Boxing NIght 2009

Don't forget Boxing Night! Our annual Boxing Night clothing drive for the homeless begins on the day after Christmas. The senior high youth will be spending the night in the church parking lot on Saturday, December 26 to help raise awareness of the plight of the homeless.

More on Boxing Night

Celebrate Christmas Around The World

On Wednesday December 16, come celebrate the birth of our Savior through traditions from around the world, 5:45-7:30pm. Tickets are $5 for children 10 and under, $7 for everyone else. Advance ticket purchase only. Tickets will be on sale beginning Sunday, December 6^th. Invite your friends!

Enjoy food, crafts, stories, music, and more.

What do you choose?

Join the discussion! This week's Geneva blog question is:

In his inaugural speech, President Obama said that voters chose hope over fear. What situations are you facing right now where you are being challenged to choose hope over fear? What empowers you to make this choice?

Friday

It's another beautiful day here in the Dominican Republic sunny and low to mid 80s, though we had a brief midday rain.

Today our teams worked only the morning. Julia and Lindsay went with the ESL team today and the remaining members of the two CE teams combined forces. We had a very good morning with our group of 15 girls in ESL--it was much quieter without the boys!

Our group leader, Dick, picked the ESL team up at 11 am after we finished our morning session so we could go to Semillaro (a very poor shanty town up the hill from Gaspar-Hernandes) where the CE team was having Bible school until 11:30 am. It was quite an experience and one that I'm sure none of us will ever forget. We saw living conditions that no human beings should ever have to endure--tiny lean-to shacks of one or two rooms, dirt floors, occasional washing machines on the porches, garbage, dogs, cats and chickens and roosters all over the place. A number of people were doing their laundry and the soapy water running down the hill made it very challenging to make the trek up the mountainside. We saw the stream where many of the people get their drinking water--it's the same stream that all the sewage runs into. Mission groups that have been coming to the area for a number of years have installed outhouses and a water purification system, but not everyone takes advantage of them yet. The children were adorable and really enjoyed going to the little church at the top of the hill for Bible school. They all wanted their photo taken!

Our nurse, Judy, has had a very busy week. Thank you all for the donated medical supplies. Judy has put them to good use. She has seen some very difficult things here--elephantitis, severe infections, people with tumors, anemia, parasites and cancer. Some days she held a clinic where people sat and waited for hours to see her. On the other days, she went up into the more remote areas where people were too sick to leave their houses.

After lunch at the pastor's house, we had a meeting with the pastor where he shared his vision for the church and the community.

We returned and had a couple of hours of free time to go for a swim in the ocean before dinner. After dinner, we went to church for a special service where the church offered their thanks to God and us for this week. We were presented with certificates and gifts, prayers and lots of love and hugs. It was a wonderful time for all of us. Jeff, our team member who has been sick all week, was prayed for during the service.

Tomorrow, we have a day for sightseeing. We have invited the pastor Osvaldo and his wife, Rosa, to join us. We're looking forward to a day of relaxing before coming home. It will be hard to leave because we've all been so blessed by our time here.

Thursday--no rain today!

Barb and Jennifer had a very interesting experience today. We took a lunch-time walk around Gaspar Hernandez (the town where we teach ESL.) We met the town judge and a plantation owner. It turns out the plantation owner lived in Boston for 28 years and speaks wonderful English. One of his sisters is the mayor of Gaspar Hernandez. He took us for a little tour of the town and up to meet his other sister. It turns out that her house is the one that we had passed many times and wondered about because there is a big sign in front that says Jesus Christ is my Lord and King of this house. She welcomed us into her big beautiful house with warm, enthusiastic hospitality. We sat on her veranda overlooking the Caribbean and chatted for awhile. She is a social worker who brings food, clothing, and other aid to the poor of the area. She also helps them to find better houseing. She and her brother volunteered to take us for lunch and a day at the beach.

The CE Team yesterday didn't feel we had made any impact on the children at all, it seemed like crowd control. But today when the second team came to do there lesson, the children had made a large poster with hearts all over it thanking Julia, Carol & Joan for a wonderful day! God was at work all the time.

We all had a good day today, but are getting tired. We thank you for your prayers and support.

Here comes the sun!

We left our hotel at 8:15 this morning
(15 minutes earlier) because one of our Christian Ed. teams needed to travel one hour to their remote village and we'll do the same tomorrow.

Carol reports that their team, which
includes Julia, had a very "trying" day
teaching 35 children in a building about 10 feet by 15 feet in dimension. They were stuck inside because it was still pouring rain in the morning and early afternoon. The children ranged in age from 1 - 10. Most of the children came to both the morning and afternoon sessions each of which lasted for two hours. They needed to be very creative in choosing activities with such limited space.

The ESL team had a much easier experience. We had the teenagers today in both sessions. They all had at least some knowledge of English and most seemed pretty eager to learn more. We had an enjoyable time teaching new vocabulary, reading books, writing, and playing games. We were amazed that most of them had cell phones but didn't seem to have much experience with stickers.

The sun came out this afternoon and we're all feeling encouraged!

If it's Tuesday, this must be Gaspar-Hernandez

The monsoons continue here on the north coast of the Dominican Republic...

This morning we were down two team members due to illness, but one of them was able to join us at lunchtime.

We all felt better prepared today and things went more smoothly for our teams.

This evening we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant/Sushi bar which featured extremely slow service, so we're all too tired to contribute much to the blog. Hence, we'll include a few pictures.

Monday news from the DR

We are starting to think that perhaps this is "monsoon season" in these parts. Well, at least there's no snow and ice to contend with. Some of the roads here give Michigan some pretty stiff competition in the pothole department though!

One of our team members, Jeff, who was the designated driver for one of our vehicles, got sick during the night. Carol bravely volunteered to be the driver and I say brave because you haven't seen these Dominican drivers! She said this was the first time she had ever been stopped by a herd of cattle! Please pray for Jeff's recovery so he can join us tomorrow.

We have two teams going to villages to do Christian education in a VBS-type format. Lindsay is on one of the teams; Carol and Julia are on the other. Jennifer and I are on the English class team with one other person. We also have a nurse who does home visits to some very sick people, taking a translator with her.

This was our first day of "work" and we all came home pretty exhausted. Dick and Linda, who have organized the trip, always bring "Gumby" along on mission trips as a visible reminder of our need for flexibility. Our English teaching team had close to 30 kids for the morning sessions and another group of nearly 40 in the afternoon. Progress was not what we had expected or hoped for, but we trust that our efforts had some impact. The children were so polite and appreciative and were hugging and kissing us when they left. We have a new strategy for tomorrow, so please keep us in your prayers.

And now a few words from Carol (don't faint, David!):

In the morninng we had 21 children 3 yrs. to 6 years old. Then in the afternoon we had 35 10 & 11 year olds (mostly boys). The children in the morning were very excited to be with us, and very loving. But the afternoon boys were full of energy, and almost destroyed the parachute. Duck duck goose for over an hour was very exhausting for Julia (the boys loved to have her chase them). Tomorrow will be a whole new plan.

Sunday news from the DR

This morning after breakfast we drove to Gaspar-Hernandez for the first time. It's about a 30 minute drive from Cabarete where we are staying. We were all shocked to witness the effects of all the rain (almost daily for the past 2-3 weeks). There were numerous areas along the way where small villages were flooded. The river had swollen to about 5 times its normal diameter, People had gathered along the banks of the river to watch the rushing waters, It was such a sad thing to see families gathered on their porches with their front doors open to let the standing water out. Some were carrying babies and household items out, wading through about 3 feet of water. Since sanitation is virtually non-existant here, it was very disturbing to see. We even saw pigs floating in the water.

Once we reached Gaspar-Hernandez, things were drier. Pastor Osvaldo's church and home were dry. We were there for the first part of the worship service which was mostly very lively singing with guitar and tamborines, prayer and some scripture reading. Then we went along with all the children to the Compassion Center for Sunday School which was about a block away. Some of our team members had prepared a Bible story, which was delivered by a translator. Others prepared a craft and a game. The children were very well-behaved and seemed happy to be there. It was quite amazing that the theme for the story and activities that one of our team members had prepared was Noah's ark. We hadn't even known about the great flooding here.

The pastor's wife prepared lunch for us (great idea for Jennifer, don't you think?) before we returned to Cabarete for some free time. The evening church service was cancelled because one of the pillars of the church had passed away and they were all attending a memorial service.

We had our own time of reflecting on the scriptures and our experiences of the day, along with a time of singing and prayer. Tomorrow we go out into the villages to have Bible school and English classes. The children in the DR only go to school for half a day, either morning or afternoon, so we will have two different groups each day. Here are a couple photos from Sunday School and our trip to Gaspar-Hernandez. We appreciate your prayers as we go out to serve tomorrow and the rest of the week...

Saturday from the Dominican Republic

After a good night's sleep, we started our day with a Dominican breakfast at a local restaurant/pastry shop. Then we met with the team members who were here last week. Most of them are from the Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights, IL. where Lindsey Anderson did her seminary internship. They spoke very highly of Lindsey and we were proud to let them know that she grew up at Geneva. After working on our lesson plans for Monday, we had some free time after lunch.
We had a visit from two PC(USA) missionaries who work part-time in Guatemala and spend their winters in this area of the DR. It was interesting to hear about their work with water purification projects and health/wellness education in that country.
Cabarete, where our hotel is located, is the kite surfing capitol of the world. With 30 to 40 mph winds today, it was fascinating to walk on the beach and watch them trying to keep their balance.
After a delicious seafood dinner, we all gathered in the suite that we Geneva members share and Julia, Lindsay, and Jennifer led our group devotions. They did an awesome job sharing a story about ministering to people despite a language barrier and then teaching us the Lord's prayer in Spanish. We have all bonded as a team in just a day and a half and are really looking forward to this next week serving together.

iHola!

After meeting at the airport at 4:30 am, we arrived safely in the Dominican Republic this afternoon around 2:30 pm local time, which is one hour later than Michigan time. We sailed through customs and then the 13 of us all crammed into the church bus along with our 23 pieces of checked luggage and carry ons and a few of the church members!

As we were checking into our hotel, we noticed a "parade" going by, which was actually a large group of people riding horses, motorcycles, and very old cars which left. large plumes of smoke They were carrying signs and yelling protests in anger over their living situation, which we were told included frustration over the electrical power going out at least once a day. Needless to say, we're all carrying our flashlights!

We were unable to attend church this evening as planned because our bus never showed up. We're all so tired that we are glad to turn in early tonight. Here's a picture of the protest....

The Hidden Blessings of February

February for me is a month to rush through. It's a hard month. A depressing month. Something to endure rather than enjoy. When February arrives, I'm in the midst of winter fatigue. By the time President's Day arrives, I need more than a break from winter; I need it to end! Because February has so little to be commended for, I am grateful it's the shortest month of the year.

As I have pondered my relationship with February, I've realized that it's symptomatic of how I tend to view time in general. Often when I am traveling through my life, I'm looking ahead to what's coming next. When facing a challenge, I anticipate it being accomplished. When I'm doing a chore, I look forward to relaxing. When I'm hurting or angry or tired, I get my sights on feeling better or gettin comforted. In thinking about my relationship with time, I realize that I treat an awful lot of my life the way I treat February.

Such an approach is profoundly at odds with the desire I have to know and experience God. Since God lives in the present moment, whenever I look beyond the moment at hand, whenever my focus is on what's ahead, I miss out on being present to the One who is with me here and now. One of my challenges is to be more at home in the present moment and to discover the blessing of God in each moment of each day.

As February begins, I find myself being challenged by these words of the Christian monk Thomas Merton. "Love the winter, when the plant says nothing. In this mystic season, I want to remember to unplug the flashing lights and sip the long evenings, to breathe in the moon, dance in the dark, to love this winter nothing." For in doing such things, I might discover that God is present even in February.

--Bryan

Geneva's Vision & Mission

Geneva's Vision:
Exalt God, Edify and Equip each other, and Engage the world.

Geneva's Mission:

Embody the fullness of Jesus Christ;
Exalt God through Christ-centered worship;
Edify each other in the faith through Godly nurture and Christian love; and
Equip God's people to
Engage the world with Spirit-empowered ministry.

What do these words mean to you ?

Where Faith and Crisis Meet

As a kid growing up in Southern California, when people talked about "going to the desert," they were referring to taking a trip out to the resort areas of Palm Desert or Rancho Mirage. Being in the desert meant soaking up the sun, lounging by a pool, playing golf on one of Bob Hope's immaculate courses. Going to the desert was a treat, a luxury to escape the pressures and routines of life.

My youthful impressions of "going to the desert" stand in stark contrast to what Jesus experienced in the first few verses of Mark's gospel. We're told that right after Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God "drove him out into the wilderness" for a 40 day battle with the devil. Unlike the gospels of Matthew and Luke who provide details of this experience and share how Jesus triumphed in the battle, Mark is content to let us know a battle happened and that it was a struggle for Jesus.

We don't find in Mark any commentary on why the Spirit drove Jesus into the desert. But the writer of Hebrews provides some reflection: "Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered" (5:8). While Jesus was profoundly blessed at his baptism and heard God tell him how much he was loved, it was in the desert where he learned obedience.

As a person seeking to live a more authentic, Christ-like life, that truth reminds me that desert times are necessary if we are to learn what obeying God really means. While times of affirmation and blessing are wonderful in their own right, we can't learn obedience in such times. It is only when we are in contexts where we face trial, temptation, and danger that we can be shaped in deeper ways to be faithful to God's intent for us.

That helps me to look at this current economic crisis in a different light. While I desperately want President-elect Obama and his administration to be successful in righting our economy, the current situation provides an opportunity to learn a deeper obedience to God. Central to a life of faith is trusting God. Trusting God when the sun is shining, the economy is growing, and the kids are behaving is one thing. Having that trust when your account values are plummeting, your house has lost a third of its value, and your employer tells you you have thirty minutes to pack your office items is a whole different reality.

Desert times get us down to brass tacks. We are forced to face our demons, confront our fears, and acknowledge our fraility. While profoundly difficult, such times provide the place for us to learn what true faith and obedience is all about. Such times, with the Spirit's help, can bring us to a place where we can obey God's command to trust him, to be generous with what we have, to not worry, and to live according to God's promises and faithfulness--no matter what.

Faith and Economic Crisis Intersection

How has your faith been strengthened and/or challenged by this economic crisis?

New Beginnings...

As the calendar brings a new year, I am reminded that God brings us new beginnings, new hopes, and new dreams again and again. Where would you like to see the Spirit of God work in the coming year?