Safety of Children

Children need to be protected. Sometimes from themselves and sometimes from others. In urban environments where there are dangers on every corner, unsupervised children can be shot, kidnapped or abused. This is America today I am talking about.

Adults who are used to protecting their own children with constant paid for after school activities may not realize the plight of the poor who have no helper. But, God has promised to be "a father to the fatherless". Wonderful programs like PAL and others can provide help for those who need it, but most programs cost something.

Project Lost Sheep encourages tutoring programs inside churches for no cost.  First, children who get discouraged in elementary school are not likely to go beyond 8th grade. They will then be "on the streets" and targets for gangs. Children in many immigrant groups do not have parents who can help them even with basic homework. Survival is literally what many of these parents care about. I mean food and rent..

Against this backdrop we have the all seeing, merciful eye of God and His goodness that reaches out in so many ways to tend these needy ones. There is a mountain of need. They children need help with their school work but their parents often need help and resources that the community centered church can provide. Because of the overloaded classrooms, the child who is behind, may only get further behind and be passed onto the next level to face more challenges of failure.

I will never forget a Project Lost Sheep meeting in which a teenager stood up and cried in front of us all because she was so glad that her little sister was in a tutoring program and wouldn't have to go through the embarrassment and humiliation that she had gone through in school.

Can a few hours a week of your time make a difference? Look back on the blogs and find the one with children from Onurri Church in San Jose. These children have smiles and self confidence because they know that they can get help in a caring environment. Every week there are adults and teenagers there to help them. They get food. They get to play games. They sing Bible songs. They sit down and have homework help.

Grace abounds as we expand our hearts to help. Let's inspire change by rolling up our sleeves and finding a place to serve. What would happen if every child in your city had a good old American chance at help getting the basics: reading and math? Would more of them make it through high schoo and beyond? And those who can will do a great deal for the community they grew up in by way of being models for change.

There are needy children all over the world but look out your window and see the little ones in your city.

Thankfulness

Have you noticed that the "thank you" note is almost extinct? People are just letting that go. Also, the habit of thanking people for opening a door or picking up something you drop.

This is too bad. Because thanksgiving is an acknowledgement of a favor done for us that we didn't earn or deserve. In our walk with God, and even if you are not there yet, I suggest you start the good habit of thanks-giving.

Thank God as soon as you wake up for something good. Allow a few seconds or minutes and more thanksgiving items will come.

What good came to you yesterday? Thank God for sunshine. A cancelled meeting. A good meal. A conversation with a friend, etc. Once you go down the thanksgiving trail you will become aware, more than ever, that you are not alone in the day that is facing you.

"Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

For others, it may be a different trail. But, if you want to be getting closer to God today then start the day and keep going on the thanksgiving train. Count your blessings one by one.

For others, it may be a different trail. But, if you want to be getting closer to God today then start the day and keep going on the thanksgiving train.

Count your blessings one by one.

Board Meeting in September 2013

Left to right:
Joycce Dueker - Founder, Catherine Parlenti - Accountant, Patty Cordova - Pastor's Wife, Elaine Biser -Treasurer,  Doris - Bible Study Teacher and Tutor,  Terrell Slawson - Real Estate Guru, Barbara Seigel - Business Owner in Food Industry

If I miss anyone, please email: ultraviolet.black2@yahoo.com
Thanks

Seed Time And Harvest

There is a natural cycle that we all know from nature. If you plant in due time you will reap. If you plant grass seed then in time and with much care you will have a nice green lawn. But, it is not just that one seeding that counts, it is the reseeding.

My mother in law, Ruth, used to seed her lawn in S. California in January with new seed. Her lawn always looked good because it was reseeded. I am very concerned for America that we are counting in are moral fiber if you will on some old seed. It is not that the seed isn't good. We know that God's Word is always good. It's just that the Word must be reseeded in many ways in this generation. If we want to have a generation of God fearing adults it starts with the children having good seed put into their lives.

We all know that the evil one is constantly seeding tares or weeds. We are not to worry about that but we should be concered with our roll in getting the Word to this generation. As you know we really seed Biblical truth at our camps. We see results in a few years in teenagers who have chosen to enter the church, to stay in school and to have a different life from that of drugs and gangs.
 

by Grahame Rees

If we want a strong America, we Christians all need to be active in our lives in seeding into our children, grandchildren and yes, beyond our family circle. Support the seed planters. Become a seed planter yourself. Roll up your sleeves. Look at the lawn of your own community. Where are the bare spots. is it time for you to buy seed and top soil and get out there and do something?

We encourage you to be inspired and to first pray for your city and then get out there and broadcast seed as much and as often as you can. Without seed planting there will be no harvest.

Latest Developments In October 2013

Dear Friends,
The 9th Touchdown Camp is now part of history. We with your help were able to serve 161 children for the week. Over 20 teen volunteers helped besides volunteers from Verbo. From the youth volunteers, 10 had been former campers.

As Darlene Stethem wrote me. "The ones who were little children a few years ago are leaders today." We do not just provide an activity with camp we provide a door to a different life in both the spiritual and physical sense.

Darlene says, "We will never really know the impact we are making when we reach a child." Darlene and her team from Chlld Evangelism make sure the children get plenty of spiritual food. I just this hour received the report that there was a good response all week to invitations to receive Christ. These are real and we will see the fruit in changed lives further on. A highlight for me of camp was hearing the story of Hudson Taylor that was dramatized by Patty Cardona and her team. The costumes and drama again caught the attention of the children. Patty invited those who wanted to serve like Hudson Taylor with their lives to come forward and pray and about 30 children responded. God only knows what He will do with those as they become adults and are deployed.

So from small seeds and tender hearts great things again come. The scripture up on the wall was: HERE I AM - SEND ME. I also want to share with you that we are expanding to other cities. San Jose has a camp and tutoring program and now we are looking and praying for other cities in the US. This is just the start. Please pray for Chicago and any city in LA area that you have concern for.

It's a big country, with big needs. The children really are lost. They are kidnapped and blinded by the God of this world. Wouldn't you like to make a difference?

Sincerely,
Joyce Dueker, 
Founder of Project Lost Sheep

Waiting In His Glory

One of the things I still am working on is to be patient when made to wait. Very few of us like to be put on hold with piped in music or made to wait for anything. Yet, waiting with God can give us a different perspective.

Why are we sitting in that room? Does someone nearby need prayer? That is frequently the case and if we stop being impatient we will see the person who needs us to pray. Or, it maybe that we need to talk to someone or give someone a Word from The Word.

Painted by Judy Douglass

We are to be ambassadors for Christ wherever we are. We are not to get ourselves into a state over waiting. We need to know that waiting can have eternal consequences for someone near us. As soon as we do what we need to do for the kingdom, we will feel a lot less pressure.

A number of years ago when in long lines at the post office, I started to pray for people. I'd like to say I am still good at waiting and praying.

Today, I was reminded that God has me "waiting" for His purposes. If I just tune into what He wants me to do, the answers will be revealed. Prayer... is the key. God will redeem the times when I wait for his purposes.

Doris Says

I love Touchdown Camp because it is a wonderful way to give children, who might not get to go to camp, a camping experience. It provides a safe and fun atmosphere for children to play sports, arts and crafts, bake, dance, sing and goof around. But most of all I love camp because the gospel is presented in many ways, children get to know Jesus. Did I mention the food and water ballons? AWESOME!

Anticipation

Anticipation is a wonderful thing. Sometimes we adults get out of the habit of looking forward to something with unmitigated enthusiasm.

We may get excited the day of the trip but we are too busy getting ready to have that child like buzz of anticipation. Every year before camp, the phone starts ringing at Verbo Church in Redwood City. The children are calling: "When is camp this year," a little voice asks. The answer is: not until August 5th.

That is a long time to wait if you are small and mainly you stay inside your apartment because that is where it is safe for you to be. The days go by slowly. Maybe you went to camp last year and you remember how great it was.

The games, the fun, the new friends you made. And yes, the sports, and the good things you learned about God. It was fun! And beyond that you were in a different place one that you can't wait to get back to. Yes, you want all your friends to come and your little sister and your cousin.

Why does it have to be such a long wait? "I can't wait" is something a child will frequently say. They are in anticipation mode. Let me tell you it looks like this camp nine in Redwood City is going to be very large.  The needs are real. The time is short. Childhood lasts such a short time.

One week of fun and learning is a highlight of the summer for most of our campers. We know that camp makes a difference. We see campers, now teenagers, back to serve because they remember how great camp was and they are anticipating a different life ahead because they are hoping to go to college and they want the kids to have what they got only a few years ago.

It's a short season of anticipation. Every year, we count on God. We anticipate help and all needed as we go forward in faith. Let's hope together and work together for the BEST CAMP EVER! And this is just the start, asyou know. There are other children in other cities who only long for camp. Let's anticipate something good for them, too.