Philippines Team Arrives in Cebu City!

Greetings from the Philippines!

We have arrived safe and sound. Everyone is well and very excited about the ministry. We are staying in a beautiful bed and breakfast. The area is very nice and the grounds are gated. We arrived around 3 a.m. in the morning. We left for Cebu Island around 7 a.m. and arrived our our hotel around 10 a.m. We have the opportunity to get some rest the remainder of the day. We may do some walking and sight seeing with our missionary if everyone is up to the short walk. We will send another message later.

Be blessed,

Ron and Marilyn Bidwell
Philippines YMI Team Leaders

Guatemala Pictures

Hey Everyone,

Today was the final day of ministry for the team. Tomorrow they will be doing a cultural activity before packing and preparing to depart for the U.S. on Friday. Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for this team as they finish out their trip together strong. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to share some pictures given to us by the team while they are down there.

Brian Hughes
President

Guatemala Update!

Hola,

We are having an amazing time here. We walked around a mall a little and then they took us to the National Palace area. Our hosts asked us if we would like to go for coffee...Of course we said YES. We walked a short distance to a little coffee shop that is owned by our driver's family. The coffee was very good and they have people sign the wall so we all got to leave a piece of us in Guatemala.

We generally have breakfast everyday at 7:00am and leave between 7:30-8:00. On the 3rd we had three ministries. The first one was out in the country in a farm type community. At the school we had about 600 kids. It was kind of crazy with that many, but the team did great, Taylor joined Kevin (one of the guys from there church) at being a clown. Daniel has been amazing. He is very confident up front and is always volunteering to help out. He also is always carrying the ministry tote. Heather is also doing very well. She has been helping with the puppets, playing MC, doing the evangecube and more. Jamie is amazing a being up front, she is very comfortable in that and since she speaks some Spanish that really helps as well. Elizabeth is always willing to do anything and does such a good job at giving the Bible story. Justin loves doing his song in Spanish and the David and Goliath song. After we were done with the first ministry we went to a vegetable garden that was up a dirt road. We ended up straddling a small irrigation ditch to get to where we could see out over the valley. It was very beautiful. We got lots of good pictures.

We went back to the same church for the 2nd time and had about 100-150 older kids. They were really a tough crowd. They just looked at the team and did not join in with the songs at all. So, we decided to do games. First we did "cat & mouse" or link tag. Next we did the blob tag game that got almost everyone involved and it was a blast.

We are ending with presenting the Gospel using the evangecube with each team member taking turns leading it and the rest spreading out in the crowd with the other cubes. Then Ruben comes up and gives the invitation. He asks if anyone has made a decision for Christ for the first time and has them raise their hand. For the whole day we had around 200 hands raised, praise God, it is so cool!!

Next we drove to a church back in the city. We got there a little early so they took us to their coffee house. We had coffee and pastries, it was so nice. Then we went to the Awana program. We set up and after they did the opening ceremony we did a 30 minute program because the pastor wanted to introduce us in the main service. We are finding that the illusions do not work very well, but they love the pantomimes.

Later we went into two classrooms to observe the clubs. We all came back to the mission guest house, including all Awana people and had dinner here, and Margarita had gotten a birthday cake for John Yao (the head of YMI's Project Resonate who is with the team, capturing the trip through his photography) whose birthday was the 4th. He was really surprised.

On the 4th of July we sang Happy Birthday to John 4-5 times. After breakfast we headed to Juan's church. They were all so sweet and did a really good job at joining in with us. The Awana group was amazing, high energy and joined in with everything. They even taught us new motions to one of the songs the team does in Spanish, it was a blast. When we were done we had time so they took us to exchange money and on the way home our driver asked if we wanted ice cream, of course we did and it was very good. It was nice to get back earlier so the team can prepare for the three church services we are doing tomorrow.

Brad and Becky

Team Leaders - Guatemala

Guatemala Team Arrives in Guatemala City!

Hello from Guatemala,

Yesterday was amazing! After a little rest and getting settled in our room Margarita, the AWANA National Director for Guatemala, showed us all a video of Guatemala that was very wonderful. Then after lunch we were given a room here at the mission guest house that we can use to practice in. As the team was running through the program we looked back and there were children and adults watching at the door. We invited them in and we had an impromptu ministry for about one and a half hours. The adults were very helpful in helping Taylor find the right words as she was trying very hard to interpret for them. It was so cool. It also helped a lot to prepare them for the ministry today.

We went to a school nearby and did the ministry program for about 300 kids, They finally got the idea that during the songs we wanted them to join in and then it went very well. The team all did an amazing job and the kids just loved them! We were able to do several songs, puppets, an illusion and the Evangecube. The kids were fascinated by Daniel's height and, of course, loved having their pictures taken with all of us. We played a game of "Sharks and Minnows" that was mostly just us chasing them and tagging them. At the end we tried to give out balloon animals, but there were so many kids and not enough time. So, we just blew the balloons up and gave them out!

The food here has been amazing and the team is all doing well. We all got a very good night's sleep last night so we are functioning well. We miss everyone but are loving being in Guatemala and seeing God working in so many ways. Thank you all for your prayers.

Brad / Becky Keough

Guatemala Team Leaders

Ukraine 2 Mid-Trip Report

Dear Family and Friends,

Here in the middle of the ministry, we are in Odessa where there is internet. The rest of the time, we are in a little town on the edge of the black sea and do not have access to the internet. So, we thank you now for continued prayers for us. We are well cared for by the hospitable Christian leaders in Yuzhny. After the long trip, they treated us to a day of rest, playing volleyball in the shallows of the Black Sea and visiting their city. Yuzhny is only 25 years old as a city. We have been ministering each day in a church there, running a VBS program for the children and youth.

The weather is very hot yet not one of the team has complained. Attitudes seen among the team are gracious, caring for one another and very loving toward the nationals. Already, the children have won our hearts and our team is realizing they will be saying good-by to new friends. In the afternoons we have traveled a ways from the city to surrounding villages where a mule and cart pass on the same road as a motor scooter. The village children were waiting by their gate when we arrived, a half hour before the VBS would begin. They greeted us with enthusiasm and immediately we were playing with them. When making balloon animals, they asked to learn so we pumped up balloons and watched their joy in creating simple balloon animals. With the language barrier, pantomime’s have been extremely valuable. Yesterday as we did the creation, fall and crucifixion in pantomime, the children watched with emotion and squeals as Christ came alive and defeated satan. The pastor got very excited and requested this pantomime to be done again for the church service on Sunday. Praise the Lord for the universal language of pantomimes.

We were traveling home yesterday from the village, stopped at an orphanage to drop off on of the youth, and were invited to watermelon. We all got off and spent the next two hours playing games and laughing with the children. We will return there Sunday afternoon. Monday and Tuesday will continue to be busy ministry days as well. Please do not stop praying. Today as we drive, we are getting to know the leaders better. Opportunities to discuss church issues are arising. Please be in prayer for Ken as he seeks God’s wisdom to open the Word with them and participate in the discipleship of the national leaders. They love the Lord with all their heart and give selflessly, yet need a shepherd themselves in certain areas.

We love you and often move forward in faith that you are all with us in prayer and that we do not lean on our own strength or wisdom but on what God provides through each of you praying on our behalf. May God bless you for your sacrifice with us for this work.

In His grace and for His glory alone,

Ken and Linda, Team Leaders

Ukraine Team 2 Arrives

We have arrived safely after a couple hour delay leaving New York. Many opportunities to share about the Lord while on the plane. Luggage was collected quickly and easily except for one….This is a first for Rose as her one checked bag did not arrive. In her bag is the modem for Victor so he is praying with us about getting this bag. We are enjoying a wonderful dinner and fellowship with Alexandr. We will leave here shortly for Yushny. The team is doing very well and ready for a good night sleep and ministry tomorrow.

Ken and Linda Wakefield, Team Leaders

Seattle Training Camp #1 Complete!

Hey all,

Yesterday YMI trained yet another mission team that will be going into the international mission field in the summer of 2009. We are pleased to announce that this latest team will be heading to Guatemala! The team really came together during our Training Camp. Toward the end of their time together, they had a chance to do an outreach event with North Auburn Baptist Church (where they were training). The team ran a family fun night and told the kids and adults present about Jesus. The next morning, Youth Missions International supplied the church with workers in Sunday School, Children's Church, and the worship service. The second and final Ukraine team was also on hand, as they were leaving the next morning for their trip. Ken Wakefield, a Ukraine Team Leader, gave the sermon, while some of the YMI youth led the worship portion of the service. Praise God for our time at North Auburn Baptist!