FYI

Families, here is the return flight information:

Phoenix to Dallas: American Airlines flight #1574

Dallas to Ft. Lauderdale: American Airlines flight #1386
- scheduled to arrive 6:57 pm

Click here to track the flights.

Halfway Home

Just to update you all, we are in the Dallas airport and things are gong well. Everyone is very tired but getting some sleep on the plane. Thank you for all of your prayers! We are looking forward to seeing you all.

Near the End

Near the Edge
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

After finishing breakfast we made sure that we got all our food for lunch back in the vans along with the rest of our luggage (as much as we would like to ditch half our luggage at this point!) After yesterday's shopping run we all have lots of trinkets and collectables that we are packing for our families, supporters and of course ourselves. :-) We finally figured out how to pack all of our "stuff" into the vans and headed out from our lodge. We couldn't just leave though, we had to make a last shopping run and bathroom break at the Mazwik cafeteria. We all unloaded and marched ourselves back for another shot at becoming more broke than before. Most were able to find some wonderful items of value and significance. We then emptied all parties from the restroom and headed away from the lodge area. We made a final stop at the rim for a glance at the Grand Canyon during full light. The spot was great with a good panoramic view and a lower ledge that most were willing to venture for the sake of excitement and a good photo op. We even saw a few hats that previous climbers had lost by getting to close to the edge. At that point we decided that we would just concentrate on our group photo and hit the road. Poor Dan M wasn't feeling well at all so he stayed in the van. We think he had food poisoning. (Note: he is feeling better now and is heading to bed, happy that we are on our way home tomorrow) When we were finished with our last photo shoot and glance at the beautiful wonders of our Savior we loaded back up and got onto the road. We prepared ourselves for a long ride back to Phoenix. The winding roads slowly led to the straight and narrow highway by which we were able to hit cruising speeds (of 55 miles per hour or so) :-) and really cover some distance. About 12:30 pm we stopped to get gas and some ice for our lunch-time drinks. Across the street we saw the Flinstones cafe and lodge. (maybe we will stay there next year (JK)) We drove and drove some more until we hit a rest stop about 15 miles north of Flagstaff. Lunch was served a-la-picnic-table and we munched away. The guys and girls sat at separate tables and engaged in unforgettable conversations (don't ask though) until they were physically stuffed with food and emotionally stuffed with memories. We cleaned up and picked up shop once again heading for Phoenix. We made it back to the Southwest Indian Ministry Center around 5:15 in time to find the temperature at 118 Fahrenheit!!!!! Wow!!!! Faith had a great idea to fry an egg on the pavement. After a little toil we located an egg and went to task. We found soon that frying an egg on pavement doesn't work quite as easily as in the movies. At least Faith had the opportunity to try it after four years. It was worth the wait. The Andrews family arrives soon after with homemade Indian fry bread tacos, yummy. We ate and talked about the day's adventure. The Andrews family stuck around to engage us in some recap and debriefing asking us what our most difficult moments were as well as the items we were most thankful for. Each member had a turn to share as we partnered in tears and laughs. Gifts were exchanged between the Andrews family and our team before we said our final goodbyes. It was bitter sweet for all. Next year can't come fast enough but at the same time we are all ready for a break. The evening was filled with t-shirt writing, the cup game, van washing, and 7/11 slurpee run. We are getting ready to call it quits for the night right now at 11:00 pm our time. Wake up call is around 5:00 am as we head back to the airport and off to meet all of our families and support crew. Many thanks to all who made this trip possible. We are ready and waiting to share with you all our memories, funny stories and lessons that God has taught to us through this journey of faith. God Bless you and don't forget to pray for clear skies, no flight delays and lots of sleep on the airplane. We love you and miss you all.

PJ-52

Everything Grand

I apologize for the late update and the lack of picture. Hopefully I will have more later today. We woke up yesterday and had a HUGE breakfast of eggs, bacon and quesadillas. We then packed up, cleaned the dorms, and headed out to the Grand Canyon. We were planning on having an Indian frybread lunch but we had such a huge breakfast so late that we weren't really hungry when we got there. We stopped at a trading post and did a lot of shopping, and then we visited some genuine Natives and bought some souvenirs from them. We headed to the canyon and the drive was absolutely beautiful. It felt like we were driving in a picture. When we got there everyone was very hungry, so we ate lunch/dinner in the cafeteria. The food wasn't too good but it filled our stomachs. We then caught a shuttle to Hopi Point where we watched the sunset. It was unbelievable, and to think that God does that every day! We had a lot of laughs and it was very fun. When we got back we unpacked our stuff and got settled. Then we had about an hour of debriefing about the trip. We talked about what we learned, how we felt, and how it would change us. Then we went outside to the rim and layed down and just stared at the millions of stars. There were so many! We saw somewhere around 6 shooting stars. We then did some praise and worship with Dan B. on the guitar. The whole experience was powerful. When we got back to the rooms everyone crashed. We did, however, wake up at 4:45 to watch the sunrise. We had to take a 10 minute hike on the rim, but it was beautiful. As I speak now, everyone is just waking up again and getting breakfast. Today we view the canyon more and head back to Phoenix. Thank you for all of your prayers and please continue to pray for travel safety. We miss you all.

Blog Away

Thank you all for your comments! We have really enjoyed them. Tonight we will be at the Grand Canyon and there is a chance that we will not be able to get a connection. Just hang tight and we will update you as soon as we are able. Thanks!

Snow in the Snowbowl

Caleb's first snowball
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Hello My name is Bradley Andrews and I've been hanging out with the team for this past week. I am the son of Mike and Eileen Andrews.

Today the guys woke and left the Indian Bible College about 8:00 a.m. (Pacific time) to help finish cleaning the camp that we had the VBS. We got to to see some of the kids that we worked with before they left the camp. The guys were really happy to see them. While we were there we swept the cabins out and cleaned them. We then cleaned the boys and girls bathrooms and mopped them. When we we got done cleaning we all left in the same van and headed to a gas station to pick up drinks just for the guys. Vinnie got his coke and everyone else basically got Arizona ice tea. I do not know the difference between Arizona tea and Florida tea. It all taste the same to me.

Anyway the guys got back to the Indian Bible College about an hour later from when we left. We may have set a record time. Then the guys went to the Salvation Army Store (We did this quite a few times today) and raided the donations that were dropped off and bought some nifty clothes and interesting things like a quesedilla maker, hats and other stuff, slide projector screen. We then ate breakfast. Then got back and everyone got ready for this morning service.

We then left the Indian bible College at about 10:30 a.m. and went to a Kinlani Church of the Nazarene. We sang a couple of songs in Navajo. The team did a special and sang Lord I Lift Your Name on High. The sermon was very powerful. It was about Devotions (Psalm 119: 25-32). We then left the church and went back to the Indian Bible College. We then had lunch and had my parents Mike and Eileen and Andrews came over to eat with us. We ate leftovers from the previous meals. Then my parents left to go back to Phoenix but my sister Bethany stayed. Then we started to get ready to go to the snowbowl ski lift.

It took us about a half an hour to get there. We got our tickets and went up the ski lift. We rode in groups of two or three. Boys with boys and girls with girls. I rode with Pastor James and Dan M. It took about a half an hour to get up the ski lift. Faith challenged people to a spitting contest. Caleb dropped his bag but we got it back later. Also, Caleb got to see, touch, play, and throw snow for the first time in his life. We all enjoyed the snow. It was really awesome to see Gods creation from the top of the mountain. We then headed down the mountain. We talked most of the way. When we got down the mountain Pastor James bought us soda.

We then went back to The Indian Bible College and basically everyone chilled out and did laundry. Aleks, Faith, and I went to go shopping. We then ate and people were still doing laundry and started to clean. Daniel M. is collecting bugs and naming them. Everyone now is either packing for the Grand Canyon tomorrow or is playing games.

Well I think that's pretty much what happened today. It was a great day of fun.
Hello to all the people in Boca.

Goodbyes

IMG_0098
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Posted by Kelley:

Our last session of VBS! The day started with a devotion from Mark 10:13-16 about how we should be like children when we enter the Kingdom of God. It related to the day because we can learn things about God through a child's innocence and trust. After breakfast, we headed off to the camp El Nathan where we were joyfully greeted by kids. After some free time, we proceeded into the chapel where we sang some fun songs to wake us up. Relay races followed Nicole's testimony. A yummy edible craft of making "joyful faces" with Twizzlers, Oreos, and M&M's was tons of fun. After the craft, a crazy game was played where the object of the game was to be the first person to put on a frozen t-shirt. It was very funny to watch! More songs and testimony's from Heather and Daniel Montgomery filled the day before a monstrous lunch! Lunch was leftover lasagna from last night, leftover chinese from wednesday, fresh hot dogs, and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. What a feast! We were back at the camp at 2:00 for a volleyball game and preparation for the evening's concert. After enjoying a bluegrass music concert around 6, we cleaned up the camp and headed back to Indian Bible College. Mixed emotions filled the hearts of us as we said goodbye to the children that we put all our energy into serving the past few days. We were happily surprised to find out that Pastor James was taking us all out to Dairy Queen and allowing a 2 am curfew where we dug splinters out of each other!!!

IMG_0097

IMG_0097
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Just got back...the VBS was great! This morning was our last session. More pictures and updates to come.

A Day Full of Smiles

Day Full of Smiles
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Posted by Dan B:

Hey everybody! Today was quite the day! Dr. Luis Alvarado flew out today early in the morning, and he was given sincere goodbyes from each and every member of our team.
We all wish he could have stayed! Dr. Alvarado was a HUGE help and will be dearly missed for the remainder of the trip. Since today was an almost all day event, the team was all up very early. After a quick breakfast, we loaded up the vans and yet again faced Pastor James Nolette's aggressive and sometimes dangerous driving abilities. Luckily, no injuries were sustained to any team member and we all arrived in El Nathan camp in one piece. Facing a full day, we set up as familiar kids and new faces arrived at El Nathan. We rehearsed dramas, music and any other last minute kinks in the planned itinerary. After a brief playtime, we called in our group which was very small. This was no hinderance our usual humorous atmosphere of games and music with goofy motions. We started out with an opening review, followed by an egg toss. Kelley Naus shared an early morning testimony, and then more playtime! More songs ensued, with camp favorites such as "River of Life" and "Milk." We always crank up the speed of the song each time we sing it, and the kids really get into it, jumping up and down and watching Heather and Jackie do the hilarious hand motions. I even struggled for composure playing the guitar, and then eventually burst out into laughter! The morning session was a true success, and we said a brief goodbye as we departed for lunch back at Indian Bible College. A delicious sandwich buffet was prepared for a hungry and tired team. Rejuvenated, we geared up and headed back to El Nathan where we used a 24" inflated softball, making softball history in a camp wide game. After the game, we headed back the Indian Bible College at 3:30, where we enjoyed a lasagna and Caesar salad on the side. We had some down time, and cooking teams went shopping for candy and other things needed for the evening session at El Nathan. At 6:30, we headed over, and met an excited group of Indian kids ready to have fun. Vinnie was most entertaining with his "simon says" games with the kids. Then came evening testimonies with Jacqui and Vinnie. Music followed, with songs such as "My Redeemer Lives" and "Lord I Lift Your Name On High." Daniel M. had several games including kids putting shaving cream on their faces, and kids seeing how long they could keep an alkaseltzer pill mixed with sprite in their mouths! Then a special campfire time was started, and the whole camp was singing again, with Bethany Andrews and me switching off guitars and singing. We enjoyed a hilarious game involving James and Caleb, imitating motorcycle rides. The night was closed out with some more review and a closing prayer, ending yet another successful and blessed day at El Nathan.

Pictures of the Morning

IMG_0065
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

We just came back from the morning session and are on lunch break. Click on the photo to see more photos from this morning.

One more Request...

Today is a very physically demanding day for the team. Please pray for strength and endurance as we go through the day. Thank you!

Hanging with the Kids

Hanging with the Kids
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Posted by Faith:

What a day! It started off great...we woke up and had a great cereal breakfast. We got together as a group and discussed our devotions, and then we tackled planning the first VBS. We figured it out and began running errands to pick up items that we needed for the night. We were supposed to meet the Andrews family in the afternoon for orientation, but they got a nail in their tire and had to drive back to Phoenix. After prayer, they made it safely to flagstaff. We helped CHIEF set up for the conference. Afterwards we had some free time so we just hung out as a group. We finally had our orientation and came back for a great dinner of Cheeseburger Pasta and Mexican food made by Dr. Alvarado. It was wonderful! We packed up our stuff and headed to the conference grounds to work with the children. It was an amazing night. Almost everything we planned went smoothly. The kids loved the skits and the games and Daniel M talked about what true joy is. We had lots of free time with the kids and got to develop relationships with them. It was interesting to hear what some of the kids believed and what was part of their culture. Please pray for them. I talked to one particular girl who seemed open to Christ but had not yet gotten to know Him. I think that this could be a great opportunity for us. Thank you all for your prayers, we really felt them today and we are very thankful. Please also pray for Pastor Alvarado, as he travels home tomorrow to prepare for the Brazil trip. We returned to the dorms after the tiring night with the kids and Pastor Alvarado had bought us ice cream as a special good-bye. We will miss him greatly. Thank you all for the comments...we are really enjoying them!

Prayer Requests...

Here are some prayer requests for today:

Flexiblity-being able to deal with change
Organization for VBS-getting all of the details together
Energy-keeping enthusiastic for the kids
Our first session with the kids is tonight!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Splashing at Slide Rock

Splashing at Slide Rock
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Posted by Jacqui and Heather:

Today we woke up and cleaned out our dorms at Southwest Indian Bible Ministry Center. We soon departed to CHIEF to help load up stuff for El Nathan camps. After leaving CHIEF we headed over to Slide Rock in Sedona. After about an hour and a half at Slide Rock we came to Flagstaff and got settled in at Indian Bible College. Around 7ish we headed over to an Indian Native Church. When the service was over we went to the store to buy food. All in all it was an AWESOME day. Thanks for your prayers.

Arriving!

IMG_0007
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Safe and Sound!

Hey It's Eric and Vinnie,

Shortly after we arrived @ Ft. Lauderdale we were riding on the wheelchairs in the terminals. (James doesn't know about that) Our plane was delayed for about 1 hour so we were behind an hour the rest of the time, then we flew safely to Dallas, Texas where we snacked on Auntie Annes and Starbucks and soon after left for our final destination, Phoenix, Arizona. We got the worst seats in the world, NO WINDOW and RIGHT NEXT TO THE ENGINE. NO JOKE!!!! But we did meet Robin our lovely flight attendant who made us feel @ home. Despite the loud roar of the engine in our ears the whole time. We did make it safely to our destination in Phoenix, Arizona. We arrived at approximately 5:00 and met the Andrew's they were nice. They gave us a place to sleep and we are just settling down to go to bed. We have to go ttyl. BYE!!!!!

...and they're off!

Departing at Last
Originally uploaded by brccarizona.

Posted by Joanne Wilson:

After months of training and preparation, the team has finally departed for Arizona! They met at church at 8:30 am for prayer, some final hugs from Mom & Dad, the first of many loadings of their suitcases into vans, and the drive to Ft. Lauderdale airport for their noon flight. A quick check of their flight status online tells me that the first flight was delayed by 45 minutes, but already God has provided: the connecting flight in Dallas was delayed as well, allowing them extra time to make the connection between different terminals at Dallas airport.

IF the team is able to get an internet connection at Southwest Indian Ministries Center tonight, we can look forward to a late blog posting. Please keep in mind the time difference...many of us will be sound asleep back East by the time they post to the blog each night throughout the trip!

Let's pray for the drivers to get an excellent night of sleep tonight, as they face some of the most challenging driving on Wednesday, climbing 5,000 feet in 150 miles from Phoenix to Sedona to Flagstaff.