OUTREACH OVERVIEW

By Michelle Martinez

The Kimberley & Bangladesh

Our time in The Kimberley was spectacular! The very first day we befriended the children in the community, whom returned faithfully every day until we left. Through many hours of playing sport, hand games, and much fun at the river we taught the children many things regarding relationships and how to treat one another. We also had small group time, with the 30-40 children, whom we took to pick up garbage around the community. Through our time there we saw a significant change in the kids’ behavior. They learned the importance of taking care of their community as well as treating one another well.
At a ladies meeting we heard how the adults had noticed the change in the children’s behavior. The ladies also thanked us for cleaning up their community. That night they organized themselves to start cleaning their community the very next day and also to visit the homes of the elderly to offer them help. It was a privilege to be in Looma at this time, because God had been transforming things before we even got there. The people of Looma shared many testimonies with us of the things God had done in the past year. We were honored to experience it and be part of what He is doing up in the Kimberley area.
In Bangladesh we were welcomed by amazing hospitality. Though there were cultural differences and language barriers, we were still able to connect with the Bengali people and show them God’s love. We interacted with university students; building relationships with them by sharing our experiences and listening to their stories. We also visited some villages where we were able to pray for patients at a clinic and taught at a preschool for two weeks. We taught them about God’s love and His plan for them through dramas. We also sang many songs and had lots of fun playing various games. On our last day there during a prayer walk, we got to pray for many people, saw two healings and 6 salvations!
We also met believers of different tribes, heard their stories, struggles and accomplishments. It was great visiting the different churches, encouraging the congregations and pastors, praying for them and with them.
As a sports team we also played lots of badminton. The boys organized football (soccer) games with the best teams in the area. We had a fantastic time seeing God move as well as experiencing what He is doing in different parts of the world!