It's the End of October

I haven't blogged in quite awhile.  Sorry about that.  Sometimes we take the easy path in life and just update facebook status'.

Kim, Brayden, Brianna, and I will be on a plane heading for the States this coming Monday, October 31st.  We are excited to see family and friends, but are also a little sad at the same time.  We have grown very close with our local church here in San Pedro Las Huertas, and have many brothers and sisters in Christ that we will be missing.  Our small group in San Cristobal El Bajo and our youth group that meets in our home are already dreading this time of us being gone.  The long rainy season has only been gone for one week, and now we will be gone for one month.  However, we know that it is important to spend time with our family and to share about what God is doing here in the churches in the States.  Brayden and Brianna are super excited to see grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  They are counting down the days until our departure.

This is a photo from the terrace of our home of volcanoes Fuego

and Acatenango.  This is the type of weather we now have daily.

After the month of November, we will return back here in Guatemala on November 30th.  As soon as we arrive we will be gearing up and heading out to our Summer Youth Camp for the dates of December 2 - 4.  The week following camp we have a week of Vacation Bible School at our church here in San Pedro Las Huertas.  December 27th - January 3rd we have a missions team coming from Fairview Church to construct a home for a single mother and her 5 children.  We will also be back to our normal weekly ministry schedule.  Needless to say, we are very busy people.  But... know that we wouldn't have it any other way!  God has blessed us this first year here in the country of Guatemala!  He has blessed us beyond anything you could imagine!  We have all grown spiritually and closer in our relationship with our heavenly Father!  Pray with us as we strive to do everything He has called us to do.  No more - no less!  We must continue to seek Him in everything!  We must continue to take our desires and what we would like to do out of the equation, and plug Him into the equation!

IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM!!!

When you read the scripture below, try reading it out loud!

Colossians 1:15-20

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

2 New Projects Underway!

Backpacks of Love

Becca Bentley (this past summer's intern) is heading this project up for us.  We have asked Becca to collect 40-50 new to slightly used backpacks with some basic school supplies.  The new school year for the Guatemalan children starts the second week in January.  Becca will be bringing these backpacks to Guatemala with her and the Fairview team the end of December.  They will be giving these out to a group of very needy children in the mountain colonial village of San Cristobal El Bajo.  Depending on how this project works out, we may be putting this on the calendar as an annual project.

               

Youth Camp

Our church here in Guatemala, Iglesia Vid Verdadera, is hosting a youth camp December 2-4 for the teenagers of the church and outreach to teenagers in the church community.  The cost of the camp is $30.  These teenagers are not able to come up with that much money.  The expressions on their faces when we shared it with them said it all.  It would be like asking our teens in the States to pay $300 for a 3 day camp.  Kim and I talked with the church and agreed that our ministry would pay half for every teen that would go.  We would like to pay all for every teen, but that would do more damage than good.  We need to have the teens that want to go work for it as well.  We are putting together a few fundraisers to help them as well.  I asked the Facebook community to help with paying the $15 (half of the total for one teen to go), and got a wonderful response.  We need to pay half for about 50 teenagers.  In two days on Facebook we were able to get commitments of the $15 each for 44 teenagers to go to camp!  Thank you friends for helping a teen go to camp this December!  Their lives will be changed forever for going to this Christian Youth Camp!

2012 Summer Interns

We are now looking to get applications out to candidates for our Summer Intern Program!  For the summer of 2012 we are needing 2 interns!  If you know of anyone that would be a good fit, or that may be interested please send them to look at our website www.lopezmissions.com.  The application is online under summer internship.  The deadline for all applications is December 1, 2011.

Update on Feeding Center

I want to give everyone an update on the construction project that is in place now in San Cristobal El Bajo.

For those of you that don't know, Kim and I have been feeding children on Saturdays in a little mountain colonial in the village of San Cristobal El Bajo.  We have been doing this since January of 2011 with the local church we are a part of in San Pedro Las Huertas.  The church was doing this prior to our arrival, but were unable to continue because of financial reasons.  Kim and I decided at that point to invest some of our time and money in this area.  After a short time, we saw the need for a daily feeding center because of hearing the many stories of children going several days without any food.  To make a long story short, we started construction of a two phase project at the end of May of 2011.



Here is what the project is costing and the estimated completion dates:
1st Floor/Feeding Center: $2,734 - September 10th, 2011
2nd Floor/House: $1,331 - October 31st, 2011
TOTAL: $4,065

So far, I have paid out $2,442 towards the construction of the feeding center out of our personal budget.  A group called "Plant Today" out of Florida has donated $1,000 to help in this project.  This will leave a difference of $623 to complete both phases of this project.  I have agreed to ask for, and come up with the difference of the $623.

My plan is to have the feeding center up and running lunch everyday by the first of December.  Pastor Israel and I will be talking soon with a couple ladies in the families in San Cristobal El Bajo about hiring them full-time as the cooks and daily facilitators.  I will work with them on coming up with the best plan on buying the food and supplies needed.  We are looking at a monthly cost of around $1,000.  This will take care of paying 2 employees and purchasing food.


What we need from you:
1) Prayer
2) Help with the $623 to finish this project.  Kim and I have already invested much more than planned out of our personal budget. 
3) Monthly partners (outside of our regular monthly giving partners) to invest in giving to support the feeding center.  Plant Today as stated that they would like to partner with us to feed these children daily.  We need many more churches and/or individuals to commit to partnering with us each month to be sure these children do not go hungry.

If you would like to help in any way, contact us at dkblopez@gmail.com and we will direct you in how to do so.
Thanks and God Bless!!! 

Our Friend, Manuel

Recently we had a family that saw the need for our friend and ministry partner, Manuel, to have his own transportation.  They sent enough money for us to purchase him a brand new motorcycle.  I took Manuel to look for motorcycles in Antigua, and we bought a new Yamaha 125!  Manuel was so overtaken by this.  He is 30 years old and has never had his own transportation. 

Manuel doesn't have work very often.  He does side jobs doing construction or carpentry when they are available.  He works for the local church we are a part of here in San Pedro as the song leader and occasionally preaches.  He does much outreach work and home visits through the church, but doesn't receive a dime for his work and long hours.  Because of recent visitors that saw first hand the heart and passion that Manuel has for the lost, we are now able to support Manuel with $150 per month.  I would like to up this amount.  I would like for Manuel to be supported 100% through our ministry.  He then would be able to continue working and giving his time to the church and towards outreach.  He would also be able to continue helping us with missions teams and with many of the different ministries we are involved with.  Right now, Manuel goes with me to serve at ministries I am involved with that are outside of the local church and what he is familiar with.  Manuel, is a true servant of God.

I will bless those who bless you,
Genesis 12:3

"Let the Little Children Come to Me"

I must be very careful on the wording and the entry of this blog.  Many of the situations we see and hear about everyday amongst the Guatemalan people are so horrid that we cannot describe and do not need to.  However, I would like to share with you about an extreme need among many of the children we minister to each week.

We have 2 children that we minister with each week that have been kidnapped by their father 3 times in the past 2 months.  The mother has had to search for the children in another country through relatives of her separated husband.  When she finds the children she then has to steal them back and cross the border through the mountains illegally.  The reason she must do this illegally is because her children do not exist to the government.  The reason that she believes he is kidnapping them is to sale them on the black market because they do not have papers.

We have a vision to start a new program in our ministry to assist families on getting papers for their children, and help them to be able to attend school.  Many of the children we see daily are not able to go to school.  They do not have the simple papers, or birth certificates, that are required by both public and private schools here in Guatemala.  For whatever reason when the child was born, the parent(s) did not register the child.  Therefore, the common title these children are labeled with is "They do not exist".

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."      Matthew 19:14

Be watching our future newsletters for the opportunity to help little children such as these.  We have to work hard to put this assisting ministry into place before the beginning of the new school year in January.  Be in constant prayer for the lives of these unknown children and the will of God to be done.

They are new every morning.

Last week we took a team to the Guatemala City dump - and everyone had a very hard time processing what we had seen. No one from the team could figure out how to journal their experience. It's impossible to put into words how you feel the first time you see it in person, and pictures will never even come close to doing it justice. The whole time you're there you're trying to breath shallow because the air is so polluted - and not to mention the smell of the trash. The sewage runs through dirt paths in between the "houses" and you see children & adults both walking barefooted. People look malnourished, 5 or 6 people live in tiny a room made of plastic signs, tarps, and old tin, and they survive by scavenging through trash for food to eat or something that can be recycled to make a few cents. You see people who are broken physically and spiritually.
But then someone smiles at you...
and you remember that God has a plan.

You remember that His plan is not yet complete,
and that His plan is as perfect as He is.

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I remember them and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind & therefore have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."  Lametations 3:19-24

Tomorrow I leave Guatemala but I'm already waiting in anticipation to come back. The past two months have been full of nothing but blessings and people who, like Danny & Kim, are giving everything they have to love the lost. God is so good, and it's almost funny how little we understand about His ways. It's easy to get overwhelmed and be discouraged, but we're commanded to be strong and wait. Even though His plan isn't complete, I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalms 27:13-14.

Becca

Visitors

 Riverchase Community Church - March 2011

 Danny's Parents - March 2011

 Fairview Church - June 2011

Danny's brother and family - June 2011

 The Woodard Family - July 2011

God has blessed us with many family and friends.  We have had 5 visits so far since we moved here over 6 months ago.  We have 2 more church missions teams scheduled for July.  Thank you all for the continual support and desire to see the ministry here in Guatemala.

Utterly Amazed.

"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days that you
would not believe, even if you were told."
-Habakkuk 1:5

I've been to this part of Guatemala once before so I knew what the land & people would look like. I pretty much knew about what I would be eating, that I would struggle with the language, and about most of the work I'd be doing here with Danny & Kim. I started praying this past January for the Lord to prepare my heart for my time here, even before I knew for sure that I was coming! I felt very prepared for this trip, and still fully believe that the Lord had equipped me with the courage, strength, and patience to come here. But when I think about my experience so far here in Guatemala, I'm simply amazed.

I think this verse perfectly describes how I feel right now. The faith of the people here, including Danny & Kim, is unlike anything I've ever seen before. There hasn't been a day or an hour here that I haven't been overwhelmed by the powerful, loving presence of God. It was inevitable that I would pray with people here, I knew that was a given. But if you had told me how intense and powerful and passionate our prayer meetings would be, I would still be speechless after the first one. The first time you go into someone's home and pray for their physical & spiritual healing and, you will leave there speechless. When you go to pray with them, week after week, getting to know them & love them & cry with them, you begin to learn how to pray. You begin to learn how to pray continuously, and how to trust in the Lord's perfect, mysterious plan.

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe what Jesus is doing here. It's just utterly amazing. His light is pointing people down paths, His love is restoring broken hearts, and His faithfulness is bringing people to Life. Danny & Kim have been beautiful examples to me of what it means to trust & follow Jesus, as well as the church here. I still have one month left, and I bet that I will be just as amazed at what the Holy Spirit is doing then as I am right now!

--Becca

God Will Comfort Us

Friday was a tough day for me.  I had to drive some and that is not easy to do in another country where there are few rules.  There are lots of people that walk in the street and bicycles and motorcycles also ride in the street with cars.  Motorcycles go around cars all the time.  It is just very difficult to say the least.  I think it is especially difficult for me because I really like rules.  I have a hard time when there are no rules.   So at the end of the day when the driving is done, I just came home and told Danny that I don’t want to drive anymore.  I know that puts a lot of pressure on him, but it is too much for me.   I just have to ask God to help me during this time.  It was a difficult day and Saturday was no different.  Danny was sick and could not make it to the breakfast at San Cristobal El Bajo.  I was going to drive everyone there with the food, but that proved to be difficult as well.  It seemed that there were more obstacles in my way than normal.  I could not even drive a short distance for something as important as the kids eating breakfast.  I came back home and told Danny I just could not do it.  Manuel was on his way over already to get Danny’s motorcycle.  He drove himself and Janet over to bring the breakfast food so the kids did not have to go without because of my inability.  The enemy tries to break us down and destroy us, but God can do ALL things.

Also, Danny had stomach sickness on Friday and Saturday.  Brayden and I had a bout with it as well.  It is not easy when the kids are sick, but it is really hard when Danny is sick.  We depend on him for so much.  We don’t get much done when Danny is sick.

Today was a gift from God above.  We took two truckloads of people to church and had a wonderful service.  I got to talk to the kids on the way to and from church a little more than I usually do.  That was really cool!  Then this afternoon we had a fun day of soccer with our church family.  That was so much fun!  Brayden played with six to twelve year olds and I played with the ladies.  Brayden enjoys soccer very much and he really gets in there and plays hard.  It was my very first time to play a game of soccer.  I had a lot of fun, but boy was I tired.  I don’t know if you know a lot about soccer, but there are no timeouts and no breaks, except one between halves.  Whew!  I will probably be pretty sore tomorrow from all the running. 

It just amazes me how God can answer my prayers in the blink of an eye.  A missionary friend called me on Friday about thirty minutes after getting home from driving.  I was able to talk to her for a while.  She has been here for a year and the traffic issue is something we definitely talk about a lot.  The church family event was planned before my need arose.  I needed something to remind me that I love being here and serving my God in this capacity.  I didn’t like being here very much on Friday, but God is always here for me.  He changed my mind so quick that I didn’t have time to be sad and homesick for long.

I love so much to receive your emails and comments.  It is so very encouraging.  I am looking forward to seeing some Fairview family in a few weeks!  I love you all and count on your prayers!  

Kim

Tuesday Challenges and Heartbreak

TUESDAY MORNING

Monday night we received a call from our Guatemalan friends that run the childcare/orphan care ministry in Saturno called the Steven House.  Our friends begin to share that one of the teachers was sick, and the other had a class on Tuesday to help her to learn more about being a teacher.  The husband and wife team that run this ministry both work daily jobs.  This meant that Kim and I were being asked to be the substitute teachers for the day.

Going into the Steven House on Tuesday morning, we both knew it could end up to be a very difficult and frustrating day.  The main concern for us was the language barrier.  The other concern was just the everyday problems that all daycare's face each day.  The crying, fighting, biting, messy diapers, etc. that comes with working with 1-6 year old children.

Kim and I both believe Jesus must of been right there beside us.  I could almost see him putting his hand on the kids' head and telling them in a gentle voice "all is well".  I imagine myself being in these children's shoes.  Having these two white people that can't even speak much Spanish teach me in my own country.  But... all was well.  The day went off with no major problems and only a few minor ones.  I wish I had some video of these children as they would hold me around the neck and stare into my eyes with the biggest of smiles upon their faces. 

We continue to learn to trust in the Lord.  We continue to learn that He is in control.  We are to just do whatever He asked us to do, and do it faithfully.

TUESDAY EVENING

Every Tuesday evening around 6:00 pm I go with my dear brother Manuel from the church here in San Pedro Las Huertas to San Cristobal El Bajo for our small group meeting.  Manuel's sister has started coming with us on Tuesday evenings as well.  We walk up the footpath road and head towards the tiny house on the side of the hill.  This home is the home of a wonderful, dear family that allows for their property to be used for the children's breakfast and Bible study on Saturday mornings.  The home is a one-room home with the open fire stove right outside the only door.  There are four beds inside this one-room home and no more.  We take a seat on a bed with many children and their parents doing the same.  The owner of the home always gives her guests a drink of atol (warm rice milk) or fresca (a fruit and water mix).  Manuel thanks God for the day and opens us in prayer.  We then have Bible study with the 3 families that attend, and close in prayer.  These are always wonderful meetings and the experience is one that... let's just say you'd have to be there.  

I do want to share something about this particular meeting that I feel is important for you to know to pray for the situation.  After our Bible time, one of the ladies started crying.  She is a single mother of five children.  She currently has no home.  Her home was washed away one year ago by a mudslide that was produced from the tropical storm Agatha.  She and her children currently live with her brother and his family in a one-room home.  As she was crying, she was telling of the past 3 days.  The past 3 days her and her children had nothing to eat.  They only had water.  That means her children hadn't eat since we took breakfast up to San Cristobal on Saturday morning.  She was telling how she had worked cleaning some clothes for some people, but they didn't pay her.  This is very common amongst the Guatemalan people in this area.  Through her tears you could see the desperation for her to feed and care for her children.  Her five kids are from 2-10 years of age.  Manuel, Janet, and myself was able to leave her a few dollars for some food for her family.  Kim and I plan to talk with the pastor today about how we can best help this family.  

Please continue to pray for the Guatemalan ministry.  This is just one of many stories we face each day with the people God has called us to serve.  

In Christ,

Danny 

 

 This is the youngest of the 5 children mentioned in the story above.  His name is Alen.

The is Norma.  The single mother of 5 children mentioned in the story above.

New People in Our Lives

A few weeks back one evening Danny and I went on the roof to check to see if the clothes were dry enough to take off the line.  We were chatting about the day and Danny noticed the neighbors moving a lot of wood.  He and Brayden walked around the block so they could help.  He was able to meet our neighbors that lived two houses over behind ours.  There are nine people that live in the tiny “house” built of tin and wood.  Only one elderly male lives there among the rest of the females and a baby boy.  Danny and Brayden helped with a massive amount of old rotting wood that they were moving from the street into their yard.  When Danny and Brayden came back home, twelve year old, Guadelupe, brought over a glass of juice with fruit in it for a thank you.  Danny invited Guadelupe and her sister Madelin over to play the next day.  They are very sweet girls that are workers.  We taught them how to play the card game of “Uno.”  Then they had dinner with us.  On Friday evening Guadeloupe brought two of her older sisters with her to our youth meeting.  This family is Catholic and does not attend church currently.  Please pray for their salvation.  We need to know much more Spanish to share with them about the love of our Savior.  However, we can invite them to church with us.  They have been in attendance at our last three youth meetings so far.

Our last few youth meetings we have had close to thirty people.   That is quite a crowd for our house.  We had to rearrange the furniture to fit everyone.  Our neighbor, Carlos, has been fabulous to translate for us each week.  Please continue to pray for these meetings.  Last night, Manuel, a member from our church gave the lesson.  These meetings are such a fun time.  Last nights meeting was quite a different picture from that first meeting where everyone was so quiet and nervous.  Last night I enjoyed hearing them talk amongst themselves before we got started and the laughter was so loud the neighbors might kick us out.  They are still very cautious about helping themselves to the food.  They are very respectful of things and would never just take without something being offered to them first.  It is difficult to serve the way we used to serve food by telling them to just help themselves.  We are basically having to put the food on their plates and pour their drinks so they know it is ok to eat and drink what is in front of them.  It is very cultural to ask permission before entering a room or eating a meal.

I would like to tell everyone thank you so much for your continued prayers for all the different things that God has us doing here.  Your emails and comments on facebook continue to encourage us as well.  We welcome all of your feedback.  There are several that write to us on a regular basis and to those we are truly grateful to read your messages.  We love you all very much and are so blessed to have so many prayer warriors among our friends.  One friend told me she would pray especially for me to have lots of close friends here.  God has been faithful to this dear lady’s prayers.  I have met so many people, but yesterday I was able to meet a single missionary lady that serves close by.  She also introduced me to a missionary couple that live very near us.  We have not met them before because they have been in the states since before we arrived.  I have also begun walking twice a week in the mornings with my neighbor.  God is so good!  

Kim

After 3 Months in Country

Danny’s parents came to visit for two weeks the end of last month.  We had a wonderful visit with them and it was over way too soon.  We miss them so much already!  The first week we spent most of our time showing them the all the ministries that we are involved with.  The second week we got to do some fun things, but when Brayden, then Danny, then Brianna got sick it kind of slowed things down.  I think we were all ready for the slower pace, though (I know I was).  We went to Iximche ruins in Tecpan.  That was a nice visit and the kids really enjoyed just being able to run free in actual grass for the first time in three months!  We still got to make it to the beach for the first time.  What an experience that was.  We rode a ferry through the swamp to get to the black volcanic sandy beach of Monterrico.  The waves were so powerful that we could not even get in the water.  We had to stand so far away from the water and just catch a little on our feet as it came up.  It was so strong that it tried to drag us in when it was washing back into the ocean.  We even got to visit the zoo with Danny's parents.  That was a lot of fun!   There were lots of animals and they even had a cow.

Brianna turned four on March 28!  We got to celebrate her birthday with Danny’s parents.  It was a small, but fun party with a chocolate cake (her favorite), and presents of course!    

When we traveled here in December, we were only able to bring the bare essentials.  Which was limited to our clothing and very little else.  We had to leave behind a lot of our belongings for others to bring later.  So when Danny’s parents came they brought three totes full of our belongings with them.  It was like having Christmas in March!  The kids were thrilled to see some of their toys they had to leave behind and I was excited to get all of our rain boots that I know we will need during the rainy season which begins next month.  Danny was just glad to get three bags of his favorite caramel candy his mom got for him.  Brianna, who continuously asked Danny’s mom to bring goldfish almost every day, was glad that grandma didn’t forget (she got 1 box and 3 bags).  Thanks again for your visit and bringing some goodies with you.  We love and miss you!

After Danny’s parents left I have begun to miss my family so much more.  It is hard to be away from them when I have only ever lived in the same city as my parents and sisters.  I am so thankful for being able to communicate with them through skype and facebook.  What a great tool that has become when we live so far away.  I won’t get to physically see and hug them until November.  I love you, mom, dad, Crystal, Tammy and Katelyn and everyone else!  Pray for mine and Danny’s family as it is hard for them as well.

The 30^th of March was the end of our ninety days in country.  We had to file for an extension.  This did not come easy as nothing does in Guatemala.  Danny had to travel to the Guatemalan Immigration Office in the capital not once, but three times.  The first time, they needed specific items that he did not have, the second time to complete the task with the specific items necessary, and the third to get our passports back with the new stamp (they held them for 12 days).  He had to take a taxi to this place, because it is in the heart of the city and the driving is craaaazzzzyyyy!  You really have to know the roads, because you may have to drive on the left side of the road while cars are wizzing by on the right.  You also have to go through zones that we should stay out of.  We are no legal to stay here in country until June 28.  At that time we will have to drive to Mexico and stay there for 72 hours.  This will give us another 90 days in country.  

Happiness

Friday we went to Tabitha House, a place for children who have nowhere to go while their parents are at work. These children live in the dump close by and all are abused in some way. While we were there I met a kid named Jonathan. Jonathan was my angel through the day. He helped me so much because Gentry told him I didn't speak Spanish very well and he would try his best to talk to me. One time a kid was climbing where he wasn't supposed to and Jonathan got a teacher and they got him down. It is so incredible to see God working through a little kid like that. I prayed the night before for God to help me deal with the fact that I can't communicate with these people and He sent me Jonathan. I saw God through that little kid and I encourage all of you to look for people who you see God in, it will really change your life!

-Meagan Scollard, 17 yrs. old, Riverchase Community Church

 

Saturday we went to San Cristobal. We visited some of the houses of kids we had met. Rock Creek's woman's Bible study group sent blankets with us for them and we, as a group, bought them rice, beans, and oil for the families. On the fourth house we went to, a young girl that was 19 years old, spoke with me. We spoke of her sister who married an American and now lives in Missouri. I asked if she would ever marry an American and she said only if he moved to Guatemala with her because there is too much in America. She went on to discuss a very eye opening fact. She said that in America we have so much that we lose sight of God, but the people in Guatemala have nothing yet they see God. This is such a wise way to look at life.  Many things lead to distractions and I see now that less is more. I left my phone at home so there are no distractions here in Guatemala and I feel closer to God already. When you have less of the world you can have more of the Almighty God! :)

-Tori McCain, 17 yrs. old, Riverchase Community Church

                                                                                                                                   

Saturday night Josh led the church service for the older kids and parents in San Cristobal. During the service Tori, Meagan, Gentry, and I went up to a house and played games and sang songs with the younger kids that didnt join the service. I sat down in the front and to my right, Renee, Jonathan, Kevin, Juan, and Hilary sat in chairs up against the wall. Hilary and I started tickling eachother and making faces at eachother throughout the time in the house. I had a relationship like this one with a lot of other kids, but mine and Hilary's was different. I don't know how to explain it but it was. She will always have a piece of my heart. I'm not sure as of right now but maybe God is telling me my calling is children.

-Nathan Madison, 17 yrs. old, Riverchase Community Church

                                                                                                                              

Today we went to Casa Estoban.  It is a house that is now used as a daycare for kids.  There isn't any running water or electricity, but they are making do with what they have.  There are two teachers and around eighteen kids.  Today, we brought them a ton of supplies that included toys, plates, bowls, cups, things to write with, glue, diapers, and other things.  They didn't have much to begin with, so they really needed those supplies.  After Casa Estoban, we went to one of the schools here in Guatemala.  We created a drama and performed it for the different classes, then we told our testamonies.  When we were done, we gave them some Bible verses that told them how to live a Christian life and how a Christian household should be.  In two of the classes, as soon as we started saying where the Bible verses were, the kids in the room pulled out their pencils and paper and wrote them down immediately.  It was amazing to see how much they wanted to know that.  This week has been amazing.  God has oppened my eyes and shown me his love through the amazing, loving people here.  If you ever get a chance to come to Guatemala, please do it.  God will bless you and also use you to bless others.

-Gentry Bass, 16 yrs. old, Riverchase Community Church

                                                                                                                          

I Can Do All Things In Christ

   ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

 

A few of the children of Los Cerritos, San Pedro

 

Youth from the church meeting in our home

 

Day of team games for our church small groups

 

Entertaining kids in the Tabitha House

 

Children's church in Iglesia Vid Verdadera

 

Feeding children in San Cristobal El Bajo

 

We apologize for not keeping our blog more up to date.  We will try to update it more often.  As you can see from a few of the pictures above, we have been very busy in ministry.  We are excited as to what the Lord is doing in our lives, and the lives of those around us!  GOD IS GOOD!!!

This Thursday, March the 10th, we will have our first visitors from the States!  The youth from Riverchase Community Church of Hoover, AL. is coming to work alongside us for a week!  We cannot wait to serve our Savior with these young people we have known for many years now!  Watch for the report throughout the week they are with us!