North Fresno Church Missions

THANKS!

2011-09-07T00:29:00.000+01:00

Thank you to all who followed our journey in Portugal this summer, and prayed for us and the ministry in Portugal. God truly did amazing things and is continuing to shape us as a result of this experience.

On Sunday, September 18, 2011, the Portugal team will be sharing in both Sunday services at NFC. We will also share more 'in-depth' during Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. You are welcome to join us in any of these venues to hear more about our experience.

Sincerely,
The 2011 Portugal Team

Day 12 - With the MB Churches in Lisbon

2011-07-18T00:10:00.000+01:00

Today was a day of worship and continuing to build relationships, but it was also a day of saying goodbye. A few people from our team (Grant, Dani, Steve, and Sheryl) attended the African church service in the morning at Amadora. In the afternoon, our whole team met at the church plant at Massama for the service. Finally, we went to Loures for the final service of the day. In the afternoon services, Sheryl, Steve, and Dani had opportunity to share their testimonies, and James preached in both services on missional theology, which seemed to connect well with the congregations here. After the last service, we, along with several youth and youth leaders, stayed to watch the women’s world cup soccer final (USA vs. Japan). It was an exciting game and a fun opportunity to hang out together. Grant even got the opportunity to join a few of the youth in a conversation about dating and relationships. And, it was good to skype again today with NFC. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Saying goodbye after a week of building relationships is difficult. We had such a good time this week getting to know the youth and youth leaders from the churches here! I was really impressed with several of the youth that I interacted with: Samuel with his joy, Paulino with his heart for ministry, Lucas with his leadership and passion, etc. (I could go on). Otto told us a couple of days ago that we had really gotten into the lives and hearts of these youth, but they also dug their way into our hearts as well. Each of us on our team was impacted and touched by different youth and experiences and it is definitely sad to move on. Still, Otto has encouraged us these last few days, expressing his great appreciation for us coming, saying that we really have made a difference and have infused the youth and church leaders with energy that will encourage them for the coming months.

We came to Portugal to do simple things: connect with Otto and Marjorie and other church leaders here, facilitate an English camp, and build relationships with local youth. Yet, through these ordinary activities, God has been at work through us to touch lives and grow God’s kingdom. Thus, we leave saddened that we must physically disconnect from our relationships here, but we also leave encouraged at the good work that God has done, and excited for the continuation and development of relationships in the future.

Tomorrow we have a day of 'debriefing' with the Portuguese leadership team here and touring some of the historical sites of Portugal. Please pray as we reflect on our experience here and what God is saying to us. We fly home Tuesday morning. This may be our last blog post, so we look forward to seeing you back in Fresno.

Phil, for the rest of the team

DAY 10 & 11 - English Camp 2011 Completed

2011-07-16T14:17:00.000+01:00

It’s hard to believe that this is the last day of English Camp. And what a day it was! We started the morning with “On Top of Spaghetti” to go along with the theme of food. The Bible story focus was Daniel and the Lion’s Den. My group discussion went especially well today. Ivo, Moises, Weslley, and Edi all participated with enthusiasm.

To wrap up the week, everybody made “magic strips” to summarize all four stories and what was learned each day. Each person reflected on their own life and story and how it connected to one of the biblical images or characters. They spent time wrestling with how the would live or act differently in their everyday lives. We played Pictionary, sang songs, and performed skits. Elizabeth gave her testimony, which was well received.

At the end, we had a graduation ceremony where each participant in English Camp received a certificate of completion and one member of the team told how that person had made an impact. Pictures were taken and there were handshakes all around.

Sports included volleyball and four-square. The game of four-square was new to everyone, but was soon a favorite and became quite competitive (a bit of an understatement – these kids are super-competitive). We all had a great time.

When it got dark, Grant, James, Mary, Steve, Phil, Dani, and I took part in the youth’s game of Pilgrim’s Progress. We were characters from the story to help or hinder the quest for the Celestial City. It was amusing to us that they were actually using more English during that game than during camp because they had to ask us questions to get clues. It took them a while but they all finally made it to their destination and finished the game.

Because of the late night, we are posting this on Saturday morning. We only stayed up until about 1:00 a.m., but then the youth started a soccer tournament and finished around 3:45! Today we wrap up the Summer Youth Camp and say our good-byes to the students. Tonight we will go for dinner with the Portuguese leadership team to a great Brazilian style restaurant (think Rio Grill or Samba).

Sheryl, for the rest of the team

Pic #1 - Pictionary (brothers Lucas and Weslley)

Pic #2 - Graduation - Catarina

Pic #3 - Graduating - Ze

Pic #4 - Volleyball (*special thanks to Al & Dotty Warkentine's Growth Group for the net which we will leave here!)

Pic #5 - Foursquare

Pic #6 - Elizabeth sharing her testimony

Day 9 - 3rd Day of English Camp

2011-07-15T00:30:00.001+01:00

Howdy everyone! (Western theme today for our camp)

What a week this has been so far. English Camp has been going great on so many levels. Our team has been learning how to work together and we have adjusted as we listen to each other. We have 24 active participants, and I mean active. This morning was the lowest energy level, but that was because they only had about 2 hours of sleep last night. We really sense God at work. Thanks for your prayers.

Just to let you know what we have been doing. We have an Old Testament Bible story that we go over in three groups leveled by English ability. From that they identify vocabulary they don’t know. We talk about the story and the lesson we can learn from it.

We then have an English focus activity. We have 1) done introductions, 2) answered the question, “Who am I?” by making a poster and sharing it in groups, and 3) learned opposites and played games with the words.

We have learned songs, played word games and then the campers have done skits based on the Bible story: some have been straight to the point, some have been hilarious. They have been getting better each day. A team member has been sharing a testimony each day. I personally have found that to be very encouraging. We have been teaching them American sports having played ultimate frisbee, frisbee golf, wiffle ball, basketball, and four-square.

We commented tonight, in our team meeting, that each of was connecting more and more with each one here. We all have been able to speak with individuals at times and share our own personal stories of God’s work in our lives with them.

It really has been special to represent North Fresno Church here in Portugal. I personally really feel like I represent more than just myself here. You are at work here with us. I know you have been praying for us. God has heard your prayers.

Steve, for the rest of the team

Pic #1 - English activities

Pic #2 - The 'opposites' game (Family Feud style)

Pic #3 - 'Telephone'

Pic #4 - Otto & Marjorie Ekk, missionaries

Pic #5 - The food has been great!

Pic #6 - Ingenuity - marshmallows over the fire

Day 8 - Day 2 of English Camp

2011-07-14T00:38:00.000+01:00

Let me just begin by saying... Wow... Portugal is beautiful. I wish you could all be here to experience the weather, the scenery, the people, and the food. Oh, and I can't forget the history!

Today we kicked off the second day of English camp and it was a blast. The theme for the day was baseball. We, of course, sang "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and even taught them how to play baseball during recreation time. They loved it!!

However, today's main focus was on the story of Elijah and the Widow of Zeraphath. Together we learned that God always provides for us in time of need. This was reinforced through skits, small group time, and Grants testimony. The biggest problem I had all day, was that the students had difficulty pronouncing "Zerapath," but who can blame them?

We also helped them to explore the idea of "who are you?" The students (and some of our team members) created graphic organizers to explain their favorite hobbies, their relationship with their family, and relationship with God. With everyday they are learning more and more English words. It's exciting to see their progress. And it's been so fun to help them improve.

Tonight we watched four wonderful performances that the youth put on for their talent show. We even had guest appearances from the American Idol judges, but we called them by the names Phil, Sheryl, and Steve. It was awesome to see the students interact with one another in this way. They are all so talented.

My favorite part of these camps has been getting to know the students. They all have great personalities. I wish I could tell you about all 20ish kids we have been working with, but that would be a very long blog post. Instead, I'll just say that I am truly blessed to be here working with each and everyone of them. While it is quite tiring, I will be very sad when English camp is over. In fact, as I am typing this Ivo (one of our campers) is telling me about the marshmallow party in the kitchen. Maybe I should join...

Before I go, I'll leave you with a fun fact for the day. This is something I have been doing everyday on my personal blog and thought you would enjoy it too.

Fun fact: If you tell a young Portuguese person to "break a leg" before their skit, they will just stare back at you like you're crazy.

Dani, for the team

Pic #1 - The whole crew from English Camp

Pic #2 - Buddies (Miguel and Wesley)

Pic #3 - Reading English (Dani with Tatyana)

Pic #4 - Small group Bible reading

Pic #5 - "North American" lunches during the week. Today - tacos!

Pic #6 - Baseball theme today! James coaching Selma.

Pic #7 - They were swingin' for the fence.

Pic #8 - Who are you?

Pic #9 - U.S. and Portuguese Mennonites Dancing

Day 7 - The Youth Camps Begin!

2011-07-13T00:14:00.000+01:00

First Day of English and Summer Youth Camp

Today, our team was joined with 19 young people, ranging from 11 to 25 years of age had. We all had a wonderful time together in English Camp. We opened the time with Steve, Phil, and me singing a version of “Let’s Go Surfin Now, Everbody’s Learnin How” entitled, “Let’s learn English Now, Everybody’s Learning How” with the rest of the team in the background backing us up with surfing motions. The students enjoyed that. The campers learned “If You’re Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands”, and practiced introducing their friend to their small group. The campers put themselves in one of 3 smaller groups by English level; Beginner, Proficient, and “Somewhere in the middle.” Our team led these small groups in reading the story of David and Goliath. The campers created vocabulary cards with words that they did not know, then shared the words with the rest of the large group.

I enjoyed connecting with a group of teenage boys who taught me a version of soccer played on half a basketball court, with a small goal, and one goalie. After lunch, we had the choice of playing Frisbee Golf or Ultimate Frisbee. I played Ultimate Frisbee. It was good to see those unfamiliar with the game improve in their ability as the game progressed. Finally we ended the day with one of our favorite times, the Bible skit. Lunch and dinner provided opportunities to connect with the campers in a relaxed atmosphere. I sat with our soccer playing group and they asked me, Phil and Dani “favorite sport…” questions, favorite: football team, MLS soccer player, professional soccer player and more. Overall, the 1st day of English Camp was a great success with great interaction from everyone involved. More campers are coming tomorrow. The Summer Youth Camp has also begun and we are participating in different ways each evening.

Thanks for praying for us and the campers. Tomorrow is Day 2 of English Camp. We will be using the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath as our Bible focus.

Grant, for the rest of the team

Pic #1 - English Camp begins

Pic #2 - Phil and Eddi getting to know each other

Pic #3 - Raul and Celso, with Mary

Pic #4 - A serious game of Ultimate

Pic #5 - Frisbee Golf

Pic #6 - Acting out the Bible story - David defeats Goliath

Day 7 - 1/2 Way Point - Anticipating English Camp!

2011-07-11T23:46:00.001+01:00

Today was a transition day for our team and ministry here in Portugal. The guys spent the morning doing some furniture delivery and helping a family move. Phil said it felt a lot like doing ministry with Loren! A couple of the women went shopping with Marjorie Ekk to buy all the groceries needed for the camps this week. The rest did laundry and other preparations. We also had some time off to relax, connect with family and friends via email or skype, and just personally recharge.

In the evening, we met together with Marques and Christian & Camille. These are the three main leaders who will be leading the Summer Youth Camp this week. They are excellent people and significant leaders here in the Lisbon-area churches. They are also passionate followers of Jesus. They have been and will be fun to work with. We met to do our last preparations and spent a significant time in prayer for each of the campers by name and over the rooms we will be meeting in. There will be about 20 teens and college students staying on campus for the Youth Camp (these 20 will also be part of the English Camp). There will be more during the day for the English Camp. We would appreciate your prayers for the campers and for the leaders. Our English Camp portion of the day will be from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Youth Camp will be from about dinner until midnight or so (maybe later - they like to stay up late). We begin tomorrow, Tuesday, and finish with lunch on Saturday.

Our team is doing great. I always wonder how you know if a team is prepared and realize you never fully know until 'game time.' Well, we are now here and I can see all of our preparations and God's hand bringing things together well. The team is doing great. We are 'gelling' well, getting along as a team, fulfilling our roles with each other and in ministry, and spending time reading and reflecting on God's Word. We are reading through Ephesians while we are here. We read and reflect in our personal quiet times and then take a 1/2 hour to share and pray together as a team. These times have been significant.

We have been really impacted by the missionaries, church leaders, and the context of doing ministry here in Portugal. I am really exited about our ongoing partnership with NFC and these churches. We have much to learn from each other and much to offer too. The post-Christian context here and the relational/missional philosophy of the leaders and the churches really resonate with what we are also doing in Fresno. I think on ongoing, long-term, reciprocal relationship will bear much fruit.

It was a huge blessing to Skype with NFC on Sunday. We continue to pray for the congregation in general and also some of the specific things going on with ministries and people having surgeries. Thanks for your continued prayers. We are healthy and anticipating a great week of intensive ministry. There is some anxiety about starting English Camp though - please pray for that.

Blessings,
James, for the rest of the team

Pic #1 - Lores Church

Pic #2 - Getting ready to Skype with NFC

Pic #3 - Room at Lores Church that was painted by the team we sent last year

Pic #4 - James with Paulino - showing off his table tennis skills

Pic #5 - Sheryl and Dani on kitchen duty

Pic #6 - Grant and Steve on kitchen duty

Pic #7 - Hillsides of Portugal (Dani, Sheryl, Elizabeth walking)

Day 6 - Worship services with the Portuguese

2011-07-10T23:32:00.000+01:00

Abrte os olhos do meu coracao, Senhor

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Abrte os olhos do meu coracao,

Open the eyes of my heart,

Eu quero ver-Te

I want to see you

Eu quero ver-Te

I want to see you

We visited three churches today: Amadora—the African church, Massama—the newer church plant, and Lores—the “mother” church. We sang the above song at the Massama and Lores churches. Singing it in Portuguese made the words come alive. In fact, as our team member Elizabeth said, “Music is the international language.”

Each church had its own feel, but all three were vibrant in their own way. James preached at all three services. Grant shared his testimony at two of them. Not only did we feel welcome, we were made to feel that we were part of the family. And yes we are, since we’re all in the family of God. Language differences aside, there were all kinds of conversations going on…whether in Portuguese, English, or “sign” language.

Marques is a gifted musician and led singing in the Amadora and Lores churches. He and another man sang the song “Lean on Me” to Doug and Myra Gentry as they will be returning to the states this week. They are the couple who have been helping Otto and Marjorie for the past two years. Phil went to Marques afterwards and said, “You have a beautiful voice.” And Marquez said, “You have beautiful feet,” referring to Phil’s unusual shoes that look like a glove for your foot and show each individual toe.

All in all it was a great day. Everyone was energized by worshipping with our fellow Portuguese Christians.

Tomorrow will be a preparation day for the English Camp and Summer Youth Camp which will run Tuesday – Saturday. Thanks for your ongoing prayers. We have been busy, but this next week will have even increased ministry demands.

Sheryl, for the rest of the team

Pic #1 - Youth of Amadora Church leading worship - let's just say there was a whole lot of dancing going on!

Pic #2 - James preaching at Amadora Church

Pic #3 - Lunch with Massama Church (no shortage of food here - and it is all amazing. notice the Coke - they have good taste here)

Pic #4 - Marques and team leading music at Lores church

Day 5 - Ministry with the Churches

2011-07-09T23:16:00.000+01:00

Today began in typical Portuguese fashion: at the café with coffee and pastries. We got to sit in on the Ekk’s missionary coffee group.

After breakfast, the women (MaryLyn, Elizabeth, Sheryl, Dani and I) then headed to Massama to work with some of the church women sorting clothing donated to them for those in need. We sorted through the mountain of bags, kept the usable items, and separated by gender, season, and type. They are now folded and waiting in new, plastic bins on the shelves we built the other day we were all at Massama working ready for anyone to come and peruse. It was great to be able to work alongside our sisters and learn a few new Portuguese words, miming the rest and managing to understand each other.

While the women were off faithfully serving the Lord alongside fellow Portuguese believers, we men (James, Steve and I) were called to serve God in a different fashion: we gathered with a variety of men from three of the MB church plants to fellowship, hear challenges from both Steve and Otto, and eat a ton of meat! Since we are attempting to be very culturally sensitive while we are here, we decided to pig out with our brother’s in Christ, during which time we were able to connect relationally and witness to a significant ministry opportunity for the MB churches here in Portugal. This intergenerational and intercultural group of men does not often take the opportunity to gather like this, but hope to continue in the future.

In the afternoon, the men and women met up and we got to see a little more of Portugal led by “Joe”, a native MB ministry worker here. We drove up the coast and were struck again by the beauty and diversity of this country and its people.

We’ve had a couple of full days, but the team continues to exhibit passion and energy heading into our second week in Lisbon. Tomorrow we will worship in 3 of the churches - 11:00 a.m. at the African church, 2:00 p.m. at Massima (Portuguese church), and 5:00 p.m. at Lores (Portuguese church). James will preach at the first and third services. Members of our team will share their testimonies at each service.

By the way, Dani Dickie is blogging daily at her personal site. Click the link on the right.

Mary & Phil, for the team

PS Grant Jones-Wiebe has been sick with a sinus infection and has missed the first 3 days of ministry (which is why he hasn't been in any pictures yet), but is back at full health and will join us tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers! He will be sharing his story at the African church at 11:00 a.m.

Pic #1 - NFC and Portuguese women sorting clothes

Pic #2 - Sheryl with the pile of clothes to be sorted

Pic #3 - Myra and Marjorie (missionaries) preparing lunch for the men's event

Pic #4 - Diggin' in - now that is a lot of meat! (5 different kinds)

Pic #5 - Pic of the team at Cabo da Roca - the most westerly point in all of mainland Europe

Pic #6 - Christo Rei (Christ the King) monument overlooking Lisbon

Day 4 - Work Projects and Preparation for English Camp

2011-07-08T22:23:00.000+01:00

Today we worked at Massama church finishing the projects that needed to be completed. We ate lunch, and then went to Convento de Mafra - a famous monastery and palace. We then went to an ocean town near Mafra. For dinner we ate with some youth leaders from the Loures church. We will be running the English Camp and Summer Youth Camp with them next week, and talked through the schedule with them.

I really liked going to Mafra to learn more of Portugal’s history. I liked going to the ocean and smelling the ocean too.

Elizabeth, for the team

Pic #1 - Mary building shelves

Pic #2 - Dani cleaning the church sign

Pic #3 - Mafra Monastery and Palace

Pic #4 - Dani and Elizabeth at Mafra Monastery and Palace

Pic #5 - An image of Jesus - representative of the deep Catholic influence in Portugal

Day 3 - Work day at Massama Church

2011-07-07T22:31:00.000+01:00

Today we went to the Massama church which just started renting some more area and we were able to help do some work there. We painted walls (Sheryl and Elizabeth), put up curtains (Steve, James, and Mary) put up shelves (Phil, James, Dani, Sheryl, and Mary), ground down bolts (Steve), strengthened, emptied and moved a cabinet (Sheryl, Elizabeth, Phil, Mary, and me), pulled out screws from plywood dividers (Steve, Dani and me). Otto and Marjorie directed us.

Those of us who traveled from Fresno on July 5 are recovering from tiredness and jet lag. Grant has a sinus infection. Please pray for him. Sheryl is getting better. I have seen many similarities to Brazil where I grew up. The sidewalks are made of little flat stones and the buildings are made of cement mostly (no wood). The architecture of the homes and apartments are similar to Brazil. It is great to be all together as a team.

This evening we heard from Joe and Paula who are Portuguese leaders here in the Mennonite Brethren churches of Lisbon. It was wonderful to hear their stories about how they chose to follow Christ and how they connected with Otto and Marjorie and the churches. They shared their views of the Portuguese culture and people. They shared in English, which was very helpful for us.

Thanks for your ongoing prayers. Some pictures are attached. Tomorrow we will go back to the Massama church and finish work there and prepare the facility for church services on Sunday.

MaryLyn, for the team

Pic #1 - Dani taking apart the wall we removed in the church

Pic #2 - MaryLyn doing some cleaning

Pic #3 - Phil and James putting together some shelving

Pic #4 - Sheryl painting

Pic #5 - Steve grinding some bolts

Pic #6 - Stone sidewalk

Day 2 - Arriving in Lisbon and Seeing God in the City

2011-07-06T19:02:00.001+01:00

Bon Dia,

Phil, Mary, and I welcomed the rest of the team to Portugal this morning. The three of us had arrived yesterday, so it was great to be reunited with the rest of the team. In spite of our tiredness, we are excited to be here and connect with what God is doing.

Otto and Marjorie have begun orienting us to Portugal and the people here. We have had some very interesting conversations already, and we have begun to get a feel for how missions works here in Lisbon. I have particularly been struck with the juxtaposition of the old with the new. Near our place is an aqueduct that is hundreds of years old. Right close by are modern houses and apartment complexes using water carried by the aqueduct. Otto has been talking about the traditions people pride themselves in keeping, yet only a small percentage place any value in participating in the church services - Catholic, Protestant, or Evangelical. Lisbon is the second oldest capital city in Europe with families who have histories reaching far back through the centuries. At the same time, Lisbon is becoming a city of immigrants. People from all over the world are moving here and plan to settle and live here.

Missions in this context is a challenge. The churches here have been most effective in reaching people who are fairly new to Lisbon. Our goal is to support them, especially the young people who are new to the faith and have to live out their faith in a very secular living situation.

Thanks for your prayers. We already sense God at work in our lives in preparation for the work here. We anticipate with excitement so much more in the days ahead. Tomorrow we will do work projects at the Massama Church.

Blessings from Portugal,

Steve, for the team

Pic #1 - Orientation with Otto & Marjorie Ekk, Missionaries

Pic #2 - Walking the centuries old city

Pic #3 - Afternoon coffee break at a famous pastry shop.

Pictured l to r: Missionary Otto Ekk, James, Missionary Marjorie Ekk, Portuguese Pastor Marques, Dani, Phil, Mary, Missionaries Myra and Doug Gentry (together in back right), Sheryl, Elizabeth, MaryLyn, Grant, Steve

DAY 1 - En Route to Lisbon

2011-07-06T00:45:00.000+01:00

Our first lesson in flexibility came at 8:00 p.m. the day before we left when we got a call from US Airways that our flight in the morning was cancelled. A few phone calls later we got rebooked on our tour through the U.S. before heading to Lisbon. Our new itinerary was Fresno - Denver - Chicago - Philadelphia - Lisbon. Despite the change, we are still on schedule to arrive in Lisbon at our original time.

We are currently waiting to board our flight from Philadelphia to Lisbon. The day has been good so far though the team is getting a little tired. Hopefully we can get a good sleep on the plane because when we arrive at Lisbon at 8:40 a.m. (12:40 a.m. Fresno time) our goal is to make it to evening before we sleep.

Kudos to Ken Willems, Chris Holmen, Jenny Akina, Emily Akina, and Paul & Dia Dickie for seeing us off at the airport and spending time in prayer before we left. We have already sensed God's leading and hope to represent God's kingdom and NFC well!

Our next post will be from Portugal. We'll post as soon as we can.

Sincerely,
The Portugal Team

Grant, Elizabeth (with MaryLyn and Sheryl in the background) in O'Hare Airport in Chicago

Portugal Team 2011

2011-06-10T21:31:00.000+01:00

This summer we are sending another short-term team to work alongside Otto and Marjorie Ekk in Lisbon, Portugal. We have 5 sister churches there, and are developing long-term relationships with them. A picture of the NFC team is below.

This blog will be updated regularly with daily reflections from the team.

Click here for a prayer guide for the Portugal Team.

Click here for details and an itinerary for the July 5 - 19 project.

back: Sheryl Fogal, Mary Schmidt, Grant Jones-Wiebe, MaryLyn Jones-Wiebe, Elizabeth Jones-Wiebe, Dani Dickie, James Bergen

front: Phil Schmidt, Steve Ewert

PICTURES from Marvin and Steve

2011-01-23T13:06:00.001Z

CLICK HERE to view the pictures.

January 20 - Update from Marvin and Steve

2011-01-23T13:06:00.000Z

Click the following link for an update and to see pictures:
January 20 Report

January 11 - Update from Marvin & Steve

2011-01-13T20:35:00.000Z

Click the following link for an update and to see pictures:
January 11 Report

January 8 - Update from Marvin and Steve

2011-01-10T05:06:00.001Z

Click the following link for an update and to see pictures:
January 8 Report

Friday, January 7 from Marvin and Steve

2011-01-08T21:29:00.000Z

"We made it to Thailand safely. No problems with the flights. Ricky Sanchez, local missionary, met us at the airport and drove us back to Chonburi (the location where we will be working). We are staying in an apartment with Ron Flickenger (Flick). Ron is a really great guy. We will get along very well. Ricky gave us a good introduction yesterday to the project and their vision for Thailand. We also spent some time with Karen Sanchez and their two younger daughters. She took us to the local school where some of their orphans go. They had a special kids day with loud music and dancing by the kids. We also went to the local hardware stores to see about getting materials and tools. They have two very large hardware stores similar to Home Depot. We should have everything we need. We are all getting along very well."

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR MARVIN AND STEVE as they help construct some homes for the Abundant Life Orphanage.

Marvin and Steve Friesen in Thailand

2011-01-05T18:07:00.000Z

Yesterday Marvin and Steve (father/son) left for Thailand. They will be joining Karen Sanchez, missionary, and the Abundant Life Home (ALH) in Chonburi. ALH is an orphanage which provides a loving, family environment to orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. They are in the midst of building an orphanage to better provide their needs. Marvin and Steve will be using their carpentry skills to help furnish the new houses with beds, closets, and cabinets.

Marvin and Steve will be in Thailand from January 4 - 25, 2011. Please pray for them while they travel and serve. We will be posting updated information here from the Friesen's as they are able to send us email updates.

P.S. Looks like we will have to change the name and url of this blog - it's not just a summer time thing anymore!

* Learn more about Karen & Ricky Sanchez, missionaries, and the vision for the Abundant Life Home: http://www.mbmsi.org/newsletters/sanchez-ricky-and-karen/abundant-life-home-vision

* Learn more about the orphanage and view a few videos about the ministry: www.mbmsi.org/projects/thailand/project-c0438-abundant-life-orphanage

Picture #1: Layout of the new ALH orphanage. Homes 1 and 2 are under construction.

Picture #2: Karen and Ricky Sanchez with some of the ALH boys:

A few more pics...

2010-08-18T23:11:00.000+01:00

The finishing touches on the wall. The Thai crew decided to finish off the wall rather than wait until the fall. This is the final stucco coat being applied. As of today they are nearing completion of the whole project, including wrought iron on the top section.

'May' decorating her cupcakes (hey, how did she get more than one?!). Note the t-shirt!

The NFC team:

Ronald McDonald saying HI, Thai style. We didn't eat there, but joined him in a pose for the pic.

We're BACK!

2010-08-16T03:56:00.000+01:00

The Thailand team is back. We had a long journey home but made it safe and sound. Thanks again to Dave Barton for picking us up at the San Francisco airport and driving us to Fresno. We rolled in around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Our hearts and minds are full with all the we experienced and we are excited to share with you in the coming weeks at NFC.

Thanks for following our God-adventure via this blog and for all your support. There were so many answers to prayer.

Special thanks to the Davis' for hosting us in Thailand and letting us into their lives. They are amazing people and missionaries to the Thai people. Uh-Oh, thanks for being part of our team and spending two weeks with us. We will never forget you and you are a dear friend. And thanks also to the many others who were involved in blessing us during this missions experience, including the Thai and B*mese churches.

See below for the answer to the cricket poll question!

Sincerely,
The Thailand Team

Team time on the beach "debriefing" our time in Thailand:

Brandy, your $50 are safe, Michaela did not eat the cricket!

Some more pictures

2010-08-13T01:30:00.000+01:00

Baptism at the B*mese service:

The Thai work crew. These four guys were awesome to work with!

Ms. Carpentier baking cupcakes (note the oven is outside the house!):

Lunch! A few of us ate the item on top, and a few of us didn't.

The NFC team!

Day 12 - Thursday (possibly our last post)

2010-08-12T17:51:00.000+01:00

We are wrapping up our time in Thailand. What an incredible trip. Our minds and hearts are full with the wonderful things we have seen and experienced at the hand of God.

Every morning we have devotions and breakfast together as an NFC team. We have been reading through Ephesians and just finished the book today. It has been a rich time of getting to know each other and connecting with God. Our Bible reading has shaped our time of ministry and our ministry has also shaped our reading and understanding of the text. Thailand will always come to mind whenever we read from Ephesians.

The Mother's Day events at the church went well. We had lunch together, took family portraits and played games. We also decorated cupcakes and had some crafts for the kids. All of us (our team and the Thai church) lingered for a long time. It was our last day together and no one wanted to leave. Tears were shed as we said goodbye and left the church for the last time on this trip. Who knew you could connect so deeply after 10 days together?!

We went to the city for dinner and then experienced a little more of the Thai culture including riding a Tuk Tuk and feeding an elephant. We have all just finished packing our bags and are heading to bed. We head for Rayong first thing in the morning. We will spend one overnight there. Bob & Chris Davis are going with us and we will process our Thailand experience with us and do some "debrief." These processing conversations will be very important. You can pray for us during this time (and as we come back to America). We have all encountered and been deeply impacted by a very different culture and ministry experience. We will "unpack" some of this with the Davis' and have them help us talk about what God has done (and is doing) in our lives and how to move forward. We also want to hear how we have done as a team and what we can learn about being a church that sends out effective teams in partnership with our missionaries.

We may not be able to post anything until after we return to Fresno. We leave Bangkok at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday (3:00 a.m. Fresno time) and arrive in San Francisco around 7:30 p.m. later that day. By the time we roll into Fresno it will probably be around midnight. Don't expect to see us that Sunday morning, but we are excited to see you soon and catch up on all that has happened.

We promise to post more pictures when we can, and will let you know the answer to the 'cricket poll.'

We are praying for all of you.

Blessings,
The Thailand Team

Day 11 - Wednesdsay

2010-08-11T17:25:00.000+01:00

Recently, through one's testimony, I have been reminded that we all love, laugh, hurt and bleed the same despite our language differences. For example: we, the North Fresno Church team and the Thai people are almost finished with our work on the wall. Each of us laid bricks and at the same time built cross cultural friendships. Meanwhile, roots of bitterness and former hurts of the church are being pulled and smoothed out to form a "parking lot" of love, forgiveness, and grace. One example of a friendship brick that was built was during worship last night. A young Thai woman grabbed my hand and held it tight throughout the service. In Thailand, women holding hands is a sign of friendship. Even though it was a little bit awkward, I knew that to my new Thai friend this was a sign of trust, compassion and love she wanted to show and share with me. This is one of many friendship bricks that are being built as we spend time working, eating and fellowshipping with the Thai people. Severe weather might destroy or ruin a physical wall, but it will not ruin or damage the friendships we have created with our new Thai family.

Thanks for your continued prayers. We had a good day working at the church, getting ready for tomorrow, and attending the Thai prayer meeting this evening. Michaela and Christine had a chance to share their stories at the prayer meeting. Tomorrow is a holiday here in Thailand. It is the Queen's birthday and Mother's Day. We are helping host a big event at the church. We will all have lunch together and then use our camera to take family photos of all who attend. We will then print those out for them which is significant as they don't often have the opportunity to do this.

Andi

Day 10 - Tuesday

2010-08-11T03:19:00.000+01:00

Day ten! There’s only four days left here until we head home to Freslandia (but, shhhh! Don’t tell our team that – we’re not quite ready for that news).

Our morning started out at the Davis’ house for their weekly leadership meeting (it should be noted that by “meeting” we don’t mean a gathering of planning and formalities, but rather a time of worship and prayer). During this time we had the opportunity to listen to the testimonies of Pastor Awt and Esther. Awt is the youth pastor of the Thai church. Esther is part of the leadership team from the other ministry. God broke our hearts in the most perfect of ways through the stories of these two individuals. We’re fairly certain the whole room was moved to tears while Esther shared how she had lost her means of making money, which has resulted in her leaving her home in a nearby country to work here in Thailand in order to financially support her husband and three children. We can only imagine what it’s like to live as a Christian under the threat of persecution, and were struck by her words as she described Thailand as “God’s Promise Land.” We ask that you keep them both in your prayers as they continue to wade through the battles in this life.

The rest of our day continued to be a blessing. We experienced Bob’s favorite dish – Pad Thai! (fried noodles) !! The finishing touches are starting to go on the walls, Ken is busy building steps for a house that’s on the church site, and the girls are keeping busy with painting, cleaning, connecting with the local children and the occasional time of goofing off.

Our night ended with us worshipping together at the B*mese service and the witnessing of two baptisms in the canal that runs behind the church. Now we say “fan di ka!” (good night!) to a truly full and blessed day.

Christine and Michaela :)

We'll post some more pics later

Day 8 and 9 - Sunday and Monday

2010-08-10T05:13:00.000+01:00

Sunday was a change of pace as we joined the Thai church for their worship service in the morning. We definitely felt like we were worshipping all week with trowels, paint brushes, and kids crafts, but it was great to put our voices and spirits together in such a powerful way. The Thai believers are definitely laid back when they gather together (I have never started a church service with a large-group get to know you game of ‘rock-paper-scissors’!). They are also very passionate about their faith and they love to tell stories - transformation stories about how God is at work in and through their lives. Many people here come to faith by experiencing God answer their prayers with power. The 2+ hour service was very lively, dynamic, and a blessing to all. The Thai church ends every service by sharing a meal (great food again!).

A highlight of the day was Skyping live in both services with North Fresno Church. Apologies that the quality wasn’t very good. Our bandwidth here is pretty low (it takes 10+ minutes just to upload one photo to the blog...a little quicker at the Davis' place) and the bad connection messed up Skype a bit. But it was great to see you and hope that you felt connected to us here in Thailand. We sure feel you with us and are here representing the whole congregation. Our live conversation with NFC putting us in bed around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. That left us dragging a bit during the day but we made it through.

Monday was another work day at the church. We have tackled a couple of additional projects. Some of the metal work around their facility needs painting so we have taken that on. In addition, the church has just gotten an intern from the Bangkok Bible College. He will be with them for the next year and will be staying in a small thatched roof building on the church grounds. A family lives in one side of it, and we are now cleaning out and doing some light renovations on the other side to make it suitable for “Two,” the intern.

An incredible amount of work has been accomplished so far! It is very rewarding to see so much progress with the projects, and to build a relational connection with the people here at the same time. The wall will not be completed while we are here. We have basically finished all that can be done right now. We will stucco (the final phase) a small portion of the wall in the next couple of days but the rest of the stuccoing will wait until the dry season in Oct/Nov. I, personally, have been deeply impacted by the work and ministry of the church here. They are in the middle of a neighborhood and are seeking to join God in that place. There are so many connections to ministry at NFC, and it has been a real affirmation to what God has and is doing at NFC.

I am very proud of our team. They have been unbelievable. Brandy and Dave & Melissa - Michaela and Sarah are doing great. We are taking good care of them! Grandpa Ken seems to be thriving and his relational nature is a real attribute in this culture and on our team. All the girls make a great team of painters and kids leaders. Melody has been leading great and she comes alive with the Thai people, with kids, in leading. I am so glad she will be an intern at NFC this next year! She is gold.

Please continue to pray for us. The team has been staying healthy for the most part (a couple of minor stomach issues, a sore throat or two, and I stepped on a nail but am fine). We are encouraged knowing you are supporting us. PLEASE leave comments on the blog - they are so encouraging for us!

Blessings,

James (adjon jimmeeeee! or 'Pastor Jimmy')

Thai worship service (Naat is standing with arms raised. She is the pastor of the church):

The church, pictured from across the canal (you can see the wall, and how useful it will be to keep kids safe from the water!):

A kids club in a nearby neighborhood (Pastor James and Uh-Oh are telling the Bible story):

'Rockstars!' This local elementary school has never had foreigners come to help teach them English. A crowd of excited kids greets the team and presses to say good-bye each time we come. This is a very strategic partnership and open avenue of ministry just beginning between the church and this school.

You know you are in Thailand when...

2010-08-10T03:56:00.000+01:00

…you haven’t eaten unless your meal includes rice
…you throw all bathroom waste (including TP) in the trashcan
…you walk around in public and people stop, look, and say ‘farong, farong’ (meaning foreigner) over and over again. It is quite entertaining to stand back a bit and watch five American girls walk through the market or other public place.
…you take a shower and get ready for the day, walk outside, and need to take a shower again
…crickets are on the dinner menu (see pics below)
…you vow to never take A/C for granted again in your lifetime
…you know all your team-mates by their smell
…you wear flip flops…all the time and everywhere
…you enjoy cold showers
…the cockroaches appear to be on some kind of steroid program
…you see God at work in amazing ways!

A treat from the market - crickets!

Answer to the ice cream poll question

2010-08-10T03:52:00.000+01:00

It seems that there are many ways to eat ice cream. The Thai people like to eat their ice cream in many ways. All the poll options were correct - they eat it on bread (see pic below of Ken enjoying a true ice cream sandwich!), with an egg yolk mixed in (no pic of that one), and James and Michaela enjoying a corn sundae!

Cooling off on a hot day (the ice cream man came down the canal on a boat and served us):

Two of us took the 'corn sundae' challenge:

Day 7 - Saturday

2010-08-07T11:29:00.000+01:00

The whole trip so far has been an exciting time!

The first highlight has been getting to know the team and learning how we all function together. That has been awesome. We’ve all got the same mindset and purpose of serving the Lord in this and it is exciting to see us working together as a team.

The trip has been a lot of work. I believe each of the team members has stepped in and done a great job of pulling their weight. It has been an exciting time of just seeing the growth in our team as servants of God.

One of my specific purposes in joining the team and coming to Thailand was to be involved in the construction project. The wall project is coming along very well and a lot has been accomplished in this first week. My skills have been put to use, and it has been fun seeing the different ways to build and accomplish things in this country. Friendships and relationships have been building on the job site. At first I felt our relationship was a little uncomfortable with the other Thai builders and neighbors where we are building the wall, but we worked hard at being God’s servants and making his love shine through. Things have really progressed in this area. They want to be involved with us as much as we have wanted to be involved with them. Though we don’t speak the same language we feel the same feelings. We are communicating more and more and it has been fun to work side by side with them.

We’ve had some good children’s activities and it has been real exciting to see how they are almost desperate for the events and activities. They are so excited to see us come and play with them and teach them. That has been a lot of fun to see.

I am glad we still have a week to go to be able to see what is going to happen after all that we have accomplished so far and all that God has in store for us. Thanks so much for continuing to pray for us. We are experiencing God in tangible ways and see those prayers working through us.

Ken

Getting ready to paint (sanding down the metal which is now a crystal blue):

More progress (the bricks are all in, now some finishing work and then 'stuccoing'):

Lunch time!

Doing the dishes:

Taking a break by the canal (located right behind the church):

Day 6 - Friday

2010-08-06T15:46:00.000+01:00

First of all, we are singing praise to the Lord for everyone being in good health. We might feel like we are working for Him - building walls for Bethel Church, working in the muddy work sites, doing the kids' club but actually we are truly blessed. Somehow we really feel His presence, His tangible love among all our brothers and sisters here.

God is merciful. The weather is not that hot today. We don't get any rain. So we got a lot done on building walls. He really answered our prayers on weather. At lunch time we got to sit and eat with all the fellow Thais. Even though we did not get to talk much with them, it was such a beautiful moment. We are getting more bonded every single day. The verse from our team devotions keeps confirming in our hearts and keeps being alive in our lives that:

"...But now you have been united with Christ Jesus...For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross...He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us..." (from Ephesians)

How cool is that? No matter what we are, where we live, we serve the same God. So we all can be united together. Praise the Lord.

We thank God for our believers here and the NFC team also can't wait to get back to you and just sit and share with you all.

Thanks for your prayers. We love you. Blessings!

Uh Oh (interpreter and latest member of the Thailand 2010 team!)

The wall project - progress!

"Inbreaking" - this picture was taken while we were visiting the new 'Hope Center.' Bob & Chris Davis and team have secured a building to develop a ministry center in the city of Chachoengsoa. It is a 3 story building on the major road in and out of the city. This cloud and ray of light opened up right at the time we were on the rooftop. A vivid reminder of God's love and mercy wanting to shine into this city!

some sights from Thailand

2010-08-06T03:05:00.000+01:00

Thai fisherman:

Kindergarten class at the local school (they powder their faces after a bath or washing up):

A fellow Thai helping work on the wall:

Mixing cement:

Waew (pronounced 'wow') with Melody - our amazing lunch chef on the job site:

Day 5 - Thursday

2010-08-05T16:43:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! Today was Thursday (already! so hard to believe!) and we had a really full but amazing day. The girls worked at the church with the guys in the morning (Ken and Pastor James were working on the wall and we were digging out roots to help clear a spot for a parking lot). Then we went to the school and taught more English lessons. We are just in love with these Thai kids, and we really see Jesus in them! It really is amazing.

It is also so inspiring to see how God is working in these neighborhoods, and crazy to really feel all the spiritual warfare going on in Thailand. It’s been a big learning experience so far at least to me, to see how real God is in these places. I am constantly being awed with the stories and testimonies of how the Thai people truly rely on God with their whole hearts and how he has worked in Thailand so much already because of that. For instance, at the B*mese service that we attended on Tuesday evening 15 people asked Christ into their life, and that is the norm for every week! The angels in heaven must have been celebrating! :)

Thank you for all your praying, I think it has really helped. We are adjusting to time change, uniting as a team, taking on challenges, and bonding with the Thai people! You can continue to pray for the city and for Thailand, that Christianity continues to spread like wildfire and for all the missionaries here. Pray for team unity (we are having so much fun together by the way) and that we continue to have energy for all the projects we wish to accomplish. Thank you for all our support!

Sarah

The girls clearing the future parking lot:

The wall continuing to progress:

Teaching English class at the local elementary school:

A couple of pictures from Wednesday

2010-08-04T17:16:00.000+01:00

Taking a break from the work project because of the pouring rain, the five girls use the opportunity to pose 'Thai' style:

Ken and James working on the wall:

Day 3 & 4 (Tuesday and Wednesday)

2010-08-04T16:46:00.000+01:00

Clouds have been tearing and rain has been pouring forth-in some ways it reminds me of the way God’s Spirit is pouring forth on this “muban” (or neighborhood) in Chachensago. We have been experiencing intense weather and intensity in the way we interact with the Thai people. God’s presence has been so tangible and real; it is almost like you can reach out and touch it and in fact perhaps that is what we are doing when we interact with the Thai people.

We have been experiencing God richly since being here. Yesterday morning we worshipped with our Thai brothers and sisters on the Beth El Team (see the video link on the right to meet the Beth El leadership team), and spent time praying over the muban together. I have been struck deeply at how God is physically moving into this muban. As you all know we are working on the wall around the Beth El church plant to provide protection for the community and for building more relationships with others. As Andi said, “we are building a wall to tear down walls.” As we started to build the wall today, I found myself praying that we keep building up the physical wall to protect the church and in the process also make in roads into neighborhood relationships.

The girls had a chance to interact with Thai kids today as we taught our first English lesson at a local school. We had a great time interacting with the kids, and enthusiastically taught different emotions to the kids. The kids seemed to appreciate our lesson and enjoyed connecting with the “farang” (or foreigners). The kids seemed eager to love on us, just as we were eager to connect with them. We left to the kids waving good-bye and being excited to see us again tomorrow.

It is a continual adventure, one that we are continually embracing. Pray that we keep being open to what God wants us to see and hear. Pray that our hearts will deepen in compassion for the Thai people and pray that we will continually be open to a renewing of God’s Spirit, that our souls would continue to be nourished just like the flowers are here by the rain.

Tomorrow’s (Thursday’s schedule) will be to continue the wall project, teach an English lesson in the local school in the afternoon, and then help lead a kids club in the early evening.

Peace.

Melody

P.S. We did see a little bit of sun today! (And had a huge thunderstorm this evening!)

Some pics...

2010-08-03T03:24:00.000+01:00

Uh-Oh (interpreter) and missionary Bob Davis:

View from our new form of transportation (8 of us in the back of a small covered truck):

Day 2 - Thailand Team

2010-08-02T14:29:00.000+01:00

Thank you all for your prayers. Our team has felt God’s shield of protection. On the plane, through customs and in addition all 7 of us packed into the back of a truck and headed out for dinner, driving through the streets of Thailand today. I was afraid one of us might fall out or get hurt, please continue to pray for us as God surrounds His protection for each one on our team. I look forward to God’s blessings, surprises and most of all love while interacting with each one we come in contact with while on the trip.

We added a new member to our team today. “Uh-Oh” is her name – a vibrant Thai girl who will be our translator for these two weeks. She will be staying with us and helping us with all of our ministry.

Tomorrow we will spend the morning with the local missions team and join them for their regular worship/prayer/staff meeting time. In the afternoon we will visit the various Thai and B*mese church sites and lay out our English lessons and kids clubs coming up this week. In the evening, we will worship with the local B*mese congregation.

Andi

(no pictures tonight due to slow connection. hopefully tomorrow!)

Day 1 - Thailand Team

2010-08-01T22:56:00.000+01:00

A big thank you to the friends and family that met us at 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening in the NFC parking lot. There were a few tearful goodbyes, a commissioning prayer, and then we were off. Dave Barton, Sarah's dad, drove us to the San Francisco airport. Special thanks to Scott Radtke for providing the van for our transportation, and Jason Brooks for arranging the details with Enterprise.

We took off at 2:00 a.m. and in a matter of hours we missed Sunday completely. We just arrived in Taipei, Taiwan at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning, August 2. It was Sarah's first ever flight on an airplane and she did great. Take off was a bit scary she says, as was being over the ocean for so long. We all managed to get a few hours of sleep on this first 12 hour leg of our journey. We leave in a few hours for our 3 1/2 hour flight to Bangkok. Bob & Chris Davis will meet us at the airport, and then our goal will be to force ourselves to stay up the rest of the day while we orient ourselves to the time change, Thai culture, and the ministry projects that we will be participating in for the next two weeks.

Depending on our internet access in Thailand we will continue to update this blog regularly.

Blessings,

The Thailand team

Send off at NFC:

The team with our luggage checking in at the San Francisco airport:

THAILAND TEAM

2010-07-14T16:57:00.001+01:00

On July 31, this team of seven from NFC will be traveling to Chachoengsao, Thailand (about 1 hour East of Bangkok). For two weeks, they will be serving alongside Bob & Christina Davis, MBMSI missionaries.

Please pray for the team as they prepare.

back: Pastor James, Michaela Carpentier, Christine Arentz, Ken Willems

front: Andi Hindes, Melody Whiteaker, Sarah Barton

This blog...

2010-06-29T14:57:00.001+01:00

Our Portugal project has finished (though we keep hearing big ideas of what God has done and potential for future trips!). Many of you visited this blog to follow the team. ANY FEEDBACK you give us would be helpful, especially for the Thailand team when they head out August 1 - 14 (though they will have limited internet access and may not be able to post as frequently).

. What did you like about the blog?

. Were the daily reports helpful, did they contain the information you were looking for?

. Any suggestions on things to add or improve?

June 27

2010-06-27T16:27:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning we went to visit the Mafra Palace. A beautiful palace with a cathedral (which is also part of the palace) decorated by artists and architects from the 18^th century. We noticed from our walk around the palace that there were window-like-balconies that looked into the cathedral for the king and queen to participate in mass service and looking into the cathedral a mass service was going on. After the tour our team was invited to lunch at Doug and Mira’s home (Doug and Mira are retired couple from Bakersfield who moved to Portugal to help the Ekks with their ministries). Our first church service that we attended was with an African congregation. The building felt alive. We were told that they had lost their building last week and for a short while they will be sharing the space with the Loures church. Being at the Loures church that is underneath apartment units, the African church wouldn’t sing and praise as loud as they normally would because the neighbors would complain. But today during service even with limited instruments they were jamming (I can only imagine how regular service for them is). Be praying for funds to come in and that they (the African congregation) will find a home to worship.

Well, this is our last blog. We are saddened to leave Portugal but are glad to have made so many new friends. We will be packing, cleaning, and debriefing tomorrow (Monday). Tuesday we will all be traveling so we ask that you continue to pray for us and we will tell you more stories when we meet again. Thanks for all your support and God bless.

Alex

June 27

2010-06-27T13:42:00.000+01:00

Today was a full day, and I think we will all fall asleep quickly despite the choir of dogs constantly barking outside our room. This afternoon we enjoyed sunbathing on the beach, and a couple of us were brave enough to swim in the freezing Atlantic Ocean. We went straight to the Masama Church in our sandy clothes for a Kids’ Club that they hold most Saturdays. We were happy to see several of the boys from the English Camp there to help out and join in the games. Jennifer read the story of “The Hungry Caterpillar,” (which Vickie interpreted) and Cecilia related the message to a verse in First Corinthians how we become new people through Christ, as how the caterpillar transformed into a butterfly. After that, the plan was to play a soccer game however we encountered some difficulties along the way. There had been some miscommunications of reserving a field and we were worried that the game wouldn’t happen but one of the boys suggested we go to a field where he played soccer. The guy in charge there was happy to let us use the field, and even invited us to come back whenever we would like. We were so fortunate that God blessed us with finding such a nice place! We all had a really fun time playing soccer, cheering on the teams, dancing samba and swing, and just talking and laughing with each other. In all it was a blessed day spending time with our new friends.

-Rebeca

June 25

2010-06-26T11:48:00.000+01:00

I just got home from the women’s tea and am sure I have experienced the highlight of my trip! The tea party was much fun; the food was great, the bead craft worked out well, and Grace shared a wonderful testimony. However, my favorite part of the evening was my hilarious ride home with four wonderful Portuguese people. As Anne of Green Gables would say I have definitely found some kindred spirits…

~Rachael

As for me (Alex), I have enjoyed hanging out with the boys from camp. One way I connected with them is telling them that I play soccer really well and that I would embarrass them on the field (not sure yet if that was a mistake or not). They all got hyped up and Saturday (tomorrow) I am invited to play soccer with them (of course I am a bit nervous). My new friends, the “guys” from camp, are full of energy, enthusiasm, and passion for life (especially soccer). And we need to be praying for them because their enthusiasm and passion can help spread the message of Christ here in Portugal. Otto mentioned the other day that students in Portugal schools are not surrounded by Christians as we are in America. It makes their walk with Christ a little more difficult and the peer-pressures in high school really tests their faith. We wrapped up English camp by watching the Brazil versus Portugal soccer game. The room was full of noise and sweat (definitely added some “spice” to the experience). And after the game our team realized that our time in Portugal is coming to an end. Many of the students were asking if we will be coming back next year and it is hard to be honest with them and say we don’t know. We need to be praying for how God can use our new relationship with the churches and people in Portugal for his greater plan. The Portuguese people are relational and our team has learned that showing up once for an event like English Camp is not enough, we need to maintain and strengthen our relationship with the locals that we have met this far.

Alex

June 24

2010-06-25T12:10:00.000+01:00

This morning Otto mentioned that boys he drives over for camp told him that they especially appreciate Grace and Leland being on the team because of their mature age and experience in life. We are realizing that having a multigenerational team is a definite blessing. English Camp today went very well even though I was robbed, beat up, and left half dead (during a skit of the Good Samaritan, of course). For rec in the afternoon, Loren coached the Bulls and Flying Squirrels in an exciting basketball game. Danae, Rebeca, and I also joined the girls for jump rope games. There was a little contest to see who could do the most double jumps without stopping (13). After supper, we all went on a short hike up the hill and watched the city lights come on. Then we wandered over to the ruins of an ancient aqueduct to explore a bit and take some great pictures.

Cecilia

June 23

2010-06-23T22:37:00.000+01:00

Day 2 of English Camp and all is well! Today went even better than yesterday; I am so impressed seeing how this is the first time something like this has ever been done here. We are definitely bonding with the students, especially through the games which they love. And they are such a neat group of kids. My highlight of the day is when we had the students act out the parable of the lost sheep... hilarious and so creative! They had Otto, Marjorie, and the rest of our small audience rolling with laughter.

Pray that God will continue to work through us to encourage these students in their walk of faith. Otto has explained to us that most of these students are very alone in their beliefs and to have the encouragement and support of believers their age is huge!

Thanks again for all your prayers and support!

~Rachael

June 22

2010-06-22T21:59:00.000+01:00

Dear Friends,

Today was the first day of English Camp. Everything went very well and there are some things we will need to adjust for tomorrow. Otto Ekk says this is only the first of the English Camps and wants NFC to come run another camp next year. So we see this as a pioneering effort. We are paving the way for the next group next year. Some of you should be considering making the team next year. Today was very rewarding in that we really had an opportunity to relate to some great kids. There were about 11 students and we are expecting more tomorrow. The students were at all levels and ages, from pretty fluent to no English and ages from 11 to 22 years old. We did a variety of activities including acting out and discussing the parable, “The Lost Son”, playing bingo with vocabulary words, singing, sports activities and practicing English around the lunch table. We all established some very significant relationships and look forward to continuing to develop these new friendships. We had a delicious lunch of homemade hamburgers and fries. We had plenty left over so we had hamburgers again tonight. We were hoping to lose weight on this trip but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen.

We are looking forward to tomorrow and another great day with the kids. The team seems to be feeling well today and has been working hard in serving the local missionaries. The weather has been very comfortable and the city is beautiful. Not a bad place to live. Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray that God would use our efforts to His glory.

Your friends in Christ, Grace and Lee Wiens

June 20-21

2010-06-21T23:23:00.001+01:00

Well, Sunday was a full and exciting day for all of us. Church services are held in the afternoon/evening, as that is when the Portuguese people are willing to attend. So Marjorie and Otto offered to take us to visit the National QueLuz Palace in the morning (and besides, all national parks and museums are free of charge on Sundays!). The Palacio was built in the 1700’s. Each room was more ornate and beautiful than the previous, with mirrors on all walls, paintings and gold accents on the ceilings, and such. The Palace had its own chapel (Catholic), and each room had images of Christ crucified or other religious relics. In that era (1700’s) as now, the Portuguese are traditionally Roman Catholic.

In contrast, at 3:00 pm we participated in a friendly fellowship at the Massama church which the Ekks pastor ; they meet in a small commercial building. Everyone there was very friendly and welcoming. Each of us had a chance to answer Pastor Otto’s questions about our faith journey, why we chose to come to Portugal, or what Christ means to us. By 5:00 we were at the Loures church service (the renovation project). It was fun to see people’s reactions to the new look! This time Jen sang solos, Leland shared a personal testimony, and Pastor Loren gave a sermon (both with interpreters).

We loved talking with NFC on skype Sunday! Thanks for your prayers and encouragement! We all slept quite well last night, and Grace says she is feeling much better today!

Monday we spent getting ready for the English Camp, which goes Tuesday to Friday. We’re excited, and look forward to interacting with the youth.

We love you and miss you, but are very happy to be here!

Abracos (hugs)
Vickie K Pessoa

June 19

2010-06-20T09:35:00.000+01:00

Another full day of work at the church in Loures. We needed all hands on deck to complete the tasks given us. We didn’t finish, but we are getting close. This three day renovation project has done several things for our team: 1.) it has allowed us to see another side to the missionaries (the Ekks) who are hosting us. We are learning a lot from them as we work side by side together painting, cleaning, and making on the spot decisions about a variety of things. 2.) We are getting the opportunity to engage with a few of the church members like Marques (Angolan) and Bruno (Portuguese). Marques one of the leaders of the Angolan church, had to leave early today because someone had broken into their church and stolen all of their musical and sound equipment. Our team came together and prayed for them. This was a big blow for them because they don’t have a lot of resources. 3.) We are learning a lot about one another by working close up as a team.
For example, Alex is emerging as the number one handyman, showing off some of his craftsmanship skills. He attributes it to his Ukrainian background. Jennifer likes to sing classic and opera style songs as she works providing live music, although few of us can sing along! Vickie and Grace make sure we are getting adequate water, food and breaks so we can pace ourselves. Their gifts of hospitality and nurture are shining. Speaking of hospitality, a lady named Graziela from the Loures church made us a dish for dinner that was like a bread roll mixed with cod fish and potatoes. It was definitely different and our food adventures continue! Tomorrow is our big day in church. Hope to see you on Skype!

Pastor Loren

June 18

2010-06-18T23:26:00.000+01:00

What another fun work day we all had! Several of us had the chance to visit a Portuguese food store (wow!). I can still smell the lovely fish and other sea creatures that dominate the store. One of the cultural things that seemed a bit odd to me were the rabbits that were on display at the grocery store. They still had their head and faces. We were informed that this was so people don't think they are eating a cat!!! But hey, I am sure the Portuguese people have some strange feelings about how we Americans eat so much fast food. After our market experience we spent most of the day painting and cleaning up at the Centro Evangelico Church in Loures. It’s a two story church located in a business complex. Being around paint for many hours can do some strange things to people, but we were able to get a lot of work done. Tonight Grace Wiens cooked us a delicious meal and everyone is heading to bed early tonight. Otto and Marjorie are coming early to pick us up so we can finish our projects before the church services on Sunday. Thanks for all the prayers! Boa Noite!

Danae

June 17th

2010-06-18T11:41:00.000+01:00

On Thursday our orientation with the Ekks was continued as we learned more about their testimonies and the churches they work with in Lisbon. Following lunch, we headed out to the Loures church to prep for the work project we’ll be completing later this week. The plan is to repaint the inside of the church building as well as a nursery/youth room. Later in the afternoon a couple of us took a break at the café next door where we met the owner, Isabel. We were excited to find out that she is also an evangelical Christian and invited her to visit the church. When we asked about the dish of the day, she brought out the fresh fish from her freezer to show us! Later on, we all drove over to the Ekk’s flat to watch Luther, a film about the Reformation, and to gaze at the spectacular view of the city. The evening was wrapped up with a wonderful supper of lemon, orange, and pepper chicken along with good conversation and plenty of laughter.

~Cecilia

Day 2 (June 16)

2010-06-17T00:33:00.000+01:00

Day two in Portugal was espantoso! (terrific!) This morning we met with Otto who gave us the 411 on missions in Portugal and explained a little bit about the Portuguese culture. Otto and Marjorie fabulously arranged for a friend from the Loures Church , Ineŝ, to give us a tour of Lisbon. We took public transportation to Lisbon, which is about an hour away from Institutu Biblicu Portuges. First we visited an ancient Catholic cathedral which had been destroyed by an earthquake and fire. We rode the oldest elevator in Portugal and were able to see a beautiful view of Lisbon, inhabited by 2 million people. We were able to practice our Portuguese at a delicious ice cream shop, although Alex accidently asked for a beak while trying to order a cup of coffee. Touring the St. George’s Castle was fascinating and we enjoyed posing for many pictures on the old walls and canons. After a long day experiencing the culture, we returned to our temporary home, ate leftovers, hung out with Ineŝ and her husband Bruno, and welcomed Tim Schellenberg who will join us until Sunday. We are grateful that nobody was pick-pocketed. After a marvelous day interacting with the people of Lisbon and learning a lot about Portuguese history and culture, a wave of sleepiness slowly engulfs me, so I’m signing off!

-Rebeca Pessoa

Day 1 (June 15)

2010-06-15T23:21:00.000+01:00

Wow! We finally made it to Lisbon, Portugal after hours of tiresome plane riding! I think we’ll be caught up with jet lag after tonight’s rest. We were greeted by Otto and a couple of his friends at the airport and were driven to our temporary home, Institutu Biblicu Portugues, located out in the country near Loures, just outside Lisbon. We were so thankful to eat and rest (we hadn’t really eaten much or slept during travels). We were invited in the evening to the Gentry’s (A wonderful retired couple currently helping Otto & Marjorie w/ hospitality and team hosting) and enjoyed watching the Portugal/Ivory Coast game and the best bread in the world (maybe even better than zwiebach :) ). Later, we all walked to the nearest cafe to watch the Brazil/Korea game and get a better feel for the rural town we are staying in. It’s been great meeting the students here and learning where they come from and why they are here. As discussed in a short meeting tonight, we’ve already seen God work in us as a team and in outreaching to others here and on the way here. Thank you team back home again for your prayers and support! Until next time…

Jennifer Eastwood

so we are off...

2010-06-14T12:55:00.000+01:00

We had to be at the airport at 4am. Feels really early but the team is excited. We were really excited to see a small group from NFC come and see us off. Now we are passed security checks and waiting for our flight. Boarding will start in 10 min and everyone is awake (I was expecting people looking for corners to get some sleep). Till next time...

Alex

2010-06-09T17:01:00.000+01:00

PORTUGAL TEAM

back: Alex Danilyuk, Rachael Danilyuk, Leland Wiens, Jennifer Eastwood, Pastor Loren, Vickie Klassen, Grace Wiens

front: Cecilia Pessoa, Rebeca Pessoa, Danae Dubberke

Welcome!

2010-05-24T00:46:00.001+01:00

This blog is set up to keep you updated on the summer missions teams heading to Portugal and Thailand during the summer of 2010 from North Fresno Church. Please return often to hear about the exciting things the two teams will be doing this year!