Disciple's Cornerstone Baptist Church Missions Blog

Shamon & Crew on a Cruise

2009-08-18T14:43:00.005-04:00

Summing Up the Trip - Random Thoughts

2009-08-09T18:52:00.006-04:00

Well the trip is over and I have hardly had a chance to make any updates to the blog. This was such a good trip. From a ministry standpoint one of the best trips we have taken to Peru.

The week started with us arriving in Piura via a twelve hour drive from Chachapoyas. The vacation was a joint trip between the Harpers and the Trujeques. We spend a few days there and had a blast climbing the mountains and seeing some of the Beauty of the Peruvian highlands. It was exhausting, but fun.

The rest of the crew arrived in similar fashion. The Ritchies joined the Powells, Hasslers, and Mitch Smith in Lima for the flight to Piura.

The local church in Piura that we worked with is called Alpha and Omega Baptist Church. It is located in the outskirts of Piura. Piura is a beautiful city in Northern Peru. it is in the coastal dessert of northern Peru. The Pastor of the local church is named Segunto. He lives with his wife and four year old daughter in the church parsonage directly above the church. The church is very simple, but is very blessed to have a good sized building and a vibrant congregation that is willing to work hard for God.

We started our trip with dinner at a local restaurant that was provided by the church and discussed the week's activities. The next morning (Monday), we started the soccer camps.

The first camp was held in an area called City of the Son. This is a shanty town outside of Piura that was a short bus ride from the church. We spent Monday and Tuesday working in this area. At one point we had way over the amount of kids that we were expecting, but it was good. The entire community came out and watched us work with the kids playing volleyball and soccer. Tera and Julia also did a VBS activity with the little children between the ages of three to six. Alpha and Omega Baptist church has big plans for this shanty town. They wish to plant another church there and already have a couple of homes that they meet in for Bible study and kids activities. They are also saving up to buy a piece of property there to open a bakery to fund more church activities in the area. Pastor Segunto has a very self sufficient practical way about him. He is a big believer in Ministries being able to support themselves.

During breaks we would present the Gospel message to the kids and parents that were there. It was a great! On Tuesday Pastor Segunto did a quick sermon and we spent the rest of the afternoon doing volleyball and soccer championships. At the end Juan Barone handed out the medals to the winning teams.

Of course nothing goes smooth in South America, so after we were done and about to leave we realized that the bus that we were using had a flat tire. Andy, Wardell, and I spent the next hour and a half working with the bus driver to change the tire. The lug nuts would not budge and it was a real mess.

Our meals were provided by the church for the week, so for breakfast, lunch, and dinner we were able to go to the church and be fed. It was always a great time of fellowship. It enabled us to focus entirely on the ministry at hand.

The team consisted of the Powells, Harpers, Barones, Lisa Taylor, Ritchies, Hasslers, Trujeques, and Mitch Smith. The Hasslers also had their aunt join us from Lima and she was such a blessing working with the kids. Lisa Taylor had her mother join us from North Carolina since she was down there on vacation. The days were long and hard, but they were great.

On Wednesday we had a day off from the camps. We took the morning and went on a boat ride in Pieta where we saw tons of sea lions and local fishermen working on the day's catch. We also visited the oldest church in South America and spent a little time admiring the Pacific ocean where some of the boys went for a dip. The water was cold, but they had fun. That evening we went to a fellowship service with Alpha and Omega and it was a great time. We all sang and spent some time playing games. Shamon and Andy were picked on pretty hard with an activity that involved people dressing them up in other people's clothes. As Novene would say, "it was a mess."

Thursday and Friday were spent doing soccer camps again down the street from the local church at a school. It was a little more laid back then at City of the Son and we were really able to get to know the people. I had a blast playing soccer with some of the older kids. On Friday the local church members took over the task of presenting the Gospel to the kids and the two churches were really working as a team. We were able to fade back a bit and let them reach out to their local community. It was great.

On Friday night, we were presented some gifts from the Alpha and Omega church and everyone said their goodbyes. It was a great time and a great week of work. Of course, South America had one more surprise for us. The bus broke down again and on our way out the guys had to push the bus to jump start it. I have never push started a 30 passenger bus before, and it was not an easy task.

I hope to be able to update some more information about the week as I continue to process the entire experience. It was a good time, and right now I am a little overwhelmed with the whole thing.

Shamon

The Mission Work Has Started

2009-08-03T22:28:00.003-04:00

Well after a very long car ride we have made it to Piura. Piura is a beautiful city. It is very hot. Everyone arrived yesterday in different groups. Of course, my group got in last. We went to dinner with Pastor Segunto at about midnight and were up very early to start the day. I am beat. We have Internet access at the Hostel, and hot water. Hot water is such a bonus. It is amazing the things you consider luxioury. A few of us have already gotten stomach bugs, but we are getting a handle on it.

It is a blessing to work with the local church that we are working with. Their hospitality has been amazing. We are being fed all our meals by them, and the food is wonderful.

Today was our first day of soccer and volleyball camps. It was a blast. I was able to watch some very talented soccer players and joke around with them quite a bit. We were working in a local shanty town. It is amazing to see our two churches working together. It just feels right.

Pastor Segunto is very young, about my age, and has a wonderful wife and daughter. She reminds me so much of my daughter, Abby. The kids were very happy to be playing soccer and very attentive durring the presentations. I have a feeling we are going to be over run with kids tomorrow.

Shamon

On a Side Trip in Chachapoyas

2009-07-31T21:30:00.001-04:00

On a side trip before the mission trip starts. In true Peruvian fashion there is no hot water in the Highlands of Chachapoyas. This is a very beautiful area. Today we were at a fortress that sits 10,700 feet. It was amazing to see. We will start the mission trip on Sunday. I have to add that the Trujeques are as crazy as the Harpers.

Getting Ready

2009-07-26T18:36:00.002-04:00

Our group is all scrambling around, getting last-minute details taken care of before we leave this week. The Hasslers are already on the ground in Peru, visiting family and getting things ready for our arrival. As always, satan attacks God's children, and many members of our group are running into problems of one sort or another. Tori, Novene, and I were practicing volleyball drills yesterday, and I managed to hurt my hand, so now I have to wear a splint (typing is a challenge!) and try to get in to see a hand surgeon before we leave Tuesday night.

Please continue to pray for our group, for our safety and the safety of our families. Pray that our work is effective and that we cherish the time we spend with the locals, as well as the time that we get to spend together as a group.

--Yolanda

It's Time to Go!

2009-07-20T14:44:00.003-04:00

It's pretty much go time! Our first group is heading down Saturday, followed by others that will be going down Tuesday (7/28/2009), Wednesday (7/29/2009), and Saturday (8/1/2009). We are going down in waves this year as people are doing some exploring before we head to the mission field in Piura on Sunday (8/2/2009). The Harper's are lucky enough to start the day at 04:00 AM to make a 07:00 AM flight to Lima. Then from Lima to Chiclayo at 21:00 that night followed by a 10 hour (ouch!) bus ride to see Chachapoyas. It's going to be a long trip. Please pray for us as we head over to Piura and start the soccer and volleyball work that we will be doing with a local church there.

Almost Time To Head To Peru Again!

2009-07-10T15:15:00.002-04:00

Wow, here we are. Just a couple of weeks before we head to Peru again. Things have been busy in preparation for this year's trip. The group has been meeting and praying on a regular basis. The church has continued to take shape and ministry has been moving a million miles a minute. The youth have been packing care boxes for soldiers on Fridays and are working to raise money to ship these boxes to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Feeding the Homeless

2009-03-16T20:50:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday night, March 12th, Isaac and I went with a team from First Baptist Lutz and Tera Ritchie to Suitcase City to feed the homeless. You might be wondering what this has to do with our Peru trip, but I had told Isaac that it would be similar to Peru in that we were helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Iwas SO PROUD of Isaac! He jumped right in and helped, and after some initial hesitation, he walked around with me to talk to some of the people we served. For a child that can be so reserved, he was in his element and shined at doing what God created him to do. I can't wait to see him in action in Peru!!

--Yolanda

Local Soccer Camp for Blanton Baptist Church

2009-03-16T16:05:00.004-04:00

As a warm up for the Peru mission trip, we are working on doing a local soccer camp for a Baptist Church in Dade City Florida. This soccer camp will be a one day camp that will help us to get back into the swing of things. Blanton Baptist Church has invited us to work with them on connecting with their community through the soccer camps. We are looking forward to this work. Pray for the work that we will be doing on April 26 2009.

Dates Set for Peru 2009

2009-03-16T15:46:00.003-04:00

Here we go again, the dates are set for the 2009 mission trip to Peru. We will be heading to the piura peru where Juan is relocating his family and Lisa is once again working the mission field. Planning is still in the works, but with only four months before our next trip we are locking it down. At current there are 16 people heading on this trip. The mission work this year will happen between August 1, 2009 until August 8, 2009.

It's Official! Planing Starts for 2009 Trip!

2008-10-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday there was a meeting to discuss the planing of the next trip. The meeting was made up of previous team members. We discussed travel dates for 2009. Right now it is looking like we will be heading out at the end of July leading into the beginning of August. There will be another planing meeting on November 2, 2008. I know it seems early, but this ministry takes a lot of work to lay out and get off the ground. Among the things discussed were travel dates, logistics, and the desire to incorporate more training to on the ground leaders that work with Juan. It is amazing to see people get passionate about a work.

Team Trujeque Update 2

2008-07-09T14:06:00.000-04:00

I've noticed some strange utterances from some members of the soccer coaching staff. Yes, it is true Team Trujeque was handed it's first loss "ever" at Ciudad de Dios. However, it was a great contest with Team Wardell pulling out the win in overtime. Here's the scoop, Team Trujeque's Reque clubs won both divisions during camp one. I don't know why Wardell was implying that I chose overage players. These players were just as tall as Christian and I thought Peruvian boys could grow mustaches and beards at that age! I did when I was 12, and mine was almost as nice as my mom's! LOL! I think Team Wardell should thank their lucky stars that they didn't get swept again during the Copa de Gringo!

Camp 2 was just an excellent and exciting event! All of the contests were exciting and the volleyball venue was rocking once again! Tori's volleyball team lost again and I'm sure it wasn't because Daniel recruited a 15 year old girl to play on his club. The kids were pretty pumped up to get their pictures, t-shirts, medals, and champions cups! We all felt like rock stars as we were signing autographs and posing for pictures with the kids and their mom's. It was a wild scene when we were trying to leave in the bus. The roar of the crowd was just awesome!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was offered cattle in exchange for my daughter's. I was originally offered 10 cows for Kelsey and then I rec'd an offer of 12 for Taylor. (Taylor had her usual gang of kids around her and I'd noticed the teenage boys seem to be hanging around more.) I was trying to close the deal when Tori broke off the negotiations! Now, I'm stuck with two teenagers and no steak! The people in the villages as so much fun to talk to and to interact with while were here. Their English isn't the best and our Spanish is nothing to write home about but we seem to communicate well. They have a great sense of humor and I feel a genuine appreciation for what were are doing here.

I'm going to miss these people when it's time to go home.

Thanks,

Andy

We`re headed home!

2008-07-02T19:53:00.000-04:00

We`re part way through our long trip back to Tampa. It´s been an eventful trip, I don´t know that I could put it all into words. I´m anxious to hear an update from Andy... we met two sisters in Lima who were headed to Cusco and showed them Andy`s picture and asked them to look for him. He`s not hard to miss... the big, loud-mouthed Mexican! (I love you, brother!) They were supposed to "catch up" with him, and rember the good old days when she babysat him. (They didn`t know him from Adam-- it was our test to see if Andy really would hold a conversation with anyone.)

The past three days have been outrageous. We were in the middle of the jungle-- no electricity, hot water, phone, etc. Let me tell you, it gets DARK in the jungle at night! We were busy hiking, climbing trees, swinging from vines, fishing for piranah, and swimming in the Amazon with pink dophins. WILD!

We look forward to seeing you all again and telling you our stories. Plan to come on Wednesday night... we´ll have food and pictures!

-- Hasta Luego!
Yolanda

Still Waiting for the Result

2008-06-28T17:02:00.000-04:00

I am still waiting for Andy to announce the scores from the soccer tournament from Cuidad De Dios. I will just say, Andy were not able to field a roster of players who are supposedly 12 years old when the record would show otherwise. Its OK, kids generally do not lie, just ask Christian about the kid on Andy's team with the beard from Tuesday's tournament and he will explain every thing to you guys.

Andy, i do believe our supporters are waiting on you to up-dated the score from yesterday's competition.

Wardell

Long and Exciting Week

2008-06-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

Well, the 2008 mission trip to Chiclayo, Peru has come to an end. Looking back at the events that we were involved in this week, I do believe we all could agree that our stay in Peru was very productive. We were all treated to a Rock Star depature from several kids as well as their parents from Ciudad De Dios. They were screaming and banging on the bus as we drove out of town. As a result of the reception that we got, it is my belief that we have sown some amount of seeds on fertile ground for the local missionaries to help cultivate. I am hoping that we were able to show these people that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ truly love them.

As we prepare for the second part of our trip, Cusco and Ikitos, I do ask you to pray for us. Please pray that we all reach our destination safely and that we all return to the state safe.

Thanks.

Wardell

Team Trujeque 1st Week

2008-06-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

Wow, where do I start? What a week we've had! We left a week ago from Tampa delayed by thunderstorms and finally arrived in Ft. Lauderdale. Our flight from Ft. Lauderdale was uneventful on Spirit airlines, but the seats were pretty cramped especially for me for some reason. ;0) We finally arrived in Lima late Saturday night and found that Kelsey's, Taylor's and my bag didn´t make it. We were catching a connecting flight to Chiclayo and the bags didn't come in on the next flight from Spirit. They would need to be forwarded to Chiclayo and would not arrive until Monday morning. It was really fun washing my undies in the sink for a couple of days, NOT! Thank goodness my wife came prepared with laundry detergent (she did come from Boy Scout family)!

The first camp (Mon & Tues) we held was in a community callReque and it went very well. The playing conditions were tough as we set up camp in a courtyard with about six inches of loose sand and rocks everywhere. Picture the surface of Mars and you can get an idea. Wardell and I picked our teams and we would play the tournment on Tuesday. Tori, Yolanda, Novene and Daniel picked the volleyball teams for their tournament with the girls. On Tuesday, as we were approaching the stadium, we could see hundreds of people walking to the event. What a site to see all of the kids in red t-shirts with the parents and siblings walking along the roadway! Wardell and I got the two soccer games going and my teams won both games (of course)! However, the loudest and craziest of the events was at the volleyball game right in front of the stands. It was a hard fought battle but Team Yolanda and Novene handed Team Trujeque and Tori our first loss ever! We handed out medals, pictures, and a trophy to the winning teams. The kids were ecstatic with all of the gifts! It is so amazing to see these kids playing on the dirt fields barefooted or in flip flops. They are so skilled with the ball dispite never getting a true bounce because of all of the rocks. We had a small church service and Shamon officiated with Daniel translating. One of the Moms brought us some arroz con leche (rice pudding) and they serve it hot here. It was very good especially after 8 hours of camp and the tournament. These people don´t have very much but their hospitality is amazing for the gringos from America!

Camp number 2 (Thurs & Fri) was at a community called Ciudad De Dios (City of God). We were welcomed here with over 400 kids from community. Day 1 was crazy as the team was working hard to set up the soccer and volleyball teams and the vacation bible school. It was very windy with blowing dirt but we were able to get some scrimmages in and the girls were able to play volleyball. It is so amazing to see how much fun Tori is having at her first mission trip. She has had a great a great time working with the chicas and they have really responded to her. She tends say si a lot when the kids are talking to her. LOL! Taylor is the rockstar as usual with all the girls hanging on to her and now some of the teenage boys were flirting with her. I'm not ready for this stuff! ;0) Kelsey has been working all over the place here. She has been working with the soccer, volleyball and of course my gopher. I was offered ten cows for her from one of the boys and I'm holding out for 12. If I get them she'll be married off before we leave here! LOL!

I better end for now as I've been hogging up the PC. More on day 2 later.....

Andy

FAME AND GLORY

2008-06-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

It is true I had lots of girls chase me around and that I got two kisses on the cheek and that the girls mobbed the bus but it was fun.

have a extream day
Christian Harper

P.S if you are reading this Nolan, dont get too jealos.

My son, the rock star!

2008-06-27T20:28:00.000-04:00

I only have a second because it`s time for dinner, but I´m still cracking up about what happened to Christian today. We were preparing for the Ceremony and Danny had a clan of girls around him, looking for Christian to take a photo with him. As we were leaving in the bus, there was a mob of them in front of Christian`s window, and they were waving and blowing kisses to him. He told me he got two kisses today (!!!!!), and I reminded him that they were on the cheek and that it`s a cultural thing. He informed me that the look on their faces told him they meant it. Oh, my gosh! Like this kid needs a bigger head than what he has! Pray that we can put up with his ego over the next few days.

Seriously, it was hard to leave the kids today. We`re all exhausted, but will miss spending time with them.

--Yolanda

After all the teasing I finally respond:

2008-06-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

Despite what everyone was pushing for, especially Shamon and Andrea, I will not be marrying anyone nor carrying on a relationship other than ''just friends.'' Whatever they say is a lie! So I had my picture taken with our arms around eachother (I feel like I`m only digging myself a deeper hole) and she thought I was handsome, but we are only friends.

I feel because everyone is ratting on me I should rat on some others. Taylor got a boyfriend. She was lovin` on him for the last three hours that we were there and Andrea had bunches of guys with crushes on her. No marriages for anyone this year.

Things have been going well the whole trip overall for everyone and for me. I have been hit lightly with the ''Inca Revenge'' but I am ok. It has been exhausting but it has really been great. The food is usually great (mainly because it is different from what we always have at home) but the guinea pig would be better with less avacado stuffing (just kidding). Traffic is horrible. The clearances are literally two feet and it seems like the horns never stop honking. Tomorrow we head towards the aeropuerto and to home, the amazon, or to Pikachu Mountain.

Love to all at home and at church,
Sean

What a week!

2008-06-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

I can't believe we're done with our soccer camps...it has gone by very quickly because we have been so busy. It has been non-stop action and laughs this week! I'm exhausted and still trying to process all we've seen and done this week. The emotions have been overwhelming at times...joy, sadness, frustration...you name it and I've experienced it this week.

On the one hand, most of the people are precious and have gone out of their way to welcome and love us but on the other, there have been some that were just looking for what we could give them. It was humbling to see them crowd around us and laugh at our attempts to speak spanish, yet it was hard to give and give and give of yourself. It has been great being a team and getting to know one another on a deeper level, yet it's frustrating trying to make decisions and travel with a group of over 20 people. But, all in all...a wonderful experience and I can't wait to come back!

Just to make you laugh...we are truly a traveling freak show here. Everywhere we go, people point and stare and crowd around for pictures...with Andy and Mike being giants, Mitch and Mark with their red hair and fair complexions, Shamon and Wardell's bald heads, our matching shirts, our pitiful spanish...well, it's just something to see! We have had a blast!

Keep us in your prayers as we prepare to travel this weekend to our side trip destinations...Amazon jungle, here I come!

Tera

Last Camp Day

2008-06-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

Well we are now done with the soccer camps. Today was another great day. It is amazing to see how people react to us when we come to town. Today we finished our soccer camp and did another championship. We were loved on all day by the people there. On the down side, there are a few of us that had a tinge of the Inca revenge.... Not a good thing. Christian was kissed on the cheek a million times today by all the girls who want to keep him. It was a riot. They all posed for a picture with him.

All is good, we will be bringing Sean back after all. Things did not work out with him and Carla and they called the wedding off....

I preached the message again today, I don`t know what people are thinking to entrust something like that to me. Sean played the music, and we gave out awards again. When it was all done, we were mobbed like rock stars with people loving on us, asking for stuff, and things going crazy.

Shamon

Three Ring Circus!

2008-06-26T23:43:00.000-04:00

Well, Shamon mentioned that today was like a festival... I was thinking it was more like a three ring circus! By this afternoon, when things had settled down enough for me to breathe, I looked up and saw that there was Novene, Tori, and me on the volleyball court, Shamon behind me with the younger boys playing soccer on a concrete slab, Debbie on one side bumping the volleyball with a group of girls, Kelsey on the other side jumping rope with some girls, Taylor was sitting with a large group of girls and chatting with them (Taylor is like a rock star-- the girls came at lunch looking for her), not to mention both Wardel´s and Andy´s groups of soccer players. WHEW!

We certainly weren´t expecting 400 kids, but what a blessing it was! We´re still scrambling around, trying to be prepared for the same amount (or more!) kids tomorrow. I was able to share God´s love with the volleyball girls, Julia talked with the preschoolers and younger girls and presented the Salvation plan, and Novene did a great job with the ladies. Those are just the ones I heard... there´s no telling how much more was shared, both in groups and individually. Praise God!

Since Shamon snitched on Sean, I´ll have to tell on him...
As lunch, some ladies came in and starting talking to us and taking pictures. One of them rubbed Shamon´s stomach and said that he must be rich because his belly is so big. Then, they had both Shamon and Wardel on each side of them, rubbing on their bald heads! We certainly look like we´re a three ring circus that´s come to town!

We have been having the best time, and laughing non-stop. We hope to have many of you join us on our next trip, but we´re thankful that you are keeping tabs on us and praying. The work has been tiring, but GOOD! I´m looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.

Gripped by Grace,
Yolanda

What a Day!

2008-06-26T23:15:00.000-04:00

Well, to echo most of the other posts for today, what a day it was. I had six year olds today and was playing soccer with them pretty much all day. We would sit down in the middle of the concrete field that we were playing on and talk a little about God during breaks. They were great kids. They loved to play soccer with us adults. This community was very warm to us today. They really showed us a lot of love and seemed to really want us there. With so many people in this large open area playing soccer, volleyball, and so many other activities, it was more like a festival all day. I feel completely poored out at this point. Not sure how I am going to find the ability to do it again tomorrow.

We pretty much got Sean married off today. There was this cute little 14 year old girl that was really hung up on him. I think he was ready to kill us, but it sure was fun joking with him about it. By the end of the day, I had her walking up to him and calling him honey. Sorry Sean....

Shamon

Salvation Message

2008-06-26T22:14:00.000-04:00

Today was a very interesting day at Ciudad de Dios. As we were getting ready to play volley ball, we realized that it would be impossible because of the number of girls who wanted to play. We formed 2 teams of girls (6-7 years old) and played ball with them. We took the girls to VBS because we had too many. Tera and Julia had them engaged in stories and coloring. Julia was also teaching them songs and English 101.
At 5pm, I was blessed with the opportunity to present the Salvation message to the adults. I felt pretty confident until I saw the numbers of women growing in the room. Julia translated the message very well. We asked questions and they answered with knowledge. Majority of the women prayed and received Jesus Christ as their Savior. At the end, Doris request for us to pray for her. Doris had a stroke 2 years ago and is paralyzed on her left side. Daniel prayed for her. It was very neat to see all members of the group layed their hands on her. I believe that Doris was blessed by our presence. God is good.
It was truly a pleasure for me to be at Ciudado de Dios. The community showed us love. Some of us got cooked meal from the school teachers. One of the ladies expressed that her daughter and her were happy that I visited them. They enjoyed my interacting with the children and as a result, she wanted to give me a present (necklace and earrings). This was awesome.
I am very happy that I am apart the Peru Missions Team.

God Bless!!!!
Novene

Ciudad de Dios- 6-26-08

2008-06-26T22:12:00.000-04:00

Over 419 kids today. wow!!!!!!
What a blessing. But... we had not brought enough of anything. Ohohoh!!!!!
Well, we sang, we did some ABCs, shapes & numbers until Juan made more copies of our Creation booklet. Finally, we were able to do our Bible lesson, some more songs and all went well. We had 24 3-5 years old and 9 under 2, then about 40 more showed up with Yolanda and Novene, so you can imagine how much more we had to improvise. It was a challenge that turned into a blessing after all. By the afternoon we joined the volleyball teams , jumped rope with a group of the younger girls and ate a tone of dirt during the wole activity. The wind was very strong. But we had a ball! Andy borrowed someone"s motorcicle and showed of his skills.
The time spent with the adults went very well. The ladies were all very receptive. Praise God!
They were all ready to receive Christ as their personal savior. Novene did a great job sharing her testimony and the Plan of Salvation. Undoubtly, a day of many blessings.
Please pray for our final tournament as only God knows what will we encounter tomorrow.
See ya! In Christ's precious name,
Juia

Wow!

2008-06-24T23:56:00.000-04:00

What an amazing day! We spent the morning at the same sites we were at yesterday, and then had the championship. It was a blast! Let me tell you... Danny Hassler is hilarious! I wish I could describe the kind of spell he puts on these kids. He´s like the Pied Piper, running around with them chasing him! They love him, and you can tell how much he loves them too.

I`m sorry to report that the ladies lost the first Copa de Gringo volleyball match, 10 to 0! These Peruvians are serious about their sports! Don´t worry, we plan on using part of our day tomorrow to practice in hopes that we might at least score one point at the championship on Friday. (To be honest, we were impressed that we got the ball over the net... and that´s only because we served first!)

(just as a side note... we´re being serenaded by a Peruvian in the hotel lobby. I`m not sure where he came from, but he´s pretty good. Shawn matched his skills by playing ¨Stairway to Heaven. Not quite the same genre, but it worked.)

To end, Peruvian driving tip number 352--
When driving a taxi, honk your horn only after you are mid-way through an intersection that has no stop signs or traffic lights, so that another taxi stops only inches away from your car. Your customers will give you a bigger tip because they´re greatful to be alive!

Ok, the Peruvian is now playing Hotel California and we´re all trying to remember the words-I have to go so that I can concentrate. Wait... now we´re on La Bamba. Have a great night, guys!

-- Yolanda

Day Two

2008-06-24T19:32:00.000-04:00

Here we are, just finishing our first camp championship tournament. We are now done in the first two areas that we were working in. I preached a sermon on salvation today, that was crazy. I can tell you that I am proabably not the person that should be preaching. It was quite the experience. The championship was played in a stadium, and there were probably around 300 to 350 people that came out for the event. We had the volleyball tournament and the soccer tournament. After that we presented awards and sang a song, and then I preached. We were also rewarded with home made rice pudding, I sure hope it does not give us the Inca revenge. It was great. We are very excited about the last two days and are looking forward to the rest of the week. Wardell is going to teach a bible study at the local church tonight. Tomorrow is a day of rest. We all need to regroup and chill for a bit. The days have been long and hard, so we are looking forward to a down day.... Shamon

Day One Recap

2008-06-24T08:20:00.000-04:00

Well day one is in the books.... It went really good. We broke down into two teams and went to two different squatter villages to run the soccer camps, vbs, volleyball and bible studies. I watched as my son Christian played soccer with the kids. At first they were not all that willing to pass him the ball, but by the end of the day they were begging for ¨Ingless¨ to help represent one of the local teams that will be in today´s tournament. I just hope that if they win, they wont want to keep him. He did great yesterday and really enjoyed playing with the kids. It is amazing to watch kids that can´t speak the same language work it all out and figure out a way to communicate. Christian and Landy both presented a bible devotion to the kids and at the end of the day, Landy presented the plan of slavation to the adults. The whole community had a blast. We are heading back today. Where I think I am supposed to preach tonight... That should be fun....

Tuesday!

2008-06-24T08:17:00.000-04:00

Today is our last day at the first site. Yesterday started off a bit rocky, since the teacher of the local school decided not to let her kids out of class like she had promised Juan (speculation is that she found out we were a Christian group). We had smaller groups of kids in the morning, but made up for that yesterday afternoon, when both sites had more than 100 kids! We returned from lunch, and about 20 or so kids were waiting for us... we started handing out t shirts, and turned around and there were 100! Praise God!

Christian was worried that he would be run over by the kids here playing soccer, but he held his own with them, and even scored twice. He also gave a devotion yesterday, about God having a plan for each of their lives. He did great. My "baby" is really growing up-- I think he would have been fine on this trip without us, just goes off with the rest of the group and does his thing! He's already eaten cow heart and ceviche, and wants to try everything else he can. Let me tell you, the adults on this trip are amazed at how much this kid eats!

I was able to share a devotion with the kids yesterday, and then the plan of salvation with the adults as the camp was ending. Please pray that God`s Words are sunk deep into these people`s hearts. As you might know, this area is heavily entrenched in witchcraft.

Also pray for poor Novene and Wardel... they are still without bags!

Much love,
Yolanda

Peruvian Driving 101

2008-06-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

God is still in the miracle business!

I know that seems like a bold statement, so let me explain...some of our outings require us to ride in the local taxis. Doesn`t sound particularly miraculous, but the fact that we have all thus far lived through the experience is truly a miracle! Most of the streets here are standard streets with lines, however, those lines are apparently just a suggestion and there does not appear to be any laws requiring drivers to stay within them!

Some other observations about driving "etiquette" here in Peru:
1. If you don´t have a horn, and use it liberally, you will get nowhere.
2. Bumpers are for...well, bumping.
3. You can fit 6 cars (maybe more) in 2 standard lanes.
4. If you don´t get there first, it doesn´t count.
5. Finally... you really can get 6 people in a Daewoo hatchback.

On a more serious note, today was our first day of camp. Julia and I helped 42 preschoolers make a book about the 7 days of creation. They were so excited to make something for themselves with pretty colors and shiny stickers. They even insisted on having their pictures taken with their books. The kids are absolutely precious and treat us like celebrities--I had several moms hand me their babies just to have a picture taken with me. It has been very humbling to see how they live and how readily they accept us. God is so sweet to allow me the privilege of being here. Although the day was hectic, and I am very tired, I am excited to see what God has planned for tomorrow. I don´t want to miss one whisper He speaks or one fingerprint He leaves! Our God is truly amazing!

Resting in His arms (especially on the taxi rides!),
Tera

Shamon Update

2008-06-23T08:29:00.000-04:00

Well here we are. Today we will start soccer camps. I am looking forward to it. Things have been good so far, of course we are in South America and don´t speak the language, and that creates so many issues like trying to have the desk clerk at the hotel set up a wake up call only to have the guy come knocking on my door three seconds later and i am standing there not dressed to take company.... Moving around in a big group to and fro is tough. It takes very long to get around in a big group and it is wearing down Danny since he is translating for us. We went to a service last night where Mitch broke the record for the longest sermon ever. I think it went like three or four hours....

Here we go!

2008-06-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Yolanda here...

Today is the first day we´ll get to spend with the kids, and I think we´re all ready for that! I am so excited to be able to play volleyball with the groups of older girls- that was such a special thing last time. I hope that I am able to have some one on one with them.

This trip so far has been much different from last time. The hotel is nice, we have been eating great restaurant meals, and I even got a hot shower this morning! It almost feels like this part is the vacation! I am sure I will be exhausted by tonight... out schedule is very busy. Please pray for strength and endurance for all of us!

Yesterday was incredibly long, but wonderful. We ended the day by going to a local church service. It was wonderful to worship with the local congregation, even though I understood very little of it (except for Mitch York`s LONG message!). It is cool that we are working with local churches!

Ok, it is time for breakfast, so I am going to take advantage of tea and toast!

Rest Up And Ready to Go

2008-06-22T13:53:00.000-04:00

We are all rest up and ready to go after our long travel from Tampa to Lima and finally to Chiclayo, Peru. Everyone seems to be in great spirit. I guess we will find out how energize we really are whenever Andy gets down stairs for lunch.

Wardell

Thank you Lord for our safe trip to Chiclayo. Unfortunately, our bag did not make it to Peru. We are anxious and hopefully that we will receive it within 5 days. We are blessed and are ready to meet the children.

Novene

Traveling Man

2008-06-22T10:55:00.000-04:00

We spent Saturday on three planes and hold up in multiple airport terminals but we finally made it to Chiclayo, Peru with most (but not all) of our luggage. All of the equipment and supplies made it but Wardell, Novene, and Andy are missing bags. I can loan Andy a shirt but Novene with out her wardrobe is a fashion disaster waiting to happen. Hopefully the bags will be here today. Here is a picture of the team killing six hours in the Lima terminal.

Tampa Tribune Article About Our Mission Trip!

2008-06-15T21:30:00.000-04:00

Church Mission Gets Ball Rolling

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/14/pa-church-mission-gets-ball-rolling/

By DIANE LOEBEL
The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 14, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Twenty-one people from First Baptist Church of New Tampa will leave June 21 for a weeklong mission trip to Chiclayo, Peru.

This year - the Wesley Chapel church's fifth in Peru - the group will work with missionary Juan Barone Vargas, Peruvian and Chiclayo government officials, educators, schools and individuals from mission teams already in the country.

The church funds Vargas and budgets money annually for a mission trip. Team members kick in extra money for personal items that aren't covered. Fundraisers are held throughout the year.
"The program is very well-received, with great support from the congregation," said Jim Allee, an associate pastor at the church.

This year, the group again will stage soccer camps. Last year's camps drew about 260 children from the rural Zania Valley area.

More than 450 youngsters from shantytowns across the coastal city of Chiclayo have signed up for soccer this year after hearing about the camps at school, church and by word of mouth.
"We hold soccer camps in Wesley Chapel in spring and fall," Allee said. "They are very popular and very well-attended. We adapted our local soccer program for the mission program."
First Baptist officials say the soccer ministry is a good way to encourage children to go to church. Vacation Bible School studies are intermingled with the soccer sessions.

Youngsters ages 6 to 12 play on concrete or dirt because there's no grass. In the morning, children 3 to 5 keep busy with crafts and Bible stories. All are fed a nutritious lunch daily.
"The children love it," church mission director Michael Ritchie said. "They don't have a chance to play organized soccer in their towns and villages, although they do have village teams that compete with each other. The kids are tough. If they fall on the cement, they just get right back up and keep going."

Four two-day camps are offered, with a tournament capping the mission trip. Each participant receives a T-shirt, medal and photo. Tournament winners also get trophies and soccer balls.
In the evenings, the missionaries work with adults in neighboring churches and villages.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF NEW TAMPA
WHERE: 28125 County Line Road, Wesley Chapel
WORSHIP: 8:15 and 10:50 a.m. Sundays; 9:30 a.m. is Sunday school for all ages; 6:30 p.m. Wednesday is Bible study; a Spanish mission service is at 7 p.m. Saturday
CALL: (813) 907-1685
ONLINE: www.fbcnewtampa.org

To suggest a Faith in Focus feature, call Jeff Scullin, (813) 779-4614; write him at The Tampa Tribune, 38112 15th Ave., Zephyrhills FL 33542; or e-mail jscullin@tampatrib.com.

Mission Support Letter

2008-06-02T14:52:00.000-04:00

Dear Mission Support Team,

It’s almost time to go and we are getting very excited! In-country missionaries Juan and Alicia have been busy contacting local schools and setting up locations for us to do soccer camps with elementary aged children and vacation bible schools with preschoolers. They have told us to prepare for over 400 children! We praise God for opening these doors of ministry to us.

We are still putting the final details in place and preparing for our departure. We’ve ordered our supplies and we’re getting our vaccines. We’re trying to learn some songs in Spanish and we’re preparing our hearts for whatever God has for us to do. We ask that you continue to pray for us in these final weeks of preparation and especially while we are away.

Specific prayer needs:
· God’s blessing for Juan, Alicia and their family.
· The Holy Spirit to go before us and open the hearts of the children and parents we will meet.
· That our spiritual eyes would be open to God’s hand at work and that we would each be changed by our time in Peru.
· Health and safety as we travel. We will leave on June 21st.
· Safety and protection for our children and their caregivers left behind.

Thank you for your prayers and support for this ministry. We look forward to sharing with you when we return!

Serving Him,
Peru Mission Team

Come celebrate with us!

Please join us for our Missions Dinner
Wednesday, July 9th at 6:00pm
At First Baptist Church of New Tampa

We’ll be sharing photos and testimony from our Peru trip.
Come see how your prayers and financial support made an impact
on the people of Peru and on us!

Please RSVP to the church office (813-907-1685) by Friday, July 4th

We are located at 28125 County Line Rd. Wesley Chapel, FL 33543
Just off Bruce B. Downs, across from Super Target--Inside Meadow Pointe Subdivision

Gearing Up

2008-05-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that we'll be in Peru in just three short weeks! I know that time will go by very quickly, and I'm trying to prepare myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. We had a team meeting Tuesday night, and I think I was becoming a bit overwhelmed with the thought of us all trying to coordinate 21 people going on this trip, the enormity of knowing that we'll have about 400 (!!) kids to minister to, and the reality of what a challenge it is to fund all of it. All along, we have wanted to give the children of Peru the same opportunity our own kids have when they play soccer-- a t-shirt, medal, and picture. That was much a much easier task to accomplish last year, when we had less than half of that number, but what a wonderful "problem" to have!!

Shamon, Christian, and I went today to get shots-- yellow fever for all of us, and tetanus for Shamon and me (probably a good idea... I was a little nervous last year when I scratched myself on a rusty iron fence!). Christian was the first one to get poked, and he took the needle like a champ, even after we told him it was an early birthday present (his birthday's Monday)! ;) I'm so proud of him; he is so ready to just take in the whole experience, and is quite adventurous. I can't wait to see what God is going to do in my baby's life while we're in Peru!

Please, please continue to pray for us! We covet the petitions you place before the throne of God on our behalf. It's only through the power of prayer that we will be able to accomplish anything on our trip, and I SO want to show God off and glorify Him!

Those shots have wiped me out, so I'm off to bed!

Schedule of Activities 2008

2008-05-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

Schedule of Activities

Sunday 22
5.10 am - Arrive in Chiclayo
1.00 pm - Orientation and Coordinating Meeting
6.00 pm - Sunday Service (Jesús the Savior Church)
8.30 pm - Dinner

Monday 23
7.30 am - Breakfast
9.00 am – Soccer Camps
1.00 pm - Lunch
3.00 pm – Soccer Camps
5.15 pm – Minister to families
8.00 pm - Dinner

Tuesday 24
7.30 am - Breakfast
9.00 am – Soccer Camps
1.00 pm - Lunch
3.00 pm – Soccer Camps
5.15 pm – Minister to families
8.00 pm – Dinner

Wednesday 25
Down day to recover and regroup

Thursday 26
7.30 am - Breakfast
9.00 am – Soccer Camps
1.00 pm - Lunch
3.00 pm – Soccer Camps
5.15 pm – Minister to families
8.00 pm – Dinner

Friday 27
7.30 am - Breakfast
9.00 am – Soccer Camps
1.00 pm - Lunch
3.00 pm – Soccer Camps
5.15 pm – Minister to families
8.00 pm – Dinner

Saturday 28
9:00 am Local Ministry
5.00 pm Airport Return trip to Lima

Peru Chiclayo 2008 Soccer Mission

2008-05-23T14:14:00.000-04:00

Here we are again, preparing to embark on our second soccer mission to the Chiclayo area of Peru. The trip this year involves many of the same people as last year and will take place June 21 2008 through June 28 2008. Planning and preperation are well underway.

Maggy

2007-06-29T18:34:00.000-04:00

Is been great so far, I had a great time watching the guys playing really hard with kids half their age. I say they were just fine, for all of them being in their 30´s or mid 40´s. :)
God´s is been so good to us during this time, we will be back soon and our prayers need to be with the Missionaries here Lisa, Juan Baron and his wife Alicia.

Our last day

2007-06-29T18:15:00.000-04:00

Today was our last day of camp for each group. I think all of the guys will be limping around for days to come... after playing soccer all day with the kids, they faced each other, and then the locals. Our guys played really well together, but I have to say that they struggled a bit to match the skills of these men. Tomorrow is the big tournement with kids from each of the four areas we´ve visited facing off for the championship. Talk is big all over town, and I think we´ll have quite a turnout. We´re really excited to see what tomorrow brings. After the tournement, we head out to Chiclyo to begin our journey back to Lima, where some of us will fly home and some will continue on to Machu Pichu.

We had a wonderful time of fellowship and prayer last night. This part of Peru is really sunk in witchcraft, and you can tell that there´s warfare going on-- but nothing God doesn´t already have a handle on. It´s so important for us to continue to build relationships with these people so that they can understand that our only motive for being here is to tell them about Jesus and show them His love.

Í had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with four teen-aged girls, who I had been playing volleyball with until they stopped and asked if they could practice their English. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to practice my Spanish, and Maggie gave us a tract to go over together. I was able to share on a very intimate basis God´s love for them and His perfect plan for them. Surprisingly, I was also able to share with Molly, an American Peace Corp volunteer who is working with us. Each one in our group could share similar stories... I´m learning that missions work is all about making yourself available to the people around you.

I will be sad to leave tomorrow. The time has gone by so quickly, and we´ve made a little home away from home here--with the exception of the toilets and the cold showers! ;) I´m really going to miss the kids and their bright smiles and hugs, and the parents thanking us for being here. Today, as our group left Popan Bajo, a little old lady who knew Mitch and Debbie from their trip in October was there. She had the Bible that they had given her from that trip and asked us to come back again and again. That´s what it´s all about!

Shamon Updates Again!

2007-06-29T18:12:00.000-04:00

OK, here it is Friday already and I have only had one hot shower since we left the states. The cold showers are starting to get a little old. We wrapped up todays camps and visits and had a wonderful time today. The way the camps work is that we start the day with a devotional for the kids, then play half a game. These kids can play! We then include devotionals during the day in between the half times and games. These kids really love to play and they will do it all day. They are really excited to see us show up in the mornings. It really touches your heart to see them interact with us and talk to us. We have now run four two day camps. The camps are in different areas, and we will have a "Copa de Peru" tomorrow where we have chosen twelve kids from each camp to represent their area in a tournament. That will be played tomorrow morning in the town sadium. The kids are really pumped about it. After the tournament we will give the winners some new balls and take all the kids and their parents out to eat.

For these camps, we broke down into two teams and each team ran two camps that were two days each. After the teams came back in today, we had a "Copa de Gringo" where a bunch of the local people watched us make fools of ourselves when we played each other. Andy´s team won, but only because the game was on concrete and the other team had been playing in the sand all week.

The funniest thing happened the other day, while playing the kids in one of the remote sites, Mitch York was putting the ball in play via a corner kick. Well, he ended up kicking the cow crap farther then the ball. Today, when we were playing, I was passed the ball and turned around to see that I was being covered by a cow. I was able to beat the cow to the ball though. This place is a hoot.

We spent some great time in prayer last night with everyone in our group and were able to take a few minutes to catch our breath and talk things trough. The group really enjoyed it, and needed it, we were able to use the time to refocus on why we were here. It is really easy to get lost in the busyness of what we are doing.

It is funny, almost everyone has decided that they will be back next year to do this again. This has just made such an impact on the communities and us. I am trying to talk Landy into moving down here with me and living in a adobe hut in the middle of nowhere. All we would need is a couple of chickens and a cow.

Shamon

Mitch York here...

2007-06-28T18:37:00.000-04:00

I have very little time to post... the kids have been awesome and we have been well received. In other news, I have now played soccer for the first time in my life, two days in a row. I can say two more sentences in Spanish very well... ¨My enitire body hurts and I want to die.¨ To make it worse, I have been playing with 11 year olds and tomorrow the local adults want us to play them.

Young Mitch taught a great lesson two nights ago and Mike Ritchey gave a fantastic message after we sowed the fïlm Facing Giants. Everyone at FBCNT should be proud of the group they are stepping up and doing great things. Andy got bit by a wasp on the mouth but other than that, everyone is ok. God bless and see you all soon.

Now it´s my turn...

2007-06-27T22:23:00.000-04:00

Yolanda, here. I just wanted to share what an amazing experience this has been so far. We have been so warmly received by the people here... it has been very humbling. They are so excited that someone from the "outside" has come so far just to see them.

The soccer clinics have been a great way to reach out to the people. The kids have been so excited... they could hardly wait to show us their soccer skills, and let me tell you that they are GOOD. It touched me so to see them cheer and jump up and down when we stopped to pick a group up this morning. They were thrilled to get their picture and metal this afternoon at the closing ceremony at this site. The players chosen for the "Peru Cup" that will be played Saturday, as well as their parents, were so proud of this honor. We go to another area tomorrow to work with another group of kids for the next two days.

I was so moved today when the group of locals presented each one of us with gifts and one person after another stood to thank us. These people, who are the definition of the word "dirt poor", gave us gifts to thank us, when we had already recieved such a gift of being with them. There have been some very exciting conversations with the adults, but I´ll let the others share that.

We´re all already planning our next trip. Shamon and I have totally fallen in love with two 12 year old boys and want to bring them home with us, and I´m sure we´ll find more the next few days. The people here are precious. We are all totally exhausted (so excuse any part of this post that doesn´t make sense), but are out of this world excited about what´s happening and what´s to come... not just for this trip, but for future ones. Start praying now about how God wants you to be involved in the days to come. He´s planning an amazing work here, and we would miss out on so much if we don´t join.

On one last note, I wanted to share how God provides for His children. Julia wanted me to tell you that their group fed 72 people with 5 chickens. Talk about fishes and loaves! I´m most thankful that me, the queen of making trips to the bathroom, have been spared the experience of using the local baños at the soccer fields. God is, indeed, very gracious to me! *)

More stories to come!

Hola From Peru!

2007-06-27T22:09:00.000-04:00

Hello Guys!

This is Shamon saying hi for the group in Peru. We are sitting in an internet cafe in Cayalti Peru. Currently we are in the middle of showing the locals the movie Facing the Giants. The movie theater is very state of the art. Basically it consists of a movie projector hooked up to a laptop and projecting on the side of a building. The people that are watching the movie are sitting in chairs in the middle of the street. I hope they are enjoying it.

It has been hard to get internet access because we have been on the run constantly for the last three days. The soccer clinics to date could not have been any better, but there is nothing that we are teaching the kids about soccer. They are very good.

We broke down into two groups for the clinics that we have been running. Basically, we have the kids broken down into multiple teams and then they play each other throughout the day. In the breaks between half times and after games we give short devotionals. The kids have been very responsive to this so far. They love the attention. Loving on these kids really leaves a lasting impression.

Andy says hello everyone!

The camp that I have been involved in was in a very remote area. It was amazing how we bounced along a dirt road in the middle of the barren desert for an hour to come to a little adobe hut with tin roof and there is a little sandy field that we are playing soccer on.

Oh yeah, so far Andy has been stung by a wasp and fell through a chair (had to get that in). This has been much enjoyment for the rest of us.

Shamon

The schedule..

2007-06-22T12:12:00.000-04:00

Monday
11:00 Arrive chiclayo
12:00 to 1:00 Orientation and Coordination
1:30 to 2:30 Lunch
2:30 to 3:30 Travel to Zaña - Hostal “Santa Ana”
4:00 to 6:30 Prayer walk in 4 work sites
7:00 to 8:00 Supper (Santa Ana)Bible Study in church

Tuesday - Friday

7:30 to 8:30 Breakfast and Devotional
9:00 to 10:00 Classes with children 3 – 5 years old
10:00 to 3:00 Soccer camp with children 6-12 years old / Lunch with children
3:00 to 5:30 Ministry to families in the community (team testimony)
7:00 to 7:45 Supper
8:00 to 9:30 Bible Study/Evangelistic film

Saturday

7:30 to 8:30 Breakfast and Devotional
9:00 to 12:00 Peru Cup Soccer
12:30 to 1:00 Awards Ceremony/Thanksgiving service
1:00 to 2:30 Lunch
3:30 Return to Chiclayo
6:30 Farewell supper
9:00 Airport / Travel to LimaHotel
11:00 Hotel in lima