Hi all......
First of all, thanks for all the prayer support you have given us, it shows. All of us are feeling ok except for some congestion issues and lack of sleep, but it is minor. We thank the Lord for good health on this trip.
Yesterday was a very full day. We had a couple of English classes, one at the San Ramon school and one at Steven Hawking High School where Bethany teaches. They went very well. We did our cooking classes at the American Cooking Institute, making french toast, hash browns and stovetop applecrisp. The students really liked it. Jay, Joel, Hal and Mark had several basketball clinics with more today. Tarma is very into basketball, much more so than soccer. Tim did his presentation on time management to about 50 people and they were riveted. We all know Tim hates to speak in front of crowds, but he does such a marvelous job of it. God has just given him the gift for teaching.
Today we are at the American Institute painting 3 rooms for Jose and his wife Diana. Lots of sanding, priming, taping and painting. The students are cooking in rooms all around us and we are taking lots of pictures.
Tonight is the final goodbye dinner with all of the contacts we have made down here. It will be sad to say farewell as all the people we have met are so wonderful. Please pray that the ministry down here continues to grow and that they get male leaders in order to start a formal church. Women can do almost anything, but the Bible does make it plain that male leaders are needed.
This is a ministry that is growing very quickly and we pray that it multiplies in Gods timing.
We have had a blast working our butts off here in Tarma and I know a lot of us would like to come back to help some more.
Tommorrow is travel day, so pray for safety on the roads, as we are coming down to Lima from 15000 feet. It will be long and very tiring as we then get on a plane at 1 am to fly back to Atlanta.
Pray that we have the energy to drive home from Chicago at 1 in the afternoon when we get back there.
This mission has been a joy and we pray God makes it fruitful!
Your Tarma Team
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tourist Day
Today was our ´tourist´day in the area of San Ramon. We took two small buses down the mountain about 2 hours from Tarma to visit the waterfall at Tirol.
It is just amazing to see God´s handiwork everywhere you look! When we started going down, we all could see the change in the vegetation and the increase in humidity. It was Eric who said, ¨Just think, God was sitting at his desk one day and said ´Plants´ and all the variety just sprang into full blown life.¨ Just to think of that one exercise of God´s infinite power to create is very humbling and praiseworthy.
We stopped at the falls and most of us got our feet wet, but Nancy and Lina went all the way in.
They had soooo much fun! We then went to a native village called Pampamichi where they put us all in native dress and told us some of the history in the area....in Spanish. Most of us don´t understand much, so it was hard to get much out of it. Then, we participated in a couple of dances, posed with parrots and Eric made friends with a little monkey. Of course, there were the usual tourist things to buy (much like home).
We then had the driver and guide take us to the Highland Coffee operation just outside of San Ramon. We met a lovely young lady from Goshen, Indiana who was working there and took us through the small tour. She is Mennonite and doing her year of service here in Peru. She was so wonderful and it was a wonderful opportunity to talk with her in English. I think she enjoyed us also.
We then headed home about 1 hour late and were hustled of to dinner with a lady named Rut and to David´s final English presentation. We are very tired, but the day was wonderful.
Shane got chills last night and had aches and pains, but this morning was just fine to go with. Joel and David stayed back due to preparation and stomach issues.
Please continue to pray for our health as tommorrow and Friday are very full days...we have many invitations to different activities such as cooking class, preschool, dinner, etc with the people of this wonderful city.
Pray that we are touching lives for the glory of the Lord!!!
Your Tarma Team
It is just amazing to see God´s handiwork everywhere you look! When we started going down, we all could see the change in the vegetation and the increase in humidity. It was Eric who said, ¨Just think, God was sitting at his desk one day and said ´Plants´ and all the variety just sprang into full blown life.¨ Just to think of that one exercise of God´s infinite power to create is very humbling and praiseworthy.
We stopped at the falls and most of us got our feet wet, but Nancy and Lina went all the way in.
They had soooo much fun! We then went to a native village called Pampamichi where they put us all in native dress and told us some of the history in the area....in Spanish. Most of us don´t understand much, so it was hard to get much out of it. Then, we participated in a couple of dances, posed with parrots and Eric made friends with a little monkey. Of course, there were the usual tourist things to buy (much like home).
We then had the driver and guide take us to the Highland Coffee operation just outside of San Ramon. We met a lovely young lady from Goshen, Indiana who was working there and took us through the small tour. She is Mennonite and doing her year of service here in Peru. She was so wonderful and it was a wonderful opportunity to talk with her in English. I think she enjoyed us also.
We then headed home about 1 hour late and were hustled of to dinner with a lady named Rut and to David´s final English presentation. We are very tired, but the day was wonderful.
Shane got chills last night and had aches and pains, but this morning was just fine to go with. Joel and David stayed back due to preparation and stomach issues.
Please continue to pray for our health as tommorrow and Friday are very full days...we have many invitations to different activities such as cooking class, preschool, dinner, etc with the people of this wonderful city.
Pray that we are touching lives for the glory of the Lord!!!
Your Tarma Team
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday
Hi all..
Today was a very full day of work for the team. We split up into 3 different parts.
The ladies had another cooking class, this time making apple crisp on the stovetop. It was full of some of the same ladies that came yesterday. Nancy and Lina shared their testimony and it really moved the ladies that were there. One of them stated that she was glad she had someone to relate to in her struggles and was surprised that some of the things she had experienced happened in other places than Peru.
Some of the men, Eric, Shane, Randy, Tim and Dave Block were invited to talk about business values with a class of students at a culinary school owned by a believer in Tarma. About 30 twenty-somthings asked questions about what we did and how we were successful at it. In turn, we were able to talk about God´s role in all of life, business, family, church. A bit different than what you might expect at a technical school in the US.
The basketball clinic went well. Jay was invited to visit two other schools in the afternoon to work with the coaches in their own environment.
Several people also visited a private school English classroom. The classroom teacher is a staff member with ADIEL, the mission work hosting us in Tarma.
Pray for continued opportunities to cross the bridge from these ¨everyday¨ contacts to opportunities to show the love of Jesus in word and deed.
Your mission team in Tarma
Today was a very full day of work for the team. We split up into 3 different parts.
The ladies had another cooking class, this time making apple crisp on the stovetop. It was full of some of the same ladies that came yesterday. Nancy and Lina shared their testimony and it really moved the ladies that were there. One of them stated that she was glad she had someone to relate to in her struggles and was surprised that some of the things she had experienced happened in other places than Peru.
Some of the men, Eric, Shane, Randy, Tim and Dave Block were invited to talk about business values with a class of students at a culinary school owned by a believer in Tarma. About 30 twenty-somthings asked questions about what we did and how we were successful at it. In turn, we were able to talk about God´s role in all of life, business, family, church. A bit different than what you might expect at a technical school in the US.
The basketball clinic went well. Jay was invited to visit two other schools in the afternoon to work with the coaches in their own environment.
Several people also visited a private school English classroom. The classroom teacher is a staff member with ADIEL, the mission work hosting us in Tarma.
Pray for continued opportunities to cross the bridge from these ¨everyday¨ contacts to opportunities to show the love of Jesus in word and deed.
Your mission team in Tarma
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday
Well, we have almost completed our first full day of activities. The ladies had a cooking class at a tiny restaurant called Pepino´s Burger. We had ten local ladies for a class on making hash browns and french toast. They had never made anything like it, so they enjoyed it very much. Karen and Chris gave their testimonies to the ladies, also.
The men and Lina and Nancy went to shadow with a gentleman named Chicho, who owns several large shops here in Tarma. The ladies had a wonderful response with several women in tears. Pray that God has reached into their hearts with His love.
Some of the men spent time in the Plaza in front of our hotel doing surveys about the people and their belief in God and how they see the Holy Spirit and Jesus. They met a young man who is very sincere about his relationship with Jesus and spent a lot of time talking with the guys.
This trip has started out with a bang!! Thanks be to God for all the things he is doing with us here. We are so excited for tomorrow to begin. The last thing that is happening tonight is a presentation by Tim on time management. In Peru, people do not necessarily live by the clock...when you say 7, they may show up at 730 or 8 or not come at all. Life is quite relaxed here.
Please continue to pray for us all....Tim has had some congestion and sleep issues and Mark´s stomach is a bit off. Pray that we stay healthy and ready for the work the Lord has for us.
On a side note, it doesn´t matter where you go, the Packer game is still available to be watched. We came back from David´s English presentation and there were all the guys, camped out on the couch and watching the Packer game on Peruvian ESPN....you can take the guys out of the country and they STILL find football!!!!
Your Tarma Team
The men and Lina and Nancy went to shadow with a gentleman named Chicho, who owns several large shops here in Tarma. The ladies had a wonderful response with several women in tears. Pray that God has reached into their hearts with His love.
Some of the men spent time in the Plaza in front of our hotel doing surveys about the people and their belief in God and how they see the Holy Spirit and Jesus. They met a young man who is very sincere about his relationship with Jesus and spent a lot of time talking with the guys.
This trip has started out with a bang!! Thanks be to God for all the things he is doing with us here. We are so excited for tomorrow to begin. The last thing that is happening tonight is a presentation by Tim on time management. In Peru, people do not necessarily live by the clock...when you say 7, they may show up at 730 or 8 or not come at all. Life is quite relaxed here.
Please continue to pray for us all....Tim has had some congestion and sleep issues and Mark´s stomach is a bit off. Pray that we stay healthy and ready for the work the Lord has for us.
On a side note, it doesn´t matter where you go, the Packer game is still available to be watched. We came back from David´s English presentation and there were all the guys, camped out on the couch and watching the Packer game on Peruvian ESPN....you can take the guys out of the country and they STILL find football!!!!
Your Tarma Team
Sunday, November 7, 2010
It is Sunday!!! What a beautiful day to worship the Lord together. We had a wonderful little service after breakfast with Joel playing guitar and all of us singing. We went over the schedule and boy, is it packed with stuff to do!!! Please continue to pray for all the people here in Tarma and for all of us! We can feel your prayers as none of us are suffering from the altitude or other things at the moment.
Today is market day, so we went and bought all the ingredients for the cooking class....apples, potatoes, cinnamon, sugar, oil, etc. We will be going to the Indian Market in Lima when we get back, so not a lot of shopping has been done.
We are going to be planning the week´s activities today and resting a bit before Dave´s English for English teachers class this evening. Pray that the teachers show up.
Look for a post tomorrow, late.....
Gracia por sus oraciones.....
The Tarma Team
Today is market day, so we went and bought all the ingredients for the cooking class....apples, potatoes, cinnamon, sugar, oil, etc. We will be going to the Indian Market in Lima when we get back, so not a lot of shopping has been done.
We are going to be planning the week´s activities today and resting a bit before Dave´s English for English teachers class this evening. Pray that the teachers show up.
Look for a post tomorrow, late.....
Gracia por sus oraciones.....
The Tarma Team
Saturday, November 6, 2010
At last we have reached Tarma!!! It was a loooooong bus ride through the mountains, but they are so beautiful! Gods handiwork is very visible in all the beauty that surrounds us. We met Bethany, Elsa, Luis and Meredith and had dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel. All of us are very tired, but very happy to finally be here. Our hotel is the Hotel Galaxia on the Plaza de Armas in central Tarma.
Everyone is ok and ready for a week of wonderful ministry here in Tarma!! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts that got us here. Continue to pray for the ministries with the businessmen, the ladies and the basketball players.
Your missions Team in Tarma
Everyone is ok and ready for a week of wonderful ministry here in Tarma!! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts that got us here. Continue to pray for the ministries with the businessmen, the ladies and the basketball players.
Your missions Team in Tarma
Hola from Lima....
We made it through the first leg of travel with no problems!! Praise the Lord for that!! Today we are getting on the bus to Tarma and traveling in the mountains. This is a public bus, so we will be traveling with many other people today. Please pray for travel safety and the opportunity to witness to the people we are with. We are all excited about this mission and just pray that God will use our talents in the way He wants to. Thanks to all of you for praying for us, it has definitely been felt.
Your Mission Team
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Hello all...
Today we leave for Chicago to get on the plane for Tarma.....if we haven't got everything by now, its not important. Pray for the team that we will be humble servants to the work that is going on there and that we will reach people for the Kingdom...
Next post from Tarma!!!!
Your missions team,
Mark, Karen, Hal, Tim, Eric, Lina, Shane, Chris, Jay, Randy and Joel
Today we leave for Chicago to get on the plane for Tarma.....if we haven't got everything by now, its not important. Pray for the team that we will be humble servants to the work that is going on there and that we will reach people for the Kingdom...
Next post from Tarma!!!!
Your missions team,
Mark, Karen, Hal, Tim, Eric, Lina, Shane, Chris, Jay, Randy and Joel
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Countdown to Tarma!!! - 9 Days to go!
Here is a first post on our mission to Tarma, Peru from November 4-14, 2010.
Our mission is to go to Tarma with Faith EV Free supported missionary David Block to plug into his English as a second language ministry (ESL). We will be networking with 4 missionaries on the ground in Tarma: Bethany Kerr, Julio Rojas, Elsa Coruacho and Meridith McAllister. They work in various schools and have Bible studies in several businesses.
The main work with be presenting the Gospel through practical business studies such as time management and financial studies, among others. The men that are going will be presenting these, while the women will be working with the women on cooking and ESL teaching in a preschool and Steven Hawking High School.
We are exited about this mission as this is a new area for us to be going into. We ask for your prayers and thoughts as we go about this work of the Lord.
The people going are Mark and Karen Demers, Shane and Lina Hoffman, Eric Nei, Jay Grooters, Randy Grooters, Joel Duke, Nancy Richardson, Tim Friedrich, Hal Havisto and Christina Quam.
Here is a first post on our mission to Tarma, Peru from November 4-14, 2010.
Our mission is to go to Tarma with Faith EV Free supported missionary David Block to plug into his English as a second language ministry (ESL). We will be networking with 4 missionaries on the ground in Tarma: Bethany Kerr, Julio Rojas, Elsa Coruacho and Meridith McAllister. They work in various schools and have Bible studies in several businesses.
The main work with be presenting the Gospel through practical business studies such as time management and financial studies, among others. The men that are going will be presenting these, while the women will be working with the women on cooking and ESL teaching in a preschool and Steven Hawking High School.
We are exited about this mission as this is a new area for us to be going into. We ask for your prayers and thoughts as we go about this work of the Lord.
The people going are Mark and Karen Demers, Shane and Lina Hoffman, Eric Nei, Jay Grooters, Randy Grooters, Joel Duke, Nancy Richardson, Tim Friedrich, Hal Havisto and Christina Quam.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
We have a lot of really great photos from the past two days to post, but this is a short video of late last night. SuAnne cornered a small Kangaroo Mouse in her room, and needed the men to come capture it.
Of course the power was out so everything is lighted by head-lamps, giving a kind of crazy look. I hope you can see the mouse if you look closely. He was just a little mouse, but he could really jump!
Enjoy.
Haiti - Day 7, Thursday
Yesterday was a slow blur for the guys... We had an exact plan for the orphanage, and the work to be done, all we needed was a saw blade, and a drill but... two hardware stores later in Cap Haitien - an complete adventure in itself, there was still no saw blade or drill bit... and 1/2 the day was gone... But we had a lot of cool relationship time with the Haitian mason & brick guys over at the orphanage. We don't know exactly what we were all saying, but we all did a lot of laughing, hand-bumping and I think making fun of one another, the way only carpenters can... at least I'm pretty sure they were making fun of me - that was A LOT of laughter!
On the other hand, the girls yesterday had a Banner Day... Something like 125 people were treated in 10 hours. They Rocked, people were medicated, treated and God was Glorified!
Today was a completely different story for the guys. another slow start as someone was going to drive all the way to the Dominican Republic for a saw blade, because apparently there are none in Haiti >> Pastor Henoc even called TWO professional carpenters to come bring tools and help,,, but neither had a blade for their circular saw!!?? Huh??
Finally at noon a guardian angel showed up with a saw blade, and the guys flew into over-drive, literally getting all of yesterdays work + todays works done all in the span of 6 hours! It was pretty incredible!
THE GIRLS say over 150 patients today!!!! WOW !!! They say that there are some awesome stories, but I haven't heard them yet, as we all got home at 7pm, had supper, and now everyone is showering to get pounds of sweat and road dust off...
Did I mention it was only 89 1/2 degrees today - cool by Haitian standards.... sweating your hair off by Wisconsin standards. At lunch SuAnne put her head under the shower spigot (cold water only) just to cool down!
Today was an incredible day. Each night we have a debrief / devotional which last sometimes 1 hour or more - these are really good times. We share all our stories for the day / God sightings / and God's word. Each night we are able to mention the almost Visible bubble of protection that God has placed over us for the duration of this journey. Thank you all for your prayers.
Before the power crashes, I will sign off, but I will try to upload some photos asap!
Mark
On the other hand, the girls yesterday had a Banner Day... Something like 125 people were treated in 10 hours. They Rocked, people were medicated, treated and God was Glorified!
Today was a completely different story for the guys. another slow start as someone was going to drive all the way to the Dominican Republic for a saw blade, because apparently there are none in Haiti >> Pastor Henoc even called TWO professional carpenters to come bring tools and help,,, but neither had a blade for their circular saw!!?? Huh??
Finally at noon a guardian angel showed up with a saw blade, and the guys flew into over-drive, literally getting all of yesterdays work + todays works done all in the span of 6 hours! It was pretty incredible!
THE GIRLS say over 150 patients today!!!! WOW !!! They say that there are some awesome stories, but I haven't heard them yet, as we all got home at 7pm, had supper, and now everyone is showering to get pounds of sweat and road dust off...
Did I mention it was only 89 1/2 degrees today - cool by Haitian standards.... sweating your hair off by Wisconsin standards. At lunch SuAnne put her head under the shower spigot (cold water only) just to cool down!
Today was an incredible day. Each night we have a debrief / devotional which last sometimes 1 hour or more - these are really good times. We share all our stories for the day / God sightings / and God's word. Each night we are able to mention the almost Visible bubble of protection that God has placed over us for the duration of this journey. Thank you all for your prayers.
Before the power crashes, I will sign off, but I will try to upload some photos asap!
Mark
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Haiti - 6
Well, 115 patients today and the clinic and 7 bunkbeds almost fully made and doors getting hung up at the new orphanage being built. Very productive!
Fatigue never feels so good as when all your efforts are to help those who have so little. Many sad stories of illnesses. One whole family suffering from malnutrition; lack of food and unhealthy water supply. Enough food and good water-something we take for granted back home.
One of our last patients today was an older woman, so old that she and no one else-including her family-didn't know her age. After sitting for many hours to be seen she no longer had the strength to walk one step to get her back home. So! Randy and a Haitian man carried her through the church down the steps around the corner and disappeared down a path! They were followed by a group of Haitians; I don't know maybe they don't carry their elders around??
ok Well, Mark needs to get to bed so we're off for the night, Talk to you all tomorrow!
For the team - SuAnne
Fatigue never feels so good as when all your efforts are to help those who have so little. Many sad stories of illnesses. One whole family suffering from malnutrition; lack of food and unhealthy water supply. Enough food and good water-something we take for granted back home.
One of our last patients today was an older woman, so old that she and no one else-including her family-didn't know her age. After sitting for many hours to be seen she no longer had the strength to walk one step to get her back home. So! Randy and a Haitian man carried her through the church down the steps around the corner and disappeared down a path! They were followed by a group of Haitians; I don't know maybe they don't carry their elders around??
ok Well, Mark needs to get to bed so we're off for the night, Talk to you all tomorrow!
For the team - SuAnne
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The pictures
Sorry, these pictures were suppose to be on the last post, but just as they were almost finished, the power went out again! Arrrgh!
here's a few for you... Some of Maria, Lori and SuAnne as soon as I get my hands on their cameras!
-m
Getting ready for a day of work
Mark's little helpers
Nathan (from Montana) framing doors with a helper.
Randy painting perfect circles on the ceiling around the light fixtures
Our three Haitian friends, who are now "door framers!"
here's a few for you... Some of Maria, Lori and SuAnne as soon as I get my hands on their cameras!
-m
Getting ready for a day of work
Mark's little helpers
Nathan (from Montana) framing doors with a helper.
Randy painting perfect circles on the ceiling around the light fixtures
Our three Haitian friends, who are now "door framers!"
Haiti - Day 5
Yesterday, Doc Maria, SuAnne, Lori, and their team of volunteer Haitians, and a few American Mission Kids saw and treated exactly 92 people - not bad for the first day..
Today, about 1 hour before the clinic started, there were already dozens of people waiting in line... they will have a BIG day today... Keep praying for strength & stamina for the girls, and a lot of healing for thepeople they are seeing. Some very serious, and some rather minor, but all need your prayers!
This morning the men went back to the orphange to get a grip on finishing it, so kids can begin to move in. We got all the remaining doors framed out before lunch - a huge task considering, there is still no power over there, and the only battery operated saw we have ran out after only 7-8 cuts due to a bad charge last night - the 120volt service yesterday was only delivering about 90 volts - stuff burns out pretty fast here.
Thank fully a couple of Haitian guys were working along side us, and one went home to get a framing hand-saw. he was a Wild-man with that saw, cutting 2x6 faster that I could have with the 18v Riobi saw! Soon his 2 cousins showed up, we all worked together, and next thing you know, they are doing all the work themselves... AWESOME... sharing, teaching, equipping, empowering... and they were high fiving and joking with us in Creole, having a great sense of accomplishment for the work they completed.
Now we are waiting for an electric say to cut down 6 panel doors to fit the random size openings that the masons left for us.
The Good News, is that there is a little electric power in the middle of the afternoon, so I can blog to you during this slow time.
Last night during our devotion, we read Gen 12: 1-4... Abraham was told to go by God, and he received many blessing from God.... We feel as if WE are receiving many blessing from God as well, because He love us, and because of your faithful prayers. We are being kept safe, we are eating well, with no 'strange' effects, we are getting much good work accomplished, and we are making many new Creole Haitian friends.
Enjoy these 1 -2 more photos (they take a reallyy long time to upload with the spotty (low speed) WIFI. :)
Today, about 1 hour before the clinic started, there were already dozens of people waiting in line... they will have a BIG day today... Keep praying for strength & stamina for the girls, and a lot of healing for thepeople they are seeing. Some very serious, and some rather minor, but all need your prayers!
This morning the men went back to the orphange to get a grip on finishing it, so kids can begin to move in. We got all the remaining doors framed out before lunch - a huge task considering, there is still no power over there, and the only battery operated saw we have ran out after only 7-8 cuts due to a bad charge last night - the 120volt service yesterday was only delivering about 90 volts - stuff burns out pretty fast here.
Thank fully a couple of Haitian guys were working along side us, and one went home to get a framing hand-saw. he was a Wild-man with that saw, cutting 2x6 faster that I could have with the 18v Riobi saw! Soon his 2 cousins showed up, we all worked together, and next thing you know, they are doing all the work themselves... AWESOME... sharing, teaching, equipping, empowering... and they were high fiving and joking with us in Creole, having a great sense of accomplishment for the work they completed.
Now we are waiting for an electric say to cut down 6 panel doors to fit the random size openings that the masons left for us.
The Good News, is that there is a little electric power in the middle of the afternoon, so I can blog to you during this slow time.
Last night during our devotion, we read Gen 12: 1-4... Abraham was told to go by God, and he received many blessing from God.... We feel as if WE are receiving many blessing from God as well, because He love us, and because of your faithful prayers. We are being kept safe, we are eating well, with no 'strange' effects, we are getting much good work accomplished, and we are making many new Creole Haitian friends.
Enjoy these 1 -2 more photos (they take a reallyy long time to upload with the spotty (low speed) WIFI. :)
Monday, April 5, 2010
PHOTO TIME!
Saturday - Laundry day in Haiti
This river is used for everything - no exceptions
A few of the 200,000+ homeless people now living in Cap Haitien... it was literally a sea of people living on top of a layer of garbage and trash.
A few people blocking the main road, trying to get a little rice.
A nasty fitght breaking out right next to our bus - over a bag of rice.
Looks nice from up here, but it is a moving river of trash, with trash lined banks.
SAFE and sound - at Pastor Henoc's home 'complex', where his main house, with guest rooms are, a dorm style guest house, and the orphanage - with plenty of area to run & play! We are safely out of town here!
After Sunday morning Sunrise service! It was beautiful!
Amid all the destruction and terrible things - Gos still shines His beauty through - like this evening sun dipping down over the Haitian mountainside.
Redemption is available for all - even here in Haiti! Amen!
(more photos of hammers swinging, and medical stuff happening just as soon as there is time for uploading! - takes hours!) :-)
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Haiti - Day 3
happy Easter!
Wow it has been a crazy 3 days. From Minocqua to Dominican on day one - Great travel mercies for all, expecially Maria, who had two of the worlds largest carry on bags... and no one ever questioned her.. yet Lori, who had a standard carry on, was stopped and made to check her bag. Not a big deal, but pretty funny, because it was like God used Lori to distract the gate agent so Maria could slide on by :)
Day two consisted of "hurry up and wait" getting from our Domionican Hotel to the bus station, and the entire time on the bus. Dominican is a beautiful country. Once we crossed the border into Haiti, the whole world changed. Suddenly there was trash everywhere, littering the roads and ditches. The donkey just became the most popular means of travel, and heaps of burning trash on the roadside, or even on the road itself became common.
Once we pulled into Cap Haitien our jaws dropped as reality seemed to come to an end. There are an estimated 250,000 MORE people living on the streets here since january 2010 than there were before.... and it was already bad before.
We tried to take pictures, but they do not portray the mounds of trash and swarming seas of people. Arguments and fist fights over food, right at the distribution points, blocking traffic and our bus, right in the middle of the road.
I do not believe we were ever in any 'real' danger - God had us covered the entire time, and thankfully HE gave us all pretty good common sense to avoid any further situations like that.
Late Saturday, we arrived at Pastor Henoc's home, and property which houses a main house with guest room, a dorm-style bunkhouse and a very nice new (still under final construction ) orphanage. Plenty of room for the kids to run and play, and about 40 minutes from the bustle and danger of downtown Cap Haitien.
Unfortunately, the city of Cap, randomly decides when to distribute electricity to outlying areas. when we arrived, night was falling, and there were no lights on,, then city power came on, and then we switched to generator power until 10pm. There was no electric all night, and well into Easter Sunday. Generator power is reliable , but expensive for fuel... it's a catch 22.
Matter of fact, the power is twitching right now - so I need to go - I will update EasterDay as soon as I can !
go to Mark jensen's face book page for 100's of photos!
for the team!
We are all well and safe! - Happy Easter!!
Wow it has been a crazy 3 days. From Minocqua to Dominican on day one - Great travel mercies for all, expecially Maria, who had two of the worlds largest carry on bags... and no one ever questioned her.. yet Lori, who had a standard carry on, was stopped and made to check her bag. Not a big deal, but pretty funny, because it was like God used Lori to distract the gate agent so Maria could slide on by :)
Day two consisted of "hurry up and wait" getting from our Domionican Hotel to the bus station, and the entire time on the bus. Dominican is a beautiful country. Once we crossed the border into Haiti, the whole world changed. Suddenly there was trash everywhere, littering the roads and ditches. The donkey just became the most popular means of travel, and heaps of burning trash on the roadside, or even on the road itself became common.
Once we pulled into Cap Haitien our jaws dropped as reality seemed to come to an end. There are an estimated 250,000 MORE people living on the streets here since january 2010 than there were before.... and it was already bad before.
We tried to take pictures, but they do not portray the mounds of trash and swarming seas of people. Arguments and fist fights over food, right at the distribution points, blocking traffic and our bus, right in the middle of the road.
I do not believe we were ever in any 'real' danger - God had us covered the entire time, and thankfully HE gave us all pretty good common sense to avoid any further situations like that.
Late Saturday, we arrived at Pastor Henoc's home, and property which houses a main house with guest room, a dorm-style bunkhouse and a very nice new (still under final construction ) orphanage. Plenty of room for the kids to run and play, and about 40 minutes from the bustle and danger of downtown Cap Haitien.
Unfortunately, the city of Cap, randomly decides when to distribute electricity to outlying areas. when we arrived, night was falling, and there were no lights on,, then city power came on, and then we switched to generator power until 10pm. There was no electric all night, and well into Easter Sunday. Generator power is reliable , but expensive for fuel... it's a catch 22.
Matter of fact, the power is twitching right now - so I need to go - I will update EasterDay as soon as I can !
go to Mark jensen's face book page for 100's of photos!
for the team!
We are all well and safe! - Happy Easter!!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
HAITI - One Day before departure
Prayer warriors, prayer team, supporters and all interested folks... I praise God every time I think about you!~ You have raised up a foreign field mission team in record time, in response to the tragedy in Haiti, and God's call upon your hearts!.
We thank you!
Please follow our mission journey here. We have been praying for many weeks that God does not simply 'bless' our ministry plans, but instead, that He may show us HIS ministry plans, and that we may join HIS work in Haiti! There is much work to do there,, but we are looking for the work that satisfies His goals.. to bring Praise and Glory to His name and to Expand His Kingdom!
Hopefully we will be doing that by meeting the tragic physical needs of people right where they are. Through ministering medicine and building beds for children we hope to Glorify God and bring people to a knowledge of His saving Grace.
BOOKMARK this page to find us easily for the next 10 days. And check os out on face book, on Mark Jensen's page, where many many photos will hopefully be posted!~
Bless you all for your continued support as we travel to the spiritually Dark island of Haiti.
For the team...
We thank you!
Please follow our mission journey here. We have been praying for many weeks that God does not simply 'bless' our ministry plans, but instead, that He may show us HIS ministry plans, and that we may join HIS work in Haiti! There is much work to do there,, but we are looking for the work that satisfies His goals.. to bring Praise and Glory to His name and to Expand His Kingdom!
Hopefully we will be doing that by meeting the tragic physical needs of people right where they are. Through ministering medicine and building beds for children we hope to Glorify God and bring people to a knowledge of His saving Grace.
BOOKMARK this page to find us easily for the next 10 days. And check os out on face book, on Mark Jensen's page, where many many photos will hopefully be posted!~
Bless you all for your continued support as we travel to the spiritually Dark island of Haiti.
For the team...
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Menomonie Mission 2010 Day 1
Welcome to the Menomonie Mission Blog Page ~!
Sunday Day 1 (full day)
Worship at the mall at either 9:00 or 10:30. Some folks went early, some slept in and went late - and some die-hard teens went to both! The worship rocked like a Chris Tomlin concert, and Youth Pastor Andy's message about "Margin & Priorities" really hit a home run.
At noon we all met at the build site for a delicious soup lunch followed by intensive jobsite safety training. Everyone currently has 10 fingers and toes (except big Steve) and we all want to go home with the same number we came with... it was good training!
About 2pm we got down to some serious work. 20+ people packing insulation into every crack, crevice and nook & cranny that could let air or sound pass through was insulated. There was hard work seen, and loud laughter heard throughout the building during the entire project.
There have already been several God-sightings, as He is working in people's lives. for many, this is their first mission, but for others, they are veterans... but for all, this is very important work, knowing that God will use this new building to advance His kingdom, so that Many will come to know Him.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Menomonie Mission 2010 Day -0-
ARRIVAL DAY
Welcome to the Menomonie Mission Blog Page ~!
Arrival day has finally (well) ARRIVED!! YAY!
Twenty two of the team members arrived right on time today, after a noon departure from Faith. The trip was safe for all, with a little excitement and boredom thrown in just because it is a three hour drive.
The members were met by Pastor Remy and all the host families. The host families took the team members back to get freshened up and situated before a trip to the building site. Once at the building site, the team was greeted with a dinner party with people who have been volunteering from CedarBrook. It was a lot of fun, and there were a lot of great conversations going on between the two teams.
We had an incredible dinner, cooked by incredible church ladies!, then we had a prayer walk tour of the the new church, followed by a jamming worship session by Tevis West, CedarBrook's worship leader.
Our resident missionary host, Dave Johnson, taught us a little about CedarBrook's core values... They are REAL!!
R~Relationships
E~Excellence
A~Acceptance
L~Life Changing
L~Laughter
Then Dave & Mark, lead them in a rousing round of "We love Jesus, yes we do, We love Jesus - How about You?" I believe Dave's side won, heheh!!
Next thing you know, it was 8:00pm, and since we all needed to push our clocks ahead, it was really time to turn in - because tomorrow promises to be a pretty long day! (Church, church-lady lunch, 4 hours of work, youth group, small groups, and of course dinner and rest & relaxing with our host families.
This is awesome!
For the Team, Mark
Friday, March 12, 2010
Menomonie Mission : Day -1 till arrival!
Welcome to the Menomonie Mission Blog Page ~!
Friday, March 12 - 2010
One day until the Woodruff Team arrives in Menomonie! WooHooo!~
I have no fresh photos from today because we were working so hard preparing for all of the team to arrive tomorrow afternoon. We must have climbed up & down the scaffolding 100 times each ~ I wish you were here today!
Prepare! Gird yourselves for action! and pray to see God in all he is doing around you!
Until tomorrow,
Mark~ For the team
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Menomonie Mission 2010 Day -2
Two days until the team arrives in Menomonie!! Today the rain is falling, the fog is thick,,, but the snow is melting ~ and that's a good thing!
This morning Mark Jensen will drive over to the Menomonie job site to meet with Dave Johnson for the next two days, making final preparations until the team arrives Saturday afternoon.
There have recently been some very real Spiritual attacks coming down upon the mission team. Spiritual Attacks are 'normal' for teams getting ready to go out and be used mightily by God. You are God's ambassadors, and satan & evil do not like that! Our enemy will work to lower our spirit of excitement and throw a virtual bucket of water on your 'Fire'!
Take heart! God has given us Armor to protect against evil. Read Ephesians 6:10-18. In light of what you are preparing to do in God's kingdom, these verses may have new meaning now.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Take that to heart, study it, pray over it, sleep on it. I'll talk with you tomorrow...
For the team ~ Mark
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Menomonie Mission 2010 Day -3
Welcome to the Menomonie Mission Blog page~!
Today is Wednesday, three days before we depart for Menomonie, WI to help our good friends at Cedar Brook build their church. Preparations are underway on both ends, the 'senders' are sending, the 'goers' are preparing to GO, and the receivers are ready to receive nearly 30 people of Faith in Woodruff, WI.
This is going to be an awesome experience for everyone. Keep your eyes open for "God sightings" in all that you do. Pray without ceasing for God to use you in a mighty way.
And mostly, pray that God be glorified in all we do, because HE is God, we are His servants, and we do this all so that others may draw near to Him and get to know His saving grace.
Do I hear an Amen?
CLICK here to become a FAN of Cedar Brook on Face Book
(http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Menomonie-WI/Cedarbrook-Church/124865887726?ref=ts)
They have TONS of great construction pictures!!
For the team, Mark
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