Last Day of Women's Conference

     

     Sunday was the second day of our women's conference.  The women just loved the flower pens!  The entire center was filled with the Holy Spirit before we were even finished with praise and worship.  Powerful words on the tongue and surrender were received eagerly by the women.  One of our Nicaraguan sisters shared with us today that during Saturday's service her arm that has been limp from a stroke many years ago was healed.

     We shared an amazing lunch with all the women and closed with a special ceremony honoring Pastora.  God worked mightily in many women's lives in ways we and they did not expect.

     On Sunday evening, the team split into two teams and went to two different churches where Cammie and Marie taught.  God has been so present, faithful and powerful!

     The team will be heading home on Monday.  More pictures to come...

Preparing Bead Kits

Preparing kits for teaching beads!

Women's Conference Missions Team Has Arrived in Nicaragua

Yesterday, we arrived in Esteli with all members of the team and all of our luggage.  God graced us with a great flight and easy connections.  Pastora visited with us tonight and you can see that Cory is talking with Pastora in true Nic style...hands flying!  God is good and we are all so excited about what He is going to do through us.

Blessings,
Women's Conference Missions Team

Linefork Mission Trip- Saturday

The team made it home safely! We had a great weekend serving Ms. Mary at the Sonshine Center! Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. Please keep praying for other mission teams, Ms. Mary, and her children.

"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:20

Linefork Mission Trip- Friday

   Today was another fantastic day at the Sonshine Center! We had quite a few things to do today! We unloaded a truck full of boxes, sorted clothes, stained decks, trimmed more bushes, and threw a fall party for the kids. God blessed us with an amazing group that was equipped with the skills to get all this done. 

Unloading boxes.

Lots of boxes to unload!

All done!

Clearing out some wood.

Organizing the many boxes, with a smile!

Decorating for the Fall party.

Decorating!

   

Staining the deck!

Clearing briers and brush from the creek.

After finishing the projects, the team took a prayer walk on  trail that one of Ms. Mary's sons had cleared out. It was incredibly powerful, we stopped at the cross her son had made and prayed over our team members who needed it. It was a great moment. I'm so thankful for our team and for all the things God has done for us.

The cross at the top of the prayer walk.

We came back from our prayer walk and threw a fall party for all the children. It's great to see them and enjoy the time together.

                                                 

The team was blessed to hear Ms. Mary's testimony after the party. She's so incredible! We are very thankful to be able to serve her and her family this weekend. 

   

The team is heading home tomorrow morning. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travels!

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, me servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." ~ John 12:26

Linefork Mission Trip- Thursday

The Linefork team has made it safely to Kentucky! We had such a beautiful ride up here, Fall has made everything so pretty. God kept us safe in our travels and also showed off His art skills.

Leaving bright and early!

God's artwork.

The team!

Greeting Ms. Mary, she's an amazing woman of God!

Once we got to the Sonshine Center we did some yard work for Ms. Mary. Sawing trees for firewood, trimming bushes, and re-planting flowers. Ms. Mary had a lot for us to do! Everything except let us trim the butterfly bush, she's pretty proud of how it's grown from the last time we were here! 

While some of the team was working on yard work, a couple of our team was cooking dinner with Mrs. Edith who comes to help Ms. Mary on occasion. She is definitely blessed with the gift of cooking! It was a great experience to learn and share with her and the rest of the team while serving the Lord. 

It was a great day! Thank you for all the prayers for the team! We can't wait to see what God's plan is for us tomorrow. 

  "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than  people."Colossians 3:23

Nicaragua Team's Significant Memories

Click here to read the team's most memorable and significant recollections from their trip to Nicaragua, August 1-7.

Monday Afternoon/Evening

Praise the Lord!  He held off the rain until we concluded tonight's outdoor service.  When we finished, it poured.  No problem... we are heading to the hotel to pack.

Monday Morning

This morning we were scheduled to host a program at a basketball court, but too many people were working.  So, we decided to go house to house inviting people to a 4 pm program.  As we were walking and sharing the story of Jesus with faith bracelets, we met a little boy, Jose, who actually finished the story.  

After he  shared he wanted to become a pastor, he told us that knew a boy that needed to know Jesus.  He took us to Harrrison, a 12 year old who has been on crack since he was 10 years old.  Harrison had no idea that today his life was going to change. 

After receiving Christ, Pastor Allen talked to his grandmother and on Thursday, the pastor is taking Harrison to a treatment center.  Jose is already a pastor… 

What a marvelous God!

Sunday Evangelism

This morning we turned the corner from our focus on medical clinics to evangelism on behalf of the new Foursquare Church in Maltagalpa.

When we arrived at the neighborhood park this morning, we realized we would be conducting our program under this absolutely enormous tree.  What a blessing to be in the shade while doing puppets and dramas.  In the midst of prayer, one of the team members prayed, "Lord thank you for placing us under this tree, because you are the Tree of Life." 

The church had distributed flyers several days earlier, so we walked through the neighborhood knocking on doors inviting people to the park for music and dramas.  As the music was playing, people started coming from the four corners of the park and before we knew it a crowd had gathered. We offered a program of puppets and dramas for about 30 minutes and then Pastor Allen preached a powerful message.  At the end, 40 children and youth and 10 adults circled around him to receive Christ as their Savior.  Looking at the sincerity upon some of their faces was precious.

Preparing faith bracelets for tomorrow this afternoon around a big table gave us time to share thoughts and stories as a team.  Tonight we will attend the evening service at the church, then tomorrow another open air program at a basketball court and park.

Since March, the small band of 20 plus believers at the church have visited over 1,300 homes to share Christ with them and personally invite them to attend the church.  We are honored to come alongside fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are so committed to reaching this city with God's message of love and grace.

More to come... Your Nicaragua team.

Saturday Medical Clinics

The temporary location of the first Foursquare church in Maltagalpa, a city of around 200,000.  Between the church (which is also the pastor's residence) and two neighbors' homes, we treated and prayed for 486 people in 2 days. 

Saturday night... Lots of technical challenges with internet to communicate to friends and family, but all these children receiving balloon hats could care less.  Third clinic held today on the outer edge of Matagalpa.  Over 300 patients seen and prayed for.  Everyone healthy and amazed at God's never ending goodness.

Pictures!

Team can now send pictures! More to come.

Safe and sound in Nicaragua.  Ready to serve.

Day 1 Recap

Awakening to a beautiful morning in Maltagalpa. Even the roosters were excited to face a new day at about 4 am this morning.

Yesterday began with worship, prayer and a devotion from Acts chapter 3.  We realized a fresh that Peter and John were just ordinary people like us, but when they spoke the Name of Jesus with faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit extraordinary things took place.  We left for our assignments believing Holy Spirit could work the same miracles through us. 

In closing our morning time together, Dr. Salinas, one of our Nicaraguan doctors shared at time, that his mother was a very Godly woman.  When he was a young doctor full of confidence in science, early one morning, someone knocked on the door of his home screaming for their son was in extreme pain.  When he answered and asked how he could help them, the people said, "we are not looking for you, but your mother, we want the servant of the Lord."  After his mother prayed for the boy, he was healed of a brain tumor.  Dr. Salinas then said, "that day, I received Christ as my Savior and I have been diligent to be filled with God science ever since."  Yes, our God is a miracle working God who flows through ordinary people yielded to Him.

Our first day of clinics started with a bit of a surprise.  Usually, we are in a church that has a decent size room and maybe one other room.  Well....since the new Foursquare church here, is a pastor's living room, we found ourselves spread out in 3 homes in a neighborhood.  Once we figured out how to function separated into three teams, we were able to treat 198 patients.

One difference we noted quite quickly was the emotion the people were exhibiting in the prayer area.  Many bared their hearts and we saw more free flowing tears than any towns we have been to before.  Such a sweet spirit moved in our midsts. 

We'll be back in the exact same locations today with great anticipation.

During dinner, which by the way at this little hotel is delicious, we were paid a wonderful compliment.  Bismarck, one of our interpreters, said, "I get so excited when the Grace Covenant teams are coming.  When I am with the teams from Grace Covenant, I go home with greater faith.  I grow with you."   What a nice ending to a day.

Blessings on your day,

The team

Day 1 - Morning

The team has settled into our hotel in Maltagalpa.  Last night the team unpacked and organized all the supplies like an army taking a beach-head.  It was incredible to watch everyone using their gifts to accomplish a major task within 2 hrs to be ready for dinner.

Our hotel name Mana del  Cielo means "Manna from Heaven."  How beautiful that the Lord would place us in such a sanctuary.  We are located in the downtown of Maltagalpa, but out our window all you see is beautiful mountains.

Yesterday we discovered that Maltagalpa means "entangled people."  It is an honor to us that we have been sent to do some "unentagling" in the Name of Jesus.

We'll host our first clinic today.  You can feel the expectation in all the first time team members as they get ready to serve the people.

Having technical challenges with sending photos.  We'll try to get that worked out so you can see us in action.

More to come...

Dios le bendiga, (God Bless You)

Your Nicaragua Team

Nicaragua Team Has Arrived Safely

The team has landed in Managua, Nicaragua.  After getting their luggage, they will begin the bus trip to Maltagalpa, where they will be staying for the week.

Nicaragua Summer Team Flight Information

Wednesday, August 1
American Airlines Flight 3532
Depart Charlotte at 5:50AM.  Arrive in Miami at 7:55AM.
American Airlines Flight 969
Depart Miami at 10:40AM.  Arrive in Managua at 11:10AM.

Tuesday, August 7
American Airlines Flight 952
Depart Managua at 2:30PM.  Arrive in Miami at 7:10PM.
American Airlines Flight 3533
Depart Miami at 10:05PM.  Arrive in Charlotte at 12:15AM (Aug. 8).

Wow Jam 2012 Detroit - Day 5/6

Wow, What a couple of days. We hit the ground running and haven't stopped till we arrived at home.

Saturday morning we arrived at the Woodbridge Community Yourh Center to setup for the days event - we already had several people waiting for us in a line for their bikes to be repaired- this was two hours before the event started. By 2 pm they were probably 30 people waiting in line. Within 1 hour I believe Abigail had checked in more than 50 bikes with another 20 in line and the line was closed. She was a trooper. On top of that Hector was fixing bikes outside the bike area for passing folks with minor assistance. All in all we estimate about 90 bikes were repaired by 8 mechanics with another 10 Angel bikes left with the community center for them to bless other with as they see fit. When finally repaired the last bike at 8 pm.

These folks are in need. Several people tried to pay us. They really appreciated the love that was shared by the entire Wow Jam event - everyone.

Best if all, 333 people were saved and 100 were baptized before they left the grounds. A special blessing was the dedication of more than 10 babies.
Halleluia What a day - there was a celebrating in heaven.
What a week. Lives were changed in Wayne and Detroit. Pleas keep the local churches/groups in your prayers as the remain there and continue to reach and minister to the needs of their communities.

We then started our drive home yesterday morning and arrived home around 10 pm last night. What a site it was to start down the NC side of the mountains on 77. Again the Lord blessed us with excellent traveling conditions. His mercies are new each day.

All glory to God!! For the Harvest of 676 souls and others seeds that were planted for future harvest.

In His service
His GCC Bike repair team.

WowJam 2012 Detroit - Day 4

Today we arrived at tomorrow’s WOW site, the Woodbridge Community Youth center 

and packed 1000 bags of groceries to give away and bless our WOW attendees.  What a joy! 

They appear to be a flower bed full of hope.

We then ate lunch and took a tour of the city and the devastation from abandonment to some degree as a result of the failure of the economy here in Detroit.  It was said to us that the city was once populated by 2.3 Million people.  It is now been reduced to just ~700,000 people – that is smaller than the city of Charlotte.  More than 30 schools have closed and more than 4500 homes have been torn down and returned to farm land.  We witnessed the despair that is plaguing the city form Center city to the outskirts. 

We all then separated into teams and distributed more “Tickets to Salvation” flyers for the WOW event tomorrow.  To see the eyes light up with some men, women and children at a homeless shelter was an incredible experience and has confirmed the mission for us tomorrow.

Please be in prayer as tomorrow's Wow event starts at 2 pm and runs through 6pm.  There will be folks there that are coming from utter despair.  Pray that we are able to truly Love them to Jesus and change their lives forever.