We wake up this morning a little more sore and tired than yesterday. There is a lot to do but it seems more obstacles pop up. We are happy with the progress yesterday but are anxious to really get more done today.
Think of when you do a project at your house, you have to plan, find your tools, go to Lowe's to get supplies, get home, start work, realize you forgot something at Lowe's, go back to Lowe's, get started again and repeat 5 more times. Now imagine you don't really even have any tools or supplies to start with (not even miscellaneous screws, etc), then you can't drive yourself to Lowe's, when you get there you need to figure out how to exchange money at the best rate you can so to maximize your budget, the Lowe's is a lot smaller and the shelves are not stocked as well with what you really need and when you get back and discover you forgot something it takes another 3-4 hours to repeat this exercise..... Frustrated yet?!
We have been planning as best we can. There is so much to paint so we thought if we had a pressure washer, the prep work would go a lot faster...seems to make sense. So we buy a Black & Decker pressure washer but there are problems at Casa Granja (the Farm) with the water. The pressure is really low and there is an issue with the pump. Remember, we are also trying to fill the pool for Saturday baptisms too that worries us. So this doesn't work as well as we would like.
We get a lot more painting done now that we have the right type of paint and the right colors. The language barrier made that a challenge. We start painting the ballusters and we wonder how many there are so Lee disappears and reports back that there are 691!! We did about 100 and only started at 2:00pm so at this rate we just have another week or so to go. It was a lot of fun though as most of the boys helped out and we sat around painting the never ending ballusters and talked away. Lee with the help of Gino (one of the boys)worked after it got dark.
Kevin also was able to knock out some electrical work in between trips to EPA (think Lowe's or Home Depot in Venezuela). The women were very thankful as he fixed the hot water in their bathroom.
We maintain a very positive attitude despite some of the challenges. Our work will also continue next week as another mission team from Northpoint will arrive on Saturday. So until then we keep pressing on....
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day 3 - Getting to Work
No more sleeping in, it's time to get to work. We meet at 7:30am for devotions and plan our day. We have "Leaders for the Day" that will change to give everyone a chance to be in charge. Today is Ben and Gabriel's day to call the shots. Gabriel has been having a tough time so far with a horrible case of poison ivy which has gotten much worse over the past 2 days. He's been a trooper, though, never complaining or wanting special treatment. Gabriel is the youngest of our team (18 and just graduated from high school) but you would never know it from his maturity and intelligence.
We divide up in two groups. Some of the girls start the tedious job of sanding all the metal trim and doors and the rest start to tackle the pool. The church is planning on having baptisms on Saturday so this is a top priority. There have been some problems with the pump and the pool had to be drained. So we get to work cleaning and removing the remaining water from the deep end. How do you remove water from a pool when the pump is broken? You haul it out with 5 gallon buckets, of course! We were able to get all the water out and scrub the tile. It was actually fun since the boys pitched in and helped in between sliding down from the shallow end to the deep end. Everyone was soaking wet including me (Liz) who slipped while cleaning tile and took a not-so-graceful dive into the deep end. But the pool looks great, the pump is fixed and the water is slowly filling back up...hopefully in time for Saturday.
We were able to get some landscaping done. Tree limbs were pruned back (really hacked) with a maschete and the grass was mowed. Painting progress was slow due to some trouble getting the right paint. We hung a ceiling fan in the dining room which is a great help with the flies. The bugs are not nearly as bad as I thought and the flies are annoying but could be much worse.
There is a store here similar to Lowe's or Home Depot called "EPA". It is not as well stocked but good to have just 30 minutes from the Farm. Tomorrow we will get our supplies straight and tackle more projects.
Our living conditions are very comfortable. The staff cooks for us 3 meals a day and the food is great! Fresh eggs today for breakfast, beef barbeque for lunch, fresh fruit for afternoon snack and meat with peppers and onions for dinner. We are sticking to bottled water and I don't think anyone has experienced any problems. So far, so good....
That's all for now as my ride just came after Mark and Kevin went to EPA to stock up. Hope to post more pictures tomorrow. Adios from Venezuela!!
We divide up in two groups. Some of the girls start the tedious job of sanding all the metal trim and doors and the rest start to tackle the pool. The church is planning on having baptisms on Saturday so this is a top priority. There have been some problems with the pump and the pool had to be drained. So we get to work cleaning and removing the remaining water from the deep end. How do you remove water from a pool when the pump is broken? You haul it out with 5 gallon buckets, of course! We were able to get all the water out and scrub the tile. It was actually fun since the boys pitched in and helped in between sliding down from the shallow end to the deep end. Everyone was soaking wet including me (Liz) who slipped while cleaning tile and took a not-so-graceful dive into the deep end. But the pool looks great, the pump is fixed and the water is slowly filling back up...hopefully in time for Saturday.
We were able to get some landscaping done. Tree limbs were pruned back (really hacked) with a maschete and the grass was mowed. Painting progress was slow due to some trouble getting the right paint. We hung a ceiling fan in the dining room which is a great help with the flies. The bugs are not nearly as bad as I thought and the flies are annoying but could be much worse.
There is a store here similar to Lowe's or Home Depot called "EPA". It is not as well stocked but good to have just 30 minutes from the Farm. Tomorrow we will get our supplies straight and tackle more projects.
Our living conditions are very comfortable. The staff cooks for us 3 meals a day and the food is great! Fresh eggs today for breakfast, beef barbeque for lunch, fresh fruit for afternoon snack and meat with peppers and onions for dinner. We are sticking to bottled water and I don't think anyone has experienced any problems. So far, so good....
That's all for now as my ride just came after Mark and Kevin went to EPA to stock up. Hope to post more pictures tomorrow. Adios from Venezuela!!
Day 2 - Wandering Around Barquisimeto
We get to sleep in and recover from traveling 12+ hours. Today we get to explore, the Farm, food, Las Buenas Nuevas del Este (LBNE aka Good News Church), and Barquisimeto. We get acclimated with a breakfast of good ole Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Next we get a tour of the house and review all of the much needed repairs, mostly electrical. It seems there are no electrical codes in Venezuela, wires are hanging out of circuit breaker boxes which are not covered, exposed wires that are supporting light fixtures and masking tape in lieu of wirenuts. There is also much landscaping work and painting on the agenda. Before arriving, we received an email from Desiree, on staff at Proyecto Jonas and LBNE, "This is such a beautiful house, but lately we have had so many problems with it, it takes a lot of money to maintain this place and honestly our priority has been the kids." That is motivation enough to get to work!
Our first adventure of the day is to go to church at LBNE. We find out that they have been renting a banquet hall on Sundays to hold 4 services. As it's not a permanent facility, we have to set up and take down all the equipment every Sunday, including speakers, sound boards, projection screens, etc. Just think if we had to do this at Northpoint or Buckhead. They have made the best of their situation though. There is a room to use for children's programs just like Up Street. The service is very similar to Northpoint's format with "5 Before" instead of "10 Before". The pastor, Jose Rea, is a very good speaker (think Andy Stanley but more latin looking and speaking Spanish) and he does a great job engaging the congregation. We meet him and some more of the staff after the service. He is very grateful that we have traveled all this way to help out.
The rest of the day is spent exploring Barquisimeto. We have lunch in the food court of a mall that could be Lenox Mall in Atlanta. The only difference is the large TV screen showing the World Cup soccer game and hundreds of people gathering to watch. Everything really does stop when there's a soccer game on. Then off to a park for some photo ops.
Next stop is Santa Rosa which is a quaint village were the main attraction is a beautiful Catholic church that celebrates Divina Pastora, the "Holy Shepard". There is a festival every January 14th where people from all over Venezuela come to parade through the city and pray to her. There is a square at the foot of the church where, we come to find out, that is where Proyecto Jonas started. There was a real problem with this tourist attraction that street boys would lurk around the square panhandling, pick pocketing and loitering. These boys were considered a nuisance until Jhulio Gimenez started going to the square and handing out food and talking to the boys. Several years later Proyecto Jonas takes in boys from troubled homes and gives them a safe place to live, receive an education, Christian based counseling and guidance. More on the boys tomorrow!
Our first adventure of the day is to go to church at LBNE. We find out that they have been renting a banquet hall on Sundays to hold 4 services. As it's not a permanent facility, we have to set up and take down all the equipment every Sunday, including speakers, sound boards, projection screens, etc. Just think if we had to do this at Northpoint or Buckhead. They have made the best of their situation though. There is a room to use for children's programs just like Up Street. The service is very similar to Northpoint's format with "5 Before" instead of "10 Before". The pastor, Jose Rea, is a very good speaker (think Andy Stanley but more latin looking and speaking Spanish) and he does a great job engaging the congregation. We meet him and some more of the staff after the service. He is very grateful that we have traveled all this way to help out.
The rest of the day is spent exploring Barquisimeto. We have lunch in the food court of a mall that could be Lenox Mall in Atlanta. The only difference is the large TV screen showing the World Cup soccer game and hundreds of people gathering to watch. Everything really does stop when there's a soccer game on. Then off to a park for some photo ops.
Next stop is Santa Rosa which is a quaint village were the main attraction is a beautiful Catholic church that celebrates Divina Pastora, the "Holy Shepard". There is a festival every January 14th where people from all over Venezuela come to parade through the city and pray to her. There is a square at the foot of the church where, we come to find out, that is where Proyecto Jonas started. There was a real problem with this tourist attraction that street boys would lurk around the square panhandling, pick pocketing and loitering. These boys were considered a nuisance until Jhulio Gimenez started going to the square and handing out food and talking to the boys. Several years later Proyecto Jonas takes in boys from troubled homes and gives them a safe place to live, receive an education, Christian based counseling and guidance. More on the boys tomorrow!
After a long day exploring, we get back to the Farm, relax and strategize for tomorrow's work.
Day 1 - The Journey South
**Sorry for the delay. We thought the house would have internet. I was able to get to the church offices today to get on-line.... keep checking in throughout the week for more updates. Thanks to everyone for your support and making this trip possible for all of us.**
We leave from Atlanta early Saturday morning. Somehow everyone makes it to Atlanta airport by 7:00am in time for the 8:45am flight. Three planes later, by way of Miami and Caracas, we arrive in Barquisimeto greeted by staff from Proyecto Jonas, Johnny and Claudia. The airport is old school with stairs for deplaning and a not so automated baggage system.
To transport all of us, we pile into a van and a car. We have quite a bit of luggage since we have brought tools, clothes and gifts for the boys not too mention all our own stuff. The drive to the "Farm" is through the city. It's so funny to see so much US commercial influence, Firestone, Pepsi, Coca Cola etc. so far away from the US.
We finally arrive at our destination around 10:00pm local time which is 1/2 hour behind Atlanta. The greeting we receive is awesome! As each one of us get out of the van and go down the stairs to the cabana where the boys and staff are waiting for us, we get applause. Although we are exhausted this gets our excitement going to have finally arrived. After a welcome greeting and introduction, they get us situated in our rooms; the big game room has been converted for the guys and the 4 women get an upstairs room. As luck would have it, the guys get A/C and the women get fans. But there is a cool breeze and after engineering a mosquito net as a screen over the window we crash for the night in Venezuela...
We leave from Atlanta early Saturday morning. Somehow everyone makes it to Atlanta airport by 7:00am in time for the 8:45am flight. Three planes later, by way of Miami and Caracas, we arrive in Barquisimeto greeted by staff from Proyecto Jonas, Johnny and Claudia. The airport is old school with stairs for deplaning and a not so automated baggage system.
To transport all of us, we pile into a van and a car. We have quite a bit of luggage since we have brought tools, clothes and gifts for the boys not too mention all our own stuff. The drive to the "Farm" is through the city. It's so funny to see so much US commercial influence, Firestone, Pepsi, Coca Cola etc. so far away from the US.
We finally arrive at our destination around 10:00pm local time which is 1/2 hour behind Atlanta. The greeting we receive is awesome! As each one of us get out of the van and go down the stairs to the cabana where the boys and staff are waiting for us, we get applause. Although we are exhausted this gets our excitement going to have finally arrived. After a welcome greeting and introduction, they get us situated in our rooms; the big game room has been converted for the guys and the 4 women get an upstairs room. As luck would have it, the guys get A/C and the women get fans. But there is a cool breeze and after engineering a mosquito net as a screen over the window we crash for the night in Venezuela...
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tomorrow is the day... ready or not!
Wow, it's already been an amazing journey and we haven't even gone anywhere yet!Last minute packing is taking place, literally as I type. Doubling checking that all supplies are remembered and letting go of those that were forgotten. This week we have been receiving more information of what we will expect in the week to come. Our work will entail landscaping, painting and much needed electrical upgrades. Most anticipated is meeting our hosts and wondering how we will communicate with them. Will we be staying at the house which we will be renovating, Proyecto Jonas. It houses 9 boys right now. I'm sure the most rewarding part of the trip will be getting to know them.
Don't think this is up to code...yikesThursday, June 24, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Countdown: 14 days
Anticipation is building as we realize all the preparations yet to be done with only 2 weeks before we head south. Reports are coming in from the team already in Venezuela. Their purpose is to work with the boys at Project Jonas. The boys sound great and grateful for the Americanos there to help them. The boys are already asking when they will be back. The team's blog is providing great information on what to expect: no AC or hot water, lots of bugs, stomach issues and lots of repairs to be done to their house. But there is 120v electricity with US style outlets, which means I can bring my hair dryer....there is a GOD! Check out their blog at http://ve2010.blogspot.com
Kevin discovered that checking 2 bags is included in our plane tickets so we will be able to bring supplies and things for the boys. If anyone has boys clothes (new or used) to donate, let me know. From the pictures, the boys seem to be 5-16. They love baseball and soccer. We will also bring supplies for the the construction work we'll be doing, e.g. work gloves, tape measures, hand tools, paint brushes. We plan to leave these items with them.
Our fundraising efforts are getting there. Latest totals put us about $9,000 more to go. If you are able to give, every bit counts and is greatly appreciated! I did a fundraiser at work this week, "Cookies for a Cause", and raised $575!! I was amazed that I sold all 600 cookies - I was sure I'd be bringing cookies home and eating them for the next month! Thank you to all that helped bake and everyone who donated. I have been very blessed with the support I have received.
more to come...
Kevin discovered that checking 2 bags is included in our plane tickets so we will be able to bring supplies and things for the boys. If anyone has boys clothes (new or used) to donate, let me know. From the pictures, the boys seem to be 5-16. They love baseball and soccer. We will also bring supplies for the the construction work we'll be doing, e.g. work gloves, tape measures, hand tools, paint brushes. We plan to leave these items with them.
Our fundraising efforts are getting there. Latest totals put us about $9,000 more to go. If you are able to give, every bit counts and is greatly appreciated! I did a fundraiser at work this week, "Cookies for a Cause", and raised $575!! I was amazed that I sold all 600 cookies - I was sure I'd be bringing cookies home and eating them for the next month! Thank you to all that helped bake and everyone who donated. I have been very blessed with the support I have received.
more to come...
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Introduction
As a very amateur blogger, I am halfway testing to see if this works, but figured I would include a quick introduction as well. My name is Ben, and this is my first mission trip with NorthPoint Ministries. The group has really come together since our first meeting. This should really help us make a tremendous impact together in Barquiesmeto. Working closely with the construction industry, I know how jobs can be delayed and schedules dynamic. In this case, it seems to have been a political change for a permit that didnt come through. While it is unfortunate that we are no longer able to build an addition for the Church, the renovations to the orphanage that are now planned should be a great way to help the community.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Follow Us On Our Mission!
The team just had our last planning meeting. Next time we see each other will be at the Atlanta airport, bright & early on June 26th. But there is still a lot of work to do....more on that later.
EVERCHANGING MISSION...
Our trip's mission has taken a turn from its original course proving once again that we are not in control. God has a plan and we will just have to wait and see what it is. Originally, we were tasked with assisting on the construction of a much needed new facility for Good News Church in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Currently they worship in a converted warehouse and have grown their congregation to 4000 in just three years! At today's meeting, we found out that due to local city politics, the project has been brought to a halt indefinitely. So we will now be working with Jonas Project to renovate their existing house. Jonas Project is a ministry of Good News Church whose mission is to rescue children who are orphaned, abandoned, or homeless. Jonas Project provides educational, recreational and spiritual development programs to meet the needs of the many children they serve. This will be exciting to not only get our hands dirty but also work with the local children we will be impacting. I'm sure there will be more twists and turns on our journey.
THE TEAM...
Mark, Karen, Kevin, Diane, Lee, Devoin, Gabriel, Will, Amanda, Ben, Matt and Liz(me).
There are now 12 of us on the team, we were told today that we lost Cammie (she just found out she is pregnant!). It is bittersweet , we are happy for her growing family but lost a valuable team member. The ages range from 18 to 50+, 8 men and 4 women with backgrounds just as various. There's a husband and wife, mother and son, veterans and rookies. I'll let the team members write about themselves and why they have committed to go on this trip...
MORE WORK TO DO...
Three months ago when we signed up for this trip, we committed to raising $2900 each to cover our travel expenses and help fund the mission. I am happy to report that we are half way there!! The next three weeks will be difficult as we try to obtain more support from our families, friends and co-workers to reach our goal ($17,000 more is needed). All support is greatly appreciated! We have already been amazed by the generosity of so many.
As always - God Bless!
EVERCHANGING MISSION...
Our trip's mission has taken a turn from its original course proving once again that we are not in control. God has a plan and we will just have to wait and see what it is. Originally, we were tasked with assisting on the construction of a much needed new facility for Good News Church in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Currently they worship in a converted warehouse and have grown their congregation to 4000 in just three years! At today's meeting, we found out that due to local city politics, the project has been brought to a halt indefinitely. So we will now be working with Jonas Project to renovate their existing house. Jonas Project is a ministry of Good News Church whose mission is to rescue children who are orphaned, abandoned, or homeless. Jonas Project provides educational, recreational and spiritual development programs to meet the needs of the many children they serve. This will be exciting to not only get our hands dirty but also work with the local children we will be impacting. I'm sure there will be more twists and turns on our journey.
THE TEAM...
Mark, Karen, Kevin, Diane, Lee, Devoin, Gabriel, Will, Amanda, Ben, Matt and Liz(me).
There are now 12 of us on the team, we were told today that we lost Cammie (she just found out she is pregnant!). It is bittersweet , we are happy for her growing family but lost a valuable team member. The ages range from 18 to 50+, 8 men and 4 women with backgrounds just as various. There's a husband and wife, mother and son, veterans and rookies. I'll let the team members write about themselves and why they have committed to go on this trip...
MORE WORK TO DO...
Three months ago when we signed up for this trip, we committed to raising $2900 each to cover our travel expenses and help fund the mission. I am happy to report that we are half way there!! The next three weeks will be difficult as we try to obtain more support from our families, friends and co-workers to reach our goal ($17,000 more is needed). All support is greatly appreciated! We have already been amazed by the generosity of so many.
As always - God Bless!
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