Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Update on Family
Here we are... only 137 days until our BIG move! I wanted to give everyone a brief update on the family at this point. Kim is still working at Hartselle Eye Care and plans to for another few months. She has been working on clearing items out of the house that we are not taking with us. This is about everything we own with the exception of some of our clothes. We are having a yard sale at Fairview Church on either the first or second weekend in October. Brayden started home school last week. I probably should say that Brayden and I started home school last week. We are new to this home school thing, and I have found out that it does require much planning and time from the parent as well as the student. I will be teaching Brayden the first semester until we move and then Kim will take over. Brayden has also started soccer and practicing two days a week. Brianna is enjoying being a child. She is into everything right now. I guess the terrible 2's for her has waited to be the terrible 3's. Both of the children are learning Spanish very quickly. When we move I am certain that their language skills will surpass ours. I am plugging away at numbers each day. Working constantly on a budget. Our financial support has grown to around 75%! I praise God for this as he has supplied all of our needs. I have also been working on many other things: finding us a home in Guatemala, looking for a vehicle for in country, getting our home here in the States ready to sale, getting our vehicles ready to sale, finding a language school in country that will meet our families needs, finding out what all things we are required to do for Visa requirements and living in country, working on health insurance, contacting churches to visit during our remaining time here, and much more. Please continue to pray for God's wisdom on our decisions, and for his protection for our family.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tabitha House
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."
-Matthew 18:2-5
I recently published a blog on our latest visit to Guatemala about the city dump. This was only one part of our week of missions. Now I must tell you about the other part: "Tabitha House".
For those of you that do not know, the Tabitha House is a ministry started by Pastor Jorge Morales and Carol. It was Carol's vision to start a ministry for ladies and children of the dump community. Today, Tabitha serves as a daycare for children whose parents need to work in the dump. The parent(s) can drop their children off at Tabitha and go out to work inside the dump without having to take their children with them. Tabitha is also a place that teaches these mothers different trades to bring in income. Sewing, craftsmanship, and jewelry making have been the main particular trades taught to these women. Carol and her staff of teachers are God sent and a vital role to the changing of lives in the dump. Anyone that is part of Tabitha must follow guidelines set by Carol. She holds them accountable for their actions and disciples them in Biblical truth. The Tabitha House also holds a weekly Wednesday night prayer meeting. Tabitha is in need of more teachers, as it has around 80 children today. They cannot afford to pay anyone else, so this can only come from God. Tabitha is also in need of a pastor as Carol has a vision of it becoming a church in the future.
During our week a team from Pathway Community Church out of Indiana taught the ladies a new trade. Fernando, Michelle, and Kim taught many ladies how to cut hair. The ladies were intent and focused as these three showed them many different styles and ways of cutting hair. Fernando is fluent in Spanish, and without this it would have been much more difficult and taken one of our 2 translators away from other areas needed. God provided this team with great talent. VBS was also taking place at Tabitha and New Jerusalen Church throughout the week. The other members of the Pathway Church team, one lady from Brook Hills Church in Alabama, one lady from Bible Church in Indiana, and the 8 One Way Ministry interns all gave everything they had in them and then some to share Christ to the Guatemalan people throughout the week. It's hard to imagine that so much was accomplished in only one week. The team was scattered across three and four places at once each day. Hair cutting, home visits, Tabitha, Jerusalen Church, and construction of homes were the places God made himself known through this amazing team.
The average income for the families that send their children to Tabitha is $1 to $5 a day. Many of the children have been abused, been around or on drugs, seen and been through things that we, ourselves, could never imagine. Tabitha House provides for breakfast and lunch each day. This is meals that these children would more than likely not get if they were not coming to Tabitha. The Tabitha House needs more teachers and more space. Please continue to be in prayer for Tabitha, the children, the families, the teachers, Carol, and Pastor Morales that God will provide.
-Matthew 18:2-5
I recently published a blog on our latest visit to Guatemala about the city dump. This was only one part of our week of missions. Now I must tell you about the other part: "Tabitha House".
For those of you that do not know, the Tabitha House is a ministry started by Pastor Jorge Morales and Carol. It was Carol's vision to start a ministry for ladies and children of the dump community. Today, Tabitha serves as a daycare for children whose parents need to work in the dump. The parent(s) can drop their children off at Tabitha and go out to work inside the dump without having to take their children with them. Tabitha is also a place that teaches these mothers different trades to bring in income. Sewing, craftsmanship, and jewelry making have been the main particular trades taught to these women. Carol and her staff of teachers are God sent and a vital role to the changing of lives in the dump. Anyone that is part of Tabitha must follow guidelines set by Carol. She holds them accountable for their actions and disciples them in Biblical truth. The Tabitha House also holds a weekly Wednesday night prayer meeting. Tabitha is in need of more teachers, as it has around 80 children today. They cannot afford to pay anyone else, so this can only come from God. Tabitha is also in need of a pastor as Carol has a vision of it becoming a church in the future.
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| A new trade taught by team from Indiana |
During our week a team from Pathway Community Church out of Indiana taught the ladies a new trade. Fernando, Michelle, and Kim taught many ladies how to cut hair. The ladies were intent and focused as these three showed them many different styles and ways of cutting hair. Fernando is fluent in Spanish, and without this it would have been much more difficult and taken one of our 2 translators away from other areas needed. God provided this team with great talent. VBS was also taking place at Tabitha and New Jerusalen Church throughout the week. The other members of the Pathway Church team, one lady from Brook Hills Church in Alabama, one lady from Bible Church in Indiana, and the 8 One Way Ministry interns all gave everything they had in them and then some to share Christ to the Guatemalan people throughout the week. It's hard to imagine that so much was accomplished in only one week. The team was scattered across three and four places at once each day. Hair cutting, home visits, Tabitha, Jerusalen Church, and construction of homes were the places God made himself known through this amazing team.
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| A few of the many children of Tabitha |
The average income for the families that send their children to Tabitha is $1 to $5 a day. Many of the children have been abused, been around or on drugs, seen and been through things that we, ourselves, could never imagine. Tabitha House provides for breakfast and lunch each day. This is meals that these children would more than likely not get if they were not coming to Tabitha. The Tabitha House needs more teachers and more space. Please continue to be in prayer for Tabitha, the children, the families, the teachers, Carol, and Pastor Morales that God will provide.
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| Kathy, basically homeless along with her 8 yr old sister |
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| Kim feeding a baby at Tabitha |
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| Brayden and Brianna playing at Tabitha |
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| The many faces of Tabitha |
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| A typical classroom at Tabitha |
Monday, August 2, 2010
Work in the Dump
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
- Matthew 25:40
One week is never enough time to spend working in and around the city dump in Guatemala. I am blessed to know that God has called our family to this place of extreme poverty to be his hands and feet, to be the Body of Christ, to share his love and to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ.
This past week we were given the opportunity to take our own children into the dump to work and make home visits. On day one, Brayden and I went to look at a job site where a new home needed to be built for a family that lives inside the dump. The existing home had dirt floors, a tin roof that leaks when it rains (which is everyday this time of year), and siding made of tin, cardboard, tarps, and anything else you can image that the family could find in the dump to use. After looking at this site we went to other make-shift homes in the dump to make home visits. We took food bags into these homes and prayed with the families. 4 people came to know the Lord during these visits! Brayden did an awesome job being patient and loving to the families. He didn't stare or ask questions. At one time he almost tripped over a man sleeping on the ground, but didn't look back or ask any questions until after we had left. He made me, his father, very proud. I can't imagine how he made God, his heavenly Father, feel. Days 2-4 in the dump was hard. When I say "hard" I mean extremely hard. The team tore down two squatter homes and prepared the grounds for construction. Rock, sand, and cement had to be hauled in by hand with buckets and then mixed with shovels on the ground on site. Rats and large cockroaches are only one of the many everyday problems for the people that live in this area. Disease and sickness are found in about every home here.
The team was able to provide and construct homes for two families. The homes are basically very small pole barns made with wooden posts, tin siding, and a concrete floor. But these homes are much better than what these families were living in before and they were extremely happy and excited to get them. We were also able to make many more home visits in the dump community. We passed out Bibles, food bags, hygiene supplies, and blankets for kids that the Fairview Church children's ministry made. Many more people came to know Christ for the first time, and seeds were planted in others for God to water and harvest in time.
- Matthew 25:40
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| Children living in squatter homes inside the city dump |
This past week we were given the opportunity to take our own children into the dump to work and make home visits. On day one, Brayden and I went to look at a job site where a new home needed to be built for a family that lives inside the dump. The existing home had dirt floors, a tin roof that leaks when it rains (which is everyday this time of year), and siding made of tin, cardboard, tarps, and anything else you can image that the family could find in the dump to use. After looking at this site we went to other make-shift homes in the dump to make home visits. We took food bags into these homes and prayed with the families. 4 people came to know the Lord during these visits! Brayden did an awesome job being patient and loving to the families. He didn't stare or ask questions. At one time he almost tripped over a man sleeping on the ground, but didn't look back or ask any questions until after we had left. He made me, his father, very proud. I can't imagine how he made God, his heavenly Father, feel. Days 2-4 in the dump was hard. When I say "hard" I mean extremely hard. The team tore down two squatter homes and prepared the grounds for construction. Rock, sand, and cement had to be hauled in by hand with buckets and then mixed with shovels on the ground on site. Rats and large cockroaches are only one of the many everyday problems for the people that live in this area. Disease and sickness are found in about every home here.
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| Existing home removed and ground prepared for construction |
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| Children playing in the dump |
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| Young girl finding shoes in the dump |
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| Team preparing ground for construction |
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| Giving a Bible to a family |
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| Blanket given to child |
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