Dear Friends, please forgive me(Kelsie) for not keeping up on our blog. I haven’t written in a year and I’m sure every time someone wants to see what we are up to, they are terribly disappointed each time. I honestly just haven’t had the “blogging” creativity. It’s all I can do sometimes to get out a decent newsletter. So realizing how far behind I am, I will try to do better to keep you all informed. 

One reason for this is that in Maribel, I have to write my blog first offline. We don’t have internet capabilities out there. Then chose pictures separately.  When we get to town, I have to get them online. For several months now, we just haven’t been staying where there is constant internet. It has been the biggest contributor to my lack of blog entries because I just haven’t had the patience to get online and mess with it.

Okay, enough of all the excuses! HA!

Since our short termer, Nathan, left, we started working on building a church in the community of Maribel. It was time, the community voted for it unanimously! So we went for it.  We had NO IDEA how much work came out of building a church in the jungle. WOW! 
Our main goal has been to not do it without the nationals along side. If it isn’t something they are 100% into, it won’t be sustainable. Our vision to build a church will only dwindle out and rot if the nationals are not on board. So, with many men in the community, Clyde worked alongside them for 6 months, on and off, chipping away at the big project.

Today we have close to half of the community coming to services at the new church. One family is traveling by canoe and outboard motor  an hour away to be apart of our services. They come to get ice so they can fish during the week. The ice trucks come on Sundays and the fishermen can pick up their ice and start fishing on Monday. They then deliver fish to sell to the fish trucks that come later in the week. This has given the family from “New River”, a greater reason for the entire family to come and get fellowship and hear the word of the Lord while picking up ice for the week! 

Birthday celebrations are a great way to tell someone how much you care about them!

I have become known as the “Cake Lady” or (“boleira”) in the community and now on the TransIriri. I never thought about how making cakes for our kids’ birthdays was just apart of our culture. We just do it cause it isn’t the same to have a birthday pass and not have a cake or something special and sweet to celebrate. Since we have this strong tradition, we have brought into our ministry here.
If ANYONE has a birthday from our community and it’s in my power to make a cake, I do!
It has become a part of my ministry. Many folks can’t afford the simple ingredients of a cake. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, sugar, butter, milk etc…. It’s not even common to hardly wish your loved ones “happy birthday” around here. So over the years, we have caught on to this and have gone out of our way to bless those who are celebrating another year of life on this great earth.

Jeorge turned 46 yrs old just a few weeks ago. Clyde told me about it and he encouraged me to make it happen. Jeorge never had anyone make him a cake.  Nearly 50 years and he finally had a cake made in his honor. 
Here are a few examples of the cakes I have done. I desire to learn more techniques and recipes. For now, I stick to what works here in the region with humidity and lack of refrigeration!

Just after our long trip up river, I got back just in time to bake this big cake for a 50th birthday party!   I decorated it on site.

This is Jeorge who turned 46 and had never had a cake. I had already cut the cake forgetting to take a picture with him. We had no idea that he had never even had the “happy birthday” song sung to him! We love Jeorge and all that God is doing in his life!

Some 200 guests and cake for everyone!

Our Sweet Lorrany(Lo-Han-ee) who tuned 2! Her parents asked me to bake this cake special for her birthday. They have already begun the tradition in their family.

Natalia’s 16th birthday cake up close

Natalia, taken by surprise when I showed up with a big red box wrapped special for her  16th birthday. Inside was this cake! We let her and her family share the moment together! I love surprises!!

Mother’s Day cake…it was a heavy one! So next time you sing “Happy Birthday” to someone, think about the rest of the world who has never had a birthday cake made in their honor. Celebrate life and let the “birthday boy/girl” know how much you love them! Each day is a gift! Don’t take it for granted! More updates to follow!  We are in Altamira getting some R&R. We’ll be back in Maribel by July 10-11th. My 7th-8th grade teacher, mentor and friend, Midge Shaw from the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Grants Pass, is coming to see us!!! Can’t wait to show her around and see what God has in store with her visit!

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