Boy, we have had such a good time with all of the Compassion Project workers in our training workshop. These past few days, we have introduced them to using both flannelgraph and puppets in their ministries. It was fun to see how well they worked together to plan their assigned Bible lessons and help each other out as they created their puppets. It was hard to say good-bye when the time came to end our last session with them.

We have met so many wonderful people in our short time here. For example, Sylvain and Sabine Allaboe. He is the director of the seminary here where we are doing the training and she has been graciously preparing our meals for us. Last night, she told us she was excited because she was going to be able to get to the training this morning, as she really wanted to learn how to make a puppet. She wasn’t able to get it finished in the short time we had, so tonight she brought it over to our little apartment where we are staying to get our help as she finished it. It wasn’t long before Sylvain joined us and we got to spend the evening getting to know this amazing, humble couple.

At one point in the conversation, Patti was prompted to look up a reference in her Bible to show them. This caught Sylvain’s interest and he asked if he could see her Bible. I wish you could have seen his face light up when he saw all of the maps and resources found in the back of it. He said he had to get one for his ministry and wanted to know how he could order one to have it sent to him. It was then that God prompted Patti to give him her’s, knowing that he would treasure it and put it to very good use. We take so much for granted, don’t we? Thank you, Lord for the lessons you teach us each day.

We have finished the training we came to do, but I suspect the opportunities for ministries are not done yet. Tomorrow, we head back to Ghana and then prepare to fly home on Friday.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support while we have been here in Africa. We look forward to sharing with you in person soon.

God bless,
Melanie and Patti

Ghana – Sunday, August 19, 2012
Akwaba! That means Welcome here in Ghana.

It is interesting to hear people switch back and forth constantly between English and the local dialects, often combining the two.

We finished the Puppet ministry workshop yesterday and got to go back over to the camp for a little while where they were having their “Fun Day”, complete with a bouncy castle, face painting and dancing. They kids had a great time and it was a fun last day of camp for them.

This morning, we make the drive to Lome, Togo. We look forward to spending three days in flannelgraph and puppet training with around 100 people at the Compassion International Leadership Institute there.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers. We sense them and know you are praying!

God bless,
Melanie and Patti

Ghana – Friday, August 17, 2012
Greetings from Accra!

These past few days have gone by so quickly, we can’t believe Friday is almost done already!

Yesterday, we decided to “divide and conquer”, so Patti headed to the camp to help out there, and Caleb and I went on to the Assemblies of God conference to finish our training with the 139 teachers there. I had the joy of speaking to them about their philosophy of ministry and why we do what we do as children’s workers. It is so important that we learn to see children the same way Jesus sees them. It is an honor and privilege He give us when He calls us to minister to them.

Meanwhile, Patti was endeavoring to teach 35+ very energetic kids how to make sock puppets. They were so excited, they literally swarmed her wanting to make sure they got one to make. It was crazy chaos, but they had fun. Then, afterwards, a few of the kids wanted to play a game, so Patti decided to teach them the game Red Rover, Red Rover. When one of the leaders heard the word “game” he got all of the kids out there to play. What a scene it was! I wish you could have heard the shouts of excitement and seen them dance around in celebration whenever someone was able to actually break through to the other side. By far, the most exciting Red Rover game ever played!

Today, we started day one of our puppetry workshop. Around 30 people from all different parts of Ghana were there to learn how to make puppets and start their own puppet ministry. Several more are expected tomorrow, as they had to work today. We look forward to a great day!

Please continue to pray for the work God is doing here in Ghana this week.

Also, we received the sad news today from the KIDS home office that Beth Shaver, a close friend and co-worker, passed away unexpectedly this morning. As you can imagine, we are stunned and heart-broken at the same time. Will you please remember Beth’s husband, Ron, and their family in prayer and they go through this time? Thank you so much.

God bless,
Melanie and Patti

Ghana – Thursday, August 16, 2012
What a place this is! Wherever you go in the city, you find people lining the streets, trying to sell their wares. Many of the women carry the heavy goods they have to sell on their heads. Their sense of balance is amazing. The traffic? Unbelievable! From 4am until very late at night, you will find cars crawling along to their destinations, knowing it may take hours due to the congestion. Thankfully, Caleb is very adept at driving in these conditions and we have found ourselves in wonder several times already as he is able to find a hole to get through to where we need to go, where there was no hole a few seconds before.

These past few days have been full. On Tuesday, Caleb drove us to the Cape Coast so that we could visit St. George’s castle (also known as the El Mina castle) and see a few of the fishing villages along Ghana’s ocean shore. Then, it was back to Accra, where we went to the meet some of the kids who are attending the camp this week. Yesterday, we started training at the Assemblies of God conference. Patti led off by leading a session on the Creativity of God and using creativity in the classroom. She did a great job, and it was fun to hear some of the ideas they came up with in their smalls groups as a result.

After the conference, we headed back to the camp to meet more of the campers. We were also able to sit in on one of their sessions. A local doctor came in and taught them about hygiene. It was evident from some of the questions the children were asking, that much of this was new for them. The issues these kids are dealing with are so different. The older kids and teens will be going through a series of classes this week to learn the facts about HIV/AIDS as well. They just are not taught the truth about these issues anywhere else, so thankfully, the church is stepping up to help.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers this week as we continue with the training and camp ministry. This morning we will split up – Patti is heading straight to the camp to teach the older kids how to make sock puppets, while I head back to the conference to teach one last session there.

God bless,
Melanie and Patti

Ghana – Monday, August 13, 2012
We are in Ghana! Good evening!

Well, 36 hours after we left Rockford, we arrived in Ghana. Though tired, we are glad we took advantage of our 15 hours layover in London, and got to visit the city on the last day of the Olympic games.

When we finally arrived in Accra early this morning (5am), it was a joy to walk out and see Caleb Mensah, our Ghana KIDS coordinator. After a short rest. we spent some time visiting with John Laba, country director for Compassion International. We will be conducting a 3-day training workshop at their facility in Togo next week and he told us the 100 + people are fired up and excited to get started! Can’t wait for next week!

However, first we have work to do here in Ghana. Over the next few days, we look forward to ministering to many children at a camp near Accra and teaching a couple of sessions as part of an annual conference for the Ghana Assemblies of God churches. Then, this Friday and Saturday, we will spend two days with 50 of Caleb’s key volunteers from all over Ghana in puppet training. They are especially excited to be able to learn how to make their own puppets and several have been wanting to start a puppet outreach program in their community and this is just what they need to get them started.

We covet your prayers over these next two weeks and we look forward to seeing what God has in store.

God bless,
Melanie and Patti

Once we arrived at the site, we were greeted by all the kids! It’s really amazing how many children come to the programming here, and they all love our team. Our work crew got started on the playground and finished putting that up pretty quickly. Once we were done with putting the pieces together, we started mixing the concrete on the ground and putting it in the holes. By 3pm, we had finished and the playground looked great!

Our VBS crew did another fantastic job with the kids as well! Using the gifts of the team, we had one of our members do a hygeine class for the kids. She had received a donation of a bunch of toothbrushes and toothpaste from a dentist back home. It was discovered that these kids’ teeth were in really bad shape. So, she taught them how to properly brush their teeth! It was a well needed class for the kids!

The highlight of the day came at lunchtime, when the pastor shared with us the impact the playground and our ministry team would have on his community. He shared of his passion for children and his community, and how this playground would be used as a tool to reach the lost there. His wife shared how she had been on her knees praying for a playground like this for a long time and now God brought her angels to bring and build a playground for her kids! It was a moving moment as the team saw the divine plan that God had laid out before us to bring out his glory in Rosario, Dominican Republic!

We are thrilled to be in His plan this week. As we head into the last day of work, we are reminded of this and look forward to seeing how God works in each of us to be in His plan every day!

Thank you for your prayers for our team!
Chris Marshall

Dominican Republic – Tuesday, August 7, 2012 – For our third day in the DR we got a lot accomplished. With the arrival of the tools, we were able to make great progress on the playground with our awesome team of volunteers and local help. The only thing that could slow us down was the lightning and rain late in the afternoon.

Our VBS crew continued to impress as well. More crafts, games and lessons for 200+ kids that attended the afternoon VBS. The highlight again was the pictures. Our team printed the pictures out at the church with the children looking on. They were amazed at how good they looked and how easy it was. The children showed our team their pictures and had great looks of pride and they touted them around!

Today we have prepared our team to encourage, love and minister to the children and teachers in a new way. This will mean that most of the team will be in somewhat uncomfortable situations as they try to stretch their faith and discover their gifts. Should be exciting! Can’t wait for our evening debriefing!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for us. We are all doing very well

For the Team,
Chris Marshall

Dominican Republic – Monday, August 6, 2012 – Good evening! Today was a long day of work. It started with an early wakeup call and then the drive to Puerto Viejo, about an hour away. We arrived at the church where we will be working this week and met Pastor Luis. Right away we could tell this would be a fun week, as Luis was so excited to see us! He has a small property which has: a school for 120 kids; an after school program for those kids, as well as other neighborhood kids; and a well, which they use yo bottle water. He had everything prepared for the playground and even a few guys to help us out, which was nice. We started right away digging the holes and doing things that didn’t require tools…since our tool bag was still missing. We had a great day on the site, and can’t wait to get the tools so we can show the kids the gift they are receiving.

We also noticed that there were a ton of kids when we arrived. Not unusual when we do a build, and we came prepared. We had all sorts of games and crafts ready for them, and our team got right to work with them. For the first few hours, we helped with a few things for the kids in the after school program. There were 120 kids that were there to be tutored and were involved in programs. The team was able to jump right in and help their teachers. We sure did create some excitement with the kids!

After lunch, the church was holding a two hour Vacation Bible School. Our team was so excited for that, and we did tons of crafts with the kids. It was so awesome…the kids, teens and adults were doing small coloring projects, making gospel bracelets and really neat necklaces. Also, one of the highlights of the VBS time was when we took portraits of each child. We plan on making them each a frame and giving them their own picture to put in it. It will be really neat. Once word spread about the pictures, we had tons of kids waiting in line. After we were all done, one boy came running back up to me and asked for his picture to be taken. I asked why he wasn’t with the rest of the group when we took their pictures. He told me that when he heard about the pictures being taken, he ran home and put on his nicest shirt and took a shower for the picture! That just shows how special these pictures are to these children. (Makes me wish I was a really good photographer which I am not!)

God is really working thru our team and allowing us to be great tools for his work down here. Please continue praying for us as we minister to the children here. Also, our tool bag arrived tonight so we are now ready to start putting together the playground!

For the Team,
Chris Marshall

Dominican Republic – Sunday, August 5, 2012 – We all arrived safely into the Dominican Republic. Once we arrived, we headed east 4 hrs to Barahona and our hotel, Costa Larimar. The team is pretty tired after a long day of travel and is looking forward to a good night’s rest.

The only hiccup so far is that our key tool bag was lost – the only one out of of the 30+ bags we brought with us. Hoping it comes tomorrow!

Thank you for your prayers for our team while we minister to the children in the DR…

For the Team,
Chris Marshall

During the hottest days any of us have ever endured, they found the heart, the motivation to dig deeper than many may have thought possible. Because we were on the last day to build, we wanted very badly to finish the playground, despite 120 degree heat! Many of the team stayed and worked through the afternoon temps, because that was the only chance we would have to get this playground finished in time for Sunday’s dedication. The motivation was the kids!! By the time we wrapped up at 5pm, we had accomplished our goal!

Chris, one of the guys from Indiana, commented he really didn’t believe the temps would be so high, and could not have imagined what trying to work in 115-120 degrees would even feel like. He’s a believer now! It was suggested that we tell those back home to turn their oven to 120 (is that possible?), and when it’s reached that temp, open the door and feel that heat. Then imagine you are surrounded by that feeling, and try to work all day in it!

Anyway, as tired as we all are, I am just as confident that tomorrow’s dedication will fill us anew with a deep satisfaction that “leaving it all on the field” was definitely worth it!

Thanks for your prayers!!

For the team in Patna,
Mike Young
Kids Around the World

India – Friday, June 29, 2012 – Day 3 in the extremely hot temperatures began to take its toll on some of the team – and who can blame them. We arrived at the site after breakfast, and the temps were already nearing 110. Everyone was careful to take breaks and sit in the shaded room in the school, drinking plenty of water. Just before noon, it was clear the energy level was gone. However, with the steady help of the students and some local laborers, we had gotten almost all of the main structure in place. Only a couple small decks remained. We were very glad to see that the two sections of this very large playground met up just right at the far end! I was truly grateful because I am not sure if we would have the energy to re-dig holes.

We climbed into the Indian air-conditioned bus (that means we opened the windows) and headed back to our hotel to cool down and grab some lunch.

When we returned to the site, we were greeted by the college students who were busy digging the final holes for the main structure. They were so proud of what they had accomplished and with big smiles called out for me to inspect the holes. Bill, John, and Pastor Mo put up the last two sections, while Noah and I began squaring up the poles and leveling the decks. This should make Saturday’s work easier when we install all of the panels and gates. We were also able to mark all of the holes for the slides and climbers. The students were busy digging those holes as we headed back to our hotel.

By this time we were relieved to see the temp had dropped to a comfortable 100 degrees! I never thought I would say this, but I would actually welcome snow tomorrow!! That sounds nicer than the predicted 120 degrees. We still have a fair amount of work to get done before putting in the concrete, and if we are going to make our dedication schedule for Sunday, we need to begin concrete by mid-morning. Thank you for all your prayers – and I ask you to please keep them up for the safety of the team.

For the team,
Mike Young
Kids Around the World

India – Thursday, June 28, 2012 – Of all the times for a weather forecast to be accurate! Today hit 116 degrees in Patna, (and it’s not even a dry heat!) We stayed with our plan to work in the morning and late afternoon into the early evening – hoping to avoid being outside during the hottest hours. Pastor Mo from Indiana arrived about lunch time for his first visit to India. So now the team is assembled and we are well underway.

With the help of many local men and boys from the school, the team managed to get the swing set holes dug and the concrete in place. This will allow the cement to cure for three days before the kids begin to bring new life to this playground.

I think today’s highlight for me was to watch 15 year old Noah take a group of other students and lead them in different areas of assembling components. He really stepped up well today – and I think grandpa Bill was very proud!!

Before we left the site tonight Pastor Abraham made note of the large number of local villagers who had shown up toward the end of the day – just to see what was going on. One of his reasons for wanting this playground is to attract more children to the new school – thus providing for more opportunities to accomplish the mission of Emmanuel Ministry School. Mission is already being accomplished and the playground isn’t even half done! Until tomorrow…

For the team,
Mike Young
Kids Around the World

India – Wednesday, June 27, 2012 – Hello from India!

Most of our team arrived safely Wednesday morning. The team includes Bill Gindhart and Noah Dellamater, a grandfather /grandson tag-team from Rockford, Naomi and Roger Muselman, and several friends of the Muselman’s, both from Indiana and missionaries currently living in India. However, Roger Muselman had to turn back and head home because of a health problem. (He had surgery when he got back, and is on the mend. Please pray for him and his healing.) We are waiting for Pastor Mo to arrive from Indiana, where much of the team lives. His flight got cancelled, and he is expected to arrive Thursday morning. We are thankful tot he Muselmans and Taylor University for sponsoring this playground as a gift to the children here in Patna, India.

Our local partner is Pastor E. A. Abraham, who leads the great work being done to reach the lost, and bless the children in the State of Bihar and beyond. I could write a book about this man and his faithful and unswerving service for our Father, (but he already has, so I will leave that to him.) This location is their newest orphanage and school – a rural setting, surrounded by rice fields in this northern State. We are roughly 100 miles south of Nepal. This new house/school is still being finished, but already has many boys living in it. Pastor Abraham says this playground will be a major part in his outreach to the nearby community as he strives to get more children to come to his new school.

The minute we left the plane this morning, we knew the heat would be our biggest challenge. This is the rainy season for India, and most of the country is receiving badly needed rain that allows them to grow their rice and sustain so many lives in this land. However, this area has not had much rain yet. The forecast is for highs of 104 – 113 degrees this week, with a slight chance of rain on Friday or Saturday. By the time we arrived at the site about 1:30 this afternoon, the temperature was easily within the forecasted range, which quickly took it’s toll on most of the team.

It didn’t hamper our spirits, but certainly slowed us down. We had to spend much time taking advantage of the shade and the welcome warm breeze inside the large main room of the school. After deciding on the location and position of the playground in the cleared area next to the school, we marked the first ten holes. With the help of the boys and some of the staff, we had the first set of holes dug and ready. Then we decided it might be best to do most of the assembly inside the large room at the school, and carry the assembled items out to set them in their holes. It meant moving many heavy components twice, but in the long run, would keep most of the team in the shade as much as possible, without losing precious time.

One of the highlights today was watching the younger boys, who wanted so much to help and be part of the team, trying to stomp down the dirt at the bottoms of the holes. These boys, each of whom probably didn’t weigh more than 40 lbs, were jumping with all their might packing that dirt in tightly so we could set the poles. Much like the ants in the old children’s song about moving a rubber tree, these boys had high hopes! We are not sure how successful or effective they were in compacting dirt, but they were certainly effective is helping bring smiles to many of faces, including their own.

Tomorrow we hope to get the help of a power auger, and if that comes through, our goal will be to have all of the main structure up along with the swings.

Please remember to pray for the safety of the team. Thank you for allowing us to be an extension of your heart to serve and bring hope to the precious children here!

For the team,
Mike Young
Kids Around the World

Though everyone is tired, our spirits are high. There is nothing like a playground to show the priority of the children. We feel so blessed to be able to make these special children feel important and loved.

The highlight for all of us today was all the Haitian men that jumped in to help us at the end of the day. They are the kindest and most friendly group, and they worked so hard with us even after working a full day of work themselves on the orphanage. Many of them are already becoming our close friends. We are all falling in love with Haiti and the beautiful people here. Hopefully, next time you can join us and see the amazing beauty that exists here in these incredibly resilient people.

For the Team,
Paul Gates

Want to see more photos of the trip? Click here

Haiti – Wednesday, June 27, 2012 – Tuesday was the dawn of a new day. The sun was shining, and it was hot. After experiencing a few challenges on Monday, everyone came together to get this playground right. We are shooting toward a dedication day on Thursday, and we are working to make sure the playground is done so all the kids can play. The team has bonded in incredible ways, and everyone is working so hard with such great attitudes. Progress is being made, the sun is shining, and we are all grateful.

Some of us also had the blessing of going to another local orphanage and of praying for a 3 month old little girl named “Veronica”. Veronica’s mother died in child birth and she was brought to the orphanage by the rest of the family that just could not care for her. She has pneumonia right now and has almost died twice in the last week. She is such a beautiful little girl, but is fighting for her life right now. Please join us in praying for Veronica and her health, and that she would grow up to be a strong little girl.

For the Team,
Paul Gates

Want to see more photos of the trip? Click here

Haiti – Tuesday, June 26, 2012 – God is Good

The start of the week is always fun, with the anticipation of what the week holds in store and the reward of hard work. The rest of our team arrived from Wisconsin Sunday night ready to get started. This morning, our now complete team of 30 joined with 120 local Haitian workers that are working on the orphanage for a time of worship – reading God’s Word, praying and singing together. It was exactly what we needed to start our first official day of work on the playground. Such a great way to start the week!

Then, off we went to build this massive playground. Observing all the pieces laying on the ground, we thought, “wow, this is going to take some serious work” – and we were right! Everyone worked together well and had a great time, despite a few challenges along the way. It is always special to see little problems that turn into great opportunities for the team to work together and problem solve. We finished most of the decks today and will work on attaching all the slides and rails tomorrow. Pray that we can get everything shored up tomorrow and ready for pouring the cement. We are looking forward to the beautiful gift this playground will be to the children of Leogane. They have been through so much as the earthquake took so many lives and then many were killed by the more recent cholera outbreak. This area has seen much loss and we are so excited to bring hope back to a community that is truly deserving.

For the Team,
Paul Gates

Haiti – Monday, June 25, 2012 – Saturday – The California Crew all arrived safely in Haiti on Friday, and after an adventurous drive through Port Au Prince, we made it to the Samaritan’s Purse housing.

Saturday morning we woke up early to get on the work site before it became too hot. The site at a beautiful new orphanage that Samaritan’s Purse is building, and is partnernering with Kids Around the World to build a large playground for the chidlren there. We started by getting the playground out of the container, and then moved on to dig the holes for the first sections of the playground. Everyone worked so hard and we had a lot of fun cheering each other on, and just laughing and having a good time. By the end of the first day we were all tired, sweaty, and dirty. All in a good day’s work. We are already truly enjoying the Haitian people. The men on the orphanage work site are so kind, and the people at the Samaritan’s Purse Volunteer House are so hospitable. This is shaping up to be another amazing trip.

Sunday – It is always a blessing to go to church in Haiti, and today was no different. However, we were in for a special treat today. Every time you go to church in Haiti there are lots of smiles, vibrant worship music, powerful preaching, and you can see the joy of Jesus all over the place. What we didn’t expect was a 4’11″ man in a blue shirt that we affectionately called the “church cheerleader”. He danced in the front, played with the kids in the front, and through the entire message led the congregation in amens and loud shouts of praise. By the time the service was over, he was drenched from head to toe in sweat, but it was all because you could tell that he absolutely loved Jesus so much that he simply just could not contain himself. We were all so impacted by this little man and his incredible passion for Jesus. We asked ourselves, “how could one man make such a huge impact in all our lives in one simple day in Haiti?” The answer became very clear today! When you commit your life to Christ, and just let His joy take over your life, and you become a cheerleader for Jesus and for others, you will start dancing too. Inside and out.

The day wasn’t over yet. After going to church with all the children from the orphanage that we are building the playground for, we got to go back in the afternoon for a birthday party. Five children were celebrating their birthdays and the entire orphanage was ready to celebrate. We played soccer (of course) and basketball, took photographs, gave piggy-back rides, danced, and then we all sang happy birthday to five of the cutest little kids you have ever seen. The children were all so respectful as each birthday child said their name and how old they were, and then they waited patiently as the birthday cake and cheese puff plate came out for each child. Then it was “game on” and the interesting combo of cake and cheese puffs was down the hatch, and it was back to playing.

It was a beautiful Sunday in Haiti! We are more excited than ever because we were cheered on in life by a 4’11″ man, and we get to continue to build an amazing playground for all the beautiful children that have welcomed us into their hearts.

The rest of the team arrives today from Wisconsin and we look forward to serving together with them in the coming week. Keep the entire team in prayer for safety and unity as we work on a very large playground in incredibly hot and humid conditions. We hope that this email finds you all well at home and encouraged by the power of serving others. Join us this week in serving someone and see the joy it brings not only in the life you touch but also in your own soul. Bless you as you serve with us!

For the Team,
Paul Gates

> View more photos from this trip

1 of the 2 playgrounds built in Thailand

As the team is working on the playgrounds, there is a lot of activity at Tree of Life, the orphanage. They are working on three new homes, making 22 finished homes towards the total of 50! Each home will house 12 children….so soon there will be 600 children!! The school is also under construction, they currently have rooms for 200 children, but as you can tell, they are growing and will need space for the 600!! In the center of everything will be the playground, really exciting! On top of the hill, the activity picks up as they are anticipating 1,000 children coming to camp next week, and we get to be there for the first day!

One of our highlights today was to see the “Mothers”, those in charge of caring for the children, walk through the playground site with their own puppets!! Bonnie Siegfried led a puppet construction seminar today and the women proudly showed off to us all their puppets….they then went on to tell us that the children love them!! In fact, the children now want their own! Another fun-filled day in Zambia….thanks for your prayers!!!

For the Team,
Jim Rosene

Zambia – Thursday, May 31, 2012 – The work on the playground continues to move along. In fact, today we were joined in the construction of the playground by a team of young local men. It was fun talking with them and showing them how to install a playground….we really needed them when it came to lifting the large slides in place and then fastening them together with nuts and bolts! Each of these young men earn $4.00 a day working on the site, which is far above the Zambian average daily salary of $1.00 a day.

One of the young men was chewing some tree bark. He told us it was for his upset stomach. Denise was chewing some bubble gum and showing off her skills of blowing bubbles…a little while later I saw this young man, chewing bubble gum and trying to blow his own bubbles. He told me the gum had a better flavor than the tree bark!

Today, Bonnie Siegfried will conduct a puppet construction seminar. Pastor Bertie Holmgren will be sharing a devotional with the staff. Then on Friday and Saturday, we will conduct a flannelgraph seminar for the Mothers and School teachers who take care of the 200 children living here at Life Village.

We are also anticipating the arrival of our Board Chairman and Founders, Denny and Evie Johnson, today…with one of their grandsons! It will be fun to show them all that the team has done. Please pray for the team today!

For the Team,
Jim Rosene

Zambia – Wednesday, May 30, 2012 – Have you ever thought about why someone would buy 130 acres of land outside a city like Lusaka, Zambia? I guess some of us might think it could be an industrial park, or possible housing complex with condo’s and single family homes all lined up and down the streets. But, for Family Legacy, it is an opportunity to make an impact on the country of Zambia today…and in the future.

Several years ago, Family Legacy, a Christian organization based out of Dallas, Texas, bought the land. They wanted to be able to reach 30,000 children each year with the message and hope of Jesus through a week long program designed for children at risk, those living in orphanages or challenging situations.

They also have a children’s village on the grounds that currently is home to 200 orphans. It is these children that are receiving one of the largest playgrounds Kids Around the World has ever constructed, especially in Zambia!

Our playground team, along with a group of nationals, has been working for the past several days to complete the project and should be done by this weekend! We will also train and equip the school teachers and house mothers with flannelgraph training and puppet ministry seminars….some exciting days are ahead.

As I type this letter, it is early morning and my jacket really feels good. The night time weather in southern Africa really cools off, especially since we are 1 mile above sea level and it is fall here. We do appreciate your prayers for the team, but we ask you to pray for the 1,000 children attending the Family Legacy program this summer….they begin on Monday!!

For the team…
Jim Rosene

We mixed concrete and installed the spring riding toy Tuesday afternoon, so those of us who spent time mixing the concrete for that massive hole, were not exactly looking forward to using our sore shoulders again, but we knew it had to get done.

Then, just before it was time, a truck pulled up with a motorized mixer! The men cheered. After some creative electrical work by Ben, one of the WCNS team, there was power to the motor and they were soon shoveling gravel and sand into the big bucket. I admit, the sound of that machine spinning was music to my ears.

By mid-afternoon we finished with concrete and the younger members of this family team of 22 began wheel barrowing the pea gravel for the surface. As they were almost done, those who had returned to the shanty village to minister God’s love, returned to church with faces painted in very unique ways.

After cleaning everything up, we were on our way back to base for dinner and then off to a soccer match at the Cartago stadium. I am pleased to say the home team won 2-0, so there were no riots of any kind to contend with!

Thursday the team heads to a beach for their free day. Friday morning is dedication time. I will miss that to make my flight home, but I can hardly wait to hear the stories from the team, once they get home.

Representing YOU in Costa Rica,
Mike Young

Costa Rica – Tuesday, March 27, 2012 – Day three of the Cartago, Costa Rica project was day of mixed events and consequences. Because of equipment security concerns, the team had to dismantle the few items they had assembled by the end of day 1, in order to put everything securely into the church overnight. So when we arrived in the morning on Tuesday, everything was carried back outside. Assembly quickly began again. Like most teams on their first build, the team ran into some challenges trying to figure out exactly what goes where, and possibly confusing two similar items, thus having to dis-assemble and reassemble some components before getting this in correct placement. But this did not affect their “whatever it takes to get the mission done” attitude. They continued to work through the challenges until they almost finished the entire playground assembled by the end of the day.

In the afternoon, some of the team members left the playground site to return to the area where they distributed food early Sunday morning. This time it was a time of outreach to the children in this make-shift community of shanties. To see and hear them share stories of how humbling and difficult it was to see the conditions that these precious children must somehow survive in, showed how deeply it touched the hearts of those who went.

After returning to our base and showering and eating dinner, we were taken by our host to a famous local ice cream store where everyone enjoyed their chosen favorite flavor, many of which were unique to our pallets! Pastor Wes from WCNS tasted his unknown fruit flavored ice cream and commented, “This is SO GOOD!! Can you believe what is happening in your mouth?”

Then we headed to a couple of architectural landmarks: the 400+ year old basilica in downtown Cartago, which made most of us marvel at the intricate stone carvings and complicated building construction that was completed some 400 year ago! Then it was on to a building that resembled a mix of a castle and a fortress. The history is that this building was begun as a catholic church, but during the construction an earthquake hit and damaged some of the building. So they cleaned it up, made repairs and continue the construction, when a second earthquake hit and damaged the building again. After cleaning things up again, they made more repairs and continued additional construction. Then a third earthquake hit. That was the end of the construction. The building has remained mostly unchanged since then. You can see large trees growing inside the un-roofed walls. And at night there are strategic lights in place that almost bring this lifeless collection of stones and blocks, to life. You can’t help but wonder what this would have looked like had they been able to fulfill their dream and finish this structure.

Wednesday we hope to finish the final few parts that need to be assembled, complete leveling and straightening the playground, and then mix concrete and finish things up. Some of the team will return to the shanty village for another day of outreach.

Until then, May God bless you.
Mike Y.

Costa Rica – Monday, March 26, 2012 – Last night and again this morning, the team prayed that God would help the Pastor find a bobcat to level the area for the playground. When we arrived, Pastor Victor announced he was not able to get the bobcat he was hoping he could find. Then he added, “I did find a bigger tractor with a large bucket and backhoe. Would that be ok?” The team cheered! They were not looking forward to having to try and level this spot.

Months ago the church dug out a large area just behind where they wanted the playground. That large hole will one day hopefully be an addition to the school that the church has. Pastor knew once the playground was in, he would not be able to get the large equipment back to dig the foundation. The dirt that was removed was piled up on the playground area to be leveled out before we arrived. Unfortunately, a lot of that dirt disappeared before they were ready to level and fill the area. And the remainder of the dirt was left in several smaller piles that hardened after the rains came through. Needless to say, the team was ecstatic when the big end-loader arrived. By late morning, the site was looking good and we were marking holes to begin digging.

Even the children were taking turns digging as the team dug holes. I was able to go play with the school children! I joined the first graders for their physical education class and we played “rabbit games”. We hopped like rabbits end to end on the soccer field, then back again. After that we played some type of out the rabbit in the house game (that’s how it was translated to me), which was just like London Bridge when I was a kid. You should have seen the children laughing and jumping up and down when I joined in. First, I was one of the house people trying to catch the children as they entered under our raised hands. They laughed even more when they had to trap me in the house! I just love my job!

Eventually I had to get back to the playground. This group is working very hard and doing a great job. I think at last count we’ve had 4 people fall into holes, laughing every time of course. By the time we left the site, all of the main holes were finished and the drainage trench was dug around the playground. Tomorrow we hope to get all of the equipment assembled and in the holes. If we can do that, Wednesday we will be mixing concrete and filling the holes.

Thanks for your prayers and support! They mean so much to me. May God bless you.

Until Tomorrow,
Mike Young

Costa Rica – Sunday, March 25, 2012 -I arrived in Costa Rica around 8:45 PM to join the team from Willow Creek North Shore. This is my second project in this tropical country with a team from this wonderful fellowship. As I was traveling here I realized I never heard back from my team contact instructing me who I should be looking for or where I would meet them. Wendy from WCNS assured me that they knew when I was arriving and someone would surely be there for me. Sounded good. It’s always an adventure when you travel internationally. As I exited the airport I wove my way through countless taxi drivers who were all willing to take me where I needed to go. If only I knew where I was going. After a while, I attempted to contact Pastor Wes, who is the team leader and was already here. That didn’t work, so I simply waited. After making some new friends here, my driver pulled up and his passenger began walking around with a sign that read “Willow Creek”. When we met she asked, “are you Willow Creek?” Assuming she meant am I with WC, I assured her I was and we were on our way. After I introduced myself to them, she began to laugh and said, “Oh, I thought your name was Willow Creek!” Yep, this is going to be a fun week!

After hitting the sack about 11:00 PM we were up before 6:00 AM getting ready to distribute some food to an area of homeless people “living” in make-shift shanties in Cartago. This is the village we are here to serve this week. After that we returned to our host home, had breakfast and headed to church. I just love experiencing worship in other countries and cultures. Here they truly dance unto the Lord. As the worship songs are going on some of the ladies dance with streamers, others simply look heavenward and dance before the Lord in the aisles or up in front. They dance wherever they can find space! Once again I can’t help but look forward to Heaven when all cultures will join together in Worship to the Lord and enjoy each other’s ways of showing our love and honor of our King.

When church ended we walked outside to the area where the playground will be installed. We are all looking forward to working side-by-side with these smiling and hospitable people. Tonight is free time to relax before the work begins in the morning. Thank you for the opportunity to serve with and for you!

For the love of the kids…
Mike Young

After the dedication comments and prayer led by Kids’ President Jim Rosene, many of the Maison’s children began their first of many runs up the climbers, across the bridge, and down one of the slides. The smiles these children wore were contagious among the volunteers, as they forgot about any sore muscles or bruises, and just watched the kids play! Before long, they were playing with the kids, going down the slides, and cheering. I guess you are never too old to be a kid again!

Then, it was time to gather together some pastors who are part of the work here. We provided them with boxes of our packed food to take back to their communities and distribute, with God’s love, to those in need.

When we were finished, we loaded up and took everyone out to see the Good Rest playground and the children there. The wonderful blue and tan playground looked so nice in the center yard area that had been prepared just for this. The kids were enjoying it like it was the first day (of course it was only the 3rd day, so I wasn’t too surprised). I expect that when I stop by here again someday, it will be the same story – because kids LOVE to play!

Thank you again for allowing us to serve with you and for you in our Father’s work! May He bless and encourage you for your faithfulness.

Until next time,
Mike Young

Haiti – Update 6 – I LOVE MY JOB!!

Today was Dedication day at Delmas 65 – and it did not disappoint!

The team from both Delmas locations, along with Paul Gates, rode the 1.5 hours to Delmas Christian Academy. We unloaded quickly, and went to work cleaning up the playground and the site, making things ready for the kids who would soon be swarming their new playground.

Gina Lasseuge, the school’s Principal, had arrived the evening before, wanting to be there for this long-awaited celebration. She shared with the team how this playground has been a dream of hers, and her family, for many years. As we listened to the students sing for us, thanking us for coming and bringing this playground, you could see eyes begin to well up with tears. Dan Martin shared a few brief comments, then he invited Gina to “christen” the playground. So, up she climbed to the first slide, sat down, raised her hands and away she went down the short curved slide – to the total delight of the children. Then the children were let loose to have at it – about 200 of them attacked the playground as if they had never had anything like it – because THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE IT! What a joy it was to watch them cover every inch of that playground. It was wall-to-wall handsomely uniformed children, smiling, laughing, screaming, running, climbing, sliding, playing. Enjoying a new experience that so many others take for granted. What a great day! What a great team! What a GREAT GOD!

Tomorrow morning we will hold the final dedication at Delmas 31 – the Maison Orphanage. That part of the team did a wonderfully creative job making this new location work for their playground. What a blessing it will be to watch one more celebration of God’s love and hope for the children here. After that, we will all get to visit the Good Rest Orphanage playground that was built in honor of Jason Rodarmel, to see it and meet the children with whom that family has fallen in love. Then, we head back to pack and leave early Saturday to begin our journey’s home. The only thing we missed was seeing the dedications at the two sites where LifeChurch of Allentown installed their playgrounds this week – in Fond Parisein and Santos 25. I hope their volunteers understand how much we all appreciate what they did this week. I pray that God blesses each and every one of the folks who were part of this week – here and back home!

Serving with you in Haiti, is our honor and privilege.

For the team of new friends,
Mike Young

Haiti – Update 5 – Well, Day 3 of the Haiti Five-Playground week blitz is nearly over, with three of the playgrounds completed, and one needing only the sand surfacing. The playground at Good Rest Children’s Home was prayed over, and the life of Jason Rodarmel was celebrated by the team that built the playground and the 60 children they came to bless. To hear the testimonies from those who were there, we can state for certain that emotions ran strong, and laughter and smiles were even stronger!

After digging five large holes for the spring toys, the Delmas 65 playground was done. We placed them in an area that sits above the playground unit, overlooking the whole yard. The team decided to set them up like they were racing each other, all facing the playground and were very creative in the different ways they suspended the bases for these riding toys as they awaited concrete. By late-morning, we were mixing concrete (man, that is hard work!) and filling holes. I wish you could have seen all the kids peeking around the building, or running out to sneak a look at their long anticipated playground. When their parents came to pick them up, the kids could hardly wait to pull them over and show them the playground as well. We reminded them that tomorrow they were going to get to play – finally!

The team at Delmas 31 shared an interesting story of what they found when they arrived this morning. Prior to the playground installation, there was a small electric service line that ran overhead, about 10″ high across the yard to one of the outbuildings. We had explained that would need to be re-routed for obvious reasons. “Of course! Of course!’ we were told. So the team had removed the line before they began the construction. When they arrived today, someone had re-connected the line, and ran it THROUGH the playground – in effect using the playground as a means of supporting the line as it wove its way over to the outbuilding!!

However, the team would not be deterred, and after removing the line again, they began their work – pushing through the day. By the time we arrived, they had almost completed their playground. Tired from having spent so much of the day mixing concrete, they were not sure they were going to be able to finish before it was time to leave. The volunteers from Delmas 65 offered to join them and help get it done by 3 PM, our scheduled departure time. It was “all hands on deck” as the last few fine touches were completed, and the last 20 or so holes were mixed and poured. By 3:13 we were climbing on the bus with two more playgrounds installed! It reminded me of an old alka-seltzer slogan – “What a relief it is!!” By now we were all pretty tired, so on the bus ride back to NVM I decided to lay down on my seat and take a nap. I’m not sure what else happened until we were almost back to camp, but it sure felt good to rest! The only thing that remains to do is the sand at Delmas 31 – and we will do that Thursday morning after the playground dedication (PAY DAY!!) at Delmas 65 – Delmas Christian Academy.

Ah, dedication day! This trip will have TWO of them!! I look forward to seeing the children play and enjoy their new gifts, and watching the volunteers who have worked so well receive the joys of their labor! Thanks for all of your comments and prayers. The best is yet to come!

For the team,
Mike Young

Haiti – Update 4 – Hello from Haiti on Day 2 of the playground blitz! What a wonderfully tiring day this has been. We received word from Pastor Randy that his team, had completed the CAD playground for the children who have been rescued from childhood slavery. They held their dedication today. The photo says more than words could possibly describe – just look at those smiles and expressions of pure joy and excitement! Thanks guys – job well done. Now they are working on their 2nd unit in the Santos area of Port au Prince.

The Good Rest team also completed their playground today. Tomorrow they will hold a time of prayer and remembrance for Jason Rodarmel, whose family came down to help build this playground on his behalf. He went home to be with the Lord just a few months ago, after planning this trip with Paul Gates. The playground will be dedicated in Jason’s memory.

The Delmas 31 team almost finished their assembly, and may have been finished, had it not been for a mix-up of the hardware buckets. Some of the bolts they needed were at the Good Rest site by mistake. So they hopefully will wrap theirs up tomorrow.

Our team at Delmas 65 finished the assembly of the playground unit, and is ready for concrete tomorrow. They also have 5 spring toys holes that need to be dug and be made ready to install. Without a doubt, they will be up to the challenge to finish tomorrow as well. The highlight of the day for this team was easy to determine. A Haitian named Sonson has been faithfully working with us both days. He rarely rests, and inspires all of us to keep going. He seems to always be smiling when you look at him, but his face reveals part of story that needs to be told.

The right side of this head is badly scarred, with a jagged, zigzag like deep crease from his eye socket to where his ear once was. He is blind in this eye, and has several teeth missing from that side as well. When I asked his story, he easily shared that 12 years ago he was with some men and was accidently shot in the head by a shotgun. He is truly a walking miracle just to be alive. As he worked tirelessly, we all noticed his shoes – or lack there-of. The side of one of them was completely broken open, resembling something like a hotdog bun with his foot sticking out the side. Yet he continued to work, chiseling holes, sifting sand for concrete, mixing concrete, doing whatever was necessary to help complete the task. Today, Matt brought along his basketball shoes to give to Sonson. You need to know the shoes Matt was wearing were not really much better than the ones Sonson had been wearing. Still, Matt decided to give his almost new basketball shoes to Sonson! I wish you all could have seen the smile on Sonson’s face. You would have thought Matt had given him the world. He quickly put on his new shoes, and then ran over to the garbage can and slam-dunked his old shoes into the can! He was so proud, he walked right over to his Haitian co-workers, and showed them all his new shoes! Just like we used to do when we were kids and received new clothes or toys for our birthday.

It is such a joy to be part of this incredible work and serve alongside so many wonderful people! Oh, by the way, a couple people have put together some YouTube videos of photos they have taken this week. If you’d like to watch them, here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2bbblE0XDc&sns=em
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga8HkJGCko8&sns=em

That’s all for now. Time for some sleep. Until Tomorrow…
Mike Young

Haiti – Update 3 – Everyone was up and going at 6 AM in order to get an early start on Day 1 of the builds. After breakfast, the team gathered outside the dining hall and waited – and waited – and waited. (Oh ya, we are in Haiti!)

Some decided to take advantage of the down time to do some pretty intense stretching exercises, while others cringed just thinking about trying to do those moves without ripping our muscles apart. We finally got rolling sometime after 8:30 AM. One team headed to Good Rest Children’s home, about 25 minutes away. The rest of us piled in the oversized paddy-wagon style tap-tap and headed towards Port au Prince.

Those going to the orpahnage at Delmas 31 were dropped off first – about 9:30 AM – and went right to work. The rest continued on to Delmas 65 and about an hour later actually found it! The sound of picks and axes breaking rocks, shovels scooping gravel and sand, and hammers and chisels doing what they could to make headway – could be heard clearly as we approached.

All three groups worked hard, but the volunteers gladly took breaks to spend time playing with the children as well. At the Good Rest children’s home, one team member’s daughter had made 100 colorful, and elaborate, hair bows. The girls there were blessed with them today and could not resist showing off their new “do’s” to every camera around! I think the smiles said it all! Before the end of their day’s work, the Good Rest team had almost finished the main playground structure! (I think we may steal some of the their members for our team tomorrow.)

The team at Delmas 31 also had a very good start for day one. They had about 2/3rds of their poles and decks up before they closed shop for the day, and they can hardly wait to see the kids playing on their new playground.

Those of us at Delmas 65 were not quite as fortunate. We were warned by the school administrator that their entire property is on solid rock. They couldn’t even drill for a well in a normal manner, and had to bring in specialized equipment to get that done. But, they had hired a couple local men to help us dig holes – so surely we would be fine, or so we thought. We were wrong. The deepest hole we were able to dig was about 12″ before we hit bedrock. Most of the holes were closer to 3″ – 4″ deep. The rock is so hard that the chisel end of the breaker bar, (picture a 15 lb. steel bar 5′ long, about 1 1/2″ square, with a tapered end coming down to sharp chisel), that heavy strong steel chisel actually bent sideways!! I have never seen anything like that before! Even the Haitians were shocked and eventually we all agreed it was time to start cutting poles shorter, and making the footings larger but not as deep.

About 2:30, we headed back to pick up the team at Delmas 31, swung by the airport to pick up Jared, the final team member who arrived today, then, another two hours drive back to camp. Exhausted, but encouraged – because we all got to see and spend time with the children we came to serve. Perhaps Matt said it best: “I loved seeing the kids and how beautiful they are. I am totally gonna cry on dedication day! I already know that!” Ah yes, that dedication day – that’s what gives us the energy to head back tomorrow. So, I think I will sign off and try to get some rest. Thanks for your prayers and support – we need them.

For the wonderful team in Haiti,
Mike Young

Haiti – Update 2 – This morning, after breakfast, we headed over to the church to join the villagers in a wonderful time of worship. As is the custom in this church, whenever guests from the USA come down and join them, they are asked to come up front and sing a song for the Haitians. Paul Gates walked the team up to the stage, and after asking Pastor Pierre to dance for everyone – to help us find some “real soul” in our music, Matt Hemphill led the team in a song of worship.

Watching the team make new friends during the service was real highlight for me. One little girl came in and crawled over some laps and nestled in tight next to Steve Brown. She never left his side the rest of the service. Steve said it must have been that grandfatherly look he has. Then, there was little Sophie Snyder who made instant friends with a young Haitian girl. They held hands and smiled at each other the whole time.

After lunch, some of the team decided they wanted to take advantage of the beautiful sunny weather and hike the “short distance” (or so they thought) over to the large lake north of here. They were told it was less than a mile. Must have been a Haitian mile – because when they returned, one of them said it was actually about 3 miles! Others stayed in camp and waited for the village children to come back to camp so they could spend some time playing with them. Also, a few of us headed into Port au Prince to look at two sites for the playgrounds and make sure things are ready for tomorrow morning’s start up. One of the sites had to be changed, and there was concern whether the playground would fit in the new location. We were pleased to see that the playground will fit like a glove into the new location.

After a beautiful Haitian sunset, everyone was back together again in time for dinner. Afterwards, Pastor Todd Rodarmel shared his testimony of what God has been taking his family through, and the lessons he has learned that can benefit all of us – trusting in God through extreme hardships. Now it’s off to bed for what we all hope will be a good night’s sleep before our 6 AM wake up call, in order to get an early start on the playgrounds Monday morning. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. More tomorrow.

For the team,
Mike Young

Haiti – Update 1 – Once again we find ourselves in Haiti – this time about 45 minutes northeast of Port au Prince, just up the road from Croix de Bouquet, the site where two of our playgrounds will be installed this week. May I say, it feels good to say “will be installed this week”, because just over a week ago, all of the five playgrounds being installed this week were still in Customs, with concerns that they may not be released in time. Now before everyone gets too confused, let me explain how it is that five playgrounds will be installed in one week in Haiti.

The 2 playgrounds sites I mentioned first, are playgrounds that were sponsored by many of KIDS’ friends in California and elsewhere during the Hope4Haiti campaign that included food packing and playgrounds. Now they have sent a large team (nearly 50 people) to Haiti to install those two playgrounds. A third playground going into the Delmas Christian Academy’s school yard, was funded by 3 partners – the Academy itself, John Marshall Lee who is a longtime friend and veteran playground installer, and Paul Jarzombek/LRI, our international shipping partner. John came along to help build this playground, and brought a new friend of KIDS, Dr. Brian Rigney to join him. The last two playgrounds were the two playgrounds we had come down back in late November to install with our Pennsylvania Partners – LifeChurch. Pastor Randy decided this was good week to try to install those two playgrounds as well, in case they have questions, because the KIDS folks are here should they need us. So needless to say, KIDS and our wonderful partners will be leaving a mark in Haiti when we return next weekend.

Our host this week is Nehemiah Vision Ministries. They have established a very nice campus for visiting missions teams. One of the first things the team noticed as we pulled in was the wonderful, colorful playground that the school kids have, installed by a KIDS team in April 2011. (For those who were part of that team, you will be glad to know everything is still standing! It looks great, and we are told that on school days the playground is where you will find the students if they are not in class.

Most of the team has already made themselves at home – as we wait for the last flight bringing in our final members. And as I wait and type, I am enjoying listening to conversations of the team members getting acquainted, and some telling about their fun and memorable experiences on prior KIDS trips or helping remove some the great playgrounds we are able to provide to the many kids… around the world. Thanks for your prayers and support! We are honored to represent so many of you back home who make this ministry possible. Until tomorrow, be blessed.

For the team,
Mike Young

Tell Me a Story is a book written by Dennis Johnson, our Founder and Chairman of the Board at Kids Around the World.

It is our Gift to You!

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“Denny Johnson and Joe Musser get it. They know why telling the right story the right way is so important. Read this book, and you will know too.” ~ Lt. Col. Oliver North, USMC (Ret.), New York Times best-selling author-speaker

I said “our goal was” because shortly after we arrived, we were informed the container would not be released this week after all. As disappointed as our team was, we were even more concerned for the children who were expecting their new playground. However, they took the announcement with understanding and appreciation for what the team came to do whether we were able to complete it or not.

Yesterday we visited a site where a prior playground was installed, then we joined the Victory Compassion team for a Kids Club outreach/lesson time. Today, we went to a nearby small village and distributed food to families. We played soccer with a few of the smaller children when we were finished. Next, we visited another orphanage near here that was started by a lovely lady named Eve. She was a nurse in the USA. After the earthquake she felt led to leave the US, cash in her retirement funds and buy some land to build an orphanage. She and her husband have taken in 40-50 kids, mostly under 5 years old. They operate a school with over 300 kids. We closed out the day’s activities with another Kids Club time at the C.A.D. center.

Tomorrow the team will be up early and head to Port au Prince to pick up (dis-assemble) some metal buildings that are not being used. Then, we will re-assemble them at a new location near Croix de Bouquet. These buildings will be the new home for 34 children who were recently rescued from slavery and have no place to go but the streets. It is our prayer that these dear little ones, so loved by God, will have a new home tomorrow night.

Friday I hope to inspect more of the Compassion International playgrounds the local team of Haitians have been installing. Until then, thank you for your prayers. May God bless you all.

For the team,
Mike