GuyMelton.com: What Were You Thinking?

Pastor's Weekly Email for May 11, 2012....

Dear Oasis Extended Family and Friends,

I want to open our email today wishing all of our Moms a Happy Mother's Day! Whether you are blessed as I am with a Mom who is still with us or Mother's Day now is bittersweet since your mom is not still with you. Either way, it is a day to honor, remember and to thank those who gave us life.

I have learned over these many years that Mother's Day is not a monolithic day to celebrate. So many of us are blessed to celebrate with our moms for yet another year. That is a gift. But then many others take this day in a more reflective way since their moms are not here to hug, call or give a rose to. Some have had wonderful Godly moms like I do and then others have a less than honorable memory of a mom. So it's not easy on a day like this. But regardless we salute ALL moms this weekend.

I personally salute some of the best moms ever to walk this earth this weekend. I wish I could be with them all but we are scattered. But my love and respect is beyond words for each of them.

My Mom -- I love you mom. Thanks for raising 4 kids practically alone working 2 jobs.

My Wife -- Thanks Babe for not only being a wonderful mother for our sons but a great mother-in-law and grandmother. I love you.

My Mother-in-Law -- I fell in love with you before I did Tonia. Thanks for being the best Mother-in-Law I could ever have. I love you.

My Daughter-in-Law -- Jenni, you know I think you are the best mom and great wife. Your love for Nathan, Gavyn, Caleb and Raelynne is a constant blessing to me. I love you as my first daughter! I am blessed to call you my daughter-in-law.

My Daughter-in-Law -- Sabrina, have I "Thanked you for Marrying Corey lately"? LOL! Ok, that's a private line we use. I'll share it with the rest of you someday. You are not only a wonderful person inside and out but a great wife, mom and daughter-in-law. Thank you for loving Corey and Selah.

Thank you to all our Moms. We love you and honor you this weekend.

Just a few thoughts for this week at Oasis Church: 

* We conclude the "Man Up" Sermon Series this weekend with a special message geared for Mother's Day. This will be interesting. I hope our Moms will also bring all their men in their lives.

* "Rooted" -- I'll be sharing a special video from Israel I did this week introducing you to our next series. I can't wait. I did part of my first message in this series in Israel on location. 

* Our Teenagers will be doing a Car Wash NEXT Sunday in order to raise support for their Memorial Day weekend trip to Haiti. If you would like to donate to this, you can donate for a Car Wash ticket this week at all services. I hope you will get a ticket even if you can't have your car washed. You will help send a Teen to Haiti to bless an orphan they minister to there.

* Haiti Medical Missions Trip.  We have over 30 Oasis'ers going to Haiti over the Memorial Day weekend to minister to orphans and those displaced in the earthquake two years ago. Many are still living in tents. Our teens are also going on this trip. THE TRIP IS FULL. But if you want to go to Haiti we have another group going this fall with Pastor James Brown. You can mark your connection card and you will be given the info. Thanks to everyone who bought purses and have given to Bike for Haiti. It's through your giving that allows us to take medicine, furnish the orphanage with furniture and beds so the children won't have to sleep on the floor any longer and a host of other projects I'll share along the way.

I am looking forward to seeing you this weekend. What a great day to Celebrate our Moms.

Guy Melton

Pastor

P.S. You can give your Tithes and Offerings here, 24/7. If you have not been able to Worship yet this week in your giving, I hope you will make sure you do it now. It's your faithful and obedient giving to the Lord's Work that allows Oasis Church to continue to impact our community and communities around the world.

 

 

Security and Prosperity.............

My letter this week is a little different. Not because it doesn't focus on prayer as I do each week but the verse focuses on something we don't often think about. Having just landed after a 10-day tour of Israel and the Holy Land, this verse was used while we were there several times and it has been on my mind.

Psalms 122:6 - "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure.'"

I wonder how many of us think about this verse? The Psalmist not only asked for the readers of his writing to Pray for Jerusalem but that those that do will be "Secure". Other versions say "Prosper". There is a lot that could be dissected here which I will forego but it is clear that God will bless those who love Israel and Pray for her. Jerusalem was given to God's people thousands of years ago and it is where His Holy Temple was destroyed twice. The Jewish people know that it must be built back before their Messiah they await comes.

Unfortunately with the political conditions as they are today, the Muslims control the Mount where the temple must be rebuilt. It is in Jerusalem & in the heart of Israel but the Jews do not control it. This is the most fought over small hill top in the entire world. The wailing wall (Western wall) sits right below and along with the ruins of the early temples. It's a sacred site.

I would love to really get into all this but this is not the time and I don't have the space to do it. But what we do need to do as Christians is to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the nation of Israel. Pray for the Jewish People. I take very serious the promise that those who pray for and support Israel will prosper. 

It is scary in these days to think that most of the world is turning its back on Israel and even in America we see vacillating opinions on how much our country should support Israel. I say Pray for Israel and support it in every way. I believe America will be judged by how we treat Israel. Please pray with me for Jerusalem and the Peace of this great land and City of God. It is a sacred place. Please pray for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Adapted from the Prayer Partner Prayer letter week of May 9th.

 

Pastor's Weekly Email for April 26, 2012.... Porn and Pancakes

 

Dear Extended Oasis Family;  "Porn and Pancakes", Ok so the title is a little weird and yes we have had all kinds of questions on this and even some criticism about using the word Porn! Really! What word would you use? The important thing is not the wording or the opinion of whether Porn and Pancakes go together but the important thing is that ALL our Men of this church not only need to understand the damage it is doing to our Families but how can we help others. My fear has been all along that when we announced this that Men would be afraid to come because they would think they are branded that "oh, he must have a problem with it". Actually we ALL have a problem with "Porn" (not pancakes although I only like mine with blueberry syrup, so I better have some Saturday Morning.) We don't have to be addicted or even be involved in it to have a problem. Our children could get caught up in it without us even knowing it. Other family members and friends might be struggling. We need to know how to help them. We need to help stem the flow of this. I can tell you stories where the addiction was so great it has taken lives and broken families and men have lost their jobs over it.  Did you know that the largest consumer of Pornography online is done by 12-17 year olds?! Yes, we all need to deal with this. If you are a Man and you aren't planning to come to this Breakfast from 9-11 a.m. this Saturday then I am going to challenge you by saying it's time to "Man Up". What are you afraid of? I mean if you aren't coming is it because you do have something to hide? That is the case many times when someone avoids straight talk on an issue. GUYS GO ONLINE NOW AND BUY THAT TICKET. THE COST IS TO COVER OUR SPEAKER AND THE FOOD. BEST INVESTMENT YOU MIGHT EVER MAKE. Ok, Ladies, I'm addressing you now. You aren't invited this Saturday but you can help. If your Man in your life is not coming it's time for you to sit down and ask him why? I think it's a good chance he is struggling and he needs to come even more! If he gives you some excuse, even if its a great one, call his bluff. It's probably a smoke screen. I have decided in this series Man Up that I'm calling men out. If men don't like it, then tough. They need to Man Up. Last week and this week are calls for Christian Men to stand Up and Man Up.Ladies go online now and Buy a Ticket for him and give it to him and tell him you're doing his chores and the lawn this Saturday and you will do whatever he wants this Saturday if he will go. This is BIG! I PROMISED YOU 3 MORE THINGS, THEY ARE BIG TOO! DON'T MISS THEM: * Ladies Night Out - The ladies are having a movie night in our auditorium this coming Friday night. Childcare is available. Cost is $5. * Helping Handbags for Haiti! We've got lots of donated designer purses that we will presale at the movie night Friday night and then the big sale will be Saturday morning, April 28 at 9 a.m. I think this is one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time. Ladies can take all that money someone invested, get a great handbag at a cheap price and ALL the proceeds will go toward our Haiti Orphanage we are partnering with and will be buying their beds and furniture next month for our trip to Haiti that many of us are taking. The kids are sleeping on the floor right now and eating with no table or chairs. Let's buy those purses Ladies. BTW, this idea came from a 5 year old of one of our Oasis families. I'll share that story another time.. * Chick Fil-A Leadercast is Friday, May 4 from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost is $75. Sign up online! This is a great way to invite your work associates who really want to take their leadership or business to the next level. This is a great opportunity Oasis has to host this for men and women in our business community. I hope you will get your tickets this week after each service at the info booth in the lobby or online. Have a great weekend and I'll see you guys at Porn and Pancakes. Ladies we will see you and the family at one of our 4 services this weekend, for Man Up Part 3. It's going to be a great weekend. Guy

 

Pastor's Weekly Email for April 26, 2012.... Porn and Pancakes

 

Dear Extended Oasis Family,   First time in my life that my staff has censored my Pastor's email but they wanted to make sure your email was not sent to spam. Now here's the real message! "Porn and Pancakes", Ok so the title is a little weird and yes we have had all kinds of questions on this and even some criticism about using the word Porn! Really! What word would you use? The important thing is not the wording or the opinion of whether Porn and Pancakes go together but the important thing is that ALL our Men of this church not only need to understand the damage it is doing to our Families but how can we help others. My fear has been all along that when we announced this that Men would be afraid to come because they would think they are branded that "oh, he must have a problem with it". Actually we ALL have a problem with "Porn" (not pancakes although I only like mine with blueberry syrup, so I better have some Saturday Morning.) We don't have to be addicted or even be involved in it to have a problem. Our children could get caught up in it without us even knowing it. Other family members and friends might be struggling. We need to know how to help them. We need to help stem the flow of this. I can tell you stories where the addiction was so great it has taken lives and broken families and men have lost their jobs over it.  Did you know that the largest consumer of Pornography online is done by 12-17 year olds?! Yes, we all need to deal with this. If you are a Man and you aren't planning to come to this Breakfast from 9-11 a.m. this Saturday then I am going to challenge you by saying it's time to "Man Up". What are you afraid of? I mean if you aren't coming is it because you do have something to hide? That is the case many times when someone avoids straight talk on an issue. GUYS GO ONLINE NOW AND BUY THAT TICKET. THE COST IS TO COVER OUR SPEAKER AND THE FOOD. BEST INVESTMENT YOU MIGHT EVER MAKE. Ok, Ladies, I'm addressing you now. You aren't invited this Saturday but you can help. If your Man in your life is not coming it's time for you to sit down and ask him why? I think it's a good chance he is struggling and he needs to come even more! If he gives you some excuse, even if its a great one, call his bluff. It's probably a smoke screen. I have decided in this series Man Up that I'm calling men out. If men don't like it, then tough. They need to Man Up. Last week and this week are calls for Christian Men to stand Up and Man Up.Ladies go online now and Buy a Ticket for him and give it to him and tell him you're doing his chores and the lawn this Saturday and you will do whatever he wants this Saturday if he will go. This is BIG! I PROMISED YOU 3 MORE THINGS, THEY ARE BIG TOO! DON'T MISS THEM: * Ladies Night Out - The ladies are having a movie night in our auditorium this coming Friday night. Childcare is available. Cost is $5. * Helping Handbags for Haiti! We've got lots of donated designer purses that we will presale at the movie night Friday night and then the big sale will be Saturday morning, April 28 at 9 a.m. I think this is one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time. Ladies can take all that money someone invested, get a great handbag at a cheap price and ALL the proceeds will go toward our Haiti Orphanage we are partnering with and will be buying their beds and furniture next month for our trip to Haiti that many of us are taking. The kids are sleeping on the floor right now and eating with no table or chairs. Let's buy those purses Ladies. BTW, this idea came from a 5 year old of one of our Oasis families. I'll share that story another time.. * Chick Fil-A Leadercast is Friday, May 4 from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost is $75. Sign up online! This is a great way to invite your work associates who really want to take their leadership or business to the next level. This is a great opportunity Oasis has to host this for men and women in our business community. I hope you will get your tickets this week after each service at the info booth in the lobby or online. Have a great weekend and I'll see you guys at Porn and Pancakes. Ladies we will see you and the family at one of our 4 services this weekend, for Man Up Part 3. It's going to be a great weekend. Guy

 

Pastor's Weekly Email Newsletter for April 22, 2012

Dear Oasis Extended Family, I am going to get right to the facts and detail of what is important to share with you this week. There is so much going on! None of my normal chit chat today! I'm sure you are glad! This weekend I will bring the second part of our "Man Up" series. The title of my message is "Breaking the Cycle of Bondage" This is aimed at the males but will be appropriate for all the family since it deals with addictions and how to break them and deal with them in the lives of your loved ones. I will be sharing for the first time ever via video from various locations MY STORY and how destructive addiction has been in our own family. It's going to be a very emotional weekend for me. Please make sure you or those you love get to one of our four services Saturday night at 6 p.m., Sunday at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and Noon. (If you have family or friends who might need this message and hear my story who are out of town you might recommend they join our International Internet Campus LIVE with us during our 10:30 a.m. and noon service.  Now for all the IMPORTANT THINGS COMING UP: (PLEASE CHECK EACH ONE OUT! THEY ARE REALLY GOING TO BE BIG) This Sunday our SURGE ministry is hosting "Smiles for Haiti" once again!Come and get a family portrait made for just $10 by our extremely talented Beca Companioni. All proceeds go to help our teens go to Haiti this summer! LADIES! Need a girl's night? Come to our movie night on Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. Cost is $5 and you can register online. Childcare is available. Also, remember that we are accepting donations of designer handbags & purses to sell on for our "Helping Handbags" sale on Saturday, April 28 at 9 a.m. If you come to the movie, you can take advantage of the pre-sale! All money will go to our Haiti mission partnerships. Bring a bag to donate or come prepared on Saturday morning to buy one!  MEN! We are having a Porn and Pancakes event on Saturday, April 28 from 9 - 11 a.m. It will be a morning filled with straight talk about porn and the issues surrounding porn. Cost is $10. Register online (Ages 12 and up). This year Oasis is one of the hosts for the Chick-fil-A Leadercast on Friday, May 4 from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Anyone is invited - some great speakers will be sharing including Tim Tebow, John Maxwell, Urban Meyer, Andy Stanley and more! Cost is $75 (includes lunch only) and you can register online. Check out this videoabout the Leadercast! Are you a medical professional with a heart for missions? Even if you aren’t a medical professional, you can join us for a medical mission trip to Haiti May 25 - 28. The cost is $550/person. Tonia and I will be there as well serving at an orphanage - come join us! For more info contact Amina Dubuisson at adubuisson@netzero.net / 305-389-9485 or Rose Toussaint at 305-322-9647. Donations of medications, snacks, kids clothes, money and toiletries are being accepted.   Have a great week, God bless you. See you this weekend! Guy Melton, Pastor P.S. Don't forget to give your tithes and His offerings ONLINE now - it's easy, fast and secure!

 

Thanks............

Today I can only really think of the word “Thankful”. Following this past week’s Easter at Oasis Church I have gone to bed and woke up with only one thing on my mind, and I have opened my day and closed my day with a prayer of thanksgiving. It’s been a long time since I can remember having such a great Easter! All Easters seem to be special, but some stand out like this one.

 

This year our church made 2,500 phone calls to those on our attendance roll. We sent hundreds of post cards and gave out hundreds of Easter Invites. I am assuming hundreds of us Prayed over this past week. There is no doubt all of these things, and many more, contributed to such a great Easter. Not only did we have 1,000 of our people attend the 3 nights prior to Easter in order to make room for those visiting on Easter Morning, but all 3 Easter Morning services were full. Not just full, but the last two saw not only our Community Café and Auditorium full…but the Lobby filled with chairs and people who did not find a seat inside. I could go on and on about this past Easter but I must say the thing that really put the cherry on top of the day was our Beach Baptism and Concert. We baptized more on Easter Sunday this year than we did the entire year last year. We have a lot to thank God about.

 

BTW, many of you did not attend Sunday morning for Easter but we had at least 20 people come to Christ in our last two services. To see them coming down the aisle, many in tears, was a sight that I can’t get out of my mind. I want to thank all of you who prayed and continue to pray for Oasis Church. I also want to thank God for all of those who served in so many ways. It was just an amazing weekend.

 

In light of this, I want to offer up several passages in the Book of Colossians that speak to the subject of the prayer of thanksgiving. First, the Apostle Paul prays a prayer of Thanksgiving for the Colossian Christians. (Colossians 1:3-12) This is my prayer for you and the many who serve at Oasis Church. He goes on in several other places reminding us to be thankful. He then goes on to say that we should not only be devoted to Prayer, but to Thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2, Colossians 3:15, Colossians 3:17)

 

Would you join me this week in praying prayers of Thankfulness not only for what God did on Easter, but for what He continues to do in our lives and in our church, as well as what He will do in the future as we continue to: “Be and Make Disciples”?

Easter Email Update........

Dear Guy, What do you do in your darkest hour? I know in the last month we have been discussing our "Worst Week". There is no doubt most of us have had some really bad weeks, months, even years. It’s the time when it’s so Dark that you wonder if you will ever see the sun again. It might be bright and blue skies outside, but inside our minds and hearts it’s just plain Dark.  With a capital "D". I don’t mean to start us out today on such a dark side, but the fact of the matter is that in these days we are leading to the greatest "Light " ever to show forth. The SON who lights our darkness and gives hope to our future, who had the darkest of dark weeks. None of us have ever experienced anything like it. It was actually what allowed Him to give us Light when our "Worst Week" comes. It’s dark right now. It’s going to be dark for a few more days. (Continued HERE) (I shared this Easter post yesterday with our Prayer Partners. I hope you will read it.) LOOK UP  IN  THE SKIES OVER WEST PINES THE NEXT 3 DAYS AND YOU JUST MIGHT SEE SOMETHING ABOUT OASIS! If you do, snap a picture and post it on Twitter or FB and Tag me and you will win a FREE STARBUCKS CARD. Best time is between about 2-5 pm.  EASTER BEGINS TONIGHT!  It's Maunday Thursday. Service begins at 7 p.m. I hope if you are a regular at Oasis you will make tonight, Good Friday or Easter Eve your service to attend. We need as many seats, parking spaces and KidsWorld space as possible for the many guests on Easter morning. All services are identical this week with a few twists such as the Lord's Supper on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and a Saturday night Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddies. All the 411 is right here on the Bunny Video. Watch this short video and it will tell you all you need to know for Easter. Can't wait to see you this Easter Week. Have a great Easter. Can't wait to meet your guest you have invited. Guy Sr. Pastor Oasis Church P.S. Don't forget if you have never been Baptized you can do so this Easter at our Beach Baptism at 6 p.m. Info is in the bulletin this weekend. Don't miss this great opportunity. We will have a Concert by our Oasis Band and Worship Teams following Baptism at the Hollywood Boardwalk Bandshell at 7 p.m. There are Parking Garages at A1A and Hollywood Blvd., Johnson Street and Garfield Street. Arrive early in order to get a parking spot. You can give online right now if you have not yet done so this week.

 

Oasis Weekly Email............ March 17, 2012

For our extended Oasis Family I am sharing our latest weekly email newsletter. There is alot happening at Oasis Church as we begin ramping up for Easter. There are some First's in this letter we have never done before and I am really excited . There is one first at the bottom you might want to explore , before you leave us today. Have a great weekend. ( I refuse to say anything about St. Patricks Day! )

 

Dear Extended Oasis Family, I have just received great news and I am so stoked to share it with you. We have just finalized the last details on the usage of Hollywood Beach and the Bandshell in order to have a Beach Baptism and Concert on Easter Sunday Evening, April 8th. This is one of the most exciting things I think we have done at Easter in all our 20 year History. This will be the first Easter Baptism we have ever had and to do it at the Beach and have a Concert by our Worship Bands and Teams is even greater. I am so excited I can't even stand it right now. This is going to be great. This will top off a great Easter Weekend. Plan to attend the Baptism at 6 p.m. and the Concert at 7 p.m. on the Holllywood Beach Broadwalk. More details to follow. (You can mark your connection card this weekend if you or a family member plan to be Baptized for this historic event.) This weekend you will see all our Easter Service Times in the bulletin. Make sure you mark them down and begin to invite your friends and family. If you invite them, they will come. If they come they will experience great Worship, friendly people and a life changing message. Start asking them now. We will offer our regular services along with, Maundy Thursday at 7 p.m., Good Friday at 7 p.m. and Easter Eve 6 p.m. I can't wait!!!!!!!! Leading up to Easter we will have an Easter Blitz! This will be Monday night March 26th, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the church. We will have a FREE meal, then have a goal of calling 2,000 families on our church roll to invite them to Easter. We will blitz many who do not normally come on one night. Bring your Cell Phone, and we will provide the food, a short script of the info you will share and a great time. This will be so neat to have the auditorium full of people around tables calling our church roll all at once. If you have never done anything like this, you've gotta come - it will be fun. KidsWorld will provide classes up through 5th grade for those participating. "Worst Week" - This weekend we launch a new message series where we will study some people in the Bible who had some really, really bad weeks and how they survived them. Everyone is going to have one of those weeks! Those weeks you would never choose and that you will never forget. If you haven't had "One of those Weeks" you will someday, so you should come. It's going to be a great series. You will be encouraged, inspired and challenged in a way that can be life changing. It's another one of those series you will want to invite someone to if they have had "one of those weeks". "Discover Oasis" is a free luncheon for those who want to find out more about our church. Our pastoral team will join me in sharing our history, our beliefs, values and various ministries. You will learn more in an hour about Oasis Church than you would learn in years just sitting in a service. It's fast paced and full of information. If you desire to become more involved, or you might be thinking of becoming a member, this luncheon is a must for you. You will have all the info you need. Then it's your choice to decide. It's this Sunday at 1:30 following our Noon Service in the Auditorium. Children will be cared for through 5th grade. See you there. Haiti Spring Mission Trip  wraps up this Friday. Our team of 24 has been working hard in Haiti with one of our partners there this week. Pray for a safe return on Friday. Can't wait to hear their stories. I can't wait to go back. We have a Medical Trip going in May, (watch for details) and hopefully take at least one more trip in the Summer. Thanks to Pastor Brown and Oasis'ers for your love and sacrifice for those in Haiti. You took your spring break to minister to those you don't know. How cool. I hear there have been Haitians who our group have led to the Lord this week. Love it! Soooooooooo much I want to share. But gotta stop since you are tired of reading. I'll share more Sunday and next week. God bless and thank you for being such a wonderful part of Oasis Church and what God is doing here in Pembroke Pines and around the world. Guy Melton  P.S. In case you haven't heard we now have an Oasis Giving Kiosk set up in the Community Cafe, next to the Kona Cafe. It's easy and secure. If you choose to give when you come to church or forget your tithes and or check book. BUT DID YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP FOR A COMMUNITY GROUP THERE AND SIGN UP TO JOIN ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEER TEAMS?

 

 

Before you go .............

Have you ever left someone only to realize you did not pray with them and wished you had? I know we all can look back with regrets many times throughout life. I did this just last week. After meeting with someone, I left in a hurry and then remembered I didn't pray with them, and they could have really used a prayer of blessing at the time. I regretted I missed an opportunity to pray with a friend. Just as the ol' saying goes, "Don't leave those we love without saying we love them." I think the story of Paul leaving his Ephesian church leaders gives a great example of "Pray before you Go". 

In Acts 20 Paul was saying good bye to the Ephesian Elders and felt they would never meet again. He was headed to Jerusalem and had a feeling his ministry would end before coming back to Ephesus. He gave them some parting thoughts and challenge and then at the very end of the chapter in vs. 36 it said "he knelt down and prayed with them".

I think this is a form of prayer that can be so powerful. When he prayed over the leaders it says they wept knowing they would not see him again. The fact of the matter is that none of us know if we will see those we love again when we say good bye, whether they be family or family of God.

Wouldn't it be great to know before "we go" so those we care about have our blessing as their last memory of us? This is not really something we think about much and I am not sure I have ever noticed that verse before until this morning while I was having my devotions in this chapter of Acts.

I think the real reminder here is to never take for granted the need to pray at anytime or any place. What a gift we can give our family and friends as our last act of love. Praying with them before we "Go away". Whether for a day at work or at the end of a visit or even a long trip.

(Taken from my weekly prayer partner newsletter) 

 

Missions Update from Burkina Faso..........



Many of you remember the Riddering Family who spoke in November to Oasis and Challenged us in Missions. In December they left for the country of Burkina Faso in Africa. 

 One of our own Young Adults Kendra Bucher traveled to spend two and a half months assisting them. Kendra is an awesome young lady who has grown up in Oasis Church and is the daugher of Phil and Chris Bucher. We are all so proud of her.

 

Below is the Riddering update which Features Kendra Bucher. Please read this and pray for Kendra and the Riddering family. Many of you promised to give to help keep them there. We are sending them monthly support as you give. You can give through our Missions account. On your giving Envelopes or online just look for the Missions line and put your gift in the box and that goes to continue to support the Ridderings and our other missionaries like them. God bless you and have a great day.



 

Visit Website     Visit Our Blog Where We Share More About Life in Burkina Faso Click Here! Featured Article What action, if any, do you want your members to take? Add a "Find out more" link to additioyou may have hosted on your website.   Praise! Baby Wendemie is out of the hospital and doing well. Kelly, the young girl living with a local missionary family and who got very ill has returned to the states and is being treated. She is at home with her family getting well. Moises, a boy with a severe injury to his leg that did not heal was able to have surgery which saved his leg and ultimately his life.   Quick Link 2 Quick Link 3     Prayer Requests Two new babies have come to the orphanage. A one month old and the other only a few  days old. The newborn is dehydrated and being fed every hour on the hour. Twin babies just went home with their mother after a year with us. A week after they left we got word that one of them died. This is devastating news to everyone at the orphanage. There are a few adoptions in the process . Paperwork can be an issue and delay these children starting their new life. There are a few special needs children who desperately need a forever home.     Quick Link 2 Quick Link 3     You can get a HOPE t-shirt! Click here for details! Quick Link 2 Quick Link 3     Dear Guy,   February has been a very busy month! We have had many moments where it was evident that God has a definite plan and incredibly perfect timing! There have been times of great joy as well as times of tremendous sorrow, but we have only felt stronger about our call here to Burkina Faso and are still amazed that honored that He would allow us to be here.   Sponsorship in Action    This month we have held two gift distributions for our sponsored children and a gift distribution for our sponsored widows.   These sponsorship programs offer assistance to those who cannot help themselves. It is a priviledge that we get to see God at work, and see people make sacrifices to be the hands and feet of Christ, helping the widows and orphans.   Child Sponsorship provides an education, school supplies, school uniform, a hot lunch and two distributions each year to help provide for their families. Without sponsorship, these children would not be able to go to school and would likely work from morning until evening. Sponsorship gives children a future.   Widow Sponsorship helps provide supplemental grain and soap each month to women who cannot care for themselves.   The special gist distributions this month were in addition to our regular distributions. Many sponsors gave additional money at Christmastime and speacial gists were bought for the children and widows.   Most of the children received additional food and new school uniforms. With their education being so important, additional supplies to help them succeed were given and some children received animals for their family or bicycles to help them get to school.   Our widows received extra items like mats, blankets, coffee, tea, sugar, cookies and other food items and extra grain.   It was a lot of fun and each distribution was successful because everyone chipped in to help put bags together, take pictures and even haul large sacks of grain   Thank you to all the sponsors who make such a big difference in the lives of these children and widows! If you are interested in sponsorship, please visit www.sheltering-wings.org or email us a reachburkina@gmail.com.   We love our Visitors!    We are blessed to welcome Kendra Bucher to Yako! Kendra is from South Florida and attends Oasis Church. She is staying with us for a little over two months and has already dove in and started helping in many areas. One of the things she will be doing is holding an art class on Thursday mornings. The art projects tie in to a bible lesson and these are offered to our primary school students. This is significant because many of our school children come from Muslim or animist homes. We are excited to see how God will use Kendra to make a difference.   They say that missionaries are always having to say goodbye. We have many short term visitors come and go and each of them leaves a part of themselves in our hearts when they go. Recently we said our goodbyes to Stephanie Holmen and Tim Hunn.   Stephanie was able to jump in and use her nursing skills in a few different ways. Administering a malaria test to a student, caring for one of our toddlers who hurt her leg and visiting a boy in a nearby village with our resident nurse to reapply bandages to his leg which he recently had surgery on. She also was ready to help out in any way and had fun getting to know the children of the orphanage.   Tim was a huge help in assisting with projects and repairs. He was very popular with the children at the orphanage as well as the village children of Doure where we hold a weekly bible club. I am not sure we would have been able to move the large sacks of grain without him at our gift distribution. While he was here he earned the nickname "Zeus". Tim was ready and willing to try anything.   Tim's family greeted him with HOPE t-shirts

Sheltering Wings / P.O. Box 29565 / St. Louis, Missouri 63126 (314) 635-6316