Touchdown Camp in Tracy 2021

Isn't it wonderful that camp has expand to Tracy?
That was recent in August 2nd to 6th 2021. Nothing is impossible indeed with Jesus! 

I love the way each camp has a theme for camp. For Tracy's it is God's Wonder Lab. 

Thank you everyone for making this possible for the kids. Setting up camp is a lot of work, funding and volunteers and with Jesus spirit that touch our hearts, anything is indeed possible! YES!

Verbo Touchdown Camp 2021- Rocky Railway

Praise God, we had an incredible summer camp event - the Rocky Railway–Touchdown Camp, with the kids in Redwood City, CA. We are so grateful to everyone who had contributed to the camp and enable us to have camp this summer for the kids. Whether it was funding or in volunteer in service, you are being so blessed for all your kindness and help. You know the Lord sees your good deeds and you will be rewarded.

Kids attending the camp event

Kids in masks for safety in CV19 season

Kids posing in front of handmade innovative train

Kids having lunch

More kids having spagetti

Kids collaborating at sports

Huh? What?

Rocky Railway camp theme on stage

Team leader professing

There is so much involvement in organizing the camp. Like the preparation of food for 3 days, preparing the backpacks, planning the itinerary for the 3 days, preparing the sports and crafts things, inviting people to come give inspirational talks, prepared the theme for the camp all in loo to teach the kids about Jesus, intermingle with each other, learn and discover. 

Food Preparation

Team Leader Volunteers

It is also amazing to see that the teen kids who attended the camp before, come back to lead the younger kids in the camp games or crafts. Camp really does good for the kids. It teaches leadership, responsibility, accountability, love, kindness, faith and hope. Camps gives opportunities and a safe heaven for our American children. 

Performance on Stage

After camp there was a Sunday service and the kids perform with all the life-stuffed animals on stage. Elaine, one of our board of directors gave a brief talk about what Project Lost Sheep was about and how the Lord touches our hearts to think of others instead of ourselves. 

Team leader speaking for the Lord

Cops giving a talk

After camp, kids saying a prayer of thanks

Summer Camp: Rocky Railway is Here!

So happy to announce that Verbo is having the annual Touchdown camp for "at risk" kids again this year. We have been having this Touchdown Camp for the past 10 years. It was amazing how we did it, and so many times, we did not have enough funds or food or volunteers but in the last minute, the Lord always comes through for us. Talking about faith, we are a walking testimony, ask everyone!

It was a hard time last year and we did not have camp for the kids with the pandemic and all. Patty Cardona is heading this camp in July 19th to July 23rd 2021. With the Lord's help, he comes through for us again. We ask for and appreciate more support in funds and volunteers. Thank you Everyone ahead of time!

This mission is important because we are building good moral and character in our kids by having these camp. It is not just play and crafts, we teach the love of Jesus in ways that kids can understand. Yes this is Bible based, for we believe that Jesus is about LOVE. Love God with all our hearts, minds and soul. Love our neighbor as ourselves by putting others first, is a very important part of child development.

We want our future Americans to be kind, giving, considerate, unselfish, caring, tolerant, everything that 1Corinthians:23 teaches us. Unlike the world as we know today, we have become more into ourselves and into the me... me... me syndrome. The world will become a better place if more of us think about others first, in the work place, at home, at church or social gatherings. Would you like that? I know I would!

Contact:

Patty Cardona

pattycardona@icloud.com

650-364-9621 • Work

Verbo Church in San Jose, CA - Open for Service

We love to announce that Verbo South Bay, San Jose is now open for worship. 

Please join us as we love to have you. 

All are welcome!

Address: 1670 Moor Park , San Jose

Date: Every Sunday 

Time: 2:00pm

Pastors: Edwin and Ivonne Millan

Let's help the kids with AmazonSmile

Help our kids by shopping through this link: smile.amazon.com to your AmazonSmile account and bookmark this page. Your donations will be helping kids in the scholarship programs next year, 2021. While you shop, Amazon will donate some funds to the kids.

More about AmazonSmile: http://smile.amazon.com/about

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT:  smile.amazon.com 

Thank you and you are a blessing!

Letter to Patty from Sofia

Dearest Patty,

I pray all is well with you and your family, I am so pleased to share with you a little testimony of something that I was able to do at my church in Bromley (London) because of the influence that Touchdown Camp had on me back in 2016 when I then served with you.

As a church, we had the opportunity to partner with Compassion UK. We organized a trip to Rwanda since we funded a Sanitation Block for one of the projects there and we also sponsor altogether 62 children.

Sofia Monterroso and the Rwanda children

In November of 2019, 10 members of BCC the Church and I were able to visit the Sanitation project, we also toured the different projects that we have supported, visit our sponsored children in Rwanda and establish how else we can help.

Before the departure I felt like there was a “missing link” that was necessary in order to connect the members of the church and those going on the trip to Rwanda.

The purpose of this “missing link” was to include in the trip and give an opportunity to our church family to "come with us" and contribute in making a difference.

I remember thinking to myself; “Is there anything that we could do together to bless the children and the people over there?”

That’s when I remembered Touch Down Camp. I remember how much I liked the idea of people going out of their way to Target or any other sort of supermarket to buy backpacks and school materials for those who are in need. Such a simple, yet great idea and act of service to provide that which is basic for every child that so easily includes people from in, and outside of the church.

Therefore, we ran for 4 weeks a campaign called “The Back-Pack Project” where we encouraged everyone to buy backpacks and all sorts of school materials (we provided a list), sports equipment since we were visiting different projects/schools and we also gave people the option to donate and raise money for this cause.

Mission Trip to Rwanda

Rwanda 2019 Mission Trip from BCC The Church on Vimeo.

At the end of the 4 weeks, we raised around £2200. We took with us 125 backpacks – 88 filled with school materials plus 37 empty backpacks with extra school materials in bulk, and also all sorts of sports equipment.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this email, I am so please to share with you the news since I want to encourage you because at the end, you never know how much your creative ideas birthed out of goodwill can influence and bless others beyond your circle.

Thank you Patty, for all the work you and your team do, and thank you for inspiring me to do likewise in other parts of the world. Keep up the good work and may God keep on blessing you all so that you continue to bless others.

Kindest regards,

Sofi

Passing of a Board Director Member, Barbara Siegal

Barbara Siegal was a good friend of mine before she joined the board. She was a business woman who loved retail stores and spent much of her life in that area with stores at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California.

I talked to her over coffee about joining Project Lost Sheep a number of times because I knew she would do a great job, once committed.

One day she said "yes". She was a board member for 10 years. She liked to donate pizzas to the camp feeding hundreds. She also advised Patty Cardona on the church kitchen upgrades. She got into the kitchen at our group dinner meetings and helped with food. She came to all our dinner meetings regularly and also invited the core group to meet at her house even when she became ill.

She was loyal to the end and all of us will miss her presence greatly. God bless her soul and may her soul rest in peace.

Jocelyn Pantoja's 2nd Scholarship

I went to the first touchdown back in 2004. I went as one of the campers for two years. After that, I went as a camp counselor. I have volunteered every year up to 2017. This year I was unfortunately not able to help each day as I have in the past. I am one of the youth leaders here at Verbo and have served in the ministry since I was 17 years old (9 years now). In addition, I was also a Sunday school teacher for several years and have recently been asked to help organize the ministry in order to better serve the children of Verbo church. I have been in the sound ministry since 2011 and have enjoyed it very much.

Left to Right: Jocelyn Pantoja, Susan Stevick, Patty Cordova, and Pastor Orlando Cardona,
at Verbo Church, Redwood City, CA

I was one of the first hired tutors for the Verbo Family Services program where I was able to connect with families from our community and assist students with their homework. I was unable to return the next school year as the hours interfered with other responsibilities I had.

As far as my education, I went to Clifford school from K-8, then Sequoia High school. I then went to Cañada College and graduated from there May 26, 2018. I was at Cañada from 2011-2018, the reason being I started working full time and it became very difficult to take classes that fit my work schedule. After many semesters taking only two classes at a time I was finally ready to transfer. Fall 2018 I started a new journey at San Jose State University where I am pursuing a bachelor’s in child and adolescent development. I will be the first in my family to receive a bachelor’s degree and even the first in my extended family. I have since then completed my first year at SJSU and have been invited to be a part of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor society due to my academic achievement as well as making the Dean’s list.

Although I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development and I have enjoyed the new challenges SJSU has tested me with, I plan to continue my studies after graduation. This Fall I will be applying for graduation as I meet the unit requirements and will graduate May of 2020. It is with much excitement that I share with you that I took this summer to prepare for the Law School Admissions Test and will be applying to attend Fall 2020. My hope is to help those children who like me, have had to put up with custody battles, foster care and abuse. It is simultaneously an exciting yet difficult season of my life but after months of sharing my desire to pursue this to God, I felt Him telling me to go for it.