Russia and Chile

The end of the road leads home!!!

2005-07-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

Families as you read this know that we are sitting in the Santiago airport waiting to get on a plane to the states. This past week has been fun, but I am on a time clock here pay by the 15 minutos so I will not go into detail. We had a fiesta last night that included dancing, presents, and TONS of Chilean food. It was so much fun and yet so sad. Coming home is bittersweet because we are coming home to our country and our families, but it seems like we are leaving a family here and that is no fun. Thank you for all the prayers and we will see everyone in a few days.

Dios Le Bendiga,
Rebekita

2005-07-23T03:25:00.000-05:00

Late yesterday afternoon, we were sitting around Moscow trying to decide what to do with our last few days in Russia. On the spur of the moment, we decided to go to St. Petersburg. So, after going to two different train stations, we managed to get tickets for 2 a.m. that night. We packed light - a jacket and a toothbrush - and got on the train at 2. This time we didn't have beds. We spent the whole 8 hours sitting upright trying to get some sleep. When we got to St. Petersburg, we spent the day sightseeing. First we went to the corps for a quick look around. Then we walked to see Paul's castle (the grandson of Peter the Great), the Cathedral of the Spilt Blood (built of the site where Alexander II died), the Winter Palace, and visited the Hermitage. We got to go on a tour of the Gold Room and see all sorts of decorations and jewelry from all sorts of time periods. We spent a few hours walking around the Hermitage looking at the artwork. It was really amazing, but we would need about a week to see everything there. That evening we took a bus/boat tour around the city and arrived back at the train station just in time for our 10:30 train back to Moscow. This time we were in a better situation - nice beds and a meal. We got back to Moscow at 6 a.m., had breakfast at our hotel, and took a nap before heading off to DHQ. Today we plan to hang out with homeless kids and spend our last evening with the Worthingtons, a family that works at THQ. Tomorrow we will go to the Lublino corps before starting the journey home in the afternoon.

This will probably be the last post I write in Russia. We have had a great time here and will be sad to leave those we have met. On the other hand, it will be great to come home and see everyone.

Beslan camp experiences

2005-07-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

Hello again from the Russia team! Don't worry - we're all still alive and well. Sorry for not updating - we've had no way of getting on the internet. We're back in Moscow for a few days before we return home. A lot has happened in the past two weeks at the camp for the Beslans.

We took a two-hour plane to the camp. There were just over 30 people on staff from the Salvation Army. We all travelled together on the plane and then the bus to arrive at the camp on the Black Sea. The rest of the staff was made up of about 30 people from a program called Living Waters. Because the two groups had to work together to run the camp, and because the two groups have very different approaches, there were some difficult times and not everything flowed smoothly.

Apart from the staff, the camp was made up of about 90 kids of all ages and about 30 adults. A lot of them had been directly affected by the school hostage situation in Beslan - whether by being in the school at the time or loosing family or friends - which made it hard for those on staff who spoke Russian and could communicate with the campers. We had a trauma counsellor on staff who walked us all through a bunch of seminars on how to deals with situations that could have come up.

Those who came to camp from Beslan were Assetian. This is a whole people group with their own beliefs, superstitions, customs, and dances. Watching them do their national dance was amazing - they look so graceful and proud when they dance. One day some of the women baked some Assetian pies for the staff. They always make an odd number of pies (in this case three) in order not to offend their superstition/religion. A lot of the people there were Christian, but I think that most if not all are new believers. Some of the kids came to Christ during the camp.

We were on the activites staff for the camp - planning & doing games. We also helped plan the night programs and basically helped out anywhere we were needed. For the first few days Justin and Kirstin were councellors for the older boys and girls. However, the language barrier made it very difficult for them and they finally had to step down. We helped out in the dining room putting food on the tables and setting up for the meals. To be honest, the food wasn't very good. We had a variety of porriage stuff for breakfast, mush and mystery meat for lunch and dinner. We ate A LOT of bread with butter and cheese, plums, and tea. It's wonderful to be back in the city where we can feel full again.

During the camp we went to the beach once or twice a day. As you can imagine, we are all very tan and fortunately not very sunburnt. One day the whole camp went to a water park. It wasn't like the ones back home, but there were water slides and a lazy river...and food vendors, so we snuck in a meal of shashlik (meat on a stick). By the way, the ice cream here is really good and really cheap. We eat a lot of it, especially when we're with Edik, who always suggests stopping for some whenever we pass a store.

We made a lot of friends on the staff during the camp and also some friends among the campers. All of us stayed in rooms with the kids, so we learned useful words: I want sleep, good night, close the door, where's the key. On the whole, everyone was really great. The older girls would invite us to sit with them and drink tea at night, the younger girls adored Bonnie, and some of the other people on the team picked up their own admirers as well.

That is just a broad idea of what our camp experience was like. It was very hard, the days were long, we sometimes got frustrated, sick, and tired, but I think that at the end, we felt good about contributing to a couple of weeks in the lives of the Beslans. Thank you for all your prayers. We're praying for you, Chile team!

Chile week 5!

2005-07-17T20:13:00.000-05:00

Ok so it has finally hit home. This is the start of our last week in Temuco NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! This past week has been a rather interesting one. Not as interesting as the last post, but you know fun. I am two weeks behind on my journal so I have to think extremely hard about this post and everything that has happened this week.

Monday, We started our preparational meetings for Escuala la Biblica Vaccaciones AKA: Vacation Bible School with Tia Blanca. We just brain stormed ideas and she was so excited that we had bought a spanish VBS kit in the states because they are too expensive here to purchase. Any officers who feel it in their hearts to send old VBS spanish material here it would be greatly appreciated. We had no manual labor today except that the shelves needed to be painted in the vegetable storage room so Jacob and Jeremy did that. The rest of us went out and picked up trash around the neighborhood it was so much fun people were so excited to see us picking up trash. We also went to visit one of the ladies that came for the food give out two weeks ago. She was really sweet we brought church to her. Later that night we went and hung out at Tia Blanca¨s for dinner and a movie. We watched Anastasia without color, it brought back a lot of memories.

Tuesday, The boys once again worked on the roof. The girls went to Lider to buy torta ie:cake for the girls. We had everyone¨s birthday party that night. It was so much fun we ordered pizza which was 2 for 1 and some of the girls had never even seen pizza before. We then had cake and gave them presents. We gave them necklaces and glow bracelets the girls had so much fun with the bracelets and were turning the lights off dancing with them. It was a lot of fun. I did a devotional about how they are special to God and he knew when they would be born and that they are children of the king.

Wednesday, we the girls had to finish painting the borders in some of the hallways so now I can officially say praise God we are done painting. The boys had the joy of starting the roof until it started to rain and they came down. Jacob fell through the roof and put a big hole in the girls bathroom ceiling. Just his leg fell through not his whole body, but all the girls and Tias said QUE PASO!!!! ie:WHAT HAPPENED! The girls had home league and we learned about hemmoroides what fun what fun. Oh the joys of home league. That night we learned our new timbrel drill David¨s Dance. It was a long day, but a fun one.

Thursday, We worked in the morning the boys on the roof. Kally and I went to the Doctor she was my translater. I have this mysterious rash on my arm and he said that it was an allergic reaction to a bug bite, it is not contagious, but it will more than likely spread. After lunch Major and Captain took us to the Vaolcanoe because it was a nice day. We were speeding up a dirt road in the 15 passenger van slipping and sliding across the road when all of the sudden we got stuck in the snow and ice what fun. We all got out of the van and a group of Chileans had a 4 wheel drive with a wrench and about an hour later we were on our way. We had Bible study that night and got home about 5 min before it started. Major talked about why we should Pray.

Friday, the boys worked again on the roof, while the girls painted and colored the decorations for Vacation Bible school. With the help of the girls from the home we got the decorations done and put up in the chapel. Some of the girls started to leave today so that they could go home on vacation so they will not be here when we leave. We cried and it was hard to say goodbye.That night Jacob, Kally, and Matt went to Tio Davids church to see a special guest singer. Nina, Jeremy, and I stayed and went to Youth night which was an explanational meeting about their upcoming Youth Councils. Afterwards, we went out to give out hot milk and bread to the homeless downtown. We parked on the train tracks and just walked around the poorer section of town screaming hello and hoping that people would come out. We met a lot of people and there was one family that invited us in and I fell in love with there daughter. She came running after me when we left. It was such a blessing to see everyone and just talking to them. At the very end of giving out milk there were two drunk guys that wanted some milk. They could speak some english so they were trying to talk to us in english. One of the guys told me how beautiful I was and wanted to buy me a beer, I told him Thank you for the offer, but I don¨t drink. I really enjoyed giving out the milk.

Yesterday, our day off we just spent hanging out. We practiced for our special numbers in the early afternoon, and then we went to the centro to see Los Cuatro Fantasticos ie: The fantastic four. It was fun. Afterwards we were invited to dinner at the pastors house of Tio David¨s church. We were fed so much food Hamburgers, tacos, hot dogs, empanadas, pizza, cookies, green beans oh my goodness the food just kept coming and coming it never seemed to stop. The family was so amazingly sweet they told us that anytime we come back to stop in and visit them. They also told us to come back during the summer and they will take us to their cabin to hang out. We stayed and talked until about 11:00 pm then we decided it was time to get going home.

Today, We had church it was really good. Kally preached in Spanish she did a great job. Tonight was the farewell for the General Secretaries they are moving to Brazil to become the tropical divisions Divisional Commanders. We performed Davids Dance timbrel drill which was completely amazing. Afterwards we had torta and cafe. The day was once again amazing and a lot of fun.

Well one week left. It is really sad to think about it. We are all doing well. Please pray for VBS this week it should be a good week. Pray that Kally gets her passport before we leave or else she will be hanging out in Chile. We love you all and will be home next week. Love you all bunches.

Dios Le Bendiga,
Rebekah

Matt Trantham, 2nd letter

2005-07-10T22:49:00.000-05:00

Well, things are going well, its hard to believe we´ve been here so long, I´ve almost forgot what the states are like. My first trip out of the country has been an awesome one, the officers here are so awesome and I can´t wait to eat every meal with them every day. The food has been great, the fellowship has been great, and everyone on the team is growing in different areas of their spiritual lives. I can say that this past week God broke me a little more, throughout our experience of being robbed. My favorite, first ever study bible was taken. It was given to me by my first corps officers captains paul and deanna gilliam, and has been the most prized possession i´ve ever had. Since I¨ve only been an outspoken Christian for about 5 years, though I grew up in a Christian home, I´ve had that bible and had taken it into battle quite often. To lose it was truely hard for me to handle. But luckily I have a back up while I´m here, I only understand half of it though, half spanish half english. This past week I gave the lord 2 huge things that had been hindering my spiritual growth, and I would like to thank all of you who are praying for us and especially for me because those prayers have been answered in my life this week. I´ve begun to take thoughts captive everyday, and give every day to the lord, and it´s amazing to see what God does when you live a life of submission to him everyday. I look forward to the last 2 weeks, and can´t wait to see what he has in store for us. Thank you family and friends so much,
Love and prayers,
Matt Trantham

Chile Week 4!

2005-07-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well, this week has come to an end and I am sitting in front of a computer past 10:00 pm with blurry eyes and a very exhausted body. This week has been more than memorable to say the least. We learned a lot from God he taught us more than our share of things this week.

Monday, The 4th of July will be one that I will never forget. We painted until lunch once again the girls inside the boys outside this time though the boys had to climb on the roof and lean over it to paint bits and pieces that they could not reach. They stated that it was the scariest thing, I was just glad that it was not me. After lunch we changed clothes and got into uniform because we were heading off to a town in the South called Baldivia. The Divisional Commanders, Major, and the team were special guests to the Baldivia Corps one year anniversary coronation service of their day care program. The band was asked to perform and we did a good job. The program was so adorable the kids performed and they had a Royal Court. Afterwards we had dinner at the Corps officers apartment attached to the Corps. We had cake to celebrate the fourth of July. The cake I kid you not instead of having like cake in between the icing it was sugar it was interesting to say the least. We returned to the van and all got in prepared to leave when we realized that some of our stuff was missing. We had been ROBBED. Kally had her backpack taken which had her passport in it, Jacob had his CD player and all his CD´s taken, Matt had his backpack stolen and his study Bible which has been really hard on him. The funny thing was that Matt had some wet tighty whities in his bag from the hotsprings last Saturday.Oh and all of our jackets were taken and they took my pillowcase to put it all in. They were nice enough to atleast leave the pillow. We ´prayed for them while at the police station filling a report. At least they were now warm, had food, had drink, had Christian music, and had a Bible.

Tuesday some of us were bumming while the rest of us just realized how truly blessed we are. We painted again today and then Major took us into the Centro to replace the stuff that was stolen and for Kally to get passport pictures taken so that she could file for another passport to get her home. She said that her parents would die if she were stuck down here. We had Bible study that night and it was good as usual just very intense.

Wednesday, we painted again but guess what WE ARE THROUGH PAINTING IT IS ALL FINISHED. WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The girls had home league and that was an experience and a half to say the least. We had a relaxation day where we had partners and massaged them and rubbed all over them it was interesting to say the least. The tea that day was way ridiculous we were given 4 different cakes, a sopapilla, and a cheese sandwhich. I ate my sopapilla which are amazing by the way and the ladies commented on how they could tell by looking at my face that I had lost weight. They then went on to say that my mom would not like to see that I have lost weight because she would think that I was not being fed well down here. So the ladies then gave me more food to eat which I didn´t eat because I was full. I want to lose weight and I think my mom would be very happy that I had. Kally left at midnight on a bus to go to Santiago to file for a new paasport with the US Embassy she was very excited to be seeing other Americans she could not wait to get their.

Thursday, we were off we were supposed to go to the Centro to hand out War Cry´s, but it was pouring down rain so Major told us to take a break. We did some shopping and went on a visitation that afternoon to Maria Theresa´s house our translator and her Mom. We had a mini service at her house and almost were eaten by her dogs. We had Bible Study that night and Major did a great job.

Friday, we went to the centro this morning to hand out war crys and tell people ¨God Bless You.¨ Here they have a big Salvation Army costume that is a shield with a head it was the funniest thing and Jeremy wore it throughout downtown. It was very nice to see ppeople smile and reading the war crys and tracks that we were handing out. Nina and I called it our ¨Jesus Juice¨ it really was a lot of fun and I can not wait to go again. We had youth meetings that night it was a fun night. We had a devotional thought about loving who you are and not wanting to be someone else because God made you who you are. Then we played games we played hospital where you have a partner and you call out things from the ïnfirmary¨ basically it is a different version of upset the fruit basket. The games were a lot of fun then we had a surprise party for Hans it was his 18th birthday so we had cake and snacks. The day was really a lot of fun.

Yesterday we went to the Pacific ocean which was gorgous. You climb this big sand dune and just see miles upon miles of untouched beach. We were in such awe of God and his creation we just had a good time in God. That night we went to play soccer against Tio David´s church and lets just say that these Chilean boys don´t mess around with soccer they are in it for blood. The girls were told we couldn´t play because it is a ¨MAN´S Sport¨ I was upset at first until I saw the soccor ball get kicked into the goalies face and he was readjusting his jaw thats when I realized I was happy to be a girl. Hans and GianCarlos came to play on our team with us thank goodness, but I do have to say that our boys could play some soccer. Our day off all in all was a great day.

Today was amazing as usual. Morning Worship was cool we performed ¨Ven Espiritu Ven¨this morning our mime and Matt preached about submission. Jeremy painted while the service was going on and it turned out amazing as usual. This afternoon we all just chillaxed. Matt slept because he was up until 3 am finishing his sermon. Then the night program was amazing. They had an enrollment service of Giancarlos, Hans, and Hermana Aurora it was beautiful. They signed their covenants at the altar and then they picked someone who means a lot to them to put their epaulets on them. Kally and I got emotional. The D.C. spoke tonight and it was amazing. The alatar was lined and to have someone pray with you even though you do not know the language is amazing. I love coming to church here on Sundays it is such a powerful gut wrenchiung thing and a true Holy Spirit shaker.

This week started out pretty bad, but we made the best out of a bad situation. We made lemonade cause life gave us lemons. We hope that our families are doing well. We are doing well, a few of us are homesick and can´t wait to get home others like me don´t ever want to leave. Well, goodnight all. Know that we are thinking about you. Oh yeah and mom everyone says thanks for the cookies and brownies especially the American flag ones. They loved them and were so happy to be eating a piece of America. Love you to all our friends and families.

Dios Le Bendiga,
Rebekah

happy 4th of July!

2005-07-04T07:29:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Russia team! And, as we've been told several times today, congratulations! it's independance day! We're spending today at the Caldwell's apartment, relaxing and eating food we can recognize - spaghetti, cherries, strawberries. Wednesday we fly out with a larger group to the Black Sea to prepare for the Beslan camp. Tomorrow we're doing some more sightseeing and packing our bags.

Thursday we visited a hospital and handed out food. The hospital was very small. The girls and guys divided up and visited the male and female patients seperately. Communication was very difficult, but both the girls and the guys had someone with them who could speak the language. While they didn't do much translating, at least there was someone there to offer some encouragement and words of hope. The Taganka corps officer came and did a devotional. Later that evening we went to the Lublino corps officer's house (Ulia). Some of our Russian friends were there as well and we had a good time hanging out, eating pizza, and looking at pictures.

Friday we ended up watching the cadets' kids. We were going to split up, some of us continuing the works we had been doing at the Lublino corps, but in the end we all stayed together. There were two little kids. We played with them in the park and then went up to their apartment for lunch (which was borsh). The three older kids were awake by then and after a while we took them out to a different park and taught them to play red rover. The game was made interesting by the appearance of three drunk guys who found us highly entertaining and began shouting at us. It began to rain and so we spent some time ducking into bus stop shelters and looking for a cafe. We finally found a place and had some pastries and things like that. We took the kids back to DHQ and they played ping pong while we had a band practice. Because of a miscommunication, Justin and Luba (one of our Russian friends) ended up taking the kids back home.

Saturday was commissioning. Earlier in the day we ran through some songs to play before the meeting and while the first year cadets marched in. We had lunch at Friday's and raced back in time for the 1:00 meeting. There were two meetings that day. The first was the actual commissioning service. Most of it was translated and Commissioner preached in English, so we knew what was going on. The meeting was small and not nearly as grand as ones in the Southern territory, but everyone took it seriously, and the joy on the faces of the newly commissioned officers was wonderful to see. They have worked hard and know their stuff - during the meeting they all got up and recited all of the doctrines. The second meeting was like a talent show. The cadets sang and performed skits, songs - both serious and funny. The kids even had their own presentations: a song and a Georgian dance. That night after dinner the five of us (Justin and Jaron were spending the weekend at their parents' hoouse) walked around a mall and amusing ourselves.

On Sunday the meetings were held at DHQ. During the 11:00 meeting, some of us played with the kids. They liked our crafts, but the language barrier was hard to get over. It's harder to make yourself understood without using words (or using very few words) when dealing with little kids. We had lunch at a place across the street with some of our Russian friends and Edik, Olga, and their kids. The second meeting was when the new officers recieved their diplomas. We played for the preliminaries and during the meeting we sang and tried to remember the words to the hymns which we knew. When the meetings ended, we went souvinier shopping with Captain Caldwell, and afterwards he took us out to eat. Two of our Russian friends, Luba and Dan, joined us and then hung out at the hotel with us.

And that brings the blog up to date! Time to go and eat apple crisp and enjoy the day off! Dasvidanya!

Chile week 3!

2005-07-03T20:23:00.000-05:00

Hola! Wow another week come and gone it seems like time is just flying down here and I really am not ready to think that it is going to be over soon. This week has been an amazing one.

On Monday, The girls cooked for the Montes´ a good old American breakfast we cooked french toast and bacon. The Captain who is a semi health nut ate 4 pieces of french toast and wanted more. They loved it so we taught them how to make it when we leave.Later that morning Major and the family took us to the National Park here in Temuco it is a mountain that has look out points that over look the city. The Mapuchi Indians that are natives in Chili meet there every 24 of June to celebrate their New Year, so there are humongues wooden carved statues at the park. The entire ambiance of the park was amazing. The view was gorgeous. After we got back to the girls home we played with the girls until bed time.

Tuesday, we painted everyone was on the roof.and it started to rain and was gusty we almost fell a couple of times and David our supervisor told us to stay up there and finish. After we were done painting for the day we had Bible study that night. It was a good lesson.

Wednesday, We guess what Painted again! We are enjoying painting though because the girls face and the Tia´s that work here were in tears when talking to us about what we are doing. The girls painted inside and the boys were once again on the roof in the rain and they said to tell you Joy that are jackets aren´t waterproof. So we painted all day which was fun. Well, the boys painted all day the girls were invited to Home League and it was AWESOME! We had so much fun. They had a special guests of two nurses talking about Osteoporosis and then they had a prayer meeting, after the prayer meeting they enjoyed tea and bread, and then we were taught a dance that we were to perform on Sunday. We really enjoyed ourselves and can not wait until Wednesday of this week.

Thursday morning we painted once again the girls downstairs the boys on the roof and once again it was raining. Later that afternoon Major took us to a Mapuchi Indians mueseum and house that we could see how they live. Major Montes wants the division to set up an outpost in the countryside where the Mapuchi tribe lives. They are an interesting community of people, we really learned alot. When we got back there was about an hour before we had Bible Study so we played with the girls until then. During Bible study Major talked about who we are and we need to realize that we are children of God. He is a really good teacher and preacher. We enjoyed ourselves very much.

Friday, the boys painted which was fun for the girls. The Major and David had to buy more paint for the inside of the house so we were free until they returned home. The boys were painting outside of our window so we were having good conversations with them. David finally returned back at noon and said that because the girls got home at one we were not going to paint inside. He then escorted us to the back of the house and we were to sweep off the wall and then scrape the paint off while the boys got to rest. That afternoon we had a food mission where needy families from around Temucco come and receive food and flour. There was about 20 or so families that came to get food. Then some of our team members halped take the food to peoples houses. It was really cool.We had Youth night that night which Juan Carlos was in charge of so we played games which was so much fun. We played something like don´t pass the fruit but with a keychain and sticks. Whoever was caught with it 3 times had to give a valuable possession up at the end of the game we had to do something to earn our possession back. I had to sing and dance so I sang I´m a little teapot. It was a lot of fun.

Saturday we slept in which was great. We went to the Centro ie: the center of town. So, the girls could shop which was a lot of fun for the girls. The boys except Jacob stayed back at the girls home because shopping is not their forte.The girls were in heaven. I bought so much stuff which was awesome. We then went to the movies to see War of the Worlds which was pretty good. It was a lot of fun to be away for the day and eating junk food. Nina finally got her ice cream that she has been craving since we got here. All in all it was a great day of rest.

Today we had a good service. I preached and it was interesting to have a sermon translated. We were in charge of singing two english choruses in Sunday School we sang I´ve got the Joy, Joy Down in my heart. We had a hard time singing I´ve got the wonderful love of my blessed reedeemer way down in the depths of my heart. The kids loved it. We also sang It´s no longer I that liveth. We had a lot of fun and we celebrated Founder´s day which was a lot of fun. Tonights service was Candidates Sunday so it was a good service. Major talked about the call and how amazing it is to feel God´s power on your life. The Home League performed our dance number which was a lot of fun. This day was just a lot of fun and very powerful. They had the I´ll Fight speech on a poster that was hung up and in spanish which was a lot of fun to read.

All in all it has been a good week. Please keep on praying for us as well as our families so that we will not be that homesick. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day for some of us. It will be some of our first times away on The 4th of July in another country. Major said that he is going to take us to McDonald´s for dinner to celebrate and fireworks are banned so that is a true bummer. Anyways we love all of you and miss all of you bunches. Hugs and kisses to everyone. Also just a note Sundays are the only days I can post so all of you who are getting impatient I´m sorry. Have a great 4th of July all of you in the states. We love you all.

Dios Le Bendiga,
Rebekah

Moscow, Russia

2005-06-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

Hello again from the Russia team! Because we're in Moscow, the internet is much easier to access than othr places. Tonight we're spending some time in an internet cafe so we can check our email or play some games.
Yesterday was our sightseeing tour. A highlight was the Kremlin and going inside the Church of the Assumption - the really big, beautiful one that comes to mind when you think of Moscow, for those of you who can't picture it. Bonnie, Kirstin, Sarah, Edik and I went inside. Unfortunately, the guys couldn't go in as they were wearing shorts. It was a beautiful sight. Candles were lit in front of various icons, saints were laid to rest there....the ceiling arched up decorated with all sorts of murals and gold. The altar area had a huge circular gold-trimmed tower with pictures of saints and Jesus. The whole experience was very awe-inspiring. To think that we serve a God who can create such love and devotion in people as to inspire them to build such a beautiful place. The devotion and humility of those who went there to receive blessings was interesting to see as well. There is a devoutness in the ritualistic bowing, crossing, and kissing that really reminds me of the awesome, powerful side of God - not just his friendly side.
Flexibility is something that the whole team has learned by now. Our plans change daily and even several times during the day. We're here in Moscow until next Wednesday and then we go to the camp on the Black Sea for the Beslan refugees. We're there for about two weeks. During that time I'm not sure if there is internet access, so prepare yourselves for a lack in updates during that time.
Today we got to sleep in - we needed it. We do a lot of walking around here. Edik (our translater and guide for the summer) is a fast walker and never seems to tire, so once we go we don't stop. Yesterday he led us around the city. Today he tested us: we had to go from our hotel, onto the metro (highly confusing & all in Russian), and down the street to DHQ. We thought we were lost a couple of times and we had to run across a busy, multi-lane road, but we made it. Once there, one of the cadets who is a doctor checked some of us out as we're getting sick. Sore throats and sinus infections have four of us taking Tylonol and other medications. But not to worry - we're all doing pretty well and thankfully it's nothing more serious. We spent the afternoon at a place that one of the corps rents - basically two rooms with a hallway and a bathroom. It's full of stuff from the corps that's being stored. The place is in pretty bad repair but there are going to be children's programs there so it had to be fixed up. We donned work clothes and got to it. The guys were in the bigger room scraping a thick layer of dust off the ceiling and washing it. The girls were all in the tiny bathroom peeling the wallpaper off the wall. After a few hours we were finished so hopefully later this week we can be involved in some of the children's programs.
Because I have time I'll go back and fill in some things that I didn't have time to say in the last post. The tent camp last week was wonderful. Luckily there were quite a few people who knew some English, so we got to talk with people instead of talking through a translator. God was really present during that camp - in the beauty of the lake and the sky, in the songs that could be sung in English and Russian at the same time, in people's testimonies and even in their eyes. At the end of each day the whole camp gathered around the campfire. A candle was passed from person to person, each one speaking their thoughts on the day, what they felt and what they learned. Everyone was quiet, listening to what everyone had to say, only saying "thank you" when they finished. We made a lot of friends during that camp, some of whom we'll see again hopefully before we leave. One day we rented rowboats and went to see a monastry. Only half of the camp could go so the team stayed behind. The next day we rented the boats again and the rest of us rowed out, but because of the wind we couldn't get to the monastry. We saw a wooden chapel instead - beautifully carved, up on a hill. We got out and climbed the steps to see it (ignoring the "do not enter" sign). It was small but the view was great and we got to take a rest from rowing.
We appreciate all your prayers. There have been things that we couldn't have gotten through on our own strength, but God has been with us and continues to be faithful. Thanks for all of you who have left comments - it really means a lot to us!

finally in Russia!

2005-06-28T04:18:00.000-05:00

We're finally here in Russia! Because of a lot of different complications, it took us several days to get here. We were delayed in Miami overnight and we also got to spend a day in London. We spent the day walking around and riding the tube. Later in the day we met up with Kirstin's grandparents and had dinner with them. The next day we were on a plane to Frankfort and from there to St. Petersburg! We arrived there on Tuesday. After gathering our bags and going through customs, we were met and put on a small bus for the five hour ride to the tent camp. Because of the white nights, the sun didn't set until after mignight and only stayed down for a few hours. We arrived at the tent camp in the middle of the night and were greeted by some people to help us with our bags...as well as about a million vicious mosquitos. We dragged all our stuff down a dirt road and down a hill to the camp. When we woke in the morning, our camp life began. Up at 8am every day, bathing in the lake, chopping firewood, and slicing a whole lot of cabbage. In the afternoons we played games, played our instruments, and showed off our timbrel skills. By the time the camp ended on Sunday we had made a lot of friends, learned a little more Russian, and had a lot of memories to take with us. Yesterday was spent touring Novgorod. We visited a museum of Russian wood architecture and visited a monastry. Last night we took a train from Novgorod to Moscow. Hopefully the next time we go on a train we will have less luggage! For a lot of us it was our first time on a train...I (Lauren) was in a compartment with three Russians who helped me out a lot despite the language barrier. Today we are in Moscow and are spending the day sightseeing. Tomorrow our work begins - I believe we will be going to one of the corps around here.
Everybody on the team wants to say that they love and miss all of their friends and family back home. And of course we miss the Chile team - we're praying for you guys!

Matt Trantham personal post to friends and family!

2005-06-27T19:15:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

Thank you so very much for your prayers, they are helping me so very much. A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks and it´s hard to know what to say. The food is excellent and the officers here are wonderful. The girls here at the home are amazing, we are bonding so much with them and can´t wait for some decent weather to take them to the park. God is showing me many things everyday. The more I step out of my comfort zone here the more I am reminded of how big he really is. The language barrier isn´t too bad, sentences are starting to form and we all understand quite a bit. A word here or a word there, but we are getting by. I´m sorry for not calling anyone, but I´m trying to stay focused while I´m here and feel that I need a little seclusion from family and friends to hear what God is telling me. The work here is somewhat hard, but I love it. We´ve painted quite a bit, cleaned a lot, and have so much more to do. I continue to wait in anticipation to see what the Lord is going to do through us. Hoope everyone is having a great summer, til next time.

Love and Prayers,
Matt Trantham

Chile week 2!

2005-06-27T18:45:00.000-05:00

Wow, it is hard to believe that we started our third week here in Temucco and have less than a month here. It seems like we just got here yesterday. We have become so attached to the people and the girls of the home to even think that we are leaving soon brings tears to my eyes. This week has been a rather long and rainy one. We worked extremely hard painting the outside of the girls home downstairs and some inside the home.

We finished scrapping paint off on Monday and then started to paint. The boys were on the roof on top of ladders while the girls were elected to paint the courtyard area thank goodness. We painted all day and then hung out with the girls that night. Then a huge storm came in and it rained all night. It was Jeremy´s birthday so we threw him a surprise party and the girls sang happy birthday in english to him it was a lot of fun. Josh he says that he can´t wait to eat brownies with you when he gets home.

The paint from Monday had not had time to dry when the rain came so on Tuesday morning most of the paint had washed away and was puddled on the ground. We were not thrilled, but just laughed it off. It rained all day Tuesday so we painted under the roof for about 7 hours. We had Bible study that night, but before Bible study we went to Lider (AKA: Wal-mart on crack) There is a petstore and a dry cleaner as well as a complete department store in this place it is huge. We went to buy some groceries and stuff to make the officers french toast and bacon one morning. It was a fun trip.

Wednesday we re-painted what washed off on Monday night and spent another full day painting. It was some hard work, but the girls enjoy hanging out with us and taking our paint brushes to give us a break.

On Wednesday night it rained again once again before the paint had time to dry so when we came out on Thursday morning it was a little depressing to once again see our work washed down the drain literally. We once again painted all day and then we had Bible study that night with Major he re-capped what we talked about last week with the evangelism and how to reach out to the community.

Friday we scrapped paint off of windows and made the courtyard look pretty for a dedication service of the renovations to the girls home. The DHQ crew was going to be here so we had to make it look nice. Once again the steps were re-painted and once again it rained so God has a real funny sense of humor.The dedication service was nice and then we had snacks afterwards I felt like I was sitting in between a pack of wolves that had just had a slab of meat thrown on the table the girls were all over the snacks. They normally don´t get them so it was a treat for them it was a great afternoon. That night we went to one of the employees pentecostal church to worship with them. We performed a timbrel drill and the timbrel brigade from the home performed. They had a special guest missionary speaker and then they performed a play of Daniel and the lions den. The praise band had to be at least 10 people playing all different instruments it was an amazing night. Church started at 8:00 pm and did not finish until 11:30 pm which meant that we ate dinner that night at midnight. It was well worth it.

Saturday we went to the Hot springs that is natural water heated by the volcanoe it was so much fun. They had a canopy zip line which was a series of 6 zip lines 3 from one mountain to another and 2 of us including me are scared of heights. The third zip line was from one mountain to the next about 3000 feet long and about 500 feet off of the ground. I was one of the last to go and had Jacob and Matt behind me. I was all strapped in when I decided I could not do it Jacob came up and tried to talk me in to it I asked him to pray with me and I still didn´t want to do it I wrapped my arms and legs around the pole and Jacob kept trying to talk to me. He finally ripped my legs off of the pole the employee took my arms and they pushed me down I was freaking out spinning in mid air but I can honestly say it was the funnest thing and I am glad I did it. After we were done with the zip line we went to the hotsprings and had to RENT bathing suits it was gross, but the Major really wanted us to go. The bathing suit I got was not funny I was like oh its cute until I got into the water and realized it was see through. I stayed in the water most of the time or I had my towel wrapped around me. All in all though it was very nice and it relaxed the muscles.

Sunday we worshipped all day and we were in charge of both meetings. We performed a skit in the morning and a timbrel drill at night. It was a great time at church we really enjoy worshipping down here. I went and stood next to the wood burning stove since they do not have central heat down here and lets just say my uniform skirt has a big melted hole in it good thing it was my old one and not my new one. It is the funniest thing to see and it is a good thing I have another skirt huh Joy.

That was our week it has been a rather funny and exciting one. The team is doing great and we have talked to Monica a few times we do miss her and love her very much though. We are bonding very much and are enjoying our time here. We do however miss home. We miss our family and friends a lot.we love you all very much and appreciate all the support that you have given to us online. Have a great week all of you. Thank you for the comments once again they have made me cry a few times to see the support. I love you and we love you!

Dios Le Bendiga,
Rebekah

A little funny concerning their luggage.

2005-06-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

This was sent to Captain Caldwell from Peter Horn who is a soldier at the Lawrenceville Corps.

Sounds like a good verse for the moment is Mark 6
> 8-9:
> ..."Take nothing for the journey except a staff-no
> bread, no bag, no money in your belts.
> Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
>
> We'll be praying for them and the luggage!
>
> Blessings.
>
> Peter Horn

The team is definitely learning.

Hurray

2005-06-21T11:55:00.000-05:00

This is an email I just received from Captain Anita Caldwell who is serving in Moscow at their Training College. She is of course referring to the Russia Team. We can all breathe a sigh of relief now knowing that they are there and safe. Praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy. He is always faithful.

Dear Joy,
They have arrived!!!! They have no luggage but they
are all here! Our St. Petersburg officer will
continue to check on their luggage and watch for it to
come.
Blessings,
Anita

They Never Give Up...

2005-06-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

This weekend was quite a trying time for the Russia team. They finally got on a plane on Saturday morning and made it to Miami only to be told in Miami that their flight to London was cancelled until the next day because of Mechanical problems. This wouldn't have been a problem except that their connecting flights from London weren't on British Airways but on Lufthansa and BA couldn't gaurantee that the team would make it to their final destination.

Saturday night we were pretty close to giving up on the team ever getting to Russia after everything that they had already been through until our good friend Anita Caldwell (who serves in Russia as an Officer) began making phone calls on our behalf and was determined for us. She was a breath of fresh air for sure. She uplifted the team while they were in Miami and me while I was on the road. She let us all know everything could and would work out.

Sunday morning the team headed back to the airport early to talk to the agents at the Lufthansa airline to see about making it all the way to St. Petersburg once they got to London and so now they are scheduled to arrive in London this morning (Monday July 20). In fact they have already landed and have headed over to Sunberry Court (which is where the General is elected) and will stay there for the evening and then tomorrow they will get on a flight to Frankfurt and then on to St. Petersburg.

If I could just ask that everyone pray for the Russia team's safe arrival in St. Petersburg. I promise that I will let you know once they get there.

Thanks,
Joy

No Earthquakes

2005-06-19T22:05:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

This is Jacob. I just wanted to clarify something. Perhaps one of us said earthquakes when talking to Joy, however, it was not meant to be said. Temuco was not touched at all by the earthquakes. The real reason why we were delayed a day is because here in Temuco it gets vary foggy and misty. That Monday it was very foggy and the pilots could not see well enough to land. As it turns out we could have reached Temuco that night, but we did not think that the weather would lighten up so we opted to stay with our Salvationist friends in Santiago. It was a good time.

Anyhow, everything here is great and things should get better. We are saddened today though, we lost one team member today. Monica decided that it was best that she went home. Her flight left today at 1:15. She has quite a bit travelling ahead of her. Though she is gone, Nina and I, and the rest of the team, know that God has great things ahead for us. Please, however, continue to remember us in your prayers. We know that your prayers have gotten us this far.

This is it for now. Rebekah will keep updates on this blog. I just happened to be able to read some of the blogs left for us, and saw the one about the earthquakes and thought I would just clear that up.

Chao (Bye)

Jacob

Chile week one

2005-06-19T16:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it is the end of week one. I have attempted to post now twice the first time we had a power failure, and the second time the computer froze up. So I am a little frustrated and do not want Joy or anyone else to think I am not doing my assigned job. This past week has been a rather interesting one.
We left Atlanta on Monday night at 10:10 pm. And arrived in Santiago, Chile on Monday morning. We got lost in the airport twice trying to find our connecting flight. By the time we made it through customs we had about 45 min or so to check in with the connecting airlines, we made it through security and to the connecting flights waiting area 15 min before our flight only to find out that it was delayed and then it was cancelled. So we tried to get on a connecting flight from Santiago to Concepcion to Temucco at 2:15 pm. Unfortunately, the weather was so bad in Temucco that the airport was closed officially and we were stuck in Santiago for the night. We called Major Montes and he said not to worry about it, someone would be there to pick us up shortly. So, we went downstairs and waited for about an hour or so and finally a Cadet from the CFOT Western Latino Division came to pick us up. We ended up piling our luggage in the back of a mini van about 30 bags or so and the 8 adults let´s just say that about 30 minutes later and a couple of numb laps we made it safely to the CFOT although there were a few moments when we were afraid we wouldn´t make it and when the tire well scrapped across the ground as we were turning corners. We, arrived safely to the CFOT and the cadets were amazing and were so helpful to us.
On, Wednesday after much delay once again at the airport we arrived safely to Temucco only to open arms and loving hugs and kisses from the officer her and the General Secritary at the airport. When we arrived to the girls home the girls were peering out windows hoping to get a glance of us Americans. They are so loving to us. The officers Major and Captain Montes are the most beautiful people that we have ever met. There house has become our house. All the girls call us Tia[Aunt] or Tio [Uncle] and whatever our name is it is so sweet and they just want to be loved by someone.
Thursday, was our first official day to follow our schedule. The Major took us out on visitation that afternoon to visit the corps people who were not able to make it to church last Sunday and had services at their house so that they could hear the word of the Lord. It was a lot of fun and we were able to meet family members and everyone was so welcoming and inviting us into their houses. They would have given us the only shirt off of their back if we asked for it. That night we had Bible study and Major talked about evangelizing to people who do not know the Lord he said that the first thing you must say is ¨God loves you¨and if the person doesn´t get it repeat it until they do. Major is a good teacher and there was an amazing crowd about 25 or so and that was mostly children I was very impressed by the lesson.
Friday became the first day that we started work on the house. Let me start off by saying it was probably the coldest day of the week it was in about the low 30´s give or take a few degrees. We did the scariest thing I have probably ever done we had to climb up a ladder on to the second floor, then step on the metal roof, but you can only step on the screws because that gives extra strength which was a really scary thought to fall through or something. We all got up on the roof though team effort.We scrapped off paint that was chipping on the second floor and then sandpapered the entire wall. We were almost done sand papering when it started to rain and that metal roof became very slick. We all got off then and finished up for the day. We had youth meeting that night, but it isn´t like youth in the states. Their youth meetings are like Sunday Service they had a guest preacher and he talked about how we are the generation of the young church and in order to preach to the unsaved you must know the word backwards and forwards. It was an awesome meeting we were really moved by everything that was said.
Yesterday was our day off and it was so much fun. Major and his family took us to the market which was so much fun and then we went to the mall to see a movie. Between us we went and saw Mr and Mrs Smith and then some went to see Batman Begins. All in all it was a great day away.
Church today was so much fun it was exciting. They start the morning off here at 9:30 in prayer at the altar until 10:00 a.m. and then the Holiness meeting starts after the Holiness meeting ends Sunday School starts at 11:30 a.m. and finishes about 1:30 p.m. All in all it was a good day and we have night meeting at 5:30 tonight which will be a father´s day celebration we are doing a timbrel drill tonight woohoo exciting.
Thank you to all that have posted comments we appreciate the love and support from all of our friends and family. We send big hugs and kisses back home to all of you. Mom{s and Dad{s we are being safe, having fun, and eating good so there is no need to worry about us. We are in the Southern part of Chile closer to Antartica so no we were not affected by the earthquake. We love you all very much. Keep praying for us.
To our friends the Russia team we hope all is well and that you made it to Russia safely today. We love you all and everyone says do not forget their presents. Bonnie don{t forget the teapot and doll beautiful. Have a great summer we know you will know that God goes before you everywhere you go. We will be praying for you. We love you all.
Dios Le Bendiga,
Rebekah
Pero yo a ti oraba, oh Jehova, al tiempo de tu buena voluntad; Oh Dios, por la verdad de tu salvacion, escuchame. Salmos 69:13

Russia Team's Flight

2005-06-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

So, good news! The Russia team will definitely be leaving on Saturday morning and will arrive in St. Petersburg, Russia at 10 p.m. Sunday evening. It will be a long two days for them but I know that right now they don't care how long it takes to get there just as long as they can get there.

Today and tomorrow the team is working with Jason Pope in the area doing some service projects around the training college and then doing some Vacation Bible School in a local apartment complex. I believe they are enjoying their time here as well and they know that this is what God had for them to do for this time. They are all incredibly flexible and learning quickly what it means to be a part of missions.

Grace and peace,
Joy

Temuco At Last!

2005-06-15T14:06:00.000-05:00

Good news! The Chile team made it to their destination at the Temuco Girl's home around noon today. I have spoken with Jacob and Nina and everyone was doing fine. They were all sitting down to eat ham and cheese sandwiches.

Have a blessed day!
Joy

Departure of the teams

2005-06-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends and Family of this year's Service Corps,

This summer has proved a lesson in serious flexibility for both teams just in the amount of time they have been here and been gone. The Chile team called me this afternoon to let me know that their flight to Temuco had been cancelled and then rearranged because of the earthquakes that happened down there. NONE OF THEM WERE PUT IN ANY DANGER. All that happened was that they had to wait an extra day before they were able to head to Temuco and they were able to spend the night in Santiago. They're probably a little bit tired and ready for a good night's sleep but they are all fine.

The Russia team is a different story all together. Their visas did not arrive in time for them to depart on their original flight out of the states. So, we put their tickets on hold until we actually had their visas in hand. We received those pretty little pieces of paper today and called the travel agency to book flights. Well, travel agents aren't always better to work with than the actual airline company and we found that out today. I was hoping that the team would be able to leave tomorrow but it looks like they will now be leaving on Saturday if we can get seats confirmed on the flight from London to St. Petersburg which they are now wait listed on. So, if everyone could please pray that the Russia team gets confirmed seats on the flight from London to St. Petersburg on Sunday I would really appreciate it.

Overall I think you would all be incredibly proud of your teams. They are handling challenges with great courage and flexibility - better than I am at times even. I love it when I'm surrounded by people like them.

Please continue to pray for their safety into the countries where they will be for six weeks. Everything accomplished this summer the Lord will do.

Thanks everyone. Make sure you leave the teams notes of encouragement. They'll need it as the summer goes along.

Joy Mikles
The one who gets to send them!

Team Orientation

2005-06-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

All week long, the teams have been at the beautiful Camp Grandview in Jasper, Georgia preparing for their departures next week.
They are preparing spritually and physically as they bond with their fellow teammates.
Let's remember to keep them in prayer as they get ready for their 6-week journey into the mission field abroad.

preparations

2005-05-31T12:24:00.000-05:00

The leaders are hard at work at THQ today. They are gathering supplies, preparing VBS schedules, contacting team members, organizing notes, and not to mention meeting and learning all about their co-leaders.

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Leaders have arrived in Atlanta

2005-05-31T10:44:00.000-05:00

The leaders for the teams to Russia and Chile have arrived in Atlanta. They all arrived this past Thursday and have been in training sessions since their arrival. They are hard at work(even as I type this) preparing spiritually and physically. They are also making preparations for next week, when they meet with their teammates for a week long orientation at Camp Grandview. Please be in prayer for these four young people.