Winter 2023

Dear Friends,
In Touchdown camp each year we encourage campers to stay in school. As a result, many more campers get motivated. Out of this emphasis on education blossomed the Project Lost Sheep leg up college scholarship fund. So far we are funded for one worthy student per year. We would like to greatly expand this fund to help more former campers attend college. Be blessed, reading the stories of two recent award winners.

Monserrat Munoz

Because of a childhood illness which caused her to be hospitalized, she decided to become a nurse. She said that the expert care of the doctors and nurses helped her to completely recover. She graduated magna cum laude in Allied Health at Cañada College in 2023. She will enroll in the College of San Mateo nursing program and then transfer to San Francisco State University for a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is determined to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse.

Said Gonzalez

Said will complete his associate degree in computer science at Canada College in 2024. He is currently applying to four-year colleges as a transfer student to continue his study for a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. Our college fund is helping him with the costly application fees.

Last summer, Said completed an internship at Stanford University, during which he created a software program for 3-D printers. In a Zoom meeting, our board members were very impressed by his PowerPoint slides summarizing his research work at Stanford University.

Said was a Touchdown camper in elementary school and then participated at camp as a staff volunteer during high school. One of his favorite activities was to prepare and give out Christmas food boxes to needy families at Verbo church in Redwood City. Said has worked hard at Cañada College and has been on the Dean’s List each semester.

Your prayers and gifts will make a lifetime difference. 

"Do not neglect to do good when it is in your power to do it."

100% of your donation goes to the next college scholarship recipient. Please mark “scholarship”on the memo line of your check and send your check to:

Project Lost Sheep

P.O. Box 2735

Menlo Park, California 94026

With gratitude,
Sue Stevick
Project Lost Sheep College Scholarship Fund

Summer 2023

Camp really ends each year on Sunday as campers and families are invited to the church service which spotlights camp. This year the church was filled with people, children, and some of us.

Pastor Orlando Cardona gave an inspired message to the parents to "be careful with the kids and come to church!" There was a great atmosphere of joy and celebration and welcome at the door for all who came in.

The theme for camp was LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS with excellent video lessons provided by CEF plus small groups to talk about what they saw.

Another regular feature of camp is the adult speaker series. This year a lawyer from LA, Sharon Ramirez, gave an excellent story of how her parents came from Guatemala but urged her to stay in school.

She brought a small gift for each child and showed them pictures of the courtroom where she worked. The children had many questions for her, and no doubt some of the children are now thinking about doing what she does.

There was Light in the camp! There was Truth! There was Vision given. There was Love.

"There was an amazing sense of the presence of God" according to Patty Cardona, director, who again worked with the team of volunteers to bless all these 110 little ones who did receive a heavenly week.

Rejoice with me!

Joyce Dueker
Founder

Spring 2023

Dear Friends,

Let's think together about the advantages of reaching at risk children. To draw a large picture, helping them is essential to the betterment of society.

When children grow up in poverty, they face challenges that can have long lasting effects on their lives. Poverty can lead to lack of education, malnutrition and poor health. This can lead to a vicious cycle which is hard to break.

Children are given the opportunity to receive at least a high school education, then they are more likely to break out of poverty. Education is one of the keys to breaking the cycle of poverty, and it is essential that at risk children are given extra help like free homework help. But, it is not just about education, it is about mentor helpers who can give them hope, love, and support. This shows the children they are not alone in the unimaginable challenges they face daily.

Every child deserves a chance to succeed regardless of background or circumstances. As members of society if is our responsibility to ensure that every child has the help he needs to thrive. We must act with empathy, compassion and love to help them overcome and see a brighter future.

Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to be swept into criminal gangs. They lack the resources and support needed to make positive choices. By providing these children with education, support, and resources, we can help reduce crime and create safer communities for everyone.

Giving to poverty, can also benefit the economy as the poor children grow up to be employed and contributing adults, rather than being unemployed or underemployed.

As we pull together for these children, we help promote social cohesion. When we invest in the well being of our community, we create a sense of belonging and solidarity.

Helping the poor is a moral obligation. We are to "remember the poor". It is our responsibility to do this consistently and persistently for the blessing of us all.

Sincerely,

Joyce Dueker

Founder of Project Lost Sheep

Winter 2022

 Dear Friends,

This is a time to rejoice that God has come to us as a baby to deliver the good news of peace and hope for all who believe in Jesus, his only son.

We in Project Lost Sheep have prayed and keep praying for the children in America and beyond.

Camp in Redwood City at Verbo was powerful and the good news was preached to 150 youth and I can tell you God worked in a wonderful, holy way to provide all provision for camp including workers like Fabby Cardona who led in place of her mother, Patty Cardona, who was ill in bed but praying for camp with us all. There was a huge move of God and 100 percent of children came to believe and families
from camp have now come into the church.

We, in Project Lost Sheep rejoice to see a new camp in San Jose, California Verbo with a strong tutoring program now and leaders trained at Verbo Redwood City.

Nothing is wasted. Every prayer counts. God hears, and we know the angels of children are before the throne of God.

Jesus said, "of such are the kingdom of God". Make room in your heart to pray for the children of a city you choose that they will hear the gospel at a young age and grow to become mighty servants of the most high!

Sincerely,

Fabby Alvarado Cardona 

Author of Newsletter for Project Lost Sheep

Spring 2022

Dear Friends,

Project Lost Sheep announces our college scholarship recipient for 2022. Monserrat Munoz was one of a small number of students on the Dean's List at Canada College.

From left, Patty and Orlando Cardona, Monserrat Munoz and her parents,
Sue Stevick, Monserrat's advocate.

She and her family have been involved at Verbo Church in Redwood City, CA for the past 12 years.

Monse recalls "I was part of Touchdown Camp as a kid. It was an impactful camp I always will remember. It was so much fun but it also brought me closer to God. I became a Sunday School teacher and am now part of the youth group leadership. My goal in college is to become a nurse. Growing up I was in and out of hospitals with a dangerous infected kidney. I remember how the nurses always made me feel safe and always made me smile. So I grew up wanting to be a nurse who would do the same for children."

For her academic success, combined with service to children at church and a focused goal for her life, we are very happy to provide assistance for her two years ahead at San Jose State University Fall 2022.

Sincerely,
Patty Cardona
President, Project Lost Sheep

Winter 2021

Dear Friends,

We thank God at the end of the year for His goodness and provision in the midst of difficult times. Although 2020 was tough because everything was closed, this year we were able to celebrate the return of TOUCHDOWN camp.

It was different from the other years, but we did it! This was possible with the assistance of 35 volunteers and attendance of 90 children.

This particular year was a very special year as the ages we received were 5-10 years old and camp guides as young as 13 years old. Most of our volunteers had to wait 3 years to come back to our camp and I was so glad to see them now helping, guiding, taking care of our little ones. It was great to see that the seed we are planting is bearing good fruit.

As always, our classrooms were filled with joy, songs, games, art, food, Bible stories, and the visit of community workers every day. The joyous finale was where whole families attended our church and where each child was able to receive a backpack with school supplies and a Bible, so that the word of God reaches each home.

                                     

Also Verbo in Tracy and Hosana Church in Guatemala each held their children’s camp that was accomplished by the hand of God and the collaboration of many people.

Looking forward to an even better year.
We keep moving forward!

Sincerely,
Patty Cardona
President, Project Lost Sheep

Summer 2021

Dear Friends,

You may have heard the expression, "to turn on a dime". At our very first camp in Redwood City at Verbo church on the first day of camp, Patty Cardona and I had to do just that. We adults had planned the camp to let the children choose sports or crafts. The children wanted both! We changed everything so that could happen for the children. 

Overnight we did our dance on the dime and so children were made happy. Each camp is different. We still have sports and crafts and of course the Bible teaching in various ways. We plant good seeds in children not just for the one week of day camp but for their lives! 

Our camps appeal to unchurched children, and we have so many who come to camp, then come into church, and later as teenagers serve at camp. We thank God who has blessed so many children with eternal lives and more hope here. I am happy to report that, after a pandemic pause, camp is reopening in July in Redwood City!

Sincerely,

Joyce Dueker

Founder of Project Lost Sheep