Kids Small Groups

It is still hard to believe but the SK Rwanda Team's debrief process officialy began today.  And it kicked off perfectly as the team was blessed to attend Emmanuel's (our primary PEACE connect for team logistics and plans) Anglican church near the Iris, where the team has been staying in Kigali.  AND the first service of the morning was in English so the team was blessed to sing, praise, worship and be nourished with His Word.  Praise God!  The team was truly blessed to experience an English service alongside 100-150 of their Rwandan brothers and sisters.  Again, the timing was perfect to encourage and refuel the team as their debrief began.

After church, they enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the New Cactus, an SK Rwanda team "tradition" of oven-baked pizzas and fun.  Then they were Akagera-bound.  God blessed them with easy travels; praise God after yesterday's tough travel times.

Overall, the team had an INCREDIBLE time of debriefing, reflecting, remembering, affirming and praying.  There were powerful moments as the team shared memories, lessons learned, affirmations, encouragement, commissioning and prayer.  What a special bonding time for this 18-person team who is now forever connected with hearts broken for Rwanda.  

Pray for the team's LONG day tomorrow as they start off with some R & R time then return to Kigali for more leisure & debrief.  Then they will bide their time with a final Rwandan dinner before a late-night, red-eye flight from Rwanda to Istanbul to LAX.  Pray for the team's endurance.  Pray for attitudes to remain positive, united and focused.  Pray for hearts to be changed forever.  Pray for safe travels on the roads and in the air. 

We slept through the night which included sleeping through a typhoon! It sounds crazier than it actually was. The goal was to have a "Sunday fun day" so the team could enjoy the beauty of the Philippines while debriefing a life-changing week! We definitely accomplished our goal!  In true "missions style" the plans changed multiple times but the team remained adaptable and we were blessed to take in the sights, rest/relax/reflect and even got to connect with the rest of the Kong family as they arrived early this morning. Their family and friends, some of which are part of the core team of Saddleback Manila joined us, too!  Thank you for your prayers for this day to be filled with God's glory; it truly was!

We are at the guesthouse now and everyone is pretty much packed. Before Monette left, we had to say our final goodbyes to her. We shared our thankfulness for her and prayed over her. Please join us in prayer, not only for Monette and the entire Villanueva family, but also for our church as a whole! Please pray for our pastors and leadership as God uses them to reach those in this world who are lost.

We wake up at 3:30 am (12:30 pm your time) in order to catch our 9:30 am flight to LAX! Please continue praying for us, as this journey is not yet over. We are so very grateful for every opportunity that God has given us during this time. We are thankful that we got to be vessels used for His kingdom. We are very excited to come home to see family and friends, but will be missing Manila greatly. We have built lifelong relationships here and can't wait to see God continue to work through this country in the months to come. Please pray for safe travels, a smooth ride and hopefully some sleep! We are expected to arrive back to the Ministry Office #2 parking lot on July 1st at 11:30 am.  Can't wait to see your bright and smiling faces there to welcome us HOME!

  The SK Rwanda Team wrapped up ministry in Kibuye on a high working with a soon-to-be-opening PEPE preschool.  It was basically an "Open House" day to connect with the kids, teachers and parents.  The team was blessed to be a part of this PEPE launch as they simply spent time with the families, shared their stories and spread Jesus' love.  It was a great way to end their PEPE ministry to see where the other PEPE programs began as this one prepares to open.  Many exciting things ahead for PEPE and the SK PEACE Teams' part in it all.

  Unfortunately, the team was less than blessed with transportation opportunities.  The bus presented the team with its fair share of opportunities so the drive from Kibuye to Kigali was much longer than anticipated.  But the team did a great job remaining flexible and adaptable through it all.  In the end, the bus was fully serviced and the team was all safely delivered into Kigali around 6:30 pm.

  And the team was blessed with a final meal with Christ Gospel Fellowship Pastor - Francis Mutabazi - and his whole family.  It was a wonderful time of fellowship and closing out their ministry with CGF.  Beautiful people doing an unbelievable ministry in Rwanda.

  The team can still hardly believe that they will attend and minister to Emmanuel's church tomorrow then begin the debrief process in the afternoon.  Pray for the team's endurance in this final stretch.  Pray for their focus to finish strong.  Pray for safe travels as they reload up (not the bus, don't worry) and head to Akagera where they will debrief.  Pray that they can spend the much-needed time to rest, reflect and remember. 

FRIDAY:
   Yesterday was our last day of VBS and it is really hard to write about it. We started the day as usual with breakfast, devotions and worship. Arriving at the school, the students were waiting for us as usual. Our last character trait  that we wanted to leave them impacted with was LOVE! The students performed skits, we sang our songs together, Megan shared her testimony and Pastor Steve danced to ONE DIRECTION. The students loved games and craft time! At lunch time, the JollyBEE mascot came to deliver lunch and the students were ecstatic!
    We were able to share the salvation message with the students, sharing with them how much God loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with them. Most of the students are raised in a catholic home. Many of them were hearing that Christ wants to have a personal relationship with them for the first time in their life. It was very difficult to say goodbye. We ended with lots of singing and dancing together. Through the support raised by our sweet students and supporters, we were able to give them bibles and school supplies as a goodbye blessing. We shared that this was just a small token of our love in comparison with the love of Jesus Christ.
    Some of the students were crying and having a difficult time knowing that our time together was ending. We assured them that Saddleback Church, Manila will be here for them as will Ate Monette (Mrs. Monette). One of the most impactful moments happened as these students who do not have much, came to school with parting gifts for many of our students. What little they did have, they freely gave! We were able to learn so much from these amazing new friends. The teachers, staff and parents were able to watch the church in action this week! We thank God for the many memories we will be taking home with us. This trip has been so wonderful. One of our parents, Jerry Dalo said it perfectly, "I feel like this week was as close to heaven on earth as it will ever get".
     We came home and ate a wonderful traditional Filipino dinner together and played a few games of spoons! Pastor Dave of Saddleback Church, Manila came over with his family and it was so wonderful to see them one last time before we leave. We are so grateful for their hearts and ministry in Manila.

    We woke up and shared a Filipino breakfast together. It included noodles, broth, garlic, green onions and hard boiled egg. Quite delicious! They have a wonderful bread here, called Pan de Manila! It is so soft and yummy! We shared a devotion together in Psalms 136. His love endures forever! We said a prayer together before leaving for a local church. We partnered with some local churches in the area through the Philippines Children Ministry Network that links churches together in ministering to street children. We had a fun morning spending time pouring into about 70 street children who spend their time working through out the week. We are very blessed in America to not have many children living on the streets, like other parts of the world. James shared his testimony and Pastor Steve had a wonderful lesson for the children about how they are God's masterpiece. At the end, we finished with a lunch from JollyBEE (surprise, surprise) and were able to bless them with a parting gift that included a hygiene kit. It isn't easy to see so many people in need and feel like we are only making a dent in the problems at hand. We feel lucky and honored to have been a part of something so amazing. Spiritual battles are real and we need to continue being God's vessels as His will is completed!
    We finished the day by eating at an italian restaurant and some shopping at Greenhills mall. It is an underground warehouse of assorted goods. It was a fun way to celebrate the end of an amazing week. We are in the living room right now and the team is gathered around the table eating Balut. I can't believe they are actually consuming Balut, but it is definitely happening. I am praying they don't get sick, so you can join us in that prayer! Tomorrow we will begin our debrief process as the team rests, reflects and enjoys the beauty of God's creations in the Philippines.  We'll update you again as we prepare for our departure, but pray for our final memorable moments together as we close out this amazing P.E.A.C.E Trip. It is going to be very hard to say goodbye to say the least.

The SK Rwanda Team's Friday day of ministry was about truly embodying what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  They left Kibuye for a 2-hour drive (which was quite dusty and adventurous) to Esperance Orphanage.  Their travels were smooth and they arrived in timely fashion to be greeted by the owner/founder of the orphanage.  His story alone awed the team as he was led from Guatemala to this small province in a small country in a big continent.  His faithful following of God's call has blessed the now 149 orphans currently living there.

The awe-inspiring, God-inspired stories continued as the team got to simply BE with the kids.  They heard stories of heartache in how each kiddo came to be a part of the orphanage - death in childbirth, abandonment, HIV/AIDS, even lightning striking & killing one's mother.  It left much of the team speechless...

However, that is exactly what God wanted for the SK Rwanda team today.  They spent hours upon hours playing with the kids, hugging, loving on and holding them.  This may seem insignificant but in the life of these children it is HUGE.  At first glance, Esperance Orphanage appears to be an ideal place to live.  They are self-sustaining in that they grow their own food that they eat and sell; they are a huge close-knit "family"; they receive vital life skills and training.; ultimately, it is a beautiful and clean compound building that they live in.  On paper, this sounds better than some people's homes.  But, we must NEVER forget that nothing can compare to the loving arms of a mommy or a daddy.  The hole in their hearts is indescribable as they lack the one-on-one attention they so deeply deserve.  They long to be known, heard, cared for and loved.  I say this because the SK Rwanda Team's presence was powerful as they worked simply as the hands and feet of Jesus.  They loved BIG, shared DEEP and made a HUGE impact on the lives of these children.  Likewise, I know that each team member left changed in a whole new, incredible way.

Pray for Esperance Orphanage to "Get to Zero" as they strive to place every child into a forever home.  Pray that God is already working in the hearts of the families that will take in and love these children.  Pray for the team as this was a heartwrenching day that will leave them forever changed.  Pray that this is just the beginning of their hearts breaking for what breaks God's.  Pray for strength and perseverance as they have reached the mixed emotion phase - eager to come home yet not ready to have ministry come to a close this weekend.  Lift up this team; your prayers are felt and deeply appreciated.

First, a quick note from one of the team members:

Now for what the SK Rwanda Team was up to with a FULL day of ministry.  Let's just say they were blessed with kids, kids, KIDS throughout the day.  The team ministered through another PEPE Preschool in Kibuye.  This ministry opportunity was a bit shorter as they were having a little talent show for the day.  The team then visited a school atop the hill and were greeted with an incredible site.  As they came over the crest of this hill they saw the school's yard FILLED with students.  When I say filled we are talking a thousand plus students eagerly anticipating the team's arrival.  Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.  All that to say, the team was blessed with lots of fun and love from these students as they conversed and shared in some smaller classrooms (a little less overwhelming option). 

The local church that runs the PEPE program blessed the team with a meal for lunch before they headed out for some incredible afternoon ministry.  First they got to speak with local children's ministry workers encouraging them in their tireless work and ministry.  Jenna shared her testimony and it really inspired the leaders to do the same with their children.  The Rwandan children can likewise share their heart stories to teach others.  Way to go, Jenna!  Finally, the day wrapped up on the football field.  Again, the team was welcomed by hundreds at the football field eager to get to know and hang out with the team.  The craziness was quickly organized into a soccer game filled with laughter, fun and energy.  In the end, God's name was glorified by the team's positive attitudes, teamwork and joy.  Well done, SK Team Rwanda!

Pray for a good night's sleep as the time and travel is continuing to wear on the team's energy and health.  Several team members are fighting allergies and minor colds, pushing through like champions.  Also, pray for their safe travels as they will work with an orphanage tomorrow a little ways from Kibuye. 

Today we woke up and hit the ground running! Our morning started as usual with a yummy breakfast, worship and devotions together. We were all so excited to go back to the school. The sweet, smiling students were already waiting for us as we drove up the driveway. Today, the character trait that we taught the students was kindness. We used the story of Jesus washing His disciples feet as a foundation in learning what being kind looks like. Jesus is always the best example! Each day we have been singing songs with the children. Becky Bernardes has done a wonderful job sharing the hand motions with students and leading them in worship, alongside our students. The students have learned the songs and shout out all of the lyrics! They have so much fun worshiping God in a new, fun and creative way. We are continually blessed by the students. They are so sweet, humble and genuine. Their smiles light up this world! Games and crafts were wonderful, as the students were encouraged to decorate popsicle sticks (as bookmarks) to give away to someone else or keep to themselves as a reminder to be kind. Teia shared her testimony with the students today and incorporated the difficulty, but joy in being kind to everyone. It was amazing to see our team members show the students what being kind can look like, as they washed each of their feet (just like Jesus did)!

We went back to the school for day two of VBS and there was a news crew there. Unfortunately it was for a different program and the principal who was out sick double booked the area that we were using for vbs. there was a celebrity coming to give sandals to the school and they were going to broadcast it.

 
After a long day of ministry, spreading love, hope and care as ministers of saddleback Manila, we went home and prepared for our next day of VBS tomorrow.  Hopefully there aren't any political tv shows :)..

We are happy to report that the team safely traveled from Kigali to Kibuye today.  They enjoyed a relatively relaxing ride really taking in the breathtaking green hills.  Their eyes were also opened to the mixed feelings of joy and sadness in the Land of a Thousand Hills.  Joy as so many Rwandans constantly welcome them with open arms and smiles.  Sadness because of the brokenness that struck their country almost 20 years ago...still remnants of the damage were evident as the team traveled the countryside.  God is good through it all, that is for sure.

Upon arriving at Kibuye, the team was in awe of the beautiful area.  Again, what beauty and joy amidst such brokenness and hardship.  They were blessed to meet with some of the key leaders of the ICC - Inter Church Council.  These men represent the major faith denominations and work together for God's glory in Kibuye.  The plans for the team are multiple and plentiful with PEPE, orphanage, football and church training.  Pray for God's plans ultimately to be done in and through the team in Kibuye.

The travel/planning day was a much-needed time of restoration as several team members are fighting a flu bug.  Pray for these sick team members, particularly the Rexford ladies.  Also, lift the team up as they have reached the halfway point in their trip.  This is the time that lethargy, sickness and team challenges can emerge.  Let's not let the enemy get a foothold; blanket the SK Rwanda Team in prayer.  They have felt your prayers thus far so please keep them coming.  May God be glorified through these 18 folks!

The SK Rwanda Team continues to be filled with the Spirit as they minister to the people of Rwanda.  They had a full and fulfilling final day in Kigali of ministry.

First, they served at a different PEPE preschool program.  It was a joy to teach another 45 sweet little friends.  Praise God that these local churches have adopted and created church-based preschools where the littlest ones can gain an education AND learn about God openly and freely.  The team was blessed to be a part of this foundational education in these preschoolers' lives.

The afternoon held a visit to a new Christ Gospel Fellowship church plant in Busanze.  They had an opportunity to split into two groups to minister in this region.  One group trained, inspired and encouraged current and potential children's ministry workers for this church plant.  It was so great for them to hear from actual Saddleback Kids ministry leaders.  Mandy Brucato's testimony challenged them as they saw the spiritual maturity of such a young believer.  Way to go!  Then the other part of the team was blessed with a large task of teaching 100+ children of all ages.  They remained ever adaptable and joy-filled teaching, playing and creating with the children in Busanze.

Today was a good transition for the team as they first ventured into more rural areas of Rwanda.  Kigali, the capital city, is very different from the majority of Rwanda's landscape.  With this change in scenery came more eye-opening, heartwrenching connections with the people of Rwanda.  God is answering our prayers to break the hearts of the SK Rwanda team members for what breaks Your's, God.  Lift the team up as they travel westbound to Kibuye tomorrow.  God has even more in store for them in this city by the lake.

    In the morning, we woke up at 6:00 am for breakfast at 7:00 am. We fueled up with pancakes, bacon and yellow watermelon. Traffic is very intense in the morning, so we were nervous that we weren't going to have enough time to set-up. By the time that we got there the students were already anxious to get everything started. By the skin of our teeth we were able to get everything started. It was amazing how God worked through the team. When we asked the children if they had ever been to a VBS before, only two students raised their hands. It made us so excited, knowing that we quite possibly get to be the first ones planting seeds into these incredible student's hearts.

280 students showed up for the first day of learning on FAITH!!! We performed skits, songs, dramas, games, crafts and more all around the story of David and Goliath. The entire team came together and had a blast having fun with the students of Kamuning Elementary School. The students that weren't participating were hanging on the decks of the school wanting to come down for all of the excitement.

The SK Rwanda team is fast asleep right now after a full day of ministry.  They are truly living out PEACE serving the local churches of Rwanda in whatever they need.  Monday's ministry day was just that, the PEACE Plan in action, as they stepped up to support the churches in whatever they asked.

The SK Rwanda team started the morning off teaching about 45 children through PEPE.  PEPE is a preschool program run by the local church, this one in Kigali.  These sweet 3 to 5 year olds learned lots about God through the team's creative lessons and stories.The team refueled at The Flamingo, who knew Chinese food in Rwanda would be so delicious?!?!  Then they fellowshipped with the children of Christ Gospel Fellowship demonstrating their adaptability and positivity as plans changed.  Ultimately, the plans were just what God had in mind as team members' hearts were touched by these sweet children.

Pray for another full night of sleep as they embark on another full day of ministry in Kigali.  The team is doing well physically, emotinally, mentally and spiritually; continue to pray that His mighty strength persists in all these areas.

Jet lag hit the Philippines team as some got a FULL night's sleep awaking at 7:00 am while others awoke at 3:00 am ready to start the day.  All were challenged though as they are focusing on what James shares in chapter 1 verses 10 & 11.  With their hearts refreshed (and most sleep regained) they began day two with preparations for the week's VBS.  And staying true to being on the mission field, the team made the most of every opportunity.  Even as they shopped for supplies, there were opportunities to share about God and the impact He has made on their lives.  Way to make the most of every opportunity, Team Philippines! 

And now the team is up and ready to start day THREE with the beginning of a 5-day run of Vacation Bible School at a local school.  Today they will teach the students about FAITH through the story of David and Goliath.  More details and pictures to come as they embark on day three.  Pray for their stories and teachings to reach many...

Just got the daily report from the SK Rwanda team and God continues to do a mighty work through each and every team member.  They kicked off Sunday praising God alongside Christ Gospel Fellowship.  Then, they were blessed (& overwhelmed) with hundreds of kids as they oversaw CGF's Children's Ministry.  Each team member stepped up wonderfully to share God's Word with the children of Christ Gospel Fellowship Kimironko.  After a nice bite to eat at Sol de Luna (pizza Rwandan-style) the team was reenergized and refueled to lead some afternoon training of children's leaders.  The training and day of ministry wrapped up with some good, old-fashioned football (soccer) with some of the CGF little ones. 

Overall, the team is doing GREAT with health, spirits and unity.  Continue to lift them up in your prayers as their full days of ministry continue.  Pray for a good night's sleep and hearts to be open as they minister to the PEPE preschools and train children's ministry workers in a different region of Kigali. 

Day One: We were blessed with a 1 hour delay in flight.  But, because we were given good flying weather and the airline was able to bypass Guam and fly directly to Manila, we arrived 2 hours sooner than expected, coasted through customs and everyone got their luggage. Thank you, Jesus! We met Monette and were on our way to our guest house via three 15-passenger vans. Our guest house is located in a residential area with a courtyard, multiple rooms and plenty of space to fellowship. Once everyone was settled in Lea, Tyler, Lisa and James took a "Tricycle," also known as a motorcycle with a sidecar, to a local pastry shop for a traditional Filipino breakfast of Pandesal with Coco and Mango spreads and bananas that taste so much sweeter than what we're used to.

The kids played basketball in the closed in courtyard, others played card games, caught up on some sleep, unpacked and strategized on the week's events ahead. Everyone filled up on a traditional Filipino lunch of a variety of soups, fish, chicken with gravy, noodles and rice.

We attended the monthly Saddleback Manila church service and got to meet the amazing people that are helping to plant a church home there. The Saddleback Kids and family helped gather interest in the local mall where the service was held, others helped make popcorn for the service, others were greeting the Saddleback attenders that were coming into the service. Pastor Steve gave a great talk on mirroring Paul in the bible and have our children being spiritually healthy, growing and full of love as Saddleback Manila would like to mirror Saddleback, California. We got to connect with the clean water initiative team and Luke Holladay who are also here in Manila this week. It was so amazing to see the church in action tonight. Lives were saved through the message and we got to be a great witness to the church and strangers around the mall.

The kids finally "hit their wall" in church, as their normal body clocks reached about 2am California time. Even the traffic chaos wasn't enough to keep some of them awake on the ride home. They are marveling at the lack of driving laws, no signaling, cars cutting in front of each other and trying to figure out the code of the horns that are constantly being blared from multiple vehicles. They love looking at the different themed Jeepneys and were challenged to pray for those very unfortunate people and children they saw on the sidewalks and streets as we passed by them.

Tomorrow brings preparation for Vacation Bible School and a visit to the local orphanage to bring joy and God's Word to those who could use a relationship with God in their lives.
Until then, we're all safe and happy and enjoying the rainstorm this evening.

Paalam!

The SK Rwanda Tetam has successfully completed day ONE in-country.  They ended the day a bit jet-lagged, but were equally blessed and challenged as they spent time with the Rwandan PEACE Staff and visited the Genocide memorial.  God is already transforming their hearts and minds for what He has in store for the team's ministry.  Here's a quick note from one of our sweet 6th graders:

More and more praises rolling in:
* SK Team Rwanda is officially on Rwandan soil.
* All 18 team members made it AND all of their checked luggage did, too!
* Overall, travels were smooth and stress-free...now all are fast asleep as it is 2:30 am in Kigali.
* SK Team Manila is officially LAX-bound.  Their spirits were high and filled with the Spirit.

Now we lift up the travels of the Manila team to you, God. 
* Pray first for the seas to be parted as they fight Friday rush-hour traffic to LAX
* Pray for easy security check processes.
* Pray for REST for the team as they will hit the ground running upon arrival.

Praise God as the team is off to a great start!  Thanks to all your prayers the team officially left at 6:20 pm (5 minutes early) AND as of right now they are scheduled to arrive 25 minutes early.  Keep the prayers coming that they arrive safely and quickly so the connection will likewise be safe and quick.  Go team Rwanda, GO!


And the SK 2013 Philippines PEACE Team is busily packing, praying and sleeping before their departure tomorrow evening.  Please join us to pray over these incredible 20 team members at 4:30 pm at the MO2 Offices.  They have a similarly LONG flight ahead of them and will then hit the ground running when they arrive.  Pray right now for a good night's sleep, timeliness for flights and safety guiding the drivers, pilots and more.  Get ready, team Philippines, for amazing things!

As of 1:50 pm, the SK Rwanda PEACE Team is LAX-bound.  Hope they enjoy the comfy, air-conditioned ride on their mini coach bus as they then transition to some LONG flights on Turkish Airlines.  Pray for:

• Safe and easy check-in & security process
• Timeliness of flights
• Ease of transfer in Turkey from leg one to leg two
• Luggage makes the transfer with them :)

We will keep you posted as the team arrives but they are OFF...

It is hard to believe, but we are less than 24 hours away from the Saddleback Kids 2013 Rwanda PEACE Team's departure.  God has mighty plans for each of the 18 team members as well as the Rwandan churches that they will be working alongside these next few weeks.  Join us to send off the team @ 1:30 pm @ the MO2 Offices (portable offices on left-hand side of Saddleback Pkwy entrance).  We look forward to covering this team with prayer, love and support! 

You are at the RIGHT place if you are looking for updates on the Saddleback Kids Manila & Rwanda PEACE Teams.  We are one week away from our first departure - Thursday, June 20th - as we send off the 18-person Rwanda team.  Then, less than 24 hours later our 20-person Philippines team is off.  In this final week of preparing and packing, please lift these 38 people up in prayer as the enemy is already trying to discourage and distract the teams with personal, spiritual, emotional, physical and mental warfare.  Our God is MIGHTY and He will be victorious as all 38 team members will rise above it and do His incredible works in Rwanda and Philippines.  Join us in prayer...