Well, our team arrived back home safely, the home team (mom and kids) all had ugly colds to welcome Dad home with, and we immediately began our family vacation. That's the long and short of the lack of update. The away team was asked to share during the morning services at our church the Sunday following their return, so I will be posting about that shortly, when the link goes up.
In the meantime, I found this video, which I thought was thought-provoking. It details a father and son's mission trip to the Amazon in Brazil and how it affected them. The father states that it was his dream to go on a mission trip with each of his kids! What a really neat dream!!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Trip update
Our team, including my hubbie, arrived without incident (YAY!) in Lima late Friday night and headed to Pucallpa the next morning. Our senior pastor, Duke, is there for the first time and had an opportunity to preach in a Shipibo church on Sunday. He has told Steve that he is ranking this trip as one of the top five experiences of his life!! WOW!! Think about that for a second.... Top five! And this was only two days into the trip, really. I am psyched! I can't wait to hear about it from Duke's mouth.
Today began the 20th Anniversary celebration/gathering of the FAIENAP organization, which is a Peruvian national mission agency. Many people are flying in, walking in, boating in to be in Pucallpa this week. Our team is there, in the area, and will have an opportunity to meet with many of these missionaries. What stories they will hear!! I am so jealous... in a righteous manner... but jealous nontheless. :)
An item of prayer, for those who may be interested.... Steve came down with a really wicked cold a few days before he left. He still has it, and is without much of the medicine he would normally be taking (because he didn't listen to the wife God gave him). Please pray for quick healing and that he would find the time to rest. There is not usually much rest worked in to these trips as time is so short and the tendency is to make the most of every minute.
Today began the 20th Anniversary celebration/gathering of the FAIENAP organization, which is a Peruvian national mission agency. Many people are flying in, walking in, boating in to be in Pucallpa this week. Our team is there, in the area, and will have an opportunity to meet with many of these missionaries. What stories they will hear!! I am so jealous... in a righteous manner... but jealous nontheless. :)
An item of prayer, for those who may be interested.... Steve came down with a really wicked cold a few days before he left. He still has it, and is without much of the medicine he would normally be taking (because he didn't listen to the wife God gave him). Please pray for quick healing and that he would find the time to rest. There is not usually much rest worked in to these trips as time is so short and the tendency is to make the most of every minute.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Summer Update
In December 2007 Steve and 5 of our church leaders set out on a 10-day trip to the Amazon. These men were hand-picked by Temple Baptist’s leadership, believing they had the greatest potential for impact.
These expectations were met and greatly exceeded as one pastor, three Sunday School teachers, and a military leader all returned with GREAT, entertaining, and moving stories of God’s care and provision throughout their trip.
Although this team was already missions-minded and well-traveled, for the first time they came face to face with missionaries on their own turf. Some of these missionaries are fellow Americans, some are native to South America and others are indigenous (tribal) brothers, but all share the same heart which is reaching the tribes with the gospel of Jesus Christ and equipping and empowering them to carry out the Great Commission.
Our group also attended church in a tribal village, which required a one hour boat ride and walking through about a mile of mud on a Sunday morning! (Apparently, there is an unspoken rule in the Amazon that if there is heavy rain, church is cancelled. Our team was unaware of this though. So after slogging through the mud to reach the village, the villagers took pity on them and joined their visitors at the church! J)
Upon their return, the men relayed how the trip personally impacted them as they shared during their classes and morning services. (You can listen to their accounts from January 6, 2008 at http://temple-baptist.org/. Click on pictures in the slideshow on the right for more detail.) Months later, their experiences continue to trickle down thru classes and sermons as God brings things to their minds. It’s such a joy for us to see how God has used this one trip in the hearts of this amazing group of men!
Many of our group have expressed and a desire to return to Peru after seeing the many needs. There is much that can be done to support and empower the missionaries to focus on their work. One example is construction at the Amazon Focus property. You may recall the property was purchased several years ago to use as a base for missionaries and visitors. When construction is completed, it will also house AF Field Director Irma Espinoza when she is not in the more remote villages. Sadly, construction has been slow since there is no permanent presence there to supervise or coordinate activities. Because of this the property was looted last year by people scaling the surrounding walls, peeling off roofs, and taking away doors and things of that nature. As you may imagine, without doors and roofs there is not much security!
Upon their return, there was a great excitement about partnering with the missionaries in Peru, and a desire to return this summer. Several of the men from the previous trip have been unable to return this time around, but in the interim we have picked up two “newbies”: our senior pastor and a graduate student from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) who also speaks Spanish. This trip will run August 1-10, and is quickly approaching, so we would ask you to be in prayer—both for the trip, and for Heather and the boys who will be staying at home.
These expectations were met and greatly exceeded as one pastor, three Sunday School teachers, and a military leader all returned with GREAT, entertaining, and moving stories of God’s care and provision throughout their trip.
Although this team was already missions-minded and well-traveled, for the first time they came face to face with missionaries on their own turf. Some of these missionaries are fellow Americans, some are native to South America and others are indigenous (tribal) brothers, but all share the same heart which is reaching the tribes with the gospel of Jesus Christ and equipping and empowering them to carry out the Great Commission.
Our group also attended church in a tribal village, which required a one hour boat ride and walking through about a mile of mud on a Sunday morning! (Apparently, there is an unspoken rule in the Amazon that if there is heavy rain, church is cancelled. Our team was unaware of this though. So after slogging through the mud to reach the village, the villagers took pity on them and joined their visitors at the church! J)
Upon their return, the men relayed how the trip personally impacted them as they shared during their classes and morning services. (You can listen to their accounts from January 6, 2008 at http://temple-baptist.org/. Click on pictures in the slideshow on the right for more detail.) Months later, their experiences continue to trickle down thru classes and sermons as God brings things to their minds. It’s such a joy for us to see how God has used this one trip in the hearts of this amazing group of men!
Many of our group have expressed and a desire to return to Peru after seeing the many needs. There is much that can be done to support and empower the missionaries to focus on their work. One example is construction at the Amazon Focus property. You may recall the property was purchased several years ago to use as a base for missionaries and visitors. When construction is completed, it will also house AF Field Director Irma Espinoza when she is not in the more remote villages. Sadly, construction has been slow since there is no permanent presence there to supervise or coordinate activities. Because of this the property was looted last year by people scaling the surrounding walls, peeling off roofs, and taking away doors and things of that nature. As you may imagine, without doors and roofs there is not much security!
Upon their return, there was a great excitement about partnering with the missionaries in Peru, and a desire to return this summer. Several of the men from the previous trip have been unable to return this time around, but in the interim we have picked up two “newbies”: our senior pastor and a graduate student from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) who also speaks Spanish. This trip will run August 1-10, and is quickly approaching, so we would ask you to be in prayer—both for the trip, and for Heather and the boys who will be staying at home.
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