Week two has come and gone.  How can we sum up such amazing experiences in such a short message?  Hopefully this does some justice to the work that God is doing here in Resistencia, Argentina.  This past week has been full of many different tasks.  We started out the week by doing some manual labor.  Don’t laugh too hard, we are very serious.  One of the major projects with which Willie has asked us to help is completing the kitchen and bathroom at the outpost, and by completing, we mean (along with much help from a couple of much more experienced workers) everything from finishing the walls, tiling, plumbing, roofing, etc.  The walls are almost done, so the roof comes next!
 
On Thursday we only had a half day of work at the outpost.  In the afternoon we boarded a bus to travel to Posadas (about 5 hours directly east of here, near Paraguay and Brazil) in order to accompany Cassie to her one day women’s seminar on holiness, during which we both had the privilege of sharing our testimonies.  The seminar was a great success.
 
Upon our return home and a day of rest, we were able to share in an evening of fellowship with the youth of Resistencia Corps, playing ping pong, basketball, and board games, after which there was a quick devotional.  The next day we were able to worship with the corps, participating in Sunday School in the morning and the Holiness Meeting in the evening, during which Elyse gave her testimony.
 
This week has been filled with much work, much fellowship, and much enjoyment.  Most of all, it has been a great blessing for both of us.  Unfortunately, Viki has been quite sick (though doing better) for the past couple days, so prayers for her health would be greatly appreciated.
 
God bless,
The Argentina Interns
Elyse and Viki

Greetings From Central 2 Team,

Our week in Grand Rapids was busy but productive!  While we were there, our daily schedule consisted of singing worship songs in the mornings with the girls from Community Teen Camp, helping with camp maintenance in the afternoons, and going into the city of Grand Rapids to help with Kids Games in the evenings. 

Kids Games is a relatively new program that is free to the community and is structured like a week-long day camp.  Each evening consisted of a Bible lesson, a nutrition class, an outside game, and then an hour-long specialized track. (Tracks included fashion design, basketball, soccer, football, chess, video production, and martial arts.) The staff was made up of volunteers from various local churches in the community. This Kids Games program is a great idea for any community and was a huge success for the Grand Rapids area.

We returned each night to Little Pine Island Camp, where Captains Wood were extremely hospitable to us during our stay.  We were welcomed warmly by the staff at LPI and included in any activities the staff did for fun.  This was a huge blessing to our team. 

We have now arrived in Vincennes, Indiana and are looking forward to our week here.

God Bless!

Carolyn, Audrey, Eric, Abby, See,  and David  

We arrived in Port-au-Prince late last week because of thunderstorms in Miami,
making our exit from the States somewhat difficult.  Steve Diaz and a young man
named Yves from Steve’s children’s home picked us up.  We were able to spend
that evening with Steve and Ketsia and felt very welcomed!

Our next morning came very early, as we left PAP at 5:30 a.m., heading for
Fond-des-Negres.  The drive was 3 hours long and we were able to drop two boys
from the PAP Children’s Home with their families on our way.  We also went to
another city about an hour farther to drop off one more boy.  The family had
moved recently and left no address or phone number.  It was great to see how
well the kids are cared for because we drove around until we found his family
so that he would enjoy the summer break (it was about 45 min of driving)!  On
our way back, we stopped at a beautiful beach for a swim.  We were the only
ones there to enjoy the warm water, nice sun, and large waves!  We were dropped
off at the Bethel Clinic, where we’re living instead of at the Bethany
Children’s Home, and spent the rest of the evening relaxing with the Ezeh
family.

Our next few days were filled with an orientation to our summer schedule and
general acclimation to the area.  We received tours of the Bethel Clinic and The
Salvation Army’s primary school across the street.  Also, we went to the fairly
chaotic market and on a long walk through the Haitian countryside.

A week ago Saturday, we met our translator, Savary, and he took us to the FDN
corps to observe Junior Soldiers and timbrels.  We’ll be teaching these classes
later on in the summer.  Also, we took a quick trip over to the Bethany
Children’s Home to meet several of the residents.  Unfortunately for us but
great for them, they’ve gone home for the summer by now.

On that Sunday, we had a low-key day.  We had our first venture off the
compound on our own, simply down the street to the FDN corps.  We were able to
be a part of the congregation, other than the children’s story and testimony
that were given.

Monday was spent in Miragoan, a beautiful port city on the inner coast of Haiti.
 While there, we purchased some supplies for our many VBS days.  In the
marketplace, there was a large UN presence, which was a reminder of the real
struggles this country has and continues to endure.

Our next day, Tuesday, was quite different for us.  The entire day consisted of
clinic projects.  We made an index of the French songbook songs by their
English titles.  Our next endeavor was to make photo IDs for all of the
clinic’s employees.  It didn’t get completed, but there are over one hundred
employees, so it was understandable.  Major Violet left in the evening for PAP,
leaving us to test our independence without her.

Wednesday was wonderful.  We had our first experience in many Haitian
activities.  We mounted our first tap-tap, the equivalent to public
transportation, which got a flat tire within the first 50 feet.  We had to get
off to get the tire fixed, then climb back in for the rest of the trip.  We met
Major Zimmerman, an amazing Swiss officer who has been here for over 30 years,
at the base of the mountain and began our journey up in our uniforms and
sandals.  It took 1 1/2 hours to climb to the Violette Outpost.  It’s a small
building in the middle of a mountain and was absolutely gorgeous.  The children
slowly came and we began with a snack of hot dogs and juice.  Savary then
taught them “Trust and Obey” in Creole.  We moved from there to craft time,
where they drew animals and we put them on craft sticks to be used during our
story time.  We told the story of Noah’s Ark and the children were excited to
be participating.  Major Zimmerman led a time of response and over half of the
25 children stood for Christ!  We wrapped up our time there and headed down the
mountain, quite tired from the day’s events!

Thursday was another interesting day.  We went on a mobile clinic up to Perrien,
a village on top of the mountain we see from Bethel Clinic.  The drive was 2
1/2 hours long one way, on some of the most interesting roads of Haiti.  We
clung to the seats as the bumps jostled the entire contents of the truck.
Fortunately, the diesel smell wasn’t too bad and no one got sick!  Towards the
end of our drive, we honked at every person we passed to summon the mothers and
their babies to the corps building.  Many people were already waiting for us at
the corps!  The truck was immediately unloaded and the work began.  Nurses
examined records and gave vitamin drops and vaccinations (polio DTP) to the
infants, as well as some shots to the young girls who are pregnant.  They
allowed us to participate by giving the children Vitamin A drops.  The
prescriptions were distributed and then the truck was loaded for our 2 hour
drive back down the mountain.

Friday was a day of rest and organization for the next weeks events.

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to watch a very ornate kindergarten
graduation at The Salvation Army’s primary school here in FDN.  It consisted of
a march, presentation pieces by the students, down time, and picture time,
totaling 3 hours.  The Ezehs’ son, Matthew, was one of the graduates!

Yesterday was again a low-key day.  I think that Sundays really are used as a
day of rest here, which is amazing!  We went back to FDN corps and were able to
solely act as members of the congregation, making us feel more like we belong
than we’re on display.  The rest of the afternoon was used as quiet time by all
of us, primarily to spend time with God.  It’s so great to be in an atmosphere
where quiet time is built into our schedules!

That’s about all we have for you for now!  Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

May God bless you all!

The Haiti Interns
Sarah and Briana

Hello friends and supporters of Team Chile!
We´ve successfully completed our first week in Antofagasta. We did many jobs around the corps including patching up some ceilings, and some cleaning jobs.  We typically did our jobs in the morning then did VBS in the after noon. VBS was a huge success, with an average of about 30 children. Most of the kids came to Sunday School today as well, which we were all really excited about. Please keep the VBS children in your prayers. The corps in Antofagasta is concerned about the lack of school age children, and are praying that they keep coming back to the corps. Jon also taught a guitar class this week!
As a team, we led both services today at he corps, as well as participated in an open air, and a Missions Dissertation. We did the He Reigns dance, which was a huge success! Damon gave the message in the morning, and Jon and night, and they both did a very good job!
This upcoming week is going to be a busy one! We have League of Mercy activities in the morning, followed by Music School in the evening. We plan on teaching a drama class, timbrel class and a vocal class. Please keep these week in your prayers!
Until Next Time!
Team Chile!
 
 

Some time has passed since our last update. We are now in Denia, on the mainland of Spain. We finished out our week in Mallorca spending time with the kids at the Spanish Corps doing VBS. We also put on a talent show for their parents on the last day of VBS. The kids had a great time singing and dancing on stage. We even taught them an ¨American dance¨ to Awesome God by Kirk Franklin. It was great to get to know the kids and we´re sorry we had to leave so soon. Before we left we also helped out with both the Moms and Tots program and a Seniors over 60 luncheon.
We are currently staying at the camp in Denia. We´ve been doing a lot of yardwork in preparation for the childrens´camp this week and have learned just how important sunscreen is. Today our team split into two groups in order to coordinate the meetings at both the English and Spanish corps here in Denia. Although both congregations were small, we had a wonderful time of worship and fellowship at both corps.
We´re excited to begin VBS this week, as we have already met some of the kids who will be attending at various events so far. And though we´re all a little tired, we have been blessed so much thus far this summer by the people we´ve met and know that God will continue to bless us.

mucho amor,
el equipo de Espana

P.S. Please continue to support us in prayer, specifically for the camp in Denia and for Ryan who has a bad case of sunburn.

Hello!
   “The best job in the world is sitting on the 50 yard line watching God’s hand move.” Captain George Gibbons said that phrase so many times to us this week. We have been in LaPorte, Indiana and could not have asked for more hospitality or love. Captains Sharon and George Gibbons gave us the opportunity to serve in the Sunday morning meetings, at an elderly ministry in the mornings, VBS in the afternoon, and the soup kitchen at night. Our team is in awe of what we have learned and the experiences that God has let us be a part of.
    The elderly ministry was so encouraging. The people have a passion for the Lord that just radiates from their smiles and conversations. We loved starting the mornings with this joy. In the afternoons we held a VBS for the neighborhood and corps kids. The first day we had two girls from the corps, and by the end of the week, we had fifteen from the corps and neighborhood mixed. And they all accepted Christ as their Savior. How powerful the Lord is! The soup kitchen was a humbling time for us. To sit and eat with people who are less fortunate than us made us think about how blessed we are. We thanked the Lord for giving us the opportunity to witness to these people and pray that He goes with them.
    Our eyes are filled with tears as we leave today. We leave our love and prayers with all the people here in LaPorte. We thank Captains Sharon and George Gibbons for their abundant love and guidance. 
    We are excited to go to Marinette, Wisconsin! We will continue to pray for all the other SMTers!!
 
All our love and prayer,
Alex, Amy K., Carolyn, Amy E., Breann, & Ashlee

 I never received the first report, though it was sent–that’s how it goes sometimes. If it arrives, I’ll post it. Anyway, enjoy this report and keep the team in your prayers!

Sanibonani,

   I am writing to you all from Mountain View Hospital
in the Ngome forest area. The name is really
apropriate as this area is extremely mountainous and
that appears to be all that you can see. We arrived
here on Monday night, but it was dark so we had no
idea what we were in store for when we opened the door
to our billet’s hut on Tuesday morning. The sun was
peeking through sheets of mist that covered such a
wide range of mountains. There really are some
spectacular views. The guys were fortunate enough to
have an hour to walk around and we took that
opportunity to hike through the thick woods until we
stepped out into a rocky area at the top of a mountain
to see how big and creative God is. This is a very
rural area with chickens, goats and cows wandering
around the roads. In the midst of all the beauty,
there is hurt and sickness. Many of the patients here
suffer with tuberculosis but praise God that the
Salation Army can administer treatment physically and
spiritually.
   We have had a great time holding Kidz Club meetings
and are encouraged by the joy the youth show on their
faces when they sing. On Thursday, we took an outing
to the Evuna Corps which is a building about 20 feet
by 20 feet made out of dirt and sticks. Here, there
are 80 soldiers and as well as a home league who love
to sing about God and are very proud to wear their
uniforms. We were very priviledged that day as Captain
Sesedi had arranged for us to meet with one of the
Queens of the Zulu nation. We were treated to tea in
her house and she shared with us how she felt that the
Evuna Corps deserved a better building.
   We are very blessed and though we are tired, we
have so much to be thankful for. Once again, our
billet hosts have been so kind to us and we have
enjoyed the unique bond that Christians can form with
people from any background.
   Today we are headed for Nongoma and I will report
whenever I am able to. Stay well and pray for us.
Thanks,

Doug, Dana, Alberto, Sarah, Katy, Mona, Grant,
Tandeka, and Bongani

We have had a wonderful week here in Argentina.  We arrived in Buenos Aires and had a few hours there with Willie DeJesus.  We saw a few sights such as Evita’s grave before we boarded our next flight to Resistencia that evening.  Our first few days here were spent getting acquainted with the city, the DeJesus family and the Resistencia Corps which will be home for the next six weeks.  During that time we attended or participated in church activities such as youth group, Timbrel rehearsal, Sunday School, Junior Soldiers and Praise Team rehearsal (you know we had a lot to contribute to that!).  We were able to help a little in their Thrift Store and have begun to get to know some of the corps members.  We’ve had a chance to try Mate, a national herbal hot drink which is shared among friends.  We helped Cassie DeJesus make Empanadas, an Argentine cuisine which is a meat filled pastry, and have enjoyed Asado, lots of meats cooked on an open grill. 
 
The weather really fluctuates between feeling very cold and feeling really warm.  We are loving the DeJesus family.  Living with them is a blessing.  We are glad we will be spending the whole time here as it means we will have the time to get to know the area and the people before we leave. 
 
We have much ahead of us.  We’ll be traveling to another city in the division with Cassie, as she is the special guest for a Women’s Ministries Seminar.  Also, we are working on some construction projects at their outpost and soon the Thrift Store will be getting in a new shipment, which we’ll work on preparing for sale.  We’ll tell you all about it soon.
 
Elyse and Viki
Argentina Interns

Received a quick note from the Divisional Commander of the Northern Kwa-Zulu Division on the team:

The team are doing well and have enjoyed the first few days of their visit. They’re a great group and Dana is doing well in leading them
We gave them Zulu names on Friday during orientation and they are as follows:
Dana     -           Siphiwe (gift)
Doug     -           Themba (faith)
Alberto  -           Siyanbonga (thank you)
Grant    -           Luthando (love)
Sarah    -           Lungile (OK / enough / fine)
Mona    -           Nokuthula (to be quiet)
Katie     -           Gugu (precious)
 

Greetings from the Central 2 team!

We just left Green Bay, a small but loving city that we won’t soon forget. The people of the Green Bay corps were extremely welcoming of our team, which made our stay there very pleasant.

In the first few days we were there, we mingled with the Home League ladies, taught bible lessons at day camp, helped out at the thrift store, cleaned out an attic, and learned much about the social service department at the Green Bay corps.

Towards the end of our stay, we had the awesome opportunity to bond with the teens of the corps, some of whom will soon be going out on a short term missions trip of their own.

We were blessed by the Green Bay corps, who taught us that servicing our own communities is every bit as important as servicing communities overseas.

We have just arrived in Grand Rapids, MI at Little Pine Island Camp, and we’re looking forward working out at camp as well as helping out at the Fulton Heights corps.

God Bless,
Abby, Audrey, Carolyn, David, Eric, and See