FYI

I just wanted to let everyone know that Pastor Jay Boykin will be the one posting to this blog while the team is on the field, which will allow me to keep my attention focused on other things. Many thanks, Brother Jay!

So looking forward to serving with this wonderful team of servant-hearted individuals and with all of you who will be with us in prayer.

Together for the Kingdom,
Pastor Janette

Commissioned and Ready to Go!

This weekend, our team headed to Puerto Penasco, Mexico for a house build was commissioned by our Crossing Church family.  This group, led by Pastor Janette, includes a nice mix of mission veterans, and first-timers.  We also have a great demographic of men, women, young, and experienced!  Please pray for our group this week, and all through next weekend.

Our group includes the following people:

Dane Apodaca
Crystal Keefer
Elijah Sanchez
Pastor Jay Boykin
Wayne Lew

Jorge Sanchez

Tony Capistrano
Pastor Janette Mikatich

Julian Sanchez

Stephanie DeVincenzo

Brad Miller

Rocio Sanchez
Marty Doyscher

David Nelson
Jen Street
Tim Fish

Jeanne Nelson
Jerry Street

Jerry Guildner

Dave Remus
Sarah Street

God's Harvest

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 

In Water Use by Trees, a report of forestry research, Tom Nisbet asserts, “In general, isolated single trees in the landscape have a much higher water use on account of their larger canopy and greater exposure.”

Nazarene Work and Witness teams go to all nations.  Their mission is to collaborate with other Nazarene congregations by donating labor, materials, evangelism, and compassionate ministries.  This summer during our trip to Hawaii, we collaborated with Wahiawa Community Church of the Nazarene and the Wahiawa Filipino Church of the Nazarene.  Both congregations meet in the same facility.  Our project included, painting both the interior and exterior of the church, painting the exterior and part of the parsonage interior, and tiling some on the church basement.  Our mission was a compassionate ministry of love and giving of ourselves to the people in the church.  Last year, our team replaced the roof of their church and loved the people.

Without the influx of our labor, financial resources and love, those churches were on the brink of death.  They felt abandoned and more exposed like an individual tree during an extended drought.  They described themselves as a “ghetto church” because of the deteriorated facilities and hampered outreach.  Last year we found a church family with little hope.  Their fruit was beginning to be affected. This year they were revived.  They generously gave back to us in love, food, and labor.  During the year, several new families joined the church and the neighbors are being reached for Christ.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.   Jeremiah 17:8

We worked long hours and accomplished much, but some things were not finished.  There was some tiling to complete and the cupboard doors were still drying.  The people there at Wahiawa promised to finish these jobs and listed more they planned to start in the next few weeks.  Through us, God sent water to the churches of Wahiawa.  Together, we were all refreshed.

This coming year the churches at Wahiawa plan to raise funds to replace the windows in the church and ask if the Crossing Church would be interested in returning next summer to install the windows. Pray that God sends workers into His harvest field.

written by Bonnie Young

Mount up With Wings

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Our tasks on the work and witness trip are daunting.  Monday night it looked like we would leave with numerous tasks unfinished.  Our strength and endurance was waning.  Tuesday, God provided a cool day, a union painter, an invested volunteers, and cooperative team members.

By Tuesday night two sides of the church were completely finished, the sanctuary was painted, two side of the parsonage were half finished, the kitchen/living room was almost done, and primer was on all the cupboards.

Both the house and the parsonage look much more attractive.  Neighbors and church attendees are astonished.  I have been hugged by strangers and church members with tears in their eyes while they try to explain what a blessing our team is to them.  I know that God is good and these blessing are from God.

The kitchen is painted and the cupboards have one coat of paint.

Written by Bonnie Young

God's Love

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

As humans, we often fail to be loving. However, God works through us to change our hearts and lives. He makes us new creatures. This afternoon we experienced an example of God's work. The Wahiawa Filipino Church of the Nazarene and the Wahiawa Community Church of the Nazarene met together for a combined service. God is moving hearts. They  used the same building since the 1950's but did not fellowship or worship together. Today, the two worship teams joined to lead the music and Pastor John preached for the combined service. The sanctuary was full with people standing across the back and into the lobby.

 

He spoke about Jesus' incarnation.  The Son of God became the Son of Man.  Jesus became a part of the people group and experienced life as a man. He lived with the people, yet was and is God.

 

We are to identify with those to whom we minister. We must live the love of God in their midst.  The altar was lined with seekers.  Two precious children that attended Vacation Bible School asked Christ into their hearts. The Spirit of God moved on hearts of others in their seats. Love never fails!

 

 

The church honored Vern  and Paul for their many hours of service.

 

 

Eddie relaxed a moment at lunch with one of the precious babies.

 

Real Story

At breakfast Saturday morning, we were told that Rachel, the young mother with cancer died during the night.  She is with Jesus.  Last night her mother came to thank the church and to pick up her granddaughter.  She had never been in the church before.  Her face was radiant as church members hugged her and told that they had prayed for Rachel and her. 

Our team jobs for Saturday were all clean-up details to prepare for the grand opening of the Solid Grounds Café.  One of the most exciting was the installation of the stained glass cross.  For years, their cross was an almost opaque yellowing window.  During the power washing, they found that the window was covered by deteriorated plastic.  There was an attractive textured glass cross under the yellow plastic.  They now have to decide where to put that original cross window.

 

Saturday Bill was asked to organize all the supplies and equipment for the team.  Much of the paint for the church is in five-gallon pails so Bill decided to use a skateboard for moving the heavy items back into the Lanai.  We teased him about being rather a mature man for carrying around a skateboard.

 

Eddie from the Wahiawa church designed and mounted the sign for the new café and arranged for a band from the First Samoan Church of the Nazarene to perform for the grand opening.  Jordon, one of our team members joined them on the drums.

The café was a great success.  Several neighbors came. Seven Nazarene church were represented.

The REAL story in all that we have seen since we arrived is not the physical labor or the café.  It is the changed lives.  Last year the church members felt helpless and were barely clinging to hope.  This year many have expressed immense thanks for their new sense of hope.  Because of their new confidence they are growing spiritually and reaching out to the community.  Several neighbors stopped in this week to talk about watching last year’s team and this year’s.  Several neighbors cooked for our group numerous times this past week.

One lady told me, “You and your teams have brought us many blessings.”

I responded, “All good things come from God.”

 James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

Written by Bonnie Young

Amazing

I was able to spend some time with Peter today.  He is amazing.  He is not forming words but is communicating ideas.  He calls out to people, he interacts with nearly everyone, and wants to be involved.  Today he went to vacation Bible school and when he became excited he hopped out of his chair and walked around without any help or prompting.  Tonight he stood up and went down the hallway looking for his mom and when he did not find her he came back out to the kitchen.

 

The man in the picture hunts wild boar.  He brought this one and butchered it in John and Carla’s backyard.  The lady beside him is Ruth, the wife of the former Filipino pastor.  This evening she bought us a full meal of pulled pork and cabbage, flan, and banana lumpia.  Last year she never came out to meet us but this year she stops us to visit, she brings food, and offers help.  God is opening the hearts of the two churches meeting in the Wahiawa Church of the Nazarene building to come together as children of His.

Painting the exterior of the church was the second project on our to do list.  The church front and west end are almost complete.  All the exterior columns are a brown/gold and the walls are yellow.  The floor in the church’s lanai is a dark gold.  Several people in the neighborhood mentioned how pretty it looks.  During our evening meal a stranger stopped, rolled down his car window, and called to tell us on the lanai how nice the church looked.  God is working the hearts of the watchers.

The lady that is extremely ill with cancer prayed with John’s help to accept Christ this morning.  She is not expected to make it through the night.  Her family needs your prayers.

Psalm 145:18  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Written by Bonnie Young