Today is Tuesday June 18, 2013. We started the day with breakfast at
the church. We had waffles covered with syrup berries and whip cream
and cinnamon " Tami says yum!" Then we headed out to finish up at the
blind mans house "Joel" . We finished painting the bathroom and living
room and front of the house. Some of the guys in our group as well as
Pastor Ann helped build him safe steps and the beginnings of a hand
rail. Pastor Ann can really hold her own!!!! Poor Pastor Dan forgot to
put his sun-block on he was so eager to get to work. His arms are as
red as a beet "Phyllis" , The house looks much better after all we did
however lots more needs to be done. We wish we could help them more.
Lauren used her amazing artistic ability and painted a bird over the
mans house number. She is also a pro at mixing and matching paint
colors. Not only did he show our team hospitality by buying us pop but
he also prayed for us after we prayed for him.
Our afternoon continued on with lunch at the church. After Lunch we
were surprised with delicious ice cream from Pastor Keith. We all
enjoyed it thank you Pastor Keith. After a shower and a rest we
devided into two groups. Half of us went to San Ignacio with Pastor
Dan and the other Half of us "Phyllis and Tami included" went to Punta
de Mita, Were we again encountered our friendly iguana. Pastor Ann
called him a giant dinosaur. It was fun to see how much cleaner it was
and that they were already using it for church services. We had twenty
three kids. We taught them about Daniel and the Lions Den while Pastor
Ann preached to the adults. The other group taught Mathew 4 Fishers of
men. They also walked to a soccer field and played with the kids as
well as performed the Drama.
After a long day we are all ready for bed so that we can be well
rested and ready to greet tomorrow and what itholds for us.
Good night all From Phyllis and Tami :)
Traveling with Ann
The Travels and Meandering Thoughts of Ann Harrington
6/19/13
6/18/13
Day 5
Day 5 in Mexico. Today we began our day with breakfast burritos and toast. The burritos were unusual, but not bad. After a short wait we loaded up an open backed truck and a van and headed to Casa Hogar orphanage. The open back truck provided awesome air conditioning. When we arrived at the complex, it appeared very quiet. Apparently we were interrupting school, however they took a break and welcomed us. As we entered, the school-age children came immediately over, appearing interested in these new visitors. We set up in a beautiful pavilion and once the sound system was ready, we began dancing with the children. Some were reluctant to join, but that didn't stop our team. Then we performed our drama and explained it's significance and how it relates to us, as God's creation. After the drama and Lauren P.'s testimony, Stephanie Rosado led her team in the VBS lesson. It was Noah and how the rainbow represents God's promise to us. We assisted the children in making a rainbow craft and then we began dancing again. They LOVE to dance in Mexico. More of the children joined us this time. They seemed to have embraced our presence. Most of the team danced too. I was taking video of the team and children dancing and noticed that Justin and Brent were chasing children . . . again! One little boy told Brent he was the whitest man he had ever seen. :) Last, a few of us went to spend some time with the toddlers and infants. Smiles just lit their faces when attention was directed their way. Is it possible that our hearts could be aching for them and yet also be blessed so much at the same time? Each one of us left the orphanage, our lives having been touched by these children. (and we went hoping to impact theirs). Once we returned to the church we ate a delicious lunch and had our team meeting. We were encouraged to use the rest of our siesta time wisely. The afternoon would be strenuous.....and HOT! .......and hot it was....
We traveled in two vehicles with several tools, paint and garbage bags. Our mission was to clean up a blind man's living quarters...inside and out. We spent several hours bagging garbage, scraping and painting, cementing stairs, chopping grasses, avoiding falling palm fronds and barbed wire....and we will return tomorrow when we will complete the stairs, continue painting inside and out, and bag the last bit of trash. During this time I found a blue glass which was intended to be bagged with the garbage. I kept it. It is a beautiful reminder of my trip to Mexico, working with a wonderful team and the blessings we are receiving. Yes, I said receiving. These are the trips where you come with the purpose to serve others and in doing so, leave more blessed than one could ever expect.
Debra Jones
6/17/13
Day 4
Hello Everyone! Today was a very special day, not only was it was
Father's Day but also my (Justin) birthday!!! I turned 19 today. Every
day so far we walked to the church for breakfast with the sun shining
down on us, but today we woke up to a light rain and thankfully we did
not need rain coats! After breakfast eight of us stayed back and
helped set up the church for first service which was preached in
english. Pastor Ann had the honor of giving the message today and I
heard she did a phenomenal job! Preparing for church we performed
duties that were unusual to us. For example I (Justin) had to water
the rocks and dirt outside the churches fence.
Then after we set up and changed out of our work clothes, we partook
in the english service. We were introduced and then sent off to teach
a children's class (3-8 years old). Phyllis Jean led the group as we
told the story of Benjamin's box. I personally enjoyed the story very
much (Gary). When class was over, we ate chicken, rice and guacamole
for lunch.
After lunch,I had the fortunate pleasure of giving Lauren, Michelle,
and Justin a short yet entertaining tour of the town Bucerias (Gary).
Since Gary is such a kind person, for my birthday he bought the group
of four ice cream from a chain convenient store named Oxxo! We walked
up and down the main road looking at the different stores they had.
Eventually we had made our way down a steep hill and got to see the
beach up close. It was the perfect picture that a post card company
would use!
At seven, the spanish service took place. I could not understand most
of what they were saying, but how their hands were raised on bent
knees, I knew exactly what they meant (Justin). In the back during the
worship portion of the service, the kids were in a circle dancing to
the songs with hand motions etc. It was a great way to introduce the
kids to the adults way of worshiping yet attending their need to move.
After the songs were sung, our two groups split and taught two classes. One
group put on a short play about Zaccheaus played by Felipe. The kids
loved it! The other group told a story about creation of Adam and Eve.
Then made a craft and sung some songs.
When church was over everyone stayed after and conversed amongst
their fellow brother's and sister in Christ. There was a stand where
you could buy either a strawberry smoothie or frappe. Both were so
delicious! For dinner we had another fantastic meal cooked by our
lovely cooks! Honestly there is no other way I would have wanted to
spend my birthday other than here in Mexico. This will be an
experience I will tell my kids about, along with all the events that
happen on this trip! Best birthday yet! Estoy muy consado. Buenos
noches mis amigos! I am very tired. Good night my friends!
Thanks for reading and God bless,
Gary and Justin.
Sent from my iPad
Father's Day but also my (Justin) birthday!!! I turned 19 today. Every
day so far we walked to the church for breakfast with the sun shining
down on us, but today we woke up to a light rain and thankfully we did
not need rain coats! After breakfast eight of us stayed back and
helped set up the church for first service which was preached in
english. Pastor Ann had the honor of giving the message today and I
heard she did a phenomenal job! Preparing for church we performed
duties that were unusual to us. For example I (Justin) had to water
the rocks and dirt outside the churches fence.
Then after we set up and changed out of our work clothes, we partook
in the english service. We were introduced and then sent off to teach
a children's class (3-8 years old). Phyllis Jean led the group as we
told the story of Benjamin's box. I personally enjoyed the story very
much (Gary). When class was over, we ate chicken, rice and guacamole
for lunch.
After lunch,I had the fortunate pleasure of giving Lauren, Michelle,
and Justin a short yet entertaining tour of the town Bucerias (Gary).
Since Gary is such a kind person, for my birthday he bought the group
of four ice cream from a chain convenient store named Oxxo! We walked
up and down the main road looking at the different stores they had.
Eventually we had made our way down a steep hill and got to see the
beach up close. It was the perfect picture that a post card company
would use!
At seven, the spanish service took place. I could not understand most
of what they were saying, but how their hands were raised on bent
knees, I knew exactly what they meant (Justin). In the back during the
worship portion of the service, the kids were in a circle dancing to
the songs with hand motions etc. It was a great way to introduce the
kids to the adults way of worshiping yet attending their need to move.
After the songs were sung, our two groups split and taught two classes. One
group put on a short play about Zaccheaus played by Felipe. The kids
loved it! The other group told a story about creation of Adam and Eve.
Then made a craft and sung some songs.
When church was over everyone stayed after and conversed amongst
their fellow brother's and sister in Christ. There was a stand where
you could buy either a strawberry smoothie or frappe. Both were so
delicious! For dinner we had another fantastic meal cooked by our
lovely cooks! Honestly there is no other way I would have wanted to
spend my birthday other than here in Mexico. This will be an
experience I will tell my kids about, along with all the events that
happen on this trip! Best birthday yet! Estoy muy consado. Buenos
noches mis amigos! I am very tired. Good night my friends!
Thanks for reading and God bless,
Gary and Justin.
Sent from my iPad
6/16/13
Day 3 and Bucerias is still as hot and sunny as ever! Our team
started out the morning with a surprisingly American breakfast of
granola and yogurt...Yet it still tastes better when in Mexico!
Shortly afterwards the team split into two separate groups to host our
VBS classes for the children. One group drove to Santa Fe and the
other one drove to San Vicente. Dan and Ann always seemed to be in
charge of transportation so i suppose the situation that some of us
ended up in can be blamed on them ;) Okay, so i was fortunate enough
to be riding in a five passenger vehicle with five passengers. In the
fifteen passenger van, however, there was a whopping TWENTY TWO
PEOPLE. They started out with a comfortable amount of people, but
apparently had picked some others up along the way.
Once in Santa Fe (My VBS location) we started setting up tents and
tarps and began preparations for the skit we were to perform. We
served a fairly large lunch to all of the Mexicans that were in
attendance at VBS. Shortly afterwards we performed our skit, which was
a smashing hit! The craft that we had for the kids coincided with the
tale of Jonah. We had little googly-eyes that were meant to be stuck
on the paper whales, that in reality, ended up on childrens'
foreheads, workers' sunglasses, and even a dog. Before the end of VBS
we all played an intense game of soccer, which ended with both
Elizabeth making a fantastic goal, and Felipe face-planting....yeah.
He actually did that three times today, and he has the scrapes and
cuts to prove it.
After the VBS classes we all met back at the church for youth group.
We attended the Junior high youth class first, also known as Eklektos.
There, Justin and I (and the demons) performed our skit, which was
followed by one of Dan's messages. Before the Senior high class there
was some cleaning that needed to be done...which was quite the
experience for some of us. For instance, Elizabeth learned how to mop
(correctly and incorrectly) And i learned how to drive (and crash) the
mop cart, and Michelle was there to be sure that it was all caught on
camera. Fortunately Carmelo was there to help us all out...
The Senior high class,also known as Anormal was a force to be
reckoned with. All the songs were in Spanish so we didn't understand
any of the words, but at the same time you could feel that the Lord's
presence was strong in the room. At the end of the message, again by
Dan, everyone began worshipping in their own ways and Freddy, one of
the interns, began calling people down to the front so that people
could pray for them. I was one of the people called down and was
caught completely by surprise. Some of the people put their hands on
me and began to pray for me. These people didn't even know me yet they
all seemed to care so much. At that point i heard God speaking to me,
pulling me closer to these people. I feel that God wants me to be a
part of full time missions. This is the first time I've ever heard
this calling and its a lot to take in. It scares me to think about
dropping all of the plans that i already have to follow a path totally
different and unfamiliar.
Anyway, dinner was fantastic. It consisted of three different types
of burritos, salad, and hot sauce! Every meal has been absolutely
fantastic so far and we have high expectations for the ones to come!
PS: Hannah has developed a highly sophisticated game that is "required
fun" for the team, involving only a clothes line clip and ninja
skills. The goal of the game is to get the clip attached to another
team member in some way, shape, or form without them knowing. Once the
clip is discovered it must be transmitted to another victim >:)
*CURSEOFTHECLIP*
~From Lauren <3 span="">
started out the morning with a surprisingly American breakfast of
granola and yogurt...Yet it still tastes better when in Mexico!
Shortly afterwards the team split into two separate groups to host our
VBS classes for the children. One group drove to Santa Fe and the
other one drove to San Vicente. Dan and Ann always seemed to be in
charge of transportation so i suppose the situation that some of us
ended up in can be blamed on them ;) Okay, so i was fortunate enough
to be riding in a five passenger vehicle with five passengers. In the
fifteen passenger van, however, there was a whopping TWENTY TWO
PEOPLE. They started out with a comfortable amount of people, but
apparently had picked some others up along the way.
Once in Santa Fe (My VBS location) we started setting up tents and
tarps and began preparations for the skit we were to perform. We
served a fairly large lunch to all of the Mexicans that were in
attendance at VBS. Shortly afterwards we performed our skit, which was
a smashing hit! The craft that we had for the kids coincided with the
tale of Jonah. We had little googly-eyes that were meant to be stuck
on the paper whales, that in reality, ended up on childrens'
foreheads, workers' sunglasses, and even a dog. Before the end of VBS
we all played an intense game of soccer, which ended with both
Elizabeth making a fantastic goal, and Felipe face-planting....yeah.
He actually did that three times today, and he has the scrapes and
cuts to prove it.
After the VBS classes we all met back at the church for youth group.
We attended the Junior high youth class first, also known as Eklektos.
There, Justin and I (and the demons) performed our skit, which was
followed by one of Dan's messages. Before the Senior high class there
was some cleaning that needed to be done...which was quite the
experience for some of us. For instance, Elizabeth learned how to mop
(correctly and incorrectly) And i learned how to drive (and crash) the
mop cart, and Michelle was there to be sure that it was all caught on
camera. Fortunately Carmelo was there to help us all out...
The Senior high class,also known as Anormal was a force to be
reckoned with. All the songs were in Spanish so we didn't understand
any of the words, but at the same time you could feel that the Lord's
presence was strong in the room. At the end of the message, again by
Dan, everyone began worshipping in their own ways and Freddy, one of
the interns, began calling people down to the front so that people
could pray for them. I was one of the people called down and was
caught completely by surprise. Some of the people put their hands on
me and began to pray for me. These people didn't even know me yet they
all seemed to care so much. At that point i heard God speaking to me,
pulling me closer to these people. I feel that God wants me to be a
part of full time missions. This is the first time I've ever heard
this calling and its a lot to take in. It scares me to think about
dropping all of the plans that i already have to follow a path totally
different and unfamiliar.
Anyway, dinner was fantastic. It consisted of three different types
of burritos, salad, and hot sauce! Every meal has been absolutely
fantastic so far and we have high expectations for the ones to come!
PS: Hannah has developed a highly sophisticated game that is "required
fun" for the team, involving only a clothes line clip and ninja
skills. The goal of the game is to get the clip attached to another
team member in some way, shape, or form without them knowing. Once the
clip is discovered it must be transmitted to another victim >:)
*CURSEOFTHECLIP*
~From Lauren <3 span="">
6/15/13
Day 2 Our Work Begins!
We started the day off early. We walked the few blocks together to La
Fuente, for breakfast that the church had prepared for us.
Zac, one of the interns, went over our schedule for the week. He
answered questions, gave suggestions and prepared us for what we will
see and encounter while here.
It was already HOT and humid on our way to our first mission to La
Fuente SanVincente. This mission is a place where children go during
the day while their parents work, or for some when parents are not
around much. We set up tables, a tent, chairs, and prepared the food
to be served. During this time, Lauren and I, had the responsibility
to make the mango juice. As we are making the juice, the plastic top
fell in! (There was no harm inflicted upon the children in the making
of the juice) We had the opportunity to play with the kids, Carlos and
Antonio, loved to pass the football, and we had the chance to hold
baby Mona.
I talked with Daniella, the Pastors wife, she was explaining that the
children were at risk of many things. Some wind up in prostitution
thats why it is so important to find a safe place for them to feel
protected. This mission is that place in this neighborhood. It was 90
degrees plus today, yet their smiles made it worth it.
In the afternoon we went to Punta Mita, to a church that has no roof.
We cleaned debris out of the court yard where the future church will
be built. While moving concrete blocks, I inadvertently encountered a
giant lizard, that some may say made me scream like a girl! But...I
say no. Even though there were scorpions, crabs, giant lizards, and
tons of garbage, we all came together as one team and cleaned it all.
We ended the evening by going to homes of those in need of prayer. It
was a great experience to hear their stories and pray over them. God
is so good. He is everywhere you look down here, many people have so
little but their faith in our Lord was so incredible. I feel so
blessed to be a witness to this.
Adios from Brent and Hannah!
We started the day off early. We walked the few blocks together to La
Fuente, for breakfast that the church had prepared for us.
Zac, one of the interns, went over our schedule for the week. He
answered questions, gave suggestions and prepared us for what we will
see and encounter while here.
It was already HOT and humid on our way to our first mission to La
Fuente SanVincente. This mission is a place where children go during
the day while their parents work, or for some when parents are not
around much. We set up tables, a tent, chairs, and prepared the food
to be served. During this time, Lauren and I, had the responsibility
to make the mango juice. As we are making the juice, the plastic top
fell in! (There was no harm inflicted upon the children in the making
of the juice) We had the opportunity to play with the kids, Carlos and
Antonio, loved to pass the football, and we had the chance to hold
baby Mona.
I talked with Daniella, the Pastors wife, she was explaining that the
children were at risk of many things. Some wind up in prostitution
thats why it is so important to find a safe place for them to feel
protected. This mission is that place in this neighborhood. It was 90
degrees plus today, yet their smiles made it worth it.
In the afternoon we went to Punta Mita, to a church that has no roof.
We cleaned debris out of the court yard where the future church will
be built. While moving concrete blocks, I inadvertently encountered a
giant lizard, that some may say made me scream like a girl! But...I
say no. Even though there were scorpions, crabs, giant lizards, and
tons of garbage, we all came together as one team and cleaned it all.
We ended the evening by going to homes of those in need of prayer. It
was a great experience to hear their stories and pray over them. God
is so good. He is everywhere you look down here, many people have so
little but their faith in our Lord was so incredible. I feel so
blessed to be a witness to this.
Adios from Brent and Hannah!
6/13/13
Day 1 (Thursday, Travel Day)
Well we made it friends!!! Deb, Michele, Stephanie, Lauren, Hannah,
Phyliss, Tami, Gary, Brent, Felipe, Justin, Elizabeth, Ann and Dan are
the voyagers of this years Mexico trip.
We started this morning meeting at Colonial Woods at 3am and headed
off to the airport. We made all our flights and it was good thing
Pastor Phil wasn't there to mess that all up for us, we have heard how
he is on flights. Haha!!! NO "Or So" events on this trip so far!!!!
We finally made it to Puerto Vallarta at 3:30pm, 4:30 are time and La
Fuente church had a group of guys there, Carmelo, Zac and Antonio to
be exact, to meet us and take us to the church. After a quick tour of
the church they took us to get settled into our hotel. Oh yeah did we
forget to tell you that when we touched down it was 90 degrees with
75% humidity...a little different than Michigan. We learned very
quickly that air conditioning is a gift from God straight from heaven,
and we look forward to enjoying it every evening.
After we got settled in we headed back to the church and enjoyed a
great meal of homemade Tacos, with 4 different kind of meats to choose
from...of course we all had to try them all!!! After dinner we worked
on our drama for a bit and then headed back to the hotel to rest after
a long, but great, day of travel.
Stay tuned for tomorrows tale of our great adventures!!!
Dan and Ann
2/13/13
Wednesday morning
I am just getting ready to start the next day of leadship training here in Nairobi. Today we will be discussing the qualities of Servanthood, Self-Discipline and Generosity as a leader. Please pray for these women as they are being elevated to positions of leadership, that they will grasp the qualities that will make them effective, Godly leaders here in Africa. This is a new arena for women in Africa. They have not been seen as equals and are now seeing opportunities open up to them that were not possible a few years ago. Our prayer is that as they are given authority they will be prepared to handle it and make the most of the opportunities.
As for other things going on over here...we went out last night for the first time since moving downtown. Nairobi is not super safe at night on the streets so we have mostly been sticking to our hotel....and we have been busy preparing for the next days teaching anyway, but last night we went out. It was fun, but man I cannot believe how many people are out in the streets all the time. There is never a quiet moment in this city. And I mean never!
Well I need I go, my students are coming.
As for other things going on over here...we went out last night for the first time since moving downtown. Nairobi is not super safe at night on the streets so we have mostly been sticking to our hotel....and we have been busy preparing for the next days teaching anyway, but last night we went out. It was fun, but man I cannot believe how many people are out in the streets all the time. There is never a quiet moment in this city. And I mean never!
Well I need I go, my students are coming.
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