Hey everybody. As most of you know,
I will be spending the summer traveling around to the four sites that I’m
supervising to check up on my staff and make sure that everything is going
well. Each time I hit a new site, I thought I would write a blog to
introduce you to our staff team and tell you how you can be praying for them. Here’s part 2, detailing our Puerto Rico 1
site: Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo is a beautiful city on the north
coast of Puerto Rico, home to just under 100,000 people. There is an abundance of low-income
neighborhoods (called barrios) where broken homes and relationships are
rampant. Our Puerto Rico team is meeting
the needs of love and acceptance in Arecibo head on this summer, and after
spending just a few days with them, I have come to realize that there isn’t a
better team for the job.
Don Hamilton, Project Leader
Don absolutely exudes wisdom. He is a deep thinker and is full of compassion
for the needs of those around him. He
also comes alive when leading teenagers and I saw him light up last week as he
facilitated a life-changing week for 40 teenagers. Don is a fighter – when he sees difficulty,
he doesn’t run, but rather seeks how best to meet the challenge with a godly,
wise solution. Don’s leadership
abilities are tangible and I’m so excited so see them blossom even more
throughout the summer.
Kaylani Gray – Adventure Camp Leader (on the right)
Kaylani is passionate and full of
conviction. It is no accident that the
Lord placed her in Puerto Rico this summer.
Seeing her work with teens and children is truly inspiring. Kaylani is a person of character and I saw
that shine through several times last week when she made choices to do the
right thing instead of the easy thing.
She brings such a unique presence to the team and her smile absolutely
brightens the mood regardless of the circumstance.
Everett Kight – Head Coach
Discipline and orderliness rarely are character elements that exist simultaneously with simple, downright fun. Everett, however, has all of these
qualities. He is hilarious and a joy to
be around. His experiences have made him
adaptable to succeed in just about any environment and that is evident as he
works on site. But don’t let his
organization and professionalism fool you; he is the life of the party. His heart for worship is also huge, and is
growing every day.
Ashleigh Corley (on the right)
With a huge heart for the local community,
her team, participants, and local contacts, it’s hard not to feel loved and
respected around Ashleigh. Her Spanish
(along with Kaylani’s) has helped her gain an influence already in the
community that is stunning. Seeing her
and Kaylani interact with locals, you would think they had lived in Puerto Rico
their entire lives. Ashleigh has such a
wide array of gifts and talents, but none of them is as valuable as who she
actually is beneath them – a wonderful, redeemed daughter of the Lord.
This is the team of world-changers working
in Arecibo, Puerto Rico this summer. I
miss the heck out of them already and am so proud to be able to walk this
journey with them.
Please pray for energy for the team, for
life change for participants, and for the local community to experience a
revival for Jesus Christ this summer.
Also, pray for our local contacts: the Presbyterian
Church with whom we’re partnering, Pastor Peter, and Rob and Holly
Dressell. Thanks guys!
