Guatemala 2011

July 30, 2011 - Day 1

Dear all,

Rhett, Alex, Alyssa, and Linda are all safely home from Belize now. We are in the blessedly cool weather of the Guatemalan mountains! and getting ready for round two.

Wayne was able to coordinate a meeting for Desert Call with some missionaries, David and Nellie, from the northeast of Guatemala who have been working here for 60 years. They met us here at Casa with their niece, Laurie, from Arizona, as well as, two others, Rene and his wife. The area that they try to cover is amazing and uses more than four different languages. We discussed many things - two were how to help the pastors and how best to help the teachers continue in their education to be on the same level as the government teachers. Please keep them in prayer and us to be able to find a way to fulfill the vision they have for the work they are doing here.

Kimberly practiced her Spanish listening skills as we talked and she completely cleaned the kitchen, including the entire inside of the refrigerator. She got a head start on some of the work we hope to accomplish while at Casa. For those of you who don't know how this works, the orphanage at present is housing approximately 350-400 children. While the kid are in school, we work on cleaning, painting, repairing or whatever is needed. When the children are out of school we visit and play with them.

So after our morning meeting, We have started playing with the children. Kimberly and a little girl played a sidewalk game with a little broken pendant the girl had found. Lynnea had promised to read a story in Spanish to a little girl who had seen her carrying books. Before long the group grew. It was very cute - two older girls stood off a bit while she read, then slowly came closer almost at her feet, and finally just about in her lap by the end of the second story.

We were excited to be able to bring 272 Spanish children's books for Casa to use in the school.

Well, off to play with the children. We are writing this in the hope we find a way to send it.

Continue with your prayers for us and the children.

Wayne, Lynnea, and Kimberly

 

July 31, 2011 - Day 2

Dear all,

We are all doing well. Another team of 13 came in last night at 10:30PM to share our dorm. Another team of 23 will be coming tomorrow.

Today we joined the children for their praise and worship during their Sunday service. We went back 45 minutes later to hear the message in English for the "gringos" it was as usual awesome. Mike is a dynamic speaker. It was great that it was on the book of Joshua the same thing Josh is teaching during our Thursday Bible study.

Afterward we had a tour of the compound including the new transition house they are building for those who are in college/university.

Then it was time to talk and mingle with the children. Once a month the children's parents or relatives are allowed to visit. At 2PM all the children go to their dormitories. The parents are then brought in and runners go get the children who have visitors.

During this time, I'm writing this, Kimberly is humming as she makes brownies for the team, and Wayne is helping with the work at the transition house.

Tonight we are making spaghetti, so silly as it sounds pray I can remember how to cook for a big family of 16 again.

That's it for today. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Love,

Wayne, Lynnea, and Kimberly

8/1/2011 - Day 3

Dear all,

Midday report...It's raining, it's pouring! To put it mildly. It pours rain on the tin roof each evening since we got here but today is the first time it's rained this hard during the day. Think California's hardest rain and you are probably about right for the every day rain here. It's beginning to slow to a gentle sprinkle and he clouds are descending on the tips of the mountains reaching to the tree tops. I wish there was a way to send all of you a recording of the sound!

Kimberly and I have been doing some much needed cleaning today in the gringo's kitchen and bathroom and the women gringo's dorm. Silly as it sounds we've enjoyed scrubbing out ovens, showers, and believe it or not, the toilets. Kimberly is a woman after my own heart - my children and sisters will understand when I say - she scrubbed the bathroom and shower area floor tile with a scrub brush and Lysol on her hands and knees.

Wayne and a fellow worker, Jerry, have been struggling to get a three way switch connected but have finally hit pay dirt. I remember how Wayne worked on them at our house and the struggle when you have two switches on opposite sides of the room to control two things...over my head. They are working at what is called the transition house that they are building for the university students to help them prepare for the outside world after university.

By the way, the spaghetti came out fine. This morning we made pancakes and bacon and tonights fare will be hamburgers, chips, and fruit salad. We might even surprise them with brownies.

It is actually fun cooking for all these people. The team that has joined us have the most well-mannered, helpful, and polite youth I have seen in a long time. There are ten young people-three girls, seven boys- the youth pastor, his wife, and one of the boy's mom. They are all willing to help share in the responsibilities.

Well, I'm off to go play with babies and children now so see you all later and keep up the prayers!

Blessings,

Wayne, Lynnea, and Kimberly

August 2, 2011 - Day 5

Hello all,

Did I say it was raining and pouring? Not. NOW it is raining and pouring! It's great. I love the sound. We all do.

Tonight we are all going to meet and talk with Mike and Dottie and hear their testimony. Though Wayne and I heard it last year, there is just too much to tell and take in at one time.

Today Kimberly prepared a room for painting by moving 100 pounds of concrete mix, and picked up construction trash, then helped me come up with a "mama made it up" recipe for dinner, made brownies, and then went and played with kids and helped with division homework.

Wayne spent the day helping to replace drywall in a room that had had a leak, taught Jefferson, a student here who was watching and wanted to learn how to do it. Next, they put in an attic fan but into the wall so that it would take the moisture out of the shower room...the trick. It was through a block wall. Poor baby - he worked all day and didn't get to play with the kids...but there are now 56 gringos here and the shower has to get finished because the girls haven't been able to shower for two days.

Lynnea finished organizing all the extra sheets, pillowcases, and pillows, etc in one of the big closets, came up with a "mama made it up" meal, played with kids, read stories in Spanish to a group of girls in one dorm as she sat in a rocker on the porch as the rain came down gently while the girls sat picking lice nits out of each others' hair. When the thunder crashed and the rain REALLY started coming down we moved our reading into the dorm.

Well, there is more but it's time for me to serve dinner if we are going to get all cleaned up before we are to be at Mike and Dottie's house on time.

Hasta luego,

Wayne, Lynnea, Kimberly

Ps lots of noise hard to think can't get iPad to scroll up to see if it makes sence so if not please forgive.

August 3, 2011 - Day 6

Dear all,

The sun is out and so far no rain. Today Kimberly helped with painting the rooms in the transition house and came back to the dining room looking like an Indian with war paint on her face. She gave us all a great laugh. I asked her how in the world she did it and she had no idea.

Wayne spent the morning helping to finish fixing the fan for the shower in the older girl's dorm so they can finally use their shower again. They have been having to go to another dorm to shower.

My chore has mostly been cooking for the team with Kimberly's help. Today I made French toast for breakfast, while Wayne made scrambled eggs and sausage. For lunch we made "mama made it up" pizza. It had red bell peppers, onions, grilled chicken, pineapple, salami, mozzarella and cheddar cheese on a Bisquick crust - oh ya and spaghetti sauce instead of pizza sauce - and sprinkled with oregano and thyme. Believe it or not it wasn't bad. Kimberly says my "cooking angels" have been hard at work because neither one of us have made anything like this before.

So we were on a role and it's a very big thing here NOT to waste food and we could see the apples weren't being eaten soooooo what better to do with them than make apple cobbler. Then of course we couldn't let the peelings go to waste so I'm trying my hand at making a sort of dried apple chip sprinkled with cinnamon. We'll see how that goes. Tonight's dinner is chicken pot pie.

Wait till they see what I make for breakfast - I'm already laughing. I'm somehow going to make a casserole with all the leftovers in the fridge - kind of along the lines of that egg and cheese casserole the women make at cursillo for those of you who have had it before - I'm going to cut up the left over sausage , dice up the left over French toast, diced onions, tomatoes, and who knows what else ....hmmmm maybe some kind of crackers or chips crumbled at the bottom...

Wayne and I decided to sponsor two of the older girls this trip. The young children often have sponsors, but the older ones don't always get sponsors so easily. All the children here have sponsors , but for a child to be fully sponsored/funded he/she needs three (3) sponsors.

I'll write more about Mike's testimony when we get home, but I distinctly remember two areas:

first, he spends $400,000 a year on food, & $400,000 on education, $11,000 A MONTH on electricity, and $8000 a MONTH on butane;

second, more than anything else he asks for three things:

1. Prayer that each child who walks through the doors comes to know Christ as quickly as possible.
2. Prayer for healing as soon as possible after walking through the doors.
3. Prayer that they would seek and find the reason why God created them.

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

August 4, 2011 - Day 7

Today we spent the day in Antigua walking around seeing the ancient capital of Guatemala. We are dog tired but all packed and ready for leaving at 7:30 in AM. Our flight doesn't leave until 11:40AM but there are elections coming up and so some of the workers, in this case the health workers, block roads to strike. We experienced the same thing in Peru a few years ago. So our final prayer request is that we get to the airport on time, safely, and have safe flights and arrival homes.

Thank you so much for keeping us safe.

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

August 5, 2011 - Day 8 and Home

We are all officially home now. Keith picked up Kimberly from the airport in San Jose and Robin and Joe just delivered us home. More to follow after some much needed rest. A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRAYER WARRIORS! We are blessed and grateful.

In Christ's love
Wayne

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Vacation Bible School - Belize 2011

Fiesta! Fired up for Jesus!

July 22, 2011 - Day 2

Dear All,

We got up early this morning to Michael's singing and Kimberly's dancing to begin team-building. We drove to Belize City to catch a water taxi to an island called Caye Caulker. Josh prayed for good weather, calm seas, and safety snorkeling and all prayers were answered. Alex and Linda showed great courage in taking a step of faith and going snorkeling - both had a wonderful experience and very proud of themselves as we all are. Rhett said it was the best because they saw lots of sharks this time. Alyssa was almost speechless and said she was so thankful she was here and able to experience this. Since you have to snorkel as buddies, it was a good team building activity and drew all closer together.

Tomorrow's plans are to go to the Farmer's Market to get first-hand knowledge of some of the culture. We've been told by the resident missionaries that this is a must if you want to see the culture. A few more touring stops and then we'll be going to an evening service as St. Hilda's Church in Georgeville. The older youth and a few adults are participating in an Alpha course and finishing their last day of the Holy Spirit. Josh has been asked to come and talk with them followed by a prayer session with all those who attend.

Keep up your prayers! Don't forget to pass the word to those who may not know to watch the Desert Call website (www.desertcall.org) for future updates.

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

July 24, 2011 - Day 3

Dear all,

Last night was beautiful! We went to the Holy Spirit day of the Alpha class here (normally a weekend) and Josh talked about being filled with the Holy Spirit and what we as Christians are like when we are filled and when we are not. It is so incredibly wonderful to see so many youth at services and in classes. The youth outnumber the adults. Praise God! Many of the youth were slain in the Spirit for the first time and it was sooooo awesome to watch them. There were also adults there and one who rested in the Spirit as well. What a blessing to us and to her.

This morning we went to St. Andrews in San Ignacio and St. Hilda's in Georgeville and worshiped with each group. Both were excited to see us and many children remembered Josh from previous years. We are hoping for a big turnout - pray that the children's hearts and spirits will be touched and filled.

Tonight we will be practicing our singing, puppet shows, and skits. So here we go....I'm sure there will be lots of stories the coming week.

 

July 25, 2011 - Day 5

Dear all,

Wow! Today was the first day of VBS. We sang, did Reader's Theater scripts, sang, laughed, sang... Today Josh taught about being "Fishers of Men." He showed them how the Christians of old drew a fish in the sand as a secret signal to one another. Then Wayne quite boldly stole Nigel Mumford's secret handshake for Christians, and he and Rhett demonstrated it for the children. It starts with the typical handshake (and you say, "the Father"), then clasping fists as if getting ready to arm wrestle (saying, "the Son"), followed by grasping thumbs as you flutter the rest of your fingers like a bird and lifting clasped thumbs into the air as if flying away, and letting go (and saying, "the Holy Spirit"). We all laughed as the children practiced it.

Kimberly and Rusti were awesome as they did the puppet show, "Fishers of Men" where young Rusti thinks her Sunday School teacher wants her to use a bait, hook, and a rod to fish for men. Her Auntie finally helps her understand that Jesus wants us to fish for men by our conduct and attitude. All of us enjoyed the show not just the children.

All together at last count (more came after we stopped counting and had gotten started) we had 165 children at VBS. Alex, our youngest team member who turned 13 the day before we left, had 31 children in her group and did an amazing job. Although the VBS is intended for 5 year old and up we don't turn anyone away, so Linda ended up with 17 little ones between 3 and 5 years old.

We are all excited and prepared for more tomorrow. Keep us in prayer as we deal with the humidity and the heat and even more bright eyes tomorrow.

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

July 26, 2011 - Day 6

Dear all,

Today a young man had a lighter and was burning pieces of paper and was taking pieces of crayon and throwing them to the back wall. His team leader told Wayne who took the young man outside to talk. He told him, "You have a choice - you can give me the lighter and go back inside which I would really like you to do or you can take the lighter home and you would have to go with it."

The young man just looked at him - and Wayne said, "There really isn't a big decision to make - two choices - and he repeated them. The young man handed Wayne the lighter and went back inside. At the end of the day, he walked toward Wayne and without saying anything Wayne handed him back the lighter. When all the other kids had left, many of them leaving their trash behind and on the ground, this young man - ON HIS OWN - without being asked went and found a trash bag and walked all around the school and church looking for trash and picking it up.

The principal of the school said, "Wow, that's quite something different for him. He is seen as a trouble maker at school and never behaves this way." So your prayers are working, please keep them up. This is only day 2 and look already a change prayers have made in one young man's life.

Today's discussion was the healing of the paralytic and forgiving sins. One young lady in one of the groups asked if suicide is forgiven. I personally do not know if the question was asked because someone she knows has committed suicide or something she was thinking of so pray for her. We will be following up tomorrow.

We are enjoying our Belizian guide - Jazmine. She has been going to Josh's VBS ever since he first came to Belize. Now she is one of the team leaders with us. She helps us out when we don't understand the children, gives us cultural information, gives us directions while driving and is an all around beautiful young woman. She is not only strikingly beautiful on the outside but loving and gentle on the inside as well. Keep her in your prayers that she continues to follow God's path in her life.

Keep Linda and Kimberly in your prayers as they work with the littlest ones. Linda is truly a preschool teacher and though Kimberly says she has no children and hasn't been around them much - she is amazing with them and she looks like a pro to me.

Alyssa loves all the kids, and Rhett is praying he gets to keep his sunglasses - one of the kids from last year is really working on coercing him into leaving them behind. And Alex - wow - she is just amazing. I doubt she will come back the same young girl. Her confidence grows by leaps and bounds. She's doing a wonderful job.

We have to admit it is pretty overwhelming at times with so many of the kids at one church in Georgeville. Just the sheer numbers of them in a small, echoing area makes it a challenge to work with the children. Rusti has been amazing in helping the team leaders with classroom management skills as well as jumping in and teaching an activity to 30 preschoolers - must admit I did love watching her - then jumping over to a group of 30 high schoolers and getting them focused and quieted down. So prayers for Georgeville in particular would be great. The kids are wonderful just a lot of them in a small space. You should hear the roar when we play a game!

The Reader's Theaters and puppet shows have been a great attention grabber. Today, Linda and Wayne used the puppets for the skit "The Telephone Call." The Lord called Lucy to say he was coming over. Once she was finally convinced it was the Lord on the phone she ran around like crazy trying to get everything perfect. A beggar came and asked her for a drink, then a piece of bread, and then a shirt and she said no each time. She told the beggar she was busy and had to prepare for the Lord. Well, you know the rest of the story - the Lord called and she said she was almost ready. The Lord told her he had already been there...

The kids loved the show and we had wonderful discussions later.
All for tonight - going to bed early. We're ready for rest and a fan!

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

July 27, 2011 - Day 7

Dear All,

Today was great! Thank you for the prayers - definitely helped. Each day the number of children at the VBS grows and who is able to come changes. So far I think we have had at least 200 children. These children most definitely need love and prayers. It was interesting to hear what they thought were temptations that young people have to deal with - murder and suicide were the most shocking responses to me. Even the "toughest" boys want to be a part of the VBS.

Kimberly is still dancing even as she and Linda deal with 40 + children under 5 - I have only one thing to say - AMAZING!

Rhett and Wayne need to take their act on the road. Today they did a puppet show called, "Dropped from the Register" with the dialogue intentionally written in incorrect grammar - they were hysterical - and soooo authentic.

The teenagers responded very well today - even the oldest like to color. As I walked around asking them if they knew their memory verse and if they had practiced their Ten Commandments, I constantly heard, "Miss, Miss, I know one." For those who weren't here when they were passed out or who had not memorized the new verse, they asked, "But Miss, I know another one. Can I tell you that one?" I heard Genesis, Psalms, and others.

It was great fun to watch them play, "On Your Knees" a game about how Daniel stopped the lion from eating him by praying. There was a race across the room through an obstacle of lions. If a lion got too close, the children would drop to their knees to pray so the lion couldn't touch him/her.

We all came back to the cabana exhausted but in much better spirits with your prayers. And then.....
As Rusti had just entered into the women's cabana and I was coming up the steps from the showers on the opposite side of the wall from her, we both spotted huge black ants crawling across the sidewalk, into the window between Rusti's and my bed. I told her to go get Carmen (resident missionary) as memory of his and Faye's story last time we were here about how Army Ants had gone through their house one day.

Sure enough, Carmen came up and into the room and told all of us to get out quickly and carefully. Watch where you step....quickly.... There were two blessings: first, we were going to take Carmen and Faye out to dinner tonight and were going to be leaving anyway; and second, it happened in daylight when we could spot them and nobody got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and found out the hard way there were Army Ants or after they started crawling over us as we slept and began biting us. They had just started entering the men's cabana as well when we loaded in the van. Carmen said they'd probably be through the cabana in about two hours. So Thank You Father for your protection and blessings!

So here we are back - they say the coast is clear but I haven't been to the cabana yet... the good news? I haven't heard anyone scream yet so I'm guessing all is well. Not real sure how we will all sleep tonight but I'm sure there won't be any insects left behind to worry about.

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

July 29, 2011 - Final Day

Dear all,

We are getting ready to depart from Belize. Last night the Church committee (like a vestry) at St. Andrews in San Ignacio with Fr. Juan Marentes and his wife, Maria, put on a beautiful dinner for us and another team that are here from New York. The hospitality, appreciation, and well wishes were absolutely beautiful. As we all left, the hostess' daughter brought each of us a beautiful flower giving us each a farewell hug.

Alex, Rhett, Linda, and Alyssa are off to the USA this morning. Wayne, Lynnea, and Kimberly are off to Guatemala. Michael has already met up with his son and enjoying the sites of Belize. Josh and Rusti will drop us all off at the airport and then take a few days break before heading home.

Continue to keep us in prayer. Please pray for the swelling in Lynnea's feet and legs. She only has one pair of shoes left that she can get on her feet.

Christ's Love and Blessings,

Lynnea

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Guatemala Mission Trip

July 3, 2010 to July 10, 2010

CASA ALELUYA Website

Mike and Dottie Clark, who took a short term mission trip to Guatemala, heard the call of God to rescue abused, battered and abandoned children from the intense suffering they were in. Mike left a successful business, had 2000 dollars in his pocket, and along with Dottie, heeded the Lord’s call to Guatemela. The result is Casa Aleluya, which now ministers to over 400 children with housing, food, education, medical care, and lots of love.

One of our Desert Call Trustees is a Board member of Casa Aleluya, and we have wonderful new ties to this amazing ministry to God's hurting children in this beautiful country.

Here is their daily journal of the 10-day mission trip of the team's experience in Guatemala at Casa Aleluya. We want you to share in their time there and see it from their eyes as much as possible.

They are all back and we give God, our Father, the Glory for the work these servants accomplished while they were there.

First Day, July 4, 2010

We started out the day joining the children's worship as they praised our Father in heaven. Wow! How much we could learn! Susan pointed out a little girl, six maybe seven years old, with her hands lifted high, eyes closed and such an intense look of pure worship and communion with her heavenly Father on her face - she was such a beautiful sight to behold!

There is the most amazing sense of love and community here between these children. They laugh, play, and look out for one another in an amazing way. It is impossible to walk into a room without a child attaching themself to someone to be held or played with.

Tomorrow we find out what our work assignments are. Continue to pray that we can have some small part in touching these children's lives for Jesus. Our health is great, we are happy, and thank you for your continued prayers. We are being blessed.

July 5, 2010

Today started with a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs, followed by a devotion and prayer time. After breakfast Chris (our CASA rep assigned to us) gave us a list of chores for the day. We broke up into groups and tackled our assigned chores. Our assignments were painting a newly constructed dorm for future missionaries, painting a large metal gate and a wrought iron fence. We cleaned beans (removing small pebbles and weevils) in the kitchen. A grassy area was created in the school area for the children by cutting sod from a field, loading it into wheel barrows and transplanting the grass in the school yard.

We worked until noon, then cleaned and put away our tools and met in our dorm for lunch. At this time, I discovered that the charger I had brought to send our daily progress reports quit working and the Blackberry was dead. I asked everyone I could find if they had a charger for my Blackberry. Many had Blackberries but they were different models and the chargers were not compatible. But God is good all the time and from an unexpected source a charger was found, and because of God's grace I am able to send this report. However, I must return it tomorrow, because Chris (our Case rep) is going into Guatemala City tomorrow. Pray that he will be able to locate a charger for us so we can continue sending these reports.

After our lunch, the children were finished with school for the day and the team took on our primary jobs - to love the kids. There is a beautiful little girl here who is six years old and has syphilis. Some of these children's stories are heartbreaking. They are in such need of a hug and a little attention.

Wayne spent the afternoon drawing stick figures in a binder and writing their names under each one. To those children, he was Picasso. Those children hugged him and caressed his face, fought over who got to sit on his lap and called him grandpa.

Everyone on the team had a similar experience. Through God's grace we are these children's family for this time that we are here. We see God in every face. As this is being written, it is pouring rain outside, our devotion completed and the dinner dishes have been put away. We thank God for those that answered HIS call. Those that went, those that sent, and those that covered this mission with prayer. By answering HIS call we have healed and partially filled that empty spot in the heart of these orphaned, abandoned, lonely children. We are HIS tools and we were put to good use today. God bless you all! Your prayers are felt and needed. Keep them coming.

July 6, 2010

We are in day four. We woke up to a beautiful day. Fr. Josh was asked to put together a small prayer group to pray for Mike the founder of Casa who is suffering with pain in his back. The choice as to who to take with him was hard for Fr. Josh as this team is composed of many healing prayer warriors, but he placed his trust in God and chose four. God used that small group to pray for healing for not only Mike,, but for three of his family members as well. A healing in Mike's back was done through that group by the Holy Spirit. Praise God!

Dave and Jo Ann headed for the kitchen first thing to clean beans. It costs thirty thousand dollars a month to feed all these children, that's a lot of beans that need cleaning. Lynnea and Susan spent the day altering a wedding dress for a young lady that is about to be married. At Casa you are not made to leave just because you have become eighteen years old. Here you do not leave until you can make your way in the world as a credit to society. There are seventy-two young people in Casa going to college. Some day Guatemala will be blessed by their Christian leadership in this country that is so in need of God.

After lunch we again concentrated on our primary task, loving the abandoned and unloved. Our Lord's hand was in so many things today, it would take all night to tell them all. Your prayers continue to protect us, mentally, physically and spiritual. We love you all. Good night.

July 7, 2010

Earthquake between 1-1:30 a.m. no damage here. Everyone ok. The guys slept through it.

Today we awoke to a beautiful day, and we were raring to go. After morning devotion each team member took off to their respective assignment. Every day is filled by God's blessings and there is much to report about today. But with your permission I would like to return to last night.

As we talked to Mike the founder of CASA a beautiful young girl came by who was nineteen years old. Mike had asked for her permission to tell her story. She stood beside him as he told it. She lived with her father and brother. Her father sexually abused her for four or five years and then he died. She was happy that her dad died and the nightly nightmare was over...or not. Her brother took up where her father had left off. And nightly, he too abused her and she hated him for it. After four years of her brother's sexual abuse she was taken away by the courts who then placed her at CASA.

Here at CASA she found Christ and accepted him into her life. Shortly after that the children were having an all night praise service (this is done periodically and is put on by the children). At this service she asked if she could give her testimony and Mike gave his consent. Now, almost every girl at CASA has been raped. And when she got up at about 1 in the morning and told everyone that she had been raped first by her father and then by her brother, all these girls related to what she was saying. But then she said, every time my brother raped me, he made me wash, but I never felt clean. Then I found Jesus and by HIS blood I have been washed clean. She looked at the girls standing around her and said, "You can be too."

The next morning she asked Mike to take her home. Mike drove her to the shanty town where she had lived with her father and brother, she asked Mike to stay in the car and she walked down this little slope to what she used to call home. After a while she showed up next to Mike, kissed him on the cheek and thanked him, then she climbed into the car. Before Mike could get into the car he felt a presence behind him and turned to face her brother. He looked into Mikes eyes and between sobs he told him, "She forgives me, I took away her childhood and she forgives me."

She not only forgave her brother that night...she led him to the LORD as well. This beautiful young girl is nineteen now and getting married. Susan and Lynnea altered her wedding dress yesterday.

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Thank you for forgiving me and giving us the power to forgive others.

We love you all

July 8, 2010

Exploration Day

Today we gratefully enjoyed a day in the ancient city of Antigua. This provided a much needed rest from some of the intensity of our mission. We shopped and had a wonderful meal.

Roaming the cobblestone streets our group experienced the beauty and color of Guatemala and her people.

 

July 9, 2010

Prayers Needed...

Need prayers for Fr. Josh - very bad cold, sore throat, constant sneezing. We were in the catacombs yesterday and prayed immediately after. He also was using degreaser chemical for two days. Wayne needs prayer for his back and blisters on his feet from power washing filters above stove for two days. All others are healthy. Please pray for continued health, safe travel tomorrow and energy for the baptism we have as soon as we get home.

Casa is truly an amazing place. There can be no doubt that it is truly a God ordained place. There is no way all these children could be healed and have the smiles they do without the mercy and grace of our heavenly Father. The fact that Jesus heals still today is so evident through these children who reach out and counsel one another. As Fr. Josh says, to love the Father more, we must not only have the vertical alignment with God, but we must increase our horizontal love for others to increase our love with our Father. These children manifest the Father's love in amazing ways!

 

July 12, 2010

The Guatemala mission was a success, God blessed us all. We have returned safe but not unscathed. Fr. Josh, Lynnea and Dave returned sick. The symptoms are flue like, queasy stomach, headache. Your prayers are still needed for this last attempt on the team by the prince of darkness.

We are all exhausted, I will update you more after I get some much needed rest. Thank you all for placing yourselves on the firing line for our well being.

July 13, 2010

Thank you all for being there for us. Dave, Fr. Josh and Lynnea are still a little under the weather, but they are all improving. God is good all the time and all the time He is good. I say this because, when we went to Guatemala we went blind, we did not know what to expect as we had never been there before. But our God is good and He provided for us. There was a team there from Gainsville, Florida, West Side Baptist Church, who had been there numerous times before. We shared the same lodging, meals and morning and evening devotions. They took us under their wing and saw to it that we needed for nothing. This proves that when you are willing to step out in faith to do His work He always provides. We painted, cleaned up the grounds, worked in the kitchen, and poured out love on the kids.

His mission was a success, the seed was planted for a good and fruitful work in His name for many years to come. Again I would like to thank you all on behalf of myself and the team. We could not have done it without you. Your prayers were felt all the way.

God Bless you all for your devotion to His work.

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