Wednesday, February 24

"Unless the Lord builds the  house, the work of the builders is wasted."  Psalm 127:1

We came here not to build houses, but to build homes.  As we worked together with families to build their homes, and as we spent time with their children in VBS this week, we built relationships.

Today was dedication day.  We divided into two teams and each team was able to spend time with six families.  A local pastor led each team, sharing God's love, praying together, singing a song and leaving a house-warming gift.  The absolute highlight for many of us on our team was when three members of one family gave their lives to Jesus.

After returning to the mission house, we toured the coffee plantation surrounding it.  It produces some of the highest quality coffee in the world and it was fascinating to watch how the coffee beans are processed.

We give praise to God not only for a great day, but for a great week.

Mary Jo Vis



Regardless of our stage of life, whether married with kids, empty-nester, or a high school or college student it seems we all have a soft spot for small children.  On Tuesday a group of us were blessed to go back to the orphanage to finish our wood cutting and splitting and to play and visit with our friends there.  It is extremely difficult to walk into a space filled with kids and not feel God tugging on your heart.  These helpless and abandoned little ones, who Christ would call to Him were He here, looked up at us with their big dark eyes and beautiful smiles and we melted.  Ryan and I sat on the grass and the 3 and 4 year old boys and girls cautiously came to check us out.  Before we knew it we were acting as human jungle gyms and laughing louder and longer than even the kids.  What a blessing to be able to spend an hour loving on these little blessings.  I picked out 2 I wanted to take home but unfortunately God's plan for them is elsewhere.  Pray with us that our friends at the orphanage, especially the kids, are blessed, provided for and kept close to Jesus as they grow!

Jamie DeVries (Becky's husband)




Wow!  What an amazing day.  Emotions go from one extreme to another.  When we got to the village this morning I couldn't wait to see a special person that I made a connection with.  Her name is Marcia, she approached me as soon as we got to the village on Saturday morning.  The connection was instant.  It started with her asking me to her home to show me her coffee plants, to teaching me how to make tortillas and salsa.  She then asked me to help her pick coffee.  When I got to the village this morning and I found that she wasn't there my emotions went to sadness that I would not get to say goodbye.  We did all the house dedications and were passing out pictures and we saw each other.  We could not get to each other quickly enough.  We hugged and cried!  She has made such an impact on me in this very brief meeting that we had.  After saying good bye I was crying and she was worried about me, she asked me to come back to her.  I went over with the Juan Marcos (the gentlemen that does our translating for us) and she wanted to know if why I was crying, did she hurt me?  I asked Juan to explain to her that she touched my heart.  Her and her family would be in my prayers and that I would never forget her.  She said she felt the same way.  God is amazing.  This experience has changed me.

Irene Voss

Hola from Guatemala!

A lot of different jobs were done today, one of which was going down to My Dream Center, an after-school feeding center for 70 kids around the city. While we were there, we helped cut up produce for their lunches, served them, helped them brush their teeth, and did crafts with them. It was amazing to watch these wonderful kids go through their routine, while being so excited to see us. They even told us "thank you" (yes, in ENGLISH!) Before the chicken bus came to pick them up to take them home, they sang three or four songs for us (also in English!). It was so sweet and it made us tear up. To end the great day, they made sure to give us hugs before they got on the bus. Being a preschool teacher at home, it was wonderful to experience how classes are done here in Guatemala, and I can't wait to share it with the kids back home. God is so good and is everywhere. Especially in the smallest kids in Guatemala.   -Paige Merrill

This evening we had the opportunity to serve members of the Guatemalan community at a local church. At the church we distributed food and goods to about 100 families in need. The food that we provided will supplement a family's diet for about a month. To begin the evening off, we were introduced by the pastor. He said a few words, and then Duane Door and John King said a few words and a prayer. Both the pastor and the members of our group who spoke had it translated by a young man so that everyone was able to interact and understand. The pastor expressed that he was more than grateful to have us there to help support members of his church and his community. We formed a line with tables behind us so that we would be able to talk and interact with each of the individuals personally. To each person we said, "Dios de bendiga" which means "God Bless You". It was a great opportunity to share the love of Christ with individuals who may not have had any interaction with the Christian Faith previously. As people went through the line, we received many hugs, handshakes and even some kisses! It was very evident to me that God was present in that church tonight. - Josh Lackey

'Amazing' can only begin to capture what the entire day and God had in store for us and me.  Miah Grassmid started today with a devotion, that seemed to be directed toward each one of us individually, with a reminder and elaboration from Adam Jager's devotion of making this trip mean just as much to us as it did to those families we were serving.

We loaded the vans and headed out to start a profound journey to the Tejar dump.  We found ourselves choked up and teary-eyed, and I'd like to say it was from the smoke from the burning rubble, but from a sense of compassion for the work being done and God providing for those who needed it.  Families, from little children to their parents, scavenged through the trash for clothes to wear and materials to support their families.  We passed out food to those working and united in prayer to give thanks, ask for special attentions and reinforce the need to always find God's hand in all of His splendors.  This experience was an eye opening opportunity to remind us of how we need to appreciate all of His blessings, give thanks for all the family and friends that enter our lives, and to continue to seek ways to serve.  We then headed to the village to continue our work on the homes and enjoy the companionship of the families we were helping.

This van ride then became that enlightenment I was seeking on this journey along with serving, the reflection of how God has always been present and has guided my life throughout good times and bad (Thank you Mary Jo). It was only fitting at dinner that I sat at the end of the long table to be able to look down and see the faces of my Guatemala family that were only strangers less than a week ago.  30 some individuals of different ages, backgrounds and different stories united by a single decision to share God's word and story of simply being kind.  I cannot express the gratitude to have been invited and called to join them on this journey of serving, but will be forever in debt for the inclusion of a "lost boy" (in more ways than just not knowing how to find Moline). Miah's selection of the song 'Mighty to Save' couldn't have been more appropriate for the entire day, start to finish,  to sum up my heavy heart: "Everyone needs compassion, a love that's never failing . . . So take me as you find me. All my fears and failures and fill my life again . . . He is Mighty to Save!"  Blessed, humbled and grateful for #Guatemala2016 and all the moments and incredible people God shared with me.  -Eddie Taylor

Monday is back to the village day here in Guatemala- and we can't wait to be back with our new friends there. After another incredible breakfast, Paul Hendriksma led us in devotions. He challenged us to strengthen our relationship with Christ and with each other. Once in the village, we (Sam and I) had the privilege to assist the VBS. What a gift it was to be with these children today. Juan Marcos preached a story about Jesus and the 12 disciples and then there was a craft that followed the story. We sat on the street side for all of this. After awhile, I noticed two older boys watching from a distance. They were teenagers, and were too old (and maybe too cool) to participate. With the Spirit's urging, Sam and I pulled a soccer ball from our bag, and with Juan Marcos translating, went over and spoke to the boys.  We found out their names were Charlie and Freddy, and were members of the neighborhood church. They were grateful for the ball, and started kicking it around right away. We serve a gracious God who gives us these amazing opportunities. These are just a few examples of many that happen daily for everyone here serving in Guatemala. God is good!

Adam and Sam Jager

Hello from sunny Guatemala.  Writing on this blog is another of many first for me over the past several days. Guatemala is full of sights, sounds and smells that only can be experienced if you come here.  This morning after a devotional that reminded us we are created to work and serve to the glory of our God, most of us were off to do just that in the village.  I tried to help build a home but was excited when I was invited to join the VBS team again.  The children of this pleasant little village are so adorable with their big brown eyes, colorful dress and dusty little feet. They are so easy to love. Not all are sure of of us when we try to engage with them and it takes a few tries before they trust us .  One small girl hugged her craft package tightly to her purple shirt and shook her head no every time I tried to help her.  She even said no to crayons because it would mean she had to let the craft go.  But, when I came back to her I found out the Linda got her to take a crayon and she picked purple.  On Friday I drew pictures with another girl and she remembered me even though I didn't come on Saturday and she brought me a picture of a chicken that she drew.  Esther is a girl who I met today as we started her new home this morning. I introduced her to some ladies who started at a different house and she smiled. Then, at Bible school every time she saw me she gave me a hug.  Gina got out bubble and she and I blew many bubble until the children ask to do it.  We bounced balloons and gave out toys.  I have to say it was very fun to hear their giggles.  The other members of our group went over to the feeding center and will share that tomorrow.   Continued prayers are always appreciated.  

To God Be The Glory,

Cindy De Kraker           

Hey there people of Michigan,

My heart goes out to the people of Guatemala, they can be the most loving, generous, and kind people. They do not have very much, but they let Gods light shine through in the way that they work, the way that they give, and the way that they trust and rely fulling on God... All the houses that we are building this week are within walking distance and the kids are starting to call us by name as we walk through the village streets from house to house. Relationships are being built and growing stronger everyday with the people of Guatemala. God is truly blessing this team! I am glad to be a part everything that is happening here in Guatemala, and I cannot wait to bring home what we are learning here back to Michigan.

God bless,

       Miah Grassmid

Hello from the Mission house,
Today was our day of rest from working.  We were able to spend time enjoying God's beautiful creation. We headed out to Pacaya, one of the volcanoes about an hour from the Mission house.
While our guides took the more strenuous route we able to ride in style on the backs of our horses.  The scenery on the way was incredible!  Closer to the top we had to get off and make the rest of the trek by foot.  Traveling on top of the lava rock we made our way to the luxurious marshmallow roasting spa to enjoy fellowship and a snack.  We were then forced with a choice of a vertical challenge or to turn back the way we came.  Needless to say only a brave few turned back and the rest aimlessly struggled to the top to enjoy an overlook before the "plummet of death" slide.  As each of us slid down the side of the largest mountain anyone has ever seen, some on our feet and others on their backside, we were able to get a fast glimpse of the beautiful Guatemalan landscape.  At the bottom we joined the rest of the group for the treacherous downhill descent on horseback back to the vans for our much awaited shopping extravaganza.
After a brief snack/lunch we loaded up to head towards Antigua to enjoy the culture, shoppes and a search-n-find for the best ice cream.  Chicken bus after chicken bus, we made our scary way toward Antigua only to be thwarted by traffic, football matches, Mayan New Year and Lenten celebrations.  Unfortunately our route was detoured to an alternate route which would have taken us another hour and a half to get to Antigua, so we opted to head back tot the Mission house.  The close bonding on the buses and plentiful conversations made the disappointment much easier.  We even took a slight pit stop to get gas and a tummy full of ice cream.  We made it back safe and sound to enjoy some much needed res and relaxation.

The night concluded with a house full of guests and a devotion led by Tico.  He touched base on our comfort zone and being courageous because He will guide us through every obstacle and struggle.  He discussed God's repetitious encouragement, as found in the Book of Joshua, to guide us throughout all the adversities life throws our way.  Jaime on the piano and Adam's harmonica led us in praise songs.
Tom and Linda Hendriksma

Hola from Guatemala.   

 

  It was a beautiful day to go into the village to build houses and do VBS with the local children. We are making good progress on building the houses. We have had a lot of help from the families that we are building the houses for this week.  It has been wonderful getting to know the families.  Laura and I had some assistance building windows and doors from Loretta.  She was so excited to use the drill. Her smile said it all!

  VBS went well today. It was a smaller group of about 25 kids but I understand that Jamie and his guitar were a big hit. 

  Paige M. and Irene had the wonderful experience of being invited into a home to make salsa and tortillas and then go on to pick coffee beans with them. Again, the smiles said it all!

  From the sounds of all the chatter in the van on the way home, it was a very good day.  

  By Paige TeHennepe

  Some of the team had the opportunity to go to Love the Child Orphanage today.  We were able to meet Cheryl who heads up the orphanage of 47 children, three and under who have been abandoned.  We heard her love and compassion for every child who is under her care.  We were able to spend time loving on the children.  

   Cheryl needed help getting ready for an inspection, so the ladies painted a fence around the children's play area.  The men cleaned up the new building site by cutting up some tree trunks.  They rolled them down the steep road while trying to control and brace them.  Then they chopped the logs into firewood.

   It was a great day to do some work for them, and see how well the children are cared for.  The weather was sunny and fairly cool.  

   As always, we were thankful for a safe trip through the interesting roads here in Guatemala.  We certainly have so very much to be thankful for.  God has truly blessed us all so much!!

   By Brian Popma and Connie Vunderink

Hola!
As you know from the last post, we have all arrived safe and sound in Guatemala! In addition to starting building, we also did Bible School with the kids. As soon as we arrived in the village, we were greeted very excitedly by a group of kids. There were some women in the village who were told about us coming and they had already informed all the kids about Bible School. They were obviously super excited. I mean who wouldn't be excited about spending a few hours with 8 crazy gringos learning about Jesus? We found a local church about a mile from the first building site. We all loaded up into one of the vans and Juan Marcos (our amazing translator) drove us to the church, along with the several kids we picked up along the way. We started out with the story of the lost sheep, followed by a craft and coloring pages. Then we pulled out the parachute and we all watched in awe as the kids giggled and laughed. After doing the parachute for a while, we started an intense game of Pato Pato Gonzo (Duck Duck Goose). I don't know who was more into the game, us or the kids. Fast forward a few hours and we did it all over again with about 30 kids. Overall Bible School was great and all the kids kept asking if we were coming back tomorrow. I am so excited to watch God continue to work in these kids lives and see the way they impact us as well. Relationships have already starting to flourish and I'm going to have a very hard time leaving the village next week. Some of the kids started to call me Momma Abby and it just melted my heart. I think I can speak for our whole team when I say that all of the people in this village already hold a very special place in my heart.
Thank you for all the continued prayers and support that you have been giving us!
Abby H

Hello from Chimaltenango, Guatemala!
We are back at the mission house after our first day of working in the village. It sounds like everyone had a really successful day, both with the building and with vbs. We enjoyed something that doesn't happen here very often--rain! It started before we left this morning and pretty much lasted all day. Most of the time just a drizzle but harder at times, too.
The village we worked at today was about 1 1/2 hours away. We were able to meet and work with some really great people. They were so willing and excited to help. The mom at one of the first houses helped put together the door that she will walk into every day. Rico, the 18 year old son, helped set the posts and side the house that had to be an awesome feeling!
We also spoke with the pastor of the church whose members are the ones we are building the houses for.  They were all very appreciative and excited to recieve one. Vicenta prayed before we started setting the poles for her house and the entire group was incredibly moved (even though we didn't understand a single word!)
We returned to the mission house, tired and hungry, but still feeling excited and inspired by the days events.  After a fabulous meal prepared by the cooks and an evening of community with the group, we will soon retire for the night anxiously awaiting what the Lord has in store for us tomorrow.

Laura M and Paul H

Thursday, February 18: Arrived Safely in Guatemala

Hello Friends and Family!

We arrived safely to the mission house at 3:30, had a brief team meeting, had dinner with Samuel and his family, and as of 9:20 pm Central Time, only a couple of us are still awake.

We're very thankful for answered prayers thus far - travel was smooth, we've continued to get to know one another better, and we are eagerly anticipating what God has planned for us tomorrow as we meet the families who we'll be working alongside for the week.  

Please pray that we'll be able to set aside distractions so we can truly live 'in the moment' this week and be God's hands and feet to those we serve.   Thank you for your continued encouragement and prayer!

 

Francisco-The Eye Opener

        Dedication day is always the hardest for me, having to leave the place that changed me and blessed me in so many ways is so difficult. After the all the hard work and sweat and a little bit of blood(Dellen), this was it. We built 12  houses and built countless memories with the team and the villagers. The love the people showed was overwhelming and always moves me. We started the day with a wonderful breakfast from from amazing cooks. Teddy gave devotions and even had to bring a Alabama BCS National Championship shirt with him. We headed out to the village to put a few fronts on and finish things up with the houses. Dedications were emotional and eye opening as always. The one that stuck out the most to me was the last one we did. The family consisted of a mother and father, 3 daughters and 2 sons. The reason it stuck out the most to me was because of a little boy I got to build a relationship with earlier in the week.
          Francisco is 4 years old and is the cutest boy you'll ever meet. Immediately the first time I saw him he came running up to me and without thinking i picked him up and hoisted him on my shoulders. I had never met him before but the connection was real. The way he looked into my eyes I knew right then and their that God is real, he was looking me straight in the face and saying this is what you are called to do, love this little boy and just be a friend. Francisco had know idea how much of an impact he had made on me, that little boy at only 4 years old had made me feel so small at 6'2, I had never felt so small in my life, but he chopped me right off at the knees and made me realize that what God calls us to do, it can be the littlest things we just have to be open our eyes.

                                                                                                                 -Seth Harkema

Tuesday - A Day Filled With Emotion

We started our day our day out with devotions where we learned that God is always aware, able, and available. We also learned that we need to rely less on ourselves and more on God in our decision making in life.  After devotions, we loaded up the vans and headed to the dump where we witnessed the most heartbreaking way of life.  The people of the dump literally dig through the loads of trash in order to find something to sell so they can merely survive. There are people of all ages there working in the dump.  While there we were able to pray with them with the help of Lazaro and provided everyone there a lunch, school supplies for the kids, and other items.  Lazaro told of some of their stories, which brought tears to many eyes.  The sights, smells, and constant smoke in the air was absolutely heartbreaking.  It doesn't take much for us to realize how good we have it at home and how blessed we truly are when we looked around the dump this morning.

After that the vans split up and two went to the orphanage and one went to the village to finish building the houses.  Rachael and I went with Lazaro and Haley to the Feeding Center.  The Feeding Center provides a hot nutritious meal for 75 kids, as well as providing help with homework, memorizing Bible verses, and various other activities.  The kids that attend this center are chosen from the poorest of the poor and come from various home situations.  We had the privilege of meeting and spending time with Joselin, the little girl that we sponsor.  She greeted us with warm smiles and hugs when she arrived at the center.  We were able to learn about her home situation.  As the afternoon went on, she held our hands tight and continued to smile and hug us.  We were able to spend some time on the playground with her and some of her friends.  We were blessed to be able to witness the children sing two praise songs to us in ENGLISH.....it was absolutely beautiful!  By attending the Feeding Center, these kids are able to take home the seed of the Gospel and plant it in their families.  Leaving there today was very emotional and we're not sure who was blessed more today....them or us.....I think it was us.

Thanks for all the continued prayers
Randy, Michelle, & Rachael Bosse

Monday:

This morning we got to hear one of our great friends, Tiko, speak for devotions. He brought up a story about when he went to the U.S. and realized how boring our driving was compared to the driving in Guatemala. Until he could not find his exit and had to pull over and nearly died in a car accident. The purpose for this story was to show us that we need to live every moment for Christ.

With this in mind we started off our day. We again were fazed with two choices; Six people could go to the market to buy food and other things for house dedications, which we will do Wednesday, and the rest of us got to go to the village. We were almost able to complete all of the houses except some cement and half of a house.

We had to leave the village at about 2:30 in order to make it to the food distribution near Antigua. When we got there we were invited to the children's worship where we sang songs in Spanish with the kids. After that we set up different stations in the Church, Iglesia Tirando Lareo, each having their own type of food or supplies. These were distributed between 150 families from the area. There were many hugs, kisses and warm wishes between us. After the food was given out, the praise team from the Church sang us a few songs, then we sang "My Friends May You Grow In Grace," with the Church council. Tears were shed and good-byes were said as we headed back to the mission house.

1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done fore you."

1 Corinthians 1:26 "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by many humans standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth."

~Shared by Maddie Barber and Erika Hulst

Sunday Funday: Door #1 or Door #2?

Another beautiful day in Guatemala!  We split into two groups with one choosing door #1 or door #2 as worded by Pasotr Jim in his devotions.
Door #1 was to eat lunch at the restaurant Las Antorchas in Antigua with chips and guacamole for an appetizer followed by a squash soup and a choice of chicken or grouper with garlic sauce or steak and finishing with a dish of ice cream with chocolate sauce. YUM!
Door #2 included a horseback ride up part of volcano Pacaya and walking the remainder of the way. Pastor Jim was not certain he had made the right choice with this door but admitted he did in the end. The last major eruption was about four years ago.  We roasted marshmallows over some small vents.  We skied down a steep ash slope after being at the "top of the world" as Guatemala sees it!  We were told Guatemala has 37 active volcanoes.
From there a group went back toward the mission house for a church service at the feeding center and others went to the market place to shop for souvenirs and gifts.  Back at the mission house Pastor Jim gave devotions reminding us to fix our eyes on Jesus from Hebrews 12:1-3. We finished the day with another amazing meal from our favorite cooks and enjoyed the evening sharing our door choices we made.

Shared by the Dammen family

Saturday: Second day in the village and first day at the orphanage

This morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the Guatemalan countryside. The weather continued to be absolutely amazing with clear skies and sun all day. We started the day with a delicious breakfast made by our awesome cooks, and then Todd Dammen shared during our devotions about how important it is to keep our priorities straight; our daily life and actions aligned with our faith.

The group split up into two groups; one to the village and one to the orphanage. The group that went to the village continued to work on houses and started pouring concrete, finishing 7 houses! The VBS group had a blast with the kids again today. They played duck duck goose, went over their verse of the week (John 3:16) and the winners who were able to recite it won a special prize. Our team lead story time of Noah and the Ark, played jump rope and futbol, and the kids braided our team's hair. They are not used to seeing blonde hair around here! A couple of our team members were able to tour the church in the village that we are working in, and it is gorgeous. The villagers definitely have their priorities straight; their faith and their church is their first priority above their own houses, kind of like what Todd shared during devotions.

The orphanage is about a 45 minute drive from the mission house, and our drivers did an impeccable job once again maneuvering in the crazy Guatemalan traffic! Once we arrived at the orphanage, we had the opportunity to hold some super cute babies and play with some really fun toddlers. After a while, a group took apart a fence along the drive to the orphanage that was about a football field long. We took a break for lunch, and shortly got whipped back to work by one of the kids, Hannah, because the faster we got our work done the faster we could come and play! In no time, the fence was down, the work was done, and we were able to play more with the kids. The infants were pretty much all asleep, but some of us got to play in the yard with the toddlers... Some playing ball, some playing with the parachute, and others just hanging out.

When we all returned back to the mission house, we prepared all of the supplies for food distribution later this week. Then, we ate dinner. The biggest, most delicious baked potatoes ever.

Matt & Nicole Bouwman

Friday: First Day in the Village

As first-timers on this trip, this day has turned out better than anything we ever imagined. For the VBS people, what started as a small game of futbol with a few energetic boys, soon became a crowd of near sixty kids.
We enjoyed quite a drive to the village, lasting almost two hours. We arrived around 10:45 and the building crew got to work right away. As the VBS group walked around to scout things out, we soon heard giggles coming from right near us. We looked over, and smiling goofily back at us were three young boys, in a tree right next to us. Juan asked their mother for ideas of a good, level spot to play. At her direction, we found the perfect area down the road a ways, at the bottom of a large hill. It was an ideal spot, with a flat clearing next to a pasture, plenty of shade, and enough room for plenty of fun. We started playing with the boys, and little by little, more kids wandered toward us. We blew up some balloons for them and we all had fun with some bubbles. Needless to say, our morning passed quickly and energetically.
At lunch, the children were asked to go back home and return at two. We sat down in the shade for our sack lunch, then went up the hill near the building sites to refill our water bottles and check up on the houses. The six houses were coming together well. Everyone was a bit tired, but seemed to be having a good experience.
The kids returned very soon, eager for more play time with us. We enjoyed a full afternoon of fun with the village children. Our day with the kids was concluded with a mass tickle-fight. A few children started poking us, tickling us, and giggling at our reactions, and soon, the entire mob of them was attacking us with tickles and laughter. At the end of the day, our faces hurt from smiling and laughing so much.
Too soon, it was time to leave, and we enjoyed a delicious spaghetti dinner back at the house. We are all weary after our day, and many of us will probably hit the hay soon.

Claire Jafri and Leah DeVries

Thursday, January 14, 2016 Day 1

We have all arrived safely in Guatemala.  Our travelling could not have gone any better, we even arrived a half an hour early in Guatemala.  The weather was a bit warm and humid in the city but now that we are out on the mountain, the temperatures have cooled and it is a very pleasant evening here.  The team is quite tired after traveling all day.  We left Moline ahead of schedule thinking we would have bad roads and we arrived in Chicago about 45 minutes earlier than we needed to as the roads were clear and no problems.  We had a quick layover in Houston and then it was on to Guatemala.  As we were all sitting at the restaurant tonight for dinner I was seeing a lot of people who looked like they weren't sure if they were hungry and wanted food or were tired and just wanted a bed.  We are all back at the mission house and at 9:30 at night more than half of the team has headed off to bed.

We have had a chance to reconnect with many of our friends here already.  John and Samuel met us at the airport.  Tico came in the restaurant to say hello and Lazero and the family have come by to say hello as well.  Juan Marcos has called and will be with us tomorrow to help in the village.  The friendships we have made here in Guatemala are priceless to us.  They have become such close friends that we look forward to seeing each of them when we come back each year.

After a good nights rest, we will all be ready and anxious to head to the village to meet the families we will be spending the next few days with.  As our plans have changed, we will have more time to get to know these families and we are really looking forward to that.

Please continue to pray for safety for the team, for a bond that will be made with the families in the village and that we will see the Spirit working in mighty ways throughout the next week.  Also, please continue to pray for health for the team.  We have a few that have some bad colds and we pray they do not develop in to anything more severe and the cold symptoms will be gone soon.

Donna

PS  It is now 9:45 and I think I am the only one awake.  Going to lock the doors, turn out the lights and go to bed.