Mushy Marshmallow Madness

Pastor Kiley Callaway, children's pastor at Community Life Center in Port Charlotte, Florida encourages Lorna and Sheldon to do their best imitation of a hefty hare (otherwise known as the chubby bunny contest).

Double Bubble Trouble

Pastor Sam Lopez, student ministries pastor of Third Degree Uth at Community Life Center in Port Charlotte, Florida, oversees brother and sister duo, Delius and Stephanie, who are bursting at the seams with fun!
Visit Pastor Sam's website at www.3duth.com.

The Curacao Connection

"I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:36
Recently a medical team led by Dr Mike Collins (pictured left, standing) and Dr Rich Montgomery ministered at the New Vision City of Refuge Clinic. Usually Dr Mike brings a medical student with him but this time he was unable to do so. God though, was prepared to fill in the gap in an unusual way. It just so happened that that very week we were hosting two other work teams, one led by missionary to Curacao, Rich Smallie, who brought a second year medical student with him. Jeffrey (pictured sitting) is studying in Curacao but is orignally from Cameroon. The team was able to minister to over 200 people in the community and even did a few housecalls. Jeffrey had no idea, and neither did we, that this opportunity would be available to him. Dr Mike and Dr Rich graciously shared their knowledge and expertise and Jeffrey benefited greatly from the experience.

On A Hill Too Far Away

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suff'ring and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. -George Bernard
Two thousand years ago on a hill called Calvary our Savior willingly died on a rough wooden cross. In his book, On a Hill Too Far Away, John Fischer presents the cross of Christ in all its trueness and begs the question, is the cross obsolete; is it simply a decoration on the wall of our churches or an ornament around our necks, or is it more?
John Fischer writes of a particular cross in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. It is 10 feet tall, made of rough, untreated wood and it is bolted to the floor inside the sanctuary right in front of the platform. This cross is no mere decoration, it is an obstruction. The pastor can't preach without acknowledging the cross and the congregation can't gather at the altar without accommodating the cross. It's big, it's ugly, it's rough and it's in the way.
But maybe that's the way it should be.
Have you ever heard someone complain about the cross they bear? Usually they are talking about a person; an obnoxious boss or an uncooperative spouse. After complaining a little about how awful their lives are, they roll their eyes, let out a sigh and exclaim, "I guess that is the cross I have to bear."
No, it isn't.
Christ didn't call us to pick up a person and follow him, he commanded us to pick up our cross and follow him. The cross is not a problem I bear, it is the place where I die. "Simply put," John Fischer says, "the cross does for us what it did for Christ. It kills us."
And if you haven't noticed, dying does not appear to be fun. In fact, it looks like it hurts. Especially if we are talking about death on a cross. And that is exactly what we are talking about.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). We must bow at the old rugged cross to find life, we must cling to the old rugged cross to nourish our life, and we must pick up our own rugged cross to make our life's journey with Christ.

Here's to Your Health!

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 2
Thirty active children with fiesty personalities means that we deal with a lot of bumps and bruises and colds and flu. So we invited our friend and fellow missionary, Peggy Pyatt, a Registered Nurse, to join us yesterday to teach a First Aid Training Clinic for the staff of New Vision City of Refuge.
More Jamaicans per year die of AIDS than cancer, heart disease or murder. In the Caribbean HIV/AIDS is growing at a staggering rate (the secondest fastest rate in the world) so Peggy and her husband Gary led an HIV/AIDS Awareness class for the staff and teen-agers. They have done similar awareness training at PTAs, public schools and churches all around the island.
Gary and Peggy are the LACC co-ordinators in Jamaica and you can visit their website at www.jamaicachildcare.com.

Jammin' in Jamaica with Chi Alpha

We will reconcile students to Christ, transforming the university, the marketplace and the world. We will accomplish this by creating a Spirit-empowered community reflecting our philosophy of ministry and core values. -Chi Alpha Missions Statement
A fantastic group of students led by Stefanie Chappell, Potomac District Chi Alpha Director, from American University in Washington, D.C. was jammin' in Jamaica this past week at New Vision City of Refuge Children's Home.
Each day was filled with fun and excitement as the students played sports, did crafts and led devotions for the 30 children here. New Vision City of Refuge is continuing to be beautified as the students also painted the dining hall, our office and our son Wesley's bedroom.
We hope you are supporting your local Chi Alpha missionaries as they are ministering not only on college campuses but literally around the world through the love of Christ!

Evangel University Brings Joy to Jamaica

"Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads/A whale of a tale or two/'Bout the flappin' fish and the girls I've loved/On nights like this with the moon above/A whale of a tale and it's all true/I swear by my tattoo"
Sixteen gifted students from Evangel University with Resident Director Amy Gros spent their Spring Break at New Vision this week spreading love, joy and laughter to everyone.
The team, led by Leah May and Kristy Phillips ministered through music, puppets, crafts, drawing and beautifying the New Vision Home. They ministered through a human video at Christiana Tabernacle Church and then Academic Dean, Margaret Mills, of the local Assemblies of God Bible College also invited the students to their chapel for another opportunity to minister.
We had a delightful week with these wonderful, joyous bunch of students. Many thanks to Evangel University for sending us such quality young men and women.

Having Fun with Indy Calvary Temple

Merlene gets stuffed and Roland gets popped!
Indianapolis Calvary Temple visited New Vision Children's Home this week. The kids had a ton of fun with balloons, relay races, and paint cans! The New Vision children ministered to our guests with cultural and worship songs at the end of their stay.
Many thanks to Pastor Mel and Chris Keaton, Pastor Phil and Sandra Meade and their 22 team members who painted two more of our buildings and built a retaining wall. Wow! Things are really looking great around here.

The Perfect Cup of Tea

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enought to suit me." C.S. Lewis
Start with English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast. Steep 3-5 minutes. Serve with caffeine intact and with real milk and sugar.
Next sit down with a good book or a good friend. Enjoy your solitude or your conversation. Like a good cup of tea neither is rushed.
Jesus not only knew the importance of rest he modeled it. Although it is doubtful he sat down with his disciples over a steaming cup of tea the scriptures declare he sat around a fire eating fish with his friends. Personally I prefer tea. But it’s not the menu but the company that counts; it’s not the setting but who you’re sitting with.
It is easy to fill our days with the work and sometimes the worry that inevitably accompanies it. But if we don’t intentionally take a break or as Jesus says “take his yoke” then we will not find the rest that is required of us.
Rest is a command and a gift from the Lord. God rested on the seventh day after creation and commands his creation to do the same. Jesus says, “Come to me... and I will give you rest.” We honor the Lord with our work and with our rest.
At New Vision City of Refuge we are modeling for our kids the necessity of hard work but also the importance of rest. There is a time to do school work and chores and there is a time to relax and hang out.
Alas, the hour grows late, the kettle is whistling, and it’s time for me to take my own advice. So grab yourself a cup of tea, call a friend and do what Jesus did. Rest.

Visit Exciting Lard Bay

It was a long day at MoBay!
The Spanish word manteca refers to the first Spanish commerce in what is now known as Montego Bay. Manteca or lard was extracted from wild pigs and prepared for export at the now popular tourist attraction. Early maps clearly identify the port as Lard Bay. Although Montego Bay or “MoBay” as it is known here, became a major shipping center for sugar and bananas, the name stuck.
–the Jamaica Handbook