Chile Mission Trip 2009

Sundays Game

2009-02-15T14:11:00.001-08:00

Today we drove back to the National Stadium where we played a game against the Santiago Pirates. The game was so much fun but we unfortunately we lost 9-7.

After the game, the Pirates had a gift for each one of us. Each one of their players singled out one of us and gave us a personal gift. We, CCC, gave them our baseball hats and they gave us their hats. This was an awesome time and very emotional. Each of us ended up giving the player from the other team our batting gloves and shoes as well. They were so thankful for the act of us giving them a gift. I took my two baseball gloves and gave them to other members of the teams. Many of our players gave their gloves, bats and other items. The Pirates Team was very hospital to us and after the game they grilled some sausage and gave us drinks.

We are leaving for the airport as I am typing. We love and miss you!

Andrew

Pics from Sundays game

2009-02-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

Bob had to duck from one of the pitches while he was at bat. Unfortunately, the next pitch, he got hit in the head and the Pirates player helped him to first base.

I got a base hit and am leading off first base. Lucky me!

Mike is up to bat and has good form.

Scott blasted a 2 run home run while I was on base.

CCC vs. Santiago Pirates

2009-02-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

Picture of Santiago Pirates lined up on the 3rd base line.

CCC Team lined up along the 1st base line.

CCC team having some motivation prior to the start of the game.

The Pirates batted first and this was the first hitter of the game. I am catching and it has been a long time.

CCC team member dives back into 1st base.

Saturday Notes

2009-02-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone.....

We had another great day today with the players at La Renca. These players really accepted us and showed they had fun. These players really improved their skills from the first session we had with them. You can tell by the smiles on their faces in the group picture that we made a difference in their lives, even if only for two days.

Paul did our group devotion tonight and it was really good. Paul spoke on "The Armor of God" and read from the Book of Ephesians. Paul talked about spiritual warfare and that he felt that our battle would not take place in Chile but when we got home. Paul talked about the individual battles each of us face in our everyday life and he challenged us to put on the Armor of God and defeat Satan. Good stuff.

Each of us hope you enjoyed our Valentine Day messages and hope you had a great day. We have missed each of you tremendously and we cant wait to see you.

Please continue to pray for us as we have one more day of work to complete. We will be heading back to the National Stadium where we spent our first two days. We will be playing this team in a real game of baseball. Our goal is to spend as much time with the individual players as possible and make sure they leave knowing something about Jesus Christ.

We play the game at 10:00am and then we come back to the dorms to shower and pack our stuff. We will go to get something to eat and waste some time before we head to the airport. I think our flight leaves Santiago around 11:00 pm. I do not think any of us will have any problems sleeping on the plane. We fly to Dallas Texas and then connect to Charlotte. I think we arrive around 3:00pm.

I am not sure if I will be able to update the site again until I get home. I have hundreds of pictures and could not post them all. It is my hope that this site was beneficial to each of you and allowed you to get an idea of what we were doing here.

Thank you for praying and supporting us. Your prayer support is definitely being felt and we are being protected because of it. Please pray for our day tomorrow and our time with the players. Please pray for our health as there are several members not feeling well. Please pray for our safe flight to Dallas and to Charlotte. Please pray that lives were changed from this trip and that the missionaries will be flooded with work because of our efforts.

We love you and will see you real soon.

Andrew

Saturday night pictures

2009-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Case went to the store and bought stuff to make sandwiches for all of us. We had ham, turkey, salami, chips, and homemade cookies. this was a nice meal and all of really enjoyed it. We did not know Mrs. Case was doing this until we were on the van leaving the final session in la Renca.

Picture of Mrs. Case (red shirt) and Alexandra (Alfredo's wife-another missionary) preparing the food.

Picture of Alexandra and her three daughters and Camillia and her brother. Camillia and Angela helped us all week with translating. Angela is in the green and pink shirt and Camillia is to the right of her.

Picture of Clayton, Cliff's youngest son. Clayton is a fine young man and he helped us several times this week as well.

Picture of Cliff and his wife.

Picture of Cliff talking to us before we start eating.

Saturday Pictures

2009-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Dean getting a hug from Pedro, the La Renca coach, after we gave him new baseball equipment. This team did not have much equipment at all.

Pedro walked around and hugged each one of us. Here he is giving Joel, Paul and Brett their hug. This was an awesome sight and you could tell he was touched we gave him the equipment. When Dean told Pedro there were twelve brand new gloves, the players erupted with cheers.

Picture of the La Renca players.

Picture of our CCC Team.

Picture of the entire group.

Saturday Pictures

2009-02-14T19:54:00.000-08:00

If any of us wondered if God was present today, all we had to do was look atop the mountain and see the Cross. Wow!

Gordo made an appearance today and took the time to pose for a photo with Robbie.

Gordo posing with his newest fan, Simon.

At lunch, we all were served watermelon for dessert. It didn't stand a chance with Dean.

A picture of the group after the final session.

Saturday in La Renca

2009-02-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

Good picture of some of the players sitting along the fence listening to the instructions.

Robbie was placed in time out for pitching too fast and I didn't realize he had "Hulk" strength.

We found these green trees and thought you would like to see them. Ive never seen green bark on a tree.

Rob and Brett taking the long walk back to the upper field after one of the sessions.

Nice socks: Dean is up to bat, I am catching and Brian is being the umpire. The socks worked for Dean as he hit a bomb to left field and legged out a triple.

A few different type pictures

2009-02-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

This man came riding onto the field on a horse and the dog was following along. Kind of cool to see this.

The kid in me came out and I figured I would take the plunge into the water and play with the small boy.

Brian did not feel good all day and he took a nap.

Joel decided he did not want to play left field any longer so he ventured into the woods.

McGiver Joel found a stick and a piece of shoelace and made a fishing pole. The ants were not biting. Sorry!

Friday Pictures

2009-02-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

Brian took the time to sit with some of the players during the devotion time.

Brian standing with Camillo and some of his friends.

CCC team with the La Florida players.

CCC team with the La Florida coaches.

Mrs. Case (Cliff's wife) showing us "girl power".

Friday Pictures

2009-02-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

Good picture of Senor Robbie.

Dean is telling the left fielder to get out of the woods and play his position.

Jack and I talking about baseball.

Robbie talking to the players after one of the sessions.

Bob asking the players if they have any questions about what they learned today.

Friday Pictures

2009-02-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

Rob is pitching to Brett and it looks like Paul is trying to hold his bat. Talk about competition.

Paul is trying to explain to the female players what needs to be done to win the game.

Jack is pitching again and striking all the players out.

Rob and Paul are working with the female players but it appears some of them decided to take a siesta!

Friday Pictures

2009-02-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

The top picture is the younger brother of one of their players. He decided he was going to have his own fun and play in the water.

Bob got the chance to talk to the players after one of the sessions. The players really liked Bob and they paid attention. We always took the time to ask if the players had any questions about what they learned. We took the time to tell them what they did good and followed that with some Jesus talk.

Mike and Dean taking a moment in the outfield to discuss Mike's progress with catching the fly balls.

The last picture of ma, Alfredo (one of the interpreters) and Camillo. What a awesome conversation with a happy ending.

Happy Valentine's Day from Chile

2009-02-13T21:41:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Chile

2009-02-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Chile

2009-02-13T21:35:00.001-08:00

Friday Notes

2009-02-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone....

We had a unbelievable day and its was definitely because of God's plan and strength. We all were very tired and emotionally spent. The day started early and most of us were rushed to get dressed due to us being so tired. The missionary was hurrying us to get to the van. Several of us had not even had the chance to eat anything for breakfast and it was off to the next location. Luckily, the driver stopped at a convenience store and we got some breakfast pastries and drinks.

We drove and went back to the area called La Florida. This is our 2nd trip to this location and it was amazing. The female players arrived and ran to Paul, Rob and Brett as they have been their coaches. The girls asked Paul, Rob and Brett to come sit down under a shade tree because they needed to talk to them. The girls brought each of them gifts and told them thank you and they love them. What a sight to watch. There was a great connection between these guys and the female players. They all had so much fun both days. The boys came up to the rest of us and it was like they found their best friend and hugged them. The way these players, male and female, welcomed and accepted us was unbelievable. The morning session we decided to play some games with them based on throwing skills. These games were very fun and the players really enjoyed them.

After one of the games, I was walking with one of the players named Camillo (2 Pac). I asked one of the interpreters to come over and translate for me. I had been thinking about Camillo since we left him the last time. I felt Camillo was leaning towards the street life based on the way he dressed, his attitude, his mannerisms and the type of music he had been listening to. I asked the interpreter to let him know I had been thinking about him and I cared for him. I told Camillo I would like to know more about him and his family. Camillo stated he lived with his mother, father and older brother. I asked Camillo who had the greatest influence on him and who did he want to be like. Camillo stated he wanted to be like his middle brother. I asked Camillo what he wanted to do with his life and he stated, "go to school, do graffiti artwork and study tourism". I went back and asked Camillo about the "middle brother" as he did not mention him earlier. Camillo's whole attitude changed and he became silent. Camillo began talking and stated his middle brother was murdered and thrown into the river. Camillo stated there had been no justice for his brother and he wanted to go and get revenge. I didn't want to but I told Camillo I was a police detective and there were times that I could not solve the case and find the "bad guys". I told Camillo that police do not stop looking for the bad guys. I asked Camillo if he believed in Jesus Christ and he stated yes. I asked if he knew about Jesus or did he have a relationship and have Him in his heart. Camillo stated he had Jesus in his heart. I told Camillo that there would be a day when the person responsible for his brothers death would stand before God. This person would stand in the HIGH COURT and be held responsible by the JUDGE of all judges. I told Camillo that God would hand down the punishment and it was not his job to take revenge. Camillo began to cry uncontrollably and I told him that I could tell he was filled with pain and anger. I told Camillo he needed to pray to God and ask Him to take the hurt and pain away. Camillo told the interpreter he wanted me to pray for him right then and ask God to help him. The three of us began to pray and Camillo continued to cry. I prayed for Camillo and asked the Lord to do a mighty work in his heart. I asked the Lord to release Camillo from his burdens and to open the eyes of his heart and see that He has a plan for him. After praying, Camillo hugged me and you could tell some of the burden had been lifted. I talked to Camillo about him being a role model and he agreed there are several players who follow him and they are influenced by him. Camillo stated he wanted to be a role model. He stated he wanted to be a husband and a father one day. Camillo seemed to be a different person all day long. I walked away with my eyes filled with tears and I went back onto the field and prayed that "he got the message".

We finished the morning session and went to the big mall for lunch. La Florida is a pretty far distance from our dorms so we had to waste close to 3 hours.

The afternoon session began with us switching things up by us playing a game of kickball with all the players. This was really fun but the players wanted to play baseball. We divided them up and played a baseball game. These players have improved a lot since the 1st day and they were really having fun.

We ended the day with Robbie speaking to the group of players. Robbie thanked them for accepting us into their country and their group. Robbie told them how much fun we had with them and how much they meant to each of us. Robbie told them that each time any of us think about our trip to Chile, we would think of them. I followed Robbie with a talk about having pain and hurt in our hearts. I told the players they needed Jesus Christ in their lives to help them through the hurt, the pain and the tough times. Several of the players were shaking their heads but I wonder if they got it or not.

We handed out t-shirts, baseball cards and a baseball Bible tract to each player. Man did they love these gifts. We took a group picture and it was emotional. Several of the male and female players were holding on to each of us and they did not want us to leave. It was very hard to leave and many of us began to cry. Camillo came over and hugged me and he had tears in his eyes. Several players went over to Brian and asked for a baseball. These players were begging us to give them something of ours. Many of the players asked us to autograph their shirts so they could remember us. We all finally got on the bus to leave and I could not stop crying. My heart was hurting because those kids do not have much. They begged us to give them something and your heart wants to give them everything. You begin to wonder if they will ever have anything like these past 2 days and if we made a difference in their lives. Bob spoke up and stated he felt the need to pray and he began to cry as well. Bob prayed for the players and hoped they would turn to Jesus. Bob prayed for each of them and hoped we made a difference. Not a dry eye on the van.

Back at the dorm, Brian and Brett led devotions. Brian spoke about Acceptance and Greed. Brian spoke of his own personal struggles and failures and it was powerful. Brett spoke about "God is Awesome". Brett told about his personal life and his struggles as well. Brett talked about leaving the church at one point and feeling like he had everything and did not need the church. Brett talked about the parable of the "lost son" and how this was him and his life. Brett thanked the Lord was welcoming him back home with open arms. Once again, not many dry eyes.

As you can tell by my last two letters, we all are emotionally and physically tired. There are two days left of work to do and we have prayed to God that He give us mighty strength. Please pray for us and that we do not tire and falter at the job that needs to be completed.

We continue to pray for our families and their well being. We thank each of you for taking on the burdens caused by each of us being gone. We love and miss each of you very much. Please take care and we will see each of you soon.

Andrew

Thursday Notes

2009-02-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone...

It is currently 12.51 am here and I have finally caught up the blog. The other guys are asleep and hopefully resting peacefully. Today was a very emotional roller coaster for all of us. We originally had today as a day off and we would spend it sight seeing, shopping and resting. The plans changed and we were scheduled to go to a town called La Ranca at 5 pm. I have to be honest and tell you that each of us were really looking forward to having the entire day to ourselves. Each of us were so tired and worn out that no one wanted to really go.

Cliff, the missionary, arrived around 9am this morning and we headed to town for the sight seeing. We walked to the subway and rode it to San Lucia. I learned the Chilean people have like an understood rule on the subway of "no talking". Imagine our group on the subway and you probably could guess, this rule did not work for us. The sight seeing at San Lucia was beautiful as you can tell in the pictures.

After San Lucia, we walked to a outdoor shopping outlet/flea market type place. We spent about one hour here looking around and shopping. We all learned you get a better deal if you pay with Chilean cash or American cash. If you used your debit or credit card, you did not get as good a deal.

We headed back to the dorm rooms and on the way, we prayed that the Lord would give us strength as we were all tired and worn out. We got dressed and headed to La Ranca. The ride was fairly short and we all tried to boost one another up. We pulled into the area were the field was and we saw the players on the field. As we drove up to park, the players came running off the field and greeted us at our van. These players were standing outside the doors of the van in anticipation for us to get off. As we got off, several of them greeted us with a hand shake and told us their name. This was so awesome and humbling. You could see the energy level and enthusiasm in our group just rising as we greeted these players. We had such a good time with these players and it was just what we needed. As we were getting ready to leave and were loading back onto the van, one of the younger players was crying. I walked over with a interpreter to see what was wrong and to see if he was hurt (from the pile on). The interpreter spoke to the young player and found out he was not hurt but sad because we were leaving. I hugged the player and my eyes filled with tears. These players did not know us at all but they welcomed us like we were the best. Do these kids have role models? Do they have hope? What will happen after we leave? These questions went through our minds and our emotions we hard to hold back. Are these kids the reason we made the trip? Did we make a difference in their lives in the two hours we were there? Our prayer was obviously answered as the Lord provided us with much more than strength to make it through the practice. The Lord opened the eyes of our hearts and we needed this.

We are emotionally, physically and spiritually drained right now. We miss our families and are ready to come home. We know we have three more days here and a lot of work left to be done. We are all up for God´s work and the mission He has planned for us. Please pray for our strength to continue what we came to do.

Our group devotions have been unbelievable and much needed. It seems like the Lord has planned each one and given the perfect words that were needed to be heard. This team is building lasting relationships with each other and it is a blessing to see it happening. Jack did devotion tonight and he talked about Life Changing Events. Jack talked about the 1st mission trip we went on to Los Vilos Chile. Jack spoke of a devotion from that trip were Scott washed the feet of each one of us just as Jesus did for His disciples. Jack talked about how this event changed his life. Jack stated his prayer for each member of the team was that they may experience a life changing event on this trip.

There is no doubt that lives are being changed on this trip. I can tell you I have personally seen team members lives changed. I hope and pray we have made a difference in the lives of all the Chilean baseball players.

We have a big day tomorrow and I hope you each will pray for us. Please pray for our families as we miss them very much. Each of us love and miss each of you and we thank you for supporting us.

Good night!
Andrew

La Renca Players

2009-02-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

This evening we traveled to the town of La Renca. The trip was awesome and we needed it. When we arrived the players were on the field and they came running to the parking lot to greet us. They ran all the way to our van and were standing outside waiting. We had a lot of fun with these players.

The group picture was taken following practice. Pretty big group.

The "pile on" picture began with me and one of the boys playing around and he was wrestling with me. All of a sudden, they all were on me.

The picture of the players holding up there hands was actually taken from inside our van as we were leaving. These players were sad we were leaving and it broke our hearts.

More San Lucia Pictures

2009-02-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

The first picture is Jack and I standing at the front gates to the fort.

The next picture is me, Scott, Brett, Brian and a guy we met from Brasil. We are at the very top of the fort and sitting on one of the ports where a cannon would be pushed up to when they would shoot it.

The other three pictures are different pictures taken at the fort.

San Lucia Pictures

2009-02-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today we had the morning to ourselves and we went to San Lucia for sightseeing. San Lucia is an old battle fort where the Spaniards defeated the Indians. As you enter the gates, you see the fort itself and the pretty fountain. We all walked to the top of the fort which is very very very high. I can not tell you how many steps we climbed to get to the top. Once at the top, you could see some of the old cannons. I took a picture of the city from on top of this fort. There is actually mountains topped with snow to the right of the where I took this picture but it would not show up on my camera.

This place was an awesome sight to see and it was so relaxing to be here.

More Melipilla Pictures

2009-02-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a good picture of our team with the Melipilla team. This group of guys really enjoyed playing with us and you could tell they learned some new skills.

Two pictures show Joel talking to group of players. They were interested in his gloves and he let them put it on. In the picture with the red shirt, you can see one of the players wearing the glove and he has on glasses. This player used to play on the Chilean National Team and he struck out 21 batters in a single game. He is an awesome player and he helps his teammates a lot.

The entire time we were practicing, there was this little boy with his father yelling and clapping his hands. Once practice was over, I took one of our baseballs over to him and I gave it to him. We have been strongly encouraged not to give things away as we do not have enough for everyone but I couldn't resist.

The final picture is of a hot dog that Robbie ordered at a restaurant we stopped to eat at. I have never seen such a giant hot dog.

More Melipilla Pictures

2009-02-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

Scott took care of teaching the infield skill station. He definitely has some skill and knowledge at this baseball stuff.

I took some overall pictures of the field the Melipilla team plays on. Not really conducive for baseball but it is their field and they do the best they can.

The outfield wall is covered in several places with artwork. I was corrected by the coach that is was not graffiti but artwork. Look at the detail in this picture.

More Melipilla Pictures

2009-02-12T19:20:00.001-08:00

Here are pictures of two of the skill stations. Rob, Brian and Robbie are working the hitting station and Dean and Joel are working the outfield station. You could really tell these players wanted to learn and they have a good skill base already. There coach is good and he has a lot of baseball knowledge. You can tell he genuinely cares for his players.

More Pictures

2009-02-12T19:11:00.000-08:00

Bob is Thirsty picture- we were walking around the town of Melipilla and we saw this character outside one of the stores. I had to get Bob to pose...too funny!

The picture of the mountain is awesome. I know I have posted numerous pictures of the mountains but they are so pretty.

I mentioned earlier about the trash on the side of the road...here is a good example.

The one picture shows a house that you can tell is due to a very low income.

I took a picture of some speed limit signs. I am sure this is not in MPH.

Melipilla Team

2009-02-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of our personal van. The driver, Luis, has been awesome and many times he just laughs at us at times.

The other four pictures are of the field at Melipilla. The field is no more than a large dirt and gravel lot. The field is surrounded by a wall covered in graffiti/art. The field is so small the players can not take batting practice as they will hit the houses on the other side of the wall.

The players were excited for our arrival and it showed when we got off the bus.

The player in the Cleveland Indians jersey has a tremendous amount of talent and he has a dream of going to the United States one day to go to baseball camps.

More Pictures

2009-02-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

This trip has really brought all of us closer as friends. As you can see, Scott and I were going to share my ice cream (had to have some Gina) but I ate it all!

Jack, Bob and I took a moment to take a picture near the fountain in front of the mall.

I took this picture of the Chilean Flag. It was flying high in the middle of some rubble.

I took the picture of what appears to be a "roadside shrine". You see these everywhere thru the town. I do not think they are for people who have died but I may be wrong.

The view taken from high up is of the high end housing. These houses are high atop one of the mountain road and are very nice. The view is awesome.

More Pictures

2009-02-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Here are many different pictures included in this group. One picture is of a roadside trash bin that you see all over the town. The ironic part is most of the time you see more trash lying on the side of the road than you do in the bins.

The bathroom picture is when we went to the Mall to walk around following the morning practice. It was time to wash our hands.

The mountain picture was taken from inside the mall over looking Santiago. Good mountain view.

The hamburger is one that Rob ordered. I have never seen such a big burger....Rob at it all!

Jack and Rob met a new friend in one of the stores. They couldn't talk to her due to a language barrier.

La Florida Pics

2009-02-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

Robbie showing he still has what it takes to pitch to batters. He had to come in from the bullpen.

The one player decided he couldn't stand to watch any longer so he put his glove over his face. Too funny!

Brian and Robbie took a minute to pose with some of the players they worked with.

I took a picture with some of the players I worked with. There is one of the players who told us to call him 2PAC. The coach told me that he is on the fence of living a life on the street or turning to sports. We are praying he will make the right choice.

We always take a team picture at the end of practice. This was a pretty big group and we had a lot of fun.

La Florida Players

2009-02-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here are several pictures from our day with the La Florida players.

Paul is having fun with the female players, who learned a lot.

One picture shows one of the players sliding into first base on a close play.

One picture shows Jack pitching. We had to call him in from the bullpen to relieve our starting pitcher.

The picture of all the players was taken during one of the much needed water breaks.

The last picture shows one of the players in the middle of his swing. Good job keeping your eye on the ball.

Mountain View at Field

2009-02-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

This is a view of the field we played on in La Florida with the mountains in the back.

What a view to have while you are teaching baseball! It is beautiful where with all the mountains. If I am not mistaken, they are the Andes Mountains.

Park Employee

2009-02-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

I watched this lady as she used a rake to rake the dirt as you entered the park in La Florida. The coach told me the park employees always rake the dirt to keep it clean and neat.

La Florida Housing

2009-02-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, we drove to the town of La Florida to teach these players. This picture shows the housing which is actually across the street from the park where we played. I was told my the La Florida coach that there is a lot of drugs and alcohol in this area. The coach told me that he does his best to keep these players active to give them an alternative to the streets.

I believe these apartments are similar to our Section 8 housing.

Chilean Housing

2009-02-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

These houses are in the lower class neighborhoods. There is not much to these houses and multiple families live here.

Chilean Housing

2009-02-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

I believe these houses are considered to be middle class. You see a lot of housing with multiple colors.

Thursday

2009-02-12T04:36:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone...

It is Thursday morning and to be honest, I am not sure what the date is. We have had two long and busy days. We traveled both days to smaller towns, less fortunate but had a great time. We have not been getting back to our dorms until around 10 pm. We all usually hurry and take a shower and then it is our group devotion time. In our dorms, there is supposed to be silence after 11 pm. There is a conference room on the bottom floor near the kitchen that we use for our devotions.

Tuesday night I did devotion. I really felt the Lord was leading me to talk about "authentic men", which will lead to "authentic husbands" which will lead to "authentic dads" which will lead to a better community. I also spoke on "Love" as it is defined in 1 Corinthians. I am not sure why the Lord placed this message on my heart, because I fail at these subjects almost daily. The devotion went great and once again, not many dry eyes. I hope we as men can make a difference.

Last night, Mike and Scott combined to do devotion. Mike talked about tithing and about faith. Mike brought up that in the book of Malachi that the Lord tells you to trust in Him and tithe with a cheerful heart and He will bless you. The Lord goes on to test him on this. This is the only place in the Bible where the Lord tells you to test Him. Scott followed up on compromise and how easy it is to compromise when things aren't going our way. In the Bible there are stories in 1 Kings 21 where it talks about the Temple being destroyed. Our bodies and minds are like a temple. Then the story goes on to tell about the need to rebuild the temple. Scott told of his personal struggles and how he was trying to rebuild himself. Scott made mention of the love and support of his wife and kids. Robbie spoke up and stated he was glad he was on this trip and he needed good men to help him as well.

The devotions are just what we need. They are real and powerful. God is moving in this group.

I am sorry about not being able to add any pictures but they are coming. There has been no time during the last two days. Today we have the day off until this evening. We are getting ready to go to a flee market type place to shop and sight see. I will hopefully be able to add many pictures this evening.

We love and miss you guys a lot. Please continue to pray for each of us and the Chilean people. We have been accepted with smiles each place we have gone thus far. Each one of us has stated we really miss our families. We prayed that the Lord would give us the strength to continue this mission and to remain focused.

We love you and we pray the Lord is protecting and taking care of each of you in our absence.

Andrew

PS....Please forgive me if there are any spelling errors.

Group Devotion Time

2009-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

We had our team devotion tonight and man was it great. Rob W. and Bob shared the time and each gave a devotion. Rob did an awesome job talking about opportunity and ministering to the Chilean people. Bob followed with an awesome talk about what it means to be an authentic man. This led into being the authentic dad to our children. Not too many dry eyes tonight. It was an awesome group session.

Please continue to pray for our team and the Chilean people. We are praying for our families and all of you who are supporting us everyday.

Take care and we love each of you!

Andrew

Andrew & Chilean Players

2009-02-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

These guys are awesome!

Group Photo

2009-02-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken after the friendly game today. We split up our team and the Chilean players and played against each other.

After the game, we gave each Chilean player a shirt, 2 baseball cards and a Bible tract. This was an emotional time for our team as well as the Chilean players. These people really opened up to us and it was a great time. They thanked us for coming all this way and taking the time to care for them and teach baseball.

Today was the last session with them as we head to another part of the city tomorrow. There are plans for us to come back on Sunday afternoon to play them again.

Powerful Devotion

2009-02-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

This is Paul and Scott during the afternoon devotion. Paul felt led to speak to the group and he gave an awesome devotion. Paul told the group about sin and how Jesus went into Court and asked the Judge if he could take the penalty for everyone's sins. Paul explained that when Jesus died on the cross, our debt was paid in FULL!

Great job Paul!

Mr. Roberto

2009-02-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

This is Mr. Roberto, who is the President of the National Baseball Federation.

Bob working on Spanglish

2009-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Bob was taking the time to talk to this young player who really wanted to talk to Bob as well. It was funny because they both were tying to understand the others language and they ended up just smiling at each other.

I think the young player is telling Bob that he is supposed to be out in the field with his team.

Preaching in the Outfield

2009-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

Dean was able to preach a sermon to this player while in the outfield. Not too sure what his message was but the young player is paying attention.

Girl Power

2009-02-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

This girl came out today and did a good job. Her boyfriend is Tomas, one of the Chilean players.

The missionary and his wife

2009-02-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

This is Cliff Case, who is the missionary we are working with. His wife, Cindy, is on the far right. They are very nice and have a heart for spreading the news of Jesus Christ.

You want a piece of me?

2009-02-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

This is Julian jumping on me and taking me to the ground. I was playing with him and he got me. Julian has been a bright spot with this group. He captures your heart as soon as you meet him.

The Big Swing

2009-02-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

This is Scott and his awesome textbook swing. We all would love to have his swing.

Scott did an awesome job today teaching the infield skill station. You could see the improvement in each player after his infield lesson. You couldn't help but learn from him if you watched and listened. He is an awesome instructor and you can tell he has a passion of the game of baseball.

Catcher and Batter

2009-02-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

The batter has a look of "oh my gosh, here comes the pitch". This is Joel hitting, good hitting stance, front foot out, hands back and he is ready. What you don't see is he swings so hard that he misses and falls down. Thanks for the group laugh Joel!

That is me catching and I actually had fun. I played catcher all through little league and high school. Of course, I am talking to Joel while he is trying to concentrate.

The Face of Intensity

2009-02-09T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is Bob on third base. He has already almost been picked off like three times so he is intensely watching the pitcher.

You are the man!

Robbie Recruiting

2009-02-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

Robbie posing with Julian, who is the son of a pastor we met the first day in the restaurant. I think Robbie is trying to recruit him to go and play for Appalachian State.

Day 2 Morning Practice

2009-02-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

This is a group picture from this morning after we finished with all of the skill stations. Big group and lots of fun!

Making Friends

2009-02-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

This picture is of Robbie, Rob and I posing with some of the players and young kids.

Work Horse

2009-02-09T18:55:00.000-08:00

The field needed to be drug to smooth it out. I pulled this big piece of wood that had hundreds of spikes attached to it and a piece of a net. I walked it over the field to smooth out the dirt. Where is the tractor when you need it?

Brian and the Clown

2009-02-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken in the Mamut Restaurant. This clown guy was making balloon characters for the younger patrons and Brian wanted one. Nice teddy bear Brian.

Chilean Taxi Driver

2009-02-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

We saw this taxi driver parked outside our dorm building. I guess work is slow in Santaigo as well, so why not catch a nap!

Gordo, Coach J and Deputy Deut

2009-02-09T10:42:00.001-08:00

Hello Easy Street......

We miss you!

Team Picture with Chilean Players

2009-02-09T10:38:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken following our 1st day of practice. We really had fun with these players. The fourth person on the back row from the left is the President of the National Baseball Federation, Mr. Roberto. The guy in the red shirt, back row, second from the right, is Enrique. Enrique is one of the baseball coaches and he is very good. He can speak English and has been a big help with translation.

Our group has been touched by the way these players have accepted us and the respect they have shown us. They gave 100% today and each had a smile on their faces. Oh....they love to give high fives.

Higher Elevation Mountains

2009-02-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

This is some of the same mountains but they are higher up. To the left of these mountains there are some with snow on them. My camera would not zoom close enough for me to show you the snow.

Another Mountain View

2009-02-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just another picture of the baseball field and the mountains in the backgound.

National Stadium View

2009-02-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture taken from the baseball field looking at the mountains. We all felt like we were a real baseball team traveling for an "away" game. The view is simply amazing. This is part of the area where the National President told us people were tortured and killed.

I talked to the group this morning and asked them how ironic it was that 10 to 20 years ago people died here for not following the Dictator and here we are, on the same piece of land, using the game of baseball to plant the seed of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ.

It is our hope that the Chilean players take a step forward towards Jesus Christ and not a step backwards.

Gringo Invasion

2009-02-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

The is a picture of our group (the gringos: Americans) going into a convenience store called Big John. You should have seen the look on the clerks face as we all entered the store. Wow!

Muy Grande Church Doors

2009-02-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this set of church doors. These doors go along with the picture of the steeple I showed earlier.

La Comeda Tiempo

2009-02-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

It is lunch time and here we are sitting at the table. The restaurant was called Mamut. Biggest hamburgers ever! We even were able to order chicken wings...man can Rob#3 (Woolard) put these away!

Church Pic

2009-02-09T10:22:00.001-08:00

We walked past this church several times and it is beautiful. All of the churches seem to be built out of the same type of material.

Street View

2009-02-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

I took this picture as we were walking down the street to go and get something to eat. It is pretty in the section of town we are staying in.

Dorm Room

2009-02-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is what all of the dorm rooms look like. There is actually a closet to the right as soon as you enter the room but you can not see it in the picture. We do have air conditioning........open the window and let the hot air inside. hahahahahah!

Mountain View

2009-02-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

I took this picture from inside the bus as we were driving to our dorms. This view shows the beautiful mountains.

On the Ground in Santiago

2009-02-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

What a good looking group! This picture was taken outisde the airport in Santiago as we were loading up on our van. Praise God the flight went OK and almost everyone was able to sleep. We are ready to go to work.

Hurry Up and Wait

2009-02-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

Part of the group waiting patiently in the Miami airport. As you can tell, there is tons of enthusiasm on our faces looking forward to the 9 hour flight to Santiago.

Crocks v. Escalator

2009-02-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Joel decided he wanted to see what would happen if his crocks got caught at the end of the escalator. The escalator won and praise God that Joel did not get hurt. Too funny....

Day 1

2009-02-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone....

It is almost 10.30 pm and we are getting ready to all go to sleep. We are all pretty tired from the travel and today's work at the baseball field. We went to the National Stadium this afternoon and met with the President of the Baseball Federation, Mr. Roberto. Roberto told us some history about the location where the National Stadium now sits. Specifically he told us that about 10 years ago they used the area to torture and kill people. The National Stadium is actually a complex that contains an archery field, a bicycle track, soccer fields, and the baseball fields. There are mountains all around us and it is very beautiful. I hope you can see them in some of the pictures we took.

The baseball field is actually really nice and it is big. Today, there were probably ten or so Chileans who are on different baseball teams within the league there. We met one of the baseball coaches and he can speak English and he is a good player. After some brief introductions, the missionary asked one of us to speak to the Chileans abut whatever we wanted to and he gave us the OK to talk about Jesus. Pastor Dean asked me to speak and I introduced the team and explained we have come here to be servants to them and teach them what we know about the game of baseball. I gathered a baseball, a bat, a glove and a helmet to use as an illustration. I began telling the Chileans about the tools they would need if they were a carpenter or a construction worker. I showed them each of the pieces of baseball equipment and explained why we need them. I told the Chileans that these tools are necessary to get the job done and for us to be successful at what we are doing. I told them the same is true in the game of Life. It is vital we have the skills and tools needed to have a successful life and make through life when the struggles and hard times enter their life. I told them each of us (I pointed to our team) has a relationship with Jesus and we needed the Bible to help us get through life. I told them just as in baseball and soccer, they can chose which tools they need to be successful.

We decided to have batting practice and allow the Chileans to hit. There were some good ball players and we got the chance to individually work with several of them. You could tell they were having fun and they really welcomed us to their country and their ball field. Relationships are being formed already and I can see God at work already. Tomorrow morning we are going back to the National Stadium where many of the Chilean ballplayers will be and we will begin skill stations with them. Later in the evening, the Chileans want to play us in a friendly game. This should be fun.

We ate lunch at a restaurant that had the biggest hamburgers I have ever seen. It was really good. We ate supper at Pizza Hut. Yes, we flew all this way to eat at Pizza Hut in Chile.

The guys are really having fun and there is a high level of excitement among them. I really can't wait to see how their lives will be changed and how they will interact with the players. We will begin to work on the personal relationships with the Chilean players and coaches tomorrow.

We are very blessed to have four computers in the basement of this dorm and it allows us to get on the Internet. I have not been able to download any of the pictures yet due to not having wireless where I can use my laptop computer and download the pictures to the blog site. The missionary is bringing me a thumb drive tomorrow and he is going to allow me to use this. Hopefully I can add pictures tomorrow.

Have a great night and a great day tomorrow. Please continue to pray for us.

Andrew

Huntersville Snow

2009-02-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

What a sight to wake up to. Isn't it amazing the way a simple snow puts us all in a good mood. I love the snow and the boys couldn't wait to go play. I hope each of you enjoyed it.

It's kind of wierd we had snow and 13 degree temperatures this week and next week we will be in 90 degree weather. What a change!

It's Snow Time

2009-02-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

Tuesday Night: Let it Snow!

Final Day of Preparations

2009-02-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it is almost midnight and I am still putting together the last minute items needed for the trip. This week has been very stressful to say the least. Satan has tried his best to plant the seed of doubt in many of our heads and get us to not go on the trip. I tried to find the right words today to tell the guys but I just couldn't seem to find them. I found this picture on the Internet and I believe it says it all......Jesus Paid It ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Satan is afraid of the work we are going to do and all of the lives that will be changed forever.

I hope and pray this blogsite is helpful and informative to each of you. I pray it is as easy to update in Chile as it is here at home. I promise to do my best.

I am praying for each of the families as we leave tomorrow. It is never easy to have a loved one leave on a trip and to be away from the family. I pray each of us men will make you proud and happy as we go to perform God's work. We love each of you and we will miss you!

We will be meeting at the church tomorrow at 3:30 pm for final packing and checking to make sure everything and everyone are in order. The church bus will take us to the airport and our journey begins. I hope the check in line is not too long and we get through the security gate fairly quickly.

I wish each of you a blessed week and please remember to pray for our team and the people of Chile. Good Nite!

Easy Street Prayer

2009-02-02T08:10:00.000-08:00

Sunday February 1, 2009

Here is a picture taken during the Easy Street production at church. Gina, Director of Easy Street (and my lovely wife) took the time to bring "Coach J", "Gordo" and "Deputy Deut" up on stage to have the kids pray for us. Jack (Coach J), Bob (Gordo) and I (Deputy Deut) are all actors on Easy Street on Sunday mornings. Easy Street is the childrens production our church puts on to teach the kids about Jesus Christ.

Paul happened to be in the crowd watching with his kids so we invited him on stage as well. Gina explained to the kids (I call them the Cadets of the Lord's Army) where we were going and what a mission trip was. You could hear some of the kids gasp when they heard Gina say the kids in Chile may have never heard about Jesus. I explained to them why we were going and what we would be doing. The biggest surprise was when I told the kids it was summer time in Chile but it was winter time here. One boy said, "Aw man, thats not fair!"

Thank you Gina and the kids of Easy Street for praying for us. We will miss you guys while we are gone. Please dont forget to pray for us while we are gone!

2009-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday February 1, 2009

It's official, we have been Commissioned! Pastor Jack called each of the team members up on the stage to be introduced to the church family and to be commissioned. Pastor Jack and the church family prayed for us and how comforting it is to have so many people praying for us during a time when it feels like Satan is not going to stop attacking us.

As you can tell, this is a awesome group of men that God has assembled and we plan to do a mighty work. Who is the guy with blond hair? Just kidding! I am proud to be a part of this team and to call each one friend and brother. I look forward to our time together in the airports, on the buses, in the housing and everywhere we go. I can not wait to see the relationships that are formed and strengthened by this trip. We stand before you today as eleven men chosen to go as a team but we will come back as a close band of brothers.

Please pray for each team member, their families and the peopleof Chile. May God's work be completed through each of us.

2009-01-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a map of Chile and it will help each of you get an idea where we are.

One Week Away

2009-01-31T12:53:00.001-08:00

We are one week away from our departure to Santiago, Chile. We leave on Saturday February 07, 2009 and we will fly to Miami, Florida. We will board another plane in Miami and fly directly to Santiago, Chile. The second leg of the flight is a long one, around 9 hours. I hope everyone has some sleeping medicine or some good books and movies. I personally bought some noise reduction headphones since I am sitting next to Pastor Dean on the flight (snoring). Hopefully this flight will be a good one for me and I will not have any problems like on the first trip (hahahah).

Here is a list of our team members and I would like everyone to begin praying hard for each of us.
Pastor Dean Burris
Jack Casey
Mike Brower
Scott Goins
Andrew Dempski
Brian Hutto
Brett Hutchins
Paul Taylor
Bob Brotherton
Robbie Price
Rob Woolard

Satan has reered his ugly head and is attacking each one of us. Satan knows there is about to be a mighty work done and he does not want that to happen. Please pray for the Lord to protect each of us during our current attacks and lift us up. Please pray for our safety, our health, for the kids of Santiago, for the missionaries and all the people we will come in contact with during our journey. May people look at each of us and see us being an example of Jesus.

Please pray for our families while we are gone. May the Lord watch over them and calm there fears, their doubts and their longing for us to be back home safely. I pray the Lord will bless each of our families in a mighty way while we are away doing His work.

I will update again soon. God bless each of you and thank yu for praying and supporting us!

Andrew