UBC Miami Missions Journal

April Newsletter Update

2011-04-20T18:15:00.005-04:00

Just to let everyone know we sent out our April Newsletter this week. If you did not get one and would like to receive a pdf version please click on this link: newsletter and a copy will be emailed to you. If you do not have email please click on the link and, in the body of the email, please give us your name and complete address.

Excerpt from page 2: "Living in despair, helplessness, suffering (physically, emotionally, and spiritually), hopelessness, and loneliness not being able to look into the future for relief….It ALL reminds me of a hell without the flames" [describing Favela Moinho where we minister]

"There may even be a preacher available to preach the gospel, but where is the shepherd who will shepherd them into the next generation? Jesus had to repeat himself to one of His closest followers… If you love me take care of my sheep."

Blessings, Pete & Jodi............Feed My Sheep Brazil

Praise Report

2011-04-11T15:07:00.004-04:00

We would like to thank everyone for their prayers regarding Clarita. We discovered this morning that she was found on the streets Friday night and the authorities took her to a city shelter. She is a "runaway" and will stay there indefinitely. Please continue to pray for her and her family as they have many difficulties to overcome. Thank you again! Pete & Jodi

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-04-10T19:10:00.003-04:00

Please be in prayer for Clarita, a 12 year old girl from the favelas where we minister. She has been missing since the 3^rd of April. The last time she was seen was on that day in a park near her home. We have known her and her family since she was about 2 years old. Thank you for your prayers! Pete and Jodi Brennan missionaries to the poor in Brazil

Quick Brazil Update

2011-04-06T19:49:00.002-04:00

God has been blessing our weekly Sunday morning outreach class! We have sometimes 40 to 90 young teenagers. They are tough teens that, among other things, are drug users, traffickers, some thieves, major class disturbers, cut ups, into immorality at the age of 10 and 11 and many other kids with serious problems and/or who have no home life. They are completely lost and hell bound. One boy, Lucas, walks eight kilometers weekly to come to church or just hang out with us at AMO. The last three months or so the spirit of God has been moving among them in such a way that, last Sunday, many of the Sunday morning bible class stood up and made confessions of sin and received Christ. This movement of God has happened frequently…… more or less once every month. I have never spoken so directly (eyeball to eyeball) to kids about repentance, hell, heaven and the need of believing in the Good News. Decisions at the end of the class are made with everyone’s eyes open looking at who is raising their hands and there is no embarrassment among them. The whole class started clapping spontaneously after they were led to Christ through prayer! It has been hard work to get these young kids to make a stand to live for Christ, let alone to get baptized. We received the sad news Sunday morning that Bruno, one of the “tough” teens we were reaching died. He drowned in a local lake….he dove in and never surfaced again. Just the week before, at our place, he was bragging to one of our guys at how good he was getting at swimming as he was practicing in our pool.

This last month the AMO team has been very busy as we had over 72 people for sleeping over on campus for Camp 2011 (our living room was wall-to-wall girls!)and, then a week later, we received a team of 25 (youth group from TN) taking them into the favelas. It was a wonderful time of visiting, sharing, evangelizing (using the water filters provided by the Texas Baptist Men)and loving on the kids. It was such a blessing to see all the teenagers giving their testimonies and evangelizing for the very first time!

We have made so many tough and good adjustments to our lives because of the ministry as we press forward with what God wants out of us. Jodi has made a living sacrifice out of her life even more so lately as difficult adjustments have been made in our lives by receiving Beatriz (7), Marcela (14) and Karoline (17) into our home. She has been saving up special individual offerings designated for her personally over the last couple of years. She will be flying home at the end of this month to see our daughter, Jessica, graduate from UF, spend several days with her non-saved mother and, when she can, be at church perhaps in your area. Jodi and I cannot travel to the States together as we have only temporary guardianship of the AMO kids and it’s not permanent yet.

Please pray your blessings upon Jodi, our AMO team, and these precious kids God wants to use for His Glory.

Pete

We will be sending out our newsletter very soon……God bless you!

Brazil Camp Update- Pete & Jodi

2011-03-07T10:06:00.001-05:00

Hello again everyone,

Just wanted to fill you in on how Camp is going and to thank you for your prayers!

It has been a fun filled, energy depleting time! Waking up early, playing hard, eating (of course J), bible studies and getting to bed VERY late has been the order of our days. Everyone is having a good time and three teens, in particular, have had deep, convicting encounters with God- Praise the Lord!

The rain let up on Sunday allowing us to enjoy even more water type games without freezing in the cool rain. So, we thank you for praying!

The biggest obstacle in Camp is the sleeping and eating arrangements. Our own living room is a girls “Cabin” holding 15 girls! It’s been wall-to-wall mattresses. What makes that even more incredible is that they ALL have to share the same bathroom J The living room in the other house “cabin” is holding around 18 and a very small guest room is holding another 8 girls/women. As for the boys…..between three small rooms we’ve got about 20 cozily crammed in. Since we could not fit all the boys in the rooms available there are about 10 of them sleeping in the open-air church area. Our space is very, very limited, even for sufficient eating areas where everyone can sit down at the same time. We look forward with faith for a new building (warehouse) where all these events, activities, and church can be held.

Continue to pray for conviction, repentance, and salvation! Pray that the Holy Spirit will penetrate into hardened hearts where darkness reigns!

No one has been seriously hurt, for which we are thankful, but many have slipped, slid and kerplopped on the ground in the slick mud J

Blessings to you all,

Pete, Jodi and team

Prayer Request- Pete & Jodi (Brazil)

2011-03-05T07:50:00.002-05:00

Dear Prayer Partners,

Greetings from not-so-sunny Brazil! Today starts our yearly Carnival- time Camp experience for youth. Among our “campers” this year are teens from the cities of Jarinú, Maracana, Campinas, Varzea and Sorocaba. There are over 60 youth participating and we even have a young guy, Nate, here helping with camp that traveled all the way from Georgia to help! It has been raining for days! As I write it is still drizzling BUT camp goes on…….

We ask that you be with us in prayer for the following:

The teens and preteens attending camp this year, some of which are already involved in prostitution and drugs, would have an intimate encounter with our Lord
That the Holy Spirit would move mightily among our campers, our leaders, and everyone involved
That pride, selfishness, , jealousy, immoral thinking, and all manner of sin be washed away; strong conviction and repentance of personal sins
For strength and energy to properly minister to these people even though we have to wake up early and get to bed very late!
Salvation for all who are not saved (the majority here now are NOT saved)
The weather- with all this rain our roads are washed out, muddy and impassable! We cannot get up or down the dirt road leading to our property so people are having to walk, in the drizzle and through the mud, to reach our home at the top of the mountain! Pray for sunshine!
That no one would get hurt during camp

Camp officially starts today (Sat. the 5^th) and goes until Tuesday morning. We truly covet your prayers!

Many blessings,

Pete and Jodi and the whole Brazil team

Apascentai Minhas Ovelhas- Feed My Sheep Brazil

testing

2011-02-24T07:24:00.002-05:00

Okay, I just figured out how to post via email! I know, I know....it takes me a while :) :) Hopefully I can get more posts out this way. Blessings, to everyone! Jodi

Prayer Request

2011-01-25T07:27:00.003-05:00

This week is an important week to be praying as we are starting to intensify our training of church leaders in our church in Campinas. Our full time student volunteers Anderson, Daniel, and Diego have been sleeping over at our church in Gleba B since Sunday and will remain there until Thursday. They are focused on visiting our church members, identifying those who have a potential to be leaders, and training those who already have expressed interest in leadership. They also are visiting many others in the neighborhood, evangelizing, and updating information on children who are involved in the Embrace-a-Child program. Last night they held a meeting with the adult members of our church to explain the vision for leadership and tonight and tomorrow night there will be more meetings. They've asked for prayer that more of the older teenagers woud show an interest and show up for training. They've also asked for prayer for Adriel, Jennifer, and Paulo who were evangelized yesterday and showed a very strong interest. These three have very "difficult lives" and need specific prayer.

We ask for prayer for our guys as it is very hot where they are and the living conditions are pretty rustic. They were pleasantly surprised last night though when someone showed up with a pizza for them! Suffering......!

We know that the Lord will bless their time there and we continue to pray for the growth of this church and it's members. We thank you for your prayers!!

Rain, rain, and more rain.....

2011-01-15T09:17:00.003-05:00

Well, as usual, we are starting out the new year soggy and wet.......such is life in Brazil :) Unfortunately, this year the rain is creating quite a mess and many people are suffering. Land slides are the biggest problem and over 500 people have been killed this past week, buried under tons of mud or swept away by flood waters. Those living in the weakest structures (favelas)are at most risk. All around us there has been flooding, smaller land slides, and impassable roads but, fortunately, we live on higher ground and have less problems.

Please pray for those who have lost friends and families and for our safety as we drive on the dangerous roads.

In HIM,

Pete and Jodi

Giving Thanks for 2010

2010-12-31T16:56:00.002-05:00

Yet another year has zoomed by and 2011 is upon us. We would like to give thanks to the Lord for all of the blessings that have come our way in 2010 as well as for the trials. If it weren't for the trials we may not have learned many valuable lessons.

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First, we are blessed to have such a wonderful group of young people here in Brazil who minister with us day in and day out. Praise the Lord!
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We are thankful for a year of record reaching decisions for Christ. Many received Christ as their Savior and have been baptized and many more are awaiting Baptisms in the next few weeks.
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We are grateful to the Texas Baptism Men's group who provided 1000 donated water filters this year which have proved to be a very valuable witnessing tool to show, illustratively, people's need for salvation. The filters in themselves have provided clean drinking water for many, many families in the poorest of all neighborhoods.
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We have been blessed to host several mission teams this year and watch as many youth experience, for the very first time, the privilege of giving their testimonies, witnessing, and sharing the Gospel. We have made great friends along the way.
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The 70+ children/teens who are “Embraced” in our sponsorship program have been blessed overwhelmingly by their sponsors this year. Not only have the participated in programs, events and field trips but their parents are seeing the love of Christ reflected in the actions of others.
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The Lord saw us through many obstacles in the process of gaining temporary custody of a 6 year old girl from the favelas and two teenage sisters. He also saw us through many challenges with the upbringing and care of these girls who come from broken and dysfunctional backgrounds. We have dealt with issues we have never had to deal with before raising our own biological children and we see that the Lord training us to be able to better minister to these people.
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We are extremely grateful for UBC and our few other supporting churches and individuals without whom we would not be here on the mission field reaching the lost for His Kingdom. We are humbled by your love and thoughtfulness.
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For the year 2011 we ask for your continued prayers for us personally and for the ministry. We ask specifically that you pray for more supporters as our overall support has dropped more than 50% from 2010 to 2011. Many churches themselves are experiencing financial problems and have either decreased their support or dropped us completely. In all things we give thanks and know that HE will provide!
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May you have a richly blessed 2011!!
Your missionaries to the poor and needy in Brazil,
Pete, Jodi, Josiah and Luke Brennan………and, though she’s not here with us, we couldn’t leave Jessica’s name out :)

Update

2010-11-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone....just a quick update: Kay & Katie did arrive safely on Thursday and were immediately whisked off to visit the favelas. It's been pretty much non-stop since then with visitations, evangelizing, bible studies, testimonies and such. Although, we did stop to eat a wonderful meal yesterday at the Churrascaria...... it was tough but, someone had to do it! :) The favela that we took them to yesterday is in Campinas and one in which we've worked for many years. We were invited into quite a few homes to talk and pray and it truly was a blessed day. I'm looking forward to returning there with Kay & Katie on Sunday to visit more of our friends.

Ongoing prayer requests:

Please pray for the 6 year old girl from the favelas who lives with us, that she will continue to grow strong in the Lord, forgetting all the past ugliness she's experienced, and that we can be the security and love source that she's always lacked in her life.
Continue to pray for our support. In these economically difficult times our support has dropped drastically and will significantly affect our ministry.
Pray for those that we are ministering to (and those to come) that their eyes can be opened and their hearts softened to hear and accept His message. We have seen many come to know the Lord in the past weeks and months- Praise the Lord!
Pray for our team that they will continually grow and that the desire to reach others for Christ will continue to burn strong. They are doing a wonderful job of teaching and reaching people for Christ.
Pray for the women in the favela who learned how to beautifully paint dishtowels in our arts/crafts program as they are now teaching others!
Pray that, the Lord willing, a team from UBC will come minister with us in 2011!! We have been wanting a team to come for a long time!

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!

Deus te abencoe! (God Bless you).....Pete and Jodi

Prayer Request

2010-11-02T11:27:00.003-04:00

I was really encouraged this Sunday evening in the favela where we have a church. We arrived early which left me plenty of time to go visiting. I visited several woman whom I've known for years and thoroughly enjoyed sitting in their humble little shacks listening to their problems and their praises. These women are believers and, despite their extremely simple situations, they've always embraced me (and I them) as the best of friends. We pray together, they share their anxieties and we uplift each others spirits in a way that can't be described. I am glad that the Lord put us smack in the middle of places where many others do not want to go. For this I give thanks to our Maker.........Jodi

Prayer Request:

Please keep Kay Gackle and Katie Carabello in your prayers as they prepare for their trip here next week. Pray that their visas arrive in time, for a safe trip, and for the Lord to work mightly in their hearts while they are here. I am excited about taking them to the favelas to meet our friends there :)
Please pray for Brian, here from St Pete for a few months, that the Lord will use him and speak to him during this time

Praises:

More people have made decisions this week for the Lord and others have recognized their distance from HIM after becoming a believer years ago and not following HIM faithfully.

Blessings,

Pete and Jodi

Blessings & Prayer Requests

2010-10-28T11:47:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone, time flies by so fast and, before we know it, we're always wondering why there's never enough time to do all the things we hope to do in a day/week/year. Keeping updated on the Blog is one of those things that, regrettably , winds up getting put "on hold". Our sincere apologies.

Many noteworthy things happen in our personal and ministerial lives that we'd like to share with you as a praise to our Lord. Other things, such as prayer requests, we would like to share with you so you can be with us in bringing those things before the throne. With that, we would also like to be in prayer for any of you who may have praises/requests to share. They could be shared as a comment here on this blog or, if more personal, can be sent to our email address: amofavelas@terra.com.br

Just a few of the PRAISES we'd like to share: for the 1000 donated water filters which are being used to evangelize the poor living in the slums- this has been very, very successful in leading people to Christ and also providing them with clean drinking water.....for the temporary guardianship papers coming through for two teenage girls that have been living with us for the past 1 1/2 years.....for the Lord's constant provision for our personal and ministerial needs even when times are tight financially..... for our health and continuing education for our kids.....for our friends/family back home who encourage, pray for, and uplift us before our heavenly Father!

Now a few PRAYER REQUESTS: for the temporary guardianship papers to come through for a 6 year old favela girl who's been with us for almost 7 months.....for spiritual growth for our two churches here and for our leaders in the ministry.....for more supporters to help cover the operating expenses of the ministry and personal support.....for our daughter, Jessica, who will graduate college in May 2011 (for direction and for the Lord to clearly show her HIS will for her life)....... We covet your prayers!

Blessings,

Pete and Jodi

Our Camp Teams!

2010-07-14T19:45:00.002-04:00

Campo

2010-07-14T19:33:00.006-04:00

Wanted to post some quick photos of the past two days and of camp with the children from LaChureca. The internet here is a little spotty - will definitely get more up when we get back in town.

Sabbath

2010-07-11T19:17:00.002-04:00

Sunday was a great day for our team to just be still, enjoy each other and God! We started the day out by worshiping with a packed house at Verbo Church. It is so amazing to see the resilient Spirit of God and contagious joy in these people who have so little - but yet seem to have so much. We are envious of their passion and hearts for God's kingdom and presence in their life. After church we came back to Quinta Havilah and watched the World Cup Championship, swam, and digested the best of Nicaraguan fruits and peppers. (more to the story…) Our team is really starting to gel and feel more like a family - it is great how God has brought unity to our team. Our night concluded with a great group time discussing the day and the hindrances in our life that can render prayers ineffective - we ended with a time of worship reflection and asking God to reveal to us anyone we need to forgive. Christ is healing and restoring us more each day - praise God!

Hanging with Havilah & Robles

2010-07-11T00:00:00.003-04:00

Had a full day today but we were blessed to meet some beautiful people! Our team spent the day with the children from the two rescue homes - Casa Havilah & Casa Robles. Both homes take children out of the dump and provides them with shelter, food, education, God's love, and the means to heal from the emotional, physical & sexual abuse many of them have experienced while living in the dump. We also loaded them all up on the bus and took them to see Toy Story 3 - which they loved! Above are a few of the photos we took of what we've been doing...including Claudia's determination to grab some mangos on a tree limb above the bus.)

Estamos Aqui

2010-07-09T21:28:00.004-04:00

We are here - arrived in Managua early this morning! Our team has had a good day catching up on some sleep, meeting the other teams who are being hosted by Open Hearts Ministry and Los Farringtons, and just getting situated for the week. We also got to spend some time this afternoon with kids who live in the city dump - cheering on their LaCrosse teams this week that were formed by Lacrosse the Nation. (more pics to come) We are looking forward to visiting and loving on the kids that live in the rescue home as well as getting ready to host our camp next week!

Wonderful news!

2010-05-30T14:51:00.002-04:00

Many thanks to those of you who were praying for Anderson to get his visa. HE GOT IT!! Now he will travel next month to Tennessee to participate in a church youth camp, actually, in possibly two. He will see the ins-and-outs of how a large camp is organized and run and bring back with him all that knowledge to better our camp ministry here. We are so happy for him as this is his chance of a lifetime. He grew up very, very poor, no one in his family has ever achieved much of anything, and this has been a huge dream for him for many years. He has many friends awaiting his arrival there, friends he has made here over the years with visiting mission teams. We are very proud of him and his achievements. Please continue to pray for him and his time there.

Update on the blog below......Clarita still remains in the shelter under social service care. Her mother is now is danger of losing, not only Clarita but, all six of her kids to the state. Please continue to pray.....

Blessings,

Pete and Jodi

New Sewing Machines!

2010-04-03T14:43:00.008-04:00

Last week we had a great team of 23 people from the U.S. (mostly youth- junior and senhor high) with us helping to minister in areas where others don't want to go. They definitely stepped out of their comfort zones! Right from the airport we whisked them off to the favelas in Sao Paulo where we hold Saturday children's classes in the slums (favelas). Walking through smelly, narrow corridors, over sewage drains and setting up "class" in the open air environment everyone pitched in to make sure the kids had a seat, got to participate in the activities and then showered them with candy bags afterwards. Some of the youth even engaged the locals in "break dancing" which opened the door for them to be evangelized afterwards! Others made their way to the local basketball court in the favela to shoot some hoops with the locals.......again, opening many doors for the "Americans" to be allowed to enter there. It's all about building relatonships.

The team was able to bring with them five brand-new sewing machines that someone donated to the ministry! What a huge blessing! We used them in the favela already this week to teach the ladies there how to sew borders on hand painted dishtowels. They were literally drooling when they saw the beautiful machines. The dishtowel painting program, which we started many years ago, is now being started up again. Now that we have the new sewing machines it will make the finish work on each towel much easier and provide for more projects that we can teach the ladies.

We give thanks to our Lord for the protection and safety of our entire team this week!

Also , as you may remember, we asked for prayer for two of our Brazilian team members on February 26th. One of those young men, Daniel, will be leaving for his trip to Tennessee this Monday the 5th and will be staying until the 23rd. Please pray for safety on the trip and that the Lord will bless in many ways! Daniel is very excited and we pray that he can learn many things while visiting a church there and that he will be able to perfect his English as well!

Pray also for Anderson as we are in the process of rescheduling his Visa interview in hopes that he will successfully get a visa to visit the U.S. in the very near future. Both of these young men have been so faithful and committed to the ministry work and are so deserving of this cultural experience!

Blessings,

Pete and Jodi

Prayer request...

2010-03-16T15:17:00.002-04:00

Please keep our Brazilian team here in your prayers as we prepare for Saturday's arrival of a youth group from Tennessee. There's a lot of work, planning, shopping and mental preparation that needs to be done before these groups arrive. Don't get me wrong, they [groups] are a ton of fun but definitely a lot of work.

Please pray for those who will be coming that the Lord would speak clearly to them while they are here and for the safety of all of us as we enter and work within various favelas through out the week.

Obrigada!

Jodi Brennan

Praise Report!

2010-03-11T13:43:00.002-05:00

We have a wonderful praise report as a follow up to our post of 02/02/10…….We told you that Daniel successfully got his visa. Not only did he get it but, he got a five year visa! That’s just amazing.....!

Unfortunately Anderson still has not been able to get his. Please keep praying though that a door will open and, if it’s the Lord’s will, he too will get his for travel at a later date. We thank you all so much for your faithful prayers!

Pete, Jodi, Daniel, & Anderson

Visa updates................

2010-03-02T17:08:00.002-05:00

Dear friends,

Just to update you on the visa interviews yesterday and today (see the Blog entry dated 02/26/2010 .......Daniel successfully obtained his visa to travel in April but Anderson, unfortunately, did not. This does not mean all is lost as Anderson can try to apply again. Therefore, we ask for your continued prayers that we may be able to reschedule, reapply, and resubmit other documents that might help his case.

Thank you for your faithful prayers!

Pete and Jodi Brennan

How far would you go to attend church??

2010-02-28T17:45:00.004-05:00

Two days ago we posted an update on Camp and how it affected the lives of several young guys. Well, last night we had a super interesting surprise come to our door. William, who I wrote about below, Cleiton and Chagas live in the favela Gleba B of Campinas and all three participated in our Camp almost two weeks ago. Last night, around 11pm the three of them appeared at our gate on bicycles. They had decided that they wanted to be here with us this weekend, participate in our church, and receive some “spiritual food”.

This was a HUGE effort on their part as Campinas is over 50 kilometers (31 miles) away! To make the situation even more unbelievable is the fact that they erred on their directions and went way out of their way to get here so they wound up bicycling almost 70 kilometers (43 miles). They left their homes at 2pm expecting to get here in a couple of hours and arrived at 11pm tired, hungry, and exhausted!

Two of these guys are 15 years old and the other is 17 and all come from messed up homes. They have been getting together during the week in their community to pray together. Please keep them in your prayers. Pray that the excitement in their hearts for the Lord will not diminish and that they can grow closer to HIM more and more each day.

Praise the Lord!

Pete and Jodi Brennan

Important Prayer Request

2010-02-26T12:34:00.005-05:00

Two posts in one day! (Please see the post just before this one)

We would like to ask for specific prayer for two of our student/ volunteers Anderson and Daniel. These two young men have an opportunity to spend 18 days at a partner church in Smyrna, Tennessee (all expenses paid) learning how their church runs, receiving training, and enjoying all the cultural experiences they can possibly absorb in that amount of time. We have been so blessed to have these two as a part of our ministry teaching, preaching, counseling, and ministering in all areas for the past seven years. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for them and we covet your prayers on their behalf.

They are both young, single and fall into the lower social-economic class which makes getting a visa extremely difficult. Please pray for their interviews at the American Embassy on Monday morning 3/1/2010 (for Anderson) and Tuesday morning 3/2/2010 (for Daniel). We can’t think of anyone more deserving of this trip!

.Pete and Jodi Brennan

Camp highlights.....

2010-02-26T10:11:00.007-05:00

Thank you for your prayers! Camp 2010, which finished up last week, was a big hit. Four days of non-stop games, activities, food, and little sleep made for an unforgettable time for the teenagers. Youth from the favelas and from our Jarinú church participated together in teams, bunked together in rooms, and made some great friendships. And, no one got hurt! Monday evening was a special costume night complete with a homemade pizza dinner, night-time treasure hunt, and bonfire. Many campers opened up around the fire and gave thanks for the special time they were having. Despite the fact that we are towards the end of rainy season it didn’t rain even once!

Approximately half of the campers were non-believers. The bible studies and devotions were a blessing and many kids got their hearts right before the Lord and committed themselves to strive to be better than they are now. Several accepted the Lord as their savior and now are starting baptism classes.

One boy in particular that stood out is William (approximately 17 years old). We’ve known him since he was around 8 years old as he lives in one of the favelas where we minister. He’s always been a trouble maker, he disrupts class all the time and he has already been used by the local drug traffickers to be their lookout, among other things. The camp coordinators were debating whether or not to allow him to participate. After all, “it would be so much easier without him here, they thought”. The decision was made to allow him to participate and to give him another chance. What a great decision it was!

The first day he was “testing the waters and his limits”. As he acclimated to his surroundings and to people who didn’t constantly put him down he began to relax and enjoy himself. He participated whole heartedly in all events, listened to the bible messages and devotionals, played jokes on his room buddies at night, and learned what a great time “Christians” can have. On about the third day he went up to Pete and thanked him for allowing him to participate- then he started crying! His eyes welled up with tears and he gave Pete a hug. The rest of that day and then the next he was notably sad about having to go back home and he even commented that “there I’ll wind up with the same old friends, involved in the same old stuff”.

William accepted the Lord with one of our volunteers and has asked to be baptized. He didn’t go back home and start hanging around his old buddies but prefers to spend his time with Cleiton, another camper. The two now have big plans. The other day they invited Anderson, our youth leader, to arrive in the favela earlier than usual so that they could take him around and introduce him to all of their friends from the neighborhood and the school. They have a dream to personally raise money to finance next year’s camp! Their goal is to evangelize all their friends! How’s that for a transformation?

William is just one example but there are others whose lives were positively affected through your prayers. We thank you for your prayers and support which allows us to be here for these lost souls.

Snapshots of some of their favorite games......

Sorry! I was unable to upload the videos we wanted to share.

Blessings, Pete and Jodi Brennan

Open the eyes of my heart Lord....

2010-02-09T19:26:00.003-05:00

Open the eyes of my heart Lord…

It’s that time of the year again…Camp! While the rest of Brazil revels in the immoral festivities of Carnaval we will be holding a four day camp retreat for youth. This year’s theme is “open the eyes of my heart Lord”. We will be bringing teens from the favelas to participate along with teens who attend our church at the mission headquarters.

Please be with us in prayer for these kids as many of them are not saved. We have local church volunteers who will be helping with the cooking cleanup, etc as well as two families from another state who have asked to come and help out. Praise the Lord!

Check back again soon for an update on how everything went…….we plan on taking loads of pictures and videos.

Blessings,

Pete & Jodi

It's been along time.......!

2010-01-04T08:01:00.005-05:00

Well, 2009 has passed in a flash, and sadly, we haven't done a good job of updating our Blog. Apologies! No excuses, except to say that our infamous internet connection has left our nerves frazzled! We pray that, one day, we will finally be able to get high speed connections from here. Until then, I will try to be more patient at uploading text and photos.

As many of you know we were in Miami in September and October of this year and it was a VERY encouraging time for us. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing friends, family and participating at UBC. We also we able to spend some time with our wonderful daughter, Jessica, who now lives in Gainesville. It truly was a blessed trip!

We encourage you to continue in prayer for us personally and for the ministry work here. We also encourage those whose desire is for missions to keep in contact with the missions committee regarding future mission trips to Brazil.

Blessings for a healthy New Year!

(left to right) Josiah, Jessica, Pete, Jodi, and Luke Brennan

Touching Miami with Love Christmas Store 2009 Update

2009-12-23T09:23:00.002-05:00

The Christmas list...all kids love to make them as the holidays approach yet, whatever the wish, mom and dad may not be able to afford it. And nothing hurts more than the inability to provide their own special memories for their children. That’s why we started a new tradition that’s built on dignity, not dependency. We call it “The Christmas Store” at Touching Miami with Love. Touching Miami with Love is a faith-based non-profit began 1994 and serves the community of Overtown through programs for children, youth and adults.

The Christmas Store program, founded in 1983 by an urban ministry in Atlanta, is simple in concept, yet extremely rewarding to both parents and children in need. New toys are donated and marked for sale at drastically reduced prices. Parents are invited to come and shop for their children choosing the toys they know their children will enjoy and take pride in being able to provide for their families. Parents have a pre-determined budget to spend of $10 per child and leave with an armful of presents rather than just one toy. Parents delight through choosing the toys they know their children will enjoy receiving and maintain dignity by purchasing it themselves rather than a handout. All proceeds from the sale of the toys, 100% with no administrative cut, go back into purchasing additional toys for the store. The program also provides a meaningful way for the more fortunate to donate children’s gifts during the Christmas season. The program has been replicated by urban centers across the country each putting their own parameters on the specifics.

Touching Miami with Love, the only site in Miami, has been hosting a Christmas Store since 2003. This year Touching Miami with Love through the generous donations of area churches, groups, and caring volunteers, we provided over 185 children with a fabulous Christmas with their families.

We asked parents to complete a survey this year and over 90% said they were “Very Satisfied” or “Satisfied” with The Christmas Store. Here’s a few of the nice things that were said why they rated the store so favorably:
• Because if I were to go to the store I would pay triple the price
• I am satisfied because of the politeness, cheery, and friendly the staff is
• The store had everything I wanted
• Extremely happy because in the times that were leading my kids are going to have their
Christmas.
• I thought this was such a great idea for the community. It helped people who couldn’t afford to go out and pay the full price for gifts, for gifts at a cheaper price.

In answer to the question, “What makes Touching Miami with Love’s Christmas Store different from other Christmas toy programs?” here is a sampling of some of the responses:
• The name (Touching Miami with Love) speaks for itself
• Because you have choice of picking what you want
• It’s not a toy giveaway like other Christmas toy programs

Thank you for your support of this important event for our community!

Touching Miami with Love Christmas Store 2009

2009-11-19T15:46:00.007-05:00

Through your generous giving to the Touching Miami with Love Christmas Store for 2009, 75 families (with 3 to 5 kids each) in Overtown will be blessed through the opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for their family at reduced prices.

Here's how you can help:
Bring an unwrapped toy or toys by Sunday, December 6th (click here for a list of suggestions) to UBC’s white mission bins (next to the main office). When dropping off donated toys, please attach receipt or make note of original price so that making the discount will be easy.

If you do not have time to buy toys, you can donate money to UBC and note on your check for "Touching Miami with Love" or you can take the toys directly to TML no later than December 9th.

The Toy Store will be opened to families on December 11th and 12th.

THANK YOU!

Feed Miami

2009-11-04T11:46:00.001-05:00

Together we can meet a great need in Miami, where 14% of our households are food insecure. Join us in donating any listed items in any quantity; even one item will help! Please stick to the provided donation list given to us by participating food pantries. Thanks for helping us feed Miami.

Food Donation List:
Powdered or Boxed Milk
Peanut Butter
Bag of Rice
Bag of beans
Cans of Beef Stew (and other canned meals)
Cans of vegetables
Cans of fruit
Boxes of Macaroni and Cheese
Large Cans of Juice
Large Boxes of Cereal
Diapers
Soups
Grocery Store Gift Cards

Donations will be distributed to Miami Rescue Mission, Open House Ministries, Agape Family Ministries, Food for the Poor and in need families at UBC.

Click here to download the FEED Miami: Bag Label!

UBC in Nicaragua

2009-09-30T17:37:00.000-04:00

Haiti Mission Update

2009-09-30T17:36:00.000-04:00

Cuba Missions Update

2009-09-30T17:35:00.000-04:00

Touching Miami with Love

2009-09-30T17:34:00.000-04:00

Mississippi Video Update

2009-09-30T17:32:00.001-04:00

Cuba Mission 2009

2009-07-27T13:26:00.010-04:00

Here is a quick Photo Journal of our Cuba Mission 2009. Team members: Liz Matos, Maura Gonzalez, Katie Rodriguez, Katie Martinez, Patricia Tobon, Debbie Garcia, Maria Gonzalez, Adrian Pena, Eric Rivera, Tara Plyler, Keri Oneil, Michele Oneil, Lynette Villa de Rey, Vince Wallace

We arrived in beautiful Havana on June 23rd and settled in the missionary quarters of the Methodist Church in Vedado, an area we call the Coral Gables of Havana.

Each night we joined Victory Outreach Church led by Pastor Abel Hernandez. Left: a neighborhood group that meets on Wed. night. There are 40 neighborhood groups that meet throughout Havana. Right: Pastor Abel is preaching to about 150 church members for their Thursday night Bible study in "El Malecon," the Havana waterfront. Any large gathering in Cuba is illegal, but they do it anyways!

Throughout the week we held a day camp for youth with art, dance, music and sport, located in Havana Vieja's, Parque Curita. We saw many of the kids from the last day camp we had two years ago. Many of them gave their lives to the Lord and were connected to the neighborhood group in that area.

UBC missionaries with family in Cuba had the opportunity to meet their family members on Family Day. Families were invited to a lunch (roast pork), Pastor Abel shared the gospel, we handed out goody bags with clothing, toiletries and food and each family was invited to attend church on Sunday afternoon.

Victory Outreach (VO) Church and UBC have been in partnership for 3 years. VO reaches out to the least of these: addicts, prostitutes, criminals. They had grown to about 150 people and were spilling out of there one-room makeshift church. The government did not allow them to meet and an Assemblies of God church opened their doors to them. Their services are on Sundays at 4pm. Left: The VO dance team. Right: VO congregation

Prayer for Cuba

2009-07-20T13:10:00.001-04:00

Overwhelmed

2009-07-17T09:37:00.003-04:00

We are coming home today. This morning as I sit here with God on the third floor I realize I am overwhelmed by His the love that He has poured out on us during the trip. Our times together as a group the last few nights have been incredible! On Wednesday we went into La Chureca in the morning. We went into the school and played with the kids during recess. We talked about how awesome their instantaneous love was, they just reached up and and held on tightly when you picked them up. They could play for hours and they had giant smiles on their faces. Such a humble blessing to be loved like that! We walked around the dump too and went by a clinic there too and there was this little boy crying. Janeen translated that he was with his mom and she fainted and they fell into a burning trash pile and his feet were burned. I know this is not an abnormal experience and it breaks my heart, I mean really breaks my heart...my heart aches when I think about how much God loves those people, they are His children and yet here they are, settling for the trash of this world. I wonder how often I break God's heart by settling for the trash of this world too.

Wednesday afternoon we went to Ruby's, a friend of the Buzbees and Farringtons. She prayed over each one of us and it was such a raining down of the Holy Spirit. So refreshing and completely overwhelming that God chose to meet us and strengthen us and love us so much.

Wednesday night, during our group time, Janeen led us in a prayer time and then we washed each other's feet and wrote love letters to God. What a sweet time with the group and so powerful!

Thursday we went to the market in the morning and then visited Casa Havilah and Casa Roble-the two rescue homes they have started down here. It was great to see the kids again, 14 of the 17 girls came to camp with us and a few of the boys came from Roble to camp, so it was nice to see them again, play a little and say goodbye to them.

We are coming home today and for me it's always bittersweet. I cannot wait to see my husband and son, but each time I come here, God connects my heart even more, and it gets harder to leave. Again I am overwhelmed by the love that I have felt for the people on this trip with me, by God's grace that He just lavishes on us, by how much I love the people here, by how humbled I am to be the "leader" of this trip and used in any way at all, by how majestic our God is and that when you come on a trip like this you realize that God is really God of everything everywhere.

-Kay

Please pray for the medical team who is on their way here right now!

Goodbye Campo Alegria

2009-07-14T23:06:00.004-04:00

This morning was a slightly gut-wrenching mix of relief and nostalgia. After breakfast we had worship, then did our Bible, English, and art classes as one big group. Then we swam for a half hour, pulled the sheets off all the bunk beds, and had the kids pack their muchilas. After a few great group photos and a ton of hugs, we loaded the kids on the big yellow bus and ran after it, waving and yelling our best Spanish farewells the whole way.

Quick sidenote-- Chachi told the first-time Campo Alegria counselors among us that if they didn't run after the bus they weren't really Christians. Normally I would scoff at such nonsense, but this time I was in full agreement. You can't spend four days with those kids, then just hug them and put them on a bus and stand there while it hauls them off.

Five minutes after they were gone, I found myself looking at the photo in the wooden frame I decorated Monday in arts & crafts class. I swallowed hard and replayed the last 90 or so hours in my head. Dabbing at my eyes, my thoughts landed on the revelation that tonight I would most likely get a full night of uninterrupted sleep for the first time in four days. This week was a lot of work, but I can't think of anything more worthwhile or more fun that I could have been doing.

-Jason Richards

Monday in Nica

2009-07-13T18:51:00.004-04:00

There are few moments in Miami when you find yourself really slowing down to take in each moment. I feel like every minute here is like that. The children here are teaching me so many lessons, like how to be thankful for what you have and how to have some crazy fun sliding down a 15 foot pile of sand and gushing water without fear! Their smiles are contagious and I find myself enjoying the lack of technology and the abundant time we have to spend with one another as a result.

Some of the girls have taught our team the Hanana Montana dance which is awesome that some things are cross cultural (haha)! I have been working with 15-17 year olds and we named our team the green crocodiles singing "We will, we will rock you" accept we re-wrote it as "Vivan, Vivan los verdes...vivan vivan los coco-drilos." I don' think it makes any sense but you still gotta love their creativity.

God is all over this place. It's been awesome to worship as one big FAMILY and to love on these kids. I think one of the biggest things God is teaching me is that we are all missionaries. It doesn't matter if you are in Nicaragua or in Miami we are on mission all the time called to LOVE each person we meet.

~Jenny Becker

Havana Mission Team

2009-07-12T09:36:00.002-04:00

Day 1: The Cuba Team of 14 arrived in Havana on June 23rd. Their was clear opposition at the airport as most of the team was questioned about their reasons for visiting Cuba. It was a wonderful time to practice Spirit-led prayer and to have complete confidence in the Lord's leading at the airport. We all got through. Pastor Abel Hernandez from Victory Outreach Church was waiting outside eager to be in community with his Miami family.
Day 2, 3, 4: The team hosted a children and teen camp at the "Curita" Park in Havana Vieja. The team played sports with the children, taught them dances and did arts and crafts. Even the adults walking through the park learned the dances. At the completion of each day, the children, teens and adults gathered as the camp leaders shared their testimony and the Gospel. Many people gave their lives to the Lord. Those who did were connected to Victory Outreach Church for discipleship.
Day 4: Friday evening the team along with the church's young adults gathered for a time of worship and sharing the Gospel at the Park "G." A demon-possessed man attacked the group and specifically our team. We continued to worship and pray fervently to be able to do the work the Lord had planned for us. He finally left in a rage and we moved to preach the good news of Jesus to teens and young adults at the park.
Day 5: The team and Victory Outreach Church crammed inside two yellow school buses and headed to Lenin Park about 30 minutes outside Havana for a time of worship, fellowship and food. We had a great day!
Day 6: Sunday was our "Family Day." The team members invited any family living in Havana to gather for lunch and a devotional time. Pastor Able shared the good news of Jesus and invited them to attend the afternoon church service. During the church service many team members shared their experience in Cuba.
Day 7: As we headed to the airport, there was concern that 2 members of the team would not be able to travel back due to immigration problems. The team prayed at the airport and the issue was resolved immediately. We arrived in Miami on June 29th.

Pictures coming soon!

First Day

2009-07-12T09:09:00.003-04:00

Well, the kids arrived yesterday morning and we had our first day of camp! It was awesome! We have 35 kids here from the ages of 6-15! We had a great time getting into our groups and having our rotation times (arts n crafts, bible, english, and rec). Last night we had our worship time and we talked about how we can worship through the arts. We talked about David and how he worshipped our God. Girls from Casa Havilah did two dances-a folklore Nica dance, and a praise song dance. It was beautiful to see them dance! Our theme this camp is "I can worship...". Today we are talking about how we can worship God through serving others. It should be a fun day and the sun is out this morning and we are ready to go! The kid were up this morning at 5am! :)

Please pray for our counselors and the kids-that we have the energy :) to keep up with them, that we can have fun and really show God's love to the kids, and that they leave here at least knowing that they can worship God in all areas of their life!

-Kay Gackle

In Nicaragua!

2009-07-11T10:23:00.003-04:00

We have internet now at Campo Alegria! First year!

We made here safely to Nicaragua yesterday! Everything went smoothly and the 2 hour drive to Campo Alegria was uneventful and relaxing! We set up the camp store, rec and arts and crafts last night before dinner. We had a sweet prayer time together as a group before heading to bed early-we were tired! :)

The kids arrive today to Camp! We are so excited to get to meet them and love them for the next days!

Thank you for your continued prayers for us and this trip~

-Kay Gackle (and Nica Camp Team 09)

Pray For Us

2009-07-07T15:34:00.002-04:00

Dear friends and family,

We have finally found a way in for an exploratory trip. Our three men left this morning and will hopefully meet with the Morokojen elders on Thursday.

We got a report from Nagishot that was encouraging. Pastor William and our language helper Dario have been investigating on our behalf.

They have reported that it has rained several times and (for the following reasons) feel that it is now reasonably safe for a meeting to take place with the community in which they have asked David to attend.

In an email to David they noted:

Th Morokojen (MO) community has been seriously shamed by these events. Word has spread throughout Didinga and adjacent areas and all are condemning the "primitive ways" which have chased the whites away. At the Nagishot clinic women from both Mikiria (MK) and MO communities have suffered verbal ridicule and shame from other women. This has happened at Chukudum Hospital also; where a MO women with retained placenta was taken and it was pointed out that her own community’s actions of driving the whites away necessitated her coming this great distance. (a day’s walk) The Chukudum (CK) commissioner has asked chiefs of your area why they allowed this to happen. The Catholic Bishop was in CK the weekend after your evacuation and publicly declared in Sun AM service that these events bring shame and lack of progress to Didinga communities. The Torit FM radio broadcasts in Didinga on Thursdays, and they named the MO community as the cause of this shameful event.

The MK community has not pursued this matter even without David's presence, because they believe the troublemakers are in hiding and may have fled the area. (Perhaps this is why they did not show for William's long wait last Thursday- my speculation only).

Well, I hope this gives you a picture of our findings in this visit. Although it has not accomplishing the goals we had anticipated, we believe it is God's provision for this step. I find the (1) presence of rain, (2) presence of Chief Charles, ( back in the area) and (3) broad reaction of larger communities in denouncing the expulsion as strong indicators of the reasonable safety of your return at least for the Thursday meeting. I hope and pray you will likewise find it sufficient reason to attend"

This of course is good news and could enable us to return yet nothing is final. There is still a ton of uncertainties and though our elders and the surrounding communities are behind us we have still not met with the Morokujen community. We are hoping to cover this meeting with prayer.

Here’s how you can help:

Pray for the safety of our men. David Miller (husband and father), Shawn Hart ( husband to team member Carly) and Bill Kay are our representatives. A plane will wait on the airstrip just in case things go sour. Jon Hildebrandt is the pilot.

Pray that if it is the Lords will the meeting will take place Now that the rains have come, a storm could prevent the flight. However, we are praying that if the meeting is not in God’s will and/or the men would be in danger that he use whatever means to prevent the meeting. Pray that he soverignly directs the weather.

Pray that if the meeting does takes place it will accomplish two things.

1) Pray that the meeting will address the real issues. Didinga meetings tend to dance around and get sidetracked. Pray that the right people will be in attendance and that our men can get a clear read as to the community’s attitude towards us. We want some assurance that we won’t be blamed for everything that goes wrong, that the community wants us to come back, and of course, clear direction from God.

2) Pray that the gospel can be proclaimed. Heb 9 says just as “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctified them so they were outwardly clean. How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our conscience from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.” We hope that, regardless if we get to return or not, those at the meeting will hear the gospel message and that it will stir in their hearts as truth.

Pray lastly, that we regardless of the outcome, our team will be at peace. We are learning to wait on God and how to better align ourselves in abandonment of self to whatever God desires.

May God be glorified In these hills

Thanks and I'll keep you informed, ELLY <><

My Haiti expierience

2009-06-22T12:51:00.006-04:00

Let me begin by telling you how I got to Haiti in the first place. My good friend, Adrian Pena, invited me to go to Haiti last year. I prayed about it and I wanted to go, but I felt that God didn't want me to go. I didn't fully understand why but I knew it wasn't in God's plan. Almost a year later, I went to Basecamp and I heard Felix talk about the Haiti Trip. The moment he began to talk about it, I felt God's call to go. My heart jumped with joy and anticipation. I knew that God wanted me to go this year. I wasn't supposed to go last year for the very purpose of going this year.

I was very excited but unsure of what to expect. I knew I would be on the medical team, but was unsure of my role. I had no idea about what God had in store.

Haiti has been a difficult trip for me. God chose to raise many questions that troubled me. You may have read of the difficult things we saw on the medical team on Angie's post. We saw so many children with so many problems and we had so little to offer. I felt small and useless, I wanted to see these kids have health and hope. Where is the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 (I know the plans I have for you, not harm you but to prosper you...) in the life of starving children? I felt helpless and I wondered what good was I bringing to the people I was in contact with. Angie, Ginger, Alexis and I had a series of difficult conversations where we shared a mix of frustration, encouragement and questions left unanswered.

God then revealed 3 things to me through the scriptures. I read Romans 12:1-8 where God taught me that the only thing I can do, in the face of all the suffering and needs I have seen, is to give my life to him as a fragrant offering. I cannot "fix" Haiti, but I can give my life to God and live to serve Him. I feel that Romans 12:1 is the great commission of my life. Seconds later, I read the passage preceding Romans 12, The Doxology (see below). I was so filled with awe at how great God is. He is truly above any comprehension and beyond anything I could ever know or see. He knows my pains, He knows the pains of all the people of Haiti and He hurts with us. He knows what he's doing and I am blessed that He has considered me worthy to be a part of his plan. Finally, I recalled the passage of Mary and Martha. Martha was worried about so many things but Mary knew what was most important. I wanted to fix the problems I saw, I wanted to bring health to every sick child I saw, I wanted to feed every hungry person I saw, I wanted to cloth every person without clothes. These are all important, but while I worried over so many things, God reminded me of what was most important. God was telling me to show his love to every child that came to get a check up. The next day was still difficult, but I know that The love of God was on me and I felt overwhelming compassion towards the people that we saw.

Maybe I had a tough time on this trip because I never saw the results of my service. I only saw more needs than I could possibly meet. I ended up doing a lot of thinking. And I don't feel that I made close connections with individuals here like I did when I was in Cuba. It sounds so ridiculous that I came all the way to Haiti and all I was able to do was think. Yet, it was why God had called me on this trip. To realize that His love is custom tailored for every person in this world. The suffering I saw was more than I could bear at times, and the things God taught me were more then I could comprehend. Yet, I have seen things I cannot un-see, and God has been holding my hand the whole time.

So this has been without a doubt the most difficult trip I have ever been on. But I praise God for these pains, because His love has overcome and like Mary, I have found what is most important.

Praise God,

Lukas Moon

The Doxology:

Oh the Depth of the Riches of Wisdom

and Knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his Judgements,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mid of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God,

That God should repay him?

For from him and through him and to him

are all things

To him be the Glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11: 33-36

2009-06-21T12:38:00.002-04:00

June 20th, 2009.

Today was our second to last, full day in Haiti. The other 40 something people on our team will be leaving Monday morning. God has opened up my eyes to so many things on this trip. I truly wish that I could spend another month here.

Today we traveled to the mountains to a top tourist spot and a point which overlooked all of Haiti. Looking down on it, with the vast mountains in the background, the bayline in the distance and the huge ocean far away, I was blown away to realize that this was the country I had been working in, for the past six days. Gazing over the tiny clusters of jam-packed towns and cluttered houses connected my mind to the the picture of God looking down on his children from Heaven. I felt so blessed. Blessed beyond words... God looks down on his children, He sees Haiti, He cares about Haiti, just as He looks down upon the U.S. and other countries. And what a powerful experience to know that God has called ME here to be used and to be an assistant for his kingdom while doing the best job we can at influencing the lives of these children. I couldn't see the people, or the overpopulated towns, or the stick shacks that stand as "houses" with 10 people living in each room, but I DID know what they looked like and what their personas were. I remembered their smiles, the warmth of their hugs, and the love in their hearts. I saw God this week in these kids and in these people of Haiti. I saw God in the kids at the Bible school that don't have parents yet trample you with hugs and kisses the second you walk in the door because they've been waiting for you for an hour--probably even anticipating your arrival the whole day. Or the joyful screams you hear which echo the empty, open, unfinished and unpainted building before even pulling up to it. I saw God in the faces of the kids in the remote place of Galet Chambon, a small rural village. I saw God when I worked on medical team and smiled at a girl standing in line to be "assessed" only to find out that she had worms, a fever, a sore throat, anemia, and a cough.

These children are God's children. They've showed me that God's love is a love which keeps people alive and brings them hope--no matter their circumstance.

Alexis Fernandez

"How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us..."

2009-06-21T00:34:00.012-04:00

Although I came on mission to share God's love, I have been overwhelmed on at least two occasions by reminders from Him of His indescribable love for me.

On Wednesday, I met a mom who was bringing her daughter to our afternoon VBS. She and her daughter were noticeably thin. My new friend, Chris Gupton, our VBS Director, had also noticed them and made arrangements with one of our Haitian translators to go to store to purchase some food for them. Chris asked me to come along with her while she talked to the mother and distributed the food. This mother shared the distressing details of her daily life and her inability to provide for her daughter after being abandoned by her husband. She shared that she could not pay the monthly tuition at school either. After getting to know a little more about this mom's picture of who Jesus is and how she had desperately been crying out to him for help, Chris gave her the food in Jesus' name. She also told her that we would cover the past-due tuition. This mom reared back, covering her face with her hands, demonstrating with her body language how overwhelmed she was by this unexpected gift. As I watched her inability to even collect herself enough to verbalize her gratitude, what came to mind immediately was that this situation was a modern day reenactment of a story in the Bible which demonstrates God's love for a mother and child. God heard the sobs of Hagar as she put Ishmael under a bush to die of starvation. God heard their cries and opened Hagar's eyes to the miraculous relief He was providing. He continued to be with Ishmael as He grew and made him into something great. Next, to my surprise, God instantaneously flooded my heart with thoughts of the love that He lavishes on me too. He saw me in my spiritual poverty and heard my cries. His love continues to lead and prosper me, giving me hope and a future. Being here provided time and space to ponder this indescribable love and to rededicate my life to a more passionate love for Him in response.

Today it happened again. Our agenda for this morning was to invite the children who are sponsored by the people on this mission trip to come to the camp to spend time with their sponsors. None of us sponsor a child but Scott and Katherine Burnotes, who were here in Haiti last year, have a little girl they sponsor. Arrangements were made to bring her from Joineaux to spend time with us and for us to give her the gifts sent from the Burnotes. We learned while here in Haiti that our group could purchase a goat for her family and we decided to do this as a team. In Haiti goats provide tremendous value to the poor.

http://humanitarian.worldconcern.org/2009/03/haiti-humanitarians-goats/

When she arrived and we began to play with her and give her the Burnote's gifts, God allowed me to see myself in this precious child. He flooded my heart again with the feelings of being so loved and chosen by Him. He reminded me of the precious price paid to call me His own and my part, like this little girl's, was simple; accept this indescribable, unmerited favor. By the time she left the camp she had a soccer ball, an adorable pink canvas bag filled with goodies little girls love, and essentials for her family-the goat and a large quantity of rice and beans for the future. She had so much she needed multiple people to help her load the Tap-Tap for the trip back to Joineaux. I was so filled with joy to be able to express love to her in this way. If I have this much love for her, I can't possibly fathom the love that God has for me. I know His love is a love big enough for the whole world and today I am basking in my portion!

Ginger Mokher

Friday, June 19, 2009

2009-06-19T21:56:00.006-04:00

The UBC construction team arrived back from Ti Goave this afternoon after three challenging, yet thoroughly blessed days. Joey, Felix and myself joined two other church teams from Arkansas and Iowa. The entire team was made up of 17 high testosterone men of God ranging from mid teens to the mid 60's. Our task was to build a house for a young widow and her four children in the span of three days. The magnitude of the task challenged us, but we knew we would accomplish our projected goal, to complete all the walls of the two room house. By the end of the morning today we were able to complete not just the walls, but also the frame for the roof. Joey revealed himself as a master blocklayer, with bragging rights for having erected one of the walls nearly by himself. Felix and myself contributed at various levels of skills, ranging from basic gofer tasks to semi-skilled carpenter hands. As we travelled back and reflected on the three days spent in the Ti Goave community, we rejoiced in being reminded of how blessed it is to be part of God's family. We marveled at how a group of men from different parts of the country were able to come together and work well for a common purpose to fulfill God's call. Our Haitian counterparts taught us many lessons on local practices, building techniques, and stewardship of limited resources. Our group of 17 was joined daily by a host of visitors from the community who came to support and assist us in our endeavor. We were hosted by Pastor Brucely and his family. They were the most gracious hosts, measuring no efforts to accommodate our every need. While surrounded by needs everywhere, we experienced the love of God reflected back toward us through acts of hospitality which went beyond our expectations. Of note were the bountiful meals served to us from their garden and back yard. We enjoyed goat and chicken, eggs and fruit picked and raised just a few yards from the house. Of the many lessons we learned in Ti Goave, an important one was that no matter how different we think we are, we are truly more alike than not, and the love of God help us to bridge the many gaps that we often create between ourselves and Friothers. We come home with greater awareness of God's love for all his children. We come home with touched and changed hearts. We also come home with questions about what else God may have in store for us in Haiti. Please pray with us so we together will learn to ask the right questions and be able to be part of the answers. Grace and peace!

Renato Santos

2009-06-18T21:56:00.006-04:00

A couple weeks before coming to Haiti I received a call from a member of the Mission to Haiti team asking me if UBC would take on the responsibility of providing gift bags of toiletries, underwear, and a snack for 425 women in a prison in Haiti, where finally, after a lengthy request process, they were granted permission to visit. I knew why we were asked for such a big project with little notice-UBC is known for her spontaneous generosity! I was also asked to prepare a devotional thought to share with the women. When we arrived in Haiti I learned that they would like a little more than a devotional thought. I was asked to "preach" the gospel. God has allowed me numerous opportunities to "preach" the gospel but every time I consider it a tremendous honor. This time I asked God to let the meditations of my heart and the guiding of His Spirit lead me to identify with these women, make sense of my examples diminishing the cultural differences, and give a clear opportunity for response. Tuesday, in the humblest of surroundings, I was priviledged to tell parts of my story which helped to break down barriers with these women, and to tell His story as Titus 1:7a, 9 encourages. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus%201:7-9;&version=76;

When we arrived and got out of our vehicle we could hear, coming from inside the prison, what sounded to us like violent yelling between many of the women. The guards were banging on the cells with their sticks telling them to quiet down. We entered what I would call the foyer area of the jail. Hallways and cells extended from each side. We were told that we had 30 minutes to speak to them and we could do it from this foyer. I was dissappointed that I would not be able to see their faces as I teamed with Brucely, a Hatian Pastor who translated my message.

I wondered what would quiet them. We decided to sing Amazing Grace. It worked, they quieted.I spoke, Brucely passionately translated and likely improved, and God moved. At one point in the message I asked them to raise their hands if they knew they were sinners and in need of a Savior. Down the rows, arms that were hanging limply out of their cells went up.
We'll not know a count on this side of eternity but God reassured all of us that His word never returns void. (More tomorrow on their receipt of the gift bags.) Ginger Mokher

2009-06-18T20:47:00.004-04:00

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Lukas, Alexis and I went with the wellness team to a small village about an hour away from camp called Gallette Chambon, where we would be assessing 200 children at a newly built church. As we set up 4 stations (4 chairs and a table for the doctor, patient, translator and scribe), the children (between the ages of 3 and 15) sat patiently and were nervous as to what we were doing there. We opened up with prayer, translated into kreyol. We had each student come up individually and checked them for any visible illness. We also asked them many questions to further assess any internal medical problems. Most, if not all, the children had worms, anemia and decaying teeth. Many of these problems were linked to a lack of clean water and proper resources (toothbrushes, etc). One of our translators explained to us that some of the tooth erosion was caused by a type of rice called "millet", which often times has small rocks found in it. The only medications we were able to give the children were multivitamins and a deworming pill. Many children had fevers and we were able to send home with them a pack of about 4 Tylenols. It's very hard to comprehend the need versus the help we're giving. Where can we see God at work with just a few vitamins for a temporary fix? And are we approaching the task of helping this village efficiently or just "getting by"? These children, not to mention their families, need real doctors, real hospitals and a real change of environment. Is being the "good Samaritan" enough or do we have to repave the road to Damascus???

There is a medical facility halfway built on the campground. There is a medical team scheduled to come in July. They will have more experienced doctors and more medicine. They will try to follow up on all of the patients we saw this week. This week is Mission to Haiti's first time using a medical team. This is an experiment that we know is going to take a lot of logistical planning and faith in God. The frustration we are feeling is empowering and we know God is stirring in us something that He plans on finishing!

Ginger went with the Vacation Bible school team today. More to follow!

Felix, Renato and Joey are still doing construction in Ti Goave, which we hear is going well. They are staying in the home of one of the local pastor's, Pastor Brucely.

Thank you for your prayers and support! We'll keep you posted.

In Him,

Angie

UBC Team arrives in Haiti

2009-06-16T21:53:00.006-04:00

We arrived in Port au Prince on Monday morning June 15th. We were the second team to arrive in the Mission to Haiti campus preceded by four members of the Arkansas team. We then greeted the subsequent teams from all over the US including a 37 member team from Maquoketa, Iowa. YES, 37 MEMBERS FROM ONE SMALL COUNTRY CHURCH.

Monday was spent getting to know each other and conducting team orientations. Tuesday morning we hit the ground with running with Renato, Joey and I joining the construction team doing light construction projects around the campus as well as repairing two homes in the neighborhood. We replaced the roof of one house belonging to a family with an eight month old baby. The existing roof had so many holes in it that you could see the sun shining through wherever you stood inside the home. Tomorrow, Renato, Joey and I travel to the village of Ti Goave for three days to build a home for a widow and her three children whose home was destroyed in last year's hurricanes.

The medical team conducted wellness checks of approx. 100 children and are scheduled to do hundreds more while we're here. More on that from Lukas tomorrow. He has been an invaluable translator for the team.

Ginger and Angie went to the women's prison where they preached the to Gospel to over 300 inmates and guards. More details from Ginger tomorrow.

Alexis and the VBS team travelled to two area schools ministering to over 200 kids. Tomorrow, 500 kids await them at one school, and you guessed it, stay tuned for more details on that from Alexis.

And all of this for His glory!

Felix Jimenez

Dominican Republic mission 09 Sunday

2009-06-16T20:02:00.002-04:00

Most of the day consisted of color coordinating the school and painting. As the kids were cheering us on through the windows one of the girls started to sing and we all sang along and danced as we painted, this made is it so much fun! As the day progressed the electricity went out and the girl offered us her house for us to cook. It was a “fogon de carbon” (a metal drum with wood charcoal) and the food came out exquisite.

Dominican Republic mission 09 Saturday

2009-06-16T19:59:00.002-04:00

As our driver picked us up we noticed he had glasses on which he had forgotten to wear the night before, no wonder the almost close call accident! Our first stop was the school, we needed to figure out how much paint and material to buy, thank God that Luis came on the trip his expertise is invaluable. We felt very welcomed by the kids in the neighborhood; the all recognized us from last year. Some of us went to the paint store and the Soares’ family ventured out to shop for food and buy supplies to cook for the group. As most of the team was applying primer to the walls the Soares were figuring out how to cook since electricity comes in and out most of the day, they borrowed a gas burner. WOW can they cook! Can you imagine traveling on a mission trip with your personal cooks!!!! The day was great since we finished the primer, had an excellent meal and shared lots of time with the kids in the area.

Dominican Republic mission 09 Friday

2009-06-16T19:55:00.004-04:00

The group left Miami on Friday with a surprised 40 minutes delay, our flight was very good. Milagros, Director of Alfali was waiting for us at the airport with a mini bus named “Arca De Noe III”, we certainly were not expecting a flood! Anna has important family in Santo Domingo that was able to get $6,000 exchanged for us in the middle of the highway, we felt a deal was going down especially with all the black bags piled up in the back of the bus. We stopped to pick up lunch, friend chicken of course it seems to be very popular around here since there are “Pollo something” signs everywhere. We ate on the run because it was late and we had a long road ahead, except for a stop at a road side fruit stand where a little boy was the sales person. The weather was rainy and the road was treacherous and dark, and our driver one of the many bright colored conspicuous road blocks that Luis was diligently watching for and let out a scream that pierced the night. Close call!!! Finally we arrived safely five hours later.

Brazil Newsletter Update

2009-04-10T13:21:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

We just finished our quarterly (April 2009) newsletter update. If you're interested in seeing what's been happening please click here: http://www.feedmysheepbrazil.com/Newsletters.htm

In Christ,

Pete and Jodi

Monday

2009-04-07T09:35:00.003-04:00

Parents and Friends

Well I would like to brag about how amazing today was for all of your children. This morning everybody started their construction projects, and WOW!! It was such an eye-opening experience. As I, Cody Johnson – 10th grade, walked into the home we have 5 days to build, I felt heartbroken. It was disappointing and shocking to see that 4 years after Hurricane Katrina, literally nothing was done to this women’s home. It’s funny to watch major media stop coverage of Katrina related stories, supposedly because “it’s old news.” Well, what if I told you only 35-40% of Mississippi has been rebuilt? Volunteers are needed in large quantities because according to FEMA, “at the current pace, Mississippi won’t be fully rebuilt until 2015." It’s a pain-staking process that lies ahead, however God is larger than any obstacle. My prayer for this week has been Psalm 90. It’s a motivation for me and I encourage you to read it. Tomorrow will be an even longer and harder day here, but all of this is for the glory of God, so the pain doesn’t matter.

God Bless, UBC Roots (Cody Johnson)

First Update

2009-04-06T12:21:00.000-04:00

Mississippi has been amazing so far. Even just the drive over here we have been blessed when we stopped to pick up Dave’s father. His father’s church invited us to a delicious BBQ with a warm group of people for lunch. Camp Victor, where we will be staying the whole week is everything I expected. There are big rooms with a bunch of bunk beds, a huge dining hall, and an exciting game lounge. You can hear voices of worship from the bathroom, and laughter just fills up this place! This morning though was just breathtaking, we went to a church we helped build two years ago. The people were so inviting. The service was different, but it was awesome especially the hymns. Now, we are getting ready to go the beach which I know will be amazing. –Daniela Donoso 9th Grader

~Jenny

Youth Mission Team

2009-04-01T08:11:00.008-04:00

We just wrapped up a whirlwind week of missions involving a youth group from Smyrna, TN. After picking up 28 people at the airport we whisked them right off to work in the favelas of Sao Paulo (Their baggage had the luxury of going home to rest before they did!) They came prepared to minister to hundreds of little kids in three different favelas on that day. The kids were elated to see fresh faces and some even remembered a few who have been here before.
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This was an awesome group of teens who came ready to give their testimonies, evangelize, sing worship songs, play instruments, teach, and so much more. Several in the group already participate in our Embrace-a-Child Program and were able to spend time with, and love on, the child that they had sponsored throughout the year. Two local public schools opened their doors for the team to visit, play worship songs/sing, and speak English with their students. Bibles were given out, autographs and emails exchanged, and A.M.O. (Feed My Sheep) became known to many, many more at-risk youth in the surrounding areas as a place to go to that accepts them and loves on them.
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In the favela Agua Branca of Sao Paulo the entire team worked hard to paint and renovate an existing basketball court in the community. The existing court was filthy, beat up, in need of painting, and had no basketball hoops at all. Our gang painted the wall, inside and out, cleaned off the court and surrounding area and included the resident kids in the work. The older guys on the team worked on hanging brand new back boards and metal hoops. A middle-aged woman approached me (Jodi) as the team was working and asked incredulously "aren't you afraid to bring these people in here, into a favela?"! I explained to her that even though she didn't know us the community did as we minister to their children weekly there. The leader [drug leader] himself gave us permission to be there. When all was done they were presented a new basketball and everyone played!
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In favela Moinho we set up various "stations" and invited the whole community to participate. One station was for evangelism (all that came were evangelized), the next was for donations of clothing/shoes, the next was for hot dogs/drinks, and then there was music and singing for everyone. This was all done under a bridge and next to a heaping pile of garbage and perilous railroad tracks! It was the largest area available to minister to this community of winding, narrow corridors and wooden shacks.
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Church Service in favela Gleba B

Through the week we ministered in various favelas in Campinas and Sao Paulo. Many on the team had never seen such poverty before and were profoundly impacted by it. Many tears were shed throughout the week after visiting in the homes, hearing about the lives of some of the kids, and knowing that the world doesn't offer much hope for these people. I believe that all of them left here with a passion for these people and a desire to make a difference. As one of the team leaders told the parents back home "You like the person you're sending [their teenager] but you'll love who comes back". It's so true. One after another opened up and shared how they have so much when others have so little and that it would be difficult to go back home and not be impacted by that.
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So much more happened during the week like digging trenches, clearing out underbrush and serving pizza dinner to our church on the AMO property. I could go on and on. We just want to thank the Lord that all went well this entire week! He is so good!!
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With love, Pete and Jodi

Everyone's a winner!

2009-03-08T17:02:00.004-04:00

Today, in our morning church service, was the day that we announced the winners of the soccer championships. Complete with "medals" and trophies each team was awarded according to their achievements. Everyone who played won something and they were thrilled! Lots of hooping and hollering were heard and deafening whistles accompanied the award giving. This championship brought a lot of newcomers to our church, all of which have been presented the Gospel very clearly. Please continue to pray for these teens!

A woman and her husband came to our church this morning to "get to know the place" as they had heard so much about it. She works in a neighborhood not too far from here where there are many at-risk teens with absolutely nothing to do but mess with drugs. Her dream has been to find a place that she could invite them to hear the Gospel. Knowing that they won't go to a regular church building she really embraced the way we do church here on Sunday morning....outdoor recreation, music/singing, classes for believers and for non-believers, then more recreation! Continue to pray that we can reach more and more youth for Chirst!

Also, please keep us in prayer as we have a large group of youth coming in two weeks from Tennessee to minister with us here and in the favelas. A lot of planning and coordination goes into these groups and, even though we have lots of fun, it's also very tiring for all.

Blessings,

Pete and Jodi

We survived Camp!

2009-03-03T14:25:00.011-05:00

Well, we got through Camp with minimal injuries (bug bites, sunburn, and soreness from playing too much were the "casualties" of the week). Young teens from the favelas (slums) joined together with those from our surrounding neighborhood to participate in a 4 day sleepover experience. I say "sleep" over but it seems that's what they mostly did NOT get! All-in-good fun pranks were the highlight of the evenings forcing some to sleep with one eye open!

In addition to those who slept over we had several bus loads of teens from our Jarinu church participate in the activities for two days. Three bible study services were held each day plus games, events, activities, competitions, and free time kept everyone entertained. Volunteers from our church and even a couple from another state came to help prepare the crazy amount of food these hungry teens consume.

The vast majority of those participating in this years camp were unbelievers. They heard the Gospel clearly, witnessed and participated in Christian Camp fun (with no dancing, smoking, drinking, or making out), and drew one step closer to forming relationships with us and our entire team. It is on these relationships that we build up the trust needed to reach their hardened hearts. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to stir up the "seed" that was planted in them over these past few days.

On another note please be with us in prayer for: Hayngel (pronounced Angel), a teenage girl from the favela, who called Pete aside "just to talk". Her mother is a prostitute and her two younger sisters have already started in the business. She does not want to follow in her mom's footsteps of prostitution so she's moving from one friend's house to another trying to get away. Also pray for two young girls who occasionally attend our Jarinu church as they are both pregnant. The one is 15 years old and the other, Amanda, is thirteen. Amanda's mother does not know yet.......please pray that the time I (Jodi) spent with her this past Sunday would be used to build confidence in her that she'll know she can come to me to talk. She's so young and scared.

A great BIG thank you for your encouragement and support that we may be able to help these lost ones!

In Christ,

Pete and Jodi

Camp 2009

2009-02-23T06:12:00.004-05:00

It’s that time again…………… Long days, good food, semi-sleepless nights, pranks, campfires, in other words………Camp! Camp 2009 is in full force here for the teenagers and the tired eyes prove it! This week in Brazil is Carnival time where immorality and promiscuity is abundant so these camps are designed to offer a healthier atmosphere for them to have fun, and learn about God. Thankfully the weather forecasters have been wrong every day, so far, and we’ve had beautifully hot weather and no rain (answer to prayer).

The theme of this year’s camp is about the Armor of God with Pete, our Seminary student, Daniel, and our co-worker, Bret, leading the bible studies three times a day. The kids have so much fun running around the lush green property, swimming in the pool, and playing games. Almost all of them come from very poor areas with terrible living conditions so this is like paradise for them! Many of these kids participating have been able to do so thanks to their “Embrace-a-Child” sponsor’s sooooo, Thank you sponsors!!! We are taking lots of pictures to record the fun.

Check back again in the next few days for a continuation of camp happenings and please continue praying for these at-risk kids!

Blessings,
Pete & Jodi

Rain, Camp anticipation, and more rain!

2009-02-15T06:08:00.006-05:00

It's that time of the year again........ Carnaval Camp. It's a time that the kids really look forward to as the teens get to participate in a 4-day sleep over camp at the A.M.O. property and the younger children get to enjoy a full day of fun and games. The idea behind these camps is to provide a safe, healthy atmosphere for them to have a blast and keep them off the streets during the notorious Carnaval Festivities. Many of those participating this year will be able to do so through the support of their Embrace-a-Child sponsors (thank you Sponsors!) We will definitely be updating you on how the Camp goes so be sure to check back soon. (Camp starts this Friday and goes until next Monday) Please pray with us that the torrental rains that we've been having will ease up enough for everyone to have a great time!

A great big "thank you" to all of you who were praying for Pete's mother. She passed away to Glory on February 7th with all seven of her children nearby. What an awesome blessing. Pete wished he could've seen many more of you while there but it just wan't possible.

Update on the renovation of our Ministry Center in the favela Gleba B............. The rain has made it difficult just to get into the favela let alone work but, even so, progress is being made! Our first ever Medical Clinic is being planned for June of this year in this location. Pray that we can get done with all that we'd like to accomplish. We've been blessed to have several of the teens from our Jarinu church helping out in the work- Alan, Gabriel, Danilo, and Edinilson have all been donating their time during their winter school break to mix cement, knock out walls, set bricks, etc. These guys have really opened up and are becoming an integral part of the church. Danilo was recently baptized, Alan and Gabriel have made decisions and Edinilson is understanding more and more about salvation. They are all a part of the Embrace-a-Child Program so, sponsors, you can be be proud!

Don't forget to check back soon as we post updates on the Camp experience!

Thanks for your prayers!

Pete & Jodi

Outreach: Soccer competitions!

2009-02-02T11:04:00.005-05:00

Well, when in Brazil, do as the Brazilians do and play soccer! Last week we started our first-ever soccer tournaments. Each week throughout this month we will have various competition games. The players are attendees of our Jarinú church and their guests, most of which come from a very rough neighborhood of crime and drug trafficking. Pray that their ears would not only hear what they’re being taught during this time but also that the Holy Spirit can use the words to work in their hearts for salvation!

[Blessing: soccer jerseys were donated by an individual in TN!]

Pete & Jodi

(p.s. Pete's mother continues in the same state as before. He is still with her and will remain there for several more days. Thank you for all of your prayers!)

Prayer Request

2009-01-29T21:00:00.003-05:00

Please be with us in prayer for Pete's mother, Virginia. She's failing rapidly and has been moved into a Hospice Clinic for her final days. Pete flew to the U.S. to be with her (in Tampa) and arrived late last night. He does not believe that she has much time left but expressed what a blessing it is to see that ALL of his siblings are there! There's seven of them from 3 countries! They have not all been together at the same time for more than 25-30 years! They all gathered around her bed and sang hymns- said it was beautiful.

It's been a tough 6 months as their father passed away in July so we appreciate your prayers for Virginia and the whole family.

In Christ,
Jodi

Catching up on the news......

2009-01-28T13:23:00.013-05:00

Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s just way too much to catch up on for the past few months so I’ll have to just summarize and recap what’s been happening. Since the UBC team was here in July so much has happened….

A huge blessing is that a couple from Tennessee moved here to be our co-workers in the ministry! They had participated in many mission trips here with their church and fell in love with the people and the ministry. With the support of their church family they sold their home, left their jobs and moved all their belongings to Brazil. They have been here for 6 months and are adapting very well to the culture and learning the language.

In October Pete and I had the incredible blessing of traveling to India for a week to visit a ministry work that helps the very, very poor. A supporting church of ours invited and helped sponsor us to participate on a team that reached into the very far regions of India where white foreigners are uncommon (Patna, Bihar). We visited many distant villages where not just the poor people lived but also where the “untouchables” lived. These are the extremely poor who, because of their societal beliefs, have no hopes whatsoever of a better life. Needless to say, having a passion for the poor as we do, we left there burdened for these people. Please pray that our organization, A.M.O., can form partnerships with this ministry and others like it to reach the very poor!

Several fun packed field trips have been made in the past months involving children sponsored in our Embrace-a-Child Program. The older kids went to a theme park called Hopi Hari which can best be described as a very mini-version of Disney. Rides, games, attractions, and shows, not to mention the long lines, kept them running until it wore them out! Another group of young teens was taken to the beach for the very first time ever! They absolutely loved it- a couple of them were really afraid at first but, after a while, gained up the confidence to go in further. A man, who happened to be sitting nearby, soon learned that they were underprivileged kids and he went about renting body boards for them to use! Really neat. They got back really late in the evening totally exhausted but with memories that they’ll never forget! Thank You to all the sponsors! And………These outings would have been almost impossible without the bus that UBC provided!THANK YOU UBC!

Besides our Children’s Day Festivities, the Christmas Play, the renovation of our Ministry Center in the favelas, Baptisms and Bible studies in the homes, there is so much more that has and is happening. Hardly a day goes by when something’s NOT going on here. Please keep us as a family, our entire Brazilian team, and those we minister to in your prayers.

Blessings to all,
Pete and Jodi

Apologies!

2009-01-22T13:35:00.004-05:00

First of all, apologies! We have not made a post since April. We’re long overdue! The reason behind this is the fact that we’ve had incredibly slowwwwww internet connections but, just yesterday we were finally able to get high speed access from our home! This is GREAT news for us and will mean that updating this Blog will now be possible without spending hours trying to upload a single picture. Please check back very soon as we’ve got lots to catch up on and we’re preparing to make a post in the next day or two.

Pete, Jodi, Josiah and Luke

UBC Adopt-a-Family for Christmas Project

2008-12-21T10:37:00.006-05:00

Our Small Groups and Families at UBC shared the blessings the Lord has given them with disadvantaged families through the Adopt-a-family for Christmas project. Families and individuals from UBC and Open House Ministry in Homestead received everything from gift cards, food, presents and clothing.

Food For the Poor (Press Release)

2008-11-26T12:28:00.004-05:00

Read the Press Release about UBC's recent donation to Haiti.

12 TONS of Help for Haiti

2008-11-25T13:32:00.002-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I wanted you to know that today 25,483 pounds of food, water, blankets, first aid and other supplies are en route to Haiti to help save lives and strengthen hope. When our men delivered the 12+ tons of help we had gathered, Food for the Poor told us it was the largest contribution collected in the shortest amount of time they had ever received. They were so inspired they called the Miami Herald to come and report on it! Glory to God!

Lives are being helped this week because UBC stepped up, and in 9 ½ hours ignited in spontaneous compassion to share some real hope in the name of Jesus! Thank you for being a part of such an amazing and personal response to our neighbor nation in need.

I’m so thankful to be part of such a “can do” church community (Phil 4:13). What’s even more meaningful to me is that such acts of compassion are happening throughout the body right now…in small groups, through area ministries, to those needing help within our church family and through us to people in the poorest parts of Dade County. UBC is making the love of Jesus known through personal acts of compassion.

Thank you, for your part in it. May God multiply back to you according to His inexhaustible supply of riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19).

Check out 2 Corinthians 9:9-15 for a special bonus blessing for this Thanksgiving season!

Privileged to be His and yours,
Pastor Bill

(video and photos coming soon...)

UBC Helps Haiti

2008-11-23T14:31:00.004-05:00

Today our Pastor challenged us to give to Haiti (right after the services) to go buy canned meat, canned fish, rice, beans, water, first aid items, can openers and blankets. We have a truck parked at UBC until 8pm collecting goods and there has been much response!

If you cannot give right now you can always make an Online Donation to Haiti through UBC.

Open Hearts Has A New Website!

2008-11-15T22:18:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to let you know our ministry partner in Nicaragua has launched their new website. Check it out! There is a lot of great information about Open Hearts Ministries and easy ways to both connect to their ministry and make your donations now online. I know this has been a goal of theirs for awhile to get this up and running. Congrats Buzbees and Farringtons!

Havana Cuba Missions

2008-10-02T13:27:00.004-04:00

This is a video from our partners Victory Outreach Church in Havana, Cuba. Liz Matos

Small Group at Florida Baptist Children's Home

2008-09-14T10:22:00.007-04:00

Stacey Quintero's Small Group painted, cleaned and provided furnishings to three bedrooms of teens living at the Florida Baptist Children's Home.

SMILE Mission to Agape Ministries

2008-09-14T09:41:00.001-04:00

The single mom's group called SMILE (Single Moms Inspired, Loved & Encouraged) visit Agape Ministries each month to provide the ladies with a manicure. The group meets once a week in the Gables for bible study and have a separate room, where kids can play or watch a DVD together.

Havana Mission Trip

2008-08-07T11:10:00.008-04:00

I spent a week in ministry with Alcance Victoria Internacional (Victory Outreach International) Church in Havana, Cuba. Pastor Abel Hernandez and his wife Angelica started this church in 2002 in the living room of their home. They said the first 30 members of their church were former prostitutes, alcoholics and drug addicts. Their church is located in a garage-like room in the home of one of the church members in Habana Vieja (Old Havana), which is the inner-city of Havana. Abel and his wife reach out to young people who are on the fringes of society. They go out to preach to the "cucarachas" (cockroaches), which is what most people refer to them as and so their ministry usually starts after midnight most evenings.

The Photo: We spent a Sunday afternoon at the park after church with the entire congregation! This is a pic of the youth leaders of Victory Outreach.

Can't wait to go back next year! Anyone want to join me? Liz Matos

Open House Camp

2008-08-07T10:53:00.008-04:00

UBC youth and adults volunteered at a 1-week camp at Open House Ministries in Homestead, FL. UBCers organized Bible study, recreation, arts & crafts and music & drama for children from K-5ht grade. OH kids learning Bible verses!
UBCers teaching dance and music to children at Open House.
Open House June Camp. UBCers and OH kids having a great time!

Small Group at Florida Baptist Children's Home

2008-08-07T10:33:00.005-04:00

Yamina & Kristi's FUSE Small Group painted, decorated and cleaned up two rooms for teenage girls living at the Florida Baptist Children's Home. FBCH reaches out to children in need, giving back their childhood, bring them to trusting adults again, and showing them God's love. FBCH is a residential living center for boys and girls.

Athletes in Action

2008-07-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

LORD...You know the opportunity you have put before us is greater than our ability. YOU are the air we breath. Your Word is our daily bread. Spiritual Birth and growth result from trusting you. Save leaders on the UM & Heat sports teams. Build those leaders for your purposes. May YOU be pleased, recognized, and praised by a people who look like you in character and purpose. Save many dear FATHER! We love you and are dependent on you. Only you can bring about an awakening that will return our country to be a servant/missionary nation to the world. We know this is on your heart. We trust you.

Pictures from Camp.....

2008-07-19T20:59:00.015-04:00

Here are some quick pictures of camp from last week. Like Kay wrote below, it was an awesome experience for these youngs girls from La Chureca and a great time for all of us. Praise God!

Chris & Krista Farrington

Our week so far...

2008-07-17T11:17:00.003-04:00

Well, we have now finished our 4 day camp for 30 girls from La Chureca (Managua's city dump). It was amazing! Our camp theme was Who Am I, and we talked about the girls being made special by God, His own unique creation, how they each have a purpose and how they each have gifts and passions to further the kingdom of God.

We talked about Esther, and how before she became queen she had to go through a years worth of beauty treaments, but this was all so she could become queen and help save her people, and so on that day, we gave each of the girls tiaras, and did a spa time too. We gave them facials and put little cucumbers on their eyes, we gave them pedicures and manicures, and did their hair. They LOVED it!!!!

Everyone from our group really has been doing an amazing job-they loved on the girls, had fun with them, and really poured into them for the 4 days we had them.

We went into La Chureca yesterday for the first time, and for half of the group it was their first time seeing the conditions from which the girls came, and it was...and always is an intense thing to see. To drive into this dump and see children working in the trash, and smoke from burning trash and flies are all around you, skulls and carcases from dead animals are in the trash too, it is filthy and gross. But when you go into the school there, El Colegio de Esperanza, there are smiles and laughter from kids who have escaped the trash for a few hours for school and meals. We were able to go there too and love on some of those other kids during their recess time. It is so sad, but this missionaries are giving the kids hope of a different kind. Praise God for that!

I think that our overall feeling for the team is gratitude for the chance to work alongside these missionaries in their effort to give hope to these kids and to show them love that is beyond human condition. What a priviledge that has been for each of us.

Today, we are going to Casa Havilah, the girls rescue home here, 5 of those girls went to camp as well, so it should be a nice little reunion time too! :)

-from Kay and the Nica camp group

Campo Alegria Send Off!

2008-07-11T11:13:00.004-04:00

Just dropped off the Nicaragua Donations to the team at MIA airport. They will be doing a camp (at Campo Alegria) for the girl's who live in the Managua city dump for the next 7 days.

Please continue to pray for the work God has in store for them.

(picture of Kay and Heather unloading UBC truck this morning at airport)

Thoughts from the Havana Airport

2008-07-02T19:16:00.003-04:00

By: Lisset Cascudo

We are the the Nehemiah's of our generation
I've never been so proud to be Cuban. Out land is beautiful and the people are smart and resourceful.
This is our mission: to share the message of salvation to those that don't know Jesus and to encourage those that do.
The thing that I am taking away with me is that we all need to forgive the grievances of the past. All Cubans have a common goal to see a nation blessed by God both spiritually and economically. This starts with reconciliation w/ God and with each other.
One thing that has been consistent as we visit with people and the churches: It is a great source of encouragement that those that live with abundance come back to carry those that don't live in abundance.

Back home...wanting to go back!

2008-07-01T14:30:00.005-04:00

I know that it is many days later, but we have finally been able to organize ALL our pictures! Here are a few just to show a couple highlights of our trip to Brazil, and included is a link to an album which contains the complete selection. I hope that these pictures can describe to you those parts of our trip for which we have no words. It was an incredible blessing to be able to have gone to be with these children and share of Jesus' love. Going back is all most of us think about...so enjoy these pictures! I know we enjoyed making the memories!

Album1 Album2 Album3 Album4

No Reservations.

2008-06-30T17:23:00.002-04:00

By: Jordan Ross

No reservations.

All draw near, youg and old

To sing about his glory told.

Neither heat nor bugs nor schemes take hold

In the land where milk and honey flows.

The Lord's glory here ne'er ceases to show

And will pierce the soul like bow and arrow.

Only time will tell the blessings to come,

And to all those who dwell in his home,

None will fail to praise the Holy One.

This place holds no reservations,

In a land where much is feared.

For those who've come to bereave this nation,

The treasure is for these who hear and draw near.

Entry by Missy Basti

2008-06-30T17:21:00.002-04:00

Entry by Missy Basti

I am so blown away by the generosity and openness of the Cuban people. Anyone I made eye contact with was willing to speak to me! They are a true inspiration. They have so little, but you would never know by they way they act. They will literally give you the shirt off their back- even if they don't have another. I hope I can take what they have taught me and put it into practice in Miami.

Hasta la Victoria en Cristo

2008-06-30T17:20:00.002-04:00

By: Blanca Correa-Cespedes

Let me share my heart with you. Today is the day to bring all things in heaven and earth together in Cuba. You gave me a vision and a dream, yet I am far from the understanding of your greater purpose in my life. Teach me to yield my ways father. May the beauty of your splendor overflow in my life. May your love be poured out. May you burn inside me to create a chain reaction for your glory. You've called me by name. Here I am Lord. Show me your ways and lead me as we claim the victory in Cuba.

Always for your glory Jesus!

soap, toothpaste and vitamin c

2008-06-30T17:18:00.002-04:00

This is our last meeting as a group before we embark Monday. We are here at Blanca and Joe's house packing everything from soap to toothpaste, and from socks to diapers. We are carefully trying to plan according to the rigorous and unforgiving weight restrictions that determine how much relief we will be able to bring into the country. The good news is, the Cuban people are not picky- they will find a use for anything we bring, including those plastic grocery bags that we so easily through away. Staples such as these weigh almost nothing to bring in and we anticipate will be much appreciated. Among the more resourceful items, perscription glasses that have been donated will be a life-changing match to the person with the need.
Blanca has spearheaded this mission to Cuba, "Mission ispossible" based on Matthew 19:26.

"Jesus looked up at them and said, '

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"

Our dynamic group members are:

Joe Cespedes

Blanca Correa-Cespedes

Maria Gonzales

Lisset Cascudo

Jordan Ross

Mia Machado-Correa

Lazaro Tabares

Isabel Tabares

Heinrich Orth

Felix Campos

Melissa Basti

Yami Lima

Fred Kohly

Ricky Kohly

Robert McNeal

Carolyn Kohly

Susanna Kohly

Jorge Quadreny

DAY FIVE: CAMPINAS CONSTRUCTION!

2008-06-18T21:27:00.001-04:00

Once again we were put to work at constructing the ministry center's clinic! Our bodies were sore and a lot of unexpected complications popped into the picture. We all were a bit frustrated at times and on top of it all many of us were passing along a sick bug and didn't feel so great. But thankfully we all were able to look past it all and remember that what we were doing there was so far past ourselves and our own desires of agendas...what it did mean though was that whenever a kid ran by screaming "oi Tia/Tio!" It was the perfect opportunity and excuse for a short break for hugs and singing!
Again the kids all wanted to help out. They just wanted to be there with us and share in our work. They would come running from their homes with gifts for us (I received a beautiful princess hair band and a small plastic alien!). One girl, Carolina, even called us her mom! This of course started an entire game and by the end of the day we each had an army of "filas and filos" (sons and daughters)!
The children were also proud and amazed at how much better we had gotten at both speaking and understanding Portuguese! It was an amazing day full endless blessings!! :)

DAY FOUR: CAMPINAS!

2008-06-18T21:26:00.001-04:00

There is a lot of construction work to be done at the Campinas favela ministry center! Holes to dig, stakes to place, cement to mix and pour, walls to build, bricks to lay...and much much more!
Some of the kids were out at school, but when they did see us they came running over screaming "oi Tia/Tio!" They all wanted to help us out, so there were some grabbing bricks to help build the walls, some shoveling dirt, others working with huge pliers to cut different lengths of wire..they were all so eager and excited to have us there to help them!
In the spirit of construction, it was funny to see that one of the neighbors even took our example and basically rebuilt his entire home.
In the afternoon we taught the older kids to weave bracelets and decorative key chains in the hopes that not only would they love to wear them but also that they would be able to use it as a trade in order to keep them from falling into the business of prostitution or drug dealing with is soooo common amongst even the small ones!
It was painful to watch as girls as young as eleven and twelve walked around in short skirts, their faces covered in make up by their mothers, like advertisements to the men. It made you want to just hug them forever to protect them from what they could become. To hide them from eager eyes and just take them into the shelter of genuine love. But all we could do was try and show them what real love felt like and explain to them that in the eyes of Jesus they were worth so much more!

DAY THREE: SUNDAY!

2008-06-18T21:25:00.001-04:00

Sunday was a crazy day. There were two bus loads of little kids running all around the grounds! For them Sunday means a trip up to the chacara (mission) for a jump in the pool, playing basketball and soccer, a tasty lunch, and church service.
There was a lot to do and a lot of people it watch but we all did it willingly because these kids are soooo great. They never fail to amuse us and they never run out of hugs to give.
I find it funny that we come on missions trips to give completely of ourselves to the people we serve but we finish everyday happier than before. Everyday we are the ones who are replenished and loved on by these children.
The entire day is like playing charades because when we don't know the words we act out our sentences! And when that fails too, we resort to tickling and chasing them, carrying them and swinging them.
Watching them all board back on the buses to go home was too hard for Rebecca and I..we had to go with them just to feel their joy a few moments longer!

DAY TWO: SAO PAULO!

2008-06-18T21:24:00.002-04:00

Our third day in Brazil brought us to two different favela's within the city of Sao Paulo. Pete and Jodi's mission group here holds classes for the little children every week at these two particular ones and now it was our turn to host the class! We prepared a great puppet show that had all the little kids sitting on the very edge of their seats and the fun craft of decorating and personalizing visors. It was great to be sitting in the back row with children piled up on our laps, watching as they giggled and screamed with excitement about the stories they were being read from the Bible.
Just walking into the favela's was a heart changing experience...these people lived amongst such destruction and in so much suffering, it was hard not to show our reaction in our faces and expressions. Seeing the dilapidated homes built of scraps of cardboard and metal or broken wooden planks. There were pipes which carried water and sewage running open along the ground, many of them cracked and leaking...
The passageways between homes were no more than a foot and a half wide at times.
But the children were happy and overjoyed to see us come! They were eager to tell us their stories and ask us all about where we were from and if we knew this or that.
I realized one very important thing from visiting the favela's that day...it was so easy for us to see the vastness of the problems and suffering and to convince ourselves of the fact that what we were doing only made a pin prick of an impact in the entire situation..but this is wrong. One of the many things that God calls himself is our refuge. He calls us to him for the renewal of our souls, our joy, our spirits, and the repairing of our brokenness...this is the purpose we serve here in Brazil.
One of the men that volunteers at the mission said it perfectly,"physical problems can be repaired with the passing of time, but the replenishing of the soul and heart lasts longer."

DAY ONE: CAMPINAS!'

2008-06-18T21:20:00.001-04:00

It is about an hour drive through beautiful Brazilian countryside from where we are staying to the Favelas inside of Campinas. All of us were eager. All of us were excited. We knew it was going to be a day dedicated to construction, but we also knew that there would be many people there for us to meet and love on. It was absolutely incredible to watch the children as their faces exploded into smiles and giggles the moment that they saw us arrive. People often say that it is those who have the least who are full of the purest kind of joy and fulfillment. That became evident to us all in that moment. Seeing the conditions that all the people lived in was shocking. It was such a huge jump from what any person in the US could ever find themselves in. At the same time, it was this fact that gave me hope because it was a reassuring sign that we were there to bring change and difference to the people. Our small team of people alone could make only a small impact on this kind of place, but with God's ideas and his love overflowing through our actions and words, we could bring big change. It was exciting! The second we walked off the bus, the children all ran up to us and gave us all hugs and kisses and grabbed at our hands. They were all adorable and shaking with excitement and wanting to tell us their names, show us their friends, and climb on our backs.The women walked with the children around the favela, visiting all the neighboring families and meeting their children and sharing in their stories. The men began organizing the construction.Back at the site, we dug holes preparing for the foundations and supports of a new second story addition. We broke through layers and layers of bricks, rubble, and old cement foundations. We mixed cement, laid bricks, built up a wall, acquired blisters, played endlessly with children, ate a delicious lunch prepared for us by local ladies, bent re bar, worked until exhaustion set in, laughed through it all, and made memories that we will have forever.The day had been great! The work was hard but we worked together to get it all started. Leaving was the last thing that any of us wanted to do. When we were all reflecting on the day, leaving was often described as every one's "lowest point" of the day. The children had grown on us (especially through the hilarious language barrier!) and when we were leaving, we had to peel them off of us like little monkeys!I know that the work we did there and the love we showed all the little ones there was definitely benefiting for the people of the favela, but i would argue that it was even more life changing for us. Seeing their joy in their simplicity and their excitement for teaching us their hand games and how to fly their kites was unbelievable.An image that i will forever hold in my heart is Thais, one of the little girls, calling out for me from outside the bus, asking me to come out just once more so she could give me a beautiful flower...I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for our future days here! I cannot wait until tomorrow to start it all again! (the Internet here is slow and tough to connect to at times..hopefully we'll be able to write every day and soon be able to attach our photo's!)

LEAVING MIAMI AND GETTING THERE!

2008-06-18T21:17:00.001-04:00

From the first moments of our trip, we KNEW that God had big plans for us all. On the eve of our departure our entire team was hit with the disastrous news that Rebecca's Brazilian passport had expired. The airline said simply that without a renewed passport (which takes MONTHS) or a Brazilian visa (an entire day's ordeal) Rebecca would have to stay behind. The bus ride to the airport and walking in with all 30 of our bags felt dry and wrong because we all knew that we were leaving her behind in the hopes that she would be able to fly out in the next days. Then everything began to change, and we began to see God's hand at work.The man attending us behind the counter at TAM airlines was incredible. Not only did he not charge us for extra baggage, or let bags that were too heavy pass through without inspection, but he gave us all the wonderful news that Rebecca WOULD BE ALLOWED TO ENTER Brazil! Even with her expired passport! This is how after tears of relief and definitely of joy and excitement, and with only the clothes on her back and her passports, Rebecca drove back to the airport and boarded with us on our plane! The welcome gift on the flight was a small package including a tooth brush, comb, and toothpaste...important things that Rebecca was missing. God provides!Finally arriving in Sao Paulo, we rode on the BRAND NEW bus to the Chacara. In the days before, it had rained..and rained..and rained some more, so all the dirt roads were not very safe nor accessible via bus. So we all grabbed the luggage we could on our backs and with flashlights, began the hike up to the house. Through tall grass, sinking in mud, tripping over rocks, splashing through puddles, and laughing the entire way, it was the perfect ending to an exhilarating day. Every part of the adventure it had been had fit perfectly into place. All the unexpected turn of events and emotional excitement had worn us out, but not before we were all able to feel the strength and depth of the plans that God ad for our ten days on mission!

Trip to Petit-Goave

2008-06-15T22:42:00.002-04:00

We went to church today in a small town 3 hour drive to the west of Port-Au-Prince. I've attached a picture of one of the sights we saw along the way.

If you've been following along with our experiences you will have noticed that we have seen a great deal of poverty, this scene is just one of the many indications that we have been exposed to.

The experience at church was wonderful and the people were so warm and welcoming. It was a blessed worship experience with many of our group participating. I was asked to share a word and was honored to do so. Pastor Brucely translated my words.

After the service we were honored with a wonderful Haitian meal. During that time we were able to get familiar with many of the children from the school that are sponsored by other supporters. Here's a picture of some of the children who surrounded Katherine. It was truly a moving time for all of us.

Tomorrow we will be heading to the airport and back home so this will be our last blog entry from Haiti. Thanks for your continued prayer support.

Food Distribution and sponsored child

2008-06-14T20:50:00.005-04:00

Today we journeyed an hour northeast of camp on a school bus to the village of Joineau. It was total sensory overload; the sights, smells and emotions were more than I can write. We witnessed a very primitive way of life; the people have nothing - literally. When we arrived we carried bags of beans and rice from the bus to schoolhouse. They were distributed to the various families whose children attended the school. The building was packed full; the noise level increased as food was being handed out and the heat was quickly rising.

Scott and I had the opportunity to sponsor a child on this trip. We pay $30 a month to pay for the child's school fees and her school food plan. We knew in our hearts this would be a great way we could offer assistance from a distance. Our sponsored child's name is Vedline Jean, she is six years old and her favorite color is pink. I was quite sure this was a match made in heaven! Vedline and her family live in Joineau. We were thrilled that we would be given the opportunity to meet her in person. The Principal of the school introduced us to Vedline and her mother Guerlande, it was as if I was greeting long lost friends. Vedline was overwhelmed by all that was going on and I can't say that I blame her. She was scared initially and very timid during the time we spent together, however she seemed quite excited when she received a baby doll and some new pink shoes. Her mother was very loving and easy to understand although we did not speak the same language. I could tell from her reactions, a peace of mind, that her daughter will be provided for going forward. It was an amazing moment and one I will not be able to describe with any amount of words.

Katherine Burnotes

VBS Team in the outback

2008-06-13T22:25:00.002-04:00

Yesterday the VBS team left the camp to travel to Tiguave, about 3.5 hours away. Because of the distance, they actually spent the night there.

Tiguave is where Pastor Brucely lives and ministers. They prepared their facility for the team to work and sleep there. A tub of fresh water was provided for them to use a can for towel baths and an outhouse was available. The team slept on air mattresses in the school which is next to the church.

This picture is of the Bible class, it's clear to see how many children were present in the church and that the facilities are somewhat primitive. The team was incredibly blessed by spending some extended time with Haitian families and children and enjoyed a wonderful Haitian meal.

Tarantula

2008-06-13T22:18:00.002-04:00

I won't say much about this picture, but I will promise you an entertaining story if you ask any of us what happened to Adrian AFTER the picture was taken.

I even have a video of an eye witness describing the story!

One task complete

2008-06-13T21:59:00.003-04:00

The odd couple (Felix and Oscar) stand in relief with Charles. Finally the roof is complete. It was quite a task and we look forward to our other tasks.

Tomorrow we'll be busy with food distribution in some outlaying areas.

You may not be able to clearly see the well right next to the building. This well is the exact model that UBC sponsored some years ago in some of the surrounding communities. The cost for the well was $5,000, and I'm not sure which one was built with UBC funds, but it looked exactly like the one you see in the picture.

In the upper left-hand corner of the picture you can see the entrance gate to the compound. As you can see this is a very secure facility so there is no reason for concern here. This is a mission experience that is accessible to anybody.

DR Day 7

2008-06-13T14:30:00.003-04:00

We headed out early to the worksite as we had been planning to begin pouring cement on the roof. Many pieces of equipment had arrived since we were on the site two days ago and all we needed was for the water truck to arrive to begin the mixing of the cement. However, once the truck arrived, it got stuck in a ditch and the tires were deep in mud. The workers immediately began to try to leverage it out with large planks of wood, and ropes. Thankfully, after several attempts and prayer, they were finally able to pull it out of the mud, and onto our site. In the meantime, we were able to pray for a woman who was sick, and some of us were invited to join one of the local families for lunch. The crucial job of pouring cement on the roof has finally commenced as of early this afternoon. It was our goal to complete this before we leave for home tomorrow, so we were thankful that we were able to witness this today.