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God Bless all. Every Saturday afternoon I bring the gospel with some of the brothers and sisters of my congregacion about 40 ederly at a rehabilitation center called Nueva Vista in Newark, NJ. My mission is to go all over the world to preach the word of God. I went several times to my country which it Puerto Rico. Not long ago God has put in my heart to go to Cuba. I am praying for that petition and hoping to reach out so many lifes the same way that God has touch my heart. I would like to visit others countries like Columbia, Republica Dominicana, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and Haiti.(Maria Matos)

I am a junior in high school. I just got back yesterday from a missions trip to Mexico. It was the most amazing experience of my life, i learned so much not only about myself but culture. i learned that here in the US our walk with god is challanged every day by others, technology, school, and family. Those things block us from the lords creations. When i was in Mexico i got to truely see gods creations and it is beyond words. I feel that my life needs to change i take so many things forgranted. A family we were building a bathroom for had nothing yet they fed us for 3 nights straight. This shows their compassion and gratitude for what we are doing for them im going to chance my ways and be a better person! In my life i will make a difference and i will love everyone as god loves me. he sent his only begotten son to die for us. that is true love! my missions trip was life changing and i will do it again throughout my life. many more times!!:)

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A youth group of ten and several adults are going to the Annual Youth Assembly of the UEPV (Evangelical Pentecostal of Venezuela) July 21-28. Dawn Nottingham is the principle leader. This is one of the regular trips to Venezuela of Global Partners of Colorado (UCC and Disciples). A medical group will be going October 7 -14. In reverse, a group of Venezuelans were sponsored here in Denver in collaboration with Iliff School of Theology June 28-July 5, but only one person could come because the others could not get US visas.

By Nancy Lear, Chair of the Mission Trip Council Country Club Christian Church, Kansas City, MO What do we DO on mission trips? How do we measure what we accomplish? These questions are asked both by members of our mission teams and by other members of the congregation. Sometimes we are tempted to measure our contribution by the number of rooms we have painted or the amount of moldy drywall we have stripped. The painting and the stripping and all of the other “projects” we DO on mission trips are important, but perhaps more important is our BEING THERE – a “ministry of presence.” Someone has put it another way, “There can be no sharing of what we have without a sharing of who we are.” Our missionaries in South Africa, Jon and Dawn Barnes, write that they “are very fond of the idea of ‘ministry of presence’ – almost more so than the ‘ministry of DOing.’ It is the ministry of presence where we find ourselves in solidarity with our brothers and sisters...it is where you truly meet one another, not always the case in hammering and painting where you are busy with a wall, a window or a floor. But both are important, and we feel you can do both on a mission trip. Did Christ not call us to listen, to be a friend, to sit by the bedside, to touch and to heal? Christ gives us the full picture of what ‘ministry of presence’ really means.” Mission team members have experienced the ministry of presence while sharing meals and worship services with folks in townships in South Africa, talking with residents of the Samaritan Centre in East London, South Africa, playing baseball and soccer with children in villages in Nicaragua, sharing cinnamon rolls with residents of Greenville, Kansas, and getting reacquainted with old friends in New Orleans. Michelle Schlatter experienced the ministry of presence on the family mission trip to South Dakota: “A ministry of presence means attending a sacred Native-American ceremony. Simply by being in Red Scaffold, South Dakota, at the right time, we were able to wit¬ness a centuries-old Lakota ceremony called Wiping of the Tears. A Lakota Elder then spoke to us about how important it is to him that we bring our children to the reservation to learn of the Lakota ways and to begin friendships and foster understanding between the Native-Americans and the White Man. He never once mentioned how he wanted us to repair the ceiling in the community center or cut the grass growing over the church steps. A ministry of presence is my daughter being taught how to shoot a bow and arrow from a Lakota Elder, who worked diligently to teach the Lakota youth skills of the bow and arrow so they will not forget the ways of their people. But most importantly a ministry of presence means realizing that just by offering a smile and encouraging word to a young Lakota mother I can be the start of a real friendship.” In her book Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup says, “I am here to be with you...when you freak out or grieve or laugh or suffer or sing. It is a ministry of presence. It is showing up with a loving heart. And it is really cool.” And she is right. It is really cool. So – next time you talk to someone who has been on a mission trip, instead of asking, “What did you DO?” ask, “What did you experience?” You will hear about amazing things!

Nicaragua Work Team Journal for Feb 24-March 5, 2010 Our work team for this trip was formed as a result or a partnership between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the United Church of Christ to participate in community development in Nicaragua. Our trip was coordinated by the Council of Evangelical Churches of Nicaragua (CEPAD). Wed, Feb 24 (Larry) Why would 10 people from Southern California gather at 6:30 AM at LAX to fly off to Nicaragua? Not only was it early, but they were leaving their families and jobs to dig dirt on a farm/center (CEPANA), 4 hours rough travel from Managua, the capital. There are many different answers to the previously posed question, but also some general agreement. It’s important that people in the United States demonstrate global citizenship and extend the hand of friendship. The Christian is called to work in partnership with people in order that all may have equal opportunity & means to enable a quality life for everyone. This was the eleventh journey to Central America of an annual work team sponsored by a partnership effort of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Pacific Southwest Region, the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ and the Week of Compassion. This year’s group was comprised of: David Neyer from Wahiawa Christian Church, Hawaii, Mike Fronk and Jim Ross from First Christian Church, Pomona. Ron Ury from Seaside UCC Church, Torrance. Steve Borgard from First Christian Church of Burbank, Byron Johnson from Moreno Valley, Quinn Wildman from San Jose, Sara Thompson from Los Angeles, Erika Yzaguirre from Winchester and Larry Hixon from All Peoples Christian Church of Los Angeles. Seven of the group were with last year’s team, one was returning to Nicaragua, one was returning after a ten year absence and one was new to the whole experience. This day was consumed with travel on American Airlines, changing planes in Miami and continuing on to Managua. The plane departure from Miami was an hour late due to weather conditions in Chicago. We were met at the Managua Airport by CEPAD (www.cepad.org.ni) (http://www.cepadusa.org/) team coordinators Luis Antonio Vasquez Pineda, nickname- Uno and Luis Alberto Bravo, nickname- Dos. After a 45 minute drive, (Our van driver was also named Luis, nicknamed Tres), we arrived at the Nehemiah Group House which was to be our home for two nights now and two nights at the end of our journey. The light snack provided for the group and assignment of rooms was greatly appreciated. The challenge this year was to help with reforestation in the Samulali area of Nicaragua, specifically at CEPANA, a CEPAD Model Farm/Center. The surrounding hillsides are mostly covered with sparse grassy vegetation. Much of the rainfall runs off, eroding the soils and the water is soon lost. Availability of adequate good drinking water is a common problem in Nicaragua. The long term effect of the reforestation will be that more moisture is retained in the soil, resulting in more water seeping into the underlying aquifers, resulting in more drinking water in the wells. Within the last week we had received an email indicating it would be helpful if we brought some money to purchase tree seeds. The group was anticipating being with the family at the Center- Norman Kuan Obregon, father, Josefa Kuan, mother, Jessica Lorena Kuan potoy, daughter and Byron Kuan J., son. Norman is the work foreman for the CEPANA facility and Josefa is the chef. Thur, Feb 25 (Sara) We woke up at around 7 AM and started out the day with some good ol’ rice and beans as well as some very tasty pancakes and fruit. After breakfast, Luis Uno gave us an orientation on what to expect of our trip. Then we were given a coyuntura presentation by Gilberto Aguirre on Nicaragua’s history and economic situation. He joked that the solution to their unstable economic situation is to get rid of all the politicians. After the presentation we had more rice and beans and some mystery chicken or beef. Then we started our very loooong expedition in search of mahogany tree semillas (seeds). Our first attempt failed because we ended up at the wrong place after an hour trek in a small and stuffy van. So we headed back down the mountain and stopped by a vivero (nursery) where we purchased some Acacia seeds. We probably stopped by five or 10 more viveros before we arrived at Catarina, a nice little village located on the edge of the cone of the extinct Apollo volcano . Here we had spectacular views of the deep blue crater lake of the Laguna de Apollo, the dormant Mombacho Volcano, and the colonial city of Grenada on the shore of Lake Nicaragua in the distance. There were also lots of little handicrafts being sold. On the way down there were tons of little colorful nurseries with all sorts of tropical plants…but no seeds. By the end of our adventure, we must have gone to every vivero in Nicaragua. I don’t think any of us really cared about the seeds anymore, nor did we believe that we would ever see the Mahogany seeds. We finally arrived back at CEPAD for more rice and beans. I just had the rice and beans, the others had a beef dish that they said was “chewy” but very tasty. Mike led the discussion on the first chapter of our "study" book, "Seeing Gray", by Adam Hamilton. Then Steve’s friend Marcus, spoke to us about what he has been up to in Nicaragua for the past 20 years. They both met at Theology Seminary years ago. Marcus was on his way back to the US after having recently completed service and outreach work in Nicaragua. He and Steve had been keeping in touch and our arriving in Nicaragua had provided them an opportunity to get together after many years. Marcus' website is cosechanic.com. We were all so exhausted that we went to bed around 8:00. Fri, Feb 26 (Erika) After starting our day with breakfast at 7:30, we gathered our bags and loaded the bus to head for Matagalpa. We planed to make a couple of stops before we got to the CEPANA center. The first stop was about an hour and a half into our trip. It was the Hacienda San Jacinto. This is a historical site for Nicaragua. A "soldier of fortune", William Walker, who was from the United States, declared himself president of Nicaragua in 1856. He was president for only one year. An important battle between 200 of Walker's "filibusters" and 160 Nicaraguans happened here at San Jacinto. On September 14, 1856, the Nicaraguans beat the filibusters in this battle and this was the turning point in Walker's troops apparent invincibility. They subsequently lost battles at Masaya, Rivas, and Granada to combined Central American forces. Walker was executed before a Honduran firing squad on 12 Sept. 1860. We were soon on the road again to Matagalpa. Only about thirty minutes into this leg of our road trip, we found we had car trouble. Luis (Tres) and Luis (Dos) found that the radiator hose was leaking. The temporary "solution" was to add radiator fluid and water constantly during our trip. About an hour later we arrived at a restaurant called Mana de Cielo in Matagalpa. It was a buffet style restaurant with chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, salad, beans, rice and plantains. We had a nice lunch and rest and started on our way once again. As we traveled to our final destination, the CEPANA Center, the road surface changed from asphalt to dirt and gravel. We had some delay as there was rather extensive road construction and maintenance work in progress. It was nice to see some improvements happening to the bumpy road. After our long trip, we finally arrived at the CEPANA center. It was good to see the development progress at the farm since our trip from last year. There is now a house for Norman, Josefa,(we know her as "Chipita"), and their kids. There is also a metal shed to store the tools. As we unloaded out of the bus, we said our hellos and gave hugs to our friends here. We got settled into our rooms and relaxed. We then met with Norman, (our work forman), Juan Carlos, (the Matagalpa area manager for CEPAD), and Maria De Los Angeles (Melo), (the CEPANA manager). We discussed our jobs for the next several days with Juan Carlos. A majority of our task would be to plant tree seeds for a reforestation project. Juan introduced us to Maria, who recently became manager of the CEPANA Center. She is a very attractive woman who, we were also informed, is the "coffee queen" of Nicaragua. She is bilingual, however, her two languages are Spanish and Nahualt, a language spoken by the indigenous peoples of the Matagalpa region. In the evening, we gathered together for dinner. We then got together afterward to discuss another chapter of the book “Gray”, which was again led by Mike. After a long day we were ready to call it a night. Sat, Feb 27 (Dave) Our first work day. We all woke up this morning eager to get to work on the farm. Our breakfast was Gallos pntos and cream with juice and coffee to drink. After breakfast we were energized and ready to go. We were split into a construction crew of Steve, Mike, Jim, and Dave with Luis "Uno", and a tree planting crew with Larry, Ron, Byron, Quinn, Erica, and Sara with Luis "Dos". The construction crew had two tasks, build a shed for the propane tank and build a bench. They completed the small concrete slab for the tank and the framing for the shed, then went to work on the bench. Steve saw that three people were enough for the bench and went to help the tree planting "nursery" crew. The tree planting crew was tasked with making potting soil, a mixture of sand, dirt, and cow manure gathered from the adjacent cow pasture. The potting soil was scooped into small bags in which the tree seeds would be planted later. In the coming months, those seeds that germinated into saplings would be planted on the hillsides to start the reforestation effort. Labor was divided with Byron prepping the bags, Quinn stacking the completed bags, and everyone else filling bags. It turned out that the "construction crew" didn't have nails available to finish their project so they ended up helping with the potting project. Lunch was salad, rice, beef with vegetables, boiled plantains and.... no frijoles??? Que pasa??? A bonus treat was provided by Erica when she brought out her Toll House cookies. In the afternoon, Norman found some nails and the construction crew went back to work on the bench. The lumber cut in the morning was assembled. It was challenging because of the warped wood and rusty nails, but by the end of the day it was looking like a bench. Norman said our crew was much faster than the last group at bench building. The potting crew also continued in the afternoon and by the end of the day had filled about 600 bags. After work in the afternoon, Jim set up a horseshoe tossing set he had brought from CA and proceeded to challenge Norman to a game. We don't know if anybody won. Dinner was tacos and beans with juice and coffee. After dinner, Larry led a group discussion on the article "The Women''s Crusade". This was a NY Times article about discrimination against women in many parts of the world and the effects that this has on the world economic and political situation. The article noted that, statistically, there are about 100 million females "missing" from the world's human population. It was a good discussion. There was lightning in the evening and buy the time the discussion was finished, the rain had started. Several of the group played cards with Norman and Chipita, while the rest stayed in the meeting hall. The rain became heavy at times. We all checked our rooms to make sure our stuff was staying dry. There were a few leaks in the roof but our stuff "only" got wet in a few places. After the long eventful day, we all went to sleep to the lullaby of rain falling on the metal roof of the farm house. Sun, Feb 28 (Quinn) Sunday was mostly a day for relaxing. We did no work on the farm. I woke before everyone else and had a nice run through the neighborhood of around 6 miles. I returned from my run and saw everyone was stirring. I had a wonderful cold shower and soon had breakfast afterward. For breakfast we had rice and beans (what a surprise!), scrambled eggs, coffee and plantains. I was hoping for juice, but there was none. Not long after breakfast we were treated to a worship service that few of us had ever experienced. The service was lead by Rene Balle who is a local preacher that starts new churches. There were around 6 adults and 5 children from the local community and us. There was lots of good guitar music from Rene and another gentleman named Luis. Rene then gave a fire and brimstone sermon. "You’d better be prepared because Jesus is coming back. Don’t drink Alchohol or do a variety of other things, or Jesus will not come for you." After the church service, Larry and few others went for an inspection of previous days work to see if the rain from the previous night had altered our work. He was pleased to report it had not. Mostly, we hung around in the afternoon. Luis Tres arrived from Matagalpa with replacement parts for the van's cooling system. It was repaired, however the battery was dead. After we pushed the van to get it rolling, it started, and the van ran well. We took a drive around the countryside. Then we took a short trip to see local artisans Luis had heard about from Melo. After a couple nearly wrong turns and inquiring of neighbors, we arrived to find out the artisans were only open M-F. We had plans to go back during the week, but that plan never materialized. Our drive took us along some nice hilly scenic areas with nice views of the local valleys. Upon returning from our trip, 6 decided to go for a short hike. Dinner was at 6:00 as always, and the 6 were 22 minutes late for dinner (according to Mike). Those on the hike reported seeing a baseball game of 4 kids. Those of us who were at dinner on time, saw the rising of a full moon at 6:05 (according to my GPS). After dinner, Byron led the discussion on Chapter 3 of "Gray", "the Ethics of Jesus". After our book study, I prepared myself for bed as I did most nights, as I was planning to get up and go running early the next day. Others stayed up and played yet another card game in the evening. Players included Chipita, Luis Dos, Erika, Steve, Jim, Dave, Sara, and Ron. I don't remember the name of the game, but it is a Spanish word. In any case, the game gets relatively rowdy and noisy at times, as it involves a lot of bluffing and bluff calling. The weather was surprisingly cool this evening. Some even had to wear a sweatshirt. All in all, another beautiful day in at the Cepana farm. Mon, March 1 (Steve) We are settling into the farm life. Yesterday was a day of rest and rain. Today everyone seems to be gearing up for a hard day's work, although we will be ending our work early in order to make a trip into San Ramon to visit the Mayor. Breakfast consisted of the thickest pancakes known to man. The sweet honey with cinnamon topping tasted and great. We are definitely loaded with carbs and ready to work. Mike, Jim and Dave completed two tasks on this day, finishing both the bench and the shelter for the propane tank. Having the propane tank outside and away from the heat of the stove, seems like a good 'safety' move. The bench looks great and obviously Norman is impressed that it got accomplished so quickly. The rest of us were once again playing in the the mud, sand, and manure; we packed this wonderful mixture into tiny black bags that will each receive a Mahogany or Cypress seed. All of us are grateful for decent weather, but the previous night's rain has brought out tons of ants. We first noticed leaves and twigs, moving their way through the forest. It is impressive how much a single ant can carry and it resembled the comic strips where the ants carry off someone's picnic lunch. No laughing matter here though, the ants can bite and their presence is impeding our work slightly. After packing dozens of bags, part of the group begin placing the Mahogany seeds inside them. After planting perhaps 40 of them, Norman came over and informed us that we weren't putting them in the bags correctly and that he would like to have them placed in the bags in a different way. So, many of the bags had to have seed placement corrected by some of us, while others continued filling dozens of more bags with dirt. Previously, hundreds of bags had been filled, had failed to germinate, and were now lying in the forest, covered with leaves and branches. These bags had to be uncovered and thrown into piles, so the rich soil they contained could be used again. This was a strain on the back, but it felt good to work up a little sweat and stand on one's own two feet. Sitting on the ground for hours at a time packing the little bags with dirt, definitely took its toll. After clearing out the old bags, we raked the ground and cut out weeds and other growth with a machete. (A local woman was working with us and she was the principal wielder of the machete. A lady from the nearby community, who was paid $3 a day for her labor, she wielded the machete with awesome speed and dexterity, cutting the underbrush with an expertise of someone who had a lot of machete experience.) Her work prepared a nice clear space for the new bags that we were packing. Lunch time arrived soon. On our way back to the dining area, ( about a mile over the hill from we were working), we made a side trip up a hill to see the progress of some Mahogany and Cypress trees that had developed into saplings and small trees. It's exciting to see this developing growth of trees and it gives us hope that all of our work will actually pay off someday in a few healthy trees. I can better appreciate the contrast of the ease of cutting down a tree, compared to the hard labor of planting and nurturing fragile saplings into maturity. The sight of a large scorpion delighted the whole group into a photography frenzy. On our continued journey towards lunch, we looked at the pump house that supplies the water purification system. The electrical lines are hung from poles that our group erected the previous year. We learned about the Taiwan plants that grow nearby in abundance. They are used for cattle feed and contain a dense amount of nutrients. I wonder if this is a better alternative to the 'corn fed' beef back in the US. Lunch consisted of a fried chicken leg (one for each person), rice, boiled roots, and tortillas. All of us cleaned up and put on 'long pants' in order to be presentable for our meeting with the Mayor of San Ramon. The 'Coffee Queen' - Maria De Los Angeles- had organized this trip. What was supposed to be a half hour drive, turned into over an hour's journey. First, the entire group had to push our bus so it could be 'popped started' since the battery was dead. A major road construction project meant stopping frequently and waiting for oncoming cars to pass along single lane sections. We noticed that all the 'flag men' were women. As we approached San Ramon, we saw their baseball stadium, (like a high school or small college might have) and it seemed to be a key community feature. Once at the municipal building, , we were invited into the mayor's personal office. An open Bible sat on his desk (which the mayor proudly mentioned) and pictures of notable Sandinistas hung on the wall. Behind the mayor's desk hung a black and white picture of a bearded revolutionary in military garb, fist raised, in a scene of rallying the people. (Much later we learned that this was a picture of the mayor himself). The mayor responded to our questions openly and we learned about the plight, dignity, and hopes of the people of San Ramon - most of whom live on less than $2 US a day. It is hoped that the road project, coffee co-ops, and education opportunities will benefit the people of San Ramon. Once again we had to jump start the bus. Even though the town is very small, our bus driver (Luis Tres) was driving us around in circles. Finally, we stoped at a gas station, got drinks, and Maria De Los Angeles left us to catch a public bus to her home in Matagalpa. Driving back to the farm was slow as the road construction wass still continuing. Back at the farm we had a dinner of beans, plantains, and juice. (The usual fare.) What is unexpected to me, is that a TV with a DVD player had been set up and old MTV music videos were playing - Peter Cetera, Boy George, Europe, Donna Summer. Its seemed odd to see American Pop culture from 25 years ago making its presence in rural Nicaragua. I found this unsettling. In the evening we gathered for our book study and discussed Chapter 4 - which primarily dealt with Christian unity and the developmental stages of the faith journey. The discussion iwas lively but tiredness clearly was beginning to set in. As the evening came to a close, some read quietly, others listened to their i-pods, and several played cards. Tue, March 2 (Jim) 6:30-7:00 We rise to the usual sounds of school bus traffic and horns honking, roosters crowing, and some distant conversations amongst the workers at the center. Then more conversations in English is heard around cups of coffee at the dining area. 7:30 breakfast was served of fried eggs, red beans, salsa, fresh tortillas, coffee. Nice..After breakfast, a mass exodus to the sink for teeth brushing and getting ready for the work day chores. We gathered at the dining area for instructions for work details. Norman showed up with more seeds for planting (Cedar). After getting instructions to the planters, we headed off to our planting area. Next was more seed planting (Blackwood). Mike, Dave, Jim, Steve, and Luis worked on adding center support beams under the elevated water tank that is the source of drinking water for the farm. This was hot work with no shade except under the tank which is elevated about 4 feet above the ground. The adventure for the day was trying to herd a stray cow that had pushed it's way through the gate when our group passed through. It wandered into the forest. Some of our group formed a search/herding party to attempt to get it back where it belonged. The cow eventually returned on it's own to a water tank near the gate. It ignored the "cowboys" herding efforts until it had downed what must have been several gallons of water. It then nonchalantly made its way through the gate back to where it belonged. Our "cowboys" herding efforts seemed almost irrelevant. There was also a wandering horse in the "wrong" area. Norman eventually resolved the horse issue. 12:00 Lunch was steak with salsa sauce, papas fritas (french fries to us), with salsa de tomate (Ketchup), aroz (rice), and plantains (banana slices). Several of us were pretty tired. We just lay or sat around, waiting for our next shift. Good conversation amongst those who were not konked out. 1:30 Mike, Jim, Dave, Steve, and Luis finished the work on the water tank supports and joined the bag fillers. At the end of the day about 1500 bags had been filled and tree seeds planted. After a slow walk back to the center, we happily took our turns at the shower. I think we all felt well after that shower. A few of us walked across the road to get Pepsi. Relaxing time after that before dinner. 6:00 pm Dinner was fried tacos, rice, refried beans, cheese, juice, and coffee. We broke for a brief time before group discussion. Larry announced that we should pack our bags for travel early tomorrow for our journey back to Nehemiah Center in Managua. 6:45 Quinn was our group leader tonight for our discussion time. Dave passed around assorted Hawaiian snacks to share around our circle. Larry asked the question to all of us. "If Jesus came back now, what would he look like to you and what would he do or say?" Of course, a variety of answers were given. After discussion, we talked over possibilities for next year's trip. Cuba is an option that Larry is seriously considering. Time for rest for a big day tomorrow for our trip back to the Nehemiah Center. March 3, (Byron) Last half day at the "center". Bags packed... almost ! Early visit to the kitchen bar for coffee, sugar, and Leche. Back in the living quarters, Erika and Luis Uno teasing their hair. Then outcomes Larry to his favorite watering out doors faucet. Quinn staggers in, announcing that he had just finished a nine mile run. To look at him, we believed him. Sara approached the water supply for a quick second fill of the morning. She had just washed her teeth. During breakfast (beans, rice, watermelon, coffee, etc) Norman returned from the field carrying a gallon of milk he had just extracted from the momma cow. This is what we have been using in our coffee (W/O pasteurizing, homoginizing , etc. ) Thanks to Luis Dos, our bags were neatly stacked in the rear seats of the bus, ready for the exciting ride back to Managua. News! Juan Carlos will not be coming to address us. The new word from Luis Uno is that Juan has a more urgent matter to attend. However, the "Coffee Queen", Melo, will be bringing a dance group. While we were waiting, Norman escorted us through their water purification facility. Since last year, an addition has been built on the outside of the facility for a workers dressing and restroom. The bottle filling equipment is in place for "coke" size bottles and three gallon size bottles. Living Water Co. has oversight to the system. The dance group surprised us. It was comprised of eight young women and 6 young men. The men wore all white, including shoes. The ladies changed dresses for each of the different dance routines. They changed from white, to blue, to "skimpy" outfits of mixed colors. All the dances were done with enthusiasm and beauty. The program began with the playing of a recording of the Nicaragua National Anthem. We followed by repeating our Pledge of Allegiance with Luis Dos interpreting. As requested by Melo, Larry offered a "meaningful" prayer ( which was interpreted also. ) Following the program, we were served lunch which included tasty bits of beef plus rice and beans, etc. Our last experience at the center was to express our feelings to the family, handing them the envelope with $120. Chipita was teary eyed as she and and Norman greeted each of us. Time to push the bus! No problema... and we were off on the very rough first leg of the trip back to Managua. We had one stop mid-way at the Texaco station for refreshments and bathroom. Arriving in Managua in the hectic evening traffic, we could appreciate the quiet, peaceful farm life we had experienced for 5 days. Finally we arrived at the Nehemiah House, found our rooms, and enjoyed a chicken, squash and vegetables dinner. After dinner, we discussed our experiences of the week and planned our get together back in CA, (Tentatively May 2). March 4, (Ron) We arose this morning at CEPAD Nehemiah to a breakfast of eggs, beans, and bananas. Bags of Nicaraguan coffee were available for purchase. Most of us bought a bag or two to take back to CA. We left the facility about 8:30 to do some tourist things in Nicaragua. Our first stop was at the "Esperanza En Accion" facility. This organization supports local artisans that need assistance in learning basic business principles regarding selling, promoting, and sustaining themselves by the sale of their artwork and crafts. The support includes technical assistance to help improve quality, establishment of a fair wage, connections to fair trade markets, both in Nicaragua and abroad, and access to a small loan fund that provides credit opportunities as a 0% interest rate. Most of the artisans live in the rural and more economically disadvantaged areas of Nicaragua. Average educational level is 6th grade, and artisans lack consistent access to basic services such as electricity, water, health clinics, and educational centers. To quote one of the artisans, "this is all we have, if we lose this job the only thing left for us to do is emigrate out of Nicaragua." Most of us bought some of their items that were for sale. As our van proceeded northwest from Managua we passed spectacular Volcanos Momotombo and Momotombito. ( Nicaragua geology is fascinating. With a geological age of only 8 or 9 million years, it is the newest of the countries in the Americas in geological terms. One of the most geologically active countries in the world, Nicaragua is home to 40 volcanos, ranging in age from 8 million years to 160 years.) After passing through the city of Leon, the colonial capital of Nicaragua, we drove a few miles to the shores of the Pacific. Here we had lunch and several beers at "Rancho-Alex's Bar'' under a palapa with a great view of the beach. The beach was long and wide and there was no one on the beach except the people in our group. The Pacific water here was bath water warm, unlike the chilly water of that other "Pacific" next to California. We stopped in Leon and visited the "Cathedral of Leon", officially the Basilica de la Asuncion. The "grandest cathedral" in Central America, construction was started in 1747 and it was not completed until 1860. That evening, we returned to Managua where we decided to abstain from rice and beans and went to Valenti's Pizza Place for pizza and beer. A good time was had by all. Back at the Nehemiah Center we had a group get together where we all gave Luis Uno and Dos our feedback about what we liked and appreciated about our time in Nicaragua and also commented about what we might like to do to improve our time there in the future. We all felt that both Luis's were outstanding in their warm and friendly support and guidance to our group. March 5 (Mike) The wakeup call was at 5am. Most of us had done the majority of our packing the night before so the majority of us rolled out into the common area of Nehemiah’s center by quarter after 5. Luis was up to greet us and had put out some canned fruit juices and packaged toast. Our translator of last year Harold even got up to say goodbye and wish us safe travels. 5:30 on the bus and heading to the airport. Managua is a different city in the early morning; people are out exercising and walking in the streets. During the daylight hours you would take your life in your hands to be in the streets because the cars don’t stop for pedestrians. We arrived at the airport around 6:15, unloaded the bus, said our final goodbyes to the two Luis’s (driver and guide), and lined up to get our boarding passes for the plane. Steve’s friend Marcus reconnected with us in the line; he had the same flight back to the U.S. Our initial screening through customs yielded nothing other than some of our number lost some tooth paste or hand disinfectant. Our waiting area for our gate was just upstairs past customs. Once we all arrived there, we all took turns fanning out in the airport looking for food or the last gift to bring home. The boarding call was made around 8:45. In the lineup for the plane we went through a second security check in which our carryon luggage was physically searched and we were patted down for contraband. The flight to Miami was about 3 hours long and we landed at 12:30 local time. Our whole party worked our way smoothly through U.S. customs and then back through security and walked to our gate getting there at 1:30. We had almost 3 hours to kill before our next flight, so 8 of us ate at a restaurant next to our gate. It was the first typical American food we had eaten in 10 days and all of us took note of how good it was to eat a sandwich and/or fries or something fancy like "coconut coated prawns". We loaded onto our Los Angeles bound plane at 4:15 and proceeded to sit on the tarmac for the next hour while our plane had maintenance issues and then luggage issues. We took off an hour late and so arrived an hour late. At LAX we worked our way down to the baggage terminal. Ron, Byron, and Erica’s spouses were there to greet them. We slowly collected our baggage and said our goodbyes as each member filtered off to go home. Dave left to get a hotel room to fly back to Hawaii the next day and Quinn had one more flight to endure to San Jose. Like all temporary communities we had drifted together 10 days before from many different places, and now we were returning to those places. Yet we continue as community through our shared experiences in Nicaragua. Until we meet again. Thoughts and Conclusions (Ron) As always, these trips to Central America have been fun, interesting, and rewarding for me. This is the fourth time we have been with Norman, our work leader, Chipita, our cook and hostess, and Jessica, their daughter. Some tears from Chipita as we were saying our goodbye's reminded me of the book "Three Cups of Tea". The book's title is derived from a saying of people living in Pakistan in the remote valleys of the Himalaya Mountains. The saying is as follows: "The first time you drink tea at my house, you are a guest. The second time you are a friend. The third time you drink tea at my house, you are family." I suspect many in our group are starting to have the feeling that Norman, Chipita, and Jessica are part of our families. I find that living conditions and economic conditions for most of the people living in what we consider third world countries can be a rather abstract concept for me when in the US. When I see and experience how life really is for many of the people of the world, seeing many people living in small shacks beside the road with no indoor plumbing evident, people pushing carts or carrying firewood or water jugs along the road, I am jolted back to reality and the feeling of the need to somehow help in whatever way I can. I have also found that preconceived notions have a way of sometimes being shattered. For example, Luis "Dos" is a 21 year old tough looking, muscular, Latino young man. His mother was 15 when he was born. He never knew who his father was. He grew up in Managua, a tough city with endless slums and economic deprivation. With that background, I would assume that he would be a raging gang banger just like I would expect if he was from south central LA. It turns out, he is not only bilingual, he will be completing his degree in computer science at the University this year. He is so tough and muscular because he is a nationally ranked wrestler and is competing for a spot on the Nicaragua wrestling team for competition in the Pan American Games later this year. To top it off, as we were riding in the van towards the CEPAD farm, I noticed that his recreational reading was Shakespeare's Hamlet. I have never seen anyone recreationally reading Hamlet before in my life. My new preconceived notion.... If half the youth in the US were as accomplished as Luis, it would be a great leap forward for this country. Working on a reforestation project was a new experience for me. Thinking about the benefits of our work, we realize that the trees will mature in 30 or 40 years, long after many of us have passed away. In a way this thought about the tree planting can be considered a metaphor for the thoughts from a prayer attributed to Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated in El Salvador in 1980; "... It helps now and then to step back and take the long view. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the enterprise that is God's work. We cannot do everything, it may be incomplete, but it is a beginning. An opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest....". During the discussion our last evening in Nicaragua, Luis "Uno" offered a Franciscan Blessing, a "Blessing as you go Home". May God bless you with DISCOMFORT ! Discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with ANGER ! Anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with TEARS ! Tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them, and turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with FOOLISHNESS ! Enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. May God bless you. Amen

which trip are you organizing for this year december.

are u planning any trip for december this year?

Thanks, John, for sharing your experience with us. I visited some of the same places during a recent pilgrimage with Disciples regional staff in December.

As the plane's wheels touched the ground in Tel Aviv applause erupted from many of the passengers. For some it was an expression of joy in coming home to the Promised Land. For others it was an expression of excitement to have arrived in the historical setting for the birth of the three Faiths originating with Abraham and Sarah: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We all stepped out onto "Holy Land." Twelve of us were traveling together at the invitation of the Global Ministries Child Sponsorship Program of the UCC and the DOC. We had come to visit a Global Ministries child sponsorship site and to meet with people and organizations ministering to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. We also visited churches and holy sites that are on the lists of many tourists. Israel/Palestine is a lane peppered with sacred spaces as numerous as fly specks on a windshield in June. Each space has a story about God touching humanity in a special way. Each space invokes great joy, reverence, empowerment, pathos, competition, or gradations of credibility and skepticism for those who step into it or for those who are excluded from it. Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, the Jordan River: invoke the ancient narratives of Jacob’s well, King David’s rule, Jesus’ birth, John the Baptist, the Mount of the Beatitudes, miracles of feeding and healing people, death, resurrection, early church, revelation to Mohammed – so many places so many stories. Each geographical site claiming historical authenticity, some sites reveling archeological artifacts and ruins, each site smothered with memorials, churches, competing claims of ownership, rituals, and gift shops offering takeaway pieces blessed by their proximity to the holy place. However, we experienced other places of power and presence not identified on the maps and in the tourist brochures as “holy ground.” We saw the ruins of Palestinian homes demolished by Israeli bulldozers. We passed through checkpoints where people have been killed, injured, harassed, or rejected because they did not have the right papers, residence, or ethnicity. We passed under a huge net stretch across a Palestinian market street to catch trash thrown down from an Israeli settlement above. We talked with Rabbi David Rosen, co-founder of Rabbis for Human Rights and with young staff person from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. We stood with the Women in Black on the site where they have stood weekly for many years in a public vigil to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. We met at Shepherds’ Field WMCA in Beit Sahour to hear their story of support for Palestinians and to see the bullet holes in walls of the room where we met. We viewed a collage of spent bullets collected on the property from the 8 day war with Israel. We had a field visit with Ecumenical Accompaniers who accompany traveling Palestinians, children going to school and farmers to their fields as they pass through check points. They also travel with health teams and ambulances across check points and witness housing demolitions. We spent time with educators and children at Rawdat El Zuhur Primary School, a Child Sponsorship partner with Global ministries. The school teaches values common to Islam and Christianity. We walked through Jalazoun Refugee Camp and visited in the home of a mother whose son had been shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. We heard a presentation at the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center. And we listen to the stories of the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee seeking to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of the old city. For me, these are the holy sites. They are the living sacred spaces where God has blessed contemporary prophets, teachers, disciples, activists, and others committed to advancing peace, justice and integrity for all people. They are the places where the poor and the powerless meet the principalities and powers. They are places of crisis, renewal, depression and hope. These are not places where we build shrines and collect holy talismans. They are places where God’s Holy Realm brushes against our human condition. They are places made sacred by suffering and hope. They are places where fear and oppression meet courage and care for one another. They are places where God weeps and where the breath of God’s Spirit empowers the powerless and comforts the hopeless. These are the sacred spaces that touched me in the “Holy Land.” The traditional holy places give us visual experiences of the historical Scriptural narratives. They have been locked into ancient ruins and historical shrines and churches. The contemporary sacred spaces invite us to listen, not only to an ancient Scriptural reference, but to the still speaking God of the twenty first century. When I walk through an Israeli check point, listen to the mother who has lost her young son to a bullet, sit with Palestinian school children, drive by the ruins of a home demolition, sit on the deck of a Palestinian home and look across the valley to the children’s school from which they are separated by a forbidden road and a security fence… these are the places where I have the urge to take off my shoes to touch the holy ground and worship in the sacred space. The next time I land at Tel Aviv airport I will surely untie my shoes during the applause as I prepare to walk again into the sacred spaces of a troubled land.

I attend the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ in Frederick, Maryland. I had the excellent opportunity to go on a mission trip this past May and June to a small island (Simbo Island) in the western province in the Solomon Islands. The work that I did during this mission trip was primarily related to trying to jump start economic development on Simbo. Like so many lesser developed locations, Simbo Island lacks sufficient economic development. In my opinion, this is the island's highest need. Since my departure from the Solomon Islands, I have continued to be in contact with Simboans to consult with them as they begin this process of increasing economic development. One activity we are working on is the establishment of a sewing cooperative. There are many women on Simbo with some sewing skills, and show, I believe, a potential to turn these skills into economic development by working together through a sewing cooperative. However, the going is difficult because this is such a new concept to Simboans - a cooperative, joint work leading to sales and profits, comprehending the process, getting started, and all the rest about organizing and succeeding at a business. This is a very difficult transition for them that will take a long time, but is essential, I believe, for their gaining economic development and the improvements that are badly needed on the island. One thing that would really help this transition process is to have a "business order" - a request from a western source for a product that they can try to make. If we had an "order" for X numbers of whatever for which they will receive Y amount of payment, then this could be an important goal around which they can begin to organize and take steps. Without such an order, the cooperative could flounder for years without success. Do you have such an order for this emerging sewing cooperative to try to fulfill? If yes, I would very much want to hear from you. Richard rltorian@msn.com

“I went on the trip to Postville and Decorah with my mind pretty much made up about the illegal immigrant. However after hearing about the immigration raid on the meat processing plant in Postville and seeing the awesome commitment of the folk in both places my mind and heart was changed. What an awesome experience!” The above quote, from one of the five participants in our trip to Postville and Decorah, comes as a result of the wonderful job Illinois Maya Ministry did in setting up the agenda for us and taking us to meet some very committed and exciting folk who have been involved in the drama of the raid and the aftermath. Our decision to make this trip came as a result of a seven week study of the immigration issues during Lent of this year during which we looked at where we or our ancestors came from, the Bible as the Immigration handbook, DVDs on the subject, NAFTA, immigration laws over the past 100 years +, and what is happening now in immigration reform. We were deeply moved by the way people and churches faced the challenge of the immigration raid on the Kosher meat processing plant in Postville late last year. Their efforts to help the women and children left behind and suffering from the harassment and their work with the nine witnesses from Guatemala who have been detained for five months and now await the trial and are deeply in debt. The emotional cooperation between the churches and with in the community was very inspiring. We urge others to learn about these people and the undocumented workers and work for immigration reform just as we intend to do. If you are interested in taking a two to three day delegation yourself, please contact Rev. Mike Mulberry, mmulberry@gmail.com or call him at 815-234-8777.

Visit to Postville, Iowa On December 2, 2008 I was one of about 15 ministers and lay people from Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota who participated in a delegation to Postville, Iowa. Many of us had experienced delegations to Guatemala, Chiapas and to the US/Mexico border area to listen to people testify to the concrete experience of oppression. The delegation to Postville, Iowa, allowed us to listen to people speak directly about their experience of the ICE raid of May 12, 2008. That raid was focused on the workers at AgriProcessors, a large Kosher slaughter and meatpacking facility in Postville. It rounded up hundreds of workers. If you Google "postville raid" there is a lot of information about the specific numbers and details of the raid. ( The Washington Post story ) What was even more interesting to our faith based group was to do a sort of "pastoral visit" where by our willingness to come to those affected, hear their stories and to pray with them we were assuring them that they are not forgotten, and that they are loved by God. We were doing the same sorts of things that we do when we visit one of the members of our respective parishes when they are in the hospital or have suffered some sort of family tragedy. In this case it was a tragedy inflicted by employees of our government. We met with Fr. Paul Ouderkirk and Paul Rael at St. Bridgets Church in Postville. We were also able to meet with a group of Guatemalan persons who were studying for their GED in the parish hall. With the aid of skilled, bilingual members of our delegation we were able to hear the accounts of these women and to express our concern. (Here is a message from Fr Paul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whdEcBToMBs ) We had lunch with Rev. Gary Catterson, pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Postville. Gary had a group of Guatemalan Evangelicals who met at his church on a regular basis on Sunday afternoons until the raid removed the leadership of the church. The Evangelical group had up to seventy-five participants and had gathered for the last several years. In the afternoon we drove over to Decorah, Iowa, where we learned from Rev. Matthew Perkins of Community United Church of Christ of Decorah about how the Decorah Area Faith Coalition have stepped up to aid individuals and churches in Postville who have suffered the consequences of the raid. The most poignant interviews of the day were with men who were first imprisoned, and then have been released with ankle bracelets with global positioning transmitters which they must wear. This last photo is of our delegation, taken at Community UCC in Decorah.

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