Amazon Adventure begins tomorrow

Amazon Adventure Team, July 4-18, 2012

As people in the United States of America celebrate July 4, a team of seven will depart to serve Jesus on the Amazon River in Northern Brasil. The team will conduct evangelistic events with churches along the Amazon River from July 4-18, 2012.

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade will return home to lead the team. Pastor Bob Doerr (RAD) will also co-leaad this team. Everyone on the team intends to develop into a more fully devoted follower of Christ on this trip. Poised to help in any way they can, the team will work alongside churches to do outreach starting in Belem, Brasil.

Please pray for the team:

• Ask God to give them strength as they travel many miles and hours from the USA to Northern Brasil.
• Pray for team unity, spiritual alertness, and godly character so that God is glorified in their interpersonal interactions.
• Ask the Lord to empower each team member to grow in depending on God for their stamina and safety.
• Pray for the outreach events to bring people to Christ.

You can read more updates here as well as on Pastor Ivanildo's blog www.ivanildotrindade.com/

Pastor Bob leaves Wooster Grace

Pastor Bob Fetterhoff left Wooster Grace to travel with Jim Pike & Roger McManus to visit the people we support in Cambodia & Thailand. Their travels, pictures, and stories are on Pastor Bob's blog.

Pastor Bob highlighted one ministry in Siem Reap, Cambodia--White Dove Ministries in a blog post. Please read more about this ministry from an earlier post. You can watch a five minute video of the ministry to capture an overview of what this ministry does--rescue girls from the sex trade industry.

White Dove is a ministry of YWAM dedicated to helping girls get out of prostitution. Rescued girls live in community with other women at the White Dove Center where they learn about Jesus, get counseling, start healing, and receive instruction to learn a trade to support themselves so that they can be free from the lure of prostitution as an income.  Many girls arrive uneducated. Some are illiterate. Yet God is glorified when one girl chooses to leave the sex trade and to start a new life in Jesus. A great post overviewing the ministry and contact info is by Rachel Harman on her blogpost.

Director of White Dove Ministries & Pastor Chhom

We thank God that Pastor Chhom of the Siem Reap (Cambodia) Grace Brethren Church has partnered with this ministry to develop fully devoted followers of Christ from the ladies rescued from the sex slave industry. All praise to God!

Team is home!

The team is back in Wooster!

I praise God for their safe return. May God help them adjust to our time zone and to work through the culture shock of what has happened while they were away.

Please keep them in prayer for the next week as they recalibrate their lives to life back home. It's not easy to encounter a BIG world, to expand your vision, and then to resume life as it was. Life will be different now. May the Lord be praised with their new commitments to develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

A couple comments/and pictures from FB from the team:

"Back home safe and sound, praise God for such an awesome opportunity and great time with the 2012 Team Hope Asia Trip! Missing my new friends in Cambodia & Thailand... ready to sleep in my nice warm bed =)  Thank you for all who prayed for me on my trip it was greatly appreciated! The Lord was able to do many awesome things threw our team (Carlin Tiano)."

"Great, not only am i in cleveland with sandals on and it's snowing, I just realized i left my jacket in Korea (RAD)."

Steve Knight changed his profile picture.

No Speed Limit Racing

After our visit with the farmer, we had some well deserved fun.  We visited the only go cart track in the CAR.  We all had a blast, the track has no rules including bumping and cutting off to prevent a pass so we took aggressive driving to a new level.  We had lots of laughs but it was a great time just letting lose a little. Enjoy the pictures.

Tim

Helping Africa one barn at a time

Crew mixing cement by hand

Today was another good day, thanks for all of your prayers for us.  God has blessed us with safety and success and good weather.  All of us are pretty tired tonight, starting to wear down a little but we are hoping to only work half a day tomorrow but I am impressed with everyone's commitment to work extremely hard and get as many projects done as we can.  The team is working extremely well together I thank God for each man. 

Tim

Equipping Central Africans to take over [Guest post--Tim Harley]

Equipping men to mix cement

Tuesday, October 18 in the CAR

Today was another day at work.  We continued work on setting posts for the barn, the African staff mixed cement by hand on the ground.  One of our goals is to teach the Africans so it was exciting to see them catching on to how to use the transit and set the posts and make them perfectly level.  We just stepped back and let them do it.  It is also great to see our guys bridging the language barrier teaching them with hand signals and also laughing at each other.  We look forward to working with them tomorrow.  Rick and Bruce continued working making adjustments on the tractor and getting the equipment ready to go to the fields.  We did a little sight seeing at the end of the day and enjoyed sodas sitting down by the river.

More tomorrow.

Tim

Team arrives in Bangui! [Guest Post by Tim Harley]

Sunset in Bangui

Hello!  We made it! 

Our journey to the Central African Republic began at 2am. Saturday morning as we loaded our luggage and left for the airport.  We arrived in Bangui 2pm Sunday, I think all the guys would say it was a test of endurance but now we can relax a little and sleep in a bed tonight.  We thank God for protecting us on our flights and allowing us to make all of our connecting flights.  We are especially thankful that all of our luggage arrived with us; we had 18 checked bags at 50pounds full of donated tools and gifts for orphans plus 2 carry ons a piece.  Our first flight out of Cleveland ran out of storage space for the luggage and had to put some bags in a closet in the main cabin so that tells you we were leaving our mark

Once we arrived at the guest house we enjoyed some cool water and made our introductions with the ICDI staff who are here.  Jay Parks is the Chief Financial Officer and Jay Hocking helps with the computer network for ICDI in the CAR.  Now for what we came for, we drove to the property we will be working at which is called PK 22.  PK 22 is the name for property that ICDI(Integrated Community Development International www.icdinternational.org)has aquired from the CAR government to use as its new headquarters for the water well drilling and Agricultural teams.  One area will be used as a shop area with storage and mechanical repair capabilities.  The other parts of the property are being used to grow fruits and vegetables.  Our projects will impact both areas of PK 22. 

I look forward to how God will use the unique skills of the men on this team to further the work of ICDI and its desire to be used by God to help the impoverished people of the CAR physically and spiritually.

The attached pictures show some of the equipment we will be working with that was shipped from the Wooster area.  God also welcomed us with an amazing sunset while we concluded our time at PK 22 for today.  Thanks to God and thanks you for your prayers!

Tim Harley 

Seven Men Leave Wooster Grace

Departing tomorrow at 3am, Saturday October 15, seven men from the New Horizons ABF will gather to pray and to say farewells. The team will travel to the other side of the world--to the Central African Republic (CAR). These seven men leave Wooster Grace to share God's love in a real way. 

Tim Harley & Bruce Imhoff

The team is led by Tim Harley. Tim has been to Central Africa on many occasions to leverage his skills as well-driller and large machinery driver. By God's grace, relationships with Central Africans will be renewed and solidified.

Bruce Imhoff returns to the CAR for a second time. His first trip prompted him to help in any way he could. He partnered with a Central African to facilitate the start of a spirulina pool for harvesting the protein-rich product so that this CAR family could support themselves and help others.

Rick Ratzel

God has worked in Rick Ratzel's life each time he has spent time in Central Africa. The more recent time when Rick served he was able to bring a bicycle for Andre the head of Guest House Services. Rather than purchase a car or truck, the bicycle greatly enhances Andre's life.  To pedal to work or to do errands, maximizes getting things done.  Rick knows all about "African" time. But has a great attitude and a huge heart for the people.  Wooster Grace praises the Lord for those in our church who seek to make a difference in far away places with the limited vacation time they accrue. I can't wait to hear how the bicycle has improved the service and ministry in Central Africa.

Larry Wiseman

This is not the first time Larry Wiseman has traveled to Africa. I can't remember which North African country he visited. I'll have to get an update from him to post later.  But Larry has always wanted to return to Africa.
Larry attended the New Horizons ABF and heard about their passion to develop fully devoted followers in all the nations of the world through their group. He witnessed how men from the ABF went to the CAR to help last year.  Now he gets to go with a team of seven to minister in the CAR. He will surely recall his time in Africa to draw from those experiences and encourage the team to persevere despite unknown challenges ahead.  Wooster Grace praises God for ABFs who not only grow deep in community, but also reach out together to impact the world for Christ. I can't wait to ask Larry how his two trips to Africa compare. 

Craig Simmons, Dave Brenneman, &
Josh Weiser

The last three men have never been to Africa before.  By reviewing itineraries, cultural challenges, and health & safety concerns, Tim has tried to equip the team for what may await the team.  I guess the can meet and talk, but in the end, you got to get on the plane and disembark in Africa to feel the experience yourself.  I pray for the team now. Even though we commissioned them with prayer this past Sunday, the team covets your prayers.  Please keep in prayer these three men: Craig Simmons, Dave Brenneman, Josh Weiser. May the God the Holy Spirit empower them to glorify the Lord, to love one another, and to love every person they meet on the way to Africa and back home again. 

I want to pause here to ask, if you ever sense God prompting you to start thinking about going to the world to impact people for Christ, then please contact Pastor Daron (330) 264-9459 x 236.  I'd love to discuss why you'd like to go, what a successful missions trip might look like, and brainstorm how to help you discern God's will for a missions trip.  Tomorrow I will post their prayer requests, goals, and tentative work projects.  Please keep checking back to view pictures and comments from the team while they are in the CAR. 

Be on on-mission today by praying for the New Horizons Short Term Missions Team!

[PHOTOS] Family missions trip to DR

Some pics of our journey so far to the Dominican Republic (DR).

Old part of airport as you enter

Paperwork to enter the country

Roads in Punta Cana

Bus ride to church

10:30pm Post service farewells

Melissa thanks Robinson our translator

Our worship is LOUD!

Last night we experienced church Caribbean-style!

The experience began before the bus ride. We had to go to a bus stop on a street-corner after the sun went down. The walk went down streets lit with an occasional street lamp glowing amber in the dark night. We passed and greeted Dominicans out after a long's day work. We guessed we walked about .75 miles to the church bus stop.

I tried to take a video of us waiting but the camera did not have enough light. So I waited for a passing van to shoot some grainy footage. I'll try to upload a short clip or two if I have time and have extra time with the internet access being so slow.

Anyways, we graciously declined rides from other buses, vans, and taxis. Then the bus arrived. What a relief! Standing on a darkened street corner where the street light is not working with your family in a foreign country takes faith or naivete. I had both. Yet my brother-in-law Jeff has been here many times. We praise God for his leadership on this trip. So we stepped into the school bus for our 30 minute trip to the church and school campus.

We arrived late; culturally acceptable here. And the pastor's wife greeted us with a hug and a kiss. We met a couple from Warsaw, IN, the Wildman's. I met Rod on January 1 at the polar bear plunge in Winona Lake, IN.  Others greeted us with a hug and kiss too. We felt tremendous warmth and love.

Upon arrival the church meeting and the kids meeting competed for who was going to be louder. I'm serious! The volume for each sound system seemed to be red-lining. My girls followed their cousins and aunt Stephanie into the raucous children's church. Scripture set to merengue music and dancing overwhelmed them as they entered. What a cultural experience!

We entered the church service amid a full merengue worship band fanfare. Praise choruses on Spanish Powerpoint directed our praise to God. Hands raised, eyes closed, and dignified dancing surrounded us. Praise here in the DR is embodied with total and complete engagement. You must worship with your whole mind, soul, body, and strength. I joined in  as "wild" as a Grace Brethren could. :)

I have much more to write but I'll end here and try to upload some pictures tomorrow. We got back very late. As one church attender put it, "Our worship is loud!" It sure was. My ears are still ringing this morning. Thanks for praying. We get to visit the school tomorrow.

First Day in DR--God is working

Arrived with God already working ahead of us.

My bro-in-law Jeff informed us that we were also taking seven desktop computers to the Christian School in Bavaro where Dominican Pastor Pasquel needed them for their Christian School.  We did not know how we were going to get them to the school once we landed.

The Lord provided a way!

Our desire on this missions trip as a family centers on three core values:

1. Glorify God
2. Love the people from the culture
3. Love one another

We want to glorify God now.  We packed light, checking in only five bags which allowed us to add the seven computers. Our God is great!  Then we arrived at the airport in Punta Cana hoping to connect with the courier who would transport the computers to the school while we went another way to go to our accommodations.

We don't speak Spanish. So this complicated things. Yet God is awesome!

While getting ready to locate the computers in baggage claim, Jeff met the expediter, Renardo. As Jeff was signing for the computers and showing his identification. Jeff told Renardo why we brought the computers and who we brought them for. Renardo hooted and smiled even bigger. He knows Pastor Pasquel. In fact, Renardo is also a pastor working as a Continental expediter.  How great is our God!

So Renardo helped us through customs navigating the red tape and contacting our courier. We got through as quickly as you can in a Caribbean culture. (\[Side note: in the airport there was not one visible clock. Culture shock for my kids who wanted to know what time it was. :)] All praise to God who reigns on high. He is at work and we praise Him.

I reflect on this somber day that people here did not stop in silence. 9-11 only affects we US Citizens. Regardless, we stopped in silence to remember. Even though another part of the world goes on with life without remember those heroes ten years ago. May God be glorified in our services today. We will post pictures as we can. Internet is limited here. But I will seek to post as soon as I can. I walked over to a hotel lobby to access the internet.  God bless! Daron for the Buriff-Butler tribe

Update from Jim & Stephanie in Haiti

Bonswa!
We are doing well. Internet wasn't good for most of our trip. They got a new router today. :) Facebook on my phone seems to work the best....but that depends too on connectivity.

We have been encouraged by what we have seen and our discussions with Greg. Barshaw of Connect2Ministries in Haiti.  So much to do here!

We thank everyone for their prayers. The tropical storm Emily disipated, but much prayer still needed for all those in the tent cities!!! Yet CNN shares that TS Emily has been downgraded to a tropical depression. All watches and warnings have been canceled (@cnnlive).

We saw a couple churches in Cap Haitian and an orphanage. We already saw three churches in PAP and two orphanages. We were to see three more churches today, but postponed because of the weather. Please pray we can do this tomorrow (Fri Aug 5). 

Blessings!

From Connect2Ministries

More pictures from the Harley's in Thailand

Contrast of darkness & Light in Cambodia

Internet wasn't working last night, so tonight I am writing for two days.  Yesterday we visited Angkor Wat which is a large complex of ancient temples and cities.  This helped us to understand a little more about the religion of many people here.  I am including a picture that sums up our thoughts on this day.  Here you see a tree's roots clutching the temple rocks. These are everywhere.  It reminds me of how the Evil one takes people into his clutches, destroying lives, and not letting go.  This is what I saw with people bowing down before stone statues.  Satan has them in his clutches for sure. We even saw an elderly couple with a flashlight searching in a dark part of the temple looking for a water well that supposedly contains holy water that will heal them.  They dipped a bucket into the dark well and pulled out the water placing their hope in that. Very sad.

 

Today was a much brighter day!  The day we have been waiting for.  The day we get to go to Grace Place and see the kids.  Vannak surprised us when we arrived at the hotel with about 25 of the kids there to greet us.  That was so awesome to have them there hugging us already.  After spending some time with them, they returned for lunch and we checked into our hotel.

 

After lunch, we met Pheakdey and headed out to visit some children that GROW is looking to bring into a new GROW home in Cambodia.  We had to walk quite a way due to the rain making the roads bad then down a bike path to meet the three children.  They are living with their aunt and uncle and their two kids on $3 a day.  The children do not have enough to eat and are in desperate need of being cared for.

 

We then traveled to Grace Place. Wow what fun we had.  Nathan played guitar while Zac drummed out a beat on the chair and Val sang, we played snakes and ladders which we brought (a big hit), we ate dinner with them, and danced.  Zac spent about an hour with Nga imitating everything she said in Khmer.  Most of the kids gathered around and laughed at the scene. It then went to mimicking motions and soon broke out into dance. Volleyball, soccer and lots and lots of hugs rounds out the list of things we did with the kids.  We were exhausted when we left tonight.

 

Hope all is going well at home.  We miss everyone, but couldn't't be happier than to be at Grace Place.

 

Mealtime at Grace Place Battambang

 

Sharing with our kids at Grace Place Battambang

 

 

Our Kids!

 

 

Zac trying to repeat Khmer words to everyone's laughter

 

Surprised by Vannak & kids at TEO Hotel

 

Orphan Children to Rescue

 

 

Road to Village

 

Angkor Wat