MATT AND APRIL SYKES - Grace M · 2019. 2. 24. · MATT AND APRIL SYKES Dear Friends and Family, It...

November 2017

MATT AND APRIL SYKES

Dear Friends and Family, ItisawesometolookbacktoJuly2015whenI(Matt)movedtoPuertoRicotoliveandserveherefull-time.LittledidIknowthat in just over two years, I would not only take over for my boss, but I would also get married! Just a few weeks ago, on October20,IwentbeforetheGraceMinistriesInternationalboardandwasapprovedasamissionary.Thenextday,Imar-riedmywife,April,aGMImissionary.AprilandIarenowlivinginBarrioSingapur,JuanaDíaz,atthesamelocationwhereAprilrunstheafter-schoolcenter,ClubMaravilla.ForthoseofyouwhodonotknowwhatIdo,mytitleisMissionAdventureTeamsDirector(MATDirector).ThatmeansIhelpmissionteamsserveatCampCaribeandinthecommunitysothatotherscancometoknowChristand/orgrowintheirfaith.Thiscanhappeneitherdirectly from the team working face-to-face with the community orindirectlybysupportingtheministryofCampCaribethroughphysicalprojectstobetterthecamp.WhileAprilandIhavetwodistinctministries,wehavetheprivilegeofservingGodtogether.Apriloftenhelpsmehostmissionteams,andmanymissionteamstakepartintheministryatclub.IalsohelpAprilwithclubwheneverpossible.WebothattendIglesiaBíblicadeJuanaDíazand are looking for ways to get more involved in the church as wellasforthechurchtogetmoreinvolvedatClubMaravilla. As I’m sure all of you know, Puerto Rico was recently impact-edbyHurricaneMaría.CampCaribewasaffectedbyrain,wind,andstormsurge.Welostmanymetalawnings,aswellasmost

oftherooftoourchapel.Nearlyallthebuildingswereflooded,withawaterlinearound8inchesfromtheground.Inthebarrio,somewatermadeitintotheafter-schoolcenter,butnotintoourhouse.Wealsohadseveraltreesfall.Onefellontheroofofour house and cracked the roof, one fell on an add-on that was recently done to club, and some large branches fell and covered ourcar.Fortunately,itdoesnotappearthatthebranchesdidanydamage to the car, but it did get bad water damage and we do notthinkitissalvageable.Sincethestorm,wehaveworkedoncleanupbothatcampandatclub. At camp, we have hauled debris, squeegeed water, cleaned layers of mud from buildings, killed mold with bleach, cut trees, andmuchmore.Atclub,someofthesupplieswereruinedbywaterdamageandhadtobethrownaway.Wehaveworkedtocleartreestogetclubsafeenoughtoreopen.WereopenedbeforeAprilandIleftfortheStatesforourwedding.Whilewewere gone, we had a few volunteers keep it open at least two daysaweek.Inthisfirstweeksincewehavebeenback,wewereabletohaveclubopenforthreeafternoons.Honestly,wefeelalittlebitoverwhelmedbetweentryingtogetcampbackupandrunning,club,andstillidentifyingwayswecanhelpthecommu-nityinthewakeofthestorm,allwhileadjustingtomarriedlifeandlivinginahousewithnopower. OnehugeblessingisthatthispastSaturday,alittlelessthana week since we returned to Puerto Rico, a generator was donat-edtousbySamaritan’sPurse.Onewaywearehopingtobless

Above: Debris behind the residencesat Camp Caribe

Below: Hurricane damage inthe chapel of Camp Caribe

Above: The girls at club receiving their first Bible lesson after

the hurricane

Below: The Sykes’ primary vehiclecovered in tree branches

Apartado 1416 • Juana Diaz, PR 00795-1416matdirector@campcaribe.com • april.lorenz@gracem.org

othersisthatweareofferingfamiliesofkidsatclubtocomehereandwashtheirclothes.Ourhousehasalsobecomeasmalldistributioncenter.Wehavebeensendingsomeneededitemshome to the families of kids at club, such as laundry detergent, dishsoap,bleach,flashlights,andcannedfood.Wearestillintheprocess of assessing the needs of the community so that we can bestservethem. Wearethankfulthatwewillbehostingseveralmissionteamsoverthenextcoupleofmonthsthatwillbehelpingatcamp,club,andinthecommunity.Firstofall,GraceBibleCol-legeissendingateamoverThanksgivingthatwillbefocusingprimarilyonhelpingcleanupatcamp.ThefirstweekofDecem-ber,JeremyClark,theDirectorofGraceMinistriesInternational(GMI)willbeleadingaveryskilledGMIteamfromdifferentpartsof the country to help out wherever they are needed at camp andinthecommunity.Finally,rightbeforeChristmas,wewillbehostingateamofguysfromUnionUniversity,whowillbework-ingatcampandinthecommunityaswell. One way you can be praying for us is that April feels like she hasbasicallyhadtostartoverwithclub.Priortothehurricane,shewashavingrecordattendance,withasmanyas50kidsonasingleday.Afterthehurricane,notonlyhavethenumbersgonedown,buttheyarealmostallnewkids.Whileweareexcitedabout the opportunity to minister to new kids, it takes a bit of timetogaintrustandbuildrelationshipswiththem,soitisverychallenging to see some of the kids we have known for a long timestopcomingforvariousreasons.AtleastahandfulofthekidsleftfortheStates,andwedonotknowhowlongitwillbebeforetheycomeback.Someparentsarekeepingtheirkidsathomeandnotlettingthemgoout. Another way you can be praying for us is that we would get asteadystreamofvolunteerstohelpatclub.Iamnotalwaysable to be there because of work, and April does not have many regularhelpers.OurpastoratIglesiaBiblicadeJuanaDiaz,

MiguelOrtiz,hasmadeannouncementsatchurchandAprilhasasked individuals to help, but so far, the only regular volunteer fromourchurchisahighschoolstudentnamedÁngel.Wealsohave a lady named Agnes who is a physicist from Hungary that givesage-appropriatephysicslessons.SheisnotaChristian,whichoffersusanopportunitytoprayforherandshareChristwithherandherfamily.Theotherregularvolunteerwehaveis Sheri Gillhespy, the wife of Ken, the Maintenance Director at CampCaribe.ShehasbeeninchargeofcookingclassesandhashelpedoutwithBible-themedcrafts.Weareverythankfulforour volunteers, but we need more help! Finally, pray that we would be able to learn more about the immediate physical needs of families here in the barrio, and that wewouldbeabletomeetthose,thuscreatinganopportunitytoaddresstheirspiritualneeds. ThanksagainforallyourprayersduringthistimeofcrisisinPuertoRico.Pleaseremembertobeinprayerfor:

l Our marriage, and that we would grow closer together as wegrowclosertoJesusChrist.l Ourcommunityandfriendswhoarestillrecoveringafter thestorm.l TheministryofCampCaribeandallofthemissionteams comingdowntohelpgetcampbackupandrunning.l ClubMaravilla—thatitwouldbeabeaconofhopeforkids andtheirfamilies,thatAprilandMattwouldcontinueto buildrelationshipswithnewandreturningkids,andfor morevolunteerstocomeonaregularbasis.l ForwisdomforMattandAprilinassessingandresponding toneedsinthecommunity.

Your fellow servants,

Matt&AprilSykes

Above: Damage at ClubMaravilla

Right: Matt and April Sykes after church at Iglesia Biblica de Juana Diaz

Above: Water from the hurricane and

damage to thegrounds of

Camp Caribe

Right: Matt and April during their

wedding ceremony

Above: Matt and April share their first dance as a married couple