What a Great Week!

This week has flown by. At the same time, so much has happened, it's hard to believe it's only been 1 week! We were so blessed and humbled to be able to participate in just a small way in help TWR with a few projects. While this missions organization is located on one of the most beautiful islands in the Carribbean, it is perfectly positioned to broadcast the message of Jesus Christ to millions throughout the Carribbean and South America. And although we did not come into direct physical contact with any of those millions of people, we did have a direct and significant impact on the continuation of this ministry.

TWR Bonaire is in the process right now of preparing to celebrate their 50th anniversary. In August many former missionaries will be visiting, and we got to help prepare for that by cleaning, painting, and renovating some offices and work spaces. TWR Bonaire is also in the beginning phases of uprading their power in order to be able to extend the reach of their broadcasts, reaching many more with the message of hope. Our participation this week helped lay the foundation for this future exapnasion.

It was great, not only to see some of our projects get started and completed, but to see our team work together so well. Ross and Jeff had just the skills needed to move these projects forward. James was able to lead the charge in replacing toilets and pipes in the bathrooms. Clint and Dave were the paint crew, repainting the offices and hallways. Nancy and Brandy are now experts and cutting and replacing ceiling tile. Everybody found their place and we got quite a bit of work accomplished.  

Another really cool thing for us was to see the staff's excitement as we made progress on these projects. These men and women who live and work here have given up a lot in order to serve our Lord as full time missionaries. We were able to encourage them in what they are doing, and they were truly thankful for our part. And we are truly thankful to have been used in this way.

What's next? There is already talk amongst the team about going back next year. I am sure that once word gets around, many more will want to join in the future as well. Thank you to all who made this trip possible through your financial and prayer support. Without each of us playing our God-given parts, this trip could not have happened.

Hard at Work

Monday and Tuesday have been very full and productive days for the team. We meet each morning at 7am for breakfast, team devotional, and debriefing from the previous day. Then at 8am we meet at the transmitter site with some of the staff there. We have a short devotional and prayer before the work begins.

Our team is blessed to have Ross and Jeff, who have the experience needed to run several of the projects we are working on. We've been rerouting electrical cables, reparing drywall, painting, cleaning, replacing toilets, adjusting and replacing ceiling tile, and much more. We are helping TWR prepare for two major events: one is their 50th anniversary celebration in August, the second is the transmitter power upgrade project, which will allow TWR to broadcast further, reaching more people with the good news of the Gospel.

Today we have another full day ahead of us. Thank you for your continued prayers for safety, team unity, and that we will get a lot accomplished.

Island Tour

Sunday we were priveledge to worship our Lord together with fellow believers at IBS (International Bible Church). It was quite a different style than we are used to at Southbrook, but it was worship. We learned about what it means to be a member of a church. Each member has a unique contribution, but at the same time, we all have common responsibilities that we are supposed to contribute to the body. Namely, we are to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

Afer church we went into town for lunch at a nice little restaraunt on a pier. The food was good. The view was amazing. After lunch we went on a tour of the island. The island of Bonaire is only 25 miles long, and about 5-7 miles wide, so in an afternoon you can drive around the whole island, and see many amazing sights. We learned some history, some culture, and saw parakeets, flamingos, goats, donkeys, and iguanas.

After the tour we headed back to the guys' duplex for dinner - leftover pizza and sandwiches.

Today we start working. We are all anxiously looking forward to the ministry God has planned for us. 

Arrived

It was a bit surreal as we stepped off the plane and walked across the tarmac toward the airport. I could taste the salt in the air. I could feel the humidity. The breeze blowing behind as the sun was setting in front of us.

As we picked up our luggage and walked through customs (with no problems), we were greeted by a very excited Pedersen family, along with Brandon who works with TWR as well. After a few minutes of greetings, we headed off to get our cars, and drove to the duplex where the 4 men on our team are staying. 

We had some pizza for dinner, went over a few logistics with Brandon and Dave, then the 2 couples on our team went a few blocks down the road to check in to the hotel where we are staying. Putting us all in the duplex with one bathroom to share between 8 people would have been a little much.

After everyone was settled, I was still wired. So I dragged Nancy outside (not literally...) and took her for a walk down the road. I found the house where I grew up. Memories began to flood my mind. We walked a bit further down the road to an empty lot and we walked down to see the ocean. More memories. I could have stood out there all night...

We walked back to the hotel to get some much needed sleep.

Today we are going to church in the morning. We have an island tour scheduled for this afternoon, and this evening we will get to experience first hand what TWR is all about. We will be onsite at the transmitter site when they go on the air with their first broadcast of the evening.

Anticipation

I'm looking forward with much excitement to what lays ahead. I will be traveling with a team from Southbrook Church on a missions trip to Bonaire, a small island off the coast of Venezuela.

This trip is exciting for me for several reasons. One of the biggest is that I used to live there. My parents moved there when I was 12, and we moved back to the U.S. when I was 18. It's been 25 years and I cannot wait to see what my former home looks like. 

Another exciting thing about this trip - Nancy is going with us. Of course, having Nancy along on any missions trip is amazing, but being able to show her where I grew up will be pretty cool. 

Our team of 8 will be helping TWR, a Christian radio station that broadcasts Biblical teaching into South America and throughout the Caribbean. We will be working on several renovation projects. There is sure to be a lot of sweat and hard work involved. We are also looking forward to growing as a team and in our personal relationships with Jesus Christ. 

We would appreciate your prayers. There will be, as with any missions trip, many unknowns and many opportunities to be flexible. 

Lord willing I will be updating you with our progress as time and wifi permit. 

Thanks again for your prayer support. 

Peru 2009 - Day 5

We were dropped off in a small village around noon. We unloaded, strapped on our daypacks and began walking down a dirt road through a small village. It didn't take long for a group of children to start gathering. They watched us as we began walking. I walked over and took their picture with a digital camera. When I showed them the picture on the viewfinder, they went crazy! They wanted me to keep taking pictures and showing it to them! That was fun...















We stopped and ate lunch, then hit the trail.

Two Rules:

Before we set out, Ade gathered us all around and gave us some instructions. He said "There are two rules! First rule - nobody goes ahead of me...second rule, don't ask how much longer..." I like this guy! Those are the rules when I travel!

Everyone was feeling great - we were all excited to finally be hiking. This is what we came for - and it was finally coming to reality! We ended up walking for about 3 hours. We stopped to rest along a dirt road leading into a small village. As we waited to find out where we would be spending the night, we played around with some of the children in the area.

The people are very shy. It was not easy to take pictures. Kids and adults would hide their faces as soon as they saw the camera aimed in their direction. But after spending some time together, they would let their guard down.

Our packs, tents, and other supplies were traveling by donkey. They followed a different trail than we did. Since we were stopping at villages along the way to find kids and schools, the donkeys would take a shorter, more direct route. After about 45 minutes, we finally heard from the other group. Our campsite was just up the road, in a soccer field in front of the school.

We all joined together and did a quick sweep over the field to pick up garbage. Then we spent time hanging out with the kids, playing soccer (at 11,000 feet!), and just relaxing.

After dinner the presentation began. A sheet was hung in the makeshift soccer goal. A generator was fired up, and a projector and DVD player were turned on. We showed the Jesus Film in Quechuan (the local language). After the film, Pushpi (one of the leaders of the organization we were with) got up and sang, and spoke, and then we got to help him hand out Bibles to the people. It was quite an experience.

It also got pretty cold. As soon as the sun disappears behind the mountains, the temperature drops quickly. We were glad to finally crawl into our sleeping bags for a much needed night of rest.

Peru 2009 - Yungay Tragedy

On day 3 we had the opportunity to visit the town of Yungay. Yungay is a small town in the valley just south of Huaraz. It is also the site of a horrible tragedy.

On May 31, 1970, an undersea earthquake off the coast of Casma and Chimbote, north of Lima, triggered one of the most cataclysmic avalanches in recorded history – wiping out the entire highland town of Yungay and most of its 25,000 inhabitants.

Around 3:23 PM, local time, while most were tuned in to the Italy-Brazil FIFA World Cup Match, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Peru. Lasting 45 seconds, the earthquake crumbled adobe homes, bridges, roads and schools across 83,000 square kilometers, an area larger than Belgium and the Netherlands combined. Registered as one of the worst earthquakes ever to be experienced in South America, damages and casualties were reported as far as Tumbes, Iquitos and Pisco, as well as in some parts of Ecuador and Brazil.

In Yungay, a small highland town in the picturesque Callejon de Huaylas, founded by Domingo Santo Tomás in 1540, the earthquake triggered an even greater calamity.

The quake destabilized the glacier on the north face of Mount Huascarán, causing 10 million cubic meters of rock, ice and snow to break away and tear down its slope at more than 120 miles per hour.

As it thundered down toward Yungay, and the town of Ranrahirca on the other side of the ridge, the wave of debris picked up more glacial deposits and began to spit out mud, dust, and boulders. By the time it reached the valley - barely three minutes later 3,000 feet-wide wave was estimated to have consisted of about 80 million cubic meters of ice, mud, and rocks.

Within moments, what was Yungay and its 25,000 inhabitants – many of whom had rushed into the church to pray after the earthquake struck – were buried and crushed by the landslide.

The reported death toll from what came to be known as Peru’s Great Earthquake totaled more than 74,000 people. About 25,600 were declared missing, over 143,000 were injured and more than one million left homeless. The city of Huaraz was rubble, the valley buried in mud, and coastal towns such as Casma were also shaken to the ground.

In Yungay, only some 350 people survived, including the few who were able to climb to the town’s elevated step-like cemetery.

Among the survivors were 300 children, who had been taken to the circus at the local stadium, set on higher ground and on the outskirts of the town.

Today, Yungay is a national cemetery, and the Huascarán’s victims are still vividly remembered.

To this day, a crushed intercity bus, four of the original palm trees that once crowned the city’s main plaza and remnants of the cathedral still stand.



















http://www.peruviantimes.com/yungay-1970-2009-remembering-the-tragedy-of-the-earthquake/

Peru 2009 - Lessons from Moses

Bob - our team leader - had asked me to share a devotional with the group. So after a long day, we all gathered around the nice big fireplace in the restaurant.

Moses was called by God to lead the Israelites out of captivity. After quite a bit of convincing, Moses finally submitted to God's call. After many years of wandering, the people were nearing the time to enter the Promised Land. Moses, however, had been forbidden by God to enter the land. In Deuteronomy 3:23, we read Moses' words to God:

"And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, 24 'O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.' 26 But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, 'Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.

I was struck by Moses' comment in verse 24. "You have only begun to show...your greatness and your mighty hand." Amazing. Think about it. Think about all that Moses had already seen God do! First you have the fact that his life was saved when we was a mere baby. Then when he approached Pharaoh to take the people out of Egypt, he saw God perform miracle after miracle. The plagues, the death of the firstborn, the parting of the Red Sea. Then for years in the wilderness Moses watched as God led them with a cloud by night and a pillar of fire by night. God supplied manna from heaven for the people to eat. Moses had seen God do so many great and mighty things in his lifetime. Yet he says "You have only begun to show...your greatness and your mighty hand." Moses understood something about God. God is infinite. God can do more than we can even imagine. Our minds are so limited we cannot even grasp the greatness of God.

But what was Moses asking for? "Please let me go over and see the land beyond the Jordan." Moses had been forbidden by God from entering the Promised Land. Why? Check out Numbers 20:

The people had run out of water. They were thirsty. They were complaining to Moses. So Moses went to God. "What should I do?" God gave Moses very clear orders.

"Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle." (Numbers 20:8)

God told Moses to talk to the rock, and water would be supplied. But keep reading - look what Moses did:

"Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock." (Numbers 20:10-11)

Moses hit the rock! God told him to talk to the rock, and Moses, in his anger, hit it!

And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." (Numbers 20:12)

So God told Moses he would not be entering the land. All those years Moses had done so much. And now, one time, Moses gets angry, and God says "That's it - you are not going in!" Seems harsh. Why would God be so mean so suddenly?

Here's what I think. I think God wants the glory. I know God wants the glory. In fact, I believe that is why God punished Moses this time. Moses - whether he meant to or not - by saying what he did and striking the rock like he did, made it look like he was the one that made the water come out of the rock. He made it look like it was his idea. He made it look like it was in his power. Rather than putting God at the top, he elevated himself to the level of God. And that is what God cannot stand.

Moses was forbidden from entering the Promised Land, because he took the focus off of God and led the people to believe that Moses performed a miracle. God said "you did not uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people."

Here's the take away. Everything I do, I do only because God allows me to do it. Without God I am nothing. But my human nature leads me to bring attention to myself. To make sure people like me, that people notice how great I am. I like it when people tell me I did a good job. Now, there's nothing wrong with doing a good job, there's nothing wrong with being noticed. The problem is when I take the glory. The problem is when I fail to redirect the attention to God, without whom I would be nothing.

What about you? When is the last time you recognized the source of your power. Whether you go on a missions trip to another country, or feed homeless people in your own town, remember this - it is for God and because of God that you do these things. Any other motive is wrong. Giving glory to any other source is wrong.

Remember - God has only begun to show you His greatness and His mighty hand.

Peru 2009 - Days 3 & 4

6/21/09 - We slept good last night...until about 4am. Apparently that's when roosters get up in Huaraz. They must be blind, having no idea the sun doesn't come up until 7!

We have breakfast on the 4th floor. It's quite a climb up those flights of stairs. It really does take your breath away! It is hard to get enough breath up here in the clouds! The view from our restaurant is awesome!

Church at 11am. We walked a couple of blocks. The church meets in a small corner of a building, right on the street. We got there a little early, so we hung out. We were eventually greeted by one of the members. I had totally forgotten it was Father's day until she came up and asked me if I had children! Then I got a big hug and a Happy Father's Day in Spanish!









The service was great, although all in Spanish. We enjoyed worshiping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. What a blessing that was. At the end of the service two young girls got up and sang a song to fathers, then they passed out little chocolate shoes to all the dads. Pretty cool.

After lunch we headed up the side of a mountain overlooking Huaraz, where a giant cross stands. We drove up, but hiked back down - trying to acclimate, getting used to hiking at higher elevation! After the hike we went and visited an orphanage in town.









The kids were so excited to have us there. We played games. They played with our digital cameras. We played more games. They arranged the games so that we ended up losing. During one game of hot potato, I ended up losing and had to stand up and be a statue, moving my arms and legs into whatever position they chose! After playing these games for a while they decided to teach us how to dance. They had choreographed dances that they insisted on teaching us. We thought walking up a flight of stairs was hard! Try dancing to their aerobic style dances for `0 minutes without passing out! We had a blast, but we had to say goodbye.









6/22/09 - The next day we drove 2 1/2 hours to beautiful lake Llanganaco. It is located in the Huascaran National Park - at an elevation of about 14,000 ft. We took a couple of hikes, while enjoying some beautiful scenery. The Andes mountains are absolutely beuatiful. I was reminded of the sheer cliffs of Yosemite, and the vast mountain peaks of Alaska. It is difficult to even describe. Pictures don't capture the immensity of what we saw and experienced.









We stopped in at a picnic shelter where a couple of ladies were selling food. We tried some of the local delicacies: Roasted Guinea Pig and Potatoes, ChoCho beans, and roasted corn. Delicious. The Guinea Pig (called cuy in Peru) is a local delicacy. What did it taste like? The closest thing I can compare it to is rabbit, or iguana. It was a little bit chewy and gamey. Not bad for a rodent!









That night I led devotions with the group. I'm gonna save the content for another post. In the mean time, click here for a whole lotta more pictures...

Peru 2009 - Days 1 & 2

Alright, alright, a little patience everyone...here come some trip reports! I know some of you are anxiously waiting to here from me. So here goes. I will try not to bore you with to many details - but there are a lot of great stories. Let me know your thoughts!

Day 1

Got up around 6am - had to be at the airport by 10am to meet the team and check in. Everyone showed up with luggage in tow. Looking around it was hard to believe the day had finally arrived. We had been meeting as a team for about 3 months in preparation for this trip...and it was finally here!

We grabbed some Burger King and headed to our gate. Everything was going according to schedule...until we got to Miami. We landed in a rainstorm, and they closed the ramp. So we sat on the tarmac for about 1 hour (it may have been longer). They finally let us off the plane, and we headed to catch our flight to Lima. It was delayed. We finally took off around 6:30pm. Here we go!

The plane landed in Lima at 10:30pm (local time - they are 1 hour behind us). When we got off the plane we were greeted by airport employees wearing masks. I guess the fear of unknown diseases was a real thing there. We made it through immigration and customs...only Brad was stopped at customs. A quick scan of his bag and they let him go. We found our bus, which had been pre-arranged, and headed to the guest house where we would spend the night.

Day 2

Breakfast was fresh baked bread and jelly. This is the typical breakfast in Peru. The bread was amazing. Then we headed to the bus station to get ready for the 8 hour drive north to Huaraz, where we would spend the majority of our time. We had several 1st class seats, which were downstairs. The coach seats were all upstairs, on the second level. The view from the front row what pretty crazy, like a ride at disney world. I enjoyed sitting downstairs just fine. The chance for motion sickness upstairs was to great for me.

They showed movies, served lunch, and played a rousing game of Bingo...yes, Bingo! I almost won...maybe next time?

After about 3 hours heading north up the coast we took a right turn and began our ascent. We would travel from sealevel, over the first ridge at about 14,000 ft, and arrive in Huaraz at 10,500 ft. We began taking ibuprofen to help with the altitude.















The scenery was gorgeous. The coast was barren, very desert like, very sandy. As we began to gain elevation, the vegetation began to appear, We started to see creeks and rivers flowing. And when we crested the big mountain we saw the Andes mountains right in front of us. It was absolutely breathtaking! Words and pictures cannot do justice to what we saw. It was amazing!

One big change we had to get used to was the time the sun sets. At 6pm it got dark. We pulled into Huaraz at 6:30pm. We were met by Rachel (her husband, Ade, would be our guide). She took us to the hotel to check in. Then we went to her house where she had prepared the most amazing chicken soup for dinner. It really hit the spot. We headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

Peru - Initial Thoughts

Well we're back. It feels good to be home again. The trip to Peru went way too fast, yet I was so glad to be back in the arms of my family again. I have tons of stories to tell. I hope I can find the time to share many of them here. For now, here are some of my thoughts.

We worked with a group of godly men, Pushpi, Tim, Anchi and Ade. Yaepo is another member of their team, but he was not able to travel with us. These men worked closely with Wycliff to translate the New Testament into Quechuan. They are now working on the Old Testament, which is about 50% complete. Our task was to hike with these men to villages in the Andes Mountains, to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ, and to bring Bibles to people who had never seen God's Word in their own language. Many of them have never see a Bible in any language.

As I watched these men, I began to realize something that blew me away. These men are a modern day Acts story in action! They spend their lives walking from village to village telling people about Jesus. There are hundreds of these villages. Nobody knows how many there are. There is no way to really count. But these men have a plan to touch them all.

We spend a few days with them. We passed through maybe 6-8 villages. These men will go out again in a few days and continue on their mission.

Here's the thing. You always hear people come back from missions trips, talking about life change, how they will never be the same again. I am not going to try and convince you have any of that. I will say this - I saw and experienced things that God did. I watched things happen that only God could orchestrate. I was a part of something much bigger than me. It was beautiful.

If you've never been on a missions trip, then all I have to say to you is go. I don't care if you don't have the money - go. I don't care if it doesn't make sense - go. I don't care what your lousy excuse is - just go! God will take you to a whole new level in your walk and experience with Him. Go!

Greetings From Lima!

Well, it's our last day in Peru. Our flight leaves tonight at 1130pm. I am so excited to return to the US and give my wife and kids some big hugs.

This has been a tremendous experience for the entire team. I have so many stories to tell. I plan to share many of them here in the coming weeks.

Thank you all for your prayers. God has done some amazing things.

Today we are going to church at Flamingo Road church, a multisite campus here in Lima. The original comapus is in Florida.

This afternoon we are going souvenir shopping. Then off to the airport for our overnight flight homw.

See you all very soon!

Quick Update from Peru!

Hello everyone! I am excited to take this chance to post a quick update. We have internet access at our hotel in Huaraz. It's been an adventure just trying to check email!

The las several days have gone really well. The team is getting along great. We are learning a lot about the culture. We are tasting local food (yesterday we ate Guinea Pig...yum yum!)

We've spent our time here so far acclimating. Huaraz is at 10,500 ft above sea level. It takes your breath away...literally! Sunday we visited an orphanage here in town. We had so much fun playing with the kids...they kept making us get up and dance. We all got a great aerobic workout!

Yesterday we drove about 2 hours south to hike at a higher elevation - around 14,000 ft. And today we finally are hitting the trail. We will travel with 15 donkeys to carry our gear. We have a team of guides, and our own cooks traveling with us as well. The plan is to walk from village to village stopping in each village to talk to people. We will stop at schools and ask permission to do a short program with the kids. Each night we will show the Jesus film (in Quechuan, the local language), one of the guides will preach, and make an invitation.

Please continue to pray: pray for our health, for our safety as we hike, and most important, pray for lost souls to come to faith in Christ.

And don't forget to follow along! click this link to see where we are each step of the way.

See you soon...Geoffrey

Ready to go...

I am all packed. I hope I didn't forget anything important! I had a brief moment of freaking out...I couldn't find my passport! We found it, hidden in my backpack...whew!

Our team is meeting at the airport tomorrow morning at 10. We'll check-in and head to Miami, then to Lima. We are scheduled to arrive in Lima, Peru at 11pm.

I am so excited. It's been hard to concentrate on work this week. I can't wait to get going. I am really looking forward to this.

While on our trip, you can follow my travels. I will turn on My Spot (satellite tracking device) and you will be able to see where we are along the way. Just follow this link and watch our progress!

We return to the USA on June 29. I will update the blog with travel reports and pictures as soon as I can. Thanks for your prayers and your support. See you when we get back!

Peru Update

In 1 week and 1 day I will be boarding a plane headed for South America. My missions team will spend 10 days in the Andes Mountains in central Peru ministering to the Quechuan people. We have the honor of distributing Bibles which have recently been translated into their language. What a joy it will be to hand someone a Bible, in their own language, for the first time! That is something we all take granted.

As the day to depart approaches, I'd like to ask you to join me in prayer. This is an exciting trip, but also holds many unknowns. We would love to have your prayer support. Here are some things you can pray for specifically:

1. Pray for our team - for unity, patience, flexibility. Pray that as we minister to others, we will also take the opportunity to minister and care for each other.

2. Pray for travel safety -
- Friday, June 19 - fly to Lima, Peru
- Saturday, June 20 - 8 hour bus ride to Huaraz, Peru
- Monday, June 22 - begin 5 day trek to Quechuan villages in the Andes Mountains
- Saturday, June 27 - 8 hour bus ride back to Lima, Peru
- Monday, June 29 - fly back to US

3. Health - we will be spending much of our time at 10,000-12,000 feet above sea level. This alone can present added health concerns. Pray that our team stays healthy and strong.

4. Finances - we are still short on funds. As a team we still need to raise about $4000. We serve a big God who we trust will provide.

Well, I've got some packing and shopping to do. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. If you or someone you know would still like to make a contribution, you can make checks out to Southbrook Church and mail to 5607 Monroe-Weddington Road
Weddington, NC 28104. Be sure to include a note, or write "Geoffrey - Peru" in the memo line.

Or you can donate online:
Paypal

Thanks again for your prayers. I can't wait to update you on what God does with this amazing opportunity.

Missions in Mexico

We have a missions team that left yesterday to travel to Mexico. They will be there for the next week working in partnership with Samaritan's Purse passing out Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes to children in several villages.

Wanna see something cool? You can see exactly where they are by clicking here. You'll see a map where you can follow their movements during their trip. Check it out.

As you watch their progress, remember to pray for them. They have a lot to do over the next week. They would appreciate your prayer support.