Sept 2010 Fiji Video.m4v

For some reason I wasn't able to upload our Fiji video through

Blogspot ... I had to go through Youtube. Anyway, if you haven't

seen it yet ... here it is.

WOW

Here's what's crazy ... we had nearly 1,000 visits to this blog last month from the following countries ... USA / Canada / Fiji / Ireland / Italy / Switzerland / Taiwan / Russia / UK / China ...

Isn't that awesome? That means that this blog is reaching many more people than I ever anticipated! If you're a new reader / subscriber ... welcome! Thanks for tuning in! We have many more wonderful things to report!

FIJI

What a Trip! What a Team! Yes, that includes you! Thanks for following us!

Every time we go back to Homes of Hope God stretches the boundaries of my heart. Although I'm ready to be home with my precious family ... the next trip is already on my horizon. Be ready Sunday for our trip report both services. Special thanks go to Marcus / Tracey / Michael / Shannah / Jason / Robbin / Tony / Paul / Jeanette ... as well as the Roche's / Wilson's / the Aussie's / Joape / Hilda / Tomo / Salote etc. You are all amazing people!

May 2011 will be here before we know it. For that reason alone we're already beginning the planning for next years trek back to Fiji. At church today I spoke with several people who want to come with us. If that's you here's what you need to do ...

Fill out the Application ASAP.

Turn in $500 Deposit.

Get the time off work.

Get your passport.

Saturday - Day 8

Post from Robin McKenzie

Wow... it's unbelievable to think that our week in Fiji has come to an end! It went by so fast!! What an amazing experience the Lord has blessed us with. When I look back on what we accomplished and the relationships that we developed, I am truly in awe.

As I am sitting here writing this blog, the word that keeps coming to my mind is hope. Hope is what I saw this week and hope is what I'm taking home with me. Romans 5: 3-5 says "...and we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." The women in Homes of Hope have suffered in ways that I can't even comprehend and yet they have such joy. It's truly inspiring.

I just want to thank everyone who supported us and prayed for us while we were in Fiji acting out our faith. I look forward to sharing the hope we have in Jesus!

"...put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing Love and with him is redemption." (Psalms 130:7)

Friday - Day 7

Post from Shanna Cicero

It’s Friday morning here in Fiji and as we pack our bags to head home, it is pouring rain. We spent our morning devotion time wrestling with the question “where do we go from here”? I am a bundle of mixed emotions today. Knowing I will see my two beautiful boys very soon is extremely comforting yet I know I will also be leaving a little piece of my heart here in the jungle.

To steal a line from Dr. Gary Smalley, “Life is all about relationships, the rest is just details.” As a team we have built relationships with each other. We’ve laughed and cried and shared our stories. We’ve challenged each other and encouraged one another in our journey towards God’s heart. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we’ve bonded with these women and their children. Their playful spirit and commitment to creating a better life for their babies is both humbling and encouraging. Most importantly, we have all grown in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Although an ocean separates Homes of Hope from Arizona, we are all part of the same family. Our story begins with God and ends with God. Psalm 18:30-32 “As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God but the Lord and who is a rock except our God. The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.”

Thanks to everyone here at Homes of Hope for making our stay such an unforgettable experience. Thanks to everyone on this team for putting up with my sarcasm and keeping me on my toes. Thanks to our all our friends and family back home for supporting us and keeping us in your prayers. We will be home very soon!

Thursday - Day 6

September 10, 2010 Jeanette Cole

Oppression-Restoration-Hope

Hellloooooooo Arizona!!!!! WOW!!!! What a journey this has been for me!!!!!! I wanted to best describe my time and I came up with the three words above!

Oppression- these women come from all types of oppression. Rape, incest and human trafficking, etc…. and yet in everything they do on a daily basis in their independent living skills they seem to work with dignity, integrity, strength and honor.

When they are working on the farm they are singing and smiling even though the labor is manual and difficult, they ignore the sun and the insects and work until their job is finished...

When they sing, they sing about their salvation and the power of a God that rescued them from the oppression they were a part of… they sing like angels from heaven…

When it is their turn to cook, they work with smiles and take instructions from their chef…even though they may be tired from the night before because they were up with a sick baby…they do their job until it is finished…there is no complaining….

When they make their jewelry they mine the clay from the dirt and put it in a kiln that finishes the process. Then for variety of color and design, they take magazine color advertisements and twist them on a toothpick and put a final glaze on to seal the beauty….

When these women serve the teams that come to help they serve with every ounce of hospitality.

Then there are the children---I stopped count at 17. There are babies still in the womb, 2,3,4,5, and 6 months old, one, two three and four years and up. The kids love each other and the older ones seem to look after the younger ones. The children appear fearless and happy…

The moms are learning to be good parents. They are learning what being a good parent looks like. They are learning that it is not the children’s fault, even though their lives have changed, as they knew them, since their children were born. The moms take care of each other and each other’s children.

RESTORATON- In Joel 2:25 I will repay you for the years that the locusts have eaten.

These women and children are being restored one day at a time; through their independent living skills, counseling, hard disciplined and regiment work, Gods word and the heart and love of many people.

Their emotional wounds, scars and pain are slowly being unlocked through the process. Our God promises justice to the oppressed…He promises restoration through obedience and our God loves the single mother.

HOPE- Our God is a God of Hope! Our God is a God of safety! Our God has put hope inside each one of these beautiful daughters of the MOST HIGH!!! OUR KING!!!

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To HIM be glory for ever and ever” (2 Timothy 4:18)

They don’t all feel it yet… Some are further along then others. . But what I have seen here is that there is HOPE at Homes of Hope.

Each individual family here has a GOD designed plan for them. A plan for them to prosper. A plan of hope to raise their children independently in a culture that is taught that women are subservient….

So what do I do…It is little old me in a foreign country…. The bible says in Luke 12:48 From everyone that who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

I will pray and ask God to use my assets and abilities to help in the way that HE would want…I would be obedient and read my word and seek Gods face for wisdom and discernment. I will get out of Gods way…..I will LISTEN and see what GOD wants for Homes of Hope!!!!

Wednesday, Day 5

Wednesday, September 8

Wow, it’s hard to believe our trip is almost over. We’ve been in Fiji 4 days, with travel; we’ve been away from home almost 7 days. One of the things that immediately stood out to me as we made our way to Homes of Hope from the airport is the memory I have as a young girl growing up on the island of Guam. The greenery, the lush vegetation, the homes, so much more, I’ve spent most of my life on the mainland of United States, this week has really made me realize even more how much I love being a part of an island culture.

We have been very busy working on their newest homes for the campus beautifully named SPA, you’ve read about it earlier. We went into town Sunday for church, went for a hike in the jungle, what a great experience! Tonight was the mid-week service called Cel, short for celebration. We all congregated in “Dorm 2”, sat on the floor as we sang worship songs, listened to three testimonies from our team, Marcus, Shannah and myself and listened to our house neighbor, Pastor Ben, he was visiting the campus with four members of his church from Australia. What a wonderful time of worship. Some of the moms sang a beautiful prayer in Fijian and then they sang my churches signature song Micah 6:8. To see the moms and the visitors all worship a wonderful God who has brought us all to this place for a specific purpose will be hard to forget.

We don’t know all of the mom’s stories, it really doesn’t matter. What matters most is they have all found hope and healing in this place called Homes of Hope and if there are some that haven’t yet, they have found a place that will help them get there. The other morning before our devotion time, I sat outside on the steps of the kitchen, doesn’t sound like a great place to plant oneself to spend time with my Heavenly Father but the view I had of the valley was beyond spectacular. I heard Him tell me that even though He has created beauty on this island, when you look deep in the recesses of this island nation, there is hurt and pain… in the deepest valley. Just like us, even though we can find ways to make ourselves beautiful on the outside, every one of us has something that has brought hurt and pain deep down in our hearts. But when we look up and not down, we see the beauty that surrounds us and it really begins when we look to things above, ultimately when we look up to our Father. When we seek Him, only He can bring beauty for our ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.

The young ladies have a wonderful spirit, they seem to love life in the midst of their healing, they encourage and they give me hope too. Please keep all the moms and their babies in your prayers. Pray for Mark and Lynnie Roche as they continue to do God’s work here. Pray for their staff as they continue their work too. Thank you to all those who supported me and the rest of my team with your generous donations and prayers.

One last thing before I close for the night, I have always known this but it really stood out for me this morning, I don’t need to travel half way around the world to do Gods work. Don’t get me wrong, I am enormously grateful for this opportunity, but I need to remember, my mission work begins at home.

God Bless You,

Tracey Johnston

James 1:27 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Wednesday, Day 5

Hey everyone, it’s Michael Colletti here.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all your prayers and financial support. It has TRULY been an unreal once in a lifetime experience for me personally to see first hand the will of God being done.

The girls and their children are so amazing. Talk about STRONG courageous women with a whole new outlook on life with Christ. Every aspect of their lives just screams praises to God. Words can’t express the atmosphere that I’m experiencing everyday and night here. It’s almost like we haven’t even hit the level of appreciation for God in the United States that is displayed every minute of the day here; to truly know what it’s like to depend on God for everything you say or do. TOTALLY UNREAL! These people have nothing and yet they would give you everything they have with a smile.

If any of you are thinking about maybe someday coming to Fiji to be apart of something much bigger then you can fathom, I PROMISE it will change your life. Please continue to pray for our group.

We Love you and thank you for all your support.

Earthquake

Hey all, If you all heard about the earthquake that we had not far from here, we are all safe and didn't feel a thing. We will have a new blog for you in a little while but wanted to get on real quick and let you know that we are all safe and well.

Continued thanks for your concerns and prayers,
Marcus

Monday Day 3

It’s a good morning here in Fiji. After 2 days of getting acclimated and enjoying the fellowship of our group and the folks here at Holmes of Hope, it is now Monday morning in Fiji and we are gearing up for a full work day.

Our main project this week will be to help finish out the S.P.A. (specific, personalized attention) house. This will be a counseling center here at HOH that will allow the ladies to receive help for individualized spiritual healing. We will attempt to finish the roof and paint it inside and out.

Proverbs 18:14 reads (KJV) The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit, who can bear?

I am so grateful that God will be using us this week to work on the S.P.A. where these ladies will be able to find the healing for their wounded spirits. Please pray for these women, their children, the staff and the pastors here at Homes of Hope. Continue to pray for our team and again we thank you for making this possible.

God Bless you

Jason Clark

Sunday Day 2

Hello Mission and COC,

What an amazing journey God has sent our group on. We attended church this morning in the city and were able to worship with the local people here in Fiji. The spirit is so alive and present here. After church we got lunch to go and took it to the sea wall to eat it. While we were there we witnessed pastors from one of the local churches praying with one of their members on the shore, and taking him right into the ocean and baptizing him. What an awesome thing to be able to see. We took a very long hike through the jungle as a group in search of a waterfall. After what seemed like forever, we finally came to this beautiful spring in the middle of the jungle. As we walked underneath the waterfall, the force of the water coming down was so powerful and majestic; I was reminded of how great our God is.

The women of Homes of Hope have been so good to our group. It is such a joy to see the smiles on all of their faces as we get a chance to interact and spend time with them. They are so appreciative of all of us being here and further expanding the campus, but most importantly sharing the love of Christ as members of one body. It is humbling being able to serve the Lord in this capacity. Thanks to everybody who has made this trip possible through your prayers, and support. A very special thanks to all the family members we left behind to take care of our families. We truly could not do it without all of you.

Paul Cicero

Romans 12:9-13

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil: cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Saturday - Day 1

Hello Mission and COC,

Tony Howe here, just an opening letter to let you know we landed and with just a few hiccups, we arrived with everything we packed. A Bible verse was given to me by a friend, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1).” This is what we came to do with God’s power and your support we have literally put boots on the ground. We are moving as the body of Christ to support these girls and this ministry.

While we sat at LAX, Pastor Mat asked each of us about our expectations and the overwhelming response was to serve God and these women in whatever way God saw fit. The key is that unanimously we wanted to do this WITHOUT expectations. We, Team Fiji (COC and Mission) have come with a heart to serve. We’ve come to serve the Lord. We’ve come to spread the light. We’ve come to help build his Kingdom. We’ve come because you cared enough to send us. Keep HOH, the leaders, the girls and the teams in your prayers. Thank you for your gifts and prayers, both are necessary to continue the work that we started. What started as a vision has grown into a reality with support spreading like wildfire. God’s will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. We love you all and thank you.

To God be the glory,
Tony

p.s. here is a little something from my first trip journal entries.
Being here I’m unsure of my level of faith. “ I want what they have” is what consumes my thoughts… I am hungry to be fed and I’m finding food. I am searching for my path and I’m being led. I’m looking through the dark and finding the light. I’m looking for redemption and I’m truly finding my redeemer.

Hey all, Tony had several more pictures for me to post for you all but the internet connection is not permitting this to happen right now. I will attemt to post the pictures he had for me in the morning. Sorry about that... Marcus.

Airport Sushi ...

Hey people ... we are having a blast so far. In about an hour we'll board our flight to Fiji from LAX. I'm sitting across from Tony Howe having an all out battle on who can finish their airport sushi first. I'm winning bigtime. We're very excited about the trip!

Please pray for a slight luggage complication. Our shade screen materials didn't make it from Phoenix ... and Air Pacific is enforcing a carry-on bag weight restriction that none of us were aware of so ...

Anyway, at 11:30 we'll take off over the Pacific. It's a 12 hour flight to Nadi Airport where we'll arrive at 5:10 am on Saturday morning. From there we'll take a half-hour bumper flight to Suva where we'll be picked up and brought to Wai Loco.

Anyway, I love and miss Misty, Rylin, Emmy, and Hunter! The Balgaard's are awesome!!!

Thanks for following. We'll post again as soon as we can!

FOR HIM!