Thursday, February 2, 2012

Newsito: A Little Ayuda from Our Amigos

2012 Freedom Fellowship Missions Team


It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

On December 27th, ten members of Freedom Fellowship from Kaukauna, Wisconsin came to serve alongside us at Rancho Oasis.

Mother & Daughter Missions
One of our goals at the Ranch is to impart a bigger vision of God’s Kingdom and world evangelism/ministry to all who serve with us. This vision is cast before all visiting adults and children.

What made this group of short-term missionaries so special was the adult-to-child ratio: six adults and four children. The team was made up of:

Freedom Kite Design Team
Kurt and Rebecca with their two girls on their second family/Freedom Fellowship missions trip to the Ranch; Kristen and her daughter Meribah; Jon and his daughter Olivia; and, finally, two dads traveling solo: Charlie the children’s pastor at Freedom and Grant. (Colin, our intern, was a bonus addition to this group from his home church!)

Las Cocineras
As you can imagine, running a ministry and raising a family is a big challenge. We have so many ideas of how to reach the community for Christ, but are limited by a lack of staff. This year, one of our goals with visiting short-term missions teams, is to extend our reach and impact on the community through events and activities we can’t do by ourselves. The Freedom team helped us accomplish this is three ways:

Completed Foundation
First, the men on the team served our brother, Oscar by laying the foundation for the walls of his home’s new addition. He currently lives in a one room home with his wife, Marilyn and daughter Genesis. (Oscar had actually started construction on the walls, but because of a weak foundation, the walls collapsed!)

 


For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 (NIV)

"Run for Your Lives" VBS Tag

Second, the afternoons were focused on discipling the children in the immediate community and Ojojona through a Vacation Bible School. Charlie planned a week full of studies illustrating God’s grace and mercy. The week cumulated with the story of Christ embodying God’s mercy (not giving us what we deserve: Hell) and grace (giving us what we don’t deserve: Heaven). Plus, he had the best RO4Y craft, so far: kite making!

¡Alabado Sea El Señor!
 

 
 

Las Cometas de Rancho Oasis


Third, the group assisted us with a clothing sale, assembling & passing out Christmas gift baskets and a parent/child dinner.

Venta de Ropa
The goal of the clothing sale is to bless the community with inexpensive clothing, while not creating a sense of dependency by giving away free “stuff.” Many attended and the love of Christ was visible in a very practical way.

 

We also decided to bless many of the families that have children active in the ministry by making a gift basket of food. The Freedom team helped assemble and distribute the baskets to the families. It was a great opportunity for the team to enter into many of the homes of these families and see the radically different way that many of them live. What a powerful message to the four children that came to serve in Honduras!

 

 

 



Parent 'n Child Dinner Night

Though our ministry is currently focusing on the youth in the community, we realize the importance of supporting the parents. So, with the Freedom team’s help we held a dinner inviting all the children and their parents. It was a neat evening with both the children and their parents from all the various activities at the Ranch: soccer, guitar class, bible studies and horsemanship classes. The evening gave me the opportunity to talk to many parents about the vision of the Ranch creating disciples for Christ, the emphasis of the Word of God and helping the parents to raise godly kids! The evening closed with a fun slide show of the kids!

Anti-Hole RO4Y Road Crew

 

Dangerous Celebrations: Feliz Cumpleaños Mare

 

Amigos Para Siempre

 

 


Despite a great week, the team admittedly struggled with culture shock! LOL!
Thank you Freedom team for your service, fellowship and laughter!
 We pray that your time in Honduras will make an impact on eternity:
 in the lives of those you served and your own lives now 
and throughout your remaining days!

Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Psalms 105:4 (NKJV)