Today has been one of those days where God has had to show up, and as usual, He did it with some class. At lunch time we were informed that Patrick's grandad was in the hospital in serious condition. It wasnt long after that that we were informed that his grandfather had gone on to be with Jesus. At that point we gathered around our brother and friend and prayed our hearts out for him and his family. We immediately moved into "help get Patrick home" mode. That proved to be difficult. Airlines can be pretty crappy these days, and today they were. American Airlines really stuck it to us. But he will be on a plane tomorrow because God is great. We have a great mission team who really knows how to give selflessly.
On a side note, let me say the christian community has lost one of its giants today. Bert Owen was an amazing churchman who loved the Lord and sought to glorify Him by his service to the church.
It was difficult to maintain normalcy in a day that was far from routine, but we did work hard and make a lot of progress on our projects today. If everything goes as planned, we might actually begin to paint and start some finish work after lunch tomorrow.
Tonight we are playing Uno with Wilson and his daughter Andrea. I couldnt type and draw 4 at the same time so i yielded my hand to Jake. Our devotion was led by pastor Wilfried from Buenaventura. He shared a lot about the faith of his father that spread throughout his entire household. He, his 9 siblings and mother were all led to Christ by his dad! Dads, pastor your families!!!!! Nothing else you do matters if you blow it in this regard. We sang both spanish and english hymns, accompanied by Wilfried on his guitar. He is a master. It was a great time to praise God as we prayed for our friends and family and miss marie and miss sandy (please get better soon you two very special ladies!)
As i end my blog tonight i do so with my friend patricio on my mind, may God heal your broken heart and carry you home quickly!
Be blessed.
Jeff
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
An amazing day!
TodaY has been one of the more interesting days of my life. We rose early to go to Buenaventura for worship. This is about a 2-3 hour bus ride down the mountain. We traveled through three different climate sytems, the coolest one to look at was the tropical rain forest. What a neat sight for those of us whove never seen anything like this before.
In Buenaventura we stopped at 2 mission churches before going to the big church. These were small in size, but they were HUGE in love. These exceptionally dark skinned believers hugged and kissed us all the way into the building. They stopped their service to applaud us as we all made a bee line for the bathroom. After introductions were made we posed for a photo at the church and then got back on the bus to go to the second mission point. The music at the second church could be heard a block away. They were certainly getting their praise on. From there we headed to the big church for worship and lunch. Buenaventura is a port city on the Pacific coast of Colombia. That being the case, it is exceptionally HOT! We sat with 250 of our newest friends as we worshipped and perspired together, all in the name of Jesus. We got up and sang a few songs them, then the pastor preached. Following the sermon, there were 8 or so ministerial candidates presented before the church!!!! Boyce called on me to pray over them. What a cool time.
Lunch was next on our list, and we scored big time. Fried fish! Red Snapper, heads still on, and it was without a doubt the best fish ive eaten, ever. The fish was seasoned with lemon and salt, and it was amazing. I know they sacrificed a lot to provide it for us and i am so thankful, but i wouldve killed for a couple more of those. I even ate the "head meat" which came out really easy if you snapped the head off and slurped real hard!
After lunch we went to a park at the ocean and took pictures and perspired. From there we went to a big store and bought snacks, coffee and Jet chocolate bars (Hunter & Baylee...daddy scored big time!). We were a complete freak show, as the entire mall stopped to check us out. It was here that a large number of kids surrounded the bus awaiting our return from shopping. I think they were begging for money, but they passed their time drawing phallic symbols in the dust on the bus. One boy extended his hand to shake, and when Julian, our reident sasquatch shook his hand the boy nearly passed out. He couldnt believe how big Julians hands were and proceeded to gather all of his friends to see the new spectacle.
The bus ride home was long and rough and uneventful. Thankfully as we got closer to the top of our mountain, the temperature began to drop. As always, the rapid change in altitude has given most of us excruciating headaches and we are preparing for bed early. We brought 2 pastors back to camp to work with us for a few days. Hopefully tomorrow will be a day of much progress as we have a lot to do before the week is over.
Many of us are homesick, myself included. I have to say, my wife is amazing for the way she supports my ministry. I couldnt be here if she werent so understanding and willing for me to do these trips. I love you darling! Keep us in your prayers.
Be blessed
Jeff
In Buenaventura we stopped at 2 mission churches before going to the big church. These were small in size, but they were HUGE in love. These exceptionally dark skinned believers hugged and kissed us all the way into the building. They stopped their service to applaud us as we all made a bee line for the bathroom. After introductions were made we posed for a photo at the church and then got back on the bus to go to the second mission point. The music at the second church could be heard a block away. They were certainly getting their praise on. From there we headed to the big church for worship and lunch. Buenaventura is a port city on the Pacific coast of Colombia. That being the case, it is exceptionally HOT! We sat with 250 of our newest friends as we worshipped and perspired together, all in the name of Jesus. We got up and sang a few songs them, then the pastor preached. Following the sermon, there were 8 or so ministerial candidates presented before the church!!!! Boyce called on me to pray over them. What a cool time.
Lunch was next on our list, and we scored big time. Fried fish! Red Snapper, heads still on, and it was without a doubt the best fish ive eaten, ever. The fish was seasoned with lemon and salt, and it was amazing. I know they sacrificed a lot to provide it for us and i am so thankful, but i wouldve killed for a couple more of those. I even ate the "head meat" which came out really easy if you snapped the head off and slurped real hard!
After lunch we went to a park at the ocean and took pictures and perspired. From there we went to a big store and bought snacks, coffee and Jet chocolate bars (Hunter & Baylee...daddy scored big time!). We were a complete freak show, as the entire mall stopped to check us out. It was here that a large number of kids surrounded the bus awaiting our return from shopping. I think they were begging for money, but they passed their time drawing phallic symbols in the dust on the bus. One boy extended his hand to shake, and when Julian, our reident sasquatch shook his hand the boy nearly passed out. He couldnt believe how big Julians hands were and proceeded to gather all of his friends to see the new spectacle.
The bus ride home was long and rough and uneventful. Thankfully as we got closer to the top of our mountain, the temperature began to drop. As always, the rapid change in altitude has given most of us excruciating headaches and we are preparing for bed early. We brought 2 pastors back to camp to work with us for a few days. Hopefully tomorrow will be a day of much progress as we have a lot to do before the week is over.
Many of us are homesick, myself included. I have to say, my wife is amazing for the way she supports my ministry. I couldnt be here if she werent so understanding and willing for me to do these trips. I love you darling! Keep us in your prayers.
Be blessed
Jeff
Friday, January 27, 2012
Smurfette is here!
Buenos dias mi amigos! At this ver moment i am sitting on the porch looking out over a valley thats approximately 30 miles wide. These mountains are truly incredible....footprints of a mighty God that bring me to my knees in praise! I will post photos when i get home. Words caanot begin to describe the beauty of this place.
Last night for our devotion we watched the movie Courageous, and though we were all very tired we were inspired by the Word as it was portrayed on screen. It was unanimous...we all want to be better me when we return home. Pray for us. I believe Scripture says something like iron sharpening iron, and that is certainly what it will take. One of the things im noticing is that as i miss my wife and children incredibly, im actually able to prayfor them with the intensity that captures Gods fervance. To keep this intensity when i return has the opportunity to be life changing for our whole family.
Most of us had warmish showers last night. Julian and i were the last 2 to get a shower....needless to say, i squeeled like a little girl. I went in a man and came out Smurfette. I have never been so blue or so cold in my entire life. we all slept well and are ready to work today. However, there is a minor snag...100 students from the Colegio are coming out to the camp today. We will wind up visiting and letting them practice their english on us. That will be cool, but not good for our projects. But likei said the other day, the work really isnt the important part.
Oh yeah, before iforget, pray that we can find a few heaters. Temps plummetted last night and we like to froze. Damp and about 45 with lots of missing windows. Boyce lit a fire in the fireplace of his cabin, but the flew was inadequate. It would have been great for smoking hams! Thankfully, not my cabin. Weve got a busy day ahead, so i need to go. The question i ended our devotion with last night is what i leave you with today...."what are you willing to do for God?". I pray youre doing that today!
Blessings!
Jeff
Last night for our devotion we watched the movie Courageous, and though we were all very tired we were inspired by the Word as it was portrayed on screen. It was unanimous...we all want to be better me when we return home. Pray for us. I believe Scripture says something like iron sharpening iron, and that is certainly what it will take. One of the things im noticing is that as i miss my wife and children incredibly, im actually able to prayfor them with the intensity that captures Gods fervance. To keep this intensity when i return has the opportunity to be life changing for our whole family.
Most of us had warmish showers last night. Julian and i were the last 2 to get a shower....needless to say, i squeeled like a little girl. I went in a man and came out Smurfette. I have never been so blue or so cold in my entire life. we all slept well and are ready to work today. However, there is a minor snag...100 students from the Colegio are coming out to the camp today. We will wind up visiting and letting them practice their english on us. That will be cool, but not good for our projects. But likei said the other day, the work really isnt the important part.
Oh yeah, before iforget, pray that we can find a few heaters. Temps plummetted last night and we like to froze. Damp and about 45 with lots of missing windows. Boyce lit a fire in the fireplace of his cabin, but the flew was inadequate. It would have been great for smoking hams! Thankfully, not my cabin. Weve got a busy day ahead, so i need to go. The question i ended our devotion with last night is what i leave you with today...."what are you willing to do for God?". I pray youre doing that today!
Blessings!
Jeff
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Today has started off very well. Work has begun and the steel framework of our project is about a fourth of the way up. Its taken a bit of work to figure out both the how and what, but now that we're in the know, everything is a go. The "skilled" laborers are on the framing, the rest of us carried sheetrock up the mountain. Its going to take a while to get over the burn of that!
Our Colombian friends greeted us last night with fresh coffee and homemade chicken soup....at 11 pm. We had a huge breakfast of eggs and arepas this morning, and we just ate a huge lunch of ajiaco soup with rice, salad, chicken legs and lolo juice. How on earth are we supposed to work in these conditions?
On a side note, upon our arrival to the camp, even in the dark we could tell alot of work had been here. Since our first trip, presbyterial interest in the camp has really grown. Itis not out of the ordinary for several people a week to come up and use or work on a project here. God has been using our previous trips in ways we never knew or planned for.
As you pray for us, please pray for our health as some of the guys are dealing with colds and exhaustion. Pray that we might be good witnesses and faithful servants. Pray for our families back home as they try to function without us. And finally, pray for each of the men on our team...jake, albert, jon, patrick, fred, freddy, reese, bill, julian, allan & myself. Our greatest hope is to return home better men. That we might be the leaders in our homes, our work and our churches that God desires us to be.
Be blessed
Jeff
Our Colombian friends greeted us last night with fresh coffee and homemade chicken soup....at 11 pm. We had a huge breakfast of eggs and arepas this morning, and we just ate a huge lunch of ajiaco soup with rice, salad, chicken legs and lolo juice. How on earth are we supposed to work in these conditions?
On a side note, upon our arrival to the camp, even in the dark we could tell alot of work had been here. Since our first trip, presbyterial interest in the camp has really grown. Itis not out of the ordinary for several people a week to come up and use or work on a project here. God has been using our previous trips in ways we never knew or planned for.
As you pray for us, please pray for our health as some of the guys are dealing with colds and exhaustion. Pray that we might be good witnesses and faithful servants. Pray for our families back home as they try to function without us. And finally, pray for each of the men on our team...jake, albert, jon, patrick, fred, freddy, reese, bill, julian, allan & myself. Our greatest hope is to return home better men. That we might be the leaders in our homes, our work and our churches that God desires us to be.
Be blessed
Jeff
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
We made it!
Just a quickie to let you know we made it safe and sound. No problems. All is well. All of us are exhausted after 2-ish hours of sleep in 48 hours. More tomorrow!
Be blessed...we are!
Jeff
Be blessed...we are!
Jeff
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Last Things......................
Bags are Packed!!!!
48.8 & 49.4 pounds. Here's hoping the bathroom scales are close to accurate. Just wanted to throw a shout out while I still had a full sized keyboard.
As it stands now, there are 7 of us from New Hope, 1 from Fredonia, 1 from Graves Co. and one from San Francisco...all headed to Colombia in less than 24 hours. Some of us can't wait to get there and jump into some old and dear friendships, some of us are pretty nervous. Some of us score somewhere in between. But all of us cannot wait to see how our Lord shows up and brings glory to Himself. I'm starting to learn its less about the work that we do and more about the witness that we bear. Dont get me wrong, we'll work like dogs (which is easy to say as my Yorkie lays here on my feet sound asleep), but the work is just a means/excuse to be there.
During our devotional time, we will be using the movie "Courageous" and the accompanying Bible Study. My hope is that the 11 of us return home ready to step up to the plate and be the men we were made to be...in our homes, our church, our work and our communities. For me, I deeply desire to be a better husband and father. God has blessed me with such an amazing family, for me to fall short in their lives is no longer acceptable. I hope others on the trip will echo that same sentiment as well. The great part about the movie is that it is also in Spanish...which means our host family will be able to be a part of times of worship. Who knows, they may want to call up their neighbors and friends and view it together. From what I gather, masculine spirituality is struggling in Colombia as much as it is here.
So for now, I ask that you pray for our faithfulness when we cross your mind. That we might know what to say and how to say it when the Lord opens up the opportunity. Pray that we will all get along and dress ourselves up in smiles and laughter every morning. Pray that the joy of the Lord would be our strength and our song.
Thanks, and be blessed!
48.8 & 49.4 pounds. Here's hoping the bathroom scales are close to accurate. Just wanted to throw a shout out while I still had a full sized keyboard.
As it stands now, there are 7 of us from New Hope, 1 from Fredonia, 1 from Graves Co. and one from San Francisco...all headed to Colombia in less than 24 hours. Some of us can't wait to get there and jump into some old and dear friendships, some of us are pretty nervous. Some of us score somewhere in between. But all of us cannot wait to see how our Lord shows up and brings glory to Himself. I'm starting to learn its less about the work that we do and more about the witness that we bear. Dont get me wrong, we'll work like dogs (which is easy to say as my Yorkie lays here on my feet sound asleep), but the work is just a means/excuse to be there.
During our devotional time, we will be using the movie "Courageous" and the accompanying Bible Study. My hope is that the 11 of us return home ready to step up to the plate and be the men we were made to be...in our homes, our church, our work and our communities. For me, I deeply desire to be a better husband and father. God has blessed me with such an amazing family, for me to fall short in their lives is no longer acceptable. I hope others on the trip will echo that same sentiment as well. The great part about the movie is that it is also in Spanish...which means our host family will be able to be a part of times of worship. Who knows, they may want to call up their neighbors and friends and view it together. From what I gather, masculine spirituality is struggling in Colombia as much as it is here.
So for now, I ask that you pray for our faithfulness when we cross your mind. That we might know what to say and how to say it when the Lord opens up the opportunity. Pray that we will all get along and dress ourselves up in smiles and laughter every morning. Pray that the joy of the Lord would be our strength and our song.
Thanks, and be blessed!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Final Systems Check
Just wanted to run a quick test and make sure everything works on this side of the ocean. Hopefully it will work on that side too. I am excited, nervous about all the things that could go wrong, and also feeling just a little guilty for going off and leaving the family behind. God, please watch over our team and all of our families while were away. Use us for your glory!
Friday, January 20, 2012
It's that time of year again!
Next week I'll be leading yet another trip to Colombia, S.A. to ascend the Andes Mountains northeast of Cali, to the community of Dagua. Its mostly just a mountain top with several scattered homes and small business. But it is incredibly beautiful. The elevation is something like 90 jillion feet up...ok, not quite that high, but something like 7800 feet. More than a mile up. The oxygen is thin, and the weather is a little on the cool side. The 9 day forecast says Wednesday's high will be 66 and the low will be 64. I dont think I read that right because it seems to be much cooler than that at night. At that altitude, sunburns happen pretty fast during the afternoon when the sun is shining. Much of the time the clouds encompass us. Everything drips moisture...making it the most deep and luscious green place I've ever been.
The camp caretaker, Wilson, will fill our days with laughter...he is one of the most personable people I've met. I wish I knew more spanish than what I've learned off the menu at Los Amigos, because I'd love to sit and share stories with him. Mery, the camp director will be there supervising the kitchen...she will work way more than us...as we will eat like kings.
We will be building apartments in an upstairs dormitory to facilitate marriage retreats. Most of us have done drywall work at some point, but only a few in our group have worked with metal studs (Not a reference to Dee Snyder). It should be interesting as we figure this all out.
We hope to be worshipping in BeunaVentura on our Sunday. It is a coastal fishing/port city about 30 miles from the camp to the northeast. This will be a new twist to our schedule, and I am very excited about seeing a new part of the Colombian church. As always, we will be blessed more than we will be a blessing. I hope you will continue to check back and track our progress. Hopefully, all the high tech stuff I've arranged to work will actually work when I get there. It rarely works as I've planned and payed for, but who knows...maybe this time things will fall into place. If not, I will try and provide a review of our journey afterwards.
Keep us in your prayers, that we will be effective servants of Christ, giving Him all the glory He deserves, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Blessings,
jeff
The camp caretaker, Wilson, will fill our days with laughter...he is one of the most personable people I've met. I wish I knew more spanish than what I've learned off the menu at Los Amigos, because I'd love to sit and share stories with him. Mery, the camp director will be there supervising the kitchen...she will work way more than us...as we will eat like kings.
We will be building apartments in an upstairs dormitory to facilitate marriage retreats. Most of us have done drywall work at some point, but only a few in our group have worked with metal studs (Not a reference to Dee Snyder). It should be interesting as we figure this all out.
We hope to be worshipping in BeunaVentura on our Sunday. It is a coastal fishing/port city about 30 miles from the camp to the northeast. This will be a new twist to our schedule, and I am very excited about seeing a new part of the Colombian church. As always, we will be blessed more than we will be a blessing. I hope you will continue to check back and track our progress. Hopefully, all the high tech stuff I've arranged to work will actually work when I get there. It rarely works as I've planned and payed for, but who knows...maybe this time things will fall into place. If not, I will try and provide a review of our journey afterwards.
Keep us in your prayers, that we will be effective servants of Christ, giving Him all the glory He deserves, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Blessings,
jeff
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