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pedro_sahib
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Name: Pedro
Country: United States
State: Illinois
Metro: elgin
Interests: So, here we are about to embark on this year-long journey! Interested in joining me?? Check out www.adventrek.org... these trips are scheduled so far: March 9-19 Kenya, and July 3-13 or 20 Calcutta.
Adventrek can also work out other dates in countries
Sept-Oct: Thailand (mission of mercy- rescues girls off the streets from lives of prostitution)
Nov-Dec: Manila, Philippines
So, that's the plan... we desire to simply be a part of the larger picture of love being displayed all over this world, but specifically in these areas for now.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Expertise: Fundraising total so far: around 8,000
Needed still: around 14,000
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
MSN: prncslilia
Yahoo:  prncslilia
Member Since:
4/27/2005
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| 12 different ministries, 500 people... that’s who ECA reaches every month with the love of Jesus.
It is my joy to see our kids form friendships with kids they would normally never talk to. For example: the ministry that 3rd and 4th grade supports is for kids of drug addicts and prostitutes. You can’t imagine the situations the kids live in and deal with every day. We invited all 22 of them to our school for an afternoon to share in a good meal (which Leo and I cooked), games, music and friendship.
I split all the students into groups of 3 (one from 3rd grade, one from 4th and one from the ministry) and had them talk about their favorite things: food, color, movie, music, etc. The boys you see directly to the left got all excited, and when I went around to ask each group what they discovered about each other, they shouted out “We’re exactly the same!!! We like all the same things!”
Who else but God could orchestrate something as beautiful as that?
So far this year, as a school, we’ve collected around 75 lbs of food, donated money for tableware so a ministry can make sure they can feed all the kids that come to them everyday, and unknowingly given the exact amount of money a ministry needed to continue paying the rent of the building they’re using. God is so good!
I could go on and on about how God is stretching our students and showing them what it is like to love people, learn from them, and share Christ with them. It is my passion!
I just received a facebook message from an 8th grader who went with me on Saturday to throw a “princess party” for pregnant teens. My student poured out her heart in this message, saying that she has a passion to build churches for poor people so they can know the same Jesus that changed her life.
Colombian kids and teens with God’s heart to bring redemption to this world... it doesn’t get much better than that!
Thanksgiving Misson Trip:
Last year, I took the High School Creative Outreach team to the coast to serve a church reaching the least of these... check out web.mac.com/liliagriffin/site/Fundacion_Canaan.html. We had an incredible time!
This year, we are going to the very south of Bogota to help a church remodel a building they just bought for their children’s ministry. We are raising money for all the supplies, and are looking forward to seeing how the building will look when we’re done! The idea is that we will work from Thursday to Saturday afternoons on the building, and then in the evenings do evangelistic concerts/ outreaches with the church’s youth group. Then, on Sunday morning, we will welcome the children to their new building and run the ministry for the day! We still have a lot to prepare and around $750 to raise to do all that we would like to do, but we are excited as we watch all the details come together!
 
Check out how the building looks right now: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=341957&id=741380214&l=c378604265
Christmas Mercy Drive
    What is a Mercy Drive? It is a collection of items that we do as a school for about 6 weeks at a time. The first one we did was for food, and we collected around 75 lbs of rice, beans, salt, sugar, pasta and oil. The second one was for toothbrushes and toothpaste, which is really expensive down here, but the kids did well and donated 70 toothbrushes and toothpastes!
And now, the biggest goal is before us: Christmas gifts for all the different ministries we support. In addition to a toy for everyone, we would like to give them something practical as well: socks, t-shirts, books in English or Spanish, lotion for the elderly, and vitamins for the pregnant teens. If your church youth group, small group, children’s ministry or family would like to participate in this, you are more than welcome! You can donate one of 2 ways:
send monetary donations to send Christmas gifts to
Griffin Family Ministries El Camino Academy
(Christmas Mercy Drive in the memo) C/O Lilia Morales
PO Box 75 Apartado Aereo 101241
Sunbury OH 43074 Bogota, Colombia
We will start having our Christmas parties the first week of December, and it takes about 10 business days for packages to reach us down here, so please plan accordingly! But, we would love to receive anything you would like to send! Any of the items we are collecting are about 3x cheaper in the States than they are down here.
Praises:
Leo graduates on December 5th!
Leo’s final concert got rave reviews from all of his professors, and he is looking forward to starting the new year writing more amazing music!
My parents are able to visit us here the week between Christmas and New Years! Thanks for your prayers!
God has continued to provide through your donations and support to feed 300 kids on the coast 1x a week, and to provide insurance and medication for a crippled man in our ministry.
Our music academy, with all 55 students will be performing their Christmas recital on December 4.
Leo and I are writing the Christmas musical that will be performed by Pre-K through 6th grades on December 11.
God continues to prove Himself as Provider and Protector to kids in Ciudad Bolivar. You might remember that in my last email from September, I mentioned a girl named Kelly who was struggling with the gangs in her 9th grade class. Well, since we prayed, God has continued to protect her, and they aren't bothering her anymore. Praise God!
Prayer Requests:
Continued wisdom with how to start and go about Leo’s residency visa process
Time/ stress management for both of us (as you can see, it’ll be a very busy season).
Planning for my trip to the States the first 2 weeks of January
Eyes and ears open to what God is doing, and courage to join in, no matter what it looks like.
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| Hey all, I uploaded quite a few pictures today on Facebook, and wanted to pass them along to you. From our honeymoon: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=280871&id=741380214&l=4c4713482e From our recording session with the Koreguaje tribe http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328054&id=741380214&l=1609ff8390 From our trip to Panama and Costa Rica: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328893&id=741380214&l=311dfb6bb4 From this fall so far with all the service projects at ECA... it's been a busy 9 weeks!!! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=328055&id=741380214&l=c8f20cbe49 ENJOY!!! Lilia and Leo | | |
| Hey all, Many of you are new to these updates, so if you would like to read a little more about what Leo and I do here in Colombia, you can go to www.xanga.com/pedro_sahib. Quick prayer request: Leo has his Senior recital tomorrow. He studies Jazz composition and improvisation, and has been working for a year and a half composing and arranging the songs he will play tomorrow. In total, there are 9 musicians, and he will be playing the guitar. He is really nervous, and I'm learning what the phrase "two become one" is in a very deep way! I couldn't sleep last night! Ha! Anyway, he is really excited to finally finish University and write all those symphonies in his head! We are also getting closer to finishing our Spanish cd... Lots of things have been going on since the last update about a month ago, but first off, I turned 30 on September 1st. It was a big deal!!! I graduated from co llege 10 years ago, and God has done some amazing things in my life! I always had a feeling I would end up living in another country, but I had no idea the trials and beautiful experiences I would live along the way! You are receiving this email because we have had a connection in one way or another over the past years. Thank you for being a part of what God has done in my life, and now is doing in Leo and I and in our lives here in Colombia! 2 weeks ago, we kicked off our Social Service for the year. As well as presenting the 12 different ministries we are a part of to the parents at El Camino, we had a food drive. I am so proud to say that we collected 73 lbs of rice, 44 lbs of beans, 35 lbs of salt, 33 lbs of sugar, 18 liters of oil, and 13 lbs of pasta. We passed this food on to the 4 ministries that are feeding kids on a weekly or daily basis, and each of the ministry leaders had tears in their eyes when they saw the quantity of food they were receiving. Many of these leaders are like Jeison and Lucesita on the coast, giving out of their very limited pockets to try and touch the needs of hundreds around them. I am excited about what we are going to do to help this year! Next month, we are collecting toothbrushes and toothpaste. : ) The worship teams are going well! The kids are so excited and working hard learning new songs. I love it! My 6th grade drummer is the best in the school, and his 4th grade brother isn't too far behind him! We also have a kid in 2nd grade who plays the drums well, but was invited to play the electric guitar with Hillsong United when they came to Colombia in the spring. We have some crazy talented kids here! I have some prayer requests to share. Last weekend, when I went to Ciudad Bolivar, I had 2 saddening conversations with girls in my class. Margie, whom many of you know from my e-newsletter back in March, is having some major family problems. She is already the oldest of 5, and now her mother is pregnant from an affair. She really loves the man she had an affair with, but he has gotten another woman pregnant and prefers to stay with her. Margie is really sad, taking care of all the kids because her mom has morning sickness and is depressed. Please pray for this situation. Margie didn't want to leave my side on Saturday, and she just kept laughing with me about silly things. I think she just needed to laugh about something. Another girl, Kellie, is in 9th grade. There are 2 gangs in her class, one of 17 kids, and the other of only 7. There are 6 kids that aren't involved with gangs, but now the pressure is on to choose one side or the other. She really doesn't want to get involved either way, but is truly worried for her life if she doesn't choose. She has friends on both sides, and doesn't know if it would be better to choose the bigger gang and be protected (even though this means she would have to fight against her friends in the other gang), or help her friends in the smaller gang and risk her life. Just 3 weeks ago, one of Leo's family friends who lives in Ciudad Bolivar lost her son to a gang fight. Please pray for God's protection. Thanks so much for continuing to support us financially and in prayer! God is moving in amazing ways here in Colombia, and we are so blessed to be loved by so many! Lilia and Leo Morales Griffin Family Ministries PO Box 75 Sunbury, OH 43074 | | |
| With some of the money we received as wedding gifts, Leo and I decided to take a 3 week mission trip to Panama and Costa Rica by land to partner with different missionaries: see what they are doing and help out in anyway possible. We had an amazing time between the Darien Jungle of Panama loving the beautiful indigenous tribes, and the very modern city of San Jose, Costa Rica, serving in a very different urban setting from Bogota.
We fed drug addicted teenagers on the streets, loved 13 and 14 year-old prostitutes with the love of Christ, translated for doctors and dentists who came from New York City as they met with the illegals from Nicaragua who have no insurance, and did a variety of services in the local churches. It was amazing!
We stayed with another missionary couple, and one night we decided to watch “The Terminal”. I just love that movie! One word stuck out to Leo as we were processing our trip later on that week. Unacceptable. Everyone we were working with was, in someone’s eyes, unacceptable: from the illegals on the streets, to the indigenous who are striving to keep their simple way of life tucked away in the jungle, to my own husband who has been told 3 times that he is unacceptable by the United States Embassy.
Leo told me through sobs that we are called to the Unacceptable.
For those of you who have followed this crazy journey we are on, you know that that has ALWAYS been my heart. To find the un-loved, the uncared-for, the broken, the poor, and show them a love that accepts them-- that cares for them and gives them hope beyond their circumstances. And I believe this is God’s heart that He Himself has placed in me as His daughter, and in us as His children.
And you are the extension of Christ’s heart here in Colombia and Latin America as you continue to support us, pray for us and encourage us.
What does “loving the unacceptable” look like at El Camino Academy?
In addition to teaching music and leading 3 worship teams, this year I am the head of our Social Service Program. My roommate from last year and I started this program last year, and it is amazing to see how our kids have responded! Each grade is partnering with a ministry around the city to show the love of Christ.
Pre-K, K and 1st are sharing the love of Christ with a nursing home. In Latin America, it is very common for families to take in their elderly relatives, and very rare when a family can’t or won’t care for their aging grandparents. There are around 200 beautiful people, not accepted by their own families, that love when our kids come around with their cute songs and dances. One Pre-K kid was so excited after visiting the home last year that when his mom came to pick him up, he proclaimed: “ Mommy! Did you know you can show the love of Jesus with just a smile and a hug?”
2nd grade is sharing the love of Christ with kids who had been living on the streets, but now are provided with stable housing and a school. The 2nd graders pray, collect school supplies, and do crazy fun activities with the kids. It is beautiful to watch them laugh and have fun together
3rd and 4th graders are sharing the love of Christ with kids from the 40 worst family situations living in the drug/prostitution zone of Bogota. There is a foundation where the kids find refuge everyday from the draw to the streets, hear about a Jesus who loves them unconditionally, and are fed emotionally, spiritually and physically. The 3rd and 4th graders pray for, raise money to feed, and spend quality time with these precious rescued ones.
5th and 6th graders are helping Opportunity International share the love and message of Christ with the children of their clients. They pray for, do fun activities with, and present the gospel through worship, drama and dance.
7th and 8th graders share the love of Christ with kids from another poor neighborhood in Bogota. The kids are locked out of their houses every morning when their moms leave, and aren’t allowed back in until after dark when she gets home. School is only for half a day, so the rest of the time, the kids are on their own to entertain themselves and find food. There are roughly 70 kids that find refuge in a small, rented apartment everyday. The 7th and 8th graders raised over $200 last year to help feed the kids. They also visit, do fun activities and love on the little ones.
Each high-school grade also partners with ministries to pregnant teenagers, street kids, and an orphanage for special-needs kids.
It is amazing what 275 Jesus-loving kids can do to impact a city!
Praises:
We’re MARRIED!!!! YAY!!!!
My dad’s health continues to improve.
When we arrived in the Jungle, we met a team from my hometown, Sunbury, OH. We couldn’t go to the States, but God brought Sunbury to us! Crazy!
God has continued to provide through your donations and support to feed 300 kids on the coast 1x a week, and to provide insurance and medication for a crippled man in our ministry.
An amazing staff at ECA that is excited about serving this city alongside the students.
Prayer Requests:
Wisdom with how to start and go about Leo’s residency visa process
Time-management for both of us.
The various ministry projects
Eyes and ears open to what God is doing, and courage to join in, no matter what it looks like.
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| I was planning on sending out the fancy e-newsletter this week, but have had some major technical issues, so didn't get it done... but, I wanted to write an update with what this last month has looked like, and where we're going the next 3 weeks. The recording project with the Koreguaje tribe was a HUGE success!!! We had 30 people in our tiny 2-bedroom apartment, and Leo packed as many at a time in our new studio (the other bedroom). I cooked spaghetti, and I don't think the kids had ever eaten it before. They didn't know whether to use their hands or the forks, and they had a lot of fun slurping it up, spraying the sauce all over the place. (yeah, that was fun to clean up!!!) But, we praise Go d for what He's doing in this beautiful family! They have a heart to reach all of their tribe through the worship they're writing, and the Bible stories they tell. They were kicked out of their particular village because they became Christians after God gave them dreams about Jesus. The witch doctors in the tribe turned against them, and they fled to Bogota for safety. It's an amazing story that I'll tell in the next e-newsletter. Leo's cousin Tomas was an absolute blast to have around!!! He stayed with us 2-3 nights a week for 3 weeks, until his mom finished up teaching her University courses for the semester... I taught him how to play baseball, we made sugar-cookie cut-outs with sprinkles (yep.. he's 14 and LOVED it... had never done it before), and we bought cheap wood to paint pictures and decorate our house. While we were making cookies, it started raining... I told Tomas that we needed to shut the windows so the rain wouldn't come inside, and he didn't believe me that it was raining. I told him to go look for himself, and as he came back in the kitchen he said "you're right". We both laughed, and God reminded me in that moment of the name "Tomas". I asked Tomas if he knew who had his name in the Bible, and he just looked at me with a silly smile, as if to say "duh... Tomas". I asked him if he knew anything about Tomas... and he replied with the typical answer... "he was the bad disciple who didn't believe." And I told him something to this effect: I think Tomas was brave. I think he didn't want to settle for other people's stories, but he wanted to see, touch and hear Jesus for himself. And, instead of chastising Tomas, Jesus held out his nail-scarred hands and let Tomas touch them. I don't think it's wrong to doubt or question... because Jesus never gets angry at us for those things... as long as those "weaknesses" make us WANT to know, see, hear, touch Him for ourselves... too many of us settle for other people's experiences, or what we've heard from a pastor instead of knowing Jesus for ourselves... I told Tomas that if he truly seeks after Jesus, He'll more than happily prove Himself. We had a good time together... all of us... Tomorrow, Leo and I head out for a 3-week trip through Panama and Costa Rica. It will take us 2 days to get to Panama, as we're going by bus (20 hours), boat (5 hours) and plane (45 minutes). When we get to Panama City, we're going to help with a ministry out in the jungle.. sleeping in a tent for 10 days!!! yay! Then, depending on how things go, we'll head to Costa Rica on either the 13th, 17th or 20th. We're hoping to do different kinds of ministry in churches for that week, and then the 27th we fly back to Bogota. Please pray for this trip!!! We're finishing up a Spanish demo that we hope to sell and promote on this trip. I think we're in for an all-nighter... We're just praying that some great doors open up for ministry... whatever it looks like! Also, pray for health. One reason that I am in Bogota, is because there is no malaria here... but where we're going, there could be... so just pray. Also, pray for us as a couple. We've grown a lot this last month of marriage, and I know we have a LONG way to go. Pray for unity and humility. July 28 starts the new school year!!! There are very exciting job changes for me this year that I will let you know about soon... I think I've written enough for today!!! Continuing the journey... with a husband... hehehe... Lilia Griffin Family Ministries PO Box 75 Sunbury, OH 43074 Skype: prncslilia | | |
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