Hope Rising

Flour, salt, yeast, water… in the proper hands, simple ingredients are elevated into delicious bread.  Last week, we got to see (and taste!) this firsthand. 

A professional baker from Santiago came on Monday, and was able to share a lot of technical details with the women.  It was good to learn more about the different kinds of flour, yeast and other ingredients available to be used. 

He showed them how to make Pan de Aqua (water bread) which is a simple and tasty white bread.  Our spring intern, Sarah, who is from New York state, said it well – it tastes like the inside of a NY Bagel. 

We had some ‘oven challenges’ in the form of not having all the parts we needed to hook up the gas.  We naively thought everything would come with the stove!  It didn’t.  Thankfully, we’ve learned to always have a Plan B (and maybe Plan C and D!) and so Sarah brought the raised dough back to the SI Base to be baked.

On Thursday Margarita, a woman who lives in a nearby community, came and showed us how to make her whole wheat bread.  Margarita juggles caring for her family and working outside the home.  She also cooks and cleans for her elderly father, attends church groups and English class.  She still makes time to bake and sell her bread almost every day. 

It was good for the women to hear her story, and to see that someone with responsibilities like them has made this work.

Again, we had a challenge, as the power was out, so the blender Margarita uses to soften the trigo (wheat) didn’t work.  We put it into the dough without blending, and hoped for the best. 

Just that morning we had finally got all the parts for the oven, and soon the Site was filled with the smell of delicious baking bread.  And, it tasted as good as it smelled.  One of the women said, “I don’t really like bread, but I loved this!”

The women now have lots of information and have seen two different ways of making two different types of bread.  They seem excited, and were taking notes and asking lots of good questions. 

Of course, there are still a lot of details to figure out!  Purchasing ingredients, a schedule for production, who will be responsible for what, how and when to sell and for how much…

But, our hope is rising (pardon the pun!) as we take the next steps, confident that the Holy Spirit will guide us in whatever is His will.

This week the women plan to come and practice the techniques they’ve learned.  We’ll be sure to get some pictures!  We’re just sorry we won’t be able to send along the wonderful smell (and taste!) of the bread, too!! 

We invite you to continue to lift up El Callejon, the women, and the Panaderia project. Thank you so much! 

Bread Project

The Spanish word for bread is pan, and the place where it is baked is called a Panaderia.  One of the dreams we’ve had for the Social Work site is starting a Panaderia, where women from the community can make a quality product to help earn some money to help provide for their families.  It could also help them learn how to work together, the importance of persevering, and making and keeping goals.

Last summer, a generous church in Florida donated all its Vacation Bible School offering to the Social Work Site.  We asked them if we could use it for a “Bread Project”, including ‘spiritual’ and literal bread.  They enthusiastically said Yes!

The first ‘bread’ we purchased was a way to share the Bread of Life, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is revealed, of course, in the Bible.  So, we bought several large print versions, as well as audio and interactive Bibles.  We also bought The Jesus Film and other dramatized Bible stories (in Spanish, of course).  It’s been wonderful to share the truth of the Bible in ways that those who have poor eyesight, or cannot read at all, can understand! 

Now, we’re moving into the second part of the Bread Project.  The kind of bread you can smear with peanut butter or make into a yummy sandwich.  Last week we bought a stove (with oven) and gas canisters.  It was delivered this week.  Along with the VBS money, another church brought measuring cups, pans, bowls, and other items this past fall.  They’ve been waiting patiently for their first use!

Si Dios quiere (the Lord willing) that will happen next week when a woman from a nearby community will come and teach our El Callejon women.  We’re excited, not only because we’ve sampled her bread (and it is delicious!) but because she lives a similar life to the women in El Callejon, and so she can connect in a way we cannot. 

Like them, she works hard, cooking, cleaning and caring for her family, and also works outside the home on weekends.  She loves Jesus, and even though life is not always easy, she has joy in Him.

We also have someone on staff who has worked for her brother who owns an actual Panaderia.  They have connections with suppliers and others who know about bread.  One of her contacts is coming to help show techniques and share a simple recipe, too! 

Our Microfinance site leader has given one lesson to the women about running a business, and we hope to have him return, as we move ahead.  We want to help the women understand that just saying they want to bake bread isn’t all it takes to make a profit. 

We feel so blessed at all of those who have contributed already.  It’s amazing how God continues to provide!  We’ve got a lot of education and training ahead of us, but vale la pena (it is worth the pain, or worthwhile).  

We know it could be something great, but we also need to go at the pace that the women can handle.  For example, they’ve learned to cook without measuring, but that doesn’t always work well with baking.  They’ve not had experience with yeast and kneading and ovens.  But, with training and desire, we know they can learn!

We invite you to pray with us as we seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in this.  That this would truly be a blessing for El Callejon, and that we would be patient as we teach these new concepts to the women.  Please pray that we (and the women!) never lose sight of the most important Bread, the Bread of Life. 

What's In A Name?

We’ve been enjoying having the Joshua (Wilderness Institute) students with us for the past week.  This group is 65 strong, and we are privileged to have 5 Joshua participants at the Social Work Site in El Callejon.  Three are students, and two are leaders. 

Their first week was learning more about the community, the people, etc.  This week, they’re in charge!  Of course, we’re there to help out, but each one of them will have the opportunity to share some of the gifts God has given them.  We love watching how the Holy Spirit works through them and in them in their time with us!

This afternoon we had our meeting with the Adult Women.  Close to 30 women came for a time of prayer, praise and teaching.  As they entered, we gave each one a name-tag with their name written on it.  We, too, wore name-tags. 

Some of the women go by ‘nicknames’.  It was fun to learn some of their ‘birth names’.  Tiva, a lovely, quiet woman who always takes great care with her crafts, is really named Navidad, which as you may know, is the Spanish word for Christmas. 

For Americans, some of the women’s names were hard, like Quirinia, which is pronounced Irina.  Of course, they find our names difficult, too.  If Mallory is pronounced Spanish-style, it would sound more like Majori. 

After the women had their name-tags, we began with prayer and a time of worship, singing praise songs.  Sarah, one of the Joshua leaders, then shared her testimony.  She did a great job, and the women really paid attention as she talked about how God has been at work in her life. 

Sarah shared how her brother had talked with her when she was younger and expressing a desire for a boyfriend.  He showed her a quarter, and said that even though there are millions of quarters, this specific quarter is the only one that is this one.  That is what God has for you, he told the younger Sarah.  He has someone specific for you.  She talked about trusting in God, and waiting until He reveals the husband she is to have. 

Jenae and Sarah sharing.
And yes, you do see an umbrella! 
We have a transparent panel in the ceiling,
and a couple of the ladies thought it was too bright! :O)

Jenae, another of the Joshua leaders, then talked about why we had name-tags.  Part of it was to help the participants know the women’s names, and vice versa.  However, she went deeper, talking about how just as we each have a name, God knows each one of us. 

Some of the names of the women are ‘made up’, describe a physical attribute (like Negra, which means Black), a combination of their parents’ names, or a feminized version of a father’s name (Miguelina, for Miguel). 

But, like the quarters, each one of us is the only one of us there is.  God made us and knew us before the creation of the world.  We are loved by Him, and He calls us by name. 

Both Sarah and Jenae shared scripture passages like Psalm 139 and the Greatest Commandment (in Matthew 22) with the women.  The women were interested and took note of the various verses.  We pray they will read them at home, and continue to learn to see themselves as God does - His beloved daughters, each unique, one-of-a-kind and precious.

 

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Feliz Año Nuevo!  As we welcome each new group back we greet each other with Happy New Year!  After visiting friends and family over Christmas in Columbia (Daisy) and the U.S. (Kimberley), we returned to El Callejon last week. 

It’s been great to be back, reconnecting with the women, teens, girls and other little ones of the community.  To hear how they are doing, to share in hugs and laughter again.  To look forward to this new year, knowing that Jesus is already there, and we can expect Him to move in powerful ways. 

We have a terrific team of students with us from The Forge, a gap year program in Texas.  They've brought great ideas and an incredible passion for Jesus with them.  What a wonderful way to begin 2013!

our students made 'flag banners' with the Chiquitas.
"Hija de Dios" means Child of God to help remind
them of how much He loves them!

As always, we’ve got lots of plans for the year, including new classes, encouraging the women to go deeper in their faith, more one-on-one discipling, finding new and creative ways to share the joy and hope and comfort of the Gospel. 

And, as always, we want to hold those plans loosely, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in all that we do.

Returning also meant plunging back into the problems of the community.  As you all know, poor choices, financial difficulties, and strained relationships, rarely take a ‘Christmas holiday’!  

We know that only the power of the Gospel can transform this community and the people living there.  And so, we have recommitted ourselves to making this our first priority.  In every situation, in every conversation and encounter, to speak of Jesus and His love, to point the women to our only Source of hope. 

the students teaching our Teens how to write
(and pronounce!) Child of God in English.  We want
them to remember who they are, and help with their desire
to learn English, too!

This year is going to be a full one, with more Outreaches (students, adults and others who come down to minister with us for one week, two weeks, or even several months) than ever before. 

Our prayer is that each of them will meet Jesus in new ways during their time with us.  That they, too, will come away with the conviction that the Gospel is the most important thing we can offer. 

It is a huge responsibility and honor to be in El Callejon, serving the people there, the participants who come down, and, most important of all, our Holy, Almighty, Triune God. 

We invite you to join us in prayer for the community, for Students International, for Daisy and Kimberley, for the many (many!) people back home who give sacrificially of their finances, who spend time in intercessory prayer, who write to encourage us, who visit.

We wish we could reach out and hug each of you and wish you Feliz Año Nuevo as well!  Know that we appreciate you and your interest in the big things God is accomplishing in this small part of His world!  

Feliz Navidad!

“Oh, Father, bless this site and the people who have come in it over the past year.  Keep them safe and in Your care over this Christmas season.  Si tu quieres (if it is Your will) bring us back again in January to serve You again.  Amen.”

We were leaving the Social Work Site in El Callejon for the final time this year.  Making sure all the windows were closed, all the doors locked, and the water turned off.  We had gone around the El Callejon ‘loop’ saying goodbye, talking and praying as we went. 

We are two weeks from celebrating Christmas.  Sadly, when we should all be focused on Jesus emptying Himself to come and save us, many focus instead of being as filled up (with alcohol, food, gifts, fights, flirtations) as they can.  It’s true back in the U.S., it’s true in El Callejon, too. 

So, we pray.  We pray for the families of El Callejon and the surrounding communities.  That they would resist the temptations of overspending and over-indulging, which are so common at this time of year.  That the partying would not get out of hand and dangerous. 

That the Prince of Peace would reign in the hearts and minds and souls of those He came to save, both here, and throughout the world. 

We ask you to join us in lifting up this community.  Over the past year we have seen progress, ‘thin places’ where God’s kingdom is breaking in.  The little ones learning to say ‘please’, the teens eager to explore difficult questions of faith, couples like Luz and Fermin and Kathy and Richie becoming legally married.  We’ve welcomed students and outreach participants from the U.S. who have come and shared their lives and the love of Jesus. 

We have also watched relationships between parents and children struggle, seen teen girls ‘get married’ at 16, lost members of our fellowship to sickness and death.  There have been days and weeks when it’s felt futile to continue. 

But, we remind ourselves that Jesus came, He died for our sins, He rose again and is returning.  In Him, the hopeless find hope.  In Him, everything is able to be redeemed for our good and His Father’s glory. 

We thank each of you for your support, love, interest, and most especially, your prayers.  The work is not easy, but nothing worth doing is! 

As we go home to visit family and friends (Daisy to Columbia, Kimberley to the U.S.) we know we can trust in our all-powerful, all-loving God to care for His beloved people in El Callejon.  He was there before we arrived, and will stay even if we leave.  All praise to Him!

We pray that each of you has a wonderful Christmas celebrating God-with-us.  We look forward to sharing more stories of Meeting Jesus in El Callejon in 2013.  Until then, Dios te bendiga!!

Love Is In the Air!!

Another Wedding Week has ended, and wow, are we tired!  From rushing around to get all the needed paperwork, to visiting the Pollera (where you buy live or dead chickens – ours were dead!), to perching on plastic chairs and the railing to hang up streamers and balloons, it’s been a crazy time.      

Kathy & Richie

But, like anything worth doing, especially things involving God’s kingdom breaking into communities in darkness, vale la pena.  It is always worth the frustration, inconvenience, aggravation and pain.  And, to see the two brides and their grooms yesterday, well, we’ll just let the pictures do the talking!!

Luz wanted to have traditional touches,
including having a ring-bearer.

Jayson (with SI) shares God's Word

Symbol of love and commitment

Luz and Fermin share a toast

Luz & Fermin with Franci,
their adopted son (and Fermin's grandson)

Cutting the Wedding Cake

Kathy & Richie with their son, Richileu

the happy couples with Brian & Sissy (SI Director),
Daisy and Jayon

Smooch!

Isn't it romantic?!?

Tossing the bouquet

Awwwww!!!! Too, too sweet!

(Special thanks to our friend, Daniel, for allowing us to share all these great pics he took!)

Weddings Part Two

On Thursday another of our couples, Kathy and Richie, became legally married.  They have been together for two years and have a 13 month old son named Richileu.  Over the past year their faith has been growing, and they want to live in a way that pleases God.  Getting legally married is a part of that desire.

As we’ve written about before, Kathy’s life has not been easy.  Sadly, her troubled relationship with her parents continues.  They still held out hope that she would leave Richie and find a wealthy man to marry who could help out the entire family.  

Richie signs the Certificate of Marriage

Although Richie has proven himself to be a loving, steadfast companion, her parents refuse to accept him, and have made it clear her marriage will not change that.  It all makes us so sad, but we pray in time God will redeem even this relationship through His love and power.

While Luz and Fermin’s marriage was smooth, this one was another story!  One of the witnesses did not show up at the Courthouse, so after several frantic calls to other friends, the groom had to hop on his moto to try and find another friend. 

Sealed with a kiss

The attorney was not happy with the situation, as it was 45 minutes late, but thankfully allowed them to get married with the substitute, who had to rush off and have a photocopy made of his Sedula (like a Social Security card) as the Courthouse does not have a copier available and one is required for the paperwork.

We kept reminding each other, Kathy and Richie, and even the attorney (who is a Christian), that Satan does not like it when we are trying to live according to God’s will, and so often makes things more difficult.  But, our God is stronger! 

Legally married!

Although it wasn’t a ‘dream ceremony’ it was still a joyful time.  We ask you to join us in praying that Kathy and Richie will continue to grow in love for each other, and in their faith in Jesus.  That they will raise their son, Richileu, and any other children, knowing Jesus and His love for them.