Thursday, July 26, 2012
Mission Namibia: Day 1
First full day of ministry in Namibia today and the team is doing great! Started the morning by doing part of our program at St George's Primary School (elementary)...the team was really well received and were actually asked for their autographs. It was a great time with these children and our students did an amazing job.
After the assembly the team came back to the Bullington's house for some prep time and lunch...and at this point, Ronny was finally able to catch up with the group. After lunch, we headed out to a township called Katatura where we did some songs, skits, and bible stories for an after school program run by Oma Christine. There were about 140 children there who get fed and then take part in a bible study usually led by Dana Bullington. It was a great experience for our students as they broke up into small groups with the children to get to know them and pray with them.
After our time in Katatura, we headed back into town to get set up for our program in the morning at St George's College (high school)...when we returned to the Bullington's house we ate dinner and enjoyed some time talking through the day. These students have been absolutely amazing and our church and parents should be extremely proud of how they have and are living out their faith.
In all it was a very good day...can't wait to see what God has in store for us tomorrow.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Thursday = Work + Bunko + Muchas Sonrias
So Thursday was a day of trying to finish off some of the work projects that we started at the beginning of the week. One of the groups went back to shoveling in order to finish taking the top layer of sand type dirt off of the Wheeler's back yard so that they could start gardening and putting fresh plants back there. We started by taking about a 5-6 inch layer out and then filling it back in with about 3-4 inches of good dirt and topped with a couple of inches of top soil. It took a lot of sweat and grunt to get it done, but by the end of the work time Thursday, it was finished. Another part of the group was in the gym to finish up painting white on the walls...we'll post pictures of the finished project, but you can take my word for it that it is muy bonito. We also finished spreading the dirt into the holes on the yard by the kids' houses...there are still more holes, but we ran out of top soil so we can call that project completed for lack of more soil. A couple of our girls cleaned out a shed that housed canned food, rice, toiletry items, and other things that needed to be cleared out based on expiration dates. Needless to say, yesterday was a day of finishing up so that today we could spend the day playing with the kids since they are out of school for a holiday. Will post more about that later...since we're only eating breakfast at the moment.
After we finished the work yesterday, we got to have dinner all together in the Comedor (the cafeteria) and they ordered Dominos Pizza for us and all of the kids at the home. It was a great time of hanging out with the kids and just enjoying the sonrias (smiles) around all of the tables. When dinner was over, the team got to spend some more time with the kids before they had to go over to the other side of the Home to get ready for bed. The older girls got to stay on this side to play Bunko until it was time for them to go back over to their housing. The Comedor was alive with Spanglish counting and yells of Bunko...it was a very entertaining evening and all the kids (orphans and team) had so much fun!
We ended our time with our team meeting where many of our students got to share about the things that God has been showing them this week. I wanted to share one story in particular where one of our team, Drew, was talking with one of the older girls about Jesus and what He means to him. The girl said that she was a believer and shared some of her story which she doesn't usually tell many people. In the midst of the conversation, she said to him that the Lord told her to say that he was called to minister to orphans and the oppressed in poor communities...the incredible thing about that is Drew had shared earlier in the week that he was praying for God to give him direction as to what path in ministry that he was supposed to follow. For Drew, this was a moment of clarity in his seeking God's will.
Looking back on yesterday and the whole week, I'd have to say that I'm extremely proud of our team for the work they have been able to get done. More than that, I have really been impressed by our kids jumping in and trying to communicate with these children in spite of the language barrier...I truly believe that our team will be changed for the better by this experience and I can't wait until they get home to tell you their stories.
After we finished the work yesterday, we got to have dinner all together in the Comedor (the cafeteria) and they ordered Dominos Pizza for us and all of the kids at the home. It was a great time of hanging out with the kids and just enjoying the sonrias (smiles) around all of the tables. When dinner was over, the team got to spend some more time with the kids before they had to go over to the other side of the Home to get ready for bed. The older girls got to stay on this side to play Bunko until it was time for them to go back over to their housing. The Comedor was alive with Spanglish counting and yells of Bunko...it was a very entertaining evening and all the kids (orphans and team) had so much fun!
We ended our time with our team meeting where many of our students got to share about the things that God has been showing them this week. I wanted to share one story in particular where one of our team, Drew, was talking with one of the older girls about Jesus and what He means to him. The girl said that she was a believer and shared some of her story which she doesn't usually tell many people. In the midst of the conversation, she said to him that the Lord told her to say that he was called to minister to orphans and the oppressed in poor communities...the incredible thing about that is Drew had shared earlier in the week that he was praying for God to give him direction as to what path in ministry that he was supposed to follow. For Drew, this was a moment of clarity in his seeking God's will.
Looking back on yesterday and the whole week, I'd have to say that I'm extremely proud of our team for the work they have been able to get done. More than that, I have really been impressed by our kids jumping in and trying to communicate with these children in spite of the language barrier...I truly believe that our team will be changed for the better by this experience and I can't wait until they get home to tell you their stories.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday and Wednesday = More Shoveling + More Painting + Antigua + Futbol
Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday...we were beat! We started the day off with 8 of our group going to a soccer game with some of the students from the school. There job was to watch the younger kids at the game and hang out with them as they enjoyed the games. They went to the Guatemala National Team Stadium to watch two games...the first was two under 15 teams (El Salvador and a South Korean team that were Christians) and the second was one of the Guatemalan professional teams (Rojos) and they played the older South Korean team. It was a Christian outreach event and our team had a great time...though some of them came back a little red.
While that group was gone, the rest of the group continued working at the home. One group worked on painting the gym which we are very close to finishing (only have 3 tall ladders to be able to get the top rafters so it makes it go a little slower) and the other part of the group worked on shoveling more dirt to fill in holes in the yard by the boys and girls houses while others filled up planter boxes with rock, sand, dirt, and top soil. Needless to say this was a really draining day, but our kids kept smiling and kept working. We even had more of the little kids from the home come out and work alongside of us.
By the end of the day we were spent, but we headed out to dinner with the kids again. Now just so you can get a glimpse of what dinners are like for us, we have split into four groups that will make the rounds to the four different houses. Each group has now gone to the younger girls, older girls, younger boys, and older boys houses. Each house has a long table that the kids sit at and our team joins them to have lots of laughs and some awkward moments of no talking with the language barrier...but those are ok because laughs tend to follow. Each dinner has some form of black beans with tortillas and some other added dish like eggs mixed with tomatoes, baked plantains (which are like small bananas), chips, and every night we have had some kind of sour cream sauce.
Then later last night we got to sit and listen to how the Wheelers came to Guatemala and what God has been doing in their lives since then. It was really cool to hear them talk about the children here...you can tell how much they love each one of these kids by how well they know each one of the children's stories. Our kids asked questions and we got a better picture as to what life is like here in the Children's Home.
So then today we took our trip to Antigua which was a great break in the middle of the trip. We had breakfast at Casa Santa Domingo which was so incredible...homemade omelets, sausage, bacon, pancakes, fruit, tamales, and more. We all got our fill and then some. After breakfast we began our tours. We started by going to Azotea Coffee Farm and got an education on how to be a coffee farmer. Then we headed to a nunnery to tour around and see an old church building that was around 400 years old. It was really impressive and there was actually a room down in the basement that was kind of an echo chamber where we spent about 20 minutes singing Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, and some other songs. It was really cool to get a moment of worship on our fun day, but also it sounded really awesome! After we finished touring the nunnery, we headed over to get some chicken at Pollo Campero before going into the open market. It was a really great and relaxing day.
We came back in time for dinner in the homes and then headed over to the gym for a little soccer with the older boys. We had a massive game with about 25 or so playing in the gym...needless to say there wasn't much room to move around, but we had a good time anyway. After the kids had to go to bed, our team played a little friendly game of 7 on 8 which got everyone tired out before a little game of 5 on 5 basketball.
I'd have to say it was a good day! Tomorrow we start back on our work projects and hopefully will get finished with them because the kids are out of school on Friday and we're hoping/planning to play with the different aged kids throughout the day. Keep praying for good connections and safety while we work. You can see some pictures on Ronny's or David Woodard's Facebooks.
While that group was gone, the rest of the group continued working at the home. One group worked on painting the gym which we are very close to finishing (only have 3 tall ladders to be able to get the top rafters so it makes it go a little slower) and the other part of the group worked on shoveling more dirt to fill in holes in the yard by the boys and girls houses while others filled up planter boxes with rock, sand, dirt, and top soil. Needless to say this was a really draining day, but our kids kept smiling and kept working. We even had more of the little kids from the home come out and work alongside of us.
By the end of the day we were spent, but we headed out to dinner with the kids again. Now just so you can get a glimpse of what dinners are like for us, we have split into four groups that will make the rounds to the four different houses. Each group has now gone to the younger girls, older girls, younger boys, and older boys houses. Each house has a long table that the kids sit at and our team joins them to have lots of laughs and some awkward moments of no talking with the language barrier...but those are ok because laughs tend to follow. Each dinner has some form of black beans with tortillas and some other added dish like eggs mixed with tomatoes, baked plantains (which are like small bananas), chips, and every night we have had some kind of sour cream sauce.
Then later last night we got to sit and listen to how the Wheelers came to Guatemala and what God has been doing in their lives since then. It was really cool to hear them talk about the children here...you can tell how much they love each one of these kids by how well they know each one of the children's stories. Our kids asked questions and we got a better picture as to what life is like here in the Children's Home.
So then today we took our trip to Antigua which was a great break in the middle of the trip. We had breakfast at Casa Santa Domingo which was so incredible...homemade omelets, sausage, bacon, pancakes, fruit, tamales, and more. We all got our fill and then some. After breakfast we began our tours. We started by going to Azotea Coffee Farm and got an education on how to be a coffee farmer. Then we headed to a nunnery to tour around and see an old church building that was around 400 years old. It was really impressive and there was actually a room down in the basement that was kind of an echo chamber where we spent about 20 minutes singing Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, and some other songs. It was really cool to get a moment of worship on our fun day, but also it sounded really awesome! After we finished touring the nunnery, we headed over to get some chicken at Pollo Campero before going into the open market. It was a really great and relaxing day.
We came back in time for dinner in the homes and then headed over to the gym for a little soccer with the older boys. We had a massive game with about 25 or so playing in the gym...needless to say there wasn't much room to move around, but we had a good time anyway. After the kids had to go to bed, our team played a little friendly game of 7 on 8 which got everyone tired out before a little game of 5 on 5 basketball.
I'd have to say it was a good day! Tomorrow we start back on our work projects and hopefully will get finished with them because the kids are out of school on Friday and we're hoping/planning to play with the different aged kids throughout the day. Keep praying for good connections and safety while we work. You can see some pictures on Ronny's or David Woodard's Facebooks.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday = Paint + Shovel
This morning we began our work projects at NLCH and it was a fun one at that. Part of the group went to the gym and began to clean and paint the walls and rafters. I think the guy in charge was thinking that this was going to be a really long project for us, but at the end of the day, we had all of the walls and most of the rafters finished. The other part of the group went to the other side of the property to do some landscaping work. A couple of guys filled in holes with dirt while the others picked up paving stones in order to level out the dirt underneath as they get ready to build a gazebo in the middle of the dorms for the children to enjoy. Our team worked really hard today and I can say that I was proud of each one of them as they worked through the rain to try and get our tasks done.
This evening we had dinner with the children again and then spent the rest of the evening playing games. Some were giving kids rides on shoulders or backs, spinning kids around, and all kinds of other fun stuff. The older girls group sat out on their porch and played bunko on the picnic tables while the older boys group played capture the flag again in the gym. Needless to say we all had lots of fun and plenty of laughter.
I'll share one quick story from one of our team that was working on the paving stones before signing off. As the guys were working, a couple of the little children were watching them work. All of a sudden as they were picking up these stones, one of the little kids that was about 5 or 6 came out and started picking up stones with them and carrying them to the stacks. It was really a cool thing because the kids had watched our team serving and something clicked for this little guy that he needed to be out there with them working on this project. It blessed the guys that were working to see that kind of response and hopefully the little boy will understand that yes we are here to do some work to make their living quarters look nicer, but ultimately we are here to serve God through working and interacting with these children in a way to show that they are loved by the Creator and that they have not been forgotten.
This evening we had dinner with the children again and then spent the rest of the evening playing games. Some were giving kids rides on shoulders or backs, spinning kids around, and all kinds of other fun stuff. The older girls group sat out on their porch and played bunko on the picnic tables while the older boys group played capture the flag again in the gym. Needless to say we all had lots of fun and plenty of laughter.
I'll share one quick story from one of our team that was working on the paving stones before signing off. As the guys were working, a couple of the little children were watching them work. All of a sudden as they were picking up these stones, one of the little kids that was about 5 or 6 came out and started picking up stones with them and carrying them to the stacks. It was really a cool thing because the kids had watched our team serving and something clicked for this little guy that he needed to be out there with them working on this project. It blessed the guys that were working to see that kind of response and hopefully the little boy will understand that yes we are here to do some work to make their living quarters look nicer, but ultimately we are here to serve God through working and interacting with these children in a way to show that they are loved by the Creator and that they have not been forgotten.
Monday, June 27, 2011
First Full Day
Well today we started early by going to church at Fraternidad Cristiana which is one of the largest churches in Central America. It really gives you perspective to worship in a church where everything that is done from the front is in a language that is unfamiliar to you. The cool thing was that they did a few songs that we recognized (I am a Friend of God, Revelation Song, and Glory to God) and we got to experience what it is like to listen through an interpreter. We really had a great experience worshipping.
We spent the afternoon playing with the kids...game after game after game of soccer in the gym and lots of hair and nails being done with some of the other kids (Chris Rhodes and Rowan Meyer were great models). It was a really fun evening before heading to the houses for dinner with the kids. The team split into four groups to go to the older boys, older girls, younger boys, and younger girls houses to eat some black beans, tortillas, sour cream, and an egg corn mixture. It was really good.
Then we spent the rest of the night playing capture the flag with the older boys, and doing more hair and nails with the girls (again Rowan and Chris played along well).
Then we had our team time where the kids got to share what they had seen and experienced throughout the day...it seems as though everyone had a great time so far. We finished off the evening with a prayer time which I'll share with you the majority of the requests so that you can be praying with us:
1) Team dynamics...not that we are having issues, but pray with us that we will be encouraging and positive tomorrow as we begin our work projects.2) That we will be able to accurately portray the love of Christ to these kids as we are here...even with the language barrier.
3) Continued health for the team...no problems yet...keep praying!
Thanks so much for your love and support as we are here. Talk to you again next time...
Saturday, June 25, 2011
We are here...
Hey friends,
We just wanted to send a quick message out to let you all know that we arrived safely and are getting settled in at New Life Children's Home. If you want more info on the place we are staying for the week then you can look online at www.nlch.net and see where we are.
We landed about 7pm local time (which is 8pm Texas time) and started our journey to the Home. When we arrived they had Pollo Campero waiting for us which is a great chicken place down here...the crazy thing is that there are a couple PC's up in the metroplex area as well.
Anyway we spent some time debriefing with Joy and Jared Smallwood and are now getting ready to hit the sack. Tomorrow we will worship at a local church and tour the NLCH before getting to spend some time playing with the children here.
Please pray for us as we begin our ministry journey here. We will talk to you again soon...and hopefully we'll have pictures for you.
Blessings,
Ronny
We just wanted to send a quick message out to let you all know that we arrived safely and are getting settled in at New Life Children's Home. If you want more info on the place we are staying for the week then you can look online at www.nlch.net and see where we are.
We landed about 7pm local time (which is 8pm Texas time) and started our journey to the Home. When we arrived they had Pollo Campero waiting for us which is a great chicken place down here...the crazy thing is that there are a couple PC's up in the metroplex area as well.
Anyway we spent some time debriefing with Joy and Jared Smallwood and are now getting ready to hit the sack. Tomorrow we will worship at a local church and tour the NLCH before getting to spend some time playing with the children here.
Please pray for us as we begin our ministry journey here. We will talk to you again soon...and hopefully we'll have pictures for you.
Blessings,
Ronny
Friday, June 24, 2011
Leaving on a jet plane...
Hey guys,
Tomorrow a group of 20 students and adults will be getting on a plane and heading out to Villa Nueva, Guatemala to work alongside missionaries at the New Life Children's Home. This will be our second visit to the Children's Home, the first being in 2008 which was an awesome trip. This year we are going down to do some work around the facilities...landscaping, painting, and other odds and ends...as well as get to know the orphans who live there. We are very excited about this opportunity and we ask that you pray with us that God would be glorified in all that we do while we are there. Thanks for your prayers and keep checking back to get updates as we are there.
Blessings,
HSM
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