Hope

Romans 15:13: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Psalms 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Psalm 146: "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Do not trust in princes, in mortal man in who there is no salvation. In that very day his thoughts perish. How blessed is he whose help in the God of Jacob. Whose hope is in the Lord his God; who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous; the Lord protects the strangers; he supports the fatherless and the widow; but He thwarts the way of the wicked. The Lord will reign forever, Thy God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!"

Psalms 62:5-8: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God, pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

1 Timothy 4:10: "For it is for this that we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers."

1 Peter 1:3: "Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Give Thanks

Give Thanks

I Thessalonians 5:18
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks unto the Holy One,
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
(repeat 3 times)

And now let the weak say "I am strong",
Let the poor say "I am rich",
Because of what the Lord, has done for us
(repeat)

(repeat all once more)

Give Thanks!
Give Thanks!
Give Thanks!

Toll Booth Today

Today Saturday April 28th from 10:00 am to approx. 4:00 pm. we held a fundraising event at McDonalds on highway 24 and Bishop St. We had a very successful event. What we did was have a toll booth were people donated money towards saving Children in Peru.

Most of our team members came out in the cold and rainy damp day, but we still had fun and raised almost $600.00 for the mission trip. This is almost double from last year. Way to go Peru Team 2007.

Special thanks go out to McDonalds and their staff, to the people of Cambridge who supported our cause and to Malcom and Pam for being the event organizers for the day.

Thank to each team members for their support of time and efforts today. God is working and showing us that putting trust in him all things are possible. I think today in talking to others we all were able to see how our Faith was strengthened by showing us how finacial needs can be met if we turn it over to God and trust he will provide for us what we need not what we want.

So in closing I can say I truely feel that this $600.00 will be Blessed abundantly in Peru this summer because it was given freely from the heart.

May God continue to Bless us all and our Mission to Peru this summer.

Devotion for today---Possessing Everything

As I sit here at my computer thinking of a special topic for our devotions for today I looked up and saw a purple tag and ribbon hanging on my wall above my desk. It reads as follows:

October is Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. Since today was about saving the children of Peru I thought this could tie in nicely.

Possessing Everything

We are treated . . . as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 2 Corinthians 6:8, 10

We hear the daily news and feel helpless. Crime, corruption, child abuse, spousal abuse, murder, terrorism, war, and rumors of war are all around. We struggle with the trials of our everyday lives. Perhaps we suffer in sickness or sorrow. Has God forgotten us?

St. Paul endured many hardships as he carried out his far-reaching ministry of spreading the Gospel. And the Lord always rescued him. Yet at all times, Paul still had the riches of the Gospel.

You and I have the same Gospel. We have been purchased by the highest price ever paid—the suffering and death of Jesus. He is our help and hope in every trial.

History is filled with courageous Christians who triumphed even amid their trials. Lutheran pastor Martin Rinckart wrote the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God” (LSB 895), even while he was burying hundreds of his parishioners who had died of the plague, including his own dear wife. God’s enduring and unfailing promises sustain us in every trouble. Through faith in Christ, we possess all things.

Our heavenly Father, turn our obstacles into occasions for joy, as we serve You in faith and our neighbor in love; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Daily Prayer or reflections for the Peru 2007 Team

Today I recieved a phone call in regards to some research I have been seeking in regards to some material I have been looking for in preperation for my mission to Peru.

One of the suggestions was for us to look into the Psalms and as I read some of the ones they suggested this seemed to be the one that caught my attention the most today so as you read it I pray that is; is a prayer of your heart and that we all are praising our Lord with all our heart and we sing it out for others to hear. I hope we also pray to hear his answers as we listen to The LORD so we can fulfill his purpose for ourselves and others.

Psalm 138
Of David.

1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

3 When I called, you answered me;you made me bold and stouthearted.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth.

5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.

6 Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.

8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

Fundraising Event This Weekend
On April 7th, 2007 the team members of Peru 2007 was to hold their first team fundraising event. This event was to be held at McDonald's Restaurant on Hespeler Rd & Bishop St. It was to be held during the hours of 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

How ever due to weather we had to change that date and it will be held this Saturday April 28th from 10:00 am to approx. 4:00 pm.

So what we will be doing there is holding a toll basically ask for a donation as people drive thru to pick up their order. The objective here will be to quickly and briefly introduce ourselves, explain who we are and why we are here without disrupting the flow of traffic and hopefully raise a lot of money to help the children in Peru.

Come on out and buy your lunch or dinner at McDonalds on the Saturday during Easter weekend and drop something into our buckets to help support our Mission trip to Peru.

Prayer Request from Peru

Hello everyone; we have recieved a prayer request from peru so here it is:

" Prayer requests for Kids Alive: staff needs at the home (director, social worker, etc.), ongoing financial support of the care centre to cover daily operational costs, safety and rest for the Rhodes (in USA for a month for Darcy's college grad)

Personal requests from Sarah: patience and wisdom for Lalo and I in the challenges of a long-distance relationship, that I'll return to work rested and refreshed next week (I'm on vacation this week)"

Daily Prayer or reflections for the Peru 2007 Team

The first prayer request would be from Ephisians 6:10-20

I would ask that this be prayed for each and every member of the Team going to Peru this summer and for thier families as well

The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Team Members for Peru 2007

Alexis Bennett
Stephen Bowie
Chuck Burt
Tim Courvoisier
Rhonda Desrochers
Michael Dreisinger
Dana Jones
Andre Koehler
Malcom Rea
Carol Sallasvaara
Katerina Sallasvaara
Marjatta Sallasvaara
Jari Sallasvaara

"downhere" takes the Juno for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year

Ok so this blog really has nothing to do with our trip to Peru except that I really just wanted to brag to everyone that my friends from the band "downhere" won a Juno award.
"downhere" bass guitar player is my best friends son Glenn Lavender. Over the past five years I have seen, watched, supported and pray for their band. They have worked really hard over the past year and really do deserve this award.

Way to go guys.

Fundraising Update

On April 7th, 2007 the team members of Peru 2007 will be holding their first team fundraising event. This event will be held at McDonald's Restaurant on Hespeler Rd & Bishop St. It will be held during the hours of 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

So what we will be doing here is holding a toll basically ask for a donation as people drive thru to pick up their order. The objective here will be to quickly and briefly introduce ourselves, explain who we are and why we are here without disrupting the flow of traffic and hopefully raise a lot of money to help the children in Peru.

Come on out and buy your lunch or dinner at McDonalds on the Saturday during Easter weekend and drop something into our buckets to help support our Mission trip to Peru.

See you all there on April 7th.

On behalf of the team members of Peru 2007 we wish you all a Happy Easter.

World Factbook: PERU

If you want more information about Peru click on the title of this blog and it will take you to a factbook about Peru


Background: Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his ouster in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of Native American ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, returned to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions and maintain fiscal responsibility.

PERU 2007 PROJECT

ICF Ministries

PERU 2007 PROJECT

Leave Canada: August 10, 2007 Return to Canada: August 25, 2007

There may be multiple avenues of involvement if1 Peru for a Short Term Team this summer...

1. In association with Kids Alive, completing the construction of a Day Care Centre in Manchay, a squatter village just outside of Lima. Kids Alive rely on short term teams to help Peruvian trades people continue the expansion of their physical facilities that serve the Manchay Care Center. The Manchay Care Center now has five classrooms, a homework club, kitchen, playground and living quarters for local staff. There is a plan this year to complete small shops that will allow some micro-enterprise to begin. Other work would be associated with the children's program at the existing Day Care Centre and Children's Home in Lima. There is also potential to be involved in a new project in Pachacamac pending approval of a building permit.

2. Steps are been taken, in association with Kids Alive, to dialogue with. indigenous churches and mission organizations over the next months about other areas that a Short Term Team could assist in supporting evangelism, discipleship and community development in Peru - particularly in Manchay. This initiative will be followed by investigative work by some members of our team after arriving in Peru. We want to spend time listening, praying and gaining a broader understanding of what God is doing in Manchay.

We are looking for a team of up to 15 dedicated people that would respond to God's calling to assist the ministry of Kids Alive and be willing to connect with Peruvians in relationship-building. This is a wonderful opportunity to get practical experience and exposure to the global mission field.

Last summer, for a few days we had a chance to begin a relationship with a needy family as we assisted them in building a home. As we helped with a physical need in this family, we established a relationship that showed them Christ-like love in action. We hear they have grown to love the Lord more. It really excites us to hear that our work has gone beyond construction to touching lives in a personal way!

Besides construction, practical help is always needed at the Children's home. Former teams have had the following examples of activities...

 organized sports activities
 prepared breakfasts & lunches
 unpacked and put away the donations brought by teams
 worked in the clothing deposits where they organize the clothes
 cleaned the kitchen top to bottom
 sewing quilts for all the kids
 done a story hour and pool duty in the PM,
 (and many more...)

Kids Alive often have team members teach a class. For example, a nurse taught first aid, some give devotionals to the house moms, using a translator or they help with correspondence with the sponsors and any ideas they have they are open to consider. At the Manchay Care Center there are child centered opportunities as well.

Closer to the departure Kids Alive will send their latest "needs list'. This list could be handed out at church providing opportunities for greater participation. They ask that we bring one suitcase for your clothes and one for donations we may collect.

Form: Team member info Peru 20076

USING OUR TALENTS & SKILLS

Each of us are born differently, go through life and experience many different things, have different personalities, talents & skills. This is explained very well for us in Psalms 139: 13-16 (NIV)

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

I believe because of this he brought each of us to be a member of Peru 2007.

Because he knew us from the time we were conceived, that means to me he knows each of our skill sets for this team. I believe that my skill set right now for the team is to use my God given talents for fundraising, for being able to get things donated, and for bringing my organizational skills to the table to get us all working together before we go on this trip and to be able to help each team member here in Cambridge with our mission of raising the funds we need to have in order to go to Peru.

Because of our different skills and talents God is already using some of us to form a Fund raising committee to come up with some really good team fundraising adventure.

Please if anyone has any ideas or suggestions to new and exciting ideas to fundraise do not hesitate to contact any of the committee to let us know. Also if you want to be apart of this committee let one of the team leaders know or contact me directly so I can give you the details of the meeting.

Please continue to pray for this committee and for the right events to come together to help us all meet our goals.

Meeting of the Team

Last night finally after trying on two other separate occasions to get together but because of bad weather could not we were able to meet as a group of people and come together as a team.

This was so very exciting for me. God sure has been testing my trust, faith, patience and much more over the past few months. This whole process started back in the fall for me when another couple whom have been on this particular mission planted the seed in my mind about the possibility of this happening for me.

Well I immediately put in my request of interest to the powers to be, filled out my application forms, met with the organizers and then was told to wait and they would be back in touch with me.

For me I am very much a the personality of I want it now type. So being told to wait was difficult for me and then to be told that I would sort of be put on the bottom of the list of people to go, cause the sponsoring church members get first opportunity, even made that wait longer and harder for an impatient person like me.

God tested me to get out of the way and to let the pieces come together in the way he felt fit. So when the call came to say I was part of the team if I wanted to go was so exciting and worth the wait. Then God wanted to test all of our Faith once again because due to extreme bad weather our first two meetings as a team had to be cancelled. Yes some disappointment but I was once again forced to put my trust in God and finally the meeting came together.

It is my opinion that things happen the way they do for a reason. I am not 100% sure yet as to why things are off to a start like this but so far I have seen many God Blessing this mission come together that in the days to come I will be able to explain latter in more detail. All I can say right now is that two really exciting opportunities for fundraising were handed to me today one after another and I believe again God just happened to put me in the right place at the right time, for the right opportunities to present themselves to our team.

Right now as it sits there are 12 committed people to our team and we expect this to maybe even grow to a few more people in the days to come. We are waiting for applications from a few more people and we need to pray for them and that God will lead them were they need to be.

Come back in a few weeks and meet the team as we post all of our pictures and our bios of what we bring to the team.

Please remember to keep praying for Kids Alive, for the Peru 2007 team, and that as we meet over the weeks to come that our goals and objectives towards this mission all come together the way the Lord see fits.

GOD ANSWER PRAYERS

So most of you know that God answer prayers but I know and have seen and experienced it first hand. So won't you pray along with our team, after all it does say in Mathew 18:20 "When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." (the message)

It says in Psalm 102:1 "Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you."

Most of all, I need your prayer support. If you can pray for me, please pray that:
1. I will be able to raise the monies to go on this mission trip
2. I will be a blessing to the members of my team and to others I contact.
3. I will learn what God has to teach me through this mission’s project.
4. God will grant me good health and safety as I travel
5. God will provide for all my needs.

God Bless you! And thank you for your support.