Final Day in Mogi for the GBC Team

Will post more later today hopefully, but just wanted to make you all aware that today is the last day for the team to be here in Mogi.  They are currently packing, cleaning and organizing their things.  The rest of the day we plan to sightsee a bit more and do some last minute shopping before heading to the airport.

The flight leaves Sao Paulo around 1:00 am (Wednesday morning) and after all the connections, is expected to land in Columbia Thursday evening around 6:00 pm.

Please pray for safety for their travels, especially since several of our team are suffering from colds and headaches.

Also please pray for our family, as Debi, Josiah, MacKenzie and I will be staying here in Mogi until August 10th.

Hopefully another post with more information about our last few days (including our crazy hike through the Rainforest to a beautiful waterfall!) will come soon.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers!

Brazil 2013...PayDays and Pancakes!

Praise the Lord for warmth today!! We woke up to slightly warmer temps and by the afternoon were able to shed a few layers!! The sun came out and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider…. :-)

Friday found our team enjoying sleeping in a bit before beginning prep work for the weekend English camp.  This years camp is considerably smaller than last year, topping out at around 30 campers.  At first the drop in numbers was disappointing, but there have been several benefits to having smaller numbers.  First, the ability to connect with more campers on a personal level has been awesome!  Many of the campers actually speak English very well, or at least understand quite a bit of English but are intimidated and sometime embarrassed.  Having a smaller group eases a bit of this embarrassment.  We are loving having the ability to have more one-on-one conversations with them.

We have shared more of the dramas, music, and Bible lessons this weekend, in addition to leading English conversation groups.  This has been my personal favorite of the weekend, as it has been for several other team members as well!  Conversation groups go a bit like this….we take a simple, well-known Bible story (one of today's was the Parable of the Prodigal Son) and read the passage in English, making sure the campers understand all the words in English.  Then we break down the passage using well  thought out questions, aimed at making sure the campers understand the passage as well as encouraging them to dig deeper into God's Word.  These have gone amazingly well this week.  The campers have been very engaged, and have seemed to enjoy if not at least appreciate going deeper in God's Word. 

Friday nights activities included Dinner, lots of games and activities, of which the highlight was the 'Telephone' game.  If you are not familiar with the Telephone game, you should be! It's quite funny to watch people's reactions at the game progresses.  The basic idea is that everyone sits in a circle, and the first person begins the game with a simple sentence.  Last night we used several, ending with "I like Pay Days."  In the U.S. this sentence wouldn't be a big deal, however in Brazil the word Peidar means 'to fart.'  You can now see why this game would be funny!  We ended the game with passing out PayDay candy bars we brought.

The part of English camp that the campers have come to expect and appreciate is the American Food part of the weekend.  We kicked off Saturday morning with Pancakes, Homemade Maple Syrup, Scrambled Eggs mixed with cheese and bacon chunks, orange juice, and American-style coffee.  We've mentioned before on the blog that the typical Brazilian coffee you find here is super, super SUPER sweet, very strong and served without milk in tiny cups.  The heavy coffee drinkers on our team were thrilled to have a traditional (well, as traditional as an improvised cup can be) of American brewed coffee, WITH milk.

Today's 'American Activities' included teaching the campers to play Baseball.  Some Brazilians do actually play baseball, but as Leandro described to me, only a few do, and when they do it is expensive both to play and to purchase the equipment, so it is not a game that kids grow up knowing how to play. It was a blast to watch them try for the first time to hit the ball with a bat and just get a grasp on the rules and strategy of the game!  We played for well over an hour, and they would have played longer had the time permitted.  Both girls and guys enjoyed participating in this game.  (BTW, we thought teaching the game using a whiffle bat and plastic ball would probably be more safe & fun….although explaining in Portuguese what a 'whiffle ball is was challenging!!)

Following a traditional Brazilian meal, Fejoada (FAYJ-WA-DA), which is black beans with chunks of pig….parts?,  rice, steamed collard greens, and a vinegrette served only with Fejoada.  Today's Fejoada was the 'clean' version they say, because they did not include the hair, the ears, nose or other weird random parts of a pig…for which we were VERY grateful!! Typical Fejoada that you would purchase in a restaurant would include this.

The heavy Brazilian lunch provided enough stamina for the campers and staff to do another hike up the mountain, muddying several but injuring none! The hike consumed a few hours of the afternoon, spilling into dinner time, which was another American meal, of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, hotdogs, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Coke and Homemade Apple Crisp for dessert! Let’s just say the plates were licked clean, as were the serving dishes!! The Apple Crisp was a sweet taste of home!  (and was again served with American coffee)

Currently the campers are beginning a game of Glow-stick tag, and Glow-stick Capture the Flag.  Tomorrow will end the English Camp, after another time of worship, testimonies, skits and conversation groups.  This weekend is one of the main 'ministry' things we do while we are here in Brazil.  It can be very effective in cultivating new relationships, and a great introduction into the church in Mogi for many of these campers. 

Prayer Request:

Please continue to pray for the health of our team, with the crazy cold weather, rain and now the occasional spike of warm weather, several of us are starting to feel it.

Continued ability of our team to communicate with the campers and Brazilian Staff.

That the campers would continue to be spiritually stimulated and their desire for a deeper relationship with God would be stirred.

Brazil 2013....Catch up to date....

Wowzers!  It is COLD here!! Some of you might have heard already, but since last Tuesday it has dropped to temperatures that Mogi das Cruzes has not seen in many, many years.  Some have said it hasn't been this cold since 50 years ago, some have said in the last 10 years….either way, it is cold!  The high the last few days has been 45 degrees. Perhaps not as cold as back home during the winter, but here, they have no heaters and very little hot water. (in fact, our rooms have NO hot water!) You are lucky to get a lukewarm shower at best.  It was no where near this cold last year when we were here, so though we didn't come prepared clothing wise, we have been able to make a couple trips to the stores to purchase extra clothing and a few extra blankets.

The team is doing great.  For the most part, spirits are good despite the constant chill, and the team is all getting along very well. Some of the team are feeling less and less of a culture shock as the days go on, and some are even practicing their Portuguese when around native speakers.   All the team members have purchased something in Portuguese as well, putting their limited knowledge of the language to use! 

TUESDAY

Tuesday after the presentation at the public school, we went back to camp for lunch before helping with the Making A Difference Program, the twice daily kids program that Camp ABECAR runs year-round for local street kids. Maddie shared a lesson, and Michelle led crafts, while Abbie led outside games, and the rest of the team pitched in wherever needed. 

After Making  A Difference, we all worked on finishing the painting that was started on Monday.  However, since Monday was in the upper 60's, we were all in shorts & T-shirts, and Tuesday, with the drop in temperatures it found us in some…well, interesting garb! Check out the pictures below!

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday started early, with a 7:30am departure to another local public school, where we again shared the dramas, music and testimonies that were prepared.  We enjoyed a quick stop at a local coffee shop, where the team ordered their beverages in Portuguese. 

Making A Difference and cleaning up the dorm rooms in preparation for the incoming team this weekend, and more painting  took most of the afternoon.  We enjoyed being a part of the Wednesday evening church service, where we enjoyed worship songs in Portuguese, recognizing the tunes of songs we sing at home, and enjoying (mostly the warmth) tiny cups of incredibly sweet coffee. 

A run to the store for blankets and warm clothes followed the church service, which provided a comic relief for the group….we were driving the Camp Car,(which is barely hanging on) and might have gotten temporarily lost.  The cars have no heaters, so the windows fog very easily making vision a slight bit difficult, and it was raining making it even a bit more difficult!  It was an interesting adventure for sure!! (BTW, no one was harmed in the making of this adventure) :-)

THURSDAY

Thursday was our 'day off.' We enjoyed sleeping in a bit, shopping in downtown Mogi in local street shops, and stuffing ourselves on Brazilian BBQ, Churrascaria.  The team all tried chicken hearts (the weren't told this until after they had eaten it!) Apparently they were MacKenzie's favorite! YUCK! The amount of meat alone was incredible! We enjoyed over 10 different types and cuts of meat, pastas, soups, salads, delicacies, polenta, cheeses, fried banana and of all things, American French Fries.

We took the team to the open indoor market, where fresh fish, fresh meats, cheeses, fruits and my personal fav, chocolate covered Macadamia nuts abound.  Several members of the team purchased soccer jerseys, Brazil souvenirs and dried fruits.  We shared Pipoca con Queijo, street popcorn with chunks of warm cheese and peanuts.  YUM! 

After the incredibly large meal we took a very cold walk around a park, to get some exercise, where we saw the cutest ever tiny monkeys!  We were also chased by gobs of ducks, geese, pigeons, chickens & roosters!!

The evening we had a quick meeting to prepare for the weekend English Camp, and then hamburgers and a bit more shopping at the mall.  Apparently Burger King is brand new, and yesterday was only the second day it was open….I never knew Burger King could have such a line!!

Brazil 2013 Update....The whirlwind!!

Well, as with most missions trips, things just don’t  always go as planned!! I was so excited to blog about the time spent here in Brazil but the internet connection here at ABECAR has been down for several months now and it doesn't look like it will be a quick fix.  So, my apologies for the lack of blog updates, but please know that I am writing daily blogs and when I have internet access I will upload bits and pieces of them as quickly as I can!! Thank you to those of you who have been patiently following the non-existent blog, and hopefully, you will continue to do so!  

The trip so far has seemed much like a whirlwind, with our carefully made plans chucked into the wind! The team of 10 left Columbia  Thursday, July 18th around 6:30pm.  The flights were all safe, and thankfully uneventful. A slight 2 hour delay on departure time from Dallas to Miami was the only hiccup in the trip down.  We 'enjoyed' an 8 hour layover in Miami in which we were able to get 3 whopping hours of sleep in some amazing donated hotel rooms before boarding our flight from Miami to Sao Paulo, arriving around 8:00pm Friday evening at Camp ABECAR.  Praise the Lord for ease through customs, and for finding all but one of our pieces of luggage.  (The missing piece was quickly located and delivered just 3 days later.)

At Camp ABECAR, Friday-Sunday, the 19-21, the first of the weeks events were kicked off with a 'Kid's English Camp.  This camp was for the younger aged school children, and they came and stayed overnight at the camp Friday & Saturday night, leaving Sunday afternoon.  Saturday found us spending time with the kids from the camp, joining in their activities and games, a bonfire, and Camp ABECAR's tradition of the girl serenading the boys after lights out, to be returned by the boys serenading the girls.  Fun to watch the groups try to outdo each other!

Sunday, the team woke up early to fix an American Breakfast (ironically of)160+ pieces of French Toast, homemade Maple Syrup, strawberries and grapes and yogurt. 

Conrad preached at the church in Mogi in the morning while the remainder of the group stayed at the camp to see the kids camp through to the end when the kids left around 1:00-2:00 pm.  The team was able to nap & get rested in the afternoon a bit before going to church in the evening.

In the evening, the team was split in half, with Conrad, Hannah, Michelle & Abbie  joining Pastor Leandro at the church in Mogi to share in the Word and through drama. Shawn, Abi, Maddy & Debi went to a church plant in Suzano with Pastor Denis, and shared through song and interpretive dance. (well, Maddie shared in dance, the rest of us cheered her on!) 

Monday you would have found a couple members of our team scrubbing the outdoor soccer court, with wire brushes and a power washer to ready it to paint. The rest of our team was painting the bathrooms of a pavilion.  Though none of us were prepared for work projects, we were happy to jump in to fill the need.  In the evening a few joined Pastor Leandro in a training workshop at the church in Mogi, to train volunteers how to engage people in places like nursing homes and orphanages…they call this "Clown Training."  

Today, we had the unique privilege of sharing our presentation in a local elementary / middle school.  Here in Brazil the restrictions on sharing faith and speaking about God in public school are not as taboo as in America, so we were able to sing songs about God, a couple of girls shared testimonies and Conrad was able to give a short message sharing openly the entire time about God and how we do what we do because of our relationship with Him.  Such a neat experience for our team to be a part of!  

As I sign off for today, here are a couple things you can keep in your prayers for our group:

1. Strength and energy….we are going, going, going from around 7:00am, and not stopping til 10:00pm or later every day.  We are tired!! 
2. Increased confidence in sharing what we've prepared, in jumping in and spending time with the kids and teens we are ministering with even though the language barrier is there
3. That we would be ready and willing to jump into all the various opportunities that come our way, even if it means veering off our ready made plans!  And that our attitudes would stay positive and that we would see any labor as worship.

Arrival in Brazil

We arrived in Sao Paulo Friday evening and crammed 19 suitcases and 10 people in 3 compact cars to make the 1.5 hour drive to ABECAR.

We arrived at ABECAR for the first night of Kids Camp to hit the ground running on Saturday morning. After a little food and getting settled into our rooms, we started out the next day with a hike with the kids. This was no nature walk! We hiked a freshly cut trail through the jungle, stopping three times to run a rope through steep parts.

The hike was exhausting, but a lot of fun for both us and the kids. We hope to post more pictures of the rest of the activities at Kids Camp later today. This morning our team got up early to fix an American breakfast of french toast, fruit and yogurt for the kids. Kids Camp ends after lunch today; tonight we'll share in church services, and then this week we'll be working around the camp and sharing in ministry in the afternoons with the Making a Difference project. Praise God that we had a great trip here, with only one piece of non-essential baggage delayed, and we have been kept safe and healthy. This afternoon will be our first chance as a team for some downtime to regroup and plan for the rest of the week. Thank you for praying for us!

Brasil 2013....And so it begins....

And the countdown begins!! The Brazil team is leaving tomorrow, Thursday, July 18 around 6:30pm.  We are all VERY excited to begin the journey, and eve more excited to see how God is able to use our team there. 

To those of you who have supported our team both financially and prayerfully, WE THANK YOU!! We realize that trips like these are not possible without people like you! 

Speaking of prayer, here are some specific ways you can be praying for the team:

*Pray for smooth and safe travel

*Strength throughout the ministry schedule (the kids camp begins the day we arrive)

*Children and youth that don’t know Christ to be drawn in from the community

*The ongoing ministries of the camp and churches

 Also pray specifically for the Tarratacas for a few requests they have shared:

*Safety in the nation through the strikes and political protests.

*Financial support for meals and lunch for the Making a Difference project.

*Resolution to a problem with the city from a new regulation that would charge ABECAR $3500 to use 

   the water from the natural spring at the camp that they have been using for over 50 years.

We hope you continue to follow the blog updates, starting Thursday there should be daily updates (pending internet connections) and we hope it is a great way for you to see what God is doing, stay updated on prayer requests, and follow your friends & family through this amazing opportunity. 

You can check this link, or if you would like to be added to an email group list where any update is automatically sent to you, please email Pastor Conrad at conrad@gracebiblecolumbia.org, or Debi Hake at debihake@yahoo.com.

Stay tuned!!!

Chanku Waste Ranch 2013....The End.

FRIDAY, DAY 5 of CAMP: 

Day 5 of the camp is always the shortest yet hardest on some of our teens.  Camp ended at noon instead  of 3:30, due to the fact that so many of the campers & their familes participate in the Sundance or take trips to Rapid City on the weekend. The actual day of camp went well, with 32 campers in attendance.  Caleb Murray concluded the camp day with sharing a lesson that he wrote on the Resurrection from Matthew 28, and did a great job! 

As usual with the last day, the tearful goodbyes are considerably prolonged and we had several tear-streaked faces on our teens for the remainder of the day.  They did gain extra time with some of the campers when the bus to take them all home ran out of gas on the way!  You would think the extra 30 minutes gained from waiting for gas to be delivered  would have been enough to say goodbye, but there were still saw cars lined up behind the bus waiting for the kids to eventually and reluctantly exit!  

After camp ended we took a short trip to Wounded Knee Memorial,  the sight of the massacre that marked the last conflict between the US Cavalry and the Souix nation.  Wounded Knee's location on the Pine Ridge Reservation drives much of the tension that still exists between the Lakota and white's to this day, 123 years later. 

Some purchased authentic jewelry from natives across the road, and almost all were completely smitten with the adorable newborn puppies that were for sale as well.  There were a few pleading calls made to parents as a last ditch effort to bring one home with us, and I'm still searching the cars and backpacks thinking one just might have been smuggled home! 

After Wounded Knee we started cleanup and packing the vans and trailer, and then paused around 7:00pm to join to the local teen youth group that meets out at the camp on Friday nights.  We enjoyed a time of fellowship, sports and a BBQ, followed by a bonfire, then a team meeting for  our own teens. The night was short, falling into bed between midnight and 1:00, and waking at 5:30 am for breakfast and last minute cleaning, then departure.  

SATURDAY, SIGHTSEEING DAY!

Saturdays following a trip usually are a day of rest and fun for the team, after a long week of little downtime.  The mornings activity included a 1.5 hour tour through Wind Cave, the 6th largest cave in the world. It carries cultural significance for the Lakota as tradition holds that their people originated from Wind Cave.  Following a picnic at Wind Cave, a short trip down the road took the group to Evan's Plunge, a Hot-Springs Water Park.  The enjoyed various water slides, games of water volleyball, a lap area, an outdoor and indoor swim area, hot tubs and some tried to wow us with their strength on the swing rings that went from one side to the other! 

We were delightfully exhausted after the swim time, and headed out for dinner at Pizza Ranch before continuing on to Murdo, S. Dakota where we stopped for the night for another very short night! 

SUNDAY, HEADED HOME!

Sunday morning came quickly, waking at 6:00am to be on the vans by 7:00am.  We made great time, arriving back at the church by 7:30 pm.  Everyone was pretty exhausted and all are ready to be home!  

Thanks for all your prayers!! We greatly appreciate our support 'staff' back home!! Until next time....

Chanku Waste Ranch, Day 4

Day 4 of camp was off to a start with 32 campers arriving on the bus.  It was another very hot day with no breeze.  Thankfully, we haven't had any dehydration issues thanks to the water police! Randy Raw does a fabulous job of hounding, I mean reminding, people to drink more water!  It is a great thing, and easy to forget in the busyness  of camp activities. 

The camp on Day 4 included a far more attentive group for the lesson and story time, and overall a normal day at camp.  Normal is good here, it means few behavioral issues, little or no breakdowns and generally no problems, always a good thing!!

The two Youth Pastors were pretty proud of themselves for figuring out how to move the tarp (for shade) that was stretched between to vans.  Other youth leaders called it the 'lazy' way, but Conrad & Matt were pretty adamant that it was not lazy, but rather an 'ingenious' way to move the tarp without disassembling! The jury is still out on that one…

Team Member Spotlight, Tessa Russell, Hope Bible Church 

This week has been great! I feel like the last few days have brought me closer with the kids, and that they are just now starting to open up and ask better questions.  My favorite part of the week has been sitting one -on-one with those kids that are really interested in learning what we're teaching.  

For the past 2 years two of our Team Sponsors have been known as Luigi & Mario. The name was earned partially because Stan was called Mario by some of the kids, and partially because Stan & Randy both are for some reason always called when a plumber is needed.  

Stan is also known as our 'Video & Camara' guy; he spends alot of his time following the various groups around and capturing the memories and highlights of the camp.  He also does a great job of compiling those photos into a short slide-show that we are able to show the campers at the end of each day.  The campers LOVE seeing themselves on the screen, and it serves as a great reminder to our teens of all the nitty-gritty happening all over the camp, not just in their own group.  

As alluded to in a previous posting, Randy Raw is also known as our 'Camp Cook.'  He does a fabulous job with very minimal resources, (no running water, in fact no sink! no stove or oven!)  He makes great use of Dutch ovens, large roasters and the grill.  We have ate very well this week!

So, here is your dual Team Member Spotlight, on Mario & Luigi!  We love you guys!!

Stan Shollenbarger, 3rd year as a Staff Team Member (Mario)

"Every year has been different, this year has been a lot of learning because there are a lot of new kids.  But this has also been one of the smoothest years because the prep was done early & that allowed the camp itself go smoother. Spending time with our youth group is a fantastic, tiring, full-filling week that is very fulfilling to see kids grow in their own faith while trying to share their faith.  I get a great amount of joy just being in a supporting role and being able to help serve with the teens and grow in my faith with them this week." 

Randy Raw, 5th year as a Staff Team Member (Luigi)

This year our youth staff was really good about being servant minded, when I was cooking they were really good about asking questions.  They really love the kids, and their focus is building relationships with the kids. It is rewarding to see youth who actually desire to do that in our culture today. I agree with Stan that this year is probably the smoothest year yet.  For me, the Lakota trip is a great opportunity to serve God through serving others.  

Chanku Waste Ranch, Day 3....Water Day!

We are now officially halfway through the week of camp!  It is crazy how time flies by.  Our days and evenings have been full, leaving very little downtime for rest or relaxation.  Overall, the teens have been doing a great job of handling the pressure and the crazy paced schedule.  By the middle of the week fuses are starting to shorten, exhaustion starts to set in and patience starts to dissipate.  Please keep this is mind as you are praying for the team, we could all use extra prayer at this point in the week.

Day 3 began with 48 kids lining up for water, granola bars and name tags!  Water Day is usually the highlight of the week for the campers as well as the teens! This year did not disappoint with a giant water slide, water balloon station, and a mud pit tug-of-war as just some of the water fun.  We were all thrilled that we were doing water games since yesterday  turned out to be the hottest day of the week; scorching sun with no breeze.  (yes, we all wore sunscreen & had water bottles!)

What was supposed to be Mud Tug-of-War turned into just a Mud War!!

One VERY large tarp, a few hay bales, water and soap suds = one great water slide!

Spotlight from Molly Shollenbarger, Grace Bible Church, 3rd year
Team Member

I was able to talk to a lot of kids about the Gospel and see a few excited about what they heard. I was  privileged to teach again this year.  It was great to see many of the kids grossed out by the story of the 10 plagues, or see them drawn in by the story of Lazurus.  It is not like what you teach kids at home; many of the kids back home grow up hearing Bible stories often and so they aren't shocked by them anymore. The kids have so much energy and it's contagious! The piggy back rides never stop and horsie races never end. The team atmosphere among Grace & Hope teens has been great, we act like family and I can go to any of them for anything. There is always something to laugh about at any meal, and so many good memories Like Sheep Mountain. The best part of trip is the first day of camp when you see the kids again and they remember you, give you nicknames and are excited to see you. The worst part of the week is definitely Friday, when we leave the kids.

 

Spotlight from Matt Ediger, Youth Pastor at Hope Bible Church 

The Lakota trip is both fun & challenging. Fun because we have opportunities that we don't have back home in some ways, like being able to spend this much time together as a team getting to know one another.   The amount of time spent together also creates a lot of teachable moments about life in general when you see how people really act when they are constantly around each other.

The trip is also challenging for the same reasons; living with people you don't normally live with and seeing different sides of people you don't normally see.  As a leader talking to people, you hope they understand that you have their best interest at heart and are truly wanting them to become more like Christ.

Shae Vogt, Hope Bible Church, 1st year Team Member

This trip has definitely been a culture shock for me.  When passing out the flyers for the camp and going back to pick up the kids for camp,  I was overwhelmed with how they live. Back home sometimes I feel as if I'm in the lower end of financially, but here you see just how little other people have.  It also seems that they are much happier with less than I am. I would definitely like to come back on this trip!

 

Chanku Waste Ranch, Camp Day 2

Tuesday, day 2 of camp started off with 44 kids piling off the bus and vans!  It is always a great thing to see the kids returning day to day AND bringing friends!  Here on the reservation, it is not uncommon for kids of all ages to be left alone at home for long periods of time, or to deal with serious alcoholism or drugs in the home.  Camp is often a nice reprieve for these kids and something they come to look forward to. 

Day 2 of camp was very similar to Day 1, but with a slight twist.  We started the day by passing out personal water bottles, sunscreen and granola bars, since many of these kids live in a constant state of hunger. After 'breakfast' we broke the kids up by age group, making 3-4 different age groups. 

Typically there are 3-4 teen counselors with each group, and 1-2 adult sponsors with each group.  After breaking into age groups, one group will head out to game time down on the field, where there is a basketball court, a small jungle gym, a soccer field and plenty of space to run around. The other groups head to Bible lesson time, crafts or activity stations.  After 40 minutes or so, they rotate stations, stopping by the water pump to refill water bottles and a quick pit-stop at the bath-house. 

Tuesday activities included the addition of two fun stations, a team building obstacle course and an archery station.  Campers enjoyed figuring out how to get their entire team across the suspended 2X4's to the other side, and it was quite the healthy competition over in the archery pit! 

Taking the campers home following camp took a couple interesting turns; Unreturned car keys temporarily stranded one of our groups down the street at Sharps Corner Baptist Church, so another group rerouted after dropping off their kids.  At the same time they were stranded, a group from Texas hauling a few loads of donations pulled in to drop off supplies. 

The time connecting with others on a missions trip from Texas turned into additional helpers for the camp time!  Several of the Texas group have pitched in and helped out in the kitchen, bagging up cookies, sandwiches and carrots. One of our vans also ran into team members from FaithWorks, doing work projects in a neighboring reservation village…and some of these team members are from Columbia! Small world...

After all the commotion, we enjoyed a fabulous Ka-bob dinner fixed by Mr. Raw, our wonderful in-house 'roughin-it' camp-style cook. Randy is the king of simple, no-fuss, but quite tasty cooking.  Without the use of a stove, oven, or even working sink, we have enjoyed Fettucine Alfredo, Chicken Pot-Pie, Biscuits and Gravy, and look forward to Spaghetti & Meatballs, and a grilled feast later this week!  (He also is trekking down the hill to the garage frequently to retrieve items from the fridge & freezer.)   The evening activity was a quick trip out to Kuny Table, a mesa nearby with great views. It is so peaceful and quiet out here, and the views can be absolutely breathtaking.  

More updates tomorrow, about how today, Wednesday Day 3 of Camp went!!  A quick preview, today is WATER DAY!!! All the campers are SO excited about getting doused with water in a variety of games!!  I'm sure pictures tomorrow will be a hoot!

 

Team Member Spotlight, Keely Frey, 2nd year (Hope Bible Church)

"This trip is something I look forward to every year, it is truly life-changing for me. I enjoy watching the kids grow closer to God, and love the opportunity to be surrounded every day by all the Christians on the staff and team that's here.  I also think the food is awesome!!  A funny fact: Everybody makes fun of my bunions and laugh at my obnoxious singing in the shower!" 

Team Member Spotlight, Emily Murray, 1st year

"Before coming on the Lakota trip I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I halfway expected the kids would behave badly, but I have been proved wrong! They actually are pretty awesome! Hanging with kids all day is lots of fun! Funny fact about me: I endure endless ginger jokes.  I already look forward to coming back next year."  

Night life in South Dakota (Missions Trip style night life that is!)

Yesterday ended with a few big sighs, a few 'wow, glad that's over!' and several 'I'm so tired!' comments.   Day 1 of camp went really well, even though there are inevitably kinks to work out every year, no matter how much you plan.  Our newbies feel much better with the first day of camp under their belts, and the whole team is a little more relaxed as it's all coming back to them!

After the rather lengthy day of Camp, several of our teens and adult leaders accompanied the campers home, filing out of the driveway in a large red van, a large gray van, and a giant white school bus.  In the morning we send out those 3 vehicles, one to the South, one to the East, and another to the West, hitting different villages on the reservation, in order to bus kids into the Camp for the day.  The farthest away route pulls out of the drive at 7:15-7:30am in order to pick up all the kids and be back to the camp by 9:00am.  At the end of camp, everyone piles back in to the vehicles and heads back home, some of our group doesn't return until 4:30-4:45pm. 

Day 1 is always difficult, adjusting to the new schedule, and by the end of the day our teens are often pretty worn out.  We gave them just a moment or two of down time to collect themselves and rest….momentarily being the key word.  I find that the phrase 'The work is never done' is very accurate on missions trips.  Last nights task included fixing part of the roof on the Activity Building that was torn off in a mini-tornado just last week.  Most of the team was still out dropping off campers, but the 1-2 boys we still had at the camp enjoyed a little roof action, but let me tell ya, we have some mighty strong women in our group!!  The ladies carried the bulk of the metal sheeting up to the building. 

Shortly after fixing the roof, a storm was headed our way.  All around the camp in a large circle you could see the rain falling from dark clouds, and could hear the thunder rumble and the lighting strike.  It is interesting how different storms are out in the wide open spaces verses back home in a neighborhood where very little unblocked sky is seen.  On the one hand the storms are so intriguing to watch, yet on the other hand, the lack of trees to stop the wind and the sand storms from blowing is a bit unnerving and at times a bit scary.  We camped together in the activity building until the storm blew over.  

The highlight of the evening was a trip to the nearest Gas Station, Common Cents.  Yep, you read that right!  Out here the views are beautiful and breathtaking, and the quiet is incredible…but there is NOTHING close by, save for the gas station about 15 minutes away.  Our teens became used to running across the street to the gas station in the past few years when we operated the day camp out of the local church, so this year when everything has been moved out to the camp the one thing they 'really miss' is the quick trips across the street for a candy fix, or a slushie fix!

All in all, we have AWESOME teens in our youth group, don't we!?  They have all been SO great at jumping in where needed, and not complaining about experiencing very little rest.  The are great about realizing what needs to be done, who needs extra help and spending quality time with our campers. 

Team Member Spotlight:  Rachael Sherman, 1st year Team Member

"The campers have been wonderful, it's been a delight serving them and I'm glad that I've gotten to know my teammates better! Lakota rocks!!"

Preparing for Camp....Day 1

As usual with missions trips, the days just seem to fly by!  Rewinding a couple days…

Friday, Debi, one of our teens and Josiah & MacKenzie left early morning to start the trek up to South Dakota.  Travel was safe and fairly uneventful .  After a break in the travel for the night they hopped back on the road Saturday and finished the journey, arriving at Chanku Waste Ranch around 8:00 pm.  They were stuck in dark heavy thunderstorms with very high winds for the last 50+ miles but the Lord had his hand on them and protected them all the way in. 

The team from Hope Bible Church in St Louis arrived in Columbia Friday night, and the Hope group plus our team from Grace pulled out of the church parking lot on time at 6:30am, with another group of 2 traveling about an hour behind them.  Despite heavy winds, the day of traveling was also safe and pleasantly uneventful for them.  The team arrived around 9:30pm Saturday night.  By this time the wind and rains  had been steadily pouring for a few hours, turning the dirt/gravel driveway into a massive mud pit.  The van + trailer was stuck in the mud for a little while, and the white van was nicely imbedded into a row of mounds of mud….it was still there Sunday morning.  :-)

On Sunday we went to church at Sharps Corner and then passed out fliers to several nearby communities: Sharps Corner, Evergreen, Porcupine and Manderson. We spent the rest of the evening getting our game plan ready for the first day of camp.

Fast-forwarding to today…Monday, and it's Day 1 of Camp.  Total camper attendance today  was 39.  Your teens are putting what they learned and studied for the past few months into practice with crafts, games, and Bible lessons/singing.  Some have found the time invested over the past few months was well worth it, and some have realized it is much harder to hold the attention of a room full of kids than expected!  

Thankfully the temperature today has been great, lower 90's with a fabulous breeze!  Will post details of Day 2 tomorrow! 

On the Road

Our Lakota team pulled out of the Grace parking lot at around 6:45 this morning! Debi took off yesterday ahead of us, and Sara and Heather with Hope are on the road too, about an hour behind. We should all arrive at Chanku Waste Ranch this evening to begin our week of camp! Please continue to be praying for safety while we travel.We also heard from Pastor Brennan that he will be out of town this week while we're leading camp. It was a little disconcerting at first, but also humbling that he trusts us to lead camp in his absence. Pray for wisdom and grace in both running the camp schedule and working with the kids (Mike and Monica played a big role in maintaining discipline among the kids last year).

We will hit the ground running with church tomorrow morning, then preparation for camp and passing out fliers to invite kids for the week. 

2013 Brazil Missions Trip is just around the corner!!  We will be updating this blog as often as we can from now through the end of the trip, so check back often!  For now, meet the 2013 Team!!  

Conrad Hake, Youth & Missions Pastor

I first met Leandro and Julie Tarrataca as a freshman at Calvary Bible College, when Leandro was working on his Master's degree. In coming to Grace a few years later, I discovered that our church supported the Tarrataca's ministry, which led to the opportunity to reconnect with Leandro and Julie. Their ministry had grown into church planting, theological education, and community outreach, and both my gifts and the strengths of our church led to a partnership to send teams and serve alongside the Tarratacas. My love for soccer also fits in well with Brazilian culture!

Missions has a been a passion since high school, and while my philosophy of missions has significantly developed since my first mission trip to Branson in 1997, I am still pursuing God's call on my life from that summer. I have served with or led 11 international mission teams to Venezuela, Ukraine, Mexico, and Brazil and twice as many domestic teams.

Michelle Hutchins

My name is Michelle Hutchins and I attend church at Avondale Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO. In 2009 I was presented with an opportunity to go on a mission trip (largely based on music) to Thailand, which would have taken place in 2010. This trip fell through, but I have known since then that God has called me to serve Him through music. In 2010 I began to spend a great deal of time with Hannah. Hannah's mom knows Debi, this is how I found out about the trip. For about 2 or 3 years now I have felt God calling me to Brazil; but I have never felt the time was right until I heard about this trip. Everything fell into place in a way that only God could have orchestrated. I have helped with VBS a couple of different times and I have been on 3 mission trips (one to St. Louis and 2 to Fenton, MI). I also have learned to teach reading via Hooked on Phonics. A fun fact about me is that I am a very outdoorsy person and I took 6 years of horseback riding lessons.

Shawn Knauts

My husband Kurt and I have been married for 26 years. We have one son – Chase – who is 23 and an Accountant for the same insurance company where I’ve worked for 24 years. My current position is Regional Director in Claims. Kurt and I have lived in Columbia for 2 years and have been members of GBC for 1 ½ years. Arkansas is our “home” state where all our extended family lives. I’ve participated in 2 different international mission trips – one in Spain & Morocco and the other in Paris. Both trips involved distributing the Jesus video/materials and in Paris we were also ministering to Moroccan/N. African immigrant women. Over the years, I’ve served in all ages of children and youth ministry, but the majority was spent teaching high school girls and working in youth ministry – usually participating in all youth functions and chaperoning youth mission trips. I have also enjoyed being in music ministry and filled the role of worship/music leader for a short time. I love to cook and enjoy painting when I feel inspired and have the time. Right now, I’m enjoying training in Krav Maga 3x/week with the fierce Debi Hake!

Abbie Boyer

My name is Abbie Boyer and I will be a sophomore in college next year and plan to study business. I have worked in VBS at my local church for several years, and have worked as a camp counselor for Turkey Hill for two summers.  I have been on two missions trips to Honduras before and they were both life changing experiences. God has really placed missions on my heart and I am excited to see how He will bless this trip to Brazil. I am connected to Grace Bible through Debi, who was my high school soccer coach. Fun fact about me; my favorite book is 'To Kill A Mockingbird.'

Hannah Park

A few years ago my church showed a video with a report from some of our missionaries in Brazil. From that very day God placed Brazil on my heart. I knew I was supposed to go to Brazil and do some mission work there. And I thought I knew what group I was supposed to go with. But as time went on it became clear that, that group would not work out for me to go with after all. I still knew the where, just not the when. People would often ask me about it and I would tell them I knew it wasn't time yet. Some people didn't seem to understand that, so I often got frustrated. People seemed to want me to go right then and there and didn't seem to understand that God was telling me to wait and be patient. So I went on with my life, waited, listened, and kept busy in the mean time. Last year I got involved with the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. I wanted to be a Romani dancer as my brother had been a few years before me. But they were only looking for two girls and I wasn't it. But I was asked to be a Romani stilt walker. So I did that for a year hoping that I would be able to be a dancer the next year. Earlier this year we started the audition process and it was looking like I might actually stand a chance of being a dancer. But as time went on I started realizing that I couldn't afford it and I didn't have the time required to be a Romani dancer this year. So I dropped out of the auditions. A few days later my mom told me that she knew someone that her and her husband took a small team to Brazil every year on a mission trip and they were still needing 1-2 people. I knew from that moment that it was time for me to go. I told my best friend about it saying that I knew there was no way that this could have worked out if God hadn't had something to do with it. It was timed too perfectly, with my having cleared my schedule from something that would have kept me from being able to go. So my mom contacted Debi and everything fell into place from there. I'm excited to see what God will do while we're in Brazil. I've had the privilege of working with the 3-5 year olds at my church in the AWANA program. It's amazing how children can touch your heart just as much as you can touch theirs. And I look forward to working with the kids in Brazil and helping them learn about the love if God. I'm also looking forward to see how I may learn from them. The simple mind of a child is an amazing thing and I feel like we can all learn a lot from them.

Abi Brown

I went on the Lakota Trip last year, and have worked with other Grace Bible youth in Glasgow, MO doing VBS type of ministry.  I've never been out of the country and am terrified of flying so this trip should be quite an adventure. I've been going to Grace Bible Church for three years now and I found out about the opportunity of this trip through being in the youth group. I'm very excited about this trip and cannot wait for it!

Debi Hake

My first experience with Missions trips was  the summer after my freshman year of high-school when I went to Mexico with my Youth Group.  Little did I know that trip would change my life in so many ways, opening up a whole new world for me.  The sobering realization that there were thousands of people in other countries that need to know Jesus was something I had heard about for years in church, but not something I had experienced personally. I felt an immediate burden for sharing the Gospel to others outside the US. This first trip to Mexico was also the reason that would eventually lead me into a life of full-time ministry, pursuing degrees in Youth Ministry & Music from a Bible College and serving alongside my husband for over 11 years in full-time ministry.  Following that first trip to Mexico, I have since returned to Mexico for 8 more missions trips, taking my own children along on one of those trips.  I have also assisted Conrad in leading multiple domestic trips to the Navajo and Lakota Indian Reservations.  This year's trip to Brazil will be my second, and we are beyond excited to have the privilege of taking our 2 kiddos, Josiah & MacKenzie with us this year!  We feel that our children are part of our ministry and hope and pray that they catch the vision for missions that Conrad & I have.  Outside of missions I enjoy watching my 2 kids grow up crazy fast, coffee dates with friends, coaching soccer, designing and creating new products for my handmade clothing line, and continuing to train for Triathlons.

Maddie Jones

Fun fact about me,  I can balance on my face (literally), and have the entire Les Miserables musical memorized.  I have gone on one missions trip to the Lakota Indian Reservation  in South Dakota, where we held a day camp for the local kids, a lot like VBS.  I have participated and helped lead VBS in our local church, and have helped leading VBS in Glasgow, MO.  In Lakota I met many amazing kids, and was lucky enough to build relationships that I've been able to keep up with. I am interested in long-term missions and am going on the trip to Brazil to really get a feel for what missions looks like in other countries.