Serve the City Recap

We have been back in Denver for a few weeks since leading a mission team to Amsterdam the first week of June. It was a great time working with Serve the City there. Our 11-person team spent four days painting apartments, serving the elderly, and helping to feed a crowd of volunteers every day. Special thanks to all of you who supported us!
       I am excited about the growing opportunities for The Isaac-Ishmael Initiative in reaching out to both Jews and Muslims in places such as France, Belgium, Scotland, Los Angeles, and Denver. I am in the midst of finalizing a Mission Proposal for this upon receiving input from some trusted advisors. In the next couple of months I will be sharing about this in our newsletter and elsewhere.
       Here are some photos from Serve the City and our time in Amsterdam:

       



With Grace, in Christ,
  

Brian and Susy

Crutches for Africa update...

Our trip was amazing, God provided Max, a Kenyan who is all american, big, black and fun to be with.  Our granddaughter Brooke called him Gigantor.  She felt very safe and protected by his presence.

He arranged TV interview, meetings, with head honchos of every description every where we went.

There were newspapers, radio stations, and all sorts of meetings with heads of communities we hope to distribute into.

About 9 reporters were at Bandera College where we had free storage before loading up the train in Mombasa to go to Nairobi.

 

We were given native costumes, baskets of mangos and a GOAT!

 

NO we did not kill and eat the goat.  We regifted it.

ahhhh recycled goat....ha ha.

We gave away over 3000 devices in three weeks overseeing at least 500 ourselves, personally one on one.

We were in so many places, city slums,

 

deep in the bush

 

   

the far country this was a shock to the woman who had never had anything given to her.

The toughest thing we ever have to face is when we cannot help someone, either because they are too twisted up by the ravages of polio,

  This was a sad moment when David got down on the ground and said "if we can do something we will do it, but right now I SEE YOU."

I think for the invisible people on the ground, in huts hiding, or abused and neglected, the greatest gift is to be seen.  To be counted as a person.  It shocks them and is hard to take.  The children are so used to the neglect and abuse they don't believe it and when they get a wheelchair they go into shock and disbelief.

  until now the grandmother had to carry this girl everywhere she could not scoot on her twisted limbs.  She only has one useable arm....

sometimes we ran out of what we needed.

We were in Kenya and Uganda. 

We got to see our sponsored orphan Oliva in Tororo, Ug.we met her in 2005.

David went to Rwanda to meet with the officials in charge of the shipment to the new government hospital to be arranged.

I was able to spend some quality time one on one with Brooke, our granddaughter from Tenn. who is 16.We were able to take a long safari in the Nairobi nature preserve, which is unfenced and full of many species of birds and wildlife.  Giraffes were prevalent, but we also saw lions up close and personal, thanks to Brookes perfect imitation of a bleating goat.

   

We all stayed well, ate plenty of "chips" french fries,

scrambled eggs, instant coffee, and samosas. 

Our favorite food was sugar bananas

Bottom line, we were blessed, kept safe despite horrible traffic and near misses on the road.  We also were blessed to deliver about 40 dresses from Dressagirlaroundtheworld.org.  That was "fly by the skirt" distribution for sure.  Out of van windows,

 then when wehad a van breakdown I dressed 5 kids!

.

Gave out about 90 devices at a remote location then about 12 dresses afterwards.

 

 

 

on our way home (36 hours) we had a layover for 8 hours in Chicago.

 glass floored deck of Sears tower, now Willis Tower....wild

 

  

thanks to all who participated, through giving, prayer, volunteering, or any other way.  We cannot do this alone, and it is growing by leaps and bounds.

Please share this with whomever and however you can so that people can see we are really grass roots, on the ground, face to face people who love what we have found to do.

Candice Talbot

Hands of the Carpenter Car Clinic

Hands of The Carpenter is hosting our July Car Care Clinic on Saturday, July 16, from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. The clinic will be held at our auto shop, Hands Automotive, located at 1510 Kendall St in Lakewood. This is one of our favorite events with volunteers, clients and staff all coming together with a sense of joy and purpose to serve the single parent and widow in need!  Please contact Dan at dan@ehands.org or call 303-526-4488 if you are interested in volunteering as one of our "mechanics." Whether you have little to no experience with oil changes and car care, or you are a veteran at -lending us a hand, we would love to have you join us! Register.  

Alternatives Pregnancy Center Prayer Requests

Pray an abortion-vulnerable client would make a life-affirming choice for herself and her unborn child as she makes her decision about her pregnancy. Pray for support from the father of the baby.

Pray that the Holy Spirit would soften the heart of an abortion-minded client that she would come to her ultrasound appointment this week and that it will have a positive impact on her decision.

Pray for a changed and renewed heart for a client who has been making unhealthy lifestyle choices throughout her pregnancy that she would begin making healthier decisions. Please also pray for safety for her and her baby.

Pray for the Holy Spirit's peaceful presence to envelop and bring healing to a client who has experienced the emotional pain of a miscarriage during her new pregnancy. Pray for a full term, healthy pregnancy. Thank you, Lord, for all the support and love surrounding this client.

Pray for peace in the life of a pregnant client, that she will be able to gain access to prenatal care and that her baby will be healthy and safe.

Praise the Lord for an abortion-minded client who recently decided to carry her child. Pray for courage as she tells her family and that they would surprise her with support for her decision. Pray for healing from a past abortion.

Pray for an abortion-minded client feeling overwhelmed by her difficult life circumstances to make it to her ultrasound appointment this week and that her heart would be open to what she sees on the monitor.

Pray for a strong support system and a healthy living environment in the coming months for a pregnant client who is unsure how the father of the baby will react to the pregnancy.

Pray for safety for a client in a potentially dangerous relationship and for wisdom and courage as she makes decisions about her relationship and her pregnancy.

Pray for courage and guidance for both the leaders and group members for the post-abortion ministry as two new groups will begin meeting this week.

Crutches for Africa...currently in Kenya

Dave and Candice are currently in Kenya distributing mobility devices.  Dave writes:
This is my new friend John.

He weighs 45 lbs and is 49 years old.

He is a polio victim.

The only thing that will help him is a baby jogger.

We have arranged for one to come over to Kenya for him this summer.

David

Hand of the Carpenter Updates--Praise God!

2 cars donated that we were able to gift to single mothers in need!

76 repairs thus far, with 57 unique clients!  How amazing what God is doing to help single mothers and widows in need.

104 total jobs, including our Car Care Clinic Clients.

An update on Fatuma – she is the woman that shared last Fall after Dan taught in church one weekend.   The last step in the Visa process of getting her three other children to America from Saudi Arabia  is an “exit interview”  one child has had their interview!  The other two are scheduled to interview soon.  This process has taken years- Fatuma has trusted in God to bring them “home” to her – LOMCC provided the finances for the airplane tickets.    thank you – as soon as they get here, they want to come and thank you personally.

Hands of the Carpenter-Prayer Requests

*Please pray for our Service Manager Ray for reoccurring health issues

*We previously served Denver and Jefferson County – we have temporarily narrowed it to Jefferson, so that we may serve Jefferson well, and then when we are able again, to expand to Denver County.    Please pray for single mothers and widows in Denver County – many have been frustrated and sad that we are not currently serving them.  I have had quite a few difficult conversations.  Please pray that I may love them well over the phone, as well as trust that the Lord will care for their needs.

*Please pray for continued financial provision!

*Please pray for the success and business and wisdom of Hands Automotive – pray for customers!  and for our mechanical staff there.

*Please pray for the hope and encouragement and faith of our clients – that God will be visible through the love and action of Hands and others

*Please pray for employment for our clients

*Please pray for two specific single mothers who have been waiting months for a donated vehicle

*PRAISE – for a successful Bowl-A-Thon!  Thank you Jesus!