Having blog responsibilities on dedication day is a challenge, since there is so much to share and so many amazing things to report.  I'll do my best!

After putting the finishing touches on a couple houses, we had half the team go to 2 homes, and the other half to another 2.  We divided the remaining 8 homes throughout the rest of the day.

The Holy Spirit was present at all these dedications.  The families that were receiving the houses were believers and were extremely grateful to our team- but even more grateful to our Savior- which was very moving.  As prayer shawls and prayer quilts were given and prayers of both Guatemalans and Gringos were offered in Christ's name, it becomes so evident that within only 1 week friendships are formed that will span eternity.

What do we have in common with people so different from us?  Love.  Love of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Love of family.  Love of one another. 

Adam Jager

It's sad to say that this week is coming to an end. A highlight of my week has been new relationships. Meeting people of all ages. Although there has been a language barrier the Holy Spirit has worked in ways I can't even explain. This week has been very emotional for me in more ways than one, but I'm so blessed to have had this experience.
Today was one of those "wow" moments in my life that has filled me with this joy that I can't even begin to understand. Yet God has showed me that even though goodbyes are hard, that he has a way of taking something challenging to show himself to others even when you least expect it. Today God spoke to me just by seeing the tears run down the families faces because they are so thankful for the houses we have built and prayed over.
I'm so blessed to have experienced a little piece of heaven this week, through sharing the love of Christ with my fellow brothers and sisters. As I go home from here I pray God uses me in ways that further His kingdom back home.

Samantha Oetman

We have had such an amazing week, its sad to see it come to a close. We leave tomorrow at 2 pm, please pray for safe travels for the group. Today was dedication day and let me tell you it was also a very emotional day. The families who received the houses were grateful beyond belief. It makes you reflect on your own life and your own attitude toward gratefulness. I pray that we can bring back a grateful attitude toward some of the things that we are not always grateful for. That we can seek you in our daily life, be thankful for all the blessings you have given us.

Miah Grassmid

This morning, we headed out to the dump after a well-led devotional by Adam Jager that talked about Eli and here I am Lord and carrying out that good attitude throughout our trip. We arrived at the dump a little after 9 A.M. where some people are living and working to support their families. They separate plastic and glass from the trash to earn a twelve dollar a week wage. The children that live at the dump for the most part have the opportunity to go to school during the day. We brought and handed out food, such as sandwiches and chips and fruit. The people at the dump are the lowest of the low on the social ladder and are shunned from society, so the love and support we show them is very important. Lazaro, someone who grew up in the dump, is now trying to break the chain of poverty on the social chain and to bring these people to a better life. It was a very heartbreaking morning seeing all that they don't have and the extreme poverty they are forced to live in, very few eyes were left dry this morning. After the dump, two thirds of the group went to the village to work on houses and the other third went to the feeding center. The feeding center is not only a feeding center but it doubles as an after school program that offers a nutritious meal. The ages range from around 5 to 11 years old. They do their homework there and six different activity centers all amidst learning English and being taught the word of God. The other two thirds went to finish houses in the village. We had two houses to put up and cement three of the floors from houses of previous days. We had another great day and got almost everything done we needed to get done. We headed back to the mission house for dinner where we were joined with a few guests. The guests consisted of the grounds keeper and his family and Jacobo who helped with cement accompanied by his family as well. We were blessed with another great meal and even better fellowship and we are eager to see what God has in store for dedication day tomorrow.
- Tim, Anika and Luanne

Today was our third day building houses in the village. It's definitely been an awesome and unforgettable experience. I've been to Guatemala once before about 7 years ago, but I was sick for a good portion of the trip and didn't get to participate in the building. I love going back into the village and back to the houses we've been working on and seeing the familiar, smiling faces of the kids. Learning the kids names and connecting with them over several days has been the best part for me. And really the only downer I've experienced on this trip so far was getting stung by some big wasp and watching my left arm swell up like a balloon, but it was nothing the Benadryl couldn't fix. 

-Brandon Ebenstein

Linda's devotions this morning mentioned of how He can give us more than we can ask or imagine, little did I know what prayers would be answered.  Being among those in the village and working hard is something that is very enjoyable for me and who could say no to playing to little kids.  So when my driver, Mark, was announced as the van going to the orphanage I knew I found reassurance of where I needed to be.  Strings pulling at the heart can only mean a day at the orphanage.  A group of us had the pleasure of helping 'Love the Child' do some painting and brightening up of their playground backdrop which was more of a blessing for us.  It's truly is an amazing sight to see how children are brought in and cared for, knowing they're in protective loving hands and that they have more of a fighting chance for the future shows us of God's plan for each of us.  Just being a part of this endeavor is something I cherish.  To add to awe of His work, we then ventured to distribution where we received 150 families.  Stirring memories of the year before when the smallest of ladies grabbed on for what seemed like the longest hug I have ever encountered, I couldn't help to feel her love and thankfulness overwhelm my mind, heart and soul.  I am reminded this day and week of how very busy I tend to be and the need to slow down to see His work and all His people.  Making the time to realign my priorities and really focus on what He has intended me to do and be.  Again this year has brought me closer to some of the strangers I met only a few short years ago, built some new relationships and easily create new memories of service and love.  Thankful for all the prayers of health and safety for us here and a protective blanket wrapped around our family who enabled us to come.

Blessed beyond belief,

Ed Taylor Jr 

Today I had the privilege to go on a tour of the mountains near the mission house with Paul, the man who owns the coffee plantation. A few of us piled in his truck and he took us up the road to the top of the mountain. It was a rough ride up but very much worth the trip. We got to the top just as the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains on the other side of Chimaltanango. The view was spectacular and definitely a once in a lifetime experience. -Eli Tehennepe

Sunday in Guatemala is a day of reflection.  As middle-class white Christians we bring big bags filled with just a small percentage of what God has blessed us with.  We travel far from our homes intent on blessing, not expecting to be blessed.  On Sunday we begin to realize what happens in this country.  We begin to experience something we don't recognize as well while we're at home.  During our van ride to Antigua this morning we talked about the reality that with only a few days spent away from West Michigan, we were realizing that being a community of believers, being the family of God, extends far past the four walls of our home worship space.  The distraction of our everyday lives is removed here and while we dig holes, put up walls and love on kids we start to experience freedom.  We are free from the plans we've made, the responsibilities we normally allow to control our days and the mental and spiritual apathy we sometimes feel trapped in.  Grace becomes tangible and so does guilt.  Sunday in Guatemala allows us to grasp the truth that our lives back home interfere with what God calls us to and often stop us from serving as Christ served, loving as Christ loves and following Christ rather than attempting to lead.  Life is simpler here, at least for us.  God seems nearer.  Hopefully the knowledge of ourselves that we gain as we live, work and worship together this week translates to more than just memories.  We are called to serve, not just for a week, but for a Christian lifetime.  When we get home our opportunities are no less abundant and the importance of the work of spreading the gospel through service and love is just as integral a part of our faith as it is in Guatemala.  - Jamie DeVries

I am not so sure where to begin, I am so overwhelmed with emotions. The mission house is beautiful surrounded by amazing country. The people on this trip have been really fun to get to know, and to see the love of God in them being poured out to those in need. Yesterday I went to the orphanage, I was happy to see the place where the kids stay was very nice, and well kept. Even though the situation that has brought them to the orphanage is not good, they are very well loved and taken care of. I had the privilege of holding two beautiful babies and rocking them to sleep. What a blessing that was for me! Even though I left there sad that those little guys didn't have a Mom and Dad to love and care for them they had others to love on them and do their best to give them a good life. It was my prayer as I left there that day that God would work in the hearts and lives to come to know Him as their personal Lord  and Savior someday, and help them to make good choices in life. Today being Sunday, we began the day with singing and praying (as we have done every morning so far, but today we also had a sermon given by Jamie. The sermon was on Abraham and Isaac and how God called Abraham up the mountain to sacrifice his one and only son who he loved, as a sacrifice to God. My favorite part of the sermon (this time hearing it) was how Jamie brought out that Isaac carried the wood on his back as Christ did on the way up the hill to be crucified. I wish we would take this kind of time to read scripture at home and reflect on Gods word like we are doing so far this week. Our God is an awesome God and we tend to lose sight of him at home when our minds are focused on our to do lists and schedules. I believe as a Mother loves to hear from her children, so it is with God wanting to hear from us. As this day has drawn to a close, my heart is full resting in Gods plan for me. Tomorrow we will head back to the village to wrap up some of the homes we began on Friday. I am looking forward to seeing their beautiful faces again and the love and appreciation in their eyes.

God bless and goodnight. ~Rayanna Oetman

Greetings from Guatemala! God has taken our breath away this week - literally and figuratively. It's hard to breath in this elevation level. But God is doing great things and we are so blessed to be a part of this work here. Today I got to be a part of the concrete crew - I worked with Tim and a local Guatemalan named Jacob. The 3 of us got 5 houses with floors in them by 2 o'clock this afternoon. Your heart feels nothing but overwhelming love for these beautiful people and the gratitude that they show to us for the work we are doing in God's name is truly something wonderful.  Neither Tim or I know much of the Spanish language but we laughed and had a great time learning about Jacob's family and friends through the few words we could we could understand. Relationships are so very valuable down here and each one holds a special place in our hearts. After we got done with concrete work we headed over to help work on a few more started houses. I had the honor of receiving a manicure and a fancy braided hair-do from 2 little village girls and it looked marvelous! I have been blessed here in Guatemala and I pray that I have been even half as much of a blessing to these people that God has chosen for us to serve. There are many blisters, sunburn, and sore muscles around here and we are very much looking forward to a restful Sunday tomorrow. We covet your prayers and are thankful for all of you back home keeping an eye on us. Many blessings to you all!

Molly Kramer <3 p="">
What an amazing day this has been!  Sometimes I think that life cannot get  any better and then a day like this happens and I again realize  how blessed  I am!  This morning  the day started  out with a great breakfast, beautiful  singing, devotion and prayer.  Afterwords Lu/Ann and I were assigned to go to the church down the hill that runs the Feeding Station.  This is a wonderful program where approximately 50 Guatemalan children are schoolbused in to sing and dance to beautiful music, take part in several learning station taught by a  wonderful teacher, and have a yummy home cooked meal made by great  cooks.  It is so much fun  getting to know these beautiful children who are so happy with so little.  As we said goodbye to them as they ran to the school bus to take them home, I again realize just how children all have the same wonderful qualities that are universal in all children, kind, loving, beautiful, and  so smart. 

In the afternoon we again had another amazing adventure!  Some friends who live here in Guatemala picked us up to go a graduation celebration at the Christian English Academy called SALTA which stands for Salt and Light English Academy.  This school is run by a wonderful young couple that believes that all people have the ability to learn English as a second language.  Today several people were graduating ranging in ages from 14 years old to approximately 50 years old.  They all could speak English and the program was so interesting to watch because they all spoke so well and were so proud of their diplomas that I am sure they worked very hard for.  Refreshments were served and it seemed like home in a way because their families were there to celebrate with them and again they were all so friendly to us.  Afterwords we were asked to see a brand new home that was built just down the street  and it was beautiful and so well made.  The builder was so proud of his building skill, and why not his name Is Jesus!  Just so many blessings in one day here in this amazing country       

Shawne Mohr

For this part of the blog we need to give a brief history of what had happened yesterday. As soon as we got to the work cite I, Logan, had someone watch my backpack for me while I was running to grab more tools. I got back and the girls had told me that a dog had peed on my bag while I was gone, great start to the day.
So anyway, this morning a few of us had the opportunity to go to the orphanage. We had the pleasure  to celebrate Josue's 18th birthday. When we got there we were greeted with many smiles and hugs. A few of us went to the baby room and a few of us went to play with the toddlers. Samantha Oetman found a baby named, Anita, and soon handed her off to me. So as i'm bouncing her around and giggling and smiling she stops abruptly and I immediately felt my leg get wet. Yes, she peed on me. So now my nickname is "pee boy" and we are all wondering who is going to pee on me next. After a couple hours with the kids we headed in for lunch where we were fed amazing chimichanga's. After lunch we went outside and played with the kids for awhile before they all started swinging away at the pinata for Josue's birthday. After a eventful day at the orphanage we got back in the vans to head back. After talking about how great a shower would feel we were informed that we have a limited supply of water and that no one could take showers. After baked potatoes for dinner a few of us ended the night with some old hymns and good songs around the table. Tomorrow is Antigua so hopefully I don't get peed on because that would not be a fun experience due to having no dogs or babies...

Logan DeVries   




                                       

Today everyone went into the village and built houses and played with kids at VBS. I helped build houses and even though I wasn't able to do a ton of work with it, it was still really fun to watch. I talked to some of the kids around the job site the best I could. They are all so energetic it's so fun. I can't wait for the next few days in the village and at the orphanage.
                                                                    -Vivian Jager

Today three of us stayed behind to help Sandy and Becky in the kitchen. We helped prep for a few meals this week before heading down to the Feeding Center for the day. 55 kids got off of a school bus and lined up to eat. I was so shocked at how quietly they waited, and how quietly they ate. After lunch they brushed their teeth and listened to a bible story. The family that is in charge of the center is teaching them English, so they went through a few phrases as well and said the story of the Creation in English. Then all the kids split into groups and did different activities. I sat at the play-doh table and just tried to keep up with what they were saying. I heard a couple of their stories and the condition the children live in, and was heartbroken, but so thankful to God that they are able to come to this wonderful center for a warm meal and ministry. I'm excited to hear other team members stories of when they go down there.
                                           - Paige Merrill

Today most of the team went to the village to start building houses. The three work teams started working very close together, and it didn't take long for the kids to start showing up. It's interesting how long it takes for the first few houses to go up, because it takes a bit to remember exactly how they're built. Each team built one and a half houses, which is right on schedule. Seeing God bring a lot of people together to get work done, can't wait to get going again tomorrow.
                                - Bill Fennema

Happy Friday from Guatemala!

Just a quick note that we arrived here safely last night and are excited to get started for the week.  Thank you for your prayers - travel went well.  We'll start our day shortly with singing and devotions led by Jamie and Becky Devries, then it sounds like we're working in a town pretty close by.  Please pray that we can be present in the moment today and that act on whatever God is calling us to do in the moment.

Thanks!
Ryan

Wednesday (Dedication Day)

The day started out with devotions where whoever wanted to could speak up and tell a time when they witnessed God this week or felt they had missed an opportunity to share Jesus this week. We then loaded the vans to embark on our last adventure to the village. We finished putting the fronts on the last two houses and then prepared for dedications. The team dedicated the first two houses together and then we split up into two groups to dedicate the last 10 houses. At each house a member of the team spoke to the family telling them that the houses came from God, asked about their religious beliefs, and asked if they wanted to accept God into their heart. We gave them house warming gifts which included household items, an audio bible, an adult bible, and a children's bible. To wrap up we prayed with them, sang the doxology, and lit firecrackers. One of the houses in particular had children in need of a bed because the children were staying at their grandparents. Donations from team members allowed a bed to be purchased for the children which will arrive next week. Shout out to Josh, Pablo, and Juan Marcos for translating all day!

Afterwards, two vans went to Antigua to finish shopping while the other van dropped of the locks to the houses and went to the feeding center to play with the kids.  Our last meal was a glorious pizza FIESTA!! Team meeting is at 9:30pm and the luggage van will be here around 3am to take us back to the frozen tundra. Thank you for all of your prayers throughout the week, please continue to pray for safe travel, on time flights, and patience.

Cindy, Shawn, and Courtney VanderWoude

Tuesday!

Today was a different day for many of us. We started our day with a delicious breakfast, prepared by our amazing cooks. We headed upstairs after breakfast for a time of praise and worship, lead by Dellen, as he talked about God's will and God's purpose and plan for our lives. As we looked out the window at the volcano as we sang, we all truly saw how great our God is!

After devotions, we loaded up the vans and headed to the El Tejar Dump. Many people think of a dump as a place that we get rid of trash and don't have to deal with it anymore. In Guatemala, this is not the case. People work and live in the dump. As a truck unloads, people rush to dig through the trash, looking for anything of value that they can sell and make money off of. We prayed, sang, and handed out lunches: a sandwich, an orange, a bag of chips, and a juice box to the people who live and work there. They were very appreciative and by the smiles on their faces, you could tell that this was a blessing.

After going to the Dump, we split up. One van went to the village and worked on finishing concrete and the fronts of the houses that we built this week. The other two vans went to the orphanage for the remainder of the day. I went to the orphanage and it was really cool to see how the kids interacted with us. They didn't know us before we walked in, but yet they were really excited and willing to play with us and let us hold them. Many of us by the end of the day wanted to smuggle a couple kids in our suitcases! :)

Westhouses and I both had the opportunity to host the families of the kids that we sponsor at the Feeding Center. For those that don't know what the Feeding Center is, it is a place where certain kids, handpicked by Lazaro, come three times a week and receive a hot meal, homework help, and do crafts and sing songs. Joselyn, the girl that my family sponsors, came along with her mom Dency, her brothers Obel and Johnathan, and her new 20 day old sister Kenya. Joselyn is pretty much my little sister from another country, and it was really fun to get to know her better and learn new things....like the fact that her whole family would like to see snow someday! We spent time looking at pictures and coloring. It was a blessing to be able to see her again!

Tomorrow we look forward to house dedications and our last day in the village! Overall, we all really enjoyed our day! Please keep our team in your prayers as many people have been sick with different things, and please pray for safe travels on Thursday as we travel back to Michigan!

Rachael Bosse

Monday Update!

Hi everyone!

Today was a busy, yet fulfilling, day. We started out with devotions bright and early! Tico, who works for Grace Ministries, was our leader of devotions this morning. He focused on Mark 10:45, which states, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." He explained that we come here with the hopes of blessing Guatemalan's with our service, yet we often leave feeling as though they blessed us more than we have blessed them. So far, that has been a true and humbling experience for us.

After devotions, most of us took off in the vans towards the village we have been working in the past week, while a few others went to the market to purchase housewarming gifts for Dedication Day, which will be on Wednesday. We have to finish building the last of the 12 houses, pour concrete for two houses, and put the fronts on six more houses. While building the first house of the day, we had an unexpected, adorable visitor. He is shown below. We named him Carl, and the family of the house plans to keep him (after they asked if we brought it with us).

After building houses, we went to the church in the village for VBS. We decorated the coat of many colors with just short of 100 kids, after singing songs and listening to a Bible story. After VBS, we set up for food distribution. As a first timer in Guatemala (Lauren), that was a really awesome experience for me. 150 families came through for food and supplies. We told every family, "Dios te bendiga," which means, "God bless you." We were given lots of hugs and "muchas gracias" in return. The gratitude of everyone who came through was incredible. If anyone felt as if they hadn't done anything meaningful enough on this trip, food distribution changed that and helped show us that God brought us here for more reasons than one.

We finished off the day with a wonderful dinner and delicious dessert made by Sandie, Lynelle, (and Morgan today). Now we are playing games, sharing stories, and settling in for the night.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Please pray that we have a great last few days here and that God works through us in many more incredible ways. Please continue to keep Donna's sister, Linda, in your prayers. Donna told us that the antibiotics appear to be doing what they should be doing, but continued prayers are appreciated for a complete and quick recovery!!

-Nick DeVries and Lauren Myers

PS-This picture is for Grandpa DeVries!

You can put us to work when we get back :)

Sunday Sunday Sunday

Hi everyone!

We started our day with a late morning and a delicious cinnamon roll breakfast! There was about an hour in between breakfast and devotions, so some of us went back to bed (Courtney) and others just took it easy. Joel Vandyke, a fellow Michigander who now lives here in Guatemala, spoke to us this morning about 'recalibrating our vision' and stepping out of our comfort zone - a very broad message with several points that really applied to our group, as well as our time here. A lot of us who have been here before were super glad to see him and his family!

We ate a pulled pork dinner for lunch and split up from there! Several of us went to Chimaltenango for some shopping, took a tour of the grounds, sun tanned, went to a Guatemalan church service..

Dinner was a smorgasbord of goods and all of us changed into our stretchy pants afterward.
Right now we're playing cards, reading books, and prepping for food / health kit distributions tomorrow.

Overall it was a great day filled with sun and fellowship!

Megan Haveman and Jamie Bouma

Saturday

Today several of us took a van ride to spend the day at Amor Del Nino (Love the Child) orphanage.  The group of us had a wonderful time playing, feeding, holding, rocking the children.  The children were so sweet and (most) were not afraid of us, even though we were strangers (and gringos).  They played and held on to us and laughed with us right away.  There was no language barrier since smiles and hugs need no interpreter.  We were also blessed to spend time talking with Cheryl Osborn who gave us updates.  The orphanage is a little down in number of children, but it is a sign that things are starting to change for the better.

This was my first time at the orphanage and I was impressed at what a beautiful facility it was.  The staff is very kind and you can tell they have a very loving relationship with all the children.  I loved listening to the children all praying in unison and singing a little song right before they ate lunch.  It was a lovely picture of a big, happy family.

The time went by very quickly and it was hard to say Adios at the end of the day.  A bunch of the toddlers stood by the fence and waved to us.  But it was a very, very good day and I'm still feeling happy from this incredible experience.

Susan Wiegers

Two vans and the pick up truck went to the village where we are working this week. When we arrived we found some really tight parking or just plain lack of it. After several moves and running out of mountain to park, fortunately for me the friendly pastor from the church that we were holding the VBS let us park in the private church parking lot.  We were able to get all the vehicles parked and start the steep trek up to the building sites. After two beautiful, comfortable days of work we are getting close to our goals of 12 houses. We have a total of 10 houses built and 6 houses with concrete floors completed. The interaction with the future home owners has been a lot of fun, and their reactions when we have it partially completed is a truly humbling experience.

Dellen Vander Woude

Friday Updates

Today started out with devotions led by Dave Westhouse. He discussed more in depth our theme for the week, "Gods will, nothing more, nothing less."

After devotions we set out into the village. The village we are working in is actually rather unique. All of the houses that we are building this week are for the people who make their living off from scavenging the El Tejar city dump (not to be confused with the big Guatemala City dump). The El Tejar city dump is right here in the same city we are staying in and the houses we are building are only about 15-20 minutes away from the mission house. The people who make their living off from the dump scavenge through the days trash for anything of any value making only about $5-6 American dollars a day. For those of you who know Lazero, the El Tejar dump has been a big mission for him personally for the past few years. These family's are so grateful for what we are doing and it is very exciting to see how much of a difference we can make with a 12'x12' steel and lumber house.

Today we finished framing 6 of the 12 houses we have to do this week. These 6 still need fronts and concrete but we are still way further than we thought we would be.

The kids in the village are great, very respectful and friendly. We did not have VBS today but that will start tomorrow and judging by the amount of kids we saw today I think it will be a very good turn out.

Everyone is all back to good health for the most part but we can always use your prayers to keep this bug from spreading (for those of you who read yesterdays).


Todays Prayer Requests:

Donna Westhouse got a phone call tonight that her sister is now in the hospital with pneumonia and is very ill . They are looking into options if antibiotics do not work. Praying for the antibiotics to work and for complete healing for her sister Linda.  Also prayers for the family and that Donna has peace to still lead the team with the amazing organization and calmness that she always has.

Many thanks from all of us here!

Blessings
-Emily Westhouse





If you did not read yesterdays blog:

Prayer Requests would just be for good health for the group for the rest of the week. Its been a rough start with 2 people getting the flu and a few coming down here with some pretty nasty colds. We are taking extra precautions with hand sanitizers and Lysol sprays to keep the germs away but we know your prayers are the best kind of flu preventative.

We also arrived at the mission house to find out that they have disconnected the landline here so if you have any emergency information that you need to get to the team down here Donna Westhouse has an international plan on her cell phone and you can reach her by calling the phone number below.

(616) 277-6315

Thursday Updates

We have arrived!!! It is so great to be back in Guatemala and everyone is all very excited for the week to come.

We landed in Guatemala City yesterday at about 1:00. Everything went as smoothly as it possibly could. The bus and both of our flights made very good time with no delays as well as going through customs and getting our vans.

After our arrival we went into Antigua and spent the night in a hotel in the city. For those of you who were concerned, no we did not have to share our rooms with any critters. :) We went for dinner at Pollo Camperos (a fried chicken restaurant that we go to every year) and all went back to the hotel exhausted from our travels.

This morning we woke up and had a provided breakfast at the hotel of toast, eggs, and fruit after which we all headed out into Antigua. The group split up and spent the day shopping in the market which proceeded with lunch at The Mono Loco. We were all quite full after lunch after ordering meals off the menu varying from burgers, quesadillas, burritos, pizzas, and "Nachos as Big as your Head".

After lunch we got to go back to the mission house and settled in before our grilled hotdog dinner tonight. Everyone is all settled in, unpacked and winding down for the night playing cards before our first day of building tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will all be getting up for breakfast at 6:00 and going out to the village.

We are so excited to be here and we know it could not be possible without all of the support from everyone back at home. The prayers have been overwhelming and you could really feel that they have been with us as well as ahead of us.

Prayer Requests would just be for good health for the group for the rest of the week. Its been a rough start with 2 people getting the flu and a few coming down here with some pretty nasty colds. We are taking extra precautions with hand sanitizers and Lysol sprays to keep the germs away but we know your prayers are the best kind of flu preventative.


We also arrived at the mission house to find out that they have disconnected the landline here so if you have any emergency information that you need to get to the team down here Donna Westhouse has an international plan on her cell phone and you can reach her by calling the phone number below.

616-277-6315

Many blessings and we thank you for all of the prayers and the continued prayers while we are here.

-Emily Westhouse