Jesus said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Dear St. Paul's, The countdown has begun to the Belize Mission June 6-13, 2015! Fourteen missionaries from St. Paul's will join another 33 from Holy Sacrament Episcopal Church in Pembroke Pines, FL for another great adventure serving Jesus "to the ends of the earth." There is no greater honor that we have than to serve Him. Thanks so much to everyone at St. Paul's who made this trip possible. I want to share with you a few prayer requests regarding the trip. First, as you
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Getting on the plane to Belize 2014
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can imagine, it's quite an operation getting 47 people to the Miami airport, bags checked, through security, and safely to our destination in Belize. Please pray that all goes smoothly, and that the "peace of God which transcends all understanding" will guard our hearts and minds as we travel. Please pray that the Lord keeps everyone healthy and safe during the trip.
Please pray for unity on the team. The two churches worked very well together last year. Very quickly, we became one Body. I trust the Lord will bless us likewise this year. Please pray for each of the three teams-Construction, Medical, and Vacation Bible School. Folks from St. Paul's will be on each of these teams. Please pray for wisdom, patience and encouragement for the leaders of the team-Fr. Tony Holder, Erna Rappaport and Linda Schlepp-Gray.
And finally, please pray for the people of Belize. They are precious-so warm, welcoming and grateful for even the simplest of gifts. Although they are a joyful people, many of them face daunting challenges in the face of great poverty. Please pray that we might be an encouragement to them, and that we would be faithful to share the love of Jesus Christ with them.
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Jacqueline (on rt) with a friend
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Last year, there was one story that especially touched me. Jacqueline was one of the girls in our 5
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Form Vacation Bible School class. She was very quiet during the week, but clearly loving all of the lessons, games and crafts that we were doing. However, toward the end of the week, we noticed that during breaks, away with close friends, she was crying and distraught. When we asked what was wrong, we learned that she had failed her government exams, and as a result, she would not be allowed to go to University, something she dearly wanted to do. We also found that she was the oldest of six kids in a single parent home. She had many responsibilities helping her mother, which made it difficult for her to spend time on her studies.
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Pastor Jon cutting up with the boys!
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We were grateful that we were able to pray with Jacqueline and bring her the joy of the Lord in the midst of a sad time. Please pray that the Lord would open doors to share the hope that we have in Jesus. Thanks again for your faithful prayers. We can't wait to share the stories when we return to church on June 14th!
Worship. Equip. Go!
Gratefully in Christ, Pr. Jon |
BIBLE STUDIES
