Masaya, Nicaragua~OCTOBER 2007
THIS TRIP WE EXPEIENCED A GREAT BREAKTHROUGH WITH OUR VISION OF HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING THE CHILDRENS HOME . GLENN AND LYNNE FROM JINEOTEPE THAT THEY FOUNDED 6 YEARS AGO. THEY OPERATE A HOTEL CALLED CASA MATEO THAT HELPS FUND THEIR MINISTRY AND GIVES YOUNG ADULTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN EXPERIENCE WORKING IN A SERVICE ENVIRONMENT. THEY ALSO HAVE A 5 TO 6 ACRE QUINTA THAT THEY HAVE BUILT A CLINIC,CHILDRENS HOME AND ARE PRESENTLY CONSTRUCTING A VOCATIONAL/TECHNICAL SCHOOL. THIS FELL INTO LINE WITH WHAT STR8WAY'S VISION WAS CONCERNING YOUNG PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE NICARAGUA CULTURE FROM A CHILDRENS HOME. WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS LITTLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC STABILITY OR EDUCATION AFTER THEY LEFT. THIS USUALLY PUT THEM BACK ON THE STREET AND LEFT THEM WITH LITTLE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE! HERE IS A GENERATION THAT COULD BE USED TO FURTHER THE KINGDOM AND WE HAD A CHANCE TO HELP CONTINUE GOD'S PLAN. WE HAVE NOW STEPPED UP TO FINANCIALLY BACK THESE EFFORTS AND SEVERAL OF THE TEAM THAT WENT, AS WELL AS PAST TEAM MEMBERS HAVE PITCHED IN TO SEE THIS COME ALIVE! OUR TEAM WHICH NUMBERED 16 THIS TRIP, WERE ABLE TO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE KIDS AT THE HOME,TAKE THEM ON SEVERAL EXCURSIONS,REACHED OUT TO THE BARRIO NEAR THE HOME BY HOLDING SEVERAL CRAFT EVENTS, HAVING TWO MOVIE NIGHTS AND CONSTRUCTING A CASITA FOR A NEEDY FAMILY. THE MOVIE NIGHTS ENABLED US TO SHOW THE PASSION AND GIVE OUT CARE PACKAGES . SOME OF THE RETURNING TEAM GOT TO REKINDLE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE FIRST TIMERS GOT TO EXPERIENCE PEOPLE LIVING ON 'THE DUMP' AS WELL AS THE POVERTY OF THE BARRIO. IT PUTS A WHOLE NEW MEANING ON WHAT YOUR TREASURE IS!
Kenya ~May 2007
Having returned from our first trip to Kitale, Kenya, the whole team has been impacted in many ways. After arriving in Kenya and to conclude our trip, we went over to visit missionaries at Rift Valley Academy (RVA). We were blessed with food and fellowship and were also able to see some of the projects connected with RVA including a Bible College for Kenyan’s and several feeding programs for the children in the villages. The majority of our time was spent at the Kenya Church of Christ Children’s Home where we were able to form impacting relationships with the staff and the kids. We were able to bless the home by building a cow barnas well. While the kids were in school each day we would work on building the cow barn (an interesting experience when lacking the tools and “convenience” we are used to here in the States) and in the evenings we were able to spend time with the kids. This time included craft projects, coloring, puzzles, and playing soccer or basketball. On our last day we all went on an outing to the Wild Animal Park,and we had a BBQ. It is so hard to sum up what happens on one of these trips, but here are some ways that it affected a few of the team members:
“Africa had so many exciting and interesting moments! Moments that brought reflection, laughter, wonder, and even tears. Moments of struggle with cultural differences and momentsof contrast like the beautiful vistas of Rift Valley to the dusty, busy streets of Kitale jammed with bicycles. Cars. Buses and the smells of the market place. In the midst of all these snapshots of life in Africa on a Thursday evening, several young men from the ages of 3 mo. to 17 yrs. Gathered for a Bible study at the Children’s Home. As Wayne, Chuck and I joined them,I was impacted by the fact that I was looking at a family of young men who for one reason or another had been left to find their own way. In this difficult situation there was, however, a joy that rose in their voices as they sang song after song praising their Lord & Savior and a pureness in servant hood that I had not seen in quite some time. You see, the young men held the infant boys like they were fathers and brothers, taking care of their needs and never complaining or being impatient and I marveled at their love for one another. It was apparent that though the world may have abandoned them in some way, they had found family with each other and with Jesus. I miss them!” ~Greg
“After 9 days at the children’s home and all of the blessings and impacting moments there, we returned to RVA for a couple of days before departing. We were taken to one of the local feeding programs that had just begun one week earlier. In a little village called Naivasha, the local pastor was feeding lunch to 70 of the neediest children. My mind is still struggling to comprehend the depth of the need in this village. . . How could he determine the neediest children among the neediest of the needy? All were dressed in their school uniforms (mostly paid for thru this ministry), surely one of their only outfits. Many had no shoes, and for almost all of them, this meal of ugali & sekumawakee (corn mush and kale) was their only meal of the day! We then walked to the church location where the other 100 children (the “not so needy”) of his congregation absolutely swarmed us; just wanting to touch us and say “howa you?” (The only English some knew.) I am truly impacted by the degree of need in all of Kenya. But the blessing is to see how God works through that need because there is truly a hunger for Jesus there that is sorely lacking in our land of abundance.” ~Di
“There are so many things on our trip to Kenya that impacted my life. The first one that comes to mind is the relationships that I was able to build with some of the kids at the children's home. The time we were able to spend with the kids at the end of each day was priceless. They opened up to us more every day and by the end of the week when we had to leave they were all sad and wanting us to stay. It was really neat being in a different country and being able to communicate with the children. They taught me so much and showed me God's love. Ireally hope I was able to do the same. They are a great group of kids that I really admire. I spent a lot of time playing basketball with some of the older boys and was therefore able to form relationships with them. God really showed me through this that through sports I can show people His love. I believe that He is calling me to do sports ministry and really showed that tome on this trip through the kids. “ ~Erin
"For me, one kyros moment of the trip was during the Sunday morning church service at the children's home. The kids were all singing the different parts to the song "Father, I Adore You". It was so moving that it brought me to tears. They sounded like angelic hosts. Here were almost 40 kids who had physically and emotionally next to nothing, but spiritually, they had Jesus, and they were singing praises to Him - and He was enough. Every child deserves to have a family and to know that they belong to someone. Every child needs to know that someone claims them and that they are loved." Psalm 68:6 says "God sets the solitary in families." I pray that each one of those children will one day experience the fullness of that promise and have someone whom they can call "Momma" & "Daddy" as Jesus always intended for them to have. Even as an adult, the Lord is more than able to repay all the years the locusts have eaten. In the meantime, as they are waiting, He is enough. Jesus is always enough." ~Jami
The PeaK
THIS FALL WE HAD SEVERAL GREAT CHALLENGES FROM DIFFERENT SPEAKERS. MISSIONS-WHAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE-STRUGGLES WITH REAL LIFE ISSUES-LEADERSHIP. UPCOMING WE HOPE TO CONTINUE WITH WORSHIP-CHALLENGE PEOPLE TO STEP UP IN MISSIONS AND THEIROUTREACH TO COMMUNITY! COME BE PART OF SOMETHING ALTERNATIVE. SUNDAY NIGHTS AT 6 PM. CALL 719-588-9015 FOR DETAILS.
VISION 12
THIS YEAR I FELT GOD CALLING ME TO WORK WITH SOME YOUNG ADULTS TO EQUIP AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO STRETCH THEMSELVES TO TAKING THEMSELVES TO ANOTHER LEVEL. GOD WANTS LEADERS TO FURTHER HIS KINGDOM AND WE NEED WARRIORS FROM THIS GENERATION EAGER TO MEET THE CHALLENGE. STAY TUNED FOR WHAT GOD IS GOING TO DO WITH THESE GREAT YOUNG ADULTS!
