With 99.9% of the projects on the list complete, time (briefly) reflecting on the summer with the staff, and looking at the volcanoes one more time, the family made its way back to Iowa today. As I am typing this, we are all either in bed or near bed at home. Man, the summer memories, thoughts, and experiences are swimming in our minds. Seriously, when we get a chance, we will share a final report of this Guatemala mission experience. We will see what God has in store for us whether or not we continue to blog on the next adventure that the LORD has given to us.
Thank you to all of you who prayed us home! The prayers were totally felt and NEEDED....we literally had 5 minutes to spare in Houston.
Justin
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
24 hours in Guatemala
That is how much time we have left. This summer has flown by so fast. It truly has been an adventure. Today is PACKED day of getting the excavator back, unload MACHO (15 passenger van) filling the batteries of the base with distilled water (only about 50 of them!), packing, finish painting 2 doors, finish building a cross, cleaning, and enjoying the mountains and volcanoes one last time. We will be leaving for the airport at 3:30am tomorrow and flying most of the day. Again, we thank you for your prayers and will update you more later...
Justin
Justin
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
So, are you guys busy now that the last team left?
Both Vicki and I have heard that question a lot lately, and just laugh. Today, Dan is in an excavator digging for the new garage, Vicki is helping a small village worth of patients in the clinic, I am planting the last of the trees AND getting the supplies cleaned and organized. That is just today too. We still need to get the ladders and other supplies from La Reyna and brought back to the base and do some repair work on some roofs and a repair job of stucco on one of the houses too. Throw on top trying to pack and debrief, I think that the apartment cleaning will be left to someone else....okay, we will do it. :)
This summer has been really good as we have tried to help our missionary friends as much as possible. We will try our best to update more this week with a final report more than likely when we get back. We leave this Saturday and are already praying that we can make our connecting flight in Houston. Well, break time is over. Blessings!
This summer has been really good as we have tried to help our missionary friends as much as possible. We will try our best to update more this week with a final report more than likely when we get back. We leave this Saturday and are already praying that we can make our connecting flight in Houston. Well, break time is over. Blessings!
Hard to Believe
Well, here it is, only one more week of our time in Guatemala. Tonight Vicki is out in Tecpan with Caleb and Emilee and Team Alamo City for the first night of the medical clinics. I got word that it is raining really hard, so my prayer that they will be able to return home safely as they need to cross three streams and some very narrow roads. Team Alamo has been fun to work with in many ways. From the southern hospitality to the drawl in the speech yall. The houses went up well with the dedication being yesterday. The rain REALLY poured. No, I mean really poured! Dan and I were talking about if we come back on the free day to dedicate, and then the rain slowed down. We went to the first house. The rain came back. We chatted again and the rain slowed down again, so we went to the second home....and then the rain stopped. We were able to dedicate all four houses. Afterwards, we did the fiesta/ pinata in the rain! As I reflect back on the summer, we built 27 houses. And we were able to witness with our own eyes, the LORD coming down upon 27 families and reconciled them to Him. We had all 27 families either rededicate their lives to Christ, or except for the first time. Even as I type this, I am thinking that I need to put my sunglasses on because of the tearing up. God is truly alive and well!
Dan has devo that he uses once in a while...bear with me, cause I would like to share some of it with you.
Acts 16
Paul has a vision of a man. The next day Paul and his companions pack up and sail off for Philippi. Now fast forwarding through the passages, they basically spend at LEAST 2 weeks if not more, before Paul casts out a demon in a slave girl. The owners of the slave have them beaten and flogged and thrown in the inner stocks. At midnight, they are signing hymns and praying to God. Then there is a huge earthquake and the jail splits open. The jailer fearing that the prisoners have escapes, is about to kill himself, when Paul shouts out, "Do not harm yourself, we are all here." The jailer calls for lights and sees the truth and then asks how to be saved. Paul then is let go and goes to the house of the jailer and he and his whole family are baptized after hearing the WORD. Then Paul and his companions leave.
A few thoughts to leave you with:
***How long was Paul hanging around? AND still did not know why.....
***flogging (see the Passion of Christ movie) was not an easy thing....then placed in the stocked, the heavy wood and metal on open wounds, and in the inner cell meant it was cold damp, smelly, and nasty.
***when the earthquake happened, the jailer THOUGHT the prisoners escaped and then called for lights...
***How did Paul know the jailer was going to try to kill himself?...if only the jailer WAS the man in the dream just 2 weeks earlier!
***where else in the Bible is the jailer or his family mentioned?
Paul and his companions endured great trials for the sake of one man and his family that was never to become famous. A nobody by the worlds standards, but by the LORD, a somebody.
Working FOR Christ and working WITH Christ are two totally different things. Working FOR Christ means that you are doing things in the name of Christ, but not always following HIS leading, just what we think Christ would have us to do. Working WITH Christ is allowing Him to take our Comfort and Control of our lives and go, say, do, be, wherever, whatever, and however for HIS glory alone. Not for our benefit or reasoning, but by His alone.
Thank you for allowing me to share these thoughts. This summer has given us alot to think about. It has been a refining process of the heart and mind. It makes the 16 hour days worth it!
To HIM be the Glory
Dios Le Bendiga
Dan has devo that he uses once in a while...bear with me, cause I would like to share some of it with you.
Acts 16
Paul has a vision of a man. The next day Paul and his companions pack up and sail off for Philippi. Now fast forwarding through the passages, they basically spend at LEAST 2 weeks if not more, before Paul casts out a demon in a slave girl. The owners of the slave have them beaten and flogged and thrown in the inner stocks. At midnight, they are signing hymns and praying to God. Then there is a huge earthquake and the jail splits open. The jailer fearing that the prisoners have escapes, is about to kill himself, when Paul shouts out, "Do not harm yourself, we are all here." The jailer calls for lights and sees the truth and then asks how to be saved. Paul then is let go and goes to the house of the jailer and he and his whole family are baptized after hearing the WORD. Then Paul and his companions leave.
A few thoughts to leave you with:
***How long was Paul hanging around? AND still did not know why.....
***flogging (see the Passion of Christ movie) was not an easy thing....then placed in the stocked, the heavy wood and metal on open wounds, and in the inner cell meant it was cold damp, smelly, and nasty.
***when the earthquake happened, the jailer THOUGHT the prisoners escaped and then called for lights...
***How did Paul know the jailer was going to try to kill himself?...if only the jailer WAS the man in the dream just 2 weeks earlier!
***where else in the Bible is the jailer or his family mentioned?
Paul and his companions endured great trials for the sake of one man and his family that was never to become famous. A nobody by the worlds standards, but by the LORD, a somebody.
Working FOR Christ and working WITH Christ are two totally different things. Working FOR Christ means that you are doing things in the name of Christ, but not always following HIS leading, just what we think Christ would have us to do. Working WITH Christ is allowing Him to take our Comfort and Control of our lives and go, say, do, be, wherever, whatever, and however for HIS glory alone. Not for our benefit or reasoning, but by His alone.
Thank you for allowing me to share these thoughts. This summer has given us alot to think about. It has been a refining process of the heart and mind. It makes the 16 hour days worth it!
To HIM be the Glory
Dios Le Bendiga
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