Four Corners Ministries

Come shop with us...

2011-06-28T13:52:00.006-05:00

at the Four Corners Ministries Thrift Store in Roanoke! It will be opening mid-July with a great selection of clothes, shoes, and home items. The thrift store will also be accepting your gently used items as tax-deductible donations. And by shopping at the FCM Thrift Store, you'll be helping improve the lives of those in Uganda and Sudan. We hope to see you on your next shopping trip!

Sudan Unrest

2011-06-15T11:06:00.005-05:00

As you probably already know, Southern Sudan voted for their independence this year and will be celebrating their independence July 9th when they are recognized world-wide as a new nation. Glory to God! For decades, they have endured persecution and suffering and now have the hope of freedom. However, Northern Sudan may not let them go peacefully. It is in the news today that there is much unrest at the North/South border in the Kordofan area of central Sudan. Please be praying for the Sudanese as they are once again enduring hardship. Pray for world leaders to take a stand against this persecution. Pray that God would be glorified through it all and that our Christian brothers and sisters would be strengthened in their bodies and in their faith in Christ. Pray that we, as the body of Christ, would help carry the burden of suffering.

You can read more about the unrest in Sudan here.

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:18

June News

2011-06-03T14:30:00.002-05:00

Please take a few minutes to view the June e-newsletter here. If you are not on the mailing list to receive these monthly updates and would like to be, email Joy at joy@4cornersministries.org to get signed up.

From Sudan to St. Kitts

2011-05-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

Members of the FCM veterinary team that recently returned from Southern Sudan share their mission experience at Christian Veterinary Mission Real Life/Real Impact weekend. About 60 veterinary students attended the conference held on the island of St. Kitts. Veterinarians, both with private practice and international mission experience, also shared during the weekend.

You Can Go!

2011-05-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

We've recently posted powerful testimonies about some great trips to Uganda and Sudan. God is definitely at work there, and you can be a part of what He's doing! FCM has 2 trips planned for this fall, one to Uganda and one to Sudan. We'd love for you to prayerfully consider joining one of these teams. Please contact us at jeannene@4cornersministries.org for more information on serving as the hands and feet of Jesus.

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:35-38

Underneath the Mango Trees

2011-05-04T11:42:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, May 4th
This morning we flew out of S. Sudan with joy to come home and sadness because we are leaving a place dear to us now. We prayed under the mango tree and got ready to leave. We arrived in Kampala at the MAF Guesthouse this afternoon around 1:30pm Uganda time. We are catching some much needed R&R after such an amazing week!

With that being said, let's play catch up on the last three days! (Whew, here we go!)

Sunday, May 1st
Sunday was awesome! Jason Johnson, Larry Arnold and Kevin Neely each preached at a different church in the Mundri area and the rest of the team split up to visit all three churches. We were blessed with a traditional African service with music, dancing, preaching and prayers. IT WAS AWESOME!! Each church prepared a lunch for us. Some even had antelope for lunch! How cool is that!

We went back to the compound and we finished up with some R&R while playing with the kids. We also started the first set of Disciple Training classes. The classes went about 1 1/2 - 2 hours and were full of discussion and enlightenment. It went great! There were 7 attendees in all. All of this of course is done under a mango tree. Every discussion is most often done under a mango tree. We have been having devotionals every night pertaining to what we did, what we saw and what God laid on our heart that day. There was also a more focused devotional/bible study for evening discussion that was designed for this trip. It has encouraged us, challenged us and blessed us too!

Monday, May 2rd
We headed out early Monday morning with breakfast and bug spray. We cruised in our Land Rover down the red cracked road. It felt like we were attached to one of those belly-shaking exercise machines from the sixties! Anyway, we got to our first stop and waited for the cattle to show up and for the other truck to come.

We were waiting with Rev. Paul Mbari and he told a few of us an amazing story of the History of the Great Mundri and its tribes. These people have known incredibly hard times and persecution for so long. To know some of the tribal history of the Moru people was truly heart wrenching and encouraging as well. To see a living testament to faith under fire was inspiring and a witness to remember when we read scripture's call to stand fast in the Lord and that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. When they are asked for a word to answer a questions, they say they will pray about it. Every answer to a question was often answered with some reference to scripture and filled with laughs and jokes. God is here and His people need us!

After the history the second truck finally showed up and we went the 1st tribe. We had to drive down a footpath to get to them! We were deep in there. We got out and the villagers came out to greet us with handshakes, hugs and smiles. Never a raised voice unless it was laughter. We all came to the corral. It was put together with branches and sticks. I don't know how the cows stayed in it They could have easily ran through it! We went to several villages and met the herdsmen for the cattle and got started.

Woo-hoo! It was like watching rodeo and Nascar all in one! The locals would rope the cow, grab the back legs and drop it to the ground; sometimes needed 5 of them. Then Jason or Paul would go over and check the cow out and then send out the call for the team. Several of the vet students, increased with confidence from the previous days, would run in on the cows giving dewormer, multi-vitamins and injections! They were like a Nascar pit crew called out on command! They were really good too! As soon as they were done, in comes one of the students with the tick spray and they hose the cow down. Then the cow was released and they moved on to the next one.

After we finished with this corral, we went to the next one and started all over again! Afterwards we share something to drink with these guys whom have worked so hard. We took a few minutes to discuss how to take care of the cows when we leave. We left them with some tick spray and how to administer it. Then Larry preached a word for the men to hear about Jesus. He spoke that it was because of the love of Christ that we came here to be with them and help them take care of their cows. He reflected Jesus as the Good Shepherd and we as the sheep. This direction made the gospel very understandable and relational to the herdsmen.
All of this was done under a mango tree.

We headed back and told stories and started discipleship training while everyone else washed clothes and cleaned up for the evening.

Tuesday, May 3rd
We got up early and we split up from Kevin as he stayed behind to document and photograph 11 orphans that Four Corners will be offering opportunities to sponsor very soon.

We visited two farms not far from the compound. Some cattle had a history of coughing. These were Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) suspects. Others had tearing from the eyes and enlarged lymph nodes. These were East Coast Fever (ECF) suspects. The treatment for both illnesses is oxytetracycline LA. We also gave dewormer and sprayed the cattle for ticks, as many diseases are spread by the ticks. Those cattle in poor condition were also given a vitamin injection. We found some calves that had pinkeye (infectious conjunctivitis). We treated them with an ophthalmic antibiotic ointment. We treated over 100 cattle today.

After treatment, we met with the farmers and educated them about the diseases we treated. We also left follow-up eye treatments and tick spray. They graciously gave us mangoes and fresh honey. The honey was so fresh that it still contained the comb and the bees! Pastor Larry closed with a short sermon and prayer.

When we came back to the compound, we played with the children, began inventory, and organized materials. Kevin finished up his disciple training. It seemed to go well as they wanted him to come back real soon and teach disciple makers in Lui for the duration of his next trip. The teaching was concluded, underneath the Mango trees.

At night, we had a special devotion with all of the Sudanese men at the compound. We lifted each other up and the team leaders, students, and evangelists received rounds of applause. We thanked Christ for the work He is doing in Sudan and prayed that the Sudanese continue to be blessed by God because of their love for Him and we all continued to pray for support and help of other missionary teams. That is a prayer and challenge for anyone of you reading this. If we can go serve our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, I know that some people reading this will feel God's call too. Is he calling you?

First and Second day in Sudan

2011-04-30T11:10:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, We made it to Sudan two day ago and hit the ground running! Our first we went to a village called Lakamadi. It was at lest 30kilometer away. This village was a herding village with many cows, goats and chickens. We got to the village and spent the day there ministering God's love in many ways. We started off by deworming the cows along with ticks sprays and anitbiotic injections to regain the health of the cattle. So many of these animals have deseases that are easily treatable in the states. Here they cannot treat them and so the animals gets sick and sometimes sickness is transferred from the animals to the people. We take so much for granted back home. We saw 30 cows total! We taught cattle education and training to teach about the diseases and how to prevent them. They were taught symptoms and care. We spent a lot of time getting to know these people and we were so loved for coming to their village. We shared Christ with them and about 15 or more people gave their hearts to Christ! Even though we came to bless them, they in turn, have blessed us. They are so wonderfully kind and loving.

On the way there and back, we saw the rocks along the side of the road that were painted red and white. When we asked the driver about the rocks, he explained that they were to notify people walking in the bussh that there were landmines by the rocks.

The people here have been through so much and their live after the war is still suffering. While we were healing the cattle, we investigated a big gathering further down. It was a building that held several UN humanitarian relief bags. When we spoke to the chief officer there, they told us that this was not food, but only seeds. These people are starving and have no food! The only thing they have was hope. Hope in Christ and hope that the rain will come soon. See, the seeds will produce food, but with no rain there is no food. If that wasn't heartbreaking enough, they only had enough seeds for 400 people and there were thousands there that needed the hope of food as well. A sacrifice of a cup of coffee could mean food, health and life for a family in Southern Sudan. Could not a meal be sacrificed for our brothers and sisters in Southern Sudan? How far could that go, very far.

Day 2
We got up early and went to the village of Lozoh. We saw at least 35 cows at this first stop. We could have done more, but we didn't have enough people to help at this stop. Because there were not enough people to help, Paul had to step in as our full time cowboy. He wrestled cows all day so we could administer the medicines so desperately needed. From this point, we left the comfort of the really bumpy road to a really, really, bumpy road that was not even a road. It was a footpath! We were driving on that footpath for at least an hour! So we packed up and went to Boma, a local cattle camp, and we worked on 20 cows. The camps was surrounded by a corral made of branches and stuff which didn't help when the cows got tired of us. They would either go through the branch-pile fence or the smaller cows would go under the more open sided fence!

Then when we were done we went to another village in the Lozah area where we did education on cattle care. We used illustrations and explainations to education the people on better care of their cattle as well as the diseases that can come from things like ticks. Doris, a veterinary officer and the administrater of Lozoh were on hand during the training. Afterwards Larry spoke to the people about why were were here, to share the love of Jesus. It was a great day in the Lord!

Keep praying for us, lives are changing, cattle are being healed, lives are being given to Christ and we are only in day 2!

Important News!

2011-04-25T18:39:00.003-05:00

It is an exciting time at FCM! A mission team just returned from a life-changing trip in Uganda. If you haven't read their blog entries yet, you've missed out! They ministered to so many- meeting medical needs, showing love to children who were desperate for it, and teaching classes on how to purify water. Most importantly, the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ was shared! "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News!"

Another mission team leaves for Sudan tomorrow. You can read more about their trip here in the Opelika-Auburn News. This is primarily a team of vets going to vaccinate, de-worm, and treat sick cattle, sheep and goats. They'll be ministering out of the local churches in Mundri and Lui, Sudan. Please keep them in your prayers as they fly out tomorrow and return May 4.

FCM is hosting a jewelry party in Auburn tomorrow night at 7. The jewelry was made by Uganda women who are trying to develop skills that will help them provide for their families. It's beautiful and would make a great Mother's Day gift! If you're interested in attending tomorrow night's party or hosting your own jewelry party, contact Joy at joy@4cornersministries.org for more information.

Stay tuned for blog entries from the Sudan team, and please remember to keep them in your prayers!

This Day in Katusa

2011-04-18T08:43:00.002-05:00

The drive to Katusa is 25 miles outside of the city of Kampala. However, today, 25 miles was one hour long! We greeted the day with very much traffic, their rush hour, so to speak. One cannot get used to riding on the "wrong side of the road". You are continuously thinking that you are about to wreck, but no wrecks for us! Everywhere there are motorcycle taxis, called "border-border"s. We have seen them carry three passengers plus the driver. We have seen them carry 8-10 mattresses. Once we saw one carrying a 300 pound hog tied onto it! It is amazing what they can get on a motorcycle here!
The church at Katusa was planted by Nelson Kysooka, who founded Grace Fellowship Ministries. We work with them here in Kampala. We were the first mission team to come to Katusa. Katusa was very green with lush vegetation. They have the avocado tree, the mango tree, the papaya tree, the jack-fruit tree, the banana tree, the coffee bean bush. There are little mounds of potatoes growing everywhere. But, there is not much clean water, and many children were very sick because of this. They are not educated about the importance of clean water or eating nutritious diets. Our team gave them demonstrations on how to purify water using the sun's rays. Many came for this technology. This should improve the quality of life for these precious people.
The doctors and our pharmacist saw over 160 patients today. They saw malaria, ulcers,worms. One man came with a very bad looking wound on his leg. It was the size of a baseball. He said that he had been bitten by a dog...2 YEARS AGO! The doctor said the only hope for this man is if he follows doctor's orders about the care of the wound and also takes his medicine. We pray for this man. He is probably at least 65 years old.
We played with the children, and there were many! We played soccer, baseball, blew bubbles, hit the beachball around, painted faces, and gave hugs. We looked into the eyes of these children and saw pain, suffering, and thankfulness. But they gave us many smiles!
When we left, the children lined the road as we boarded the bus. We gave them our few left-over peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches. They were wrapped in aluminum foil, so they had no idea what they were getting, but they wanted them! We waved and waved and took many pictures. I hope to come back here again. They need us, but they have blessed me.

Sherry Sprayberry
Team member

Day One in Kampala

2011-04-16T08:56:00.003-05:00

Well we got started this morning and drove down to the Slum area of Kampala. It was very eye opening to us to see all those people living in what look like sheds. You can not imagine the conditions they live in. Pictures don't do it justice, you need to smell it for yourself! We then Got to Pastor Nelsons church and he shared his testimony with us and how God gave him a vision for this area. The Children were just wanting someone to love on them. Every time we turned around there were Kids hanging on our legs and wanting us to pick them up. Mary Paige and Abbey had the kids really attaching to them and wanting them to hold them and hold their hands. Jeff and I needed some old tires, cans, and some empty plastic bottles for our Urban gardens and Water purification classes. The kids were our biggest help! They ran off and came back with everything we needed. We had some large crowds for both the Urban Garden and Water Purification Class. They had many questions and seemed to really like it. We then went up to the Medical clinic where Josh, Eric, and Amy had people lined up to get medicine. We left there and went to the Boys Home and I shared with them about the power bracelets and what each of the beads meant. We gave them all a bracelet if they could tell us what the beads meant and they all could! We also had a coloring station, making puppets station, and face painting station. Abbey and Mary Paige did a great job painting faces. The boys really enjoyed coloring and were very good at it. As we left to come back to the hotel, the boys lined the fence and waved good-bye. It was such a blessing for me to watch my children love on these little kids no matter what they looked like, what they were wearing, or how they smelled. I am so thankful that God allowed us to come have this experience as a family. Matt Armbruster

We Made It!!!

2011-04-15T16:49:00.004-05:00

After 18 hours of flight time, multiple lines consisting of people from all over the world, and a few McDonald's Double Cheeseburger's we have made it to Kampala, Uganda. For many members of this team, it is our first trip to Africa and for that matter our first trip to the third world. As we drove in the dark for 45 minutes from the Entebbe Airport to our hotel in Uganda it was glaringly evident that this county is in need of some of the basics we as Americans take for granted each day. Please be in prayer for our team as we begin our different areas of ministry to a people that more than anything need the hope that comes from our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Africa Bound!

2011-04-12T15:46:00.005-05:00

There are many exciting things going on at FCM these days. One of which is a mission trip to Uganda. Tripp leaves today and the team will be headed out on Thursday. This team will be doing some medical work and some life-skills training. Please be praying that all travels go well, that everyone arrives safely and stays healthy, and that ultimately, God would receive glory from all that is done. Jesus calls us to preach the gospel to the nations, but He also calls us to minister to their physical needs as well. Jesus demonstrated His love for us, and He calls us to do the same. Our prayer is that through the work that is done in Uganda this week, many will come to know the simple truth of the gospel- Christ died for us to save us from our sins.

Here are the team members' names. Be praying for them!
Jeff and Amy Jacobs
Josh Meigs
Eric Blackman
Josh Jacobs
Matt and Tara Armbruster and their 2 girls
Jimmy and Sherry Sprayberry
Tripp Skipper

Be on the lookout for updates from Tripp and the team!

From the Plains to the Wiregrass and to the ends of the Earth

2011-03-22T21:25:00.005-05:00

FCM had a fun weekend sharing about what's going on with the ministry. Tripp visited Farmville Baptist Church in Auburn on Sunday morning. Ashraf Jjuko, a Ugandan street boy, is now being sponsored by a member of Farmville Baptist Church. His sponsorship provides him with clean water, food, and an education. And most importantly, Ashraf will hear the truth of God's great love for him!

Sunday night was a special night for me. Yancy and I, along with Tommy and Rebecca Cummings, were able to share about our Sudan mission trip at my home church (First Free Will Baptist) in Dothan. It was a privilege to share our hearts and passion about Sudan and FCM with this extended family of ours. They were so supportive and interested in knowing more about FCM. The jewelry made by the Ugandan street boys was a big hit... we should have taken more!

Thanks to all who came out in Auburn and Dothan to hear more about FCM! We appreciate your support!
For His glory,
Joy

New Ministry Opportunity in Uganda

2011-01-17T14:27:00.004-06:00

There are more than 3 million orphans in Uganda alone! I really can't wrap my mind around just how many children that is. But our God, who is a VERY BIG God, knows each and every one of them, and He loves them so much. God desires to use His people to be His hands and feet to show His great love for these children. That's why it's such a blessing to be a part of a ministry that is living out the Lord's command to "care for the widows and orphans". (James 1:27) At the end of last year, Four Corners launched a new ministry to meet the needs of street boys in the city of Kampala, Uganda. Many of these boys have been abused, abandoned and forgotten. Some have no parents. Some have parents who abused them. These boys have begun to live on the city streets, savaging for food and water. They have experienced things in their life that we literally cannot imagine. It has been very hard lives for the boys, but FCM with their partner ministry in Kampala has began to share the love of Christ with them by providing for the daily needs... food, water, and shelter. What's even more exciting is that these boys who have endured so much are hearing about God's great love for them and experiencing it in very real ways. Each week, they meet with Abby, a former street boy, who shares Christ with them and challenges them to know and walk with the Lord. Abby and others are also teaching these boys to work hard. They are teaching them wood carving, bead and jewelry making, and other trades to help provide for them. God is at work all around the world and He longs for us to join him in His work. I can think of no better way than to meet the needs of these who have so little, and help shape the next generation for Christ. Want you consider sponsoring one of these boys today? Your $30 a month contribution will continue to provide the great needs of these boys and make an eternal difference in their lives. Visit http://www.4cornersministires.org/ and click on sponsor a child to find out more. You can also email me at joy@4cornersministries.org with any questions. I'll be happy to help any way that I can.

For His glory,
Joy

FCM's Ministry Partner in Sudan Talks About the Upcoming Referendum

2010-12-08T22:41:00.002-06:00

FCM began working in Southern Sudan in 2004 and
since that time we have tried to educate the American
church about the persecution that the church in
Sudan has endured. Often times when the subject
of Sudan’s troubles comes up on television, viewers
turn the channel, hoping to escape responsibility if
they can claim ignorance. But voluntary ignorance is
the worst kind and the church can no longer bury it’s
head in the sand and pretend that the world is ok just
because we are. The state of our own personal lives
is not the state of most lives in Southern Sudan.

In fact, the Western church is very unlike the church in
Africa. In Matthew 24, Christ prophesied that a great
escalation in persecution would take place toward the
time of His return and the “end of the age” (vs. 3).
The ninth verse reads, “Then you will be handed over
to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be
hated by all nations because of me.” The persecuted
church in Sudan is one of the greatest realities of our
time. Very harsh things have happened to some of
our own brothers and sisters in Christ. Many are
dying. Many are purposely starved. Some lose their
homes and even their children if they do not renounce
their faith. Can you imagine? But we must! We
have a responsibility to know what is going on in our
family and to address the physical and spiritual needs
that exist. It is time for us to wise up and reach out
and support the persecuted church in Southern Sudan
with both our prayers and our resources.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10

How can you get involved? On January 9, 2011
there will be a referendum in Southern Sudan on
whether or not the South will vote to become a free
and separate country.

Take time to listen to Jeffreys Kayanga, FCM’s ministry
partner, talk about the upcoming referendum and
what you can do to help. You can listen to the video
by visiting the multimedia page of FCM’s website.

Uganda Team Update

2010-11-21T13:25:00.001-06:00

Today the team went to worship at Grace Fellowship Church in the Old Kampala Slum. It was daunting to arrive to a place that has such obvious needs, but the service was inspirational. Numerous groups of children made their way to the front where they sang and danced to songs praising God. Many of the children didn’t even have shoes but it was evident how thankful they were to God! They are truly happy children!

We were able to open a clinic in the slum where 200 people came to get medical attention. We also traveled to the boys’ home, which houses 50 boys from the surrounding area, to fit shoes for those there. About 20 girls were also outfitted for shoes. It was a long and tiring day for the team, but one I’m certain no one would trade. God is at work here.

Tomorrow we will travel to Masaka, and will be staying at the Maria Flo Hotel. The phone number to the hotel is (256) (0) 752 800329. Please continue to pray for us and especially for the Ugandans here. We will be out of touch for the next few days while in Masaka. We are staying at the Metropole Hotel in Kampala on Thursday night, and the number there is (256) (4) 1439006. Thanks and may God bless you!

Ruth Yusckat

Sudan Team Arrives Safely Back to States

2010-11-20T19:53:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the Sudan team is home safely! Praise God for an incredible trip that I pray will spark future thoughts and posts...as mentioned yesterday, so much to process...
Thank you again for all of your love, support, and prayers! We felt them in a mighty way!

Praise Him!
Rebecca Cummings

A Great Day in the Pearl of Africa!

2010-11-20T12:44:00.002-06:00

Hi all!

Today was our first ministry day here in Kampala, and it was great! The medical and optical teams had a busy day and helped so many at Grace Fellowship Church... I think I heard that the medical team saw 198 people! Wow! The people were truly a blessing. As someone who had never been outside of the US before this trip, I can honestly say it was an eye-opener. The need here is so great, but the children we saw on carnval team were SO happy! The simplest things thrilled them, and it just made me think about how spoiled most of us are (I know I am anyways!) Last, I'd just like to say that we have a wonderful team here. Everyone has such a good, loving attitude, and I am so thankful! All is well.. please continue to pray for our team and the people we come into contact with. Pray that God will use us however He sees fit and that we'll remain "flexible* and follow His leading. Thanks and Love to all!

Whitney Shelnutt

Uganda Mission Team Arrives Safely in Kampala

2010-11-20T00:22:00.002-06:00

Happy to let everyone in the States know that the Uganda team rested well last night. The team will move out this morning to a village outside of Kampala called Awera. We're looking forward to seeing how God uses our time in Uganda to challenge the way we see ourselves, our community and the world. Please keep us in your prayers.

Randy Plaisance
Kampala, Uganda

It Made a Difference to That One

2010-11-19T14:38:00.002-06:00

Most of you have probably heard that story about the little boy walking along the beach, picking up starfish and throwing them back in the ocean. An older man comes along and says to the boy, "There are thousands of starfish on the shore that will die if they do not make it back into the ocean. Why are you doing this?"
The little boy smiles as he picks one up and thows it back to the ocean and says, "It made a difference to that one."

Boy, have we felt that way this week. The need is so great, we cannot begin to even express it. We pray that our stories, pictures, and videos help, but as we head home to tell you about it all...please bear with us. We want to capture your hearts the same way ours have been. There has been so much to process and comprehend in our minds and hearts. It will take us time....and different points of view will come at different times.

Even so, we are so excited to be coming home and to share! Although there were so many we could not help...and we have and still are grieving for those people...we made a difference to that one.

See you all very soon.

We love you,
The Sudan Team:
Rebecca and Tommy
Joy and Yancy
Kevin
Eric
John
Tripp
Daniel

Sudan Team Lands in Uganda

2010-11-19T08:12:00.002-06:00

The Sudan team has landed safely in Uganda. Everyone is resting, preparing for the flight back to the States later this evening.

What a great week we had. Words cannot begin to describe the experience. The trip ended on a great note with Yancy and Joy Carpenter getting to visit the home of our dear friend Bullen Timo. Yancy and Joy prayed with Mr. Timo, as well as all of his family. Bullen, your grandad sends his love and so do all of your other friends and family in Mundri.

Pray for our staff. FCM's Uganda team lands in a few hours with ministry beginning tomorrow.

Tripp Skipper
Kampala, Uganda

Last Ministry Day Underway in Sudan

2010-11-18T02:07:00.003-06:00

The team is physically exhausted but their spirits are strong. I don't know if you realize it but this mobile medical team is the first of its kind in Western Mundri County. Work has been done in East Mundri County but so many of the folks in the villages that we are visiting have never seen a doctor. By the end of the day the team will have seen over 750 patients.

For the family members that were left behind I encourage you to prepare yourself for the stories that will be communicated once the team returns. They have seen a depth of physical pain and suffering that will be difficult to put into words. The pictures and videos will help but they only go so far in helping each team member unpack all that is in their head. Be patient with them. The reality of life in Sudan has set in and the images are a lot to process.

We give all the glory to the Lord. He is writing a story with each of our lives. We give thanks for the goers as well as those that sent. It's all about Him!

God Bless,

Tripp Skipper
Mundri, Sudan

Dr. Eric Robinson in Surgery

2010-11-17T03:03:00.003-06:00

Please pray for Dr. Eric Robinson, one of our team members that is serving in South Sudan this week. As I write this update Eric is performing hernia surgery on several patients at the hospital in Lui, Sudan. The hospital has over thirty patients in need of hernia surgery but there is only one doctor available. Hopefully Eric can help relieve some of the back log over the next two days.

The team rested well last night and the mobile medical clinic is working today in a small village just outside of Mundri. It's hard to believe that we only have one more ministry day left.

Daniel Phillips
Birmingham, Alabama

FCM Leads Medical Team in South Sudan

2010-11-16T06:16:00.002-06:00

Internet is tough to come by in South Sudan but here's a quick update. The team is safe, healthy and doing great. Yesterday we visited a small village just outside of Mundri, called Okari. This is the home village of our dear friend Andrew Elisapana. What a joy to visit with his family. Andrew, your mom and dad send you their love.

As I write this the team is ministering in a village called Mirikalanga. After today the team will have treated over 300 patients, distributing much needed medical supplies. With every prescription that Rebecca fills, the love of Christ is being demonstrated. Yet, we know that even our care is temporary. The spiritual healing that God offers through Christ Jesus is the eternal answer.

Check out FCM's facebook page to view some of this week's pictures.

For the Joy,

Tripp Skipper

Mundri, Sudan

IN SUDAN!!!

2010-11-13T07:05:00.002-06:00

Good afternoon (early morning for you!) from Mundri, Sudan!!!!

We arrived safely a couple of hours ago and have already had lunch (rice, beans, tomatoes and onions, and bread...we hear this will be the norm for us while here), orientation from Jeffreys on what to expect for the week, and a visit to Former Commissioner of Mundri Bullen's home. We think a Commissioner is sort of like a county mayor.

Change of plans....we will no longer be staying in Lui tonight; instead, we will be in Mundri the entire trip. Good news - this means we will have a "shower" the whole time! We will be going to 3 churches tomorrow...Yancy and Joy will be going to Andrew's father's church, John will be speaking at another church, and Eric at another. The rest of us will be going to those churches as well.

The plane trip here went very smoothly - the journey was beautiful and we got to see the Nile! Africa, at least this part, is so green!

Praise the Lord! - all of our medications made it in!! This afternoon or tomorrow we will plan to repack and prepare for Monday's clinic (we thought we were starting tomorrow, but that has changed also).

Our anxiousness has drastically decreased. We are so excited to be here! Please continue to pray for our energy, our unity, and that Jesus will be glorified in everything.

Everyone is well. Tripp has a bit of a cold, so please pray for his health because we need him!

We continue to be thankful for you and all of your prayers!

We love you,
Rebecca and Joy and the boys

On Our Way In

2010-11-12T12:43:00.002-06:00

All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. 2 Corinthians 4:15

Each night, John has been leading us in our share time, and as we prepare to enter Sudan tomorrow, he spoke tonight of giving thanks. How encouraged are we to know that as God's Word reaches the people of Sudan, there will be more thanksgiving and God will receive more glory!

We are good and safe and Daniel should be here any minute, but we are also nervous and anxious about what this next week holds...and we are more aware than ever of how much we need your prayers and God's grace.

Please continue to pray for the whole team and each person we will come into contact with.

We hope to share again with you on Friday sometime when we arrive back in Kampala, Uganda (although, let us just state for the record that contact from Africa is hard....Tripp calls it TIA - This Is Africa!).

Until then...God is good!

We love you,
Joy and Rebecca (and Yancy, Tommy, Kevin, John, Eric, Tripp, Daniel)

In Africa!!

2010-11-11T07:20:00.002-06:00

Hello from Africa!

We can't believe we are finally saying those words! As we look out over Lake Mburo and 2 crowned hornedbill birds (Zazu from the Lion King for any Disney fans!), we write to you with full mouths and hearts! There is so much to tell about, so we'll try to hit the highlights...

Our flight over was...LONG! Both of them. But after repairing a flat tire on our trailer on the way to the Atlanta airport, we were thankful to have made it without any further issues. We landed in Entebbe and arrived Tuesday evening at Father's House.

Father's House is a family-style orphanage that is such a sanctuary from the surrounding area of Kampala. It is a beautiful home overlooking Lake Victoria and the city of Kampala. Even more beautiful is the family inside. Suzanne was a gracious hostess and shared with us about following the Lord's guidance to "father His children." They have about 20 children in the home currently, and they were so much fun to visit with. One message Suzanne shared with us was about the custody battle that exists between God and Satan for the hearts of the children of the world. Oh, how God loves us!!

Wednesday morning we left Father's House and traveled into Kampala to Grace Fellowship Primary School and Church. Pastor Nelson loves the people, and especially the children, of this city! We were loved on by the children at the school, many of them orphans, and they sang for us. It was incredible. They just wanted to touch us...and it reminded us of the woman who just wanted to touch the hem of Jesus' robe. We pray that we showed His face to them.

We also visited the Street Boys...a ministry to boys who live on the street. Many of them are also orphans and have been abused by their families. Abby, a former street boy himself, leads this ministry that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to love on these boys, have Bible study, help with homework, provide a meal, and teach a trade. We had the great honor of praying with these boys and viewing/purchasing some of their beautiful work! When you see the giraffe in our homes, you will know where it came from!

After lunch, we headed to Mohingo Lodge in the Mburo National Park. For those of you who know Tripp well, you will love the fact that we 1) thought this would be a 2 1/2 hour trip, 2) were told as we boarded the bus, that it would take 4 hours, and 3) journeyed 5 hours before arriving!! :) Good times. Literally, for a 5-hour bus ride on African roads, it was! The team has had many opportunities to share with each other. :)

The trip was worth it. On the road to the Lodge, we saw zebra, warthogs, antelope, and massive deer-looking animals. For those of you who know Joy and Rebecca well...we are camping. In a glorified tent, but we. are. camping. We are thankful that the preparation for the trip into Sudan has been gradual.

Today (Thursday) has been a very restful day. Enjoying the animals, the food, and the fellowship. The boys are currently on a boat ride to see more animals. The girls are enjoying extra relaxing. We know the rest of the trip will be full, and we are very thankful that God has provided this respite before the rest of the trip begins.

We fly into Sudan on Saturday. Many of you have been praying for the "logistics of Sudan" as mentioned in Joy's and Rebecca's last email updates. We had no idea of what we were praying for, so we want to close with this miracle and final specific prayer request:

Right before Tripp left for Uganda (a couple of days before the rest of us came), he received word that Jeffreys, the missionary we are working with in Sudan, had not yet received his letter of exemption from the Government of South Sudan to come get the medications from us in Uganda and drive them back over the border into Sudan. Jeffreys told Tripp the letter would not arrive until November 15 or so.
After Tripp landed, he began the search for a way to get the medications to Sudan.

God provided.

Tripp contacted the MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship), and they "just happened" to have an empty plane going into Sudan this Friday...as in tomorrow!

On our way to the Lodge, Tripp spoke to a staff member at MAF, and, in more continued praise, ALL of our medication gets to go in!!! Hallelujah!
Please continue to pray that the medication will make it there before we do. That sounds really simple to us, but evidently, it is not so simple here.

Please also continue to pray for us and our time in Sudan. Pray that God will prepare us. We don't really have a clue. Please pray that we will glorify Him in every single thing we say and do.

Thank you all again for your prayers and support! We love you, and we can't wait to share more with you!

For Him,
Joy and Rebecca and the boys

Headed to Atlanta - Sudan Here We Come!

2010-11-08T08:11:00.002-06:00

So is this what being ready feels like?!

Honestly, I wasn't thinking so. But IT'S HERE!! And I know God is meeting our needs, just as he did for Paul:

"At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts [prayers, support, encouragement] you sent me...They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen." Philippians 4:18-20

If you receive updates from my friend Joy, you will notice some of the content below sounds strangely familiar. :) In her last update, she provided some great thoughts and information that I would like to pass along also.

1. In addition to Apryl's daily updates, we are hoping to have internet access to update the Four Corners blog. Updates can be found at http://4cornersministries.blogspot.com/.
2. If I have the opportunity to, I will post updates on Facebook!
3. A couple of prayer requests: We contacted the Gideon's about getting Bibles in the Moru language. God is so good because they told us that they had just shipped every Moru Bible they had to Lui, Sudan! That's where we are going!! Please pray that we are able to meet up with the right people to get the Bibles. How awesome would it be to give everyone we treat at the clinic the Word of God?! Another prayer request that Tripp mentioned is for the logistics of our travel in Sudan (where we will be when and how we'll get there).
4. We are loaded to the max...I have crammed more stuff into spaces it really doesn't fit over the past 24 hours than I ever have before! I am so thankful that we are able to take so much to help the people we will be visiting, but I am really nervous about it all getting through the check-in process. We have weighed and re-weighed...so please pray that those scales at the airport read no more than 50 pounds!!

Thank you many times over for being the hands and feet of Jesus. I love you all so much and can't wait to share how God glorifies Himself through this trip! Talk to you from Africa!!

Rebecca Cummings
Opelika, Alabama

FCM at Beulah Christian Church

2010-10-31T22:54:00.001-05:00

FCM was given the opportunity this morning to address the folks at Beulah Christian Church. Please pray for Beulah's leadership team as they consider deepening their partnership with FCM.

Packed and Ready to Go!

2010-10-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

As the day draws closer for us to leave for Sudan, Tommy and I are getting more and more excited! We had our final team meeting last night, and Tripp shared from Psalm 91. How perfect! God will protect us, go before us, and deliver us. Hallelujah!

We are packed! It was a goal of the team's to have our personal belongings packed by last night's meeting so that we would know how much extra space we had to take additional items and gifts. Once we calculated and looked at everything, we are definitely going to have enough space to pack everything we had hoped to take. Yay!

Please continue to pray for the team...for our friendships and our time together. There will be lots of time together. :) So please pray that we will not get on each others' nerves, and that we will not allow the little things to bother us. Please pray Psalm 91 over us.

Rebecca Cummings
Opelika, Alabama

Are You Desperate?

2010-10-26T11:57:00.004-05:00

I have two words for you today: TWO WEEKS.

Wow.

To say that I can't believe the trip to Sudan is this close is the understatement of the year!

I have recently been studying Radical by David Platt. I posted the quote below on Facebook earlier today because it so accurately reflects my struggle right now. It provides me a good attitude adjustment for when I get stressed (thinking I can do it...whatever it is) and a great encouragment about our Heavenly Father.

"This is how God works. He puts His people in positions where they are desperate for His power, and then He shows His provision in ways that display His greatness."

And in an attempt to spur you on, check out Hebrews 10:24.

Please continue to pray for me and our team as we prepare to leave for Sudan.

Much Love,

Rebecca Cummings
Opelika, Alabama

FCM Staff Back in Uganda

2010-08-02T14:40:00.002-05:00

The FCM team arrived safely in Uganda on Sunday, August 1st. The trip marks another milestone toward the goal of making the vision of Abaana's Hope a reality. The team will begin the search for housing for Matt and Jamie East, meet with our attorney and real estate consultant, as well as encourage our existing ministry partners in Uganda.

Matt and Jamie have recently joined FCM's team. They will be moving to Uganda next July to launch Abaana's Hope. In addition to making sure that construction timelines are met, Matt and Jamie will invest themselves in potential Ugandan house parents. FCM is planning to open the first home in the Spring of 2012 and bring an additional home online each year.

Be in prayer for us this week. Pray that the right doors will open and that benefical relationships will begin.

Harold Harmon

FCM Moves Forward with Capital Campaign for "Abaana's Hope"

2010-05-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, FCM recently concluded a successful feasibility study with the J.F. Smith Group. We’re excited to announce that the Smith Group has recommended that we move forward with a capital campaign to benefit the vision of Abaana’s Hope, the comprehensive children’s village that FCM will build in Uganda. Please pray for our Executive Planning Committee as they steer the campaign. The committee held their first meeting today so we will keep you informed of the campaign’s progress over the coming months.

FCM Staff Member Arrives in Haiti

2010-01-21T14:24:00.003-06:00

FCM staff member, Trey Reed, left for Haiti this week in partnership with Servants In Faith and Technology (SIFAT) to set up water filtration systems in a village about 35 miles from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Once established, each filtration system can purify 55 gallons of water per minute. The systems use chlorine salt to kill microorganisms and rely on car batteries for power. When set up, the systems can be a permanent source of drinking water.

Please pray for Trey and Tom Corson of SIFAT while they serve in Haiti.

-Tripp Skipper

Uganda 11/26/2009

2009-11-26T13:13:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Howdy from Uganda. I have been so impressed by God this week by so many things. No matter what you feel like God has called you and compelled you to bring to a place like Uganda, God will give more back. It proves you can't out give God. No matter if it's health care, knowledge, or training the relationships that God allows to form and the love to be expressed is entirely from God.

It's neat to see the diversity of all the people on the team here. So many different backgrounds and so many talents and God uses them all for His glory. No gift is too small. No touch and no smile are small in the eyes of these people. That has really blown me away.

The coolest thing is, the fact that sometimes during the day you may think, "I'm just digging in the dirt" or "just painting a face" but you're not. You are apart of God's perfect plan. We get to be involved in His plan. A plan He ordained before the beginning of time. It matters. We may just be a tool in rusty shed but we can be used. That's humbling.

Today after the ladies group had finished their lessons, the interpreter had to leave for a short time. And she asked the class of women and said, "they (the team) has given something to you so you must give something back." So these women stood up and began to sing the most beautiful African worship songs and some even in English that we knew. They didn't have a lot to give but what they did have they gave freely. They gave us their praise to God and an opportunity to worship God on a mountainside in the middle of Uganda. I don't think I will ever forget that little girl singing to God in my mind.

Trey Reed
Roanoke, AL

Uganda 11/25/2009

2009-11-25T12:36:00.002-06:00

Today was a very great day of service to God’s people of Uganda. Many success stories were shared tonight during our sharing time. One of which I’d like to mention. Melodi, Natalie and myself have been teaching the women in the different villages about hygiene, taking care of their bodies both physically and spiritually, the story of Ruth and living Godly single and married lives. Today was a wonderful day of teaching and discussion from the women. They had many questions and concerns. We were able to address them all from the Word of God.

During our teaching time, there is an interpreter to translate from English to Ugandan. This particular interpreter was 16 years old and we discovered later that she was of the muslim faith. She repeated everything that was said to her from the Bible to the women. She read directly from the scriptures and I even asked her to interpret my altar call for salvation. Amazing, she really taught the gospel as we spoke it in English. She was such a sweet spirited young lady. We gave her gifts and a bible afterwards for doing such a great job. I truly believe in my spirit that either a seed was planted or watered today and God will allow someone to reap that harvest.

Matthew 5:16 says Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven. Praise God that we loved on that young girl, we did not offend her religious belief, but we embraced her and showed her the love of Jesus Christ.

We ask that all of you back home pray that God will send laborers into His vineyard for truly there is a great harvest to reach.

God bless you all.

Genece Arnold

Atlanta, GA

Uganda 11/24/2009

2009-11-24T12:15:00.002-06:00

We just finished with our evening share time and the devotion tonight talked about the value of a rubber band. It's value is only determined by how far it can be stretched- today we were definitely like rubber bands- very stretched. We traveled to a remote village called Moomba to do ministry today in a church. We were greeted by many of the church members in their "sanctuary" which was really some small branches tied together with pieces of torn banana leaves and covered by a tarp. They were singing worship songs when we arrived and then they treated us to a "traditional African dance".

Everywhere we looked there were eyes watching us...it was quite obvious that many of the village people have not seen many Americans- they were very timid, shy, and some where actually afraid of us. The medical team shared tonight that when they were able to start this morning (broken down bus along they way) they were given a booklet with 220 names in it- these were the names of the people that had spent the night next to the church last night just because they heard that there was going to be a medical team and medicine in their village today. The team was able to see all of those people, but when they left this afternoon there were as many people still outside the building as were actually seen today. The optical team has a similar story- many people helped, but many more left behind without treatment. The children's carnival had at least 150 children or more and once the children realized that there was nothing to be afraid of if someone was "blowing bubbles" or balloons, they had a wonderful time.

The women's ministry was not actually in a building or structure because they just pulled a few benches out beside one of the structures and then we began. At first the women were very shy, but once we began sharing with the women, they really began to interact with us. We shared with them about Christian marriage principles, hygiene topics- including a lesson on how to floss your teeth(something they had NEVER heard of!). We also studied the book of Ruth. It occurred to me tonight as we were sharing that one of the points that we have been learning from this study is that God had a plan for Ruth in the midst of her despair, in the midst of her hurt- He had a plan for Hope and Peace. That is what we are standing on with our brothers and sisters in the Moomba village- God has a plan for them, a plan for Hope and Peace. He is the all powerful, and all knowing Provider for them- not our medical team or optical team or carnival team. In fact- even though we have already run out of a lot of supplies- the most important thing that we brought with us is the Holy Spirit in each of us. His strength is perfect, when we are at the end of ourselves.

Melodi Isbell
Church of Brook Hills (SCMD)

Uganda 11/23/2009

2009-11-23T14:12:00.002-06:00

A Warm Welcome

“We are happy to receive you” was the message our Uganda team heard over and over as we arrived at Hope of Glory Church in the village of Myanzi today. As we walked off the buses following a 2 ½ hour trip, we were immediately greeted by villagers of all ages, shaking our hands and wishing us well. The message was repeated as we entered their open-air church covered by torn tarps that flapped in the wind. As soon as we were seated in the best seats available that had been reserved for our team, Pastor David Ndibanunula greeted us warmly and reminded his congregation of the long hours of travel that brought our team to Myanzi from the United States. The appreciation expressed by Pastor David and everyone we encountered today was both humbling and overwhelming. We were serenaded by the children of the church as they offered their songs of appreciation and welcome.

Soon, it was off to work for each of our teams as we set up in sheds and any spots we could find on the bare dirt grounds of the village. The medical/pharmacy and optical teams were quickly overwhelmed by the number of people seeking help. By day’s end, the optical team had seen 65 patients and the medical/pharmacy team had treated more than 200 patients. Our fatigue was offset by the tremendous offering of love and thanks we received today. One of the most phenomenal parts of our day was that the medical/pharmacy team was able to save the life of a severely dehydrated baby by giving IV fluids. What an impact that simple act made! The optical team had many success stories as well, including finding the right prescription for Pastor David and making him a pair of glasses. He was very grateful.

The men’s and women’s ministry teams shared important information with the villagers and were well received. Steve, one of the men who had worked in this village last year, shared with the team how surprised he was that the men were receptive to his group’s teaching this year. Last year, this was the hardest group for him to reach, so he sees progress being made. Praise God! Last but not least, the carnival team had amazing success as they entertained and loved on more than 200 children.

On a personal note, I was moved today by the attitudes of the people of Myanzi. They recently lost most of their school and church and many of their homes (including Pastor David’s) in wind and hail storms, yet they greeted us like royalty and worshipped God with a fervor and passion that most of us could never imagine. They truly represented “light in the darkness” as their faces demonstrated love and joy in the midst of horrifying poverty. As I pulled my exhausted body onto the bus this afternoon, I was ashamed that I even felt any exhaustion considering how these people live on a daily basis. I was also reminded of the devotion shared by Bro. Richie Farrow before we departed this morning. Using a passage from Acts 20, Bro. Richie implored us to avoid letting our fatigue or other circumstances derail our efforts. He added, “Finish the race. When you leave Uganda, know you have done your best.” We may not have helped everyone today, but I know we did our best.

To our prayer warriors back at home, please keep it up! We have a lot left to do in Uganda. We love you.

Stephanie Kirby

Uganda 11/22/2009

2009-11-22T13:23:00.004-06:00

Wow! Where do we begin? Jesus is Amazing!

I am not a writer but I was asked to share a story with all our readers so here it goes. Yesterday, our first day here in Uganda, I asked one of our two bus drivers if he was a Christian. I had already asked the other the night before, he was a Christian, but the 2nd one, Adam, told me no I am a Muslim. I am not sure how many of you have ever had a chance to witness to a muslim but let me tell you they are very, very difficult to reach. But I began to talk with Adam about Christianity and Islam as we traveled.

I shared Jesus with him and how that the bible tells us in Acts 4:12 there is no other name by which one could be saved. I could see the conviction on face and in his eyes but he would not submit because of his mother who is also muslim. As I left him I shared with him how I was going to be praying for him and I encouarged him to attend our church services at Grace Fellowship the next day. I shared how that I would be praying that the Holy Spirit would speak to him again. Once meeting with the team I shared with them to be praying for Adam, which they all commited to do.

Sunday morning I woke up at 5:00 with Adam on my mind. I began to pray and God began to give me scriptures to write down for him to read. Once he got to the Motel I gave him the list and encouraged him to read them. I did not see him again till we got back to the hotel after a day in the field where we saw 14 people give their lives to the Lord. Praise the Lord!

When I saw him tonight, he had a bright, big smile on his face. His first words were thank you for the scriptures I read them and then he opened his Gideon bible, which he gotten somewhere, to the very last scripture I had written down Acts 16: 33-34. He had underlined the two verses. He said I am a Believer now. I began to question him on when he had accepted Jesus and had he told anyone. His answer, " no I have not told any one and I did this morning during the church service when the young man maybe younger than me was speaking at the church." That young man was Jerry Cotney. I am sharing this one story with you to let you know how prayer works and how Jesus works. He used everyone on our team to reach Adam. Some plant, some water, but Jesus gives the increase. With Adam we had 15 people saved today. All Praise goes to Jesus.
Keep praying for us.

Richie Farrow
High Pine Baptist Church, Roanoke

Sudan Team Arrives Safely

2009-11-22T06:22:00.004-06:00

Eleven team members have arrived safely in Sudan to begin their work with the persecuted church. They will be conducting Men's Leadership Training and building wells in partnership with Neverthirst. Be sure to stay tuned for updates as we can get them out. - Gary Clark, Wadley, Alabama

Uganda 11/21/2009

2009-11-21T13:41:00.003-06:00

"Welcome to Uganda", Tripp said on our bus ride from the Entebbe airport last night. We'd been traveling for 30 plus hours straight. 3 plane flights later, I was tired, but Tripp had me beat. It looked like he'd been up for about 3 days preparing for our arrival. You know that glowing sheen on the face and greasy hair that happens on mission trips. But Tripp did it with pleasure. I realized the amount of preperation necessary for this team's arrival in that moment.

"TIA will explain a lot for you this week", Tripp went on, "meaning This Is Africa." He went on to explain how differently things work here that may not make sense to us, but that's just how it is here. As always, we were reminded to be flexible, expecting sudden changes in schedule and plans, and allowing those things to happen without becoming frustrated.

Today was spent seeing a cultural landmark and touring the Watoto orphan village as we recovered from the long travel. The landmark was the former palace of the Ugandan king. He now lives in a modern home, his monarchy alive and well, just not politically. The palace consisted of the world's largest thatch hut, inside of which we learned of the Ugandan history. Currently, their government is run by a president and the king is sort of a cultural figurehead, much like the situation in Great Britian.

The Watoto orphan village was our next stop. We walked on school campuses, and homes built by the hands of God for his orphaned children. The birth and development of this creation is truly phenomenal, so I encourage you to visit watoto .com to learn more. We held babies that had been thrown away in trash dumps, abandoned at police stations, and rescued by the loving arms of this ministry. Watoto raises the kids into responsible christians and productive citizens of Uganda.

After a nifty pizza dinner, we got our first dose of TIA. Our bus driver hadn't been feeling well and didn't accompany us inside. Once we were finished, we got back to the bus, but there was no driver. He must have decided to go home, we don't know. This Is Africa.

Tomorrow, we're splitting into sub-groups to worship in Nelson Kasoka's church and various church plants around Kampala. Pray for us as we begin using our God given talents for his glory tomorrow and the week to come. Thank you!

Jerry Cotney Jr.
Roanoke, AL

Uganda 11/20/2009

2009-11-20T23:43:00.002-06:00

Hello friends and family of Four Corners Ministries. After more then 3000 miles of traveling we finally arrived in Uganda. We settled into our hotel rooms and are ready for a day of ministry unto the Lord.

Check back for updates as we will try to post them daily. Thank you for your prayers and support and praise God for our time here. We pray that God will open the hearts of the people here to see His glory as we partner with Pastor Nelson in this mission. God bless you all and keep you.

Lynch, Kentucky Mission Trip Day 3

2009-09-26T16:08:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been blessed by God beyond your wildest dreams when you thought He was sending you to bless others? I have. My name is B.J. Hill and I am currently a sophomore at Troy University. This is the third mission trip that God has allowed me to partake in, and I am extremely grateful. I strongly feel God has called me to the mission field so I am very excited to see what He has in store for me in the future. This trip in particular has turned out to be a major blessing in many ways. The theme of our week was entitled "My Story" and I had the pleasure to hear one particular story full of faith and love for our one and only true God.

Drew Baldwin is a man who shared his own personal story with me as I got to work side by side with him during our trip here in Lynch, Ky. I had the privilege to work at The Stables at Creekside, which is a branch of Merinzo Ministries, where Drew is the director of the stables. I began working at the stables on Friday and I had no idea why God would choose to put me there where I had no idea what to do. It didn't take me long to absolutely realize that God places us where He knows we need to be; He truly works everything out for a reason to fulfill His purposes and bring glory to His name. God placed me in a circumstance where the true life story of a man full of faith was clearly revealed to me.

Drew was born in a small town in Tennessee where he grew up and later attended Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Upon graduating from Union University, Drew decided that God wanted him to attend seminary in North Carolina. When he was praying and trying to figure out the plans that God had for him he was offered an opportunity to participate in Meridzo Ministries as the stable director. As with all good things that God presents to us there was a catch...some might call it "drop everything and follow me." Drew left everything to pursue what God had written in his life story long before Drew was even born. The most amazing part o fhis story that really blessed me in many ways is the fact that upon leaving everything to come to Lynch, Ky to work, he also came to work for nothing but the glory of God.

Drew lives on the estate that the ranch and soon to be youth camp are located. He doesn't have to pay for his home that was God-given, but he pays bills for utilities like every home owner does. He does this in a different way than most people do...because he has no salary Drew depends on faith that God will provide the money when they need it. As a testament, they have never had a bill unpaid or behind because our God is always on time and provides when we have faith that He will no matter the circumstances. Drew also gives free riding lessons to children in hopes that they will see God in one of His most beautiful creations. As I am sitting here writing this story Drew walks in out of no where and just adds to the blocks of faith that him and his wife have built their lives upon. Drew's wife Leah has been needing a new car to replace her 93' Jeep with a little over 300,000 miles on it but of course the expenses weren't there. After a while spent in prayer and the faith that God WILL provide, an old friend from years past made a "God-call" and told them she felt God wanted her to give them her 2000 Odyssey van.

After reading this I hope you can feel the power of faith sweep over you like I have. I have never had my life changed so much by another person's life story than the one told just above you. Faith is not something that we can create ourselves, but it is what we use to cling to by believing in our Lord Jesus Christ and the amazing things he has done and will do in our lives.

Hebrews 11:1 "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

B.J Hill
Community LIFE Church

Lynch, Ky Mission Trip Day 2 Part 3

2009-09-25T21:32:00.004-05:00

I spent the day at Freedom Center in downtown Lynch. We handed out shoes and coats to whoever came up. There was a steady stream of people all day long and as the people poured in I began to realize God was working on both sides of the equation.

On one side, God's love is being showed through helping people get the things they need. On the other side, I am fulfilling my calling through the Great Commission and showing my faith through my deeds. I watched as the Body of Christ came together in unity and became His hands and feet to this community starving to feel the love of Christ.

I spoke with a guy named Josh who had been a Christian for 2 months. He was working in the area helping in the local ministries. I noticed the girlw ith him and asked if it was his wife.

He responded, "Not yet!"

I asked him to explain.

"Well, as I got to reading the Bible, I realized that by me living with this girl, i was living in direct sin against God. And so, i've got to do the right thing before God and marry her."

I couldn't help but notice that he said that he had to do what was right before God. He didn't say that he had to do it for his girlfriend or his son that was on the way. To be such a young Christian, it was amazing to hear those words. He actually got it.

It wasn't about what everyone else thought was right, but that he answers only to God and no one else.

Trey Reed
Community Life

Lynch, Ky Mission Trip Day 2 Part 2

2009-09-25T19:06:00.005-05:00

I worked with the Sacks of Love today.When we were getting ready to go all I knew was that i would be putting food in back packs to send home with little children who would not have food for the weekend, little did I know that these children would touch my life in a way that no one else can.

As the day began we started off packing up back packs with food while we talked about how the ministry got started. Then the children began coming in and I shortly realized that food was not the only need these children had. From children asking for wipes to wash their faces with to wanting to know if we had a pair of socks they could have because they had been wearing there parents all week, or even needing a notebook so they could complete their school work, all the supplies were there and all the needs were fulfilled.

One thing that I believe touched my heart the most was this one little boy who came in all red faced and breathing hard. When we asked him why he had been running he said "I wanted to make sure I got some raisins in my back pack cause I sure do love those raisins!" When I got to thinking about how excited and grateful this little boy was over a box of raisins it made me realize how much I take for granite everyday.

I had always heard that God works in mysterious ways and sometimes wandered what his plan was for me in my life, but through one little boy and his love for raisins God taught me that i do have a place in this world and I realized that he not only bought me to Lynch,m Kentucky so that maybe I could touch lives but that he bought me here so that my life could be touched!

Grace Jackson
Rocky Creek

Lynch, Ky Mission Trip Day 2

2009-09-25T16:33:00.004-05:00

This evening, I watch as the afternoon showers continue to roll through Lynch, Ky and the clouds roll down the mountains like a blanket, tucking this sleepy little town to bed.

Today was our first day out in the field. We had six different teams serving around the city. We had a team serve in downtown Lynch working alongside Freedom Center Ministries. They spent the day passing out shoes and coats to those in need. They took time to pray with each person that came up today.

We had two teams serve at Maridzo Ministries farm. One team cleaned and maintained the horse stables and learned how to lasso. The other team finished roofing a small building that will be used in youth and teen outreach around the area.

One team served at the local elementary schools and handed out backpacks filled with food and school supplies.

Another team worked at Fish and Loaves ministry organizing and preparing food to be handed out later this month.

The final took on a personal job at a local families house. They took the time to build a handicap ramp for a disabled child.

I got the wonderful opportunities to see each of these ministries in action as I traveled around and took pictures. Each time I held the lens up to my face, tears filled my eyes as I saw the Body of Christ at work. it wasn't about one specific church or organization making a difference, but simply the Body working as it should-serving as the hands, the feet, and the voice of Christ. I watched as the love of Christ was poured out upon these people unconditionally and I watched as lives were changed.

The stories we have collected from our encounters today have forever changed our own lives and we hope that we will be able to share some of those stories with you soon. The sun continues to set and the clouds have finished their journey. As for us, greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.

David Pike
Community Life Church

Arriving at Lynch Ky

2009-09-24T20:45:00.002-05:00

We arrived at Benum,KY around 5:30. We viewed the muesum and learned some of the history about the rise and fall of this mining town. From there we continued on to Lynch, Ky to Solomon's Porch. This is were both teams will be staying. The Bethel East team and the Roanoke team. We all had a safe and fun 9 hour trip that only seemed like 5 hours. HaHa. We all hope to be able to spread God's love thuough work and testimony while we are here. Continue to pray for us that we will grow in faith in the lord and allow him to work through each of us. It is very beautiful here. Gary had a wonderful meal waiting for us. We will leave for our duties at 8:00a.m.. We are broken into 5 groups. Our theme for the weekend is "What's your story". So pray that our personal stories will touch someone and allow us to share what God has done for us in each of our lives.

Thanks for all your prayers,

Alabama Mission Team

Lynch, Ky Mission Trip Day 1

2009-09-24T20:41:00.003-05:00

Well, we finally made it. After 8 hours of travel filled with packed vehicles and a few wrong turns, we are here. The ride was long and tiresome, but well worth it. Not only did I become closer with my fellow Christians, I began to understand a little bit more about myself; more about where I fit into the big picture-my portion of the story that God is writing.

As we traveled up the steep mountains and back down into the deep valleys, I was reminded of a similar trip I took almost 10 years ago with my youth group. We traveled to Bluefield, West Virginia. Another coal mine town similar to Lynch. In fact, it was almost a replica of the same thing I had experienced so long ago.

The roads up the mountains were lined with medium sized houses that had not been kept up in some time. The yards were unkept and many of the houses and buildings looked abandoned. My heart immediately stung with hurt for these people.

I couldn't help but notice how ironic it was that God was bringing me back to a similar place that I had once visited in my story and that I would be ministering to alot of the same demographics of people. It seems, I had become so worried about the starving children in Africa as of late, that I had forgotten about my own countrymen who had not experienced the love that comes from Christ.

Tonight after dinner, Lonnie, the owner of the place that we are staying, spoke to us about his story and how fully relying on God and realizing that nothing he had done or accomplished was his to boast about anyway-that everything came from God. The words he spoke hit home with what my own heart had been telling me. It had been crying out to express the same things- that nothing else matters except fully relying on Christ for your every need and that He wants to pour out His gifts and blessings onto each of us, if we will just trust Him.

David Pike
Community Life Church

Returning Home from Honduras

2009-07-05T00:40:00.004-05:00

Saturday July 4, 2009

What an eventful day this has been!! We left Orphanage Emmanuel this morning at 6:00AM local time in order to try to get to the airport early and hopefully avoid any political demonstrations. About halfway throught the 2 hour drive, we encountered a roadblock and were stopped by the Honduran military. All the men were ordered off the bus and made to line up facing the bus and with our backs to the soldiers, presumably so that we could be searched for any weapons. Tito, our bus driver, explained to the men that we were Christians from America. After a few minutes, they decided that we posed no threat and allowed us to return to the bus. No harm done - these young men were just doing their job in a very difficult time for their country.

We made it to the airport, got checked in, and went to the food court to have lunch. Everything was going according to plan. The Alabama team was to depart at 12:15 and our North Carolina team along with Kevin Neely was to leave on the 2:20 flight. The Alabama team left as scheduled, but at about 1:00 pm those of us assigned to the second flight were told that the airport was closing and there would be no more flights out today. That turned out not to be true, but for a while there we were unsure exactly what was going to happen. What we later learned was that the situation outside was growing more serious and the military was about to take control of the airport. American Airlines rushed everyone onto the plane and we left about 45 minutes early, on what we understand was the last flight out.

It has been a week of fun and hard work, of good food and fellowship, and a total dependence on God to handle a situation over which we had no control. So now we are home in the relative safety of the United States, with a freedom that we often take for granted. We need to remember to pray for the Honduran people, as these folks have a great love for their country just as we do for ours. All of those I talked with are deeply saddened by what is happening in their country right now.

As for those of us on the mission teams, we must now struggle with returning to our "normal" lives, whatever that might mean. We will never be the same after this week - the Holy Spirit has taught us things we could not have learned in any other circumstance. Although our teams had never met before last Sunday, June 28, we have come together as brothers and sisters in Christ, something that just doesn't happen apart from God's work in our hearts and lives.

I think I can speak for the team in saying how much we appreciate Gary Clark. His faithfulness to God's call and his love for the people of Honduras is evident. It has been a joy to work with you again this year, brother!

And now, "Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy!" (Psalm 67:3-4) May His Name be praised for ever and ever and ever!

Tim Kerley
Mountain View Baptist

Honduras Day 6

2009-07-05T00:37:00.000-05:00

Friday July 3, 2009

Waking up this morning at 3:45 am was not as planned. One of our fellow team members forgot the time difference and so she decided to take a shower in the middle of the night. Continuing our day at the normal time, we painted, handed out stickers and shoes, and played with the kids. Before lunch we had a tour of the entire orphanage, and had a brief update on the history of each building and how it came about. We were told that Orphanage Emmanuel was founded in 1989 by David and Lydia Martinez who were led by God to raise orphan Honduran children and teach them the way they should go. All the kids have a story behind where they came from. Even though they have been in bad situations, God had a plan for them to come here. This is where we come in.

At the very beginning of our day, we all woke up and joined a circle that was really big. It consisted of every child who lives here and us. We worshiped the Lord by singing songs and listening to Pastor Tim Whaley. Afterwards we ate breakfast and broke up into our groups to minister to the kids one last time. Some went to the toddler house and showed their affection towards the youngsters, which was really needed. Others went to a building to paint columns. Although there were no painted bodies today, there was fun within the group. Anything we do for God, we should always rejoice in it. Everyone else went to see the children with special needs, except Hali, who decided to help with laundry. These special kids are very special so they were the children who had the hardest time letting go.

After our delicious lunch made by the older girls living here, we continued to do what God called us here to do. All the children were sad to see us say our goodbyes since we are leaving tomorrow. Some of the children cried and some of us cried too. It was a very sad time for us all. No one wanted to leave the children here so someone talked to us about sponsorship. Several of us want to sponsor a little kid that we had met while here. After this, we all got on the bus and headed to a local restaurant where we enjoyed fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a dessert of ice cream.

When we returned we had a quick bible study and then headed off to pack the rest of our belongings. It has been a week of praise and fellowship. We have made friendships that will last a lifetime. All of the North Carolina team will return late Saturday night along with part of the Alabama team. The remaining will return Sunday. We have all enjoyed this week and would like to stay, and will most definitely return again.

Bethany, Cameran, & Terra
Mountain View Baptist

P.S. Please pray for our safe return to the United States.

Honduras Day 5

2009-07-02T22:46:00.001-05:00

Today was another wonderful day at Orphanage Emmanuel. Some activities included painting one of the dining halls, finishing installing a fence, building a shelving system for holding bags of coffee to sell at their store, and playing with children. An additional experience for some was the necessary slaughter of quite a few chickens to help provide food. It was messy on the front end, but the fried chicken at supper was excellent! ;-)

A special treat tonight was having the founders of the Orphanage address the group. They gave complete detail of how God gave them a vision for this ministry, the initial sacrifice in leaving the security of their home, and the many steps of faith taken over the past 20+ years. It was such a humbling experience hearing how they trusted God so many times and He always answered above and beyond their expectations. I think all of us left challenged to follow God’s call regardless of the cost. Our experience here this week is a living testament to the important mission God had for this couple. They have laid up rewards in heaven, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be here and show the love of Christ to these children.

We cannot believe our week here is almost over. God has spoken to our group in different ways and taught us many things over the past few days. It is our prayer that what we have learned will continue to impact our lives upon our return.

Andy and Jenny Blevins

Learning to be a Servant

2009-07-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful day in Guaimaca. As the alarm sounded at 5:00 am we
made our way to our first cup of coffee. We then joined the children in
several locations throughout the orphanage for "Morning Circle". This
time was quite special as the boys and girls listened to the Word of God
and praised Him for the blessings of life. The staff which leads Circle
gives the guest and residents the opportunity to share what God may have
laid on their heart during the night or even first thing in the morning.
As the circle disbanded, we headed for a nutritious breakfast of pancakes
and cereal. Gary then handed out assignments giving everyone a choice to
use their talents where they feel comfortable. Some of the ministry
opportunities included building fences, scooping cattle poop, working
with special needs children and painting. While I would love to share the
experiences of others, I, unfortunately, was assigned to painting. Now
for those of you who know me, I am NO painter. However, God would not
allow me to abandon this opportunity because He knew I dreaded it so
much. I will end with the spiritual lesson learned at the end of this
journal entry.

Following our assignments, I tried desperately to waste as much time as
possible uploading all the blogs and forwarding my personal journal entry
to Karen. This, of course, did not last long and I made my way to the
first of three painting assignments for the day. With a heart filled with
great disdain, I found myself sitting on the hot cement floor painting a
wall that, in my opinion, could have gone at least one more year before
repainting. As I said yesterday, this place is kept in such excellence
that I was ashamed for even thinking such a thought. I had just sat down
and one of my co-laborers asked Hali if she had initiated me. With great
fear and trembling I somehow knew what was about to happen. Hali made her
way to me with a roller filled with paint and preceded to paint my right
leg a beautiful sea green color. Realizing I had no other option but to
accept my initiation into the club, I laughed and continued painting my
assigned section. It was then that God began to reveal to me that my
hatred of painting had nothing to do with the work as much as it did with
my vanity. Painting can be a very NASTY job. I knew going into the
situation that painters always go home with as much paint on them as they
had used and this was about to be me.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "in for a penny in for a pound"? We
finished our first painting project and began cleaning our brushes for
the next job. It dawned on me that this would be a great opportunity to
take revenge on Hali. Knowing that this was going to open a proverbial
can of worms, I took the paint brush and watered down paint bucket and
slung it on my already NASTY co-laborers. While most escaped, Hali, of
course, was my main target. She then found me with my back to her and she
painted my head with a full brush of the same paint she painted my leg.
It does not take much smarts to know what happened next. Most everyone on
the team joined in and all was covered with paint spattering. What fun we
had and what a great lesson God taught me about being willing to do
whatever was needed even if it was something we despise.

Our second project was painting the bakery. This is a building that was
built to help teach the girls how to bake while at the same time
supplying baked goods for the orphanage. While we were not sure if we
would finish before lunch, the crew set out to accomplish the second
project and we did indeed finish as the dinner bell rang. Yes, we went to
lunch looking worse than any neglected orphan you could imagine. It
began with the looks, then the stares and finally the hearty guffaws and
jokes but our team held our heads up high and ate lunch taking great
pride in our accomplishments.

Although I begged Gary to "need" me with coffee distribution, I knew that
the lesson God was teaching was not over. So, with paintbrush in hand and
only half our crew we began our final painting project for the day. Two
of the men, Tim Kerley and Andy Blevins from the North Carolina team were
given the task of mixing paint for the cook house which was our next
project. They did an excellent job. We began painting and had two-thirds
of the outside of the building complete when Cyndal Maddox noticed a
bluish tint in what she had painted. OOPS! Because of the fun we had
earlier, we had failed to wash completely the roller she was using and
the blue paint began to fade into the cream color mixture used by
everyone else. As we paused to determine our next course of action we
could do nothing but laugh and repaint. While we were trying to be
excellent in what we were doing, our resources are limited and we had
to do what we could do. We mixed once again some more paint and got it as
close as we could to our original color. It looks great, but don't look
too closely. We painted for at least three hours until we were asked to
exit while the staff prepared to feed the children.

Heading immediately for the showers, it took me thirty minutes to wash
the dry paint out of my hair while all the time thinking murderous
thoughts toward a sixteen year old. (just kidding D.Ann). I think I now
have a bald spot on the top of my head from the hair lost in washing it
at least four times. Once out of the shower we readied ourselves for the
mid-week worship service in the chapel. Each of the mission teams on
campus along with more than two hundred of the students gathered for an
awesome time of worship, teaching, and praying. This time was incredible
as we listened to both English and Spanish speaking children of God raise
their voices singing How Great is Our God. I have chills running all
over my body even as I think of the beauty of such praise. There could be
no better way to end our day of service to Jesus.

Following dinner we moved to another room for a time to wrap up and
share what God had done in our lives during the day. What I shared was
the spiritual lesson I wanted to pass on to you as I mentioned earlier.

As Christians we can say that we love God and desire to be His servants
but unless we are willing to do even the things we despise or hold in
great disdain, we are not servants at all. We can go on mission trips,
give generously to our churches, love our spouses and children and even
sacrifice something important to serve God but unless we are completely
obedient to Him, we have accomplished nothing. God wants to take us out
of what we are comfortable with and place us in situations where we must
trust Him and be ready to learn whatever He wants to teach.

Steve Dean

Honduras Day 4

2009-07-02T10:38:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody,

It is so beautiful here!!! God has really shown all of us so much, like that we can trust Him, and we should be faithful to him. This morning we all had a great time at circle, circle is in the morning. This is the kids devotional and worship time. Michelle, Tim, Julie, Cameron, Courtney, myself, and others went to the older girl circle. The rest of the team went to either, younger girls, older boys, or younger boys circles. Personally I have had a great time here at Emmanuel. The service at church tonight was so amazing, first we would sing in English and then move into a song in Spanish. The kids here are so awesome to be around! I thought that I would lean more towards the younger children, but surprisingly we have made eight new friends between the ages of 14 to 18. The best part for us was that we have sponsored a girl for 8 years now and we finally got to meet her, she sat with us in the service and then we prayed for her at the altar. We told her how special she was to our family and that really made her feel so good. She cried!!!! This will be a trip for us to remember since it is mine and my mom’s first mission trip and we get to do together. Please be praying for us as will be trying to come home on Saturday. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated.

In Christ Jesus,
Ashley and Michelle Rafferty
P.S. Sarah, Maggie, and Susu we are doing great and can not wait to see you. Love you all bunches. See you soon!!!

Seeing with a Different Perspective

2009-07-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

As I sit here in the courtyard of the orphanage in hills in the middle of a Third World Country to reflect on the day that was, I can’t help but consider this verse.
Today was a great day. We awoke around 6 AM to make it to Circle. Jessie and I went with the group of older boys. Knowing the foundation of their day is the Word and sharing and worship really encouraged me. These children are getting the structure children, and even adults, so crave.

After Circle, we ate breakfast and broke into our work groups. Jessie went to build and repair barbed-wire fences. I went to paint the soccer court. It was a great day to be painting. The weather was perfect and the fellowship was nice as none of us complained and did the work needed as joyfully as possible. And we all managed to get painted almost as much as the wall in the process.

We had lunch and then I went to the Toddler House and enjoyed my time with Jose and Natalia and Oscar and Luis and Luisito and Yency and several others. My goal for the week is the learn all of their names. I have a ways to go. But they are all wonderful children and a great blessing to be around and love on, so I look forward to the challenge.

Once I got back from the House, I helped label the first batch of Emmanuel Café which is coffee to be sold as a business venture to help support the Orphanage. I feel privileged to be in on the ground floor of it.

Then off to the Wednesday worship service. It was quite a blessing being a part of the bilingual service. Singing songs in Spanish, although we had no clue of the meanings of those words, was great because I knew God honored it and blessed our worship together.

Being here and being apart of something so much greater than me is awe inspiring. I am so thankful God choose me to be in on these blessings. I know He is using this to increase my faith and trust in Him in order that, by His grace, He can conform me into His image and shifting gaze upward.

On the flight in, my thought was the higher we got, the smaller the world looked. As my gaze has shifted higher and moved toward God throughout this week, the “stuff” here means less and less.

Keith Jones
Grace Fellowship Community Church

Fruitful week in Uganda

2009-07-02T09:57:00.002-05:00

It's Thursday afternoon in Kampala. It's been an unbelievably productive and revealing week, but Harold and Tripp and I are dragging a bit. Our minds are in pure overload. I'm not sure we can absorb anything else as we get ready to come home tomorrow night.

We've visited with at least a dozen ministry sites this week, with numerous in-depth, multi-hour, intensive conversations at several sites. We've met with attorneys and CEOs and pastors and house parents and children who were raised in villages for orphans. We've looked at land and talked to land agents. We collected several pounds of business cards. We've asked hundreds of questions. We've heard dozens of stories, both encouraging and cautionary. We've met some wonderful people in the sites we had planned to visit, and have been referred to other wonderful people along the way. We've also met some people that clearly would not mesh with FCM's calling. God has opened and closed many doors for us throughout the week. We decided earlier today that we have seen and heard more in one week than we ever could have imagined on "Africa time".

Oh, and we found a really, really good Mexican restaurant last night. Imagine this...a woman named Yam, from New York City, owns and runs a first-class Tex-Mex restaurant in the middle of Kampala, Uganda. Go figure. Also, go and eat there if you are ever in Kampala. I think the name was Lotus Mexicana. They even had real sweet tea! I'm pretty sure we'll all drink sweet tea at the banquet tables in heaven.

They say variety is the spice of life - and if this is true, then our Mexican meal last night was a good description of our week. We've seen an extremely broad spectrum of ministries.

At one end of the spectrum we met a couple (from the U.S.) who pours their lives into 10 Ugandan children, being their literal "for life" adoptive parents. They do this in the most beautiful home and gardens I've ever seen on 4 acres of land on top of a hill overlooking Lake Victoria. They raise these children to know that they belong to their true Father, and that their earthly parents are merely a reflection of the One who loves them perfectly. They also have adopted children they raised from Ukraine, as well as their own biological children, who are all helping to raise these Ugandan children in one of the most unique family environments I've ever seen. Their calling is to invest their entire lives into a small number of children who will grow up to be kingdom children, not Ugandans or Americans. This ministry, called The Father's House, is the deepest practical and spiritual investment imaginable in a very small group of kids.

On the other end of the spectrum we saw a ministry that cares for and educates 515 orphans on about 100 acres of rocky land outside Kampala. This ministry has built dormitories for the kids, with 515 kids in three cramped dorms - with kids sleeping on triple-decker bunk beds. These kids are loved and educated and given clothing and a dry place to sleep every night, but they have no electriciy, and they only eat beans and corn mash every day for every meal. The ministry struggles to afford even water for this large number of kids.

In between those two extremes we saw many others, including Watoto (which we talked about in the first blog entry). We had a chance to meet with their CEO yesterday and ask questions for over an hour. He answered every question, and has offered to provide anything we need, including blueprints for their buildings and their training materials. It was obvious that they were not territorial or possessive or controlling of the ministry, although their standards were very high at the three Watoto ministry sites we visited. At this time it seems that our hearts are being pulled somewhere between Watoto and The Father's House.

We met for lunch with a group of young people today who were leading a ministry founded by a 19 year old American girl 6 years ago. She's 25 today and still leading the ministry. She shared very candidly their journey of learning hard lessons and provided some of the clearest insight for us in how to walk alongside the Ugandan people in a way that was mutually beneficial to both us and them. They were so helpful and had an amazing amount of God-given wisdom for people their age. In her story I had a glimpse of the unwavering heart for God and people that I pray develops in my own daugthers (I have three, 7 year and under), but I can only imagine how hard it was for her parents to hear their 19 year old daughter come home from her first trip to Africa and say, "God has called me to pour my life into Uganda...".

We also met with legal counsel and learned that it will take at least six months to set up the non-profit in Uganda, which is necessary before land can be purchased. That's probably a good thing, since there are many things to pray about and research and consider before purchasing and developing a property. Good property is not cheap or plentiful here. The properties we saw today strongly reinforced this truth: God will have to lead us to the right place at the right time. And He will.

The visit also reinforced that there will need to be a lot of American presence as the children's village is built and begun. Perhaps some of you who are reading this blog will have the privilege of one day sharing in the adventure of being part of a ministry team that rotates into Africa to help facilitate care for these helpless children.

The needs here are endless, about the size of the ocean. Even our best life-long efforts will only be a drop in the bucket. But consider this. In God's eternal view (the only one that really matters), every drop is precious. Every child is precious...even the littlest things matter, if they flow from His Life. "Even a cup of cold water given to a child" matters.... We may not see it that way naturally, but ask the Lord to show us what He sees. If we learn to see with the eyes of a heart that is intimately connected to Him, then we begin to see a completely different reality. A world where large and loud and impressive are sometimes much less valuable than quiet hugs or a simple cup of cold water given in His name to one child. Or five or fifty children hugged and given water every day until they are adults.

The only work that matters is the work that flows from the Spirit of God. Everything else, no matter how impressive, is wood, hay and stubble in God's eyes. Right?

When God is the source of our life and ministry, then what we do is eternally valuable - no matter how large or how small it looks to us. We are realizing that whether we care for 20 or 100 or 2500 kids is not the question before us. The question is, "What does the Father want? What is He inviting us to join Him in doing?" And we can only know the answer to that as we know and listen to Him. So we are wanting to trust Him to show us His direction for this village - all of us who He has given a desire to be part of this. And we are more clear than ever that this village will have to happen in His time, and in His way.

Do you know what that truth does? It lets us rest in Him. It relieves us of the pressure of figuring it all out.

I was a paratrooper in the Army many years ago. When we would get in the plane we always had a jumpmaster who was in charge. He would pay attention to what was ahead and know exactly when it was time for us to jump. As soldiers with parachutes inside the plane we had no idea where we were, or what was below us. We would train and prepare and work hard to get ready for our mission, and once on the plane we would sometimes fly for hours. Then when it was near time to jump we would line up and hook up and move toward the door. The door would open and then we would...continue to wait. Our eyes and ears were only on the jumpmaster as we waited to go. If we jumped on our own time, early or late, we would not land in the target zone, and might instead land in a lake or a highway or worse. We would also miss fulfilling the mission for which we had prepared.

When, finally, we were over the jump zone the jumpmaster would yell "Go" and the lights above the door would turn from red to green - and we would go piling out the door, jumping out into the pitch black night, totally dependent on the jump master to get us over the right landing zone. We literally had no idea where we were or how to get there. All we did was jump when it was time, and then take care not to land on a fence or in a tree.

I think that's a glimpse of where we are in this journey towards a children's village in which God will rescue and nurture and heal helpless, precious little children who presently live without hope. We're in the plane, ready and willing to jump, but we don't yet know where or when. Only God knows, so we're going to keep our eyes and ears on Him as we continue to wait and to work on the little things.

When He finally says "Jump!" then we'll know it's time to begin this work. And just like jumping from the plane it will be simultaneously exciting and scary for those involved...and only He knows where we will land...and we will have no choice but to trust Him in that, just like I had to trust the jumpmaster.

If you are one of Abba's children, I hope you know that He is so pleased and delighted with you today. Yes, there are changes He wants to bring about in you. Yes, there are places He still wants to touch and heal within you. Yes, there are thorns and struggles and sin patterns that He wants to use as opportunities for freedom and victory in your life. Yes, there are hurtful, sinful things you do or think or say along the way that He doesn't like. But He likes you. No, really. He does! Today you are exactly where He knew you would be in your journey, and you are totally acceptable to Him today. You were totally acceptable the moment Christ covered you with His blood and filled you with His life. You don't have to hide from Him, or work frantically to be acceptable to Him. Rest in His love, and ask Him to continue to open your heart to living in the realities of the truth and grace and freedom we have already been given in Christ. That's the abundant life He desires for all of us, and offers to each one of us. You are so loved by the perfect Father. Rest in that today.

Grace and peace to you,

Allen

Loving the Children of Orphanage Emmanuel

2009-07-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

Let me begin by saying we have an incredible team! Everyone has been so
unified and ready to serve and work where needed. The tension within the
political realm continues to mount and yet our team presses on with one
goal in mind, to love the children of The Orphanage Emmanuel. We left
this morning at 6:15 local time and traveled three hours by bus to a
village called Guaymacia (wi maca). We entered a guarded compound which
was built as a safe respite for children who were abandoned or taken from
their homes due to abuse or neglect. To describe the beauty of this place
would make anyone think we were vacationing at a high dollar resort.
With over four hundred children to house, clothe and feed the spotless
campus speaks well to the control of only ten full-time staff members.
The beauty and excellence of this place can be attributed to many
churches throughout the states who have given time and resources. One
familiar church to those in Randolph County is First Baptist Opelika.
Although the beauty and excellence of this place is breath taking, the
needs are overwhelming to a small staff of people. One of the greatest
resources needed is people. I pray that God will give our church and
other churches the opportunity to help meet some of the needs here at The
Orphanage Emmanuel.

As I said earlier, we begin early this morning with a two hour bus ride
to our destination North of Tegucigalpa. When we arrived we were greeted
by some of the staff and given the opportunity to rest and fellowship
with each other because of the unexpected early arrival. While this time
seemed to be wasted, our team was given the opportunity to know one
another more closely.

Following lunch we walked to the "Toddler House" where we played with
children who ranged from two to four year olds. These children were
amazing. They desired to be held, touched, and played with and we could
not love them enough. What seemed to be only minutes of play with the
children was actually two hours. The Orphanage has a very strict schedule
and at 4:00 we were asked to exit so that the children could be fed and
readied for bed. The campus comes to a halt following dinner and all the
children are expected to be in their cabins soon after. This may seem
quite ridiculous to have children in bed by 6:00 pm but their day begins
as early as 4:00 am with chores followed by a worship time and Bible
reading at 6:30 which they call Circle. Following Circle, they eat
breakfast and attend school. Tomorrow will give us a better idea of what
a typical day holds for these children and I will tell you more about it
as we learn.

Now on to what I know most are waiting to hear. The political tension is
worsening in the major cities of Honduras. The president has vowed to
return to office on Thursday and the military has declared that he would
be arrested for crimes against the state as well as drug trafficking. The
latest news can be found at CNN.com. We are safe and feel confident that
God is going to see us through this time.

Because of the uncertainty of what might happen, Four Corners has chosen
to cut our trip short and evacuate us as soon as possible. Gary spent
more than two hours on the phone this afternoon rearranging our tickets
for a flight out of Honduras on Saturday. This was the only time that all
twenty-seven team members could fly to Miami together. While we will be
back in the states on Saturday, most of us will be spending the night in
Miami and leaving out Sunday for our return home. Please pray for the
people of Honduras as they begin a very trying and uncertain time in
their lives. We know that God will watch over us and cover us with His
mercy and grace. We do ask that you remember us and the work we must
complete here at The Orphanage Emmanuel.

Steve Dean

Honduras Day 3

2009-07-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

June 30, 2009

Today started at 5:45 AM, Praise the Lamb!! We had breakfast at the hotel and then began our very lengthy bus ride to Orphanage Emmanuel. After 2 long hours we finally arrived. We were pleasantly surprised with our accommodations for the week as well as the orphanage itself. After settling in we got to visit the toddler house. How fun was that!! The children crawled on us, hugged on us, rode piggyback, and played Legos forever and ever. They longed for love and attention which we gave willingly. Though their physical needs seem to be met completely, we were glad to meet other needs as well.

Even though we are one day into our trip, God has revealed so much already. The orphanage is over 900 acres. It’s in a fairly unpopulated area with limited resources. We couldn’t help but think what we could do back at home with as many resources as we have available. We are so willing to help out here in as many ways possible on our “mission trip” but really how often are we that willing at home to meet the general needs within our families, friends, and community? It seems like there is so much more work we could be doing at home.

We have lots to do this week and we are still so very excited in spite of everything that has happened in the city. We have grown to know our teammates and enjoyed the fellowship tonight after dinner. We played some dodge ball, cards, even sweated together! J We know that God has us here for a purpose and it is evident that HE is in the center of this place and our work here. Keep praying for us and we love yall!

Goodnight,
The Bethel Gals

Team Ministers in San Matias Community

2009-06-30T11:09:00.001-05:00

Our team was instructed to be ready to leave with all luggage this
morning at 8:00 a.m. in the event we were unable to return to
Tegucigalpa. While we have not experienced first hand any political
unrest, the climate is poised for any shift at any time. I must say that
the local police department has done and excellent job in being
pro-active in what could be a volatile situation. Because of the
pro-activity of the police department, they have issued a mandatory
travel document for all transport companies. Our bus driver, Tito, was an
hour late to pick us up because he was procuring the proper documents for
our travel to a village approximately ninety miles up the mountain and
into the woods. It was there that we spent the entire day ministering to
our new friends.

As we exited the bus it seemed as if we had been working together for
years. Everyone knew exactly what they were going to do and begin setting
up various ministry stations to love and care for these beautiful people.
Our Community LIFE crew went to work in several areas. Kenneth, Loretta,
Karen, and Hali helped take hundreds of pictures and print them
immediately for the children and adults to have. Kenneth commented in our
share time that he had never seen such huge smiles on the faces of
children over a simple photo. We do indeed take so much for granted. Most
of the children, with which we ministered to today, have never even seen
themselves in a mirror much less a photo. This was made obvious as they
began to fall back in line for another shot at a photo. Trey threw a
Frisbee and kicked a soccer ball until his hands were blistered and leg
muscles were frail from exhaustion. I, of course, roamed for a while but
found myself tying balloons into swords and animals. Before sculpting
balloons one must start by blowing them up. I was given this task because
they informed me I was a big blow hard and matched my skills with what
was needed. I eventually graduated to sculpting when I proved myself.
(O.K. so they just needed to take a lunch break) Needless to say, we all
had a terrific time sharing the love of Jesus with simple task as
pictures, balloons, and kicking a ball. Some of the other ministry teams
painted faces, taught a Bible school lesson and even fitted some of the
senior men and women with reading glasses.

We ended our time with our new friends by worshipping together in songs
of their native language and I was privileged to preach the message. I
and the interpreter shared the story of Zacheus with great animation and
the people responded by understanding Gods love for them through Jesus
who knew them by name. Several people prayed to receive Jesus as their
Lord and Savior and of course this was the greatest blessing and miracle
of all. Following the worship service, the local pastor proceeded to give
out food bags for each family in attendance. Our team assembled these
bags on Sunday night for the families and they were well received. Each
fifteen dollar bag of food would feed a family of five for at least one
week. I want to challenge our folks, when we return home, to adopt some
families in this village and help continue what was started this week.
There is no greater joy than to see that we have met not only a spiritual
need but a physical need in the lives of families around the world.

Gary, our fearless leader, had been in contact with the folks in
Tegucigalpa all during the day and informed us that we would be returning
to the Hotel Excelsior for the evening. At this point we were ready for a
hot shower and a warm meal. The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
followed by a hot coke were good but not what our spoiled taste buds
were accustomed too. As we entered the city our bus driver was taking
what he thought to be the safest route back to our hotel. As we
approached one part of the city, we all noticed heavy black smoke and as
we turned the corner, a group of protestors had set tires on fire outside
the residence of the president. Tito, our bus driver, instructed us to
squat down and keep our faces covered so that the protestors who might be
anti-American would not be given the opportunity to express themselves
violently toward us. He immediately turned the bus around and we took a
much longer route back to what was going to be our final destination for
the evening.

The dinner plan for the evening was to enjoy the local Honduran cuisine
at a restaurant called El Patio. However, just before leaving for
dinner, the Concierge informed us that an evening curfew had been set and
no one was to be on the road after 6:00 p.m. Leaving everyone else at
the hotel, Gary, Tito and I traveled downtown to pick-up some take out
for the team. It was an eerie experience to travel downtown in no traffic
when just one hour before it was bumper to bumper. The only place we
found open was Quiznos that was just about to turn out the lights when we
entered. We ordered and immediately returned to the hotel where the team
was nourished once again.

Tomorrow we begin our day with a three to four hour journey to the
orphanage Immanuel. We will spend the remainder of our time here in
Honduras loving on the children and workers at their 900 acre ranch. From
what I have been told, the operation of this ranch is a sight to behold.
I wait with great expectation to see what God has for us to experience in
the following days.

Steve Dean

FCM Team Arrives Safely in Honduras

2009-06-30T11:08:00.001-05:00

On this day twenty-seven followers of Christ met together in Miami,
Florida to begin a week long ministry to the people of Honduras. With
luggage and supplies in hand, we begin what will unfold in the following
pages. Our expectant hearts await the blessings God has for each of us as
we willing share his love through word and deed to the people of
Tegucigalpa and the Orphanage Immanuel. Knowing that Gods plan is
greater than we can possibly perceive we step out in faith to experience
Gods loving hand on each of our shoulders.

Sixteen of our twenty-seven member crew hails from Alabama while eleven,
ten of which were from North Carolina and one from Tennessee met us in
Miami to begin this great adventure. I along with Trey and Loretta were
scheduled to take a later flight to our final destination, but after some
sweet talk and charm we were able to travel with our fellow teammates. At
this point, however, we are unsure if we will ever see our luggage. The
decision to travel together and take a chance was based on the political
unrest we learned about just hours before our trip. The Honduran
president was arrested and based on speculation and rumor we just learned
that the power to all of the country has been shut down and martial law
instated. Doing only what we know to do, we called our fellow believers
and ask them to begin praying for our safety. With confidence in God and
the knowledge of American Airlines, we proceeded with our journey. I
write this as we are flying from Miami to Tegucigalpa.

When we arrived in Tegucigalpa the team gathered and one by one we made
our way through customs with no certainty what awaits us on the other
side. At baggage claim, Trey and I wait with baited breath to see if our
bags had traveled with us. As we watched for our entire luggage, around
the corner comes my back pack and just seconds later Treys. What we had
been told would be impossible to accomplish God found a way. The entire
luggage arrived and our team met our fearless leader, Gary Clark, and
proceeded to our bus where we met some locals who were graciously waiting
to assist us.

With watchful eyes we scanned the parking lot and surrounding area for
signs of unrest and discovered that the electricity had been turned back
on and there was no sign of any danger or trouble. This day seemed to be
as any other day through out the city. The government had already
anticipated problems and secured the areas where there may be unrest. We
made our way to lunch at the local Pizza Hut and watched what appeared to
be a news conference which of course none of us could understand.
However, those dining with us seemed not to be worried in the least. I
believe their attitude helped to calm our spirits and reassure us that we
had made the right decisions in continuing our journey.

Because of the unrest and curfew that had been set in the city, we made
our way to the hotel Excelsior where we will be spending two nights
before traveling two hours into the mountains to the orphanage Immanuel.
The time we spent together as a team today helped build a bond that will
ensure great success on the field to which we have been called to serve.
Each of us awaits a good nights sleep and look forward to a great day of
ministry on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa on Monday.

Steve Dean

Honduras Days 1 and 2

2009-06-29T21:22:00.002-05:00

Hey guys!! It's Cortney here in Honduras. We are all so excited to be here!! We can definitely see the great things God is doing here.

Yesterday was a very trying day for all of us. We met at the church at 2 a.m. and I think the churches from Alabama got up even earlier than that. When we reached the Miami airport, things were looking fine. However, 10 minutes before boarding our flight, a woman in the airport tried to convince us that Honduras was unsafe because of the political unrest. We made a split-second decision to get on the plane, and I think we are all glad we didn't miss out on this opportunity. After being picked up at the airport by Gary and Tito, our bus driver, we headed to Pizza Hut and back to the hotel for rest. Then we packed the food bags to take out to San Matias today. We are all having a great time fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ from different churches.

Today, we got up early and headed out to San Matias. It was a pretty long and curvy bus ride, but finally we arrived. Even though I have been to Honduras and Venezuela multiple times, the poverty is still shocking. In San Matias, we did a carnival with the children, including face painting, games, coloring, and pictures. We all had a lot of fun! These children are so sweet, humble, and giving. They just longed for love and a physical touch. I know it was awesome for my sister Cameran and I to see some girls that we met last year come up and recognize us. The children are still wearing the shoes we were able to provide them with last year. We saw the seeds that we planted last year actually growing. After the carnival, we gave the people food, which they were very gracious for. Overall, it was a wonderful day and I know that God is certainly working in Honduras.

Sometimes the city is a little interesting with everything going on, but we all feel safe and happy to be here. Tomorrow morning we are heading up to Orphanage Emmanuel and are leaving the hotel at 6:00 a.m. Yikes!! It is going to be amazing to work with the children at the orphanage.

I think we are all excited to be here, and tonight we discussed the idea that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. We are all certain that we are in the center of God's will, and have a peace about being here in Honduras. Your prayers are very much appreciated! Keep up the prayers and we will keep you all updated. See everyone soon!!

In Christ,
Cortney

Impacted by the Watoto Children's Village

2009-06-27T08:51:00.011-05:00

Hi folks!

After a delightfully restful 22 hours of wandering through aiports, relaxing in the plush, extra roomy seats on KLM Airlines (or is it cattle lines), and eating in-flight meals that would make the Cheesecake Factory turn green (and not with envy), Tripp, Harold and I landed safely in Entebbe last night around 8 pm local time.

Harold's and Allen's bags also arrived safely, and we were grateful to see them. We were even more grateful once we realized that KLM kept Tripp's bag. It's a really nice bag, or so he told us. After waiting in line for another hour, the cattle line told us they were optimistic he'd get his bag back sometime this week.

I held my bag extra close on the ride into Kampala, thankful once again for the little blessings.

In the meantime Tripp has no underwear (don't tell anyone, it's a secret) and is borrowing clothes and toothpaste from me. You share a lot on these trips, sometimes more than you want. In case you're wondering, I did offer to share a pair, but not very enthusiastically. Tripp declined, quickly. We guys have our limits on fellowship and sharing.

This morning we met Fred Erisata from Watoto Children's Villages and Pastor Nelson Kyasooka from Grace Fellowship Church, and spent the day touring Watoto's ministry sites that are in the Kampala area. What an unbelievable ministry God has birthed here in Kampala!

Here's the story, as Fred told it. By the way, Fred is a 23 year old law student at Makere University here in Kampala. He is an articulate, outgoing and happy young man who wants to practice international law as an activist for human rights. His father died when he was 5 and then his mother died when he was 8. He was one of the first Watoto kids, and they are still supporting him - all the way through college - which is what family does. Right?

Watoto was started by a small church led by a Canadian pastor. In 1994 this small church in downtown Kampala became convinced that God was calling them into a ministry that went beyond bible teaching, fellowship and worship. The Father birthed a desire in their hearts to reach orphans and widows, in the midst of a country overflowing with ignored orphans and widows.

By the way, they had little money and few resources and no experience.

But they stepped out in faith and rented a house and placed a widow and 8 children in that house. The church could barely afford to feed them, so the widow worked hard to grow food for her and the kids in a little garden site next door.

In time they added a second house and then a third, as God began to provide some support from outside the church body.

In 1996 they decided to send a kids choir from the first village on an international tour to tell the story of the orphans in Uganda. They sent 18 kids and 10 adults. Fred, our tour guide today, was one of those kids who toured the U.S. and other countries in 1996. They've sent 36 choirs on tour since then.

Today Watoto has three children's villages (2 near Kampala and one in the north in Gulu), a babies home, a retirement home for house mothers, as well as other ministries I don't remember.

By the way, they now care for 1,750 children, ages birth to 23 years old. They have 400 staff, most Ugandan, but supplemented by international staff from Canada, the U.S., Australia and other places. They take chidlren who are in desperate circumstances, most of whom have no family or support to live.

Today, we first visited Bbira Children's village, which hosts 828 children, in the midst of a park-like setting, covered with beautiful trees. Then we visited a second brand-new village at Suubi on top of a huge ridge, overlooking miles of beatiful valley.

Children live 8 per home, with a mother caring for each group of 8. Some of the house mothers have up to 2 children of their own (part of the 8 they care for). If the mother has two female children, then she cares for 8 females. If two male children, then all males. If the house mother has a boy and a girl, then she takes both to make up the 8. If no children, then she gets to decide how to arrange the family. It's a great arrangement.

The homes are simple but well-built, clean and functional - with tin roofs and painted mud-brick walls, and nice concrete floors (about $30,000 each to build, add utilites, and equp with furniture and stoves and fixtures). The house we visited had a genuine warmth to it. It did not seem at all like a home for orphans.

Each village has children's homes, a kindergarten, a primary school, a middle school a high school, a medical clinic, a library and computer center, athletic fields, water pumping station, security guards, fence for security. One site was 75 acres and the other was 194 acres. The 194 acre site at Suubi also has a vocational school.

The villages are unbelievably beautiful and well-designed and well-run, from all we could see. Actually, they were stunning. Neat, clean, creative, happy, active, manicured, practical, fun...instead of the misery of livign on the street that all of these kids would have known, if they had survived at all.

We ended the day by visiting the home for babies in Kampala, they care for over 100 babies, premature to 2 years old. We asked where all these babies come from. And they told us the heartbreaking story of many babies in Uganda.

Most come from the "rubbish heaps" where people throw newborns they don't want, or can't feed, or who are deformed or premature. Sometimes people find them in time, rescue them and bring them to Watoto. Sometimes the parents leave them at a hospital and sometimes at a police station. These newborns have no hope of survival, all of whom would have died in the trah, or in a street alley, or in the bushes.

We walked in to the babies home and, oh my. I have three little girls so it's hard to write about it. There were 19 children under 6 months playing on the floor in the room where we were. They were all clean and well fed. Their eyes...always searching yours, wanting to be held and hugged and loved on. So we did.

It was perhaps the most beautiful place we've seen. They intentionally built it to look like a palace so that they babies could come from the trash heap into a palace (like Moses, they say). They have mothers who work in two 12 hour shifts that take care of a cluster of babies. And there are babies everywhere...so beautiful. We got to hold some of them. I sang to the ones I held and several smiled back at me. You could tell they were well cared for. And they are all permanently adopted by Watoto, who will raise them through college or vocational school.

We met a young lady named Annie, from the U.S., who leads the home (since it was built three years ago). What an incredible place.

We had to pry Harold loose when it was time to leave the babies. He may have snuck out of the hotel and already gone back to hold more babies while I was writing this.

I think we could spend our entire week there, just taking care of the little ones that came within hours of dying alone and unknown. But they were never alone for one millisecond of their life, and there is a Father who knew every one of them - even the ones who die before they are found.

There is so much overwhelming demand for a place to take unwanted babies in Kampala that they are presently building a second babies home - for 200 babies.

So here we are. Amazed at what we've seen. Aware that Watoto is a drop in the bucket of the need here. aware that watoto has taken 15 years to get to this place. Not yet sure what God is doing or where He is taking us on this journey...but aware that He is doing something and taking us somewhere - somewhere special - if we will only be willing to go with Him.

Just like the babies, He knows us. He is with us. He has our lives in His gentle hands and He knows what He wants and where He is taking us.

Pray that we will hear His voice and see His movement as we walk forward listening and watching.

So why do I write all that about Watoto, when I am with Four Corners?

Because I want you to know it's possible for a little group of people with a God-planted desire to do the immpossible.

It looked impossible in 1994 for thise group to do anything more than care for 8 kids and one widow in a ramshackle rental house. Now they are nourishing and cherishing 1750 kids to a hope and a future that is much brighter than what most of these kids parents could have ever given them.

I have a sense that we, along wtih Pastor Nelson and his church famiiles, will one day get to hold babies and play with children who were rescued off the streets and out of the trash heaps through the love of the Four Corners ministry team and all of you who are reading this - if we are willing to patiently wait on the Lord and when it is time to leap off the cliff of faith into whatever adventure of trust that our loving Father has for us.

Ask the Lord if He wants you to jump. He told Watoto to jump and they did - with empty pockets and no idea where He was taking them. He has provided everything they needed, when they needed it - through people who were delighted to give.

I hope it happens again. There is SO much tragic need here among the babies and children, but there is also something much greater than the tragedy of hundreds of thousands of orphans. There is infinite hope and joy in a rescuing God who delights in lifting up the least of these, and delights in touching them through those who are the least of these, like me. And probably you.

I hope you know how delighted your Father is with you today, if you are one of Abba's kids. I hope you have had a glimpse of how much He loves you. He loves you just as much as the baby they're bringig in off the trash heap right now.

Grace and peace and love to all of you from Kampala,

Allen Haynes

FCM Staff Arrive in Uganda

2009-06-26T23:57:00.000-05:00

FCM began bringing teams to Uganda in 2007. Since that time, God has laid it on our hearts to build a children's village that will include homes for orphans, a medical clinic, a church and a school.

I arrived in Uganda last night, along with Harold Harmon, one of FCM's Board members, as well as Allen Haynes, one of FCM's strongest supporters. The three of us have come to Uganda to meet with individuals that lead organizations that are involved in taking care of orphans. We are also planning to look at potential sites for the children's village that we hope to break ground on in 2010.

Please pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment during our time here in Africa. The pain that so many of these children have endured is to great to fathom. They need to experience love more than ever.

For the Joy,

Tripp

Sowing Seeds of Love

2009-06-08T17:53:00.004-05:00

The energetic crew from South Luverne Baptist Church headed to SIFAT¨s new "dream project" today. The construction team dug a gaping hole in the earth for the foundation of a 4 story day-care facility (the dream yet to realize), and the VBS team entertained, taught, and loved on dozens of Ecuadorian kids with Bible lessons, skits, and various activities. We convened for lunch at the VBS site with the SIFAT staff and shared some laughs guinea pig. Not really, it was chicken, but you never know in Ecuador.

Before you skim over this part, read this....

I was standing in our project, a four foot deep hole, looking up at Will Tate, our team leader, and our Ecuadorean compadre, Rafeal. Rafael oversees construction on this project and also serves as the pastor of a local church. We were working on the foundation by digging holes in which to bury the columns to support the four story building. Rafael was holding the tool of choice of which we have become very familiar this morning - a pick ax. The dialogue that ensued went something like this...

Rafael (R): In the U.S., how is this work done? By hand, like this? (holding the pick-ax)
Will (W): No, we use machines.
R: Ah, yes.
W: How much does it cost to rent an excavator here?
R: Oh, about $50 an hour.

Will looked around and saw 5 holes that were all 4 feet deep. Each one, including the one where I stood had to be picked away, bit by bit down to 8 feet. The shovel and pick ax was already wearing on our hands, backs, and our will. I was elated by the idea of renting an excavator. We could knock out what it took 5 men working about 3 days in just one hour for only $50 bucks!

Humbly, Will says, "You know, we can afford to rent an excavator if you prefer to do it that way."

Rafael responded, "Nnnnno. It is better by hand. You are sowing a seed this way....for the children. It is more difficult, but you will remember this for the rest of your life."

WOW. I was floored. Will was too and agreed. We continued the rest of the day, and will the rest of the week, sewing seeds of love for the children of Ecuador, one stroke at a time.

-Jerry Cotney

Fun Trip to the Equator

2009-06-07T21:57:00.001-05:00

As we get used to the altitude of Quito, we walked through a series of scientic experiements and laughs along the equator today. Some team members even succeeded in balancing an egg on top of a nail head standing straight up. I still don't understand that one.

SIFAT briefed us on what God is doing here and what they expect God to do through us this week. Our group of nearly 40 will split into construction, medical, and VBS teams tomorrow.

We appreciate your prayers and hope to report great news throughout this week!

-Jerry Cotney

FCM Team Arrives Safely in Ecuador

2009-06-07T21:54:00.001-05:00

The short term mission team from Crenshaw County, Alabama arrived in Ecuador late Saturday night about 9:30 PM and then escaped airport immigration and baggage claim to get back to our hotel at 11:30PM. All in all, traveling was good, a little turbulence here and there and a little flight delay in Miami for about an hour but we have all our luggage so Praise God. Everyone was tired and exhausted.

Today it is Sunday and we are headed to the Middle of the World (Equator). What do you wear to the Middle of the World? We will tell you all about that later tonight. We will go to worship service later today and meet some of the residents here and experience worshipping the one true God together. We are looking forward to making a difference in Ecuador today. Please pray for God to lead and protect us as we serve Him.

-Tracy Watson

FCM Prepares for Community Development Trip to Uganda

2009-06-01T13:36:00.000-05:00

FCM began working in Uganda in 2007. After several years of ministry God has given FCM's Board of Directors a desire to construct a children’s village that will rescue hundreds of orphans that live on the streets of Uganda.

I am excited that FCM has raised enough money to take an exploratory trip on June 25th for the sole purpose of learning the best way to move forward as we prepare to break ground on the village in 2010. The village will contain homes for orphans, a medical clinic, a church, a school, recreation fields, and gardens to help feed the kids. Please pray that God will give us wisdom to know where to purchase land and where to plant this vision.

-Tripp

Sam Childers: Making a Difference in Southern Sudan

2009-05-12T14:03:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine that joined me in Sudan last year recently gave me a copy of Sam Childers book, Another Man's War, a gripping story of how God is using this man to make a difference in
Southern Sudan. Below is an news story about Sam that recently appeared in The Christian Post.

"To some he is known as the mzunga (white guy) preacher. To others he is a bad boy gone right. And still to others he is known as the machine gun-toting pastor. But to the little children of Southern Sudan who are at risk of death or slavery at the hands of the vicious rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army, he is simply a savior.

Sam Childers is a man who didn’t even finish high school, started using drugs at age 11, and got into more fights than he can remember. But this troubled man, whom many had written off as a lost cause, was captured by the Lord and used to demonstrate His love in the midst of extreme brutality and hopelessness.

“I think the biggest thing people need to know is it doesn’t matter how far you went over the line. It doesn’t matter what you used to do. It doesn’t matter who you used to be. The only thing that matters is what you can do to change what is going to happen in the morning,” said Childers during an interview with The Christian Post.

He added, “I mean if I can change, anybody can change.”

His story sounds more like a myth than reality when you first hear it: a white guy from the United States carrying an AK-47 in the back country of Sudan fighting crazy rebels with his small band of Sudanese soldiers. Sometimes the odds of him coming out alive is slim to none, such as the time when it was five against 200.

But the unconventional pastor will explain time and again that God’s protection is the reason why he is still alive. He will also state that he is fighting God’s battle.
“Even in my wildest years, I had a passion for fighting another man’s war that continues to this day,” Childers writes in his new book Another Man’s War: The True Story of One Man’s Battle to Save Children in the Sudan. “I loved fighting then. And I still love fighting now. The difference is today I’m fighting for the children and families God sent me to protect.”

Sacrificing the comforts of life in the United States, the machine gun-toting preacher has spent most of the past ten years in southern Sudan and northern Uganda building the Angels of East Africa Children’s village and filling the orphanage with children he rescued from the deadly attacks of the LRA.

Childers recalls in his book grisly scenes of LRA raids. In one village, he recalls smelling the “sharp stench of burning flesh” and hearing cries of those injured.

One young woman was drenched in her own blood from a breast that had been half cut off with a machete by the LRA soldier. In other attacks, LRA soldiers burned people alive and forced acts of cannibalism. They even forced children to butcher their mothers or else be killed.

Children who are captured alive are forced to join the LRA as child soldiers, sex slaves, or supply carriers.No one knows what the LRA is fighting for as they mindlessly terrorize villagers in southern Sudan and northern Uganda.

“I don’t condone violence at all,” Childers responded when asked about his use of heavy firearms. “I don’t believe in violence but at the same time I don’t believe that children should be raped, murdered, or cut up."

“I look of it as a self-defense and I look at it as I’m helping God’s children,” he said. “I’m not a person out to murder. It’s not that I like hurting anybody. But at the same time these people need to be stopped.”

Since 1998, Childers has worked with the Southern Sudanese government and local Sudanese to save the children from LRA rebels. His ministry, Angels of East Africa, distributes 2,400 meals a day through its feeding programs in Sudan and Uganda. The children’s village has dormitories, a primary school, nursery school, a clinic, a playground for the children, and a church.

Overall, his African operation has rescued more than 900 refugees of all ages, with over half of them being children who had been captured by the LRA.

“I absolutely believe that a normal preacher with a college education could never do what I do,” Childers says in his book. “Not because he doesn’t have the desire, but because he’s not equipped with the experience God has given me."

“Had I died during those years, I would surely have gone to hell,” the former drug-addict and dealer admits. “But once I surrendered to Him, a new plan came into play, and a new ministry was born.”

Childers grew up in a Christian family but was caught up in drugs, sex, and violence during his teens and part of his adult life. But the constant prayer of his wife, Lynn, who came to accept Jesus Christ as her savior first in 1987, helped lead him to recommit his life to Christ during a revival meeting in 1992. He made his first visit to Sudan in 1998 as a volunteer for a construction project managed by a Christian ministry. But the injustice and desperate need he saw during that trip captured Childers’ heart and led him to decide to devote his entire life to helping the people of southern Sudan.

His wife and daughter, Paige, have supported Childers in his ministry. For many years the family was separated as his wife and daughter stayed in Pennsylvania while Childers ran his ministry in Sudan. The separation placed great strain on his marriage and relationship with his daughter. But Childers said his now grown-up daughter understands the sacrifices and the good that has resulted from their sufferings and has joined the ministry.

“Yes, I was tough and mean in a way that caused a lot of harm, but that toughness and meanness prepared me to survive in a hostile environment where very few preachers could go and come out alive,” Childers writes in the last chapter of the book. “God was toughening me up and training me to be his man in Southern Sudan and Uganda.“I can’t reclaim the years I lost,” he reflects, “but God can.”

Sudan: Anglican Head Warns Nation Could Return to War

2009-05-07T10:50:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking this for some time but now a number of people in African leadership are talking about the likelihood of Sudan sliding back into civil war.

Recently, the head of the Anglican Church in Sudan, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul, wrote a passionate letter to representatives of the international community in the country appealing for their increased support for implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended the civil war in 2005. He said he had recently toured many parts of South Sudan and witnessed first-hand the suffering of the people due to growing insecurity.

"In the Church's opinion, this is the biggest problem in Sudan today, and prevents any further material or economic development, as well as the free and fair elections desperately needed in February 2010 and the referendum on Southern secession scheduled for 2011," the archbishop said.

This issue needs to reach the radar of Congress and the President. The United States, is a guarantor signatorie of the CPA so our country should do everything within its power to assist the people of Southern Sudan.

FCM Launches New Website

2009-05-03T22:33:00.004-05:00

I am excited to announce that FCM has just launched a new look to our website. This photographic website tells the story of how God is working in the lives of North American Christians to make an eternal difference in the lives of others in the areas that we serve. From Sudan to Guatemala, God is at work! I hope that you will join Him and become His hands and His feet on the mission field sometime soon. Visit the website often and tell your friends and family about FCM.

Day 4-Grace Fellowship Ngomannene

2008-11-26T13:24:00.002-06:00

What a wonderful day in the Lord! Today we visited Pastor Nelson's home village of Ngomannene. This was a true example of the harvest being plentiful but the workers few. Upon arrival we were greeted by many adults and even more children. As has been the case in all of the churches we have visited, the people were most gracious and extremely happy to see us. We are treated almost like royalty when we show up. It is the most humbling experience I have ever had. In some of the villages the children and women will even kneel as they greet you. It is difficult to put in writing the range of emotions that you experience when you see these people and their great need, but I know I can truly say that my life has been forever changed by this trip. We started the day with praise music and introduction of the team to the congregation then got started with our different ministry areas. The carnival team that I worked with was especially busy with several hundred area children showing up for the games, face painting, bubble blowing, and balloons.While we were at the public school with the children , the women's and men's ministries, medical team met at the church and the evangelist team took to the dusty streets of town carrying the gospel to those who would not come to us. At the end of the day they had a total of fifty one people accept Christ. God truly is blessing this mission. We also enjoyed a meal prepared by the women of the church. Another humbling experience. They prepare a feast and are so proud to have us join them for lunch, yet we all understand what a tremendous sacrifice they have given to place this meal before us. We serve a big God ,though, so I am assured that He will bless them abundantly for all they gave. The end of the day held lots of laughter and fun for the children as brother Larry headed up a group of would be singers(the team members) and a beautiful bunch of song birds(the village children) in singing praise choruses. The children learn very fast and enjoy singing praises to our Lord. We left with many still in need , yet feeling like we had done a good work for Him today. All of the team is well and happy. We miss our families especially with tomorrow being Thanksgiving but we know in our hearts that God's will is for us to be here at this time. Maybe as we are here tomorrow with all of the obvious need around us, our future Thanksgivings will hold more meaning and we will well remember how truly blessed we all are! In Christ, Cassandra Knight.

Team Member Blog

2008-11-25T22:28:00.002-06:00

Please be sure to read more about the Uganda mission team at http://natalieinafrica.blogspot.com/. This is Natalie Kelly's blog - a team member from Birmingham, Alabama. She has included some great pictures and moving updates!

Day two on the mission field!

2008-11-24T16:22:00.003-06:00

Today we went to the up-country and experienced how beautiful Africa really is! We were all mesmerized at God's creations on the hour and a half long ride to the village we spent the day at. The people were all so warm and were so glad to see us. We opened the day with a short welcome service and then went straight into our ministry activities.

We all had a very special and delicious treat - lunch prepared by the women of the village! It was delicious and it was obvious the meal was prepared with love. The whole team was mesmerized by the beauty of our surroundings today - from the scenery to the people. Today I just kept thinking how awesome God is to make us so different and our homes so different, but has made us all the same in His son Jesus Christ.

The entire team is doing well and looking forward to another great day in the Lord! I even think some of us are planning to eat fried crickets tomorrow....

Keep us in your prayers (especially for those who are eating crickets)! ;-)

In Him,

Natalie Kelly

Birmingham, Alabama

2008-11-23T12:24:00.003-06:00

Today was a wonderful day in Kampala, Uganda! We began our day with African praising, singing, and dancing in six different churches that were planted by Pastor Nelson Kyasooka. Teams of two went to 5 churches and everyone else went to the home church of Grace Fellowship. Wayne Woods preached here and Josh gave his testimony. We all agreed that worship here must be like it is in heaven! Even in the Ugandans' circumstances, they are still praising God. There is much joy in the church body here! It truly humbles us.
After worshipping, we had much to do. We ate ham/cheese or peanut butter/jelly sandwiches for lunch, then began our different ministries. The medical team (Beth Wheeles, Harold Harmon, Josh of Lake Wedowee, Jerry Flummer) left early in the morning to get started seeing patients with our Ugandan doctor. They worked especially hard today. They saw over 180 patiients and Harold Harmon dispensed many, many medicines. Our men (Wayne Woods, Allen Haynes, Pastor Larry, Jimmy Sprayberry) taught discipleship lessons to the Grace Fellowship deacons and church leaders. Our women's ministry team (Christy Wilson, Angie Jones, Natalie Kelly, Sherry Sprayberry) taught their women about health, hygiene, nutrition, how to teach their children to learn scripture, how to pray, and how to share Christ in daily life. Our carnival team (Rebecca Shelnutt, Cassandra Knight, Julie of Oxford, Andrea Phillips) painted fingernails, painted faces, played with the parachute, had races, and hugged, kissed, and loved about 200 children today. They were awesome! The Evangelism team (Richie Farrow, Drew Bernard, Wilbur Steward, Steve Looker) had 37 decisions to follow Christ today!
People think that the Ugandans are receiving such blessings because of what we are doing here, but that is not all there is to this mission. God is doing the work and we are ALL receiving the blessings! Please continue to pray for us. Love especially to our families!

Blessings,
Sherry Sprayberry

2008-11-22T13:56:00.004-06:00

Greetings from Uganda!
I can't even begin to tell you all our experiences of today... It has been a very long day as well as busy. We began the day here at the Hotel with breakfast all together. We went to visit the Kusabi Tombs and learned a lot about the history of uganda. We traveled over to Pastor Nelsons orphanage and what a treat that was . The children were so glad to see us. They sang to us and that was truly a blessing! We then went to see where his his church was and were greeted again by so many children. They need to be loved just like any one of us,the only difference is that they didn't get very much attention it seemed and they came to us. It reminds me of the picture in my children's Bible where the children were all gathered at Jesus' feet. We have really had an eye opener here. It is unbelievable. Please please pray for us tomorrow as we go there again for worship and have other things like carnival, medical, and teaching with them. This has been a day of many many tears for me and the others in our group. We love and miss you all back home. We will be praying for all of you Please do the same for us. God Bless You, Rebecca Shelnutt

Welcome to Kampala, Uganda 2008

2008-11-22T09:29:00.003-06:00

The team made it to Uganda and arrived at the Speke Hotel Friday night around 10:30. What a day of travel we have had. We left Atlanta, GA Thursday afternoon around 5:30. 20 hours later we reached our destination. The flight was tiresome but enjoyable. We are so excited about the opportunity to help others in need of hope, minister Gods' amazing grace, and share God's love. We serve and awesome God!!!

We're here and ready to serve in whatever compacity God leads. Thank you for your prayers and support. God has provided us with extra protection at our hotel. (haha)

Julie Winfrey

Jerry Flummer

Pastor Woods Wayne

FCM Staff Land in Uganda

2008-11-20T13:14:00.002-06:00

I enjoy traveling to every country where FCM has established partnerships but no group of people move my heart like the Africans. Many Americans travel frequently to Central and South America but it is rare to hear of a group leaving for Africa.

I landed in Entebbe, Uganda yesterday to prepare for the 22 team members that will be arriving on Friday night. In addition to finalizing the logistics that accompany any trip, FCM has purchased $3,000 for emergency food distribution to take place through Grace Fellowship Church in the slums of Kampala, Uganda's capital city of some 3 million. The ministry has also purchased $1,000 worth of Bibles to be distributed through partner churches in the "up-country", including Masaka, Ngomannene, and Luwero. Providing people with food for their stomachs and eternal nourishment for their souls would not be possible without the hundreds of generous donors that support FCM....thank you!

This year's team is double that of last year and is made up of individuals from four states: Alabama (Roll Tide!), Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. The team will focus their efforts in four areas: carnival, discipleship training, medical, and evangelism. I hope you visit the blog daily and follow their efforts over the next week.

I am so proud to serve with this great group of guys and gals. They are traveling out of desire, not duty and I am fully confident that God is going to use them to glorify his Son.

- Tripp Skipper
President of FCM

Day 6... fun day!

2008-07-26T22:36:00.002-05:00

Hola!
Today we went to visit the Valley of Angels, which is a tourist attraction for shopping. We bought many different items and ate at a traditional Hondurian restaurant. Then we visited a park that has a huge Jesus statue in it. The statue is located at the top of one of the mountains in Honduras. From the mountain you could see the whole city of Tegucigalpa. It was a breath-taking moment when you looked over the edge to see the beauty of God's creation. Even though man had added to it, you could still see God's handy work in the mix. If only we could truly explain the wonder and the beauty of these mountains, unfortunately the only way you can truly understand is when you've been here yourself. We also visited a local Mexican restaurant and the food was interesting. To be honest we're missing some of the food at home, but over all the food has been good. This week has been absolutely amazing and an eye-opening experience. I really do wish I could explain the feeling of being here, but I can't. I hope in some way God has reached you through our blogs and has touched your life in some small way. Maybe you'll want to help more in missions or maybe you'll come yourself next time. Just remember to keep your hearts and minds open to God.
With love,
Bianca Passanisi

Mountianview Friday in Honduras

2008-07-25T22:27:00.004-05:00

Salutations from Wes and Taylor!!!
First off these pictures are of (1st one) is of Sonya and her little amigo!! The (2nd one) is of Taylor and Izra, my little amigo!! Today we went to the second largest orphanage in Honduras. It is called Orphanage Emmanuel. We got there at about 11 AM this morning. We got to play with the kids on the playground that they have on campus! They have a very nice campus and the ages range from 5 to 18. Taylor hung out with a little boy who's name was Izra. Alot of them were crying when we left because they have no parents.

For lunch we had delicious fish, beans, rice, tater salad, and scrumptious chicken. After lunch we went on a tour through the campus. We saw lots of interesting things. There was a place where kids made bricks and they were sold for profits. There was a very interesting plant there. Everytime you touch the plant it would close up on itself. Whoa! We saw cattle, nasty pigs, chickens, and lots of land. The orphanage was 950 acres. It was very self-sufficient as the children took care of most everything. They were also taught very useful skills that would help them after they left the orphanage. They were taught from a variety of things such as: car maintenance, farming, and the girls learn useful tactics on how to take care of their houses and families!

Over all today was a great day and we all had a great time with the kids and learned alot! See ya'll on Sunday!!!!! Posted by Wes Menhinick and Taylor Smith!!!

Honduras Day Four

2008-07-24T22:11:00.003-05:00

Hello ya´ll from Sonya and Rebecca!
Today was an amazing day! First we went to the church at the dump and gave out shoes and did balloons for the children. We also distributed food bags to families around the dump. We ate a Honduran meal that some of the church members prepared for us. The dump site was very eye opening. We all got to go as a team and some of us stayed on the bus and cried for them. We still have the smell in our noses(all Sonya!) Rebecca got to serve the meal to the people at the dump, their only hot meal of the week. It was very heartbreaking to give them one spoonful each of meatdish and rice and one tortilla and some kool aid in a sandwich bag. Rebecca prayed over the food asking God for it to multiply. Later on we went back to the church we went to the first night, for their prayer service. If the American church would pray like these people we could move many more mountains. We all went up to the front of the church and they prayed for each and everyone of us individually at the same time. They were all praying for us at the same time out loud and laying hands on us. They were getting on their hands and knees and touching our nasty feet and praying for us. Sonya says,"I thought it was a lizard crawling up my leg!" Pray for us tomorrow as we go to the second largest orphanage in Honduras. We miss you all! Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Sonya Cansler and Rebecca Whittington
(paid with a ginger ale to type by Taylor Smith=)

Day 3

2008-07-23T22:49:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! Cortney here with an update from Honduras! Today we had a wonderful day. This morning we drove out to San Matias, which is a rural community in the mountains of Tegucigalpa. Our team was able to pass out shoes to the people, as well as do face painting, balloons, and play games. All of the people were very respectful and extremely grateful for all we brought to them. At around 1:15, all of the team left for lunch at an orphanage except three of us. Bianca, my dad, and I stayed back for a service in the church at San Matias. Bianca and I gave our testimonies and my dad presented the gospel to the people. The team had lunch at the orphanage where one of our translators was raised. Jessica, our translator, was so excited to see her brother who is still living there. The orphanage moms treated us to a bowl of chicken soup over rice. It was delicious. After the church service, the rest of our team came back and we began to give away more shoes. We also had the opportunity to give away around 75 food bags. Each of these bags would feed a family for 5 days. Finally, after everything had been distributed, we hung a pinata for the children to hit. George made a wonderful comparison. First he asked the children what this poor pinata had done to deserve it's beating. When they all replied "nothing," he told them that a man long ago was beaten and killed, even though he had done nothing wrong. Many of the children prayed the sinner's prayer with George. It was amazing to watch. As the bus drove out from the community, there were three children standing in their yard with a sign that read "Thank you very much" in English. Each one of us was humbled by the thankfulness of the people. We left San Matias in high spirits, completely content with our work there. Tonight our group went to dinner at a restaurant called El Patio, which was really good. We're having a wonderful time and are excited about the seeds we are planting here in Honduras. Hopefully we will get to do a blog every night but the computer has been down. Thanks for reading!!
P.S. No one is sick and the food is good!

ps.....

2008-07-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

we miss you Adam!!

Love...ALL OF US!!!

Day Two

2008-07-22T22:11:00.002-05:00

Hola!
Today was very interesting, we went to a nursing home it was very different from the ones in America! We took them socks and shoes, washed their hands and sang songs for them. We also prayed for them that God would heal their pain! The people in the homes were homeless elderly who they took off the street! We also visited a Childrens Center where we made balloons for the kids and took them outside in their wheel chairs. We also took a piñata filled with candy for the children. All the children were limited physically and most confined to wheel chairs. We also had some delicious Hondurian food Beef and Chicken with fried plantains and goat cheese which was really good too. We are having lots of fun and miss everyone!!

Much Love
Bradley Daves

Day One!

2008-07-22T08:51:00.005-05:00

Well, if you only knew what I went through to get to this computer right now! Yesterday was full of much excitement, and a first for all of us here. As we rode the infamous yellow school bus yesterday morning Gary, our leader, gave each of us a rubber band. He told us that we were going to be stretched, and that God would use our stretching and maybe even break us so that we would have to join other rubber bands with the other Christians here. We definately did some stretching yesterday, but it was all for the planting of seeds in Colonia.
I helped in the distribution of shoes, which was a very neat experience. Others made balloon animals, took pictures, and played games. Lets just say, the shoes were a hit, and eventually our whole team helped in this process of planting seeds in a way which we may not understand right now, but God will reveal his plan for those later.
Once we ended the distribution, we all gathered around with the Honduran church and ate lunch. We had peanut butter and jellies as well as ham and cheese. We all ate together as a family, and thats truly what we are.
After a good rest in the beautiful hotel it was a time for dinner (we really like to eat!). We ate at Camperos Chicken, which was delicious! We even had some chlorine tasting ice cream, but we´re still alive! Yes mom, there is a Bojangles here! After dinner we went to a prayer meeting at the church unlike anything I have ever been to! It started off with LOUD singing and LOUD music and even a lot of dancing! Many of us were asked to join in, and we really enjoyed coming together as one. The people of the church are some of the most welcoming, warm hearted people I have ever met! God really is at work in the church here, and it is visible on their faces.
We are all doing wonderful and smiling, and there is lots and lots of laughing going on! Continue to pray for Adam, as we still aren´t sure if he is going to make it, but we pray that God will make a way because we need our missing team member. Thanks for taking time to find out how we are doing, and I hope you all have a wonderful day ahead of you because I know we do!

Taylor Keener

Thursday, July 10, 2008

2008-07-10T21:16:00.002-05:00

Today was a very productive day. The best part of today for me was the food distribution. Seeing the way that the food and clothing touched the lives of so many was very heart wrenching. The Lord was taken into the lives of three people by Pastor Luis. Seeing someone except the LORD as their savior made the entire trip worth while. This is my first mission trip and far from the last. I have found one of the callings and purposes for my life. I would like to extend the invitation for anyone who thinks that this may be one of the purposes for your life. There are so many things here to feel and see. I can not even begin to explain what we have seen the LORD do for the people of the villages that we visited.

Annette Stephenson

July 9th

2008-07-09T21:33:00.002-05:00

Today, the medical team and carnival traveled to San Marcos, a beautiful city overlooking Lake Atitlan. At San Marcos, we encountered several more difficult cases, which are nothing more than opportunities for God to use our team to bless those we encounter. The optic team saw several severe cataracts which they were not able to treat today, but names were taken and their cases will followed up. We also had a patient, a woman in here 50s with a large abdominal mass. She was extremely poor, living alone, and therefore was not able to afford a trip to a hospital. Today, we were able to raise the money from within our team to pay for her and a deacon of the local church to travel together to the nearest hospital this Friday for an examination. In total, we treated a little less than 200 people today.

The construction team finished the walls and roofs of both houses. We are prepared to lay the slab tomorrow morning. Hopefully, we will be able to have the dedication ceremony for the finished homes in the afternoon.

Our ministry did not end when we returned back to San Juan for dinner. Several of the younger guys from our team spent about half an hour being catapults and carnival rides for dozens of the local children. It was a blessing to all of us to see how much they enjoyed just that little bit of playing and amazing to see how all of the people here are so appreciative of even the smallest gesture.

Currently, the mother of Iised, one of friends and helpers from Venezuela is in transit from Guatamala to meet us in San Pedro. We appreciate your continued prayers for her safe arrival later tonight and for the futher demonstration of the love of Christ in Guatamala.

An Awesome 4th Day

2008-07-08T20:36:00.002-05:00

What a day! Our morning began with a walk up one of the many mountains and kayaking for those who decided to get up early. We were joined by the others at 7:30 to load up the luggage and head to breakfast where we enjoyed fried bananas, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, black beans, and the best cookies ever. After breakfast, the medical, photo, carnival, and optical teams set off to a Mayan village, while construction continued work on the widows' houses. The bus ride to the Mayan village was one that we will never forget! Sharp curves and drop offs had us all on the edge of our seats. Every team member recieved a wonderful blessing from being around the Mayan people. The medical team saw over 100 people, and the optical saw over 70. Photos were very popular in this paticular Mayan village. Many faces lit up after being handed their photo with a Bible verse on the back. The carnival team entertained the children by playing soccer as well as painting faces and fingernails. After our sack lunches, the "Happy Feet" team came back to Shalom and recieved an amazing blessing. They gave out hundreds of pairs of shoes, as well as washed hundreds of feet. This greatly touched the hearts of both the Guatemalan people and the "Happy Feet" team members. We ended the night with yet another wonderful devotion by Will Tate. Everyone on our team continues to draw closer and closer to each other, but especially to God.

Day 3 Guatemala

2008-07-07T20:49:00.002-05:00

Wow! What a day! This morning began with Pastor Luis´ daily walk with some of the mission team members. They began the walk at 6 am. The members enjoyed a walk in San Pedro where they visited the Catholic Church. When returning, all the members met together at the hotel and walked to the buses where we loaded up to go to breakfast at the church in Shalom. We enjoyed a tasty meal that included pancakes, Arroz Con Leche (rice, milk, and sugar), and wonderful orange juice. After breakfast we began setting up each ministry in order to reach out to the families in Shalom. Our ministries included Carnival, Medical, Optomitry, Photo, and Construction. Carnival and Photo joined together and helped each other by rotating positions and enjoying time with the children. The Medical Team really reached out today and saw about 291 patients. The construction team also had a wonderful day by tearing down a worthless house and beginning reconstruction. They also began building 2 houses in Shalom which went over very well. They finished all but 2 layers on the first house. Their goal for tomorrow is to finish the layers and most of the roofing. After a long morning the whole team met back together in the church for lunch. Lunch consisted of soup, chicken salad sandwiches, lemonade, and cookies. At one o´clock everyone went back to their stations and began working hard again. The carnival team really enjoyed spending time at the local football (soccer) field and watching everyone play. A few of the team members set out in reach for the families by inviting them to church and handing out Bibles. Before time for supper Lamar and Daniel kept the children occupied by flipping them in the air. One of these ´´kids´´ included Mr. JR Roberts. He said he enjoyed that very much but did not want to do that often. After fun with the kids and finishing up the ministries for the day we all sat together in the church and had a wonderful spaghetti supper, but before we ate we sang the beautiful song ´´I Love You Lord´´. The meal was spaghetti, corn on the cob, rolls, watermelon, and lemonade. We finished supper and headed to the buses where we would take off for out hotel. After getting off the bumpy bus ride we walked to the hotel and began our devotional led by Will Tate. We can truly say this has been a long but wonderful first day of ministering in Guatemala. Buenos Nachos. God Bless Everyone!

By Danielle Welch and Karissa Seales

Crenshaw and Randolph Counties Arrive in Guatemala

2008-07-05T22:23:00.002-05:00

Our mission team arrived in Guatemala City at 11:15 a.m.. Our flight went smoothly; however, we faced difficulties at the airport in Guatemala. Approximately forty pieces of luggage was left behind. Some of the luggage contains personal items and others contain medication and other supplies. We are hoping to retrieve our bags before we leave Guatemala City tomorrow morning.

Tonight we are staying in a compound provided for us by Impacto Ministries. Delmi and her "staff" have cooked two wonderful meals for us today, and will be traveling with us to Lake Atitlan to prepare our meals for the rest of the week.

After dinner tonight, we gathered in the compound for a devotional delievered by Pastor Luis. Pastor Luis read from 1 Peter: 2:9 and discussed how we as Americans like to be in what we feel is our comfort zone. By doing foreign ministries, we must realize that our TRUE comfort zone is with God no matter where we are or what we are doing.

We are looking forward to a wonderful week. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Brittany Ballard and Brittany Walker

June 17th, Our Second Day at Colonia

2008-06-18T23:02:00.004-05:00

We got to Colonia today ready to go...and so were the people! We had more that yesterday, but we were fired up! We started off the medical ministry with sharing the gospel in relation to their need for medical healing and and the healing that The Great Physician can provide to those who choose Jesus as Lord. Several stood in with a requrest for prayer, but no one wanted to say what their need was. They are a very proud people. We only know that their needs will be met and their prayers will be heard. Medical already had many people ready to go when we got there! The medical team and their interpreters were awesome today! There were so many people and the team just rocked! I don't know how they did it.

The pharmacy was amazing and took care of so many people! These ministries are such a blessing to the Honduran people. It is a chance to heal the physical need while showing them there is healing for the spirit. Tracts were handed out at all of the ministries as well as prayers, love and mighty hugs!

The Carnival team spent much time with the children today. There was face painting, tatoos, ballons, a parachute game, bean bags games and a lot of kid tossing! Debbie Neely was doing fingernail painitng, Les Neely and Jim Hawkins were doing tatoos. Kevin Nely was face painting. You should have seen some of those girls with painted fingernails, tatoos, stickers and face paint on all at the same time! They were nothing but smiles. How wonderful it is to see a child light up when love is lavished upon them!

Later on we decided to stop and made baloon headwraps for the kids. We had such a blast with them. They didn't want to leave our side. So, we decided then to go and place games like the parachute game which was a great hit for the kids. We played a home-made bean bag game that they went nuts over! And finally, we played hackysack. Have you ever seen 13 ten year olds get into a circle and play hackysack? Well, if you did you would never forget it!

One child in particular touched one of our team member hearts. Jim Hawkins was blessed to have this one little girl be his first hug in Honduras. She helped him set up the games and held his hand all day! And if that was not enough blessing to witness from the heart of a child, the children came out in the rain with him as he flipped them and tossed them around. They never left his side and gave him many hugs. He and Kevin Neely stayed out in the rain with them flipping and spinning the children! Jim and Kevin were later offered a pineapple from her mother out of gratitude! A pineapple is a great offering of gratitude for these people don't have much.

After the kids wore Jim and Kevin out...and the rain finally stopped, the teams closed up. On our way to get on the bus, there was a homeless man that came up to Jim, Kevin and Miguel. The man had been heavy in drinking and had fallen away from Christ. He came to Miguel and because he knew him from the streets, the man opened his heart. He wanted to be restored and strengthened Jesus. He was so sorry for all of the drinking and the way his life was being led. Even though he knew Jesus, he could not shake the drinking. He asked us to pray for him to be restored and asked for a bible. So, Kevin, Jim and Miguel started to pray for the man and he fell down broken by his life and poured out tears with great release! He fell crumpled to the ground crying and asking Jesus for forgivness.

We were all in awe at how Jesus touched this man and used us, strangers through obedinece, to be a door of opportunity for this man to come home to Christ. After some powerful prayer we got up and he hugged us still crying and praiseing God. We got chills! We left in awe at what God had done for this man that we may never see again until we meet in heaven.

That night the team went out to eat and Gary Clark and I (Kevin Neely) went back to the church to continue discipleship teaching. We arrived and quickly we arranged the church chairs into teaching circle because I wanted these wonderful people to see me, not as a pastor, minister or missionary as they wanted to, but just a restored man of God that loves Jesus as much as they do. We broke the ice as I picked on them for yawning at me and we began the teaching. I went through the understanding of God's doors of opportunity and ourselves become a door that God openes to bless others and reveal the love and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I could feel God's Spirit leading me to deliver to them on the fly what they needed to hear. I barely looked at my notes. It was a powerful teaching setting and the members of the church had me teach two hours again this night! Praise God for their Hunger for the Word and a desire to become a more devoted disciple in Christ. I was honored just to be in their with them.They wanted instruction from the Word and most importantly to them, an application to guide their their lives to grow in.

The people of Honduras are so hungry for teaching and the gospel. There are many pastors that are voicing to us in a need for teaching and teachers. They desire deeply for the leaders to be raisied up. They have a heavy heart for more resources to build deep faith into their disciples.

Jim Hawkins wanted to say that he was blessed from a testimony from Daneille Schroeder. She had spoken during our after ministry share time that she admitted to being frustrated today. She had no interpreter. And just when she was getting ready to quit due to frustration, an interpreter showed up at her side that she never would have had and she was so thankful that God sent her as help. Later on she told Jim that she is not the type of person to open up and speak like that because she is shy, but she felt God told her to say something. This is coming from a lady that was just re-baptised and was here in Tegus the next week! How might the Lord works! I am so proud of my sister!

This would have been posted last night, but here it is now! If there are any type-o's I am sorry. It is 11:30pm here,I am using a Spanish keyboard, and spellcheck doesn't work on English.

Buenos Noches! :)

June 16, Our First Day Working in Honduras

2008-06-16T21:33:00.006-05:00

After a few delays and setbacks, we made it safetly to Tegucigalpa on Sunday afternoon. Be sure and ask Todd about his status with Continental Airlines when we return. We had a relaxing supper at the Hotel Excelsior and caught up on our sleep. Monday morning we headed out to Colonia with our dental and medical equipment, toys, eyeglasses and expectant hearts. We had a great day working in Colonia, helping the local people with much needed services. I was quickly trained in the pharmacy, where I had never worked before, but enjoyed helping fill the prescriptions for the approx 225 people that the doctors saw. Todd fitted about 150 eyglasses with the help of a translator and the worship leader of Ministerio de Coshecha de Jesus. Nelson extracted over 30 teeth, Danielle cut hair nonstop all day, and Les and Debbie made over 150 people smile with a family photo for them to proudly display. Others worked with the local church members and played with kids, assisted with various ministries and prayed with people. Kevin led discipleship training at the church tonight with a blended message for non beleivers as well as church members and leaders. Tonights teaching discussed the relationship between a rabbi and a disciple that would strengthen our relationship to Christ by reflecting His life with our life to touch and save the world, one life at a time. It was to reveal the potential that was within them, that is also in all of us, to become all that we can through Christ, as we see the world as God sees it... in need of love and His Son. And they will know Him through all of us who choose to follow Him seriously as a disciple. The response of the congregation was amazing. They praised God, and raised their hands and professed understanding of Kevin´s teaching, which broke Kevin´s heart with joy. He looks forward to teaching again tomorrow night, and he prays that lives will change and lives will be saved, and Christ will be revealed.
We have a short but full week planned. Tomorrow we will return to Colonia to continue what we started today. Wednesday we are headed to San Matias to set up the very first medical clinic ever in that area. Thursday we plan to go to the dump area to feed and minister to people who live there.
We have an exciting week ahead of us, and look forward to seeing what God will do as we serve Him as His hands and feet in Honduras.

Trinity Baptist in Honduras

2008-05-30T21:40:00.003-05:00

We have so much to be thankful for :) Most of all, for God breaking the back of the evil one and giving us life. His power lit us up this week. This team carried the truth of Jesus victory into unknown places with boldness. One person led to another. Some closed the door in our face. Others welcomed us into their homes. Some refused God´s free gift of salvation and others recieved it. We know that some sow seeds and others reap the harvest. God used this team to do both.

At the dump....
We got hit with anxiety and fear yesterday, before going into the dump. We went anyway and God took care of us. It rained and we got wet, but we had a hot shower waiting at home. They didn´t. But thanks to this team and all of those that raised money for their feeding, hundreds of hot meals were handed to the least of these. The local church, La Cosecha de Jesus, is effectively using the newly renovated commercial kitchen for this ministry. Thanks to all who contributed to this development project.

The local church brings some tambourines and sings praise songs with the people. A crowd of 50 or so assembled in a circle as we praised teh Lord together. For a few moments, while we were singing, there were no boundaries - no us and them. They were just like me and I like them, although our outside appearances said differently. It was a glimpse through God´s eyes that I hope no attitude, prejudice, or misconception will ever steal away.

Speaking of stealing..
The Bible says Satan steals, kills, and destroys. I beleive that. It also says, he is the father of lies. I believe that too. Up to this point, I´ve given him a lot of respect, seeing him as omniscient. But these mission trips really take off the camouflage of our big bad enemy and reveal his limits. I don´t believe he can read minds anymore. Look it up and let me know if you see it differently. Also, I usually associate Satan with a powerful prescence of evil, but when we saw him in action this week, distracting our efforts during door to door evangelism especially, I realized he´s more like a pestering prescence than a powerful one. I look forward to ignoring his lies, abiding in the Holy Spirit, and resting on the fact that Satan´s authority is a lot of smoke and mirrors.

God bless you and yours. This week has been awesome. We hope you join in soon!

2008-05-30T18:46:00.002-05:00

Gods love shows thru the people at the church. After the service many of the members would come up and give us a big bear hug to show how much they love us and how blessed they were to have the team there. It is amazing to love someone so much that you have just met. Jenna Pratte

2008-05-30T18:40:00.002-05:00

Thursday, May 29
Today was a very awesome day. We did door to door evangelism all morning and all afternoon after the dump feeding at the surrounding dump area. We did not let the rain stop us from sharing Christ. The mud on our feet was like heavy clay. If for no other reason our group felt as though we planted seeds and one lady at the very top of the hillside prayed to received Christ. One man that lived at the very tip top said that no one ever bothered to come all the way to the top of the hill. We were the first ones to come to their house and share they said. There are no words to descibe the dump as usual. It´s just one of those things you have to experience yourself. People, vultures, cows, dogs, etc. all feed at the dump. These people have tiny card board boxes to live in. These are people who were not fortunate enough to have an education. Therefore they cannot get jobs. Gary gave the gospel message while we were there and we passed out food and tracts. We have handed out food all week as we went door to door and the Church cooked food that we purchased to give out at the dump. To God we give all the praise, honor and glory. It´s all about Jesus and glorifying HIM. He just used us as willing vessels.

Teresa Farmer

2008-05-30T18:34:00.002-05:00

Today God has Blessed us with door to door ministery. The devil started in this morning but we prayed and God prevailed. This trip has been an awesome expierence for me! Thanks Toni for all the daily inspirations! My heart has been overwhelmed.We went to the church and the service was so exciting. Yes Mrs Louise, a part of my heart is now left in Honduras. A great friendship with our brother and sister in Christ has taken me to another step. I pray that I can take part agaain next year! God is so awesome and so the Americans and Hondurans togather working to tell people about Jesus. Our lifes are different in some ways but spiritual lifes are the same. Both groups will be praying for each other. May the Lord bless both groups to grow and guide us to do what he wants us to do. That LOVE has bonded us forever. I will pray for the ones who came to Jesus & those who did not to accept him as our Lord & Savior.In his name we Praise. Vicky Pratte

Trinity Baptist in Honduras

2008-05-30T00:14:00.003-05:00

The Honduran team

Miguel and Tito were huge this week. Miguel translated and Tito drove. Sounds simple right? Just ask a team member about the awesome job these guys did with challenging roles. We thank God for their help.

Trinity Baptist in Honduras

2008-05-30T00:04:00.002-05:00

Surprise Birthday!
Jenna turned 22 yesterday, so we surprised her with cake and coffee. No one knew of the surprise awaiting at dinner tonight. We went to Pizza Hut, adn the entire staff came out to clap and sing happy birthday. Unlike in the states, the Hondurans top off the celebration with dancing too!

Trinity Baptist in Honduras

2008-05-29T22:42:00.006-05:00

Well, the day started off worse than the other two days.
I won't mention what happened, just in case April and Nicole are reading this. I'm okay, walking & talking. Let me tell you about the person I have as an amazing brother in Christ. His name is Harold Heard. He went far and beyond as a roomate down here. Mrs. Jean Heard raised this man right. I will always have him and my family in my prayers.

Now, about today. We went door to door this morning at the church at the dump, handing out food bags, tracts, and bibles. We also led several to the Lord. Then we went back to the church. There, we had our lunch. It was a very good meal of rice, chicken, vegetables in corn tortillas, and I had a light Coke to drink. We as a team decided to give up what we didn't eat to the local families. If you could just see what some of our fellow men live in....most of the houses down here are dirt floors. Very few have concrete floors. Now we are going to the dump to feed the people there.

We don't go by ourselves to the dump. People from the church (La Cosecha de Jesus) go with us to hand it out. Life in the dump doesn't see the difference between kids and older kids. We fed kids and elderly people both. One kid came up to Vicky and myself pointing at the Bible I was holding, so I gave him one. We could see and smell that he was sniffing glue. We also saw a kid sniffing glue from a Coke bottle.

By the way, I didn't tell you it was raining. One of the people from the dump came to me and gave me and Vicky and umbrella. We were soaked by the time we got the umbrella, but we used it anyway.

As we were sitting and waiting for the food to arrive, a group of men came up to ask about the box on top of the van. It was our trash, but they climbed up and took it off the van's rack to get it. A picture of this doesn't do any good to look at. You need to be here first hand.

Tonight, we went to Pastor Tim's church. The service was awesome! Ms. Jenny led the music. Some older girls danced and praised to the Lord, and some smaller ones too. One of the smaller ones was Jenny's daughter. After the praise, we all got up to tell about our testimony. Teresa Farmer led it off, then Vicky, myself, and Harold. I read from 1 Timothy 1:9-10. Then Pastor Kevin's wife got up and asked Jerry to bless a young mother's baby. Everyone did a wonderful job. Then the church members put us in a circle and surrounded us with prayer. We said farewell after that.

I want to thank 4 Corners Ministries, Tripp, Gary, and Jerry for this opportunity to serve the people of Honduras. I also want to thank Trinity Baptist Church for allowing us to go. Also, thank you to Teresa, Jenna, Vicky, Harold, Sheila, Miguel, and Tito.

- Rickey Martini

Venezuela Vet Team No. 2 - Thursday

2008-05-29T19:48:00.002-05:00

Today was our last day of work here in the communities that surround the city dump of Maracaibo. We divided up into two teams this morning to accomplish several tasks. One team stayed at Fueñte de Amor to work on any dogs and cats that the people in the community wanted worked on. They worked about 35 dogs and cats throughout the morning. The rest of us went to a household very close to the church to work their pigs. We have been there several time and the owners were very excited to see us coming again. Most of the pigs that this household sells go to people who want to actually raise pigs. This is a contrast to many of the houses that we visit whose animals are either to eat or to use to barter for other goods. They had about 60 pigs and it took most of the morning to work them. We rode to a local farm store with Salvador to let him show us some of the supplies that he uses the most and we were able to buy some of it for him. We ate lunch at Fueñte de Amor with the other mission group that is here working with ITAM. In the afternoon we went to another farm and worked about 30 sheep and about 30 cows. We were able to work the sheep quickly and easily, but each cow had to be roped and worked individually so it took a lot of the afternoon to work them. When we were done there, we took the bus to the dump and those who had never been before were able to go up onto the dump. We ended our work week by going back to Fueñte de Amor and saying goodbye to our friends. It is always hard to leave after such an intense and productive week with our friends at Fueñte de Amor. Salvador poured his heart out to us as we gathered to pray at the church, which deeply impacted our group. Tomorrow we have sight seeing planned around the city of Maracaibo. It should be a good day of rest and reflection on what the Lord has shown us this week through doing His kingdom work.

Wednesday, May 28

2008-05-29T08:59:00.005-05:00

This day started off with me not feeling too great, but I¨m doing this down here for not me but for our God. This morning, Jesse Tiner came and had breakfast with us. We went to Ebenezer Academy with Jesse. The principal of the school showed us around the facilities. She showed us where they grow the coffee trees, and banana trees, and the blackberries. We had lunch at the school - rice, and vegetable soup, and blackberry juice. It was delicious!

Then we started going door to door. We had 2 come to the Lord, a grandmother and a grandaughter. Then later on, we had a carnival in an open field with the children of the school and village. We had ball toss, bible story, balloons, and a pinata. Harold and I did over 150 balloons this afternoon and Gary jumped in to help us blow them up. It´s so great to watch the kids faces as we gave them balloons and just to see the smiling faces of the children.

- Senor Rickey Martin

2008-05-29T08:01:00.003-05:00

We went to the Ebenezer Ranch today. While the kids played ball toss. Teresa, Jerry and myself played soccer with the other kids. I was able to come to there level and minister to them that we love and care for them. We wanted them to know this. The love of God is a wonderful thing to give as well as to receive. Next, we went to door to door ministery. At one home I prayed for the family then I frooze and Miquel
took it and finished it. Which is what brothers and sisters in Christ do for each other.I am learning how to do things for the first time. I have witnessed the Holy Spirit being right in the middle of evil spirits. But Jesus prevailed and people heard of how to come to Christ. God is so good,so awesome. Continue to pray for us.

Vicky Pratte