Whew!

Whew!  What a time we have had.  The last few weeks have been busy with a high school team, two construction teams at the base, hosting my folks, and getting things ready for four weeks in San Ramon with teams, AND a team to come and build a church in Chaquanom.  We have seen some wonderful things the past few days.

I (Justin) have been able to get back to the coast twice to connect with pastors, visit sick, lay hands on for healing, attend worship services, and plan and strategize for growth in the new churches……oh, and see the Ocean too!

Vicki has been getting the clinic at the base up and running and more organized.  She re-did all of the clinic boxes that are used for the mobile clinics, re-wrote the patient program slips, and just over-all brought some more functionality to the clinic along side Yohana and Lesli. 

The kids have been plugging away at school.  Plus the warm weather has been wonderful to spend time outside.

We are also very grateful for the two teams that came down to work on the base, as the list of projects started and projects needed to be worked on is three pages long!  It is a good reminder that as we go out, we need to also spend time maintaining the base camp so that teams can have a place to refresh and recap and to process.

We thank you for your continued prayers.  As we work and serve here in Guatemala, we also find our time partially in Iowa as well.  On April 9, PBM is bringing Tim Hawkins to Sioux Center, IA for a fundraiser.  Who is Tim Hawkins you might ask?  Simply go to youtube.com and check out his videos….you can thank me later.

Oh yeah, we also had snow yesterday in Guatemala.  NO JOKE.  The top of Acatenango (volcano) had snow on it for a few hours…..until the sun came up and melted it.

Many blessings to you today.

The Schrocktribe

Naomi making tortillas in the Children's Home

Tortillas are always better when made by little hands

Naomi and Miya checking out the new deck

Another view of the deck

our first meal on the deck...AJ and Dad were the cooks...look out Chick Fil A

the cooks

February 1st, 2015....how is your view outside today?

Naomi hanging some laundry out to dry

today is the day that the Lord has made....

the garage minus the roof.  The second story will be an apartment for future staff of PBM

our deck is a blessing....more space and even railing to hang laundry out to dry.  The next part will be a roof on the deck before the rainy season comes in May.

Six Years in the Making!

Well, today was a LOT warmer than January 17, 2009.  Back then, it was a massive snow storm on a cold Saturday.  Vicki and I were driving in our truck (in 4 wheel drive most of the way) and could barely stay on the road.  We had a 2 hour drive ahead of us to witness the birth of our daughters.  Miya and Kira entered this world and our family six years ago today through the beautiful gift of adoption! We are forever grateful for their selfless birth family!

Kira Lynn

Miya Renee

Well, since we are in Guatemala in January, we totally enjoyed the weather spent some serious time outside.  As we are preparing for the next team to arrive tomorrow, we got things ready, played games, did some school work, went out to Pollo Campero to eat, and even “enjoyed” a Barbie movie to cap it off. 

Our family is loud, wild, adventurous, crazy, lovable, and big.  We would not want it any other way!

The girls decided this year that they didn't want to share their birthday.  One wanted her party for breakfast and the other for supper.  But, when push comes to shove these two can't live without each other!  They are as different as day and night in almost every way but yet inseparable.

This relationship of Miya and Kira is parallel to our relationship with Christ.  We may not want to share our life with Him or just certain areas.  BUT, when push comes to shove, we need to be inseparable.



Happy Birthday loves and we look forward to this next year and where God will bring you!

Re-LEARNING

Feb 2014 found me, Vicki, leading a trip to Guatemala with a fine group of people.  We were able to stay in the village of San Ramon and build the first homes for this village.  I was a bit nervous to lead a group without Justin as the main leader, but nonetheless I did it.  Dan, the missionary stated, "Just get them here then I will take over."  Uhmm, I then found myself as a 'forman' of one of the homes.  Okay, I can do this, think positive, I can do this.

I needed to learn this trip that I didn't do anything, God gave me the strength, words, and energy to complete this task with His power.

I was reminded of this lesson this past weekend.  I hate having to re-learn things!

2015
The team and fellow missionaries loaded the vans on Saturday to revisit this beautiful village of San Ramon.  The last medical clinic was two years ago and it was time to revisit these beautiful people.

Once we arrived, after three hours of the some of the most bumpy, curvy roads I've been on, I was setting up the clinic meds and getting organized.  I notice a team member talking with a woman and thats when I heard it, my name, VIcki, with a little spanish twang!  I said Hola and continued setting up.

About 10 minutes later I stopped for a moment and many things came into focus!  This woman was Heidy and the child was Dalia.  This is the women that I had built a house for with Steve and Julie, Don and Sue, Teresa and Alyssa.   The question is often asked do they remember us longer than we remember them?  YEP

Know that I is not always the best option, the task at hand is not always the most important but I need to lift my eyes to HIM and look around with HIS world view!

Learning as a child of God is not always easy but it is often humbling!  

Please pray for Fernando, Heidy's husband because he injured his knee severely and we will be taking him into the doctor for an exam and probably an MRI if God doesn't perform a miracle first.  Please pray that his knee will begin to heal and gain range of motion TODAY.  

don't expect a million dollar answer from a 10 cent prayer.  

PLEASE PRAY WITH ME FOR THIS MIRACLE!

{The house has become a home}

For those of you that helped build this home, know that this family remembers each of you and Heidy asked me to say hi to all of you by name.  God is big but HE is also in the details!

vicki

A new day beckons...

Here it is.  Today.  It is a gift that the Lord has given to us and there is no chance for returns.  It is a one size fits all kind of day.  Yet, it is also a day that WE can make it fit better.  We can let the troubles, frustrations, and disappointments pull at our hearts and minds and make the day "snug" and "tight".  Or we can constantly go to the Lord and ask, "what should I be seeing?"  We can look for the hidden blessings and joys that each day holds.  When we do, the day WILL fit extremely well and beautifully.  Today we clean, we organize, we prep for the next team.  We are making the most of what the Lord places before us.  We hear there is bad weather in Michigan and so the team might not come in today as planned.....according to our plans though.  We need to enjoy the time that is found within today because all plans are HIS.

As you live today, may you sense and see the power that is in the name of Jesus!

Time, the one thing that is not able to duplicated or make more of.  Time is the one thing that our technology cannot produce.  It is what it is.  The time is set, but the day is not.  Filter it (time) well today!


Dios te bendiga,

~Justin

The view from our window this morning!  Volcano Agua....

Smoke from Volcano Fuego...as seen from our window

Back in Guatemala!

We are here!

After a long day of traveling, the SchrockTribe is back in Guatemala.  We want to thank all family and friends for the 8 weeks back in Iowa.  It was truly a good time of reconnecting, sharing about the Lord’s goodness, eating some foods that we craved (can you say STEAK and anything dairy!) and even gaining a time of refreshment.

We will be having a very busy next 12 weeks here in Guate.  We will be coming back to Iowa in April to help out with the Tim Hawkins concert on April 9 at Dordt College.  This will serve as a fundraiser for the ministry.  MORE info will be coming.  If you live in the NW Iowa region, you will be hearing more and more about Tim Hawkins.  Who is he you might ask?  Simply go to youtube.com and type in Tim Hawkins.  Watch and enjoy.  A Christian Comedian that will bring a great night of laughter, music, and memories.  You will not want to miss out.  Tickets right now can be purchased by following the link on the website (paradisebound.org).

The first team comes tomorrow (Friday).

Then we have two weeks of much needed construction on and of projects at the base.

 This Winter we will have:

 ~four teams come and build in San Ramon

 ~one team come and build a CHURCH! (building only as the Church is very much THERE already!!!!!!!

~We will have…..?

We know what the schedule is supposed to look like, but we know that the days and events are in the hands of God.  So with that, we go forward awaiting the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living and Loving Him....expecting nothing less than an adventure with GOD!

May you be blessed this year, and may those blessings be something you least expect! 

We will do our best to keep in better contact via the blog with you, our friends, our family, our prayer warriors, and you our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Many blessings to you today.  Oh, and it is a cool 70 degrees here today with a nice breeze blowing. 

Hasta Pronto,

Justin

Guard Your Heart for it is the Wellspring of your heart.

In Guatemala the water is very dirty and polluted, but God has blessed my family and Paradise Bound with clean healthy water to bathe and wash in.  We have access to a fresh water spring not too far from the Base.

    Many weeks ago when we would turn our faucets and showerheads on, the water didn’t really look like water. So as the days went on the water got darker and darker.

   Now many people can assume that maybe a pipe started to rot or the faucets were old, but what really happened was that there was a mudslide that ran through our whole water system. The fresh water spring was filled with mud and muck.  So the water system had to be drained and cleaned so we could have clean water again.

   For the past couple of weeks my brother Caleb, and I have been learning that our minds can become dirty just like the water was polluted by mud. Our minds can also be polluted by internet, pictures, videos, TV, and sometimes even books.

We are learning that it is up to us to not be tempted and to trust in God and do what he wants.  Always praying for you.

-AJ

Proverbs 4:23

Caleb hiking up the cement wall of the dam by the spring

some of our family hiking back to the base

Emilee in front of the pipes that bring the water to the base

Kira, Naomi, and Miya looking at the water

Mom, me, and Naomi posing for the camera

nice waling stick Naomi!