Grace Bible Missions

Heading Home

2011-11-10T12:51:00.000-06:00

We have a had a great time with Leandro and Julie and their ministry in Brazil! We are now at the airport waiting for our first of four flights to be back in Columbia tomorrow.

Baptism and Barbecue!

2011-11-06T04:57:00.000-06:00

Thursday night and Friday we were busy teaching; Mike taught on mentoring, counseling, preaching, and the six things a leader must forget. I (Conrad) taught on the character and skills of leader from Nehemiah: the balancing act between being and doing.

Yesterday we were invited to participate in a baptism service at the camp. Three people were baptized, and they have a practice of having the person who has been discipling the new believer present them to be baptized and escort them to the water. The water looked a little chilly, but it was exciting to be a part! Afterward we enjoyed a "churasco" Brazilian barbecue and played some futebol.

Last night I had the chance to speak with a group of youth leaders in Suzano, a nearby church plant from Igreja Biblia Brasiliera in Mogi das Cruzes. It was a great time to share principles and ideas and encourage them.

View our seminars online!

2011-11-03T20:18:00.000-05:00

All of our seminars are being recorded and streamed live online, so you can see for yourself what we're up to! Visit http://www.ibbmc.com.br/seminario.html to see Pastor Mike's session from tonight or the sessions coming up tomorrow.

Day 1 in Sao Paolo

2011-11-03T14:32:00.000-05:00

Mike and I arrived early this morning (5:15am local time) and have spent the day at ABECAR camp where the Tarratacas live and work. We are preparing for the first of our sessions with church leaders tonight.

This afternoon we had the chance to learn a little more about the work at the camp and the ministry with street kids. School is only in session for 4 hours a day, so many kids have nothing to do for the afternoon, making them a target for violence and abuse. Julie has been organizing an after school program that gives them both a positive environment and the opportunity to learn more about Jesus. This video is a clip from part of the program we got to see. They run the program on a $4000/month budget, which includes busing kids to the camp, staff to lead the three hour program, and oftentimes meals for kids that won't get one at home.

Summer Day Fun

2011-06-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the temperature creped over 100 degrees, and so when the Lord provides warm temperatures, water, and balloons……

We had a great time with our Lakota friends cooling off with water balloons, water soaked sponges, and squirt guns. The smiles on everyone’s faces would have been great to share but no one was brave enough to bring out a camera for fear it would get soaked. We finished camp a little early and came back to the church in Sharps Corner to enjoy a movie and some popcorn in the air-conditioned sanctuary.

After supper most of our team went over to the basketball court again. Each night we go we seem to have more show up. The guys all keep enjoying a good game of basketball and everyone else is playing with the children or playing volleyball. We had thought the volleyball poles and net from last year had been stolen, only to return last night to find a family setting them up! They had been keeping them to make sure they weren’t stolen or mistreated. God continues to challenge our assumptions and expectations!

Today one of the girls we have been enjoying time with at the park came to the camp and we were able to share the gospel with her as a result. This is yet another example of our goal to not only share our lives, but the gospel as well (I Thes 2:8).

Please continue to pray for good weather, the safety of our group and the campers, and that we will be given opportunities to share the Gospel. God has been so good to us and we thank you for your prayers!

Greetings from the Bad Lands

2011-06-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

Our entire team of 34 have arrived safely and have had two full days of ministry! Please read on and we will recap some of the highlights of our trip so far.

We had an advance team come up on Friday and set up, get supplies, and start meeting those that are already here at Pine Ridge and the Chanku Waste Ranch.

On Saturday, our second and largest wave came up, including the entire team from Hope and many of the team from Grace. The trip was going well until we got into northern Nebraska where one of the vehicles had a transmission failure. God did provide for us in that we were not on the side of the road for more than ½ hour before 2 local ranchers stopped and one had a truck big enough to take enough of our team an hour further down the road. It was a great example of God providing for us even in difficult times.

On Sunday the last team was able to arrive with no issues and we were at full strength ready for Monday and what the Lord had in store for us to being the week.

On Monday we woke, ate the first of our great meals and were off to the ranch. We had many that were not sure what to expect as this was their very first experience in South Dakota; for others it was not the first trip but a new format to deal with. We shared time with the children from about 9-4. During that time we have Bible lessons, games, missionary stories, crafts, snacks, and lunch. At the end of the day we had many great opportunities to discuss lessons learned, but also had a great deal of excitement as we were able to discuss the new relationships we had started. We had lots of time to sit, play, talk, listen, and learn from our new Lakota friends. The day ended with a trip into Sharps Corner to try and get a pick up basketball game and a chance to meet with and see again some of the children we had met at camp!

Tuesday started with our team taking on even more responsibility in running the opening assembly at camp. We started a little slow, as we had not entirely planned for the new start but took it in stride and had a much better day in the end according to everyone involved. This year we have also been able to share some time with a woman from Tennessee who has come up with three of her horses to give trail rides at the ranch. This has obviously been a big hit and two of our own have been “drafted” into service to help.

Please pray for the hearts of children we are ministering to and for the continued safety of our team. God has been very good and so far we have not had a single injury. Today it is supposed to get very warm, and we are planning on many water activities, so prayers for safety against the heat are welcomed. Please also pray for the Lakota people. We have met many great and wonderful people while we have been here and continue to strive to meet the challenge we have from 1 Thes 2:8, to love these people so much by sharing the gospel and our lives.

Lakota 2011 just days away!

2011-06-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

Our early team takes off this Friday to pickup supplies and setup camp for the rest of team leaving for South Dakota on Saturday and Sunday! Our team includes 34 members, 7 from Hope Bible Church in O'Fallon, and 27 from Grace. A few support team shirts are still available; contact the church office to order one and show your support for our team!

2010-08-05T23:01:00.001-05:00

Back home safely in Columbia!

2010-08-05T12:26:00.001-05:00

On the ground in Atlanta. Off to Kansas City soon, and then back home in Columbia tonight.

Wrapping Up

2010-08-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

It looks like adding pics and giving a more thorough overview of the trip will have to wait until I can get alone from my laptop back home, but still thankful for the chance to send out updates here and there. Our trip to Ixtapa with several of the high school and college students from the church and mission was an interesting experience, to say the least: driving around central Zihuatanejo at night trying to find a safe beach (the first one we got to had a sign about "cocodrilos"; turns out it was a fenced in nature reserve but we weren't takin any chances), meeting three salvavidas Mexicanas up close and personal (I got to experience a riptide - other than sunburns, I was the only one that encountered anything potentially serious), and learning the cultural nuances of doing a youth trip in Mexico vs. the US. All in all, we enjoyed the break after a very full week, as well as the chance to get to know some of the people we've been working with better.
Today we'll be traveling to Guadalajara, and then getting up early in the morning for our flight home tomorrow. We should be back in Kansas City around 4pm and then in Columbia tomorrow night. Thanks for praying for us; it's been a good trip, and we look forward to sharing more when we get home. Pray for safety as we travel over the next two days, and for the ongoing ministry with El Divino Salvador and Mision del Valle.

Finishing Bible School in Mision del Valle

2010-07-31T22:57:00.000-05:00

We finished our last day of Bible school yesterday and wrapped up the week with a special service for families that tied into the regular weekly Bible study at Mision del Valle. Around 10 families were represented this week in attendance at Bible school, with several others attending last night's evangelistic concert. One Christian family came by when they heard the music and were excited to find out that a Bible study was meeting in the neighborhood. Many contacts were made with families in the area, and the church has discovered needs that they can now strive to meet as they continue outreach in Mision del Valle. This update is shorter, because I am only able to update from my phone, but the following are a few prayer requests:
1. Follow-up from the week, as the church seeks to keep up with families that attended.
2. On-going ministry that will take place through the weekly Bible study and youth and children's programs that will begin soon.
3. Noe and Sol as they continue to lead the ministry in Mision del Valle, and Eduardo, David, and other leaders from El Divino Salvador.
4. Wisdom and resources to determine whether to take an offer to rent a larger building for the mission that was offered by a realtor this week (a larger home with two more rooms for approx. $200/month).
5. Continued growth for the mission in Mision del Valle, hoping to launch it as a church next summer or early fall.

2010-07-29T15:23:00.001-05:00

We're almost through the week of Bible school, and we have consistently had around 20 kids attending. This week has been eye-opening for the church, as they are now more clearly able to identify the needs of the community in Mision del Valle. Our soccer outreach was moved to today; we start at 4:00pm with a large group of boys we ran into yesterday. Pray for us as we share the gospel with them and finish out Bible school.

First Few Days in Morelia

2010-07-27T18:22:00.000-05:00

We have finished two days working with the people of El Divino Salvador in the community of Mision del Valle. It has been an answer to prayer for both our groups to see the small rented house full of life energy, the fulfillment of a vision that began in March. The Bible study that outgrew the home of Noe and Sol Soto began meeting in the house this spring, and is the basis for El Divino Salvador's church plant among the 1,000 homes of the Valle area.

We have had the privilege of helping with Bible school in the mornings and other outreaches in the evenings. 12 kids and 2 parents came to our first day of Bible school, and 20 kids, along with a couple teens and parents, attended today. Jordan is teaching memory verses, Lydia is working with the puppet team, and Debi is coordinating crafts. Because of the evangelistic nature of the Bible school, we've been using the same Wordless Book theme as last year with Iglesia Jerusalen.

The Montemayor family is leading the ministry from the church's side. Nena has been our consistent translator and liaison, her sister Mine is the director of the Bible school, and her dad, David, is the general director of the outreach this week. Eduardo is leading the afternoon and evening outreaches. Yesterday was good, but a little rough as everyone figured out how to work things best in a new area with a combined team, but the efforts for the gospel were effective nonetheless, as both parents that came Monday expressed interest in the Bible study and a desire to know more. We also have a unique opportunity to impact a couple of students who are helping with the BSU and have been involved this week, but are not yet believers. One girl accepted Christ a few weeks ago, an her friends have come because they are interested in what they have seen.

Prayer requests:
1. Smooth continuation of the Bible school this week that results in confidence to attempt another one next year.
2. A movie outeach for kids tonight and a soccer outreach for teens tomorrow evening.
3. Strength and focus for all involved in ministry this week.
4. Karen and Tania, the two girls who are not yet believers.
5. Claudia and Yvonne, two new believers in Mision del Valle, as they and their families get plugged into the ministry this week.

2010-07-25T16:36:00.001-05:00

We go settled into the Montemayors' apartment last night and enjoyed a full night's sleep. This morning we joined El Divino Salvador for church. This evening we will be meeting with the church members to coordinate plans for this week's outreach in Mision del Valle.

2010-07-24T20:08:00.001-05:00

Our team is enjoying dinner with David Montemayor and his family tonight in Morelia! We will be joining El Divino Salvador Baptist Church tomorrow and then meeting to plan the week in the afternoon.

2010-07-24T10:22:00.001-05:00

The Mexico team arrived safely in Guadalajara last night, after a delay in departure from Atlanta. A small delay in picking up the rental car this morning, but we'll be off to Morelia this afternoon.

2010-07-23T17:23:00.001-05:00

Waiting to board for Guadalajara. Working on Sunday's sermon in John 13:34. Discovered an old book, The Training of the Twelve by A. Bruce.

2010-07-23T11:49:00.001-05:00

Mexico team is at the airport in KC... Off to Atlanta, and then Guadalajara.

Nearing the End

2010-07-10T11:30:00.000-05:00

As we approach the end of our time in Sharps Corner, we have experienced several good surprises. In the beginning of the week, we prepped the volleyball and basketball courts to get them ready to play in the evenings. On Thursday evening when we came out, we found that the people of Sharps had put up a brand new volleyball net, mowed even further around the outside of both courts, and taped the basketball net to keep it from coming down. We had been concerned about whether or not we would find them intact each night when we returned; it was quite a pleasant surprise to see that the community had stepped up to take even better care of what we had helped to begin.

Thursday afternoon Randy, Sam, and Daniel were able to go to White River and reconnect with Pastor Harold and several kids that they had worked with the past two summers. Katie had the opportunity to share the Wordless Book with a little girl named Kaitlyn; she responded to Katie's invitation to accept Christ as Savior!

Overall, clubs have finished incredibly well this week. After a rough day Thursday with only one kid staying through the entire club in Manderson, Friday was their best day ever. Several kids were engaged, listened attentively, and even got onto others that tried to create distractions. The clubs at Sharps have also gone well, and almost all of our team has had the chance to share the gospel through the Wordless Book or have a spiritual conversation with someone.

Last night was our community barbecue, and at 6:05pm, we weren't sure if anyone was going to show up. Fifteen minutes later we were serving what would be 80 people from the area - mostly families from Sharps Corner, and a few from Evergreen. Last year we had a decent turnout for the barbecue, but we mostly served families from the church and kids that had been at clubs. This year was the first time we've seen some of the adults that we've played volleyball with bring their families to the church grounds! It was incredible to see the number of people that were willing to come, not just to eat, but to talk, visit, and share together.

Our partnership with Pastor Brennan's ministry here at Sharps Corner, marks the beginning of a new chapter in our five year tenure, and it is exciting to see what God has been doing. We have had the great opportunity to continue investing in several that we met for the first time in the summer of 2006, including Destiny, Jamie, Jeremy, Delayne, Tony, Cody, and Jamie, among others, and many other dear friends that we have met along the way between that summer and this. It has been thrilling to play a small role in the ministry of the gospel, as we have sought to share not only the gospel, but our lives as well with the people of Sharps Corner through the ministry of Sharps Corner Baptist Church.

As we prepare to leave, please pray that clubs finish well today, and that our team will have additional opportunities to share the gospel. Pray for safety as we travel, and that our return home will also be a new beginning for our team, as we strive to live a mission life at home. Some of our team have been fighting illnesses; pray that they can be on the mend before returning home. Pray for the ongoing ministry of the Brennan family and the church; they have a team from Pennsylvania coming in today to construct a garage and continue with ministry to the Sharps Corner community. Pastor Brennan has a big vision for the area; this week we saw him bring in a bus to use for transportation for kids and tipi poles to be used for a camp, hopefully as soon as next summer. Thanks for partnering with us in prayer and support; nothing this week could have been possible without your faithful prayer on our behalf.

Great turnout for the barbecue!

Hope Bible Church's club

Talking with kids during clubs

Playing volleyball with a new net!

Basketball

2010-07-08T18:49:00.001-05:00

New midweek post from the Lakota 2010 mission team! http://ping.fm/Lm1JG

Halfway Through

2010-07-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

We're finishing up our third day of clubs after doing some sightseeing yesterday. We finally feel like we have our feet underneath us, and for most, today was the best day of clubs so far. A group of 12 year old boys came from Evergreen, but instead of being a distraction, they were the most attentive group. Eric had the opportunity to talk through the gospel with them. The Manderson club has struggled some; today only one girl stayed through the entire club, but the team is making connections with families and kids in the community. Alec, Spencer, and Erica were able to go with Pastor Brennan and a group of teens, including Delayne and Tony, to do some hiking today.

Continue praying for us as we wind down the week. Tonight is probably our last chance to join the Sharps Corner community for volleyball and basketball in the evening. Tomorrow is a community barbecue that we will be hosting at the church, and we hope that many families will attend. We have had a very friendly reception from most of the families in the area, and we hope they will translate that to the church. We have two more days of clubs, and all of our team members are praying for opportunities to have spiritual conversations with kids about the gospel. We have been able to successfully share our lives with many of the kids, but we hope to also balance out our 1 Thess. 2:8 goal by sharing the gospel with them as clearly as possible as well. Pray for strength to finish the week well, both in clubs and among our team relationships. We are doing well, and we want to finish the week even better than we've begun. Thanks for your faithful prayer and support!

Sightseeing pics:

Having some fun at Mount Rushmore

Conquering the Badlands

2010-07-08T18:24:00.001-05:00

New pics from Lakota 2010 uploaded! http://ping.fm/R552N

2010-07-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

Mowing the prairie... preparing the volleyball court to play.

Club inside the youth center in Manderson.

Team pic overlooking Evergreen after passing out fliers for clubs.

Starting Off the Week

2010-07-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

We had a good day on Sunday in the church service at Sharps Corner with Pastor Brennan and the local congregation and then passing out fliers in Sharps Corner, Evergreen, and Manderson in the afternoon. We have four 5 Day Club teams with the addition of the team from Hope Bible Church in O'Fallon, so Pastor Brennan encouraged us to look into having a club in Manderson (a town about 15 minutes from Sharps Corner). For the past couple of years I've been intrigued about possibility of reaching out into Manderson in addition to Sharps Corner, but the opportunity wasn't there. This year as Pastor Brennan has been involved at Sharps Corner, he is also hoping that another couple interested in serving on the reservation will take on a church plant in Manderson. We have the opportunity to help plant seeds for this church plant that will begin in the near future, as God leads. We went on a little bit of a wild goose chase trying to find the guy that runs the youth center in Manderson where we were hoping to hold the club, but we were able to find him and use the facility this week.

All of our clubs began yesterday, and while attendance was a little down the first day, we had a great kick-off. Old friendships were rekindled, and new relationships are beginning to form. Clubs started off with a lot of energy and enthusiasm; each went very well, and even though we have a large number of first-time students this year, they all did great with their assignments and with the kids. We had to mow the volleyball court and fix the basketball goal again this year in the Sharps Corner housing, but our work paid off with over 40 people coming out from the Sharps Corner community to play basketball and volleyball and hang out last night.

As we continue the week, please pray for a few requests:

1. Energy and rest; we've settled into our schedule for the week, and it can be draining.

2. Opportunities for spiritual conversations; our theme verse is 1 Thess. 2:8, and we pray for opportunities to share our lives with the kids in ways that will open doors for spiritual discussions centering around the gospel.

3. Repair on the Hope Bible Church van; their van had a flat about an hour and a half away from Sharps Corner on our way in; pray that the working out the logistics with the rental company will go smoothly.

4. Two kids (10 and 12) committed suicide over the weekend, and at least one is a relative of a couple of the kids attending. There's also a sundance taking place this week, which is a traditional ceremony steeped in spirit worship. Pray that these potential distractions will turn into opportunities for the gospel.

I'll post pics soon!

2010-07-03T15:26:00.001-05:00

Just north of Grand Island, Nebraska, on our way to Sharps Corner! We've tried an alternate route this year, and so far, so good. Having a good time with the Hope Bible Church team along, and making decent time on the road. Should roll into Sharps Corner around 8:00pm tonight.

Lakota 2010!

2010-07-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

Our 2010 Lakota team leaves on Saturday morning with 16 members from Grace and 5 from Hope Bible Church in O'Fallon, MO. Join us for team prayer around 6:30am Saturday if you'd like to see us off!

2010-04-06T22:07:00.001-05:00

10 days and 4000 miles later, back in Columbia.

2010-04-06T13:24:00.001-05:00

Bienvenidos, er... Welcome to Missouri! Some delays along the way, including I-35 closed south of Dallas, but a reasonably good trip back.

2010-04-05T18:59:00.001-05:00

Good drive to the border chauffered by Heber (what a guy!). 2 hour wait to cross, but now in Texas and headed home.

2010-04-04T17:17:00.001-05:00

Great Easter services this morning (in spite of 2nd daylight savings time). Encouraging to see church healthy & alive in spite of obstacles.

2010-04-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

Full day w/ friends, seeing what God is doing in Morelia. Now Monarcas futbol & preparing message from Luke 24 for Easter sunrise service.

2010-04-03T16:12:00.001-05:00

Met w/ Noe in Mision del Valle, where we'll b serving this summer. He's leasing Buble study in his home. 6000 houses, no church for miles.

2010-04-02T11:40:00.001-05:00

Helped w/ invitations for an Easter outreach campaign yesterday morning; 2 people accepted Christ after watching the Jesus film last night!

2010-03-31T15:51:00.001-05:00

Met w/ missionary friends in Gdl, kids met new friends at parks. Traveling to Morelia now to meet tonight w/ leaders of El Divino Salvador.

2010-03-30T12:56:00.001-05:00

Arrived safely in Guadalajara early this morning; no real trouble crossing the border, & a good trip on to Guadalajara w/ no real problems.

2010-03-24T10:46:00.003-05:00

or the summer.

2010-03-24T10:46:00.001-05:00

Dates are finally set for the summer Lakota trip to Sharps Corner, SD: July 3-11. Debi and Conrad leave Sunday for Mexico to meet with leaders and plan f

2009-08-07T10:24:00.001-05:00

The Mexico team is back home after a great trip!

2009-08-06T23:41:00.001-05:00

The Mexico team is back home after a great trip!

2009-08-06T19:50:00.001-05:00

Safely on the ground in St Louis, with uneventful flights today.

2009-08-06T17:57:00.001-05:00

Boarding in Dallas for St Louis, then Columbia. Trying to re-learn how to say thank you instead of gracias. 2/10 so far.

2009-08-06T16:01:00.001-05:00

Back in Dallas, waiting to go through passport control. Just about officially back on American soil.

Finishing Strong

2009-08-03T18:09:00.000-05:00

Just a brief update to say that our weekend ended incredibly well. We had a good club with the new mission that is near the Monarcas soccer stadium on Saturday morning; the mission was started only recently and includes two families that are trying to reach their neighborhood with the hope of planting a church in the new future. We enjoyed hosting the dinner for the evening celebration, and the BBQ chicken, shish-ka-bobs and, mashed potatoes were a hit (although starting the grill required a creative combination of dry grass, paper, cardboard, cooking oil, and rubbing alcohol).

Sunday morning we had the opportunity to worship with the remnant of El Divino Salvador, Eduardo's church that recently went through a split. The church is currently meeting in his home, and over 50 people were packed into his living and dining rooms. The team shared in worship, and Conrad preached and led communion. In the afternoon, most of the time got to do a little shopping and sightseeing in downtown Morelia, while Conrad, Heber, and Eduardo discussed a debriefing from the week and future ministry plans. Afterwards we hurriedly rushed to Iglesia Jerusalen to pack our things, say goodbyes, and join them for a concluding service to the week. We exchanged gifts, tears, and goodbyes on both sides, as we saw our theme verse coming to fruition: sharing not only the gospel, but our lives as well (1 Thess 4:8). We left the church, arriving at the bus station with only minutes to spare for our all-night trek to Puerto Vallerta.

We will spend the next couple of days debriefing as a team and enjoying some well-earned R&R. Every team member worked a grueling schedule throughout the last ten days, with little downtime or even time together as an entire team. We'll continue to share results from last week and post more pictures soon.

End of the Week

2009-08-01T10:37:00.001-05:00

The past two days have been a great conclusion to an amazing week. We have had spotty internet access the last few days, so we haven't been able to update as often as desired. We finished our clubs at Iglesia Jerusalen and Colinas averaging 80 kids total each day, with a team of 15-20 that included our team and the team from Jerusalen. We were able to play soccer Thursday and Friday evening at Colinas, and Matt shared the Ball of Many Colors with the kids and teens that we played with last night.

This weekend is another exercise in flexibility and ministry opportunities! The church has another mission that is brand new in Morelia, and we will be leading a one day club there today at noon. Tonight is a celebration with the entire Bible School team, and we are hosting a BBQ for the church leaders. Tomorrow Conrad will be preaching at El Divino Salvador, Eduardo's church, and our team will also be sharing in worship. We hope to spend some time downtown in the afternoon, and then we will be back at Iglesia Jerusalen briefly in the evening to share in the service before we catch our bus for Puerto Vallarta. We have a full weekend ahead of us!

Thanks for following our updates and praying!

Clubs Day 3

2009-07-30T08:38:00.000-05:00

We had another great day of clubs. In the morning, the kids made lamb sock puppets as a craft to go along with the puppet show. As soon as they got outside, they started "grazing" on the grass! We had the opportunity to play soccer with the kids of Colinas after the evening club, and then Steve shared the gospel using the Ball of Many Colors.
Pray for the ongoing health of our team, as we still are fighting the flu, and for conversations between Eduardo, Pastor Avilez, and Conrad as they discuss the companerismo (partnership) between the BSU, Iglesia Jerusalen, and GBC.

Pictures:
1. Making sock puppets during Bible School
2. "Feeding" the sheep
3. Soccer at Colinas del Sur

2nd Day

2009-07-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

Our second day of clubs saw 36 kids attending in the morning at the church and over 40 at Colinas in the evening. We had a couple of hiccups in the morning, but we were able to do our full schedule of puppets, skit, crafts, memory verse, games, and the wordless book. Debi was feeling much better, and other than minor stomach bugs, everyone on the team is pretty healthy now. We have really enjoyed working with the leadership of Iglesia Jerusalen. Adrianna, Karen, and Noah have been vital assets to our work. In our team meeting tonight, several mentioned that they felt like those three were really doing a lot of the real ministry - that we were definitely doing our part, but that we were helping them, not the other way around - which is our goal for sustainable, long-term ministry.
The evening clubs in Colinas del Sur were similar to yesterday with one addition: clowns! Conrad was talked into donning a clown costume and make-up and joined one of the other girls from the church as a clown to invite kids to the club. Steve had an opportunity to spend some time playing soccer with a couple of the older guys that were causing some disruptions during his teaching.

Pictures:
1. Children at Jerusalen watching the puppet show and skit.
2. Robin, Ana (BSU), and Mallory as Sammy, Rachel, and Simon.
3. Ben and Matt in the skit.
4. Clowning around in Colinas.

1st Day of Clubs

2009-07-27T22:39:00.000-05:00

Our first day was a little different than we may have initially expected, but overall it went really well. Instead of teaching one club that would follow a similar format to the 5 Day Clubs that we are used to, we ended up working with teachers from the church and doing rotating stations with four groups of kids by age. Because of the rotation, most of the team are teaching their areas four times during the club instead of once.
Each of team members was able to gain experience at equipping others to serve alongside them in ministry, for example, Ben taught the mission story and worked with a translator and plans to grow into splitting the teaching with them later in the week; Mallory prepared another girl to teach the kids the Gold page of the Wordless Book, and Matt and Robin worked on incorporating some of the Mexican team into the puppet show and skits. Adriana, one of the children's teachers at Iglesia Jerusalen, was invaluable today. She organized the schedule, handled the rotation, and worked with the kids in between stations and after clubs to review what they learned.
In the evening we went to Collinas del Sur and led a club in the home of a family there. This family was reached through Pastor Roberto's radio ministry, and he has been working with them on starting a Bible study in their home. Their home is the center of the mission in Collinas that will, Lord-willing, develop into a church. We had about 40 kids split into three groups in the small home, but things went very smoothly and the kids seemed to respond very well. We look forward to another round beginning tomorrow morning.
Our biggest setback has been from illness. Ben got sick on the trip down, and Debi caught it and has been out of commission and resting today. Ben is doing quite a bit better; pray for full recovery quickly for Ben and Debi and that this does not get passed on to the rest of the team.

Pictures:
1. Steve teaching his memory verse in a club at Jerusalen.
2. Playing games in the street in Collinas del Sur outside the house where clubs are held.
3. Living room of the house in Collinas; lady in wheelchair allowed us to use her entire home.

Busy Weekend

2009-07-27T07:59:00.000-05:00

We arrived at Iglesia Jerusalen Bautista Saturday morning, and after a good breakfast, met with Pastor Roberto Avilez and Eduardo, the BSU director, to discuss plans for the week. Later we had a few minutes to get settled into our host homes before visiting Collinas del Sur, the mission we will be working with, and coming back to the church for training for the next week of ministry. We were led in team-building activities in order to help us get accustomed to working together as Americans, members of the Jerusalen church, and students with the BSU. It signified the beginning of what we expect to be a great partnership this week.
Sunday we had the morning off because the pastor preaches at another church in the morning; services at Jerusalen are on Sunday evening. We had the opportunity to see the season opening game for the Monarcas, Morelia's soccer team. We also had the unfortunate "privilege" of enduring the USA vs. Mexico game later in the afternoon (but the locals were thrilled!). In the evening service, Debi, Ben, Robin, and Mallory were involved in special music and Conrad preached.
Today will be our first day of clubs; we will be hosting a Bible school partnered with the church leaders at Jerusalen in the mornings and then we will take the same Bible school to Collinas del Sur in the evenings. The church leaders want to split the kids into 5 groups, which has required us to be flexible and to depend on their help; this was one of our major goals for the trip, although we hadn't expected it to come about quite like it has. We are excited about the first day and appreciate your continued prayer.

Pictures:
1. Team building activity with Jerusalen leaders
2. Mallory leading Wordless Book training
3. Monarcas futbol game

2009-07-25T09:55:00.001-05:00

We just got off the bus in Morelia, safe and uneventful trip. Met Heber, Nena, and Eduardo and now we're headed to the church to get situated.

2009-07-24T18:04:00.001-05:00

Leaving Dallas... Next stop Mexico! (followed by the looooooong bus trip to Morelia)

2009-07-24T17:05:00.001-05:00

Hanging out at DFW during our layover before departing for Puerta Vallarta at 5:50.

2009-07-24T13:09:00.001-05:00

Just about wheels up in STL. Other than a minor issue with the automated check-in, we're doing great. Next stop Dallas.

2009-07-24T10:04:00.001-05:00

Mexico team is off and on the road to the airport. Pray for a safe day of travel. We should be in Morelia in 23 hours.

2009-07-22T12:16:00.001-05:00

Testing Ping.fm to see if it truly will be the end-all for keeping up-to-date on mission trip news. If you're reading this on twitter, facebook, or blogger, it works!

Update from Sharps Corner

2009-07-09T17:24:00.000-05:00

We have enjoyed a great week in Sharps Corner so far! We arrived safely around 9:30pm local time Saturday evening. Robert and Mallory led worship at Sharps Corner Baptist Church on Sunday morning and Conrad preached (David Moser also had the opportunity to preach in White River).

Eric's team is leading a 5 Day Club for younger kids, Robert's team is leading a club for older kids, and Megan, Robin, and Conrad are working with the teens that have been attending. We have been able to continue our outreach from years past to the community of Evergreen, a housing area a few miles from Sharps Corner. We have averaged over 30 kids and teens each day. We have also been able to continue community involvement through sports in the evenings, although the volleyball and basketball courts were in severe disrepair. The volleyball court was overgrown with weeds over two feet tall and the poles were missing, and the basketball rim was gone. After some renovation Monday, we were able to play on Tuesday and look forward to tonight as well.

We've reconnected with many kids and families from past years, and begun new relationships. Pastor Roy and Linda are doing well; Roy is involved in a week long revival in Pine Ridge and Sharps Corner that is hosted by God's Cowboys, a New Mexico-based outreach to Native Americans. We learned that Delaine is struggling through some difficult things and will be unable to return with us to Columbia to visit for a few weeks as we had previously hoped. Destiny, Amber, and Carly, three girls that had been involved at the church since our first trip in 2006, have encountered some family issues, but Destiny has been involved in our teen outreach this week, and we hope to see Amber tomorrow. We have had an exceptional group of teens to work with this year; they have been open, and instead of trying to keep them from distracting the kids clubs, we have been able to talk with them. Most are in junior high and attend a local Catholic school, but as Tiny, one of the girls, mentioned, "I'm Catholic... I think. I've been baptized." Please continue to pray for us, the clubs, the individuals mentioned above, and the White River team as they've had over 40 kids each day. We look forward to sharing more with you as we have opportunity! Short, more consistent updates are available on twitter; follow "fishermanr".

Pictures from top to bottom:
1. The Sharps Corner team overlooking Evergreen
2. Megan playing a game with some of the teens
3. Hanging out with kids at the end of clubs
4. Robin and Alyssa overlooking the Badlands on Sheep Mountain

Lakota Missions Update

2009-07-09T11:51:00.000-05:00

There is not consistent internet here in South Dakota this trip, so my apologies for the lack of updates recently. Hopefully I can post more information this afternoon, but for now, praise the Lord for what's happening here in South Dakota!

Clubs on Monday & Tuesday went well in both Sharps Corner & White River. Sharps Corner is averaging over 30 kids, and White River is averaging over 40 kids! Our teens enjoyed some rest and down-time yesterday while sightseeing a little bit.

Please pray for additional opportunities to share the Gospel, strength and group unity to finish the last 3 days of clubs, and for the revival services going on in the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Lakota Team Preparing for Departure

2009-06-26T15:46:00.000-05:00

Our Lakota team will be loading up in a week and making the trek to both White River and Sharps Corner, South Dakota this summer. There are still opportunities to support the team: join us at our McAlister's fundraiser, 5-9pm this Sunday, June 28th, and pray for us as we prepare last minute details and get ready to go!

Closing Ceremony

2009-02-20T18:12:00.000-06:00

Tonight was our closing ceremony for the past two weeks of English Clubs. Instead of our regular schedule, we had a program for the students that included a couple of video clips and skits, worship, one last gospel presentation using "The Bridge" video, and presentation of certificates to students who completed the courses. It was a night of celebration, but also sadness as many goodbyes were also exchanged. One of the main purposes of the evening was to pass the students on to the Ukraine for Christ Campus ministry, so that they will be able to continue the relationships that have been formed through English Clubs. Many students indicated after last night's gospel presentation that they were thinking about things like God, Jesus, and the Bible in a way that they hadn't before, and that they wanted to continue searching for the truth. Some are close to a commitment to a Christ; others are deep-seated in their own beliefs, but all were willing to discuss the claims of Scripture openly and consider the possibility of a loving God who sent His only Son to die for their sins. Continue to pray for these students; Campus has a Winter Conference next week, and several students that attended the clubs are going. It is vital that the Campus staff is able to connect with these students soon after English Clubs, so that relationships can continue to develop and conversations can take place based on some of the themes discussed in our clubs. Pray for those students who are searching for truth and want to be absolutely sure that it is found in the Bible.

We fly out tomorrow afternoon and arrive in Columbia by Sunday evening; pray for safe travel. Lord-willing, our next update will be in person!

Tonight

2009-02-19T04:57:00.000-06:00

Tonight is our last official night of English Clubs; tomorrow evening will be graduation party, with the emphasis on handing these students on to the Ukraine for Christ ministry. We have been discussing concepts of God and the claims of Christ everyday, but tonight we will be sharing the gospel and testimonies of our relationship with Christ. This is "Decision Night", and we want to clearly communicate that knowing about Jesus is not the same as believing. Please pray that we will communicate clearly and lovingly with the students, that many will return (yesterday was our highest attendance since last Tuesday), that they will understand the gospel, and that distractions will be limited. Thank you so much for praying as we come down to the culmination of our ministry here in Ukraine!

Much Ado

2009-02-17T16:16:00.000-06:00

We have had several very full days since our last update! Hopefully many of you had the chance to see the video on Sunday from Anya and Alina about how clubs have been going so far (if you didn't, leave your email address and I can send you the link). Saturday was a much-welcomed day off, which we spent doing a little bit of sightseeing and souvenir shopping before our Valentine's Party with the English Club students in the evening. We weren't exactly certain what an American Valentine's party was supposed to be, but we made the best of it, sharing some favorite American foods and game ideas. Forty people attended the party, which included about half of our English Club students.

Sunday was an immersion into cultural experiences, as we attended Ukrainian churches in the morning, enjoyed a local "steakhouse" for lunch, and then John, Corinne, and Hilary treated our hostesses to an opera while Conrad attended an evening church service with a student and spoke to the youth group.

We began our second week of clubs with anticipation yesterday, discussing the miracle of Jesus' healing the blind man last night and the trial of Jesus before Pilate tonight. Many of the students are very receptive and contemplative as they consider the claims of Jesus. We are encountering some students who are familiar with the facts of the gospel story but have not yet believed, many who are hearing it for the first time, and others who are deeply seated in their own beliefs. Pray that God would continue to reveal the truth of who He is through His word, that students would consider what the claims of the gospel mean for them individually, and that we would all have wisdom in how to best communicate God's love with our students. We will be discussing the parable of the sower and the four types of soil tomorrow and directly sharing the gospel and our testimonies on Thursday. Please also pray for John, as he has been fighting a fever today.

One Week In

2009-02-13T17:52:00.000-06:00

Tonight marked the completion of our first week of English Clubs. We are getting to know our students, the Campus staff are making connections, and students have read and discussed the stories of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Feeding of the 5,000, introducing God as a loving Father and Jesus as the Bread of Life. Pray that students will continue thinking about what these themes mean for them over the weekend, before we begin again Monday evening.

This weekend will mean a break from our English Club schedule, but will still be full. We will do some sightseeing on Saturday, and then in the evening we are hosting an American Valentine's Day Party (because in America, we do this all the time?). It will be a great time to meet with the students outside of class, giving them the chance to talk with us and the Campus staff, as well as enjoy games and tastes of American culture and food. Sunday we will attend church with Anya and Alina, and later in the day we hope to have the opportunity to treat our wonderful hostesses to an opera at the famed Opera House. Please pray that the party will provide a great opportunity to interact with students and that we will find rest and refreshment for our second week.

Light in the Darkness

2009-02-11T17:25:00.000-06:00

The Opera House in Odessa is said to only be rivaled by its counterpart in Vienna and is beautifully lit at night, cycling through a variety of colors in contrast to the intricacy of the structure itself and the dark night sky. Many students in Ukraine experience a similar enlightenment as they hear the gospel, or even read a passage from the Bible for the very first time in an English Club. Our perspective, coming from a country steeped in Christian heritage, leaves me amazed at the number of students involved in Campus Crusade's ministry that have become believers within the last few years, and a decade at most. Practically all who are serving in the campus ministry are first generation Christians, and as John has been leading teams for the past five years, several students who attended the first English clubs responded to the gospel and are now involved in the campus ministry. It is a light in the darkness, sometimes seemingly dim against the depth of the darkness of a country where the Bible was banned for 70 years and little of contemporary society and government have any resemblance to a Biblical basis or morals. But it is a consistent light, from which the fruit has been proven over time.

Tonight's clubs have continued to go well, and our team is extremely grateful for any prayer on our behalf. Typically a number of students do not return after the first couple of days, but we retained almost all of them and had new students attend too. We began our first Biblical discussion with the story of the Good Samaritan, to open up questions of obtaining eternal life, loving God and others, and the hindrance of sin. Pray that we will continue to be sensitive to God's leading as we prepare our lessons, and especially during out discussion times. Also pray that the Crusade staff will have opportunities to begin relationships with these new students that can continue after we are gone. We completed our clubs this evening excited about the potential that lies ahead of us; thank you for partnering with us in bringing the light of the gospel to each of our students!

First Day in Ukraine

2009-02-10T17:11:00.000-06:00

We arrived safely Sunday in Odessa, Ukraine, and although tired, we have acclimated well to a new time zone and culture. After a good night’s sleep, we spent most of Monday passing out flyers on several university campuses. Around 100 students came to the testing last night, where we determined who would be placed in our beginner, intermediate, and advanced clubs. Today the phones have been ringing off the hook as students are calling Alina and Anya, the Campus Crusade staff we are working with, to find out if they were accepted. Classes begin at 6:00pm (10:00am CST), and we were able to keep 75 students. John Pasquet will be teaching the beginner class, Conrad Hake will be teaching the intermediate, and Corinne Smeda and Hilary Dorr will be teaching the advanced.

After feedback from cultural perspectives of past students, we have made a few changes to our teaching curriculum. Pray that we will be able to adjust smoothly to the changes, and that we will be able to effectively reach the students. Also pray that we will retain students through these first few key days.

Ukraine Team Prepares for Departure

2009-02-05T15:56:00.000-06:00

Our Ukraine team leaves on Saturday morning from the church at 9:00am. Please pray for safety as we travel and a quick adjustment to time, culture, and climate differences, and pray that God will prepare our hearts and the hearts of the students we will be meeting soon!

Our February 2009 Ukraine Team is John Pasquet, Corinne Smeda, Hilary Dorr, and Conrad Hake.

Down to the Last Day

2008-08-09T11:28:00.000-05:00

We have had two great clubs last night and Thursday night. The number of kids coming has been declining a little (37 Thursday, 32 last night), but that has actually been a blessing because many of our team members have had more opportunities to talk one-on-one with kids. We haven't had to work through too many distractions, and the kids are more attentive each day.

We were hoping to have an opportunity to get involved with some of the teens of White River too, and God provided it on Thursday evening when we were invited to play basketball with some teens in the local housing. We were invited back to play last night as well.

Yesterday evening, Ben Miers talked with a boy named Alex from his club and led him to Christ! This is the first time since we've been in South Dakota that we've had a child respond to the gospel and accept Christ as Savior in one of the clubs. We have been planting and watering lots of seeds, but it's exciting to be a part of the harvest and see God change a heart.

Last night we had our team devotions at a place called Emily Point; it's on a rise over the grassland and provided a great view of the setting sun over the White River area. We enjoyed the landscape, worshiping the God who created it all.

Today is our last day of clubs, and we have several prayer requests:
1. Clear communication of the gospel - we will be sharing the gospel through the Balls of Many Colors or the wordless book in each of the clubs tonight.

2. Barbecue - we are hosting a barbecue for kids and their families before clubs this evening, and we hope to have some good conversations with parents and kids.

3. Safety as we travel back home tomorrow

Mid-Week in White River

2008-08-07T13:47:00.000-05:00

Monday and Tuesday we worked on projects around the church in the morning. We worked cleaning up around a shed that needs the siding replaced, setting posts for a trellis entryway to a prayer garden, and framing in for a concrete pad that will be poured tomorrow. We also cleaned up around a fire pit to make a seating area for our club of older kids and set up a volleyball net. This morning we finished up the posts for the trellis, repaired a flatbed trailer donated to the church, and hauled some landscaping rock donated by the city for the prayer garden.

Tuesday night we had around 45 kids split into the three clubs. It has been a little bit of challenging managing all of the kids in the same location, as opposed to having individual clubs in different parts of the community, but it has also been good to work as a team all together. It has been a little more difficult to spend one-on-one time with kids because of the size of the group, but we have had a few opportunities and hope for more.

We have enjoyed getting to know Pastor Harold, his wife, Mathel, and their grandson, Nathan, thirteen, who has been staying with them for part of the summer.

We moved our sightseeing day from Saturday to yesterday to alleviate some driving over the weekend (we are three and a half hours from Rushmore this year), and we will have clubs tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday. One group went to Rushmore and Wind Cave (fourth largest cave in the world), while a smaller group had the opportunity to return to Sharps Corner and reconnect with many of the people we met over the past two years. We discovered that Roy Cooper is working with the church now. He and his wife are living in the parsonage, and he is leading a Sunday morning Bible study, an addiction recovery group, and caring for the needs of the people. While this a new role for a cowboy, Roy feels this is where God wants him to be and he has been uniquely prepared. Praise God for this huge answer to prayer!

On behalf of the team, we all appreciate your prayer for us and the work God is doing in South Dakota. Here are a few prayer requests:

1. Opportunities for one-on-one conversations with kids and developing relationships with people - our time in clubs is precious, and we want to use it effectively; we also have a barbecue planned for tomorrow evening where we hope to be able to meet more families.

2. Clear communication of the gospel - we have been spending quite a bit of time for the past two days in planning ways to keep the kids engaged in the stories and memory verses; also, about half of our teaching students are new to 5 Day Clubs, so pray that they will continue to become acclimated and gain confidence.

3. Pastor Harold's health - he is a jack of all trades around the church, but he has low blood pressure and blood sugar level, which makes it hard for him to keep up with his rigorous schedule. He also looking to find a younger man to serve as an intern and share the ministry.

4. Additional opportunities to see God work - pray that distractions will be at a minimum and that we will be sensitive to God's leading and able to clearly see Him at work in and through us the rest of the week.

White River, SD

2008-08-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

We arrived in White River, SD, Saturday evening around 9:30pm. We had a great day on Sunday with the church family during services in the mornings, then passing out flyers around town in the afternoon. Our first club yesterday evening went very well. We had 39 kids divided into two clubs, and we will add a third club tonight! We just got internet access today; I will add more and post pictures as we have time. Thanks for praying!

Change of Plans - Day 4

2008-07-12T23:59:00.000-05:00

Today was originally scheduled to be our sightseeing day, but we decided to put those plans on hold to help out the church. In the morning, one group visited the family of Fernando, one of the younger leaders in the church; he is "crazy for Jesus", as he called himself, but his extended family is all catholic.
We had a unique opportunity to observe a combined service between all five of the baptist churches in Morelia; it was a small service, but all of the leaders of the churches were gathered together to discuss their coordinated missions strategy to reach the state of Michoacan. Eduardo told us later that because we were able to be there with him, along with the students from the BSU, these leaders were able to see what the BSU is doing. He has struggled to gain support from more than a couple local churches, and this was a big encouragement to him, because the state director promised him more support during this service.
We enjoyed a local fruit salad called "Gazpacho" and also did a little shopping in the local markets. In the afternoon we visited more families from the church; Steve and Ben had the opportunity to talk with a woman for about an hour who had lost her father, a leader in the church, not too long ago. Most of the families we visited were hurting in some way, and we were able to encourage them, pray for them, and invite them to return to church, as many had not attended in awhile.

Change of Plans - Day 3

2008-07-12T00:47:00.000-05:00

This morning began bright and early with Brian and Debi joining Eduardo on his 6:00am radio show. He broadcasts a show every weekday where he shares the gospel and teaches through the Bible to 80,000 listeners. Later in the morning we met at the church to visit a few of the families that had not attended in awhile (because it was during the day, we only had a few families at home that we could meet with). We met with one man and his three teenage children, and his son David came to the service in the evening. We also talked with more people around the church and shared the gospel.

During the evening service we were able to share a few songs and lead worship together with some of the guys from the church, Mallory and Ben shared testimonies, I preached, and Steve and Ben prayed for the church. After the service we treated the church to pizza and enjoyed the opportunity to fellowship with the people.

Brian and I talked at length with Eduardo and Eleazer, one of the deacons in the church responsible for evangelism, about the condition of the church. The church has been without a pastor for four years, and disunity is a very big problem, with several families vying for control over the direction of the church. Pray for unity among the people and that God would provide a godly pastor among the three candidates they are considering.

Today our devotion was from Mark 7:1-23 looking at the difference between following man's traditions vs. God's commands. As it relates to missions, we have several things that are "traditions" of how to plan for and accomplish missions, but when it comes down to it, we are commanded to preach the gospel and make disciples. The gospel must clearly communicated so that it can be heard and relationships must be formed in order to foster growth, but methodology is secondary. We have been seeing God move us to a dependence on Him instead of our plans and a realization that the most effective means of sharing the gospel may not be the one we were planning for, but instead the one for which God was preparing us all along.

Change of Plans - Day 2

2008-07-11T00:25:00.000-05:00

We spent most of the morning and afternoon passing out gospels of John in Spanish to people around the church. We also used the Ball of Many Colors soccer balls to share the gospel. Our plans for 5 Day Clubs were completely put on hold, but we were able to communicate with individuals on the street through translators. It was an experience that stretched us, especially as some of our students had their first opportunity to share the gospel with someone through a translator. Ben Miers and I encountered a student named Brian that spoke English, and we were able to talk with him about his beliefs in relativism and Buddhism, and he was interested in reading more in the gospel of John about Jesus. While the culture is predominantly what I am calling secular Catholic, the people are very open to hearing and reading the gospel. The picture of the boy at the table is an especially poignant; he was an obviously hungry street kid who came into the restaurant where we were eating and sat down in the corner. We gave him a piece of pizza and a gospel of John; during the next 45 minutes that we were at the restaurant he did not touch the slice of pizza, but intently read the Bible.

We will be continuing to share the gospel in this way over the next few days, so please pray for openness among the people we encounter, confidence and clarity as our students share, and opportunities for the local believers to follow-up with those we come in contact with.

While we shared the gospel, we also invited people to play soccer with us in the afternoon. The kids from the orphanage came, along with a couple of guys that we invited earlier in the day. Brian shared the gospel using the soccer ball. We were also able to talk more with Krista and Brianna, two American college students from Michigan who are serving at the orphanage for six months, from June through December.

Please continue to pray for us and for the church and the BSU. I have entitled this series “Change of Plans” because we have only served in a small part of what we had been preparing for; however, God had been preparing us for what He would do, and He has changed our plans for His glory. We look forward to continuing to see Him work.

Change of Plans - Day 1

2008-07-09T23:31:00.000-05:00

We began our first day of ministry at 10:00am. The church we are working with, Bethel Iglesia Bautista, is looking for a pastor... again. Apparently the church has struggled to find good leadership for the past four years. It wasn't prudent for us to try to do 5 Day Clubs through the church, because there would be no opportunity to follow up with those children and their families. We did however, go to an orphanage where we were able to do a small club, hang out with the kids, and tell the story of the wordless book through bracelets the kids made. Several of our students had the opportunity to converse with the kids at the orphanage in Spanish.

In the evening we participated in a service at the church. Steve and Harrison accompanied with guitar, Robin and Ryan shared testimonies, and Brian preached. After the service we were told by Eduardo, director of the BSU and lay leader of the church, that this was a very encouraging service to the people, so much so that they want to do another service Friday evening.

Because of the situation of the church, our plans have been up in the air - but God has been working, and He is using us to help rebuild and rejuvenate this broken flock. I cannot help but remember Jesus response when He saw that crowds, that He had compassion on them because they were sheep without a shepherd. Pray for this church, that God would bring the right man to lead them, that our time here would continue to be encouraging to them, and that as we have the opportunity to visit with people that we can share the message of hope and restoration of the gospel - both to those who hear for the first time, and those who may be disheartened.

On our way to Morelia

2008-07-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

We have been in Mexico for less than 24 hours; currently we are waiting at a bus station in Guadalajara for the Calvary group to join us so that we can finish our journey to Morelia. The trip has been fairly uneventful so far, but there are a few highlights: we lost a couple bottles of body spray to airport security, but suffered no additional seizures or searches. We met a guy on our flight from Chicago to Dallas who works with the Jesus People and had been at Cornerstone and was headed back home. We had a minor issue with our hotel reservation last night, but the concierge was kind enough to give us our rooms and it was worked out this morning. God blessed us with the opportunity to meet Heber at the airport, who is the cousin of one of our translators in Morelia. He helped us reach our hotel, get dinner, work out the reservation issue, do some sightseeing around Guadalajara today, and get our group and Calvary to the bus station.

This will be our third late night in a row as we have been traveling: getting dinner and settled in at Chicago, a late arrival and hotel check-in at Guadalajara, and tonight the Calvary team will be joining us shortly for a 7:30pm bus to Morelia… which should put us into Morelia around 11:00pm. We have been able to get some rest in the mornings so far, but our clubs begin tomorrow, so please pray for good rest for us on the bus and tonight. We have enjoyed the trip, but we are tired of travelling and ready to arrive and begin ministry!

July 14

2007-07-15T01:45:00.000-05:00

Our last day of clubs went very well; we had many opportunities to continue to talk with kids. Pastor Steve told us that we were the most well-received group by the kids and teens among any of the mission teams that have been to Sharps Corner. Our team is coming home with definitive memories of how God worked in and through each of them.

We enjoyed some sightseeing today, visiting the Mammoth Site dig in Hot Springs, Mount Rushmore, and Wall Drug. We did have a minor incident with the door on the Wallace's van that set us back about an hour, but we arrived safely in Oacoma tonight. After a good night's rest on a real bed, we'll head out first thing in the morning and Lord-willing arrive in Columbia by 8:00pm.We look forward to seeing you soon and sharing the stories firsthand of the wonders God performed!

The Leach family (Leah, Ethan, Phillip, and Stephen)

Kids in Sharps Corner

Dacy and Destiny listen to songs in Evergreen

July 12

2007-07-13T01:30:00.000-05:00

We have just one day of ministry left, but the week has gone well and we look forward to God's continued working. The clubs at Sharps and Evergreen both continue to go well; Sharps had 21 kids today - the highest so far. Evergreen was down, but the guys had more time with each kid that came and no real distractions. Cody did come to our team devotions, and the Sharps Teen Club (Jim, John, and Marcus) had the chance to talk with him for quite awhile. Cynthia, a teen girl that Kelly has befriended this week, really opened up with her. Some of our guys were able to play basketball in Evergreen, and Zach was able to reconnect with Tyler, one of the guys he met from the Spring Break trip. Our team is really learning what it means to love the Lakota people and develop genuine relationships with them. The gospel has been presented, and we pray that the seed falls on good soil to produce fruit as God gives the increase.

Friday is our last day with the kids, and our team is really excited about one more opportunity to spend with the kids. We are hosting a bbq at the church Friday evening, followed by a worship concert. Pray for us as we have one last day to share the love of Christ with the Lakota people, for our followup with some after we are home, and for our team as we bring back our experiences and God's working in our lives.

Hanging out with kids on the playground in Sharps

Basketball with teens in Sharps

Some of our fabulous kitchen crew!

Kids on the van coming to clubs

July 11

2007-07-12T00:50:00.000-05:00

We have reached the midpoint of our week, and things continue to improve. The 5 Day Club in Evergreen had its best day yet, with fewer distractions and more opportunities to talk with kids. The teen club there gained an inroad with a family by helping to put out a small fire caused by a firecracker. The teen club in Sharps Corner is planning to invite one of the teens, Cody, to our team worship and devotions Thursday or Friday night. Many of our team members have kids that they have been talking with and are praying about opportunities to have deeper, spiritual conversations before the end of the week.

Continue to pray for a pastor to replace Pastor Steve; he has one couple he talked with this week that is pretty interested. The following is a list of kids our students would like to talk with Thursday and Friday:
Cody and Jeremy (Sharps Teen Club - open and interested in talking to our guys)
Jay, Jeff, Jamie, Travis, Larry, and Al (Sharps Teen Club - pretty closed guys)
Delaine and Cynthia (Sharps)
Rashiya, Christopher, and J.J. (Sharps Growth Club)
Robert (Sharps 5 Day Club)

A few videos are posted below from the first few days, and more will be coming soon! Thank you for praying for us.

Passing out flyers in Evergreen on Sunday

5 Day Club at Sharps Corner Baptist Church on Tuesday

5 Day Club in Evergreen on Monday

Badlands on Monday afternoon

July 10th Update

2007-07-11T00:32:00.000-05:00

Our team has finished our second full day of ministry. While it seems like the week has only just begun, we are already nearly halfway through. We have been encouraged by the openness of many of the kids and teens in Sharps Corner; for the most part, we have been able to pick up where we left off last summer. The past two nights we have been able to go to the courts in Sharps Corner to play basketball and volleyball with people from the community, which allows us to interact with the people informally, have fun with them, and get to know them better.
Our biggest challenge at this point is developing deeper relationships with the kids and teens. It has been easier for us to spend time with them, but we want to use that time well and have the chance to talk with them one on one.
Our team in Evergreen has had a significantly different experience from the spring break trip. They have had a smaller group, which has made it easier to give attention to each of the kids. Our students leading the teen club met quite a few Evergreen teens through a basketball game this afternoon.
Our team as a whole is doing well; we have had great times in prayer and devotions together, and God is drawing us closer to each other. We have had a couple of people struggling with colds, along with a few minor injuries and sunburns.
Why we are here in South Dakota

Preparing the volleyball court to play.

Preparing for clubs

Personal devotions

Early sightseeing in the Badlands

Sharps Corner Club

Talking with the kids