Read what people from the Northview family have experienced on recent missions trips!

Please keep our short and long term missionaries in your prayers.

Chris Hurst - Mexico - March 2010

Hi folks,

Wow, it’s cold here! Ice on the car this morning - I’m back in Canada and in the Wycliffe office again, wondering if my time in Tatahuicapan was real!

Hey, it was a wonderful trip. So many good things to look back on, even the home going of two saintly friends. I’ll give a quick summary:

1. We made some progress on translation: two chapters of Revelation and three of Matthew are now ready for the consultant.
2. Vision and planning took a leap ahead after Hilario attended a week long course and came back enthusiastic. He is aiming to promote the use of the translation in four churches in his town.
3. We visited three schools and the local education head office: directors are giving us letters endorsing our Literacy materials. These letters will be forwarded to a government agency with a new request for printing 2,000 copies.
4. Our internet connection was working fine when I left.
5. I’m thankful for some neat times of fellowship and prayer with Esteban, Plácido and Hilario.

I had hoped to get right through Matthew, but instead we chose to focus on the kind of thing that I can only do when I’m there, such as making sure the Internet was working and visiting local schools and churches.  I managed to visit three churches and made good contact with a pastor I had not met before. He invited me to speak ( I chose the beatitudes in Nahuatl) and was very keen to accept books and recording in his language.

A really interesting observation was made by Plácido as we talked about why and when Spanish or Nahuatl can be used in a church; it varies among congregations. In one church Nahuatl is acceptable if the speaker is on the same level as the congregation, but as soon as he steps up onto the platform, he will switch to Spanish. That is not true of a daughter church of the same denomination where folks can use Nahuatl from the platform. (This is a fun example of diglossia [see Wikipedia].) Plácido is now thinking of how he can encourage the first church in a change toward using Nahuatl from the platform, especially since at a recent regional meeting one of the topics was “every tribe and tongue”. Plácido had been sent to that meeting as a representative of his congregation; he turned to his colleague and said “That’s US! That’s Nahuatl.” So now he feels he has official backing in his church for promoting the use of Nahuatl, which is still the heart language of most people.

Hilario is a regional coordinator for the National Union of Indigenous (Bible) Translators and as such was asked to attend a workshop on planning methodology. Several other Mexican Christian organizations were present making it a very worthwhile experience for Hilario. He came back to us with much clearer ideas on how our vision should be expressed and how we should be planning to move toward its fulfilment. At the core is that Aztecs can benefit from the Word of God in their language and that this results in a closer relationship with God and a greater ability to understand and fulfill His purposes. Hilario also sees that he, Esteban and Plácido need to take more initiative - I interpret that as Chris should decrease! Amen.

I’m really pleased with what the team has accomplished among the schools in sharing the Literacy method (COMELE). We visited three schools. At the first one the director was visibly emotional when he talked about how valuable the book was and how well it serves his teachers.

At the next school we happened to be in a classroom when the president of the parents’ association came in and he heard us talking with the teacher about writing the language.  He was keen that the children were being taught to write and he said “We can speak Nahuatl, but we don’t know how to read and write. Do you have books?” So that was the perfect moment for Plácido to show him a copy of COMELE and ask him if he’d sign a letter requesting publication of more copies of the book.

We are requesting these letters to support a new application to the National Commission for Indigenous Development for them to produce more books. When I left we had verbal agreement from five directors or higher level officials to write such letters and I had seen the first one arrive! It would be such a reward to Plácido, Esteban and Hilario if this came through and of potential benefit to 6000 children. We are praying for our PR rep, Ana Ibel, in the capital city who will be handling this proposal.

You’ll find a few new pictures at http://choforohurst1953.blogspot.com/

Yours in Christ,
Chris for Elaine too

 

Blair Kesteven - New Orleans - February 2010

Hi Everyone!

I’m back from New Orleans and I want to thank you all for making my trip possible! Without your prayers and financial support I never would have been able to go. 

My team arrived in New Orleans Sunday morning (Feb. 21) a little bleary-eyed after a red-eye from Seattle, via Dallas.  We got settled in and oriented that day, then we began our work in the community the following day.  We partnered with Urban Impact Ministries, who fed and housed us in “The Yellow House,” a big old house with offices in the front and dormitories in the back for teams like mine.  Urban Impact is closely affiliated with Castle Rock Community Church, where we spent some of our time getting filled with the word and helping with children’s ministries.

We did a lot of scraping, sanding, painting, staining, and numerous other renovation activities for people in the various neighborhoods of New Orleans.  We also helped other organizations get facilities ready for additional reconstruction teams.  In addition, we were able to connect with children in the community through an interactive program developed by Urban Impact called “Challenge Circle” which combines healthy competition with biblical teaching.  Prayer walks through devastated neighborhoods were an encouraging and challenging experience too; we would pray for and with anyone we came in contact with on the street.

Highlights from my trip include playing football with the neighborhood kids, drilling holes to construct metal bunk beds until my arms and chest ached and creating relationships with my team-members and the staff of Urban Impact.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in New Orleans, but more importantly I was stretched and forced to see things a new light.  With the entire city as a metaphor, God taught me that the process of renewal is never complete, especially in my life.  My team, most of whom did not know each other before the trip, became much closer through working together and sharing our testimonies.  Our leader, Emily Kuenzi, did an amazing job of coordinating us and building the team dynamic.

Thanks again for your support and please continue to pray for New Orleans as there is still so much to be done in that city.

With Christ’s love,

Blair Kesteven

 

Randy & Lorri Sawatsky - Hunger Response Intl’ trip to Guatemala

January 2010 Lorri and Randy Sawatsky traveled to the high mountainous regions of Comentancio and Todos Santos in Guatemala to visit one of the 2010 Rice Raiser Campaign Global Projects - http://www.riceraiser.org. The Rice Raiser is partnering with CAUSE Canada - http://www.cause.ca on a Women’s Empowerment Project called “The Business of Women and Food” 

Waking early, we traveled high into the mountains, above the cloud line. Arriving at our first destination we waited patiently for a herd of sheep to go by before stepping out of the vehicle onto the frost covered ground.  Following the well worn foot path we came to the literacy instructor’s home. We found her sitting outside on a dung hill warming herself in the early morning sunshine in front of her cow shed. Looking very concerned she showed us the 20 registration forms she held in her hand. These were signed with x’s as signatures from women who did not yet know how to sign their names. They were applications for literacy classes that would commence the following week.

The Instructor was distraught because the forms were required to be registered at a government office on that very day, but she couldn’t take the half day to walk them there because her mother had just died. Funeral preparations needed to be made.  Happy to be of assistance, we took the forms for her. As I surveyed my surroundings, I couldn’t help but be amazed that we were all living in the same time period - yes it is the year 2010 both in these Guatemala mountains and back at home in Abbotsford and yet it seemed like we had just stepped back in time by 100 years or so. The place where the literacy classes were being held was in a 8 x 16 plastic enclosed addition attached to the home of the literacy instructor. Currently it held corn that had just been harvested (by hand) and was now drying. Here, approximately 20 Mam speaking women, (many with babies strapped to their backs) would come to learn Spanish; eventually achieving a grade six level of education. Imagine the excitement of being an adult and learning how to write your name for the first time!

The homes were not heated, there was no plumbing, nor did many have electricity and I began to grasp the difficulties that the people in this region face. They are food insecure, subsisting on anything they can manage to grow on their small plots of land. There are no employment opportunities around them in these mountains so the men have to leave for months at a time to work on coffee or cotton plantations where they are paid very minimal for their hard and long days of labour. The women and children are left here in the mountains to fend for themselves.

They weave all their own clothing on small portable looms seen hanging from the rafters of their homes. The colours are rich and patterns are vibrant. The traditional clothing is worn all the time and is distinct to each people group. The women do all they can to provide for their children, including selling their weaving, their vegetables and animals that they raise at the weekly market in town.  They also work (with their children) in wealthy land owner’s fields growing the most amazing crops of vegetables, for very little pay. Incredibly and sadly, they cannot access the food for personal use because it is all destined for export to rich countries.

This project that Hunger Response International is partnering in through the Rice Raiser Campaign is to educate the women of this region, (only 14% can read and write) provide them with business training and offer micro loans which the women co-sign for each other. The response is wonderful. There are even group microloans for women to work together in a nursery growing trees. Typically independent minded, these women are learning and working together and they are loving it! They are investing in themselves while they support each other.

Much pride is displayed as they tell of the pig they purchased with their first small loan and having raised it, sold it at a profit! After repaying the loan, there is money to buy food to feed their family and they’ve learned to keep a portion of the profit aside for reinvestment. They can also re-apply for a second loan and so on. The exciting thing about this project is that all the money that we’re able to raise for it will be matched by the Canadian International Development Agency at a rate of $3 to $1!!

Visit http://www.riceraiser.org for more info!

 

Lisa Hiebert - Olympic Week

As the world’s best athletes are striving for gold Athletes in Action spent the last week engaging with people and suggesting that we should be living for More Than Gold!  I had the privilege of being on a team of 7 other AIA staff and students.  Our week started with staff training on February 13th.  Doug Polluck, author of “God Space” was our guest speaker and he proposed to us that evangelism is simply cherishing Jesus publically.  He suggested to us that people are desperate for spiritual conversations; the problem is that as Christians we are not engaging people.  He said we need to genuinely want to hear people’s stories, which means we need to listen and then ask great questions.  We were also spoken to by the President of Power to Change, Leonard Buhler, who spoke to us about the book “Soul Cravings” and how we could use that to get people thinking about what their soul actually craves.

This was a great send off to what we were doing during the week.  The team I was on partnered with Richmond Baptist Church.  During the day we went into downtown Vancouver and in the evenings went to the church where they had big screen events and Mini-Olympics for kids.  The world truly is in Vancouver.  I met people from Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and many more.  While in Vancouver we asked the Holy Spirit to guide us to the people he wanted us to talk to.  One member of our team saw a guy sitting by himself and so went over to talk to him.  The conversation lasted 4 hours!  In that time he was able to hear his story and that led into sharing the Gospel.  We ended up all meeting him and one of our team members offered him a place to stay.  This guy David was so touched.  Myself and another teammate got to talk to some young adults and just asked them a bit about their experiences with the church.  The conversation led to the point where they were quite intrigued to read the “Soul Cravings” book and so we gave them each one.

The Mini-Olympics were a lot of fun for me because it was like summer camp.  The majority of the kids we had were not from the church which was awesome!  Part of our goal for the week was to help the church connect with their surrounding community.  During the time the kids participated in our version of Winter Olympic events.  Half way through the time we had Coach’s Corner where we shared that God loves them, God has a plan for their life, God helps us overcome obstacles, our world is broken, and that through a relationship with Jesus they can be made whole.  By the end of the week we had 3 kids that wanted to accept Jesus!  On Friday we held a basketball night for the college and career and I led a sharing time about what do we crave?  After that I had a great conversation with a UBC student named Miggy.  He believed that he could deal with God later because he was young and when you’re young you should party.  We dialogued for a while and told him that I thought he would really enjoy reading “Soul Cravings.”  He took the book and said that he would read it.

The Lord glorified His name this week and taught me so much.  The only reason Miggy took the book from me was because he could tell that I genuinely cared about him and wanted to see his life go somewhere.  As many of you know I worked at Tim Hortons for over 5 years and during those years after hearing complaint after complaint from people it tainted my view of people.  This week God broke that down and he showed me his love for people and therefore my love for people.  It’s only been a few days but this is has been so freeing!  It seems like such a simple thing to engage in conversation with people but the effects that we saw this week from doing that made us each ask ourselves why we don’t do that all the time.  Everywhere we go there are people who need to have a conversation with Jesus and the crazy thing is that because Christ is in us every time we talk to someone they should be having a conversation with Jesus.  This is so exciting!

I want to thank each and every one of you for prayers this week and your financial support.  We all have our roles in the body of Christ and to see people being faithful to them is really inspiring.  It is truly a privilege to be sent out by you to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  If you would like to hear more about our Olympic time I would love to share with you.

By His Grace,
Lisa

 

Rudy & Lois Thiessen - February, 2010

Cameron, Louisiana—Respond, Rebuild, Restore (MDS moto) A fun place to be—I’m on the lst morning break this week—yahoo!

Picture:  This view of some of the pilings where 65 apartments once stood on is what we see many times a day from our motor home door.  What a reminder of loss and hurt.  One client we are building for lost 2 homes—one to Rita and the next to Ike, but said it was not as bad as losing their son in an accident and a grand daughter of 14 to Leukemia.

Mon:  We did a HUGE grocery shop today for the week, for 18 short termers and 8 of us—a tiring day from 5:15 am - 8:00 pm with 2 hours driving to Lake Charles to shop and a one hour break at 2:30 - 3:30 - very tiring. We didn’t sleep too well with a wind and rain storm shaking the trailer last night. I thought maybe MDS would have to rescue us. 

Wed: The weather is always windy and cold (which keeps the mosquitoes away they say)—0 last night.  We didn’t sleep much.  We are not very far away from the Gulf of Mexico and lots of oil rigs drilling off shore.  I’m enjoying my cooking in the kitchen with Cora Loewen from Winnipeg.  Rudy is enjoying leading a crew of 6 at the framing stage of a house that Brian and Cherie and 3 children will move into.  They also lost 2 homes or Rita and the next, a year later to Ike. 

You could pray that we’ll be able to get some needed sleep while our trailer rocks in the wind and rain.  Thanks so much.
Love, blessings and prayers, Lois (and Rudy out working)

 

Phil and Judy Bergen & Team - Guatemala - November, 2009

November 11th, 2009, 23 people embarked on an adventure to Guatemala.  One of the highlights was providing an early Christmas for the families of 7 of the migrant farm workers in the Fraser Valley.  What happens when these families arrive at a restaurant, a place none of them have ever been, to meet people they have never met, and have no idea what is going to happen.  They came in their very best attire with wonder on their faces.  One family did not walk up the driveway until we went to meet them as the mom was scared of the unknown.  We enjoyed a wonderful buffet.  The staff of the restaurant wondered why these people were there with a group of white people.  We explained to the matre’d and the hostess that we worked with the fathers and husbands of these women and wanted to give them a special Christmas.  They thanked us for working with “their people”.  Following lunch we went outside and sat on the grass.  The team had packaged a gift for each child a month earlier and had prayed for that child.  Many of the children did not open their gift but “oohed and awed” as they peeked inside the gift bag.  The moms were also given gifts and food.  We brought 100 pairs of flip flops and 70 pairs of shoes and many knitted hats for the children and it looked like a sale at Wal-Mart as the moms picked out the sizes that would fit their child.
Bartolo, one of the workers who was home, thanked the group and the Bakerview Spanish church for being there for him and helping him strengthen his faith in Christ.  Tearful good byes ended our afternoon. 

“How did you know that I did not have any food in the house?”...was the greeting we got after we handed a mom 10 lbs of rice, beans, maize flour and 1/2 a gallon of oil, in the village of El Gorrion.  We had worked there in May with the children and built a cistern and bio sand water filters. We gave each of the 60 households food, prayed with those who wanted prayer and gave the kids balloons and laughed with them.  Many of the children just wanted to be hugged and have you hold their hand. We also built a house for Marta Lidia, a widow with four children. It was great to see her excitement as the house began to take shape.  While building her house a group of 8 highway workers stopped by to see what was happening.  When they were told we were from Canada and we build homes for widows, single moms, the poor of the poor, they wanted to know how they qualify.  Philip and some of the team went to their village and realized that they are the poor of the poor. January, 2010, we will be providing micro-financing so that they can purchase land to provide for their families.  In Tululche’ we ministered to the 100 kids in VBS, 75 men and women in the form of Bible studies, personal testimonies and worship. The theme for the children was “No Fear” and the focus was on the story of Moses.  We had the Antigua Exotic, a refuge for reptiles and amphinians, come to VBS and show the children the animals as well as inform them as to which of them was dangerous.  This was a great illustration of Moses’ and the Plagues.  We also taught the children at Casa Angelina orphanage the same VBS, worked in construction and in the medical clinic, lots of paintingand brought supplies in the form of Gleaners soup and applie pieces.

Bless you and have a great 2010. 

Phil and Judy Bergen
http://www.loveguat.blogspot.com
If you are intereted in going on a trip with the Bergens to Guatemala, please see http://www.northview.org/index.php/missions/curent_upcoming_missions_trips/

 

David McLauren & Team - India - November 2009

After 25 hours of flying time we arrived in Hyderabad, India - John Willems, Bill and Lindy Benjamin, Candice Hazenberg and our fearless leader David McLauren. The Shamshabad (Hyderabad) airport was not what we expected of a country with such widespread poverty. It is a clean, new, beautiful up-to-date international airport. We spent the first two nights at the Shamshabad Bible College guest house and quickly learned the Telugu word for enough, which was of the utmost importance, due to the fact that the hospitality of the people is utterly amazing, and we would have continued to be fed beyond capacity.

We then we drove to Deveraconda where we began our Nov 6-16th campaign ministry. After our orientation and meeting our other wonderful team members and translators, we were off to the villages, some that had never before been reached by the good news of Jesus Christ. God’s presence was amazing and continues to leave us in awe as we had the privilege of spreading the gospel.

The morning meetings where we shared our highlights from the previous day were wonderful. The stories of God’s grace encouraged and emboldened us. One elderly man who accepted Jesus as his Saviour had previously been a practicing witch doctor in that village. Another lady said she would be disowned and thrown out of her home if her family found out about her salvation. She decided not to tell them but she knew that if they did find out, the value of her salvation far surpassed her existence here on earth. A baby who had been listless and not eating for several days was healthy and happy by the follow-up visit.

We spent Sundays visiting and speaking at local churches with the pastors who were part of the campaign. It was very impressive how content people can be in very humble circumstances. Although a very different existence than the one we may lead, the people in the poorest villages were proud to show us their homes, bring out what they had for chairs, talk about their lives, families and means of survival.

Most people were eager to learn and accept Jesus, but there were also those that were not. Even in those homes we were often asked to pray for the sick. It was wonderful to speak in the name of Jesus in homes with pictures of other gods hanging on the wall to plant seeds that may take time to grow, knowing that we were perhaps the first to share the light of Jesus Christ into these people’s lives and homes.

This was a trip of challenges, stretching, growing and learning as much for us as the people visited. We breathed different air, tasted new foods, and were sometimes surprised we survived driving through the cities and villages. Those of the team who had not seen people in such circumstances before will have a new appreciation for our lives and families at home. We consider it a privilege to have eaten, prayed, laughed, and cried with the people of India. 

 

Frank and Esther Martens - Member Care and Encouragement Trip - July 26 to September 7, 2009

Our Purpose: To visit and encourage our missionaries serving in Latin America with MBMSI (Mennonite Brethren Missions and Services International) and the churches and leaders in Montevideo, Uruguay where we served as church planters with MBMSI from 1975-1987.

Cities/Countries/Missionaries Visited:
• Montevideo, Uruguay
• Lima, Peru (Jose & Esperanza Prada)
• Trujillo, Peru (Lianna Klassen)
• Piura, Peru (Otto & Lydia Funk)
• Guadalajara, Mexico (Sandra Plett, Jen Schmidt, Trevor & Joan Goddard)
• Oaxaca, Mexico (Robert & Annie Thiessen)
• Panama (Einer & Girlesa Zuluaga)

During this 6-week trip, we took off from airports 20 separate times and experienced climates ranging from freezing temperatures (in Uruguay) to sweltering heat (in Panama). 

Our Daily Activities:
We stayed with or near each missionary family, accompanied them in their daily life and ministry, listened to their stories, struggles, challenges and joys and celebrated with them the goodness of God in building His church through their faithful service. 

Highlights:
• Our time in Uruguay was incredibly rewarding as we met so many of the people and visited the churches we had known in the past. We were moved to tears by the reception we received and the evidence of God’s faithfulness in their lives, that of their children, and in those that have come to Jesus through their witness.
• Our visits with our missionaries were very exciting. We came away with an increased respect for them, the work they do, the sacrifices they make, the new people groups being reached with the gospel, the innovative approaches being implemented to mentor leaders and establish churches that are healthy, independent and self supporting.
• It was particularly exciting to make trips into the interior of southern Mexico and to the jungle of Panama and witness frontier missionary endeavors and the excellent work being built there upon the foundation of our pioneer missionaries of the past.
Several Surprises:
• We had intended to visit our missionaries in the Chaco of Paraguay (Melvin & Gudrin Warkentin) but were turned back at the airport in Asuncion for lack of a Visa. We had not been made aware of this new requirement. However, this apparent setback led to positive results. After changing our flight schedule, we now had time for several additional strategic visits in Montevideo, Uruguay and an additional stop in Trujillo, Peru to visit with the missionary we would otherwise have missed. Both experiences were of great blessing to us and to our hosts. 
• An unwelcomed surprise was spending 20 hours in the Mexico City airport after a severe storm shut down the place.

Answered Prayers:
• Many of you had promised to pray for us daily and this filled us with an incredible peace, assurance, and confidence to meet the many uncertainties and challenges we faced on a daily basis.
• The Lord kept us safe, healthy, and energized. 
• Apparent difficulties gave us additional opportunities to minister.
• Our Spanish language came back after 22 years and we had freedom to converse and present messages and testimonies when requested. 
• It was an amazing and rewarding adventure and we sensed that the purposes of our trip were realized.

What’s Next?
• Currently we are involved in weekly mentoring sessions with missionaries-in-training.
• Frank will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico in October for 10 days as part of a DMI (Discipleship Making International) team to serve alongside our churches there.
• We will continue in our Member Care role here in Abbotsford as needed. 
• Next year’s trip is still in the planning stage – possibly visiting the missionary families in Paraguay and Brazil. 

We are so very grateful for your prayers and financial support that made our first trip possible.  Thank you so much!
Frank and Esther Martens

Daniel Fama - Tanzania, Africa - Summer 2009

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121: 1-2.
Hamjambo (Greetings)! This is an update on the Trinity Western missions team I led to Tanga, Tanzania for two months this summer. All the Trinity Western team members are back home now, but each one will tell you that their interest in this initiative and the Tanzanian people is not over. Two of our team’s main goals were to build a strong partnership with the Diocese of Tanga and other Christians, and to accomplish a community assessment in order to identify how Trinity Western can continue to do effective development and ministry in Tanga. The truth discovered is that we couldn’t be more impressed with our partners, both for their resourcefulness and their Christ-like attitudes of the heart. They are already showing so much initiative in their community; we learned as much from them as they did from us. Together, as different parts of the body of Christ, I believe we can do great things. Like a right hand and left hand working together. Equally exciting is the result of our community assessment and budding plans for next year. After six weeks of serving in a health center, school, orphanage, youth centre, and after dozens of meetings with Church representatives and municipal council members, sifting through statistical documents, dialoging with the poorest – richest of people, educated and not, it is clear that the priority issues are poor education of the sciences and minimal health care professionals (especially in the rural areas). We are looking into the possibility of bringing upper level science students to set up and teach labs in secondary schools and purchasing updated text books that matches Tanzanian curriculum.

The Diocese of Tanga has already initiated the plans to start a nursing training college which is earmarked to open and begin classes in September, 2010. The nursing college is located in Tanga town, but the Diocese is hoping that graduates from the nursing college will go to work in the rural dispensaries where the need is greatest. Our partners have eagerly encouraged us to bring nursing and/or pre-med students next summer for a period of two-three months. We would like to include on our team health professionals such as a doctor and/or nurse practitioner. We will be working with the Tanzanian nursing students doing health practice and health education in rural villages. Dispensaries outside of Tanga on average are 70 km apart from each other. Our method will be travel clinics to at least eight different isolated villages (roughly a week in each village). After dark we can show the Jesus film, distribute Swahili bibles to the literate, and have a Tanzanian pastor give a message/alter call.

Together with the Diocese of Tanga our long term goal is to establish an internship program for Trinity graduates to spend a year training a Tanzanian nurse/medical professional/lab technician to work in the rural villages in existing dispensaries, or if possible to establish new ones. Our travel clinics next year will give us a good idea which villages need a dispensary most. Our long term initiative could be 2-5 years away! Both Trinity and Tanzanian students involved in the two-three month projects will be encouraged to commit to the one year internship after getting certified. They will already have a familiarity with each other, the people, and the cultural and natural environment.
It has been so amazing to see God bless our ministry, give us affirmation of a job well done, and encouragement to continue on running the race. Thank you Northview for your prayer and financial support. I am blessed to have you as a partner and part of my family in Christ. All this work is impossible without you. All praise, honour, and glory to God.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3: 20-21
Gratefully in Christ,
Daniel Fama

Chelsea Reimer – Brazil – June 2009

My past ten months on the TREK program with MBMSI have been by far the most challenging of my life, but as I look back at all that went on during those months, I am so thankful. God has taught me so much about myself, about who he is, and about what it takes to serve him with my life. I have grown and learned more than I thought possible.
One of the main lessons I’ve learned is that even when it makes no sense to me, God’s plan and timing are perfect. I was put on the team headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, but because of problems with our visas, we ended up leaving a month later than we’d planned. At first I was angry and confused, because all I wanted to do was go to Brazil; I didn’t understand why we had to stay. We ended up serving at a church in East Vancouver for our first month instead, and it soon became obvious that it was no mistake we were there. God did amazing things during our time there, and it became one of the highlights of our ministry phase. Having the opportunity to serve so close to home really opened my eyes to some of the needs here in Canada, not just overseas. Missions at home became real.
In Brazil, we worked alongside Jim and Marilou Nightingale and their family. They are working in an area just outside of Sao Paulo to start an adventure camp for youth and a leadership training center. Both are in the very beginning stages, so it was our team’s job to come alongside them and help in any way we could to get it started. The boys on my team worked construction and helped raise buildings, while we girls worked in the kitchen to provide food for the workers and teams coming down, as well as doing the clean up. Sundays we would go into the city to our home church, and to help out with a kids club program in a local slum. Both ministries were great opportunities to build relationships and share God’s love. I really enjoyed our Sunday ministries, and learned a lot through them.
Our time in Brazil was difficult at times, but God was so faithful through it all. It was hard to be at the beginning stages of our ministry, because we didn’t get to see a lot of the fruit, but God really worked on my heart while I was serving, and helped me to focus on what was to come. He is moving in Brazil, and that camp is going to mean a lot for the kids of Sao Paulo one day. It was such a privilege to be able to be involved in the beginning of such an exciting ministry. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support while I was gone! Please continue to pray for the Nightingales and for the camp, and that all that is needed to finish will be provided.

SOLA went to Uganda!  May 2009

Read the thoughts of two of our young adults who went on this trip:

Where do I begin?  That’s what runs through my mind when asked about our missions trip to Africa.  As a team, we had opportunities to do and see so much; we interacted with kids in children’s homes and at outreach camps, lead students to Christ through sharing the gospel, and used the funds raised at home to help others as God led us.  That included paying for hospital bills, desks for a school, and a university education for a girl with a passion to rehabilitate street kids, as she was once one herself.  God was faithful to us as he unified us as a team, as a family, and met us for each step of the trip, through challenges and all. The following words were on my heart as we left for Uganda: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9.  Though I felt inadequate, I drew strength from them and God revealed himself to me through countless answered prayers.  I felt God’s hand on my life, on our trip, and continue to now that we’re back home.  God used this trip to reveal so much to me about his plan for my life, and about his love and faithfulness around the world.  I’m excited for this new direction I have.  I used to think missions wasn’t for me.  Now, I can’t wait to go back.
-Mikaela Barkman

Being a part of the team that went to Uganda, Africa this May was amazing and indescribable.  We were blessed in so many ways as we were provided with the opportunity to see so much and also given the ability to bless others.  One of the great things about this time was how well we bonded as a team. We were so unified, and besides a couple of big decisions, we rarely disagreed.  Over this time, we were able to visit various orphanages, play with children, visit churches, evangelize at a university, chat with teenage campers and do yard work and help teachers at Word of Life.  With the money that we raised before leaving, we were able to share generously with others – a few examples being: providing someone with glasses, covering a hospital bill, and paying university tuition.  All of these experiences were so rewarding.  Seeing such joy in the people we met, especially the children, was mind-boggling at times.  To us, they had nothing, but at the same time we were realizing that what we see as “everything” isn’t always important.  Experiencing so much heartfelt thanks from various people for just being in their country and talking to them was incredible and heart-wrenching – a move that may have seemed tiny to us, was so important to someone else.  This was a huge lesson in itself.  We began to realize that making an impact did not necessarily mean accomplishing tasks that we could see with our hands.  Though we struggled with the feeling that we were never accomplishing enough, we began to realize that only God really knows how much we were really doing.  It showed so much, how we couldn’t rely only on ourselves, we had to let God lead and trust that through us, He was moving!

I, personally, didn’t really know what to expect from this trip, especially because we were going to Uganda, a place that is so different from the familiarity that comes from living in North America. At the same time I believe that I did have a certain amount of expectation. I think that the idea of a mission’s trip often brings up hope of being brought closer to God, of having questions answered and being able to “feel” so much more than we would at home.  I think that along with wanting to go and serve, I thought that this would sum up my experience in Africa – I would return home renewed and refreshed, completely changed.  As I look back, having been home for a couple weeks and been given a chance to debrief a little, I am realizing how there God really was.  He was right in there as we held babies, and played with kids, sat in church services, and chatted with young adults about their faith in universities.  However, instead of having questions answered, I honestly became more confused … confused in a way where I didn’t even know what was making me feel that way or what questions I could ask that would clear the fog.  As I returned home I was frustrated – frustrated that I was feeling this confusion, frustrated that I didn’t feel more “affected, rejuvenated and refreshed”.  I think one thing I’ve realized however, and am continuing to see more and more, is that ultimately this trip was not about me, or about our team; it was about the people we were going to serve and minister to, and only God really knows how our time there affected them.  At the same time, changes and answers appear to come slowly.  I do see the differences – the way we see money, what we see as “rich”, and where joy truly comes from.  This trip opened my eyes.  I looked at children and families who appeared to have nothing, but “nothing” to us is so different from their perspective.  Money here equals success and happiness.  That’s our society.  It was so refreshing to have that perspective twisted … to see a society where God is the only hope, where often the freedom of money isn’t there.  Ultimately, trips like this do change hearts, and mine was changed, maybe in a different way than expected, but changed and renewed just the same. 
- Jayne Dirks

Love Guatemala - April 2009

Love Guatemala left April 29th with 22 team members, representing 3 provinces and 5 churches for a 10 day Guatemalan adventure. We worked with Students International in the villages of El Gorrion and Magdelena.  We built four chicken coops that were given to women who are in abusive situations.  This provides food and income for the families. We taught 80 kids in VBS.  We also built bio sand water filters and a cistern as El Gorrion does not have their own water supply.  The soil from the cistern provided a garden for one of the neighbors. Several of our team members painted a 40 x 10 foot mural of Noah’s Ark in the Christian Education Department in the local church. 

We also worked at Casa Angelina orphanage, painting one of the girl’s houses; organizing the meds in the clinic and setting up the hospital.  Some of our team cut the grass with machetes…..an experience they will not forget. 
We enjoyed spending a day in Copalapa handing out balloons and interacting with the residents.  After the team left we had the privilege of visiting 7 of the families whose husbands are in the Fraser Valley as migrant workers.  We brought them groceries and spent some time listening to their concerns about being “single” moms. 

What better way to combine a work related holiday than to work and share Jesus by what we do and say.  Why not consider joining us on a Guatemala adventure November 11-21, 2009.  Please check out our blog at http://www.loveguat.blogspot.com

 

Family Missions Team – Queretaro, Mexico – April 2009

The “Family Missions Team” led by Wes & Sherry Koop, recently went to the Pan de Vida orphanage in Queretaro, Mexico.  The team of 25 team members had an amazing time and were involved in various activities with the children as well as worked laying paving stones, cleaning a newly-built apartment area, moving rocks to fill a ditch for the upcoming rainy season, and worked on some much-needed electrically-challenged wiring.  One of the highlights was ministering in a community centre in a mountain village with songs, drama, playing soccer, making balloon animals, serving breakfast to numerous children, giving haircuts, doing manicures, painting, and protecting the cistern with barbwire.  The youth on the team performed their drime 3 times in various church services and at the community center as well and did an amazing job!  They were very grateful that God answered prayers regarding sickness, protection, unity and having compassionate hearts for the people that were served.  They want to thank all of those who supported them both financially and in prayer…it was a life-changing experience for all those involved!

Kiersten Anquist – Thailand – March 2009

My trip to Thailand was amazing – it was very hard and stretching but one where I learned considerable amounts. I learned to trust God for the littlest things every day, and learned that he was and always will be faithful. Before I left I had a hard time feeling like it wasn’t where I was supposed to be and not sharing the excitement the rest of my team had. One of my leaders however told me that maybe the mission for me was helping those on my team, maybe not so much the people of Thailand even though I still would. One of the guys on our team had post concussion syndrome and the first day there he got a concussion and was rushed to the hospital. Throughout the whole first week he was practically on bed rest, trying to help out where and we he could. I was able to really talk to about his faith; who he was and just encourage him and read Scripture with him and I just saw him grow and help him in amazing ways watching God work through me for him. He ended up leaving 6 days after we got to Thailand which was very hard for our team and we sat broken the night he left all wanting to return with him. However God remained faithful and we all pushed through and did great kids ministry every day, with energy that came from nowhere but God. Another girl on our team had last her mom a year ago and had never taken the time to grieve or talk to anyone and she poured her heart out to me and it was amazing the way God spoke through me and gave me Scriptures for her that I didn’t even know. It was so cool to see God at work and especially through me.

I have a real heart for Africa so I felt like my heart was somewhere else the first week I was there but I prayed every day in Thailand that God would use me and break my heart for his children. One of the nights at the orphanage the leader was telling us her story and stories about the children and this spirit just came over me and I started bawling and I finally understood, or caught a glimpse of how God hurts for his children as I looked out over the orphanage at the children. It was a moment I will never forget.
The culture was very different. Very spiritually dark and almost suffocating at times. One of the little villages we went to had a witch doctor, sacrificed animals, and had sacrificed a total of three Christians. It was at times scary as one of the kids in the village had the voice of the devil or what one would imagine would be. He controlled all the other kids and had a laugh that sent shivers down your spine. That was a really hard place to do our ministry. The Thai people have what they call “face”. You smile and act like everything is okay no matter what. If someone hits your car you don’t lose “face” you forgive them and move on. To lose “face” was to lose respect and dignity from those around you which brought a lot of hurting people who looked like they had it all together. There was also great respect held for the leaders, especially the king. You were to never talk about the king in a joke or a negative way, which was very strict.
That is a small glimpse that hardly begins to scratch the surface and the amazing things that went on.

Mike Fischer – Ukraine – March 2009

We learned a lot from our journey with the Lord while we were in Ukraine. Many of us learned to trust the Lord no matter what happens or what He tells us to do and because we learned to trust in Him we got public high school students talking about Jesus and their faith freely among other students and one of our team members got to help a Ukrainian teenager recommit his life to the Lord by her trusting in the Lord even though she sprained her ankle (the teenager was the translator when she went to the hospital to get her ankle checked out). The culture there was very different yet all of us liked the culture a lot. Everyone there was very friendly and very giving. The culture is very different than Canadian culture from what I noticed while I was there.  They were very respectful toward others and even strangers. They’re culture is also much poorer than ours. The roads are filled with pot holes and driving with was a fun experience I’ll never forget.
Thank you so much for helping me go on this amazing journey for God!!!!!!!!!