Sunday, October 30, 2011

From the Ninos Con Valor Newsletter!


Darla Capetillo, one member of the recent go-team to Bolivia, sent me this fun picture essay about our team's time with Ninos Con Valor.  So cool!  Now, if I could figure out how to put a tilde over my "n." 

First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue Vision Team

A small vision team from First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, Washington arrived the day of our anniversary celebration! The team came down to get to know the different programs and ministries of Niños con Valor, in addition to building partnerships and possibly investing in the foundation.
The kids really enjoyed the time spent with the visitors, and appreciated the fun activities. The team took time to beautify the garden and make comfortable cushions with the kids of Pedacito de Cielo, and paint the girls' study room and help the girls plant seeds and flowers at Corazón del Pastor. We thank the team for all their hard work and look forward to a future visit and building a lasting partnership!
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Above Left: Gretchen helping a group from PDC make cushions for watching TV.
Above Right: Dennis playing with Cedro outside. Too cute!
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Above Left: Ken and Miguel working in the garden together. Miguel really enjoyed planting the seeds and digging in the dirt.
Above Right: Darla giving Marcos his new teddy bear.
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Above Left: Bob and Mateo with his new bear: Mateo seems pretty protective...
Above Right: Gretchen helping Kattia plant some seeds.
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Above Left: Dennis and Gretchen with little Alarico.
Above Right: The team receiving the banner the children made for their church in Bellevue, Washington.
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Above Left: Rich hanging out with Miguel and Lucas.
Above Right: Ken and Bemabe having a great time!
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Above Left: Bob receiving his shirt from Alandra at Corazón del Pastor.
Above Right: Evelyn presenting Rich with his handprint shirt.
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Above Left: Darla and Zamora sharing a wonderful moment.
Above Right: Darla presenting Tia Evelyn from PdC with books the team donated to the kids.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

How Not to Hate America After a Mission Trip

This article from Reject Apathy explains so well how many missionaries feel the first time they come back to the states from overseas.  Very worthwhile reading for anyone who's ever thought about missions. 

My favorite line:  Every country uniquely needs God’s grace, but the good news is that He faithfully pours it out on those who seek them, no matter the place or time.

Monday, October 24, 2011

God's Kingdom

The Deeper Impact meeting with Richard Stearns was very exciting!  First we heard from Chitra Hanstead, our new Deeper Impact coordinator at BelPres, and she's just super.  I am so excited that we have a woman after God's own heart leading up the Deeper Impact program.  Truly!

Then Richard Stearns spoke.  What really shook me up about his talk was his idea that we all live in the "Magic Kingdom"  complete with rides like restaurants, promotions, theater, and travel.  The Magic Kingdom is the place of the "bucket list," where we have the time and the energy to think about what might fulfill us before we die.

The rest of the world, though, lives in the "Tragic Kingdom".  This is the place where 2.2 Billion people don't have clean water, and thousands of children die each day of preventable causes. 

He didn't say this to make us feel bad, but to remind us that what we are called to do is bring God's Kingdom here on earth--not just to ourselves and our children, but to the world.  Really powerful stuff. 

If you haven't read The Hole in Our Gospel, I highly recommend it!

Monday, October 10, 2011

An Evening with Richard Sterns!

Deeper Impact presents an Evening with Richard Stearns, president of World Vision and author of The Hole in Our Gospel. This event is a Fall Kick-Off event for current Deeper Impact volunteers and those interested in becoming part of Deeper Impact. The Event, entitled "Fill in the Hole", will be held on October 23, from 4-6PM in UC303 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. Dinner will be provided.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

New video from ONE.org

I love Bono. Have I never mentioned that before? I love Bono, and yet another reason to love Bono is ONE.org, the supercool non-profit he started. Here's their latest video, on the real "F" word/obscenity.
Did I mention that I love Bono?