Chau from Latvia! Week Four

It was so hard leaving Tervete last week, but God has really blessed our team. This week was such an amazing week. First, we returned to the Jelgava orphanage where we started out, so it felt good to see all of the familiar faces. We really missed the kids there. We also got to experience a lot of Latvian cultural traditions because we celebrated a holiday called Janis. We went camping with the Jelgava Baptist church Friday and Saturday. There was singing, games, a talent show, a fashion show, lots of food, bible studies and history lessons, a scavenger hunt, a bon fire, and some other fun traditions. We stayed up until 6 a.m. the next morning!

God really revealed himself to us during this celebration because we arrived only knowing about three people, but we felt like they were family almost immediately. Love really is a universal language! Thank you once again for all of your prayers. It becomes more and more evident everyday how God is working through us to pursue and fight for his children.

I want to share a letter with you from one of the girls at the orphanage that we have developed an intimate friendship with. She has been hanging out in our room a lot and has gone to church with us twice.
"Dear Summer, That was unique to hang out with you! Thanks for praying over me. I am praying for you too. You are so sweet and I am crazy in love with you! I especially enjoyed the nights when we would get some bible stories. That was really good for me. I love them. I have been devoting everything to God especially in these two weeks. I love Him with all one's might and heart! . . . I especially enjoyed the night we did hair and nails and then in church . . . I love you very much . . .”

We have been covering this place with prayer and God's word. These kids have nobody to fight for them, so we must! Thanks, see you soon!

Summer Shaw

Hola from Guatemala! Week Four

This past week has been hard but so good. We spent the majority of our time at Elisa Martinez boys' orphanage. If I had to sum up this week in as few words as possible, I would say "heart change." It was incredible seeing the interns' change of heart as the week progressed. After hanging out with the boys on Sunday, most were worried about really being able to connect with them in the coming days and about the anger they showed towards each other. By the end of the week we didn't even want to leave the boys that we had gotten to know so well, and the boys didn't seem to be fighting as much.

Here's a sweet picture of how God has been moving at Elisa Martinez: A boy named Lester got to leave the orphanage and go home at the end of the week. Despite how awesome that was, he told one of the translators that this had been the best week of his life because he accepted Christ as his Savior! Yay!!!

A lot of things broke my heart this week too. One day my group took prayer requests with the boys, and a little guy named Mario asked us to pray that his dad would miss him. I loved being at the boys' home, and I'm excited that we will get to go back there for an afternoon next week. For our last week here, we'll be at Manchen girls' orphanage with Park Cities Baptist Church.

Buna from Romania! Week Three

Last week, Jamie and Hannah both recuperated very quickly, so they were able to go to Leaganul (the baby orphanage) on Thursday and Friday. Some of the babies and toddlers there are quite healthy, and we were able to play with them and take them on walks - so much fun!

This week began a more straining schedule for us - traveling over an hour to and from the orphanages, working with two different groups a day. We were so excited about this new schedule though, because we had been feeling like we could be doing more with our time. Our focus this week (and for the rest of the trip) will be on teenage girls, leading discussions on various aspects of temptation. It requires much more preparation time than planning Bible stories, crafts, songs, and games, but I am so excited about it! Discussing this topic with them opens up a lot of other doors to share the roots of our faith. We also realize that there are a lot of temptations that these girls face every day in orphanage life, that they may not know how to handle.

Our fourth member of the team, Kelsey, will be joining us on Thursday night. We are so excited about meeting her! I'm sure that she will add a lot to our team and our ministry.

Please keep praying for the Holy Spirit to guide us in everything we do - it is then that the love Christ has for these girls can be truly reflected in us.

So much more to say, so little internet time to say it! :)

In Doamne's hand,
Sara

Chau from Latvia! Week Three

We joined the Tate Springs team from Dallas in Tervete this past week. The kids there were so amazing and loving. We absolutely fell in love with all of them, and it is obvious God is at work there. We really learned the meaning of God's grace. I just want to give you a taste of their sweet spirits.

One boy, Edmunds, didn't come around until about mid-week, but he wrote me this note. "Hi Vasara (Summer), I was very happy that you came to us and gave us your love. Every evening you just hugged us and taught us something new. Thank you for just loving us, and I am very happy that you were honest with us. The best thing was that we could pray to God together. Don't worry be happy."

Also, a 15 year old boy named Janis really got attached to me and Jon. We got to go upstairs at night and tuck the kids in bed, sing them songs, and tell them bedtime stories. Janis decided to tell us a story last night. He said, "There was a boy named Janis who met a girl named Summer and a guy named Jon. They moved to America and lived in a big summer house with lots of food and a pool in the backyard."

God really broke our hearts for these kids. It was so hard to leave. I want to ask you to pray for one of the boys. His name is Andris and he is 17. He held on so tight to Jon and just kept telling us that he would miss us so much and would not be there next year. He has to leave the orphanage that he has lived in for 8 years. Just pray that God will give him hope and protection.



In His Grip,

Summer Shaw

Jambo from Kenya! Week Three

Today we have worshiped for the second time with the BCC church and congregation. As usual, it is a lively experience. There is lots of singing, dancing, and laughter throughout the service. Everyone-visitor or member is treated as family once they walk through the door. I imagine that heaven will be the same way in a more glorified manner. In Africa, God's presence seems so much more available-not that He never isn't. But I guess here, we're not afforded the distractions of cell phones, internet, busyness, work, etc. to cause us to miss the sweet communion with our Lord and Savior. You can't help but to slow down and take the time to just breathe Him in! Thank the Lord that here in Kenya our brothers and sisters know how to relax and take it easy! Anything and everything that needs to get done will, so what's the hurry? I realize I have a long way to go to slow down, but I do strive to simplify my life while making sure the things I do have meaning. Anyway, today I did sing a song called Perfect Praise in front of the whole church. Talk about SCARY! But I said, "Lord, You did not give me the spirit of fear-so here goes! I hope you enjoy!" That was the greatest feeling-to sing and give back to them a song, as they have given so many beautiful ones to us while we've been here. Plus, I'm all about stepping out of my comfot zones-makes life much more exciting to see what God will do! They enjoyed the song-so that was good! God is my AWESOME FATHER and I love Him so much! Psalm 8:1
Your Sister! k

Hola from Guatemala! Week Three

I can't believe we're halfway done with our trip already. This week we haven't had a church team here so the schedule has been very different. We spent one morning at a community home, and the kids there were hilarious. They love to dance, and it made me happy to see the joy in their faces as these preschoolers danced and did cartwheels to Spanish pop music.

Each afternoon a small group of girls from the transitional home (ages 14-18) came to our Buckner casa, and we got to read through Scripture together and discuss the topic of temptation. It was awesome getting to pray with them and get to know the girls.
We spent a couple of mornings painting the outside walls of Buckner's new baby home.

On Thursday afternoon the interns got to surprise the girls at Manchen. We stopped by and brought them lunch from Pollo Campero which was a big treat to them. It was awesome seeing their faces again and a blessing to see their excitement.

On Friday morning we left at 6 a.m. to hike up a volcano in Antigua called Pacaya. It was an amazing experience, and God's creation is incredible. We got within feet of lava, saw breathtaking views, and got a good workout hiking up.

Northpark Church from Abilene, TX arrived late Thursday evening so we're starting to get to know them. We went with them to Manchen on Friday and also spent today with Northpark Church, Celeste, Susy, and Gabbi from the transitional home. Next week we'll be at a boys' orphanage called Elisa Martinez.

It's amazing being here in Guatemala. The people are precious. So many different emotions flood me each day- so much joy overwhelms me when I see familiar faces at Manchen; there's so much heartache when I hear some of the orphans' pasts; so much encouragement from listening to and just getting to watch other interns with the kids; so much awe when I see all that God has done and is doing here. Thanks for praying for us.
~ Holli

Zdravstvuyte from Russia! Week Two

TEARS -- Today was our last day in our first orphanage (Volkhov, Russia). The littlest kids acted out a fairy tale for us and little Sasha (he’s four) was in it. He was adorable. He played a dog so he had a little tail sewn to his pants. I stayed with the little kids for a little bit and helped them get dressed to go outside. I took a few kids to the sandbox once they were dressed and we pretty much stayed outside the rest of our time there. When it was time to go get all of my stuff together to leave, I did just fine. I went back outside with all of my stuff and some of the group was starting to say goodbye. I held it together pretty good even seeing some of the girls crying. We started walking down the path toward the street to catch the bus and ALL the kids started following us and coming with us to the bus stop. It was horrible. Everyone was crying. I finally had to struggle to hold back the tears when all the babies started yelling Dasvedanya (goodbye) from the sandbox. Knowing that I will never see little Sasha again and knowing that he doesn’t understand why we’re leaving and that we’re not coming back, breaks my heart. At this point I was miserable. But me being my usual self, I wouldn’t allow myself to cry. The caregivers and director thanked us so much for all we had done for their kids. It was really sad to leave.

Earlier today I pulled aside Peter and Andrei (two of the greatest kids in the world) and had Yan (our translator) talk with them. I love those boys so much and they have so much potential. I love them both.

The worst part of leaving was leaving Peter and Andrei. As we went across the street to the bus stop, I couldn’t bring myself to look at them. I felt so sorry, as if I had failed them in some way and knowing that everyone in their lives has walked out on them. I had so many tears that wanted to come out, but I just would not let myself cry. I just didn’t know what to do with my emotions.

The girls in our group were crying today, some more than others. But seeing the Russian kids cry so much is what broke me. Even some of the little boys were crying. One little boy yelled at his leader, “Can’t you take me with you?” Another little boy, who was so tiny and only six, had bonded so much with one of our girls. He was crying so hard. His caregiver had to hold him in front of her with her arms wrapped around him in comfort so that he wouldn’t come after us.

As our bus drove away some of the younger kids started to chase after us from the side of the road, yelling and waving goodbye. My tears filled up my eyes, but I only let a few fall.

It is only now that I am able to fully release all my emotions. As I am writing this, alone in the dark in my bed, that I cry out to God for comfort!

~Amanda

Buna from Romania! Week Two

Both of my girls - Jamie and Hannah - are still sick, and I've been showing the same early symptoms for about three days that they did when we first arrived here. We went to the doctor yesterday, and he told us to just keep taking the medicine we'd already started. Please continue to pray for our healing - it can be frustrating to be kept from the work we came to do, especially when our time is so limited here.

Thankfully though, this week we were scheduled to go to a baby orphanage, so it's not like we'll be disappointing children who were looking forward to our coming. I may be able to go later in the week with Anca - one of Buckner's full-time staff here - but it's looking like Hannah and Jamie will need the whole week to recuperate.

Hannah and I were well enough to go to church on Sunday morning, and it was amazing. Our interpreters helped us out on one of the sermons (there were three, though I think the first two were more like devotionals/short scripture readings), and it was so good. I don't know if the pastor knew we were coming, but one of the passages of scripture he used in one of the first devotional times was Psalm 19. The first four verses are what stood out to me: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." I have no idea what he talked about concerning this passage, but when reading along, my eyes were caught on this first part. I've been in such awe of the beauty that surrounds us here, and we've all talked about how God is so evident in His creation. Though we may not be able to communicate (in words) to the people here the glory of God, the whole earth is constantly declaring His awesomeness - in every language!

In Doamne's hand,
Sara

Chau from Latvia! Week Two

This week has been very busy for us here in Latvia. We have had VBS every morning, play time in the afternoon and planning at night. The kids keep us out until around 8 p.m. every night because it doesn't get dark until around 11 p.m. It has been so much fun! We have had a great time being creative and silly with the Bible stories. When we told the story of Joshua and the Israelites crossing the Jordan we made new words for three popular American songs: "I Love Rock and Roll," "Complicated” (Avril Lavigne), and "Rolling on the River” (Tina Turner). The kids loved it, and we even got to perform again at the youth service at the church that night. We have really connected with some of the kids, too. One girl in particular, Lola, joined us for our nightly devotional the other night. I stayed up talking with her until 2:30 a.m. She is a Christian and was just telling me what a blessing we have been in her life. She writes us little notes everyday telling us how much she loves us. There is no doubt God is moving in this place. Thank you for all of your prayers and love.

In His Grip,
Latvian Team

Jambo from Kenya! Week Two

This has been a good week! I was having difficulty deciding what to write about. Should I write about the fact that the three of us are learning the words to Dolly Parton's songs all the way in Africa, since our driver listens to her tape as we ride? Should I write about the many young children who run alongside the truck waving as we ride to the orphanage shouting greetings of "How are you? How are you?" Or should I write about the jokes our Kenya team leader gives us in the morning? For example, one of his jokes was, "Why was Eve never thirsty while she was in the Garden of Eden?" Being a DTS student, I was thinking all theologically and stuff -- bottom line, none of us came up with the answer! But for wondering minds, the answer to the riddle was, "Eve never became thirsty in the Garden of Eden, because she had A-dam!" Get it! A-dam/Adam! Talk about corny! It was fun! Lastly, I was wondering if I should write about how friendly and hospitable the people here are! We have so many invitations to other people’s houses for Sunday dinner and tea! We'll be there! This is my kind of country -- food and fellowship all the time! Well, that will be all for now! We will be seeing you soon!

~ Kanika

Hola from Guatemala! Week Two

This week has been spent in fellowship with Northside Baptist Church. We helped them with VBS and carnivals they planned for the orphanages, went with them to meet the First Lady of Guatemala, explored the city, shopped and ate meals together. It's hard to sum up this week in a few words, but the times my heart has felt most alive were definitely when we were with the orphans. I got to work with the special needs group at Manchen girls’ orphanage in Antigua for a few days, and those girls are so loving. They latch onto you as soon as you walk in the door. Giving hugs, holding hands, playing with their hair, dancing, hearing them sing, holding them when their feelings got hurt, getting to know them, laughing, and just sitting beside them are times that I will never forget. I've loved little moments: jumping around laughing so hard and yelling "pizza" with a girl named Maria as we waited for dinner (one of the few times we understood what the other was saying); when a sweet girl that can't speak named Ruth brushed my hair out of my eyes; when a tough girl named Elena smiled while I scratched her back and then started scratching mine; seeing how excited the special needs girls got as they dressed up in costumes for Bible story time; and watching the other interns love on the kids with all they have. On Thursday we went to a boys' orphanage, and seeing the conditions they live in each day hurt my heart. Despite the surroundings, God blessed me so much there. I met a boy named Eduardo, and he spent time trying to teach me Spanish words. He was so patient with me as I butchered pronunciations. Next week will be much different – we don't have a church team coming in, so we'll be spending time building relationships and leading Bible studies at the transitional girls' home. Thanks for all of your prayers, and we have an awesome God.

~ Holli

Zdravstvuyte from Russia!

Well, it’s been a crazy couple of days here in St. Petersburg! Within the first few hours of being in the country, one of our guys, Eric, busted his head open. Our translator, Lyena, and I took Eric to the clinic to get it looked over. I went back into the exam room with him and when the doctors came in, they wanted to know exactly how he did this to his head. After trying to explain that he hit his head on the skylight in the ceiling, they started laughing at him. I think something got lost in translation. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience and Eric ended up with four stitches. He’s doing fine and gets them taken out in a week, but it sure made for an interesting first day. Today will be our first day at an orphanage. I think everyone is a little nervous of the unknown, but really excited. Our group has been working together really well and I know things are going to be great today.
Yesterday morning I woke up for church and looked out the window to see a huge cruise ship sitting across the street! Someone had said that some ships dock around here, but I wasn’t expecting something that large to be outside my window! We are staying on Lieutenant Schmidt Street and across the street is the Neva River. There are many ships and boats of all sizes that dock along our street. We continually see Russian sailors walking around and men that work on the different kinds of boats.
Our first days in Russia have been very exciting. We can’t wait to spend time with the kids and get to love on them for a week.

~ Amanda

Buna from Romania!

I keep trying to come up with a clever first line, but it's just not coming to me. Oh well. Things are going wonderfully here; we definitely feel and see your prayers being answered from across the world!

In the mornings this week we've been working with children in a day center - a school for children from impoverished families who can't afford to send their children to regular school - and it is so encouraging. These children were very attentive, even during the Bible stories(which are where we tend to lose most kids in VBS). I really appreciated getting to see how the government is funding such a great program. Please pray for continued support, and the growth of this program and others like it. It's a good start, but they are always in need of things.

In the afternoons, we've been going to group homes - homes for special needs children. The "parents" that care of these kids do it in 8-hour shifts, so there's always someone awake to care for them. There are 12 kids in each home, so I'm sure it's a very tiring job. Please pray for those who are so willing to care for these children, whose deficiencies range from blindness to Downs Syndrome to severe physical/mental handicaps. Thank the Lord that they are so obedient in God's call for us to care for "the least of these."

Other things to be praying about - our team only has three people, and both of my girls have been a bit under the weather almost since we arrived. I know it's very difficult trying to adjust to a completely different environment, even when you're feeling just fine! So I know it's been tough on them. Please pray for their healing and rejuvenation. And it's been pretty cold and rainy all week, so prayers for warmer, sunnier weather would not be unwanted! :)

I know this was a long first post - multumesc (thanks) for all of the prayers!

In His hand,
Sara

Chau from Latvia!

We all arrived safely here in Latvia on Saturday. The trip went smoothly, and we had a warm welcome. We got settled into the orphanage in Jelgava on Saturday and started planning right away. The food is good and everyone is really nice. We have learned some basic words like chau (hello), ludzu (you’re welcome), and paldies (thank you). On Sunday, we attended a Latvian church service and sang some of our favorite songs in their language like “Amazing Grace” and “Open the Eyes of my Heart.” After the church service, we played all day outside with the kids. We loved it! We played our first real football (soccer) game. The kids enjoyed teaching us their games, helping us learn some Latvian words and showing us around the orphanage. It has been amazing so far, and we look forward to all God has planned for us here. The first day of VBS was today, and it was a little crazy but was fun. They really loved the balloons and the singing. We appreciate all of your prayers. Please keep praying for our strength and for God's message to reach the children's hearts.

In His Grip,
Summer Shaw

Jambo from Kenya!

Before leaving Dallas my mind was already fried! I was thinking about those things I wish I could have taken, should have taken, who I needed to call to tell them I was leaving, etc., etc, as was the case even when the three of us - Ande, Brooke and I arrived in Chicago. On top of that my backpack was weighing me down and my carry-on was "carrying me up a wall" since it was so heavy too! However, the Lord provided some peace for us momentarily as we walked around Chicago's airport waiting to connect to London. There in the midst of the sea of people from all over the world stood the most melodious group singing some good old-fashioned gospel music! It reminded me of the home that none of us will be seeing for a month. We just had to stop and listen! Their singing, joy and love for the Lord were obvious as others began crowding around them with us. I sang along and temporarily the physical weight of my bags left me and the joy of the Lord renewed my strength! Hallelujah! I don't know the name of the group, but I will always remember how they encouraged me that day and made moving a little bit easier.

~ Kanika

Hola from Guatemala!

Hola! Our team arrived safely in Guatemala Friday night after a fun, turbulent flight. We ate McDonald's for dinner, and I got to order in Spanish for the first time in my life. We're starting to get settled into the Buckner home where all of us interns will be staying for the next month, and I'm so excited to get to know all of these amazing people's hearts. Today we met the Northside Baptist Church team from Atlanta that we'll be working with for the rest of the week. It was encouraging getting to hang out and visit with them for a little while. We went with the church team to the girl's transitional home. Going there was a blessing but also overwhelming. It was such a blessing listening to the church team encourage and pray over the girls, and I loved how much joy and humility fills those girls' hearts. The girls at the transitional home gave us a tour of where they live. I felt overwhelmed because my Spanish speaking abilities are lacking, but I know that God is so much bigger than language barriers, and I can't wait to continue forming relationships with these girls. While we were there, the girls and interns played "pato, pato, gonso" (duck, duck, goose), card games, danced, talked, and laughed together. I'm so thankful that we arrived here safely and that God is already stretching us so early into the trip.

~ Holli