OUR TRIP BEGAN ON JANUARY 27, 2006, FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS WITH SIX WOMEN FROM OUR CHURCH: ISABELL “MOPSY” ANDREWS (MINISTER) ELLEN KURIO (TEAM LEADER), SUSAN TARANTO, KAREN FIRENZA, JOAN HUNT AND HELEN “SPRIT” MOTION. EACH TEAM MEMBER WAS A VITAL INSTRUMENT FOR OUR TEAM.

THE DEVELOPING OF OUR TEAM BEGAN IN MARCH 2005, AND WITH PRAYERS AND GODS WISDOM, BY JUNE WE HAD A TEAM. WE BEGAN PLANNING THIS MISSION TRIP AS A TEAM IN OCTOBER, 2005 WITH MONTHLY TEAM MEETINGS. WE FOLLOWED THE GUIDE LINES SET OUT BY MISSION ON THE MOVE. MY CONSTANT PRAYER FOR OUR TEAM WAS THAT OUR WEEK IN TAPACHULA BE ONE WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD LEAD US WHERE WE WERE NEEDED AND USE US TO THE GLORY OF HIM. I FEEL WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS AS I OBSERVED AND WITNESSED OUR TEAM IN ACTION AND THE LOVE GIVEN AND RECEIVED BY EVERYONE.

WITH THE HELPFUL DETAILED SCHEDULE PROVIDED BY HOPE SHEAROUSE, PLANNING AND ORGANIZING OUR DAYS WENT SMOOTHLY.

ONE PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE TO SHARE IS THE DAY WE TOOK THE GIRLS TO THE BEACH; PLAYED GAMES, PLAYED IN THE SAND, AND RAN IN THE WATER WITH MUCH DELIGHT AND SQUEALS FROM THE GIRLS. THE HOUSE ALSO HAD A SWIMMING POOL AND THE GIRLS ENJOYED SWIMMING, USING SQUIRT TOYS, RACING. WE PREPARED AND SERVED SANDWICHES, LEMONADE, COOKIES, CHIPS. KAREN FIRENZA HAD DEVOTION TIME WITH THE GIRLS; IN TEMPO WITH OUR BEACH EXPERIENCE SHE TOLD THE GIRLS ABOUT THE GRAINS OF SAND; HOW DIFFERENT EACH GRAIN IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT CLOSELY AND COMPARED IT TO HOW DIFFERENT EACH OF THE GIRLS ARE, BUT HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO OUR LORD.

EACH DAY, MOPSY ANDREWS LED CLASSES/INSTRUCTIONS IN MANNERS FOR BOTH THE YOUNGER BOYS AND YOUNGER GIRLS. MORE ADVANCED, DETAILED DISCUSSIONS FOR THE OLDER BOYS AND GIRLS ON SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT, THEIR CHANGING BODIES, WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE HOUSE PARENTS, STEVE, HOPE AND OUR TEAM TRANSLATOR.

THE YOUNGER BOYS AND YOUNGER GIRLS WERE TREATED TO A “SPECIAL LUNCH TIME” BY OUR TEAM. GLITTERY HALOS FOR THE GIRLS AND CROWNS FOR THE BOYS WERE PLACED AT EACH OF THEIR PLACES AT THE TABLE. THE TABLES WERE DECORATED AND A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE WAS PRESENT. A SPECIAL LUNCH CHOSEN BY THE CHILDREN WAS SERVED BY THE HOME STAFF; MANNERS AND ETIQUETTE WAS DISCUSSED WITH THEM.

THE SIX OLDER GIRLS WERE TREATED TO A DINNER IN A LOCAL RESTURANT, WITH EVERYONE “DRESSING UP”. WE WERE SEATED APPROPRIATELY BETWEEN EACH GIRL GUIDING THEM ALONG WITH MANNERS AND HOW TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES. AFTER DINNER MOPSY DISCUSSED WITH THEM ISSUES ON THEIR CHANGING BODIES, SEXUAL BEHAVIOR/DEVELOPMENT. SHE GAVE EACH GIRL A BUTTERFLY ON A LEATHER STRAP TO HAVE (WEAR) AS A REMINDER THAT ONCE WE WERE LIKE THE CACOON BUT NOW EMERGING AS WOMEN AND THIS IS ALL PART OF GODS PLAN.

THE FIVE OLDER BOYS WERE TREATED TO A DINNER OUTSIDE TAPACHULA IN SANTA DOMINGO. A NICE DRIVE FOR THEM. AFTER DINNER MOPSY (FASTINO AND STEVE WERE PRESENT AS WELL AS OUR TRANSLATOR, SPRIT) DISCUSSED WITH THEM SEXUAL AND BEHAVIOR PRACTICES. SHE GAVE EACH BOY A CHRISTIAN FISH ON A LEATHER STRAP TO WEAR AS SYMBOLIC OF THEIR WALK WITH OUR LORD IN DAILY DECISIONS IN THEIR CHANGING WORLD.

THERE WAS A BACK YARD COOK OUT FOR ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS; INTERACTION WITH THE CHILDREN WAS SO REWARDING, FAVORABLE AND SO MUCH FUN. WE PLAYED RUNNING GAMES, MADE ANIMAL BALLOONS, SOAP BUBBLES. STEVE AND FASTINO COOKED HAMBURGERS AND HOT DOGS. THIS WAS A REAL FUN AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTERNOONS SPRIT MOTION FACILITATED THE BIBLE STUDY LESSONS. THE FIRST AFTERNOON THE LESSON WAS ON THE TEN COMMANDEMENTS WITH A CRAFT SUPPORTING THE LESSON. THE SECOND AFTERNOON THE LESSON WAS JONAH AND THE WHALE, WITH A CRAFT SUPPORTING THE LESSON. ALL THE CHILDREN WERE PRESENT AND PARTICIPATED IN THE DISCUSSIONS, QUESTION TIME, AND CRAFT MAKING.

THERE WERE SIX LITTLE BOYS IN THE “OLD” GIRLS HOME WHO HAD CHICKEN POX AND COULD NOT ATTEND ANY OF THE FUNCTIONS. SUSAN TARANTO, KAREN FIRENZA AND ELLEN KURIO WERE LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GO TO THE HOME AND HAND OUT LOVE. THESE LITTLE GUYS WERE SO SICK AND FELT SO BAD. WE TOOK HAMBURGERS, HOT DOGS, BALLOONS, AND JUST HUNG OUT WITH THEM FOR AWHILE. THESE SIX BOYS ARE THE NEWEST OF THE CHILDREN IN THE HOMES. THIS HOME IS STAFFED WITH HOUSE PARENTS WHO PROVIDE THE SAME FOUNDATION FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH, PHYSICAL GROWTH, AND EMOTIONAL GROWTH AS DOES THE OTHER BOYS AND GIRLS HOMES.

OUR TEAM WENT TO THE WOMENS PRISON TWO DAYS. WE PRAYED WITH THEM, HAD TESTIMONY TIME AND EVEN DID SOME CRAFT TIME WITH THEM. ON OUR SECOND DAY ONE OF THE BOYS MOTHER GAVE HER HEART TO GOD. (PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW). IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL AND MOVING. THE HOLY SPIRIT DEFINITELY WAS SITTING WITH US IN THAT CIRCLE OF WOMEN.

ONE OF OUR MISSIONS WAS TO THE AMPUTEE HOSPITAL AND HOMELESS SHELTER. THIS HAD TO BE THE SADDEST PLACE (PERSONALLY) I HAVE EVER WITNESSED. THIS PLACE HAS TO HAVE PRAYERS EVERY DAY; THIS CANNOT FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. I DID OBSERVE A LOVE THAT MOST OF THEM SHOWED TO OUR LORD. THEY SANG SONGS, WE SHARED IN REFRESHEMENTS, AND FASTINO AND MOPSY DID SERMONETTES.

EACH DAY, OUR TIME TOGETHER AS A TEAM STARTED WITH A DEVOTION AND PRAYER LED BY A TEAM MEMBER. OUR DAY ENDED THE SAME WAY: DEVOTION AND PRAYER WITH DISCUSSIONS OF HOW THE DAY HAD PROGRESSED PERSONALLY FOR EACH OF US AND OUR REACTION TO THE THINGS WE SAW AND WITNESSED GOD DOING IN A PLACE CALLED TAPACHULA.

GOD HAS PUT TOGETHER A WONDERFUL GROUP OF CHRISTIAN MEN AND WOMEN TO LEAD THESE CHILDREN. THE HOUSE PARENTS, THE COOKING AND CLEANING STAFF UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF STEVE AND HOPE SHEAROUSE ARE SO SIGNIFICIANT IN THE FUTURE OF THESE CHILDREN; THESE SERVANTS ARE TRANSFORMING LITTLE LIVES AND THROUGH EACH OF THESE SERVANTS THEY ARE CREATING INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL RISE AND BECOME ADULTS, WHO WILL BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP INTO SO MANY AREAS OF THE WORLD. THESE CHILDREN ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE THE TEACHINGS OF THE WORD THAT MAKES THEIR FOUNDATION SOUND FOR THEIR FUTURE.

IF THIS TEAM HAD NOT BEEN WHERE WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE, WE WOULD HAVE MISSED SOME REAL GOD MOMENTS; THANK YOU GOD FOR ALL YOUR BLESSINGS TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON TOUCHED BY THIS TRIP, AND THANK YOU M.O.M. FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR LORD THROUGH YOU.

ELLEN KURIO