Today was our last day in Guatemala. We’ve finished the houses, said our goodbyes to the people in the village, bought our last souvenirs, and are in the process of packing our bags. We’re ready to go home but sad to leave. This last day was devoted to the dedications for each house. We stopped at every house and gave them housewarming gifts, prayed, sang the Doxology, and took a family picture for them to keep. In celebration, we lit fireworks at each house. The boys loved to light them and dash away to safety! The families’ immense gratitude was evident through the tears shed, hugs given, and handmade gifts they offered back. At one house, the grandmother was so overwhelmed by tears that she could hardly speak. We know that these houses will not last forever. The metal will eventually rust, and the wood will slowly rot. But we are confident that our presence in the village will leave a more lasting influence. We pray that God will work in the hearts of those who are not Christians. We hope that the Christians there were encouraged to see their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ come all the way from Michigan to help. These people have left an even bigger impression on us. They are hardworking, content, and joyful for the things we consider small. We spent all week developing relationships with these families, and although we may never see them again in this life, we will never forget them. John and Susan Helmholdt

Whew! Today was a busy day, and God blessed us in many ways. My day went unexpectedly today, and I was reminded of this verse, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8 Today we spent our day separated into two groups, one that went to the village to build homes and one to head to Love the Child (orphanage). As we are able to choose where we would like to serve, I decided this morning that I wanted to head the village to help with home construction. I seated myself in a van and waited. Shortly after, it became apparent that one more person really wanted to go to the village and I gave up my seat in the bus for her. It was not what I planned, but I was HAPPY to go cuddle babies at the orphanage too. When we arrived there, Steve Osborn who is the director, mentioned that an optometrist serving at a nearby orphanage needed extra help with his clinic because his son (who helped him at the clinic) was sick. I just happen to be an optometrist by occupation. I had just happened to have MY plans changed for the morning and was able to join in HIS plans to serve HIM. I jumped in the van with two other members from our team and headed to Casa Hallelujah to help examine the children who lived there. It was a great experience , and I was able to jump in and help. Meanwhile, the construction team was able to complete construction on all 15 homes! Tomorrow we will head out to the village to dedicate the homes and give each family a house-warming gift of many practical household items. Thank you to all of you who sacrificially donated your funds and prayers to make this happen. Later in the day, we were able to distribute food, blankets, hygiene items, and toys to 150 families in a nearby village with many people in need. It was one of the poorest areas I have seen while in Guatemala. We served the people in a local church, and after all the goods were distributed the local pastor asked us to sit down in the church. He and fellow church members then thanked us for serving them and presented us with drinks and snacks to enjoy. It was hard to accept their gift because we knew how much purchasing this had cost them, but we gladly enjoyed their snack and enjoyed fellowship with them. I’m looking forward to serving God tomorrow and looking forward to heading home on Thursday! Laura Kenyon

Monday February 24

We had another beautiful day of enjoying our Guatemalan brothers and sisters. What a joy it is to be here! Thank you for your love and support in so many ways! Beth De Vries and I went to the feeding center opened just 2 weeks ago. The children arrived after morning school, ate lunch, and enjoyed Bible stories, coloring, and a simple craft. However, it is much more than that! They are taught to wash their hands, brush their teeth, learn table manners, and care for their skin by using lotion. The children are so eager to learn and we hugged and kissed each child as they left after 3:30. We hope to show you pictures soon! The homes are almost complete and the families are excited for dedication day when the home is officially their own. Bible school happened again today and many kids attend and receive a wonderful blessing through learning the Bible stories. The crafts are always a huge hit! We have a prayer request. Would you please pray for a family who is grieving in the village? Alcoholism is a huge problem in this village. When a family member is dead because of this we need the comfort that only Christ can give. Please pray for their self-control. We have many stories to tell you! The week is going quickly and we will do the food distribution tomorrow. Please pray for our safety. We are having a lot of fun together! Miss all of you! Bev Ouwinga

Today we were able to slow down and spend time together as a group. One of the highlights of my day is the time we share singing and worshiping together. We started our day with singing and prayer before going out and enjoying the splendor and majesty of God in His creation. We had amusic loving group in our van and we randomly burst out in song. How great Thou art was my favorite. This evening we had Pastor Lazoro and Glendy come to the mission house and share their stories. They have totaly different stories and while so different, both bring God glory. He came from a home of abuse and was found in a dump searching for food and anything to make some money. A missionary from Texas went up to him and told him that Jesus loves him. That was the first time he had ever been told he was loved. Today he is a pastor because one person cared enough to approach him and share the love of God. Tonight we were challenged to share our own stories, so all will know and we don't keep God and the things He has done for us to ourself. We ended with the song Word of God speak, prayer and some tears.

Good Evening from Guatemala! Those are not words I ever thought I'd say...but, yet here I am far from anything familiar to me. Last night Steve Osborn was speaking to us about the childrens home they run here in Guatemala and made a special point to thank us for our service. Today, I was able to spend the day at their orphanage and I cannot believe he would even thank us when they give ALL of themselves the way that they do! What pure, unselfish hearts Steve and his wife, Sheryl have. I was amazed and blessed to be able to spend time in a place where people would be so filled with the Holy Spirit that they would dedicate their lives to serving the children of Guatemala. Children are such tender spirits. Watching the nannies care for them the way they do is indescribable. As our team observed them we were in awe of the organization and schedule that they maintained...but overall the LOVE they had for the children. It made me think of the verse where Jesus said "Let the little children come to me..." Jesus, who was here to save us from our sins, took time for the children and called them to Him. Children, who maybe others had pushed away, thinking they were a bother. He called them to Him, and loved them. This is one of my favorite verses because it shows how our Father in heaven cares, takes time and calls us to Him. In this same way, I observed our team members in the village calling the children to them on Friday. I loved watching the response they gave as they warmed up to us "gringos" and even came for hugs and high fives as the day ended. I love children! I think they are amazing little people and to be invovled with them here, in this far away setting, is opening my heart in many new ways. I am experiencing serving in a whole different way. A way I never expected to be called too. Our God is an awesome God! Jennifer Sterk

Hello friends & family! We were blessed in countless ways today, thank you for your prayers! Those who felt less than 100% last night were feeling better today and the ovens that weren't working in the Mission house when we arrived are now functioning! Ryan started our day with devotions challenging us to encourage each other and step outside of our comfort zone in service. Singing praise & praying together with the sound of birds chirping in the background while drinking Guatemalan coffee is a favorite of mine, but nothing could've prepared me for the beauty of this day. The village we were in was on a very steep mountainside with unbelievable views and the weather was beyond perfect. More importantly we began building strong relationships while constructing homes ~ these people are so open, kind, and hardworking. The men in this community worked alongside our team to help build their own homes which isn't the "standard". The group who held VBS was blessed to run their program in the local school and worked with approximately 70 children, we praise God for that opportunity and these connections. Our cooks rocked from the kitchen from pre-sunrise to post-sunset today. The Reeman Team came for supper at the mission house this evening and we enjoyed strong fellowship. Tomorrow we are splitting up - half of our team will head back to the village to build and the other half will be at Love The Child orphanage. Please continue to pray for our team leaders, our drivers, our cooks, for team unity & health, and above all that our good, patient, & loving Father will continue to guide our feet, hearts, eyes & ears as we seek to be His hands & feet. To Him be the glory. Michelle for all forty of us <3

February 20, 2014

To was largely a wonderfully uneventful travel day to Guatemala, which was certainly a blessing. After a warm send off from our brothers and sisters from the parking lot of Moline CRC we sailed through all our connections. There was some excitement when we were hustling from one gate in Houston to our departure gate to the sound of "Moline, report to your gate for departure" over the paging system. But we and all of our luggage made it and we are safely here in the mission house. Our Father took care of all the necessary details today just as surely as he has in the past and will in the future. Apparently he new we all needed a brisk walk in Houston. We started making connections with our co-workers over supper and look forward to what he has in store for us. Thanks to all for your prayers. Serving on your behalf for HIM, The February Team

Wednesday, January 22

The last day has arrived. It was an awesome day of dedications and food distribution. We began the day with a share time to discuss our experiences so far. We then took all our group pictures, loaded up our supplies and headed to the village. After tying up some loose ends on the houses, we began the dedication. Many of the houses we went to were for people that were already Christians, but we also had several conversions. There is nothing more exciting than seeing people turn their life over to Christ. Here we are in this village building them an earthly home, when God is in heaven preparing a home for them there. WOW. For me there was also the bittersweet thought that four of the houses we dedicated today were in memory of my friend and co-worker Scott Silvernail. The thought that kept going through my mind all day was the fact that God uses all thing for good to those who love him. After the dedications we prepared for the food distribution. The food that the families received would supplement their diet for up to a month. The contrast of seeing blind old widows followed by nursing teenage mothers all who struggle daily for the things we take so for granted. The hugs from the beautiful grandmothers whos eyes were filled with tears and seeing the mothers with more than a handful of children get food was such a blessing. It made the whole trip worthwhile. We are so blessed. Tonight will be capped off with another time of sharing which I am sure will complete what has been a very emotional day and week. Tomorrow we head back to the winter wonderland with a pocketful of stories that will not begin to explain what we have experienced here. We are a team who has bonded as well as any team I can remember. This trip proves one things to me. God answers prayer. Thank you for your prayers this week and please continue to pray as we head home. To God be the glory!!! Randy Ellens

Tuesday: The morning begins at 6am with breakfast, devotions, singing and prayer. Lunches are packed and vans are loaded as we head out for the day. Work in the village continued today with all but one house being completed. The last house will be finished in the morning. The crews have worked hard to finish 15 "casa". Relationships with the children continued as well, as soccer games were played and a walk to the river was taken. Everyone ate lunch together with ALL of the kids in the village. (remember how many were at VBS?) Our lunches were shared in bits and pieces and our hearts were filled even if our stomachs may not have been. Work at the orphanage continued as well, as the playhouse in memory of Scott Silvernail was finished and dedicated. This was a pretty special time, even for those who may not have known Scott personally. The orphanage is home to 50 children from new born babies to elementary school aged. They have an awesome way of handling so many little ones; making sure each one feels loved. We helped by showering snuggles and hugs wherever we could. I'm pretty sure more than one of us would have taken one of these precious ones home if we could. Behind the scenes......our cooks stay at the mission house to prepare the dinners we are so eager for at the end of our day. A local family comes in to the mission house each morning to clean the house, and someone from the mission is always helping to make sure we have the supplies we need. Although we often do not see these things going on because we are busy out in the village or at the orphanage, we are grateful for them. God is so good and as I reflect on the faces of those we served today, and look out at the beautiful sunset over the mountains, my heart is full of thankfulness that we are given the opportunity to serve His children in this place. Sheryl Seif

Monday, January 20

Today was another great day here in Guatemala. We split up today into 3 groups to all different locations. One van went to the orphanage to continue working on the playhouse and to hang out with the children and hold the babies. They had a very successful day, getting the shelter nearly completed and the playhouse's roof and interior done. All that is left to do is side it tomorrow and a plaque will be placed on it and dedicated in memory of Scott Silvernail. Another group went to the village, where we did 3 houses, cemented 1 house, and finished up 6 of the houses that were started earlier last week. All that's left to do tomorrow is finish the other ones and put on doors and windows on all of them. Bible school had a huge turnout with over 100 children; Judy and all the girls were kept busy, to say the least. The last group stayed at the mission house to build the last doors and windows for the houses tomorrow in the village and then they went out to the market to get housewarming gifts that we will present and give to the families on dedication day on Wednesday. Almost everybody was back by 4:30 to see the food distribution center where the children had received food and school supplies that they cannot afford. They were all very gracious and thankful to us and they were hugging us, along with their parents, to say thank you - what an awesome experience... to know that the work we are doing is appreciated is a great feeling. We came back and enjoyed a wonderful meal of lasagna and enjoyed one another's company. We are excited to finish our work at the orphanage and in the villages tomorrow, serving God and showing His love to others. Kari DeBoer and Jessie Buiter

Good evening from Guatemala, Sunday is our off day here, and that gives us time to see some amazing sites, visit some markets and take a break from the work in the village. We were on the road by about 7:30 AM and we traveled to the town of Ponahajel for some extreme zip-lining. After recovering from that amazing experience, we spent the afternoon in the village market. Many of us purchased items of great usefulness such as hot sauce, machetes, sling shots and more. The people of the town are kind and fair to us. Next was a dinner at Paulino's. Incredible authentic Central American fare. We just concluded devotions here at the mission house. Pastor Lazaro and his wife Glendy gave testimony to Christ's work in their lives. Bringing the Good News to our needy brothers and sisters here in Guatemala is what they have been called to do and their passion for this is evident in all they do here. They are also charged with getting a feeding center for area children up and running. Things are moving forward in this and continued prayers would be appreciated. In conclusion, thanks for your prayers for all that is taking place here and will take place. Your part in what we are doing here is undeniable. We give praise to the Spirit's work here among us and our Guatemala family. May the love of Jesus be with all of us now, the rest of the week and beyond. Adam and Autumn Jager

Friday and Saturday

FRIDAY Our first day in the village. We are in a village called El Rodeo it is about 15 minutes farther than we were last year. There seems to be a lot more kids. We did VBS and had over 100 kids show up. We were not expecting that many kids but everything worked out.God certainly knows just how to provide. and the kids and helpers all seemed to have a great time. We got 6 houses built and the cement in 2. It was a very hot day and there were a lot of bugs. All went well and we were all very tired when we got back. Our great cooks had a wonderful meal of spaghetti ready for us. SATURDAY One team headed to the orphanage today to build a playhouse and hold babies. The rest of us headed to the village for more VBS and house building. We got the cement in a total of 7 houses. We got 11 houses done so far. It was much cooler today and no bugs to be found (an answer to prayer). The team seems to be meshing very nicely and everyone is making new friends. I think most people have stepped out of their comfort zone in some way. We are heading out to go ziplining and shopping tomorrow. Kris Hendriksma

We made it! Long day, couple set backs, and a little flexibility we are finally here and settled in. All our travels were great and customs went alright. We ran into a little problem when we got to the mission house and had no power. This meant no water, no fridges, and most importantly the tools we need for tomorrow could not charge. We left and went to dinner at Pollos and prayed that the power would come back on. After dinner we drove up the hill and saw a lit up mission house! So the tools are charging, the food is cold, and we are just resting getting ready for a big day of building tomorrow. Thanks for all the prayers so far! Sarah Westhouse and the rest of the 2014 Team