[June 21] Trek day J We headed out to the mountains to spend some focused time together. Our team had great fun riding elephants – Verna’s laugh often echoed through the forest as her driverless elephant randomly forged its own paths through the trees. Convinced our elephant would eat up half the forest by the time the ride was over, Claire and I watched as Lance and Lauren tried to get their animal to move back as it was leaning over a cliff trying to reach some choice leaves. That was amusing, their driver continuously thwacking the pachyderm over the head to try to get him to move, but to no avail. Eventually he stepped back from the cliff and moved on, and finally ours decided to give it a go as well. A little baby elephant joined us on the walk as well; it was the cutest thing to see him scramble over a fallen tree and wade through a stream. He lay down in the water and rolled around a few times before he realized his mother had moved on and lumbered after her. With trunks continuously poking at us searching for bananas, we thoroughly enjoyed the ride and I was disappointed when it was over. I also thought it would be great fun if the elephants began to ‘run’, or whatever it is that elephants do when they move faster; Claire, however, did not share my enthusiasm to speed up and rather enjoyed the lumbering gate of our animal.

With smiles plastered on everyone’s faces, we continued on foot to a beautiful waterfall. The water was cool and Jeremy and Tehillah decided to go for a swim. We sat and watched them for a while and then began the climb up a long set of stairs leading up a hill. Huffing and puffing and sweating, most definitely sweating, we set off to visit one of the Karen Hill Tribes. A water buffalo greeted us in a rice field and a little girl ran up to us once we reached the edge of tribe. We looked around at the scarves and articles of clothing that the women were selling and I attempted to say hello in the Karen language. That drew a laugh from a wizened and toothless woman; even to my own ears it sounded so off from how another woman told me to pronounce it. At least I tried! It made someone laugh J With numerous treks often passing through this particular tribe, the people were used to the presence of foreigners; their businesses flourished as tourists bought beautifully woven scarves and sarongs.

The last event of the day came upon us as we reached a river and saw long bamboo rafts lying on the embankment. What was to follow was so incredibly fun and was such a great respite from the scorching sun. Carefully we stepped onto the rafts and gingerly we sat down, trying not to get wet which, of course, was inevitable. It soon became clear that Karl’s personal mission was to get everyone soaked. In this he was successful and what had started off as a peaceful trip quickly became a rampaging water fight. Rafts were tipped over, Uzo was dunked, paddles were harshly slapping the water, and people were kicking and splashing and trying not to fall off their rafts. It was fun. Trying to balance when standing up on the rafts proved to be fun as well – especially when all this crazy commotion was going on. We came to a more turbulent area of the stream, which almost satisfied my desire for white-water. Though the trip was ablaze with screams and laughter and pleas not to go under, there was a peace that joined us as well. Floating down a river in the midst of the beauty of the forest, with Thai people watching and laughing and our own people having incredible fun with each other, brought such a joy to my heart. Though we did not interact with the orphans today, the time we spent together was vital to our team dynamics and, though our team was already unified and had grown pretty close, this day drew us even closer and allowed to just have all-out fun with each other. It was so needed and brought us a type of rest, which allowed us to pour out even more to the people in the coming days.

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

[June 20] After an amazing and passionate debrief we headed to the Chiang Mai zoo with the BBF children. The kids were enthralled with the animals and absolutely loved the fish and sharks swimming over us as we walked in clear tunnels through their territories. Various species of aquatic animals found their home in the aquarium, greeted by the excited and glowing eyes of the children. I must admit I wore one of those pair of eyes as well, as it was so amazing to see the beauty and creativity in design of all these unique creatures. We took the kids up on our shoulders and enjoyed hearing their delight as small, yet fearsome, sharks silently passed their way only inches overhead… an eerie calmness and awe fell upon me in the serenity of the colourful fish slipping past us. I believe Lauren had a similar sensation as she gazed upon little jellyfish gracefully and peacefully floating along inside their own tanks lighted by pale pinks and blues. The children skipped along, enthralled by each every new creature and didn’t want to leave once we reached the end of the exhibit. I feel blessed to have been able to share in the joy and the wonderment of the kids; it touched my heart to see happiness spreading over the face of one of the little orphan girls perched high atop Claire’s shoulders. Though we did not build any pig pens or teach English, our time with the children in the zoo was not only a huge blessing to them, but to us as well. How amazing it is to be able to speak into a child’s life and instill in them a care and a love for who they are and for who they will become. They may be considered as outcasts within Thai society, but to us they were and are and forever will be precious little jewels reflecting the perfect creation of our Father. With radiant faces slowly tiring and hands snug within ours, we continued through the zoo and found our way to a panda exhibit. I think Karl was the most excited one amongst us and was amazed as a beautiful female panda politely crunched on a carrot. It really was a spectacle, this gorgeous animal only meters away, munching and staring as if she had no care in the world. I stared at her and the kids stared at her and most of all Karl stared at her; unsettled, she stared right back as if to convey her power or utter lack of interest in us peering creatures. So cool. We managed to see a few more animals, including a most adorable baby elephant, and then tried in vain to find the lions. By this point the children were pretty sleepy and we made our way back home. Too tired to play soccer, we hung out with the kids for another hour or so, kicking around a hackeysack and trying to do origami. Poor Claire was going out of her mind trying to recall a particular design. The quiet mother was there again and a few of us enjoyed teaching her colours. She then proceeded to show us her crocheted hackeysacks; she has been studying them and figured out how to reproduce the shape and some of the designs. I was really impressed! There is no way I would be able to do that…

That night we reconnected with Josie and Uzo, who had gone to spend some girl time with a few of the older BBF girls. They slipped in little sermons about beauty as they applied make-up on each other. Discussions about the difference of wearing make-up to look pretty versus wearing it to have fun with their natural beauty ensued, amongst questions about what the girls saw beauty as. One of the replies was that the girls take their identity from the boys and older men around them; beauty was defined by the men who they were to be married off to. Some of the attributes included long hair, light skin and jewelry. Everywhere we went we saw skin-whitening cream… how sad. I believe that Uzo and Josie had an amazing time ministering into the hearts of these girls. It was our prayer that these gorgeous Lahu women would see themselves as truly beautiful, valued and accepted; that their sense of beauty would not be defined by those around them, but by our Father instead who holds them in the most highly esteemed position. Our two team-members really drew close to the girls and were able to establish stronger bonds with them. What an amazing and wonderful day for them!

Meanwhile, while most of our team was at the zoo and Uzo and Josie were with the girls, Curtis, Lance and Rob also had a pretty sweet bonding time with some of the boys. They set out to fix some bikes in need of repair. Each big head had a little head beside it, which touched Gary’s heart as he looked out from Dominic’s house. What a blessing Gary has been to us on our trip, as a lot of the logistics fell to him and his skills. The boys were at it for a while; as the bikes became closer and closer to being finished, the kids became more and more excited to take them out for a spin. Curtis laughed as one of the kids raced off with his as soon as it was finished, gearing up for the moment with rapid movements of something on the bike that fixed something. Something men know about, I’m assuming. And other women who know more about mechanics than I do. Needless to say though, the boy-time was great and strengthened the relationships there as well. All in all, we had another amazing day and, though our bodies lay exhausted in our beds, smiles lilted into our dreams and overtook our souls. Oh, how beautiful :)

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

[June 19] “An early start saw us heading up to Chiang Dao to spend time with the children in a church service. It kicked off with the people there leading us in an awesome and very sweaty dance. This made the kids laugh and broke the shyness away from a new group of children that came from another orphan’s home in Chiang Dao. Our team then led some worship and kids songs; it was so neat to see Lek, our Buddhist driver, bouncing up and down and smiling from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying the music. The children replied in their own songs and I stood in wonder, happiness spreading throughout my being. As I looked around the room it was apparent that the songs, sung in various hill tribe languages, touched our hearts and even brought tears to some eyes. After several harmonies sung unto our most compassionate Father, Jeremy shared his testimony and Rob emotionally told a story to the children. They both did such an amazing and incredible job and were really able to grasp the attention of the kids.  Lunchtime came and we set to work chopping fruit and cooking hotdogs in a large wok (they wanted us to make something that Canadians would eat back home). Some of the girls helped us prepare the meal and diligently set to task chopping loads of watermelon, pineapple and tomatoes; these joined other assorted fruits such as mango-steam and bananas. In an assembly line we served hotdogs, lettuce, onions, ketchup and of course hot chili sauce as well as chili flakes onto bread. Sitting on the ground with incredibly sweet pop, it was interesting to watch the children eat the hotdogs separate from the bread. With enough chili sauce to make any Canadian cry, they picked at their meals and awaited the ensuing soccer tournament in growing anticipation. Stomachs full, we started assorting and handing out new soccer apparel to the players and the game began. The tournament involved four teams including “the Canadian Team;” excited cheers were heard along the sidelines as the ball came into close proximity to the ‘goalposts’. With no goals and a loss due to a shoot-out, our team was happy that a kids’ team won the tournament. They won it fair and square to boot, as all the guys, Uzo, Tehillah and Leticia raced across the field and put their all into the games. The rest of us ladies played games with the other children, cheered on all teams, sat and drank ice-water and fanned ourselves. It was lovely. Though I felt like I was dying in the heat, just looking at Gary and the others exerting themselves on the field made me feel a lot cooler. When Tehillah subbed off, she and I enjoyed teaching English to one of the very shy and quiet mothers of three of the BBF children. Her husband passed away recently and she had to give her children up to the BBF children’s home. Pain was written across her face and it was amazing to be able to minister to and love on her in this very difficult time. She has such a desire to learn English and put great effort into pronouncing words correctly. I loved learning Thai words from her as well and had fun counting to 100 with her and Noi in Thai. It was great!! After an incredible day we were all bagged and utterly exhausted. Life is good.”

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

On one hand, we had these mighty rocks and seemingly insurmountable boulders that had given way to the powerful force of the rushing runoff. The water had carved a path deep into the heart of these stones and created beautiful works of art in the process. There was an instant realization that these rock sculptures were not formed overnight, but rather through an ongoing wearing away and erosion of the surface over many years. In this same way, we realize that it will be the cumulative effect of all our efforts that will have the greatest impact on the children that we are interacting with. There has been such a spirit of unity and togetherness on the team that it is hard to believe that we had only started to really get to know each other only three months prior. We also know that other teams from Vancouver and throughout the world have poured into these children and will continue to do so, in effect slowly chipping away at some of the hurt and pain that guards their hearts and their smiles. As we draw near to the end of the trip, it is hard to think of leaving the children as we are just now getting glimpses into their personalities. Future visits and ongoing partnership with Bridgeworks are hoped for as the effect of loving these children well will continue to unveil who they are, and reveal God’s true and good calling on their lives.

In addition to the collective power of the churning water, we are also reminded of the gentleness and fluidity that allows water to get into places that other mediums would not be able to gain access to. Water by its very nature is able to take on the shape of the surface and adapt without destroying that which it is shaping. Whereas rock against rock might be damaging, there is a tenderness that allows for a gradual and detailed refinement. We are all being refined into better versions of ourselves, and it has been our grace, flexibility and ultimately our love for each other that has accomplished much of the work we are doing here.”

~ Uzo Enyi, Thailand Team leader

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

[June 18] “What a blast! With BBF kids piled into the van and the back of the truck with us, we headed up to a waterfall outside Chiang Mai. We met up with children from the Prao and Chiang Dao orphanages and began with excited greetings and smiles. The Prao children were more reserved and didn’t smile much at the beginning; their home is outside the city and up in the hills, where they rarely have contact with other people. They began to warm up, however, and were having a lot of fun by the end of the day. The waterfall consisted of water pouring over limestone that wound its way down through the rainforest; this lithology allowed us to be able to climb up and down it with great ease (we just had to watch for the slimy, slippery areas). I took a little girl up it, fully expecting to help and catch her when she fell. When we began the climb, however, she booked it up and even gave me her hand to help me in the slippery parts. What a precious little girl! The children here are so skilled and know their surroundings. Lauren noticed a snake up a tree and when I tried to get a closer look at it one of the other girls pulled me away. It turned out that that particular snake is deadly; the children knew and kept us from harm. It was a thing of beauty though, that snake, its emerald body glistening in the sun and its red “tail” warning of its danger. Such a majestic jewel instilling fear and awe in those that viewed it. Noi, one of the older BBF girls, dragged me away from the waterfall and up and along a wooden pathway. It led to a holy place, a sanctuary for some of the Buddhist gods that most Thai people believe in. It was a beautiful and serene place, with several adorned temples standing beside a “holy” pool. Such pure water gathered there, sourced from an underground spring; the water flowed deep and clear with hints of blues, greens and pinks. Little fish slipping through the water entranced my eyes and brought peace to my soul. In my heart I dedicated the place to God and praised Him for His wonderful creation. More of the children joined us there along with some of our team members and we all walked back together to have more fun splashing around in the water. It was a great respite from the heat and beautifully cool against our burning skin. After a day of pouring into the children and really loving on them, we began to hand out the “Love Bags” so generously packed by the people and friends of UChurch. With the boys and girls lined up, it was a wonderful feeling to see their faces as the children received their gifts. One little boy was overjoyed with his lego helicopter; a little girl loved her new socks and crocs so much that she held her legs above the ground to prevent them from getting dirty. With smiles shining radiantly on happy faces or hidden behind guarded hearts, the kids rooted through their bags and clutched them tightly to their chests. The clothing, candies, pictures, toys and random knick-knacks were such treasures to them… especially to the rural and high-risk Prao children. I really believe that they brought such a joy and love to them and a feeling of belonging and acceptance. I speak for the whole team in saying that it was such an honor and a gift to show the children that they are cared for and that they are beautiful, wanted and loved. What an amazing thing to be able to take part in that.”

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

[June 17] “Lauren, Donna, Rob, Karl and Josie had fun sanding and painting a newly purchased cart. It is to be used to sell cupcakes at a nearby market and will be shared amongst the local orphanage homes. After several hours of sweaty labor, the cart was nicely sanded down and painted green, the distinguishing colour of the BBF kids. The day proceeded in squeals and laughs as our team members played with the children and spoiled them at a nearby store. One sweet little girl showed off her language skills as she repeated random English words Lauren gave her; how quickly some of them catch on! Meanwhile the rest of us had tons of fun scooping poop. Yep, poop. Pig poop. And loads of it! Our day began by finishing the roofs of the pig pens. With the kids (including Verna, Matt, Curtis and Leticia) dangling from the roof, we tied grass panels onto the framework with bamboo strips. That complete, we began picking up garbage and scooping poop out from under one of the newly-roofed pens. Layer upon layer of manure was scooped into buckets and hefted over to a pile several meters away. Our team unity really emerged as the scoopers yelled, “Buckets! I need more buckets!” and the haulers yelled, “Poop! I need more poop!”  I almost flung myself into the pile several times and had to rely on Richard and Matt to dump out the rest of my buckets. They quickly became the poop dumpers and fulfilled their roles with such an ease of motion. Eventually the area became level and, smelling like manure, we spent the next hour playing soccer and frisbee with the kids. I remember noticing a trail of ants at some point during the day and remarking at their lifestyle. All this commotion was going on around them, yet they continued their journey and greeted every other ant they saw coming in the opposite direction. It was such a simple yet peaceful thing in the midst of a hubbub. After quick and desperately needed showers at home, we headed out to a nearby night market and had the pleasure of experiencing new smells and a new way of shopping.”

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

[June 16] “We woke up roaring to go and ride out to another village beyond Chang Mai. We began our time at an orphanage housing nine Lahu (hill tribe) children; they served us lunch and then took us to an area to play soccer. The kids had a blast wearing our team members down with their skill and ability to stay relatively dry in the intense work-out. I befriended a stray dog before we headed back to the home, with a couple boys perched on Lance and Mat’s shoulders. We then split up into two teams; one team went to build a structure out on a rice field and the other went to teach English at a school. Those at the rice field had a great time learning how to build a “Salachi,” a place of rest for the rice farmers as they are harvesting their fields. A few of the orphanage boys constructed their own fishing rods from bamboo poles and proudly showed off their catches to the busy worker bees. Once the shelter reached completion, Claire, Curtis, Lance, Rob, Gary and Uzo joined the boys attempting to show off their fishing skills. Meanwhile, the rest of us headed up to a school where we were greeted by cheering and waving children. A little intimidated, a few of us shyly greeted them back as Josie showed us around the various classrooms. The kids were very polite and respectfully answered our “Sawadee Kaas/Kaaps” with hands pressed together and fingers by their noses.  Lauren, Verna, Karl, Leticia, Josie, Jeremi, Mat, Tehillah and I split off into our different teaching teams, covering off all the grades. I had great fun with Mat and Tehillah playing the head-and-shoulders game in an attempt to teach English. The kids were great at picking up on the language and were very attentive. Many different groups were out playing on the field, forming circles around their teachers and thoroughly enjoying their time spent with our team. Mat went yelling and waving his arms through the field, with 30 kids doing the same thing right behind him. It was quite the sight… The other groups became more riled up and excited and our poor teachers had quite the time trying to control them. It was so beautiful, hundreds of students laughing and having so much fun playing games with “the Westerners.” Karl managed to get himself stuck by himself with a bunch of kids and poor Leticia ran her heart out as she was picked nearly every time during Duck-Duck-Goose. It was the sweetest thing to see our team members easily and creatively come up with English-teaching games and have a blast with the kids. After a few hours our time at the school was coming to a close and we were invited to have coffee with a few of the staff members. We all felt like celebrities when girls started piling into the room bringing paper and pens and asking for autographs. Sweetly smiling as they politely gave us sheets of paper, they bowed with hands pressed together when we signed and wrote a few words on them. How adorable! The principle then wanted to say a few words with us, and what an amazing thing he had to tell us! Through the translation of the school’s English teacher, he let us know that he was very glad we came to his school. He loved that his students had some exposure to English and regretted that he knew none himself. Although it was a Buddhist school, he welcomed our team to visit again; later we found out that he wanted us to come back and go to all the schools in the area. How amazing! Just by playing games with the children and teaching some English, we were able to have not only a great impact on the kids, but on the staff as well. It was sad to leave the schoolyard as we gave final hugs and loud goodbyes, but it was so cool to look behind me as we were leaving and see all the smiling faces and waving hands. It really was a very special day. Tuckered out, our teaching team rejoined the others at the rice fields. We marveled over their handiwork of the salachai and joined in on the fishing. The real test of the structure came when it began to rain… and lo and behold, they did an excellent job constructing the roof. Most of us huddled inside, we watched as Verna with her stylish umbrella and Richard with his bright blue poncho (smerf-like) continued to fish. We headed back to our house with a bucket of perth and sunfish and then headed out for dinner. What a great and inspiring day.”

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

The first excitement found us on the plane from Bangkok to Chang Mai; we greeted Lance and Lauren with an energetic UChurch cry (and received weird looks from those sitting around us). Their journey from Europe saw them flying to Qatar and then eventually to us; it was great to have them rejoin our joyful team. The beauty of Thailand shone through the majestic mountains and the rows upon rows of perfectly rectangular rice fields. An extremely fast descent resembling that of a rollercoaster brought us into Chang Mai. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and wished that the pilot would loop around and do it again! Alas, he did not, and I had to be content instead with the absolutely gorgeous scenery spotted through the airport windows. On the way to our two very cute guesthouses, Tehilla, Jeremi and I had the great privilege of riding on top of all the luggage piled in the back of the truck. It was lovely to breathe the Thai air and watch the lush vegetation rushing past us (until we were going so fast that we couldn’t see anymore!). It was such a peaceful journey, reveling in creation and taking in the smells, noises and attitudes of this different culture. We organized the team bags and later went to Raylene and Dominic’s place for dinner.

[June 14: Thai time] Bright and early Tuesday morning we headed over to BBF, an orphanage housing about 30 children. Sweetly and humbly smiling, they played hacky-sack with us and gave us a little tour of their home. Cement was their floor and mattresses served as beds; their home was simple, but their hearts were large. Our team split into two, half of us ready to build a pig-pen and the others looking forward to potting plants and painting a hydroponic gardening system. A few BBF boys led us on a trek through rice fields to the place where the pens were to be built. One was already standing, with a bamboo framework and a thatch roof. Our first mission was to disassemble the roof, which is later to be replaced by metal. We had the joy of ducking from falling fire ants, which had built their home within the straw roof. Lizards darted about as the sun beat down upon us and a toad tried to escape the clutches of the boys. Before long it was afternoon and it was time to haul logs over from the road to the pig-pen area. That was quite the work-out! Not to be out-done by the little boys who were taking two or three logs each, Tehillah and I attempted to carry four or five on our trek through the rice fields. We were so blessed to have the sun hide behind the clouds for the most part; after several hours of a good work-out it decided to join us again and we called it a day. Sweaty and covered in grime, we headed home for a quick freshening up and then visited the night market. Smells overtook our senses as we passed stalls and stalls of food; deep-fried chicken sat beside fried bugs and interesting and mysterious foods caught our eyes and our noses. The market was hopping, with swarms of people anxious to purchase new and wondrous things. The day came to a close and we headed back to our beds, indulging in a glorious sleep after an awesome debrief of our day.

[June 15] Several of our team-members headed back to the pig-pens to continue work on them. They made great progress and thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent with the BBF helpers. The time came to wrap things up and several people felt broken-hearted when they realized that the boys (5-6 years of age) would be staying the night to guard the area. These little boys were probably so proud to be the guardians of the land and the supplies; they were the protectors against the neighbors whom the hill tribe people have had issues with in the past. In the meantime the rest of us drove out to Prao, a village about an hour and a half from Chang Mai. We enjoyed the ride out in the back of the truck; it is incredibly liberating and so much fun to sit in the rushing wind and feel the coolness upon our burning skin. When we stopped it felt as though we would light on fire… We reached our destination and were greeted by the people there, hands pressed together and eyes eagerly upon us. We introduced ourselves to the group and they responded in song and dance. These beautiful orphans were of the Lahu tribe and were rescued several years ago when they were found squatting on the land. They led us on a tour of their home, showing us the room that they all sleep in and the pigs in their pens just outside the home. The cooking area was a small room with a fire pit and several large woks; their bathroom consisted of plastic seats sitting atop holes in the ground. We played game after game with them and watched as the shyness began to slide away; it was so touching to be able to have fun with them and show them that they are loved. At one point they took us to a creek running with brown water. Their laughter filled the air as they splashed and dove, some lathering with soap and others attempting hand-stands. It was sweet to see them play and rejoice in the coolness of the water, their happiness overtaking the reality of the dirtiness and the grime. They have so much life… The son-in-law of the man of the orphanage really wanted to show us around his village, so we left the creek and took a look through his home. Proudly, he showed off his kids and the beautiful handiwork of his wife; he toured us through his tiny herb garden and had us chase chickens and their chicklets away from another garden. I felt honored to peek into the lives of the hill tribe people and blessed to spend time with the beautiful children.”

~ Katherine Clarke, Thailand Team journalist

For more photos from our missions trip to Thailand, click here.

About BridgeWorks Foundation Thailand: Officially inaugurated on September 2009, BridgeWorks gained foundation status in January 2010. They are a support network of children’s homes in Northern Thailand led by Christian and mostly Hill-tribe peoples. Their mission is to bridge the gaps to overcome obstacles that hinder orphans & abandoned children & youth from leading productive, fulfilling, and purposeful lives. For more information, visit the BridgeWorks website at  http://bridgeworksinc.org

Location:  Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

Dates: June 13^th-28^th (dates may vary a couple days due to flight availability)

Team Leaders: Karl Houston: k_houston35@hotmail.com and Uzo Enyi: uzo_enyi@hotmail.com

Cost: $3,150.00 includes flights, food, lodging and transportation. Please also expect additional personal expenses, for example passports, vaccines, and spending money. Also take into consideration the commitment of your time and effort, as we will be meeting regularly to pray, plan and prepare.

Application Deadline: We welcome all applicants, please prayerfully consider your application prior to submitting. Click on the link to download the application form.

**Completed applications must be submitted Uzo Enyi by no later than Feb 27^th. Uzo will stick around after the Sunday morning celebration on February 27 (in the foyer outside the auditorium) to accept applications; if you will not be at church that day, please contact Uzo directly to make other arrangements.**

*thumbnail photo courtesy of Flickr user grrrrl. “DSC_0173.” 19 Jul 2008. Online image. Flickr. 18 Feb 2011.

This biblical study tour to the Holy Land is very unique in nature. Arie Bar-David is a Messianic Jewish believer who is well known throughout the world for his gift for teaching of the Bible. Though there are many opportunities for him to lead tours, he has committed 2 weeks of his busy year to be with us because he values this specific tour. See the brochure below for more details, and download the itinerary and application form by clicking on these links:

Israel Tour Itinerary

Israel Tour Application Form

Haiti Arise is working around the clock to bring aid to the most needy areas of the nation at this difficult time. Visit their website for more information, and to show them love by giving financially: www.haitiarise.org.

This is our opportunity to reach out to those in need by lending financial aid.  Money provided will be used to purchase necessary items such as clothes, bottled water, canned goods, baby formula, bread, and medicines.  Our sister church in Manila – Victory Christian Fellowship - will provide on-the-ground assistance by distributing the purchased goods to families who need it most.  Please help out our family in the Philippines by visiting the Every Nation website at https://admin.everynation.org/giving/?s=015012 and making a donation. 

Steps to Make a Donation:

1. From the main page, click on “I want to make a single contribution”

2. Select “A particular area of ministry or need”

3. From the drop-down menu, select “Philippine Flood Relief”

4. Enter the dollar value you wish to donate in US currency and proceed with the process.

• Building the foundation for a new pre-school in Unitedville
• Coaching the local school children in their schoolwork and basic literacy skills.
• Facilitating small groups for the village teens.

Many youth in Belize have encountered Christ but have no idea what it means to have a real, ongoing relationship with Him, resulting in little change in their lives. The vision of the Belize team was to inspire these teens to live for Christ because we believe He wants to transform them – and us as well.

This team of 8 missionaries was UChurch’s most diverse mission team to date – at least age wise, with the youngest participant being 19 years old and the eldest at 96 ½ years young. Though this team did a lot of “work” while they were in Tobago, they proclaim that the LORD through prayer did the greatest “work”. As the team interceded for others, God used them to deliver prophecies, through words and through pictures. Breakthroughs were made, relationships were healed, and God’s presence was felt by all. The team was a testimony of how much God desires and blesses unity in diversity. Age makes no difference! All believers are a part of the Body and are essential to its proper functioning! As this team lived out this message, the elderly in Tobago were greatly encouraged and the younger generations were reminded of the great value of the elderly.

Click on the speech bubble on the bottom left side of the images below for captions.

Thursday night was a special one, as we had library time with the kids, and boys and girls clubs in the evening.  We spent time reading to the kids, and letting them read to us also, helping them along when they stumbled on a big word.  After reading, board games were brought out, since it was too wet to go crazy in the playground, which was too bad because I really enjoyed the ‘murder pole’ they had!  That thing is way too fun.  Regardless, we all had a blast playing games with the kids, and were also rather humbled, as they kicked our butts at Connect 4!

Boys club and girls club went fantastic! At girls club, Carolyn and Uzo shared about God our perfect Father. Many of these girls come from single parent homes, so it was a very relevant message for them. Following which they scrapbooked the photos we took last week at our ‘makeover night’. At boys club, Brad, Colin, and Andrew shared our of 1Corinthians on what it means to be a corageous and strong Christian man, during which they had a serious of relevant games/ challenges for them, including tug of war, kick the can, and taping all the boys together with duct tape.  All in all, it was a great time, and I am positive that the hearts of every child and teen was  touched in some way.

Today, we poured the pad, and cleaned everything up.  It is definitely a project worthy to be proud of. We all believe that the building of the foundation is symbolic of the Godly foundation that will be laid in the lives of the young children in the village who will benefit from this preschool.

This was a great experience for all of us to know what it is to live in love, and to view the wonderful examples of the missionaries we were serving with here in Belize who truly live this daily.  As this is the first mission trip for most of us, our eyes were opened to many different avenues in the mission field, from working with small children, to teens, and to construction.  This has left us to a point of discovery as to where God is calling each and every one of us.  Please pray that we do not lose this yearning to discover and obey the will of God, and to live day by day in love.

Well, our trip is nearly over, just one more day to go!

Andrew Wiley

Today, we almost finished shoveling and leveling the dirt in preparation for laying the cement. Please pray for no rain Thursday and Friday this week, so we can get the cement floor laid in the preschool. Andrew, Colin, and Brad did a great job digging a 4ftx4ft hole in the mucky clay for the septic tank. On their last wheelbarrow load with the dirt Andrew slipped on the mucky, slimy dirt and had a great mud bath! Who says you need to go to the spa?!!!

At lunch we fed 150 of the local school children a hot dog lunch. Many of these kids don’t get lunch and for all of them it was a huge treat!

This evening we had kids club with the children, ages 5and up. We did a teaching on David & Goliath about overcoming obstacles. The game and craft were a hit with the kids, but it was a little challenging to keep their attention at times. We did some of our team’s favorite children’s bible songs. The kids seemed to know them all even better than we did! Jake, Don, and Uzo did a great job acting out the story. All in all it went well. Please pray that the seeds depoisited in the hearts of these children will grow and flourish. Mike & Vicki, the missionaries here in Belize, are starting ‘SunRock Kids Camp’ with the children every Wednesday throughout the summer months, starting next week.

With the rain has come some flying termites that shed their wings wherever they land! Some of the team are less than impressed by these new visitors that get in everywhere!  Continuing on the bug note, the guys found a scorpion in their cabin yesterday and we had a run in with terantula at the Blue Hole on Sunday!

It was an eventful evening with the youth tonight. On a sad note, there was a drug related fight that broke out across the street from the learning center where we were hanging out with the youth. Thankfully noone was seriously hurt, but it did cause quite a stir with the youth. It’s interesting that in a place called Unitedville there is so much disunity, especially in the family unit.

On a funny note, one of the boys decided it would be a great idea to drop a giant flying beetle on the back of one of the girls… As you can imagine, hysterical screaming ensued! Eventually Brad caught it and through it out the window. I (Don) wasn’t finished, so with the help of some of the youth I found a toad and released into the room… It received the same reaction as the beetle!!

More praise reports… Several of our team had headaches this morning, which disapeared immediately when we prayed for them! Thanks for all your prayers… We can certainly feel them and appreciate them.

On Sunday, there was no chance to sleep in, as we were up and off to church by 8:30 in the morning.  After the service, we were off to more ruins, at Cahal Pech. The general consensus was that these were our favourite ruins, as there was so much more to explore and they seemed much more lived in.  The afternoon was spent exploring the caves at Blue Hole National Park, and swimming in the wonderfully cool water.  As the day came to a close, we returned to base and did some final preparations for the Kids Club that we will be running on Wednesday night.

Today we returned to old-fashioned hard work. Off to the work site at 8:30, began adding concrete to our foundation. Thankfully we were able to use a cement truck to lay the base, but making sure that it was level was still a lot of work. After laying the first layer of cinder block on our cement base, we stopped for lunch.  When we returned around 1:00, the concrete was mostly dry, and we began to build up further layers of cinder block, 5 layers in total, holding it together with more concrete that we now made using a mixer, rather than a truck.

At 3:30, half of the team headed back to clean up, so that they could be ready when the learning center opened at 4:30. The other half of the team remained at the work site until 4:00, finishing the day’s work and tidying the work site. After quick showers, they joined the others at the Learning Center. During the Library time that followed we read books to some of the children who attended, and played games or played on the playground with others.After a quick dinner we again returned to the Learning Center, which was then opened to teenages. Since they were done school for the year, we played games and just hung out with them.

We have truly experienced God’s power here. Over the weekend, Tash began to experience a reoccurance of an eye irritation, which left her eyes swollen and red, that she had previously experienced in South Africa.  But after prayer from team members, her eyes have been completely healed. God is truly great!

Our initial task when we got to the worksite was to clear out any excess debris out of the ditch we are using to build the foundation for the preschool.  This task took us a couple hours and after we completed that task, we started tying the rebar together.  By the time the rebar was tied together and laid in the foundation, it was lunchtime.  We headed back to the missionary base for nachos.

After lunch, we went to the local swimming hole and had the entire place to ourselves (except for the last 20 minutes or so).  They have a diving area in the deep end of the swimming hole and I am proud to say everyone jumped off.  Uzo was particularly entertaining with her screaming and shreiking prior to jumping, but she did it.  After that, we headed back to the base, slept, and then had supper.

After supper, we had boys and girls club at the library.  There was an awesome turnout for girls group but not for the guys group.  The guys group was modified and we just played basketball in 30 degree heat for 2 hours.  Miraculously, we survived…we were sweaty but survived.  The basketball in belize is a full-contact version of the north american version of basketball.  This variation of basketball in belize is called scurvy.  The kids accepted us and toned down the intensity of the game for us, but we had fun.

The girls did a talk on inner and outer beauty.  We chatted the biblical character of Esther and how she expemplified beauty in her character as a woman of integrity, passion & courage, and selflessness. Following which we had a super fun time doing makeovers!

All in all it was a great first day void of sunburns! Please continue to pray for strength, wisdom, and unity within our team! Thank-you for making all this possible:)

The team is looking forward to working with the kids tomorrow. We will be running boys club and girls club. Keep posted for some details on the activities in tomorrow’s or Sunday’s post. We will also start the foundation of the preschool. We will spend the better part of the day laying down steel rebar.

The team really appreciates all of your prayers and support. Your prayers make all the difference in the world. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

This blog will be updated regularly while we are in Belize (as long as the internet doesn’t go down!), so make sure to check it out to stay updated on what’s happening…

Meet the team… Away for our snowy team building week-end! It’s true, we woke up to a couple inches of snow on our tents… not quite the weather we’ll be facing in Belize!

If you are interested in discovering more about the purpose and vision of this trip, click here.

• Building the foundation for a new pre-school in Unitedville
• Coaching the local school children in their schoolwork and basic literacy skills.
• Facilitating small groups for the village teens.

Many youth in Belize have encountered Christ but have no idea what it means to have a real, ongoing relationship with Him, resulting in little change in their lives. The vision of the Belize team was to inspire these teens to live for Christ because we believe He wants to transform them – and us as well.

Join us this Spring as we serve the children of Belize. Your life will be changed, all while making a practical and spiritual difference in the lives of others!

Dates: June 8-19, 2009

To apply, please download the application form below. All applications must be received by Sunday, March 29th. To submit your application form or for more information, email Brad @ bstretton@platinum.ca.

belize-missions-application

Click on the speech bubble on the bottom left side of the images below for captions.

www.tendayscapetown.org

Check out this video :

As we continue to build a long term relationship with the Church in Sierra Leone, the momentum built from the previous trip was capitalized on by taking a team of key stakeholders who to continue to invest in the future plan to provide resources of time, people and money. With several things taking place in Calgary such as the increasing availability of funds, the creation of an NGO, and the alignment of the human resources ready to go, we have in its infancy key pieces of the puzzle beginning to come together. Going strategically with the stakeholders not only provided an avenue through which we were able to serve New Harvest Ministry through leadership development, it will also provided a means of strengthening existing relationships as well as allowing key people to provide strategic insight into this unique initiative.

From visiting Melaku’s remote village on a mountain side at 10,500 feet to walking in the front doors of the palace of the president of Ethiopia, it was very evident that God’s favour was upon us. No matter where we went we were greeted with enthusiasm and love. The Ethiopian’s are a very kind and loving people and it was an honour to be able to present the vision of Hopethiopia to them.

Ethiopia is a very blessed nation and it also is facing some enormous challenges. We were able to see with our own eyes these different blessings and concerns and see how we might be able to come alongside the people and provide some support.

Every aspect of this mission trip was far exceeded. We went with the request of finding at least 4000 acres of land to start this project on. The government and President provided in excess of 8000+ acres in different sites. Joint meetings were set up with the different levels of government so that all could be present at the same time. Pastor Tolosa and a few others said that was a total miracle and have never seen such cooperation as well as immediate granting of lands. Praise God.

We were able to visit 9 different orphanages across Ethiopia and Uganda and get to understand the many different models and benefits and disadvantages of each location. We saw the different building concepts, home styles and management, get into infrastructure and finances, as well as see the heart of each organization. They were all extremely cooperative and supportive.

As you can imagine there is an enormous amount of work ahead. We have to finalize the details of setting up the NGO in Canada as well as setting up a foreign NGO in Ethiopia. Then we will continue the planning meetings to work out designs, models, etc. for all the different apects of this project. I know that many have asked about volunteering for the different parts of the project; the community project for orphan’s and seniors, the agricultural project, the reforrestation project, and the Peace Garden project. Also many have asked how to support financially. We are working on the different aspects of Hopethiopia and will keep you informed. If you feel that at some point you really want to participate email me and let me know how you might come alongside. Periodically check out the wesite www.hopethiopia.com and see how things are developing.

Again, many thanks to all and please continue to keep us and Ethiopia in your prayers.

Much love to all and to God be all the Glory,

Ralph

A team of youth ranging from grade 9-12 ministered in Tobago over the course of two weeks. In addition to serving in the local orphanage and hosting children’s and sports outreaches, the team focused their time on HIV and AIDS education, awareness, and prevention (namely Jesus!!). They were trained by Cause Canada and came equipped with a life sized puppet show and interactive seminar. The outreach was not only significant to the people of Tobago but also very eye opening to the young people who served on the trip.

A small team comprised our first trip to Cape Town, establishing key partnerships and laying a foundation for future investment into South Africa. The team spent three months working with Tembalisha, a ministry that cares for children with HIV and AIDS. They also reached out to troubled teens at the School of Hope, a place that gives young people a second chance at receiving an education. God was faithful to not only establish strategic relationships, but also to do deep work in the hearts of team members.

A team of two went to Sierra Leone to explore the concept of long term strategic partnership. It was a “scouting trip” so to speak where we built a deeper relationship with New Harvest Ministry and Pastor Shodankeh. We were able to assess how we can support the initiatives taking place in Sierra Leone in the following areas: Maternity clinic, orphanages, building projects, education programs, micro credit loans, agriculture, food canning/ preservation and clean water projects.

UChurch sent it’s first youth missions team to Peru, along with some university students and young professionals. They joined with teams from the United States, participating in outreaches to schools, universities, professionals, and government officials. Their time was divided between Lima and Tarapoto, a city in the jungle, where they partnered with our sister churches to bring lasting change to their communities.

A team from UChurch traveled to Edinburgh to help the recently-planted EveryNation church establish a campus ministry at the University of Edinburgh. Their outreach included a variety of events, including “Shadows of the Supernatural”, a multimedia presentation that explores the truth of the supernatural realm. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, yet it has seen a significant decline in the values it was built on. Old churches have been converted into bars and restaurants, and young people have turned from faith in God to intellectual reasoning. As the team ministered, they saw students come to know Jesus, and in this way they helped establish foundations for this work on campus to grow.

www.centrepointchurch.org

A team from Calgary joined with others from the United States to reach out to the people of Sierra Leone by serving them with medical aid, children’s outreach, and construction projects. God’s word was confirmed through miraculous healings and our faith was greatly expanded as we saw people turn to Jesus.

You are invited to attend a talk by Brian McConaghy, a forensic scientist with the RCMP and founder of the Ratanak Foundation.  He is a man with a burden for the people of Cambodia.

Having grown up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he knows what it is like to live under political turmoil. After viewing a documentary, Brian was moved to study the complexities of Cambodia and do something to alleviate suffering. This lead him to start the Ratanak Foundation, named after a little girl seen dying in the documentary. Brian never met her but she changed  his life. His dedication to the people of Cambodia is a reflection of the person of Jesus Christ in his life. http://www.ratanak.org

- unity between the teams

- a focus on Jesus and to be able to spread His message of love in simple and practical ways

- health and protection

- open doors to the community

- that the Holy Spirit would guide us and reveal His will during the mission trip

For more details on what the team will be doing, click here.

From visiting Melaku’s remote village on a mountain side at 10,500 feet to walking in the front doors of the palace of the president of Ethiopia, it was very evident that God’s favour was upon us. No matter where we went we were greeted with enthusiasm and love. The Ethiopian’s are a very kind and loving people and it was an honour to be able to present the vision of Hopethiopia to them.

Ethiopia is a very blessed nation and it also is facing some enormous challenges. We were able to see with our own eyes these different blessings and concerns and see how we might be able to come alongside the people and provide some support.

Every aspect of this mission trip was far exceeded. We went with the request of finding at least 4000 acres of land to start this project on. The government and President provided in excess of 8000+ acres in different sites. Joint meetings were set up with the different levels of government so that all could be present at the same time. Pastor Tolosa and a few others said that was a total miracle and have never seen such cooperation as well as immediate granting of lands. Praise God.

We were able to visit 9 different orphanages across Ethiopia and Uganda and get to understand the many different models and benefits and disadvantages of each location. We saw the different building concepts, home styles and management, get into infrastructure and finances, as well as see the heart of each organization. They were all extremely cooperative and supportive.

As you can imagine there is an enormous amount of work ahead. We have to finalize the details of setting up the NGO in Canada as well as setting up a foreign NGO in Ethiopia. Then we will continue the planning meetings to work out designs, models, etc. for all the different apects of this project. I know that many have asked about volunteering for the different parts of the project; the community project for orphan’s and seniors, the agricultural project, the reforrestation project, and the Peace Garden project. Also many have asked how to support financially. We are working on the different aspects of Hopethiopia and will keep you informed. If you feel that at some point you really want to participate email me and let me know how you might come alongside. Periodically check out the wesite www.hopethiopia.com and see how things are developing.

Again, many thanks to all and please continue to keep us and Ethiopia in your prayers.

Much love to all and to God be all the Glory,

Ralph

More than 400 people affected by cyclone Nargis received medical and relief assistance from the Every Nation over the past few months. Last month, UChurch raised $1600 to support these relief efforts.

Pastor Jonathan and the local leaders of Every Nation Myanmar believe that this is God’s appointed opportunity to reach the nation of Myanmar – so that He will be known. He adds, “We have a church in Myanmar that is ready to take the harvest of believers and a people who felt a sincere sense of support and family. The local leaders will continue on the vision for the whole nation of Myanmar and this time is a great opportunity to gain their hearts”