Team Assembled - FUNdraising begins

I am praising God for calling 12 talented individuals to our team. We have met a couple of times and will meet just 6 more times to discuss our mission. In between our meetings, we will see a lot of each other when we work on our FUNdraising efforts. Our projects have been zeroed in on. In addition to our ministry work, our focus is on water quality. We have asked the health committee in San Jose for recommendations on how we can help them. They have identified issues with the facilities at their community center and asked for some help with other community projects that are in need of repair. A wall securing the school is broken and they desire some painting to be done at the school. We will also be organizing some education on basic hygiene for the school, focusing on ways to prevent contamination of their drinking water and a community clean up. One of the negative effects of our culture on them is the pre-packaged snack foods. There is no waste management for their community, so the introduction to inexpensive unhealthy snacks is having a adverse effect on their health in multiple ways. Trash is a water quality issue, the plastic (baked and broken down by the sun) leaches chemicals into the ground water and effects their watershed. So, we are going to designate one afternoon to collecting and burning the trash that has been left behind by the packaging.

Our FUNdraising is underway to help purchase the much needed supplies. Our overall goal is $5,000 ($1,000/month). December we begin with Singing Christmas Card (like Caroling Telegram), January we will be collecting money to buy bibles in Spanish, February will be an Alternate Gift Giving campaign, March will be a special offering day and April will be Bunko.

Feel free to contact the church at 412-741-9340 for more information on how you can help.

Mission 2009 - Sweet Water for San Jose

I am thrilled to announce that the Sewickley United Methodist Church council just approved our first official UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission) mission trip. We will be assembling a team for June 19-28, 2009 to return to San Jose! Our focus will be on water quality. Sweet Water is what the Native Americans named our town - Modern day, Sewickley. Looking forward to more blogs by future team members.

Amigos - the words

AMIGOS by Rommel Osmani Ramos

(Verse 1) AMIGOS YO LES QUIERO CANTAR
Friends, I want you all to sing
ESTA CANCION PARA PARTICIPAR
This song to join in
LLEVANDO ESTE MENSAJE A LOS AMIGOS
Carrying this message to friends
QUE TODOS JUNTOS LUCHEMOS POR LA PAZ
That all together, we fight for peace

(Coro.) POR QUE ESTE MUNDO ANDA DESCONTROLADO
Because this world spins out of control
NO HACEMOS NADA EN BIENESTAR COMUN
And we do nothing for the common good
PORQUE LAS DROGAS LOS TIENEN ATRAPADOS
Because many are trapped by drugs
Y ES IMPORTANTE QUE NO TE METAS TU
Its important you don't let that happen to you

(Verse 2) TANTAS OFERTAS QUE HAY SE NOS PRESENTAN
With Composer, Hurst BartleyMany temptations are presented us
A MAS DE ALGUNAS TU TIENES QUE LLEGAR
Many more will you have to come
PUES REFLEXIONA ANTES DE QUE LOS ACEPTES
But think carefully before you accept them
Y YA NO PIENSAS IGUAL QUE LOS DEMAS
And don't think like all the rest (Don't always follow the crowd?)

(Verse 3) FELICITO A TODO EL GRUPO DE JOVENES
I congratulate all the youth group
PORQUE ESTAN TODOS COMPROMETIDOS CON DIOS
Because the are all in relation with God
Y ES UN APOYO PARA TODA LA IGLESIA
And it supports the entire church
Y SON EJEMPLO PARA TODOS LOS DEMAS
And is an example for all the rest

(Coro.) POR QUE ESTE MUNDO ANDA DESCONTROLADO
Because this world spins out of control
NO HACEMOS NADA EN BIENESTAR COMUN
We know nothing of the common good
PORQUE LAS DROGAS LOS TIENEN ATRAPADOS
Because many are trapped by drugs
Y ES IMPORTANTE QUE NO TE METAS TU
It’s important you don't let that happen to you

(Verse 4) AMIGOS YO LES QUIERO INVITAR
Friends I want to invite you all
A UN RINCONCITO AQUI EN MI CORAZON
To a little corner here in my heart
ORANDO POR TODOS, TODOS LOS QUE SUFREN
Praying for all, all who suffer
Y VAN POR LA CALLE CON GRAN DESILUCION
And take to the streets with great disillusionment

Reflections

As this year comes to a close, I am reflecting on the impacts our mission team had on the community of San Jose. We have had the chance to present a review of our mission twice to our church and once to another church with future presentations during the upcoming lenten season also to another church that is going to send a team to San Jose in 2008. Bringing the word of God to our focus group - the teenagers of San Jose, was a challenging opportunity and completely rewarding experience. God's plan was far greater than our own and was clearly working in this community before we arrived. We came up with this idea of holding a religious lip sync contest and it blossomed almost majically into "Evento Musical Cristiano" - which was grande by the way. The organizer from the community posted a sign at her home store that said - [Attend without Fail] - and they did! 200-300 Daily for 5 days in horrible (to us) heat. It was amazing to meet the boys that were touched by the word of God and attending church with them. To see the community supporting each other - across the board - all the different Christian faith churches. Chatting with the leaders of the church's and hearing about the challenges they face in their lives. Exposing children with talents that no one knew they had - giving them a forum to express their beliefs openly and honestly in such a creative manner. Being invited to pray WITH people in clearly desperate situations, praying for people that asked us for needed prayers, praying for people that didn't know we were praying for them. The connection to Christ was clear in the lyrics that were submitted to us by teens - most of them tell their own stories of how the Lord helped them or how they searched for and found Him. Sharing our testimonies and encouraging everyone that attended the daily events to look to the bible for answers to the most difficult times in our lives. Leaving behind 200 bibles for their community. During the week, we were emphasizing the promises of God: God loves you, knows you, is with you, treasures you, and forgives you. It will truly be a week that none of the teenagers, their family and friends or our team will ever forget. Experiencing the love of God is everlasting.

Bill

Well, he did not drive to Honduras, but he is heading for another very hot and humid place for basic training. We're thinking of you! You should at least be able to drink the water this time.

Im driving back to Honduras tomorrow...anyone wanna come?
We can take Kel's jeep. that should make it up Mt. Killatoyota.

Excerpts from my Journal

After being back a week now I'm back into the routine of working etc. and Honduras seems really distant. Like it happened a much longer time ago and not just last week. Its ironic to me because when I resolved to go on the mission originally I thought I was doing it to reach out and help the people there and maybe to teach them something but in the end it was I who learned from them and from the other members of our team and what people are capable of when put in unusual circumstances. The people of San Jose live under conditions that we would certainly consider harsh. Most live in hovels with dirt floors, no plumbing, no electricity, inadequate health care and limited opportunities for education. Yet I can tell you that God is unmistakably present there. I don't think I have ever felt as close to God as I did while I was there. The people of San Jose are aware that they don't have the advantages we do yet they don't complain and they support one another and they are very closely knit. I almost envy them their innocence - their unguarded openness and their lack of pretensions. I am not naive, I'm sure there are bad elements there as there are in all places, but I can say that whatever there is that is bad there is overwhelmingly outshined by the kindness and generosity of the majority who we came in contact with.
Following are some excerpts from my journal from day one. I will try to post excerpts from the following days as I have time.

DAY ONE - Friday 6/8/07
This was going to be a long day! Up at 2:30 to catch the flight to Houston. We arrived at the airport at 4:00AM. I can't remember if we ever had the entire team assembled in one place before but here finally was everybody together. Alisa, Dave Dellinger from Bellefield Church, Mike, Kim, the Kuriger contingent - Sandy, Ashlea and Billy, Erik, Kelly (who had received here passport only hours before and of course yours truly. Also there was Irene Frederick to help us check in. What a pleasant surprise! Before we went through security she led us in a heart felt prayer. Isn't it funny how all feeling and emotion is magnified when you know you are on the verge of something extraordinary? That's how that prayer felt to me. Thank you Irene.

I will not bother with details of the flights. Suffice it to say that it was a long ride. When we arrived in San Pedro Sula we were in another world. No one spoke english and our contact was not to be found. We hauled our 1000 pieces of luggage to the front of the airport and started looking for Medardo, our contact from Shoulder to Shoulder. We finally connected with him and started our ride up the mountain to San Jose. Here was our first contact with the Honduran people. Accompanying us were our translators whom we got to know very well. Johanna- Medardo's daughter, Gabriella (Gabby), Yudi, Carlos and Paolo. All aged 14 except for Johanna (18). Also accompanying us were 2 policemen with machine guns. It was a long, hot, bumpy ride up the mountain and our truck kept breaking down but we were all exhilarated so it didn't really matter. Finally our truck would go no more so we went to switch trucks and Kim took a little tumble. She was scraped up but in one piece so first aid was administered and we continued on our way. There was no place for 10 people to sit so Mike, Kelly and myself stood up the rest of trip up the mountain holding on to a rail attached to the cab of the pickup truck, facing forward and yelling "Ola" to countless Honduran children we passed on our trip up. I think somebody has a photo of Mike with his arms outstretched doing his Leonardo DiCaprio "I'm the King of the World!" impression. (You had to be there). It really was a surreal experience sailing up the mountain bumping and bouncing around that dirt road. Kind of like the Steel Phantom at Kennyood but without the harness. Then all of sudden there we were at Shoulder to Shoulder Clinic just like in the pictures. We had our carryon bags but all of our luggage was still in the broken truck and did not arrive for several hours. When it finally came we all set up our beds and then gathered at the picnic tables along the side of the clinic where we were soon joined by several local children. Sandy, Kelly, Ashleah and Alisa started drawing pictures with them and more kids kept coming in. I think we had at least 20 or more that showed up. Where were their parents? This turned out to be a common sight. The kids just roamed freely at any age and whoever was in the vicinity would look out for them. Some of these kids would turn up in the talent contest later in the week. We also met Don Fidel that night, the president of the health committee. I had the guitar out and he played it a little. He spoke no english so I tried to talk to him in Spanish. I think he might have actually understood some of what I said. Either that or he has mastered the polite smile while thinking "what is this crazy Gringo trying to tell me?"
I was really feeling sticky so I went to take what would turn out to be the coldest shower of my life. How can water be that cold and still be flowing? As soon as it hit me it knocked the breath out of me and I gasped hard thereby introducing some of the dreaded local water into my mouth! We had all been vehemently warned by Dave and Alisa not to let any of the untreated water in our mouths or eyes. My natural way of taking a shower makes this kind of difficult, especially when the water temperature is approaching absolute zero. However I did eventually attain some semblance of cleanliness and so I returned to the porch where we had a sleepy debrief and all turned in. We had been up for 20 grueling hours. Since there was no electricity and therefore no light, we all wore these LED headlamps that strap to your head. They look pretty goofy but work great. I climbed in under my mosquito netting and tried to go to sleep although it was still pretty warm and Carlos and Paolo were chattering in Spanish. I got some earplugs from Dave which helped alot and proceeded to get a pretty good nights sleep - until the roosters started crowing at 3:00AM.

Next Post - Day two