Happy Hanukkah !

 

 

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began Thursday, December 7th. A friend, Pastor Larry Robertson shared this information on his Facebook page. I thought it was helpful and worth passing along: 

"Jesus observed Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication. We read in John 10:22-23, “At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.”

The story of Hanukkah really is amazing. It comes from the 2nd century BC after Antiochus Epiphanes invaded Jerusalem, raided the temple, set up an altar to Zeus in the Temple, and slaughtered pigs to Zeus in the Temple of the LORD! When the Jewish people argued against the desecration, Antiochus Epiphanes slaughtered many of the Jews and sold others into slavery. He also made circumcision illegal and required everyone to sacrifice to pagan gods and eat pig flesh.

In 167-166, however, Judas Maccabeus led a revolt against the Greeks and won! Afterward, the Temple was cleansed and rededicated to the Lord, thus the “Feast of the Dedication.”

And as the story goes, when the Jews went to relight the Menorah in the Temple, they found only enough consecrated oil to light it for one day … but miraculously, it lasted for eight days, which is why the celebration of Hanukkah lasts for eight days.

Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights. Use these next 8 days as a prayer prompt to pray for the power of the Gospel to bring souls from spiritual darkness into the Light." (Larry Robertson)

As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of the Savior, the true Light of the World, let us join in praying for those who have yet to see the Light, and let's strive to be Light-bearers to those living in darkness! 

God bless, and Happy Hanukkah!

Pray for Israel

 

Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper.

Psalm 122:6

I'm sure you are aware of the situation in Israel. Recently Pastor Dean Haun of First Baptist Church of Morristown, posted an article from a ministry contact in Israel. It is a guide to praying for Israel during this current crisis. 

PRAYING FOR ISRAEL…

The Hamaayan congregation in Israel (one of our partners) put out a great prayer guide for believers concerning this conflict:

1) Pray for the young people who have been called up to active military service as well as their families who see them off knowing how devastating this conflict is. Joining with the soldiers who are already in service. There are many from our congregation & all the congregations in Israel being called up daily.

2) Pray for the soldiers, for wisdom & discernment when looking for the terrorists who are still hiding in the villages & other place through the country.

3) Pray for the kidnapped soldiers & citizens, many elderly, women, small children, for their safety & quick release.

4) Pray for a wall of fire, for protection against the intervention of Hezbollah, the Muslim Shihad from Lebanon, allies of Iran, that they will not open another front against Israel from the North.

5) Our families and friends living in the south where the devastation is the most extensive. Pray they are safe, out of harm’s way and will be healed of post-traumatic stress. All of them will have friends/relatives that they celebrated the holidays with, now gone.

6) Our government and military to make wise, long-lasting decisions that honors God, seeks His help and wisdom to defeat the enemy and save our troops.

7) Many families lost their home along with all their belongings. Pray that God will supply and provide for them.

8) For the body of Yeshua (Jesus) to unite and be the light to their friends and family. Going through this trauma as well, for God to give them the strength to give out.

“See how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (2 Chronicles 20:11-12).

Thank you for praying!

Get Up and Go On

 

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again... Proverbs 24:16 NLT

Recently I found myself falling back into some old patterns of thinking and behaving that have plagued me for much of my life. Over the years I have tried hard and worked hard to break some habits and thought processes that bring me down spiritually, mentally and emotionally. I will do good for a while, sometimes even long stretches, but then I either get lazy or something triggers me and I fall back into my old ways. It's very frustrating and I've asked God to "fix" me many times over the years, but I end up back in my old ways. I even wrote in prayer journal on Monday, as a prayer to God, "I know it's not true, but part of me thinks I'm never going to be able to change in this area. I am ... disappointed with myself. I am sorry ... but I am always sorry after the fact." 

This morning (Tuesday) I was doing my morning walk around the neighborhood, ear pods in, listening to a podcast and not paying much attention to where I was walking. About a fourth of the way into my neighborhood loop I stepped on the edge of the pavement with my left foot, my ankle turned and down I went onto the pavement. I managed to get my right hand down to catch myself, and I turned a little to my right side to keep my face from planting on the ground; I landed on my right side and rolled a little. I immediately looked around to see if anyone saw me (it was about 7:30am and thankfully no one was outside their house.) I got up and sort of triaged myself to make sure I hadn't sprained my ankle or broken a hip. Thankfully just a few scrapes on my right hand a nice little blood-blister. I continued on my walk, picking up the pace to get out of that part of the neighborhood just in case someone was looking out their window when I fell. 

As I continued my walk, I was thinking about my fall and the Holy Spirit began to speak - "How did you respond when you fell?" I got up, checked myself out and moved on. "What did you WANT to do when you fell?" Well... my first thought was to lay there on the road and feel sorry for myself. I was already discouraged, and my fall just added insult to injury. I also thought about rolling off the pavement, down into the ditch next to the road and hide out in case someone saw me. But instead, I got up, brushed myself off and kept moving. 

The Holy Spirit reminded me that when I fall back into my old patterns of life, it's like taking a fall. I basically have three ways I can respond: 1. I can wallow in self pity and beat myself up for failing again (which is what I was doing). 2. I could withdraw from God and others and try to hide out in my shame and embarrassment (which I often do). Or 3. I could get up, get back on the road and keep moving forward (which is what He was telling me to do). I still had to deal with the consequences and pain of my failings, but I didn't have to stop making progress. 

I'm thankful God never gives up on me, even when I give up on myself. He is faithful to love me and teach me even when I fail Him (though I wish the lessons weren't so embarrassing and painful sometimes, lol). God loves me, and you too much to ever give up on us. 

I did make a couple of changes in my walk after my fall - I started paying attention to where I was walking, AND I stayed a good distance from the edge of the pavement the rest of the way. Both of those are good lessons for life as well. 

How Praising God Changes Our Perspective

                                                                                

 “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you” Psalm 42:5-6 (NLT)

As followers of Jesus it is important that we develop helpful spiritual habits into our lives. Habits like daily Bible reading, prayer and meditation help us grow in our relationship with the Lord. One of the habits that God has been building in my life recently is the habit of praising God. I have found it to be incredibly helpful especially in times of discouragement and discontent. 

One of the ways praising God has impacted me is by changing my perspective. Miriam-Webster defines "perspective" as "a mental view or prospect." Perspective is the lens which you view the circumstances of your life... your point of view. I've noticed that in times of discouragement and discontent, my point of view is focused on me; I'm viewing my circumstances through the lens of self, which only compounds and complicates my situation. When I intentionally praise God, my point of view changes; I become focused on God instead of myself and my problems. 

Whatever we focus on becomes magnified. When we focus on ourselves, our circumstances or our problems, those things are magnified from our perspective. When we praise God, our focus changes from us to Him, and He is magnified. The Bible tells us this in Psalm 69:30: “I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving” (AMP). When we look at something with a magnifying glass, it gets bigger. When God gets bigger, our problems get smaller. Either your problems will be big or God will be big. It’s your choice.

The next time you find yourself being discouraged by your circumstances, or discontent with your life situation, change your focus; be intentional in praising God and watch your focus shift, and your perspective change. God and His goodness will grow larger, and your problems (and self-pity) will grow smaller!

Guatemala Wrap Up

 

The last few days of the trip were pretty hectic, so I failed to post about days 6 & 7, and our travel day home. So here is quick rundown. 

Thursday, July 6

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. 

Galatians 6:9 CSB

The day started slow, as everyone seemed to be feeling the effects of the previous days of ministry, and the thoughts of leaving in the next couple of days. We finally got ready and loaded up on the bus. Thursday was originally to be a ministry day for us, but because we had finished and dedicated the houses, and the need for the short-handed ministry staff to prepare for the next teams coming in, we had a free day. 

First we headed to the large cross overlooking Antigua. Known as Cerro de la Cruz (The Hill of the Cross), the sight is one of the leading attractions in the area. Built and dedicated in 1930, the site offers beautiful views of the ancient city of Antigua, as well as a view of the surrounding volcanoes. The pic above is our group in front of the cross. 

After our visit to the cross, we headed to Pastores, a town outside of Antigua famous for their leatherworks, and then to Antigua for lunch and a little more exploring. We had lunch at Pollo Compero, kind of Guatemala's version of  KFC. After a few hours of exploring the Artisans Market and the city, we headed back to the mission house to pack for the next day. 

After supper, we met for our time of reflection. Ed Shaver led our devotions. He used the houses we built as an illustration for our lives. The concrete and block foundation is symbolic of God and His word that we are to build our lives on. The bolts that held the baseplate for the walls symbolized our connection with God through prayer and other ways we connect with Him. The rest of the house - wood frame, metal sides and roof were all connected to the foundation by the bolts and nuts through the baseplate. But what kept the bolts and nuts secure and in place, was a small metal washer - without it, the nuts would become loose, or pull through the wood. The washer was small but was essential to holding everything together and in place. 

Ed compared the small washer to our faith. He then quoted Jesus: "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matt 17:20. Just like a small washer can hold a building together, a mustard seed faith can hold our lives together and with God. It was a great reminder of the importance of faith, and the value of small things. 

Friday, July 7

Lydia had pre-arranged and excursion for a group of six of us to hike to an observation area for the Pacaya Volcano. Six of us piled into an Uber at 5am and headed into Antigua to meet our guides who were friends of Lydia. Armando, Brayan's dad also joined our group. We then took a van to the National Park Station at Pacaya where we met our trail guide Julio. He led us on the 3 mile hike up to the observation area. It was a very steep trail and I was definitely the "pace car" for the group, but we finally made it. The views of Pacaya, the lava field and surrounding areas were amazing. The few pics below don't do it justice. Pacaya is an active volcano that last erupted in 2021. We were able to walk around the lava field, and Julio even warmed up some marshmallows in a heat vent in the lava field. It was a once-in-a-lifetime  experience. 

After making it back down the mountain, we met the rest of the group in San Antonio, Brayan's hometown. His sisters had prepared lunch for our group at his dad's house. We got to eat and visit some of Brayan's family and explore San Antonio a little. We also delivered some crocheted blankets that we had brought for Hope for Homes, a ministry to special needs orphans. 

We then headed back to the mission house to finish packing, eat supper and then head to the airport. Though it was pouring rain and traffic was heavy, we got to the airport early and said our good-byes to Vinicio, Mono, and Samuel (bus driver). These three men left a lasting impression on us and we hope to work with them again in the future. 

Our journey home was quite a challenge. We were all exhausted, sad and anxious at the same time. After a delay in Guatemala, we flew overnight to Dallas. After a few more delays and a gate change, we finally made it home to Knoxville late on Saturday afternoon. 

It's impossible to capture everything about our trip. I hope to flesh out more of our experiences in future blog posts. But for now, thank you reading these and for your thoughts and prayers for us on our Guatemala adventure. 

Our group at the observation point with Pacaya in the background

Driving through Antigua at 5:30am.

Pacaya and part of the lava field

JBob with our trail guide, Julio

A view from the observation point. The three volcanoes
in the picture are Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego (the one smoking).

Guatemala Day #5

 

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20-21 nkjv

It was a bittersweet day for us today. This was our last "official" day of ministry and we had to say goodbye to the kids and families that we have been working with. 

Run down of the Day

Our mornings begin pretty early and we were running a little late this morning so after a short prayer time during breakfast we loaded up to head back to our mission area. Thankfully traffic was better this morning! We went to the Christian school where we have been doing VBS to put together the food bags and wait for the families to come and receive them. The students were there also, in class so we got to see them again too. When the families arrived, the pastor had us introduce ourselves and say a few words and pray before we gave out the food bags. (This was the Guatemalan version of "Mobile LifeHouse.") After the food bags were distributed the kids came out of their classrooms and we got to spend some time loving on the kids. We even got to do one of the VBS songs with them. It was hard to say goodbye when we left the school. We then went to the homes that we had built to dedicate them with the families. We were also able to give them quilts that we had brought that were donated by another church. Again they were so appreciative for everything, and each family provided a snack for us as a way of saying thank you. After another hard good bye, we left and stopped for lunch at a local restaurant with our bus driver and missionaries, and spent some time just getting to know them. We then headed back to the mission house for supper and our time of reflection, and Cecelia did the devotion and led us in prayer. 

Reflections on the Day

1. Thankfully Papaw David was feeling better today and was able to rejoin the team; thank you for the prayers. Everyone seemed to be moving a little slower today, partly because of the two previous days of work, and partly because we knew we would be saying good bye to some people who have found their way into our hearts in just a short period of time. That is one of the hard parts of short-term missions. 

2. Our time at the school this morning was such a blessing. This was the first time being there and seeing the kids for those that had been on the construction crew. The kids welcomed us and treated us like we were old friends. They are so friendly and welcoming, they easily melt your heart. We were able to put together food bags for 20 families, and each one had signed up before hand with the Pastor. When they arrived he had us also sit and he and Lydia (the translator) told them who we were why we had come - because the love of Christ compels us to go into the world and share the gospel and help those in need. He had us introduce ourselves and we could say a few words if we wanted to. We then had a time of prayer and he had each family representative come up and we gave out the food bags. Again, each person was so appreciative. Though it didn't seem like much food to us, the pastor said one food bag would last a family about two weeks. 

3. We also learned today that the pastor and his family run a feeding program for the kids at the school and they feed the kids breakfast and a snack every day they are at school. The school has only been in operation about a year, and before starting the school the Pastor and his family ran the feeding program out of their home for six years. Through the generosity of one of our church members, we were able to provide some significant funds to help provide the food for the feeding program. Pastor Lester was very grateful for the donation. 

4. When we went to dedicate the homes, the families had decorated the homes and put up balloons. Again, they were so appreciative of the help they had received. We wanted them to know that the reason for building the houses was because Jesus loved them, and He knew what they needed, and we were only there as His representatives to show how much He loved and cared for them. While we came here to be a blessing to others, we were really the ones who have been blessed. 

5. We had a great time getting to know our missionaries during lunch. Vicinio is the lead missionary right now because the others are in the states with their families. Though he is Guatemalan, he told us about living in the states for about 20 years where he learned how to do construction. About 7 years ago, he and his wife (who is an American) moved back to Guatemala to be missionaries with Servants Hearts Ministries. They have two daughters, one of which has Down-Syndrome. And four years ago, he earned his American citizenship. He has a remarkable story. The other missionary, Mono also talked with some of our members about his story. He worked in construction, but wanted to work with mission organizations because the money was better, but he said God wouldn't let him get involved in ministry for the wrong reasons, so he kept working jobs he didn't really like, Finally, when he surrendered himself fully to the Lord, God began to open doors for him to work with mission organizations and he has been full-time with Servants Hearts Ministries for about two years now. Both of these men have been wonderful to work with. We are going to miss them. 

6. During our devotion time tonight, Cecelia shared a message from a devotional book she is reading by Mark Batterson ("Draw the Circle: Forty Days of Prayer Challenge"). She talked about how God is so great and awesome that every day He keeps all of the planets in alignment and the earth spinning on its axis at 1,000 MPH, and rotating around the sun at a speed of nearly 67,000 MPH. And then she asked the question from the devotion: "When was the last time you lost sleep because you were concerned about the Creator keeping the planets in orbit?"  When was the last time you prayed, "Lord, thanks for keeping the planet rotating. I wasn't sure if we'd make the full rotation today, but You did it again!" I'm guessing the answer to these things is "never." We don't doubt God's ability to keep the planets in orbit, but why do we have a difficult time believing He can keep our lives in order? Which is easier, ordering the planets, or ordering our steps? It was a great reminder that we can trust God with the big things and the little things in our lives, because He knows what He is doing!

We are looking forward to another day in Guatemala tomorrow. Though it is not an official "ministry day" we will still be looking to see where God is working and how we can join Him. We will be praying for opportunities to share the gospel and show the love of Christ with the people we encounter on our journeys tomorrow. Below are a few pics from our day today. 

Papaw David giving out a food bag

J-Mama giving out a food bag

Jay giving out a food bag

Guatemalan countryside

New Vision Christian School

Food bags to give away

Families that came to receive the food bags

Pastor Lester, his wife Feday, and daughter Abigail

Ed giving out a food bag

Traditional Guatemalan dress. She wasn't
too happy having her picture made again, lol.

The School Kids and some of our team

Inside of one of the new houses

Maddie with Mono (left) and Vicinio (right)

Zach giving out a food bag

Guatemala Day #4

 

VBS Bible study

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 CSB

We've had another wonderful day of ministry. 

Run down of the Day: 

Our day began with a challenging devotion from Jay Dalton, based on Mark 10:31. After prayer we loaded up at 7:30am and headed out to Ricon Chiquito. One of our guys, David, was a little under the weather today so he stayed behind and took some medicine for his bad cold. Once again we hit a traffic delay and were a little late getting to our ministry stations. (Traffic has been bad every day so far). Once we arrived half of the team went to the school for VBS and the other half went to the construction site, which was just down the hill from where we worked yesterday. Once again, the family we were building for fed us lunch and we wrapped up VBS and completed the second house. We got back to the mission house and had a little time to clean up before supper. During supper we got to watch the Guatemala soccer (futbol) match with one of our hosts and had a great time. After supper we had one of the best times of sharing that we've since we've been here. 

Reflections on the Day

1. Jay Dalton led the first devotion he had ever done before. He had a great message on Mark 10:31, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” He then shared different Scriptures where Jesus cared for the least important people of His day (children, a blind man, etc). Jay made a statement in his teaching that Jesus went to the least important and treated them like the most important people to Him. He concluded by reminding us that to be great in God's kingdom, you have to serve others. It was the perfect word from the Lord that we needed to hear. 

2. Our team continues to shine the light of Jesus in the face of schedule disruptions. Traffic has been bad every day this week, usually the result of an accident. Our team takes it in stride, using the time on the bus to talk and continue to get to know one another. We are very thankful for our bus driver Samuel, and handles the traffic with patience and ease. It has also rained every day this week, but thankfully the rain has always held off while we were doing VBS and construction. 

3. It was an emotional last day in VBS. We really didn't know what to expect before we came here, other than we would be working at a school and we should expect around 65 kids. The school is actually a Christian school in the village and is a ministry of a local church. The pastor's wife is one of the principals and she and some other teachers have been helping our team. The school is actually in session, but they shut down morning classes so we could do VBS. Today, Lydia shared the gospel with the older groups and offered to counsel with anyone who would like to become a follower of Jesus. No one responded today, but she encouraged them to talk with the pastor or his wife if they had any questions afterwards. She said that she could tell that many of the kids had church backgrounds and Christian teaching because they knew the answers to the questions about who Jesus is and what He has done. She also said some of the kids had Catholic backgrounds so we're praying that seeds of the gospel were planted and watered these last two days. At the end of VBS the pastor's wife thanked our group for coming and talked about how much the kids loved our group, and how much of a difference we had made in the children's lives. More than a few tears were shed by some on our team. Also, below is a brief video of a song the kids would greet the workers with each day. 

4. Though our construction team got a bit of a late start, we moved pretty quickly getting the second house built (we had a little experience under our belt, lol). Our team has worked well with the construction leaders and everyone has done a great job. We learned today that the husband of the family we built the house for is also named Francisco, but he goes by Chico. He and his wife have 9 children, but only 7 live in the home. Though the house we built was only about 12'x12' it is still bigger than where they were living. We also provided a new stove for them. Chico was there and worked with us all day. They were very appreciative of their new place. 

5. We also learned that Chico and his family are Christians and are members of the local church that runs the Christian school. However, Poncho and his wife that we built the house for yesterday are not members. The pastor and one of his sons has worked with us both days and are building a relationship with Poncho and his family in order to reach them with the gospel. We didn't realize it, but Servants Hearts Ministries works through local churches on projects like this to help the churches reach their communities. 

6. Vicinio, who is the lead missionary this week has had a lot of responsibilities thrown on him because the founding missionaries, and Vicinio's wife are all in the states caring for family members who are in the last days of their lives. Vicinio has done a great job keeping things going, and he has been a joy to work with. Another man, Mono, works with Vicinio in construction, and he has been a joy to work with also. "Mono" means "monkey" in Spanish and he is a real cut-up. He and Vicinio have both been very patient and encouraging, challenging some of our team members to do things out of their comfort zone. It has been a great experience. 

7. Our team has continued to bond and to grow together. We prayed and asked you to pray for unity among our group and the Lord has been answering those prayers. We have cried, encouraged and laughed a lot with other. It has really been a time of growth in our lives.

Tomorrow is going to be our last official day of ministry. We were scheduled to go to a food market and buy food for food boxes, but because Vicinio has other things he needs to take care of later this week, he went ahead and purchased the food for us. Tomorrow we will go to the school in the morning and pack the food boxes and then the families will come to the school to get the food. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel or words of encouragement with the families that come. Tomorrow after lunch we will go back to the homes we have built for a time of dedication with the families. We also have some quilts that were donated that we will be giving to them.  I am sure it is going to be another emotional day for us as we say good buy to new friends. 

Check out the video and a few pics from today: 

VBS Games

VBS Crafts

Foundation for the second house

Cows and a chicken coup, directly in front of the new house

Mikenna and Mono cutting wood

Lunch under the avocado trees

The front of the second house. Just to the right
is the cattle stalls and a chicken coup

Lilly at VBS

VBS Kids

VBS crafts

Guatemala Day 3

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! Jeremiah 20:9 NLT

We had a wonderful day of ministry today.

Run down of the day:

Our morning started early, we met at 6:30am for breakfast and devotion. Jamie Gann led the devotion this morning, from Luke 12:7 (more on this later). Afterward, we loaded up on the bus and headed to Rincon Chiquito, where we are working this week. About half of our group headed to the construction site to build a house, while the other half went to the local school to do VBS. Around lunch time, the VBS crew joined the construction crew. We had packed sandwiches for lunch, but the family we are building the house for surprised us by cooking lunch for us (carne asada, rice, picante sauce, tamaltias and corn). We ate with them under an avocado tree. After lunch we finished up the house including installing a new stove. We then headed back to the mission house for supper and a time of reflection before bed. 

Reflections on the Day:

1. The day started with a wonderful devotion by Jamie. She talked about sitting on her porch at home thinking about what she would say when it was her turn to lead. She said God drew her attention to a firefly and how He created it to light up and shine. She talked about how beautiful it was and how God cared about the details of even the smallest bugs. She read the passage from Luke that talks about how God has the very hairs on our head numbered, and He cares about every little detail of our lives. She also pointed out that though one lightening bug is beautiful, when many of them light up together, it is a masterpiece. She encouraged us to watch throughout the day for at least one little thing that reminds us of how much God cares. Most of us found more than one. 

2. The VBS crew had a great day. There were 60 kids in three age groups. They did music, crafts, games and Bible study with them. Our folks fell in love with the kids and said all the kids were excited and involved in everything they did. They were so welcoming and friendly to our group. When Lydia read the Bible study, and asked questions about Jesus and what He did for us, many of the kids knew the answers and she could tell that they had been taught the word of God. Our team was helped by a local pastor's wife who is also over the school program. They can't wait to get back tomorrow. 

3. Our construction crew did amazing work. We were led by Vinicio and Mono from Servants Hearts Ministries. They have built many of these houses. When we arrived at the job sight, the concrete slab and two rows of blocks were laid. The home is about 12x12 square. When we left, the house was finished along with a new stove and an eco water filter. Working with local materials was a little challenging, but our team handled everything that came up. Vinicio and Mono were great to work with. They were incredibly patient with us and we worked well together. A couple of people on our team had never done any kind of construction work before, but by the end of the day everyone had a turn with a skill saw, screw guns and other tools. It was a great experience and we get to do it again tomorrow. 

4. The picture at the top is the couple for whom we built the house today. Their names are Francisco (aka "Poncho") and Maria. They are both in their 70's and have been living with their son, who is an alcoholic and would be abusive toward them. They would often have to sleep in a shack on the property when he was like that. The place where we built the house is where the shack used to be. Francisco tore down the old shack by himself, and Servants Hearts came a couple of weeks ago and poured the concrete and laid the block in preparation for us. The funds we raised and sent ahead of us purchased all of the supplies including the concrete, blocks, wood, sheet metal and even a new stove (pictured behind Francisco and Maria. They were overwhelmed at their new place. Francisco kept calling it "his mansion." They were both so appreciative and overwhelmed. Francisco kept praising the Lord. We will be going back on Wednesday to deliver a food box and dedicate the house. 

5. The meal the family provided truly humbled us. The food was cooked on an open fire there at the property by Francisco and Maria's daughters and granddaughters (some of their grandchildren and great grandchildren were also in our Bible School). Lydia said the type of meat they provided would have come at a significant cost to them. Francisco said he had no way to repay us so he wanted to feed us to show his gratitude. It was truly a humbling experience to see the sacrifice they made for us. 

6. Once again our team has handled challenges with grace and unity. The Spirit of the Lord is definitely at work in our group drawing us closer together as He draws us closer to Himself. Please continue to pray for us - for our physical and spiritual strength, our boldness to witness, unity and the wisdom to see where God is working and to join Him. Also pray for Samuel, who is our bus driver this week. In talking with him Lydia learned that he is nominally Catholic. He attended church with us on Sunday and seemed to enjoy the service, Please pray that the love of Jesus will show through and Christ would draw Samuel to Himself. 

Below are a few pics from the construction site. Hopefully I will have some from VBS on the next update. 

Guatemalan mom and baby on a scooter we saw on the way. 

Construction site when we first arrived

Maddie and Ed screwing on the sheet metal for the walls

Brayan and Ed cutting the metal 

Papaw David cutting metal

Mikenna cutting the studs for the walls

Lunch provided by the family

Our team being served lunch

Zach and Mono putting the roof on

Maddie talking to Francisco 

Finishing up the house. The section behind JBob is
the "kitchen" with the new stove. Behind Brayan is the door to
the new house. 

Guate Day 2

 

Worshipping at Access Church

But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24 NLT

Well, another day that didn't quite go as we planned, but God had planned for us. First the good news ... our luggage finally arrived at 10pm tonight. We will have the items we need for ministry tomorrow (as well as some clean clothes!). Thank you for your prayers for this matter. 

Rundown of the Day

After a delicious breakfast of fruit and French Toast this morning, we gathered to talk about the upcoming day. Mikenna read our Scripture for the day (1 Samuel 12:24), I read an email of encouragement from one of our members, and we prayed together. We went to church at Access Church in San Cristobal. It was a wonderful service that was mostly in English, but we did sing one song in Spanish. They had a guest speaker, a pastor that was visiting with his mission team from Georgia. We celebrated the Lord's Supper and the speaker preached on the Armor of God. After church we headed back to Antigua to eat lunch. Because of a tragic bus accident, what would normally only take about 40 minutes took us nearly 2 hours, so we had a late lunch (at Taco Bell because everything else was packed, lol). After lunch some of us visited the school where Lydia taught when she lived here, and then went to the market for a brief shopping trip. We then headed back to the mission house for supper, and then our group time. Mikenna led the devotion tonight, talking about "Why do bad things happen to good people?" from John 9. Though we don't know the reason for every bad thing, God has a purpose and He is always bringing good from terrible situations. We shared how we were seeing God work, and then closed in prayer. And then our luggage arrived and we have been preparing for our work tomorrow. 

Reflections on the Day

1. Through the blessing of technology some of us were able to worship with you through Facebook Live. I am thankful for our leaders, Stiel, Paola, and Jeremy and blessed by the music and the message. It was a great way to start the day.

2. This morning some of our ladies were prayed over by ladies from the other mission team that is staying at the mission house. The prayers were audible and were heard throughout the mission house, and it was powerful not only for those who were in the room, but also for those who were within earshot. The other mission team are mostly African Americans, and they are working in Zone 3 which is the city dump for Guatemala City. We are blessed to have fellowship with them. 

3. Our worship time at Access Church was also a blessing. The message on the Armor of God was very practical and encouraging. The worship music was moving. During the worship music time there was a special needs young man in the aisle who was playing an air drum, and air guitar and dancing with the music. After the worship leader came off the stage, he fist-bumped the young man. We felt at home with a church that loves special needs people like Grace Point does. (We also saw a man who looked just like Jimmy Hicks, so we really felt a t home, lol.)

4. On the way to Antigua after church we were stuck in traffic caused by a bus wreck. We learned that it was a church bus, on their was to church that morning that lost control and rolled over. 45 people were injured and there were at least six fatalities. Our hearts broke when we heard the news and JBob led us in prayer for everyone involved and the families of the injured and deceased. 

5. Antigua was crowded with people today, but our team has handled every delay and difficult situation with grace and poise. While in Antigua, David had an opportunity to speak with a gentleman who was from Canada and had been diagnosed with cancer. He said his doctors in Canada had instructed him to head south, so he had been traveling by bus for about 68 hours through the US and Mexico. He was only in Guatemala for a little while and was planning to go to Rio De Janerio, Brazil. David told him he was part of a mission team and that we would be praying for him, and we did tonight. 

6. Mikenna did a great job leading our devotion tonight and God had obviously orchestrated. It was the perfect message after learning about the bus accident this afternoon. It reminded us that God knows what we need to hear, when we need to hear it. God is good. 

Tomorrow begins our real work. We have a construction team and a VBS team heading out at 7:30am. Please pray we will continue to pay attention to how God is working and how we can join Him in His work here in Guatemala. 

Thank you again for your support and prayers. 

First Full Day in Guate

 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. 
Colossians 3:23 ESV

We completed our first full day in Guatemala. It wasn't necessarily the day we planned, but the one God planned for us. 

A Quick Rundown of the Day:

After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, Samuel from Servants Hearts Ministries picked us up to take us to the mission house. The traffic coming out of Guatemala City was horrendous so it took a little longer than usual. But we made it and were able to drop off our carry-on bags and then head out to Antigua to explore. We had lunch at McDonald's in Antigua and then went to the Artisans Market where we met several of Brayan's family who work there. Our team did some shopping and explored the market area. After a few hours we headed back to the mission house where supper was ready for us. We got word that our luggage has still not arrived and so Lydia called the airlines to find out what was going on. She was told that the bags were still in Dallas. After a couple of conversations, she was told the bags would be on a plane tonight, and would arrive at the mission house tomorrow, hopefully before we have to leave for church. 

After the meal we gathered to decompress and share some of our thoughts of the first day.

Reflections of the Day

While there have been some challenges, such as late flights and delayed luggage, we have also seen some wonderful blessings. 

1. Our team is handling the challenges with amazing grace. There is an great unity among our team members and a spirit of peace throughout the group. 

2. Servants Hearts Ministries has been a blessing to work with. They have done their best to offset the challenges we have faced. Our bus driver Samuel and the other members of the team have been very friendly and helpful. They have another mission team here as well, and are accommodating both teams despite being short-handed.  

3. The mission house is wonderful. It is beautiful (see pics below). There is a wall around the property and a security guard on duty at all times. We are blessed with great facilities. 

4. We had a great time meeting Brayan's family and other people in the market. Some of our team members were able to have Gospel Conversations with the some of the vendors and we met brothers and sisters in Christ. 

5. Our team has a heart for service. While in Antigua, we walked to an area known as the Fruit Market; it is not in the usual tourist areas and Lydia said that many of the vendors in the fruit market were kind of looked down on. While we were buying some fruit, one of the vendors, a young lady, had a stack of crates full of Roma tomatoes fall over and spill in the street where people were walking, and traffic was coming through. About 6-7 of our team jumped in, got down on their knees in the street and picked up all of the tomatoes. The young lady really didn't know what to think when she saw all of the "gringos" picking up her tomatoes, but she was very appreciative. It was a great witness to the other vendors and shoppers in the area. 

6. We had a great time of sharing tonight and we read one of the notes that was sent by one of our members. In the envelope were cards for each family and individual member of our team, that had Colossians 3:23 on one side, and a daily Scripture reading list on the other. We are so grateful for the support and encouragement of our Grace Point family. 

Tomorrow is church in the morning and then lunch and a little more exploring in Antigua. Afterwards we will be back at the mission  house preparing for construction and VBS on Monday. Thank you for your prayers - please continue to pray that our luggage makes it tomorrow (Sunday) - VBS and some construction items are in those bags, lol!

Here are a couple of pics from our day:                         

Front entrance of mission house

Courtyard of the Mission House

Our transportation for the week

Mission House security!