Welcome to our Blog

Thank you for visiting our Blog spot. We have been preparing our mission for 6 months now and have been very busy with planning and fundraising. I'm so excited that we will be in San Jose one week from tomorrow. Just a little background, doctors have been visiting this village every six months for 9 years, beginning the year that Hurricane Mitch nearly wiped San Jose off the map. A Presbyterian Church group from Oakland has been visiting once a year for the past 4 years. This is the first time a group from our church - The Sewickley United Methodist Church has ever visited this village.

Our focus group in this small village of 1500 is on the young adults ages 16-24. We have prepared a music ministry with daily themed music and scripture to share. Our overall program consists of presenting God's promises: God Loves You, God Knows You, God is With You, God Treasures You and God Forgives You. During our God Treasures You themed day, we are taking on the challenge of teen issues like those of teens here in the United States - I like to call it "Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll". Basically educating them about the dangers of self destructive behaviors from a Godly perspective.

Our team consists of one organist, two guitarists and a total of 10 singers willing to share a part of their lives in an effort to bring the youth of the village to Christ. We've made a tremendous effort to learn close to 30 songs in Spanish and are fulfilling God's commandment to "spread His word to all the nations". In some cases we may help renew their faith and give them support and strength to carry on in their impoverished village. We are like the third leg of three legged stool. The doctors from UPMC that come every six months take care of their bodies and minds (see www.shouldertoshoulderpgh.org for more information) and we are here to give the support needed by the holy spirit to be complete.

We will also be doing some construction work and learning a lot about a completely different culture. San Jose a place without clean water, plumbing or electricity, but filled with beautiful people who are kind enough to welcome us into their world.

Visit our blog for daily updates from our team members, two people each day will sign on to give an update. Please pray for our safety, guidance and strength to get through what will be an exhausting week.