Download The 2007 Brooklawn United Methodist Church Mission Team
Power Point Presentation (Be patient, it's big!)
Brooklawn Methodist Church Mission Work Teams
History of Mission Trips:
Mission Teams from Brooklawn Methodist Church have been going out to serve the Lord and work with our missionaries for over thirty years. Summer of 2007 saw our seventh church sponsored Missions work team! Here’s a little history of our mission work.
The first three teams went to Brazil to work with Joe & Tamara Hill when they were serving there: in the 1980's (Pastor Jack Howard, Wayne Hill, Ed Keith and Paul Mauro) in the Jungle with the Wai Wai tribe; at the Bible School at Serra Grande (Pastor Howard and George Kuhn), and in 1991 in Boa Vista constructing an apartment for the Hills so they could continue their translation work (this time with Pastor Dan Amey, Wayne Hill, Bob Stephens and Ted Krueger).
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| (1991 Team at Boa Vista) |
1998 saw the largest team (Pastor Amey and 12 others) travel to Flagstaff, Arizona where Joe & Tamara Hill had relocated due to health problems. Work was done renovating a cabin at the El Nathan Campground which serves mostly Navajo people. To appreciate the work done, look at the “before” picture! Doesn’t look like the same place!
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| The team members were: Paul Lehto, Jr., Paul Lehto, Sr., Dan Amey, Bob Stephens, Wayne P. Hill, Wayne C. Hill, Millie Robinson, Leslie Schoch, Rachel Hill, Joe Motson, Kathy Pennington, Jimmy Pennington, and Laurie Christopher. |
The 2000 Mission Team took another turn back to Brazil, this time working with Greg & Christine Miller and their work at Abaetetuba Bible Center. The team of ten laid a long sidewalk to provide a dry place to walk during the rainy season, renovated a room, ministered at a local parochial school by showing the "JESUS" film, and visited one of the river churches the Millers ministered to. Team members were: Donna Wilson, Rachel Hill, Ted Krueger, Bob Stephens, Wayne C. Hill, Glenn Grant, Kristi Watermasysk, Matt Grant, Wayne P. Hill, and Pastor Dan Amey.
Our 2003 Brooklawn Missions Team headed back to Brazil, to Cuiaba—the fifth different place our church has visited in Brazil. The Millers were ministering in the central part of Brazil in what Greg described as cattle raising area. The church they ministered with, The Bible Church of Pedra 90, is in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Cuiaba which is not far from the Pantanel region of southwestern Brazil. The work project entailed painting and some more cement work– laying a cement floor for an outside fellowship area where the church planned to hold classes as well as fellowship meals. The ministry part of their work assisted in a Vacation Bible School– the first one this church had ever held! The team to Cuiaba was blessed beyond measure as they were able to personally interact with Christians from another culture, but nevertheless, brothers and sisters in Christ. Their presence at that time was instrumental in encouraging and stimulating the Pedra 90 church to new outreach and major steps in their development. Team members were: Luann Peck, Geoff Langley, Karin Langley, Alyssa Amey, Rich Ryan, Kristi Watermasysk, Glenn Grant, Matt Grant, Wayne P. Hill, and Pastor Dan Amey.
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The Results: Pastor Moises Ripardo was a lay pastor, working at one of the large hotels in Cuiaba while pastoring. Since that time, he has been hired full-time by the church and has been ordained. The church was able– with our church’s assistance– to purchase an adjacent lot which greatly increased their vision and ministry as part of their Christian Educational/Neighborhood ministry. The church’s dirt yard was paved to increase its use– now able to hold many outdoor activities and services. With regular community outreach through Evangelism Explosion, the church has grown in new Christians. The building itself was recently remodeled expanding its capacity and a baptistry was installed, a major accomplishment and an indication of the new Christians now part of the church. In June 2005, the church was officially incorporated by the government under the name “Berean Baptist Church of Pedra 90.” The future is bright for this sister church with whom we have partnered in reaching this area of Cuiaba with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
2007 Brooklawn Summer Missions Team Report
by Dan Amey
Well, there is no question that it was not what was first planned. The Mission Team was to go to Brazil, South America from July 25 – Aug. 8 with Greg & Chris Miller in Campo Verde. Shortly before final plans were made in May, however, Greg suffered a heart attack and had angioplasty with several stents put in. After much prayer, it was felt that we should not go to Brazil, since it would place an undue amount of stress on Greg shortly after this episode. While this was a great disappointment, it turned into God’s appointment as the door opened for us to work with Joe & Tamara Hill in Arizona. The El Nathan Native American Camp in Flagstaff had a special project they had never been able to do (the renovation of an outside Kitchen facility used by the Navajo), and the Lord dropped it right in our lap!
Our Team went to Flagstaff from Aug. 3-13 and had an incredible experience of ministry and work. Amazingly, we even drove past “Camp Verde” – in Arizona not Brazil—on our way from Phoenix to Flagstaff! God has a sense of humor! The team members were: Pastor Dan Amey, Alyssa Amey and Luann Peck (veterans of the 2003 team), Wayne Hill, Jan Hill, Leah Hill, Ann Civalier, Becky Madjeski, Anthony Brown, and Josh Trovato. This multi-generational team was used by God to touch the lives of Native Americans- both Pueblo people (via a Prayerwalk) and Navajo people (through the project at the camp which will benefit all who use it for many years to come).
The team spent some wonderful time with Joe & Tamara Hill, our missionaries with AmeriTribes, and got to know Randy & Roberta Salcido, the directors at El Nathan. Not only was the project completed totally, but several other buildings were painted… a job very well done to the glory of God! And God touched our hearts in many unfathomable ways, knit us together as a team, and let us leave a legacy of faithfulness and service which honored the Lord and our church family. I was very proud of the team and their hard work, their dedication and their spirit. God used us to make a difference, and we praise God for that privilege. Not what we originally planned, but we believe it was God’s plan for this summer. Thank you for your support as we ministered in your name!
Report on Our 2011 Ireland Mission Team
by Gail Eisenlohr, Mission Committee Chairperson
It was an exciting time as it always is when we send a mission team on a trip. It seemed like a dream trip – an opportunity for Christian mission work …to Ireland!! But this trip would be a different experience for our team. Traveling to Europe was a different experience than going to South America.
The first big hurdle was the increased expense that traveling to Europe required. The amount of money that needed to be raised was double what we had anticipated. Legal requirements for ministering in Ireland were much more stringent than what we had experienced on previous trips. This would also be a ministry in a city setting not in the jungle. There was no mission station that could provide housing and a place for the team to get meals the way we had experienced in other trips. The team needed to find housing close enough to the work that they would be doing and yet at an affordable rate. The team also needed to plan lessons and gather the supplies needed to more or less run a Vacation Bible School and take that all with them!! Travel restrictions and cost for excessive suitcase weight were also factors to be considered. The team worked very hard and had two major fund raisers – The Friendly’s Night and the Chick-Fil-A night, in addition to a car wash, spaghetti dinner and letters to family and friends seeking their prayer and financial support. You as a congregation responded spectacularly – ultimately helping the team to raise nearly $11,000 through the Brooklawn Team funds in our regular mission budget as well as the special gifts you gave to the team directly. But the reward of serving and seeing the children was certainly worth it all. We look forward to hearing much more about the trip in the coming month as the Mission Team will be one of the main programs for our 2012 Mission Month.
The Mission Committee on behalf of the entire congregation would like to express our great thanks and deep appreciation to each member of the Mission Team – (front row) Paul Lehto, Pastor Dan Amey, LuAnn Peck, Tracy Keith, Joe Motson, (back row starting with 2nd in) Nancy Motson, Rachel Hill, Jenai Dobbins, Linda Keith, and Rich Ryan. Also in the picture on the back row left is Jeff Ash, who joined us from a church in Pennsylvania, and became a part of our church family, since in October of 2013 he married Tracy Keith! and on the right, Caoimhe Twist, our team's helper & guide, who came to Christ a few months later through the influence of our team.
The team sacrificed not only financially but also gave up vacation time, were separated from their families, had to find others to fulfill their jobs and cares at home, and spent a LOT of time in planning meetings, shopping, and organizing themselves for the trip. We thank them and the Lord for their safe travel, the way He blended them into a working TEAM that served the city of Dublin – especially the children. Many of us selected the names of the children that appeared on the Shamrocks around the sanctuary and now we see faces (pictures) of those children and are hearing stories of the experiences that the team had as they shared Jesus and His love with them and their families. We are also grateful to Scott and Rebekah Becker and their children who planned and coached and shepherded our team through this mission experience. We know from Scott and Rebekah what a great blessing the team was to them and the Crossroads Church there in Dublin. They represented you and our church well as they learned much more about Mission work in the inner city. Thank you also to everyone who prayed, encouraged, gave financially and in any way made it possible for the team to have a blessed ministry this summer. You as a congregation can share in the rejoicing and the celebrating because of all you have done to make the trip possible. The Mission Committee is thankful for the experiences that you as a team had!
Brooklawn Methodist's Mission Chairperson goes home to heaven
It is with great sadness for us but joy for her, that we share with you the heavenly homegoing of our beloved friend, Gail Eisenlohr on Monday April 15, 2013. Gail struggled with a recurring infection since September 2012-- over 8 months-- which took its final physical toll. She passed into the presence of Jesus peacefully just before Noon on April 15.
Please continue to be in prayer for our church family and our missionary family around the world. While no one is indispensable, Gail has undoubtedly left a hole in our church which in reality will NEVER be filled. Pray for us as we adjust and as many people step forward to share their gifts in new areas of service for our Lord.
The celebration of Gail's life was held at Brooklawn Methodist Church with a visitation time Sunday evening, April 21 from 6:00-9:00pm. A time for visitation continued Monday morning, April 22 from 9:00-10:30am, followed by a service of the Celebration of our Christian Hope at 10:30am. .
