Summer 2010!!!!

Maybe I am the only one who is astounded that it's almost 2010, but I can't help it! For some reason it feels like a milestone and makes me feel rather old. :P

I am also really excited about this coming Summer because of the awesome trips that we get to plan!! Unfortunately Sam is the one who will get to go and actually experience the trips and I will be staying home with Jericho and the twins, Adah and Asher. I would LOVE to be there and experience two new parts of the world and meet new people and share God's love with them.

Here are the details on the two trips, taken from the AFLC website. Right now we already have four applications for these trips and India especially is filling up fast!! Unfortunately right now there are NO GUYS signed up!! Hello!! Where are all the adventurous men?!? :) Procrastinating? :D

Don't wait too long - Application deadline is FEBRUARY 1st!!

Applications can be downloaded here: AFLC Student Missions

Ukraine
July 11th - July 25th, 2010
Cost: $2,100*
Area: You will be working in western Ukraine in the city of L’viv.
Age: 15-19 years old**
Space: There is a limit of 8 students. This is first come first serve so apply quickly!
Missionary Requests: The missionaries have expressed a need for mature, Christian guys so we are looking for the ratio of guys to be greater than girls.
Training: Training starts on the 11th at the AFLBS campus and we will fly out on the 15th.
Application Deadline: February 1st 2010

During this trip you will be working with Tomasz and Miriam Chmiel (AFLC Missionaries on loan to EEMN) and Sam Menge (AFLC Student Missions Coordinator). You will be aiding Tomasz and Miriam in their ministry to their congregation and the people of their city, L’viv. The focus, however, will be working with the youth that Tomasz and Miriam work with. You will need to be a strong godly example for these young people who do not have that in their lives. We will train you in an oral Bible teaching method that will give you Scripture to confidently proclaim to them and teach them to use. This promises to be an exciting and challenging time for both you and those in the Ukraine

* The dates and price are subject to change due to the airlines. They will be solidified later this year. The dates will change no more than a day or two.
** College students older than 19 may still apply but will only be considered after the application deadline, if there is still space available.

*If you are applying as an individual and not part of a group with a team leader you do not need to fill out the Group Application form.



India
July 25th - August 20th, 2010
Cost: $2,600*
Area: You will be working in southeastern India just north of Chennai.
Age: 16-19 years old**
Space: There is a limit of 8 students. This is first come first serve so apply quickly!
Missionary Requests: This trip is looking for mature Christians who have maybe been on a mission trip and are looking for the next step in their faith and a new challenge.
Training: Training starts on the 25th at the AFLBS campus and we will fly out on the 29th.
Application Deadline: February 1st 2010

During this trip you will be working with Del Palmer (AFLC World Missions Director), Luther Dasari (Native Indian Missionary), and Sam Menge (AFLC Student Missions Coordinator). You will be learning an oral Bible teaching method and will be aiding Luther in the training of pastors and church members in this method. You will be challenged in memorization, Bible interpretation, drama, and cultural application. This training will give these people in India a tool that will allow them to proclaim their faith and teach the Bible to the people around them effectively and accurately. There will be other little projects mixed in this time and then at the end, a surprise!

* The dates and price are subject to change due to the airlines. They will be solidified later this year. The dates will change no more than a day or two.
** College students older than 19 may still apply but will only be considered after the application deadline, if there is still space available.

Update! :)

Hello World!

The Uganda crew is all safely home and finished recovering from the trip. We hope to have a few more Uganda pictures, videos and stories on here soon.

We are already looking towards the future - which for us means next Summer's Student Mission trips! We are already making plans for one that would happen at the end of July - TO INDIA! Please keep checking back here for more information. We will update as soon as we know what is happening. You can also send an email with Subscribe in the subject line to student.missions@aflc.org and we will put you on our prayer request/email update list. We send that out intermittently, but much more often when we have information on upcoming trips.

If you signed up for more information at FLY you should be getting a packet from us in the near future! Look for it soon after this school year starts. If you want an information packet, please send us an email with your address.

Be sure to also check our page on the AFLC website for any other exciting news! You can find that here!

Take Two...

Video!

Here is the first video that we've made from a few of the clips and what the kids had to say. We had about two days in which to make it before Sam took it to the FLY Convention to use at his sessions.

Now I can only speak for us, but we miss everybody! :)

Enjoy getting a little taste of what we did and what the kids thought...

Safari!!

The team, along with Sam and Nate, went on a three day Safari to Queen Elizabeth. They saw many lions, elephants, deer, warthogs, hippos and even a few crocodiles! Here are Courtney and Courtney concentrating on the wilds of Africa.



Walking with the wildlife - Here is Seth with their new friend. The place they were staying is just out of this picture, to the right. They really were in the middle of the wild!



Again, walking with the wildlife. This was a lovely warthog. :)



A deer in it's natural habitat. :) There are so many more great safari pictures but they probably won't be up on the blog until after we get back. Please keep checking back for more!!

Village Ministry

The team has been spending a lot of time with the people in the villages. They have had many different adventures while camping out there. They've climbed "mountains" and told their stories on top of them...



They have used some interesting bathrooms!



And taken countles piki piki and boda boda rides, often coming back caked in red dirt.



The main ministry that they have been involved in has been telling Bible stories to the classes that Nate has been working with. They dramatized Ruth (above) and Gideon. (below) They did an AMAZING job memorizing the Scripture and getting the story across a language barrier so it could impact the listeners! After telling the story they would have the class retell it to them, they would walk through the story step by step and then talk about observations and applications with them. The language barrier was tough, but a week after hearing the story the students could retell it perfectly, so the method and their hard work is really getting the Bible across to the people.


It is amazing to see how the Word of God changes people. Many people believe that in Africa a "social gospel" is needed - one where poverty and other problems are addressed and then the gospel is brought to the people. The truth is that even when aid is applied it is mostly ineffective in it's intended purpose, and completely ineffective in bringing the gospel. Here we have seen first hand that it is the Lord who changes people, His Word that makes a lazy man diligent or a drunkard a sober hard worker. Christ is what is needed here - it may be cliche, but He is the answer!

PS

For the grandparents, Adam and Courtney, Kirsten and Darwin, Katelyn and whoever else might care...

Jericho got his first teeth on the 24th! No more big toothless grin! :)

Just thought you might want to know. :)