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Trinidad and Tobago Urban Ministries
Trinity Lutheran Church, Oregon City, OR
by Valerie Vanderford

Pastor Matt Henry playing the guitar while little Lawrence looks on

Trinity member Claudine Hicks with a couple of the local children during a Backyard Bible Club!

A couple of young ladies who live in one of the orphanages we visited.

A team of 13 (ranging in age from 14 to 73!) from Trinity Lutheran in Oregon City, went to the beautiful island of Trinidad for 2 weeks at the end of June, 2005.  We were amazed at the religious diversity there...with only 15% of the country being true Christian.  Approximately 35% of the poplulation is Hindu, and 35% is Muslim. 

Each day, we held a "Backyard Bible Club" in two different villages.  Backyard Bible Clubs are similar to our VBS programs here.  We had approximately 45 children attend each day. 

We also helping mix the concrete for the forms of a roof support on a new dining hall at the retreat center where we stayed and helped paint the interior of the new youth center that opened while we were there.  We went into a boy's prison and lead bible studies to practice reading and writing with the boys.  We also went into public and private schools and sang songs, gave puppets shows, and biblical dramas for the kids to enjoy. 

In amongst all of that activity, we also visited a couple of orphanages and an adult foster home.  There, we sang with the residents, played games and read stories.  We were able to see God working in the fast two weeks we were there in that one young Hindu boy invited Jesus into his heart and 7 other young people attended church or youth group for the very first time after our invitations! 

The ministry we served, Trinidad and Tobago Urban Ministries (TTUM), has a goal of planting churches all over the Caribbean and so far they have planted 24 on Trinidad.  They also run the country's only pregnancy resource center, which provides counseling to young ladies who are contemplating abortion or are pregnant and need help.

It was a true joy to worship the one loving God with such diverse people.  Their worship services give it all to the Lord, as does the entire staff at TTUM.

All in all, it was a beautiful two weeks of sun and tropical conditions, and we found the people to be just as warm as the weather.  God's work is evident in the beautiful land of Trinidad! 

Read other stories:

Makah Church, NEAH BAY, WA
Servant Event
by Pastor Dale Heinlein

Intermountain Advanced Ministries
Servant Event
All Nations, Newport OR
by Carolyn Hackman (team leader)