First Baptist Church of Ocala, Florida

Nazca

2011-10-12T08:28:00.002-04:00

Our team has made it to Nazca. The most difficult part of the very long journey is now complete for this trip. The very long journey to see the people of Cabana come to know Christ and His love is still just beginning. Our two teams have witnessed God opening some new doors in the village. Your prayers have helped accomplish this! We will arrive in Lima this evening and then fly home late tomorrow night. Our sons have been incredible in many, many ways. It has been a great blessing to see how God has used them for His glory.

2011-10-11T10:36:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder that the Peru team is traveling home today. Please keep them in your prayers during the next 24 hours. The trip is long, winding and hard.

2011-10-10T20:16:00.000-04:00

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God is so good...

2011-10-08T08:02:00.003-04:00

We have already experienced God's provisions as we have made the journey here to Cabana. Our trip could not have been any easier - well a helicopter would help here. It was a very different experience arriving in a large minivan instead of on the combi. We have made arrangements for the same driver to bring us back to Nazca on Tuesday. God has basically given us an extra day here in Cabana because of the time that we arrived yesterday.

All of the team did great during the bus ride. Our sons have been incredible. We did not hear a single complaint from them since we left Ocala. Once we arrived here in Cabana we realized early on that God is going to use the boys to build bridges into the lives of the people here. The boys have already begun to make friendships with other boys, too. Last night they sat at a table with a Peruvian boy and spoke to him through one of our interpreters. It was awesome to see them interact!

Today we will meet with our friend Luisa who was baptized in 2009. We will meet this evening with Irene who agreed to let us come to her restaurant and have a Bible study. Please pray for us as we seek to communicate with them about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus.

Cabana has a new mayor. We are excited to meet with him tomorrow. We have already developed a relationship with his family. Romer is his son and he was one of the first boys that we met when we arrived in 2008.

Thanks for your encouragement and more importantly your prayers. Please pray that God puts us in the paths of the people that he wants us to meet this week.

If you see our families - hug on them and let them know that their boys miss them!

Cabana!

2011-10-07T15:15:00.001-04:00

The team made it safely to Cabana this afternoon. What an answer to prayer! We (the moms) were a little nervous about the Combi ride up the mountain from Puquio to Cabana. However, they found a minivan to take the whole team instead of the Combi. Yay! The same driver might even be able to pick them up for the return trip.

Word from the team is that everyone is doing great. Stay tuned!

2011-10-06T18:05:00.002-04:00

Our team is doing great here in Lima. We have been meeting today with our International Mission Board missionaries, interpreters and debriefing our mission team that has been on the field since last week.

Larry and David did a tremendous job here in Peru. They have met several new people in Cabana and setup some appointments for us in the village.

We begin our bus journey tonight at 9:45PM which is about 3 hours later than what we had anticipated. We will arrive in Puquio around 8AM. Please pray that we get a connecting ride to our village very soon after we arrive because we will still have about 4 hours of travel left to enjoy. Those 4 hours will be the longest of the journey.

We are very encouraged by what we have learned today about God's activity in Cabana. May He use our lives to further His work - for His glory.

Kevin

Arrived in Peru

2011-10-06T09:50:00.001-04:00

Team 1 and Team 2 met up in Lima last night. We just heard from them this morning and they are all doing well. They have met up with our missionary contact, Michael Weaver in Lima. It was so great to hear their voices!

And they are off!

2011-10-05T08:56:00.002-04:00

Peru Today!

2011-10-05T07:15:00.003-04:00

For the past 9 days, David and Larry have been in Peru. They have been reestablishing contacts, tracking down information and encouraging the handful of believers in Cabana. Today, we send a team of 8 to meet with them in Lima tomorrow. David and Larry will journey home late tomorrow night and this team of 8 will head to Cabana to continue the work.

Please pray for these men that have gone already and those going today. Please also remember their families here in Ocala. Here is a pic of David & Larry. When possible, the team leaving today will post to this blog. Please leave them a comment to encourage them. We will do our best to post the comments as soon as we can.

Uganda Team Post #6

2011-08-12T06:14:00.001-04:00

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Think about the most unique gift you’ve ever been given. Can it compare to a live chicken with its feet bound, a bag of ground nuts, and a rare fruit that the Nationals couldn’t name easily. During our visitation today these are the gifts we received. We couldn’t believe the generosity of the Ugandans once again, giving their best for their honored guests, which we felt so unworthy to receive. A total of 20 home visits were made today. We heard some amazing testimonies about how the mothers came to know Jesus. These people are so content with so little compared with Americans who always want more and more and more.

The men completed work on the fence with the delivered posts. 71 were done yesterday with 40 more done today, for a total of 111. In the next few weeks the fence will be completed for a total of 140 fence posts. Ken and Ron have worked alongside the Nationals, learning their stories, encouraging them, and being blessed by their hard work.

While the team has been split working on the fence and on visitation, the people’s lives we came in contact with were intertwined. David, the hardest worker on the construction team is also struggling with some mental and spiritual issues. Ron and Ken have made a strong connection with him during their work this week, showing him the true compassion and love of Christ. Today, one of the houses visited was the mother of David. She admitted that she has struggled with having faith since David’s difficulties have occurred. We were able to pray with her and encourage her with scripture pointing her to the forgiveness of Jesus in all situations that life throws at us. The team requests special prayers for David and his mother, for peace and salvation for both of them.

186 children and 56 adults were touched by team members today. Please pray for these people to all realize the good news of Jesus Christ. As we wrap up the week, it is hard to believe our time here in Kamonkoli is almost done. Tomorrow we are going on an outing to Sipi Falls and to the baboons, so please pray for safety, continued good health, and for opportunities to show the love of Christ with those that will be with us on the trip. God bless.

Uganda Team Post #5

2011-08-12T06:12:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Visitation – 153 children, 24 adults

Fence – 26 workers, 15 children observing

At least 218 people we touched today

The impact on the team members – PRICELESS!

From the morning devotion Amber read the scriptures about the harvest being plentiful but the workers being few in Matthew and how we aren’t to grow weary in doing good. Immediately upon reviewing the scripture the Holy Spirit prompted her to look out the window where a man was “mowing” the grass with a machete. This was very revealing to all of the team members present because we are so blessed with all of the amenities back home. We complain about having to mow the lawn with our gas powered mowers and weed eaters, but this man has steadily worked on the yard for hours and he won’t stop until the task is complete.

The home visits were especially powerful today because we had more time at each residence to sit and visit and pray with each family. One mother, Irene, in particular was so excited to see us that she welcomed us with an “olation” a chant of thanksgiving which is a high pitched shrill noise made by vibrating your tongue very quickly and screaming loudly. As supplies were brought out of the van she took us unashamedly into her home to lock the precious food away. Rag dolls were passed out to all of the children at her house as well as “sweeties,” bracelets, and baby clothes. Sitting and listening to the stories of their crops, sickness, and struggles, it was a special time of encouragement and fellowship. Irene even put on her best dress for some special pictures to be taken. As we were driving away in the van Irene was crossing her arms telling us how she loves us.

Various team members took turns delegating tasks at the homes. At one, the team member leading the visit, she made such a connection with the mother Jane that Jane gave us a large bag of ground nuts, despite the fact her family has so little food. It was humbling. Another home which touched our hearts was the home of James and Faith who were married in 1950. They couldn’t remember their ages, just that they were married when still in their youth. James shared his testimony about being in the darkness, but then a missionary came and he came to know Christ. He also talked about the healing in his leg after the prayer of another missionary. It was touching to hear his story.

The men were exhausted after putting in a full day’s work pouring concrete (2 wheelbarrows per hole), into the holes. They completed a total of 71 between yesterday and today. Working alongside the Nationals gave the men time for meaningful fellowship.

Dinner at Katherine’s was the icing on the cake of the day as we had a devotion led by one of her girls as well as beautiful worship. Please remember our team in your prayers, for continued strength, health, and endurance as we wind down the week.

Uganda Team Post #3

2011-08-09T20:43:00.005-04:00

Monday, 8/8/2011

Holes…what does that conjure in your mind? For the team here the word will never again be the same. Starting our work project on the fence this morning at 8:30 am we set off from Katherine’s with a machete, grub hoes, shovels, and post hole diggers in hand. Little did we know that this would be the most backbreaking work any of us had ever done. The line was pulled, stakes were placed to indicate where to dig, and the work began. The ladies on the team worked together doing 1 hole to the Ugandans 3-4 in the same time frame. According to the Nationals they were “well done.” The fields where holes were being dug were surrounded by cassava, ground nuts, banana trees, and corn. As we worked children and teenagers showed up to watch. Due to the schedule being held up, the ladies returned to the compound to organize leftover clothes for distribution in the village tomorrow, while the men stayed to work until lunch. There were 38 volunteers working on the fence both men and women. After lunch the men returned to work digging holes, while the women had some much needed rest as well as preparing for the women’s Bible study.

We got the opportunity to do a home visit with a woman who lives on the compound, and she welcomed us into her home providing drinks and Ugandan hospitality. She shared pictures of her family as well as some of her personal story. It was a blessing to see her humble surroundings, while she displayed a graciousness rarely seen in the US. This woman like many works so hard for so little, but still she is very proud of what she has. We also got to visit with some other women who were open to share what their lives are like here in Kamonkoli, and once again we were all reminded how blessed we are where we live.

What continues to amaze us is that despite the poverty, these people are happy and kind and open to our presence and help. Even in the midst of adversity, which Todd experienced in the hospital today with the loss of 2 babies, one of the father’s was proclaiming, “God is good!” Even through our exhaustion and pain and compassion overload, God is good, ALL THE TIME! Thank you for your continued prayers.

2nd Post from Uganda team

2011-08-08T08:46:00.000-04:00

Sunday 8/7/11 in Kamonkoli

Nothing in the US can compare to worship in Uganda. The spirit of worship present from the oldest to the youngest was contagious. When is the last time you gave your best in the offering plate at church? As the offering basket was passed this morning coins, eggs, and corn were given as their best to God. Would you ever expect to see your 80 year old grandmother dancing in the front row of church? “Mongeri” did just that as the oldest woman in the congregation. Children were ushered to the front stage to make room for overflow that continued all throughout the service. There were 300 adults and 400 children present for worship with many listening from outside the building and in the small balcony. “BC Homes” a favorite returning guest made an appearance with Julie in Sunday School sharing with the children the story of Elisha and Elijah. The children were leaning forward in anticipation watching “BC” perform.

VBS today almost 440 children were present. Our schedule did not quite go as anticipated, but as all who have been on mission trips before, flexibility is the key, and God’s plan was executed. In crafts making salvation beaded bracelets with over 100 children at the same time, seemed to be a daunting task. However, the Holy Spirit intervened and calmed the children and the “it can’t be done craft” turned into “We did it!”

After completing VBS the children were lined up, in 4 lines of 100 children each, to distribute clothes which were donated by many team members at home. We started out with 15 beautifully handmade pillowcase dresses in varying sizes. We had no difficulty in locating girls to replace their raggedy, tattered dresses, many not even fitting or zipped up. The smiles from a simple dress, that we know will be recycled for many years to come, were indescribable. For the remaining children some chaos ensued with the excitement of the new clothes. We had them separated into boys and girls and specific sizes, but matching the clothes with the child was no easy task. Towards the end we were frazzled. No longer were we working with complete outfits, but we were lucky to provide just one short or pair of bottoms. It was at this point our team was faced with the reality that we can’t fix it all. The needs are too great. The number of children represented at church today is only a fraction of the children in need here in Kamonkoli. We need more resources, more hands and feet, and continued prayers. Tomorrow the women will begin home visits in the bush and the men will start construction on the new chain link fence.

Since being here several of our team members have received news of family emergencies back home, so please pray for them here and the family members left at home to deal with these situations without them.

1st Post from Uganda Team

2011-08-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

Uganda Mission Team 2011: Ron Gunter, Christ Church, Miami; Julie Boyd, First Baptist at the Mall, Lakeland; Shannon Lyles, Bonnie Weekes, Pat McGinnis, Ken DeMoliner First Baptist Ocala; Amber Dufrene, Westgate Church with special Guest Todd Griffin, Christ United Methodist, Fairview Heights Illinois. Took off from Orlando & St Louis to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Kijali Rwanda to final destination Entebbe Uganda. After over 24 hours of travel we arrived safely and drove to Kampala to spend the night in a hotel. Then, a morning at the market to buy supplies and we headed off on a 5 hour drive to Kamonkoli.

The sites passed were amazing. People everywhere going about their daily lives in the various villages. The traffic in the worst city of the USA cannot compare…buses honking, 3 people on bicycles, motorcycles with 2 people, pedestrians, people “hawking” their goods, trucks with dead chickens on the roof…you name it, we saw it! All of this even before we arrived at our destination. After resting and having a special night of dinner worship ( lead by Peace), and playing with the children at Katherine’s home we had to sort through the donations and VBS supplies. As we sorted through the suitcases we were in awe of the generosity of all of the team members who did not physically come on the trip but have made our efforts a success already, and we thank you all.

Day 2 Kamonkoli: “Vacation Bible School”, three words that conjure fear in the hearts of even the most committed Christian’s. However, try doing it in a foreign country like Uganda, Africa. You know it’s going to be rough when you have over 100 show up in your first craft session, over 100 show up in your first Bible Story Lesson and almost 160 for recreation . No amount of pre-planning could have prepared us for this adventure. In our minds we had the Bible Stories planned, the crafts were set aside with great detail. Songs were practiced and all the Fun and Games were ready to be played by all. We had the hatch of an SUV full of beach balls, balloons, soccer balls, and loads of fun. How could it not be successful, right? Little did we know that in less than 2 hours almost 500 children would show up hungry for God’s word, attention, fun and Grace.

We take a lot for granted in the USA. We assume that all children know how to use scissors, glue sticks, and cotton balls. We assume they understand all basic Bible stories and know all games like Duck Duck Goose, however, that is not the case here. Crafts resulted in more than just the sheep being glittered. Once the kids discovered the glitter many were covered from head to toe. Recreation run by 2 people was overwhelming but rewarding nonetheless. Bible study sessions taught Isaiah 43:1 that “The Father called you by name and you are Mine” first, and then John 14:2 that “In my Father’s house there are many rooms” which focused on the promise of Heaven and the story of salvation was presented. Despite the torrential rainstorm that cancelled the second craft and recreation session God was present.

In music we intended to enlighten them when in actuality they taught us about their deep love of Jesus through their music, songs and dancing. It was a powerfully moving time listening and watching the simple praises of 500 children. With 3 groups we also had a praise and worship Conga line out of the church and back inside. After word spreads of candy, fun, glitter, games, worship, silly songs, and Bible study we anticipate even more children tomorrow after church. Please continue to pray for the team and the lives that will be impacted.

Jamaica Team Video

2011-08-03T10:25:00.002-04:00

This video is a summary of photos from the recent trip to Jamaica. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D9NZI_B7vA

Uganda Mission Team

2011-08-03T10:09:00.004-04:00

Please join us in praying for the Uganda Mission Team that left this morning for Kamonkoli, Uganda.

Our team of 4 is traveling with 4 others from the Florida Baptist Children’s Home and working with the Hines Ugandan Ministries to visit with the children the ministry takes care of and to help build a fence.

The team will hopefully have a chance to post regularly at the following blog:
http://fbchinternationalchildcare.blogspot.com/

A very long and hard work day

2011-07-20T23:32:00.002-04:00

Our team had a very long, hot and physically challenging day here in Jamaica. Everyone is doing well as we seek to be God's instruments to do His ministry here. Our team is working together in a very wonderful way. It has been a blessing to watch how God has brought together the team members as they serve together. Thanks for praying for our team.

Another great day

2011-07-20T07:30:00.002-04:00

Our team had another great work day on the building. It is very hot here and the work requires lots of carrying heavy things like concrete blocks and buckets of cement. We visited an infirmary in the afternoon where we were able to hopefully encourage many residents. Thanks for your prayers. You can find a short video on many of our Facebook pages that will give you a glimpse of the joy that this team is experiencing.

Doing Great in Jamaica

2011-07-19T08:15:00.002-04:00

We are all doing well here in Jamaica. Thanks for your prayers. Yesterday we were so blessed with the opportunity to rain down God's love on the local Jamaicans, and blessed to experience their willingness to serve alongside of us. We're anxious for what tomorrow will bring as we continue to work in the morning and later visit the infirmary.

Arrived!

2011-07-16T14:32:00.000-04:00

Just heard from Kevin that the team arrived in Jamaica and are doing well. They also caught up with Makarios (Ms. Colleen's grandson) who had flown from Baltimore. So they are now all together and headed to the villas where they will be staying this week. Thank you for praying!

Jamaica 2011

2011-07-16T06:45:00.002-04:00

The Jamaica team is on the way! 29 folks are headed to St. Ann's Bay to join IsleGo Ministries and another team from Northland. Together they will work on construction projects and visit a local infirmary. Please pray for their travel and for them to experience all that God has in store for this incredible team.

Alaska Team begins their journey

2011-05-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

15 team members hit the road for the airport early this morning. Please pray for them as they experience a very long time of travel today.

Mike McGinnis is leading the team. Ask God to give Mike spiritual wisdom as he leads this team while they serve at a youth camp in Wasilla, Alaska.

Here is a group photo of the team as they prepared to depart.

Headed Home

2011-05-07T08:54:00.000-04:00

More Pics

2011-05-06T11:32:00.004-04:00

We had already cut away half of the tree on the top before we took the picture. We are working together on this job with the team from Idlewild.

Lots to do...

2011-05-05T21:27:00.004-04:00

The amount of work that is needed here in Alabama is overwhelming. We have witnessed some very tough situations over the years but this one is right up at the top of the list. The destruction just continues once you enter the storm zone.

Our team has done a great job of not only cleaning up debris but also - and more importantly - helped folks by engaging them in spiritual conversations.

We visited Ray again today after spending yesterday with him working on his yard. He actually got out and worked with this team. This rarely happens! At the end of the day Ray is still considering "getting right with The Lord" (his words) and I believe he is well on his way. I love talking with someone who is really counting the cost of following Jesus. He could have easily said a prayer and sent us on our way but he was more honest than that. I would have come all of the way up here and worked in this capacity for a week just to have this conversation with Ray. It was a very genuine conversation that has now lasted for several hours.

Andrew Vanover has done wonderful serving as our team chaplain. While our team is cutting up trees, Andrew is walking through the neighborhood talking with other folks. God is really using him!

We helped a man named John today with the trees that had fallen during the storm. While we were working Andrew and another Chaplain named Will spent the afternoon ministering to John. He has some very real issues that could use our prayers and encouragement.

Our truck continues to give us problems. We put it back in the shop today. We remind ourselves how blessed we are that there is a Ford dealership in this town that works on diesels and has the parts in stock. They hope to have it ready for us tomorrow afternoon so that we can come home on Saturday.

Here is a picture of Ray and a Methodist church in Cordova that was damaged by the storm. There were actually many folks in the basment of the church when the tornado hit. They all survived.

Thanks for praying for our team and more importantly for the folks here in Alabama.

More Pics

2011-05-05T13:02:00.006-04:00

These photos were taken in Cordova - about 12 miles southeast of Jasper, where the team is stationed out of. The metal frame in this last picture used to be a mobile home. The middle picture shows the team working with Ray to clean his yard.

A Hard, Cold, Wet, Glorious Day

2011-05-03T22:23:00.003-04:00

Our folks are tough. I mean TOUGH. Today started off hard and just seemed to keep getting harder but our Disaster Relief folks of the Southern Baptist Convention continue to make a difference here in Alabama. Not many of us were prepared for the cold that we experienced today. 49 degrees is not that cold unless you are getting rained on and blown around. It felt miserable at times.

But it is hard to complain when you look around and see complete devastation. We had several opportunities to help folks clean up the wreck left by the storms but most importantly we had several opportunities to find out the spiritual condition of many people. We can help clean up their yards but God can change their hearts by introducing them to an everlasting love and peace. What greater need could they have?

Please pray for our teams. They have HUGE trees here and they are scattered everywhere. You will see one monster oak tree that was split down the middle - landing several feet apart. The picture does not do it justice - it is an amazing sight.

Please pray for our new friend Ray. He lost his wife in February and has now watched a storm tear apart his community. We had a great discussion today about his spiritual condition. Folks who had known him all of his life could not believe that he would even talk with me about Jesus. Quite frankly, it was an easy conversation. Ray is hurting and alone. He needs a savior. I am praying that he meets him tonight. I asked him to spend the evening just talking with God asking Him if he was really saved before. I can't wait to find out what God told him... We hope to get back to his house tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers - they make the difference.

Kevin

Bad Tank of Gas?

2011-05-03T13:25:00.004-04:00

Well, the truck seems to have caught a case of "bad tank of gas" and wouldn't start this morning. It's been taken to the "doctor" for treatment.

The area is truly devastated. The focus right now is truly on sharing Jesus and working where they can.

Finally, please keep praying for the guys. It's May and they are from Florida - the weather in Alabama is cold! In two days, it's supposed to be in the 40s! The church they are staying at has wi-fi and if they can later tonight, they will try to send pictures.

Alabama Disaster Relief Response

2011-05-02T14:49:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend, the chainsaw/clean-up team and the feeding unit team were both activated to help with the Alabama tornado response. The teams are made up of folks from across Marion County that have been trained through the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief organization.

The feeding unit is in Double Springs, AL. The chainsaw/clean-up team is in Hackleburg, AL, about 55 miles outside of Jasper where the team is being housed. Hackleburg has a population of about 1500 people and they lost 30 people in the tornado. Please pray for these communities and for the men and women that have responded!

Kevin will blog when he has time and we will try to post photos as we get them.

Tallahassee is where we are...

2011-03-16T17:37:00.001-04:00

We have arrived at the Children's home safely. God has already been so faithful to meet the needs of this team. The makeup of the team is perfect. We will post more later as we get settled in.

Family Mission Trip - Tallahassee

2011-03-16T08:44:00.006-04:00

This morning 17 families headed to Tallahassee, FL to serve at the Florida Baptist Children's Home. The families will help with various projects around the campus. Please pray for all of the grandparents, moms, dads and kiddos as they seek to strengthen their families through service and demonstrate Christ's love to the children and staff at FBCH.

Welcome Home, Uganda Team!

2010-11-21T19:38:00.001-05:00

The Uganda team arrived home this evening. It was a long, hard journey just to get home, not to mention everything they saw and experienced in the past 11 days. "Re-entry" can be a hard time for missionary and family. Please pray for them and their families in the coming days.

On our way...

2010-11-19T22:42:00.002-05:00

We will be leaving in a short while... It is surely a bittersweet moment. These folks are amazing but we are all looking forward to getting back to our families! Our flight leaves at midnight here (4PM Florida time) and then we will be back in Ocala around 7PM on Sunday night. What an awesome privilege this has been. Thanks for joining with us through your prayers and encouragement. The Children's Home blog was updated again last night. It tells an awesome story.

See you soon

Ken, Bobby and Kevin

Final day

2010-11-18T23:06:00.002-05:00

Today is our final day here in our ministry area. We saw a young couple come to faith in Christ on Wednesday. The ministry that is happening here through Hines Ugandan Ministries is wonderful. It has been a blessing to spend time with these sweet believers.

We will say our goodbyes tomorrow and drive to the airport in Entebbe. Our plan leaves just after midnight for us - around 4PM for our families in Florida. We will arrive in Florida Sunday night. We are all excited to see our families.

Thanks for your prayers - God has been faithful to answer them.

Incredible Day

2010-11-16T15:05:00.003-05:00

Wow... God is doing an incredible work here. Check out the children's home blog for the pictures and stories that we updated just a little while ago. Thanks for your prayers - God is answering your prayers. Please also pray for our families... we miss them so much.

Uganda Blog Updated

2010-11-16T09:35:00.001-05:00

We are finding that the updates from FBCH are going well. Check out the latest news at http://fbchinternationalchildcare.blogspot.com/search/label/Uganda

Uganda Blog

2010-11-15T11:44:00.002-05:00

Attached below are some pictures from the Uganda team that have been posted on the FBCH blog. You can also read that blog for the team leader's updates. The address is http://fbchinternationalchildcare.blogspot.com/

An incredible Monday...

2010-11-15T09:59:00.002-05:00

We have just completed an incredible work day here in Uganda. God has allowed us to be a part of some incredible ministry as we served several families in this community. We helped work on a house of a very poor widow who is raising several children. The team also went to several houses taking food and clothing. We all commented on how wonderful these sweet folks are as they accept help. They recognize where the help is coming from (God)and that they can not do this by themselves. There are so many houses full of children that are being raised by single parents or grandparents. The AIDS pandemic has had a devastating impact on their lives.

Our power situation here has been limited - sometimes we are actually running on a generator and other times we have no electricity. So... I'll try again later to upload some pictures.

Thanks for praying - God has allowed us to be a great part of His work to the widows and orphans in Uganda.

Home Sweet Home

2010-11-14T21:35:00.001-05:00

The Peru team arrived home tonight around 7:30 pm. Thank you for praying for them and their families!

Back In Lima

2010-11-12T19:51:00.001-05:00

The team made it back to Lima from Cabana today. Their phones are not working to place calls so we are thankful for text messaging!

Arrived in Kamonkoli

2010-11-12T10:45:00.001-05:00

Our team has arrived at our destination. We will now head to an orientation and then I will post some more about our day. These children have already captured our hearts... :)

In Uganda

2010-11-12T01:44:00.002-05:00

Our team arrived safely last night in Uganda. We drove about an hour into Kampala and stayed in a hotel. We got to bed around 1 in the morning. God has been so very good already - all of that travel without any problems. Most of our team looks like they are adjusting well to the time change. We are actually 8 hours in front of Florida time.

Please pray for us today as we continue the travel to the orphanage. It will be another long day. I will post again soon.

We continue to pray for our Peru team, too. It is amazing to read about what God is doing in Cabana.

Kevin

In Uganda

2010-11-11T21:31:00.001-05:00

Kevin, Ken and Bobby all made it to Uganda safe and sound but tired. By the morning here in FL, they maybe will be at the orphanage. Stay tuned :)

We are in London

2010-11-11T05:38:00.001-05:00

We are getting ready for our flight to Uganda. We have been up the entire night. Thanks for praying. We will post as soon as we can tomorrow. We will be there in about 9 hours. Everyone is doing great.

Tuesday, Wednesday in Cabana

2010-11-10T20:01:00.004-05:00

We had a busy Tuesday in Cabana. Got to meet with quite a few people. The 2 highlights of the day were meeting with two ladies on separate occasions. The first lady was in the clinic where we discussed a relationship with God for 2 hours. She was hearing something different than what she had in the past and it was neat to see God working in her. We met with a shop owner later in the day for about an hour and a half again discussing a relationship with God and how it comes by faith and not our works. Again, God is working in her. The people seem to be wrestling with the truth from the Bible and that is great.

Today we started out early again and found a few men unloading adobe bricks from a truck for a house/bookstore. We asked if we could help and they didn´t want us to because they were concerned we´d get dirty. We insisted. I´ll post more later.

Ok, sorry for the abrupt end yesterday ... my time on the computer was up:) The men let us help unload the truck. It was a great experience to work with them in an assembly line. We did get dirty too:) We felt that yesterday should be a work day, and not being able to get in touch with one of the believers to see if we could help him, we decided to walk outside of town and see if we could find anyone who wouldn´t mind some help. About 30 minutes outside town we found a lad sowing in a field and she let us join in. We pulled weeds and tilled the soil (with 2 small pick-axes). After the first field was done she invited us to her second:) That one proved tougher as it hasn´t been churned up as much by the bull and plow. We then had lunch with her an another lady she was working with. Before eating, the main lady just started praying and you could hear the thankfulness in her voice. They gave us almost all the food they had to eat - just amazing. We shared some of our food with them too. They spoke Quechuan so it was difficult to communicate, but the main lady said she wished someone would come and teach them from the Bible - we really wished we could.

Thanks for praying for us and supporting us. God is working here and we´ve enjoyed being a part of it.

We leave on the trip back to Lima at 2AM tomorrow - please pray specifically for that trip as it is quite intense.

uganda team in miami

2010-11-10T13:35:00.003-05:00

Well it feels like another country but it is only Miami. We are about to meet our team and check in. Our flight leaves around 5. Please pray for all to go smoothly.

And Now to Uganda

2010-11-10T08:33:00.003-05:00

Kevin Kite, Bobby Peebles and Ken DeMoliner left this morning for an orphanage in Uganda. They will be traveling with a team from the Florida Baptist Children's Homes. Please pray for their mission and for their families.

Our first day in Cabana

2010-11-09T08:57:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a great first day in Cabana. After a tough combi ride, we got some lunch and rest and then we "hit the streets". Talked with a nurse who the summer missionaries spent time with. She invited us to the clinic and we will head there today. Met some ladies at the shop where you buy combi tickets and both are interested in coming to the Bible studies. Spent time getting some updates on the Bible study group. Met with 2 last night for a great discussion on baptism and other topics. Will be meeting each night this week. Got up early this morning and walked through the town. Met quite a few people, one will come to the Bible study tonight. Got a warm welcome from a former town leader who was very encouraging, even said that we should use the town auditorium and gather a lot of people. He said that the people of Cabana are going to listen and decide.

That`s all for now.

2010-11-07T17:40:00.002-05:00

Yes, we made it safely to Peru, though we had an interesting start to our journey yesterday with a flat on the turnpike. It was a good team-building exercise and worked perfectly. Have taken today to get rested and prepared to make the long trek to Cabana. Look forward to posting more when we get there. For now, we need to make a quick return trip to pick up some water we forgot at a stop.

In Lima

2010-11-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

Just heard from the team and they are in Lima. They head out tonight on a bus to Cabana!

And They're Off to Peru

2010-11-06T07:31:00.004-04:00

The November mission team left this morning from Ocala and are headed to Cabana, Peru. Please pray for David Ripple, Cameron Ripple, Jewell Dye and Adam Suydam as they spend the next 8 days with the people of Cabana.

Home...

2010-06-05T16:52:00.001-04:00

We made it into Ocala about 3:15PM today. Thanks to Howard Lawson for picking up us this afternoon. Thanks also to each of you who prayed for us and left comments during the trip. You made a difference. Please continue to pray for Chris, Erica, Juan and Miranda as they spend the next 8 weeks in Cabana.

DELTA...

2010-06-04T23:24:00.003-04:00

Well... Delta continues to use their flight plan abilities to help us become more flexible! Our flight here in Lima is delayed an hour which will cause us to miss our connection in Atlanta. We will now leave at 1:20AM but at this point it just does not matter - it is way past our bedtime.

God has been very faithful to us in allowing us to be on this trip and we will adjust - not like we have any other options!

We made it to Lima!

2010-06-03T20:13:00.002-04:00

We left Cabana at 2AM and made the long journey back to Lima. We got to our hotel around 5PM after riding in a Combi (combination bus/van), a very fast drivng station wagon, three buses and finally a taxi.

Every mission trip is great and every one is different in what you see God doing. The tendencey is to compare but that is really an fruitless effort. Each trip to Peru has built on the previous trip. The fruit that is beginning to grow in Cabana is a result of the previous 6 teams and the 2009 summer missionaries faithful obedience to Christ. (Yes, I know this sentence needed apostophes but this keyboard is a spanish keyboard and I can not make that key work!)

In the book of Acts you will read about the early church finding favor with the people. We are beginning to see that happen in Cabana as the people of the village are realizing that we really do care about them with a genuine love. Yesterday we were walking back to the hostal when some folks that we do not know yelled "amigos" and then gave us a bag of potatoes. A few moments later another lady gave us a bag of fruit. They call us "missionaries" and seem to be pleased with what they have witnessed and experienced.

We all know that only God can get the glory for such a testimony. Only he can work in the hearts of people who do not easily trust in such a way that they begin reaching out in friendship to strangers. Most of the time our communication is without words unless we have a translator with us.

We had our second Bible study last night with Manuel and Louisa. It was encouraging to see how they recalled the earlier lesson and even asked questions that showed they are processing what has been shared with them.

What a blessing to see how the summer missionaries have jumped right into the village and immediately made an impact. It was a blessing to see how David Jacola and Kelly Pajar (from the 2009 Summer Missionary Team)encouraged the 2010 team to have a sense of urgency. Their insight added with the relaationships they have in Cabana have propelled the 2010 team right into action.

Please continue to pray for our friends in Cabana. My heart is encouraged by what we witnessed in these recent days. God is at work.

Our plane leaves at midnight tomorrow so please pray that we continue to have a trip without any problems. We have travelled very far in a short amount of time and this guy is really feeling it... See you soon.

Kevin and Jacob Kite and David Jacola

We gave all we had today...

2010-06-01T20:54:00.002-04:00

I am not sure how you say exhausted in Spanish but I think our body language communicates that we are whipped. We got up early this morning and had our quiet times up on the mountain. We got back expecting to meet Sixto so that we could help him in his field.

During our trips to Peru we have learned never to have expectations about the day but rather to be very flexible. When we got ready to leave to hostel for Sixto’s house his daughter Marina arrived to let us know that the plans had changed. The community was having a work day up on the mountain building some type of wall. Instead of building a relationship with Sixto we instead built relationships with about 50 different people as we served alongside them throughout the day.

We worked helping them build a wall that serves as a boundary between Cabana and Andamarca – the neighboring village. We had wondered in the past about how long it must have taken them to construct the thousands of similar walls that separate the fields. We now have a better understanding of how hard these people work. We built a 3 to 4 foot fence that is composed of all sized rocks and boulders. We carried, rolled and pushed rocks all day long. The fence we worked on is at least one-quarter of a mile long. It was amazing to see how everyone works together.

We are grateful that God gave us such an opportunity. We left the hostel at 8AM and returned around 5PM. We decided to walk home so that we could all be together and there would be a chance to catch a ride with a van. We saw such a van whose driver said that they would return so we went ahead and started walking. And we walked. And we walked so more. About 5 miles later we were back at the hostel. But, as always, God had a reason. About 2 ½ miles from Cabana we caught up with a Quechua woman who was carrying a load of sticks and another load of potatoes. She was also walking with a small cane. Our summer missionaries carried her bags for the remainder of her trip home. We could not have a conversation with her other than learning her name is Modista. She only speaks Quechua. However, David Jacola summed up the experience with the following, “you know we can’t even talk to her but through our actions we are showing her the love of Jesus. She knows we are missionaries. Now she knows that we care.” One day we will be able to talk to her through someone who can speak Quechua and Spanish.

Tomorrow is our last day in Cabana. We will be leaving the summer missionaries late tomorrow night. Please pray that God gives us wisdom to help them – they are a special team. Did I mention that we are tired? It is 7:15 PM here and we are all ready for bed!  I will try to post more in the morning. Thanks for all of the encouragement you have sent our way.

To the fields!

2010-06-01T07:23:00.003-04:00

We are leaving this morning to help Sixto in his field. We are not sure what type of work we will be doing but we are praying that God helps us to build a relationship with Sixto. We will have a long walk up the mountain so please join us in praying that God gives us strength. I asked one of our summer missionaries last night if she was going to let a 60 or 70 year old man beat her up the mountain. In all reality – he will beat us all!

It is colder this morning. 54 degrees in our room and 42 outside. My fingers are getting numb trying to type!

We had a great breakthrough last night – our first Bible Study with a small group. Our small group is two but we will all meet again on Wednesday night in Manuel’s house. This is amazing! Manuel is not a believer – yet – but he has come a long, long way since our first visit in 2008. Louisa is the lady that was baptized during our trip in September 2009. They have some friends that they will be inviting. Please pray for them to have courage!

Here is a picture of Chris helping Manuel rebuild a hut here in the hostel. Manuel even invited Chris to his house to eat lunch. These summer missionaries are doing an incredible job of jumping right in – God is going to use them in some awesome ways this summer.

Thank you for all of your prayers and comments. We appreciate you joining us on this journey to Peru.

Early Monday Beginnings...

2010-05-31T11:45:00.004-04:00

There are some skeptics in the world today who believe God no longer creates miracles to point to Himself. For all of the skeptics I would like to provide proof from this morning that God still works miracles.

On our first morning here we woke up before 6AM and all of the members of our team (besides me) are under 30. Most of them probably were not aware that there was such a time in a day.

One of the greatest challenges in connecting with the people here in Cabana revolves around the fact that they are an agricultural-based community. They are in their fields before it becomes daylight and in the bed when it becomes dark.

We are challenging our summer missionaries to adjust to the culture in order to reach the culture. They did it this morning and God honored it as we walked through the fields and the community. We met a new friend named Sixto who owns a field “very far” from town. At 7AM he had already been to his field and was returning to his house for breakfast. We walked to his house and he then invited us in to meet his daughter, Marina. We will meet Sixto at 8AM tomorrow to spend the day with him in his field. We are praying that this will begin a friendship to reach their family.

So there were two miracles today – one in getting us out of bed so early and the other in us being invited into Sixto’s house. We will be praying for another one tomorrow – that we adjust to the altitude enough to actually be able to work hard with Sixto.

We have been blessed with some wonderful summer missionaries. Miranda, Erica, Chris and Juan are going to spend two months here in Cabana. They have already proven to be young adults who have a deep walk with the Lord and a desire to share that love with others. Please pray that they adjust quickly to the climate and culture and that they live with a sense of urgency while they are here.

Thanks for your prayers and comments. The comments are being shared with the team and they encourage us all tremendously.

We are in Cabana!

2010-05-30T13:25:00.001-04:00

Wow… that is one long bus trip! We left Lima last night at 7:30 and got into Cabana this morning at 9:45. Everyone made the trip fine – just pretty tired and woozy from the curves and climb. It will take us a couple of days to get used to the altitude.

It has already been great to see some of our friends here. I will post more tonight – we will spend the rest of the day getting settled into the hostel.

in Lima

2010-05-29T11:52:00.002-04:00

We are in Lima. Got to the hotel about 2:30 in the morning. Surprised to find out that our bus tickets have already been purchased so we are all set to go tonight at 7PM for the 15 hour bus trip. Thanks for your praying! We will try to post more later but now we are trying to get all of our supplies ready.

Hanging out on the Atlanta runway!

2010-05-28T18:59:00.000-04:00

We are now delayed by 2 hours because of a storm. Howard Lawson told us something wonderful as he dropped us off at the Orlando airport. Delta stands for Doesn't ever leave the airport! Thanks, Howie!!! :). Praying to stay patient and focused...

Heading to Peru

2010-05-28T12:47:00.002-04:00

We are now sitting in the Orlando International Airport awaiting the call to get on the plane. We got checked in very, very easily and we have all of our bags with us at the moment to carry on the plane. We only checked one bag with snacks, books and Bibles in it but all of our clothes and other necessary items are right here with us! Jacob and I are packed in one back pack for 10 days!

Thanks for joining with us on this journey to help the summer missionaries get started in Cabana for the summer. We will do our best to post something every day but some of the days will make it impossible to stop and get on the computer.

If you get a chance - send us a note on the comment section. You will never believe how encouraging it is to hear from family and friends when you are on a mission trip. Well... here is the first call.

Peru Summer Team

2010-05-28T09:16:00.003-04:00

Kevin, Jacob and David left for Peru this morning. They will be meeting up with a summer missionary team and escorting them to Cabana. There they will introduce the team to our friends in the village and help them understand our strategy for reaching the people-group that resides in Cabana and its annexes. Please pray for our team as they travel today through next Saturday and for the college students that will be spending the next 2 months in Cabana.

Sunday

2010-05-23T02:18:00.005-04:00

I am thanking and praising God for the way he used the FBC Ocala missions team in Alaska for the past 10 days! God blessed us with good weather, willing hearts, and healthy bodies to accomplish what he had planned for this team. While here we worked hard, prayed, enjoyed fellowship, laughed, shared testimonies and on our last full day at the camp got to meet and work with a great group of hard working teens and adults from local Baptist churches who came out to the camp for a clean up day, the first one in camp history! As I sit here in the dining hall in the middle of the night writing this blog reflecting on our time here in Alaska, I got to see in my life how when I make myself available to God and step out in faith for Him to use me for his will He will take me as I am with my weaknesses and faults and use me for His glory. I will never forget this mission trip and give thanks to God for the friendships in Christ that I made here and the humble part we contributed to the ministries at Laverne Griffin Youth Recreation Camp. God is sending me home with alot more than what I brought to Alaska. Yours in Christ Ken

The Amazing Journey

2010-05-23T01:46:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe this is the last night of an amazing journey. What started as only a vague utterance to go on a Missions trip if it was ever to Alaska or Hawaii has culminated in a life changing experience. We often shy away from opportunites to serve, because we fear our ability is insufficient. What I have found, is that God is not as concerned with our ability as He is about our availability. I have had the opportunity this week to build a much needed deck yet I am not a carpenter, I have split wood for the needs of another family, yet I am not a logger, I have replaced basketball goals for youth campers, and yet I am not an engineer. I simply gave what I had, which was my availability, and God with His ability finished wonderfully. My challenge to all, who read this humble blog, is to step out and take the amazing journey that God will create when we take ourselves out of the equation and put the service to others in. I have been truly blessed.

Mark Immel

2010-05-22T01:59:00.001-04:00

I hardly know where to begin. I've been in Alaska for six full days now and have several observations. I knew coming on this mission trip to the woods outside Wasilla AK would be interesting and perhaps enlightening, but I didn't quite figure on this. I'd been to Alaska a few years ago on one of those vacation cruise trips and saw the beautiful “commercial” side of things for almost two weeks via the tour-guided coach rides, the scenic doubledecker train rides and the smooth-sailing Inland Passageway cruise ship ride down to Vancouver. Very scenic, entertaining, and educational was the entire deal. What I didn't experience then was the “real” Alaska. What I'm seeing now is a truly different world. This place is beautiful overall (especially now because we literally have seen the place turn green this week right before our eyes as it's just now turning spring up here), but also very unattractive in places. Lots of shacks, lots of junk, the local folks can appear poor and scraggly, and many of the vehicles are rolling pieces of junk. Yet, attending Big Lake Baptist Sunday service was awesome...the people, the pastor, the message, the music were all wonderful. But more than that is where we are and who we're with...the LaVerne Griffin Youth Recreation Camp and Sherry and Walter Chastain (camp directors) and the Pam and George Lorenz family. I can't describe what these folks do and how they make you feel and the job they're doing here for HIM. This place is so full of love and concern and peace and caring! It sure makes you feel good being around here with these people and with our mission team. We've worked HARD (anyone who sees or uses the deck dock we built has to be impressed) (and each cabin and building has been thoroughly cleaned top to bottom, inside and out) all week to help prepare this camp for all the summer activity which is close at hand. Yet this Camp Family works hard ALL the time especially sharing their faith and the Word...quality examples indeed. I'm proud to be with this team, it's been a joy working together, getting to know each other, lending a helping hand, praying together, and sharing together...it's been fun and enjoyable. Beyond that, we've been so impressed with the work the camp staff performs, we've decided to support them more and if possible come back to help again. It's a special place with extra special people...and I'm really glad I was able to be a part of this mission trip.
MIKE McGINNIS

The Beauty And The Beast

2010-05-20T00:35:00.004-04:00

Within the beauty of Alaska, lies a beast...97% of the population is unchurched. The suicide rate is 9 times higher than the national average. Fetal alcohol syndrome, alcoholism, sexual abuse,incest and poverty is not a stranger to the beautiful scenery of Alaska. The camp here, supplies a way to help many children who live in these deplorable conditions. As just an example, Grace Works helps kids from low income families of Anchorage to attend camp for free, nourishing them with the love of Jesus and also with food they sometimes don't get very much of at home. This past summer 29 were saved, one young girl dedicated her life to missions and 4 were baptized in the lake. It has been our privilege to be able to clean up the camp and build a new deck that many little feet will be walking over. We will be able to leave here knowing that we have helped to bring many closer to the glory of God...Rachel DeMoliner

The FlipSide

2010-05-18T00:17:00.008-04:00

Hello Ocala Family!

So, I guess its my turn to take a wack at this blog :) I'm not going to write about how beautiful Alaska is, or the views we've seen of how wonderful our God really is.. But coming here, even I was kinda thinking "Alaska?.. being a missions trip?" I mean when someone says the word "missions" my mind goes straight to Haiti, Peru, Africa.. and I think that's how most people are. But once I got a chance to see the "Real" Alaska it really changes your point of view. All you ever see about Alaska is the cruises, how wonderful a vacation you can have. Don't get me wrong, you can have that, too.. but just driving to the camp you see homelessness, people living in shacks with no running water, poverty... I mean this is major stuff. People can really take what they've been blessed with for granted. As I'm sitting here listening to people talk about stories in Alaska and even at camp, you really start to understand how God works. As we are cleaning cabins, doing yardwork, building docks, etc., I have to think, these cabins are going to hold children this summer who maybe never had the chance to go to summer camp. Some kids even show up with only the clothes they have on. Doing yardwork, in just a few short months people will be doing bible studies on that lawn, playing games with children. Even building the dock, just this morning the men were talking about how almost every child that comes here, their feet will touch that dock. God's mission field isn't just halfway around the world... it's right here in our own country, and that's what really opened my eyes. God is great and His love is really showing on this campus. I can't wait to share all the stories with everyone back home.

A person who is full refuses honey, But even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

-Proverbs 27:7

-Kourtlyn

2010-05-17T01:26:00.004-04:00

Greetings FBC Family,
I have been sitting at the computer for the past hour, trying to write about our day. As I am trying to put something together, I started listening to the team sharing stories. There was a common theme to their stories...their love for Miss Lois. She takes it to heart, our motto "Be the Church". For our missions trip, she made over 200 "Good News" bracelets. The camp will give them out to the children this summer. She is a hard worker, making sure the campers will have clean cabins for their arrival. She loves Jesus with all her heart, her soul, and her mind. And she lives her life so others will have that same opportunity. It is a privilege to serve Christ with our FBC Missions Team. I am thankful for the example Miss Lois has set. We are all watching her "Be the Church". Yours in Christ Kim

2010-05-16T01:28:00.001-04:00

Kennis and Hannah cleaning tables in the dining room

James, Andy, Elizabeth and Kourtlyn

Friday, Our First Workday at the Camp

2010-05-16T01:13:00.003-04:00

Kim and George cleaning up in the kitchen

Work projects on the first day

2010-05-16T00:47:00.004-04:00

Lois, Pat and Rachel Getting ready to spring clean the cabins

George and Pam Lorenz

George, Mark and Ken Preparing the footing for the new deck

Lois getting the window sparkling clean

Andy, Elizabeth and Kourtlyn landscaping in front of the dining hall

Lumber for the deck

2010-05-15T23:42:00.002-04:00

Great day---Our team is now complete. Although it was a long day for Mike, he is attempting to adjust to the weather change, time change, and sunlight that seems to last all day and all night. We were able to share fellowship with Pam and George as we reconnected with them as we enjoyed the beautiful Alaska scenery while waiting for Mike. The team is looking forward to Sunday School and worship with Lorenz's and the Chastain's tomorrow. Thank you for all your prayers. We are feeling your support and love. In Christ, Pat

Mike has landed!

2010-05-15T20:32:00.001-04:00

Mike M. reached Anchorage this evening and has met up with the rest of the Alaska team. Praise God for safe travel for Mike today!

First Day in Alaska

2010-05-14T23:19:00.002-04:00

After a full day of travelling and a good nights sleep, our first day in Alaska started with breakfast, devotions, testimonies and prayer. We give thanks to our Lord for providing safe travel, fellowship with our extended family here at the camp and to be here on mission getting the camp ready for the summer. Today were able to get 12 cabins cleaned and footings and framing done for a new deck that is replacing one that had seen one too many Alaska winters. Please pray for safe travel for Mike McGinnis who will be leaving Ocala at 4:00 am tomorrow morning to join us on mission.

Go!

2010-05-14T07:56:00.002-04:00

The Alaska Mission Team left yesterday morning and arrived safely in Anchorage last night at 7:20 local time (11:20 FL time). Please pray for them today, that their adjustment to the time change is smooth. Stay tuned for details and pics of their adventure at the Laverne Griffin Youth Recreation Camp in Wasilla, AK!

Get Ready, Get Set...

2010-05-10T15:05:00.003-04:00

The Alaska Mission Team is preparing to leave later this week for the Laverne Griffin Youth Recreation Camp. This team of 9 will spend 10 days at the camp helping prepare the facilities for the upcoming summer season. Stay tuned for details, photos and testimonies of how God is working in Wasilla, AK.

Coming Home!

2010-02-17T09:31:00.000-05:00

Kevin and the team began the trip home from Haiti yesterday. They made it to the Dominican Republic last night and left for the airport at 5 this morning. Please pray for safe travel as they make their way home. Thank you!

The Long Run

2010-02-15T05:14:00.003-05:00

The needs here are simply incredible and trying to even imagine how to tackle the need can be overwhelming. The conditions of Haiti prior to the earthquake presented enough challenges as it was. It is just difficult to grasp what the people of Haiti endure.

It has been interesting to watch the teams that are coming into serve. It does not take long to distinguish between the seasoned mission workers and those that are somewhat new in serving in this type of environment.

The seasoned worker is coming in and seeking out ways to serve. They do not have any preconceived idea of what it will take for the job to be done. They have prepared what they know and have so that they can be ready for a host of situations. If conditions are different than they had anticipated then they simply adjust. The conditions or opportunities are not going to dictate their attitude or their desire to help.

The newer worker comes in and is emotionally charged because of the overwhelming poverty and destruction that is all around them. They see multiple systems that are struggling to function with an organization that they are used to in the United States. They want to do more so they immediately began looking for opportunities "oustide the box" to help. At the same time, many of these folks lose the big picture perspective. They get critical when they get tired and they go home with a heavy burden that they should have done more.

In the big picture, God has called us all to do our part. No one government, organization, church or individual is going to meet the need of Haiti. It really is in the hands of God. I am convinced that they only hope for Haiti is for God to reach down and do a supernatural work that will redeem this country.

As I get ready to go home in the next couple of days, I am praying that God helps me keep the big picture perspective. There is a freedom in realizing that the need is too large for me and that I can only be faithful to God's calling.

I am thankful for your prayers and for having such an incredible family and church at home that allows me to serve in this way.

Pictures from Haiti

2010-02-12T21:39:00.001-05:00

A National Holiday - Praying and Fasting

2010-02-12T20:47:00.002-05:00

Can you imagine this happening in the United States. The Haitians marked one month since the earthquake with a 3 day emphasis on prayer and fasting. It was incredible to watch our Hatian friends pray and plead with God to help their country.

I continue to be encouraged by a new friend named Hubert. He is a translator who has spent quite a bit of time with our team. He has nothing if you considered possessions important. His home - which was very small - crumbled in the earthquake. I watched him yesterday with a sense of awe as a young boy walked up to his car window and asked for food or water by knocking on his window. Hubert had one bottle of water and it was half empty. He did not hesitate to roll down his window and give the boy his water.

Last night after we completed our work, Hubert took three of us to his home. His family has relocated to live with his wife's family - 2 hours out of town. He was proud of what his home used to be. It was not much bigger than what most of us have for a garage. He pointed out what used to be his yard "where my kids used to play." It was about the size of a small bedroom. He pointed to a house about 30 yards away and informed us that his brother and all of his family were killed in that house during the earthquake. He had 3 children. A total of nine bodies are still in that building.

Today we were able to help take Hubert to see his family. It had been about 2 1/2 weeks since they left Port-au-Prince. He had been keeping a few items hidden in hopes that he could get them to his family. He later told us that this was very important so that his wife's family understood that he was not going to leave them alone but instead he would keep taking care of them.

Hubert has a wife and 6 children. They live in a house that is about the size of my office. He told us today that they are grateful for what they have and that they are going to be okay because they knew that God had kept them alive.

Here is the really difficult part for me: Hubert's story could be told over and over again and different names could be used each time. These people have experienced an incredible tragedy. Here is the really impossible part for me: not many of those people would have a faith like Hubert's. He will survive and his family will move forward because He know who holds his future. For the other, I am not so sure. The days ahead are going to be remarkably difficult.

There is so much work to be done in Haiti. We have such a great opportunity to impact the future of this spiritually and economically struggling people. Let's continue to pray that God gives us all wisdom, courage and strength to respond.

Rain this morning...

2010-02-11T05:19:00.002-05:00

Imagine the hardest rain that you have witnessed and we are probably experiencing something similar this morning. We are in a building with a tin roof and it is so loud that a person not used to the noise would have a very difficult time sleeping.

This morning, though, my heart breaks for the people in this area who are living on the edge of a street in a makeshift tent. Estimates are given from hundreds of thousands to over a million that are homeless. Others estimate that at least 200,000 of the people living in the streets or in their yards are simply afraid of their homes that are in safe enough conditions that they could sleep inside. They are scared. They see broken concrete all around them and then see cracks in their homes. Many times these are just surface cracks but it does not matter to them. They are scared. I am wondering this morning how they are responding to the rain. Will God use the rain to push them towards their home. Can you imagine a fear so strong that you would live your family in a pouring rain that has no been going on for about 30 minutes? If you can imagine that then you can catch a glimpse of what we are finding here in Haiti.

Last night we had an experience that also puts things into perspective here in Haiti. We heard a dog squeal - much like you would when a dog gets injured really bad. I went outside to investigate and noticed over the back wall of our compound a group of people circled around something. It was the dog. Later that night that same group of people had a Voodoo service directly behind us. This was a group who had mixed Catholic teachings with Voodoo. Our enemy is real and the people here are caught in his grasp.

I've been thinking about Ephesians 6 for the past few hours. Our battle is not with what we are able to see here with our eyes, feel with our hears or touch with our hands. Our battle is a supernatural one that we need to fight on our knees. I am thankful for your prayers. They are more than appreciated for the people of Haiti - they are necessary. If we don't see unity from all believers in the long-term response then it will be a futile battle.

Our teams are doing an awesome work...

2010-02-09T21:04:00.003-05:00

It has been incredible to watch our teams give themselves away through medical teams, building assessment teams and even a team that is attempting to drill a well in one of the hardest hit areas.

A team from Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia are working together to bring water to a community. They are using equipment that they brought in suitcases to drill a well. Today they worked all day to drill... 16 feet. They can drill up to 60 feet with this device. Please pray for them as they work.

The need here is simply overwhelming. There is absolutely no hope for this country - unless they realize that they can have everlasting, abundant life through a relationship with Jesus. Government cannot fix the problems of Haiti. Social work will not love them out of this tough life. Their only hope is Jesus.

I did finally receive my bag on Sunday afternoon. Thanks for praying. It showed up at the airport in time to travel to Haiti with the next team. It has been great to have my gear and my food. Clean clothes have also been a nice feature!

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.

Tough day in Haiti

2010-02-08T21:39:00.002-05:00

Wow... I just can't describe in words what I saw today. Poverty, desperate fear and broken houses were everywhere. I will update in the morning and try to upload some pictures. We have some incredible teams here who are doing a great job. Our teams have already seen over 6000 patients and administered over 11,000 Scripts. 72 people have come to know Christ over the past 8 days.

In Haiti

2010-02-05T18:34:00.001-05:00

We left Santo Domingo at 4:30 this morning and arrived at our location in Haiti around 12:30PM. It was a long, bumpy drive (imagine the roads in Peru) that came to a crawl (imagine rush hour in Atlanta) once we arrived in Port-au-Prince. The building that we are staying in is owned by the Florida Baptist Convention. It is used to give support to 964 churches that work with the convention.

Part of our team is driving around the city at this point. Our vehicle can not hold all of our team so some of us stayed behind.

It is amazing to see the devastation and at the same moment see so many believers working to share the love of Jesus with the people of Haiti. There is a medical clinic being conducted here at our building. They helped over a hundred people by lunch time and had the privilege of leading 10 of them to have a relationship with Jesus.

Thank you for all of your prayers. I still do not have my luggage - it did not arrive with today's flight. American Airlines simply does not know where the bag is - but God does and if He wants me to have it then it will show up. If not - I have much more in my little bag than many people here in Haiti have to call all of their belongings.

Bagless...

2010-02-05T02:08:00.002-05:00

Well... I do have a bag. My small backpack that I carried onto the plane. My big pack with all of my clothes, food and all other important things are somewhere between Orlando and the Dominican Republic.

I met some neat folks from the states as a result of losing my bag. A group called Operation Smile had a team member lose his bag, too. We worked for about an hour to see if we could trace our bag (no success) and then they gave me a ride from the airport to our hotel. That was huge - a 30 minute ride would have cost me about $50. I also would have had to trust a taxi driver to get me to a hotel that I had no clue how to locate other than an address. God worked that out...

Our team is leaving here in at 4:30AM. Our time here is 1 hour ahead of Eastern time. So... I am heading to Haiti for 2 weeks without clothes, snacks or my toothbrush. :)

We have a medical team coming behind us at some point. We will find out tomorrow a little more. Terry Henderson, our Disaster Relief leader, said that this is our first glitch that we will have to work through. Glad I could help us get to work.

We travel about 8 hours today into Port-au-Prince. That is actually where we will be staying.

Thanks for your prayers. You may want to pray for my team members as they will now have a team member who will stink and have bad breath, too!

On a serious note, tomorrow really begins a hard journey. Please pray that God gives us His strength, grace and wisdom as we enter into the earthquake zone. Pray that we have opportunities to share the love of Jesus in word and action.

Headin' to Haiti

2010-02-04T17:19:00.002-05:00

I am about to leave the airport for the Domincan Republic where I will join the efforts of the Florida Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board. Our Incident Command team will drive into Haiti on Friday. Please be praying for all of the logistics of getting into the country (transportation, etc.) and for our team to join God's activity in Haiti.

I will do my very best to send updates about our efforts through this blog. Your prayers are certainly cherished...

In Lima...

2009-11-13T21:39:00.001-05:00

We all made it! Getting on a Combi at 2 in the morning affords a team many opportunities for excitement. We are very tired but very thankful that God has brought us safely back to Lima.

One more request...

2009-11-12T17:17:00.002-05:00

We will leave Cabana at 2 in the morning. We will take a combi to Puquio (3 1/2 hours) and then ride on three different buses in order to arrive in Lima tomorrow night. Please, please pray that our team members do not get sick and that we are able to rest through the night. We are grateful for all that God has done on this trip and for your partnership in this journey.

Our last night in Cabana

2009-11-12T17:10:00.003-05:00

We had a great day today continuing to build relationships here in Cabana. As we began the day with our group devotion we were greeted by our friend Manuel. On our previous trip we had shared the Gospel with him and left him with a Bible. We invited him this morning to study with us and we then spent about 45 minutes talking through The Scriptures and attempting to answer any questions. Manuel has been reading his Bible so we were very encouraged to see God working in his life.

Some of the ladies in our group spent most of the morning with a lady named Nancy. She continues to show interest in the Bible. Please pray for her.

Another part of our group took a quick trip to Sondondo to check on our friend Zocima. We found out that she is still in Lima so we got her contact information and will attempt to talk with her this weekend. She accepted Christ as her savior over the summer.

Tonight we will meet with Wilder. We are all hopeful that God has continued to work in his life.

Our last meal here in Cabana will be at the expense of some guinea pigs. We appreciate their sacrifice. You would be surprised that some of our team members actually helped the guinea pigs take the first step towards our dinner plates. J

Rainy afternoon

2009-11-11T17:32:00.002-05:00

It is raining now in Cabana - which really makes it difficult to interact with the people since they are all bundled up in their homes. When it rains... it gets colder, too.

We have had a good day and will finish up in Cabana tomorrow by meeting with Wilder the banker. Please pray for us during this time - he has been reading the Bible that we left with him on the previous trip.

What a work day...

2009-11-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

Just in case you are wondering… the Peruvians are very hard workers - Attempting to work alongside them while still adjusting to this high elevation proved to be a great challenge for our team. One of the great compliments of the day came when a Peruvian lady said that we work like Peruvians. Well, only for one day! David Ripple said that if he had to wake up every morning know that was what he had to do every day – he would just cry. When I moved to get out of bed this morning I almost cried, too.

We really were not sure if we would be able to complete the entire work day. The Peruvians were wondering, too. They did not know that people from the United States did any physical labor but instead believed we only sat behind desks and worked with our heads. Movies that they watch don’t always help our cause here.

We were able to share with the work group why we were volunteering to help. It was a privilege to share with them again our purpose for being in Cabana. One lady named Gladys was very curious about why we were working with them. After Mandy (one of the IMB missionaries with the Journeyman program) told her why we were helping, Gladys asked if we had Bibles (which we do) and if she could come by to talk about the Bible.

Part of our team also had a great day sharing with some of the ladies in the village. Please pray for a young, single mom named Jackie. Please pray that God softens her heart towards the Gospel. Please also pray for Irene and her family. All of our teams have had great interaction with this family and over time we have built a strong relationship with them. However, we have not had a good opportunity to share the Gospel clearly. Please pray that God gives us that opportunity.

Continue to pray for the mayor, Octavio. We have met with him once and will be meeting with him again soon. Please pray that God gives us wisdom as we interact with him.

Everyone on the team is doing great. We thank you for your prayers and for the great comments that you are leaving. We are sharing those with everyone during our time in the morning.

Oops! Accidentally rejected some comments

2009-11-10T09:12:00.001-05:00

Two comments were rejected in error this morning. If you don't see your comments, please send them again. I pressed the wrong button!!! So very sorry.

Mucho Monday

2009-11-10T06:26:00.001-05:00

Mucho happening on Monday

What a day… We woke up on Monday morning to learn that David Jacola and Je’sus (our translator) went out to find something to eat later on Sunday evening and instead found the mayor in a meeting. They sat in on the remainder of the meeting and then setup a meeting with the mayor for 9AM Monday morning.

One of our goals for this trip was to find a way to serve the community. On our first trips we learned that the mayor did not believe that the existing church did not have any impact on the community. We were going to ask the mayor to help us identify someone or some way that we could help in the community.

When we met with the mayor yesterday we shared that desire and he immediately got excited and told us about a group working up on the mountain. We walked up the trail to the job site and realized that we were not going to be helping farmers but rather helping a group that is building a new water treatment plant for the community. Several of us will spend all day today working with cement, rocks and dirt. Please pray for us to have lots of energy. We feel a little pressure since the mayor introduced us all to the group last night and told them that they needed to come observe us working. J It will really be a tough day since we are not yet fully acclimated to this altitude.

We also met with some of the people from previous trips and have set up meeting times to continue sharing God’s Word with them. Even as we had our devotional time in the city plaza a lady came up and asked us what we were doing. She then joined in our Bible study and then we shared a Bible story with her. It was awesome.

Please pray for us today – that we are “on task” and that we do not experience the distractions that are so common here. It is difficult at times to know which people are really interested and which ones are just taking our time. We only have a short amount of time here so we are asking God to order our steps throughout each day.

Our team members are doing wonderful. Last night we had some great worship time as David used a Peruvian’s antique guitar to lead.

Your prayers are critical – they are making a huge difference. To experience so much on our first full day in the village is not normal. Thanks again for your comments – they help us to keep moving, too.

Here in Cabana it is cold...

2009-11-08T20:01:00.001-05:00

We are here. We are tired. We are ready!

We made it to Cabana early this afternoon. Wow – what a trip. Our entire team did great on the trip. We had one team member struggle a little with motion sickness but everyone is doing great tonight.

We will begin reconnecting with our friends in the morning. Please pray for us to be bold and for them to be open to talking with us about spiritual things. These conversations will then lead us into God’s Word and His plan to redeem their lives through the sacrifice of Jesus.

I am sure we will all rest well tonight… Thanks for joining us this week in Cabana.

Getting ready for the big yellow bus...

2009-11-07T12:46:00.002-05:00

We just got our tickets for the Big Yellow Dog that will leave at 7PM tonight. We are leaving now for lunch and then a meeting with Mike Weaver will take place here at the hotel. We then begin the long bus ride to Cabana. Thanks for praying for our entire team to stay healthy during the trip. We will now be joined by one translator and 3 International Mission Board missionaries who serve through the Journeyman program.

We will post again as soon as we get to Cabana. Much love to all of our friends and families. Thanks for leaving comments, too. These get shared every morning with our team as we begin our days with devotions. Your encouragement means more than you know!!!

Made it to Grand Hotel Betsy

2009-11-07T01:28:00.002-05:00

We just arrived in Lima and are about to settle down for the night. We had a good travel day which means we did not experience any problems. It has been a long day but our bus will not leave until tomorrow evening so we are hoping to be rested by the time 7PM rolls around! Thanks for your prayers and comments!

Specific Prayers

2009-11-06T11:54:00.003-05:00

We do have some specific prayer requests:

Please pray for us as we travel. Tomorrow night we will get on public transportation and go all the way to the village - this is a first for any of our teams. Please pray that God keeps us all from getting sick - motion sickness can make a very long trip seem much, much longer.

Please pray for our families that remain in the states. Pray that God places a hedge of protection around them.

Please pray for the mayor of Cabana - Octavio Alegrio Leon. Here is a picture of him. We are praying for his salvation.

Out-bound from Orlando

2009-11-06T11:36:00.005-05:00

Once again a missions team from FBC Ocala has made it through the exciting and sometimes difficult process of checking in and getting through security. We now sit at the gate ready to load a plane that we are hopeful will safely carry us to the Great State of Texas and from there to Lima.

We are thankful for the many prayer partners that will join us on this trip. We also thank God for all of the efforts that have been made to help this trip happen.

Please pray for us as we travel - in only 48 hours we should be getting close to our adopted village of Cabana! :)

Here are some photos of the happy travelers in the Orlando airport. I also wanted to show you the tub of supplies that we are taking - we are allowed 50 pounds so please notice the weight on the display.

Away They Go!

2009-11-06T08:05:00.003-05:00

The November Peru Mission Team is on their way to our friends in Peru.

Please be praying for them over the next week as they explore public transportation to the villages and follow up with many of the contacts made on previous trips. Please also be praying for God to work in the life and heart of the Mayor of Cabana.

Home Sweet Home

2009-10-04T15:40:00.002-04:00

The team made it home safely this afternoon - just slightly behind schedule. Thank you for your prayers!