We made it home ... three mission teams to Nicaragua. In 2011 there were two construction mission teams which worked on the security fence at the Los Cedros orphanage, and one medical mission team. The church which organized all of three of these trips was Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Illinois.
Prior to January of 2005, Wesley had never sent any adult mission teams to any location, within or outside of the United States. But, since January of 2005, Wesley has sent seventeen adult mission teams throughout the United States and the world.
Trips have ranged from: "inland hurricane relief" to Galatia, Illinois; multiple hurricane relief trips to Louisana; construction work to Alaska and Hawaii; eleven medical and construction trips to Nicaragua; and others ....
And, in 2011 Wesley will send out a total of six adult mission teams.
Thus, since January of 2005 Wesley United Methodist Church will have sent out twenty-three adult mission teams!
Wesley has been inclusive, and has welcomed members of other churches, of all denominations, Protestant and Catholic, to join its teams. In doing such, Wesley has become a teaching church ... teaching other churches and their members, how adult mission teams are formed, what they do, and what errors to avoid.
Already spawning off from Wesley has been a newly formed medical mission team now based in the state of New York.
And Wesley is currently beginning to help mission teams to spread from the southern portion of Illinois.
God has blessed Wesley, and in return Wesley is teaching others, how to spread the kingdom of God with the poorest of the poor, throughout the world.
Under the leadership of the Reverend Vaughn Hoffman, Ron and Donna Schaad (the leaders of the Construction and Mecial Mission Teams), the Missions Committee of Wesley, and the numerous team leaders from Wesley, their church has spread missions throughout the United Methodist Illinois Great Rivers Conference, and throughout our country.
So our hats to out to Wesley, Reverend Hoffman and the people of Wesley, for including others. And, our thanks go out to you, for your financial support, your material support, and for most of all ... your prayers and love!
May God bless the people of Nicaragua, the people of Wesley, and you ... as you too ponder stepping out of the boat as the disciple Peter did ... and into the world of all of God's children by serving the poorest of the poor!
God bless and ... until next year!!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Closing Thoughts - the Hole in Our Gospel
How many bathrooms do you have in your house? In fact, are all of your bathrooms inside your house?
Do you have water in your house, or do you have to fetch it some distance away, carrying it, every time you desire to use water? Do you have running hot water in your house, on demand?
Do you have air conditioning?
Is your home more than one room, have dirt floors, have glass window panes covering your windows, or does it have plastic garbage bags covering your windows? Is your home made out of wood planks and a tin roof, with no insulation?
Are you employed? And if so, do you earn more than one dollar per day?
Do you have a family doctor and dentist whom you can see regularly? Do you have a fully stocked pharmacy in your town?
Is the country in which you were born blessed with natural resources, or is it poor in natural resources with extended periods of drought?
Do you earn roughly $365 per year, or do you earn several thousands of dollars per year?
According to the award winning book The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich Stearns (the former CEO of one of the most upscale china producing companies, and now the CEO of "World Vision"), if your family income is $25,000 or more then you are in the wealthiest top 3% of ALL the people of the world!
And, according to Stearns, if your family income is $50,000 or more, then you are among the wealthiest 1% of ALL the people of the world!
Among the two billion Christians worldwide, one-half of all of Christianity wealth resides in the United States. Yet, despite that wealth, over all Christians do little to support Christianity, or the poorest of the poor.
Christians give on average just 2.6% of their income to Christian causes, despite the Biblical standard of giving 10% of one's "first and finest" tithe to God's kingdom. On the whole, too often we keep what God has given to us, among ourselves, instead of sharing it with the poor, as Jesus constantly did in his ministry when he consistently focused upon the needs of the poor.
We do this, despite Jesus saying the following in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25:
"Then he will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirtsy, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.'"
So, how about you? How do you compare to the people of Nicaragua?
The people of Nicaragua live in a country where they do not, for the most part, have bathrooms nor running hot water, or any running water, inside their homes. 50% of the country is unemployued, and those who can find work on average earn one dollar per day. They don't have air conditioning, nor family doctors nor dentists ... no local pharmacies in most villages, and most don't have vehicles, insurance, nor retirement assurances.
Yet, the costs of goods are just as expensive as in our country. When they can find work they work hard. They desire to work, but Nicaragua isn't as blessed in natural resources as in our country.
Despite their poverty, it seems that at all times they find joy! And rarely do they complain, no matter what comes!
What about you?
When we come to Nicaragua, we come to do a project, but instead the project remakes us. We come to serve, but by their joy we are served! We hope to bless, yet we are the ones blessed!
We have come to love the poorest of the poor in Nicaragua, just as we saw Jesus Christ do among the poor of Israel and Samaria.
In closing, let us sum it up as a seminary professor at Princeton Theological Seminary told his students in class one day:
"When you look at every human being, look at their nose and their eyes. When you do, you will see on their face, in their nose and eyes the shape of a T cross. It was a cross shaped in the form of a T, upon which Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Thus, when you look at the face of another, you see the cross of Christ. And when you see upon the face of another the cross of Christ, you are looking at the face of God. So, treat all your brothers and sisters, no matter who they are or waht they have done, as children whom Their Creator God loves extremely much ... and love them, as God does, with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind"!
That is why we come, year after year, to Nicaragua. If we don't take what God has blessed us with, and share it with the poorest of the poor, ... if you don't do something about it ... then we have a "hole in our gospel"!
So next year ... what about you???
Do you have water in your house, or do you have to fetch it some distance away, carrying it, every time you desire to use water? Do you have running hot water in your house, on demand?
Do you have air conditioning?
Is your home more than one room, have dirt floors, have glass window panes covering your windows, or does it have plastic garbage bags covering your windows? Is your home made out of wood planks and a tin roof, with no insulation?
Are you employed? And if so, do you earn more than one dollar per day?
Do you have a family doctor and dentist whom you can see regularly? Do you have a fully stocked pharmacy in your town?
Is the country in which you were born blessed with natural resources, or is it poor in natural resources with extended periods of drought?
Do you earn roughly $365 per year, or do you earn several thousands of dollars per year?
According to the award winning book The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich Stearns (the former CEO of one of the most upscale china producing companies, and now the CEO of "World Vision"), if your family income is $25,000 or more then you are in the wealthiest top 3% of ALL the people of the world!
And, according to Stearns, if your family income is $50,000 or more, then you are among the wealthiest 1% of ALL the people of the world!
Among the two billion Christians worldwide, one-half of all of Christianity wealth resides in the United States. Yet, despite that wealth, over all Christians do little to support Christianity, or the poorest of the poor.
Christians give on average just 2.6% of their income to Christian causes, despite the Biblical standard of giving 10% of one's "first and finest" tithe to God's kingdom. On the whole, too often we keep what God has given to us, among ourselves, instead of sharing it with the poor, as Jesus constantly did in his ministry when he consistently focused upon the needs of the poor.
We do this, despite Jesus saying the following in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25:
"Then he will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirtsy, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.'"
So, how about you? How do you compare to the people of Nicaragua?
The people of Nicaragua live in a country where they do not, for the most part, have bathrooms nor running hot water, or any running water, inside their homes. 50% of the country is unemployued, and those who can find work on average earn one dollar per day. They don't have air conditioning, nor family doctors nor dentists ... no local pharmacies in most villages, and most don't have vehicles, insurance, nor retirement assurances.
Yet, the costs of goods are just as expensive as in our country. When they can find work they work hard. They desire to work, but Nicaragua isn't as blessed in natural resources as in our country.
Despite their poverty, it seems that at all times they find joy! And rarely do they complain, no matter what comes!
What about you?
When we come to Nicaragua, we come to do a project, but instead the project remakes us. We come to serve, but by their joy we are served! We hope to bless, yet we are the ones blessed!
We have come to love the poorest of the poor in Nicaragua, just as we saw Jesus Christ do among the poor of Israel and Samaria.
In closing, let us sum it up as a seminary professor at Princeton Theological Seminary told his students in class one day:
"When you look at every human being, look at their nose and their eyes. When you do, you will see on their face, in their nose and eyes the shape of a T cross. It was a cross shaped in the form of a T, upon which Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. Thus, when you look at the face of another, you see the cross of Christ. And when you see upon the face of another the cross of Christ, you are looking at the face of God. So, treat all your brothers and sisters, no matter who they are or waht they have done, as children whom Their Creator God loves extremely much ... and love them, as God does, with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your mind"!
That is why we come, year after year, to Nicaragua. If we don't take what God has blessed us with, and share it with the poorest of the poor, ... if you don't do something about it ... then we have a "hole in our gospel"!
So next year ... what about you???
Friday, January 28, 2011
Children of Destiny - Globe International Nicaragua
Children of Destiny - Globe International Nicaragua
Sandy Carter, a veteran missionary, heads the Children of Destiny Ministry (http://www.codn.org/). She grew up in Columbia, South America, the daughter of New Tribes missionaries. Sandy oversees two orphanages, one in Jinotega and the other in Los Cedros. She is a missionary under the auspices of Globe International (http://www.gme.org/)
Over the past few years Sandy has recruited several other missionaries, workers and interns that God has called to the people of Nicaragua. The missionaries recruited by Sandy are: Lianne Corbin, the Director of the orphanges in Los Cedros; Joy Pulsifer, the Director of the orphange in Jinotega; Mark Randall, Andreas & Miriam Pestke, and Joel & Stephanie Estrada.
Currently the orphanges house approximately fifty babies, children and teens in Los Cedros and Jinotega.
Los Cedros, which is approximately forty minutes outside of Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua, houses the Boys Ranch and the Home for New Hope.
Boys aged eleven to eighteen years old live at the Boys Ranch and help tend to the garden and perform other chores. Most of the boys who are in this home were previously in the Jinotega children's home, but as they grew older, they were moved to the Boys Ranch to allow them their own place to mature. The boys attend a private Christian school in which they receive quality education as well as spiritual guidance. The boys are also receiving hands on training in agricultural work. After they have completed high school, they will have the opportunity to attend either university or a vocational school. The ministry is committed to seeing these boys through to the highest level of education that they wish to pursue, and to continue helping them until they are able to support themselves.
At the Home for New Hope in Los Cedros reside the babies and children who are five years old or younger.
In Jinotega, which is approximately three hours northeast of Managua, is the Home of Friendship. The children in Jinotega go to a local school, where most are at the head of their class. They also have daily classes in English and utilize computers at the orphange. The orphange is on a sixteen acre plot of land where the children can be raised in a wholesome environment. The children help with raising chickens, pigs, as well as growing various crops including beans, corn, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, beets,and tomatoes.
The goal of the missionaries at the orphanges is to raise all the babies, children and teens in a Christian environment where they learn to view life as an adventure, love to learn, become responsible leaders, and develop an awareness of their own Godly destiny.
Sandy and her team of missionaires continually welcome short-term mission teams. They have various types of teams that bring assistance to their ministry. These include medical teams that hold clinics in remote communities that do not have access to medical care. Plus, construction teams (such as ours) that build the facilities. And evangelistic teams that reach out into the communities surrounding the orphanges, helping to bring the Word of God to neglected areas, as well as filling physical needs by passing out food and clothing donations.
As you can tell, Sandy and her team of missionaries are totally committed to the youth of Nicaragua. Their vision is to continue to care for the children of Nicaragua, and to plant Christian churches throughout the country, and in doing such, to grow the Kingdom of God!
Sandy Carter, a veteran missionary, heads the Children of Destiny Ministry (http://www.codn.org/). She grew up in Columbia, South America, the daughter of New Tribes missionaries. Sandy oversees two orphanages, one in Jinotega and the other in Los Cedros. She is a missionary under the auspices of Globe International (http://www.gme.org/)
Over the past few years Sandy has recruited several other missionaries, workers and interns that God has called to the people of Nicaragua. The missionaries recruited by Sandy are: Lianne Corbin, the Director of the orphanges in Los Cedros; Joy Pulsifer, the Director of the orphange in Jinotega; Mark Randall, Andreas & Miriam Pestke, and Joel & Stephanie Estrada.
Currently the orphanges house approximately fifty babies, children and teens in Los Cedros and Jinotega.
Los Cedros, which is approximately forty minutes outside of Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua, houses the Boys Ranch and the Home for New Hope.
Boys aged eleven to eighteen years old live at the Boys Ranch and help tend to the garden and perform other chores. Most of the boys who are in this home were previously in the Jinotega children's home, but as they grew older, they were moved to the Boys Ranch to allow them their own place to mature. The boys attend a private Christian school in which they receive quality education as well as spiritual guidance. The boys are also receiving hands on training in agricultural work. After they have completed high school, they will have the opportunity to attend either university or a vocational school. The ministry is committed to seeing these boys through to the highest level of education that they wish to pursue, and to continue helping them until they are able to support themselves.
At the Home for New Hope in Los Cedros reside the babies and children who are five years old or younger.
In Jinotega, which is approximately three hours northeast of Managua, is the Home of Friendship. The children in Jinotega go to a local school, where most are at the head of their class. They also have daily classes in English and utilize computers at the orphange. The orphange is on a sixteen acre plot of land where the children can be raised in a wholesome environment. The children help with raising chickens, pigs, as well as growing various crops including beans, corn, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, beets,and tomatoes.
The goal of the missionaries at the orphanges is to raise all the babies, children and teens in a Christian environment where they learn to view life as an adventure, love to learn, become responsible leaders, and develop an awareness of their own Godly destiny.
Sandy and her team of missionaires continually welcome short-term mission teams. They have various types of teams that bring assistance to their ministry. These include medical teams that hold clinics in remote communities that do not have access to medical care. Plus, construction teams (such as ours) that build the facilities. And evangelistic teams that reach out into the communities surrounding the orphanges, helping to bring the Word of God to neglected areas, as well as filling physical needs by passing out food and clothing donations.
As you can tell, Sandy and her team of missionaries are totally committed to the youth of Nicaragua. Their vision is to continue to care for the children of Nicaragua, and to plant Christian churches throughout the country, and in doing such, to grow the Kingdom of God!
Why a Fence?
Why a security fence?
Two years ago, in 2009, one week before the Construction Mission Team arrived to work on the security fence around the boy's home at the edge of the orphanage complex property, a scary event happened in the middle of the night.
Two men, armed with machetes, crossed onto the orphange property from the east, and were walking in the dark of the night directly towards the villa which houses the babies and the youngest children. Inside the building was only one missionary.
The orphanage at Los Cedros hires a security guard armed with a rifle to patrol the twenty-two acres of the property all night long. Fortunately the security guard discovered and confronted the two men. The guard radioed the local Nicaraguan police department, and adivsed them of the intruders.
The police arrived and apprehended the two armed intruders. The police also told the intruders that the next time they entered the property that they, the police, were giving the guard their permission to shoot them.
The orphanage was lucky that night. For having arrived at the orphanage just two days earlier was a tiny one week old baby ... "Little Carlos".
Stealing babies, particularly from orphanages such as this, is an unfortunate occurence at orphanages in Nicaragua. This orphanage has been lucky in that to date no such thefts have successfully occurred.
However, next to hunger, the next greatest need in Nicaragua, particularly among the poor, is security.
Particularly in the more rural areas, as are the orphanages in both Los Cedros and Jinotega.
The construction team arrived one week after this incident. Upon hearing of this close call, the construction team started wondering ... what if? Thus, after finishing their work in 2009, and while driving back from the airport in Chicago to Wesley United Methodist Church (www.wesley-umc.com) Bloomington, the team began discussing returning to Nicaragua and beginning work to enclose the entire twenty-two acres which comprise the orphanage compound at Los Cedros.
Sandy Carter, the main missionary over the orphanages in Jinotega and Los Cedros was contacted, and she readily agreed that erecting a security fence around the orphanage compound would be a tremendous benefit, providing security to the babies, the young children and the missionaries at the orphanage.
And thus was born "the Great Fence Project"!
Two years ago, in 2009, one week before the Construction Mission Team arrived to work on the security fence around the boy's home at the edge of the orphanage complex property, a scary event happened in the middle of the night.
Two men, armed with machetes, crossed onto the orphange property from the east, and were walking in the dark of the night directly towards the villa which houses the babies and the youngest children. Inside the building was only one missionary.
The orphanage at Los Cedros hires a security guard armed with a rifle to patrol the twenty-two acres of the property all night long. Fortunately the security guard discovered and confronted the two men. The guard radioed the local Nicaraguan police department, and adivsed them of the intruders.
The police arrived and apprehended the two armed intruders. The police also told the intruders that the next time they entered the property that they, the police, were giving the guard their permission to shoot them.
The orphanage was lucky that night. For having arrived at the orphanage just two days earlier was a tiny one week old baby ... "Little Carlos".
Stealing babies, particularly from orphanages such as this, is an unfortunate occurence at orphanages in Nicaragua. This orphanage has been lucky in that to date no such thefts have successfully occurred.
However, next to hunger, the next greatest need in Nicaragua, particularly among the poor, is security.
Particularly in the more rural areas, as are the orphanages in both Los Cedros and Jinotega.
The construction team arrived one week after this incident. Upon hearing of this close call, the construction team started wondering ... what if? Thus, after finishing their work in 2009, and while driving back from the airport in Chicago to Wesley United Methodist Church (www.wesley-umc.com) Bloomington, the team began discussing returning to Nicaragua and beginning work to enclose the entire twenty-two acres which comprise the orphanage compound at Los Cedros.
Sandy Carter, the main missionary over the orphanages in Jinotega and Los Cedros was contacted, and she readily agreed that erecting a security fence around the orphanage compound would be a tremendous benefit, providing security to the babies, the young children and the missionaries at the orphanage.
And thus was born "the Great Fence Project"!
Team Leader - Ron Schaad
Ron Schaad, sixty-four years of age, is a member of Bloomington United Methodist Church(www.wesley-umc.com) and a resident of Bloomington. He and his wife Donna, are the parents of two sons and a daughter, and the grandparents of seven grandchildren.
This is the fourth year that Ron has headed the Construction Mission Teams. Yet, he is a veteran of mission projects, for her has served on more than ten mission trips. He has also worked on Habitat for Humanity builds.
Ron’s first mission trip to Nicaragua was in 2008, when he headed the team which built an addition to the boy’s home at the orphanage. In 2009 Ron headed the construction team which returned to build a security fence around the boy’s home. Then, last year Ron’s team began the large security fence around the twenty-two acre orphanage complex.
Prior to retirement, Ron worked as the Director of Business Administration at Blackhawk Community College in Moline, Illinois. He worked in education for sixteen years.
In December of 2005 Ron and his wife Donna moved to Bloomington, and joined Wesley. Since that time they have become heavily involved in missions and service projects.
Ron first began serving in missions at Wesley when he joined a hurricane Katrina mission trip to Louisiana in 2006. After serving as a member of a team, Ron was then approached about helping to head up the construction team from Wesley.
“I’m amazed at the work ethic of the volunteer team members who come down here and poor their energy into helping the orphanage” Ron said. “The help that we receive from the orphan teens is outstanding. Some of them, although teen boys, work as hard as men”.
“This year on the two teams we had work on the fence, we had a mixture of quite a few returning team members, and quite a few new team members. The returning team members did a good job in absorbing and involving the new team members in the work” Ron stated.
Ron served this year the supervisor of the two back-to-back construction teams, thus he has been here for two weeks. “Besides the red beans and rice every meal, the hard thing about being here for two weeks straight working construction is the need and desire to work, but the inability of the body to do all one desires due to the heat and the sun” he mused.
“I’m amazed at how many people who come here for the first time to serve, express their desire to come back and help again” he commented.
“This year what has struck me in particular has been the acceptance of the difficulties. The team members adjusted to the difficulties, and said ‘okay, we’ll work around it’. This hasn’t always been so in prior years. There is has been more frustration in prior years when all didn’t go as planned or hoped” Ron shared.
Ron said that the idea of praying for our ill team member, and to remove their stresses, was an impactful event on this year’s second team.
“When I talk with prospective mission team members, I stress how these trips effect me … how they have impacted me in so many ways. In my spiritual life, and so many other areas. I’d definitely encourage others to come and join the teams” Ron urged. “People feel that the don’t deserve to come because they have so much. I look at it that people who do have a lot allows them to come, it allows them to share” he closed with.
Ron is affectionately called "the Admiral" by his teams. For he runs a tight ship. But the interesting thing is ... he runs efficient teams without them often knowing it. Ron has a gentle, kind, thoughtful nature. He is quiet, in the strongest ways. He'll ponder things prior to doing them, and sometimes has regrets if he ever feels he has made a mistake.
Ron is loved by his teams. They know how he gives to the project and the children of the orphanage. Never has he team heard him raise his voice, and perhaps only twice with the five teams with whom he has worked, has he ever become close to showing that he is upset.
He has rolled with the flow of Nic, adjusting to the downfalls and difficulties, and making things work in the process.
The blessing is that Ron's wife Donna, who leads Wesley's Medical Mission Teams, has the same dove-like, kind, gentle loving spirit that her husband Ron possesses. Both teams have been blessed by the couples' organizational skills, leadership gifts, sense of humor, humbleness, outstanding people skills, talents in multiple areas (such as Ron's countless construction knowledge and skills), and pure Christian love.
When Ron and his wife, Donna began leading trips to Nicaragua and Hawaii, the church and all those on the trips knew that in the two of them they had something special. For the two of them are like a gently loving Priscilla and Aquila of the New Testament whom the apostle Paul often spoke.
In Acts 18: 2 - 3, it states that Paul met Priscilla and Aquilla, because the Roman emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. And because Paul was a tent maker, as they were, Paul stayed and worked with them. In the same way, Wesley UMC met Ron and Donna when they left Alaska and moved to Bloomington. And because Ron and Donna were both interested in missions and serving others, as Wesley Church was, they all stayed together and worked side by side.
Wesley United Methodist Church, the multiple teams which Ron and Donna have led, all of those who have served on the various construction and medical teams, and the missionaries - workers - and children of the orphanages and Nicaragua have been blessed by God through Ron and Donna.
And for that, we all give God thanks and praise!
Ron is affectionately called "the Admiral" by his teams. For he runs a tight ship. But the interesting thing is ... he runs efficient teams without them often knowing it. Ron has a gentle, kind, thoughtful nature. He is quiet, in the strongest ways. He'll ponder things prior to doing them, and sometimes has regrets if he ever feels he has made a mistake.
Ron is loved by his teams. They know how he gives to the project and the children of the orphanage. Never has he team heard him raise his voice, and perhaps only twice with the five teams with whom he has worked, has he ever become close to showing that he is upset.
He has rolled with the flow of Nic, adjusting to the downfalls and difficulties, and making things work in the process.
The blessing is that Ron's wife Donna, who leads Wesley's Medical Mission Teams, has the same dove-like, kind, gentle loving spirit that her husband Ron possesses. Both teams have been blessed by the couples' organizational skills, leadership gifts, sense of humor, humbleness, outstanding people skills, talents in multiple areas (such as Ron's countless construction knowledge and skills), and pure Christian love.
When Ron and his wife, Donna began leading trips to Nicaragua and Hawaii, the church and all those on the trips knew that in the two of them they had something special. For the two of them are like a gently loving Priscilla and Aquila of the New Testament whom the apostle Paul often spoke.
In Acts 18: 2 - 3, it states that Paul met Priscilla and Aquilla, because the Roman emperor Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. And because Paul was a tent maker, as they were, Paul stayed and worked with them. In the same way, Wesley UMC met Ron and Donna when they left Alaska and moved to Bloomington. And because Ron and Donna were both interested in missions and serving others, as Wesley Church was, they all stayed together and worked side by side.
Wesley United Methodist Church, the multiple teams which Ron and Donna have led, all of those who have served on the various construction and medical teams, and the missionaries - workers - and children of the orphanages and Nicaragua have been blessed by God through Ron and Donna.
And for that, we all give God thanks and praise!
Team Member - Stan Irvin
Reverend Stan Irvin, fifty-five years of age, has served as the minister of the First United Methodist Church in Carrier Mills (www.carriermillsumc.com), Illinois since July of 2010.
Prior to serving in Carrier Mills, Stan served as the Minister of Outreach and Discipleship at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Illinois for five years.
On this mission team Stan dug holes, helped set pipes, grinded pipes, served as the Director of Transportation (drove the tractor), poured concrete, helped put out brush fires, helped erect the fence, and found out that he was not very gifted not “called” as a welder.
Stan feels that the three areas where he most strongly does senses God’s call are: missions, teen ministry and outreach to “the un-churched”. Yet, for missions, it took a while for God’s calling and Stan’s response to become in-sinc.
Prior to seminary, during the eight years that he lived and worked in New York City he attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, where Dr. Tim Keller is the senior minister. One of the strengths of Redeemer was its adult mission team program. Redeemer annually sent out eighteen adult mission teams around the globe.
While at Redeemer, Stan was invited to join some of Redeemer’s mission teams. But, Stan resisted going on mission trips and expressed “absolutely no interest”.
“One reason I resisted was because I felt called to help address the decline of Christianity within our own country. But honestly, there were also more subtle reasons why I resisted. One being that I’m a sometimes picky eater due to having a continual queasy stomach. I was hesitant to be subject to eating ‘foreign meals’” he shared.
“And, I’m not always good at ‘roughing it’. I didn’t know what the conditions would be. In reality, it is easier to be comfortable than it is to enter the unknown, take chances, and have to adjust what I liked to do” he confessed.
“I truly understand all the hesitations of others, and the reasons that they feel they can’t do mission trips. I had most of them myself. But … then I came to admit that most reasons are in reality excuses” Stan admitted. “Jesus told us to go to Jerusalem (our home communities), to Judea (our neighboring counties), to Samaria (neighboring states of cities within the United States), and to the uttermost parts of the world (foreign countries). Most Christians might consider doing service projects in their home towns, but if they were quite honest with Jesus, they’d say ‘there is no way I’m traveling to a foreign country to help the poor … let me take care of my own poor first’. Well, Jesus didn’t see it that way. Jesus said to do both. And we resist doing both, even if it means resisting the command of Jesus Himself”!
Then came being appointed to serve Wesley UMC. “Vaughn Hoffman and I talked about what we would like to vision Wesley doing during our tenure there. We had both began as the two ministers at the same time, in July of 2004, and we were sharing together what programs we’d like to see in place” he said.
“I was thrilled when Vaughn readily agreed to attempt to replicate what was being done at Redeemer. He threw his full support and enthusiasm behind such, and agreed to go to our church’s Missions Committee to urge them to endorse our church beginning doing adult mission trips. His support was crucial and whole hearted” Stan shared.
“After that first Missions Committee meeting at Wesley in August of 2004, then the meeting with Rick Vaughn and his wife Linda Miles and God leading them with Rick’s expertise into our church’s doors, and all that transpired within the next five months thereafter … it can only all be described as nothing less than a miracle” Stan stated. “What has transpired since then in the area of adult missions, over the past six years has been amazingly awesome”!
Stan has now been on eight mission trips. His six mission trips to Nicaragua are the most of any of the team members.
He was on Wesley’s original team to Nicaragua in January of 2005. He has worked on two Medical Mission Teams, and four Construction Mission Teams to Nicaragua, plus a construction team in the inner city of Nassau, Bahamas, and a service mission trip to Texas.
“I enjoy so much in Nicaragua: the friendliness of the people, despite the widespread poverty; the children and teens in the two orphanages, in Los Cedros and Jinotega; the missionaries who sacrifice so much, and with whom I’ve become good friends over the years; but what I enjoy so much is watching the team members each year … particularly those who have never been in Nicaragua or on a mission team ever before. I like to just sit back and see how God impacts them” Stan shared.
Stan is attempting, with God’s help and direction, to stoke fires of interest in mission trips in southern Illinois among United Methodists. Thus, on this year’s team he is thrilled to have the presence of one of his congregants, Jeff Parks, to be a member of this year’s team. “To my knowledge, we are one of the very few Methodist churches involved in adult mission trips throughout southern Illinois. I am praying that God moves mightily and calls others”!
“I am thrilled at the way God’s church in Carrier Mills is already responding to mission trips. Besides Jeff being on this trip, six others from our congregation have already indicated a desire to join us next year. Our congregation raised in one Sunday afternoon the entire amount of money that Jeff needed to attend. Plus, they have donated money to the orphanage here in Los Cedros. Our members are catching the fire of God’s Spirit when it comes to missions” he shared. “And, I am thankful that Wesley has allowed our church to join with it in mission”.
Stan concluded by musing on the two times he has been blessed to preach in Nicaragua, at Verbos Church in Managua in 2005, and at the International Christian Fellowship Church in Managua in 2009. He reflected, "The people of Nicaragua whom we have worshiped with love God with all of their hearts, souls and minds. They worship with their full energy and exuberance.
And then, they themselves go out and help their neighbors, in full Christian love. And in the midst of poverty, they always find the joy of God"!
Stan concluded by musing on the two times he has been blessed to preach in Nicaragua, at Verbos Church in Managua in 2005, and at the International Christian Fellowship Church in Managua in 2009. He reflected, "The people of Nicaragua whom we have worshiped with love God with all of their hearts, souls and minds. They worship with their full energy and exuberance.
And then, they themselves go out and help their neighbors, in full Christian love. And in the midst of poverty, they always find the joy of God"!
Communion under the Stars
Tonight, following devotions, we concluded in our traditional manner ... with communion under the beautiful night stars of Nicaragua.
Margaret Naylor, who has done an excellent job leading devotions, shared with us one final time. Included in her sharing was a humorous, and outstanding job summing up this past week. It brought us to laughter so hard, during her singing, that tears flowed from our eyes.
Following her devotion, we left our devotion meeting place inside the women's villa lounge, and went outside for communion.
Cleve Curry led us in singing beautiful hymns and songs, including "I Love You Lord", "Sanctuary" and "When I Survey the Wonderous Cross". Then following a brief sharing message, we joined together in communion.
Joining with us were our three orphan boys and their house mother Jackie. We were honored to have their presence.
After the words of institution, one by one, while the guitar was playing, we came forward to remember the last supper of Jesus Christ, doing such in remembrance of Him.
Then we closed with song, and a special prayer for our teen boys and Jackie, laying their hands upon them and asking God to be with them, to protect them each day of their life, and for God to continue to grow the boys into strong men of God.
The service concluded a great day, and an outstanding week!
Margaret Naylor, who has done an excellent job leading devotions, shared with us one final time. Included in her sharing was a humorous, and outstanding job summing up this past week. It brought us to laughter so hard, during her singing, that tears flowed from our eyes.
Following her devotion, we left our devotion meeting place inside the women's villa lounge, and went outside for communion.
Cleve Curry led us in singing beautiful hymns and songs, including "I Love You Lord", "Sanctuary" and "When I Survey the Wonderous Cross". Then following a brief sharing message, we joined together in communion.
Joining with us were our three orphan boys and their house mother Jackie. We were honored to have their presence.
After the words of institution, one by one, while the guitar was playing, we came forward to remember the last supper of Jesus Christ, doing such in remembrance of Him.
Then we closed with song, and a special prayer for our teen boys and Jackie, laying their hands upon them and asking God to be with them, to protect them each day of their life, and for God to continue to grow the boys into strong men of God.
The service concluded a great day, and an outstanding week!
Team Member - Rick Jahnke
Rick Jahnke, fifty-seven years of age, is a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
A resident of Bloomington, he and his wife Jeannie, are the parents of two children. He works at Country Financial in Bloomington, where he is a project manager.
Rick has been on six previous mission trips, with this being his first mission trip to Nicaragua.
While here Rick has worked as a pipe cutter, pipe welder, dug holes, pipe grinder, helped to erect the fence, and set sections of the fence.
He had heard about this mission trip from different people, particularly on a prior mission trip to Alaska. He almost came last year, but decided to wait until this year's trip. So he saved for it, made plans, and committed to come. He is very glad that he did.
What has stood out in Rick's mind is how little the people of Nicaragua have. Yet, despite not having much Rick feels that "they seem to be happy people, Christian people, and they get by with so little, bare necessities". He says that he was struck by a prayer of thanks on the menu in the restaurant we ate at on this past Sunday.
Rick "loved the energetic music during the worship this past Sunday, and everyone being invovled. The music was uplifting, with all singing and all involved ... much more so than in churches in the states. They were enthused about their worship and their religion".
The Nicaraguan people seem to be "very friendly" Rick responded. He said that "some of the boys seemed to be shy at first, but as they worked at us I got to know them more. I hope the teen boys see some of the mission team members as role models in a way. Hopefully the future groups that come through will continue to impact these boys".
"The service we had tonight for communion, under the Nicaraguan stars was terrific, it was extremely moving. And having communion with the teen boys and their house mother Jackie was special to me" Rick shared. "The children and the teen, as orphans, they seem so happy, and they reach out to us and so many others. They reach across the fence to us and are so outgoing".
"I wish more people would take the opportunity to go on a mission trip, because I think they would get so much out of it. There is so much interaction with the people we have been serving. Step out in faith, you won't be sorry you did. You'll be very happy you did a trip like this. I'm glad I came and I'm already thinking about returning next year" Rick concluded.
A resident of Bloomington, he and his wife Jeannie, are the parents of two children. He works at Country Financial in Bloomington, where he is a project manager.
Rick has been on six previous mission trips, with this being his first mission trip to Nicaragua.
While here Rick has worked as a pipe cutter, pipe welder, dug holes, pipe grinder, helped to erect the fence, and set sections of the fence.
He had heard about this mission trip from different people, particularly on a prior mission trip to Alaska. He almost came last year, but decided to wait until this year's trip. So he saved for it, made plans, and committed to come. He is very glad that he did.
What has stood out in Rick's mind is how little the people of Nicaragua have. Yet, despite not having much Rick feels that "they seem to be happy people, Christian people, and they get by with so little, bare necessities". He says that he was struck by a prayer of thanks on the menu in the restaurant we ate at on this past Sunday.
Rick "loved the energetic music during the worship this past Sunday, and everyone being invovled. The music was uplifting, with all singing and all involved ... much more so than in churches in the states. They were enthused about their worship and their religion".
The Nicaraguan people seem to be "very friendly" Rick responded. He said that "some of the boys seemed to be shy at first, but as they worked at us I got to know them more. I hope the teen boys see some of the mission team members as role models in a way. Hopefully the future groups that come through will continue to impact these boys".
"The service we had tonight for communion, under the Nicaraguan stars was terrific, it was extremely moving. And having communion with the teen boys and their house mother Jackie was special to me" Rick shared. "The children and the teen, as orphans, they seem so happy, and they reach out to us and so many others. They reach across the fence to us and are so outgoing".
"I wish more people would take the opportunity to go on a mission trip, because I think they would get so much out of it. There is so much interaction with the people we have been serving. Step out in faith, you won't be sorry you did. You'll be very happy you did a trip like this. I'm glad I came and I'm already thinking about returning next year" Rick concluded.
Team Member - Joe Triplett
Joe Triplett, forty-two years of age, is a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington.
Joe works for State Farm Insurance as a manager, where he has worked for more than twelve years.
Joe and his Michelle wife are parents of four girls in Bloomington.
This is Joe's third mission trip, all in Nicaragua. Joe says that "its been all about fence"! He came in 2009 and worked on the security fence around the boys home. He helped begin the orphanage compound fence last year, and has continued work on the fence around the orphange's twenty-two acres this year.
This year Joe has worked as a welder, cutting and bending pipes, running the tractor and hauling, working the chain saw, measuring, repairing one of the teens bikes, general jobs, and drinking a lot of pop! He is a a skilled worker in many aspects.
Joe says that "I think the team this year gelled really good. No one got ruffled. It flowed really nice. We ran into a couple of snafus, but we worked through them, kept going and did it. We had a good positive energy on our team, despite of some of the setbacks".
In prior year Joe says the work has been basically the same, but Joe said, "The more we are here, the more it becomes a part of you. You see familiar faces, and yet the teens and children grow. You see a positive energy here in what would be considered a dismal surrounding back home".
As for Nicaragua, Joe sees a loving aura or response from the people of Nicargua. Joe says that where he would expect to see people complaining about some things here, the people seem "easy going, happy, and just going with the flow. I know that back home a lot more people would be complaining, compared to what they do down here."
"I see in the ways the workers work here, with whatever tools they have, that they just go with the flow, get things going, work with what they have, and get things done" Joe observes.
"Just seeing the kids has had a spiritual impact on me. I'd love to adopt them all. But at the same time I know they are loved and cared for. This orphanage is nice, compared to other parts of Nicaragua" Joe states.
"My first year I came largely out of curiousity. But now I am totally sold on what is happening here. It feels good to do for others" Joe muses.
"All the words, the pictures, the videos about this place, the story about it, doesn't hit home unless you experience it yourself first hand. It only takes once to know that you are doing something right. It is easy to walk across the street and do it back home where it might be financially easy on people to do things ... and there are a lot of things to do back home ... but there are not a lot of people who can come to these types of places and help these people. I'd like to see other parts of the world, but I know there is work to finish here, and I'd like to be a part of that" Joe says, in an emotional manner.
"For those who haven't done things like this before, it helps you in a way that you can't put into words. I know that this experience is always going to be different to every one, but for me it has gotten me closer to God, and it has helped me as well as others" Joe concluded.
Joe works for State Farm Insurance as a manager, where he has worked for more than twelve years.
Joe and his Michelle wife are parents of four girls in Bloomington.
This is Joe's third mission trip, all in Nicaragua. Joe says that "its been all about fence"! He came in 2009 and worked on the security fence around the boys home. He helped begin the orphanage compound fence last year, and has continued work on the fence around the orphange's twenty-two acres this year.
This year Joe has worked as a welder, cutting and bending pipes, running the tractor and hauling, working the chain saw, measuring, repairing one of the teens bikes, general jobs, and drinking a lot of pop! He is a a skilled worker in many aspects.
Joe says that "I think the team this year gelled really good. No one got ruffled. It flowed really nice. We ran into a couple of snafus, but we worked through them, kept going and did it. We had a good positive energy on our team, despite of some of the setbacks".
In prior year Joe says the work has been basically the same, but Joe said, "The more we are here, the more it becomes a part of you. You see familiar faces, and yet the teens and children grow. You see a positive energy here in what would be considered a dismal surrounding back home".
As for Nicaragua, Joe sees a loving aura or response from the people of Nicargua. Joe says that where he would expect to see people complaining about some things here, the people seem "easy going, happy, and just going with the flow. I know that back home a lot more people would be complaining, compared to what they do down here."
"I see in the ways the workers work here, with whatever tools they have, that they just go with the flow, get things going, work with what they have, and get things done" Joe observes.
"Just seeing the kids has had a spiritual impact on me. I'd love to adopt them all. But at the same time I know they are loved and cared for. This orphanage is nice, compared to other parts of Nicaragua" Joe states.
"My first year I came largely out of curiousity. But now I am totally sold on what is happening here. It feels good to do for others" Joe muses.
"All the words, the pictures, the videos about this place, the story about it, doesn't hit home unless you experience it yourself first hand. It only takes once to know that you are doing something right. It is easy to walk across the street and do it back home where it might be financially easy on people to do things ... and there are a lot of things to do back home ... but there are not a lot of people who can come to these types of places and help these people. I'd like to see other parts of the world, but I know there is work to finish here, and I'd like to be a part of that" Joe says, in an emotional manner.
"For those who haven't done things like this before, it helps you in a way that you can't put into words. I know that this experience is always going to be different to every one, but for me it has gotten me closer to God, and it has helped me as well as others" Joe concluded.
Stan returns!
To our great relief, and as an answer to many prayers in Nicaragua and the states, Stan Geison returned to our team from a hospital in Managua. He had spent the night, for medications, treatment and observation. After almost twenty-four hours in the hospital, he was released, and returned to join us ... much better ... at the orphanage.
Stan said "I'm not sure they totally understood the situation however, for they gave me a follow-up appointment for next Thursday"!
Stan said "I'm not sure they totally understood the situation however, for they gave me a follow-up appointment for next Thursday"!
Gringo Geezers vs. Nic Orphan Boys
Two years ago, in 2009, the Gringo Geezers stunned, shocked and almost upset the Nic Orphan boys in a highly competitive and tight 5 - 4 soccer victory by the Nics. They couldn't believe that an almost dead group of ol' white guys almost whipped them in their national sport.
So, in preparation for the 2010 rematch, the Nic Orphan boys practiced long and hard prior to the arrival of the Yanks. When the Nic boys took the field, they came out in formation, singing chants and taunts at their Yankee friends!
It paid off ... they whipped our heels by a 5 -1 score.
We thus gave our young friends a challenge: American football in 2011.
In prep for us, they actually had someone get them a football to practice with. And, to make it fair (for us), we mixed up the teams, putting the teens among our two teams. It was a great game, much more conducive to us geezors, as we could take breathers twixt every play. But, we could hear the teens in their Spanish say "this is boring"! They were used to the non-stop action of soccer!
They had a great time however. Laughing, smiling huge and playing great, they picked up on American football a lot quicker than we picked up on soccer.
Once again it was a great way to end the week. And as we left the football field the Nic teens issued a challenge to us: "Next year, baseball"!!!
So, in preparation for the 2010 rematch, the Nic Orphan boys practiced long and hard prior to the arrival of the Yanks. When the Nic boys took the field, they came out in formation, singing chants and taunts at their Yankee friends!
It paid off ... they whipped our heels by a 5 -1 score.
We thus gave our young friends a challenge: American football in 2011.
In prep for us, they actually had someone get them a football to practice with. And, to make it fair (for us), we mixed up the teams, putting the teens among our two teams. It was a great game, much more conducive to us geezors, as we could take breathers twixt every play. But, we could hear the teens in their Spanish say "this is boring"! They were used to the non-stop action of soccer!
They had a great time however. Laughing, smiling huge and playing great, they picked up on American football a lot quicker than we picked up on soccer.
Once again it was a great way to end the week. And as we left the football field the Nic teens issued a challenge to us: "Next year, baseball"!!!
Work Day Five - January 28
The last day of work. Talk about bittersweat.
Our team had worked hard. We were tired, hot, out of steam, ... just plain beat. But still, there was a determination to do as much work as possible.
It is for the children, for the babies. The fence is for their safety, their security.
So, despite all, we worked. We worked.
Our goal this week was to go the distance, all the way to where the fence would meet the fence around the boy's home that we built in 2008. We didn't get the actual wire fence that far. But, we did plant the fence upright posts, and sections that entire distance. And for that, we were quite pleased.
Today was a good day, a great final day of work.
We knew our routines, our jobs and our positions. And we went at it, once again early in the morning. But, things in Nicaragua don't always go as planned. The electiricty went off ... which actually happens quite often here. You just get used to it and roll with it.
With no power our grinders and welders in the bodega were shut down. We could no longer form additional fence posts nor sections. And in the field, one of our two generators went out. Then we ran out of concrete. Slowly, all around the work project, our progress came to a halt. So, all we could do was sit down. We did.
Eventually the power came back, we were able to repair the generator, and we got other bags of cement delivered. That enabled us to finish out the day.
Despite these drawbacks, there was so much going on. For example, all the workers were here at the orphanage getting paid. The cooks get paid $5 per week ... or, one dollar per day for cooking three meals per day for all the children, orphans and team members. How much do you make per day at your job? Think about it ....
And the children were outside all day with a local minister singing praise to God and learning Bible stories.
Plus, the orphan teen boys worked with us all day, as they have been all week, on the fence.
Finally, there was the annual game between the Nic orphan boys and the Gringo Geezers ...!
Our team had worked hard. We were tired, hot, out of steam, ... just plain beat. But still, there was a determination to do as much work as possible.
It is for the children, for the babies. The fence is for their safety, their security.
So, despite all, we worked. We worked.
Our goal this week was to go the distance, all the way to where the fence would meet the fence around the boy's home that we built in 2008. We didn't get the actual wire fence that far. But, we did plant the fence upright posts, and sections that entire distance. And for that, we were quite pleased.
Today was a good day, a great final day of work.
We knew our routines, our jobs and our positions. And we went at it, once again early in the morning. But, things in Nicaragua don't always go as planned. The electiricty went off ... which actually happens quite often here. You just get used to it and roll with it.
With no power our grinders and welders in the bodega were shut down. We could no longer form additional fence posts nor sections. And in the field, one of our two generators went out. Then we ran out of concrete. Slowly, all around the work project, our progress came to a halt. So, all we could do was sit down. We did.
Eventually the power came back, we were able to repair the generator, and we got other bags of cement delivered. That enabled us to finish out the day.
Despite these drawbacks, there was so much going on. For example, all the workers were here at the orphanage getting paid. The cooks get paid $5 per week ... or, one dollar per day for cooking three meals per day for all the children, orphans and team members. How much do you make per day at your job? Think about it ....
And the children were outside all day with a local minister singing praise to God and learning Bible stories.
Plus, the orphan teen boys worked with us all day, as they have been all week, on the fence.
Finally, there was the annual game between the Nic orphan boys and the Gringo Geezers ...!
Team Member - Stan Geison
Stan Geison, sixty years of age, is on his first mission trip to Nicaragua. A member of Wesley United Methodist Church, he is a resident of Bloomington.
Stan and his wife Martha are the parents of two daughters. He is retired from State Farm Insurance, where he had served as the Director of Information Technology. Currently he is part-time employed as a consultant for STL Technology Partners in Bloomington.
In 1996 Stan went to Lauderdale, Mississippi to help build a church that had burned down. After that he has done work for Habitat for Humanity, and service projects within the confines of Bloomington-Normal. Prior to this trip he has never done mission work outside of the United States.
“Ron Schaad was the trigger to my joining this construction team. He and I have worked together at Habitat, plus we attend the same church” Stan stated. “I knew that I wanted to do this trip some year. I didn’t decide until sometime last fall that this would be the year. But, I expected that I would do it sometime”
Stan has worked as a: hole digger, fence painter, and helped to erect sections of the wire.
However, on Tuesday evening Stan fell ill, and was ill for the next two days. He finally was taken by the orphanage’s missionaries to a hospital in Managua.
“The hospital was a modern, nice hospital named Hospital Metropolitano Vivan Pellasl. The people were very gracious, very nice. The emergency room doctor didn’t speak any English. Thus, Joel, our missionary who went with me was vital in translating. Then an internist saw me, Doctor Morales, and he had a wonderful kind spirit about him” Stan stated. “He put his hand on my arm and said ‘be happy’”.
Stan stayed overnight at the hospital for treatment of his illness and observation.
“It is a very strange feeling … being in a hospital at all is unsettling. But, being in a hospital, even where that Doctor spoke some English, it would have been difficult to get through without our missionary friend Joel. In my room there were at first two ladies who cared for me who spoke no English. However, the night nurse did speak English very well. I know some Spanish, but it would have been very disconcerting had I understood nothing” he said.
“I’ve lived my whole life in the majority. And when you think about people in the minority, how difficult it is where there are language barriers on top of that, it just gives you an appreciation for what others face” he said in ponderment.
“You can feel the warmth of people in Nicaragua even without sharing a common language. Everybody is so welcoming with their smiles and greetings. Every where that we’ve been in Nicaragua, that has been the case. The children are beautiful and just wonderful. The work team itself has just really clicked from the beginning. There were several veterans on the team, which has made it easier for us that are rookies. I felt very gratified about all that we accomplished the first two days. However, I was disappointed in not being able to continue helping on the work” Stan stated.
“I particularly enjoyed the teen orphan boys here. I connected with Moises, for we worked close together. He has a really nice spirit. Plus, they could communicate enough that we could talk and I could see what was going on at the orphanage through their eyes.
“I think that the two devotions that I attended were great, especially the first night. It was moving to hear what brought different people to this place, and on this trip. I didn’t know Margaret at all prior to this trip, even though she and I belong to the same church. Her testimony of where she was at four years ago, and where she was at now, was very moving … committing herself to this and to missions … that was wonderful” Stan commented.
“My disappointment over getting sick was not because I was sick, but because I missed out on the whole experience of being here, and all the work. I think my getting sick was circumstantial, for I was sick in the states right prior to coming here, and I’m not sure I was over it. That sickness probably reduced my immune system, making me more likely to get more sick once here. Yet, despite the sickness, I did learn that one can’t fully appreciate what one has, without also seeing what others don’t have … for then one sees the whole situation. We all love the same God, and He binds us together” Stan conluded.
Team Member - Cleve Curry
Cleve Curry, 64 years of age, is a resident of Griggsville, in Pike County, Illinois. He is a member of the Pittsfield Church of the Nazarene.
Cleve has served on about one-half a dozen prior mission trips to locations including New Mexico and Arizonia, where he served at Native American schools, helping to build a house in Juarez, Mexico, helping to build a church in Musquiz, Mexico, and others.
He heard about this trip through Ron Schaad, whose wife Donna was a high school classmate of Cleve. In fact, Cleve helped in the music at the weddings of Ron and Donna's three children. Thus, after talking with Ron, Cleve signed up.
Previously Cleve had been to Managua, Nicaragua for a week long evangelistic service in 1969, which he attended with a church sponsored group.
Returning to Nicaragua Cleve feels that for the most part the country seems the same as in 1969. What he enoys most is the exuberance of the people of Nicaragua during their church worship servcies. He is also struck by the lack of opportunity of the people, the lack of jobs, and the lack of the chance of jobs. Cleve notes that "the people seem to be such a happy people, even though the don't have much. Even though they don't have a lot of opportunity or wealth, they seem to be pretty happy".
On this mission team Cleve has worked at "just about everything except work in the bodega". He has worked digging post holes, setting posts, painted posts, welded on the fence, driven the tractor for errands, and whatever was needed.
In life back home in Pike County Cleve is a farmer. He has worked on the farm for pretty much all of his life, as well as serving as a teacher for a few years. He taught music in all levels, K - 12. His current farm raises cattle and crops. Cleve and his wife Susanne have four children and seven grandchildren.
On this trip Cleve has put his musical talents to use, by bringing his guitar and enlivening the nightly devotions. He has a smooth, calming voice and a great talent on his guitar.
Cleve said that Ron Schaad has done a good job putting this trip together. "It has been everything I envisioned, and it has gone very well. I like mingling with the people, working on a project ... and I think that this trip has done that very well".
"I always enjoy seeing people of different faiths work together and share their common beliefs" Cleve reflected. "Also, I like to especially see the native people worship in their typical ways. The exuberance of the Latin people is always envigorating to me. I need it once in a while. I need to be in it once in a while. It helps me to loosen up".
"I'd encourage anybody to take a trip like this if they don't mind roughing it a bit, and eating native food" Cleve added.
Cleve has served on about one-half a dozen prior mission trips to locations including New Mexico and Arizonia, where he served at Native American schools, helping to build a house in Juarez, Mexico, helping to build a church in Musquiz, Mexico, and others.
He heard about this trip through Ron Schaad, whose wife Donna was a high school classmate of Cleve. In fact, Cleve helped in the music at the weddings of Ron and Donna's three children. Thus, after talking with Ron, Cleve signed up.
Previously Cleve had been to Managua, Nicaragua for a week long evangelistic service in 1969, which he attended with a church sponsored group.
Returning to Nicaragua Cleve feels that for the most part the country seems the same as in 1969. What he enoys most is the exuberance of the people of Nicaragua during their church worship servcies. He is also struck by the lack of opportunity of the people, the lack of jobs, and the lack of the chance of jobs. Cleve notes that "the people seem to be such a happy people, even though the don't have much. Even though they don't have a lot of opportunity or wealth, they seem to be pretty happy".
On this mission team Cleve has worked at "just about everything except work in the bodega". He has worked digging post holes, setting posts, painted posts, welded on the fence, driven the tractor for errands, and whatever was needed.
In life back home in Pike County Cleve is a farmer. He has worked on the farm for pretty much all of his life, as well as serving as a teacher for a few years. He taught music in all levels, K - 12. His current farm raises cattle and crops. Cleve and his wife Susanne have four children and seven grandchildren.
On this trip Cleve has put his musical talents to use, by bringing his guitar and enlivening the nightly devotions. He has a smooth, calming voice and a great talent on his guitar.
Cleve said that Ron Schaad has done a good job putting this trip together. "It has been everything I envisioned, and it has gone very well. I like mingling with the people, working on a project ... and I think that this trip has done that very well".
"I always enjoy seeing people of different faiths work together and share their common beliefs" Cleve reflected. "Also, I like to especially see the native people worship in their typical ways. The exuberance of the Latin people is always envigorating to me. I need it once in a while. I need to be in it once in a while. It helps me to loosen up".
"I'd encourage anybody to take a trip like this if they don't mind roughing it a bit, and eating native food" Cleve added.
The Birth of Mission Trips @ Wesley United Methodist Church
How did adult mission trips get started at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington?
It was a God thing. It was what former Oxford professor and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis would call a "Godincidence"!
Wesley UMC (www.wesley-umc.com) had a strong and long history of teen mission trips. The teens of Wesley would travel near and far doing service projects with those in need. But, for whatever reason, like the vast majority of Christian churches, adults going out into the field on mission teams was non-existent.
What had been happening, up until January of 2005, in missions at Wesley, was exactly what does happen even today in most churches: a small Mission Committee within the church decides annually how much money the church will attempt to send to denominational missionairies or ministries. This was exactly what was happening at Wesley.
On July 1st, 2004, Wesley UMC had apponited to serve two ministers: Reverend Vaughn Hoffman, who had been in ministry for twenty-five years and who had served numerous prior United Methodist churches. And, Reverend Stan Irvin, who had just graduated from seminary as a second-career student, and who had only served as the minister of one prior church in New Jersey at the time he was a seminary student.
In August of 2004, after one month of serving Wesley, Reverends Hoffman and Irvin met in the office of Reverend Hoffman, to discuss their hopes, dreams and visions for the future of Wesley.
Amongst the visions which the two men discussed, was the concept of adult mission teams. They discussed one church in particular, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City (Dr. Tim Keller's church, the author of The Reason for God, and The Prodigal God). Redeemer Church annually sent out eighteen adult mission teams, around the globe.
The two ministers agreed that they would like to replicate the work done at Redeemer, and to intiate adult mission teams at Wesley. Revered Hoffman's prior churches had never engaged in any adult mission teams, nor had he or Reverend Irvin ever served on an adult mission trip, but both men agreed that doing such at Wesley would be a direction which they would like to see the church move. Reverend Hoffman was excited about the possibilities this would open for his church, and enthusiastically pushed the concept.
Later that month Reverends Hoffman and Irvin went before the church's Mission Committee. On the committee at that time were Karen McConnell, Marie Williams, Ruth Mauser, and Betty Story. At that meeting Reverends Hoffman and Irvin laid out to the committee the dream of adult mission trips. The committee reacted with full enthusiasm and support for the idea. Their only question was: "Okay, how do we start"?
To that question, neither minister had any answer, other than "Lets pray about how to get going". For, as stated above, neither Reverend Hoffman in his twenty-five years of ministry, nor Reverend Irvin, had ever served on any mission trip.
Then, God stepped in, in a way totally unexpected. The "Godincidence" was continuing to happen in a mighty way ....
Two days after the Missions Committee meeting, Stacey Ash, the Director of Youth Ministries at Wesley, stopped by Reverend Irvin's office to tell him of a phone call she had just received. She reported that a new family had moved to Bloomington, and they were looking for a church home. They wanted a church home which had a good youth program, and a youth choir, in which their daughter Devin, could participate.
Reverend Irvin asked Stacey to schedule a meeting with them, and to invite Wesley's Music Director, Adria Schumann, to the meeting. Stacey returned the call to the parents, and schedule a meeting.
Seven days after the Missions Committee meeting Stacey Ash, Adria Schumann and Reverend Irvin met with the new to Bloomington couple, Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles, in the church's conference room.
For approximately forty-five minutes, the five met and discussed both the youth program and the Jubilation Choir (the teen choir) at Wesley. Rick and Linda asked numerous and extensive questions about the youth aspect of the church, and explained their desire to find a good church home for their daughter.
Rick and Linda finally decided that their questions had been answered, and they rose from their chairs to head to the door.
Then, again ... God stepped in ....
Right when they got to the door, suddenly Rick Vaughn, who is a medical doctor, turned around and asked Stacey, Adria and Stan, "Does your church do adult mission trips"?
Reverend Irvin said "Why do you ask"?
And Dr. Vaughn responded, "Because at my prior church in North Carolina I led six adult mission teams to Nicaragua".
Reverend Irvin said "Have a seat ...."
And the five talked ... about adult mission trips ....
God wasnt done yet. For Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles actually left the decision of what church to attend to Devin, their high school daughter. Devin chose Wesley.
And thus, within only seven days of Reverends Hoffma and Irvin telling the Mission Committee that they had "no idea" how to begin adult mission trips at Wesley due to neither of them having ever served on any mission trip, God stepped in, big time! A "Godincidence" happened right before the eyes of all of Wesley.
In January of 2005 Dr. Rick Vaughn took nine members of Wesley, along with Reverend Irvin, to Nicaragua, where they joined twenty-five members of a team which he had put together prior to leaving his former church. The thirty-five team members did a Medical Mission Trip in Jinotega and Managua, Nicaragua and the surrounding country sides. And in the process, adult mission teams at Wesley United Methodist Church were birthed.
In the process Wesley found out that God doesn't work through any one person. For on this occasion God's plan was in the works long before us mere humans had any idea of what was about to happened. In the process God utilized Redeemer Presbyterian Church far away in New York City to provide the intitial model to replicate, two ministers, the four ladies of Wesley's Mission Committee who readily agreed to the vision, Stacey Ash and Adria Schumann, Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles, along with their daughter Devin. And then God would raise up the team leaders within Wesley, people such as: Karen Daudelin, Ron and Donna Schaad, Doug and Judy Woodburn, Brad and Adria Schumann, and team leaders yet to be anointed.
Finally God stirred the hearts of the people of Wesley, and moved among them to do a mighty thing.
As a result, Wesley has since January of 2005 sent out seven medical mission teams to Nicaragua, seven construction teams to Nicaragua, Alaska and Hawaii, an inland hurricane relief team to Galatia, Illinois, and countless annual hurricane Rita relief teams to Louisianna and Mississippi.
In 2011 Wesley, and churches with which it partners, will send out six separate mission teams. Three teams have already ventured to Nicaragua. Yet to come this year is a hurricane relief trip to Louisanna, a construction trip at a Christian camp for youth in Hawaii, and a trip to serve at a mecial clinic in Jamaica (which is being named after the father of Wesley Music Director Adria Schumann). These six teams will involve over seventy adult team members.
The members of these teams have come from Wesley and numerous churches of all stripes: Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Nazarene, Catholic, and others. Thus, Wesley is spreading the blessings of adult mission teams to many other churches, both within Illinois and without. Team members have come from Bloomingon-Normal, Michigan, New York, Kentucky, and within Illinois from the northernmost part of the state all the way down south to Carrier Mills.
Through many people God birthed adult mission teams at Wesley. And in the process, God has rebirthed the lives of more than a hundred servants who have now ventured to "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth". These faithful team members, and the congregants who have supported them emotionally, financially and prayerfully, have truly "stepped out of the boat" and into the deep waters of God's love of all of His children around the world!
It was a God thing. It was what former Oxford professor and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis would call a "Godincidence"!
Wesley UMC (www.wesley-umc.com) had a strong and long history of teen mission trips. The teens of Wesley would travel near and far doing service projects with those in need. But, for whatever reason, like the vast majority of Christian churches, adults going out into the field on mission teams was non-existent.
What had been happening, up until January of 2005, in missions at Wesley, was exactly what does happen even today in most churches: a small Mission Committee within the church decides annually how much money the church will attempt to send to denominational missionairies or ministries. This was exactly what was happening at Wesley.
On July 1st, 2004, Wesley UMC had apponited to serve two ministers: Reverend Vaughn Hoffman, who had been in ministry for twenty-five years and who had served numerous prior United Methodist churches. And, Reverend Stan Irvin, who had just graduated from seminary as a second-career student, and who had only served as the minister of one prior church in New Jersey at the time he was a seminary student.
In August of 2004, after one month of serving Wesley, Reverends Hoffman and Irvin met in the office of Reverend Hoffman, to discuss their hopes, dreams and visions for the future of Wesley.
Amongst the visions which the two men discussed, was the concept of adult mission teams. They discussed one church in particular, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City (Dr. Tim Keller's church, the author of The Reason for God, and The Prodigal God). Redeemer Church annually sent out eighteen adult mission teams, around the globe.
The two ministers agreed that they would like to replicate the work done at Redeemer, and to intiate adult mission teams at Wesley. Revered Hoffman's prior churches had never engaged in any adult mission teams, nor had he or Reverend Irvin ever served on an adult mission trip, but both men agreed that doing such at Wesley would be a direction which they would like to see the church move. Reverend Hoffman was excited about the possibilities this would open for his church, and enthusiastically pushed the concept.
Later that month Reverends Hoffman and Irvin went before the church's Mission Committee. On the committee at that time were Karen McConnell, Marie Williams, Ruth Mauser, and Betty Story. At that meeting Reverends Hoffman and Irvin laid out to the committee the dream of adult mission trips. The committee reacted with full enthusiasm and support for the idea. Their only question was: "Okay, how do we start"?
To that question, neither minister had any answer, other than "Lets pray about how to get going". For, as stated above, neither Reverend Hoffman in his twenty-five years of ministry, nor Reverend Irvin, had ever served on any mission trip.
Then, God stepped in, in a way totally unexpected. The "Godincidence" was continuing to happen in a mighty way ....
Two days after the Missions Committee meeting, Stacey Ash, the Director of Youth Ministries at Wesley, stopped by Reverend Irvin's office to tell him of a phone call she had just received. She reported that a new family had moved to Bloomington, and they were looking for a church home. They wanted a church home which had a good youth program, and a youth choir, in which their daughter Devin, could participate.
Reverend Irvin asked Stacey to schedule a meeting with them, and to invite Wesley's Music Director, Adria Schumann, to the meeting. Stacey returned the call to the parents, and schedule a meeting.
Seven days after the Missions Committee meeting Stacey Ash, Adria Schumann and Reverend Irvin met with the new to Bloomington couple, Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles, in the church's conference room.
For approximately forty-five minutes, the five met and discussed both the youth program and the Jubilation Choir (the teen choir) at Wesley. Rick and Linda asked numerous and extensive questions about the youth aspect of the church, and explained their desire to find a good church home for their daughter.
Rick and Linda finally decided that their questions had been answered, and they rose from their chairs to head to the door.
Then, again ... God stepped in ....
Right when they got to the door, suddenly Rick Vaughn, who is a medical doctor, turned around and asked Stacey, Adria and Stan, "Does your church do adult mission trips"?
Reverend Irvin said "Why do you ask"?
And Dr. Vaughn responded, "Because at my prior church in North Carolina I led six adult mission teams to Nicaragua".
Reverend Irvin said "Have a seat ...."
And the five talked ... about adult mission trips ....
God wasnt done yet. For Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles actually left the decision of what church to attend to Devin, their high school daughter. Devin chose Wesley.
And thus, within only seven days of Reverends Hoffma and Irvin telling the Mission Committee that they had "no idea" how to begin adult mission trips at Wesley due to neither of them having ever served on any mission trip, God stepped in, big time! A "Godincidence" happened right before the eyes of all of Wesley.
In January of 2005 Dr. Rick Vaughn took nine members of Wesley, along with Reverend Irvin, to Nicaragua, where they joined twenty-five members of a team which he had put together prior to leaving his former church. The thirty-five team members did a Medical Mission Trip in Jinotega and Managua, Nicaragua and the surrounding country sides. And in the process, adult mission teams at Wesley United Methodist Church were birthed.
In the process Wesley found out that God doesn't work through any one person. For on this occasion God's plan was in the works long before us mere humans had any idea of what was about to happened. In the process God utilized Redeemer Presbyterian Church far away in New York City to provide the intitial model to replicate, two ministers, the four ladies of Wesley's Mission Committee who readily agreed to the vision, Stacey Ash and Adria Schumann, Rick Vaughn and Linda Miles, along with their daughter Devin. And then God would raise up the team leaders within Wesley, people such as: Karen Daudelin, Ron and Donna Schaad, Doug and Judy Woodburn, Brad and Adria Schumann, and team leaders yet to be anointed.
Finally God stirred the hearts of the people of Wesley, and moved among them to do a mighty thing.
As a result, Wesley has since January of 2005 sent out seven medical mission teams to Nicaragua, seven construction teams to Nicaragua, Alaska and Hawaii, an inland hurricane relief team to Galatia, Illinois, and countless annual hurricane Rita relief teams to Louisianna and Mississippi.
In 2011 Wesley, and churches with which it partners, will send out six separate mission teams. Three teams have already ventured to Nicaragua. Yet to come this year is a hurricane relief trip to Louisanna, a construction trip at a Christian camp for youth in Hawaii, and a trip to serve at a mecial clinic in Jamaica (which is being named after the father of Wesley Music Director Adria Schumann). These six teams will involve over seventy adult team members.
The members of these teams have come from Wesley and numerous churches of all stripes: Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Nazarene, Catholic, and others. Thus, Wesley is spreading the blessings of adult mission teams to many other churches, both within Illinois and without. Team members have come from Bloomingon-Normal, Michigan, New York, Kentucky, and within Illinois from the northernmost part of the state all the way down south to Carrier Mills.
Through many people God birthed adult mission teams at Wesley. And in the process, God has rebirthed the lives of more than a hundred servants who have now ventured to "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth". These faithful team members, and the congregants who have supported them emotionally, financially and prayerfully, have truly "stepped out of the boat" and into the deep waters of God's love of all of His children around the world!
Prayer Request
Please lift up one of our team members, Stan Geison of Bloomington, in your prayers. Stan was ill with a respitory infection prior to coming to Nicaragua. He thought he was mostly over it the morning we left on our trip. It appears that he wasn't fully.
Tuesday night he became ill, and has been since. Yesterday, upon the advice of the missionaries here, he was taken to a hospital in Managua. One of the missionaries, Joel, drove him yesterday - Thursday.
It appears that the travel, the sun, the work outside for two days, and all took its effect, and his prior illnesses flaired up. We was diagnosed at the hospital, and is being treated. The doctors are hoping to release him today, after watching him overnight.
Stan said that he "feels bad about not being able to work". We kept reassuring him that our major concern is his health. We spoke with him last night, and he said the treament by the doctors has made him feel much better.
It isn't uncommon for at least one team member to become ill on about every other trip. Normally they bounce back after a couple of days of rest. However, on the two occasions where a team member has traveled to Nicaragua while still being ill, or just recovering from an illness, the illness has flared up once here and working.
Please continue to pray for Stan, as his family back in Bloomington and we are doing. Pray that God works through the doctors, nurses, medications, treatment, and through God's healing Holy Spirit.
Tuesday night he became ill, and has been since. Yesterday, upon the advice of the missionaries here, he was taken to a hospital in Managua. One of the missionaries, Joel, drove him yesterday - Thursday.
It appears that the travel, the sun, the work outside for two days, and all took its effect, and his prior illnesses flaired up. We was diagnosed at the hospital, and is being treated. The doctors are hoping to release him today, after watching him overnight.
Stan said that he "feels bad about not being able to work". We kept reassuring him that our major concern is his health. We spoke with him last night, and he said the treament by the doctors has made him feel much better.
It isn't uncommon for at least one team member to become ill on about every other trip. Normally they bounce back after a couple of days of rest. However, on the two occasions where a team member has traveled to Nicaragua while still being ill, or just recovering from an illness, the illness has flared up once here and working.
Please continue to pray for Stan, as his family back in Bloomington and we are doing. Pray that God works through the doctors, nurses, medications, treatment, and through God's healing Holy Spirit.
Work Day Four - Thursday, January 27
Yesterday was the fourth day of work on the fence. It was Thursday, January 27, 2011.
Strange, but many of the team seemed to be sleeping longer. In fact, throughout the day, most of the team was moving slower. The sun bears down hard here. It seems to take a toll. It isn't like Illinois, in several respects. For one, Nicaragua doesn't have four seasons, only the two we mentioned before: wet or dry. And like we said in a prior post, we are in the dry season. It lasts from November to about April. Then, for the next six months is the wet season.
The dry season isn't very humid, like in southern Illinois in particular. But, the sun is intense throughout the day. So, working in the sun all day drains us. We have to keep drinking tons of water, but even that doesn't keep us going.
The food, all the rice and beans, actually gives us nutrition and energy. We need it. There is another thing about the food in Nicaragua ... it isn't processed. The overwhelming majority of the people don't run to the drive through at a fast food restaurant (there aren't any except a few in Managua). And, they don't run to the strore for canned or preprocessed food. What they eat is, for the most part, fresh. Without being processed, it doesn't possess all the chemicals or steroids which we in the states pass through our system.
The result is: for the most part the food here is actually easier on, and healthier for, our systems.
Does it seem strange to think, that for the most part Nicaraguans, in the midst of their poverty, eat healthier than do us in the states!
For lacking the chemicals of all of our processed food, it stays in us better, and passes through us easier.
And in its simplicity, it is very good. This has been a surprise for many of our new team members.
After breakfast (which by now you've guessed that every meal here includes rice and beans in various varients), we headed again to the fields and our various tasks. Some of us switched off, to experience new jobs. In doing such, on some we succeed, and on others we found out why we don't do them (you'll have to ask a certain minister on our team about his newly acquired welding skills, or not).
By the end of the day, despite the sun, progress had still been made, as the fence inched north, towards its corner destination prior to turning west for the third run of the fence.
Following work we had our nightly devotions. Once again they went well. This year we are blessed by a team member, Cleve Curry, who brought his guitar and has a smooth Roy Rogers-like singing voice.
We are all noticing something: this year's team gets along better than any prior team. We enjoy being around one another. There has truly been a strong bond, and caring atmosphere, in a fun, spirited way, among our team this year.
God is good, all the time!
Strange, but many of the team seemed to be sleeping longer. In fact, throughout the day, most of the team was moving slower. The sun bears down hard here. It seems to take a toll. It isn't like Illinois, in several respects. For one, Nicaragua doesn't have four seasons, only the two we mentioned before: wet or dry. And like we said in a prior post, we are in the dry season. It lasts from November to about April. Then, for the next six months is the wet season.
The dry season isn't very humid, like in southern Illinois in particular. But, the sun is intense throughout the day. So, working in the sun all day drains us. We have to keep drinking tons of water, but even that doesn't keep us going.
The food, all the rice and beans, actually gives us nutrition and energy. We need it. There is another thing about the food in Nicaragua ... it isn't processed. The overwhelming majority of the people don't run to the drive through at a fast food restaurant (there aren't any except a few in Managua). And, they don't run to the strore for canned or preprocessed food. What they eat is, for the most part, fresh. Without being processed, it doesn't possess all the chemicals or steroids which we in the states pass through our system.
The result is: for the most part the food here is actually easier on, and healthier for, our systems.
Does it seem strange to think, that for the most part Nicaraguans, in the midst of their poverty, eat healthier than do us in the states!
For lacking the chemicals of all of our processed food, it stays in us better, and passes through us easier.
And in its simplicity, it is very good. This has been a surprise for many of our new team members.
After breakfast (which by now you've guessed that every meal here includes rice and beans in various varients), we headed again to the fields and our various tasks. Some of us switched off, to experience new jobs. In doing such, on some we succeed, and on others we found out why we don't do them (you'll have to ask a certain minister on our team about his newly acquired welding skills, or not).
By the end of the day, despite the sun, progress had still been made, as the fence inched north, towards its corner destination prior to turning west for the third run of the fence.
Following work we had our nightly devotions. Once again they went well. This year we are blessed by a team member, Cleve Curry, who brought his guitar and has a smooth Roy Rogers-like singing voice.
We are all noticing something: this year's team gets along better than any prior team. We enjoy being around one another. There has truly been a strong bond, and caring atmosphere, in a fun, spirited way, among our team this year.
God is good, all the time!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Team Member - Gary Pritts
Gary Pritts, 49 years of age (until February 1st, 2011), is the most veteran mission team member on the trip. He has served on more than thirty mission trips!
Gary has traveled on mission teams to Kenya in Africa, to the Yucatan in Mexico, to Ecuador, and four times to Nicaragua, as well as all over the United States ... from hurricane Rita relief in Louisana, to soup kitchens in New York City, to rehab of homes in Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and numerous other mission projects locally, nationally and internationally.
His wife Kathi is the Director of Christian Education at Wesley United Methodist Church, where Gary is a member. They have two children.
He works as a contractor in the J & G Integrity Builders of Bloomington, which he is partners in with Josh Houtzel (who was a member of this year's first construction mission team working on the fence).
Gary goes on mission trips because "at first I went because I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. I was a chaperone for a high school mission team. It was a fun thing. But, I gained more in my relationship with God. I did more by myself by serving, than I did for others. I gained more out of it than I gave".
"You don't go just to get something on your passport", Gary reflected. "Otherwise I'd think I'm God's gift to the project ... which is the wrong way to think of it".
This is Gary's fourth mission trip to Nicaragua, all here at the orphange in Los Cedros. He has worked on the additional to the boy's home; the security fence around the boy's home; on last year's initial work on the security fence around the orphanage complex; and this year's work on the security fence.
On this trip Gary has worked as: a welder on the fence, a repairer of numerous problems around the orphanage, erecting the fence, and various odd jobs and special projects.
What does Gary like about Nicaragua? "The people at the orphanage ... the children, but also spending time with the missionaries such as Joel, and seeing what is going on in his life, as well as the other workers at the orphanage", stated Gary. "I've really also enjoyed talking with Mark Randall, another missionary here, to find out about his life, his ministry, where all he has lived, and what he is doing".
Gary said that what has most impacted him on this trip on a personal level has been "the fun with the people. This has been a really good trip. All the team really got along, and have had a great report."
Spiritually Gary has been moved by the "growth in the people on the trip ... which can only be explained by God working in different people to show themselves and the people around them that anything is possible ... God can do anything through any person".
"I wish everyone could and would make the opportunity to let go of the comfortfulness of their life, take a step forward, and realize that they will get back more than what they put in" Gary concluded. "It is easy to say 'I'm needed at work', but ... where you might be really needed is here"!
Gary has traveled on mission teams to Kenya in Africa, to the Yucatan in Mexico, to Ecuador, and four times to Nicaragua, as well as all over the United States ... from hurricane Rita relief in Louisana, to soup kitchens in New York City, to rehab of homes in Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and numerous other mission projects locally, nationally and internationally.
His wife Kathi is the Director of Christian Education at Wesley United Methodist Church, where Gary is a member. They have two children.
He works as a contractor in the J & G Integrity Builders of Bloomington, which he is partners in with Josh Houtzel (who was a member of this year's first construction mission team working on the fence).
Gary goes on mission trips because "at first I went because I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. I was a chaperone for a high school mission team. It was a fun thing. But, I gained more in my relationship with God. I did more by myself by serving, than I did for others. I gained more out of it than I gave".
"You don't go just to get something on your passport", Gary reflected. "Otherwise I'd think I'm God's gift to the project ... which is the wrong way to think of it".
This is Gary's fourth mission trip to Nicaragua, all here at the orphange in Los Cedros. He has worked on the additional to the boy's home; the security fence around the boy's home; on last year's initial work on the security fence around the orphanage complex; and this year's work on the security fence.
On this trip Gary has worked as: a welder on the fence, a repairer of numerous problems around the orphanage, erecting the fence, and various odd jobs and special projects.
What does Gary like about Nicaragua? "The people at the orphanage ... the children, but also spending time with the missionaries such as Joel, and seeing what is going on in his life, as well as the other workers at the orphanage", stated Gary. "I've really also enjoyed talking with Mark Randall, another missionary here, to find out about his life, his ministry, where all he has lived, and what he is doing".
Gary said that what has most impacted him on this trip on a personal level has been "the fun with the people. This has been a really good trip. All the team really got along, and have had a great report."
Spiritually Gary has been moved by the "growth in the people on the trip ... which can only be explained by God working in different people to show themselves and the people around them that anything is possible ... God can do anything through any person".
"I wish everyone could and would make the opportunity to let go of the comfortfulness of their life, take a step forward, and realize that they will get back more than what they put in" Gary concluded. "It is easy to say 'I'm needed at work', but ... where you might be really needed is here"!
Team Member - Margaret Naylor
Margaret Naylor, 41 years of age, is a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington.
This is Margaret's fourth mission trip to the orphanage here in Los Cedros, Nicaragua. On her prior trips she worked on the addition to the boy's home in 2008; the security fence around the boy's home at the orphanage in 2009; the first work on the security fence in 2010; and this year's continued work on the security fence.
Margaret is a gourmet chef. She has worked as a chef in numerous restaurants, and is currently moving towards possible mission work.
The first time she joined the mission team, in 2008, was because Reverend Vaughn Hoffman, the senior minister at Wesley United Methodist Church, asked if she would like to go to Nicaragua to replace a person who had to unexpectedly change their plans on traveling to Nicaragua. She had never done anything like it before. "It was so completely out of my self-absorbed realm, that it made total sense, and I never thought that I wasn't going".
"Since then I've never looked back" Margaret mused. "I tend to stew on things, but now I know that this is what I'm 'sposed to be doing".
On this trip Margaret has been prepping the fence poles, cleaning the poles, painted the poles, welded the poles, and carried poles into the field. "I was in the machine shop most of the time working this year".
"Speaking to Carlita, the woman who cleans the villas and cooks for us, has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of this year", Margaret said. "Last year I knew no Spanish, but for this year I boned up, and could actually speak with her, and found out about her ... learning that she has two daughters, loves to sing, and has a great appreciation of my hair"! Margaret laughed upon reflecting upon that, and her fondness for the person that Carlita is.
"The Nicaraguan aspect always reminds me of how 'not poor' I am. In the states I think I'm poor. But, being here changes my perspective" Margaret shared.
"What is different this time is that I've allowed myself to spend time with the orphan babies and children. I had never done that before. This year I played with them on the swings, talked with them, I let them teach me little things about themselves. I had never done that before". Margaret said that she really enjoyed such this year. Then she paused and added, "But now I'm afraid to say good-bye to them".
Margaret has led the team's devotions this year, which has been a progress in her spiritual life. Margaret said that in 2008, her first year, that she had never even been in a devotion group, nor knew what such was. "Last year, I did the devotions, and while I felt I was nervous about doing it, I did them. But this year, it has been so much easier to do".
In fact, being in and doing devotions, as well as serving on the mission teams, has impacted Margaret so much that she has been going through the process of herself become a missionary. In 2009 Margaret began the process to become a full-time missionary through Globe International, the umbrella organization over the orphanage in Los Cedros. She has now completed the process, and is a "mission volunteer" via Globe International. Her hope and prayer is to some day enter the mission field.
"This year has been a lot of fun. Joy has to be in a mission trip some where. Joy has been present this year. And, it has been funny many times this year. For me, this year, it has been nice to see how 'sweet' the men have been together ... I'm the only woman on this year's team ... and it has been good to see how well they interact together ... in the most 'manly' sense of course!" Margaret laughed. "You know, at times I feel like I've been allowed into their locker room"!
Would Margaret recommend mission trips? "I would" Margaret answered without hesitation. "Why, do people say 'no'?" Then, pausing and getting serious, Margaret shared "It has changed the way that I saw my life unfolding. I'd love for women to get out here. I'd love to see women 'man up', a little Palin thing! Leave their curling irons behind, and get out here and work"!
This is Margaret's fourth mission trip to the orphanage here in Los Cedros, Nicaragua. On her prior trips she worked on the addition to the boy's home in 2008; the security fence around the boy's home at the orphanage in 2009; the first work on the security fence in 2010; and this year's continued work on the security fence.
Margaret is a gourmet chef. She has worked as a chef in numerous restaurants, and is currently moving towards possible mission work.
The first time she joined the mission team, in 2008, was because Reverend Vaughn Hoffman, the senior minister at Wesley United Methodist Church, asked if she would like to go to Nicaragua to replace a person who had to unexpectedly change their plans on traveling to Nicaragua. She had never done anything like it before. "It was so completely out of my self-absorbed realm, that it made total sense, and I never thought that I wasn't going".
"Since then I've never looked back" Margaret mused. "I tend to stew on things, but now I know that this is what I'm 'sposed to be doing".
On this trip Margaret has been prepping the fence poles, cleaning the poles, painted the poles, welded the poles, and carried poles into the field. "I was in the machine shop most of the time working this year".
"Speaking to Carlita, the woman who cleans the villas and cooks for us, has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of this year", Margaret said. "Last year I knew no Spanish, but for this year I boned up, and could actually speak with her, and found out about her ... learning that she has two daughters, loves to sing, and has a great appreciation of my hair"! Margaret laughed upon reflecting upon that, and her fondness for the person that Carlita is.
"The Nicaraguan aspect always reminds me of how 'not poor' I am. In the states I think I'm poor. But, being here changes my perspective" Margaret shared.
"What is different this time is that I've allowed myself to spend time with the orphan babies and children. I had never done that before. This year I played with them on the swings, talked with them, I let them teach me little things about themselves. I had never done that before". Margaret said that she really enjoyed such this year. Then she paused and added, "But now I'm afraid to say good-bye to them".
Margaret has led the team's devotions this year, which has been a progress in her spiritual life. Margaret said that in 2008, her first year, that she had never even been in a devotion group, nor knew what such was. "Last year, I did the devotions, and while I felt I was nervous about doing it, I did them. But this year, it has been so much easier to do".
In fact, being in and doing devotions, as well as serving on the mission teams, has impacted Margaret so much that she has been going through the process of herself become a missionary. In 2009 Margaret began the process to become a full-time missionary through Globe International, the umbrella organization over the orphanage in Los Cedros. She has now completed the process, and is a "mission volunteer" via Globe International. Her hope and prayer is to some day enter the mission field.
"This year has been a lot of fun. Joy has to be in a mission trip some where. Joy has been present this year. And, it has been funny many times this year. For me, this year, it has been nice to see how 'sweet' the men have been together ... I'm the only woman on this year's team ... and it has been good to see how well they interact together ... in the most 'manly' sense of course!" Margaret laughed. "You know, at times I feel like I've been allowed into their locker room"!
Would Margaret recommend mission trips? "I would" Margaret answered without hesitation. "Why, do people say 'no'?" Then, pausing and getting serious, Margaret shared "It has changed the way that I saw my life unfolding. I'd love for women to get out here. I'd love to see women 'man up', a little Palin thing! Leave their curling irons behind, and get out here and work"!
Team Member - Bill Tolone
Bill Tolone, 71 years of age, is a veteran of nine mission teams.
He is a member of Saint Mary's Church in Bloomington, Illinois. He is a retired professor of Sociology at Illinois State University, where he taught for thirty-three years. Prior to teaching at ISU, he served as a professor at Rockhurst College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
He and his wife, Carol, have four children, then grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Bill has been to Nicaragua twice before. He served on a Habitat for Humanity build at Tipi Tapa, Nicaragua in 2008. In 2010 he joined the mission team from Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, and was a member of the team which began the security fence project at the orphanage in Los Cedros.
His prime job this trip has been as the "chief grinder" in the bodega. On the last day of this trip he hopes to try his hand at welding pipe sections for the fence. As "chief grinder" he has supervised and trained many of our team members in the fine art of grinding pipes!
Ron Schaad, whom Bill met through Habitat work, was the person who invited Bill to join one of the construction teams. The first time that Ron offered, Bill didn't accept the offer. It wasn't until the second chance that Bill joined the team. Bill said, upon taking up the offer, that "I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world"!
"You know there are a few things you put first, like family. But, for the good that we think we can do in doing Gods work, this really impacts the kids, the orphan children here at Los Cedros", Bill reflected. "There is a chance to meet people of faiths and walks of life on these trips. This has been a very enlightening experience.
We learn how much more we have in common than the things that have appeared to make us different. And, similar to the work of Habitat for Humanity, we band together to help the needs of others, not just focusing upon our own situations in life", Bill stated.
What was the most important aspect of this week for Bill? He said, the evening devotions have impacted him, for "It is a chance for sharing with the other team members our own experiences ... it is disclosing how we feel about what we are doing, and how this relates from Nicaragua back to our lives in Illinois", he stated.
Bill has learned in life to "think globally, but act locally ... and wherever you are, you are acting locally"!
"I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is able to do it. The experience changes you in ways that you may not even anticipate, for the better in ways you may not ever expect". Bill said that he has heard the saying that "we think we are building the project, but the project is actually building us"!
Bill said that he really appreciates the opportunity to go on these trips. He hopes he is able to do so even more in the future.
He is a member of Saint Mary's Church in Bloomington, Illinois. He is a retired professor of Sociology at Illinois State University, where he taught for thirty-three years. Prior to teaching at ISU, he served as a professor at Rockhurst College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
He and his wife, Carol, have four children, then grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Bill has been to Nicaragua twice before. He served on a Habitat for Humanity build at Tipi Tapa, Nicaragua in 2008. In 2010 he joined the mission team from Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, and was a member of the team which began the security fence project at the orphanage in Los Cedros.
His prime job this trip has been as the "chief grinder" in the bodega. On the last day of this trip he hopes to try his hand at welding pipe sections for the fence. As "chief grinder" he has supervised and trained many of our team members in the fine art of grinding pipes!
Ron Schaad, whom Bill met through Habitat work, was the person who invited Bill to join one of the construction teams. The first time that Ron offered, Bill didn't accept the offer. It wasn't until the second chance that Bill joined the team. Bill said, upon taking up the offer, that "I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world"!
"You know there are a few things you put first, like family. But, for the good that we think we can do in doing Gods work, this really impacts the kids, the orphan children here at Los Cedros", Bill reflected. "There is a chance to meet people of faiths and walks of life on these trips. This has been a very enlightening experience.
We learn how much more we have in common than the things that have appeared to make us different. And, similar to the work of Habitat for Humanity, we band together to help the needs of others, not just focusing upon our own situations in life", Bill stated.
What was the most important aspect of this week for Bill? He said, the evening devotions have impacted him, for "It is a chance for sharing with the other team members our own experiences ... it is disclosing how we feel about what we are doing, and how this relates from Nicaragua back to our lives in Illinois", he stated.
Bill has learned in life to "think globally, but act locally ... and wherever you are, you are acting locally"!
"I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is able to do it. The experience changes you in ways that you may not even anticipate, for the better in ways you may not ever expect". Bill said that he has heard the saying that "we think we are building the project, but the project is actually building us"!
Bill said that he really appreciates the opportunity to go on these trips. He hopes he is able to do so even more in the future.
Team Member - Jeff Parks
Jeff Parks, 45 years of age, is from Carrier Mills, Illinois. A member of the First United Methodist Church of Carrier Mills, Jeff is on his first mission trip.
Jeff has worked for the city of Carrier Mills for twenty-five years. He is also a volunteer member of the local fire department. He and his wife, Dana, have two sons.
He joined the Construction Mission Team after hearing his minister tell about all that was being done at the orphanage for the children and babies. Upon hearing about what was happening and the purpose of the fence, Jeff thought that it would be a good thing to try to help out others who were not so fortunate as he has felt he has been back in the states.
Jeff has done various jobs on the team. His prime job has been welding in the field the sections of the fence. But, he has also ground pipes, painted pipes on the fence posts in the field, helped to set sections of the fence, and helped to erect the fence.
Upon seeing Nicaragua he said that "seeing the people here has opened my eyes by seeing what they live in, seeing their homes". He said that the Nicaraguan people are "very nice, but I wish I could understand them". "I think they are very hard workers, from what I've seen".
What has most impacted Jeff so far this week are the children at the orphanage. "These kids, this is all they have. They have no parents. They have to rely on the people at the orphanage to take care of them".
Jeff said that he'd recommend this mission trip to others. He said that "I've been excited about coming down here, seeing another country, and taking a chance to help other people". According to Jeff, all that he has seen and expected to accomplish has exceeded his expectations!
Jeff has worked for the city of Carrier Mills for twenty-five years. He is also a volunteer member of the local fire department. He and his wife, Dana, have two sons.
He joined the Construction Mission Team after hearing his minister tell about all that was being done at the orphanage for the children and babies. Upon hearing about what was happening and the purpose of the fence, Jeff thought that it would be a good thing to try to help out others who were not so fortunate as he has felt he has been back in the states.
Jeff has done various jobs on the team. His prime job has been welding in the field the sections of the fence. But, he has also ground pipes, painted pipes on the fence posts in the field, helped to set sections of the fence, and helped to erect the fence.
Upon seeing Nicaragua he said that "seeing the people here has opened my eyes by seeing what they live in, seeing their homes". He said that the Nicaraguan people are "very nice, but I wish I could understand them". "I think they are very hard workers, from what I've seen".
What has most impacted Jeff so far this week are the children at the orphanage. "These kids, this is all they have. They have no parents. They have to rely on the people at the orphanage to take care of them".
Jeff said that he'd recommend this mission trip to others. He said that "I've been excited about coming down here, seeing another country, and taking a chance to help other people". According to Jeff, all that he has seen and expected to accomplish has exceeded his expectations!
Team Member - Bruce Bohall
Bruce Bohall, sixty-two years of age, is a veteran of approximately fifteen mission trips across the country, ranging from beach work camps, to home repairs, and to work on a youth camp in Hawaii.
A member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Bruce is married with two sons. Bruce is retired from State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, where he worked in data processing.
Hearing about this trip through Ron Schaad, the team leader, Bruce signed up. He has been working primarily as a welder on the sections of the fence pipes, plus he has assisted in hanging the security fence sections.
"I enjoyed the church service at Verbos in Managua. I knew the songs there were singing, recognizing the tunes. I just didn't know their words", said Bruce.
"The work has been hot", Bruce stated. "But, I've enjoyed it".
"I'd recommend that everyone come and try working here in Managua. It has been a new experience for me, but it has been fun" Bruce concluded.
A member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Bruce is married with two sons. Bruce is retired from State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, where he worked in data processing.
Hearing about this trip through Ron Schaad, the team leader, Bruce signed up. He has been working primarily as a welder on the sections of the fence pipes, plus he has assisted in hanging the security fence sections.
"I enjoyed the church service at Verbos in Managua. I knew the songs there were singing, recognizing the tunes. I just didn't know their words", said Bruce.
"The work has been hot", Bruce stated. "But, I've enjoyed it".
"I'd recommend that everyone come and try working here in Managua. It has been a new experience for me, but it has been fun" Bruce concluded.
Team Member - Adam Nichols
Adam Nichols is the youngest member of our Construction Missoin Team at twenty years of age.
A member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, and a graduate of Bloomington High School, Adam is an experienced mission team participant. As a teen at Wesley he went on two mission trips. The first was a soup kitchen and homeless shelter ministry with the Wesley Youth Group in 2002, where approximately eighty teens participated in the mission trip.
Adam joined this team to get an opportunity to come and help in Nicaragua. He had heard about it at Wesley Church, and from his two employers Josh Houtzel and Gary Pritts (themselves veteren mission team members).
"It has been a great experience. I really hope to come back in the future ..." Adam stated. His high point of the trip to date has been "learning about Nicaragua and meeting new people". "I'd recommend this trip, or a mission trip, to anyone".
While here Adam has been grinding pipes to fit cross sections of the fence and digging post holes.
His hope is to return on a future misson trip to Nicaragua.
A member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, and a graduate of Bloomington High School, Adam is an experienced mission team participant. As a teen at Wesley he went on two mission trips. The first was a soup kitchen and homeless shelter ministry with the Wesley Youth Group in 2002, where approximately eighty teens participated in the mission trip.
Adam joined this team to get an opportunity to come and help in Nicaragua. He had heard about it at Wesley Church, and from his two employers Josh Houtzel and Gary Pritts (themselves veteren mission team members).
"It has been a great experience. I really hope to come back in the future ..." Adam stated. His high point of the trip to date has been "learning about Nicaragua and meeting new people". "I'd recommend this trip, or a mission trip, to anyone".
While here Adam has been grinding pipes to fit cross sections of the fence and digging post holes.
His hope is to return on a future misson trip to Nicaragua.
About Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the second most "economically challenged" country in the Western Hemisphere. Only Haiti has a higher poverty level.
Approximatively one-third of the residents of Nicaragua live in it's capitol city, Managua. The remaining live in the numerous small villages and in the mountains and jungle areas of Nicaragua.
There is no real middle class in Nicaragua. A few are wealthy, but the vast majority of Nicaragua live below the poverty level. According to many estimates, about one-half of Nicaraguans live on less than one dollar per day. Some studies put the unemployment rate of Nicaragua at around fifty per cent.
The country itself is beautiful. Having two seasons: dry and rainy, the landscape is lush and vibrant in its colors. It has a tropical climate, with the days in the dry season consistently running in the 80s and 90s. Quite often there is a tropical breeze blowing, which brings a pleasant dry atmosphere to the land.
The mountainous areas are stunning in their beauty. While travel can be difficult, particularly during the rainy season when roads can be washed away, it is well worth it. In the remote mountain areas one feels as if one has headed back into nature as it first was. It has a virgin feel to it, in its rough yet inviting aura.
Managua itself is a study in contrast. One can find modern city buildings, next to the most poor of conditions. The city is bustling with overcrowded buses (often "retired" yellow school buses from the United States), multitudes of motorcycles, bicycles, and horse or ox drawn carts.
The people of Nicaragua are amazing. While the vast majority have little, their joy is overwhelming. They are content with what God has blessed. They love their country and their culture. There is a pride in Nicaraguan heritage. Smiles come easily upon their faces. Their attitude is one of acceptance, contentment, hospitality, ease, and happiness ... even when by "our" standards, they don't possess what we too often mistakenly believe would make one happy.
Christianity is strong in Nicaragua, to a degree. Mostly either Catholic or a mixture of non-denominational Protestants, there is little individual denominational breakdown as in the United States. The Protestant churches band together and operate largely as one. Their worship services are more lively and vibrant than are most in the United States. And their faith is strong. They give high importance to their ministers, and treat them with the greatest respect. And their ministers love their people.
It is hard to put into words the "spirit of Nicaragua". One has to experience it. Imagine the joy of children, spread through all the people. THAT is Nicaragua!
Approximatively one-third of the residents of Nicaragua live in it's capitol city, Managua. The remaining live in the numerous small villages and in the mountains and jungle areas of Nicaragua.
There is no real middle class in Nicaragua. A few are wealthy, but the vast majority of Nicaragua live below the poverty level. According to many estimates, about one-half of Nicaraguans live on less than one dollar per day. Some studies put the unemployment rate of Nicaragua at around fifty per cent.
The country itself is beautiful. Having two seasons: dry and rainy, the landscape is lush and vibrant in its colors. It has a tropical climate, with the days in the dry season consistently running in the 80s and 90s. Quite often there is a tropical breeze blowing, which brings a pleasant dry atmosphere to the land.
The mountainous areas are stunning in their beauty. While travel can be difficult, particularly during the rainy season when roads can be washed away, it is well worth it. In the remote mountain areas one feels as if one has headed back into nature as it first was. It has a virgin feel to it, in its rough yet inviting aura.
Managua itself is a study in contrast. One can find modern city buildings, next to the most poor of conditions. The city is bustling with overcrowded buses (often "retired" yellow school buses from the United States), multitudes of motorcycles, bicycles, and horse or ox drawn carts.
The people of Nicaragua are amazing. While the vast majority have little, their joy is overwhelming. They are content with what God has blessed. They love their country and their culture. There is a pride in Nicaraguan heritage. Smiles come easily upon their faces. Their attitude is one of acceptance, contentment, hospitality, ease, and happiness ... even when by "our" standards, they don't possess what we too often mistakenly believe would make one happy.
Christianity is strong in Nicaragua, to a degree. Mostly either Catholic or a mixture of non-denominational Protestants, there is little individual denominational breakdown as in the United States. The Protestant churches band together and operate largely as one. Their worship services are more lively and vibrant than are most in the United States. And their faith is strong. They give high importance to their ministers, and treat them with the greatest respect. And their ministers love their people.
It is hard to put into words the "spirit of Nicaragua". One has to experience it. Imagine the joy of children, spread through all the people. THAT is Nicaragua!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 26th, Day Three of Work
Today we awoke with one of our team members sick, Stan Geison from Bloomington Wesley UMC.
Sometimes this happens on mission trips from various reasons: dehydration, over heating, something in the food, an accidental intake of water that hasn't been purified. In fact, an ill team member happens about every other mission trip. But, that is one of the side effects of missions and traveling to third world countries.
Yet, knowing such, still Christians from around the world continue to go throughout God's kingdom to do the work of building "God's kingdom come, on this earth, as it is in heaven". Please join with us in raising Stan Geison up in prayer, and for his speedy recovery.
After caring for Stan Geison, and obtaining some local medical assitance from the wife of one of the orphanage missionaires whom herself is a doctor, we prepared for another day of work ... day three ... hump day.
We had another excellent, and nutritous breakfast ... rice and beans, or was it beans and rice ... with some white sauce that is used in the beans, a Nicaraguan styled pancake, and fresh oranges.
Then we applied our sunscreen, put on our hats and gloves, and headed to our jobs. All of the positions were the same as the day before, with the various sub-teams: cutters and grinders of the pipes, painters of the pipes, assemblers of the sections, hole diggers with an auger, welders, those who planted and placed cement in the holes with the posts upright in them, and those who lifted up the fencing and held it in place until it was tack welded.
From 8 am until 4:45 pm, we worked throughout the day, except for lunch and a short time of rest following lunch during the high noon temps.
Our mission team was joined by two of the missionaries, and some of the local laborers in working on the fence, thus our progress moved rapidly today. Part of it is our functioning as a team, or an engine. We know our jobs and have learned our skills.
At one point during the day sparks flew from the tack welding of a portion of the fence into the dry brush on the side of the fence. Instantly a flash brush fire erupted, requiring our "fire marshall" and other team members to pitch in with shovels and a bucket of water to quash the fire prior to its spreading too rapidly.
We are in the middle of the dry season, thus field fires are one of the greatest dangers for the orphanage. There are no local fire departments to respond, thus any fire fighting is left to the locals ... this time, us.
We were surprised by how quickly the fire spread, and were relieved in getting it under control.
Other than that, the day was productive and smooth in all respects as section after section of the fence was completed and we moved north along the fence line towards our targeted destination.
At the end of the work day we were surprised when Joel, one of the missionaries, invited us to his nearby home, and held a cookout for us, and to celebrate his wife being newly "with child". His outdoor cooking on a grill was excellent, as we enjoyed barbeque chicken and potato skins under the early evening Nicaraguan sky.
After returning to our villas, we held our nightly devotion, led by Margaret Naylor. Upon the completion of the devotion we held our normal "business meeting" to plan the next day's work. Then we retired to relax, visit, and chill for a while.
The sky in Nicaragua at night is beautiful. The stars are so vibrant, and show constellations which we never see in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is a different world here, with the brilliantly lit night, the geckos chirping, an occasional bat flying at lightening speed over our heads, and the cool evening tropical breeze. In Nicaragua, we can feel that ... God is good ... all the time!
Sometimes this happens on mission trips from various reasons: dehydration, over heating, something in the food, an accidental intake of water that hasn't been purified. In fact, an ill team member happens about every other mission trip. But, that is one of the side effects of missions and traveling to third world countries.
Yet, knowing such, still Christians from around the world continue to go throughout God's kingdom to do the work of building "God's kingdom come, on this earth, as it is in heaven". Please join with us in raising Stan Geison up in prayer, and for his speedy recovery.
After caring for Stan Geison, and obtaining some local medical assitance from the wife of one of the orphanage missionaires whom herself is a doctor, we prepared for another day of work ... day three ... hump day.
We had another excellent, and nutritous breakfast ... rice and beans, or was it beans and rice ... with some white sauce that is used in the beans, a Nicaraguan styled pancake, and fresh oranges.
Then we applied our sunscreen, put on our hats and gloves, and headed to our jobs. All of the positions were the same as the day before, with the various sub-teams: cutters and grinders of the pipes, painters of the pipes, assemblers of the sections, hole diggers with an auger, welders, those who planted and placed cement in the holes with the posts upright in them, and those who lifted up the fencing and held it in place until it was tack welded.
From 8 am until 4:45 pm, we worked throughout the day, except for lunch and a short time of rest following lunch during the high noon temps.
Our mission team was joined by two of the missionaries, and some of the local laborers in working on the fence, thus our progress moved rapidly today. Part of it is our functioning as a team, or an engine. We know our jobs and have learned our skills.
At one point during the day sparks flew from the tack welding of a portion of the fence into the dry brush on the side of the fence. Instantly a flash brush fire erupted, requiring our "fire marshall" and other team members to pitch in with shovels and a bucket of water to quash the fire prior to its spreading too rapidly.
We are in the middle of the dry season, thus field fires are one of the greatest dangers for the orphanage. There are no local fire departments to respond, thus any fire fighting is left to the locals ... this time, us.
We were surprised by how quickly the fire spread, and were relieved in getting it under control.
Other than that, the day was productive and smooth in all respects as section after section of the fence was completed and we moved north along the fence line towards our targeted destination.
At the end of the work day we were surprised when Joel, one of the missionaries, invited us to his nearby home, and held a cookout for us, and to celebrate his wife being newly "with child". His outdoor cooking on a grill was excellent, as we enjoyed barbeque chicken and potato skins under the early evening Nicaraguan sky.
After returning to our villas, we held our nightly devotion, led by Margaret Naylor. Upon the completion of the devotion we held our normal "business meeting" to plan the next day's work. Then we retired to relax, visit, and chill for a while.
The sky in Nicaragua at night is beautiful. The stars are so vibrant, and show constellations which we never see in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is a different world here, with the brilliantly lit night, the geckos chirping, an occasional bat flying at lightening speed over our heads, and the cool evening tropical breeze. In Nicaragua, we can feel that ... God is good ... all the time!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Nicaraguan Construction Mission Trip Team II Day Four
Day four, the second day of work ....
Getting up this morning was a little harder, but the early risers still rose with the birds. Okay, maybe a little after the birds, but 5 am is pretty early!
Breakfast again was outstanding, prepping us for our second day of work.
Ron, our leader, was pleased with our first day of progress. Our new team members were quickly picking up new skills. Some of us have never welded before, ground pipes, nor erected a security fence. For many, this was totally new work. Others of us, however, have done this, both in Nicaragua and back home.
The newbies were assisted and tutored by the Mission Trip vets. We are blessed with many extremely fast learners.
Besides continuing work in the major areas: cutting and grinding pipes, painting the pipes for rust proofing, and stretching and erecting fencing, ... our team members also began assisting the orphanage in other sundry but much needed projects. For instance, Gary Pritts installed a water valve on the orphanage's water purification system, as well as installing a special light bulb which kills the bacteria in the water in the complex's water system. And Ron Schaad wired and installed a microwave for the Dining Hall.
Our work was hard throughout the day. But, we were aided by a strong breeze all day. And, we are blessed and pleased to be assisted by three of the teen orphanage boys who live here at the orphanage in the boy's home.
At the end of the work day we showered and felt so much better, then we ate. We had: rice and beans ....
Each night we join together for devotions. However, prior to tonight's devotion, we were asked to go to the Dining Hall to assist the cooks there. When we got there we were surprised by the tables being set for a birthday party. Two of our members, Ron Schaad and Cleve Curry, had birthdays this week. Thus, the interns here at the orphanage, Michelle and Karla, had prepared a cake for our birthday boys! We actually had cake and ice cream in the remote of Nicaragua! It was excellent!
Following devotions we have spent the evening just chilling. Talking, visiting, reading, checking out e-mails, and relaxing.
For tomorrow, Wednesday, brings another day of fencing ....
Getting up this morning was a little harder, but the early risers still rose with the birds. Okay, maybe a little after the birds, but 5 am is pretty early!
Breakfast again was outstanding, prepping us for our second day of work.
Ron, our leader, was pleased with our first day of progress. Our new team members were quickly picking up new skills. Some of us have never welded before, ground pipes, nor erected a security fence. For many, this was totally new work. Others of us, however, have done this, both in Nicaragua and back home.
The newbies were assisted and tutored by the Mission Trip vets. We are blessed with many extremely fast learners.
Besides continuing work in the major areas: cutting and grinding pipes, painting the pipes for rust proofing, and stretching and erecting fencing, ... our team members also began assisting the orphanage in other sundry but much needed projects. For instance, Gary Pritts installed a water valve on the orphanage's water purification system, as well as installing a special light bulb which kills the bacteria in the water in the complex's water system. And Ron Schaad wired and installed a microwave for the Dining Hall.
Our work was hard throughout the day. But, we were aided by a strong breeze all day. And, we are blessed and pleased to be assisted by three of the teen orphanage boys who live here at the orphanage in the boy's home.
At the end of the work day we showered and felt so much better, then we ate. We had: rice and beans ....
Each night we join together for devotions. However, prior to tonight's devotion, we were asked to go to the Dining Hall to assist the cooks there. When we got there we were surprised by the tables being set for a birthday party. Two of our members, Ron Schaad and Cleve Curry, had birthdays this week. Thus, the interns here at the orphanage, Michelle and Karla, had prepared a cake for our birthday boys! We actually had cake and ice cream in the remote of Nicaragua! It was excellent!
Following devotions we have spent the evening just chilling. Talking, visiting, reading, checking out e-mails, and relaxing.
For tomorrow, Wednesday, brings another day of fencing ....
Nicaraguan Construction Mission Trip Team II Day Three
It finally came ... work! And we were pumped!
We got up early, some of us at 5 am. The mornings here are beautiful: that gentle tropical breeze, the palm trees rustling, the parrots and various Central American birds searching for their breakfast, the sun rising.
Coffee was prepared in the Dining Hall at 6 am. The coffee here is the best, much better than Starbucks! Smooth and rich. And the breakfasts: rice and beans, fresh white pineapple, freshly made fruit juice, and various breakfast items. The breakfast was so good that we knew our team leader was up to something.
He was. Ron fed us, then he set us to work. And work we did.
The team divided into various sub-parts. Some of us cut and ground pipes, others used an auger to dig post holes, a couple painted the freshly cut pipes to rust proof them, and our most "highly paid" members welded the sections together.
The prior team had made amazing progress, adding a good deal of fencing to what the initial team laid in 2010. They had picked up on the south side of the complex, and then began heading north along the east side of the twenty-two acres. Our job was to carry on, and head as far north as we could, towards the road on the north side of the complex.
From around 8 am until noon we continued the work, making excellent progress on digging new three foot deep holes, and assembling the fence posts and materials to enclose the east side.
At noon we broke for lunch: rice and beans, a meat stew on top of the rice, fresh papaya fruit, fruit juice newly squeezed ... an outstanding lunch. And, we were hot and ready to chow down!
The temperature on the first full day of work was hotter than any of us returnees could recall ... very hot, with an actual degree of humidity ... unusual for the dry season.
Following lunch our team leader, whom we fondly refer to as "the Admiral" due to his running a "tight ship", gave us a siesta time, prior to hitting the work hard again in the afternoon.
The work continued all day. And by the end of the first day of fencing we were tired ... bone tired. An early night of bed looked fantastic.
We got up early, some of us at 5 am. The mornings here are beautiful: that gentle tropical breeze, the palm trees rustling, the parrots and various Central American birds searching for their breakfast, the sun rising.
Coffee was prepared in the Dining Hall at 6 am. The coffee here is the best, much better than Starbucks! Smooth and rich. And the breakfasts: rice and beans, fresh white pineapple, freshly made fruit juice, and various breakfast items. The breakfast was so good that we knew our team leader was up to something.
He was. Ron fed us, then he set us to work. And work we did.
The team divided into various sub-parts. Some of us cut and ground pipes, others used an auger to dig post holes, a couple painted the freshly cut pipes to rust proof them, and our most "highly paid" members welded the sections together.
The prior team had made amazing progress, adding a good deal of fencing to what the initial team laid in 2010. They had picked up on the south side of the complex, and then began heading north along the east side of the twenty-two acres. Our job was to carry on, and head as far north as we could, towards the road on the north side of the complex.
From around 8 am until noon we continued the work, making excellent progress on digging new three foot deep holes, and assembling the fence posts and materials to enclose the east side.
At noon we broke for lunch: rice and beans, a meat stew on top of the rice, fresh papaya fruit, fruit juice newly squeezed ... an outstanding lunch. And, we were hot and ready to chow down!
The temperature on the first full day of work was hotter than any of us returnees could recall ... very hot, with an actual degree of humidity ... unusual for the dry season.
Following lunch our team leader, whom we fondly refer to as "the Admiral" due to his running a "tight ship", gave us a siesta time, prior to hitting the work hard again in the afternoon.
The work continued all day. And by the end of the first day of fencing we were tired ... bone tired. An early night of bed looked fantastic.
Nicaraguan Construction Mission Trip Team II Day Two
On Sunday morning, January 23rd, after an excellent breakfast of rice and beans, and other sundry items, the team boarded a van and drove from Los Cedros into Managua to attend church at Verbos church, a native Nicaraguan church.
Our team slipped into the back and found seats, settling down to enjoy the lively worship of these Christians at these extremely lively Spanish speaking church in Nicaragua. Team member Rick Jahnke described the music as "energetic and spirited". Cleve Curry said the music was "loud, with everyone involved in it. You didn't just see people sitting there watching the world go by. It was exciting, just to watch it, even if you couldn't understand the words. It was thrilling!" And team member Jeff Parks stated that the worship was "an exciting place to get to go, to worship in a country in which he had never been. I enjoyed seeing how they worshiped compared to how we worship."
The church was packed with all ages, and throughout the service the youngest of the children paid just as much attention to the ministers sermon as did the oldest. All listened as the minister preached from Isaiah.
The team thoroughly enjoyed this high powered, overflowing church, with music and preaching that was vibrant, alive and powerful.
Six years ago, in January of 2005, one of our team members, Reverend Stan Irvin of the First United Methodist Church of Carrier Mills, preached at this church through an interpretor. That was on the first mission trip to Nicaragua by the ten original team members from Wesley United Methodist Church, when Stan was a minister at Wesley. It was as amazing of a worship experience then as it was now!
Following church the team sacrificed and had an outstanding lunch at a Managua restaurant, which had extremely well prepared and good food.
The team then drove to a market in Managua, for the chance to purchase a few souvenirs, prior to returning to Los Cedros.
At Los Cedros the team reorganized personal belongings, relaxed, visited and got to know one another, ate dinner, and enjoyed the warm 90 degree weather and the pleasant tropical breeze prior to bedding down for the next days work.
Our team slipped into the back and found seats, settling down to enjoy the lively worship of these Christians at these extremely lively Spanish speaking church in Nicaragua. Team member Rick Jahnke described the music as "energetic and spirited". Cleve Curry said the music was "loud, with everyone involved in it. You didn't just see people sitting there watching the world go by. It was exciting, just to watch it, even if you couldn't understand the words. It was thrilling!" And team member Jeff Parks stated that the worship was "an exciting place to get to go, to worship in a country in which he had never been. I enjoyed seeing how they worshiped compared to how we worship."
The church was packed with all ages, and throughout the service the youngest of the children paid just as much attention to the ministers sermon as did the oldest. All listened as the minister preached from Isaiah.
The team thoroughly enjoyed this high powered, overflowing church, with music and preaching that was vibrant, alive and powerful.
Six years ago, in January of 2005, one of our team members, Reverend Stan Irvin of the First United Methodist Church of Carrier Mills, preached at this church through an interpretor. That was on the first mission trip to Nicaragua by the ten original team members from Wesley United Methodist Church, when Stan was a minister at Wesley. It was as amazing of a worship experience then as it was now!
Following church the team sacrificed and had an outstanding lunch at a Managua restaurant, which had extremely well prepared and good food.
The team then drove to a market in Managua, for the chance to purchase a few souvenirs, prior to returning to Los Cedros.
At Los Cedros the team reorganized personal belongings, relaxed, visited and got to know one another, ate dinner, and enjoyed the warm 90 degree weather and the pleasant tropical breeze prior to bedding down for the next days work.
Nicaraguan Construction Mission Trip Team II Day One
On Saturday, January 22nd, 2011, the second construction team traveling to Los Cedros, Nicaragua, met at 6:00 am at Wesley United Methodist Church, in Bloomington, Illinois.
The team members are from five churches: Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Calvary United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Bloomington, the First United Methodist Church of Carrier Mills, and the Church of the Nazarene in Pittsfield.
The team consists of Ron Schaad (team leader), Bruce Bohall, Cleve Curry, Stan Geison, Stan Irvin, Rick Jahnke, Margaret Naylor, Adam Nichols, Jeff Parks, Gary Pritts, Bill Tolone, and Joe Triplett.
The team drove to Chicago O'Hare airport, where it flew to Houston, Texas. From Houston the team flew to Managua, Nicaragua, arriving around 9:10 pm central standard time. At the Managua airport the team was picked up by one of the Missionaries from Los Cedros, and driven by workers from the orphanage a distance of about forty minutes to the orphanage at Los Cedros.
After a long day of travel, the team bedded down and slept preparing for the week ahead.
The team members are from five churches: Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Calvary United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Bloomington, the First United Methodist Church of Carrier Mills, and the Church of the Nazarene in Pittsfield.
The team consists of Ron Schaad (team leader), Bruce Bohall, Cleve Curry, Stan Geison, Stan Irvin, Rick Jahnke, Margaret Naylor, Adam Nichols, Jeff Parks, Gary Pritts, Bill Tolone, and Joe Triplett.
The team drove to Chicago O'Hare airport, where it flew to Houston, Texas. From Houston the team flew to Managua, Nicaragua, arriving around 9:10 pm central standard time. At the Managua airport the team was picked up by one of the Missionaries from Los Cedros, and driven by workers from the orphanage a distance of about forty minutes to the orphanage at Los Cedros.
After a long day of travel, the team bedded down and slept preparing for the week ahead.
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