Home again!

It's Wednesday morning and we have been home for 2 days and I still don't know exactly what time it is!
It was so wonderful to see the smiling faces of the CREW who came to meet us at the airport in Louisville! Brett, Barb, Martin, Dan, Robbie, and "the OLD guy", you gave us all a lift in more ways than one! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for the cooler full of ICE COLD Mountain Dew and real DIET COKE!!!!!!! And with all those extra hands it was easy to get the luggage loaded.
The final leg of our journey was on it's way! And we were in KENTUCKY once again!
We were all tired but the group agreed a burger and fries was needed right away! So the first stop after leaving the airport was MCDONALDS!
This time our trip through Beaver Dam was uneventful. Just a bathroom stop and back on the road! We pulled into Murray around 11:30 or 12. It was so good to be home!
Our time in Poland was full of great times and great people. I learned so many lessons throughout the planning and the going. I know I received so many blessings from participating in this trip. And I look forward to being able to share it with all of you.
There aren't words grand enough to express our thanks for all that our friends and family have done to support us. All the encouragement, donations of money and supplies, but most of all your prayer support! This was truly a TEAM effort! We were just on the front line, but without all of you this would not have been possible. We knew you were here at home covering us in prayer everyday. The devil was VERY active trying to stop the work there but you were fighting a good fight! Even when we couldn't get in touch because of internet problems we knew you were covering us in prayer.
The theme of our English Day Camp was an Adventure with God. How appropriate that title was for the kids and for us! This has been an adventure that has become part of who I am. I will always have a little bit of the people I met with me in my heart and mind.
Each one of us is on an Adventure with God everyday. No matter where we live or what our job is our goal should be to grow closer to Him and seek to do His will. I pray that I will always remember to put Him first and remember to give Him all honor and glory for each day, each breath, each beat of my heart.
And now the Adventure continues. Where will it take me? Where will it take you? Who knows maybe we will be sharing a Polish Adventure again next year!!!!!!!

Day Camp Day 5

Today is the last day. We can't believe how quickly things went this week. We have enjoyed the kids so much that the time has flown by. Today we had almost 20 kids again (we knew that a couple would not be able to make it today) and we learned about Salvation. Today was the hardest day to teach since salvation seemed extra hard to explain with words that may or may not translate, especially to young children. But, we knew how important it would be for us to get this message to them. Vern taught the lesson today and we all prayed that God would speak through him as he ministered to these young minds. Several students raised their hands to pray for salvation with Vern so we will continue to pray for these kids hoping they understood and truly was seeking to be a believer. Whatever seeds were planted this week, we pray that they will continue to be nourished and not only grow with that child, but with the families of these children. Many of the homes these children come from are not involved with the church, some only knew about the day camp through the feeding program at the church. Many of the families that attend the feeding program have alcoholic fathers and are facing many challenges. Please help us to continue praying for these families.

The kids signed a banner for us to bring back with us to the US and hang at church...

Today was water sport day and the kids loved it!...
Tonight, we had the Family Party where all of the kids were invited to bring their families to the church for a review of what they did during the week and to pick up all the crafts they made. They were surprised to also get goody bags full of fun items for the kids to take home including candy, toys, and other items donated by people in the US. The kids absolutely had a blast! We also gave them all (kids and families) a Across Ministries shirt and two kids even won an ipod shuffle from our ticket program where we handed out tickets for good work during the week! They could not believe how much they were taking home with them! These kids are more than grateful for everything we have done and its an amazing feeling to see them light up with even the smallest things like a craft. These are memories we will definitely never forget.
At the end of the night, we took pictures, thanked the families and thanked the church for allowing us to be here this week. God has truly blessed us with this week!

Day Camp Day 4

Day Four has been another great day. We can't believe it but we topped our numbers today with 21 kids! The kids were just as excited to see some new faces as we were. Today we learned that God is Forever! God never ends.. he always has been and always will be!! We showed the kids things here on earth that do not last, such as flowers, animals, etc. And explained to them that God never gets old, and he will never die. Today, we also showed the kids the big banners we made while still in the US, covered in the hands, scriptures, and blessings of our friends and family at home. They couldn't believe that there were so many people that were praying for them and thinking of them in the US! They are excited to be able to make their own banner tomorrow for us to take back to America. We told them to bring their favorite scriptures or remember what they have learned in their lessons this week to write on the banner.

The sports today was especially fun as the kids got to play with the big parachute! They loved the parachute! Kenneth and Anne did a great job showing the kids how to use the colors on the parachute and how to do the "popcorn" where you bounce several different sized sports balls on the parachute to see if you can pop it off.

Vern shows off his skills

Tonight was a youth/family night and we had something special planned for them. Vern dressed in his Kung Fu attire and showed them what he has trained to do as a black belt. He even brought his sais with him, a three pronged object used in battle! After showing them a few moves, Vern also explain about his training, and talked to us about how he kept Christianity in his training instead of other religions that are usually introduced through Kung Fu and other similar arts. He also talked about defending your faith by knowing God's word, as you would defend yourself physically from attacks. The people who attended highly enjoyed his presentation and Lydia, the woman living here with us thought the front row was a little too close for the action so she scooted her chair back as Vern was doing some moves.

"VIdeo Coming SOon"

Day Camp Day 3

God has been so good to us! Even after all the worry and stress that goes into making a trip like this, He has provided everything we need. The first couple of nights were hard because we felt out of place and like we were breaking everything when the toilets all got stopped up at once, the shower broke, and other things happened that made us feel like we were intruding on the people's territory here... but God showed us very quickly that we would be alright and that they were not unhappy with us here. In fact, they have been more receptive to us then we could have imagined! On the second night, God even showed us a rainbow that filled the sky and we felt like he was telling us to have peace.

Now, when we look into the eyes of these children we can't help but know that God was in control the whole time and already had this planned out for us! Its amazing to see what he put together for us! One of my favorite scriptures, Jeremiah 29:11 tells us "For I know the pans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to fail you" I know a lot of people refer to this scripture as the big picture of their life but I think it fits very well with what has happened here.. even when things left and right were tearing up or messing up, we had to remember that God put us here for this mission to Prosper, not to fail.

Day 3 has been fantastic! The kids singing and dancing give me an excitement that is irreplaceable! Today they learned that God is True. You would think it is hard to explain this to children, but sometimes its hard to explain this to adults too! We learned today that God will never lie to us, he will always be true to us and He IS the TRUTH..Jesus said, I am the Truth, the Life and the Way and that is what we believe today. Today we had an even more amazing number of kids, 19... we continue to grow!!

Climbing to the castle

While we were here, Dianna wanted us to be able to see the castle ruins that were near Chrznow. We took a bus ride about 15 minutes out of town and then hiked to a very steep hillside. At the hillside, we decided to climb up to reach the castle ruins of Lipowiec. The castle only has a portion of it left but was built in the 13th century. It was built then as part of the defense system for the bishops of the area but was later converted to a prison in the 15th century. What still stands today was actually the first part that was built, the tower. The tower is unbelievable stretching up into the sky and you can climb all the way up to the top, which we did. It was a great adventure! It was a tiring day due to the climb up the hill and then the climb up the tower but it was well worth it!


And of course, on the way down, we stopped for some LODY!!!

American Cooking

We decided while we were here that we would cook an American meal (well kind of) for the Polish workers that had been taking care of us all week. We made a big meal of TACO SALAD and COLD Ice tea!! I am not sure that they liked it all that much but they seemed to eat it up, except for the kids who couldn't stand the onions. The Cold Tea was not quite a hit except with a couple of the women. But, we are glad we had the opportunity to do something for them. The only bad part was the plan to make brownies and we couldn't figure out how to use the stove, so the brownies were ruined and we had to run to the market and get something at the last minute for dessert. Oh well.. it turned it good and we enjoyed doing something for them instead of being waited on. And, we think a couple of them might enjoy some ice tea if we can ever bring some back from the states!

Video Channel

Can't get enough of the Team Memorial Trip? Check out this Youtube page for more videos that aren't posted on the blog:

http://www.youtube.com/user/DCHKYgal

Video extras and Interviews!

Trip to Wisla

Tom and Beata wanted to show us something very special before they left to go to the other churches, Beata's hometown of Wisla. Here, Tom and Beata lived before they moved to the US, attended church here, and Diana grew up here. We knew we were also going to get to meet some of Ewa's family and couldn't wait to talk to them! Here is Wisla, we walked through the downtown area and of course bought some Lody (Icecream), as we do everywhere we go. The downtown area was really pretty and we did a little shopping while we were there. Tom decided to take anyone who wanted to go up the mountain to get a view from the mountain top. So a few of us went hiking up some very steep backroads to reach the very top! It was quite an adventure but very worth it since the views were absolutely beautiful! From there, we hiked back down the mountain, through fields, to meet the rest of the crew at Beata's parents home. Her family is on vacation but they opened their home for us to use and Ewa's family came and fixed us a beautiful and very delicious meal. The meal included wonderful scrambled eggs, pancakes with sugar and cream, fresh blueberries they had picked from the mountain, fresh watermelon, and a load of other things. We were so full.. I am glad we hiked before we ate! Ewa's family was wonderful and we can't believe how much she looks like her sister! Afterward, we went to Beata and Tom's church in Wisla, the Oasis Baptist Church, where some Irish teams were holding their own Bible Schools there in town. What a great day!

We all tried a different kind of cheese downtown at the market. They look like bread but they are cheeses that are decorated...


Ewa's family gave us a wonderful lunch on the mountain...

Day Camp Day 2

Day 2 has been even more exciting. Today we had 14 kids!! Today we learned that God is Love. The kids are starting to sing some of the English songs like "Read your Bible and pray everyday" and the answers they give about the lessons are amazing as they remember almost everything we have told them. They are even surprised at how our Polish is developing as we try to speak to them! I think one of the biggest fears we have had before we got here was the language barrier. Most of us considered that the hardest part since we are trying to teach them something but know sometimes it will be hard to explain principles or terms to them when it has to be translated. However, God has very vividly shown us that the language barrier is no obstacle. In fact, in most of the devotions written for us in our book from our church, it points to scripture that reminds us that God is the one doing the work, we are just here. God speaks to these kids, no matter what age, no matter what nationality. And, he speaks to us through these kids just as much! I think we are all seeing that this is a lesson for us, not just them. And some things, I am wondering why it has taken God sending me to Poland to learn! Sometimes I am so stubborn!

"Videos to be posted soon"

Day Camp Day 1

It is finally here!!! Day Camp started today....we got up early, ate breakfast together as a team, prayed as a team, hung the final welcome signs outside and waited for the sound of kids. We had no idea what to expect, whether we would have older kids, younger kids, lots of kids, or a few. But, we did all have the feeling that whoever it was, God had them there for a purpose. As 9:00 rolled around, we had 9 kids from the ages of preschool to 12 years old. The kids were playful and excited although probably not knowing what to expect any more than we did. With that number, we kept the kids in one group which helped us to ease into working in a different culture. The kids had a Bible study on "God is our Creator", made crafts, learned English about God's creations, had races outside in sports, and danced and sang English and Polish songs during the Introduction and at the end of the day. What a blessing it was to be with these kids! They absorbed everything they did and they were extremely smart! The team met (including the polish youth that worked with the group) to discuss the flow of the day with Tom and Beata and everyone was joyful about what God has brought to us to accomplish. We are excited about the rest of the week.

A Beautiful Sunday in Poland

What a beautiful Sunday it has been. We woke up and went downstairs to church to get acquainted with the congregation. The church has about 30 attendees including families and members of all ages. As mentioned, Franic, someone we would consider a Chair of the Deacons at our own church, is now leading the church as an interim pastor. He spoke a couple times and presented the communion to the congregation. The church has a great worship band with singers, piano players and guitar players and they did a great job with the worship service. We actually recognized most of the songs they sang, mostly contemporary Christian, and struggled to sing along in Enlgish. How quickly you forget the words when you are hearing other people sing in a different language. Diana translated most of the service to those who could hear around here so that we at least knew what was being talked about and when we were supposed to go up in front of the congregation. The team went up together and each of us introduced ourselves, told them what we do for a living and what we would each be doing in the day camps. We also told them how long we had been preparing for the trip and everything that was involved in preparation such as group training meetings and fundraisers. At the end we sang "God is so Good" in English and then surprised them by singing in Polish. The church members were so responsive to us and so welcoming and it really warmed our hearts to see how much they wanted us here. We were very thankful for God placing us in this church. After church, the whole congregation stayed to eat lunch and have fellowship, just like a Baptist lunch. We were able to play with some of the children that would be attending day camp and get to know the families of the community a little more.

The church's worship team...Our group in the church sanctuary...

Meeting the church families after the service...

In the afternoon, we started with last minute planning, knowing that Tom and Beata would be there with us very late in the evening to stay through Tuesday and get us started for the week. Debbie met with the young leaders of the church to go over some details and we took a short trip downtown to see what the square was like. Every town here seems to have a town square and they are generally a lot older buildings filled with stores, restaurants and banks. Even though it was Sunday and most things were closed, the square was still filled with people, sitting outside and usually eating some Lody (Ice Cream). We headed back to the church that evening and started decorating the sanctuary and rooms used for English lessons and Bible study. It was a lot of fun decorating and we filled the halls and rooms with lots of color for the kids!

Decorating the sanctuary...

Made it to Chrzanow

We have arrived in Chrznow (CHAR-NOOF) and have made it to our church. The bus ride was not long from Krakow but we are all starting to really feel our jetlag. Even with that exhaustion though, we are all excited about starting the day camp. We arrived at the Baptist Church of Chrznow very late at night after a long day traveling and visiting Auschwitz. Everyone working at the church ran out to greet us and help us with our piles of luggage. Even though we couldn't understand them, we could tell they were surprised by how much luggage fit into our little bus. The church we are staying at used to be a house and then the sanctuary was added on to the house. The pastor normally stays at the house in the upstairs rooms where we are living but recently their pastor was called to another church. Luckily the church had two bedrooms, two showers, and three bathrooms so there is plenty of space for us all to sleep, keep our supplies, and live. There is a woman who lives at the church, Lydia, and she cooks with the other ladies of the church to make breakfast, lunch and dinner for us each day. We got settled in for the night and tomorrow we wil wake up to have church with the congregation here. The service will be in Polish so it will be interesting to see what their day is like. We are expected to do a presentation to the church to introduce ourselves and talk about what we will be doing during the week. It is going to be hard to explain who we are and what we are doing since it will have to be translated. But, we look forward to meeting everyone and fellowshiping with their congregation. Tomorrow we will also do all of the last minute planning for camp and decorating the church. We can no wait to be with the kids and are so glad that the moment we have planned so long for is finally here! Continue to pray for our camp as each day goes by, for the hearts of the kids we will meet and for the great things God is doing in this church even as they are without a pastor!

Tonight we checked out the church to figure out where we would put everything for day camp...



We had our first meal in Chrzanow with the ladies at the church...


And we took our first trip to a grocery store. The grocery stores are not much different than ours but they do have a lot of products we are not used to seeing.

Without Internet!!!

We are here in Wisla at Beata's mother's house but we have not had Internet for days at the church. I apologize for not updating lately and would love to show you all the wonderful things that we are doing here in Poland. Luckily we are able to use Beata's parents Internet for a second but very quickly just to tell everyone we are alright and enjoyed our first day of camp. I hope to update soon with video and pictures of the last couple days and our church in Charznow... God has really worked through this church! Can't wait to show you!

Weekend Excursion to Auschwitz

We had a great time in Krakow, walking the historical streets, meeting people in the town, and entertainment and shopping downtown. However, it was time to move on towards our main goal. As we left Krakow, we made a few stops in Auschwitz to tour what is left of the tragedy that happened many years ago at the concentration camps. As we walked through the places where people were tormented and killed, we couldn't help but have an overwhelming feeling of remorse for the people who experienced this tragedy or still lives with the nightmares of their life in Auschwitz still today. The main camp is very well reserved and looks much like it probably did during its time. People were brought in by the thousands to live and work and die in this place. One crematory still remains where thousands of Jews, not seen fit to work, were immediately wiped out. There are no words to explain what it feels like to walk where they once did. As you walk through the buildings, you see what was left of their belongings; glasses, clothes, kitchen tools, shoes.. all kept to be sold by the Germans or used in the homes of the SS. What effected me the most though was the room full of women's hair, cut off as the women were killed and used to make furniture or bedding for the prisoners who were kept to work. Some of the hair was even braided still as if it just had been cut.
The second camp, a few miles away, was mostly burned down by the Germans before the war ended so that there would not be proof of their evil. But, there is enough to know how dreadful it was and some has been rebuilt to remind people of how evil prejudice and power can be.

First day in Krakow

Our first day has been great. We got off the plane, got all of our luggage (Thank God!) and took buses to our hotel, Hotel Saski, in "old downtown". The streets are tiny but they are covered in beautiful buildings with restaurants, hotels and shops. The feel of old downtown is amazing with its cobble stone streets and Baroque architecture. Everything is within walking distance and as you stroll downtown you can catch musicians and other entertainment such as fire breathers and dancers as they try to make a few extra zlotys (pronounced zul-tees in Southern English). As soon as we got into town we took a tour to see the cathederals, the clock tower and the castle downtown along with other locations like the place Tom proposed to Beata. But the night was not all play, as we had to meet for our orientation and get organized before the groups split up on Saturday to go to their different locations.

Breakdown

As mentioned briefly in the past post, on the way to Louisville to get on the plane, our truck broke down. The truck was carrying all the luggage and it seemed like we were going to be stuck on the side of the road. Kenneth was driving the truck and was able to glide the truck into Beaver dam, about 6 miles away from where the transmission stopped. God already had a plan though, as the other team was 30 miles behind us and was ready to pick us up, had room for the extra people and room for the extra luggage. With straps from Kenneth's truck we piled up the luggage as high as we could on the back. We all knew though that this was part of the plan and even though we looked like the Hillbilly's, we made it safely and comfortably to the airport. And as you see below in Ginger's video, we had no doubts.

POLAND.... Here we come!!! What a start!

As we are sitting here in the Charlotte Airport, I can't help but laugh at how the day began. The last two days with packing went smoothly and then last night I went to switch vehicles so that I had the van to take everyone in the morning and the battery was dead on the van. Kenneth had to come jump the vehicle. The morning came after very little sleep, thanks to anxiousness, and as I was getting ready to leave, I broke a tooth... not the first thing you want to do as you are going out of the country.

We started out well as we headed toward Louisville but got very close to Beaver Dam when Kenneth's truck (which was holding all the luggage) died... the transmission had gone out. As we rolled to Beaver Dam, hoping to even get the vehicle there, we all continued to have a sense of joy and confirmation that we were supposed to be on this trip and that God had big plans. We called the Murray team who was 30 miles behind us and they had two seats for the two guys in our truck, and thought they could pile the luggage on top of theirs. We felt so blessed to have a backup plan. The Murray team joined us and we added our luggage on to theirs and we were on our way. At the airport, all three teams met up.

Even though we have faced a few obstacles today, the team is still excited and anxious to get to Krakow. We knew going into this that we would face some threats here and there but we all believe we have a shield of protection around us and that nothing that comes our way can not be taken care of. POLAND... HERE WE COME!

Almost time to go!!!!!!!

We met tonight to pack all of our supplies. We want to send out a BIG THANK YOU to Oatman and Kathy Farley for the fantastic team travel book they made for us. You guys out did yourselves!
We are all anxious to get on the road. We have been planning for over 6 months and now the time to go is finally here! We are looking forward to what is to come knowing that God has already prepared the way.
We are praying for our Ewa as she makes her trip tomorrow. She is so excited to be going home. I know her family must be anxious to see her, too!
2 days from now we will be in a plane over the Atlantic Ocean........WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!

Prayer for team members

We have several specific health needs prayers. Dana has a possible upper respiratory infection. Glenda and Debbie are having trouble with their knees. And Bobby's back went out last night.
Does anybody else smell smoke????????????????????
Pray that we be able to persevere in spite of these trials. God's word says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and we claim that promise!
Darts will continue to fly but God had planned this trip and I know He will provide!

1 WEEK LEFT!

There is exactly one week till we leave! It just feels like yesterday that we were looking at this trip being 7 months away and now it is here!!!

I wanted to post a video of a song that has really been an inspiration to me lately.. this song by John Waller has been a theme song to me this year. There have been a lot of things lately where I feel like I am playing a waiting game. But the Bible tells us to Wait upon the Lord and he will be faithful... so I love the words I will move ahead BOLD AND CONFIDENT because that is what God has told me I can do through my salvation. No matter what the situation, whether going on a mission trip for the first time, applying for a new job, looking towards some changes in your life, we can move ahead Bold and Confident. And, its also a good reminder for me every time I hear this on the radio that while I am waiting, though sometimes painful, I need to WORSHIP Him.

Enjoy the video!

Poland Prayer Calendar

*TO PRINT THIS PRAYER CALENDAR PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhtxswjj_0g8h5dsgj

Prayer Calendar for Team Memorial

Thank You for being our prayer partner in this adventure! It has been an exciting time preparing for this trip. Now as time grows closer, we need you to pray for us even more! Following is a prayer calendar for the time we will be gone. It will give you some specifics to pray about.

Pray for us as we make final plans and gather in all the supplies we will be taking. Also, pray for the Churches in Poland as they prepare for us. Pray that the Lord prepare the hearts of the families we will meet to be receptive to His Word. Pray that Tom and Beata have success in planning with the Churches and communities in Poland.

Again, THANK YOU for joining with us in this adventure. You are a VITAL part of our team! Only with the family of God working together are ventures like this possible!

In His name,

Team Memorial

Dana Howard Bobby Wilson

Kenneth Howard Glenda Wilson

Vern Miller Darby Woods

Ginger Severns Debbie Woods

Anne Ferguson Jennifer Wyatt

www.acrosspl.org is the ministry website

http://teammemorial2009.blogspot.com is the team blog site to keep up with us while we are gone.

Wednesday July 1

Today Ewa will fly to Poland. Pray for her safety. Pray that she feel upheld by God’s own hand as she travels alone.

Also, pray for the team as we pack, that we be able to fit in all the supplies we need. And pray that we be able to get a good nights rest.

Thursday July 2

The day has finally arrived! Pray for our safety as we drive to Louisville to meet up with the other 2 teams from Murray, Team Murray and Team Lakeview. Pray for a smooth trip through international customs. We will be going through customs about 10:30 am. We will have 3 legs to our flight. Pray for the flight crews as well as all airline employees, from flying the airplane to handling our luggage. Pray for peace as this is the first flight over the ocean for many of us. We will fly out of Louisville at 12:25 pm. Then we will fly out of Charlotte NC at 5:25 pm for our flight over the Atlantic.

Friday July 3

We will arrive in Munich, Germany about 8:10 am

(That is Munich time, 1:10 am our time!)

The next part of our trip will be flying out of Munich to arrive in Krakow Poland at12:30 pm Poland time.

We will then be searching for the smiling faces of the Baker family as they meet us at the airport!

Pray that all our luggage makes it to where it is supposed to be! Pray for the Bakers as they travel to meet us.

We will have a time of orientation and preparation before we end a VERY long time of travel!

Saturday July 4

While you are celebrating the birthday of our nation that is founded on freedom, we will be visiting Auschwitz, a place where many lost not only their freedom but also their lives.

Then each team will go to their towns: Team Murray-Krynica, Team Lakeview-Tarnow and Team Memorial-Chrzanow.

Pray that we each will be so in tune with the leading of the Holy Spirit that we will be able to communicate and work together to reach out to the local community for the cause of Christ.

Sunday July 5

Today we will worship with our Church, First Baptist Church of Chrzanow. Pray that God’s presence and power will be felt by all whether they worship in Polish or English.

In the afternoon and evening we will be getting to know our hosts and preparing for VBS. Pray that we and our Polish family will be able to work together to make this a great week in God’s Honor. Pray that we all be able to get some good rest to prepare for the week.

Monday July 6

Our day begins at 7:00 with breakfast and then a time of prayer and final preparations. At 9:00 am we will begin our first day of “English Day Camp”, to you and me that’s VBS! We all know how the first day of VBS is controlled chaos. Pray that registration goes smoothly. Pray that God empower us with the ability to do whatever is needed. Today’s lesson is….God is our Creator. Pray that each child and parent can see God‘s light shining in each of us

Especially, pray for the individual teams as they set about their tasks.

Recreation: Kenneth and Anne--Pray for strength and energy and ideas to keep the kids active

Crafts: Bobby, Glenda and Darby--Pray that they will be able to show the kids how to complete the craft in spite of the language barrier

English: Ginger and Jennifer--Pray for understanding and ability to share simple games and activities to aid in learning of new English words.

Bible Story: Vern, Dana and Debbie--Pray that they will be able to tell the story in a manner that can be understood. And that working with the interpreter goes smoothly.

Our interpreter is Diana ( she will need lots of prayers dealing with all of us!)

Monday evening we will have the opportunity to go to Wisla and visit some family and friends of the Bakers and Ewa.

Tuesday July 7

The second day of VBS…God is Love. Pray that children will bring more and more friends with them. Pray that more members of the Church will come and get involved.

Today, is the first day of our 3 day Swim Camp led by Anne and Diana. Pray for safety for all.

Pray for the chance to meet other children and invite them to “English Day Camp”

Pray for Anne, Dana and Darby as they will lead the devotions for the 3 days of Swim Camp.

Wednesday July 8

Today’s so appropriate title is God is Faithful.

Pray for energy and strength for us as we reach the middle of the week. Today is hump-day and we will need an extra boost of power for the rest of the week. Pray that the children will have such a great time that they continue to bring friends. Pray that as the parents come to pick up their children we will have a chance to get to know them , too.

Today is the second day of swim camp. Pray that the children that come see the joy of our teenagers because of their devotion to our Lord.

Tonight Vern will give a demonstration/devotion, using his skill at Martial Arts, for the youth. Pray that God use this special talent to reveal more of His truths to all of us.

Thursday July 9

Today is the 4th day of Day Camp…God is Forever. Pray that there is much energy and excitement in the community because of what is happening at first Baptist Church Chrzanow! Even in spite of the “Crazy Americans’!

Pray that God will receive all the honor and glory that is His and His alone.

Today is the last day of Swim Camp. Pray that the children who have attended will want to visit First Baptist to learn more about this “Jezus” they heard about!

Pray for us as we prepare for our last day of VBS and Family Night. Pray for rest and renewed energy.

Friday July 10

Today is the final day of VBS…God is our Salvation. Pray that all the children who have come this week will come back today. Especially pray for the Bible Story team as today the plan of Salvation will be presented. Pray that hearts will be ready to receive salvation through Jesus’ cleansing blood. Pray for families as they come to Family Night. Pray that Church members will have a new excitement about sharing a personal relationship with Jesus our Lord. And that they be able to help these new families understand that they too can have that relationship.

Pray that un-churched families will feel compelled to find out more about First Baptist Church of Chrzanow. Pray for the interim pastor and the people of the Church that they be able to reach out to these people to show them God’s love. Also, pray for the Church as they look for a new pastor.

Saturday July 11

After breakfast we will be leaving to go back to Krakow. Pray for us as we leave our new ‘family’. Pray that they be encouraged by our time with them. And that time spent together will help them reach out to their community after we are gone.

In Krakow we will meet up with the 2 other teams. We will tour Wawel Castle and get a glimpse of some Polish history.

We will have some free time for walking through the city and local shops.

At supper we will have a time of sharing with the other 2 teams about our week. Sharing all the wonderful stories of how we have seen God work! And praising Him for this chance to witness all we have been apart of this week.

Sunday July 12

We will have breakfast at 4:00am and then head to the airport.

Pray that as we leave the Bakers in Poland they have a chance to rest before the next team comes in a week or so. They will have 2 more Day Camps…one in Wisla and one in Rzeszow.

Pray that God bless them so that their cups overflow on all those around them. And that He continue to reveal more of Himself to each of them; Tom, Beata, Diana and Ewa.

Our flight out of Krakow to Munich is to leave at 6:25 am. Then we fly out of Munich at 11:40 am for our return flight over the Atlantic to land in the good ole USA at 3:30 pm. (With the time change it is an almost 11 hour flight and not 4 hours as it appears!) From there we board 1 more plane for a 1.5 hour flight to land in KENTUCKY at 7:25 pm!!!!!!!!!

Pray for us as we travel, for safety and for rest. And that we be able to share with each other thoughts and lessons learned during this week and if the opportunity arises that we share with other people.

And that as we return we be able to share it with you who have been such a BIG part of all this great adventure!

Monday July 13

It will be early today before we make it back to good old MURRAY! Especially pray for those who are returning to work today. Pray for energy and clarity in doing their jobs in spite of the previous day of travel.

Thank you SO MUCH for committing to pray for us. Everyday we are all on mission for God. After all Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20

“ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, let’s pray for each other. That ‘as we go’ about our day we remember this call from Jesus. Each day in every place we are, people need Jesus.

It is up to each of us to follow in His footsteps so closely that

…We are covered in the dust of our Rabbi, Jesus!

Even little things are important

Today was another one of those lessons from our Father.

Darby wants to carry some supplies to make bracelets on the plane to pass some time. I know you aren't supposed to have scissors in your carry-on. So, I thought I would call the travel agent and check with her. But then decided I could get on line and check with the airline. All of that info can be so confusing but I was pretty sure it was ok for her to take some childs safety scissors. Days went by with that question still not settled in my mind. I didn't want to bother the travel agent with such a silly question. I bought her a pair of childs scissors for $1 and thought so what if they take them away it will only be $1. Another week went by and the thought kept going through my mind. Today I decided to just give her a call. I'm sure she has had sillier questions, right?
When I asked if my teenager would be allowed to carry a pair of child's scissors on board she said "yes". Then she asked " How old is she" and "Is she traveling with both parents?" I said "15 and she is traveling with just me". She told me there is a relatively new rule that says any child under 18 traveling out of the country with only one parent or with adults other than their parents have to have a notarized letter from parents stating that it is ok with them for the child to travel. Since all of our groups tickets were adult fares she didn't think to ask if anyone was under 18.
WOW! That could have been a real problem when we got to the airport! There are 2 team members that this would effect! So, I guess it wasn't such a silly question after all!
Just another reminder to listen to the Spirit in me and trust that even something as small as a pair of child's scissors can be used by God to accomplish his purposes!

posted by Debbie

As July 2 gets closer...........

With each day that passes I get more excited and things get more hectic! God has given me such a great opportunity to participate in this adventure. We leave on July 2 but the adventure really began a long time ago when I first accepted Jesus as my Savior. This is just a new step in that journey. I have learned so many lessons as we have prepared for this trip. God continues to teach and guide me and reveal His hand at work.
We have made bracelets; had suppers, auctions and a 5K run. We have put many hours into fundraising. We have had MANY people offer SO much help. God has provided for us in an overwhelming way. You always hear people going on mission say that God will provide the finances. They are absolutely right! He has provided all that is needed!
That's not to say there haven't been problems. We have had people in the hospital, family issues and one team member forced to choose her job or the trip, she choose the trip! So the attacks have come and will continue to come.
Recently as I was reading in Psalms, God brought to my attention Psalm 90:17
May the favor of the LORD our God
rest upon us
establish the work of our
hands for us-
Yes, establish the work of our hands!
Over and over He reminds me this is HIS work. He has planned it and He WILL carry it out!
I can't wait to see what is next!

posted by Debbie

Final Group Meeting

Finally, the Gang's all here! At the last group meeting, we took some picture of our beautiful team!
The team members include( Bottom from Left): Glenda Wilson, Dana Howard, Anne Ferguson, Darby Woods, Bobby Wilson, (Top from left) Jennifer Wyatt, Ginger Severns, Vern Miller, Kenneth Howard, Debbie Woods.


And once in a while, we like to act silly...

Practicing our Bible Lessons

Vern, Dana and Debbie will be the ones leading the bible studies on the Memorial Team. Since we all have to get used to teaching while being translated, we figured it would be a good idea to practice stopping for translation with our friend Ewa. Ewa worked with us one afternoon on speaking in English and Polish, talking and waiting for translation, and waiting for responses from the children. We are so excited about being able to share God's word with these children and hope that even through the stopping and starting of the message, they will be able to get the true meaning out of the lessons. We are especially nervous about the fifth day where we will be discussing salvation with the students. It is hard to talk to the kids in 30 minutes and explain to them the wonderful truths we will be sharing, but we trust that God will direct us through each night's lesson!

Here are the themes of each day:
Day 1- Introduction and God as our Creator!
Day 2- God is love!
Day 3- God is true!
Day 4- God is forever!
Day 5- God is our salvation!

Please continue to pray for us as we study the lessons we will have each night in Poland. Pray that the hearts of the children will be open to recieve his Word!

Remember to give Thanks!

As the time gets closer and closer for us to leave I am feeling a gambit of emotions including excitement, desire, curiosity, thankfulness and and overall overwhelming feeling from what has to get done before we leave in the midst of everything else that is going on in my life. I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you all and what God has revealed to me through anxious prayers.

If last week was an indication of what battle our team would be fighting for the next three weeks, it will be easy for us all to get downhearted about the trip before it even happens. Even though I had not really talked to any of the team about my week, I just knew I was not the only one on our team that had a rough week. The whole week things were attacking me left and right... some big some small but that caused frustrations and sometimes panics. Not only was I in the midst of several problems, but I talked to people left and right that were facing major crises in their own lives, making me overwhelmed with emotions for those I love as well. Thursday was the worst.. I honestly had something attached to me that was attacking my spirit all day long! Maybe I am giving him too much credit but it was like Satan was throwing people in my direction as obstacles. I seriously had to come home that evening before my night activities to lay down before God and ask him to change my attitude and spirit before that night. I just knew I was under attack. I thank God he answered my prayers and helped me to deal with the situations from that day and to have a better spirit the rest of the day and week, even as new things popped up.

So, I am sharing this to let everyone know 1) If you are in the same boat this week, you are not alone and I don't believe that is a coincidence. 2) We should all recognize that God has given us the power to not get stuck on the day to day things that go wrong or even the HUGE life changing things that go wrong because HE HAS ALREADY WON THE BATTLE!!! We have to be reminded of this all the time, sometimes daily, as I have had to be reminded this week. 3) I have also been reminded this week that we should ALWAYS give THANKS!

Psalm 106

¹ Praise the Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

HE IS GOOD!!! His LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL US!! So, that is my goal this new week.. to not get caught up on the things going on around me because the big picture is that God has a plan, He is constantly working, He is always good and plans good for us, and that I should continue to give Him thanks no matter what!

I look forward to the rest of this journey that God has prepared for us. I KNOW God has big things for us. I know God is working through us, I know God is Who He says He is, I know God is Doing what He says He will Do. And, I know we will continue to be attacked because we are working towards his good will... so when you are doing the same and feeling like your being attacked in every direction, keep your head up because God has already defeated the enemy long ago!

Dana H.

Chrzanow

We found out what town our group will be in for our mission in Poland! Team Memorial will be at Chrzanow!!! Check out some basic things about the town...

Chrzanow is a town in south central Poland. It has 40,880 residents. It is located between Krakow and Katowice. The town dates back to the 12th century. It has had a turbulent history.

Today, Chrzanow is a county seat in the highly developed Upper Silesian industrial and mining area. The area is one of Poland's major zinc-producing centers. Other economic activities include coal mining, food processing, and the production of building materials and electrical machinery. The town is the headquarters for the large train locomotive factory Fablok. It is the site of a regional museum. It hosts a Business and Marketing Academy, a fine indoor swimming facility, parks, a historic Jewish cemetery and several old churches. It is located near Chechio Lake.

Testimony from Debbie

Hi! I am Debbie, part of Team Memorial! I wanted to share a quick testimony with you about what God has done for us while we are preparing for the trip to Poland!

In the beginning the big decision was..."Do I want to go to Poland for me or does God want me to go?" After throwing out my fleece before God I received the answer. It was that I should go! So now we are in full swing preparing materials, supplies and ourselves for this adventure.
The biggest hurdle for Darby and me has been financial. With 2 plane tickets to buy , as well as other in-country expenses, passports etc I knew God would have to provide. Almost immediately the Holy Spirit impressed on me that a major part of our funding would come from one person and He told me who it was. I kept this to myself and continued to pray. Meanwhile, our team cooked dinners, made bracelets, had rebate nights and auctions to raise funds for our trip. Personally, I have been doing extra work here and there to raise some funds as well.
The time came when the tickets were booked and the price given, $1175.00 each. That is $2350.00 for the two of us.
I was careful not to mention money around that person, I didn't want to think I had somehow swayed them.
Then one day she came to me and said she had a gift for me. God had impressed on her many times the amount. She had just been waiting for the right time to give it and now was the time. She gave me a check that made me speechless. With the money I had saved and her check it was the exact amount I needed to buy the 2 plane tickets! God is SO GOOD! It is amazing to see Him work in such a personal way. God continues to provide on many levels. We look to Him for provision, safety, courage, inspiration and ability as we continue to prepare to travel this summer to Poland.
I can't wait to see what is next!

Preparing for our Journey

As the months go by, we have started preparing for our journey through several different ways:

1) We have made the church and our community aware of our commitment to this mission both individually and as a team. We have asked that both the church and community support us and START PRAYING!!!

2) We started long ago praying for God to show us direction in this journey and of course for the financial blessings we all need to cover our expenses and supplies

3) Every team started in January meeting with our fearless leaders, Tom and Beata to learn about what we would be doing and organizing our teams.

Here is a sneak peak at us trying to learn "God is so Good" in Polish while doing hand movements....



4) We started fundraising! As all of you know, fundraising is no easy task but knowing that we are on this mission for God's will, we continue on. Our fundraising started with dinners on every Wednesday night before evening service where people can give donations. We all made "salvation bracelets" with the 6 different colors of beads. Anyone can buy a set of them, one to wear themselves and the other for us to take to Poland to distribute to a child... each child will also receive the plan of salvation, coordinated with the colors of the beads ( of course in Polish). In a couple of weeks will be a 5K Fun RUN/WALK coordinated by our college Sunday School class... and there will be a Basket Auction with baskets of themed goodies on the night of April 26th. All of these fundraising events/projects are going on now or will be in the future so if you want to help us out... Get Involved!! Just ask us how! Remember, there are three ways you can support missions:
PRAY, GIVE, or GO!!!!!

We truly appreciate ALL the prayers and support we have received so far from our church and community. Even down to the smallest donations and words of encouragement, you have helped us in a BIG way!

Welcome to the TEAM MEMORIAL blog!

Welcome! I hope that you will continue to follow us on our journey as we prepare for our trip to Poland and while we are there! We will not leave until July but we have already been preparing for the adventure that lies ahead of us! God has provided a great team for us and we have a variety of gifts and talents that will be used to make this trip a success. Please feel free to check out the Across Ministries website along with the other team websites as you will see in the "Links" section to the left. I will post pictures and info of the team members soon so check back!