Hey everyone sorry for the delay in posts the Internet service hasnt been working.
Team had another amazing day today! I think the team was thrilled to not be traveling anymore and to be finally settled in and going here in Port!
We started the day off at Pastor Earls church! It was a great service but at almost 3 hours long was a new experience for many! We had a fantastic lunch at the Verbo restaurant and then it was time to load up and take the orphanage kids to the beach!
Everyone had a great time playing in the ocean, building sand castles and playing soccer on the beach. On the way back from the beach was when things got a little interesting... With all the rain they've been getting the "roads" had become worse than South Bend roads filled with potholes after a long winter! It didn't take long for the busses to start getting stuck and finally one bus got completely stuck, so we loaded up all the girls and all the younger kids in 1 bus to head back to base. After a couple hours of failed attempts to dig, push and pull the bus out and after getting a 2nd bus stuck while attempting to pull out the first bus, a large truck made it's way out and we were able to get all the guys and the rest of the orphan kids back to base. It was definitely an opportunity to be "making memories".
While part of the team was working on the busses, the rest of the team joined with lots of people from the community for a special church service where DC preached and from what I heard, HE PREACHED! It was an awesome day and tomorrow will be great as we begin building houses!
Here's a link to the photo's from Day 1
ReplyDelete-Jeff
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreycmyers/sets/72157627204030087/
So glad you all are there safely!
ReplyDeleteHey Beth! You made it to the beach - first day!! Grandpa called to be sure you had made it safely. Sounds like there were many adventures happening. You all remain covered in our prayers.
Thanks so much for posting all of the pictures and keeping us up to date! It is so great to hear and see what is going on with you guys. I know that tbe love you are pouring out on these kids is a sweet, fragrant offering onto Christ and is having an eternal impact on their lives! The joy is so evident in their faces! You are being covered in contanst prayer! Cory - Scamp goes and lays by your bedroom door several times a day waiting for you to come out:) We all miss you like crazy and are so very proud of you!! Your servant's heart is an inspiration to me and I can't wait to see what God has in store for you next! Love you Cory Bory:) Sorry I couldn't resist!! Mom a.k.a Kathy Wonderly
ReplyDeleteThe photos are wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing them with us so we know that you are well. It is evident that God is working through you for the children and for each other...great team work with the bus debacle! Looks just a little bit dirty and I bet the bathing facilities are more than adequate:)
ReplyDeleteWe are praying for electricity, sunshine, health, strength, cooperativeness, peace and much, much more! Way to serve and love with Christ's love!
Miss you Maddie...More!!!
Mom/Mamie/Jamie
Ps....Olivia, I find it hard to believe that that was a tootsie roll:)
Blech!
Soooo glad you are back on line. i was so curious what you guys were doing and what it was like for you. Thank so much for updating us. I am sure those kids feel so loved by you. What fun to bring smiles to their faces as they try to teach you spanish and you play games with them. I am so proud of you guys and how you are so eager to spend your summer. Know i am praying every day for you. Love you Sammy Petersen, house is sure quiet that you are not around.
ReplyDeleteLove mom
Hola!!! I was going to write this whole message in Spanish, but then I remembered I don't know Spanish. Yeah. Anyway, you guys are doing awesome!!!! I'm so proud of all of you! It sounds like there have been a lot of moments for you guys to work on your flexibility, but it's all good!!! Keep shining your lights for God's kingdom!! Love you all!!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Hi, Beccah!I'm sure you're excited about building houses!!! We like construction work! (she said I had to mention her)
P.P.S. Did Harrison break anything yet? Haha!
Love you all!!!!
Shelby Trusty
HI EVERYONE!
ReplyDeleteWhile I was looking at all the pictures, I couldn't help but smile to myself (which probably looked really creepy...me, smiling at my computer...weird.) I can tell you all had a ton of fun with those kids and I know you brought so much joy into their lives! And today you got to build houses! YAY HOUSES! Thank you all for being such amazing men and women of God. Keep bringing heaven to earth!
P.S. Cory, good luck playing euchre with the big shots. Just be glad I'm not your partner...
P.P.S. CECELIA FORBERG AND OLIVIA USENICK YOU NEED TO LEARN TO PLAY EUCHRE. someone please teach them.
P.P.P.S. shout out to hefty, humpty, happy, happenin, hashtag, hollow, hungry, hacking, HAMPY HAMPERTON.
helllloooooo! love and prayers coming your way from Val! it's great reading the blog and looking at pictures from your busy days. there's no doubt that you're making an impact in the lives of the kids you all are interacting with. keep up the good work and keep shining everyday!
ReplyDeleteP.S. shoutout to my girlies: Olivia Waltz, Maddie Helman, and Abby Sroda--LOVE YOU BUNCHES :) you girls make me so proud.
Love you all!
-Val Risselmann
Great pictures. We love seeing the smiles on the faces all the children and the GCC team. So much love.
ReplyDeleteMom and I are so proud of you Katie. Great soccer moves! We love you Keek.
Love Dad and Mom (Tom and Kathy Sellers)
Heyo team nic! (that's what I'm calling you from now on). I'm so glad that I get to creep on you all from afar. Thanks for all the pics and such...I almost feel like I'm there with you. Almost. I hope all is going fantastically for all y'all and that God is teaching you tons.
ReplyDeleteSMECKA I love you all and hope youre taking good care of flat Taylor/Jacob/Me. I think you should know I'm pro at the jet skis and I'm bruised all over from tubing. But I'm having a blast!
Jeff myers I feel like I should warn you that I'm planning on banjo lessons when you get back:)
DC and John you guys are awesome! Lead strong! Take lots of video and pics of shenanigans :)
Love you all more than the first look at the stars after being in a big city.....(and let me tell you...that's a lot.)
Alright toddles! God bless!
Megan Stevens
You guys are amazing! From what I have heard so far, you guys are doing great with the whole being flexible thing. It's good to know that you are being true Kingdom bringers and not letting a few things hold you back. Keep up the good work while we continue to pray for blessings to come your way. Let the light of Jesus shine bright even when there are no electric lights working. :]
ReplyDeleteTodo lo que hagan, háganlo de corazón, como para el Señor y no para los hombres,
Colosenses 3:23
Great pictures!! I love school bus mud bogging!! Way to pull together as a team and dig deep to know that your circumstances CANNOT define you nor hold you back when you find your peace, your joy and trust in Christ. Those challenging circumstances will, therefore, only be used for GOOD and God's glory. I admire this whole team and the work you are doing.
ReplyDeleteMaddie, I am missing you big time!! Get muddy!! Love you bunches, Punky, and everyone else too!
Of all the weeks for our computer to die. So here I am, your technologically challenged mother sitting in the library watching the picture slide show and loving every minute. Except for the mud I feel like I'm there with you. Well, I am there in spirit. We are praying for you daily and hope God is teaching you all sorts of good stuff. Keep loving on those little kids. They can never get too much. Am so proud of all of you and the good work you are doing there. Keep dodging the skeeters!
ReplyDeleteJean Knickerbocker (Sarah's mom)
I love the pictures! I can't believe you got so many good ones of Dalton...kudos to the photographer. It looks like you guys are having lots of fun and working hard. I'm praying for all of you and will continue to semi-stalk you on twitter. Liv, Mad, and Dalton I love you guys!
ReplyDeleteKeep loving those kids!
Peyton
So glad you're back online...thanks for posting pictures of last few days. I was beginning to think that Dalton had gone off from the group and went on vacation or something from the few pics we saw on Facebook haha!
ReplyDeleteYou all look great and like you're having a fun time...even in the heat. It's just as hot here (90's this week again) but of course, we're saved by the a/c.
I'm so proud of you (especially Dalton, O and Maddie) for diving whole heartedly into this experience that will have lifelong memories. Keep safe and drinking that filtered water!
Lesley & Mike
To: Olivia Rae
ReplyDeleteHey babe I thought about you all day and what your doing makes it easy being away from you because that's where your heart should be! You inspire me I'm going home this weekend and helping your family with the Elkhart church! Played basketball and lifted now 5 test to do online! Its really fun. Well your my girl I love you!
Have fun everyone you guys are great!
Jacob Alexander
Kelly,
ReplyDeleteI wish I could think of a word to adequately express how I felt after watching the slideshows...I'll just settle for "WOW!!!" I am so glad to see that this is such an amazing experience, and hope that you and the group are all enjoying your time there. I do have to add that we are missing you here at home...the sound of guitar-playing, the daily displays of random creativity, and even the smell of fried tofu... Savor every second of your time there, and return home with lots to tell...
Love, Mom
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteYour grampa & I are so very proud of you and the difference you are making in those young children's lives. This experience will be with you forever knowing that you brought joy to people that needed it so much. I hope that you take something very enduring from this wonderful experience. I admire you and your friends and the work you are doing. Does the trees there make you think of the ZoomAir experience? Take care of yourself....
Love you,
Grandpa & Nanny Cucchiara
Megan,
ReplyDeleteWe are glad you get to have this life changing experience. We are so proud of your serving heart for God.
Team,
We are blessed to have such wonderful people with serving hearts at GCC. Way to advance the Kingdom of God! You ROCK!!
Love to All
Randy & Michelle Wotring