It's another extremely hot day out here and all the work and heat is starting to wear us down, but God is giving us the strength to keep going. We stopped for lunch and  Keith gave his testimony which was a reminder to the younger guys the importance of a faithful Christ centered dad to anyone with kids. Then right back to working for the final push. 

The fountain and AC unit are done and working and the roof is almost finished and as the evening is closing the best part of this entire trip is about to happen. The night before, Mike who was giving his testimony talked about being baptized after he realized what it meant and then another guy from our group, John Laboon, asked Mike about what it meant to him. Then after that, John challenged everyone from our group who had never been baptized yet to take that first act of obedience of what Christ commanded all to do once you have confessed Him as your Lord and Savior. It shows you have truly  surrendered your life to Jesus as Lord and Savior and a profession of your faith. You are proclaiming Him as master of your life to all the world, wanting to be obedient out of love and gratitude for His finished work on the cross. It stirred 5 guys from our teams hearts to take that act of obedience, truly wanting to live a life surrendered to Christ. Brothers Ryan and Adam, Luke, Brendan, and Stephen. So before dinner John and the rest of our team, along with everyone from Word of Life went to the pool and we got to witness all 5 of those men get baptized by John in the pool with Daniel helping and as they came out of the water the first thing they all seen was the cross on the mountain behind camp which Stephen suggested. It was truly a special moment and hugs and joy and tears followed shortly after in celebrating Christ as King. 

Left to Right ( Ryan, Luke, John, Daniel, Stephen, Adam, and Brendan) 

We then went to Dinner and headed back to Casa Grande and Stephen shared his powerful testimony  about forgiveness and we all joined in prayer in a circle after. Jon Fowler then talked about family day tomorrow and we all shared in prayer in smaller groups after for the gospel message to be received tomorrow by all who are still unbelievers and for hearts to be prepared to hear about God's love for us and His amazing gift of grace for our salvation. A few guys went back in the dark to finish the last few panels on the roof while others made bracelets for kids tomorrow to hand out. What an amazing day to be a Christian and serve our Lord. Please pray for family day tomorrow and for God's will to be done. Time for bed, ready for an exciting day tomorrow! Thank you Jesus for today! Great experiences are happening here in Panama!

After a great breakfast back to the biggest project of this trip. Installing an entire new roof over the pool before the family day arrives 2 days from now. Please pray we will be finished before that day comes. Over 1,100 people are expected and the gospel will be preached to everyone along with the kids.

After a very productive morning we headed to lunch and Daniel shared his powerful testimony and we all prayed over him after. We all got right back at it and there are many moving parts to get done the projects that remain. Some are cutting the roof sheets, some are grinding and painting all the beams, some are cutting rebar and grinding the ends for welding braces, some are handing up the beams to guys on ladders while the other couple guys are welding. There is alot that is going on with many moving pieces but there is a good flow and we are all in a groove and moving along well. 

With the evening drawing to a end and a few last welds for the day, a few guys who finished up with what they was working on jumped into the pool because we talked about it everyday with how hot i was but never got a chance to and finally was able to, which caused a group chain reaction and almost all of us jumped in after changing out of work clothes. It was so refreshing and worth the wait. We then had an amazing dinner and walked back to the Casa Grande and like every night this trip we gathered for worship with those from the Word of Life camp and then 3 Power testimonies finished out the night by Mike, Yindi, and Russell. Tomorrow is our last day to get everything finished,  prayers for God to make it all possible and to have everything ready for family day. Praise God in all He is doing here at camp.

We then all went to the different projects and split into groups working on different stuff. Some guys where hauling all the old roof stuff away and bringing back new roofing stuff. A few of us where welding braces on the roof beams. A group of other guys where digging holes and cementing in benches and tables. One other group was working on ceiling in the small gym area and installing a AC unit. And some guys where grinding stuff for painting along with another guy cutting away a layer of cement that needed to be lowered for the new roof to fit properly. 

We hit a little setback today though around 9am with a power outage and had to stop doing stuff that involved power tools because the generator we had was not powerful enough to handle them all. So guys gathered together and worked on the projects that didn't need power tools. We went to lunch early and after a great lunch, we heard testimonies from the brothers on the team, Ryan and Adam, and prayed over them both after. God provided for us in a great way, because the power came back on around 3pm and we was able to finish the evening strong getting most of the welds done on 2 sections and the cementing of the benches and tables got finished. 

Everyone was pretty exhausted today after finishing working on the hottest day here yet, with a realfeel temperature of 102° and after another great meal for dinner we all headed back to Casa Grande and worshiped with everyone singing 3 songs. Then Brendan and Vince shared their testimonials which was translated in Spanish for those from the Word of Life camp and then everyone gathered in a circle around them individually after their testimony to lay hands on them and pray over them as well. This has been truly a special time each night we all get to be apart of, all for telling what our Lord and Savior has done to transform our lives!

Before lunch our team including help from our Panamanians were able to remove all the roof panels and structure. This included beginning on grinding the main support beams and start a primer coat of paint. Some of the old electric wiring was taken down as well.

It was a busy morning and time for a break from the heat we headed to lunch. There was some fun interactions with the kids after eating.

We headed back to work and started to weld some new perlons in place. The weather was beautiful but also started to get sunny and really hot. After several hours of work we were blessed to be treated by our Panamanian friends to sit under a tree in the shade and have coconut water straight from the coconut. Which was quite amazing.

After break we continued work. One group started preparing an area for concrete work. This will be done to make existing tables and chairs safe to use. By the end of todays work the team finished installing two large sections of roof support structure.

We finished up the work day and headed to dinner, it was amazing. Rice with beans, meat, and everyones new favorite yuka fries. After dinner we ended the night with worship led by Daniel and Testimonies from a few of the full time Word Of Life Missionaries, Roberto and Juan and their wives. Roberto Reyes is being called to discipleship in the provinces of Herrera and Los Santos. Juan Perez is being called to discipleship by establishing a connection point in Veraguas. They are asking for prayers and support. Their mission can be found on the Word of Life - Panama. Thankful to God for another blessed work day with many memories made.

We then went to a church called Coronado Bible Church. We heard a message on Romans 6 about sin and how anything that we do that is against God’s will or his design for us is sin. But sanctification is the process of replacing the lies of the world with the truth of His Word. We are sanctified by the word of God. Sanctification is preparing us to be used by God. The message reminds us that no matter how deep sin goes, grace goes deeper.

After a great lunch, we got to work. Our main task this week will be replacing the roof by the pool so that new solar panels can be placed on it. Today, we focused on starting to take down the roof. We made a lot of progress in just a few hours.

After a delicious dinner, we ended the night with a devotion led by John, worship led by Daniel, and we celebrated the birthday of one of our new Panamanian friends, Juan with some cake! Then it was time to get some sleep for another day of work tomorrow.

Evangelistic Dolls — Dee Teaches the Girls to Share the Gospel

Dee Johnson has a gift. She has a way of taking the most important truth in the universe and making it feel like the most natural thing in the world to talk about. And this morning, she handed every girl at Faith House a tool to do exactly that.

The lesson centered on evangelistic dolls — handmade cloth dolls, each one wearing a strand of colored beads, each color telling a piece of the gospel story. Flip the doll one way: she is lost, her face downcast, carrying the weight of sin and shame. Flip her over: she is smiling, covered in grace, alive in Christ. Simple. Brilliant. Unforgettable.

Dee walks the girls through the gospel story, bead by bead.

Dee walked them through each color. Yellow for God and Heaven — “God made you in His image. You are Princesses of the High King.” Black for sin — the separation that began in Eden and runs through every human heart. Red for Christ’s blood, shed because God always had a plan to buy us back. White for restoration — the debt canceled, the shame wiped clean. Blue for the Resurrection — the third day, the empty tomb, the Lord who knew exactly what was coming and walked toward it anyway. Green for new life — the life He is still completing in each of us. And yellow again, at the end, for Heaven — because the story that started with God ends with God.

One doll carries the weight of sin. Flip her over — and she is smiling in grace.

Then came the moment Dee had been building toward all morning. The girls got to practice. Each one picked up her doll and, one by one, began sharing the gospel with the girl sitting next to her. In Karen. In Burmese. In Thai. It didn’t matter.

Dee and Joelle hand out the dolls — every girl gets one.

Pure joy as the girls share the gospel story with each other.

Dee watched with a proud heart. “It gives me life to hear them sharing the gospel using the dolls,” she said, “because I know they will do it.” Not someday. Not maybe. They will do it. These girls live at the edge of the world, on the border of a nation in darkness, and now they are holding the gospel in their hands and they know how to share it.

Deborah picked up her doll, turned it over, and said with a wide smile: “Sharing Christ is so easy with the dolls.” And little Zuzu, examining hers with wide eyes, announced to anyone who would listen: “Mine has a hat!”

Holding their mirrors — daughters of the King, made in His image.

Everyone gets a doll — even the littlest of these.

These dolls were made by the women of a Virginia Baptist congregation, stitched together by hand and carried across an ocean and an international border so that girls at risk of trafficking could hold the gospel in their hands. That partnership — women in Virginia, girls in Mae Sot, one Body across every border — is exactly what the kingdom of God looks like. There may be many states, many nations, many languages. But there is only one kingdom, and it is advancing.

Dedication of the Wall — Glenn Brings It All Home

All week, we have been walking through the book of Nehemiah together. The rubble. The resistance. The rebuilding. The obedience. And now, on the final day, Grandpa Glenn stood up and turned to Nehemiah 12 — the dedication of the wall.

The wall is finished. The people are gathered. And what do they do? They celebrate. Loudly. Visibly. So loud, the text says, that the joy of Jerusalem could be heard from far away.

Glenn asked the girls questions. He got them talking. He pulled the lesson out of them rather than just delivering it to them, because that is who Glenn is — a loving Grandpa. And what emerged was beautiful.

The lesson rested on three pillars: Celebration, Thanksgiving, and Dedication.

Celebration is rejoicing at what God has done. The wall did not just provide safety — it restored something. It was a visible sign to the watching world that God’s people had been faithful, and that God had been faithful to them. For these girls, Faith House is that wall. It is safety. It is family.

Thanksgiving is not a vague “thank you for everything” prayer. It is specific. Nehemiah thanked God for specific people, specific provisions, specific miracles along the way. Glenn asked the girls: What specific things has God done for you this week? The answers came slowly at first, then faster. There was a lot to be thankful for.

Dedication is the act of turning it all over — ourselves, our futures, the walls we have built — back to the One who made it possible. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). Not a one-time moment, but a posture for life.

The mission was never just to build a wall. Nehemiah knew that. Glenn knows that. And now these girls know it too. The mission is to live as a distinct, faithful people who reflect God to the nations. That is what Faith House is. That is who these young women are becoming.

The Heart Mobile — Kathleen’s Capstone

All week long, after every lesson, Kathleen asked the girls to write something down. What did you learn? What scripture spoke to you? They wrote their answers on strips of paper and carried them to every lesson, and all week long the girls kept asking the same question: What are all these strips of paper for?

We kept smiling and saying: you’ll see.

On the last day, they saw.

The moment the mystery was revealed — every strip of paper had a purpose.

Each girl — from the youngest to the oldest — sat down and assembled her own heart mobile. Every strip of paper, every scripture reference, every lesson from the week became part of something beautiful that they built with their own hands. The whole week, woven together, hung in the shape of a heart.

A week of learning, woven together in the shape of a heart.

Maria, the founder of Faith House; little Kumu; and Mae, translator and teacher.

Kathleen, thank you. Thank you for the vision to see the whole week as one story, and for the creativity and love to give each girl a piece of it she can hold in her hands and take home. That is a gift that came straight from the heart of God, through yours, to theirs.

The Banquet — A Feast for Our Warrior Princesses

Every year, the night before the team leaves, Faith House holds a banquet. It is a tradition as sacred as any ceremony. The team sits with the girls, and for a few hours, the only agenda is to be together — to talk, to laugh, to eat too much, and to speak life into every young woman at the table.

This year’s spread did not disappoint. Whole fish over an open fire. Thai salad. Chicken wings with sweet chili sauce. Vegetables. Cashew chicken. Rice. And — because no warrior princess banquet is complete without it — chicken nuggets and Coke.

They absolutely loved that.

They also loved Uncle Bill’s flamingo party shirt, which deserves its own mention in the historic record.

Sharing a meal and a moment — Sally and the girls around the table.

Warriors and missionaries together on the lake patio, the fire tree blazing behind them.

But the highlight of the evening — and no one saw it coming — was Ajima.

Ajima is what the girls call “Big Sister.” She is the oldest sister at Faith House, one of the college girls supported by BBright.org, studying Tourism and Hotel Management. Sometime between lessons and the banquet, she had been knitting. And at the party, she presented Grandpa Glenn and Uncle Bill each with a handmade knitted hat — because Pittsburgh winters are cold, and she was not about to let them go home unprepared.

Ajima — “Big Sister” — presents Grandpa Glenn with a knitted hat for the Pittsburgh winter.

Uncle Bill gets his hat too — Glenn and Bill fully in the party spirit.

The girls loved the hats. Glenn and Bill got into the spirit. And the whole party celebrated the fact that somehow, a woman in Mae Sot, Thailand had found time in the middle of a mission week to knit two hats for the men who had come to serve her community. That is the kind of love that goes both directions.

We wrapped up around 10 PM with full bellies and full hearts, and more smiles than we could count.

Breakfast — and a Bible Worth More Than Gold

The next morning, after breakfast, Bill noticed one of the girls’ Bibles. On the front — a sticker: Always Pray.

These girls do two devotions a day. Ajima leads in the morning. Glenn, while he is here, leads in the evening. They are not going through the motions. They know God’s love story. They are living inside it. They are the example — the standard — that the rest of us should be reaching toward when it comes to staying connected to God’s Word and His direction for our lives.

Glenn showed Bill his Bible — the girls had drawn a picture inside it. A picture of themselves and Glenn, together at Faith House.

The girls drew a picture of themselves and Grandpa Glenn inside his Bible. Some things are worth more than gold.

Some things are worth more than gold. And sometimes, a picture drawn in the margins of a well-worn Bible says more than a thousand words — and is worth every tear of joy.

Until Next Year

That is the story of Day 5. That is the story of this week. The last morning always comes too soon — but what we thought was a trip turned out to be something else entirely. It was a homecoming. And we will carry it with us.

Seeds were planted in Mae Sot, Thailand that will outlast every one of us on the team. The gospel was taught and practiced and held in small hands that will carry it across borders we may never cross ourselves. A wall was built — not of stone, but of young women who know who they are, who made them, and what they are for.

To the congregation at The Bible Chapel, all of our supporters, and everyone who prayed for us: thank you for sending us. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for being the kind of church that says yes when God asks for something hard. We carried you with us to Mae Sot, and we brought a little piece of Mae Sot home to you.

With love from the team — Dee, Brenda, Glenn, Joelle, Kathleen, Sally & Bill.

Boundaries — Bill & Glenn Teach the Girls to Guard Their Hearts

Some lessons you learn from a book. Some you learn from a sermon. And some — the ones that stay with you — you learn from a man who has lived them.

This morning, Bill and Glenn stood up together and taught the girls of Faith House one of the most practical and deeply scriptural lessons of the week: boundaries. What they are, why they matter, and what God’s Word has to say about them.

Bill opened with a picture the girls could immediately grasp. Think of a fence around a house. Think of the lines on a sports field. Those lines don’t ruin the game — they make the game possible. They keep things fair. They keep people safe. Boundaries in our lives do the same thing. They tell us what we’re responsible for, what we’re not, and how to treat the people around us with honesty and love.

The lesson walked through the laws of healthy boundaries — not as rules to memorize, but as wisdom to live by. A few that landed especially hard with the girls:

You reap what you sow. Good choices, consistently made, build a life of trust and respect. Poor ones carry real consequences — not as punishment, but as the natural shape of the world God made. “A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7) is not a threat. It’s a gift. It means your choices matter.

You are responsible for yourself — and to others, but not for them. You can walk alongside a friend through hard things. You can listen, support, and love. But you cannot carry their choices for them, and they cannot carry yours. “Each one should carry their own load” (Galatians 6:5) — and “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). Both are true at the same time.

You have power over yourself. Not over what others do or feel. But over how you respond, how you speak, what you choose. And that is enough.

Bill and Glenn talked about respect — that honoring someone else’s “no” is just as important as having your own “no” respected. They talked about motivation — doing good from love, not fear. They talked about speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and being proactive rather than reactive when your boundaries are tested.

And they talked about the Golden Rule — “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12) — as the foundation beneath all of it. Every boundary, rightly held, is an act of love toward yourself and toward the other person.

It is not a small thing to watch two men — men of integrity, men who have walked through life and come out the other side with wisdom — sit with a room full of young girls and say: your “no” matters. Your heart is worth guarding. You are worth protecting. For girls who have not always been told that, it lands differently than words on a page.

“Guard your heart — for everything you do flows from it.” Bill bringing boundaries to life for the Faith House girls.

Bill with some of the Faith House girls — a man whose life speaks as loudly as his words.

Heart Talking — Kathleen Brings It Home

After the lesson, Kathleen gathered the girls to fill in another section of their Identity Mobiles — this time around the theme of boundaries. The heart is nearly complete now. Section by section, day by day, these girls have been building something that is entirely their own — their values, their goals, their identity in Christ, their voice.

You could see it in Kathleen’s face. The quiet satisfaction of watching something she poured herself into come together in the hands of the girls it was made for. The whole team has marveled at the care and creativity she brought to this mobile. We are so deeply grateful she is here. She has given these girls something they will carry home — a tangible, beautiful reminder of who God says they are.

Game Time!

What time is it? It’s GAME TIME.

If the worship songs show you the passion in these girls’ hearts — the games show you everything else. These girls are competitors. Natural, full-throttle, will-not-go-down-without-a-fight competitors. The energy in that room was something to behold.

But here is what made it beautiful: in the middle of all that fierce competition, if a girl stumbled, if a team fell behind, if someone hit the floor — the other girls cheered them on. Across teams. Without hesitation. These are not just players. They are sisters. And sisters look out for each other, even when the candy is on the line.

The energy in that room. Pure, unfiltered joy.

Cone on the head. Balloon between the legs. Real joy doesn’t require WiFi.

Sisters. Competitors. Champions. All three at once.

Tea Time, a Cartoon, and Then — Joelle on Obedience

At 3:30, the afternoon slowed down in the best possible way. The team and girls gathered in the air conditioning, settled in with tea, and watched a cartoon together. Rest. Laughter. The simple pleasure of being cool and comfortable and together.

But before Joelle stood up to teach, the ladies gathered for something that set the tone for everything that followed. They prayed together — the full armor of God — speaking it over themselves, over the girls, over this place.

The armor of God — prayed together before the lesson began. You do not walk into this work unprotected.

Then Joelle opened Nehemiah 8.

The scene she described is one of the most extraordinary in all of Scripture. Ezra stood before the entire community — men, women, children old enough to understand — and read the Word of God aloud from early morning until noon. Hours. And the people did not drift. They listened. They leaned in. They wanted every word.

When they finally understood what God had been saying to them, some of them began to weep. The weight of it — the gap between what God called them to and how they had lived — landed on them all at once. And in that moment, Nehemiah stood up and said something that has echoed across three thousand years of history:

Joy. Not in spite of understanding their failure — but because of finally understanding who God is and what He calls them to. The people went and celebrated together. And then, in the same chapter, they discovered something written in God’s law that they had never done before — a festival where they were to live in simple shelters of branches for seven days. They had comfortable homes. They could have reasoned their way out of it. Instead, they obeyed. And the Bible says there was tremendous joy.

Because that is what obedience does. It opens a door that reasoning around God never reaches.

“The joy of the Lord will make you strong.” — Joelle walking the girls through Nehemiah 8.

Then Joelle did something that took courage. She told her own story.

Not long ago, she was praying about her job — where God wanted her, what He was calling her toward. And in that prayer, she felt something that made no logical sense: quit your job. The job that sustained her. That paid her bills. That was safe and comfortable and known.

“But God,” she told Him, “my job is what sustains me. How can I quit and still survive?”

And the answer that came back was quiet and clear: “I can’t move you into something new if you won’t let go of what you’re holding onto. I will sustain you — not the job.”

She let go. She obeyed. And God showed up — just as He promised He would.

A woman sharing her story honestly. The girls heard every word.

Joelle moved into Nehemiah 9, where the people remembered their history — the times God showed up, yes, but also the times they turned away, grew stubborn, forgot. And instead of God walking away from them, He stayed. Patient. Kind. Full of mercy.

She asked the girls: “Have you ever felt that God no longer loved you? Have you ever felt abandoned in a moment when you knew you had failed?” Quiet fell over the room. These girls know what abandonment feels like. They know it in ways most of us will never have to. And the answer — that God does not leave, that His mercy outlasts every failure — did not land as theology. It landed as truth they needed.

God is doing amazing things through Joelle. You could feel it in the room.

God is doing something remarkable through Joelle. Her willingness to share not just the Word but her own life — the fear, the obedience, the faithfulness of God on the other side of it — is a gift to every girl in that room. And to every one of us watching.

Dance Party & Night Swim

And then — thirty-five minutes of pure, unscripted joy.

The music went on and the dancing started. From the oldest girl to the youngest, from the team leaders to Grandpa Glenn himself — everyone was in it. No performance. No audience. Just people who love each other, moving together in celebration of a day well lived and a God worth celebrating.

Thirty-five minutes. Every age. Every person. All in.

Then the pool.

Dee didn’t ease her way in. She jumped — literally — and immediately started teaching girls to swim. Bill organized water volleyball, racing competitions, and breath-holding contests. A note on that last one: the girls won. Every time. Bill was not prepared for this. The girls absolutely were.

Grandpa Glenn was in the water too. Steady, watchful, present — as he always is.

And at some point in the evening, a little girl made her way to his arms.

Naw Mua Wah — the youngest and newest member of Faith House. When she arrived, her condition was so fragile, so broken by what she had come from, that they had to shave her head just to begin caring for her properly. She came with nothing.

Tonight she was in the pool, in the arms of Grandpa Glenn, learning to swim.

Safe. Held. Unafraid.

The amount of joy and light that radiates from this little girl — given everything she has walked through — has a way of making your own troubles feel very, very small. She is here. She is loved. She is flourishing. And watching her trust the arms holding her was one of the most quietly beautiful things our team has witnessed all week.

“He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” — Psalm 23:2–3

Day 4 is done. Boundaries in the morning. Hearts nearly whole by midday. Laughter and candy and sisters cheering for sisters in the afternoon. Obedience preached from a life actually lived. And a night swim that ended with the smallest, newest girl held safe in Grandpa Glenn’s arms, learning that the water is nothing to fear.
God is so good.
— Dee, Brenda, Glenn, Joelle, Kathleen, Sally & Bill

Devotional at Borderline Coffee

Down the street from Faith House sits a quiet little gem called Borderline Coffee — a peaceful spot that teams on this trip have come to love. Tucked away from the noise and bustle of Mae Sot, it has a tree growing right up through the middle of the shop, handmade cups, a proper French press, and the kind of unhurried atmosphere that makes space for real conversation.

It had been closed the first couple of days of our trip due to Songkran — Thailand’s beloved New Year celebration. But today? It was open. And it was perfect.

After a few days together on the ground, the team was beginning to open up in deeper ways. This morning Dee and Joell each shared something hard — and beautiful. Stories of tragedy, loss, and the very real presence of evil in the world. And yet through every one of those broken places, the same thread ran through: God showed up.

He takes the broken pieces and makes a stained glass window.

The morning’s devotional centered on gratitude — not as a reaction to good circumstances, but as a deliberate choice to remember what God has done. A few anchoring thoughts from the study:

• Gratitude is a posture of the heart before it is a feeling. It takes discipline to give thanks in all circumstances — not just the easy ones.
• Like Israel singing on the far shore of the Red Sea, or the one leper who turned back to thank Jesus — thanksgiving turns memory into worship. It anchors us to what God has already done, so we can trust Him with what is still to come.

Borderline Coffee — a peaceful place amid the bustle of Mae Sot, with a tree growing right through the middle of the shop.

Handmade cups and a French press — the simple things that make space for real conversation.

Nehemiah Lesson — Building Together

We arrived at Faith House to find the girls already waiting for us, dressed in their purple “Arise and Build” shirts, ready to go. There is something about seeing that kind of eagerness — it fills you right up.

We opened with worship and prayer, and then Dee took the girls through a review of Nehemiah Chapters 1 and 2 before moving into Chapter 3 — one of the most visually powerful chapters in the whole book.

In Chapter 3, Nehemiah organizes the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. What makes it remarkable is this: every family, every group, every individual was assigned to rebuild the section of wall directly in front of their own house. They didn’t work on someone else’s piece. They worked on theirs. Their home. Their responsibility. Their contribution to the whole.

Each girl wrote Nehemiah 2:20 on the yellow strip of her Identity Mobile, alongside her own individual goals — her words, her handwriting, her dream placed right next to God’s promise.

Then came the building project. Dee passed out boxes and a glorious pile of craft supplies — glue, pictures, paper, stars, yarn, craft pens — and each girl decorated her own box however she wanted. Her piece of the wall. Her self-expression. Her identity.

When every girl was finished, they brought their boxes together and assembled them into a Wall of Jerusalem around the Worship Center, each one taking her place in the larger whole. It was one of those moments that you watch unfold and think: this is exactly what the kingdom looks like.

No one built alone. No one was left out. Every box mattered. Every girl mattered. They celebrated with a worship song and a dance, and the wall stood.

“We his servants will start rebuilding.” — The Wall of Jerusalem, built one box at a time by the Faith House girls.

Here is a closer look at some of the individual pieces — each one as unique as the girl who made it:

Kumu — one of Faith House’s newest and youngest girls, building her piece of the wall. She belongs here.	Rose — one of Faith House’s older girls and a worship leader, who leads with her voice, her guitar, and sometimes the piano.

Each girl built her own piece of the Wall of Jerusalem — her goals, her identity, her handwriting.

Swim Time!

The girls of Faith House carry a lot. They are learning Thai on top of everything else they navigate — the weight of troubles at home, the grief of broken families, the shadow of civil war in Myanmar. They face more before breakfast than most of us face in a week.

So when the vans pulled up to take everyone to a rustic swimming resort about 20 minutes outside of Mae Sot — the excitement was something to behold. For these girls, an afternoon at the pool is what a trip to Disney World feels like for a kid back home. Pure, uncomplicated joy.

After a delicious lunch, the afternoon was spent in the pool — swimming, teaching the girls water games, splashing around, and resting in the cabins. Rest is not wasted time. God designed it. And watching these girls laugh freely in the water was one of the most restorative things our team has witnessed all week.

Grandpa Glenn kept a watchful eye on everyone — as Grandpa Glenn does. He may or may not have been spotted quietly enjoying a popsicle when he thought nobody was looking. The world will never know.

It should also be noted that Uncle Bill was gently reminded — more than once — that perhaps the little ones did not need to be thrown quite so high in the air. Noted, Bill. Noted.

He restores my soul — an afternoon of pure, well-earned joy.

Brenda’s Lesson — Don’t Come Down from the Wall

After the pool, the girls gathered once more — hair still damp, hearts still light — and Brenda took them into Nehemiah Chapters 4 through 6. If Day 2 was about starting to build, Day 3 was about what happens when the enemy tries to make you stop.

Nehemiah and his workers had barely reached the halfway point when the opposition escalated. Sanballat mocked them publicly. Conspirators plotted to attack. Rumors spread. False accusations flew. And through every wave of it, Nehemiah did the same two things: he prayed and he prepared.

Brenda asked the girls: “Have you ever been made fun of for something you believed in — or something you were trying to do?” Hands went up. Heads nodded. These girls know what that feels like. And Nehemiah’s answer to ridicule and threat wasn’t to argue or retaliate — it was to turn to God, keep building, and refuse to come down.

The builders never laid down their weapons while they worked. Half built the wall. Half stood guard. And Brenda reminded the girls — they’d talked about this sword before. The Word of God. The sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). You build and you stay armed. You don’t put it down.

Then she brought it personal.

Brenda and Dave at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro — 19,341 feet up, American flag in hand, and yes — a Terrible Towel. Pittsburgh to the top of Africa.

In 2019, Brenda and her husband Dave climbed Mount Kilimanjaro — the tallest mountain in Africa, standing at 19,341 feet. Six days up. Two days down. Eight days without a shower. Every morning: wake up, hike four to five hours, make camp, do it again.

On the final night, they woke at 11:30 — not in the morning. At night. And hiked through total darkness toward the summit. No light but their headlamps. Thin air. Bitter cold. Every step a choice to keep going.

They reached the top just as the sun was rising over Africa.

And at the summit? Dave pulled out an American flag — and a Terrible Towel. Because they’re from Pittsburgh, and that’s just what you do.

Brenda told the girls: “We reached the top by accomplishing our goal for each day and sticking to our tasks. At the end, we had to really focus. It was very cold and very dark. But we were persistent. And that is how you reach your goal.”

Then she wrote two versions of FEAR on the board:

“Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome.” — Brenda bringing Nehemiah to life for the girls.

Then came the activity: “Walk to the Promise.” A strip of masking tape stretched across the room, and at the far end, a sign: God’s Promise. One girl at a time walked the line — while the others played the roles of every force that tries to stop you.

Round one: distractions. “Come sit with us! This is boring! You’ll miss out!” Round two: resistance. Girls standing in the path, pool noodles and pillows, making the walk hard. Round three: threats. “You’re going to fail. People will laugh at you. It’s too hard.” And each girl walking the line had to say out loud: “God strengthens me. I will not quit. I’m staying on my path.”

Walking the Promise — one girl at a time, through every distraction, every resistance, every threat.

Every girl walked. Every girl made it to the sign.

The Internet Came Back — and So Did Uncle Dave

And then — right at the close of the lesson — something unexpected happened.

The internet came back on.

Brenda pulled out her phone and called her husband Dave. The man who climbed Kilimanjaro with her. The man in the photo with the Terrible Towel at the top of Africa. And when his face appeared on that screen and the girls realized what was happening…

They lost it. Cheering, waving, calling out to him. Pure joy. A man they’d just heard stories about, suddenly right there in the room with them — grinning back from thousands of miles away.

Dave was a hit.

So it has been decided: next year, Uncle Dave is coming to Mae Sot. The girls have already made their feelings on this very clear. The cheering said everything.

Day 3 is in the books. Gratitude in the morning. A wall built together. Laughter in the water. Persistence preached and walked out on a strip of masking tape. And a surprise call that brought the whole room to its feet.
God is so good.
— Dee, Brenda, Glenn, Joell, Kathleen, Sally & Bill

Start the Day off Right With Worship

There is something that happens when you worship alongside the Faith House girls that is simply impossible to put into words. The smiles on their faces, the joy in their voices, the way some of them close their eyes and lift their faces toward heaven — it draws you right in with them.

If the entire trip had been only this — just gathering together to sing and worship with these girls — it would have been worth every hour of travel. There is a sweetness of spirit here that ushers you into the presence of God in a way unlike anywhere else. A small piece of heaven, right here on earth.

God inhabits the praise of His people. This morning, we felt that with our whole hearts.

Joelle and the Faith House girls sing: Maverick City Music — I Thank God

First Lesson — We Are Builders

Kathleen opened the first teaching session of the week with the book of Nehemiah — a book the girls had never studied before. In fact, when Kathleen introduced it, they had to take a moment together just to find it in their Bibles. That was a sweet moment in itself.

Maria had expressed a desire for the girls to grow in their understanding of their own value and in their ability to set meaningful goals. That desire pointed our team directly to Nehemiah — a man who knew exactly who he was in God, prayed with boldness, and then got to work.

Kathleen began by holding up a safety helmet and asking the girls if they knew what it was for. She used it to introduce one of the most powerful pieces of spiritual armor God gives us — the Helmet of Salvation.

Salvation, Kathleen explained, means “being rescued and brought into God’s family.” God loves these girls so much that He made a way for them to be with Him forever through Jesus. That helmet — the assurance of who they are in Christ — protects their minds and hearts.

From there, Kathleen introduced the story of Nehemiah and the theme for the entire week: We Are Builders. Just as Nehemiah was prepared by God for an important purpose, so is each girl at Faith House. Throughout the week the girls will work together to build three things:

• Their Identity — how God made each of them uniquely and wonderfully
• Life Goals — plans to help them become who God designed them to be
• Strong Boundaries — the rules and guardrails that keep them safe and protected

Kathleen walked the girls through Nehemiah’s powerful 4-part prayer — a model they can use anytime:

1. Praise God for who He is
2. Thank God for what He has done
3. Confess what you did wrong
4. Ask for help

The girls then began the week’s centerpiece activity: their personal Identity Mobile — a rainbow of heart-shaped strips, each one built on throughout the week. On this first strip, each girl wrote down her own strengths — what God has placed inside her that makes her special.

The girls writing their strengths on the first heart strip of their Identity Mobile — “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

We fitted each girl with a hard hat and a t-shirt that reads “Arise and Build” — a name rooted in Nehemiah’s own call to his people. Seeing them geared up and grinning from ear to ear was one of the highlights of the day.

Arise and Build — our builders, equipped and ready.

Naw Mua Wah — the youngest girl at Faith House, rocking her pink construction hat and ready to build.

Fun and Games!

Every good building crew needs a break — and Joelle and Bill were ready to deliver. The girls got outside for a relay cone game that had everyone sprinting, laughing, and cheering at the top of their lungs. The focus of the game was simple: teamwork and cheering each other on. The girls took to it immediately.

We cranked up some high-energy worship music to keep the energy going — including one song that became an instant favorite with the girls. If you want to feel the energy of the moment, give it a listen here.

Pure joy — relay games, laughter, and cheering each other on.

Goal Setting — Dream Big

Sally led the afternoon session, tying the day’s theme back to Nehemiah Chapter 2. Just as Nehemiah stood before the King with a prepared heart and a clear plan, Sally challenged the girls to dream big and take steps toward their own goals. The four steps — straight from Nehemiah’s own story — are:

1. Care about something important — What matters to you? What breaks your heart?
2. Pray and think before acting — Nehemiah didn’t rush. He prayed for days and asked for God’s wisdom.
3. Make a plan — Nehemiah asked for letters, supplies, and permission. Goals need real steps.
4. Get help and start working — Nehemiah didn’t build the wall alone. You don’t have to do it alone either.

Then Sally shared something that stopped everyone in the room. She told the girls about one of God’s names in Hebrew: El Roi — “The God Who Sees Me.”

God sees you. Not just in general — you, specifically. Your name. Your face. Your dreams. Your hurts. He sees it all, and He cares.

Sally had spent four months before the trip personalizing gifts for every single girl at Faith House — boxes with their names on them, bracelets, pen holders, and more, each one made by hand. When the girls opened them, it was like Christmas in April. Some girls held their boxes quietly, reading their own names. Others lit up with the biggest smiles.

The gifts carry a message that no circumstance can take away: God sees you. You matter. You are known.

Christmas in April — the girls opening their personalized gifts from Sally.

Each bracelet a reminder: El Roi — The God Who Sees Me.

Four months of quiet, faithful preparation. That is what love looks like. That is The Bible Chapel family showing up — not just in person, but in every handmade gift that traveled 8,000 miles to land in the hands of a girl who needed to know she is seen.

Day 2 is in the books. These girls are builders — and they are just getting started.
— Dee, Brenda, Glenn, Joelle, Kathleen, Sally & Bill

The Journey Begins

When God calls you to go, He doesn’t promise an easy road — He promises to go with you. And every twist, every delay, and every unexpected detour on our way to Mae Sot, Thailand was a reminder that His hand was guiding every single step.

Our team — Dee, Brenda, Glenn, Joell, Kathleen, Sally, and Bill — set out with hearts full of anticipation. The route was a long one: Pittsburgh to Atlanta, Atlanta to Seoul, and finally Seoul to Bangkok. Over 30 hours of flying before our feet would touch Thai soil.

Dee’s journey had a little extra adventure. A mechanical delay out of Fort Wayne meant she couldn’t connect with us in Atlanta as planned. But God had another door open: she rerouted through Detroit and caught up with the rest of the team in Seoul. What could have been a discouraging setback became a clear reminder that the Lord was working ahead of us, keeping our team together across thousands of miles.

We could see God’s hand in it all.

Bangkok: A Night to Rest and Prepare

After those 30-plus hours of travel, we landed in Bangkok, checked into a local hotel, and gave our bodies the rest they needed. The next morning we gathered as a team for a planning session and devotional before the final leg of our journey.

A special word of thanks is due to Brenda, our trip leader. The care, prayer, and coordination she poured into every detail of this trip is evident at every turn. She is a true servant leader, and our team is deeply grateful for her.

Nok Air — “Bird Air”

From Bangkok we boarded a domestic flight on Nok Air — which translates, appropriately, to “Bird Air.” Don’t worry — it was not the rickety contraption from Indiana Jones. It was a proper Boeing (think Southwest Airlines), and they even served a meal! We landed in Mae Sot refreshed and ready.

Welcomed with Flowers and Warm Hearts

When we stepped off the plane at Mae Sot Airport, the Faith House staff and several of the girls were there to meet us. If you have ever experienced a welcome like that — genuine smiles, arms full of beautiful flowers, and hugs that feel like coming home — you know there are simply no words adequate enough.

Faith House staff and girls welcoming the team at Mae Sot Airport — flowers, smiles, and warm hearts.

They are truly amazing people. Their warmth, their joy, and their faith are a gift to everyone who meets them.

And there was Glenn — our beloved “Grandpa” — who had come over several weeks early to teach English, minister to the girls, and preach Sunday sermons. Seeing his beaming face was a joy. He is absolutely in his element here, surrounded by his “granddaughters.” This man loves these girls deeply, and they love him right back.

The Hands and Feet of Jesus

Back at Faith House, we unpacked all of the donations that were so generously provided before we left. To everyone who gave — clothing, supplies, and so much more — thank you. You are the hands and feet of Jesus, and your generosity traveled over 8,000 miles to bless these precious girls and their community.

With grateful and full hearts, we headed back to Panu House for a good night’s rest.

Morning Coffee and “Joshua Forward”

The next morning came with coffee and quiet time in the Word. Our team is reading through the Living Grounded — Joshua Forward! devotional series, and it has been a perfect companion for a trip like this one. Joshua was called to step into unknown territory with courage and faith — and so are we.

Energized and anchored, we headed to Faith House early.

A Church Is Born — God Is Multiplying

One of the most humbling moments of this trip has been seeing what The Bible Chapel’s generosity has made possible. Thanks to the giving of our congregation, there is now a church at Faith House — a real, beautiful place of worship that can hold local villagers who come to hear the gospel.

God is not just working here through us. He is multiplying through the steadfast faith and leadership of Maria, the dedication of the local Pastor, and the love that our church family poured out from thousands of miles away. That is the kingdom at work.

The new church at Faith House — a place of worship for the girls and the local village community.

Sunday Service: “The Battle Is Not Yours”

Glenn preached a powerful message from 2 Chronicles 20. In that passage, King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah faced an overwhelming enemy army. But rather than turn to military might, they turned to God — through prayer, fasting, and worship. And God delivered them in a miraculous and undeniable way.

That message lands with particular weight here at Faith House. Many of these girls have faced their own overwhelming enemies — circumstances no child should ever have to face. Yet here they are: standing, worshipping, and trusting God. Just like Jehoshaphat’s people, they are learning that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Getting ready for Sunday service — joy and anticipation in the air.

One Table, Many Stories

After the service we shared a meal with the girls and the congregants from the local village. Sitting around that table — so far from home, surrounded by people whose language, background, and daily life look nothing like ours — something beautiful and simple became very clear: we are not so different at all.

Families. Hopes. Dreams. Hurts and hang-ups. Laughter. The desire to be known and loved. Every person at that table had all of it. Seeing God at work in their lives, the same way He works in ours, is truly humbling.

Sharing a meal with the girls and local village congregants — one table, one family in Christ.

Evening: A Testimony and a Crowning

After a short break in the afternoon (which included an important expedition to find a soccer ball pump!), we returned to Faith House for the evening’s program.

Grandpa Glenn shared his personal testimony — a story about how God loves and accepts you, even when others don’t. About how, when you turn to Him, He places people and blessings in your path that you never could have arranged for yourself. Glenn spoke of being like a “Bummer Lamb” — the first one to come when the Shepherd calls. It was a message tailor-made for these girls, and you could feel it land deep.

Then came a moment of pure joy: Brenda led the Crowning Ceremony. Each girl received her crown — a beautiful, bedazzled headband — and with it a reminder of who she truly is. Our Princess Warriors, equipped with God’s love and the gospel, now carry their crowns as a symbol that their worth is unshakeable and their light cannot be put out.

Finally — Playtime!

And then, at last — playtime! The laughter that filled the yard was the kind that restores your soul. Joell had a wonderful time making friends, and being close in age to some of the older girls at Faith House, she had some really genuine, meaningful conversations. Hearts were touched on both sides of those friendships.

Joell making new friends — joy that crosses every language barrier.

Thank You, Bible Chapel Family

To every person at The Bible Chapel who prayed, gave, donated, and encouraged this team — you are here with us. Your generosity is in the donations being unpacked. Your prayers are in the peace we feel. Your faith is in the church that now stands at Faith House.

God is on the move in Mae Sot, Thailand. And you are part of it.

More updates to come. Keep praying!
— Dee, Brenda, Glenn, Joell, Kathleen, Sally & Bill

On Saturday, March 14th, five congregants (& one pastor) from The Bible Chapel’s Washington Campus woke up, hopped in the car, drove to the airport, and braved flying over the Atlantic Ocean from Pittsburgh to New York City, then an overnight to Amsterdam, and finally HUNGARY! Praise the Lord for smooth sailing (or flying rather), and no cancellations or serious delays! 

Sunday, March 15th,  

After settling into our hotel, we enjoyed a scrumptious welcome dinner. There, we had the opportunity to meet 24 other believers from across the country who would come together to form the largest group of American volunteers to serve with CRU Hungary’s Missions Team ever! 

What are we doing in Hungary?

This week is set aside each year for mission-minded folks and is promptly called “Bringing in the Hungarian Harvest Project’ or “BHHP” for short. This week, we get the opportunity to serve alongside full-time American and Hungarian CRU Missionaries (including Washington’s own John and Meagan Lingenhoel), going into classrooms of elementary-high school students, giving short presentations. Our prayer is that we will form relationships that lead to conversations, plant seeds of curiosity and truth, and pave the way for the full-time missionaries to develop these students for Christ. We will also participate in “random evangelism” (or “divine opportunities,” as one of our colleagues put it), where we will survey college students about their opinions on faith, hopefully opening the door to fruitful conversation. On Friday, there will be an event that all the students we interacted with that week will be invited to, where they will hear the Gospel and build stronger relationships with the CRU Hungary staff 

Our first full day in Hungary, Monday, March 16th, 2026: 

Today was spent training at the newly renovated CRU student center in the heart of Budapest, called Fek ( more *exciting* details about the center to come this week). We started our morning with a message from a Hungarian staff member on idols and what we should put first in our lives. Next, we went on a prayer walk -  walking around the city, praying for the lives we (through Christ) hope to touch this week, the citizens of Budapest, and unity within our team. This was followed by a cultural training (did you know that sniffling and pointing are taboo here, but blowing your nose loudly is not?), and worshiped through song led by the North Carolina team. Tomorrow we dive right into visiting local schools and giving talks.  

Personal testimonies that encouraged us that you might enjoy:

-Why are Americans effective in Hungary? Well, thanks for asking!!! Being a native English speaker is the ticket for us and, therefore CRU Staff to get into local schools to build Christ-centered relationships! Schools allow us to come in so students can practice their English with us and learn about our culture. 

-One missionary, Liz from the US, when giving us tips for evangelizing, described Americans like peaches and Hungarians like coconuts. Peaches are soft and easily bitten into, but have a hard pit inside.  This means she and the team see Americans as easy to talk to on the surface, but have a harder time being deeply vulnerable with people they do not know well. However, Hungarians are like coconuts, on the outside a hard shell, difficult to break into, but soft and vulnerable on the inside once that shell is opened. 

-One of the Hungarian CRU staff members we heard from found a deep faith in Christ in high school when a group of Americans serving with CRU during BHHP came to her high school and presented (exactly what we are doing this week, how amazing!).  

-The leader of our message on idolatry this morning came to faith in Christ and transformed his life at age 18. How did this happen? He was approached on a Hungarian beach by CRU missionaries during a “random evangelizing” session. He shared that he was living a life far from Christ, which actually got him expelled from school. Look at what the Lord has done in his life, so that now he is blessing us and so many others in Hungary!

Ways to pray for our team today: 

-Please pray that the Lord makes our paths clear and opens the door for us to reach students with Christ, like the above examples. 

-Pray that the seeds planted lead to transformation and acceptance of Christ by the students we interact with. 

-Pray the Lord would grow us in our walk with Him and show us ways in which we need to “die to self” this week.

-Pray for endurance and stamina so that we may be effective in our pursuit of reaching students with the Gospel.

Thank you to all the generous donors who made this trip possible, and those who took the time to read this post, and pray for us/ what God is doing in Hungary! What a blessing you are!

 

• You, our faithful supporters and prayer warriors. Your prayers, notes, texts, and emails were of great encouragement to us. 
• The generosity of our financial partners to provide a way for our team to travel, stay in safe accommodations, and bring the supplies that were needed for the school and the community projects we would be doing
• The generosity of those who donated supplies. Supplies such as Play-Doh, paper items, and toiletries would "just appear" in The Bible Chapel's preschool resource room. It was like Christmas morning again and again as unexpected gifts would be waiting on the table for the team to take.
• Team unity, giftedness, and cohesiveness. This team was a collection of different talents, skills, and people whom some of us were meeting for the first time, but all with the same mission. God brought us together, and together we saw His plan and carried out His purposes.
• Protection, safety, and health of the team.
• There were illnesses, physical pain, snow, rain...and yet none of them ceased the work that the Lord set forth for us to accomplish. Illness came during hours when we weren't at the school. Pain was met with times of preplanned rest periods. Snow and rain never halted our time with the kids and people we went to minister to. Uncertainties and doubts were met with encouragement and timely answers. 
• Praise God for healing one of our team members from a throat infection.  It started with inflamed tonsils and could have worsened, but God took care of it.    
• Driving to the Pgh airport on January 17th, we were met with snow and unfavorable road conditions, but we all arrived safely, and our flight remained as scheduled. 
• On the way back to Pgh, we flew home two days early and ahead of the snowstorm that Pgh received on Sunday. We did not miss out on any of our scheduled workdays in the school or local community. Our original flights for Sunday ended up being cancelled so had we have kept them we may still be in the Dominican Republic today and needing to spend monies on washing laundry, buying more supplies, and paying for accommodations. 
• The lives touched and impacted through the preschool and after-school programs. The children saw that Christians from another country love them dearly. They got to hear of our good God straight from His Word and be challenged and encouraged to see how His Truth is relevant in their lives. Through their answers and responses to the practical application questions and reflective time, we saw fruit.  
• The opportunity to minister to underprivileged Haitian children. We could see how God used connections between His people to lead us to a community that needed our tangible help and the hope of the Gospel.
• The opportunity to encourage Robin and Hember, the leaders of King's Kids. The Lord designed the Body of Christ, His Church, and He calls us to pray for one another, spur one another on toward love and good deeds, rejoice with one another, mourn with one another, and encourage one another to persevere in living out our salvation in Jesus. We are thankful to have been able to do this for Robin and Hember. 
• Our team has been encouraged and grown in our personal walks with Jesus Christ. We left the Dominican Republic with new friends in Christ. We carry the reminder that obedience doesn't need to know all the next steps, but to stay in step with the Lord. 

  

• The Lord's clear guidance of the land purchase Robin and Hember are considering, and their future school plans
• For the Lord's strength and peace to sustain them and encourage them to persevere
• For them to feel and see the prayers, support, and fellowship of the Body of Christ 
• For the children to be confident in the Lord's truth and follow hard after Him
• For the children and families to see the Lord's hand of protection and love for them

  

After reading through the scriptures with the children, a child got to act as Jonah and get swallowed up, then spit back out by the whale! Then the kids played a game similar to “Simon says” to reinforce the importance of listening and obeying the Lord. The preschoolers made a whale to take home with a paper plate and paint, and worked on their counting with a numerical worksheet highlighting characters from Jonah’s story. The older students made bracelets and keychains with beads. When the children repeated the Bible verses, answered the review questions, had giggles and applause at the appropriate moments during the lessons, our hearts swelled in boastful praise of our Lord!

  

On Thursday, Dilo and Kevin completed the church painting project and even painted the home next door, too!

Weaved into the day was a lot of prayer over our travels back to Pittsburgh, given the predicted snowfall to come. Should we keep with our original flights on Sunday, switch to Saturday, switch to Monday…left to our own thoughts and concerns, we didn’t know, but we trusted that the Lord would guide us. Together we bowed our heads, humbled our hearts, and sought the Lord for His clear direction and guidance. Saturday flights out of the D.R. filled so quickly that there was no availability for our team. Then the forecast changed and showed snowfalls beginning on Saturday afternoon in Pgh, so that option likely would not have worked anyway! Praise God for that closed door! The Monday option soon closed too, and we all agreed that keeping our Sunday flights was not preferred. We prayed. We waited as conversations were had between the airline company and our trip coordinators in Pgh. And here we are flying home today (Friday), a day we had never even considered.

  
Surrendered.
Prayerful.
Trusting.
We could do all those things with a steady heart because just like we taught the kids this week, we know:
The Lord is faithful.
The Lord is our protector.
He is a promise keeper.
He is bigger than our giants.
He is mighty to save.

Thank you for following along on our journey, lifting us in prayer, and supporting this mission. Check back for one more blog entry to praise the Lord with us, as we will list out the many ways God’s provision was seen and felt!

  

We experienced substantial downfalls of rain yesterday (Wednesday), but the sun was shining while we visited with residents of a local village and painted two homes. During our time in the village, we gifted the women with cosmetic bags filled with brushes, lip balm, toiletries, and bookmarks with scripture. The children were excited to receive bubbles, bracelets, cookies, and pretzels. As soon as we were indoors for lunch, the downpours came again! We praised God for the few hours of sunshine to complete the work and fellowship we had planned to do!

After lunch, there was another short break in the rain. We got to visit a plot of land where The King’s Kids leaders dream of building a future school with multiple classrooms. They covet your prayers as they seek the Lord’s provision and discern His will.

Today (Thursday) is our final day of assisting with preschool and the after-school tutoring program. Please pray that the Bible lesson and truths about our great Lord would take root in the hearts of the children and that they would be confident that the Lord who made the sun, seas, and stars wonderfully made each one of them with a plan and purpose for their life.

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭145‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

   

After story time, the children rotated through different centers where the lesson was reinforced through snack and a craft. What powerful truths the preschoolers learned today. The Lord is mighty! He is our protector! 

The afternoon was spent with students ranging in age from preschool through teenage years. This time at King’s Kids takes place following regular school hours. Kids come for tutoring and afterschool programming, including mentoring, Bible lessons, and a safe place for friendships to grow, rooted in Christ. The children enjoyed rotating through different stations that included time in the front yard playing a variety of sports, a Bible lesson on Noah, a snack, and an art station where the kids painted.

We thank our Lord for the relationships we are building and pray for the children’s hearts that they will trust and grow in relationship with the Lord. As the kids learned today, God is our protector, and He is faithful to keep His promises!

Our team ended our day around the dinner table at a local pizza restaurant, where we enjoyed being part of the local culture and reflecting on our day. On Tuesday morning, we will arise to roosters crowing and ready to teach the kids about David, a young shepherd boy who defeated the Philistine giant because of God’s power and protection.

Prayer needs for today (Tuesday):
For all of the kids who came yesterday to return today, and to tell others to come too!
For energy and good health to be our best
For our hearts, attitudes, and plans to be surrendered to God’s good will

After our devotion, which we do every day, we had the opportunity to share our testimony, Susan, Carol, and Pam. After giving our testimony, we gave time to ask questions and then asked a few of the girls to give their testimony! We ended in a prayer circle with 20 of these girls praying for each other!

We ate lunch and once again were able to serve the kids a special treat for lunch. The smiling faces said it all! Pam had the opportunity to talk to one of the missionaries and decided we would keep in touch to pray for her ministry.

This evening, we had the carnival for the kids, where they were able to win prizes and just have fun doing all the different games. So excited to fill their bags with toys, clothes, and goodies! It was a long day, and it's hard to believe the week is almost over! Many of these kids came forward to accept Christ, and the blessing is that they continue to be decipled by these missionaries. GOD IS ON THE MOVE!

We embraced humility, discussing the importance of giving all the glory to God instead of to ourselves when we serve others. We reflected on why we serve and our motives when we serve. Pam enhanced the devotion by talking about Agape love.

Earlier in the day, the children had fun painting their carnival bags for Friday and participating in games such as volleyball and basketball. Some activities were canceled due to the rain. When the rain decided to subside, the pool was opened! It was there that we witnessed something so special.

The kids must take a swim test and pass before they are allowed in the deep end of the pool. Today, one sweet, mischievous little boy continued to sneak over to the deep end without taking the test. Pam told the lifeguard, and he had to take the test. Before the test, the little boy prayed near the pool. Guess what? He passed the swim test!! What a wonderful example of faith in Jesus Christ this young child displayed!

The evening ended with Bible trivia and a bonfire, where the children had the opportunity to dedicate their lives to Christ by throwing a stick (a representation of sin) into the fire! What a testimony to the World of Life and how they are impacting these children's lives!!!

The Gospel will be clearly presented each night, and we are excited to see more little hands go up as Christ continues to change hearts.

Today was another beautiful day in Chame, Panama. The kids spent extended time in large group Bible lessons and then with their counselors in small cabin groups, learning more about who Jesus is and how much He loves them. The counselors here do the hard and joyful work every day—teaching, protecting, dancing with, and loving on these kids.

Our team is really coming together as well. We’re serving in many different roles: as lifeguards at the pool, helping at the zip line, building items for camp, doing crafts with the kids, and encouraging the missionaries who serve year-round. 

Finally,  there is exciting news to share! In just a few weeks, they will open a brand new hotel that will have 24 rooms and sleep 48 people. This is so exciting as it will make a huge difference in the ministry they are able to do. It was a blessing to pray as a team in the hotel for God to finish it well and reveal his plans for it  

The Kingdom work that Word of Life Panama is doing every day is truly inspiring and Spirit-led. We are incredibly grateful to be part of this first week of scholarship camp and deeply thankful to God for the prayers and senders He has provided to make this possible.

We got to have a fun day of zip-lining in between raindrops. We had about 30 boys and 25 girls!! We ended with a presentation of what was to come for the week!

The King’s Kids is a grassroots Christian ministry that educates, equips, and transforms the lives of underprivileged children through the gospel of Jesus Christ. During our time in the D.R., we will spend the weekdays providing Bible study teaching, VBS activities, and painting projects for a local church and home. We invite you to follow our journey through this blog. Regular updates will be made throughout the week (as long as technology works as planned).

We thank you for your prayers and ask that you join us in praying over these specific requests for this weekend’s travels:

1. Favorable weather conditions for flights to remain scheduled and on time
2. God’s hand of protection for safety and good health for our team
3. Our luggage would not get lost or damaged in route (all of the suitcases are filled with crafts, sports equipment, Bible lesson activities, and donations to bless those we will be serving)
4. Our team would glorify the Lord in words, actions, love for one another, and for others
5. God’s protection and provision for our families while we are in the D.R.
6. For the hearts we will be ministering to would be softened to hear and receive the Good News of Jesus Christ

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8a

This has become a key verse for our team. We want to seek Him, step out in faith, and commit to follow Him in joy and obedience. We want to boldly proclaim His goodness! And we want to invite others to taste and see that the Lord is good!

Together In Christ,

Dilo, Naomi, Kevin, Debbie, Darlene, and Melissa

Today is October 3, and today starts the first night of the Women’s Conference for 2025!

Before all the women arrive to camp, we have some last minute things to accomplish. Alaina and Jessica help with the decorations like making a flower arch that was on the stage along with setting up all the tables for the women. 

It was amazing to see all of the missionaries and our group come together to get this work done. Even the missionaries' children were helping us!

Jessica and Alaina also got to practice speaking Spanish, and they are definitely getting better!

Both Jennifers, Jennifer Christensen and Jennifer Zebo, were in charge of making brownies for the last day of the conference. The work it took to make these brownies was crazy but I know they will taste delicious! 

After most of the work was done, it was time for everyone to eat another delicious meal! Today we had spaghetti with either red or white sauce. We talked with more of the missionaries and their children and learned more about their stories and how they got to Word of Life Panama. 

After lunch, we had some downtown to relax and spend more time with some of the other women. A little while later, it was time for dinner and for all of the women to arrive at camp!!

It was so exciting to see everyone filing into the office to receive their greeting bag with supplies you all helped fundraise for! Then it was time for dinner, we went into a time of worship and time in our Bibles. Lots of pictures were taken and many friends were made. 

Once we finished, it was time to go off to bed and get some rest for the next few days! 

Today is October 5, the last day of the conference.

We started the morning off like every other morning with a delicious breakfast at 8 a.m.. We talked with more women and all of our Spanish has improved since our first day here! Then, it was time for the speaker to give her message and talk to us the importance of understanding and building up the next generations. 

She talked about how we need to focus on God in our lives and gave the analogy of squeezing an orange, what comes out? The juice inside comes out. Just like whenever we are in a tough situation and are being “squeezed,” however we act toward that situation is what is inside of us. We want to have patience and understand, not anger and violence. Which is why we need to have God at the center of our lives, feeding our bodies spiritually. 

After our Bible time and worship, we had our last group member, Jennifer Zebo, share her testimony with the women. It was amazing to see the support and kind words after Jennifer shared. 

Through sharing our testimonies, we empower others to get that weight of possible shame or regret off of their chest and be able to fully live a life for God. There is also community in that because you are not alone in things you may have gone through– you can find connection with others in your hard times.

Once we finished the second-half of the message and more worship, it was time for lunch and to say our goodbyes to the women. So many pictures were taken and so many numbers were exchanged. Alaina and Jessica made so many more friends with young women their age, who they will hopefully see one day in the future!

The conference was an amazing reminder of God’s goodness and how with him at the center of our lives, we can find immense and never-ending joy!!

After all the women left, we had the missionaries come to our room to look through all the clothes donated to us! They were able to pick out some t-shirts, pants, shoes and more! It was definitley rewarding to see how happy they were to receive some clothing items, so thank you to anyone who donated!

As this was our final night with our missionaries at Word of Life Panama, all the women went out to eat to enjoy one last meal together. It was so much fun to sit and relax with all the women who made this conference possible and continue to hear their stories and learn about their lives. 

We said our goodbyes and went to our rooms to start packing for our last day in Panama tomorrow– come back to hear about what adventures we did for our last day!

Today is October 4, and it is the second day of the Women’s Conference!

We started our day with breakfast at 8 a.m. and then immediately went into a time of worship and reading our Bibles. It was so cool to hear worship in Spanish and try to sing it in English. After a time in our Bibles, Jennifer Christensen and her daughter, Jessica, were able to give their testimonies. It was amazing how we were talking about building up the future generations and setting an example, and then hearing Jessica’s life story after we heard Jennifer's. 

After that, we had a coffee break where we could get refreshments and snacks before returning to a time of worship. The main focus of our time in our Bibles was on the different generations and how each of them viewed life. We did an activity where we split into the different age groups and played a game. It was so much fun!

Then, we cleaned up and brought out the craft we had prepared for everyone – decorating trucker hats! Fun fact- before we went on this trip, we were worried that we were not going to reach full support with all the materials we needed for this craft, but God will always provide, and we did reach full support thanks to everyone at home! It was amazing to see all the women with their different creative styles, and then later on in the day, so many women were wearing their hats. It was a blast!

Once everyone had finished creating their hats, it was time to clean up and return to our rooms to rest and prepare for the rest of the night, which included a gala. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing it was to see all the women in their fancy dresses and beautiful makeup. Everyone looked stunning, especially when we went into a time of worship in these evening gowns. After this year's speaker gave the sermon, our group member, Alaina McDonald, gave her testimony. It was beautiful to see how her story reached so many women at this conference. 

Later, it was time for a mini “Miss America” contest, where two women were crowned. This year, Jessica and Alaina decided to participate in this contest, and it was amazing! They started out with a runway walk, and then the finalists were chosen. Alaina and Jessica did not win, however, Jessica did end up performing her talent, which was doing the worm in her evening dress! It was hilarious! 

The event ended up going until midnight, and everyone was so tired that it was time for bed. Alaina and Jessica ended up making some friends and got invited to go swimming with them afterward, so, obviously, they could not pass that up!

They mentioned how beautiful it was to talk with the women by using the Spanish they knew, since the women could not speak English. Even with a language barrier, they shared stories and had so much fun. 

Tomorrow marks the last day of the conference, with breakfast at 8 a.m.

Welcome to the first blog post from our 2025 Panama Women's Conference trip! We arrived in Panama on October 1 and have had many adventures so far: visiting Monkey Island and a Wounaan indigenous community located near Gamboa, Panama, before we headed to Campamento Palabra De Vida. 

Before I tell you about what we have been up to, I want to share a God moment. When we landed in Panama, one of the women in our group lost her suitcase because it was not in the overhead compartment where she had put it. In addition, we were also having cell service issues to let the Panama missionaries know we landed. Instead of freaking out, we all came together to pray for peace and patience while navigating a foreign country and running into some bumps.

Shortly after, the suitcase was found, and we ended up befriending one of the airline workers. His name is Ramano and he saw us praying and felt the need to help out a little-- he got us through customs quickly by allowing us to go through a different line and then he got us assistance to move all nine suitcases full of supplies from the baggage claim to the car. Without losing our luggage, we would have never had those blessings, so it is an important reminder to trust in God's plan, even if you don't understand.   

More about our trip: To get to Monkey Island and the Wounaan community, we had to take a boat on the Panama Canal. It was amazing to learn about the history of the area in addition to listening to personal stories from Missionary Traci Delibasich. Traveling across the water was eye-opening in seeing God's creation in full. The nature is so vibrant, and there are animals everywhere. We saw crocodiles, birds, and, of course, the monkeys. We got to get up close to different monkey islands and feed them grapes, oranges, and bananas, but we soon learned that they really wanted the limes. But not to eat them-- they used the limes to clean themselves, which was so interesting. The first monkeys we saw were the Capuchin monkeys, and then we saw the Titi monkeys. I loved the Titi monkeys because they are so small. 

After Monkey Island, we got to visit the San Antonio Wounaan Tribe. We learned their history, which turned out to be a little sad because they are not allowed to hunt like their ancestors did. They now rely on tourists for income because of the regulations on the Panama Canals that no longer allow them to be hunter/gatherers. While there, a few of us bought some handcrafted jewelry to support them, but also to have a souvenir. Before we left, they wanted to show us two dances: the Dance of the Butterfly and the Dance of the Coyote. It was amazing to see these dances and to see some of their clothing. 

After leaving the tribe, we traveled to Campamento Palabra De Vida, Word of Life Camp, on October 2. Some of us reconnected with old friends while others met new ones. It was beautiful to see the camp and what they have to offer for people here. We settled in and then got to work later in the night after dinner (which was delicious). Some of the women volunteers worked together after dinner to pack welcome bags for the women attending the conference later that day. This is also a big shout-out to those who helped us fundraise for this trip. It allowed us to bring supplies for these gifts, along with an activity to do with all the women. It is amazing what God can accomplish! 

Once all the bags were finished and we cleaned up, we headed back to our rooms to get ready for bed after an eventful day. Wake-up call is 7 a.m.!

It has been such a fun and informational two days, and I cannot wait to tell you more about this trip over the next few days!

Boyd, Paul, and George finished the kitchen ceiling at their rebuild. Those previous days felt backbreaking, and they spent most of the day lifting the wood over their heads, so it was a blessing to be finished with that task. They also worked on cutting and installing the living room crown moulding. Unfortunately, there were no pictures with the turkey today. 😂 

Tyler and company finally finished ripping up the glued-down wood flooring after 4 days of work! Then Tyler, Linda U, and Karen finished the insulation, hung drywall, worked on drywall mud, and did truck inventory again. A very productive day with much more variety!

Regina and Stevie put the finishing touches on Miss Katherine's house. There was still more (heavy!) furniture to move into her home, so they spent most of the day doing that.

Jonna and Linda went into the day knowing the plan was to install ceramic tile in the bathroom, and thought they would be gophers for tools and supplies. To their surprise, Tim and Jack taught them to use a wet saw, a jigsaw, and a grinder. It was really special - knowing that these skilled craftsmen could have finished the job quickly, but took the time to teach them how to use the tools and trusted them to do almost all of the cutting. It really was a blessing all the way around.

Although we are all exhausted physically and, to be honest, mentally and emotionally, it's bittersweet that tomorrow morning is the last trip to the work sites.  We will go to three sites, work until noon and head out for the long 8 hour drive home. It's guaranteed that if you ask any one of the team, they would say they would come back again and would encourage anyone with a heart to serve the hurting to sign up to partner with Samaritan's Purse.

Regina and Stevie got to be present at a House Dedication for Miss Katherine. Stevie shared that Miss Katherine's house was a total rebuild. The water had been 4 feet high in her living room. Firefighters rescued her on a boat. The second photo is the group of family, friends, and neighbors that joined the SP staff and volunteers for the dedication. They prayed, presented Miss Katherine with a Bible and a journal that all the workers had left a message in. What a blessing to participate in. 

 Tyler was still working on the floors! The goal is to have them done prior to lunch tomorrow. Linda U and Karen finished the insulation in the master bedroom. All the insulation should be complete by lunch tomorrow. Karen and Linda also took inventory of the SP tool trailer.

Boyd, Paul, and George completed the ceiling in the living room, the back end of the hallway, and started the ceiling in the kitchen. They are working at a rebuild with a lot of animals on the property, and Paul was "talking turkey" with a new friend. Gobble Gobble. 🦃

Linda J and Jonna had an interesting start to the day that turned out to be God working to bring about a huge blessing. Their team split up today, so three of the men took the trailer to one house, and Linda, Jonna & Tim (the foreman) went back to the single mom's home. It was a late start because they had to pack Tim's truck with supplies from the tool trailer and grab more supplies for ripping out the tile floor in a small bathroom.  

Through a stressful series of events, Linda & Jonna ended up not getting to the rebuild until 10:30 am. They painted the whole bathroom, painted trim, chiseled up the tile floor, and then poured leveler onto the floor to harden for the tile installation. But the beautiful blessing was that the homeowner came and shared her heart and her struggles with them. After some deep discussions, Linda asked if they could pray with her, and she said yes! The foreman said that she has continued to warm up to everyone and come out of her shell. He says she is like a whole different person from their first day at the rebuild. And another blessing, the 8-year-old daughter had been at a camp that day, and because they had to work later than usual, Linda and Jonna got to see her, spend time with her, and write her little notes about how much Jesus loves her. God is working in miraculous ways!

After a precious time of sharing about each team's experiences, we are ready to sleep, rest our aching bodies, and start fresh tomorrow. We can't wait! Thank you for praying!

Our second day, we were off and running at 7:15 am for devotional, worship, and breakfast. We all then went with our designated teams to our work sites. Before we left, we grabbed a picture with our whole group. It's been amazing to come together with people from all over the country to serve these NC residents!

Boyd, Paul, and George continued to work on the ceiling. Today was removing the ceiling fan in the living room, installing almost half the tongue and groove ceiling, and reinstalling and cleaning the ceiling fan. They also installed an edging piece around the entire living space ceiling to aid in the installation of the ceiling panels.

Jonna and Linda J's team went to 2 houses today. One was way up in the mountains, and they weren't sure the huge truck and SP trailer would be able to get up the windy dirt roads. But Tim, the team lead was a master at maneuvering it and they greeted the homeowner who needed them to start by removing soffit/fascia and scrape some peeling paint that would later be repainted. 

After lunch, they returned to the house from Day One and helped in cleaning, vacuuming, painting, helping to rearrange furniture, and tearing up a bathroom tile floor. It was hot and hard work, but there was joy abounding as the team really bonded.

Stevie and Regina are putting the finishing touches on a house that they are excited to dedicate this week with their entire team. What a blessing! Stevie painted trim, moulding, and baseboards, while Regina helped with cleaning, moving, and setting up furniture. Their homeowner is in her 90s and has beautiful antique furniture that was a joy to put back into its rightful place.

Linda U, Karen, and Tyler went back to the home from yesterday, where Tyler continued to help rip up the hardwood floors. It's slow, hard, tedious work, but it will be such a blessing for the homeowner!  Linda and Karen installed an entire room of insulation and did a fantastic job! Not something they probably ever imagined they would do!

Some other great news of the day is that Paul was able to get a room at The Cove with the rest of the TBC team, and that was one hurdle that God worked out in a beautiful way. We're excited to hear Paul share the devotion on Thursday morning!

Thank you all for your prayers and for keeping up with the hard work by the TBC team with Samaritan's Purse. People's lives are being transformed by Jesus!

Our fun, brightly colored missions team, who is partnering with Samaritan's Purse (SP) left TBC on Sunday morning for "The Cove", Billy Graham's retreat center near Asheville. We had a great trip down, with lots of laughing and sharing in our 15-passenger van. We arrived at The Cove at 5 PM and got checked into our rooms. Only one small hiccup...they did not have Paul B. on their list of participants for Samaritan's Purse, so he didn't have a room. It was a little hectic trying to figure out how it happened and what to do, but he ended up staying at a local Holiday Inn, hopefully only for a day or two.

We saw that we had a VERY tight schedule and had to be at the training center at 7:15 AM for devotions/worship, breakfast at 7:45 and ready to board our trucks/trailers at 8:30. We honestly had no idea what to expect, so when we met with the leaders, contractors, SP staff and about 20 other volunteers from all over the country to pray, they divided our group into 4 teams and we headed out. 

Linda U, Karen S, Tyler U, headed to a house where most of the day, they spent sledgehammering a tile floor and shoveling the remnants to be taken to the dumpsters. It was intense, loud work and maybe a little more than they initially expected, but they are ready to head back on Day 2 to see what project is next.

Boyd B, Paul B, and George went to a house that was just getting started with rebuild and renovation. They worked in the house removing moulding and then went outside to build a wooden retaining wall. The homeowner's driveway is over a small creek, and every time it rains, the driveway floods. They are working to stop that flooding and keep the driveway safe. They are going back on day 2 to add some gravel and make it stronger.

Stevie K and Regina S went to a house that will be dedicated this week, meaning that there will be a small ceremony and time praying for the homeowner as well as gifting them with a Bible and a journal. Their day was spent cleaning floors, baseboards, and appliances.  It will be exciting to see it all come together for the dedication day!

Linda J and Jonna M went to a house that is also nearing dedication, so there were just a few things to wrap up. Men from another team finished building a railing on a deck and on a set of stairs. It looks beautiful! The team lead told Linda and Jonna that the biggest help to him would be to inventory the SP tool trailer and organize it. It had been a bit of a mess, and he couldn't buy the new tools that were needed until everything was accounted for. So while they didn't have the physical work of some others, there was a lot of organizing, learning all about tools, and filling out the inventory sheet. The team lead was so thankful, as this will make it easier for the volunteers and contractors to find what they need in a quicker amount of time. 

Everyone got back to "base camp" around 5 PM for a quick shower and dinner at 5:45. After dinner, there was a time of sharing until 7 PM among all of the 5 teams that were sent out, and it was great to hear what the others accomplished during their first day. Everyone heads back to the same locations tomorrow to begin the next projects. Lights out is between 9 & 10 PM.  And everyone is totally ready to get some rest!

There, we were able to visit the ancient Roman aqueduct, the former royal Alcazar castle and the cathedral  - the last Gothic cathedral built in Europe. We learned much about the history of Spain, the political and religious history as well. Ken and Carolyn shared a wealth of their knowledge from living and serving in this country.

We had a lovely lunch together and were able to debrief and discuss our week together. We praise God for our safety in construction demolition work, wall repair and painting, and safety in our teaching and playing flag football (futbol Americana) with the youth.

We are so grateful we could help with their youth camp, snacks, and clean up, and how God used our sharing of our testimonies, how Jesus transformed our own lives in the past. Our own faith continues to grow deeper through this experience.

We are thankful we could come encourage our partners with our presence. We pray they are strengthened for many days to come because of our visit.

As we head to bed late, we hope and pray for a smooth and safe trip home tomorrow.

We joined Federico and the church family in worship music, prayer, and encouragement. We took communion together, and then Ken gave his sermon on Psalms 42-43, talking about depression and finding joy in God. We ended the service with a brief hasta luego as we packed up some tables and headed to the nearby park for a picnic.

All the members of the church gathered at the park with food and spent time in community and discussion. The kids played together in the shade while the adults and our team members got to know each other. Before we left, we made sure to get one last photo with Fede and Lucia. We thanked them for their service in their ministry and prayed for them. May God be glorified. The Colussys gave them gifts that they brought for their whole family!

After packing up and heading back to the hotel, we got our tourist outfits on and headed over to the train station, where we would take a train to Madrid, and further to Sol, the central square of the city. We took photos of the wonderful architecture and scenery. We saw the Royal Palace of Madrid and the next door Cathedral, before heading to Plaza Mayor. This is where we got dinner - calamari sandwiches and empanadas!

As the sun began to set, we headed back to the metro to catch the next train to Sol, before sprinting to the shortly departing train back to Guadalajara!

We began our day with our continental-style Spanish Breakfast Bar. Then we gathered on the patio for a team devotional and our planning meeting before heading out.

Cheryl, Dee, and Heather finished day three painting a bedroom wall in Rose and Chris’s home. We have removed wallpaper, spackled where needed, sanded, and painted. The guys joined in for the big reveal. What a transformation!

Then we headed off to a scrumptious lunch at 2 pm. This is the largest meal of the day in Spain, with appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and several desserts.

Siesta follows. Today, I think everyone took a nap. We have been working so hard all week, plus interacting with the teens, children, and adults.

Tonight was English Speaking Class with nine adults from the town of Cabanillas del Campos, Guadalajara, all the way to Madrid…. teachers, authors, architects, retirees, marathon runners, etc. What an enriching experience!!!

On our prayer walk, we prayed at the city hall of Cabanillas Del Campo and prayed over the city itself, the mayor, and the city officials to help the permit process of their new church. We walked through the town, stopping to pray for  Fede and Lucia, Chris and Rose, and their mission here. While at the cultural center, a woman named Marina stopped to talk, and we were able to share with her why we are here. She spoke English very well and mentioned she has little opportunity to practice, so we invited her to “Temas y Tapas,” the English conversation class we will host tomorrow evening!

After the prayer walk, the women went back to the home of Chris and Rose to spackle and paint, then we headed to lunch.

After lunch (which was the best chicken in the world!!!), we had some time to walk around Alcalá De Henares. We saw many historic buildings and learned so much history. We saw the building where Christopher Columbus asked the Queen if he could find a new route to India and started his journey to find the Americas. We learned a lot about the history of Catholicism in Spain and how, throughout the years, it has been ingrained into their culture, even though all of the churches here are poorly attended.

This evening, we went to the home of one of the families of the church for the last night of youth camp, and they had a swimming pool! Fede gave the closing message, and the kids played games and swam. We had a dinner of hot dogs and chips with s’mores for dessert. (A couple of these kids had never had a s’more) Heather gave her testimony, and it was even more amazing because she even did it en Español!!! Overall, we had an amazing day and are ready to see what tomorrow brings us.

Shortly after we ended our devotional, a man who was seated behind us showed interest in our conversation. He introduced himself as Christian, both by name and religion, and he shared that he is in the midst of discovering what church he wants to attend: Evangelical, Catholic, Baptist, etc. After talking for a few minutes, Ken was able to get his information so that he can give him Fede and Lucia’s church’s information in hopes he may attend.

After we were done eating and getting ready, we headed out to our respective locations: the men were headed to the new church location to help with demolition, and the women went to Rose and Chris’s home to help remove wallpaper and prepare the wall to be repaired and repainted tomorrow. The men’s group helped remove the old ceiling tiles, vents, speakers, lights, and an accessory wall. After a few hours of hard work, sweat, and dust, we all congregated at Rose and Chris’s house and saw the work they had done.

We then headed back to the hotel for a brief shower before heading back out for lunch with Fede and Lucia shortly after 2 pm. Fede, Lucia, Ken, and Carolyn introduced us to all the local delicacies, which we all enjoyed along the side of wonderful conversation. After taking a group photo, we headed back to the hotel for siesta, a brief midday rest period.

The next thing on the agenda is going to the church during the youth events, where we began to introduce them to American flag football. We had the footballs and the jerseys, but we didn’t have the flags for football, as they were in the lost luggage from the airport. After tossing around a football outside for some time, we all went back inside for an icebreaker game followed by worship. Halfway through the activities at the church, we finally received the phone call saying the luggage was delivered to the hotel, so we immediately sent Ken, Tim, and Tyler back to the hotel to retrieve the much-needed flags! Back at the church, a lesson and discussion were then led by Sarah, the wife of the gentleman who taught yesterday, about Genesis 44. After some group discussions for the students, we packed up some drinks, snacks, and sports equipment and headed to the field to play football!

We knew heading into this that teaching American football wouldn’t be easy due to its many minute details and rules, so we started with playing catch and attempting to run routes. After each student got a few tries, we broke into 4 teams and started 2 separate games. Ken helped translate for the blue and green team, and Chris, helped translate for the red and yellow team. After some much-deserved confusion as to why we play football the way we do, they started to understand it, and the games started! We had some fumbles, a broken earring, some turnovers, interceptions, but even in that, the kids were smiling, laughing, congratulating each other, and keeping it competitive. They played until the field lights went out, still asking for one more play!

After all was said and done, the students got some water, ate some snacks, and put on matching shirts we brought for a group photo. Fede then introduced Steve Magnotti, who shared his testimony of how God used one of the hardest moments of His life to bring him to Christ. He shared how life still has struggles, but he knows that he is no longer fighting that fight alone! Fede spoke to close out the night, and we started to pack up and say hasta mañana!

Back at the hotel, we debriefed and collected ourselves before heading to bed to get rest for another amazing day!

The plan was for the team to meet at the Pittsburgh airport at 1:45 pm in order to fly to Philadelphia to meet Ken and Carolyn Muckle, then fly to Madrid!

Time to pivot!

Our flights were cancelled! Tim and Cheryl called on our team to regroup and think quickly.

We met, prayed together, and mutually made a decision to get on the road and drive to Philadelphia in hopes of making our next flight!

Road trip!

We confirmed we could all be booked again on the later flight to Madrid and started our trek across the turnpike. Time would be tight, but we kept praying and hoping that we would make it to the Philadelphia airport in time.

On our way, we got alerts that the flight was delayed 40 minutes which helped our cause! We also were getting alerts of bad weather, possible tornadoes, and flooding and traffic!

Time was tight, and we got an another alert our flight was delayed again!  More time! It amazed me how God was providing in these ways! Our team was full of trust and patience. (And encouraging each other to keep hope)

We joined together with Ken and Carolyn Muckle in Philadelphia, and our team was fully together!

Now wait.

More delays and after waiting, departed for Madrid at 1:30 am!! Wow- we had quite a delay (5 hours)

Wednesday:

Landed in Madrid 8 am US time/2 pm Madrid time.

By 4 pm, we had picked up our luggage - well, all but one left behind! (More prayers, we will get it soon!) We drove to Guadalajara and checked into our hotel. After check-in, it was time to grab a snack and then drive to join the Alvarezes at their church for youth camp.

We participated in a find the owner of the shoe game and then sang in worship before the message on Joseph was shared. Keychain craft, then sand volleyball at the local park with snacks too! Tim shared his testimony with the youth while Ken translated . Praise God for the opportunity for Tim to share about God's work in his early life so he can live to honor God.

We made custom partitions from telephone poles and put them up in the girls' pool bathroom. The grinding in the showers is officially done, and we started putting up marbling. Painting through the whole camp was completed. The majority of the ceiling got completed with only the shower ceiling needing to be completed tomorrow.

We are right on track to get all our goals done before we leave. Family Picnic Day is tomorrow, with at least 1,000 people expected to attend. God is good.

We arrived at camp around 4:30 PM, and in the distance behind camp, you can see Mt. Chame that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, which is quite stunning. The fellowship has been great between the guys, and lots of good conversations and good unity between the guys to serve and be the hands and feet for Jesus.

We were greeted with amazing hospitality and hugs from those living at the camp, and they made us feel at home. After getting unpacked, we went and were shown the projects we would be fixing and working on. We were able to get a quick start on the boy's room bathroom, tear up tile, and get the doors removed to be worked on the rest of the week.

Around 7 PM, we met for dinner, and the full-time Missionaries at the camp made us an amazing meal with fried yucca, which is like a French fry, but in our opinion, maybe better than any fries you've ever eaten.

After dinner, everyone stayed, and we all opened up God's word. Ben Hirsch led us in a great devotional. We were in Judges Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16, and we read a few verses from those chapters. Taking away from what we read, we see how Samson, rather then trusting in God's plan for his life, he chose to fulfill his own desires that came with consequences. Yet, God still had a plan for him, and Samson just needed to trust in God rather than himself.

I pray that we, as a team, trust in serving to do God's purpose and to do His will through our mission team. 

Greetings from Mae Sot, Thailand! 

Our team has been blessed to spend time serving alongside Faith House, a refuge and home for young girls from the Karen tribe who have fled the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. Many of these girls have experienced hardship beyond their years and are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. But here, in this safe space, they are met with God’s love, encouragement, and the joy of community. 

Hearts of Friendship 

Today was full of joy and purpose. One of our team leaders, Brenda, led a beautiful lesson on Godly friendship. Through Scripture, she showed the girls what it means to be a true friend— loyal, kind, forgiving, and loving as Christ loves us. 

The girls then participated in a creative activity where they decorated paper hearts with Bible verses about friendship. Each heart was not only a craft project, but a reminder of God’s word planted in their hearts. Watching their faces light up with glitter and glue in hand was a beautiful reminder of the healing that joy can bring. 

Gifts of Care 

Our team also had the privilege of providing the girls with hygiene gift baskets. Each one included essentials along with a special touch—a shower headband! It was a small gesture, but for these girls, it was received with gratitude and excitement. It reminded us that dignity and care can be restored in the little things. 

A Night to Remember 

Next, we traveled with the girls to a local hotel—a special outing planned to treat them to rest, comfort, and fun. In Mae Sot’s warm climate, air conditioning and soft beds are a luxury, and the girls were absolutely thrilled. 

But the highlight? The pool! It was all laughter and splashes as they played and swam. It was a moment of freedom, of simply being children, surrounded by safety and love. 

Teaching Boundaries with God’s Wisdom 

Later, we gathered together for an important lesson on healthy boundaries—a critical topic,  especially for vulnerable youth. The presentation covered ten biblical principles that help guide relationships with wisdom and strength. A few key messages included: 

• Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23): Know when to say yes and when to say no.
• • Sow good seeds (Galatians 6:7–8): Your choices shape your future. 
• Own your actions (Galatians 6:5): You’re responsible for your choices—not someone else’s. 
• Respect others’ limits (Matthew 7:12): As we want others to respect our “no,” we must also respect theirs. 
• Speak up with love (Ephesians 4:15): Boundaries require communication and courage. 

While this part of the day was more serious, it was powerful to see the girls engage, ask questions, and begin to understand their worth and how God calls us to live in freedom—not fear. 

Closing Reflections 

Today was about more than activities and lessons—it was about planting seeds. Seeds of truth,  hope, identity, and joy. Faith House is a sanctuary in a hard world, and we’re grateful to play even a small part in supporting these incredible young women as they grow into who God created them to be. 

Please continue to pray for the girls of Faith House, for safety, healing, and a future filled with light.

Hello dear family! This is Yindi reporting from Mae Sot.

What incredible days we had today!

Today was our first complete day. We started with an (unplanned) Thai breakfast before starting with the first lesson (taught by me) about Evangelism; in the afternoon, Grandpa Glenn taught about giving back. Girls are very participative during lessons, and what a great joy it is to hear them recite the biblical verses (several of them from memory), even if we do not speak the same language.

We spent a lot of time with the reinforcement activities: they learned to write their personal testimony, painted rocks with bible verses and phrases to evangelize, and made encouragement cards.

For lunch, we were able to spend some time with the staff in a restaurant where you could see Myanmar (and the scam center) on the other side.

I am impressed by how sweet, affectionate and obedient all the girls are - this speaks very well of the love and care they receive from Maria and Faith House staff. I am so grateful for Deborah (my translator); she made my lesson more enjoyable.

One of the times we enjoy the most is worship. I do not exaggerate when I say that they are a choir of angels, surely that is how it will sound when we all praise God together in eternity.

PS: Thai food is amazing!

All of us then sat down to dinner which was prepared by staff and the girls. After dinner, I briefly spoke to the girls with Psalm 46 as our scripture about their experience with a recent earthquake. Tremors were felt at Faith House with the epicenter about 600 miles away in Myanmar.  There was no damage nor injuries at Faith House, but most of the girls' families live in Myanmar.  As far as is presently known their families are safe. We wanted the girls to know of our church’s concern and prayers for their safety once we knew of the earthquake and through Psalm 46, God’s power, love, and sovereignty. 

Following my remarks, Brenda Tenison spoke to the girls as to their identities as “princesses of the most High God”. After Brenda spoke, each girl had placed on their heads by our team members a beautiful crown like headband to symbolize who they are in eyes of God. A special evening with more to come tomorrow. 

Our final days in Panama were filled with unforgettable moments and a whirlwind of activity.

One of our favorite camp traditions is Carnival Night, where we gather the kids in the gym to play games and win prizes. Regardless of how they perform, every child receives a prize at each station, which makes the experience extra special for them. The kids absolutely love it, and it’s heartwarming to see their joy. All the prizes were items donated, and it was a blessing to witness the kids so excited about receiving them. We also invited the kids who had served at our duplex to select clothing donations we brought, giving them an opportunity to choose something for themselves.

Our final day was emotional as we said goodbye to the children and watched them head home. Not all of them return to loving or stable environments, which made it even more difficult to say farewell. We also said goodbye to the missionaries, who have truly become like family to us. Later, we drove through Curundú to visit the neighborhoods where some of the children come from. It was a sobering reminder of the challenges they face and why the camp is such a vital part of their lives.

As we head home tomorrow, the children, the missionaries, and the Word of Life team will remain in our hearts and prayers. We leave changed, empowered, and determined to be a light in the world.

The morning kicked off with a hearty breakfast and Bible lessons for the kids. One of our teams, working with a cabin, named their group “Cinco Hombres” (5 men). Ian, a boy from the group, recited the memory verse from the day before and won a prize. It was a really touching moment, especially since just the day before, he was in tears because no one wanted to play with him. The kids are also learning new songs, and I have a feeling we’ll be singing them for months!

Another special moment happened when one of our team members got the chance to share Christ with a boy who had come from a rough orphanage. He was struggling to grasp God’s love, but God gave the team member just the right words to explain it. We’re continuing to pray for this boy, hoping for a better future for him.

As the evening came, the whole camp gathered around the campfire. They sang more songs and then sat down to hear the testimony of Darlenis, a counselor from Carrudu, a tough neighborhood outside Panama City. She shared her dream of going to Mexico City to study at the Bible Institute. After her story, the kids were invited to pray a salvation prayer, and if they chose to, they could throw a stick in the fire as a symbol of their decision to follow Jesus.

Tomorrow is one of our favorite days: carnival night!

The day started with a delicious breakfast, which the kids absolutely loved. One of the best parts of camp is that the kids get to enjoy three full meals a day—something that, for many of them, isn’t always guaranteed at home.

While the kids tidied up their rooms, our team gathered in the office for a presentation from Jon Fowler. He shared their journey—where they’ve been, where they are now, and their vision for the future. It was so encouraging to hear how much God has already provided, and it left the team feeling inspired and excited about what’s ahead.

The rest of the day was packed with fun activities for the kids. The younger girls on our team ran craft time, where the kids got to paint and decorate their own cinch sacks. Honestly, we’re not sure what ended up with more paint—the bags or the girls! The evening gospel show was even better than the day before. You could see the joy on the performers’ faces, and it completely drew the kids in—they were loving every minute of it.

It’s so uplifting to see our team growing closer and supporting each other, even when we’re running on fumes and feeling all the emotions. One of our team members really stepped up when the counselor for his cabin had to leave for a visa appointment. Even with a language barrier, he made sure the kids were cared for and had a great time. Our daily debriefs and devotionals—both in the morning and evening—have become such special times of connection and honesty.

It’s been incredible to see how God is working in every moment—through the laughter, the challenges, and the connections being built—and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the week holds.

Today, the kids arrived! The Panama Word of Life team went into the surrounding areas to bring the kids to camp. The staff and our team lined the walkways to greet and cheer for the kids as they arrived. It was a beautiful thing to see some of the nervousness on their faces transform into smiles as they walked through the spirit tunnel. 

The day flew by quickly once the kids arrived. They were assigned counselors and settled into their cabins. After that, the real fun began! The afternoon was spent at the zip line and the pool. I’m not sure who enjoyed it more: the kids or our team! It was so heartwarming to see our young adults playing and bonding with the kids. The slide and the climbing wall were huge hits!

At the end of the day, everyone came together to sing some songs and hear a gospel message. The Word of Life team brought so much energy and excitement that the whole crowd couldn’t help but join in. After the message, the kids were invited to pray and give their hearts to Jesus. The counselors then spent a few minutes with their cabins, answering questions and giving gospel bracelets to the kids who made that decision. It was such a powerful moment to see how many kids chose to follow Jesus.

Tomorrow brings more games, gospel messages, and of course, pool time! 

Oh, the joys of traveling in the winter. Our team landed in Panama City on Sunday, but it wasn’t without its challenges. Saturday morning, the first leg of our flight (Pittsburg to Atlanta) was canceled as Delta couldn’t get a flight crew there. Thanks to the persistence of our fearless leader, Brad Bridges, he was able to work with the Delta representative to find a flight for all 13 team members. The catch? The 6 AM flight now took off from Cleveland instead of Atlanta. What the enemy didn’t count on was the grit and the will of this team to get to Panama. The travel fun didn’t stop after we arrived in Atlanta either. The second part of the flight was delayed so we were an hour late landing in Panama City. 

Through the generous donations of our friends, church family, and neighbors, we were able to take 26 pieces of luggage filled with donations for the missionaries and the kids. It’s always a challenge when you take that much luggage plus 13 carry-ons, both logistically and getting through Panama customs. Once again, God showed up: only two pieces of luggage were opened but they were allowed through! 

Monday brought beautiful weather, good coffee, and a day full of hard work. After starting the day with a delicious breakfast, the team split up to divide and conquer the two tasks we were handed. Half of the team spent the day around the zip line clearing trees and making a path with machetes and a chainsaw. Yes, that team still has all their limbs intact! The other team painted the walls in the dining hall, and what a difference a coat of paint makes! 

The kids arrive tomorrow and we could not be more excited! We can’t wait to share the love of Jesus and support the Panama camp team…..a modern-day version of washing feet. 

Our team taught a group of high schoolers the Inductive Bible Study Method, helping them to dig deeper into Scripture through three simple steps: Observation, Interpretation, and Application.

We also shared the gospel with the children at Kings Kids Preschool through songs and a puppet show. Seeing the kids’ joy as they heard about God’s love was a heartwarming reminder of how the gospel reaches all ages.

Both experiences affirmed how God’s Word is powerful, timeless, and accessible to every heart.

We were overjoyed to spend time at the Kings Kids tutoring center. We met the children who arrived there after school. We spent our time playing with balloons indoors as it was raining outside. Ballon play breaks through every language barrier, and children and adults alike had a blast. The children were mesmerized by the Good Samaritan story told through puppets. A big thanks to our friends from Panama who provided the script for the puppet show.

We were also able to do a Bible story, share the gospel, sing songs, do crafts, and send them off with 2 bags filled with goodies, toiletries, and food. We are grateful to all our supporters who have generously provided for the needs of these children and their families. The children returned home with their hearts and hands filled with joy and the gospel message.

Day 7 was a day of travel and reflection. A day that signaled the end of our mission trip, and simultaneously tipped our overflowing hearts into a waterfall of reflection. It was the beginning of new memories, new sisters in Christ, and new glimpses of the beautiful life of unity and community that God desires for us. It was the end of a week of faith-building travel as a group, and it was another new beginning of our own God-ordained journeys.

Whether it was what we left or what we took with us; whether it was the laughter or the tears; whether it was new illumination of Scripture or the healing of old scars; whether it was a holy moment or a Godly ache ... YHWH takes every part, threading it into our own faith journey, and weaving all of our stories together to create a glorious tapestry of His Redeemed.

Soy Mujer

Panama, Panama, beautiful, Panama,
The testimony of Truth was the voice of all. For women from nation, tribe, and tongue, Worshipped together, worshipped as one.

Soy Mujer was the language we spoke,
"I am a woman", with God we yoke.
A sisterhood with laughter, joy, and Jesus, With tears and struggles, but we know He sees us.

He sees the raw and broken and reaches in, taking our sin, leaving us not where we've been.

He heals and restores every heart at his feet,
The war has been won; the victory complete.

So at the foot of the cross each blessed day,
We look up and remember our Hope & Stay. Every magnificent nation, tribe, and tongue, We all are family, yes, in Him, we are one. 

Today was the last day of our time here at the Word Of Life Camp. We had a slow morning of snoozing a bit before we had our last breakfast with the missionary team. The food has been so delicious here. During our time this week, the men of the camp have been in the kitchen on full duty. And goodness, they have taken such good care of us! It was such a treat to be fed by them.

We loaded up our beach gear and headed to the closest beach about 40 minutes from camp. We took in the beautiful sights, did some swimming, and had a beautiful time of reflection and gratefulness for the past six days. To say it was life-changing for all of us would be an understatement. Many of us shared about how much we learned about the Panamanian culture. Some shared the hesitation to commit to a trip of this magnitude but in the grand scheme of life, sometimes a “yes” is all you need. ALL shared of the bonds that were made on this trip within this group and the numerous memories of laughing until we cried (really, we laughed A LOT – such a gift!).

If our trip and team had an anthem it would be:

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them” (Psalm 126:2)

We ended our beach trip with a delicious meal on the beach and headed back to camp to pack up all our belongings. We then got back in our trusty van with our girl, Tracy, and made our way to the hotel for the evening.

We settled into our rooms at a hotel close to the airport to make it easier for morning travel, enjoyed our first hot shower in a week, and broke bread one last time.

Conference Wrap-up

The morning opened with a sweet time in worship. The worship was in Spanish, but a lot of the praise songs were well-known by our team so we were able to partake in praise in English. 

We had one last conference session under Cheryl’s teaching followed by an open mic from the attendees. They came forward and shared from their hearts how the conference impacted them for God. Bianca stayed at the table with our team and translated what was being shared. 

We heard how the Lord used Cheryl’s teaching and the team’s testimonies to encourage them in the LORD.  

As one team member said “Satan isn’t creative he uses the same schemes everywhere on all people”

The Lord showed us how HE uses our story to help other people know of HIS grace and love. 

Our experience lets others know they are not alone in their hardships and struggles. We can help others experience forgiveness and healing when we are obedient in sharing our story.  

In the evening, we had the opportunity to attend a good old-fashioned pool party with the entire missionary team. We had so much fun while we spent time with them listening to their stories and hearing about the work they do. Not to mention a great time in the pool and amazing food for all!

Watching the team all have fun together was very sweet.  The way they care for one another is just so beautiful. The children of the missionaries have so many people who love them, and they are surrounded by so many godly examples of how to live a life following hard after God. We were honored to be a part of such a special time with the team and we were treated like one of them!!!  

It’s hard to believe our time here is wrapping up.  It has been a giant blessing to us all!

A Day of Preparing & Opening Night Sharing the Gospel

Today was a full day. We cleaned the pavilion and assembled bags with all parts for the craft. In doing so we started with each person assembling one bag. But then we noticed it was chaotic, and we had to take turns grabbing each bead. Jen suggested we do an assembly line, and we knocked out the project.  The process worked like a charm!  It made me think of:

"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We all play different roles in God’s Kingdom, and it is beautiful. It truly is a gift from God-all our differences, unique roles, and boundaries in those that give such order and blessing. 

Speaking of gifts, later in the day we were so hot, sticky, and tired, but we got such a jolt of joy when we had the opportunity to give the missionaries the donated clothes we brought. It was unexpected, not built into the schedule, but it worked out beautifully! There was even a need among some who didn’t have pink clothes, a color scheme for the missionaries to wear that evening. It was so fun to watch the missionaries find each other great finds. The team reflected on this experience, and words such as gratefulness, community, and care all came to mind. 

In the evening we started the conference. The ladies checked in and we gave them their goodie bags, and they loved them! We realized there was a paper near the battery we had to remove for the flashlights to actually work. We went through every bag and fixed it quickly. 

After dinner, we worshipped, and then Jill gave her testimony. All the women in the conference prayed over her and her family as she needed to head home early due to a family emergency. 

Later on, the speaker opened with a teaching in Genesis about creation. She shared about Adam and Eve and God’s plan for them: 

“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The speaker emphasized how this command was to both men and women, which was very encouraging to all the women in the room from all walks of life. 

Then she shared about sin entering the world, how we all are impacted as a result, and how God provided Jesus to clean us of sin. The message was impactful to all. Helping us to understand that Christ is the only one who can remove us from darkness and bring us into the light. 

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The gift of salvation was presented and we pray it was received. It was a beautiful ending to our night.

Thursday (AIC Zion School Nairobi, Kenya)

We returned to the AIC Zion School to spend some time with the 500+ students that they have from the Mathare Valley. As missionaries we spent time teaching the gospel in classes up to grade 8. We also had the privilege to go with a student to their home and prayer over them and their families.

Monday (Lion of Judah Wisdom School, Emali Kenya)

On Monday, we were warmly greeted at the Lion of Judah Wisdom school in Emali, Kenya. The students performed both songs and dances to greet us and show some of the fine arts they have learned. The best part was that these songs and dances both glorified God and directly spoke worship over the school.

Additionally, we spent a lot of time getting to know and playing with all the many students of the school. We had the opportunity to both care for and love on all the unique and talented children. Many of us were able to talk to the kids about God’s hand in their lives and the gospel in its entirety.

 

I try to read the proverb chapter of the day as part of my day. My proverb today as our mission to Thailand comes to an end is:

Proverbs 28:26 NIV
Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

This proverb captures my thoughts and memories of all of us who were part of what God did in and with Faith House, in Thailand this week. God helped us not to be fooled. No one tried to trust in themselves. Our leaders Uncle Glenn, Brenda, and Maria, tried to walk in wisdom, always consulting and admitting when they were clueless about what to do next. And because they did that we were kept safe in many ways. 

My friends, (Jesus calls us friends) so we can call each other friends in Christ. And that is what He gave us in this mission trusting friendships; a number of us had days when we were not well, and again no one trusted in themselves, but humbly and wisely accepted to be benched by God on that day and lie down to recover. And trust that God will accomplish His work here even without them on that particular day. And they also trusted the rest of the team to do their part, that was wisdom and insight right there.

My friends at Faith House did not trust themselves in this mission but wisely and humbly allowed us to partner with them and take their girls (that they obviously love so much and are giving their lives to) and we got to teach and love them too. Even though they know more about the girls and how much better to love them. These co-workers have done well. Jesus said let the children come to me. And they have done that. And this week they wisely and in trust stepped back and let us be part of letting the children come to Christ too in some way. Jesus also says, what you do for these little ones in my name, you do it for me. And the Faith House staff graciously and wisely and with insight let us share in this privilege of giving to the girls and so giving to Jesus. An amazing experience in and of itself. To be able to give to our God and our Father!

I had the privilege of sharing my book, The Sisterhood Secret", with the Faith House girls, all from 9 years old all the way to university level  28 years old, the Faith House staff, and my friends on the mission. And again I observed these people of God from the youngest to the oldest (70+ years) walk in wisdom and insight into what they took away from the book, as the Lord led them and as we talked. Not trusting in themselves and thinking they know it all, but humbly and wisely listening to God and to one another. The Faith girls in the university graciously and with lots of energy listened to us and we're ready to take up the mantle to 'Go and make disciples of all nations,'  (more like run) beginning with Thailand universities and the  Myanmar village kids that they left behind, just as in the princess lost narrative. 

Working together with wisdom and insight, we had a taste of heaven. Where every tribe, every people, every nation, will stand before One God and be together in One Spirit, and One Word. We experienced that this week, because of God's lavish wisdom and insight at work among us. 

As I prepared to come on this mission and for each day in the mission, this was my prayer. "Our Father Who art in heaven... 

And God put His Name on us literally,  His Kingdom came in a way as we sought His Kingdom first, by teaching on the discipleship of nations. His will was done on this part of the earth, Thailand, this week. And He forgave us many times and gave us the wisdom to forgive one another as we are forgiven. He gave us each day all we needed and the savior like a shepherd led us, especially our two leaders every step of each day. And when the evil raised its head to attack us; in sickness, money access trouble, the heat, language differences. God delivered us from all evil. 

Here is the song that says it all so much better. Listen to it and worship and thank God with us.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=y8VerH9rqc8&si=B1F4qc9J2f2c5QA4

We said our last goodbyes to the girls at Faith House so thankful for a great week of sharing God‘s love with them. Helping them learn more about how to evangelize to others in their schools and in their community. Teaching them more about discipleship from one to the other. During this trip, we were able to equip them with so many techniques from the wordless bracelet, to the evange cube, to discipling each other so they can share Jesus with others around them.

Everyone hopped in our van, including Maria from Faith House and took a six hour ride up to Chiang Mai, Thailand. This is a place that has 6,500 missionaries and can reach 30% of the world’s population in a three hour plane ride. It’s a smaller urban center, but has lots of American influence as there are a lot of expats here. We will be here for a day and a half with the Faith House girls who are attending university here. There are 10 girls attending university from Faith house because of an organization called Bbright. It was started in 2021 by Brenda Tenison after a mission trip to Faith House when she realized that so much could be done to help these courageous girls make their dreams come true through education. To find out more about Bbright, visit www.bbright.org.

Our final night at Faith House was a special one. We have a banquet for the girls with a special catered menu they have chosen. This night they chose fish as the main entree and our team enjoyed cashew chicken. About an hour before the banquet Maria gave each of the girls a white traditional Karen dress we had purchased for them to wear. As we’ve shared the girls are ethnic Karen from Myanmar. Following our meal, the girls sang and danced for us, as always it was special.

Another special event occurred during the banquet with the arrival of new girl.  They had been waiting for the girl for more than a week but she arrived in the middle of the banquet.  You could clearly see was overwhelmed.  The staff and girls received her with great tenderness and  affection, it was  so touching .  The number of girls at Faith House has nearly doubled since last year. 

- Glenn Delich

Today was our last full day with the girls in Mae Sot,  before we travel to see the University girls in Chaing Mai.  We continued in the book Princess Lost with a lesson on shame; healthy and healing shame versus  unhealthy shame. Teaching the girls that expressing their feelings, and confiding in a trusted friend is a good way to process shame.  We led an activity for them to create a collage in their journal with words and images from magazine clippings, and drawing to express their future dreams.  

In the afternoon we shared the gospel through the last chapters of Princess Lost and Levina shared her very touching testimony.  

We also welcomed a new girl from Myanmar who arrived TODAY at Faith House. Our team got to witness how they welcomed her with open arms and care and comfort into a new environment where she’s safe and secure away from the bombs that are dropping 15 minutes from here.

We ended the day with a farewell dinner banquet.  Everyone got dressed up and the girls wore their traditional ethnic dress.  We sprinkled them with shimmering sparkles and told them how special they are to us, that many people are praying for them, and that they can go out and shine the light of Christ to others.  The girls shared song and dance with us before we left. Their smiles were endless and our hearts are overflowing.  

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What a joy to be at Faith House. Our team received a warm welcome complete with flowers. Even the many new girls are saying “We love you!” And we say it right back!

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We joined them Sunday morning for a beautiful worship service led by the girls. The theme of the sermon by the new pastor was wisdom. Hmmm. Our team devotions include Eph. 1:7-8 ”In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.“

Listening to them sing is a bit of heaven on earth. We then headed off to a little resort area where we would help the girls lead an outreach camp for the refugee children. Today was preparing and planning for that camp but of course also swimming.

There are 50 million human trafficked people in our world today. We can’t rescue all of them. But we can bring hope and healing to these 50 precious girls here at Faith House rescued from war-torn Myanmar.

Seeing them embrace their faith and have hope for the future is exciting. When you ask them who are you in unison they exclaim “I am a child of God!” Tonight Bill and Glenn led a great discussion on dangerous traits for a boyfriend or husband and safe traits. Maria chimed in to bring some application to things that had happened to some of these girls.

Tomorrow begins the outreach camp where the gospel will be clearly explained. Please pray for the salvation of those who don’t yet know Jesus

Written by Dee Johnson

We made it to Mea Sot, Thailand today. So enjoyed meeting all of the new girls at Faith house and introducing the team to Faith house here in Thailand. Tomorrow we look forward to church in the morning and then preparing for our camp with the village children in the afternoon. Thank you for your prayers, they matter and we appreciate it so much.

The Consejera or camp counselors did an amazing job. It's hard to express how many smiles there were. After the campers arrived we divided them into cabins and during the first couple hours we simply just tried to get to know each other.  Shortly after we settled the campers into their cabins and bunk beds, we ate lunch, and then it was off to swim and take turns riding the zip line. Following those outdoor activities, the campers gathered to eat and hear the gospel. Their hearts were tender and truly all of them sat there fully attentive to the message. Lights out again at 11 however this time the kids have arrived!

All their energy and excitement meant they were all asleep by 10!! Praise God for a great day and very eager for tomorrow.

Arodis, her husband Roberto, and 2-year-old daughter, Kylie, joined us at breakfast for our final send-off. They gave each of us a Panama mug as a thank-you gift.  We were touched by this gesture and enjoyed one last conversation with them. It was fun hearing how they met each other at WOL camp and now serve together as missionaries. They have a pastor friend in Nashville TN who provides funding for them to fly to the states to talk to churches about their ministry. 

We eagerly awaited the arrival of all the guests.  It was powerful to see bus after bus pull up with all the women excited to be coming to the conference.  We helped welcome each guest as they arrived and had the pleasure of giving them gift bags full of the items our supporters helped us gather. Even with our limited Spanish, a universal smile and hug went a long way to make everyone feel welcome. It was obvious the Lord was in this place when we came together, representing 9 different countries,  with the multitude of voices singing as one, worshipping God! Our night finished with food, prayer, worship, and a lesson on our emotions and how God uses them all for his good and our sanctification.  

John 14:1” Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 

At the Christian school managed by Juntos Podemos, they can find this hope. Juntos Podemos currently manages 3 schools that educate 275 students, teenagers, and adults. They also have a community dining room that feeds 525 people, a Saturday program for kids of the community with moral and recreational purposes, and a feeding program designed for the homeless. “Together We Can” being their motto, they are striving to rebuild their community with Christ as their foundation. 

The children we met were overjoyed to meet us, and there were many hugs, high-fives, and smiles. They were proud for us to see their school. Later in the day, we were saddened to learn that just this past Saturday, a 10-year-old girl lost her life to gun violence. While she was not a student at the school, she was an attendee of the Saturday program, and this is an example of the dangers these children face. Word of Life is striving to raise funds so that the children at the school can attend the upcoming camp. For many families, $30 is just not able to be spared on a minimum wage income of about $400 a month. As a team, we desire to help as many students as possible have the opportunity to attend camp and learn about the gospel.

The rest of our day in Panama City was spent in the old part of the city. Here is where the original city was founded and at one point was destroyed by pirates. There are still the ruins of churches from the time of the Spaniards. The streets resembled many old European towns, and there were many shops and a market area where people sold their wares. 

We have safely arrived at the Word of Life camp in Chame where we will support the women’s conference. The staff are so excited for us to be here and help. We have prepared just over 300 goodie bags to pass out to the attendees. It is such a blessing to give our time, small gifts, and support to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are family, and “together we can” bring glory to the Lord and be His vessels to minister to the Panamanian women that we will be meeting.

Please pray for the community and children of Curundu, and please pray for us as we all prepare for the conference which starts tomorrow evening. Muchas gracias! 

We were met by Word of Life staff who took us to see their office & meeting space in Panama City and had the privilege of meeting additional global workers. It was a blessing to fellowship over a meal with them and to be shown the Panama Canal. What a wonderful sight to see!  

We ended our day gathering together as a team, thanking the Lord for his provision and for our unity.  

We can’t wait to see what the Lord has for us tomorrow!

Jonathan was a traveling minstrel today, stopping in each classroom to lead the children in songs- which they absolutely loved. Jonathan and Tiffany also visited a student's home with one of the teachers, to offer support and prayer. Karen spent a long time sewing and patching up students' clothes, a much-needed blessing for the children. Most of our team participated in a Kenya versus United States volleyball game during recreation time: Kenya won game 1, U.S. game 2.

We also went into the slum area again to visit students' families. One group encountered a single mom of five, who requested prayer for finding a job and having their basic needs met. Another group helped a mother understand her need for a savior, and she prayed for salvation.

We ended the day with a leadership seminar, led by John. Several men and two women attended, listening carefully to John's presentation, and asking many questions. 

In between services, we all participated in classes:  Matthew, John, and Cody spoke in the men's group about leading their families and the challenges of work/life balance. Ellie and Matthew visited the young adult group to share about their faith and answer questions. And John and Cody visited the youth group, giving their testimonies and emphasizing that Jesus is the only way. Karen, Tiffany, and Cindy spoke in the women's group, encouraging them as they walk with the Lord and disciple their children. Karen and Tiffany also made gospel bracelets in the older children's class, while Cindy taught Bible stories in the younger class.

After the church services, we headed back to AIC Joy for a celebration of their first year as a congregation. Many people from both congregations came together to praise God and pray together. There was a lot of singing and dancing performed by various groups from the church. John and Cody shared their testimonies, and our team performed a song for them.

We took a three-hour drive into the Kenyan highlands to visit the Maasai families and homes of ten students from the Lion of Judah school. This agrarian community warmly welcomed us, wearing their best traditional clothing and jewelry, and giving hugs and handshakes to us all. We were happy to see that the students had been brought there as well, and they introduced us to their parents. Much picture-taking followed!

They showed us their homes, which are made of cattle dung and sticks with poles to support them. The homes are low and dark with a door to keep out hyenas. There was a small alcove to cook over a fire, and another alcove to sleep in. Donkeys are used to carry large containers to gather water outside as there is no indoor plumbing or bathroom.

Family groups have houses arranged together within thick hedges of thorn bushes. These fences also create pens for their animals, which keep out hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, and lions.

Next, we walked to the  Maasai church in that community - a congregation of over 200 people who gather from up to 15 miles away.  The Maasai families, who had skipped their market day to be with us, joined our team in singing, dancing, and exchanging greetings from our church families. Jonathan shared a message of encouragement with them based on Paul's greeting to the Ephesians. They gifted all of us with hand-beaded jewelry as a gesture of their gratitude and hospitality. John even received a traditional cloak from one of the men. They were so happy that we visited their community and stated that they knew we had come because of our love for them. They thanked us for the help The Bible Chapel gave them during a season of drought in which they lost all their cattle and livelihood. We prayed together to thank God for His goodness to all of us. We then headed home after prayers and photos and many heartfelt goodbyes. 

Cody, Tiffany, Karen, and Cindy met with teachers from the school to learn from each other about teaching practices and concerns. At the end of the day, we attended the mid-week service at AIC Zion church. John shared a message of encouragement, and Jonathan prayed for the church's needs. Worshipping together through song, prayer, and scripture, allowed us to be together in our common faith, a body of Christ.

We prayed with each family for specific needs, such as finding a better job, trying to care for their parents, finding and paying for medications, paying for shoes and school supplies, wanting their children to do well in school, and for their children to leave the slums. Team members also spent time in the classrooms teaching various subjects, and playing with children during free time. 

Pastor Wambua took us on a tour of the Lion of Judah classrooms and the school farm where they raise a lot of their own food. The Bible Chapel has provided help for much of the infrastructure of the campus, so it was wonderful to see all the changes and progress and hear the hopes for future plans. Lion of Judah is a boarding school, with dorms for both girls and boys, but they had been in need of a bathroom for the boys. The Bible Chapel helped pay for the construction of a new bathroom, so they wanted to dedicate it while we were visiting. They sang a song.... "look what God has provided", and prayed their thankfulness to the Lord. Then a member of our team cut a big ribbon tied on the entrance. We then had the honor of being guests for a wonderful program put on by the students.

Each class performed songs, Bible memory verses, poetry performances, and dancing. There were speakers and prayers and more Maasai dancing. After this, they dismissed all the students except for the Maasai girls. They stayed back to do a smaller program for us. The girls wanted to thank Pastor Wambua and the Bible Chapel for providing scholarships for them to go to school/live there. Several girls shared with us what life was like for them before coming to Lion of Judah. They told their personal stories of the problems they faced, including stories of physical/sexual abuse, being forced into marriages at a very young age, having to work rather than attend school, and the lack of food, clothes, and daily needs. All of this changed when they came to Lion of Judah, and that is why they call the school "paradise". It was a very emotional experience for us all.

After this, we went out to the sports field (big, red dirt field) to play field games. We played a group game, and then our team members competed with the students and staff in a 100-meter race carrying an egg on a spoon race, and gunny sack races. The male team members played volleyball and soccer with the students and staff while the female team members hung out with many of the girls talking and letting them play with our hair. After lots of hugs, songs, prayers, and goodbyes, we left for our return trip back. We were all very tired and covered with red dirt, but our hearts were filled to capacity with the warm welcome and love we experienced at Lion of Judah.

The children had an assembly for us where they performed poetry, songs, and dances. They followed our team members around all day wanting hugs and affection and asking many questions of us.

Here are a few highlights of each team member's day: Cody and Jonathan visited the grade 6 and 7 classes answering questions about the U.S. and asking the children questions about their culture. Cody also taught U.S. geography and the science behind seasons. 

Matthew and John led sports and games for much of the school during structured playtime. John also taught aviation basics to the year 4 class.

Tiffany spent time observing the grade 6,7,8 classes and made plans to teach geometry during her time here. The teachers are very excited for her to demonstrate methods for teaching geometry, and the children are equally happy to play with her long, blonde hair.

Ellie spent time with the grade 6,7,8 classes as well. She beautifully sang our national anthem for the children, and they, in turn, sang the Kenya national anthem. The children were equally enamored with Ellie"s long, curly hair. 

Karen and Cindy spent time in the younger children's classes helping the teachers check work, do lessons, and serve porridge for breakfast. Karen taught the children how to jump rope, and Cindy taught several songs and games. It was a fun, exhausting day!

We settled into the house where will be staying and then drove around the city to do a little shopping. This was a planned activity to keep us awake until the evening so we can adapt to the Kenya time zone. As our driver, David drove us around the city, we were excited to see baboons on the side of the road (and to see zebras in the distance on our earlier drive from the airport), as well as experience driving on the left side of the road through intense traffic and throngs of people.

David also took us to Kobe Tough. This is a business that provides work and a source of income for Maasai women who create clay beads and hand-sewn leatherwork and beading. We enjoyed seeing the ladies work, and they even treated the group to a spontaneous song and dance. After dinner, we all retired early to try to make up for the lack of sleep the last couple of days. Tomorrow we will head to AIC Zion School!!

After orientation and a Colombian dinner with the director of Kids Alive, we spent the evening organizing all the supplies for the preschool trainings throughout the week and the sensory room construction. Preschool educator, Darlene Slifco, who purchased and packed nearly all of the supplies, organized this effort to prepare us for our ministry throughout the week. 

Thank you for your prayers and to all who supported our ministry! We are excited for a week ahead of spreading the word of Jesus to our friends.

Highlights from our trip:

Teach the book of Esther and have the girls act it out.

Teach a painting class and bring supplies for 28 girls to learn how.

Take them to a resort for fun and to swim – something they rarely get to do.

Go deeper in their identity in Christ through lessons from Known by Aubrey Sampson.

Throw a lavish banquet to finish our time together – Just like Esther!

We are at the Bangkok airport waiting to return home from an amazing week with the Faith house girls and in Chaing Mai. It has been an amazing week seeing miracles all around.  Here are a few to share:

We flew over 10,000 miles each way with 8 people and over 700 lbs of luggage, and nothing got lost or damaged.

We decided to bring 28 Chromebook laptops in a prior planning meeting, and guess how many girls are at Faith House right now? 28

Brenda’s mom made cute PJ bottoms for the girls at Faith House that we brought with us. Guess how many she made? 28

We had the largest group of men ever to come to Thailand, and they spoke to the girls about what it is to be a Godly man and how to be safe on social media. As these girls get older, they are thinking about dating and marriage.

We have had eight people together for 10 days staying in one place for no more than three days, and everyone was on time, had no major conflicts, and nobody got sick.

So, do you believe in miracles? God has watched over us in a mighty way. Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement. Such a joy to be the hands and feet of Jesus and a light in the darkness.

This is our group with the college girls in Chiang Mai.

We presented gifts to GiGi, Deborah, Grace, Maria, and Isabel. They are an amazing team of missionariess- imagine parenting 35 teenage girls!! Wow!! And they do it so well!! 

A highlight of our trip is Bill presenting each girl with a Chromebook. That blew their minds!! Imagine helping 28 girls set up laptops- no small feat!! Way to go, Bill!! He also set up their internet to work faster. Awesome

In the afternoon, we set up our lavish Esther Banquet, and I challenged the girls with a talk on being SENT!! Princess Warriors who will change the world “for such a time like this!” Just like Esther. 

Tomorrow we visit the 8 girls in University, so we say goodbye and travel 5 hours north to Chang Mai.  

Thank you for your prayers!

Yesterday, the TBC team traveled with Maria, Grace, Gigi, and Isabelle to refugee camps along the border in Thailand, where families have fled from the risks of civil war in Myanmar to challenging living conditions with little hope. The photographs directly below (taken with permission) are examples of God’s children still living in the refugee camps. These living conditions are similar to the prior living conditions for the girls that have been rescued to Faith House. Praise God that they now have new certainty for food, shelter, and public education surrounded in a loving Christian environment, along with the additional opportunity for technical school, college, or university education after high school! Perhaps the girls below will be the next children to be rescued out of the refugee camps to Faith House!

In addition to serving the girls at Faith House, Maria and her colleagues also maintain friendships and minister to these refugee camps. On Saturdays, Maria and Faith House serve and encourage these refugees.  On Sundays, they use their trucks to bring children from these camps to Faith House for worship. Through these tangible examples, the girls at Faith House are not only receiving Christian love and outreach but also sharing Christ’s love and encouragement with others; the girls at Faith House are experiencing how to serve their communities and change the world!

Today, Ron started us off with a devotion including John 15:15, which states, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends.” What a loving Savior we have to not only be our Lord but to also share our master’s business with us and call us friends! Thank you to all of you who share our master’s business and support our trip, Reach 2023, and BBright through your prayers and financial support!

This morning, Greg taught the girls at Faith House on Esther, and the girls showed their creative skills by acting it out! In the afternoon, Kathleen enjoyed sharing her testimony with the girls about her taking off the backpack of lies and filling her heart with the truth of God’s love. The girls have already experienced a lifetime of challenges prior to living at Faith House. What a blessing for them to experience the truth of God’s love and the significance of each of them in God’s eyes!

Tomorrow on Wednesday, Ron and Greg will travel to Chiang Mai. After continuing to teach the girls at Faith House for the next two days, the rest of the team will join them in Chiang Mai on Friday. Please continue to pray and thank God for the staff and girls at Faith House, and ask God to bless their lives and their future.

We rounded out the morning taking advantage of the many men on this trip to talk about what to look for in a Godly Man. Many of these girls are reaching dating age, and it is crucial for them to understand God's plan for marriage and dating. These guys did a fabulous job speaking just as a father would to his daughter.

After lunch, Glenn Delich spoke on a chapter in our book that we are teaching through called Known. That chapter was called Beloved and really dove into how loved and special we are.

Dee gave the girls a wonderful art lesson this afternoon, teaching them how to paint peonies in a vase. We have some very talented ladies in this group, and it was fun to watch them explore painting.

After dinner tonight, Bill Harms spoke to the girls about safe social media. Many of them have social media accounts, and he stressed the need for awareness and prudence in this area.  

These girls are very attentive during our lessons and participate when asked questions and have questions they ask about our topics. We really enjoy teaching them and being the hands and feet of Jesus!

It's our first full day of spending time with all of the great ladies of Faith Haus. Our team made it to the school, on time for Sunday Service. Why service at the school, you ask?  Well, during COVID, all of the local Christian churches closed. So what does the team there do? Plant a new church and invite the local community!  These ladies and young girls are creative and very adaptive. Throughout their life, they have had to rely upon God in so many ways. Their trust in Him is inspiring. 

It was beautiful to hear everyone sing praise and worship in Thai. Next up, Pastor Ron Moore gave a sermon on SSAFE. In Christ, we are: Significant, Secure, Accepted, Forgiven, and Empowered. It was a great sermon and well received by everyone there. 

If you would like to watch the sermon, please click here. Next, we had a meal with the girls and staff, saw the rooms (very, very, clean), and toured the facility. There is a single two-story dorm building for the girls, typically four girls in a room. However, sometimes they will go up to six with two girls sleeping on mats. My personal favorite is how the girls painted the outside of their rooms and some of the buildings. There's love and hope here. 

It's truly eye-opening how much can be done with so little. Contrasting the size of the traditional American home, to what the girls have, we are so very lucky. 

The plan for today is to provide a retreat for the young ladies and staff, so we are off to a local hotel where the girls can enjoy the pool, some great spiritual and life teaching, and a feast worthy of what Ester gave the king! I was lucky enough to crown six of the princesses, those smiles were bigger and brighter than the stars.

Next, the girls hopped back into the truck, and we headed out to dinner.  I'll tell you, these princesses can EAT! From fried snapper to spicy Asian noodle salads, rice, seafood soups, and Greg's favorite, chicken knuckles! 

These girls don't have a lot of frills in life. Going out to eat, and being able to swim in the pool, is a tremendous treat, like going to Disney.  After what they have been through and how hard they work in their studies, I wish we could give them more.

After we returned from the restaurant, the girls asked to go for a night swim, and with a simple head nod, there was thunderous applause!!  Personally, I thought it was louder than the Steelers pulling off a pick-six at Heinz field.

A spectacular day, looking forward to tomorrow. 

As always, many blessings to you, and thank you for your prayers and support.  

In the short time we have been here this afternoon we have learned about the war raging in Myanmar and how it is impacting the girls at Faith House.  Maria has received 10 new girls in the recent months and 6 are from the war zone area.  Thankfully, Gigi has a counseling degree now and is working with these traumatized girls to help them deal with so much emotion.  Many have family in Myanmar and they are fearful for them but can't go back to see them.

We are looking forward to being the hands and feet of Jesus here this week.  Tomorrow, Ron will preach at the Worship service that Faith House holds in their compound.  Afterward, we will take the girls for a special trip to a nearby resort to begin our lessons through the book of Esther and continued study about the names God has called them. Oh, yes and swim in the pool which will be a wonderful treat for these young ladies.  Right now it is so hot here it feels like you do when you stand in front of an open oven door.  HOT!!!

I am so excited!! Because we get to go again- for our third time! The Bible Chapel is set to return to Faith House April 19^th- May 1st. Our team is led by Glenn Delich and Brenda Tenison. Joining our team is Pastor Ron Moore, Greg Devore, Gary Gould, Bill Harms, Kathleen Belack, and myself (Dee Johnson).

We are going to lead the girls through the book of Esther- our precious princess warriors will understand Queen Esther and how God can also use them at “such a time as this.” These princess warriors are going to change the world!!

We will, also, teach some identity in Christ chapters from Aubrey Sampson’s book Known. It’s my new favorite! I will lead them in acrylic painting of some Bold Blooms (please pray for that!), and we will do some sewing and other activities leading to a banquet to help them personalize the teachings of Esther.

We cannot rescue 40,000,000 people, but we can participate in bringing the healing teachings of Christ to these 35 rescued souls at Faith House; the girls are ages 9-26. I wish you could join us in the amazing worship with these girls. Their sweet singing takes us right to the throne of God.

Please pray for our mission trip to Faith House in Maesot, Thailand, and that God will enable the girls to understand the teaching of Esther and His vision to use them to reach the world for Christ. Thank you for your partnership and prayer as we bring the gospel and Jesus to these precious girls. Your faithfulness and generosity mean so much.

Well, this incredible, crazy, whirl-wind trip is coming to an end! Although they said it was illegal to hide the missionaries in our checked bags…the memories we made with them will last us a long time. As we said goodbye to the friends we made, we know that the high school and college students are still in good hands. As we end this blog, I wanted everyone to share a little about the trip. Sooo enjoy! :)

Tony Carrola - “Meeting with and getting to know the missionaries in Budapest was one of the highlights of the trip for me. They were truly kinda and hospitable, and I enjoyed encouraging and working alongside them. It was also a wonderful experience travelling with so many great friends from our church and getting to know them better.”

John Palmer - “The best part of the trip was the growth. I grew in my faith, maturity, and relations with people. I really enjoyed the people that I served with: Matthew, Emmy, Tony, Ricky, Jennifer, and Jonathan, to name a few. I also really enjoyed talking to the other students that were my age and experiencing the world in a really different culture.”

Jonathan Lingenhoel - “This week I was reminded of God's call to serve Him in whatever capacity He asks of us. I watched our team do just that, whether it was chatting with teens and college students, witnessing to strangers, washing dishes, or patiently sitting and waiting as our accompanying missionaries figured out what our next class our task was, they did so with joy as unto the Lord. I saw true Christian fellowship and humble service in action, and it was a joy to behold. :) I pray that we are able to continue with that attitude, being willing to do whatever task God places in front of us, no matter how menial or (seemingly) meaningless.”

Meagan Lingenhoel - “What an amazing week! I'm so thankful to have been able to share Budapest with the team this year! Talking with Hungarian high schoolers and college students was so very sweet.  Deepening relationships with the Hungarian Cru missionaries is always such a blessing! Praise God for using us and keeping us safe!”

Matthew Nuzzo - “I got to know a few of the missionaries from FÉK much better this trip. Góki and I were able to talk a lot after FÉK PÉNTEK, the event they held for the highschool and college students we spoke to during the week. We spent time talking a lot about our hobbies, but also about the great work happening in Budapest. He explained that he thinks the BHHP has been an amazing success - they’ve been seeing an increase in numbers coming to their events these past two years. He also explained that he loved getting to meet a few of us again and that he was encouraged through us stepping out of our comfort zones throughout the entire week.”

Ricky Andrews - “It’s hard to summarize an entire week of fun and exhaustion and blessings from God in a few sentences. This week, God brought us to Budapest and did some very amazing things to us and through us. We met so many amazing people, formed bonds and connections that will last a lifetime, and saw Jesus working in incredible ways, as well as facing our fair share of challenges along the way. We ate delicious (and sometimes strange) food, saw the beautiful city of Budapest from the inside and from a bird's eye view, plus many other experiences that would take me days to list. So to sum it up, Isten áldja Budapestet és Isten áldja a Magyarokat (God bless Budapest and the Hungarian people)!”

Corbin Rutan - “This trip was a great opportunity. It allowed us to grow closer to those of the faith from both America and Hungary, and we planted seeds of the gospel in the minds of nonbelievers.”

Jennifer Cook - “I’m finishing our last day with traveling back to the US.  To those of you who have considered doing a missions trip with the church, but think 'I just don’t think I could put myself out there and share my faith.', I encourage you to to go. It was the easiest and most joyful experience. The missionaries you work with have such an enthusiasm to teach us, and an earnest desire to share Jesus. I have been changed by meeting them and have grown in my faith. I am sad to be leaving and looking forward to returning to see them and Budapest again. I feel as though the others on the team are close friends now and will miss not spending the day with them. It also is a great reminder that we are so blessed to be from the US and have such a wonderful church led by God fearing men and women that want to help us spread the gospel around the world.”

Emmy Nuzzo - “I wrote the blog so I have said a lot for the week already ;)”

Thank you to everyone following along and praying for us on our journey!

After the schools, we had about an hour or two break to prepare ourselves for their big event in the evening! We met early and went over what was happening that night, our expectations, and an overall game plan! We prayed for the students, our hearts, the missionaries, and for overall energy for the night, then waited for the students to show up. We saw students that we had met earlier in the week, and it was an encouragement to continue our relationship with them and that they were excited about the event and organization! It was an exciting night, and the missionaries said that it was the biggest event that they had!! So many of the students were connected with the Hungarian missionaries, and it was a time of fellowship and new friendships being formed. The missionaries had everyone fill out a survey so they can keep in touch with them and hopefully find a spot where they can be connected.

At the same time, we were doing the event for the students, Meagan and John went and helped with another event! It was a marriage enrichment event, where campus crusade focused on pouring into married couples and enriching family life. They helped with the dinner, washed dishes, cleared plates, and talked to other couples!

Overall, it was a great day, and it was awesome seeing all the events come together! God is working here, and we feel so blessed to be able to see and experience a part of it.

As we finish out our week here, our prayer is for the missionaries we are leaving. We pray that they can make lasting relationships with the students and that a revival will be starting in Hungary.

Our Hungarian word of the day is felfedezés which means exploration!

We have been having such God-moments this week, and it has been awesome sitting down with each other at the end of the day and sharing them. Sadly, I can’t share all of them with you now because this blog would turn into a novel, so we will start with one for today. When Jonathan was out in the college town doing his “randoms” as they are called here (random evangelizing), he approached three students who were down to talk to him. Their names were Akos, Adam, and Bogi. It turned out that one of them was an agnostic, one atheist, and one a “non-practicing Christian.” Through the tools that we learned in our training session this week, Jonathan was able to spend about an hour and a half challenging the students on what they actually believe in and left them with some questions to ponder. Jonathan was able to pray with the three of them, and they even gave him some prayer requests when he asked. The one girl, who claimed to be a Christian, said she was struggling with depression and wasn’t sure if heaven or hell were real and wanted to find the answers to it all. Without Jonathan taking a walk of faith and approaching these three students, some seeds wouldn’t have been planted in their hearts, and they may not have had anyone care enough to make them think and question what is actually true. Jesus says in Matthew 9 that the harvest is ready, but the laborers are few. We can see the need here, and we need to be answering that call either through prayer, support, or even going. This trip has reminded us that there isn’t just a need in Hungary but in our own city as well, and we hope to use the tools and training this trip has given us to grow as Christians and to share the good news more boldly with the people in our hometowns.

Please pray as we continue this week and have the event with the students tomorrow night. Please pray that they will show up and that they will be open to the gospel.

Our Hungarian word of the day is “gyönyör?” which means beautiful!

We started our day by heading off in our groups to five new schools. Today, we had about five classes per group and an average of 15-20 students per class! Who needs math, but that seems like a lot of students we were able to reach! It is so cool being able to talk to the students and see them engage with us and ask us questions. We had quite a few of them interested in coming to Gönczy and the English camp this summer. One teacher told us that a girl that really never speaks in class was participating and very engaged the entire time. Besides talking to the students, we also had some opportunities to speak to the teachers. Some of them seemed more excited than the students that we were there!

After school today, we had half of our team go out for random evangelizing. When they were paired with a Hungarian missionary, they went to the universities to find anyone who would talk to them. Something that makes talking to random strangers easier, at least, is how genuinely open most of them are to talking to us. In America, most of us would brush off someone coming up to us in the street asking for 10-15 minutes of our time, thinking they were most likely someone selling us a product or their religion. Here, they don’t mind talking about what they believe or don’t believe in and don’t take any offense to us asking them. Ricky, one of our first-year team members, went for his first time today and was super excited about the day after! He said, “Today I had the opportunity to do random evangelism with a local Hungarian missionary named Joseph (pronounced and probably spelled differently). We walked to a library park in downtown Budapest which is a popular hangout spot for university students. We talked to two different groups of students, asking them survey questions about life and their thoughts/opinions about God. They all had very interesting thoughts and the conversations were wonderful. I really think we planted some seeds for Christ and gave them something to think about.” Although it’s not comfortable for us, the common consensus is that once we actually do random evangelizing, we are so glad we did.. and it actually was not as scary as we were making it to be in our minds.

Please pray for the connections we made here already and for them to be able to grow through the help of the Hungarian missionaries once we leave and that a lasting impact is taking place for God’s kingdom.

Our Hungarian word of the day is szerelem which means “love”.

After classes were over, we met with Mara, and she gave us a brief training on random evangelizing. Mara has been going to the universities and sharing the gospel for over 20 years now! It was encouraging to hear some of the stories of people who have come to Christ/have been told of the gospel for the first time from this ministry. Although we are all nervous going up to random people, we know it is an important call from God that we need to listen to. A girl that our group talked to last year actually started coming to meet with Mara when we went random evangelizing!

Please pray for hearts to be open tomorrow and Thursday when we go into universities to share the gospel, and continue to pray for the hearts of the high school students we will talk to the rest of the week.

Our Hungarian phrase of the day is “hogy vagy” which means “how are you?”.

After a brief break filled with Jonathan giving us a “dad talk” about how we aren’t allowed to wander off in the city (@meagan), we headed back to Göncy where we were able to witness another outreach they have happening. They have college-age, new believers who meet on Mondays to be discipled and who are being taught to share the gospel with their friends/family. The missionaries asked Meagan, Jon, and Jason (another volunteer from a NC church) to lead us all in worship. Jon split the worship songs, so we sang half in English and half in Hungarian (well, us Americans listened to the Hungarian being sung). It was a very special moment seeing groups of people from two completely different parts of the world coming together in unity to worship one God together. It really puts what we are doing into perspective. As Meagan said today when we were preparing for the week with prayer, “Help us to remember these aren’t just people we are talking to this week who we will leave and probably not see again, they are eternal souls and this matters.” As we go to sleep tonight, we are ready to start being used by God in whatever way He wants us to be used tomorrow.

And to everyone reading, thank you all for helping us with your support and prayers to be used as a part of God’s plan for the amazing people of Hungary.

Please pray as we start going into high schools tomorrow and for the event happening on Friday that we are inviting them to :).

Hungarian word of the day is izgatott which means excited!

Amidst this darkness is a beautiful bright light called Faith House in Maesot Thailand. 30+ rescued girls from war torn Myanmar ages 11-26 experience love and family. These precious girls have been rescued by Maria, Grace and Gie Gie from being trafficked or at risk of being trafficked and definitely abused, abandoned or orphaned. At Faith House, they are loved, cared for, treasured and educated. 7 are currently in University!!! They truly love one another and the Lord and He is healing their broken-hearts and binding up their wounds.

Our team has had the privilege of serving them this week. Our Warrior Princesses. And we gifted them I Am Enough t shirts. We are so blessed to have been with them. We love you all!!!

During this time, Dee was doing a session with the Faith House staff on how to care for children who have experienced trauma! Great tools while working with these Myanmar refugee girls.

Enjoy these pics! What a joy to watch them be creative and soak in God's love! Thank you for your prayers!

Dee wrapped the afternoon in a discussion of Who is God? He is the Shephard, Bread of Life, Savior, Light in the darkness.

The girls enjoyed unwrapping their tie dyed shirts from yesterday illustrating how unique and beautiful they are. Squeels of joy when they saw the colors!

Faith House also has a large garden. Jackfruit, mango, eggplant, banana and papaya for now. More to come when the rainy season is in full swing.

Thank you for your prayers. We covet them as we continue to minister to these 28 girls and 6 staff.

The Resort is lovely and made of wood, even the roof.  It is the girls' Spring break from school so we wanted to do something special for them. They adore swimming and being together with them in a relaxing atmosphere is great. We were there last night and back at Faith House on Monday night. We discussed Psalm 19 last night. Sang together and prayed together. Thank you for your prayers. We have the sense that God is going to do something amazing ?? Love and blessings Dee, Brenda and Glenn

Our last day in Hungary! It is crazy to think that the week is over already. We’ve done so much in such a short amount of time, yet we feel like there is so much more we can do. It is bittersweet that we are leaving this beautiful country, but we know we are leaving the ministry in great hands. We could tell from the beginning of the week that God hand-picked each of us and each of the missionaries working there to accomplish His plan. We saw firsthand how well they all work alongside each other, encouraging one another along the way. Their love of God was evident in how they spoke and the actions in their life and it was such an encouragement to know that this ministry will be well taken care of and that they care so much about its growth. Although we came to serve these people, they ended up enriching our lives along the way. We couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to see how God can use us in any way to accomplish His work here on earth. All of us are leaving Hungary changed in one way or another and I asked everyone to write a couple of sentences on one takeaway from this trip. 

Jonathan-“God reminded me of His foreknowledge this week. None of what is going on in the world right now, or what has been happening for the last couple of years has been a surprise to Him. He was able to use all of this to open doors for us to be able to share the gospel and build relationships with students in ways that we would not have imagined. God's love for the entire world was evidenced to me this week, and the way in which He uses those who love and serve Him around the world to build his church across time and culture amazes me!” 

Meagan- Wow, this trip was a whirlwind! This trip for me spoke of “witness”. Being a witness to what God is doing all over the world. Being a witness to another ministry learning how to morph and change in this time of Covid and now a war so close to home. Being a witness to missionaries helping Ukrainians have a place to stay as they pass through. Being a witness to missionaries sharing their lives and experiences with high school and university students. Being a witness to growth amongst my own teammates and how God is changing and growing them. Being a witness to missionaries here being put in positions they are not comfortable with or expecting and learning to cope and grow from it. God has shown me through this week just how big He is and how much He is doing in us and through us in this world. What a mighty God we serve, and what an honor and joy it is to be just a small part of His work.

Matthew-“Something that really impacted me this week was the opportunity to speak to two students from South Africa. During our randoms, my partner and I spoke to these two students and ended up staying for roughly 45 minutes. In that time, we learned that one of them came from a Christian background, but never was able to get questions he had answered by people in his church. He ended up going to school in Africa for theological philosophy, and even there his professors constantly refused to answer his questions, so he's now in Budapest studying to become an engineer to start a new life here. He explained to us that he grew up without any real Christian community around him and that he ended up walking away from the church for now, until he finds someone willing to at least be willing to discuss his questions with him. Sadly, we were not able to immediately help because of time restraints, but we were able to get him into contact with some people from FÉK to sit down and discuss his questions and he seemed very excited to be able to do that. It really made me realize how important it is to have good Christian community around you and a community that is willing to talk about the harder questions.”

Amber- “This week has been a whirlwind of emotions and experiences for me! I had a chance to live out my dream of serving Him overseas! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a spark in the ministry of crew, and to be a part of something so much greater than myself! God has blessed our team so much this week, between fellowship with other believers and getting to see God work through us so much! We were able to have good conversations with teens and college students that have so many questions about life and their identities! It was overall a life-changing experience for me. Our prayer is that it was also life-changing for those we got to talk to!” 

Emmy-As this was my first mission trip, I really was not sure what to expect. I assumed we would be serving people and that God was going to use us for His plan, but I didn’t realize how this trip was going to impact me as well. God took a lot of my insecurities and things I never would volunteer to do and made me face them head-on. Throughout the week, I could see how He would put me in situations I wasn’t the most comfortable with in order to grow and mold me as a Christian. It was an incredible ministry that we were a part of and I already can’t wait to go back! 

We want to thank everyone who prayed for us and supported us on this trip. There were many factors that could have stopped this trip from happening, but we were able to continue to see God show up and move any and all of the obstacles in our path. Please continue to pray for the ministry happening here in Hungary and for our safe trip back tomorrow. Thanks for following along! :) 

Your last Hungarian word of the day is “barátság” which means “friendship” because we are leaving with so many new friends here in Hungary. 

Today was the day we all were scared of…(and by all of us, I mean myself) Random evangelizing… For introverted people, like myself, the thought of walking up to complete strangers and starting conversations with them (take out the fact that we are in a foreign country) has never sounded like a fun time to me. Funny enough, God has a specialty of taking the things we are most uncomfortable with and using those things to accomplish His goals. (I mean if Moses couldn’t barter his way out of Egypt, why would I think I could this week) This entire week I have been thinking that maybe everyone forgot about the “randoms” as the missionaries affectionately nick-named them, but of course… they did not. We split into groups of two and walked around the universities nearby walking up to people, introducing ourselves/ our organization, and asking if they would be interested in taking a ten-minute survey. *This was actually the first time the “Crew” team was using their new survey tool called “soularium.” Basically, we have a stack of fifty cards with different pictures on them. We then ask five questions where they have to answer the question by choosing three of the pictures and explaining why they picked those pictures. The questions are designed to provoke deeper, theological conversations in a non-threatening manner.* At first, it was a little difficult finding people because it was a Friday afternoon and most students had left for the weekend, but after a couple of minutes, each of the teams started to find people who were willing. One team actually talked to two guys for about 45 minutes about the gospel and gave them information to get connected to “Crew.” I went with one of the missionaries and I, as I said, was super nervous. We met a girl who agreed to take the survey and as soon as I started talking to her, everything changed and I realized why this ministry is so important. This girl had never heard the gospel being presented to her and didn’t actually know who Jesus is or anything about Christianity. She is struggling with a lot in her life right now, and said she has been searching for something missing in her life, she just can’t figure out how to find it. We were able to use the survey to open the door to give her the gospel presentation and she said she would like to follow up with us to know more about Christianity and what makes it different than everything else she has heard about. If I would have let my own insecurities get in the way, this girl may have left school without hearing about the only thing that can save and heal her life. As much as I was afraid for today, I am so glad I went, and although I’m sure I will still have some nerves the next time, I am actually excited to do it again. 

After the “randoms” everyone finished setting everything up for the event at Gönczy. We all had a group prayer before the event, then waited for the children to show up. The event went well and all the people who showed up had a lot of fun, and we had some great conversations in our small groups after with the students. We are hoping this will be the first event of many at their new building and that God will keep showing up and changing lives. 

Please pray for everyone we met today at the university campus that God will reveal Himself to them and they can have their own relationship with Him. Please also pray for the ministry at Gönczy that the students will show up and that God will transform lives there. 

The Hungarian word of the day is “menjünk haza” which means “let’s go home” because we will be heading back to the states Sunday morning! 

We finished the last of the school visits today. Each team had about 6 classes each and although it was very fun and fulfilling, we were all struggling towards the end. Because it was our last day, the teachers combined some classes because all of the teachers wanted their class to have a slot with us and we didn’t have enough people or time for everyone. This was incredible and it also meant that we were in classes of around 30 students per session. So many kids were reached today and we can’t wait to see them show up Friday and continue to develop the connections we started this week. We learned a lot this week through being there and Amber said she was even corrected on her spelling of some English words by the teachers! 

After school, Gabi’s wife Mara (missionaries Bible Chapel supports) and Amber went random evangelizing together around Budapest. Amber said they had a meaningful connection with a woman they met and were able to talk to her. Amber said, “We went street evangelizing where we would engage with people by asking them to take a short survey. This one woman, in particular, took the survey then was talking to us after. Mara then asked if the woman would be willing to hear more about what we believe so she explained the gospel for the women, in Hungarian! Mara and I then prayed with the woman and after she told me that she really needed that conversation today and was excited to possibly attend a Bible study Mara offered. She also said that she had never thought about sin separating us from God, and that was something she took away from our conversation! The woman had a Roman Catholic background and was very open to the conversation! We exchanged contact information and am excited to keep talking to her.

We finished out our night with a “Hungarian culture night” where Gabi took us to a Hungarian restaurant where we enjoyed some delicious food. (although I say that about all the food in Hungary) It was a great night of food and fellowship with each other. We went around the room getting to know each other more and ended up sharing some of our testimonies. As some of the missionary team members from “Crew” shared about themselves, you could see how much God has changed and impacted their lives. We also learned that Gabi has saved two people from drowning when he was a lifeguard!! Ironic that now he is trying to help save people from “spiritual drowning.” (I tried to tie it all together…it’s been a long day) We are all off to early bedtimes again as tomorrow starts our big event day!!

Please continue to pray that students show up tomorrow at Gönczy tomorrow and that God is already preparing their hearts to be open to His love. Please also pray for the women Mara and Amber talked to today that she would go to Mara’s Bible study and realize her need for a Savior. 

Today’s Hungarian word of the day is…*drum roll* “alvásra van szüksége” which means “need sleep” because that is what our team needs right now. 

Another day in the schools! Because of yesterday, we weren’t as nervous for the day as we had a feel for what was happening and what we would be doing. The missionaries we went with were explaining to us how excited they were that we were back in Hungary because it is the first year since Covid started that the missionaries were allowed back into the schools. During the lesson, the missionaries took a couple of minutes to explain their organization to the students and they said it was the first year that none of the students knew anything about it. This was due to the fact that most of these students were entering high school as covid started so they never had a chance to hear about the program. Us going into these schools with the missionaries makes such an impact because they can use the promise of “real Americans” to get into the English classes, they are then able to get the kids interested in their programs and what they are really about. So far, we have had a lot of interest in Friday’s big event and are hoping the connections made there can continue once we are gone. 

To be completely honest, the hardest part of the day happened after school when we went back to Gönczy, the missionary's new building. They had to buy more chairs for the students because they all keep getting filled during their events, which is great and exciting news, except they were from IKEA….which meant that they needed to be put together. One may not think that would be a hard task, but for anyone who has actually spent time figuring out IKEA furniture, it can be quite the challenge. We had a joke where we kept wondering how many Hungarians and how many Americans it would take to build one IKEA chair. (turns out it was 13) Eventually, and with no tears ‘externally’ shed somehow, we were able to build all the new chairs and get them ready for Friday. 

One of everyone’s favorite times of the week, though, is the night where we all go to Mara and Gabi’s house (the missionaries the Bible Chapel supports) and have dinner with them. Mara made a delicious homemade Hungarian dish for us tonight called paprikash. After the meal, we all went into the living room where Jonathan and Meagan led us in worship. Gabi then shared some verses on his heart and we had a time of prayer. This was a very powerful time and God’s presence could be felt by everyone in the room. I think this was such a special time for everyone because it allowed us to truly just sit in front of God and praise Him for being who He is. During the worship, Amber decided that “Americans are crybabies” because everyone shed a couple of tears as we truly thought about how great our God truly is. (can you blame us) We ended our worship by singing a worship song with the Americans singing in English and our Hungarian friends in Hungarian. I overheard someone say that it made them think of what it will be like in Heaven, with everyone praising God in their native languages from all the corners of the earth. 

Please continue to pray for us as we have one more day in the schools then we will start the preparation for Friday. 

These students desperately need Jesus and our prayer is that they will actually show up and continue showing up after that.  

Today was a busy day for all of us. Using the training we learned from today, we separated into our teams and entered the schools. 

There, we taught an English class to the students who are learning English. We started with a quick introduction of ourselves, then followed with a game where the prizes were Reese’s cups. (a very envied reward in Hungary as they do not have peanut butter) Once the game was over, we did a short lesson with the students. After, we had the children separate into small groups, where we were able to connect and interact with the children. The children were really excited we were there and we were able to invite them to the church event Friday, which interested many of them. 

It was a long day for us, but we could already see how God is using this part of the ministry. 

We all had a lot of fun memories (and some challenging) today, but for this not to be a couple of books long, we each narrowed down one of our favorites. For Jonathan, he would have to choose when he was able to talk to the chaplain at one of the schools, a Christian himself. The chaplain was asking questions on how he could better reach his students with the gospel and how he could disciple the ones that are Christians already. That allowed Jonathan to be able to have a conversation encouraging and giving him advice on how to help him. For Meagan, something she enjoyed today, was how excited the teachers and students both were to have them come to their school. The students even brought them Hungarian candy and made pins as a thank you. Amber, although she said she did not succeed, enjoyed trying to pronounce some of the Hungarian words with the children. She said this helped the children not feel as insecure about speaking English, even though they struggled. For Matthew, he was able to help motivate and encourage the students to pursue the careers they want to follow after high school and helped them set goals on how to reach them. He especially liked the fact that he was able to talk to a student who was interested in going to college for animation, which is also what he is majoring in college right now. If I (Emmy) had to pick something that I particularly had fun with today, I would pick the small group discussions. There, I was able to learn more about these students’ lives and the differences between our cultures. 

Although we are all exhausted, and will probably have an early bedtime tonight, we couldn’t be more excited and encouraged for what we can see God doing in Hungary and can’t wait to see what else He does. 

Please continue to pray for the students we met today and that they will show up on Friday. Please also pray for us as we go back into the schools around Hungary tomorrow. 

The Hungarian word of the day is “köszönöm” which means “thank you.” 

*Because of child photography laws, we were not able to take any pictures in the schools today…so enjoy some of the beautiful sights we saw on our walk back to our hotel tonight.* :) 

Before we started, Laci, the leader of Campus Crusade in Hungary, shared a devotional with us to kick off the morning meeting. In it, he unpacked the gospel, depicting it as a multi-layered cake called Orség Zöld Aranya, which is meant to have all three layers eaten together in one bite. He explained how the gospel is so much more than we often act like it is, and that we can't just leave it at the 'gate' we need to live it. Laci explained how the first layer of the cake is the great commission which is a very active commandment, but that we often get hung up on the do's and get worn out trying to carry them out. The second layer is the great commandment, which he paired with 1 Corinthians 13 to help us understand that we must share the gospel from a heart overflowing with love for others, but that if we are seeking to act in love constantly, we will easily burn out or become self-righteous. The final layer was a full understanding of the unconditional and fulfilling love of God for us. With this understanding we are no longer self-righteous, we no longer tire of doing good because we are filled constantly with gratitude that motivates us to love others and share the truth of the gospel with them. 

For the next couple of days, we will have groups of three (two Americans and one Hungarian) go into the local schools. There, we will teach the children an English lesson, break up into small groups to get to know them, and help them improve their English. (maybe they can, in turn, teach us some Hungarian…) After that, we will invite them to the “big event” of the week, happening Friday night called “Speak Out.” Please pray for us as we are going into the schools, that the children will be responsive, and that they will show up on Friday where the gospel will be shared. 

The Hungarian word of the day (that I just decided is a thing) is “Ciao” which means “hello” and also “goodbye.”

On the first day, we helped pack food in boxes for people that were in need of food. On the second day, we worked with Light of Life for people that need help. On the third day, my group went to the City Mission warehouse to help organize/clean the warehouse. What impacted me the most was when we went to the City Mission campus, and we helped wash cars, serve food, and painted joy rocks for all around the campus. Lastly, we went to Tanager Outlets and told some people about Jesus Christ. God has taught me on the trip to wait and have faith in him and to be more grateful for what I have.

Mission trips can always show us that what truly matters is knowing Jesus and living for him. I hope those reading this blog would be encouraged and challenged to make an impact for him.

• Dakoda Horner, Rostraver Student

One of the projects that my crew was able to experience, was working with the City Mission, where we were able to help organize their storage, serve food to their residents, and hear incredible testimonies. Along with this incredible work that God has allowed us to do, we also were able to grow closer to God through morning devotionals and spiritual development, in which our awesome leaders led us through worship and a sermon.

To me personally, the most powerful experience took place on Wednesday night during a time of worship. During this time the worship team gathered in the center of all of us while we circled around them. That night Jonathan preached about the importance of worship in between songs. The Holy Spirit was certainly present, and the feeling was powerful. Many of us (including myself) had never experienced such a night of worship and fellowship. That moment truly reflected the heart of worship that God wants us to experience not just during a service, but in everyday life.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience this mission trip and would suggest to anyone, youth or adult that wishes to grow their faith, to join this adventure which the leaders so thoughtfully put together.

• Brayden Freund, Robinson Campus

• Ricky Andrews

Next, we went to various prayer stations where the one that Joshua Brim-Simpson led had the biggest impact on me. His station focused on the serenity prayer, which focuses on having peace with the stuff we can’t control or change. This station had the biggest impact on me because I have learned that I can’t change much in my life, and I feel like God can help you through those situations because He provides peace in those moments.

The biggest thing I am excited about this week is helping people and sharing the good news of Jesus. Through participating in this year’s mission trip, I can say with full confidence that everyone should do mission work. These trips teach you about other peoples’ worlds and what they must go through and how we can be the hands and feet of Jesus to this world. I am thankful to be a part of this year’s mission trip and can’t wait to see what God does!

• Jadon Kithcart