Meet David and Jefferson

DAVID!

David is a fun kid who loves to learn about Jesus.  He reads his bible every day and enjoys sharing God’s love with others.  David likes to listen to music and has some pretty cool dance moves.  One day, a few of the children were banging on a pipe with sticks like it was a drum.  The rhythm they created had such a unique beat that David simply couldn’t control his feet.  He danced around like a wild child!  Every move he made matched the beat that was created.  David’s dancing was entertaining to watch and made the day so much fun!  He is a terrifically fun child!  Please keep David in your daily prayers. 

JEFFERSON!

Jefferson is such an inspiration to everyone he meets.  Jefferson has a physical handicap, but does that stop him from missing out on anything?  Absolutely not!  At church, he is the only little boy who stands the entire worship hour.  He praises God by clapping his hands and singing loudly for all to hear!  He sways back and forth dancing for Jesus.  He is an amazing child.  When there is work to be done at Life Unlimited does Jefferson complain or quit?  No sir!  He is there ready to help and stays until the job is done.  One day, all the boys were moving chickens from an old coop to a new coop.  Jefferson would carry one chicken down a flight of stairs, across a lawn, down a steep hill, and across a muddy road to deliver the chicken to its new home.  Then Jefferson would walk back up to the old coop and carry another chicken down the same path.  He did this for hours until the job was finished.  He is so strong and such an inspiration!  Please keep Jefferson in your daily prayers. 

Four Older Boys

RENE!

Rene is a terrific kid!  He enjoys riding his bike and playing with marbles.  Rene is very sweet to all of the younger kids.  He likes to take the younger boys for a ride around the orphanage on his bike.  Rene is a great chef.  During my stay at Life Unlimited, Rene came to the kitchen to help Mary, the cook, and me prepare an afternoon snack for all the kids.  We made pancakes topped with honey and a frozen strawberry.  Rene helped by flipping the pancakes as they cooked in the frying pan.  He is such a great helper!  Please keep Rene in your daily prayers. 

JOSUE'

Josué is the hardest working young man I have ever met.  He likes to stay busy and help out around the orphanage.  I would typically see José washing a pile of dishes for the cook, shoveling horse manure, or herding cattle if one had wandered off.  He is such a hard worker!  Josué really enjoys playing soccer.  He typically likes to be the goalie whenever he has a chance to play a game with his friends.  He is really great at blocking the ball and NOT letting the other team score any points!  Josué is an awesome person!  Please keep him in your daily prayers. 

MARLON AND WILSON!

Marlon and Wilson are two amazing brothers.  Marlon is a very sweet young man.  Every day he greeted me with a big smile, warm hug, and a cheerful ‘Hola Summer!’  Wilson is a quiet young man and usually keeps to himself.  Both boys are amazing artists!  They had the opportunity to show me their art work.  I was very impressed with the fine detail they used to bring their art work to life!  They are extremely talented.  Marlon and Wilson take care of one another and are so incredibly kind to all of the other children at Life Unlimited.  They are two terrific brothers!  Please keep both Marlon and Wilson in your daily prayers.  

Summer introduces you to Alex, Reyna, Rodrigo, and Miguel

ALEX!

Alex is a super silly boy.  He likes to joke around and make funny faces.  He enjoys climbing trees and riding bikes.  Alex is an affectionate boy.  He loves cuddling when watching movies and giving hugs just for fun.  He is a caring child.  If you are having a tough day, you can count on Alex to cheer you up and make it better.  Alex is a lovable little boy!  Please keep him in your daily prayers.

REYNA!

Summer and Reyna

Reyna is such a strong girl.  She doesn’t give up.  Whether she is completing a chore, helping out a friend in need, doing her homework, or just coloring a picture, Reyna perseveres until the job is done and done well.  She enjoys using her imagination to create art work and likes to play with sidewalk chalk.  She LOVES eating fruit especially mangos!  Reyna is terrific girl!  Please keep her in your daily prayers.

RODRIGO AND MIGUEL!

    

These boys are two tough brothers!  Rodrigo, the older brother, LOVES playing soccer.  Whenever the boys get together to play a game, Rodrigo runs inside, changes into his soccer jersey and cleats, runs outside with a soccer ball in his hands and great big smile across his face!  Rodrigo plays the game hard and is an incredible soccer player.  Miguel, the younger brother, LOVES riding his bike.  He can usually be found riding his bike down a steep, dirt hill or through muddy puddles (at least during the rainy season).  He is a rough boy!  If he crashes into something while riding his bike, he brushes the dirt off his clothes, gets back on his bike, and continues riding it.  Even though these brothers are tough, they both have an extremely sweet side.  As soon as these two get out of school, they run down to the kitchen to greet the cook, Mary, with a big, warm hug!  They take a moment to chat with her about their day.  They seem to really love her!  These two brothers care about each other.  When one is hurt, the other is right there comforting him until he feels better.  These boys are amazing brothers!  Please keep both Rodrigo and Miguel in your daily prayers.  

"I adore this place!"

Summer Ross spent the month of June serving and representing FCC at Life Unlimited Orphanage.  When she was asked how her trip was going, she said, "I adore this place!"

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting pictures of the children that she worked with and her description of each of them.  Here is the first installment:

Antony!

Antony is such a creative, caring little boy.  He LOVES animals!  Antony enjoys building forts for his pet chicken.  He also loves giving his pet chicken food and water.  He would make a great veterinarian one day.  Antony enjoys listening to music and singing.  His favorite song to sing is “Musica del Cielo” by Miel San Marcos.  He is also incredibly funny!  He has a terrific sense of humor and will make you laugh every day!  Antony is an amazing child!  Please keep him in your daily prayers.

Lupita!

Lupita is a wild child!  She loves playing soccer and riding her bike.  I had the opportunity to drive into town with Donna and all the girls one day.  Donna, who is the caregiver for the girls, was playing the song “Lay Me Down” by Chris Tomlin in her car.  Lupita was singing along with this song.  She was singing the lyrics so loudly and so passionately that Jesus himself was probably having a dance party in Heaven!  This was by far my most favorite moment of the day!  Lupita is such wonderful little girl.  Please keep her in your daily prayers. 

Ingrid and Hugo!

These two are the best sister and brother team at Life Unlimited!  Ingrid and her brother are very kind to one another.  Ingrid loves to draw, make jewelry, and create other arts and craft projects.  Hugo loves to play outside and ride his bike.  Ingrid is an amazing older sister.  She is a positive role model to Hugo and witnesses to his heart for the sake of our Savior.  Hugo is an obedient little brother.  He listens to Ingrid and would do anything for her.  They are sweet children.  Please keep both Ingrid and Hugo in your daily prayers.  

Here Am I, Send ME!

The Guest House at Unlimited Life

Ray Moore, who traveled to Guatemala in June of this past year, was part of the vision team that  visited Unlimited Life and felt God's calling for us to be there.  Ray is leading our next venture to Guatemala and the team is planning to travel from Saturday, April 27 - Saturday, May 4.

They are planning on staying at the orphanage in a guest house that's already of the premises.  The front door to the guest house opens to a common room that includes a kitchen area, dining area and a small sitting area.  On each side of the common room is a large bedroom with 6 bunk beds apiece, with an adjoining bathroom.
The idea is that we'll plan to have no more than 12 women and 12 men travel.

Half of the common room at Unlimited Life

We're so excited about planning a Vacation Bible School to do with the children, and we're beginning to research the different VBS packages that are available and will become available in the coming months.

For our first trip together as a church, the event feels momentous.  We'll be seeing our sponsor kids for the first time.  We'll be building relationships for the first time, and giving our very first impression of who were are as a body of believers to these precious children that God has placed in our lives.  Who wouldn't be excited about that?

The trip is filling up, but if you act quickly, there's a possibility that you can get in on the trip.  After all, there's never going to be another FIRST trip, right?  If you would like more information, please feel free to email Ray at norayitwasu@gmail.com and he can give you more information about what's in store.

Regardless of your participation in the trip this year, please be in prayer for our team as they begin going together  as a team, as they act as Christ's ambassadors.  

{the launch}

Right now we're getting ready for "The Launch."  We'll be announcing to the congregation about FCC's partnership with Unlimited Life, an orphanage in Guatemala.  I could not be more excited.

We travelled down to Guatemala in June of this past year, and when we arrived at this orphanage, it was clear to all of us on the team that THIS was where God had been calling us.

Each of the leaders we met didn't just love children and didn't just work there because they needed a job, they each had a story -- a beautiful story -- of how God had called them to this place, and how they answered with obedience.

We looked around at this children and whether they were shy or outgoing, timid or strong-willed, they quickly snuggled down deep in our hearts, and the most exciting part of it all for me is how much I look forward to showing others the beauty that lies within these precious little ones.

For The Launch, we're working on making photo cards for everyone to take home, place on their fridge, and to pray daily for these children and the staff who have devoted themselves to their care and education.  We're also in process of making a video to show during the service to let everyone see the faces of each of these little boys and girls.

In late April of 2013, we're planning a mission trip to go there.  We'll walk the kids through a VBS and meet some of those in the neighboring community.  Would you pray about joining us?  I'm certain that God will bless your heart while you are there.  For more information about traveling to Guatemala or about our exciting new partnership, feel free to email Kelli Moore at kelli@emptychairministry.com