Our Short-Term Missions

Mission Emanuel facilitates short-term missions trips for over 500 people each year. The numbers are growing rapidly as each person makes a unique connection to the community in Bayona. In 2010 we will have 13 weeks of short-term missions trips.

This past week we concluded week #1 of the 13 weeks. Rockford Christian School visited Cielo and Nazaret from January 2nd to 9th and completed 3 housing projects. The group finished up new construction on Rolfi's house and rehabed Elida and Mari Rosa's houses.

Rolfi and his wife have been living in Bayona for the past 6 years. They have three children: Ludalnice (13), Aradelfi (9) and Rodelfi (7). Rodelfi loves baseball and his sisters enjoy singing. The family is an integral part of the church and always greets visitors with a smile and a kind word. It was wonderful to see the blessings that they received this week. The whole family was overwhelmed by the completion of the house and delivery of brand new furniture to their house.

Delivering furniture to Rolfi's house

Elida is a 73 year old great-grandmother who became wheelchair bound after a series of unexplicable falls. She lives in a house with her teenage grandson. Her son, Pedro, comes to help her cook and clean as much as possible. She was living in a half finished house without a properly equipped handicap bathroom and cooked and washed laundry for herself. The group finished her house, made her bathroom handicap accessible, painted and bought her a washing machine and new fridge, stove and living room furniture.

Dedicating Elida's house

Mari Rosa is a member of our women's cooperative. She was diagnosed with breast cancer this past year and has been undergoing chemotherapy. She and her husband Tony have 5 children: Luis Gerberto (15), Francisco Alberto (13), Luisana (12), Ayendi (10) and Maria Antonia (9). Tony works as a motor taxi driver to provide for the family. The group redid the house's floor and painted. The mission also had the house rewired and fixed the walls of the house. The group provided new furniture and hope to this family in their time of need.

Mari Rosa, Tony, Luisana and Maria Antonia at the dedication of their house

Thanks to everyone at Rockford Christian for all of their hard work!
Please remember to continue to pray for the community, for Mission Emanuel and the work that they are doing in Bayona and for my time here.
Blessings,
Anna