Sunday, May 10, 2009

Travel and retreats/gatherings

There's a lot going on this week for our team, so I think I'll break it down by day:

Monday, May 11:
-Please Pray for Allison Jurecki as she is flying back into Valencia, arriving around 2:30pm.
-Also pray for her and Justin as they take an overnight bus to Maracaibo. Pray for safety and a restful journey, especially for Jurecki, considering that she was a relatively short turn around time between arriving on the plane and leaving on the bus.
-Please pray that Allison Pepple, Sarah Brown, Oscar Zapata, and I can schedule appointments well as we have a short week. Pray also for discernment in what to cover in those meetings and that students would be punctual and eager to receive.

Tuesday, May 12:
-Please pray for Jurecki and Justin along with all the other city directors from around Venezuela as they meet together in Maracaibo. Pray for wisdom for them as they consider how to determine the criteria for selecting a new national director and the vision for how to continue forward with the current national director, Keith Onishi, leaving in July of next year (2010).
-Please pray again for Pepple, Sarah, Oscar, and I in scheduling and having appointments (discernment in content, punctuality, and excitement)


Wednesday, May 13:
-For energy for Justin, Jurecki, and the city leaders as they meet for another day.
-For Pepple, Sarah, Oscar, and I in scheduling and having our last appointments of the week (discernment in content, punctuality, and excitement)
-For safety and a restful trip as Pepple, Sarah, Oscar, and I take a nightbus to meet up with our leaders in Maracaibo for a team retreat.

Thursday, May 14:
-For rest and attentiveness to God's voice for Jurecki, Justin, Sarah, Pepple, and I as we spend a day with the Lord.
-For Oscar as he has a meeting to talk about Venezuelan fund-raising policy within Campus Crusade for Christ

Friday, May 15:
-For our team to be encouraged, to be refreshed, and to have fun as we spend a day together in a team adventure outside of Maracaibo.

Saturday, May 16:
-For Justin, Jurecki, Pepple, Sarah, and I as we debrief about the year and begin considering questions/preparations to return home. Pray for insight in what to share for the staff member that will be leading that time (probably Elisha or Sherri) and that we would be able to identify things necessary for personal closure for each of us. (Just for memory's sake, Pepple will leave May 28th, Sarah around June 15th, and the rest toward the end of July)
-For Oscar as he spends the day with his family after having been away for a month and a half.

Sunday, May 17:
-For our team as we visit Oscar's church in Maracaibo
-For safe and restful travel for Jurecki, Pepple, Sarah, Justin, and I as we take another night bus back to Valencia.

Monday, May 18:
-For energy, endurance, and readiness to learn for Oscar and all the other Venezuelan staff as they start a three week intensive training conference about fund-raising.
-For Jurecki, Pepple, Sarah, Justin, and I as we get back to ministry in Valencia, as we plan appointments for the week, and make plans for a parents' meeting to present who we are as a ministry and explain what is coming with summer project.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Travel safety and finishing well

Congreso came and went, hopefully I'll get a chance to post my update letter about it one of these days to fill in some blanks about what happened. As for now, I have two specific prayer requests:
1. My teammate Allison Jurecki's grandmother passed away unexpectedly yesterday morning. It's a pretty substantial blow to the family as she had lived with them for quite some time and was really an integral part of their lives. Allison is flying home tomorrow evening(Wednesday) and will arrive Thursday afternoon to be with her family until Sunday. Please pray for her safe travel, and for God's comfort for her and her family in their grief.
2. We're approaching the end of our STINT year. Allison Pepple is leaving at the end of May to go home and raise funds for a second year, Sarah Brown leaves in mid-june to do the same, and the rest of us leave toward the end of July. Please pray for wisdom for us especially in our discipleship relationships, that we would know what is important to focus on and pass on to the students before our time with them ends.