MIS Ministry Update
Posted: July 31, 2008
Thank you again for praying along the way for our MIS teams this summer. Two teams leave next week for Ukraine.
Swaziland
I am so grateful for your prayers as we have really felt the Lord's presence here with us in Swaziland! We have been blessed with many opportunities in the past few weeks. So far, we have done 4 mobile clinics, worked in the hospital 3 days, participated in a Swazi church service, and had many times of sharing and prayer together as a team and with the members of The Luke Commission ministry. God has blessed us with team unity as we have worked together, lived together, learned new things together, and been sick together. I am hoping that we will all be healthy soon!
At the mobile clinics, the students have been able to treat school kids for common diseases such as scabies and tinea capitis (white patches on the scalp) by walking through the lines of children and handing out cards for the pharmacy to the affected children. We also have been frequently helping in the area of the clinics where the HIV positive patients are able to have their blood drawn to test their CD-4 level (which helps to determine the severity of their HIV). The students have been drawing blood, doing finger-sticks for blood sugars and rapid HIV tests, using the auto-refractor - helping the eye patients to find the glasses that will work best for them. They have also been taking opportunities to share the gospel with the children at the schools where we have been as the older children frequently speak English quite well and can translate for us. They have been able to be involved in sharing with and praying for groups of patients before they go to see the doctor and also been able to sit with Harry or Echo as they are seeing patients.
Our time at the hospital has been difficult at times, exciting at times, and filled with many other emotions and thoughts that I am not able to describe with words. For me, the hospital brings back many memories of working at Karanda Mission Hospital in Zimbabwe. Some things are different, but some of the similarities make me laugh. for example, they have the same horrible, non-sudsing, green bar soap to wash hands with in the hospital! The nurses at the hospital have been kind to us and have allowed us to work alongside them. So far we have been in labor ward and the special care nursery (for the sick and premature babies). The students have been able to give medications, take vital signs, pray with patients, and even deliver babies! These are some of the exciting experiences, but there have been many tough experiences at the hospital as well. Many of them have been in the special care nursery when an infant has died. It has been difficult for them to see the limitations in the medical care here, particularly for those babies that would have had a much better chance of survival in the states.
May God bless you each with a new appreciation of Who He is!
Germany
What we've all been hoping for, working towards, and praying for...the campers have arrived!
We have also made internet connections once again...so we can post additional updates. I must correct the previous posting...while we were "unconnected" electronically, we were/are not unconnected spiritually. We have great connections to God's power through prayer and praise!
Right now, the counselors are up in the rooms with the campers and the teachers are preparing tomorrow's lessons. We will begin our morning tomorrow with looking into God's Word and praising Him. We have looked in Psalm 144, 145, 146, 147, and 148 the past couple of days. These passages have been helping us to have a better view of God so we can build better relationships with the campers. If you read the passages, you may want to circle all the times you see the word "Praise"...for who God is and what He is doing.
Faith A's favorite memory of the day is giving one of the campers an "English interview". An "English interview" provides the teachers with an idea of what teaching level the campers should be in. Faith posed a question to the campers of "what is one of your favorite memories from when you were younger"? One particular camper's response what that several years ago she came to English Camp and took the "English interview"...and realized that she needed Jesus.
We praise God for the work He has done in the past and the opportunity for us to build into lives now! Your prayers and support has made this possible. As you remember your servants in prayer, also praise God for what he is going to do!
Auf Wieddersehn,
Rachel, Faith A, Faith C, Corrinne, Julie, Melissa, Alex, Abbi, Lucas, Curtis, and Lisa
Blog URL: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl
Bethesda, South Africa
On Wednesday night we split up to have dinner with each of the families in their homes. On Saturday morning we led day camps for all of the children at Bethesda and on Saturday afternoon we took the oldest kids to a nearby camp for an obstacle course, team building activities, and a game drive. We love the people here at Bethesda and it is going to be hard to leave them in a week.
This week we also had an opportunity to serve in the community. In Stinkwater, a nearby township, there is a woman named Suzanne who cares for the orphans of Stinkwater. She has a vegetable garden that she tends so that she can have food to feed the orphans. Suzanne feeds the children three times a week, and many of those kids get little more, if any, food the rest of the week. One of their meals is on Sundays, and they have to go to Suzanne's church to get the meal. We helped Suzanne weed and till her garden, and then we gave sandwiches, fruit, and cookies to approximately 20 children who came by after school. We really enjoyed playing soccer and basketball with them, and a couple of the team members wowed the kids with their card tricks.
We've also had some opportunities to enjoy the culture of South Africa. At Carnivores, a restaurant in Johannesburg, we got to try new meats such as crocodile, antelope, ostrich, and warthog.
This morning we visited a church that is pastored by one of Bethesda's house fathers. The church has been waiting for 12 years to receive approval for their new building, and they finally got it this week! The service was truly a time of celebration and thankfulness, and everyone sang and danced with joy for the Lord. Their joy was contagious and we were so happy to share the time with them.
Please continue to pray for health and safety of the team. We only have a week left, but there is still so much to do!
~Written by a Bethesda team member
Written by another team member:
Here I am, writing our final update letter as we prepare to depart in a couple hours. How can I describe this trip and what can I write to capture the experience? If you've ever been on a trip like this, you know how impossible that task is; listing what we've done or showing pictures can't come close to capturing the lessons we've learned, the fun we've had, the good we've done, and the way each and every one of us has been changed. We've worked long, laughed hard, cried intensely, loved deeply, and through it all, we've learned about the greatness of the God we serve.
This past week has been an exciting one, though difficult because our departure date loomed in the back of our minds. It started with helping the housemothers here at Bethesda, doing everything from laundry to deep cleaning to yardwork to playing with the kids. It was wonderful to spend time with the families and see how they, by God's grace, have built beautiful, godly homes, despite the desperate situations the kids have come from. The power of adoption to end cycles of poverty and disease is incredible. God is great.
The week continued when we worked at a nearby daycare for children in the community. We were blown away by the incredible number of kids at the daycare; we counted at least 150 kids all packed into a room that was maybe three times the size of a dorm room at Cedarville. There were no toys except for an old playground "bus" outside and, with only half a dozen adult helpers, the only mental stimulation, encouragement, or love they receive is from the other kids, so we were thrilled to hold the kids, play with them, and love them, giving them attention which they rarely get as they come daily to the daycare center. Yet we realized that these kids, with poor nutrition, little love, and poor opportunities for mental and physical development, are still better off than the nearly twelve million orphans in South Africa who have no home and no family who sends them to a daycare. We were reminded of the desperate need for Christians to care for orphans, as Christ demands and models for us. After all, we are the same needy, dirty, and helpless children before God, yet he adopts us into his family, killing His own Son to make it possible. Give thanks to our great God.
The week ended as we went on a game drive and marveled at God's incredible creation, visited a hospice and cared for the residents, held another VBS-like camp for the Bethesda children, and joined our brothers and sisters again on Sunday to worship our great God. Once again we were amazed by the power of God in is building one single church from around the world, from every tongue, every culture, every language, and every country. And as we worshiped with our brothers and sisters, we joined millions of other Christians around the world with whom we share a deep bond and unity in Christ, a bond deeper than blood and stronger than the barriers of culture and language. I long for that day in heaven when we will meet that throng and worship our amazingly great God together.
The last days have been marked by sadness and tears as we gathered last night for a "send-off" time with all the families from Bethesda. We praised God, prayed for each other, and then began the long and hard process of saying goodbye. Its hard to imagine that we could grow to love these families so deeply in such a short amount of time, but many of us-both team members and students-cried last night as we hugged and said goodbye maybe for the last time on this earth. Yet we have a hope as Christians, united in Christ, that our goodbye is not a goodbye at all, for one day we will enter the gates of heaven and there we will find each person we have ever met who has trusted Christ, never to say goodbye and never to cry again, for we will worship God forever throughout all eternity, joined in perfect harmony. As we depart, this hope keeps us and drives us to pray that we will see these children in heaven one day, for God is great and mighty to save.
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, love, and support. God has mightily used each one of you through our experiences on this trip. "Hakuna Matata", the Bethesda '08 Team
David Brammer, Jen Guth, Ashleigh Laswell, Jennifer McDonald, Mark Miller, Hannah Olmstead, Rebecca Peak, Sarah Porter, Jess Robb, Josh Saunders, Becky Stowers
Indonesia
Our first camp went amazingly well. It was located in the mountains immediately below a volcano which we thought just had a cloud over it, then realized it was the steam vapor from the volcano that was rising up each day. The days were hot, but not humid, and the nights actually required a sweater and a blanket on our bed. The facility was wonderful and the food great. It is owned and operated by churches in this area and is a top notch facility by any standard. It was interesting that the facility is immediately across the road from a Muslim boarding school that had signs outside speaking of Jihad, and that you should be a good Muslim or die a Martyr and showing paintings of Machine guns outside. However no problems.
We built many great relationships with the kids and I believe had an impact that will affect Indonesia's future. I can not begin to brag enough about my Cedarville Team of students. They rose to the task on every occasion, were flexible, creative, jumped right in where was a need and got to know the kids well. There has not been a single complaint about anything, even though Ashley was ill one morning, she did her best to participate. I've led many teams and this has to be one of the very best as far as cooperation and unity goes. Continue to pray for us as we recoup in Surabaya tonight at the guesthouse, leave for Jakarta tomorrow and then begin our next camp there on Tuesday evening. The numbers are twice that of the camp we just had, so there will be some logistical adjustments and also we've not seen the facility, so it's unknown to us all.
Continue to pray for our health, safety, the camp and all the aspects that go with the English Leadership camp.
Posted: July 9, 2008
Hungary
We have completed one of our two week ministry in Kecskemet Hungary teaching English. Our lives have been filled with teaching, playing sports and games and hanging out with our 150 students ranging from 7-50 yrs of age. The morning is made up mostly of teens and the evening is a mix of adults and teens. The seven members are doing a great job of relating to the students. Today we were the morning worship service. The "teachers" sang and gave testimonies and I preached. The feedback was very positive. We are conducting a chapel each day on one of the ten commandments(the theme chosen by the pastor). We use a lot of skits and translation for that part of the program.
The team is very unified and supportive of one another. We spent a day in Budapest last Saturday but otherwise do little tourist type activities. The pastor is very pleased with the contacts that have been made. Half of the students are new and the majority do not attend this church. The English ministry has been a part of this church since 1996 when they met in an apartment building. They now have a beautiful building with high tech equipment (except AC) which would really be nice now. We are expecting 35 centigrade this week. One member is not feeling well just now. Glad they have about 10 MD's in the church. Please pray for God's continued blessing on this church and our ministry and for good health, endurance and safe travels. (the team returned 6/28)
Romania
We just finished up our 2nd week of computer classes today, and head out tomorrow for the city we will be ministering in next week. The team is doing great, and has a super attitude! We have had good feedback from the pastors we are working with. When we left the village this morning, the pastor told us that 5 families that wouldn't really speak to him (the Orthodox people aren't very receptive of Baptists here) are now really friendly, and another family has promised to visit the church. He was very excited!
We had a couple of highlights this week. On Tuesday, I was invited to go to a groundbreaking ceremony for a new church in the village we were ministering in. We pounded in stakes and ran string to lay out where the church would be, so they could start digging the foundation. Then we had a wonderful prayer time with several Romanian pastors who attended the ceremony. This was the 2nd time I've been able to attend a groundbreaking ceremony during my trips to Romania, and it was a very special time.
We also had an interesting opportunity yesterday after our classes. I have always told the team as we prepared for the trips that we need to be flexible and do whatever the missionaries and pastors want us to do. I have told them "Even if they ask us to hand out tracts on the street corner, we'll do whatever they want." Well ... I guess I was prophetic, because last night they asked us to go out and hand out invitations to a rally this Sunday night. It was great; the team was very enthusiastic!
We are excited about what God has for us next week! (the team returned 7/6)
Middle East
At the sports camp we worked with 113 teenagers from all sorts of backgrounds. We were blessed with great fellowship with believers but also with good one on one conversations with non believers. The team played all sorts of sports with these teens and they blessed us just as they said we blessed them.
The last two days the team was able to visit Petra, very deserving to be classified as one of the seven wonders of the world. The next day we drove to the dead sea. (the team returned 6/27)
Kosovo II
Things are going really well for our team! We have had many opportunities to get involved here, and have also had many opportunities to spend time in Albanian homes. Tonight we just got back from a house visit. We had a wonderful time with the family and they showed us their gracious hospitality. We all left full and blessed!! :) The day camps are going very well! It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the trip. The team is working hard and they are really enjoying their time with the kids. The kids get so excited each day to see us! Keep lifting us up as we have had a lot of things to do, and we need to continue to get our rest and also to take time to be quiet with our Father. Continue to think of our unity as well. I am pleased with their hard work. Thanks for your thoughts on the home front. We will update you again sometime in the near future.
Swaziland
Hello! This is Rebekah Sartori and I am overjoyed to let you know that we are all here safely! We are doing well and slept fairly well on our flight last night. We are currently sitting in the VanderWal's home visiting and getting to know them, their children, and the Swazis that work with them. Thank you so much for your prayers and especially for your prayers for our baggage, every single piece is here and got through customs with minimal questioning. Praise the Lord!!!
Please pray that we will integrate well with the team here as will be working with them on a daily basis and there are many new names and faces to learn. We will send you individual updates on our time here as we get a chance to utilize the internet (which may be weekly or a few times a week, depending on how things work out).
(7/5) Tonight we had birthday cake for the boys who had their birthdays in June. All of the 4 little boys are so friendly we have had SO much fun with them! We have had one bush clinic so far. It was yesterday and we went to a new place and saw over 500 people. It was a very busy day and was the second clinic where they were drawing CD-4 counts on site and was a bit crazy. We finished with the last patient a little after midnight.
Germany
(7/7) Web site: www.cedarville.edu/misgermanytesl The team (10 of the 11) traveled to Chicago today for briefing at TEAMServe in the Wheaton area. Lisa (our missing team member) is already in Germany as she had a May term class in Germany...and stayed. We're all a little "jealous" as she is already there.
God gave us safety today as one member flew (on a delayed flight) and nine of us drove into Chicago. Coming in the day before briefing allows us to get our feet on the ground as we haven't seen each other since late April. We'll use time before briefing begins to pray, update each other, and plan for the next couple of weeks.
On Saturday (7/12), we will fly together to Germany. Our flight departs around 10 p.m. from O'Hare. We will arrive in Frankfurt about 12:30 p.m. (6 hour time difference from Eastern Standard Time)...just about the time you may be getting up for church. It will be strange to depart at bedtime and land in time for lunch. With the time difference, we'll just skip breakfast. :)
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Bethesda, South Africa
(7/8) Just letting you all know that we made it safe and sounds with ALL 22 bags!!! YAY!!! Today we had a tour, orientation, and then drove around for little bit to visit a cemetery and a local ministry. Tomorrow we start working! :) Thanks for praying for us!
Thank you again for praying for those serving overseas this summer!
Posted: June 20, 2008
Rwanda/Uganda
A note from the leader on 6/4 ... The trip to Uganda was almost uneventful. In Addis Ababa Ethiopia I had what I thought was breaded chicken pieces in a stir fry for breakfast. It was fish. I am deathly allergic to fish. In 30 minutes I passed out and went into shock. They found me on the floor in the men's room. I won't go through the whole story but it was a miracle they let me on the flight to Entebbe Uganda. Once out of my system I snapped back quickly.
The team is everything I had hoped they would be. A good mix of personalities. All of them ask good questions and are very observant. There have been many "teachable moments".
Up until today we have been with Hope Alive which is a sponsorship program for "At risk children" Directed by Catharine Coon. For many reasons this is not your typical sponsorship program because frankly, it isn't a program. It's a relationship between mentors, care-givers and students. The project's accolades are to many to list here. Last Monday our team had one of the most remarkable evenings with students and staff of Hope Alive I have had on any of my many overseas team trips. We had a contest to buy food ingredients in a traditional market. The Hope Alive students then taught us how to cook it. As there were no missionaries in sight the students were very open to us. There were spontaneous skits, dancing, singing, Rap and other things that defy my ability to describe/define. IT WAS A BLAST! For once it felt as though we were in a room full of equals enjoying each other's company.
Debriefs have been excellent. This Cedarville team picks up on things most of my teams would have overlooked. Our sessions have lasted for hours. We also have not finished having each team member tell their "life stories". Each individual is taking from one to two hours. Their stories are filled with visits of God's grace. Mimi and I are honored to be allowed into such personal thoughts and experiences. IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS.
Our logistics have worked without a hitch thanks to our short-term mid-term coordinators Brian and Renee Davis. Chaos doesn't phase this couple. Teams like ours are a lesson in chaos. Thus, Davis' are perfectly suited for the work they are doing in Uganda. They are in their "sweet spot" of ministry. We are discussing with them ways we can reduce the number of daily events. Journaling, devotions and debriefs are the first to suffer when the program is overly full. Plus, as students become overly tired they begin to loose their ability to have eyes and ears perceptive of culture, language and the voice of God. Davis' are working to help us make this adjustment.
On Monday we leave Kampala behind for rural Kasese and Kabale. We will then be out of touch until we reach Kigali, Rwanda on June 14. Please continue to hold us up in prayer. Pray for strength for our bodies and minds able to hear God working in our hearts.
Zimbabwe
(Nathan Williams) ...the longer I'm here the more I've been able to make friends with Zimbabwean nationals. A few new friends, Itai and Katsande, gave me an afternoon tour of the surrounding mountains and villages last week, which I had been really looking forward to. I've also had the opportunity to visit a few "mushas" (homesteads) to see how the average rural Zimbabwean lives. They really do fairly well considering they have so little. They've developed ways to boil and then dry fresh vegetables to make them last for weeks to months without refrigeration, and also they grind their corn into a powder which will sit on a shelf for years before it spoils.
When I'm not at work or taking hikes I do spend a lot of time playing with the kids. The older ones ALWAYS want to play a game (hide and seek, tag, kick the can, etc) whereas the younger ones are content just sitting on my lap and rubbing my face and head (the only thing I can assume is that they're wondering where all my color went...perhaps they're trying to rub off my "whiteness" so that my true, dark color can come through, haha). Tonight I invented a new game with the kids that essentially involves running really fast, then jumping and sliding as far as you can on your socked feet without falling down on our ultra-slick, freshly polished front sidewalk....obviously I defeated the children soundly (if you can't teach them the value of good, honest competition at this young age, then really, what have you taught them?).
I was also blessed to enjoy my 26th birthday out here on June 12th. It was fun, other than the fact that I was sick all day, haha. The missionaries actually had a mini-party for me last weekend, and I got a few nice Zimbabwean souvenirs as presents. Probably the best present was a bunch of homemade from scratch fresh cinnamon rolls from one of the missionaries! We call her "Ambuya" (which is Shona for "Grandmother") she is around 83, and she is the best baker on the planet. She and her husband (the hospital's lone surgeon right now) came out to Zim as missionaries in the early 1960's, and now their son has also joined them as a missionary surgeon at Karanda, although he is out of the country right now.
On a slightly more serious note, the political and economic situation here in Zim is very unstable. Due to this, I received word this week that the team of nursing students and the other RN who was supposed to lead this trip with me have been canceled from coming this summer. Please pray that they will be able to cope with the disappointment, and also that their contingency plans to serve at medical clinics in Swaziland is able to be completed. While none of us know the reasons, we must continue to trust that God's plan is perfect, and we should have faith that He works all things for our good.
While little is broadcast in the US about Africa (I can only assume it's because there's no oil here), you can read a lot online, and also BBC frequently airs stories about Zimbabwe. Since I arrived prices have jumped 15-fold, and now the exchange ratio is Z 3.5 Billion per US dollar. Even those Zimbabweans with jobs (under 20% of the population) are helpless because the banks only allow them to withdraw 10 billion per day, which is barely enough for a bar of soap or bag of rice. The political violence and intimidation is widespread, and many have been displaced as they flee the most violent areas. We treat victims of mob beatings daily at the hospital, and from all the reports we hear, we are in one of the "lesser impacted" areas. While none of the US missionaries or myself have felt threatened personally, we are very careful about where we go and what we say in public. A repeat presidential election is taking place in 2 weeks on June 27th. Pray that there is an end to the violence, and that Zimbabwe can have a free and fair election. Many worry that there could be a civil war post-election, but we're hoping for the best.
Overall things are going well, and although the country is in turmoil, things at the hospital run smoothly. If no one were to tell you differently, you could easily spend a few days out here visiting, vacation at Kariba Game reserve and then have a nice holiday at Victoria falls. Life continues with an unexpected "normalcy" despite the broader crisis of the nation.
I wish each of you well. Please continue to be in prayer for my ministry, safety, and the situation in Zimbabwe as I attempt to share the Love of Christ in a practical way through healthcare in this most-needy country. I would love to hear of any updates of new things God is doing in your lives, and interesting things you've been able to experience since I've been gone.
The rest of the Zimbabwe team is preparing to leave for Swaziland June 30. Thank you for praying!
Middle East
A note from the host: The team has had a successful trip so far. Everything is going well. Just wanted to give you a quick update so you know everyone is well."
Just in today ... a note from the team leader ... "we are all doing well by His grace. The team finished working at the widows home and we just came back from the kids clubs. The kids clubs were such a blessing to us and the children. We love those kids.
We are about to head to the sports camp in few minutes. We're excited to be with teenagers of all sorts of backgrounds. Please keep us in mind.
One of our team member's, Angela Christian, fell and broke her foot and sprained her ankle. She is totally fine now, she has a cast on and she is in minimal pain.
Moriah is doing great and she is enjoying all the attention she is getting. She is being a very easy baby so we're very thankful.
We will keep in touch as much as possible but internet access is very limited.
Hungary
TESL team has arrived. One student was delayed getting there but arrived 24 hours behind the team and all are doing well in the English teaching program at the church in Kecskemet.
Romania
Greetings from Romania! We arrived last Friday (6/13) safely, along with all of our baggage. Saturday was spent doing a little tourism and preparing our computers for the ministry. We had a good time ministering in two different services on Sunday. Classes started on Monday. We are teaching computer classes in two villages this week, one in the morning and one in the evening. All has gone smoothly, and we have been able to share Christ's love with the children in our classes.
I am very proud of the team! They have been working hard and have been very focused on the task at hand. We've all been impressed by the love and faith of the Romanian people. It is a privilege to minister alongside them.
We look forward eagerly to what God will be doing over the next few weeks! Thanks for your prayers! Keep them up!
Kosovo II
Arrived on Weds 6/18 about 10 AM our time, 48 hours after their "scheduled" arrival. A combination of severe weather delays and full transatlantic flights delayed the team in Chicago Sunday night until Tuesday evening. The team maintained calm as the hours passed and they saw God's hand at work despite frustrations. A Cedarville student's family that lives 10 minutes from Chicago's O'Hara airport took the team of 8 home Sunday night until early afternoon Tuesday. We are blessed by the extended CU family, even more by the family of God that ministers in special ways!
Thank you for taking time to read the update and especially for praying!
Posted: June 2, 2008
News from: Togo, Israel, Kosovo and Zimbabwe ... long but interesting reports. Thank you for praying!
Togo
We have had a good week here Tsiko, Togo, West Africa. The Team is very willing to work, learn assist anyone who needs help. The Togo staff work hard in the extreme heat everyday without complaint. The missionaries are never off duty yet maintain a joyful spirit. Each a good example to the other.
Some of the patients are very sick with diseases we do not often see in America. A set of twins (18 months old) came to the hospital because one of the twins was sick. The size difference was immediately obvious...one normal 18 month size and the other not even half this size. After testing it was determined the smaller twin has AIDS but the other does not. The mothers in Togo can nurse their babies who have AIDS for about five months and then bottle feeding is recommended. Difficult for some because they have no money and no refrigeration. Many of the patients have malaria and are anemic. One 10 year old has tetanus and is in a dark room because he can't tolerate stimulation. His family quietly and lovingly care for him. He is receiving medicines and IVs. Two guest surgeons perform surgeries everyday so the hospital is full of patients. The pediatric unit was so full we could only move about with caution because of the kids and family members in the room. Our cook, Noah and his wife just had a baby in the hospital...he surprised us. Went we went to assist in labor...Sarah was about ready to deliver. We got to hold Elizabeth.
The maintenance man at the hospital, John, (a missionary family who sent their daughter to Cedarville to study nursing!) was in a container (as in tractor trailer without the tractor...storage area for each family) getting something out to fix a generator, and he saw a snake and killed it. He went home shortly, and while sitting at the table another poisonous snake crawled out of his pant leg...his wife yelled!!! He has a brace on his leg and apparently the snake was wrapped around it so he did not feel it!!.
On Sunday, the Team and other missionaries went to a church about 15 miles from the hospital to sing and to join the Togolese in worship. It is a joyous and, of course, a hot sweaty experience. Also, long and there are no bathrooms. This Sunday, a young man who was a fetish priest came to burn his instruments/articles used in calling the evil spirits. He was very serious and told how he used each item and what the spirits did when they came to him. They did not make it a show but would read scripture about spirits and worshiping the One true God. Then we would sing and pray again. After all the items were completely burned, they dug a hole and buried the remains. We have pictures. The Team will go there again in two weeks to teach and lead in games and crafts.
The students are cleaning the school house and tell us that all of the books are too old! Lois and Irene have been teaching the Togolese Nursing students this week about Biblical counseling (Irene) and pediatric growth and development-how children are physiologically different from adults. The students are tired and can barely keep awake. Also, they fear Lois' test. I, however, told them I will not give a test. It is at times funny because their life is so different that examples we use sometimes are lost...they do not understand. For example, they did not understand the word flirting and the translator just looked puzzled.
Irene and Lois
Israel
5/24/2008 Erev Tov (good day) from the Israel Team!!
It is now Saturday early evening and we just arrived in the Galillee. This has been our first access to internet in several days so we wanted to drop a note to say hello.
We've had an amazing week - serving, visiting, and blessing Israel. It's hard to even begin to list the things we done (service projects, visiting sites of Biblical and historical significance, team bonding, traveling together from north to south, etc...) We are blessed with a team that is bonding SO VERY well! We are just so thankful for each person and the way they are embracing this experience! They are not afraid to try new foods, get their hands dirty, or open their hearts for Yeshua to work in their lives.
Our kibbutz work begins early tomorrow morning (Sunday). We are working through the various work assignments and matching the students to maximize effectiveness.
The weather has been pretty hot so we're all dealing with a new intensity of the middle eastern sun (translated - we all have sunburn) but we're staying well hydrated with our water bottles!
We've been involved with three different ministries - each being very unique, uplifting, and so rewarding. One of our team members speaks Russian and she's had several opportunities to use her Russian to converse with Russian Jews here in Israel. It's been an unexpected blessing for our team to see her share this gift. We spent a day in the Negev Desert blessing some believers by working very hard in the hot sun. It was exhausting, but very rewarding and none of us will forget our time in the desert.
That is all for now - thank you for your many many many pr** on our behalf!!!
Karisa & Ryan (and the Israel '08 team)
Just in 6/1/08:
Today begins our last week of ministry in Israel! It's hard to believe that we arrived in Tel Aviv two weeks ago! These weeks have been exhausting, but so rewarding! As I write this, each team member is out in their "kibbutz jobs" while I am cleaning, doing laundry, preparing lunch, etc... Ryan is busy working on updating the computers and a bunch of technology stuff that desperately needed done!
3 of the boys are "dropping chickens" at the chicken coop
3 of the girls are working in the factory
2 of the boys and 1 girl are working on the grounds and gardens
2 of the girls are working at Brad and Jeanie's
2 boys and 2 girls are doing maintenance/cleaning at the children's home
Each day is different and we've had a lot of opportunities to share our hard working ethic and love for people with the Israelis. Last night, many from the team enjoyed playing soccer and basketball with some kibbutz teenagers who we met at the kibbutz pool. Each interaction is special and we're looking forward to more time like this.
We returned from Jerusalem late Friday night. Our three days there were packed with so much to take in. We all learned the true meaning of Psalm 122:6 as we experienced chaos (nothing bad - just heavy) in a city that is everything BUT peace.
On Friday night, we attended the Jerusalem Assembly. As we walked into the service, a teen walked down the steps in a Cedarville University t-shirt! His name is Ryan and he's going to be a senior in high school in the fall. He visited CU in the fall and is trying to decide between 3 colleges and CU is on the list! We ended up spending a long time talking with his parents and Ryan about CU and hopefully recruited him! It was an unexpected opportunity to share our love for Cedarville.
On Saturday (yesterday), we celebrated the Sabbath by retracing Yeshua's steps around the Sea of Galilee. We enjoyed stopping at various points around the Sea and reading passages from the Gospels that reminded us of some pretty amazing things. With our busy work schedules and very hot middle-eastern sun, it's easy to forget we're in Israel, surrounded by biblical history.
The week ahead will be extremely busy. The work day goes from 7 AM - 1 PM and we have something planned each afternoon and/or evening until we leave for the airport late Friday night.
The team's health is good and we're thankful that we're all getting along extremely well! Thank you for everything! We appreciate everything!
Karisa & Ryan
Kosovo
Education team - updates on the xanga site: http://www.xanga.com/s1162763
(Note received 5/28/08)
Things are still going really well here. We can't believe that we've been here 3 1/2 weeks already. The time has gone so quickly! We're really enjoying getting to know the people here. And we are having a BLAST teaching the students. Some lessons definitely go better than others, but we have been able to teach a lot of English, math, and science. This is the last week for the public schools here in K, so we are expecting our students' motivation to decrease some next week, since they're done w/ public school :). Next week is the last week of classes at the HoL, so we get to finish out the year with them. It's especially fun now b/c as we walk around the city in the afternoons or evenings, we always see several people that we know either from HoL or from ch.
We have loved teaching classes and also enjoyed the other activities we've gotten to do. We've gone to school programs at the public schools, birthday parties, house visits, and day trips out to the country. This is a beautiful place, and its people are definitely in our hearts. We're looking forward to some events coming up --a school program tonight, a house visit tomorrow, yth gp on Friday, a trip (somewhere :) on Saturday, tea with the teachers on Saturday, and then ch, pr_r meeting, and a restaurant on Sunday. Such fun!!
Continue to pr_ for the brothers and sisters here. The decision to bel_ve comes at a great price, sometimes. Their hearts are heavy for their families to join them. We are continually encouraged by their strength in making and keeping this decision. Thank you also for your pr_rs for our safety and our trip overall. We have really been blessed, and we're thanking Him. See you all soon! Sarah
Zimbabwe
Team is delayed until July, but CU grad and one of the team leaders, Nathan Williams went ahead and sends this report 5/28/2008:
It's great to write to you all again from beautiful Zimbabwe! I've been in the country about a week and a half now, and just today completed my first full week of work out at the Karanda Mission Hospital. Where I am is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Harare, which is the capital of Zim. Out here I am literally in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by small villages, farms, and open space. Luckily, we have running water, electricity (at least 3/4 of the time), and satellite internet.
Just to give you a quick rundown of my normal day: I wake up at 6:00 AM and get ready for my busy day. Chapel for the hospital staff starts promptly at 7 AM, at which we sing a few Shona hymns (Shona is the tribal language of most of Zim) and one of the missionaries shares a short devotional. I then head off to work my 7 AM - 4 PM shift in Female ward (the hospital is divided into Pediatrics, Male, Female, and Maternity wards...no private rooms). A normal shift involves passing medications in the morning, assessing the patients with the doctor during rounds, and then a huge pile of paperwork to record all new orders, admissions, and discharges. Needless to say, nursing in a third world country is VERY different from the US. Over here we re-use virtually everything. Gloves are washed, powdered, and re-sterilized. vials of medicine are washed and reused to collect lab specimins. Syringes are re-used. We have 1 (count it: one) oxygen mask to use for Nebulized breathing treatments for the entire hospital...we just carry it from patient to patient as they need treatments.
I get off work around 4 PM, and after that I fill my evening with playing with the village kids (who are AWESOME!!)...and they're teaching me Shona language. I visit the shops in the village, take walks up and down the old airplane landing strip, hang out with missionaries, etc. Thursday night we have prayer meeting with the missionaries and Hospital staff. Saturday mornings I help with their AWANA program at the church, Sunday is church...all in Shona, so I can't understand a word, but the singing is probably the most enjoyable worship I've ever had! Africans REALLY get into their music...many in the congregation bring their own drums, tambourines, and maracas.
It's definitely tough working in this type of environment. around 25% of the population-at-large is infected with HIV/AIDS....but that jumps to about 75% of the hospital patients who have HIV. The most common things we see are TB, Malaria, Pneumonia, and complicated pregnancies...most of them resulting from AIDS. Many of the patients truly have no earthly hope of ever recovering from their illnesses and returning to a normal life. Luckily Karanda Hospital also offers spiritual care. While I don't personally do much in the way of witnessing at the hospital, our full-time staff of counselors prays with the patients and shares the love of Christ to those who are in distress. There is daily chapel for patients, weekly hymn singing by the staff, and ward-by-ward devotionals and worship time led by the pastor's wife and some other ladies from the church, Karanda Fellowship Chapel, which is here on the hospital compound.
Everything has gone very well since I arrived out here...a true answer to prayer. The violence and civil unrest that threatened to close the hospital not two weeks ago has completely subsided, and this area seems calm for the moment. Unfortunately this can not be said for the rest of the nation of Zimbabwe. Throughout the country are roving gangs of militia, police, and army personnel intimidating, beating, and burning the homes of political opposition supporters. Please be in prayer for those who are suffering in a very real way. Even those who have homes have great difficulty acquiring food and basic necessities due to the economic situation. Zim's inflation is uncontrolled. When I exchanged my US dollars for Zim currency last week, I was given 250 Million Zim dollars for each US dollar (my grocery bill was approximately 30 billion). 3 days later a doctor from the hospital exchanged his US dollars for 370 Million Zim dollars. Even nurses in this country make barely 20 billion dollars per month, hardly enough for food and clothing, much less transport costs and school fees for children. Life is tough for Zimbabweans, but they are very resourceful and make do with what they can obtain.
Prayer requests:
- The political and economic situation in Zim, including prayer for the upcoming presidential election on June 27th.
- That I am able to learn more of the Shona language.
- That I am able to use challenges and struggles I face in this unique setting to grow in my Christian walk.
- For the hundreds of Karanda Hospital patients who's only hope is Christ.
I look forward to hearing from all of you, and how things are going back in America. I miss you all and hope all is well.
-Nathan
Hungary
Education team returned safely last Friday night! They served in Budapest, Hungary; also in: Bishkek, K'stan, and Madrid, Spain; meeting special education needs of missionary families.
"The folks here have been wonderful. It is such a treat to meet family all over the world and to join hands and work together to accomplish God's purposes! Keep praying - especially for rest and strength! It is our passion to bring hope and encouragement to each missionary family we serve."
Short note as they returned: "We learned so much and enjoyed the experience to the fullest! We tested 27 children and met with 25 sets of parents and with a host of teachers and administrators. According to all reports the trip was a success, PTL!"
Thank you again for partnering in prayer with our MIS teams!
Posted: May 19, 2008
Thank you already for your prayers for those traveling representing the Lord and Cedarville this summer! If you need another copy of the Christian Ministries Prayer Reminder or want to see the list of those going out independently this summer please contact our office.
Dominican Republic
Women's soccer team left on May 3rd and have returned. There is a site that tells their story: http://www.scoreinternational.org/category/trip-updates/dominican-republic/cedarville-womens-soccer/
Coach McGillivray reports: After each game the girls did a great job of interacting one on one with the players of the teams we played. Most of the time I had to tell the girls it was time to leave before they were done talking. The girls jumped right in at the orphanage and the sugarcane village playing various games with the kids and carrying them around.
We had a team devotional time almost every night and an opportunity to reflect on what they had learned. Some of the players comments were: I want to be more faithful in my prayer life and if we can do this in the D R, why can't we do the same thing in the US?
I cannot say if there were any decisions by those with whom we shared the gospel. I do know the message of forgiveness and salvation found in Christ and Christ alone was shared with boldness and with power.
Kosovo I
Education team xanga site: http://www.xanga.com/s1162763 Note from the team: Things are going great here! We've finished up our first week. We taught for 3 days this week (the first two days we just got to know the area, the teachers, and the students). We're trying to learn names and figure out how much math and science the students know and how much English they know (they all know how much Shqip we know :).
We are thankful for our safety so far--both in travel and here in the country. Things are very calm and safe. We are also thankful for the blessings He has shown us on this trip. He has been good. Things are going very well here. We're really looking forward to the next four weeks, and we feel that they will fly by.
Please continue to pray for us as we prepare lessons and build relationships w/ the brothers and sisters here, the teachers at the school, and the students. We're loving it here and have already picked out which students we want to smuggle home in our suitcases (although N says we are not allowed to have any of them:).
Liberia
Engineering team: We arrived safely at Robert's Field Friday evening. We got through customs without a hitch; James and Gus and others were there waiting for us.
Airport security had lots of fun with us--starting in Columbus. Most of our suitcases were visually inspected after they went through the xRay machine. The pressure tanks aroused a lot of suspicion, as did the water pumps. Tyler got randomly selected to have his entire backpack (his carry on) emptied and re-packed by a security person training a new hire; translation = lots of time. They confiscated my tooth paste. At Brussels, security came and got me at the gate and took me to an interrogation room; they had a picture from their scanning machine of the water pump and my suitcase and wanted me to open it. Since the impellers in the water pump are plastic they hardly show up, but the motor and steel shaft showed up clearly; the bottom line was that it looked like some sort of laser gun packed in my luggage.
We will have a meeting with James and Gus this afternoon and then a formal meeting on Monday morning to lay out the work schedule for two weeks we will be here. All are excited about what we are doing, and looking forward to what God has in store for us.
The Hungary Education team and Togo nursing team have safely arrived. The Zimbabwe nursing team has been delayed until July.
This weekend: the Peru and Israel teams head out!
