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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

GREG'S MARCH 2011 NEWSLETTER: LA LLAMA, VOL 7


BLESSINGS FROM CHILE!! Below you’ll find a summary of what we’ve been doing in March with Fuego Urbano, as well as the first of more videos I’ll be posting on my Blog in the future. And thank you so much because your prayers and financial support are what allow us to do everything we do!!

FIRST: Pepe went to Brazil for the last 2 weeks of March to teach at a conference about how to use sports as evangelism, outreach, and service to the community. Six Brazilian churches paid for him to fly out there and teach them, and he says that so far it has gone amazing. We hope to establish partnerships with some of these churches, which would be really exciting.

SECOND: Guillerme is a young Brazilian soccer player who worked with Pepe & Gislaine in the 'Mas Que Vencedores' (MQV) sports programs they ran in the very dangerous ‘favelas’ of Brazil during the years they lived there. He recently came to Chile to try-out for Chilean professional soccer teams and is hopeful he’ll get a chance to play next season, since it hasn’t worked out this season. He wants to stay in Chile and has joined our Fuego Urbano team, helping us with all our sports-programs last summer and now with everything we’re going to do this year. He is paying his own room and board and is now living with us too. Here is a picture of him on the left, with Felipe and Alberto (who is one of the region’s best tennis players) on the right. Please pray that Guillerme will make a professional team here in Chile next season as that would be awesome for him, and open even more doors for Fuego Urbano as well. 

Guillerme, Felipe, Alberto
THIRD: March has been a bit slower program-wise because the kids all go back to school and we needed a bit of a break after our fairly intense summer MQV Sports Programs. As a result, for the month of March we’ve been organizing and hosting soccer games for the community on Tues & Thurs afternoons, while skating in the skatepark with the kids on Wed, Fri, & Sunday afternoons, leaving Sat evening for our Fuego Urbano meetings.  Its been cool to see our core group start to solidify in their faith and in their commitment to God, us, Fuego Urbano, and one another. Please pray that process will continue and that the group would continue to grow in both depth and numbers. Here’s a picture of Pepe teaching a few weeks ago at Fuego Urbano when we finished our MQV Sports Program:


FOURTH: Thanks so much to those of you who gave towards our ‘3 Special Needs’ (see last month’s update) for 1) the trailer to haul Fuego Urbano sound & music equipment, 2) the mini half-pipe, and 3) the beds for Pepe, Gislaine, & Gabriel. We bought the ramp ($300) and assembled it in our backyard (see video below), and it has opened lots of doors among the skaters because they all want to come to our house and skate the ramp. We’re trying to take advantage of it by inviting some of the skaters who are harder to reach and more closed off in general, so please pray God would help us to do just that. As for the beds, we’ve purchased them ($300) but have only covered about half their cost so far, owing another $150 or so. And as for the trailer ($700-$1000), we have no $$ as of yet for it. Therefore I’d like to ask again for you to pray God would provide these for us, and also pray about being part of God’s provision for them if it’s within your ability and desire to do so. I’d also like to add a 4th item to this list: we really want to buy Fuego Urbano shirts and sweatshirts but haven’t been able to because they would cost about $300-$500 for a bulk order. But these shirts would allow Fuego Urbano to become well known among the community since all the kids who see the designs we have for them want one to wear. We hope to get free publicity by the simple act of having our Fuego Urbano youth wear them, which would help get the word out Fuego Urbano, who we are, and what we do. Also, we have lots more in store for April & beyond, including new sports and community programs so please pray God would draw people to Him through them. And here’s a short video (the first of more to come in the future) of us putting together the mini half-pipe:


SIXTH: As always there are 2 ways you can give financially to Fuego Urbano: 1) Online Payments on my Blog by clicking the 'Donate' button on the right of your screen; 2) Checks made out to ‘Fishers of Men Fellowship’ and sent to: ‘Fishers of Men Fellowship’, PO Box 9284, Newport Beach, CA 92658

Thanks so much for all your continued love, prayers, encouragement, and support!!
Greg Haugh & Jose, Gislaine, and Gabriel Eyzaguirre