Prayer Children for October 31st

LUIS FELIZ

Luis Angel Feliz

Date of Birth:  September 7, 2002
Grade:  3rd
Country:  Dominican Republic         $32/mo
Project:  Pueblo Nuevo Village Partnership    
Reference Number:  DR-VP6-0082

Personal Information:  Luis is described as a happy and friendly young boy who plays well with others.  He enjoys helping his family at home, and likes to play with his friends.

A typical meal for Luis usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes chicken.  He lives with his mother and one sister in a palm wood house with a corrugated tin roof.  Luis helps his family by sweeping the floor and carrying water to the home. Luis is learning about the Lord’s love for him in daily Bible lessons at school. 

YEHISEL MELO CABRERA

Yehisel Melo Cabrera        

Date of Birth:  April 22, 2007
Grade:  Preschool
Country:  Dominican Republic         $32/mo
Project:  Pueblo Nuevo Village Partnership    
Reference Number:  DR-VP6-0086

Personal Information:  Yehisel is described as a happy, active, and friendly young boy.  He likes to play baseball and enjoys watching cartoons. A typical meal for Yehisel usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes chicken.  Yehisel lives with his parents, one sister, and one brother in a zinc house with a corrugated tin roof.  He helps his family by sweeping the floor and carrying water to the home.

 Please join us in praying for continued spiritual growth, blessings, and understanding in Luis’ life.

The Reformation - How sweet it is.

PASTOR BRENT JAMES

By Brent James
Lead Pastor
 
Most people in the United States will dress up in costumes tonight, and walk around the neighborhoods calling for tricks or treats.  Many of them will go through this ritual without ever wondering about the beginnings of such a curious cultural event. The term “Halloween” is a morphing together of the words “All Hallow's Eve.” Tomorrow, November 1st, is All Saints Day, a feast day of the Church to remember and to commemorate the dead in Christ who've gone before us, whom we believe will be raised to life at the Resurrection. The tradition of tricks or treats goes back to children going door to door in order to say prayers for the souls of the dearly departed.

It's sad to me that most people will not take a second to remember an act that changed the course of Western Civilization – the nailing of the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door. What Martin Luther undertook as an academic exercise -- questioning the true power of the Bishop of Rome – turned the world upside down. I don't think it's hyperbole to suggest that, without Martin Luther, John Calvin and the Reformation, there would be no United States of America, no Bill of Rights, no Enlightenment, and no democratic process. The seeds of all that we too often take for granted today were sown with the nailing of those theses to that church door.
 
Take a second to inform yourself about one of the fathers of the Reformation and enjoy five graces in your fast today in honor of the five Solae.
 
Sola Deo Gloria! Sola Christo! Sola Fide! Sola Scriptura! Sola Gratia!
OR
By Scripture Alone! By Faith Alone! By Grace Alone! Through Christ Alone! Glory to God Alone!
To learn more about the Solae, find more here.

Prayer Child for October 30th

Ramon Ferrera Feliz

RAMON FERRERA FELIZ

Date of Birth:  April 2, 2004
Grade:  2nd
Country:  Dominican Republic $32/mo
Project:  Pueblo Nuevo Village Partnership  
Reference Number:  DR-VP6-0080

Personal Information:  Ramon is described as an obedient, active, and happy young boy.  He likes to play baseball and watch cartoons.

A typical meal for Ramon usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes chicken. Ramon lives with his grandparents, one sister, and two brothers in a palm wood house with a corrugated tin roof. He helps his family by carrying water to the home.

Ramon is learning about the Lord’s love for him in daily Bible lessons at school. Please join us in praying for continued spiritual growth, blessings, and understanding in Ramon’s life.

Walking a Mile in Her Moccasins

By TONYA KIPPLE
Director of Children's Ministry

Made of hides, moccasins formed to the foot of the wearer.

A common saying in the United States is “You will understand a person better after you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” The word moccasin is an Algonquian Native American word that means “shoe.”   I have some Algonquian Nanjemoy blood in me, and have always had an interest in that particular culture.  Did you know that this particular saying has a deeper meaning?  Moccasins will tend to mold themselves to the feet of the wearer so that the shoes become somewhat personalized.  If I was truly to put on someone else’s moccasins, it would be quite a different experience from just slipping on a generic size 7 tennis shoe.  Initially, I would really feel how my feet were different from the original wearer’s feet. It might be uncomfortable, maybe even painful.  I would obtain a greater degree of understanding about that person if I walked a path normally tread by them in those very same moccasins.  However, after “walking a mile in their moccasins”, something amazing happens – those very same shoes would begin the process of gradually conforming to my own feet. That first mile would be a doozy though!

During this fast, I feel I have had to walk a different path than I am used to. Sometimes it has been uncomfortable (like giving up so many of my comfort foods).   I have heard myself say “Wow, I am HUNGRY!” and I really have been hungry instead of not just as full as I usually am. It has been inconvenient and fraught with temptation.  Mostly, it has been eye opening and humbling.  To a very small degree I am experiencing what the normal person in the DR experiences with regard to daily food.  Have I truly walked a mile in her moccasins? No, not really. Perhaps just a few feet, but it is more than I had walked before.  God has begun the process in my heart of developing empathy, not sympathy, for the people in the DR and for that I am truly thankful.

Prayers of Thanksgiving For:

• Increase in the number of children attending PBF for weekend services
• Families doing daily devotions together during the 40 Days of Solidarity – Thank you to the parents who have shared that their children are reading the Children’s Daily Devotions on their own!  Thank you Jesus!
• The Angel Tree children that PBF will be ministering to this Christmas season.

Prayer Child for October 26th

Felito Francisco

FELITO FRANCISCO

Date of Birth:  May 16, 2002
Grade:  3rd
Country: Dominican Republic         $32/mo
Project:  Algodon Village Partnership    
Reference Number: DR-VP1-0215

Personal Information:  Fellito is described as a responsible and obedient boy who plays well with others.  He likes to play baseball and ride bikes.  Blue is his favorite color, and his favorite subject in school is math.  When he grows up, Fellito hopes to go into the military.

A typical meal for Fellito usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes meat.  Fellito lives with his parents, three sisters, and three brothers in a cement block house.  He helps his family by washing the dishes.

Prayer Child for October 25th

Wilson Luis Batista

WILSON LUIS BATISTA

Date of Birth:  March 26, 2003
Grade:  3rd   
Country:  Dominican Republic         $32/mo
Project:  Altagracia Village Partnership    
Reference Number:  DR-VP5-0055

Personal Information:  Wilson is described as a friendly and active boy who plays well with others. He likes to play baseball and ride bikes.  Red and yellow are his favorite colors, and his favorite subjects in school are Bible and history.  When he grows up, Wilson hopes to be a marine.

A typical meal for Wilson usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes meat.  Wilson lives with his parents, one brother, and one sister in a cement block house with a corrugated tin roof.  Wilson helps his family by sweeping, cooking, and helping with the younger children.

Feast Day Hangover?!?

Recently, a friend shared with me that she was suffering from a hangover.  A Feast Day Hangover. The first feast day was a most welcome and dear friend after abiding by the rules and regulations of our fast for the first week. 3000 calories and three restaurants later, she was basking in the glow of multi and varied carbs and her tummy was so very happy. Her brain was enjoying the serotonin euphoria. All was good and right with the world. Or so she thought

Coming down from her carb high on Monday – crashing is actually more realistic –she was basically comatose and semi grumpy. Tuesday, however, reared its ugly post-feast day head and the carnage was everywhere.  What could she eat?  Rice? No.  Had enough of that ugly mushy stuff.  Lentils and beans? No, her digestive system needed a break. Carrots? Tomatoes? Avocados? No. No. No. There was no citrus in sight, so that was not a possibility.  However, chicken sounded like a good option as she searched the frig for the leftovers she had been so careful to set aside for such a moment of temptation.  Where was the chicken?

“All I could see were those luscious hamburgers I had prepared for my husband who is not suffering . . . er, participating. . . in the fast! Could it be? Did he take MY CHICKEN for his lunch?  You have seriously got to be kidding me!”

I will not share the gory details of the rest of the story, but let’s just say that it was at that moment that temptation was the greatest for her. As we giggled at the absurdity of the warring emotions she was experiencing, we both came to appreciate the options that she had at that moment.  She COULD go buy some more chicken.  She COULD eat the hamburgers.  She COULD go out to a restaurant and order FAST FOOD.  Many poor people in this world have none of those options. Solidarity with the poor means that we in some way, shape or form are standing in unity with those in need.  We will never truly understand the totality of what they experience on a daily basis, but if we have grown in our compassion and desire to reach out in the name of Jesus, if we have experienced even a slight season of want, then the fast has been successful.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

PS:  The way of escape was the incredible edible egg.
PSS:  She found out later that day that the chicken was in the frig the whole time.  Her husband had lovingly made sure that it was kept fresh in a Tupperware container! Isn’t it just like Satan to mess with our relationships in yet another way to distract us from HIS course for our lives? Yeah, well, it didn’t work!

A Confession of Gluttony!

By Brent James
Lead Pastor

My body wasn't real pleased with me Sunday night.  Maybe it was the cheeseburger, maybe it was the ice cream cookie, maybe it was Halloween candy.  Let's be honest, there was a lot for my body to resist yesterday. Truth be told, I was a glutton! I'd gone without for 6 days and I wanted to taste everything that I had missed.  And I came pretty darn close to meeting my goal.  But it didn't make me happy, in fact, the more I ate, the less satisfied I became.  Isn't that always the way with idolatry.

I think the real bummer is that yesterday I lost track of the important thing - rather than to celebrate my abundance and have fun with God, I was determined to squeeze in every flavor that my stomach would allow.  Instead of a party, I plowed away; instead of saying “Thank you!” I said, "Are you going to finish that?"  To be honest, coming back to the fast today, I feel like I'm back in rhythm, my mind is focused back upon the kids of the Dominican Republic and not so much on what's for dinner (rice - if you needed to ask).  What was very hard at the beginning has become the place I instinctively want to go now.

It's good to know that God's grace will carry me.  I'm confessing to you and to God that I ate more yesterday than I should have, and if you confess your sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us.

And that gives me a good reason to celebrate!

Prayer requests for today:

• Pray for Marvin Nelson our Facilities Director - recovering from a hip replacement surgery.
• Pray for God to place a burning in our congregation's heart for the tax-collectors and the sinful women of our times.
• Pray that God would supply all of our church's needs according to His riches in glory.

Prayer Children for October 22nd

DIONNY NICOLAS

Dionny Feliz Nicolas

Date of Birth:  June 29, 2000
 Grade:  3rd   
 Country: Dominican Republic         $32/mo
 Project:  Altagracia Village Partnership    
 Reference Number: DR-VP5-0057

Personal Information:  Dionny is described as a friendly, intelligent, and active young boy who likes to play baseball.  Blue is his favorite color, and his favorite subject in school is Spanish.  When he grows up, Dionny hopes to become a police officer.  A typical meal for Dionny usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes meat.  Dionny lives with his parents, two sisters, three brothers, and one cousin in a palm wood house in the village of Altagracia.  Dionny helps his family by running errands.

Ulises Jimenez Luis

ULISES LUIZ

 Profile

 Reference Number:  DR-UNVP2-0016
 Country:  Dominican Republic
 DOB:  November 22, 1989
School:  Universidad Autonoma Santo Domingo (UASD)
 Location:  Barahona
Area of Study:  Accounting
Term:  5-year program
 Annual Scholarship Amount:  $1,540 USD
Current year/semester in program:  4th semester

Personal Information

Ulises comes from the village of Los Robles on the outskirts of the Barahona region.  He is from a family of five, which includes his parents, one brother, and one sister.  He has been part of our Children of the Nations (COTN) family since he was eight years old, and is the first in his family to ever have the opportunity to attend university.  His high school grade point average was the second highest of all the University Student applicants.  Ulises’ favorite pastimes are playing basketball, reading interesting books, spending time with friends, and staying informed on current events when he is not studying for school.
Professional Goal
Ulises’s primary goal is to complete his studies and become an accountant so that he will be able to help others in his community, his family, and his country. 

Prayer Children of the Day OCT 21st

CARLOS BATISTA

Carlos Daniel Batista    

Date of Birth:  October 23, 2004
Grade:  4th    
Country: Dominican Republic         $32/mo
Project:  Altagracia Village Partnership    
Reference Number: DR-VP5-0066
Personal Information:  Carlos is described as a happy, active, and intelligent young boy who likes to play basketball.  Blue is his favorite color, and his favorite subject in school is Bible.  A typical meal for Carlos usually includes rice, beans, and sometimes meat.  He lives with his mother, grandmother, and one brother, and three sisters in a tin house in the village of Altagracia.  Carlos helps his family by washing dishes and carrying water to the home.

Salomon Trinidad Perez

SALOMON PEREZ

Profile

Reference Number:  DR-UNILB-0005
Country:  Dominican Republic
DOB: January 26, 1991
School: Universidad Autonoma Santo Domingo (UASD)
Location: Santo Domingo
Area of Study:  Sports Medicine & Pediatrics
Term: 6-year program
Annual Scholarship Needed: $4,650  USD
Current year in program: 5th semester

Personal Information

Salomon comes to us from the I Love Baseball program where he trained for three years. He is one of our first graduates from that program and is one of the most talented, motivated, and capable student athletes to go through the ILB program. We have seen this through his leadership, dedication on the practice field, and excellence in the classroom. For this reason we were not surprised, but very excited, when Salomon was accepted last year into medical school. Currently Salomon is involved in campus ministry and playing on the baseball team three days a week. He is doing very well in university and scoring high in his academic studies.
Professional Goal
Salomon’s primary goal is to complete his studies and become a doctor, specializing in sports medicine and pediatrics, so that he will be able to help his family, his community, and his country. 

Self-denial is different than life without

By Associate Pastor Andy Chinn
Youth

The question that is constantly popping up in my mind is, “Why is this so difficult?”

Even on the first day of the fast, when I had a large bowl of rice and chicken for lunch, my body pushed me to want to give up and cave in. Why is it so difficult? I spent two months in West Africa eating rice and chicken most every day, and I can’t remember a time in those two months were I felt so frustrated. In comparing and contrasting these two moments in my life, God has revealed to me the difference between having to live without, and self-denial. A newborn sympathy has emerged in my heart toward the wealthy. It’s easy to judge from my position, and wonder how “they” can live with so much when others, like those we are reading about, live with so little. From this experience I have gathered that self-denial is tremendously difficult. Whether it’s doing without a third summer home or changing what I eat. However, the call of every Christian is to deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow Jesus.

1 John Chapter 5:1-5 gives me a picture into my own heart regarding why it is so difficult to choose to go without.

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is how the author’s idea makes most sense in light of my experience:
* Verse 5 demonstrates that those who believe in Jesus have overcome the world.
* We have overcome the world, because we have been born of God through faith (verse 1).
* To who have been born of God, obeying God’s commands shouldn’t be burdensome as a result of us overcoming the world (verse 3).
* God’s commands become difficult when we choose not to live out our identities as His children but live as citizens of this world.

Conclusion: Self-denial is how we should respond to our lives in this world. However, we are not to deny our true selves. Be a Child of God and love others and obey God’s commands.

Prayer Children of the Day - OCT 20

CLAUDIO JOSE

Claudio Segura Jose

Profile

 Reference Number:  DR-UNVP5-0080
 Country:  Dominican Republic
 DOB:  April 30, 1988
 School:  UCE
 Location:  San Pedro de Macoris
 Area of Study:  Medicine
Term:  5-year program
Annual Scholarship Amount:  $4,660  USD
Current year in program:  2nd semester

Personal Information

Claudio comes from the village of Altagracia in the Barahona region of the Dominican Republic.  He is from a  family of six, which includes his parents, two brothers, and one sister. Claudio is new to our Children of the Nations (COTN) family and is the first in his family to have the chance to attend university.  Claudio’s favorite pastimes are playing with children, reading books and the Bible, and listening to Christian music when he is not studying.
Professional Goal
Claudio’s primary goal is to complete his studies and become a medical doctor so that he will be able to help others in his community, his family, and his country.

MANOLIN SANTO PIE

Manolin Santo Pie

 Profile

Reference Number:  DR-UNVP2-0026
 Country:  Dominican Republic
DOB:  September 10, 1986
School:  Universidad Autonoma Santo Domingo (UASD)
Location:  Barahona
Area of Study:  Computer Science
Term:  4-year program
Annual Scholarship Amount:  $1,540 USD
Current year:  3rd year

Personal Information

Manolin comes from the village of Los Robles on the outskirts of the Barahona region in the Dominican Republic.  He is from a family of twelve, which includes his parents, five brothers, and four sisters.  He has been part of our Children of the Nations (COTN) family since he was eleven years old, and is the second in his family to have the opportunity to attend university.  Manolin’s favorite pastimes are playing baseball or basketball, and spending time with friends and his brothers.
Professional Goal
Manolin’s primary goal is to complete his studies and become a professional in computer science so that he will be able to help others in his community, his family, and his country. 

Unexpected Grace

By Brent James
Lead Pastor

On Sunday morning, I left as I usually do, late headed home to have dinner with the family at 1:00 PM.  My mind was centered in Zen-like concentration on the pumpkin spice Belgian waffles and the bacon that I had waited for since last Wednesday.  Our waffle maker could not cook fast enough.  The time had come, I could now truly celebrate.  And I took my first bite and thought, "hmmm, it's good, I mean it's amazingly wonderful, but it's not as amazing as I made it out to be in my mind."  I could barely make it through one waffle and I had to give up on the second.  Two weeks ago, I could have mowed those down in record time, and I thought, “Hmmm that's an unexpected grace of doing this fast.”

 On Monday, I braced myself for what could be an ugly day, but you know what?  Not too difficult, I wasn't a tenth as hungry as I was the week before - unexpected grace.

I'm still contemplating and processing the many thoughts and words of wisdom that I heard Sunday morning.  One man told me that after a week of doing this fast, his high blood pressure had dropped 20 points in one week - unexpected grace. About five or six guys told me that they had dropped 5 pounds - unexpected grace.  One man told me, that it was hard for him to walk into a grocery store that was filled with so much and to know that he could only buy these staple items and it made him angry - not at the fast, but at the fact that there so many people who don't have access to many unappreciated graces that fill our lives in United States.  That is an unexpected grace.

It's amazing how when we give things up for God, God has a way of filling our lives, souls and bodies with more.  My Dad always told me as a kid, "Brent you can't out give God."  I'm learning on this fast how true that statement is, which is a (you know!).  May we be aware of the unexpected graces of God today.

Rich little poor girl

GUATEMALA

By Tammi Keffer
Director of Community and Caring

Day 10 in Place at the Table

Eleven days in.  It's a victory!  I am so excited to see what God has to teach us through this journey. 

As I have been reading the devotional, both in The Place at the Table book and online from our PBF people, I am taken back to my first experience with another culture.  I was 17 years old and had the opportunity to spend a few weeks working at the Central American Theological Seminary in Guatemala City.  I had never been outside the U.S. except for a visit to Vancouver, Canada. 

The trip was filled with new sights, smells, emotions and fears.  I had no idea how most of the world lived and while I knew we would be visiting orphanages, I couldn't even begin to imagine how different my life was from theirs.

At one point, I remember having a discussion with a young man who was playing soccer with us. He said that, "all Americans are rich."  I pretty much laughed at him and said "My family is NOT rich".  He asked how many cars and how many TVs we had. My heart sank. It was my first realization that to him – to most of the world –we WERE rich. I had responded based on my only view of the world, which happened to be Bremerton, Wash., in the late 80s.  (Stop trying to do the math to figure out how old I am!!!!)

Guatemala taught me a lot.  I learned about the people and their culture but also about me and the way I live and think.  I experienced eating whatever was available, which happened to be flatbread, chicken and fruits.  Even then, the chicken was probably a costly gift just for us American teens.  I pray that this journey of fasting and praying for those who are poor will teach us more about ourselves and that it will remind us that everything we have is a gift from God.

Pray:

• For those in our body who are unemployed
• For those in our community who are homeless
• For those in our body who are suffering from illness and disease

Video for Day 11
Learn more at ChrisSeay.net

Give me not my daily bread 'cause it's temptation

By Tonya Kipple
Director of Children's Ministries

Tis So SWEET To Trust In Jesus!
Here's an acronym for FAST for you:

F = Finding
A = All
S = Sweets on
T = Tuesday

There are some serious issues with some people I know who have not had chocolate since we began this fast.  It is getting ugly,  fast.  Suddenly, candy jars and secret stashes are hotbeds of temptation. The check-out lines at Safeway are get-behind-me-Satan trials. Forget the candy aisle at Wal-Mart.  It is a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.

Most everyone on staff knows that I am not a "sweet" person.  Let me clarify . . . I do not crave desserts, chocolate, sugar.  That is why it is easy for me to keep all those treats in the treasure box in my office for kids (and for Pastor Brent who occasionally raids the chocolate supply!).  However, if truth be told, I am a carboholic.  I have never met a carbohydrate that I did not like.  That is my weakness. Living without potatoes, pasta and bread has been, in a word, difficult.  However, I am getting somewhat accustomed to this change and am healthier as a result. The process has not been easy, but I can see that the outcome is going to be good.  I trust that it will continue to improve even through the inevitable bumps in the road.

Isn't that the way that God often grows us in His likeness?  The timing of those growth spurts is rarely our timing. The growth is painful and hard at first, then there is a recognition of HIS divine wisdom and will for our lives.  The growth is still not quite easy, but there is more of a partnership with the ONE who has our future and best interest in mind. Tis so SWEET to trust in JESUS!

• Thank you Jesus for the many children in the DR who are learning the sweet love of Jesus through the "I Love Baseball" program.
• Thank you Jesus for your heart for children everywhere - Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so!
• Thank you for all the children who have been baptized this past year! 
• Please pray for children as they read through their daily devotions during the 40 Days of Solidarity With The Poor that they may have a closer walk with Jesus.

Video for Day 10
Learn more at ChrisSeay.net

Prayer Child for October 15th

ANASELIS MILCIADES

                              

Anaselis Batista Lovell Milciades

Reference Number:  DR-UNVP2-0051
Country:  Dominican Republic
DOB:  June 19, 1989
 School:  Universidad Technologica de Santiago
Location:  Santo Domingo
Area of Study:  Medicine
Term:  6-year program
 Annual Scholarship Amount:  $4,650 USD
Current year in program:  4th semester

Personal Information

Anaselis comes from the village of Los Robles located in the outskirts of the Barahona region of the Dominican Republic.  She is from a large family which includes her parents, three brothers, and two sisters.  She has been part of our Children of the Nations (COTN) family since she was thirteen years old, and she is the first in her family to have the opportunity to attend university.  Anaselis lives with her Aunt in Santo Domingo and has chosen to study medicine because it is her area of interest, and because she desires to help others, especially children.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, being involved in sports, and reading Bible stories to the children.

Professional Goal

Anaselis’ primary goal is to complete her studies and become a medical doctor, possibly a pediatrician, so that she will be able to help children in her community, her family, and her country. 

Feast days are about joy, not guilt

By Carl Johnson

Elder of Peninsula Bible Fellowship

 

CARL JOHNSON

Even before I began my 40-days of fasting, God spoke to me through two very powerful messages.  The first was in the book we're all reading A Place at the Table, and it was the story of Mother Teresa and her "struggle to believe God truly loved her".  In the book the author (Chris Seay) notes that "in great candor she (Teresa) acknowledged to her spiritual director, 'Jesus has a very special love for you.  As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear'".  Wow!  Who would have thought Mother Teresa struggled with such thoughts.  

However, as the author points out, even while Teresa fasted and cared for the poor, she "felt the painful absence of feasting".  Chris Seay continues ... "I believe Teresa became so focused on her call to share the love of Jesus with the poor that she forgot to take time each week to bask in that love herself.  For more than fifty years she could see clearly the love of Jesus for others, but said she did not feel the love and presence of God for herself even once." 

As important as our fasting is to help us identify with the poor and oppressed ... to find "solidarity" with those in need, and to grow in our relationship with Christ, I realized just how important it is that we not neglect experiencing the richness and blessings that God has provided for us in Christ.  I'm grateful that our journey through these 40 days is occasionally (once a week) punctuated with an opportunity to "feast", and enjoy the blessings of God's good gifts.  Fasting and feasting ... that's the "rhythm of the Kingdom", and we need both. 

In my next blog I'll share the second powerful message I heard from God.

Video for Day 9
Learn more at ChrisSeay.net

Desire is in the minutia

By Tonya Kipple
Director of Children's Ministry
My husband is cooking beef on the grill right now -- yes, beef.  I have not had beef for six days and it is smelling delicious.  Goodness gracious, pass the mashed potatoes and let's eat!

After listening to Wendy Brown's wonderful presentation to the Kindergarten-sixth graders about the DR, I am feeling guilty about that beef.  During this fast, our feast day is Sunday.  When do the kids in the DR get a feast day?  Does it ever happen?  Does their feast even remotely resemble what we all would consider a normal Sunday dinner?

I truly appreciate what was written in the PBF email this week.  If you have not experienced hunger, boredom or temptation during this fast then perhaps you might need to rethink your choices.  Can I just be honest and say that I have had to rethink and re-do some of my choices? It is amazing how I can rationalize some of those "inconsequential" decisions.  I don't think the danger for me was in the desire for a huge plate of pasta -- that is an OBVIOUS cheat!  The desire was in the minutia.  What struck me powerfully today was that the poor have no power over making some of those "cheats".  They are simply not a possibility or reality.  If one of the major goals of this fast was to gain a connection, a perspective, with the poor, then I think maybe a little lightbulb just went on in my head.

Suddenly that beef is not as attractive as it was a few minutes ago.

Dear Jesus,
Help me to be content and appreciative for what I have. Help me grow a heart for those in need. Teach me how to reach out in your Name. Thank you for your love for all people everywhere.  Help me to know what to pray for.

Amen

Video for Day 8
Find out more at ChrisSeay.net

Prayer Calendar Children for October 14th

CHRISTOPHER MEDINA

Name:   Cristofer Reyes Medina   
Date of Birth:  March 20, 1997
Grade:  7th
Country:  Dominican Republic   $32/mo
Project:  I Love Baseball
Reference Number:  DR-ILB-0043
Personal Information:  Cristofer loves to play baseball and his favorite position is outfield.  He describes himself as a happy and quiet person, and has dreams of studying engineering and playing professional baseball.  His greatest role model is A-Rod, and his favorite baseball team is the Red Sox. Cristofer lives with his father, one sister, and one brother in the town of Villa Central.  The name of the school he attends is Anaima Tejeda.  A typical meal for his family is rice mixed with beans and meat. In his spare time Cristofer loves to relax.

ANA ROSA LUIS AQUISTEN

Ana Rosa Luis Oguisten
 Profile
 Reference Number:  DR-UNVP2-0042
Country:  Dominican Republic
 DOB: November 11, 1986

 School: Universidad Autonoma Santo Domingo (UASD)
Location: Barahona
Area of Study: Basic Education
Term: 4-year program
Annual Scholarship Amount: $1,540 USD
Current year in program: 3rd semester

Personal Information
Ana Rosa comes from the village of Los Robles on the outskirts of the Barahona region of the Dominican Republic.  She is from a large family which includes her parents, five brothers, and one sister.  She has been part of our Children of the Nations (COTN) family since she was twelve years old, and is the first in her family to have the opportunity to attend university.  Ana Rosa wants to become a teacher and work with children who have special needs. In her spare time she enjoys listening to music and spending time with friends and family.

Professional Goal
Ana Rosa’s primary goal is to complete her studies and become a teacher so that she will be able to help children in her community, her family, and her country.  She also has a dream to become a missionary and to use her degree to help those in need.

It’s a Matter of Perspective!

By Jesse Stigile
Youth Intern
   
It’s Day 7, which means tomorrow is Day 8 and you’ll be welcome to splurge on cheese puffs, meatloaf, McIntosh apples, donuts— whatever it is your taste buds are into.

But it’s definitely still Day 7 and I had rice and bananas for breakfast.

Jesse Stigile with his new favorite breakfast.

 I think I’m starting to like rice and bananas. Well, not the taste; bananas leave that slimy paste in your mouth and rice reminds me of mosquito larvae. But I like the reliability. I like knowing that on Monday I can have rice and bananas, and on Tuesday I can have rice and bananas. And if not that, then chicken. And if not chicken, then beans. And if I run out of food, I can go to Fred Meyer and get some more. And if I run out of money, God will continue faithfully to provide for me. I am reminded at every meal of how blessed I am to have a Father that “gives me this day my daily bread.” Praise God for rice and bananas!

The first time I tried to make rice this week was a fiasco. It was some kind of funky birdseed-rice that my mom likes. I didn’t have a rice cooker so I just threw it in a pot and followed the instructions on the package. At one point it told me to turn down the heat, so I rotated the dial with finesse and considered filling out an application for Chung’s Teriyaki. I guess I didn’t turn it far enough though, because after a while, the kitchen smelled oddly sweet and I discovered my meal was the remnants of a forest fire. The rice was a black, pulsating mess. I threw open the windows to let the smoke out, and turned off the stove. I didn’t have enough time to make any more rice and drive to my classes in time. I was hungry and frustrated and ten seconds from walking to the pantry and breaking the fast on the very first day.

About then I remembered a particular teaching from Jesus:

“I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ The pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” [Mt 6:25, 32-33].

So I stopped worrying and scraped the edible bits into a bowl with some hunks of fruit. I
ate my breakfast and did my devotional by the fireplace. And if I didn’t think too hard, the rice kind of tasted like burnt popcorn, which isn’t really that bad. Not that bad at all. And then I laughed because my life is a circus.

I want to encourage all of you to remember and enjoy God’s provision. These 40 days can certainly be stressful, but they can also be very restful! The food’s all figured out— there isn’t exactly a whole lot to labor over—so let’s continue to seek our heavenly Father. Keep at it PBF, and I’ll see you tomorrow by the bagels.  
   

Video for Day 7
Find out more at ChrisSeay.net

Prayer Calendar Children October 13th

Name:   Danilo Cabrera   
           
Date of Birth:  February 2, 1997

Grade:  8th

Country:  Dominican Republic   $32/mo

Project:  I Love Baseball

Reference Number:  DR-ILB-0036

Personal Information:  Danilo lives with his mother and two sisters in the village of Burio Baloguen.  He enjoys studying math and Spanish, and would like to become an engineer one day.  He plays baseball as a left fielder, and says, Alex Rodriguez, of the New York Yankees, is his greatest baseball role model. Danilo is a strong Christian and likes to pray everyday.  He enjoys spreading the Word of God to his friends and others who he comes in contact with. 


Name:   Raynier Bautista Novas   
           
Date of Birth:  April 25, 1995

Grade:  10th

Country:  Dominican Republic   $32/mo

Project:  I Love Baseball

Reference Number:  DR-ILB-0038

Personal Information:  Raynier, at age sixteen, is studying to become an agronomic engineer at his high school. He loves playing as a pitcher in the I Love Baseball program and his favorite player is Derek Jeter. He considers himself to be a humble person. With school and baseball on his mind, and nine siblings at home, he really appreciates getting time to take a nap and relax.

Prayer Calender Children for Oct. 12

JUAN MATOS

Name:   Juan Miguel Matos   
           
Date of Birth:  September 9, 1996

Grade:  6th

Country:  Dominican Republic   $32/mo

Project:  I Love Baseball

Reference Number:  DR-ILB-0037

Personal Information:  Juan loves to play baseball, which he says is his favorite hobby.  His favorite position to play is second base.  He dreams of becoming a professional baseball player, but would also like to work as a civil engineer in the future.  His greatest role model in baseball is David Ortiz.
Juan lives with his mother and two brothers in Villa Central.  He enjoys school and his favorite subject is math.  A typical meal for his family is rice, beans, and sometimes meat. 

ERIC CUEVAS

Name:   Eric Leger Cuevas   
           
Date of Birth:  December 7, 1995

Grade:  10th

Country:  Dominican Republic   $32/mo

Project:  I Love Baseball

Reference Number:  DR-ILB-0046

Personal Information:  Eric loves to play baseball, and his favorite position to play is pitcher.  He describes himself as a person who loves to share with others and he has dreams of studying engineering and playing professional baseball.  His greatest role model is Tercel Cielo and favorite baseball team is the Red Sox.
Eric lives with his parents, one sister, and one brother in the village of Pueblo Nuevo.  A typical meal for his family is fried chicken and rice.  In his spare time Eric enjoys relaxing and playing different   types of sports.

Day 6 Video from Chris Seay

Today's video for Day 6
Find out more at ChrisSeay.net



DAY 06 from Chris Seay on Vimeo.

Rice or Cheez-Its

Today's Reading from A Place at the Table:
Day 6

  
Devotion by Jason Caldwell
Director of Worship

Old rice is not fast.

It's just yucky.

I had the privilege of serving with Children of the Nations, COTN, in Sierra Leone for a year in the mid-90s. I stayed with a local pastor’s family who included me in their daily meal routine. Let me tell you something about eating rice every day. It's white, bland, cooks in 20 minutes, and fills you up. But after eating it at every meal solid for 6 months, I didn't want to see a grain of rice again for the rest of my life! It is the staple of the third world. The only choices you had were what you put on top of the rice. Rice and beans. Rice and plassas. Rice and curry.
Last night I went into the cupboard to help prepare dinner for the fast, and staring me in the face was a box of Cheez-Its( my favorite!) and chips, and yummy cookies. It was bad timing for me as I was hungry and have become very accustomed to reaching into a bag for satisfaction. That's the hard part about rice, it takes so long to cook. In our fast-paced family life, you often grab something and go.
This initial phase of this fast is reminding me to slow down. The desire for immediate gratification affects my mood, affects my attitude toward others, and affects my whole life. I get used to having what I want, when I want it. But the rest of the world has to wait a lot more than I ever have. Some travel miles for water. I reach for the sink. Some people take four hours to prepare meals for the entire day, while I reach for the box of Cheez-Its in the cupboard.
I will remember to pray for Juan Matos. I'm grateful for our church that is sacrificing together. For us it is a sacrifice, for many it is the normal way of life. 

Blessings of the fast

Today's reading in A Place at the Table:
Day Five

By Jesi Chinn
Youth and Music Ministry Volunteer

Hello PBF! It is Day 5 of our 40-day journey and my husband, Pastor Andy Chinn, and I are already feeling challenged and blessed.

If you have spent time with either of us you know that pizza and ice cream make up the foundation of our food pyramid. We are struggling to not indulge! However, we are deeply grateful for this opportunity. Going through A Place at the Table has illustrated a powerful context and our desire for peanut butter chocolate ice cream is eclipsed by our desire to better serve God and identify with His children in humble circumstances.

 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. ?
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. "
       Luke 6: 20-23

This passage has been present in our hearts and minds these last couple days. While we familiarize ourselves with the poor, we find that we are really familiarizing ourselves more with God’s blessings. It is when we are without, that Jesus, our daily bread, truly satisfies and nourishes us.

Even as we sacrifice our cravings and our excess, we see God continue to provide for us in extravagant ways. We notice the luxuries still so apparent when we consider our brothers and sisters in poverty. I easily grab my electric rice maker, put in as much rice and water as I wish, at any time of day, push start, and dish up in a half hour. I think of Ruth in Haiti, how she and her family must collect water, gather fuel for a fire, start the fire, tend the pot, and ration their rice, not even sure if there will be enough for everyone to have some. Andy and I have a difficult time focusing on our class assignments because our stomachs are hungry and our heads are light. We are reminded of Irene in Uganda and how she lacks access to education. I package up our leftover rice and put it in the refrigerator so it does not go bad. Leftover rice is probably not something with which Irene or Ruth are familiar, let alone concern over rice not being kept properly.

These luxuries we enjoy are blessings from God, yet these children and their families may experience Jesus in a way we might never have. They look at Jesus’ promises— that the kingdom of heaven is theirs, that they will laugh, that they will be satisfied, that their reward in heaven is great—and may see them with more hope than we have ever known. Their rejoicing and gladness over their reward in heaven may be more joyous than we have experienced in our physical abundance. As we continue, we know that God will reward our forsaking of temporal pleasures. Blessings unique from those we have previously experienced will be ours.

You all are in our prayers and we praise our Lord with you for we know, as we hunger now, we will be satisfied.

Books for sale in Silverdale

GREAT NEWS! There are at least a dozen copies of "A Place at the Table" available at the Barnes and Noble in the Silverdale Mall for you procrastinators. You are in luck! Thank the manager. She read your minds and was able to have extra copies sent to the store. If they are sold out when you arrive, they can order more from Oregon and have them by the end of the week.

Day 4 Video

DAY 04 from Chris Seay on Vimeo.
Today's video offered by Chris Seay, author of A Place at the Table. For more information about the series, go to http://chrisseay.net/.

If you still need a book, the office is awaiting an order of 12 more copies that should arrive before the end of the week. We have reached the limit we are allowed to order from Amazon and if we placed a bulk order from the publisher, it would take at least three weeks to arrive. You may either place an order on Amazon yourself for an individual book, here, or you may order the Kindle edition, which can also be read on any personal computer. It can be purchased here.

Caffeine headache and a lesson in control

By Tammi Keffer
Director of Community and Caring

So how's it going? Are you feeling the hunger pangs?  What about the caffeine headache?

As I sit here reading The Place at the Table devotional for today, I am wondering how it happened that I was chosen to write a blog devotional on the very day that Chris Seay discusses his caffeine headaches in his blog.  Yesterday, I had about 10 ounces of coffee. That’s all. I know. It's amazing I am still breathing, right?

You see, I kinda like my coffee a certain way and that way is NOT black.  I thought I could do the black coffee thing but...I am not quite that desperate....yet. I contemplated making a coconut milk and orange sugarcane reduction, but I am pretty sure the poor people in the Dominican Republic are not drinking a fancy orange piña colada latte. So the caffeine headaches are a part of the journey and apparently Chris Seay has gone before us in this area and survived.

I have known about this fast for months.  I have known and have joked about how difficult it would be.  Now it's here and Day 2 was REALLY hard. I imagine that Day 4 is going to be hard as well. On Day 3 I learned about control.

I spend tremendous effort to control things I can't control. That now seems like a huge waste of time and energy. Yet here I am, trying to figure out how to magically remix a pumpkin spice latte.   When I use precious effort trying to control things I cannot, it takes a huge toll on my ability to sit at the feet of Jesus and to love others well.  Sigh.  Yet, when I realize I have no control and begin to let go - I grow.  When I grow it hurts and aches a little and when I am done growing...I get to buy new shoes (just kidding). No… I get more responsibility. Then I try to take control in that area, and then I get to learn that I don’t control that either, all over again. So here I am on Day 4 ready to let go of my coffee concoction and just wait to enjoy a real PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) on Sunday when it is Feast Day and until then I will listen for Jesus calling me to His feet.

Seriously?  It's only Day 4?  I need some coffee....on Sunday.

Video and Info for Day 3: Tools

Today we are reading the "Day 3: Tools" selection from A Place at the Table.
If you still need a book, there are no longer any copies available in the office. We have reached the limit we are allowed to order from Amazon and if we placed a bulk order from the publisher, it would take at least three weeks to arrive. You may either place an order on Amazon yourself for an individual book, here, or you may order the Kindle edition, which can also be read on any personal computer. It can be purchased here.

Here is today's video from Chris Seay and please read today's blog by our own Tonya Kipple.


DAY 03 from Chris Seay on Vimeo.

A FAST answer to prayer

In A Place at the Table:  

Day Three: Tools
Please pray for today's Dominican Republic child:
Christopher Medina

PBF Devotion

By Tonya Kipple

Children's Ministry Director

Tonya Kipple struggles with fasting joy.

I love all the food on the 40-day fast. In any given month, our family consumes these foods items multiple times. No problem, right? Well, as many of us have "sacrificed" today, and "only" eaten the approved fast food (not talking about McDonald's here) did anyone else feel deprived? Hungry for your snack foods? Wishing you had not totally committed to something quite this difficult? Found yourself making exceptions or re-thinking your dietary necessities? I did. Just a bit of a pity party. Not really a party, but more like a small social gathering.

I was reminded today of a story that a friend told me more than 25 years ago. There was a time in her life when she was raising four children by herself on a meager income.  The day arrived when the cupboards - and the refrigerator - were bare.  All she had was a stick of butter and a package of Jello. Totally despairing, she poured her heart out to God and asked for provision for her children.  It was truly a "give us this day our daily bread" prayer.  She left the house to take her hungry children to school with teary eyes. Upon returning home, there were bags and bags of groceries on her doorstep left anonymously. Talk about a FAST answer to prayer! 

As I remember that story, my complaining spirit seems pretty pitiful and I realized that a change of heart was in order.  I should not view this fast as something being taken away from me.  I should have an attitude of thanksgiving and praise for what God has provided. My prayer for daily bread should not just be for my own consumption but also for those in such desperate need. Thank you God for re-focusing this fast for me. 

As we pray for the children in the DR who do not daily experience all the creature comforts that we take for granted, may our hearts be keenly focused on the following:

• Thankfulness for God's daily provision in our lives.
• A desire to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
• An openness to what God is trying to teach us through this experience. 
• Gratefulness for the 64 children who attended Jammin' In Your Jammies this past Friday. Half of the children who attended were guests of those who regularly attend PBF! 
• Praise for the upcoming special presentation by COTN for our K-6th graders this next Sunday. Our elementary-aged children will be learning about "A Place At The Table" as well, and also being introduced to the I Love Baseball program. What a wonderful thing for families to learn and grow together! 

A foodie starts a fast

Day 2 

Place the Table Reading: Miracle Bread

Today we pray for Anderson Mateo

From Pastor Brent James

Today we are on the journey.

 Last night while I was reading the Day 1 devotion,  I had this thought, "Oh Brent, what have you got yourself into?"  I'm a foodie by nature.  I haven't been here in Kitsap quite yet a year and I could tell you my favorite places to get treats and some of my favorite restaurants. I was going to list some of those places and then thought, that's just cruel. Food is what I do!  It's what makes life better for me.  It's amazing how great food can make a day great and how the knowledge that you're going to be without great food by and large for 40 days can make life seem a little bland.  I have to remind myself that what I DO have for the next 40 days is a chance to grow closer to God.  When my stomach grumbles, I can be reminded of the kids in the Dominican Republic. But I can also use that grumble jumble to press into Jesus, and to pray for the needs of the D.R., to pray for the needs of Peninsula Bible Fellowship and to pray for the needs of my family and my home.  

Today I'm praying for a young man named Anderson Mateo who is a part of the I Love Baseball Program.  I'm praying for Peninsula Bible Fellowship that God would give us the grace we need to confess our sins and to humble ourselves.  I pray that God would give us a compassion and a zeal for the flourishing of the church and reaching the lost, both here in Kitsap County and in the D.R..  And that God would give us a yearning to know God, to see His face, to grab a glimpse of His glory.  I'm grateful this morning for the way that grapefruit and rice are aiding that cause!

Books, food packs still available

We still have packages of Children of the Nations food available in our office. There are currently six boxes from COTN, each containing 36 bags/family meals. If you would like to purchase several packages this weekend, please let us know promptly so we can have it on hand for you. Please email Heidi Evans here to have us set some aside.

We also still have copies of the book we are using for the study, A Place at the Table. If you would like a copy, please call us in the office at 360-692-6549 and we will set one aside for you.

The fast starts at sundown this Sunday. Start to prepare your heart for what will surely be a time of spiritual growth.