BSM Valley Summer Project Missions Blog 2011

What a wonderful time we’ve had in the Lord this past two days.  Yesterday we had the privilege to enjoy worship led by the BSM’s worship band “In Return,”.  It was a beautiful blessing for the whole Valley Summer Project team to be able to rejoice in the Lord through worship and to be able to let ourselves go in praise and worship.  It was something not only that we needed but something that we desired.  So, we thank “In Return,” for being able to share their talent with us to come together during praise and worship time.

Psalm 150

6.  Let everything that has breath

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Today we were able to share with the youth groups at Calvary Baptist Church about missions, we had a great time with them at their service and we were able to talk to them about Love Throughout the Nations during their Bible study time.  It was great to work with junior high and high school kids it kind of reminded some of us when we used to be in their shoes making college decisions and asking God for guidance to do His will.  We were also able to join Calvary En Espanol in noon service and it was great to hear from God through his servant.

Later this afternoon the group had to split in two to go to two different churches “Primera Iglesia Bautista Las Milpas” y “Primera Iglesia Bautizta Mc Allen.” It was good to be in God’s house again, we led worship and shared testimonies with the congregations, and worked with the children’s classes where we were able to teach lessons on being disciples.  I was a great time of fellowship with other churches and we were able to receive message again from God.  Again the hospitality at PIB Mc Allen was beautiful and they were sweet to treat us with coffee and sweet bread.  Mmmmmmmm!  It was a day full of delicacies, God’s food for us through worship and His word, and sweet treats (Hahaha).

We all thank God for his blessings throughout this week, for being with us through our first week of work and giving us the strength to continue. Again thank you all for your prayers and continue to support us through it as we continue to work more and more in God’s plan.  We ask support in prayer for strengthening and health for the whole team and preparing of the hearts of all the places we go to.

Thank You

Zaira J. Heredia

Our first day on missions taught us just how much preparation and planning is needed to create an organized environment for the children to learn about God’s word. That evening as we discussed the events of the day and how we could improve the second day, God gave us the motivation to work into the late hours in order to improve our ability to help the children find the truth about God. When we arrived we set up and began to make sandwiches for the children. Although everyone had a designated job we all took responsibility for every aspect of the event when help was needed. With a stronger unity amongst all of us, the day’s activities went smoother and the children were able to follow along with our lesson with more ease. After all the activities were completed God enabled us to provide lunch for the children and they were very appreciative of the gesture.

In the afternoon, we attended a training at Valley Baptist Medical Center. The Chaplin of the hospital spoke to us about the importance of listening and how to approach people who have experienced having a family member who is sick or dying. Even though sometimes we encounter situations where we feel that we can not relate, it is through our life experiences and emotions that we can connect and are able to share God’s word.

The rest of the evening was used for team fellowship and preparation for the days to come.

Thank you for the continuous prayers and support.

Sarah L. Quintanilla

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” —-Ephesians 2:10

How important it is to know our place in God’s plans.  Being the first days of Valley Summer Project today Wednesday was our first day on the field.  After two days of orientation it was time to do our hands on work and our first assignment was to hold VBS at a Colonia at Mercedes city.  God showed our entire team of 21 how He works in the humblest of places.  We held VBS in an empty lot with two tents. Kids started arriving little by little and eventually it added up to over 70 kids.  Surprisingly the kids were ready to listen and willing to be out in the hot sun, and around tons of mosquitoes.  Although every single person out there was pouring today, they were willing to learn more about God.  We were able to see God’s glory in the smallest of things like kids learning the week’s memory verse on the first day.  We were also able to see the needs that these children have.  The VBS in this Colonia will help launch the new church that is being founded by the local pastor, and we can only pray and hope that the seed will be planted on firm, good soil during this week.  Thankfully we will have the privilege to work with these kids all the way through Saturday by teaching them of God’s word through Bible classes, missionary classes, sports, and crafts.  The team did great today by having everything ready and being prepared for the unexpected.

Later in the afternoon we were able to share about our ministry with First Baptist Church of Los Fresnos.  I got to say that we were all very flattered by their hospitality and the delicious food they had for us =)  We rejoiced in the Lord through worship with the whole congregation and we were able to share our testimonies with the adults and the youth, while children were having a lesson.

Little by little we are all seeing the roles that God has for us in this team.  It is a blessing to be able to serve God and to tell others of his mighty works.  I can’t even begin to imagine what God has in store for us throughout these three weeks.  We know that He is the captain of our ship in this project and all we have to do is follow His will.  We want to thank for all of your support and we ask that you keep us in prayer so that we can be prepared for all the tasks to come.

Thank you for following up with us.

Zaira J. Heredia

Hi! Thanks for checking in with us. Our summer mission trip starts on Monday May 31st.  We can’t wait to see how God is going to use our lives to minister to others in God’s name.

There will be 22 of us serving. We are all college students from different backgrounds and personalities but with the same desire to proclaim the name of Jesus to anyone who will listen.

Here is what you can do right now:

a) Pray for energy

b) Pray for team unity

c) Pray for God to prepare the way for us

It has been a really fun 4th of July. We went on a field trip with some of Mattaw kids to a safari park next to Mnt.Elgone in Kitale . The ride there was really bumpy (lol i didn’t get car sick for the first time yay!) but it was great to see all the giant, green trees and awesome mountain views. I was just in awe with God’s creation. Africa is really beautiful and rich! At the park, we saw a brown rhino (i thought they were gray), really tall girafe, ostrich, monkeys and some other animals that I really didnt know what they were. All the kids and Suheily went on a horse ride. She was really brave! It was an amazing place. Late that afternoon, we went to eat at the local coffee shop and they had a pretty good American bbq for us. They tried their best to make it like home. It was delicious. Thank you Jesus:)

This week a family from San Angelo, Tx came to Mattaw. They are gonna be here unil next tuesday. They are a really fun family with really great craft ideas. So, we put together both of our craft ideas and they turned pretty good. The kids had alot of fun. We also sang some songs and praised God together.
Last week was Nehemiah’s birthday, but we celebrated today. It was really fun to hear all the kids sing happy birthday song to him. When it was time to open the presents, Nehemiah showed us one candy and shoe at a time. He had a huge smile. It was super cute and hilarious. It was such a blessing to be there.

This past week many of the children at the children’s village were sick with tb, so the doc and nurse in our team took them to the hospital. The children that had symptoms were tested and treated for tb. At times it was very heart breaking to see the children suffering with runny noses, really bad coughs, and fevers, but today there were all doing alot better. The smallest of the village, Georgie was laughing and smiling again. It was such a blessing to be able to be a part of their recovery. I was really happy to help and make their lives a little better.
On tuesday, the kids had their physicals done and learned proper hygine. I taught them proper face and hand washing, and to cough to the side or inside their shirt instead of their hands to prevent the other children from getting tb.
On thursday, the rest of the children got physicals. We also bathed them and showed them how to bathe properly. Some of the children that only go to school at Mattaw were really dirty and wore the same uniforms everyday, so they were really excited and just ready to take a bath. It was really fun and so cute. A couple of the children fell asleep right after. I guess because they felt relaxed and felt good in their clean clothes. They were also so happy to have a pomagranate lotion rubbed on them and had huge smiles in their pictures. It was a awesome blessing to see them feeling so refreshed and good about clean little body. When we finished with them they were squeaky clean:) Later that night, I was reminded of the time when Jesus washed his disciples’s feet. Well, I think that’s it for now…please pray that we may not get tb.

Blessings,
Jess

I thought I’d post a picture of Nehemiah…or at least half his face. God has been blessing Jessica and I throughout this trip and one of them was meeting the little guy the BSM sponsors. He’s so full of energy and his face just melts your heart. He’s a bit shy but very curious he has 2 more brothers which look almost the same and well, he’s the spitting image of his dad.
The days here in the little town of Kitale have been slow paced, we mostly spend them at the Children’s Village loving on them and helping around in what we can. I can not grasp the concept on how some of these kids were abandoned and left behind. They have so much love to give that sometimes I wish I could multiply myself and tend to all of their needs. I see them and I see how happy they are with what little they have it makes me feel guilty I’ve taken so many things for granted, but I know that through that God is teaching me so many things which Im thankful for.
As for the next to weeks we’ll keep on loving kids and following God’s will, for where he leads me I’ll follow.

HIS,

Suheily