Faa in the U.S.

I have been watching as God works through and in Faa during these last few weeks since she got here in the U.S. What a delight it has been to see how she connects with people through her humble story of obscure beginnings and great destinies.

Faa is in the U.S. raising prayer and financial support for G.R.O.W. She has traveled to Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and is now in Texas. Tomorrow she goes to California and returns to Ohio again on September 21. I would like to ask you to continue to pray for a successful mission for her.

Here are the priority projects Faa is working on:

1. To raise 100 prayer supporters for our ministries;

2. To raise 170 monthly supporters (who will give $35.00 per month). Click here to donate;

3. To raise $15,000.00 to buy a truck for transportation for the G.R.O.W. children;

4. To move to a better location and more spacious location before the end of this year.

Thank you for your prayers and if you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
GROW President
itrindade@grow-worldwide.com

The G.R.O.W. Home

Hello everyone!

I am back to blogging here after my trip to Asia. As some of you know, Faa was able to be with us during the time we were in Cambodia. It was her first time there and I believe she benefited a lot from observing the work of rescuing children in that part of the world.

Faa flew with our team from Phnom Penh to Chiang Mai. She had warned me about a surprise. When we arrived, we were greeted by her sister Ning, her niece Beam and the two newest girls who arrived at the home only on January 15. They gave us a flower necklace, which we immediately wrapped around our necks and savored the wonderful smell which was a harbinger of good things to come.

That night we had dinner at the G.R.O.W. home and then worshipped with the children. Ning had prepared a delicious meal and we ate it heartily. The worship time was so beautiful, with all of us sitting low on the floor, Faa playing her guitar and leading the singing, the children reciting Bible verses and a time of prayer of thanksgiving following. We had a little piece of heaven right there.

During the sharing time Faa's sister shared her prayer to God from a few years back. She actually read from the piece of paper where she had offered herself to God and promised Him that if He chose to use her she would dedicate her life to rescue at risk children. She spoke very specifically of her dream, including the physical characteristics of the place where the children would live. Her dream includes much space for the children to play, homes for boys and girls, a learning center and a place to worship together.

As Faa was translating, she wept and for a moment couldn't continue because she never knew of her sister's prayer and was hearing about it for the first time. What touched her heart deeply was her sister's humble assertion to God that she was nothing, only a hill tribe girl with nothing to offer. Having lived daily the pain of being rejected for being Akha, Faa knew exactly what her sister was talking about. She could relate to the daring aspect of that sincere prayer. We were all moved beyond words. As I looked at Faa, I also realized that she was weeping because her dream was an exact copy of Ning's dream. It could only have come from God!

The G.R.O.W. home is a three story building located in a alley sided by other similar apartments. Admittedly, it is still a far cry from Ning's and Faa's dream. But it is a very significant step in the right direction. A few months ago they were only using a small space in this building because other tenants were also sharing the rooms. Now they have the use of the whole apartment. They also have added some "amenities" which they could only dream of until recently, like a refrigerator, water heaters for the showers, chairs, beds and a kitchen table, among others.

The children have no room to play outside. I saw the little boy pedaling his bike from the kitchen to the small eating area and back and it made me somewhat sad. It is a good thing that they are taken to a park nearby every couple of weeks but the children most definitely need more space to play. They end up running around the house, mostly chasing Faa or being chased by her, laughing her hearts out, screaming, occasionally bumping into each other and having little episodes. But overall they are doing very well.

Faa runs the home with a keen sense of organization, being careful to keep schedules, including what is being served for the different meals -- which the children hold her to religiously. She has them rotating between different meaningful activities after they come back from school and the children react very well to the structure. The two little girls are only learning now but Faa utilizes the two older kids to teach the new ones how things ought to be. It is a beautiful thing to watch.

I want to thank all of you who have contributed to allow us to plant this little seed which is already bearing much fruit. Without your help we couldn't have done it.

"With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

G.R.O.W. President

ivanildoctrindade@gmail.com

P.S. I will be posting more about our experience with G.R.O.W. in Thailand here. Stay tuned.

Blogging in Asia

While we are in Asia, we will be bloggin here. Please bookmark this page if you want to follow us in Asia. And pray for us and our ministry to at risk children in Cambodia and Thailand.

Thank you!

Pastor Ivanildo Trindade
ivanildoctrindade@gmail.com

Off We Are!

Hello everyone,

Today begins a long journey for our team. We welcome you to check on what's happening with our Asia team here. We will blog as often as possible and as long as the spotty Internet connections in those parts will allow us to. We will be with Faa in Cambodia and part of the time when we are in Chiang Mai, including spending one night in the G.R.O.W. home with the kids!

We are excited to represent our church in this trip, especially because we will have the opportunity to hug the children that we have rescued in both Thailand and Cambodia. We realize that even though this is a tough trip that requires gobs of time and commitment on our part, it is also a TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE to be able to do it.

Thank you for praying for our whole team. I am fighting a sinus infection right now. Uhgghhhh.... Saw my wonderful doctor yesterday (Dr. Fast) who gave me some antibiotics. Hesitantly, I started the regimen last night. I am praying that the meds will work or that God will cure me without the meds. Thanks for joining us in your prayers.

I am trying to finish last minute stuff before we left, but wanted to do this quick post to share our schedule with you. Please bear in mind that all times listed are local times in the city listed. Cambodia and Thailand are 12 hours ahead of us right now. We should be arriving in Phnom Penh, the Capital of Cambodia, on Thursday, 10 p.m. Wooster time, which will be Friday, 10:00 PP time, on January 22. But it won't make any difference because we won't know where we are by then! Later that day we drive to Battambang, the second largest city in Cambodia and will probably arrive there 9-10 p.m. on Friday (9-10 Friday morning in Wooster). Are you following all of that?

Okay, here is the schedule:

SE Asia January 2010 (Tentative) Team Schedule

Wednesday, January 20,1:00 p.m. – leave from the office to Cleveland Hopkins
5:00 p.m. – flight to L.A.
7:09 p.m. – arrive in L.A.
11:25 p.m. – leave for Taipei, Taiwan

Friday, January 22, 6:00 a.m. – arrive in Taipei
7:25 a.m. – leave Taipei to Phnom Penh, Cambodia
10:00 a.m. – arrive in Phnom Penh
12:00 p.m. – team goes to the hotel
2:50 p.m. – Faa arrives in Phnom Penh
4:00 p.m. – team leaves for Battambang
9:00 p.m. – team arrives at the TEO hotel in Battambang

Saturday, January 23, 8:00 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting at the TEO
9:00 a.m. – team rides to Grace Place: Battambang
12:00 noon – lunch with AH staff
2:00 p.m. – team returns to GP:BT
6:00 p.m. – supper at restaurant
9:00 p.m. – back to the TEO

Sunday, January 24, 8:00 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting at the TEO
9:00 a.m. – church service at the pavilion (worship with the orphans)
12:00 noon – team takes Kanes to lunch
2:00 p.m. – visit points of light, micro-
enterprise projects with Kanes
6:00 p.m. – team returns to GP:BT
9:00 p.m. – back to the TEO

Monday, January 25, 7:00 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting at the TEO
8:00 a.m. – leave for Phnom Penh
1:00 p.m. – arrive in Phnom Penh, go to the market, shop
6:00 p.m. – dinner
8:00 p.m. – back to the guest house

Tuesday, January 26, 8:00 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting
9:00 a.m. – visit Toul Sleng museum
10:00 - 1:00 a.m. – visit/work at the dump site, pack lunch
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. – visit the state orphanage
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. – visit other AH orphanages in Phnom Penh, meet with AH staff
7:00 p.m. – dinner at the Thmorda
9:00 p.m. – back to the guest house

Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting
7:30 a.m. – leave for Phnom Penh airport
9:40 a.m. – leave Phnom Penh
10:50 a.m. – arrive in Bangkok
12:05 p.m. – leave Bangkok
1:20 p.m. – arrive in Chiang Mai, Go to G.R.O.W. home
2:00 p.m. – lunch at Ga lae, (Thai food) , after lunch possibly to slum area for Hill tribe people

Thursday, January 28, 8:00 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting
10:00 a.m. – visit International Justice Mission
12:00 –lunch with Kaow soi (Chaing Mai food) and shopping
2:30 p.m. – visit AGAPE ministries (dealing with AIDS patients)
4:00 p.m. – Garden of Hope (street children)
5:00 p.m. – prayer walk in slum are for Hill tribe people in CM
6:30 p.m. – supper at Night Market or Palad tawan wron
9:00 p.m. – go to Flinchum’s

Friday, January 29, 7:30 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting at Flinchum’s 8:00 a.m. – leave for Weing Pa Pao, will spend the day and night there with kids at Grace Place:Thailand)

Saturday, January 30, 8:00 a.m. – dedication of GP:TH
12:00: p.m. – lunch
2:00 p.m. – return to CM, go shopping
7:00 p.m. – dinner
8:30 p.m. – team meeting

Sunday, January 31, 7:30 a.m. – breakfast
9:00 a.m. – church at Doi Soket 1 (with all the orphans)
12:00 noon – lunch
4:30 p.m. Student Center worship , Afterwards, got to walking night market (Optional)

Monday, February 1, 7:30 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting
8:30 a.m. – leave for youth detention center, do service there
12:00 noon – lunch with AH staff
Afternoon – shopping and packing

Tuesday, February 2, 8:00 a.m. – breakfast and team meeting
9:00 a.m. – leave for CM airport
1:25 p.m. – leave to Taipei
5:55 p.m. – arrive in Taipei
11:40 p.m. – leave for L.A.
7:05 p.m. – arrive in L.A.
10:55 p.m. – leave for Cleveland

Wednesday, February 3, 6:16 a.m. – arrive in Cleveland

Note: All times are local to the city mentioned. Both Cambodia and Thailand are 12 hours ahead of Wooster, OH. There is a chance Jeana, Nathan and Pastor Ivanildo will be returning to Cleveland on 2/6.

Thanks for your prayers!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org