaged in the talks as we knew most had worked long hours and likely walked to class.
The team was able to relax after a great night of ministry amid a gentle soothing rain with Luke and KV prevailing in a friendly poker game on Bill and Debbie's back porch. All is well in the DR.
Kennon and Roosevelt bringing the Word
Michael is pretty excited about his new soccer ball. These three tore Kennon, Bryson, and Tyler up in some Basketball.
Bryson and Roosevelt
Roosevelt relating the Truth to the class
Days 3 on the Island
The Dominican Republic is Gorgeous!!
Thursday morning our team went with Bill to meet one of the pastors in the class. He's a 58 year old Haitian man whose heart is most definitely for the Lord. Right now he lives in Haiti with his wife and family, and once a month he comes to the D.R. to go through the week long training DownLine helps with. His vision is to reach the nation of Haiti for Christ. He wants to begin planting Churches, first in Guanamat- a small village just across the border from the D.R., and from there train and disciple leaders who will take the Gospel to other villages. One faithful step at a time, this man wants to disciple men who will multiply the Church across the Island. His hope is that Haiti will be healed through the message of Christ, and men and women throughout the island will come to know Him as Lord, and Savior. It was extremely encouraging to see this man's faith- he had less than $200 to his name, and He was confident that the Lord would provide a way.
After an amazing lunch that Debbie cooked (all her meals are amazing!!) we went to meet with a very interesting Dutch man named Gary. Gary is from Holland and has been commissioned by the Dutch government to pioneer a project that could bring economic growth and incredible restoration to devastation in Haiti. The project is through the training of Haitians to grow various kinds of fruit and charcoal trees. Haiti has been really hurt by its loss of trees and vegetation, and this project could bring so much food, hope, and work to the Haitian people who are suffering. Every tree that is cut down to make room for houses must be replaced by 10 that the company will plant. This man has his PhD in chemistry and knows how to grow many different types of trees, from fruit trees to charcoal trees. The really exciting piece of this puzzle is that Gary needs Haitians who are able bodied and willing to take their training and trees back to Haiti to start the restoration process. Our contact Bill is training Haitian pastors who ARE going back to Haiti to reach the people for Jesus, but desperately need work that will sustain them and the villages they are ministering in. We believe this "match" between the project Gary is involved with and the work Bill is doing is a God-thing and it is very exciting to see the potential to bring both social, economic, and spiritual health to Haiti in this way! The hope is that churches will be planted in Haiti, where the Word will be taught and preached, where the Love of Christ will be proclaimed, and where all sorts of trees can be planted to bless the community and provide the ministers an income.
Before class got started we had an hour and a half to spend snorkeling on the beach. After Bryson stomped on multiple sea urchins wading into the ocean, we clumsily started swimming while the locals laughed. We must have looked ridiculous since no one could get their masks on right and we were not at the right spot for snorkeling. It was a blast either way.
That night Bryson taught on the Prodigal son, and Kennon taught on the Shrewd Manager. The parables we have taught this week have gone really well, and I think the Word has impacted a lot of hearts, including our own.
Thursday morning our team went with Bill to meet one of the pastors in the class. He's a 58 year old Haitian man whose heart is most definitely for the Lord. Right now he lives in Haiti with his wife and family, and once a month he comes to the D.R. to go through the week long training DownLine helps with. His vision is to reach the nation of Haiti for Christ. He wants to begin planting Churches, first in Guanamat- a small village just across the border from the D.R., and from there train and disciple leaders who will take the Gospel to other villages. One faithful step at a time, this man wants to disciple men who will multiply the Church across the Island. His hope is that Haiti will be healed through the message of Christ, and men and women throughout the island will come to know Him as Lord, and Savior. It was extremely encouraging to see this man's faith- he had less than $200 to his name, and He was confident that the Lord would provide a way.
After an amazing lunch that Debbie cooked (all her meals are amazing!!) we went to meet with a very interesting Dutch man named Gary. Gary is from Holland and has been commissioned by the Dutch government to pioneer a project that could bring economic growth and incredible restoration to devastation in Haiti. The project is through the training of Haitians to grow various kinds of fruit and charcoal trees. Haiti has been really hurt by its loss of trees and vegetation, and this project could bring so much food, hope, and work to the Haitian people who are suffering. Every tree that is cut down to make room for houses must be replaced by 10 that the company will plant. This man has his PhD in chemistry and knows how to grow many different types of trees, from fruit trees to charcoal trees. The really exciting piece of this puzzle is that Gary needs Haitians who are able bodied and willing to take their training and trees back to Haiti to start the restoration process. Our contact Bill is training Haitian pastors who ARE going back to Haiti to reach the people for Jesus, but desperately need work that will sustain them and the villages they are ministering in. We believe this "match" between the project Gary is involved with and the work Bill is doing is a God-thing and it is very exciting to see the potential to bring both social, economic, and spiritual health to Haiti in this way! The hope is that churches will be planted in Haiti, where the Word will be taught and preached, where the Love of Christ will be proclaimed, and where all sorts of trees can be planted to bless the community and provide the ministers an income.
Before class got started we had an hour and a half to spend snorkeling on the beach. After Bryson stomped on multiple sea urchins wading into the ocean, we clumsily started swimming while the locals laughed. We must have looked ridiculous since no one could get their masks on right and we were not at the right spot for snorkeling. It was a blast either way.
That night Bryson taught on the Prodigal son, and Kennon taught on the Shrewd Manager. The parables we have taught this week have gone really well, and I think the Word has impacted a lot of hearts, including our own.
Lesandro is a boy we met in Los Algadonas- The Haitian village. He's very interested in my phone.
This is the view from the top of the village looking out into the country
Some huge rain clouds were getting ready to dump on us
This is the view from outside our classroom door
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Day 2 in the D.R.
The Lord is Mighty!!
We have seen the Lord move in such amazing ways in the Dominican Republic. Bill has told us many stories about how God is carrying out His redemptive purposes on the Island. Currently close to 50 men and Women are being taught the Word in a unique discipleship school that Bill has started, and they are being equipped in a way that will allow them to teach others. The goal is for each of these Haitian pastors to be able to take what they learn and lead fresh movements of the gospel beginning back in their hometowns in Haiti and spreading across the countryside village to village.
Bill has moved one step of faith at a time and watched God surround Him with faithful men and women, and bless the ministry with opportunities to grow. Through a providential meeting, Roosevelt became a part of the ministry and now translates English into Creole so that we can teach. We spent time today meeting with more locals and going up to nearby villages where Bill has contacts. The opportunities for Christ's love to be shown in word and deed are numerous, and only miles from where we have been staying. This evening Kennon and Lucas taught on the Rich Fool and the Great Banquet to the students, many of whom walked through the rain to attend class. It's an exciting time to be a part of what God is doing in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Bill has moved one step of faith at a time and watched God surround Him with faithful men and women, and bless the ministry with opportunities to grow. Through a providential meeting, Roosevelt became a part of the ministry and now translates English into Creole so that we can teach. We spent time today meeting with more locals and going up to nearby villages where Bill has contacts. The opportunities for Christ's love to be shown in word and deed are numerous, and only miles from where we have been staying. This evening Kennon and Lucas taught on the Rich Fool and the Great Banquet to the students, many of whom walked through the rain to attend class. It's an exciting time to be a part of what God is doing in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Dominican Republic- April 2012
Dominican Republic - DAY 1
Arrived at Puerta Plata, DR around 2pm-
Beautiful weather, got to meet Bill and Debbie and hear about about all the things God has going on here on the Island. Came back to their house and prepared for class, with Kennon and Bryson sharing out of Luke 10 and 11, the Good Samaritan and Prayer, in class from 7-9. *During the course of the week our team will be teaching through the Lukan Parables in order to continue equipping these Haitian pastors to make disciples of Christ.
It was great to meet with the faithful Haitians that came to class, and a privilege to teach them the Word of God. Roosevelt, our translator does an EXCELLENT job bridging the gap between our language and the local Creole. He is quite a blessing and central to so much of what God is doing in Haiti. Please keep he and his family in your prayers!!
It was encouraging to see brothers and sisters from a completely different world, who are of a different race, and speak a different language, and yet have the same Father in Heaven as us. Their hunger for the Word of God is inspiring, and it is a joy to be able to share with them. Let's pray God would move in our hearts and theirs this week for His Glory, and that this week would play a small part in a greater movement of the Gospel across every village and city on this island.
Arrived at Puerta Plata, DR around 2pm-
Beautiful weather, got to meet Bill and Debbie and hear about about all the things God has going on here on the Island. Came back to their house and prepared for class, with Kennon and Bryson sharing out of Luke 10 and 11, the Good Samaritan and Prayer, in class from 7-9. *During the course of the week our team will be teaching through the Lukan Parables in order to continue equipping these Haitian pastors to make disciples of Christ.
It was great to meet with the faithful Haitians that came to class, and a privilege to teach them the Word of God. Roosevelt, our translator does an EXCELLENT job bridging the gap between our language and the local Creole. He is quite a blessing and central to so much of what God is doing in Haiti. Please keep he and his family in your prayers!!
It was encouraging to see brothers and sisters from a completely different world, who are of a different race, and speak a different language, and yet have the same Father in Heaven as us. Their hunger for the Word of God is inspiring, and it is a joy to be able to share with them. Let's pray God would move in our hearts and theirs this week for His Glory, and that this week would play a small part in a greater movement of the Gospel across every village and city on this island.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Colombia Day Six: Wrapping Up & Resting
Today was the last day at Super Vacas. Since it is Holy Week, today and tomorrow are holidays and many families went out of town for the weekend. Even with that, we still had about 45 children show up! Since it was a smaller crowd, we kept them all together and the second half of the day they each traced their bodies and put the armor they created all week on it. They loved working on this and it gave us one more opportunity to love on these precious children. They’ve captured our hearts.
Many of the women who have been such a huge help this week
All hands on deck today!
After Super Vacas, we were all exhausted and spent the afternoon resting. We finished the day with dinner and games!
Pray the children who came to Super Vacas would have their hearts captured by Jesus and that they would follow Him. Praise God for all of the lives touched and impacted, for the ways he blessed each one of us this week, and for the great weather we’ve had! It’s typically rainy every day, but hasn’t been at all this week!
Colombia Day Five: Finishing Strong
Super Vacas continued strong today! The children are such a joy to be around, hug, and encourage as much as we can with limited language. We've also all been encouraged by the teenagers, college students, and adults who have been around and been privileged to hear some of their stories.
After Super Vacas, we headed to a friend's house for lunch. They were so hospitable and fed us a delicious Colombian meal. After lunch, we had an unforgettable experience that can hardly be put into words. Lunch could be summed up into a few words: memorable, confetti, nerf guns with icing, costumes, and TONS of laughter. It was QUITE the experience and one I'm sure none of us could ever forget.
We got back in time to get ready and head to the last night of the discipleship conference. Pepper taught on the Master Plan of Discipleship, then we broke into men and women again. Ben walked the men through How To's of Discipleship and Brittany walked the women through the same lesson. God was so gracious to us in giving us all the opportunity to be a part of this conference. The Holy Spirit was at work, revealing the need for discipleship to many in the room.
Brittany and her translator, Lilianna.
Pray that the men and women who came to the conference would: 1) Hold fast to their faith in the Lord 2) See their need to follow Christ's command to make disciples--whether they are in vocational ministry or not 3) Pass this information on to other believers
After a long day, we were able to sit around the livingroom with some teenagers and college students. We talked about life, where God has us each right now, their families, how they all were exposed to Christianity, and why we all are in DownLine. This was one of the most special experiences for us because we were able to really hear honestly about the lives of young believers here in Colombia. Pray they would also hold fast and that their lives would continue to be transformed by the gospel.
Colombia Day Four: SUPER VACAS!
Tuesday, we started day two of Super Vacas and we had just as good of a turn out as we did on Monday! The children were very excited to sing and dance, play outside, and work on parts of the armor. We can say with full assurance Colombians know how to have a good time!
Seeing sweet children praying to God has to be one of the most precious things.
We also got to take a group picture today! Praise God that so many children were able to come and hear about what it looks like to live for Jesus.
After Super Vacas, we went to a park nearby and the guys competed with a local friend in all sorts of exercises. (Boys love competing, even when they're worn out)! A few were able to go out in the city with a brother and sister who've quickly become dear friends.
The second night of the Discipleship Conference brought just as many people as the first. Pepper taught on Vision & Strategy and then we broke up into men and women. Pepper led the men through Qualifications of a Disciple Maker while Brittany led the women through the same lesson. People showed up enthusiastic to worship the Lord and learn from His Word!
Colombia Day Three: In Full Motion
Greetings again from Bogota! Today was the beginning of the main reasons we are here in Colombia: Super Vacas/VBS and the Discipleship Conference. The morning began early, with us waking up around 5:30. We headed to the church after a hearty breakfast and began setting up. Around 9, children from 1-17 began trickling in.
We started things off with worship--which meant a lot of singing, shouting, dancing, and jumping. It was such a blessing to see the joy of these children and the adults volunteering. By the end of the first hour we had about 65 children there!
After worship, the children were split into three age groups and some went to hear a lesson on the armor of God, some went to crafts to work on armor, and the others went outside for activities.
It was a busy morning but so much fun for all of us. Those of us working in crafts were blessed tremendously by the women who did whatever it took to get the work done. They did it all without complaining and with smiles on their face--eager to help. God was gracious in giving us enough hands to get the work done.
Then, we went to Jorge & Ginny's for lunch. We had a delicious lunch and then had a few hours to rest & prepare for the discipleship conference.
The discipleship conference kicked off at 7 that night and Pepper taught (in Spanish!) on the Great Commission and Ben taught Profiles of a Disciple-Maker. There were about 80 men and women there and God gave Pepper and Ben (& his translator) much clarity. The most encouraging thing was that there were pastors and leaders from at least four local churches. Pray that the unity they have would continue and that they would take the principles they learned and put them into practice in their churches so that the whole city of Bogota would be impacted.
Colombia Day Two: Exploring Bogota
Sunday, we started the day with Colombian coffee and went to church with our host family. It was amazing to praise the Lord in another language and gave us a glimpse of Revelation 7:9.
Then, Pepper got to go to lunch with a local family he met at the park on Saturday. It was definitely a highlight of the trip for him and a great opportunity to invest in Colombians. The rest of us went with some friends from church to a mall and a local outdoor Sunday market. We got to taste, see, smell, hear, and experience a part of Colombia we had not before. The highlight of the day for most of us was talking with one local believer about his life, Christ's impact, and our own direction from God in coming here.
We ended the day working on decorations and crafts for the Vacation Bible School--Super Vacas as they call it. The theme is the Armor of God.
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