October 2005 Archives
Cuba Trip, 2005
We brought in medicines, clothing, bibles, training books for pastors, toys, candy, and baseball equipment. Altogether, about 400 pounds of gifts. Yes, we were searched in Cuba and very little was confiscated (a miracle).
We visited many pastors and their families. It was great to hear their stories of how God is working in their lives and in their community. We gave them clothing, medicines, and funds. Thank you for giving to and praying for the Cuban people.
We met a pastor whose only transportation was a beat up old bike. The tires were so rotten they were almost falling off. Another miracle he was still able to ride. We gave him some support money and some additional money for new tires. I could relate to that.
We met another pastor and his wife and kid to whom we were able to give medicines and support. She shared that she prayed that morning for God to help them, they were in desperate financial need. They had no idea we were coming, but God did. It's great being used by God!
One woman who we met is a traveling pastor. She regularly visits about 6 churches by bike. We asked her what she needed, and she said her bike was about to fall apart. Once again I could relate. We gave her money for a new bike along with other support. Her daughter said she had a dream the night before that we would come the next day and meet their needs. Wow.
We helped a pastor organize a baseball outreach event. We went to a local field and invited the whole neighborhood to play. We gave the pastor tons of baseball equipment and he in turn loaned it out to the teams. Everyone had a blast. Before and after the games we invited everyone to the church for free food and a meeting.
After the baseball outreach, a fresh pork dinner was provided. I do mean fresh. We had one pig on the table being prepped to cook while another was on the ground being killed. You should see the video, well, maybe you don't want to see it. The little piggies tasted very good!
One of our supporters, Cliff Bar, gave us a bunch of hats and shirts. The Cubans have so little, giving them a hat makes their year!
We met with Pastor Daniel in his church. Let me tell you, these people know how to sing! It was so great to worship with them and see God's word go out to the Cubans.
-Dan Kaufman
Click here to download videos:
Mexico - Santa Isabel, 2005 (Computers)
Next, we needed networking cables, and we received a donation of 200 feet of cabling for the long runs we needed for the church. Then, my friend Greg came with some phone wiring and connection. Printers came in, a desktop computer, a handheld computer; it all came together.
Finally, Pastor Lorenzo was able to get a teenager who has some skills and interests in computers so he can be trained to be responsible for this equipment.
God provided! All of this is to meet a felt need in the community and open a door to share the gospel using computer training!
-Jason Hotchkiss
Larry to Southeast Asia, 2005
This church on the water ministers to thousands of Vietnamese who live along these waterways. Hundreds have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. There are now 5 other boat chapels and many more on land. Consider sharing resources for this great evangelistic work!
The kids in the villages along the Mekong River were overjoyed to meet us. They loved looking at their faces in our digital cameras. Over half of the kids in this village have placed their faith in Jesus Christ!
Cary Vold found a friend named "Soo-me'" who is among the Hmong people group on northern Vietnam. She walked with us for over an hour sharing what life was like in her village. She had never before heard of Jesus Christ. We were able to share with her.
Like stepping back in time, the Hmong work the land as their ancesters have done for millenia. There are an estimated 80,000 believers in this region and the numbers are growing daily. Pray for the Hmong people!