5k for Freedom!

Two weeks ago YLFC put on a grand 5k run, benefitting the Dalit women of India. Letty and I had the privilege of running (well...if you can call it that) and participating in the event. Our students from Cypress St. sold water and beverages to raise money for our cause. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, nice breeze blowing. It was perfect. The feeling surrounding the event was almost magical as so many community members joined together to stand for change. I am grateful to be a part of a church community that recognizes needs and injustices and actually does something to change them. All in all, we raised over one hundred and fifty dollars for Cypress St. Thank you to those who participated and made the day so special to women everywhere.

Mothers Day Movie Night!

Last night we had our second movie night of the year. These are my favorite events because they mean summer is coming! We have movie nights once a month, and then every other week when summer comes. We pick a family-friendly movie, bring out our blankets and chairs, pop some popcorn and just have fun together. Talk about simple pleasures! Last night was extra special because we made Mothers Day cards for our moms! We set up a station with colored papers and art supplies and watched the kids get creative. It was a great time of fellowship and community. Letty and I always step back and just take in the moment. It is not everyday that you see a whole community enjoying the presence of each other and simple pleasures. We literally see prayers answered every time we step onto that community, and the fellowship that took place last night was a major prayer answered. All that we can ask is that you join us and check it out!

May '09 Prayers and Events

Ps. 115: 1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

Impact Movement Family Picnic – This year marks our 5th Annual Family Picnic. We have a list of 85 students that desire to “Love God and to Love Others” Every year we come together to celebrate Gods goodness and to remember the lives we had a chance to bless. Please pray for families to come and fellowship with one another. Pray for nice weather as well.

Movie Night on Cypress St – This month’s featured movie is “A Bugs Life”. Please pray for continual safety as we seek to bring communities together for a fun evening with friends.

Cypress St – Field Trip – We have started our off - site field trips and this month we will be visiting Citrus College. It is our desire to plant seeds in the students we work with on Cypress St to give them hopes and dreams for the future. Please pray for safety as we travel and lead these trips.

Travelling Safety as Letty travels to NY to support nieces’ college graduation – Letty will be gone for a short trip to NY to support her niece who is graduating from St Johns University. Pray for travelling mercy and for a sweet time with her family as they celebrate this great accomplishment.

3rd Annual Soccer Tournament – YLFC High School Ministry will host their annual soccer tournament on Cypress St. This has been a high light to so many in the community and we pray that this year will be a blessing again. Pray for students to sign up and for teams to have a good time playing street soccer. Pray for peace, unity and good weather.

Tutoring- Please continue to pray for our after school tutoring program. We are loosing our partnership with Biola University due to summer break and need more volunteers to help tutor our students. Please pray for our students as they continue to grow in knowledge and truth.

We also still have some needs for this program
• 18-20 bean bag chairs for a fun reading environment
• School Supplies – Pencils, erasers, sharpeners etc
• More volunteers

Bible Study- Please continue to pray for the members of the community that attend and the direction of the study. Pray for the follow-up of new believers. Pray for Guillermo (Neighborhood Pastor from our Hispanic church). We especially ask for your support here since this is where our community gets the “Meat and Potato” – JESUS!! Pray against the strongholds and spiritual attacks.

Thank you for your continued Prayer and support

Big 3 Missions Trip

Big 3 – Yorba Linda Friends Church High School Missions Trip – This “Spring Break” was like no other. We had both YLFC Junior High and High School Ministry serving with LOT318. It was an amazing week. Join us as we remember what the Lord has done:

Monday: 60 Junior High students from YLFC helped cleaned up an open field on Cypress St. They along with the community worked together to pick up glass, rocks, pebbles and debre to provide a safe place for the kids in the community to play. The last part of the work day was spent installing 2 tedaball poles and 2 goal posts for soccer. In 6 hrs a safe playing field was resurrected. We now call it “Cypress Stadium” If you build it they will come and trust me they are coming. The end of the day the JH Students held a reading club for the kids in the community. What a sight it was to see students working together for the common good. It was a great beginning to great week.

Wed – Friday: 50 High School Students from YLFC hosted a VBS on Cypress St. Everyday was spent building relationships with the community. We took the kids to the park for different activities in the mornings. For lunch the local moms cooked lunch for the entire group (tamales and empanadas). In the afternoon we had a mini Bible lesson along with some songs.

“Spring Break” was spent building relationships and being the hands and feet of
God. Thank you to all who gave unconditionally!! And thank you for making the best investment ever – Pouring into people. Thank you for “Loving God & Loving Others.

Tutoring Update

Tutoring- I was just reflecting on when starting a Tutoring/Homework Club was just a dream and a prayer. For nearly two years I have been praying and asking the Lord to show us how and when to start our Homework Club and we are close to completing our first semester. Gods timing is always perfect. It has been a semester filled with great joy, tears, challenges and many BLESSINGS. Our kids are learning: to enjoy homework, to manage their time wisely and they are realizing that learning can be fun. We have weekly incentives for the kids to complete their work and not only to complete it but to do the extra credits. What joy to see the kids run up to you and show you their latest test grade. Many tests are filled with smiley faces and 100% written across the top. Lives are being changed in every aspect of life. I really believe that even if you think you can succeed having someone believe that you can – can and will make all the difference in thinking you can and knowing you can!!

Here is what a Biola Tutor has to say about her tutoring experience:

I have enjoyed working with LOT318 & Cypress St. Ministry. At first, I was annoyed that our teacher assigned this. I was thinking that it wouldn’t be that much fun and it would just take time when I could be doing other things. I had just switched my major and I was not really sure if Christian Education was the major that God want me to be in. After coming to work with the kids, I felt like God was telling me that I had made the right decision. I was very nervous my first time coming out, but everyone there was really nice. It kept getting easier too, the more and more times that I went. I now look forward to going. Working with the kids has pushed me to want to learn more, so that I will have more to teach them. It has also helped me understand how to help them. It is great to see how much of an impact Letty and the other workers have made on the community.
~Sara

Bible Study Update

Bible Study- If you remembered last month we ask you to pray for Guillermo (Neighborhood Pastor from our Hispanic church) – Who was feeling defeated lately. Well we see now that God was moving and stirring the hearts of the community and the enemy did not want that. I was reminded this month that Gods Word never returns void. This month four lives saw their need for Jesus and entered into a personal relationship with God. Praise the Lord! There truly is no greater investment – than investing in people. What a blessing to be a part of His Kingdom work.

Here is what Geoff (Volunteer that coordinates the kids weekly Bible Studies) has to say about his experience:

Over the last 6 months we have been working on Cypress Street every Tuesday night doing a Bible study with the youth of Cypress Street. When were first started this study we had no idea of how this was going to look or what God had in store. Our first Tuesday that we started this was one that was very challenging. We had around 15 kids that showed up on our first Tuesday. We had come to play games and also in hopes of doing some kind of Bible study. It was nothing of the sort our first week and the kids did not really want to listen or do anything structured. We had felt like this was going to be a failure and not ever going to work.
God had other plans in store! With much prayer, my wife and I felt God telling us to give it another week. The next week we were blessed to be given someone in the communities backyard to hold our study. We had less kids that week but we were able to share a story with the children from God's word. It was such a blessing because we had seen the Lord work in just one week.
We had no idea of how much God was going to bless this ministry! Over the next couple of weeks and months we were getting close to 25 kids every week coming to this study. Due to a lack of space we moved our location to the front yard of someone in the community. This location made it easier for children to see what was going on and to come join the Bible study. In addition to having more kids attend, God has been so awesome in providing us with more adult helpers. Having all of this help has allowed us to really be organized and strategic with this ministry. We have the manpower at this point to possibly do some more great things on Tuesday nights. An area of prayer that many of us feel led to do is to divide up the elementary kids and the junior high students. God will allow us to know when that time is.
The greatest joy in regards to Tuesday nights is seeing the kids get excited to come and hear a short message from God's Word. We have been in the book of Genesis and are going to continue to show the kids how God created everything and eventually raised up a Savior in Christ. Our greatest prayer is that all of these kids will take with them the love of Christ and allow it to transform their lives. I have faith that God is doing something great on Tuesdays and over this Easter season we have taken a break from Genesis to show these kids how much God loved them so much to have His son die on the cross. Please pray these kids make the connection!

Send a kid to Camp!!!

Dear Faithful Supporters,

“I thank my God every time I remember you”!!!!

Savana and I would like to thank you for your partnership in the ministry God has called us to. LOT318 is a reality because of people like you that believe in “Loving Others in Truth”. We have 20 students from within the community and from near by communities on a weekly bases coming to our Tutoring Club on Cypress St. We have had about 30 volunteers helping make the Tutoring Club a success. FYI: we still need more tutors ☺ Not only do we have the support of local churches and Biola University we also have the City of Placentia, Placentia PD and Placentia library reaching out to our community.

My reason for writing is to ask you to please pray about supporting us in the following needs:

Sponsor 20 Students from Cypress St. to go on a day-trip to Calicento Ranch as a reward for their commitment to the Tutoring Club. We will also need to use the shuttle to transport our students and volunteers. - $1500.00 ($75.00 per student)

Sponsor 20 Students from Cypress St to go on an over-night trip to Calicento Ranch as a reward for committing to our “Summer Reading Program”. We will also need to use the shuttle to transport our students and volunteers. - $2500.00 ($125.00 per student)

Sponsor 2 cabins for Children’s Summer Camp – 16 kids (8 boys and 8 girls) – $5360.00 ($335.00 per student)

Sponsor 15 “At Risk” High School Students from the community and from the Yorba Linda Area for High School Summer Camp – “Party @ Pedros” - $3750.00 ($250.00 per student)

Sponsor 5 College Students from Cypress St to go to College Sumer Camp – “Party @ Pedros” - $1000.00 ($200.00 per student)

Total Summer 2009 Sponsorship: $14110.00

Your financial support will help take a child off the streets and put them in a safe environment where they can grow spiritually and as individuals.

Lives will be changed for all Eternity this summer because of your INVESTMENTS!!

Thank you again for your partnership – We look forward to celebrating the Lords provision.


Serving the King of Kings,

Letty Gali Savana Buttacavoli
(714)325-2446 (714)423-6226

Make all donations payable and mailed to:

Hill of Hope
Attn: Letty
536 Dartmouth Dr
Placentia, CA 92870