Oh man, I am BEHIND on updating this blog, huh??
After quite a few additions and sadly a few deletions, our team for the January 2010 trip has been formed. Once I get photos for the prayer cards, I will post pictures of the team members so you can be praying by face as well as name.
We are excited about this trip. We have 19 members, some return members, some new members, all hand picked by God members :-) We will be sponsoring the construction of 2 homes and 2 greenhouses on site. The greenhouses are a new project Carlos has developed. Families from surrounding villages move into the homes that will be also be built on site, they will work for the mission, the kids will go to school in the village and will help the mother tend to the crops in the greenhouses. They should be able to get about 3 harvests per year. They will split the profit 50/50 with the mission. This is a great way to make money for the family while teaching the kids a skill they can use as adults to feed and support their own families. I think it's a great project and I'm excited to see it grow over the next few months and years.
We already have our plane tickets and are now fundraising for the rest of our individual trip costs. Josh is doing a great job of leading the fundraising crew through quite a few chicken bbq's at local events. He is also working on another fundraiser at SoBo's restaurant. The people that own SoBo's also own a restaurant in Antigua and apparantly have adopted a child from Guatemala so they definitely have a heart for that country and have been very supportive of our teams.
Be praying that God would supply funds for the team members and be praying for our hearts to be opened to everything that we will see and experience and for the people we will encounter.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Interest Meeting
For anyone out there in blog land that lives in the Salisbury area that is interested in getting more information about the upcoming January Guatemala trip, there will be an interest meeting on Sunday, July 26th at Bassett Furniture in Delmar.
It is important that we get our team formed and committed as soon as possible. There are some financial deadlines that hit a little earlier for this trip. So if you are considering going on the trip, this meeting is important to attend or contact Danny H.
If you are interested in going to Guatemala but January does not fit your time schedule, we are also talking about forming a summer team for summer 2010. Please contact Brenna J. if this interests you.
God may be calling you to Guatemala. Are you willing to listen and take the step in faith?
It is important that we get our team formed and committed as soon as possible. There are some financial deadlines that hit a little earlier for this trip. So if you are considering going on the trip, this meeting is important to attend or contact Danny H.
If you are interested in going to Guatemala but January does not fit your time schedule, we are also talking about forming a summer team for summer 2010. Please contact Brenna J. if this interests you.
God may be calling you to Guatemala. Are you willing to listen and take the step in faith?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Story One
This past Sunday was our panel discussion for the church. I asked the team members, if they could only share one story with people, what would that story be? It got me thinking about my own one story. I don't know that I can narrow it down. But I wanted to share ONE of my stories to begin.
The team was busy serving food at the dump on Wednesday, there are hundreds of women and children waiting in line, some patiently, others not so patiently. Dogs are meandering, flies are everywhere, there are yells and screams and laughter from playing kids. I am walking around talking to the kids, showing them their pictures on the camera, just interacting. I see one boy approaching me with urgency. Before I can say anything, he wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes. I hug him back and he runs off to join his friends. He knew what he needed - a hug, a small token of love - found a way to get it. His immediate need for love was fulfilled and he could continue on with his day.
Such a small things I gave him, almost insignificant, yet did I make his week? Being able to hug someone? He didn't know me. He didn't even stick around for me to talk to him. I can't even say I got a good look at his face. And yet, I touched his world and he rocked mine.
The team was busy serving food at the dump on Wednesday, there are hundreds of women and children waiting in line, some patiently, others not so patiently. Dogs are meandering, flies are everywhere, there are yells and screams and laughter from playing kids. I am walking around talking to the kids, showing them their pictures on the camera, just interacting. I see one boy approaching me with urgency. Before I can say anything, he wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes. I hug him back and he runs off to join his friends. He knew what he needed - a hug, a small token of love - found a way to get it. His immediate need for love was fulfilled and he could continue on with his day.
Such a small things I gave him, almost insignificant, yet did I make his week? Being able to hug someone? He didn't know me. He didn't even stick around for me to talk to him. I can't even say I got a good look at his face. And yet, I touched his world and he rocked mine.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A Shared Memory
Well, we have been back from Guatemala ten days now, and I am still having dreams each night of being there serving and working. Don't misunderstand me, this is not a bad thing. . . .it's a good thing! I do not want to forget the people nor their physical and spiritual needs. The memories instill compassion in me and create a desire to continue to pray for the people of Guatemala and to want to return each year to minister. The day we went to visit the school in the village, a large group of children showed up in no time at all! Several team members played futbol with them, some shared photos with the kids that were taken last year, some handed out candy and gum, some handed out "body stickers", but we all just loved on the kids. It was incredible! After a while some of the children began to leave, as it was getting late in the day. I was standing alone at the rear of our small bus and I noticed a small boy who was heading back to his "home" by himself. I estimate this little fellow to be about 5 or 6 years old. As I watched him go up the dirt road, he was running, but what struck my heart was that every few strides he would begin to skip! Kids only skip when they are happy and content. I watched him until he was out of sight as I was thinking many things to myself. Here is a little boy who, according to what we in the USA consider standard, has NOTHING, and he is happy and content and has joy in his heart. A handful of Americanos shared some candy, gum, time, and love for a little while, and God blessed this little guy in ways I could never have imagined!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Borrowing thoughts
I was reading the Logan's blog this afternoon (link to their blog is in the column on the right - they are full-time missionaries in Guatemala) and I thought that many of their thoughts were very much what our own team discussed last week - ideas of community and being extremely content with what little they have because they have their family. I want to encourage you to read this entry on their blog. It makes me sad for our country and long for the years when my own family would sit on our front porch in the evenings and talk to our neighbors....
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Day Seven
I know this is a little late but I feel it is important to document our final day at the mission. It was our last day on the construction site so we were raring to go and yet we ended up sitting around until almost 9:00am before we got going. We were waiting on the paint and Carlos. I have to say that I was very impressed with how on-the-ball everyone was this week. We very rarely had to wait at all this week. It's been great! So we got to the site and we had the biggest crowd of kids yet. Apparently news has spread that the Americanos were in town! :-) We gave away lots of candy and then got to the painting of the houses. We FLEW through the painting with the help of quite a few of the kids.
After we finished painting, we all pitched in and cleaned up the yard area and got down to the dedication. We gathered the first family together and Steve prayed an awesome prayer over the house and the family. The mom started crying and saying thank you, that she has never dreamed of being able to have her own house, and to be able to have her whole family in beds (we also gave them beds for their new houses) and not have to sleep on the floor. It was pretty emotional! Then we moved over to the second house, the house of the mudslide victims. Again, Steve led us through an awesome prayer and the mom had tears just streaming down her cheeks the whole time. Then it was time to say good-bye. Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend how fast you can fall in love with a family. Mayli, the oldest daughter in house 2, was crying which just made it harder to say goodbye. It was like a big mass of hugs for about 5 minutes. I'm tearing up just remembering it.
After lunch we got back on the bus and traveled about 40 minutes in the opposite direction to the town of Gualan and the village of Limones. This is where the 4th house is going to be built (3 houses will be in El Modelo). The village looks very much like El Modelo with the difference being that there are hills and trees. But the level of poverty is very much the same. Many of the families in this village are victims of the massive mudslides this past summer. While we were waiting for the family, more and more kids started gathering around us at the school. There are about 100 families in the village and each family has 5-7 kids so we had a few hundred kids gathered around us. Zulema (our translator who was amazing all week!!) took charge and started singing and playing games with the kids. She saved us! We had so much fun playing with these guys and we ended up having enough candy to be able to give every single person at least 1 piece. In fact, we left with candy! We couldn't give it away!! The family is a grandmother, a mother and her 7 kids. SEVEN KIDS!! We gave them presents and candy and took pictures. We had Zulema explain who we were to the family so they weren't totally freaked out :-)
Angie was very concerned about the amount people in the size of house. More about this in a bit. We were taken out to dinner to El Meson as the second half of our cultural experience. It is a wonderful restaurant. We were served family style and let me tell you - we ate well! We had a chicken broth soup, nachos, baked potato, corn on the cob, more meat than you could eat and ice cream. It was SOOOO yummy! Over dinner, Carlos came by to see us and Joanne brought up the idea of expanding the size of the house for the family in Gualan. And he said, if we sent the money, absolutely we can increase the size. YAY! Good idea, Angie!
We had an amazing week. It was truly God blessed. Thank you for all of your support and prayers. We appreciated everyone's thoughts and prayers more than you will ever know. Please continue to check the blog and team members will be posting their own thoughts and feelings as they process through everything we experienced and saw. We'll be posting pictures and video as well.
Dios bendiga
After we finished painting, we all pitched in and cleaned up the yard area and got down to the dedication. We gathered the first family together and Steve prayed an awesome prayer over the house and the family. The mom started crying and saying thank you, that she has never dreamed of being able to have her own house, and to be able to have her whole family in beds (we also gave them beds for their new houses) and not have to sleep on the floor. It was pretty emotional! Then we moved over to the second house, the house of the mudslide victims. Again, Steve led us through an awesome prayer and the mom had tears just streaming down her cheeks the whole time. Then it was time to say good-bye. Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend how fast you can fall in love with a family. Mayli, the oldest daughter in house 2, was crying which just made it harder to say goodbye. It was like a big mass of hugs for about 5 minutes. I'm tearing up just remembering it.
After lunch we got back on the bus and traveled about 40 minutes in the opposite direction to the town of Gualan and the village of Limones. This is where the 4th house is going to be built (3 houses will be in El Modelo). The village looks very much like El Modelo with the difference being that there are hills and trees. But the level of poverty is very much the same. Many of the families in this village are victims of the massive mudslides this past summer. While we were waiting for the family, more and more kids started gathering around us at the school. There are about 100 families in the village and each family has 5-7 kids so we had a few hundred kids gathered around us. Zulema (our translator who was amazing all week!!) took charge and started singing and playing games with the kids. She saved us! We had so much fun playing with these guys and we ended up having enough candy to be able to give every single person at least 1 piece. In fact, we left with candy! We couldn't give it away!! The family is a grandmother, a mother and her 7 kids. SEVEN KIDS!! We gave them presents and candy and took pictures. We had Zulema explain who we were to the family so they weren't totally freaked out :-)
Angie was very concerned about the amount people in the size of house. More about this in a bit. We were taken out to dinner to El Meson as the second half of our cultural experience. It is a wonderful restaurant. We were served family style and let me tell you - we ate well! We had a chicken broth soup, nachos, baked potato, corn on the cob, more meat than you could eat and ice cream. It was SOOOO yummy! Over dinner, Carlos came by to see us and Joanne brought up the idea of expanding the size of the house for the family in Gualan. And he said, if we sent the money, absolutely we can increase the size. YAY! Good idea, Angie!
We had an amazing week. It was truly God blessed. Thank you for all of your support and prayers. We appreciated everyone's thoughts and prayers more than you will ever know. Please continue to check the blog and team members will be posting their own thoughts and feelings as they process through everything we experienced and saw. We'll be posting pictures and video as well.
Dios bendiga
First thoughts after returning home
By God's grace we returned home safely early Sunday morning. I drove into my driveway in Pocomoke at 3:15 a.m. Needeless to say I was extremely tired! Since returning I have been catching up on many things, such as REST and SLEEP, and spending time with my lovely wife. I have spent a little time with Jenny, Phil, Ryleigh, and Tatum, and have talked with Melanie and Amy by phone. I hope to see Melanie tonight. Not sure when I will see Amy, as she lives in Orange County, California!
There is so much to process. You can view photos and videos of third world countries and imagine what things are like, but until you experience it, you will not completley understand. At least that is how it has been with me. When we first arrived in Guatemala I stated to my fellow team members that what I was seeing was pretty much what I expected. But once we actually began our mission work and began to interact with the people we came to minister to I soon realized that my preconceptions were not on target. There is so much need both physically and spiritually. The people, from the small children to the adults, embraced us with love, acceptance, and respect. I was amazed at the courtesy and manners displayed by the children. North Americans have so much and they have so little, yet they showed no signs of greed when we would give them toys, candy, gum, food, whatever. . . Not only did they thank us for these small gifts, they were content with them and in many cases would go to share what we gave to them with other children.
In my heart and mind are many, many stories of my experiences. Every time I share them with friends and co-workers I become extremely emotional. God was in the midst of every day, every minute, every thought, and every experience we had. While He was blessing the people of Guatemala through our efforts to serve, He was blessing all of us immeasureably! I am so thankful that Soul Discovery has partnered with the Hope of Life Mission and that we go to Guatemala every year. We have built, and are building, personal relationships that will last lifetimes. To see the people, especially the children, remember those of the team who have been before was nothing short of amazing! Those of us who were "first timers" bonded with several children and adults, and so look forward to seeing them again. What I witnessed, and was part of, was love in action at it's purest form. The Mission is on a mountain with the Orphanage being all the way to the top. The roads we walked on to get to various venues on the mountain are steep to say the least. Every time we went up the mountain to spend time with the children, they would begin shouting, "Americanos! Gringos!" as soon as they could see the tops of our heads coming up the road! We had such fun playing with the children! They loved the "shoulder rides" and "futbol".
I want to thank ALL of the "veteran" team members who helped this "rookie". Their assurances took away any anxiety that I had. Brenna, you and Danny are to be commended for the great job you did as our leaders! Throughout the week I witnessed the love of Jesus in all of the team! I intend to write more later and include some of the specific experiences that impacted me. Like I said, I am processing. Please continue to pray for the people of Guatemala, Hope of Life Mission, and for the Soul Discovery Mission Team. Seek how God wants you to contribute to this ministry, whether it be to join the team, provide money, or simply pray.
There is so much to process. You can view photos and videos of third world countries and imagine what things are like, but until you experience it, you will not completley understand. At least that is how it has been with me. When we first arrived in Guatemala I stated to my fellow team members that what I was seeing was pretty much what I expected. But once we actually began our mission work and began to interact with the people we came to minister to I soon realized that my preconceptions were not on target. There is so much need both physically and spiritually. The people, from the small children to the adults, embraced us with love, acceptance, and respect. I was amazed at the courtesy and manners displayed by the children. North Americans have so much and they have so little, yet they showed no signs of greed when we would give them toys, candy, gum, food, whatever. . . Not only did they thank us for these small gifts, they were content with them and in many cases would go to share what we gave to them with other children.
In my heart and mind are many, many stories of my experiences. Every time I share them with friends and co-workers I become extremely emotional. God was in the midst of every day, every minute, every thought, and every experience we had. While He was blessing the people of Guatemala through our efforts to serve, He was blessing all of us immeasureably! I am so thankful that Soul Discovery has partnered with the Hope of Life Mission and that we go to Guatemala every year. We have built, and are building, personal relationships that will last lifetimes. To see the people, especially the children, remember those of the team who have been before was nothing short of amazing! Those of us who were "first timers" bonded with several children and adults, and so look forward to seeing them again. What I witnessed, and was part of, was love in action at it's purest form. The Mission is on a mountain with the Orphanage being all the way to the top. The roads we walked on to get to various venues on the mountain are steep to say the least. Every time we went up the mountain to spend time with the children, they would begin shouting, "Americanos! Gringos!" as soon as they could see the tops of our heads coming up the road! We had such fun playing with the children! They loved the "shoulder rides" and "futbol".
I want to thank ALL of the "veteran" team members who helped this "rookie". Their assurances took away any anxiety that I had. Brenna, you and Danny are to be commended for the great job you did as our leaders! Throughout the week I witnessed the love of Jesus in all of the team! I intend to write more later and include some of the specific experiences that impacted me. Like I said, I am processing. Please continue to pray for the people of Guatemala, Hope of Life Mission, and for the Soul Discovery Mission Team. Seek how God wants you to contribute to this ministry, whether it be to join the team, provide money, or simply pray.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Day Six
Yesterday we were back to the construction site. While we were gone on Wednesday, the crew had put the roof on house 1, laid the floors in both houses, and had the skimming/parging started on both houses. A few people jumped right in to help with the parging and found it to be quite difficult. A few of our guys were commenting on how they would finish a section and a crew member would come over and fix it :-) Jim K spent most of the day stirring the parging mixture. It's a very sticky substance so his shoulder could be paying for it today! As there was not a lot for our team to do, most of the team spent the day with the kids. Sarah spent quite a bit of time at the coloring station. Zach, Cody, and Josh spent quite a bit of time playing soccer with other team members jumping in and out of the game. Ken was pulling out candy and beanie babies, Josh was pulling out candy and dolls for the girls. Angie pulled out playdoh, which was a huge hit. One of the little girls in house 2 was having a rough day - everytime you turned around she was crying these big crocodile tears. Some were fake, she just didn't like that she wasn't getting all of the attention. One time she did fall and scrape her knee and landed on a bunch of biting ants that got all over her ankles. I can't wait until we can post pictures of the kids and the families that we're building for.
We left the site around 3 and came back here ready to shower and get up to the orphanage. There was no water. At. All. Nothing. It turns out they had diverted it somewhere else on the mission (to fill a tilapia pond for example). So a few did not take showers and those of us who were slower, ended up being able to take them. We then spent about an hour and a half with the kids up top. We handed out gifts to our sponsor kids and small tokens of affection to the others (candy). I just love these kids so much!! We ahve spent so much time with our sponsor family. I love the smiles on their faces and how they yell out our names and come running when they see us. Jim K has really bonded with Josesito (little Jose). He is the cutest and sweetest little boy. Jim D spent a lot of time coloring with a little girl (Norita - little Nora) and then finished the night rough housing with Wilmer. It was so hard to say good-bye to these guys tonight because we don't know if we will get back up tonight or not.
The mission has built an addition onto the cabana where they want to set up a little gift/souvenier shop. They have the goods, but the room is not finished. After dinner, they pulled out the tubs filled with stuff and we were able to shop right here! And they gave us great prices!! :-) After a bit of shopping, Josh led devotions and we ended up in a giant discussion of prayer. It was pretty awesome because I think most of us struggle with prayer. It has definitely encouraged me.
Today is the last day - we think we'll be painting - and doing the dedication of the houses. After lunch we hope to visit the village of Gualan, which is where our 4th funded house is going to be built. We're going to meet the family. And then we're going out to dinner :-)
Have a wonderful day! We love you and we'll see you soon!
We left the site around 3 and came back here ready to shower and get up to the orphanage. There was no water. At. All. Nothing. It turns out they had diverted it somewhere else on the mission (to fill a tilapia pond for example). So a few did not take showers and those of us who were slower, ended up being able to take them. We then spent about an hour and a half with the kids up top. We handed out gifts to our sponsor kids and small tokens of affection to the others (candy). I just love these kids so much!! We ahve spent so much time with our sponsor family. I love the smiles on their faces and how they yell out our names and come running when they see us. Jim K has really bonded with Josesito (little Jose). He is the cutest and sweetest little boy. Jim D spent a lot of time coloring with a little girl (Norita - little Nora) and then finished the night rough housing with Wilmer. It was so hard to say good-bye to these guys tonight because we don't know if we will get back up tonight or not.
The mission has built an addition onto the cabana where they want to set up a little gift/souvenier shop. They have the goods, but the room is not finished. After dinner, they pulled out the tubs filled with stuff and we were able to shop right here! And they gave us great prices!! :-) After a bit of shopping, Josh led devotions and we ended up in a giant discussion of prayer. It was pretty awesome because I think most of us struggle with prayer. It has definitely encouraged me.
Today is the last day - we think we'll be painting - and doing the dedication of the houses. After lunch we hope to visit the village of Gualan, which is where our 4th funded house is going to be built. We're going to meet the family. And then we're going out to dinner :-)
Have a wonderful day! We love you and we'll see you soon!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Day Five
Breakfast was a half hour later and I think everyone enjoyed the extra time. If nothing else, it was light outside when we got up! With blue shirts in hand (the shirts from the mission), we made our way down the mountain. After breakfast, Joanne showed us some of the buildings that we were unable to see on Sunday's tour. She explained the office and how the departments are divided up between people. She also took us to the warehouses and we walked through the store. It's very walmart-esque. Some of the things that are donated to the mission we found a little humorous - things like blonde hair-dye and leather winter coats. We then regrouped and those who have been here before this trip (Josh, Sarah, Steve, Ken, Zach and Danny) got to work on two (which turned into four) pallets of boxes full of juice, gatorade, and a mixture of things. Ever box was a mixture so they were sorting into types of items and also checking the expiration dates. Those of us who have not been here before (Angie, Cody, Jim K and Jim D) or were unable to see everything last time (Rick) and myself went on a tour of the school. After the tour, we joined the sorting team and had a few adventures. We found quite a few of God's lovely creatures like cockroaches, maggots, scorpions, and one plump little mouse!
We had a few minutes to visit the nutrition center before lunch where Angie fell even more in love with Rex :-) Josh found his little buddy Salina, a cute girl with a big personality! There is a mother and her two daughters currently living there. Her younger daughter Molina is just a few months old and had cleft lip surgery on Saturday. She is healing beautifully. There are a few rooms for mothers to stay in if their children are here getting care. I love that Carlos is so family oriented and keeps the family together whenever possible.
After lunch we were off to do a feeding at a dump in the city of Teculutan. These people live in the villages surrounding the dump, a few live under the trees in the dump itself and many work in the dump. We arrived and walked around a bit waiting for the food. While we were there, a truck came in with a delivery of trash. You would've thought it was somebody handing out a million dollars the way these kids ran towards the truck, jumped on the truck, one even ended up doing a flip into the truck! They all helped unload it, looking for treasures along the way. One little boy found a half-filled bottle of soda. Another found a t-shirt and a play trumpet. Many were pulling out bottles and cans that could be recycled for money. It was just amazing to see these children jump right in to work and they didn't fight over their treasures. It was just understood that if you found it, you got to keep it. There will be more stories of this from other team members later.
The feeding itself is an event like non-other. There has been a feeding center here for over a year now so the people understand how it works. Tables are set up at one end of a large pavilion. The people form 2 or 3 lines, each holding their own bowl or container of some sort (some had tupperware, some had soda bottles cut in half, many had bowls - probably all items they found at the dump) and a cup or bottle for the drink. The bowl was filled with rice, black beans, a hard boiled egg and a tortilla. They get their bowl back, they get their cups filled with juice and off they go. Many stay and eat there, often getting drink refills. Many get their food and immediately depart. A few hang around because if there is food left over, they are able to get extra. For many, this is the only real meal they will have until Friday's feeding. I spent most of the time walking around and videoing the rest of the team handing out the food. I just love the smiles on the kids when you can catch their eye and give them a big smile. They are the most beautiful children.
We then loaded the bus for our cultural adventure in Chicimula. This is not a touristy place, this is real-life. We walked through the market where meat hangs on hooks, fruit and veggies sit in baskets, shoes and belts and hats are sold, blankets, dresses, we even found some brightly dyed baby chicks for sale! It was a cool experience to get out in a city and see a piece of their "normal".
It was a great day! Another exhausting day. Today we are back at the work site and then we'll be visiting the orphanage before dinner tonight. Pray for safety on the job, in travels, for good health and more chances to show God's love.
We miss and love you all!
We had a few minutes to visit the nutrition center before lunch where Angie fell even more in love with Rex :-) Josh found his little buddy Salina, a cute girl with a big personality! There is a mother and her two daughters currently living there. Her younger daughter Molina is just a few months old and had cleft lip surgery on Saturday. She is healing beautifully. There are a few rooms for mothers to stay in if their children are here getting care. I love that Carlos is so family oriented and keeps the family together whenever possible.
After lunch we were off to do a feeding at a dump in the city of Teculutan. These people live in the villages surrounding the dump, a few live under the trees in the dump itself and many work in the dump. We arrived and walked around a bit waiting for the food. While we were there, a truck came in with a delivery of trash. You would've thought it was somebody handing out a million dollars the way these kids ran towards the truck, jumped on the truck, one even ended up doing a flip into the truck! They all helped unload it, looking for treasures along the way. One little boy found a half-filled bottle of soda. Another found a t-shirt and a play trumpet. Many were pulling out bottles and cans that could be recycled for money. It was just amazing to see these children jump right in to work and they didn't fight over their treasures. It was just understood that if you found it, you got to keep it. There will be more stories of this from other team members later.
The feeding itself is an event like non-other. There has been a feeding center here for over a year now so the people understand how it works. Tables are set up at one end of a large pavilion. The people form 2 or 3 lines, each holding their own bowl or container of some sort (some had tupperware, some had soda bottles cut in half, many had bowls - probably all items they found at the dump) and a cup or bottle for the drink. The bowl was filled with rice, black beans, a hard boiled egg and a tortilla. They get their bowl back, they get their cups filled with juice and off they go. Many stay and eat there, often getting drink refills. Many get their food and immediately depart. A few hang around because if there is food left over, they are able to get extra. For many, this is the only real meal they will have until Friday's feeding. I spent most of the time walking around and videoing the rest of the team handing out the food. I just love the smiles on the kids when you can catch their eye and give them a big smile. They are the most beautiful children.
We then loaded the bus for our cultural adventure in Chicimula. This is not a touristy place, this is real-life. We walked through the market where meat hangs on hooks, fruit and veggies sit in baskets, shoes and belts and hats are sold, blankets, dresses, we even found some brightly dyed baby chicks for sale! It was a cool experience to get out in a city and see a piece of their "normal".
It was a great day! Another exhausting day. Today we are back at the work site and then we'll be visiting the orphanage before dinner tonight. Pray for safety on the job, in travels, for good health and more chances to show God's love.
We miss and love you all!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Day Four
What a day full of really awesome things.
We were back at the construction site and the kids were waiting for us. They were much more responsive and wanting to play today! The construction crew had gotten farther on the houses while we were gone as well. The house 1 team (Angie, Steve, Sarah, Danny and Jim K) finished putting up the top layers of block and later Danny was able to pour the concrete in the corner columns. Angie pulled of construction for a while to play with the kids - she painted finger nails, decorated with body stickers and covered the boys AND girls in big farm machine and animal stickers. They LOVED it!! :-)
The house 2 team spent the day leveling out the inside of the house with a dirt/rock mix. Zach, Cody, Rick, and Josh shoveled the mix into countless wheelbarrows and wheeled it into the house where Ken was waiting to spread it around. It was a very dirty job!! Zach and Ken took a break in the afternoon to play a little bit of "futbal" with some of the boys. Somehow during the day, we gained more kids to play with. We were surprised that we hadn't gained them earlier actually! I spent most of the day playing with the kids. I brought a new book today and the loved it. They asked me to sit in their house on their bed and read to them. I had to step out for a minute and when I came back, Elza (one of the boys in house 1) was reading to the other kids. It was so cute!!
We had enough sandwiches today at lunch that we were able to share with our house families and a few neighbor kids. One thing that impressed Joanne was that the woman in house 1 doesn't have much of anything and yet, she was cooking food to feed her family and a few neighbor children. She is willing to share what little she has. It was a pretty amazing site.
We then went to the school/church building that we constructed last year. There weren't any kids when we got there but they saw us coming and just started appearing out of the cracks of the village. A few remembered us from last year. (I'll save those stories for other team members to share later.) A few of us handed out candy, Ken had Soul Discovery balloons, which I'm sure pieces of them are all over the village by now :-) Angie and Joanne painted finger nails, some of the guys played soccer and everyone took LOTS of pictures. Even the moms wanted their picture taken with their kids. It was cool - they wanted to see a family portrait of sorts!
A few of us went off to see a finished example of the houses we are building and found a handicapped girl alone crawling in the mud without much clothing. Her mother was at work and nobody was around to take care of this child. Carlos V has tried for over a year to get this girl onto the mission to take care of her properly but the mom won't let her go because she gets money from the state for this girl. It was a rough situation and perhaps team members will share more later. But please be praying that Carlos can find a way to convince this mother to see the good that Carlos can do for her.
Today we will be spending the morning at the mission and then we are off to do a meal distribution at the dump. And then we're doing a cultural afternoon in Chicimula. It's going to be a great day for a change of pace and rejuvination for tomorrow's construction. Please pray for the processing and emotions following today. We have now seen many different situations and I know people are beginning to process things internally. This can be scary for some as it brings new emotions.
Much love from Guatemala!
We were back at the construction site and the kids were waiting for us. They were much more responsive and wanting to play today! The construction crew had gotten farther on the houses while we were gone as well. The house 1 team (Angie, Steve, Sarah, Danny and Jim K) finished putting up the top layers of block and later Danny was able to pour the concrete in the corner columns. Angie pulled of construction for a while to play with the kids - she painted finger nails, decorated with body stickers and covered the boys AND girls in big farm machine and animal stickers. They LOVED it!! :-)
The house 2 team spent the day leveling out the inside of the house with a dirt/rock mix. Zach, Cody, Rick, and Josh shoveled the mix into countless wheelbarrows and wheeled it into the house where Ken was waiting to spread it around. It was a very dirty job!! Zach and Ken took a break in the afternoon to play a little bit of "futbal" with some of the boys. Somehow during the day, we gained more kids to play with. We were surprised that we hadn't gained them earlier actually! I spent most of the day playing with the kids. I brought a new book today and the loved it. They asked me to sit in their house on their bed and read to them. I had to step out for a minute and when I came back, Elza (one of the boys in house 1) was reading to the other kids. It was so cute!!
We had enough sandwiches today at lunch that we were able to share with our house families and a few neighbor kids. One thing that impressed Joanne was that the woman in house 1 doesn't have much of anything and yet, she was cooking food to feed her family and a few neighbor children. She is willing to share what little she has. It was a pretty amazing site.
We then went to the school/church building that we constructed last year. There weren't any kids when we got there but they saw us coming and just started appearing out of the cracks of the village. A few remembered us from last year. (I'll save those stories for other team members to share later.) A few of us handed out candy, Ken had Soul Discovery balloons, which I'm sure pieces of them are all over the village by now :-) Angie and Joanne painted finger nails, some of the guys played soccer and everyone took LOTS of pictures. Even the moms wanted their picture taken with their kids. It was cool - they wanted to see a family portrait of sorts!
A few of us went off to see a finished example of the houses we are building and found a handicapped girl alone crawling in the mud without much clothing. Her mother was at work and nobody was around to take care of this child. Carlos V has tried for over a year to get this girl onto the mission to take care of her properly but the mom won't let her go because she gets money from the state for this girl. It was a rough situation and perhaps team members will share more later. But please be praying that Carlos can find a way to convince this mother to see the good that Carlos can do for her.
Today we will be spending the morning at the mission and then we are off to do a meal distribution at the dump. And then we're doing a cultural afternoon in Chicimula. It's going to be a great day for a change of pace and rejuvination for tomorrow's construction. Please pray for the processing and emotions following today. We have now seen many different situations and I know people are beginning to process things internally. This can be scary for some as it brings new emotions.
Much love from Guatemala!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Day Three
Wow. Can you believe we have completed day three already?? It's going so fast! We spent yesterday at the job site in Pueblo Modelo. Those of us who have been there before could not believe how much it has grown in one year! The government gave the village 500 more acres, which have been divided into plots of land for families. Our houses are deep into the village.
The team was eager to get to work so we divided and conquered. The houses are right beside each other and are going up simultaneously so we made it a friendly competition and one team was quickly pulling ahead. Angie has found a new calling in life - she did every job there was to do on the house: wheelbarrow sand, mix concrete, move block, lay block, fill mortar..... We joked that she could build the third house all by herself! Zach and myself spent a lot of the morning doing mortar. I'm not fast at it but I am pretty good! :-) Josh and Cody were digging out the front yard area for dirt to fill the floor area inside the house, to level it out before the concrete will be laid. Kenny spread out their dirt and later filled in mortar with Rick and Zach. Steve and Sarah worked side by side all day filling mortar and moving block. Jim K was Angie right hand man working hard! And Jim D spent the day assisting Carlos, the head guy on house number 1.
I was able to talk with the woman with house 2. Currently her home is about 6 x 6 with corregated tin and garbage bags for walls. She is married and has 3 little boys. She was a victim of this past summer's mudslides. She is very excited to be able to watch her home being built in her backyard, knowing that on Friday they will be moved in!! She has a small flower garden that is beautiful and she was out washing the windows that will be in her new home. It is very obvious that she takes pride in the appearance of her home. She certainly has been through much and deserves this!! The woman in house 1, her husband left her for another woman when she was 2 months pregnant with their youngest who is now 7 months old. She has 4 children, 3 girls and a boy. Her house is made of black garbage bags and bed sheets. It is very overwhelming to comprehend their current conditions. More on that later...
The kids who will live in the new homes spent the day by our sides. They are the sweetest things! We fed them all day :-) In the afternoon, I painted the little girls fingernails and Kenny and I read them "Los huevos y jamon" (green eggs and ham). They loved it! We'll need to find something new today. They just have the most beautiful smiles!
When we returned to the mission, we all split up. Some went to the rescue center/nutrition center. A few went to the orphanage and a few went swimming and then to the orphanage. We played for a while and then walked to dinner. Carlos wanted us to eat at the new mission house. It was gorgeous and delicious!! We ate so much good food and had an awesome view of the valley. After dinner, Cody had us ROLLING. We laughed so much our faces hurt. He is quite the comedian!! Carlos even got in on it. He was asking us questions about our church and how we raise our funds and even he started telling jokes and laughing. It was so much fun!!
Today we're off to the construction site again. Pray for safety, no sunburn, and opportunities to show God's love.
Dios bendiga! (God Bless!)
The team was eager to get to work so we divided and conquered. The houses are right beside each other and are going up simultaneously so we made it a friendly competition and one team was quickly pulling ahead. Angie has found a new calling in life - she did every job there was to do on the house: wheelbarrow sand, mix concrete, move block, lay block, fill mortar..... We joked that she could build the third house all by herself! Zach and myself spent a lot of the morning doing mortar. I'm not fast at it but I am pretty good! :-) Josh and Cody were digging out the front yard area for dirt to fill the floor area inside the house, to level it out before the concrete will be laid. Kenny spread out their dirt and later filled in mortar with Rick and Zach. Steve and Sarah worked side by side all day filling mortar and moving block. Jim K was Angie right hand man working hard! And Jim D spent the day assisting Carlos, the head guy on house number 1.
I was able to talk with the woman with house 2. Currently her home is about 6 x 6 with corregated tin and garbage bags for walls. She is married and has 3 little boys. She was a victim of this past summer's mudslides. She is very excited to be able to watch her home being built in her backyard, knowing that on Friday they will be moved in!! She has a small flower garden that is beautiful and she was out washing the windows that will be in her new home. It is very obvious that she takes pride in the appearance of her home. She certainly has been through much and deserves this!! The woman in house 1, her husband left her for another woman when she was 2 months pregnant with their youngest who is now 7 months old. She has 4 children, 3 girls and a boy. Her house is made of black garbage bags and bed sheets. It is very overwhelming to comprehend their current conditions. More on that later...
The kids who will live in the new homes spent the day by our sides. They are the sweetest things! We fed them all day :-) In the afternoon, I painted the little girls fingernails and Kenny and I read them "Los huevos y jamon" (green eggs and ham). They loved it! We'll need to find something new today. They just have the most beautiful smiles!
When we returned to the mission, we all split up. Some went to the rescue center/nutrition center. A few went to the orphanage and a few went swimming and then to the orphanage. We played for a while and then walked to dinner. Carlos wanted us to eat at the new mission house. It was gorgeous and delicious!! We ate so much good food and had an awesome view of the valley. After dinner, Cody had us ROLLING. We laughed so much our faces hurt. He is quite the comedian!! Carlos even got in on it. He was asking us questions about our church and how we raise our funds and even he started telling jokes and laughing. It was so much fun!!
Today we're off to the construction site again. Pray for safety, no sunburn, and opportunities to show God's love.
Dios bendiga! (God Bless!)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Day Two
The team heard LOTS of Spanish today!! We attended church in the morning and, it turns out, they did not have an interpreter for us. It made it a little difficult for some of us to pay attention when we had no idea what was being said. Partway through the sermon, Carlos raised his hand and interjected some things. It was pretty strange to see that type of discussion going on during church. He was not the only one either! Turns out that the service was based more like a Bible study. That would explain it! The music was pretty cool though. I always enjoy seeing us being able to worship in two languages, yet worship the same God.
After lunch (all the food here is so good. Salvador is the chef and he's amazing!!), Carlos met up with us for the tour. Carlos Vargas is the founder and visionary for this place. He has an amazing testimony and he is completely dedicated to making things happen. We started the tour at the nutrition center. A few months ago, Reid and myself were sent an email from Carlos that talked about a baby he had rescued. The mother tried to bury it alive but a girl in the village watched her do it and when the mother ran away, the girl dug up the baby. We got to meet baby Rex yesterday and he is just about the sweetest thing ever. Angie and Josh just had him laughing away. There are a few little ones with special needs and Carlos plans on building a center just for special needs kids so they can have the attention they will need.
We then did a quick walk through of the senior center. This is where the whole mission started. He began taking in elderly that are family-less, homeless and he makes a family with them all. We heard a story about a couple that met at the senior center and fell in love. They were catching them kissing behind bushes and Carlos said, "are you in love?" they said yes so they had a wedding for them. :-)
We then rode up to the new mission house. A few of our team members last year were able to work on it one day. It's almost at the top of the mountain and looks out over the whole valley. It is a 5 star hotel!! I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful it is. This is where he houses pastors and potential donors when they come. He wants them to be comfortable so they can focus on the mission.
Lastly we went to the orphanage. He has done something new with the kids. Instead of having them divided and housed by age and gender, he has turned the dorms into family homes. He has created little families within the children. They live together, they eat together, they go on outings together. He said he wants them to feel like they have a family and that this is really working. Also, if there are family member, he has grouped them together as well. I LOVE this idea!!
Our group ended up staying at the orphange for a few hours. Josh, Jim D, Zach, Cody, Danny, and Steve started a game of "futbal" (soccer) that lasted for about 2 hours!! Jim K got to meet his sponsor child Lolo. Angie spent lots of time with the toddlers, crawling on the floor with them. Sarah and Rick played all over the playground with some kids. And Ken and myself spent our time with our sponsor kids. We all had a blast!! More to come on this, I'm sure!!
Last night we had church again. No interpreter!!! :-/ Danny gave his testimony, which was very cool. The whole group got up and led two songs for worship. We chose songs they know so the band played for us and we alternated English and Spanish. It was awesome to hear both languages at the same time, again, worshipping together to one God.
The overall consenses at last night's debriefing was that Carlos is an amazing man and the day was very fun. Today we are off to the work site. I will possibly try to get some pictures up tomorrow. Have a wonderful day.
Much love from Guatemala!!
After lunch (all the food here is so good. Salvador is the chef and he's amazing!!), Carlos met up with us for the tour. Carlos Vargas is the founder and visionary for this place. He has an amazing testimony and he is completely dedicated to making things happen. We started the tour at the nutrition center. A few months ago, Reid and myself were sent an email from Carlos that talked about a baby he had rescued. The mother tried to bury it alive but a girl in the village watched her do it and when the mother ran away, the girl dug up the baby. We got to meet baby Rex yesterday and he is just about the sweetest thing ever. Angie and Josh just had him laughing away. There are a few little ones with special needs and Carlos plans on building a center just for special needs kids so they can have the attention they will need.
We then did a quick walk through of the senior center. This is where the whole mission started. He began taking in elderly that are family-less, homeless and he makes a family with them all. We heard a story about a couple that met at the senior center and fell in love. They were catching them kissing behind bushes and Carlos said, "are you in love?" they said yes so they had a wedding for them. :-)
We then rode up to the new mission house. A few of our team members last year were able to work on it one day. It's almost at the top of the mountain and looks out over the whole valley. It is a 5 star hotel!! I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful it is. This is where he houses pastors and potential donors when they come. He wants them to be comfortable so they can focus on the mission.
Lastly we went to the orphanage. He has done something new with the kids. Instead of having them divided and housed by age and gender, he has turned the dorms into family homes. He has created little families within the children. They live together, they eat together, they go on outings together. He said he wants them to feel like they have a family and that this is really working. Also, if there are family member, he has grouped them together as well. I LOVE this idea!!
Our group ended up staying at the orphange for a few hours. Josh, Jim D, Zach, Cody, Danny, and Steve started a game of "futbal" (soccer) that lasted for about 2 hours!! Jim K got to meet his sponsor child Lolo. Angie spent lots of time with the toddlers, crawling on the floor with them. Sarah and Rick played all over the playground with some kids. And Ken and myself spent our time with our sponsor kids. We all had a blast!! More to come on this, I'm sure!!
Last night we had church again. No interpreter!!! :-/ Danny gave his testimony, which was very cool. The whole group got up and led two songs for worship. We chose songs they know so the band played for us and we alternated English and Spanish. It was awesome to hear both languages at the same time, again, worshipping together to one God.
The overall consenses at last night's debriefing was that Carlos is an amazing man and the day was very fun. Today we are off to the work site. I will possibly try to get some pictures up tomorrow. Have a wonderful day.
Much love from Guatemala!!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
We're Here!
Yesterday was our travel day, and what an exhausting day it was!! We met at 3am and were also joined by our pastor and his whole family and the worship pastor. It was pretty cool to see their love and dedication to the team to join us so early!! Following a time of prayer, we loaded the vehicles and off we went! We made such great time getting to the airport. We didn't see many people, even on the beltway.
All of the flights were great. Cody, a first time flyer, LOVED it. He says his favorite part is the take-off when the plane first leaves the ground. Angie was a little nervous before the first flight because, as we were sitting on the plane, the captain tells us that we can't leave until they de-ice the plane. Yikes!
All of our luggage made it here with us! That in itself is a praise. We each had to check two bags because we were stuffed to the gills with donations. THANK YOU for all of your supplies! They are much needed!! We were able to stop and get Camperos chicken (Guatemalan KFC) before leaving the city. Yum! :-)
It was very cool to hear all of the comments and observations made by the newbie team members as they were seeing things. That is one of my favorite parts of leading a team - hearing and seeing others' reactions for the first time.
The boys are all bunking together and us 3 girls have a little suite room with a personal bathroom. The guys are already off to their antics and jokes. We are anticipating a hardworking and FUN week ahead of us!!
After dinner last night we were told that Carlos (the head guy down here) was off in the mountains about 7 hours away rescuing a child - she is 3 years old and weighs about 15 pounds. He wasn't sure if she was going to live until they could get her to the hospital. So it is hitting us head on - this is real. Please pray for that little girl. If I get more information, I will pass it on.
Keep praying, supporters!! We love you and we'll "talk" to you again tomorrow :-)
All of the flights were great. Cody, a first time flyer, LOVED it. He says his favorite part is the take-off when the plane first leaves the ground. Angie was a little nervous before the first flight because, as we were sitting on the plane, the captain tells us that we can't leave until they de-ice the plane. Yikes!
All of our luggage made it here with us! That in itself is a praise. We each had to check two bags because we were stuffed to the gills with donations. THANK YOU for all of your supplies! They are much needed!! We were able to stop and get Camperos chicken (Guatemalan KFC) before leaving the city. Yum! :-)
It was very cool to hear all of the comments and observations made by the newbie team members as they were seeing things. That is one of my favorite parts of leading a team - hearing and seeing others' reactions for the first time.
The boys are all bunking together and us 3 girls have a little suite room with a personal bathroom. The guys are already off to their antics and jokes. We are anticipating a hardworking and FUN week ahead of us!!
After dinner last night we were told that Carlos (the head guy down here) was off in the mountains about 7 hours away rescuing a child - she is 3 years old and weighs about 15 pounds. He wasn't sure if she was going to live until they could get her to the hospital. So it is hitting us head on - this is real. Please pray for that little girl. If I get more information, I will pass it on.
Keep praying, supporters!! We love you and we'll "talk" to you again tomorrow :-)
Friday, January 16, 2009
The time is here
Tomorrow we leave for Guatemala!
I am hoping for internet access so that I can keep you all updated. Pictures and video will come when we return.
Prayers are deeply appreciated and desired. Thank you now for thinking of us.
We love you all!
I am hoping for internet access so that I can keep you all updated. Pictures and video will come when we return.
Prayers are deeply appreciated and desired. Thank you now for thinking of us.
We love you all!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tonight
Tonight was our last meeting. It was full of good food, great conversations, laughter, final preparations and prayer. It was a great last meeting. I can't believe we're down to 4 days. four DAYS!
God is going to do great things. I can feel it. Keep praying, supporters!!
God is going to do great things. I can feel it. Keep praying, supporters!!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
One Week to go
I cannot believe we are down to our final week. I was out today purchasing supplies that are needed for the mission and I am amazed at the amount of stuff I was able to get. In my normal life, I shop generic brands for much of our needs because it's cheaper and it's usually the exact same as name brands. I was shopping today with someone else's money and I know that I could've bought name brands because, hey, I wasn't paying for it. But I also knew that by buying generic brands, I was able to purchase so much more for the mission. So I did. I bought quite a few bottles, sippy cups, desitin, children's and baby tylenol and ibprofen, children's cough medicine, bandaids, gauze and a few other things. In fact, the lady at the checkout was like, "um, are you...stocking up??" And I was able to tell her about our trip and the mission. It was a great chance to tell someone about what we're doing.
One more week!!! This week we have our final meeting to tie up loose ends and spend some time in prayer. Please be in prayer for us this week as reality sets in that we are going soon!! :-) That we would all remember to pack important things, that our families would be safe and healthy (and sane!) while we're gone. Thank you for your support and commitment to keep us in prayer during this time!
One more week!!! This week we have our final meeting to tie up loose ends and spend some time in prayer. Please be in prayer for us this week as reality sets in that we are going soon!! :-) That we would all remember to pack important things, that our families would be safe and healthy (and sane!) while we're gone. Thank you for your support and commitment to keep us in prayer during this time!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Team Guatemala 2009
*Drum roll*
Introducing the team:
Introducing the team:
(Picture will be added soon)
Sheila E: Sheila owns her own outdoor furniture store. This is her 1st time going to Guatemala. She has a niece who was recently adopted from Guatemala.
Zach T : Zach is a college student. This is his second trip to Guatemala with the team. He is joined on this trip by his father, Rick, and younger brother. Cody.
Steve A: Steve works as a local missionary of sorts. This is his 3rd trip to Guatemala. He is joined on this trip by his daughter, Sarah. His wife will be waiting anxiously for their return.
Sarah A: Sarah is a senior in high school. This is her 2nd trip to Guatemala. She is joined by her father, Steve.
Rick T: Rick works in the offices of Purdue. This is his 2nd trip to Guatemala. He is joined by his two oldest sons, Zach and Cody. His wife and youngest son will be anxiously waiting their return.
Ken J: Ken is a middle school science teacher. This is Ken's 3rd trip to Guatemala. He is joined by his wife, Brenna.
Josh T: Josh works as an engineer by day and father by night. This is his 2nd trip to Guatemala and is leaving behind his wife and 2 young children.
Jim K: Jim is vice president at a general contracting facility for which he has worked for 30 years. This is his 1st trip to Guatemala. He will be dearly missing his wife, daughters and granddaughters while gone.
Jim D: Jim works in the local school district. This is his 1st trip to Guatemala and is not exactly sure what he has gotten himself into.
Danny H: Danny is a manager of a furniture store. This is his 2nd trip to Guatemala and is co-leading the team. His wife and 3 girls will be missing him while gone.
Cody T: Cody is a sophomore in high school. This is his 1st trip to Guatemala. He is joining his dad, Rick, and brother, Zach, for this new experience.
Brenna J: Brenna is a middle school chorus teacher. This is her 4th trip to Guatemala and she is co-leading the team. Brenna is joined by her husband, Ken.
Angie G: Angie owns an interior decorating business. This is her 1st trip to Guatemala and is anxiously leaving behind her two wonderful children.
A New Year
Happy New Year!! I know that lots of people really struggled in the year 2008. That is true for our group as well but God blessed our team. He gave us a fantastic group of people and blessed in providing our team with the finances.
We are now two weeks out from our trip. Please continue to pray for our hearts and the hearts of the Guatemalan people. Please be praying for our pilots and drivers, that they would all help us to arrive there and home safely. Be praying that God would be paving the way for awesome things to happen while we are there. Finally, be praising Him that we are able to go, that we are willing to go, and that you all have provided the way for us to go.
In two weeks from now, we will have arrived, spent one night, gone to church and gotten a tour of the mission!!
We are now two weeks out from our trip. Please continue to pray for our hearts and the hearts of the Guatemalan people. Please be praying for our pilots and drivers, that they would all help us to arrive there and home safely. Be praying that God would be paving the way for awesome things to happen while we are there. Finally, be praising Him that we are able to go, that we are willing to go, and that you all have provided the way for us to go.
In two weeks from now, we will have arrived, spent one night, gone to church and gotten a tour of the mission!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
