Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
DAY 9
A word from Pastor Chris ~ "There's nothing like 24 hours of travel without sleep to bond a team!"
A word from Scott ~ "Man, what an awesome time in Venezuela! Unity is such a big part of a mission team. Having several churches represented on this team and having the unity we had was great to see. When we see some of these kids that have been coming to this church for years and then see their moms and older siblings come to Christ is awesome to see. We did see physical healing as well. Francoise, the pastor's wife, had a hysterectomy and had a severe infection. She was bloated and in extreme pain some three months later. We prayed for her on Monday and on Wednesday she had no pain and no bloating and was moving around at a normal pace chasing her three daughters. Thank you, Jesus! I just want to thank Pastor Chris and my brother, Chris Nelson, for pushing me and stretching me. I love you guys!"
A word from Scott ~ "Man, what an awesome time in Venezuela! Unity is such a big part of a mission team. Having several churches represented on this team and having the unity we had was great to see. When we see some of these kids that have been coming to this church for years and then see their moms and older siblings come to Christ is awesome to see. We did see physical healing as well. Francoise, the pastor's wife, had a hysterectomy and had a severe infection. She was bloated and in extreme pain some three months later. We prayed for her on Monday and on Wednesday she had no pain and no bloating and was moving around at a normal pace chasing her three daughters. Thank you, Jesus! I just want to thank Pastor Chris and my brother, Chris Nelson, for pushing me and stretching me. I love you guys!"
DAY 8
A word from Seth ~ "Patacones....Gloria de Dios"
A word from Meagan ~ "I had the privilege of conducting a workshop today for the teachers and volunteers in Pavia. This was the first time I have ever led a workshop. I had an absolute blast. Our translator, Henry, helped me make it a little more fun. I learned so much from him and the rest of the team in Pavia. I only hope I was able to give them a fraction of what they gave me."
A word from Chad ~ "The goat meat was amazing! I may consider switching from deer hunting to goat hunting : )"
A word from Pastor Chris ~ "Finally got those bathrooms wired just in time to use them before we leave! Oh well, the next team should enjoy them immensely! Many more tears today as the children hugged us goodbye and cried as they said their farewells."
A word from Meagan ~ "I had the privilege of conducting a workshop today for the teachers and volunteers in Pavia. This was the first time I have ever led a workshop. I had an absolute blast. Our translator, Henry, helped me make it a little more fun. I learned so much from him and the rest of the team in Pavia. I only hope I was able to give them a fraction of what they gave me."
A word from Chad ~ "The goat meat was amazing! I may consider switching from deer hunting to goat hunting : )"
A word from Pastor Chris ~ "Finally got those bathrooms wired just in time to use them before we leave! Oh well, the next team should enjoy them immensely! Many more tears today as the children hugged us goodbye and cried as they said their farewells."
DAY 7
A word from Seth ~ "The last service is always hard. It's hard thinking about it being the last time I may get to see many of the people even if I know I will see them again in this life or the next. What's even harder is seeing the tears in the eyes of the children because they don't want us to go. They wouldn't let go of me as they gave me their last hugs. The feeling was mutual because I didn't want to let go either. I received gifts including bracelets and letters from some of the children and it broke my heart to have to go. But I have enjoyed everything about this trip and I look forward to going back to Pavia in the near future."
A word from Meagan ~ "I will never forget the faces of the precious children and the tears that were shed this night. I can't quite put into words how I felt. I pray that God calls me back to Pavia soon."
A word from Pastor Chris ~ "Around the world you can meet complete strangers and find a common ground in Christ and instantly you are brothers and sisters in Christ. I am humbled by the price this pastor and his team have paid to minister to the children of Pavia. I have a new family in the Pavia church and they have a permanent place in my heart. On a lighter note.....I'm hoping the parasite I picked up will not have a permanent place. Thank God for Cipro! Oh! And the new fans and lights are all working and the new breaker box is installed. My electrician assistant years are finally paying off. Now hopefully I wired everything correctly. Seriously, I have never seen so many open wires in my life! Our team did awesome working so hard and with joyful attitudes!"
A word from Meagan ~ "I will never forget the faces of the precious children and the tears that were shed this night. I can't quite put into words how I felt. I pray that God calls me back to Pavia soon."
A word from Pastor Chris ~ "Around the world you can meet complete strangers and find a common ground in Christ and instantly you are brothers and sisters in Christ. I am humbled by the price this pastor and his team have paid to minister to the children of Pavia. I have a new family in the Pavia church and they have a permanent place in my heart. On a lighter note.....I'm hoping the parasite I picked up will not have a permanent place. Thank God for Cipro! Oh! And the new fans and lights are all working and the new breaker box is installed. My electrician assistant years are finally paying off. Now hopefully I wired everything correctly. Seriously, I have never seen so many open wires in my life! Our team did awesome working so hard and with joyful attitudes!"
Apparently, this Iguana was supposed to be dinner
one night, but since he was looking sickly our hosts
decided it might be best to make another choice.
DAY 6
A word from Chad ~ "Going to the brothel was the most challenging part of the trip and left the largest impact on me. The reality of poverty hit me the hardest at the brothel. Just seeing the atmosphere that the kids were living in was heartbreaking. However, it was uplifting to see the joy in the kids' faces through the games, songs, and gifts. I will definitely be praying hard for that particular area to be reached because it is a challenge for the church to reach out to that area on a regular basis."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
DAY 5
Today was a pure workday. The team woke up to a quick but delicious breakfast of Arepas, eggs, bacon and Cheese Wiz. Yes, Cheez Wiz! The store that would be closest to what we know as a BJ's or Sam's Wholesale stocks the stuff in multiple isles.
A word from Tech ~ "I've never seen so much Cheese Wiz in my life! If I was still in my childhood, I would think I had died and gone to heaven."
After breakfast, the team went straight to work finishing the wiring for the fans, speed switches, and light switches. The breaker box was rewired to more efficiently distribute the power throughout the building. There is now a second main breaker box installed so that the power company can run a new power line to the building. There were a few issues found in the bathroom plumbing for both bathrooms, so part of the team began devising a plan to fix it though it is complicated because it is in concrete.
Two new projects were started. There was a new room being created for a sound booth in the rear of the church. This involved tearing out the concrete walls from above a storage closet. The team also began to lay new concrete for new stairs at the front.
Church services were wonderful. On Monday the church witnessed the return of one of their young leaders from a year ago. He had been absent since December of last year following some very public disagreements. In a private moment following the service the pastor was a perfect example of our Heavenly Father in telling the young man, "I will never invite you back because this is your home. You are always welcome."
Tonight there were several more who committed their lives to Christ. One young man was brought by the young gentleman who returned the night before. Another girl was a 19 year old whose sister has been coming here for 7 years. Their mother committed her life to Christ on Monday night. These 2 lives have been changed all because of a very young girl who started coming here years ago and gave her life to God. There were a total of 3 commitments to Christ last night! God is so good!
The team experienced an awesome dinner following church services. We had fresh fried snapper with rice, salad, and fried plantains.
A word from Muriel ~ "On Monday night, hands were laid on the pastor's wife for healing following surgery 3 months ago from which she is still having pain and swelling. She reported tonight that she is feeling great! No more pain and the swelling has gone down. She was able to wear pants that she has not been able to fit into since before her last pregnancy. Praise God!"
A word from Tech ~ "I've never seen so much Cheese Wiz in my life! If I was still in my childhood, I would think I had died and gone to heaven."
After breakfast, the team went straight to work finishing the wiring for the fans, speed switches, and light switches. The breaker box was rewired to more efficiently distribute the power throughout the building. There is now a second main breaker box installed so that the power company can run a new power line to the building. There were a few issues found in the bathroom plumbing for both bathrooms, so part of the team began devising a plan to fix it though it is complicated because it is in concrete.
Two new projects were started. There was a new room being created for a sound booth in the rear of the church. This involved tearing out the concrete walls from above a storage closet. The team also began to lay new concrete for new stairs at the front.
Church services were wonderful. On Monday the church witnessed the return of one of their young leaders from a year ago. He had been absent since December of last year following some very public disagreements. In a private moment following the service the pastor was a perfect example of our Heavenly Father in telling the young man, "I will never invite you back because this is your home. You are always welcome."
Tonight there were several more who committed their lives to Christ. One young man was brought by the young gentleman who returned the night before. Another girl was a 19 year old whose sister has been coming here for 7 years. Their mother committed her life to Christ on Monday night. These 2 lives have been changed all because of a very young girl who started coming here years ago and gave her life to God. There were a total of 3 commitments to Christ last night! God is so good!
The team experienced an awesome dinner following church services. We had fresh fried snapper with rice, salad, and fried plantains.
A word from Muriel ~ "On Monday night, hands were laid on the pastor's wife for healing following surgery 3 months ago from which she is still having pain and swelling. She reported tonight that she is feeling great! No more pain and the swelling has gone down. She was able to wear pants that she has not been able to fit into since before her last pregnancy. Praise God!"
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