Puerto Rico

Hello Friends,

It is with much joy that we write this mission trip follow-up letter to you.  We have just finished our second mission trip for this summer.  In June we went to Anchorage, Alaska for the first ever Baptist Deaf camp.  We were invited by the Alaskan Baptist Convention to come to North Star Bible Camp.  We had a weekend camp and it was great.  This camp was for children and youth.  We had about 48 people including some volunteer helpers.  The Lord did really bless and two youth were saved.  We had Bible lessons during the day and church in the evening.  We had craft time in the afternoon and play time later in the afternoon.  We took the sign language beads and made key chains.  This was a great enjoyment for them as they had never seen these beads before.  The children and youth really seemed to enjoy themselves and overwhelmingly agreed that we must have this camp every year.  We pray that the Lord has allowed us to be a part of a great begiining for a long time continuing Deaf Camp in Alaska.  On the last day, we gave out the Evange Cubes to everyone along with free Bibles.  The Deaf in Alaska had never seen the Evange Cubes and they were so awed with them.  The Gospel was spread through Anchorage through friends, family and neighbors with the Deaf showing everyone the Evange Cubes.  Praise the Lord for Buddy Hulsey's Sunday School Class for providing these Evange Cubes for us.  We had one child about 10 years old in our group who is terminally ill.  Please add her name to your prayer list, Jessica Walker.  We made sure she was loved and enjoyed her first Deaf Camp, because it may be her only one.

This was our first trip to Alaska so everything was new to us.  We both agree that this is truly God's country.  Toppy said it must be where God rested on the seventh day.  God's handiwork is all around every directions you look.  The camp we used was new and it was beautiful.  We were far out from the city on an unpaved road where the animals roamed freely.  The weather was fantastic.  It was about 60 degrees with a nice breeze in the day and it was about 40 degrees in the evening hours.  We had 24 hour sunlight, which explains why everything is so green and growing.

We met some wonderful leaders and teachers of the Deaf children and youth.  Such sweet and dedicated people serving the Lord.  We trust that we have made friends that we will see every year as we are allowed to return to Alaska for Deaf camp.  Rev. Rodney Webb was our camp pastor and he did an outstanding job teaching and preaching to the Deaf.

Then, less than 30 days later, we flew to Puerto Rico where the weather is opposite.  It was a very tropical hot and we only had one afternoon of rain to cool everything for a short time.  We were up early and back to bed late.  We had 71 at this family camp including the Deaf and the volunteer workers.  Toppy was our security guard and prayer walker.  He came in to bed in the early hours of the morning after walking the campgrounds watching and praying.  He got up the next morning after a few hours of sleep and started again.

I taught a Bible class every morning and afternoon of 22 Deaf leaders.  I had all the Deaf Mission church leaders in my class and we taught them "Walk in Obedience" lessons.  Everyone in the class got involved in the lessons as we analyzed verses and learned how to be obedient servants.  After lunch we had craft and game time.  We were in charge of the crafts and had already shipped nine boxes of craft materials.  It is always so amazing to see how God has gifted the Deaf with creative skills.  They always come up with their own ideas of how to use the craft materials that we did not even think about.  We had written the Bible lessons in the Spring and had sent them to Puerto Rico to be translated into Spanish.  So everyone had a copy of the lesson in their preferred language.  However, most of the Deaf in Puerto Rico cannot read or write by they take Bibles, lessons, Gospel tracts, Evange Cubes and teaching pictures back home and share them with everyone.  This is a big part of spreading the Gospel in Puerto Rico even beyond the Deaf.  The Lord is so good to allow us to go back year after year and be a part of these precious people's lives.

In Deaf Camp in Puerto Rico we had seven Deaf saved and nineteen rededications.  We had several commitments to become leaders and teachers in their Deaf Mission Churches.  We had nine come forward to be baptized.  We had taken picture Bibles, New Testaments, and Gospel tracts in Spanish and English for everyone and some friends made ball caps for us with "Obey God" printed on the front.  The Deaf loved the ball caps and the Bibles and tracts.  They are always so appreciative of everything we give them.

On Saturday morning just before we had to leave the camp to drive two hours to the airport, we were asked to be in the chapel for the morning Bible reading and prayer time.  We made time to go, knowing we had to leave quickly after the meeting.  We were very surprised when we were awarded a special clock with a plaque honoring us for 10 years of attending Deaf Camp in Puerto Rico.  It is a beautiful hand-carved wooden clock in the shape of the island with the "I love you" hand sign on the front.  We felt so humbled and undeserving of this award.  It has been a joy to go and serve along side other missionaries and volunteers every year.  Little did we think or expect that when we went to that first Deaf Camp that we would be going back for the next 9 years.

God is so good and faithful to allow us to go to two Deaf Camps this summer.  We always try to carry Bibles, lesson materials, crafts, games, volunteers, and so many other things but most of all we carry our love for the Deaf.  We carry hearts full of Jesus and love for one another.

Just one week before Deaf Camp in Puerto Rico, our sweet sister in Christ and missionary friend, Teresa Santiago was badly burned when her stove exploded in her face.  We put out a plea for prayer and financial support for Teresa and you all so graciously answered that plea.  We cannot thank you  enough for how you have consistently supported our mission trips year after year.  The Lord has used you as "senders" and us as "goers".  We know that God will richly reward you and your heavenly rewards will most likely be more than ours.  You supplied the crafts, Bibles, games, ball caps, as well as funds for Teresa.  All those who were saved, or made any type of commitment to the Lord are because of you.  For sure, you will have jewels in your soul-winners crown!

We can say with David.  "The Lord has done great things for us, whereof, we are glad." (Psalm 126:3)

Continue to pray for us and for Teresa Santiago.  Pray for the Deaf in Alaska and in Puerto Rico.  There will be many in heaven that you will never meet here on earth, but you will meet them dancing around on streets of gold.  They will give you a big hug and thank you for sending the Gospel to them.

God bless you all and we send hugs, love, and blessings,

Paula and Toppy Ellerbee

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