I’ve never seen anything like it. The amazing ability to organize, oversee and implement a missions trip of consistently more than 50 kids. How does he do it? To me it’s mind-boggling. If I take a team of 8 people overseas, it is a monumental job of planning, coordinating, creating teamwork, itineraries, flights, hotels, etc.
I am talking about our dynamic Youth Pastor Sam Ellis. Right now he is in Belize with 54 high-schooler’s/youth leaders, their second trip to this Central American country. He’s taken teams that large to Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and smaller ones to Thailand and Alaska.
Did you know the majority of people committing their lives to Christ do so between the ages of 7 and 17? So pray that some of the kids give their hearts to Jesus for the very first time or recommit their lives to Jesus. A baptism is planned for Sunday morning, the 25th. They return home later that evening. Here is a list of those in Belize (leaders in bold). Appreciate you praying over these kids, that their trip would be abundantly fruitful.
Aubrey Spurlin
Josh French
Caleb Hardy
Sidney Williams-Goldberg
Eli Bernstein
Isabel Whitman
Gabby Denny
Izzy Saunders
Anna Madigan
Keilani Norman
Armand Amini
Kevin Carr
Asia Lim
Claire Knill
Hayden Woodburn
Gabe Tacklind
Katrin Trimarche
Ella Mostajo
Aiden Blanton
Grace Peterson
Olivia Visser
Dominque Willette
Nate Ellis
Cesar Jacquez
Elisa Dobrow-Izasa
Julian Williams-Goldberg
Dakota LeFronk
Frankie Cotinola
Dario Amini
Imani Clemons
Cate Ayers
Morea Arthur
Sam Ellis
George Vardakostas
Madeline Garwal
Vann Allen
Dylan Petway
Taylor Kaye
Lalia Amini
Teva Shonfeld
Emilyn Griffiths
Sierra Woodard
Aria Arthur
Robert Clemons
Cole Hawkins
Katie Moore
Evan Louch
Medoria Embury
Aiden Kaine
Ashley Dudley
Sarah Thurin
Taylor Wong
Sage Woodward
The Belize team will reach out poorer areas of the country, like these pictured.
Other Prayer Needs This Week…
- For the Upcoming Women’s Retreat at Forest Home, March 16-18; signups still being taken
- Special prayer for David Kessner who has been suffering Lyme’s seizures
- And Geoff Thompson, also struggling with Lyme’s
- Friends/family of Jared Blacketer and Roy Slavin, both longtime Lagunans who recently passed
- And the family of Richard Antioch who also passed recently; especially remember Sally/Francesca
- Trip to Thailand from March 6-20, a small team I am taking of Bruce Ungerland, Linda Ungerland, Tom Ravensberg and myself. Focus – teaching at Tai Church in Bangkok and in the mountains, reaching out to the poor and reconnecting with dear friends.
- Safe return of the Belize team.
Finally: “The measure of a person is how well he or she faces up to whatever life may bring them, no matter how difficult.” (this from an unbelieving artist friend of mine).
Finally #2: This will be the last newsletter for a month. Taking Nikki on a trip next week and then heading for Asia. Pray for me. I need all the help I can get.
Love you all.
Pastor Jay