isaiah 6:8

JAMAICA 'MON!

2010-12-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

This Christmas break we will be heading to Jamaica with a team of 95! On December 27th we will all meet at the Denver Airport, fly to Ft. Lauderdale...enjoy a 12 hour layover, and then the morning of December 28th fly into Montego Bay. Then we will all board a few buses, drive an hour up the mountains and arrive in Catadupa, where we will call home for the next 12 days. If Internet access is available, we will be updating the blog as often as we can to keep you updated on all that is happening!

Prayers would greatly be appreciated for safety as we travel in a very LARGE group, health of the students will down in Jamaica, and that we may all experience the love of Jesus Christ, and be able to show that love to the people we will be working with.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

The Jamaican Team

Belize it or not!

2010-07-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

We are taking a team of 10 to Belize from July 14th to July 25th! The team will be working in the Valley of Peace, an El Salvadorian refugee community. We will be doing various construction projects, children's ministry and building relationships with the people of Belize. We are so looking forward to our time there!

Please pray for our travel safety, team unity, our health and for God to open our eyes and hearts for the country of Belize.

We are back in the States...

2010-03-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

We arrived safely back into the States last night around 11pm. Despite a few sleepy eyes, we are very thankful and in high spirits about our work in Jamaica.

Sorry we where no able to access a computer while in Friendship Jamaica more frequently...we continued to build the church the entire week and our work paid off. We leveled the entire ground around the church, finished the walls, and broke down a large mountain so the church can build their building.

The community of Friendship was so grateful for the work done...however, it is so much better to give the gift of relationship, love and time than to recieve praise for our work. We left truly changed.

We are so thankful to you, the people of Jamaica, and our team for such a successful, wonderful trip...if you would like to donate to the efforts in Jamaica please email Pastor James vinandgwen@hotmail.com. They still need a lot of help down there to finish the work we started.

Signing off for now but follow us on our website for future was to be apart of the Annex! (theannexboulder.org)

Thanks!
Be Blessed,
Jamaica Team 2010

We are in Jamaica Mon'

2010-03-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello, Greetings from Jamaica!!

We arrived safely to the great land of Jamaica!! Although we have not been here very long, we are so thankful for the wonderful hospitality, the warm weather and the great food.

We are staying in Claremont, Jamaica in a placed called the Gilmore Great House. Pastor James and his wife Gwen are amazing people with such giving hearts.

Today, we went to church and heard Pastor James speak, listened to their unreal gospel music and enjoyed getting to know the members of Friendship Church. God is so good and very much alive in Jamaica! Tomorrow we start construction on the church and are assisting in the local public school just down the street.

Rest assured, everyone is very safe and healthy. We are well fed, have a roof over our heads and are in high spirits!

We will do our best to update the Blog as the week progresses, but just in case we are unable to get to a computer again, no news is good news.

Take care and please keep your prayers coming...
As Pastor James says, "be blessed mon'"

Blessings from the beautiful shores of Jamaica,
The Jamaica Team 2010

We're in Charlotte, NC

2010-03-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

The Annex is Going to Jamaica!

2010-03-17T13:57:00.001-07:00

Hello Hello!

Greetings from Boulder Colorado! This Spring Break, the Annex crew is headed down to Montego Bay Jamaica to work in a community called Friendship. Friendship Jamaica is in need of us to rebuild their church that is has been under construction for serveral years now. The Annex is headed down THIS Saturday March 20th and will be returning March 28th.

Please pray for safety, team unity and to further the great Name of our God to the people of Jamaica. We really can't wait!

We will do our best to keep you updated when we are down there, however, we have limited internet access.

Team Jamaica

Last few days of the trip!

2010-01-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

We have all had an amazing time this week, working hard and building relationships here in Costa Rica. Each day has been packed and we are all exhausted but loving every second of it! It's hard to believe we've been here for a week, because it feels like so much longer. Tomorrow is our last day of work and it will be hard to say goodbye to some of the people we have met here. Saturday we have a fun day going to Jaco beach and then leave Sunday morning.

Please pray for the team as the trip comes to an end and we all prepare to head back to the US. We'll see you soon!

Pura Vida en Costa Rica!

2010-01-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

We are officially LOVING our time in this beautiful country! It is only the end of day 4 and we all feel like we've been here for a month. The team has dived in to serving the community as well as getting to know each other. Today was our first day of work and the team split up between working at a church in Barva, doing Vacation Bible School and installing a new drop ceiling, and also starting to lay a new cement slab for a soccer area in a neighborhood called La Cuenca, as well as do a vacation Bible school there.

Yesterday we had the amazing opportunity to worship in both of the communities at churches then we were welcomed into several families homes for the afternoon. Everyone got to experience an overwhelming amount of hospitality and the stories have all been great. Last night in La Cuenca we helped run a concert of a very popular Costa Rican reggaetone artist, Tapon. It was so crazy to see so many fans pour into the small area with all of us gringos mixed in. We sang, we danced, we lifted children onto our shoulders so they could see. All around it was an absolutely awesome day. The Lord truly protected and provided for our team from start to finish.

We can't wait to share more stories with you!

Costa Rica team arrived!

2009-12-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

Hi!

We have officially made it in and are getting settled into our home in Costa Rica for the next 10 days! We made it in around 8 and the weather is beautiful! We are about to head out to an overlook over the city to watch fireworks and bring in 2010!

I'll be able to update the blog throughout the week so check back to hear how we're doing!

Keep the team in your prayers as we are about to dive into a week packed with amazing service projects, worship, fellowship and a lot more!

Talk to you soon!

Christmas break 2009-2010!

2009-10-21T16:46:00.001-07:00

Well it's that time again. We are gearing up for 3 mission trips this break! Yep, THREE.
We are sending a team to San Francisco from January 3rd - January 9th, a team to Cuba from December 27th - January 8th, and another team to Costa Rica from December 31st - January 10th. The San Fran team will be staying in a rescue mission alongside homeless men and women. The Cuba team will be returning to work with Cuban Connection Ministries and the Costa Rica team will be working Pura Vida Missions. Both teams will have various opportunities to minister to local people through construction, children's ministries, manual labor and just living as part of the community.
Please keep all students and leaders in your prayers as we prepare for these trips as well as for funds to come in!
Check back to stay connected with each team.

we're halfway done...BELIZE it or not! :)

2009-03-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

We are still loving our time here in beautiful Belize! It has been such a whirlwind of fun, work and soaking in the culture. The past few days we have packed in tons of work at various different sites and have been meeting tons of wonderful people.

Our group has been working at a local school for the handicapped, working with a dental group teaching in a school about correct dental hygiene, doing construction for a school, and also building a house for Kenny, the construction manager here in Belize for Word at Work. Each day has been full of long hot projects and making many connections.

We start each day with a breezy quiet time right on our front porch or on the sea wall across the street watching the sunrise over the ocean. Then split into different work crews and pack as much work as we can at all of our different locations. No matter where we are working, it is inevitable we are joined by random Belizian children, dogs and new friends. It is so great!

We have had the wonderful treat of having a few local women cook lunch for us the past 2 days. It is a good break in the day and we get to enjoy delicious homemade food! It is a nice way to break up our PB& J sandwiches :)

Overall, the team is doing great and everyone is loving every second of the trip. We are all having a blast and trying to make the most out of every second!

Please continue to pray for the team's health and safety, team unity and for the people of Belize. God is so good and we are all seeing him and the body of Christ in a much new and real way!

Thanks for checking in and we'll try to update again before we leave!

Greetings From Belize! March 22nd, 2009

2009-03-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings From Beautiful Belize!

With a few hiccups we are in Belize City safe and sound!

We arrived on a Friday afternoon and came to Tim Tam's (the missionary) house called "The Manse." The Manse is located in the heart of Old Belize City and our front door overlooks the ocean. So far, we have been following the mantra "work hard and play hard." On Saturday we spilt up into two construction teams and one group went to level a gravel driveway and knock down an old water tower while the second group laid a concrete wall for a school in a poverty stricken area.

Today, Sunday, we had a day off. We went to Banana Bank (a ranch) where we had the choice of staying near a pool to relax or horse back ride. The majority of us took up the horse back riding and trotting, galloped and laughed our way through the landscape of tropical jungles! We all tagged the day as "epic" and are quite tired from a day of sun and play.

So you all know, we are all very safe and well taken care of. We are enjoying ourselves and truly are praising God for His faithfulness throughout our lives and this trip.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Please pray for safety, growth in the Lord for EACH person, and for the people of Belize.

We will write soon!

Much care,

The Belize Team

The LA Team has arrived!

2009-03-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

I just talked to Mel and here are some of the updates of the trip so far!

They arrived in Mesquite, NV and all crammed into a couple of hotel rooms, and the trip has officially begun! Both vans made it safely out to LA with no problems. Tonight the team will be getting a tour of LA. Then tomorrow they will be working with Project Angel Food which is preparing meals for people who have HIV and AIDS. They will also be working with CEntral City Community Church tomorrow as well in their after school program.

Prayer Requests for the team so far: Pray for continued safety for all members of the team as they go out and serve. Also for good rest so that each day they can dive into serving the community. Lastly, pray that unity begins among the team now!

Mel sounded excited and happy to finally have made it. She joked about when they arrived in Mesquite they had a choice between Arby's and Burger King and then they all enjoyed a Burger King breakfast the next morning! Mel will be calling me with updates almost daily...so keep checking back to see how the team is doing and how you can keep them in your prayers!

Jamie

Spring Break Missions

2009-02-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

This Spring Break the Annex is taking two trips! 15 students and 2 leaders will be road-tripping to Los Angeles to do inner city work and 25 students and 4 leaders will fly down to Belize to do construction for schools and children's homes! We are all so excited about these trips and what the Lord is doing with the team members. Please be in prayer for both teams as we prepare to leave. The dates for both trips are March 20-29. Check back for more details for both trips!

The Cuban Team is back on American soil!

2009-01-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Jamie just called to confirm that they've landed safely in Miami and are headed into customs! What a whirlwind the past few days have been--the team is definitely tired, but happy to be almost home!

She apologized for the lack of updates over the past few days--they weren't in an area with either internet of phone service as they worked. Most of the team's cell phones should be working now though, so feel free to check in!

As I said, they are headed into customs right now, then have a 6-hour layover in Miami before heading to Atlanta. Their final flight tonight takes off from Atlanta at 10:05 pm (EST) and lands in Denver at 11:29 pm (MST). They're flying on AirTran Airways flight # FL 309. See you around midnight tonight if you're going to pick up students!

Leaving Greystones...heading to Belfast

2009-01-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

Well we are officially sad to leave Greystones this morning. It has been a wonderful time of working, hanging out and having fun here at the YWCA aka "the Shire" as Jimmy referred to it. The people here have fully welcomed us and it will not be fun to say our goodbyes today.

Our group is heading north to Belfast on a charter bus ride. We have the HUGE privilege of getting a private tour of Stormont, (Parliament), by Deputy Prime Minister Danny Kennedy this afternoon. I was told this is equivalent of getting a tour of the White House by our Head of Senate. We are very honored and excited! We will be having dinner there this evening also after an extensive tour of the city and learning more about the history of Northern Ireland.

Tomorrow we will be working with Habitat for Humanity in Belfast all day. We'll learn more about their reconciliation project.

I am not sure of what Internet access will look like our last few days, so if this is our last post, we'll see you back in Colorado on Thursday night!

This trip has been beyond wonderful and our team has gotten closer than I had ever expected. God is so good and I can't wait to share all the stories and pictures with y'all!

Still loving life in Cuba...

2009-01-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Jamie has phoned in another report from a happy, healthy, excited team!

Friday, January 2 was spent on the farm where most of their work has been so far. So far, they've dug trenches, worked in the fields, made ladders, and dug out a septic tank--only 1 foot left to go until the tank is finished! They expected to be done by the end of today.

The team spent Friday evening at the Presbyterian center with a youth group--they got to hang out, get to know some students, and lead an awesome worship time on the roof of the building. Truly an unforgettable time with the younger members of the Cuban community in which they're working!

Saturday was spent primarily in a center for the handicapped--the team got to spend time hearing about the lives of the people there and encouraging them in their situations. Jamie reports that the one-on-one time they spent was packed with meaning for the team.

She began to tell me about their Sunday morning at church, but her call cut off...I suppose that's to be expected when phoning in reports between countries! Overall, each check-in has been overwhelmingly positive and upbeat--it sounds like everything continues to go smoothly for our Cuban team!

Thanks for checking in! Remember to keep both our students and the people they are working with in your prayers!

Trip to Bray, and church in Greystones

2009-01-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
We just got back from church a few hours ago and have spent the afternoon "sabbathing" for lack of a better term. Just wanted to give you an update of the first few days of 2009. On Friday, half of us took the bus to Bray, a small town about 5 miles north of Greystones. The other half of us went up to the church where they had been working previously and finished up the projects that needed work there. (Assembling re-painted benches, painting the front gate, cleaning, etc.) In Bray, we volunteered at a youth drop-in center located in an old abandoned warehouse. The center is called the Factory, and it is run by two young individuals, Rob and Lisa. We spent most of the day painting and trying to get the center ready for kids to start coming in, and instantly fell in love with Rob and Lisa. They were so appreciative and welcoming, that we decided to take the whole group back to Bray on Saturday, work, and then have a pizza and a movie party that night. Rob and Lisa had morning plans, so we decided to take the hour and a half walk to Bray along the coast and around Bray Head to the Factory. It was a beautiful hike that allowed us to see some of the most beautiful sites Ireland has to offer.
We spent the afternoon painting, painting, and then painting some more. Once we were finished, we set up a bunch of couches around a large piece of drywall to project the movie upon. We watched "Once," a movie based on an Irish singer, and enjoyed pizza as well. After the movie, we somehow started a spontaneous dance party.
Once we settled down, we shared a few of our stories at the Factory with the volunteers there, and then spent some time praying over the future of that unique ministry. After waiting nearly an hour for our bus, we finally made it home.

This morning we attended church at Hillside Evangelical Church, where half our group has been working part of the week. It was a great service and we thoroughly enjoyed the lunch some of the church moms prepared for us (soup and sandwiches, with of course, tea and coffee). Since then we have been relaxing and catching up on our napping. We can already sense the bittersweetness in leaving Greystones in two days, as we have made some dear friends with the locals here.

I hope all is well back in Colorado, and also with the Cuba team.
Stephen

Happy Cuban New Year!

2009-01-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

We have a new phone-update from our Cuban team!

They are LOVING their time in Cuba--nothing but beaming reports to give. They celebrated the New Year at the farm on which they're working with a traditional pig roast and bonfire. During the course of the night they set aside time for intentional team-building time, the highlight of this being an opportunity to write mistakes of the year on a piece of paper and throw them into the fire. Watching the past burn and be forgiven and forgotten by the Father was an incredible chance to enter 2009 on their knees--starting each new day with a clean slate and a new opportunity to step deeper and more fully into relationship with our Lord.

On New Year's Day the team broke into two groups to attend different church services. Jamie raved about how wonderful it was to experience the local worship alongside their Cuban brothers and sisters! Three team members were given an opportunity to speak, and the whole team felt more connected to this Cuban community after coming before the Lord together in worship.

Overall, they have been working hard on the farm, taking some time to relax on the beach, and deepening relationships with each other, their Cuban contacts, and the Lord. Jamie asked me to emphasize that they feel so blessed to be serving in their current situation--the whole process of getting into Cuba was so worth it to be there working now. The first half of the trip has far exceeded the team's expectations, and they are thankful to have another week to work, serve, and worship together!

Please continue in prayer for the families and communities that they are working with and for team safety and unity. The lasting impressions of their work come directly from the Lord's hand, so let's join in supporting them in prayer that they would remain in the center of His blessing during this trip and as a team throughout the New Year!

happy 2009...cheers!

2009-01-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

We had a very festive New Years Eve here at the YWCA last night! Some of the guys built a pretty impressive bonfire. Well I just stole the computer from Mohead(this is jimmy now) and want to talk to you about our awesome bonfire. We burned the Christmas tree from the YWCA, which I don't like calling it that because men on this trip too. I am going to refer to the place that we are stay as the "shire" because that sounds better. So we burned a tree, a couch and other household objects. All in all it was a great night. Today we toured Dublin and had a blast! We rode a tour bus through Dublin that showed us the majority of the major attractions in the city. The team is meshing amazingly well together and we couldn't ask for a better one. Tomorrow we head back to work. One group will be at Hillside Evangelical helping do work on the church, and the other group with go into Bre' to work with local students.

peace

jimmy

Hola from Cuba

2008-12-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

We had the chance to get internet access and have much to fill you all in on!

Yesterday the team had the opportunity to visit the farm we will be working on in the next week. It was a great chance for all the students to see the people we will be working with, as well as the great need of work that has to be done. After this we drove back to Jovellanos where Willie lives. We all received a tour of the town by horse and buggy and even got to see the local zoo.

After this time we went to a house that has been refinished for a family whose son is handicapped, and we will later get the privilege of working with during our handicapped ministry time. The students then all returned to the church while three of the students got to stay at Willie´s house and experience the Cuban culture. All the students throughout the trip will get the chance to spend time with Willie´s family, go around town meeting neighbors, and experience a typical night for a Cuban family.

Today began bright and early as all the students woke up at 6 am, and had quiet times on the beach which is located only about a block away from the church we are staying at. It was great to see everyone lined up across the shore spending time with the Lord before the day began. After this we returned to the church for a great breakfast, which we have been blessed and spoiled with amazing meals every single day. We then all loaded up into vans and headed to the farm. Until about 3 pm today the students worked and worked with all that was needed on the farm. Many dug holes that septic tanks will later be put in, a pathway for cables that stretches over 100 feet, sanding the posts in the new community building they are trying to finish before New Years, and helping with an agricultural field.

So far we have been amazed at the experiences we have been a part of and excited for what is to come the next week. Specific prayer requests would be strength each day as our schedules are packed with either working on the farm, helping with the handicapped ministry later this week, and just the many experiences we get to be a part of each day. By the end of the day we have many tired students, so please pray that our sleep is multiplied. Also, keep in your prayers the ministry that we get to serve with. Willie asked for specific requests such as unity between denominations, humility, and continued relationships that will be built and last with all who work with CCM.

So as we wrap this up, we want to thank you all for your continued prayers. God is good, and He is blessing us like crazy down here in Cuba. The people we have met have been incredibly hospitable, and the way they are loving on us is inspiring. We will update you all when we get the opportunity.

Hasta luego!!

We are LOVING Ireland!

2008-12-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

We've just finished our 2nd day of work here in Greystones. Half of us have been "decorating" a side house here at the YWCA. They call painting, refurbishing, etc. decorating here. We thought we'd be picking out curtains and such but have completely re-painted and cleaned out four bedrooms. The other half has been doing various projects at a local church. They've been breaking down old benches (102 years old), re-painting them, cleaning windows, weeding and scraping old fences.

The house manager and his family, another couple that lives at the Y, and a local Irish family have done a wonderful job of welcoming us and making us feel at home. They've shown us around the small town which is right on the coast (literally a 2 minute walk from our house.) It is so beautiful and the people are friendly. It is a bit cold but not as bad as the Colorado weather that we're used to!

We're planning on going into Dublin tomorrow and then having our New Years Eve here in Greystones!

We'll update you again soon!

Cheers!

Cuba Team is safely in Cuba!

2008-12-28T09:34:00.001-08:00

They all made it across the border!

As they do not have internet access during their trip, Jamie will be occasionally calling in updates to us back home to pass along to all of you. She's not sure as of yet how often cell phone service will be available, but we'll do our best to keep you up to date on how their Cuban work is going!

This morning's fresh news:

* The team is officially in Cuba safe and sound--no visa issues reported!

* They are with Willie, their contact and leader during the trip, and it sounds like he's awesome.

* They've enjoyed their first Cuban Coca-Cola--a very exciting time for all

* The whole group is on their way to Varadero

Jamie sounds very upbeat and quick to report that they're safe and happy--it seems that everything has gone smoothly and easily with travels so far!

We will keep you updated every time they can make cell contact--she seemed confident that they'd be able to check in at least every couple of days. Please keep them in your prayers--we'll have more specific prayer requests on the next update! For now, pray for continued travel safety as they get to their final destination, team unity, and a smooth start to their work days as the week kicks off.

Thanks for checking in!

Ireland Team officially in Ireland!

2008-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

We have arrived! Our red-eye flight from Atlanta went smoothly, and we arrived in Dublin this morning. We then took a charter bus to the place where we're staying for the next week and a half. It is a cool multi-bedroom house that reminds us of a fraternity or sorority house, and should be a great place for our team to stay. One of the local Greystones residents, Matthew, gave us a tour around the city and we saw the beautiful beach that's only a 5 minute walk from our place. We have the rest of the day to settle in, tour the city, and get acclimated to the time change. Hope all is well back home, and it looks like we will be able to update this blog pretty frequently, so we'll talk to you soon.

Leaving Tomorrow!!

2008-12-26T18:26:00.001-08:00

Well the time has finally come for both teams to leave tomorrow! Please keep both groups in your prayers as they travel over the next couple of days. The Ireland trip will be traveling to Atlanta and from there the long flight to Ireland! Then the Cuba team will be heading from Denver to Miami, and then on to Cuba on Sunday. Keep checking back in as both trips will try to update as much as possible to let you all know how they are doing and the great adventures they are experiencing! Thank you all for your support both financially and in prayer for all the students going!

Christmas Mission Trips

2008-12-05T21:58:00.001-08:00

This Christmas break we are taking two separate trips of about 30 students each to Cuba and Ireland. Both trips are leaving December 27 and returning January 8. It will be a great adventure and hopefully we'll be able to keep you updated through this blog during our trips! Please join us in praying for these teams as we prepare for our time abroad.