PBF Youth

We have arrived in beautiful Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Somos Gente (our lodging and partner for the week) to get some rest and start our day early tomorrow. Can't wait for what God's going to do.

This glorious morning we are worshiping with our brothers and sisters of Lajas. Thankful for the empty tomb.

We did a prayer walk in the Añasco community this afternoon, and it was incredible! Met some super friendly neighbors who welcomed us with open arms. Plus, we had the chance to pray over several people, spreading the good love of God. Such a heartwarming experience! 

We wrapped up our day with some really uplifting words from Christian. Then, we all came together for some worship. We loved worshiping together after a solid day. Let's gear up for an awesome week ahead, expecting great things from God!

Ramon, an elderly man whose parents passed away, inherited a house that needs a lot of work. We are taking all the furniture out and scraping the ceiling to be ready for paint. There were some idols that he had inherited, and he is allowing us to destroy them!

This morning was a real blessing. We all worked hard to help out Carmen, a lovely lady from our community. Her house got a good cleanup, and we made some serious progress! Carmen's got stories for days, and we had some heartwarming moments chatting with her. Plus, we had the privilege to pray over her, which was really special. There's still more to do, but we're keeping our fingers crossed that she'll let us keep going and make her home even more comfortable. Keep Carmen in your prayers! 

This morning some of us are in a community in Moca at an elderly couple's home. We are tearing up a wall and cleaning outside. We're blessed to have been able to help this family, meet them and make their home look beautiful. 

Puerto Rico Somos Gente is not only a community center, but also a shelter in times of need. We are starting to build 6 more showers that would expand their capacity to 100 individuals in times of need! We are right now working on the foundation.

Puerto Rico Somos Gente is established on former school grounds. One of these classrooms is going to be used as a digital library. However a lot of tiles are damaged. We are carefully removing them so we can, in the future, install new ones!

We are back in the afternoon and we are making great progress! We recruited more hands, and we are working together like a well oiled machine!

In Ramon's house we are continuing the scraping of the roof. We are also taking time to get to know our new friend, and we are so happy he's having a blast with us! This is what's all about!

Today, we're thrilled to continue our efforts in making Carmen's home a more comfortable place to live. We arrived with smiles and determination, ready to tackle the tasks ahead.

Not only did we make progress on cleaning her home, but we also brought along cat food for all of her furry friends. Carmen's face lit up with joy at the sight of the generous gesture, and her appreciation warmed our hearts.

Seeing Carmen greet us with open arms and witnessing her happiness at the progress being made fills us with gratitude and motivation to keep pushing forward.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Carmen and our project. Your support means the world to us. Please continue to keep Carmen in your thoughts and prayers as we work towards completing this meaningful project.

After a very tasty meal, we are now visiting Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal MI Bo Ovejas. It is a nearby church, which Puerto Rico Somos Gente has been collaborating with for a few years. As soon as we enter they are greeting us as friends, as family that haven't visited in a while. We are speaking of faith, and we are also sharing testimonies and worship. You could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit!

 After a couple days of removing tiles we are now adding new tiles. We can't wait to see the final result.

After some final digging, we are now  starting to put on plumbing for the Puerto Rico Somos Gente showers we're starting. We're so excited to see the progress. 

Over the past three days, our team has been hard at work transforming Carmen's house in Añasco. Today marked the culmination of our efforts as we put the finishing touches on our project, leaving her home more comfortable. We had a blast throughout the process, bonding with Carmen over her hilarious cat anecdotes and love for Christmas. Saying goodbye wasn't easy; tears were shed as we prayed together, promising to keep Carmen in our hearts and prayers. As we part ways, we're reminded of God's love for Carmen and pray that she always feels His presence and comfort. We'll miss her dearly!

In the afternoon we're taking on the task of painting new parking lines at Puerto Rico Somos Gente. With this the parking can be used by volunteers and the community that come into the organization. 

At Puerto Rico Somos Gente, we 're also doing some tree cutting. This organization is a light to this community and we love that we're able to help their rescued school (turned offices) reflect that.

After all of today's hard work we are getting Frappés, a delicious, sweet, milkshake kind of drink. We thank Joseph, director of Puerto Rico Somos Gente for showing it to us.

After our visit to the mayor, we quickly got back to work! We are finishing up some projects, making sure we leave a great impact on this community that has welcomed us with open arms. One of these projects is a little more tree cutting at the front of Puerto Rico Somos Gente headquarters.

Plumbing is done! Now we're working on leveling the ground so that later on cement can be poured there. We're grateful for progress and the difference that we've seen from when we started.

It's been a wonderful week of ministry here in Puerto Rico. We know that whatever we did was for the glory of God and to bless Añasco and definitely we've been blessed too. Closing out our week, we're now at Balneario de Añasco contemplating God's beautiful creation.

We are wrapping up our time in Puerto Rico on a high note. Today we savored a mouthwatering Puerto Rican dinner featuring rice with pigeon peas, pasteles, potato salad, and green salad. And let's not forget the delightful tembleque for dessert! Before digging in, the president of the board of Puerto Rico Somos Gente shared some heartfelt words of gratitude for our week of service. It was the perfect way to cap off our unforgettable experience, and we're already missing the flavors and warmth of Puerto Rican hospitality.

After the delicious dinner, we're having a bonfire. We're sharing our experiences during this trip and what we're thankful for. This trip was filled with God moments and memories we'll remember always.

We're headed to Old San Juan but we didn't want to leave before praying over Joseph, his family and ministry. We're grateful for his partnership this week and all the work he does for his community.