Brett preaching the Word

Kirsten singing with the praise band-

Freddie is singing beside her

Dance ministry on our last Sunday

Last blog from Venezuela

July 18, 2008

Dani Rupp




When I first arrived in Venezuela, back in November, I noticed a man who spent a lot of time at the church. His wife was involved with the dance ministry and Freddie often came with her. But he never looked happy and seemed distant…angry. He would sit at the drum set and play but wouldn’t really interact with anyone. I was confused. “Who is this guy and why does he keep coming to the church if it makes him so miserable?” But God was working in his heart. One of the first Sundays we attended church at Shalom, Freddie went up front to accept Christ. He fell down to his knees, weeping…a man completely broken before God. It was a powerful scene to witness, and though I didn’t really know him yet, I felt tears rolling down my face as Freddie accepted Christ as his personal Savior.
Fast forward 8 months. This past Sunday, our last one at Shalom, I was remembering Freddie’s story and the amazing ways that God has transformed his life. You see, instead of the angry man banging on the drums was a man up front singing with the worship team and praising God with his whole heart. In place of the man who wasn’t a Christian when we first arrived was a man who helped serve communion with his wife this past Sunday. Freddie is one of the friendliest guys I’ve met in Venezuela. He always makes sure to greet and tease you about something. If the church doors are open, you can almost be sure that Freddie will be there, smiling and ready to learn more about the man who changed his life so completely.
As I reflected about these changes, I was in awe of all the ways God was working not only in Freddie’s life, but in mine, my teammates and other people in the church. In Romans it talks about how the old has gone and the new has come. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this verse so perfectly displayed in so many ways as I have in here in Venezuela.

It was a powerful last Sunday at Shalom. We were in charge of planning the service, and praise the Lord, it went very smoothly. Kirsten sang with the worship team and Brett preached an amazing sermon, in Spanish, the Holy Spirit used us in ways we never could have imagined. We each shared some reflections from our time here. The worship team surprised us by singing “Open the Eyes of my Heart” in English. There was a slideshow of pictures with laughter, and a time of prayer and good-byes with tears. The pastors, leaders and congregation of Shalom have been such a blessing to my team and me. We might have a different nationality and skin color, but they have welcomed us in like family, like we’re one of them…teaching us, praying for us, loving and encouraging us, including us in all they do…the list could go on and on. The connections I have made will be hard to leave, but even if I never make it back to visit my new family, I look forward to the reunion I’ll have with my brothers and sisters when we get to heaven. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!

Praises
God's presence in Venezuela, in Shalom and in our lives
An incredible 8 months of learning, growing and serving
Prayer Requests
Saying good bye to this chapter in our lives
We leave tomorrow for the airport at 4:30 am and arrive in Philly around midnight- pray for health and safety

Trusting in the Lord

Kirsten Miller
Posted July 9, 2008
Alyse arrived safely in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, June 25, and she is resting at home. She still has pressure on her brain and the doctors aren’t sure of the reason yet. The doctors are doing further testing for her. Please pray for spiritual protection, guidance and direction with her situation.

Prayer requests…
-restored health for Alyse…spiritual protection, spiritual guidance and discernment
-God’s grace for the rest of our team to be present & engaged here in Venezuela, the desire to serve here with eyes open to the Lord’s work
-God’s guidance and direction in finishing our work here

In the midst of the past few weeks, our team has experienced a lot of unknowns, questions, unexpected events and changes. When Brett, Jeremy, Dani and I were traveling back to Charallave from Puerto Ayacucho, with two days notice to be leaving there two weeks earlier than expected…I was journaling and processing some of the recent events. I want to share part of a prayer that I journaled…
“Lord, I don’t know what the future holds—whether or not we’ll go back to Puerto Ayacucho—if we’ll finish our time in Venezuela with five or six people—what will happen with Alyse’s health—but it’s these times of uncertainty that bring us to recognize that our Father holds in His hands all the POWER that our desperate hands are grasping to reach…to recognize that while we’re running around like crazy trying to put the world in order—He has already designed the perfect plans for us and longs to share them with us.
There is a reason that He holds all the power in His hands…He is the Father God who longs for all the people He created to become His children. The plans He has designed hold His BEST for His children (Gal. 4:6-7). He has plans to bring each one of us closer to Himself and fill us with His love (Jeremiah 29:11). So—as I sit and wonder how God may direct us and where He may take us—I must not allow myself to get swept up into the unknowns…but instead to remember that I am held in the palms of the hands of the One who knows me inside and out, and is ready to guide me along the paths He has for me. I find rest in knowing that He will fulfill the plans He has for me—in His time and as He desires (Psalms 138:8), as I seek wholeheartedly after Him. We all walk through trials and hard times…but with Him—the fires will not burn us, the deep waters will not overcome us, our hardships will not leave us defeated! (Isaiah 43:1-7!)
I am trusting that God has completed His plans for our team in Puerto Ayacucho, and that He will complete the plans He has for us in Venezuela during our last two weeks here. Wherever He takes us and however He leads us—we will be carried in the palm of His hand. Thank You, Jesus.”

We now know the answers to some of the unknowns that I wrote about, but we will always live with unknowns in this world, and that calls for us to trust in the Lord. May we join together today in trusting in the Lord.
-Love, Kirsten Miller for the Venezuela Team

Baptism in the jungle

Kasabi bread

Walking through the open plains toward the baptism site.

Entering the Venezuelan jungle.

One of the homes of an indigenous family

Swimming in a nearby river. The canoe is made from a hallowed out tree.

Roberto, Pastor Carlos, and Brett conducting the baptism ritual.

This hand-woven basket is used to collect yuca plants. As you can see, majority of the weight rests on the head.


Piling into the cattletrucks to return to the city.

Baptism in the Venezuelan jungle

Cassandra Klingenberg
Baptism - Saturday, July 14
posted Friday, June 26

Leaving two hours after our scheduled time of departure, 50 people from the church piled into cattle trucks for the baptism of eight new believers. We traveled for an hour and a half to a nearby indigenous community, consisting of three families, living in the middle of nowhere. They invited us into their school/home built of grass, mud, sticks, and homemade wood planks. Brett, Jeremy, and I wandered around the village, amazed by their simple yet ingenious way of life…drying racks made of sticks, canoes made from hallowed out trees, and outhouse walls made from palm branches. I felt like I had stepped back in time, a time where the land produced not only your own food, but also clothing, shelter, and tools.

As we made our way down to the baptism site, we walked through the remains of a forest that was being cleared for farming, continued on through a wide grassy plain, and then entered into a thick jungle where we could almost smell the anacondas. We came upon a crystal clear stream where the baptisms would be performed. As the congregation gathered on the bank, Pastor Carlos proceeded to take off his prosthetic leg and hobbled into the water assisted by Roberto and Brett, who had been asked moments before to help with the ritual.

One by one, the baptism candidates entered the water and gave a short testimony. Brett and Carlos took turns praying for them and immersing them in the water, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As each of the new believers left the water, they were welcomed by their brothers and sisters in Christ with singing and thanksgiving.

For me, it was my first time to see anyone baptised by immersion in a river, let alone a river in the Venezuelan jungle. The presence of the Lord was there, as it was on the day of my own baptism, but it is a unique image and experience I will always treasure.

Alyse Haldeman

Friday, June 27
Cassie Klingenberg

For the last couple weeks, Alyse has been experiencing headaches and double vision. A week ago Thursday, upon recommendation, we took her to the nuerologist in Puerto Ayachuco. The doctor said she had high pressure in the brain which was causing inflamation in her pupil. He said she needed to return to the U.S. or go to Caracas for a MRI.

Alyse and I took the first flight to Caracas Friday afternoon. Since no hospitals did scheduled exams on the weekend, we took her to the Emergency Room Saturday night. On Monday, it was determined that the headaches and double vision were a medical side effect probably due to pills (malaria and other medications she´d been taking for an infection). The doctor said she needed to refrain from all physical activities and rest for the next few weeks. He said she wouldn´t get the rest she needed in Venezuela and highly recommended she return to the U.S. Alyse was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon and left for the U.S. early Wednesday morning. The doctor requested she do further testing there and take it easy.

The rest of the team left Puerto Ayachuco by bus last Saturday night and arrived in Charallave Sunday morning. We were all able to accompany her to the airport and say good-bye. As you can imagine, there have been alot of sudden changes for our team, and especially for Alyse. Please pray for her as she is adjusting to an early return home and for quick recovery so she can join us for re-entry training in Harrisburg.

In the plains of Amazonas with some people from the church.

the hut