When seemingly out of nowhere the music just started, with Elias and the band, which now had a new sound complete with Jesse’s new bass guitar amp and Obed’s double drum pedal.  Then we all focused our attention on God in praise and worship.  That led into a prayer time that was so powerful for all who were part of it.  What happened to the children and workers tonight in the spiritual realm will go far beyond what we will ever know. 

As we pack to leave Casa Hogar and start heading home our hearts have mixed with emotions.  That feeling is something that no one can describe unless they have been here.  God has really showed Himself this week.   There has been numerous challenges with the rainy, muddy, uncharacteristically cold weather, missing luggage, the bus being stuck in the mud, etc. that for us to be able to accomplish what we have, has been nothing short of a miracle.  Thank you God for showing us your glory and for reminding us that this is truly not about us!

Tuesday was jam-packed from the start.  Roselena Balderas reminded us during our devotion time that warfare always happens before God gives us the victory.  That lead into a powerful time of prayer.  Afterwards, we headed to the orphanage to hang out with the kids and staff of Casa Hogar.  They were introduced to the game of Corn Hole for the first time and they loved it!  The weather was cool but nice, and as some continued to have fun and play games outside together, many of the children were given basic medical check-ups by Dr. Zinni and Nurse Cheryl from Ohio.   

Around 25 boxes were packed up with food and basic supplies for the families living at the trash dump.  Lunch at Enrique’s was delicious as usual, and then we headed to the hotel to prepare for the ministry that would take place at the trash dump. 

Even in the muddy conditions, many families gathered to hear the message of the gospel that was presented by several on the team.  Jelly Bean and Lolly presented a clown skit about staying away from sin, followed by an upbeat song led by Sister Evangelista from NY about the River of God. David Moore presented the gospel, reminding us how important it is to stay on the path God has for each of us.  Many responded to the call for prayer and several young men came forward to receive Christ into their lives.

The last event of the day was the Christmas party for the staff and leaders at Casa Hogar back at the hotel.  The atmosphere was festive and fun as team members had the opportunity to mingle with Pastor Elias & Teresa Herrera and the others.  Memories from previous trips were shared by many, bringing laughter and tears.  Generous gifts from individuals as well as churches across the US enabled the ministry team to share gifts for each one there, including a motorized scooter for Lucia’s ministry at Mission Belen, a sofa bed for Teresa Herrera, and a new video projector for the orphanage.  All of our hearts were blessed as the gifts were shared. 

What a wonderful day!  The cold let up a bit - just in time for our outdoor Christmas party for the little ones!  Some of the men left early this morning to begin painting the rooms in the girls dormitory while the ladies bought food and supplies for the party.  We all met up at Casa Hogar for our group photos and then began the fun and games with the children.  The kids fluttered from table to table with huge smiles on their faces as they decorated their own Christmas ornament, received face painting, and decorated a postcard (intended for their rooms, but those sweet-hearted children decided to write messages on the postcard and present them to various team members and Casa Hogar staff). 

We are very grateful to Sisters Evangelista, Luisa and Roselena for spending the majority of the afternoon in the kitchen so that we could have some delicious Puerto Rican dishes and homemade salsas.  Everyone was very grateful and many had seconds!  We are also thankful for all those who remained outside to prepare the tables and keep the children busy until it was time for the party.  And I know the girls were so happy to have freshly painted bedrooms!

We ended the party by giving the children their Christmas gift bags, one by one.  (We had quite a hard time keeping them from peeking beforehand!)  They showed off their new toys to the onlooking crowd and then immediately got down on the ground to begin opening the packages and testing things out.  It was a joy for all present and we thank everyone who donated to help make the whole day possible.

In the evening at the hotel we gave the teens their Christmas party.  The room looked so festive and cheerful (good job team).  The kids filed in one by one as the team sang “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.”  We did a group photo and some individual photos and then ate pizza together.  The team organized two hilarious games - one in which the teens had a relay (boys versus girls) to sit on balloons until they popped, and the other in which each group (again, boys versus girls) had to pass a marshmallow from one teen to the next using only a toothpick held in their mouths.  Their were screams of laughter that probably were heard in the lobby!  After that, we moved on to passing out the gift bags.  The kids were so appreciative and all seemed to really enjoy their presents.  We each received several hugs of gratitude and friendship before they left.  Several of the teens expressed looking forward to seeing us tomorrow.  It was a special night for all of us. 

We started today with a powerful service at the church in Papantla, about 30 minutes from the hotel and orphanage, of which Brother Omar is now pastoring.  We were all warmly welcomed, despite the unusually cold weather, and started off with some vibrant worship in both English and Spanish.  Dave sang the English verses alongside Elias Jr, Jesse, and Obed, who provided tremendous music and the Spanish verses. There were also some fresh-faced young ladies playing tambourines and honoring God with choreographed dance.  Brother Tony gave a brief but poignant message about how our plans are not necessarily the plans that God has for us.  Just as Mary and Joseph faced an unexpected pregnancy and the judgement of their community because they were not yet married, we too may worry about our own life circumstances and what people may think of us.  But God just might be preparing you today for what He has prepared for you in the future!  Later, the Millers from Cleveland Ohio blessed us with a song, and three other team members from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Ohio performed a drama to Spanish music.    Brother Brian then shared another powerful message from Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say in response to this, if God be for us, who shall be against us?”  Through his teaching we learned that where ever we go, we have God before us, Jesus at our side, the holy spirit within us, goodness and mercy following us and angels surrounding us.  The message truly moved us all.  At the close of the service we saw numerous people respond to the alter call and many more come up to assist in prayer, as the barriers of language were washed away by His living water.

As we left the church, our bus ended up getting stuck in the mud and what seemed like a damper to the amazing service we had just finished ended up becoming another opportunity for fellowship and comradery.  Many of the community members and members of the church congregation responded to our need and worked together to help get the bus unstuck.

We had another delicious meal at Enrique’s and then were off to the orphanage for the quinceanera and the purity service.  Despite the fact that we had 11 suitcases still missing from all the travel delays, we still managed to bring together the items we needed to present at the two services. First we celebrated the rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood with four of the 15-year old girls at Casa Hogar.  All of them really looked beautiful with their elegant dresses, heels, and tiaras.  After presenting them with a bible and kneeling pillow, the girls danced with Pastor Elias and others sharing in the celebration.  For the purity service, we saw most, if not all of the teens at the orphanage publicly commit themselves to sexual abstinence until marriage.  A sponsor presented each teen with a ring to wear on their left ring finger, not to be removed until it is replaced with a wedding band, to signify their commitment to God and to themselves.  The evening ended with a delicious meal of lamb (”birria”) prepared for us by the women of Casa Hogar.

We are now preparing the gifts for our young children’s Christmas party tomorrow.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

We are making history on this edition of the Poza Rica Global Expedition.  For the first time ever, the team arrived to the Poza Rica Inn in two groups, due to delayed flights all over the U.S.  Graciously, Brother Tony decided to go easy on us and let us sleep in a little bit.  After some much-appreciated rest and our morning devotion, we went to Enrique’s Restaurant for an absolutely delicious lunch. (Including the best tamales I’ve ever tried!)  Next we made our first visit to Casa Hogar to get acquainted or reacquainted with the children and staff.  Words cannot even begin to describe the type of welcome we received from those little children.  Just try to imagine a set of double doors opening up to boisterous Mexican dance music and about 50 children rushing towards you with pompoms shaking and their shouts and cheers filling the air.  I think its safe to say that there wasn’t a dry eye among us!  We were introduced to all of the workers and children, one by one, and then got a tour of all the different buildings and dormitories.  The children seemed proud to share a tour of their rooms and happy that their friends from the United States had returned. 

Since several individuals arrived to Mexico to find that their luggage had not, we made a stop at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club to pick up some personal items, as well as look at some of the gifts we’d like to purchase for the orphanage. 

We ended the evening with tacos by Enrique.  As always, the food was delicious and the service excellent.

YWEA 2010--OPERATION RESCUE

The 2010 YWEA Project will focus once again on hurting children of the world.  Under the theme “Hope for the Hopeless–Operation Rescue” the YWEA 2010 emphasis will target Nogales, Mexico and Bogota, Colombia. 

In Nogales we will raise funds to construct an orphanage for the abandoned and abused children who’s parents gather at the border in search of a better life.  The children of Nogales are abandoned as familes disintegrate leaving the children to fend for themselves.  These childern are forced into prostitution, gangs and child labor just to survive.

In Bogota, Colombia we will enlarge and expand a “safe house” for children.  Currently a “safehouse” for girls is in operation but is limited in scope.  YWEA 2010 will help to relocate this “safehouse” and enlarge it to include young boys also.  Children in Colombia are targeted by the guerillas who force them to serve as soldiers in the guerrilla armies.  They are sexually and physically abused and neglected.  It is estimated that in  Colombia an average of seven (7) children are killed every day–One Every Three Hours.  Your support of YWEA-Operation Resuce will provide a safe secure home for many abandoned and abused children. 

Remember 100% of your gift and donation will go directly toward the projects in Nogales and Bogota.  For more information contact us at ywea@churchofgod.org or visit the website at www.yweaoperationrescue.org

YWEA 2009 Funds help to purchase a new bus for the Kibera Kids Center in Nairobi, Kenya.  This is the first step of the distribution of the 2009 YWEA funds.  More updates to follow

Laying of Corner Stones at property in Kigali, Rwanda

YWEA 2009–Rwanda Project is launched with the laying of corner stones on the property in Kigali, Rwanda this past Sunday. I was priviledged to participate in the laying of these corner stones and we anticipate what God is going to accomplish in Rwanda because of the YWEA giving.

Dr. Dwight Thompson prepares to for dental work on Kibera Kids Center Orphan as Director of Orphanage Jim Womble look on

This is the third day of Kenya Medical Missions trip and the doctors and dentist have had a full day.  As a matter of fact, the dentist started at 9 a.m. today and it is now 11p.m. and they are still seeing dental patients.  Dr. Maury Branch and Dr. Dwight Thompson, our dentist, are truly wonderful men who are doing an excellent service to these orphan children.