We are now down to 8 days....

So today we took some Iowa and California friends back to the airport.  They were here for a week with a few people from MI to work at the base.  We are nearly done with the medical clinic and the offices!  YEAH. This much needed space will allow our pastors to study and prayer and maintain a place for administration details to all of the villages that they go to.

The expanded clinic will only enhance our care and services to the people surrounding the base.


So, as we prepare to have the Paradise Bound Ministries Board come on Thursday......we are just trying to survive.  Let me explain.  2 adults, 6 kids, one flu.  Everyone except for AJ is sick.  Fever, headaches, burning eyes, and a cough.  It has been around for three days and is starting to work its way out, BUT is kicking our tails.

We ask for a quick time of healing as we prepare for the board, as we pack to head back to Iowa, as we are engaging in the preparations for our times of speaking, and as we say goodbye, for now, to some friends.


Addios for now.


~Justin

NO HAY CLAVO!

My confession is that the title is actually a Guatemalan slang term meaning that there is no problem.  This is used mainly with the youth and is not rude or bad, but usually can be said among friends.  My admission is when I say this, I feel like I am hanging out with the youth group again.  Seeing the fellow Guatemalan missionaries giggle when I say it, or they do, brings me a bit of joy.


                                                          It literally translate as: There is no nail.

     We find ourselves down to three weeks before we  jump on an airplane and head for cooler weather.  So, the question begs to be asked, “What are we doing with our time?”

let me introduce you to the next group of WORLD CHANGERS!!!!!

    Well, I am glad that you have asked.   We find ourselves getting things ready for the construction team to come down here on Sunday and help expand our onsite clinic and build some much needed office space.  We also have an Open Doors Children’s Home team that will be coming and spending time with the kiddos (we are NOW up to 13 babies!!!!!! Plus 3 other toddlers).  Shortly after these teams leave, we have most of the board members for Paradise Bound coming for a Spiritual Retreat and Vision Casting. 

    We are now done with our 30 days of Spanish classes, but a small forest of notes to keep going over.  The kids are still plugging away at school and enjoying it. 

    We are busy gathering info to bring to the states, lining up our speaking engagements, planning for a big event in Sioux Center in April, and trying our best to continue building the relationships among the other Guatemalan missionaries here. 

    We appreciate the prayers and thoughts that come down south.  Each day we try our best to soak in this beauty.  The people, the mountains, the volcanoes, the earthquakes, the paradise, and this over all “land of eternal Spring”.  This journey, this followed the Lord to another Country has been, is, and will be a alteration to our lives.  We pray that the alteration is one that will only bring us closer to His heart and that our kids will learn a language of dependence on Him.

"God's Patch Work Quilt"......how would you like to farm that!

                      Dios te bendiga y con mucho amor yo digo adios.

Buenas noches amigos.

The Cross of Jesus is everywhere we go...

My title might be different than this post...but look to the bottom of the pictures and you will see what I mean...

Un lugar para Pastores en La Reina...Martes de 30 de Septiembre

Yes....that IS a volcano irrupting a mile and a half away from me...

Imigdio and his wife have lived in Izatapa for about a year and a half.  They are church planters.  The church is small, only about ten families.  The invitation to come and visit him came from when both of us were in Cobán, over 6 hours away.  Imigdio said that I had to come and visit, but I had to bring the family.  Hermano Jesus mentioned that he lived close to the Ocean.  So I proceeded to ask if he could see the Ocean from his village.  His response: “Um…yeah” (in Spanish of course).  What he did not say was the village is literally five blocks away from the Ocean!

When we got to the house, we were greeted with a snack of over ripe corn.  Yet, we were close to the Ocean…the closest cornfield was miles away!  It was the best they had…they bought the corn just for us.  The kitchen had half walls and a dirt floor.  There was no fridge.  The property was maybe a 1/6 of an acre.  We then were offered some eggs and beans and tortillas.  They were very delicious and a typical Guatemalan meal.  It was the best they had….and his wife was not feeling well, yet they served us.

We (my family and Hermano Jesus and Pablo and Anya) went across the way to the church.  Normally they would have a devotional in the afternoon, but moved it to the morning so that all of us could be a part of it.  AJ started off by playing a prelude on the piano.  Now, when I say that this church is simple, I mean it is simple.  The floor is sand, the chairs are plastic lawn chairs, the stage is only half done with cement, and was maybe fifteen feet wide by fifty feet…but it was the best they had.  I was asked to bring a greeting and prayer.  Then after some simple singing, praying, and a message, we were then ready for lunch….two and half hours later.  Our kids did not mind the sand floor as it allowed them to play and build sand castles during church.

Lunch was wonderful.  Grilled fish….the whole fish.  We had to pick the meat off, but it was delicious.  After eating rice, fish, and tortillas, we walked to the beach.  Now, the hospitality did not end there.  Imigdio wanted to make sure we went to a good beach so our kids could swim.  So we hopped into a small boat that took us across the channel and landed at a part of the beach that was a cove.  The water was calm and clean.  The kids played, collected shells, and swam.  Imigdio, his 11 year old daughter, my family, Hermano Jesus, Anya, and Pablo all enjoyed our time together.  Our kids latched onto these new friends quickly.  We were just about done and ready to walk over the hill to look at the Ocean unhindered when a wave knocked down Hermano Jesus.  When he stood up….no glasses!  We quickly went over to him and began to look.  When I say that this man of God is blind without his glasses, it comes across as mild.  We needed to find these glasses.  But where do you start? The waves kept coming.  So, we prayed.  Said our amen and then about 30 seconds later Pablo stepped on the glasses….in the Ocean…..in the waves.  THAT is the power of prayer!

After a good day we headed home, but ran into some problems with the van overheating.  As it was raining and waited for the steam to stop coming out of the overflow area for the radiator, I thought that I had waited enough time.  I was wrong.  The lid blew off and I quickly found my left arm and my left side covered with very hot water.  I was very grateful that the burns were there and not on my face.  The blisters are looking better and I am slowly improving, each day, having less and less pain.  Some spots were indeed 2^nd degree (or whatever they call it now).  But, the hospitality gets better.

The Cross is beside us...

The Cross is always before us...

Imigdío

            Today (Tuesday) I went to a village called La Reina for a gathering of pastors.  There were 17 of us in all.  Imigdio was one of them there.  Today he did not feel good, but he came.  When he saw my arm, he asked what happened.  I began to tell him and immediately he started to pray and ask for healing.  He also said he felt like it was his fault.  I asked why.  He said that he had an unusual feeling when we were leaving, but did not say anything.  He says he wished he had said something.  He felt like God was trying to tell us something and he was not obedient to God.  He felt like he needed to give more.  Give more?  A man who makes VERY little money, spent a weeks worth of pay to feed us (and refused to accept anything) and 

has a deep heart for the Lord, felt like he needed to give more?  Yes, give more.  When we listen to God and He speaks and we do not follow through, we miss it.  All other things fall short.  Yet, I was very grateful for his heart, his hospitality, and what he gave me: a great insight to the heart of God.  A new friend has been made in Guatemala. 

The Cross is always behind us...

And yes, we will visit the Ocean again in Guatemala!

Oceans

Black sand and many sea shells.  Caleb even took
home an alive Blue crab!  

as a tribe we went to the ocean on Friday Sept 26th.  We visited a pastor and received hospitality that was hard to accept.  I am going to wait to tell you those stories.  I will focus on the fun we had on an empty ocean shore!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oceans - Hillsong United

Verse #1
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown, where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand

This is the boat we took across the canal.
Talk about increasing your
prayer life :) 

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine

Verse #2
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed, and You won't start now

Chorus:
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine

Bridge:
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior x 3

The Tribe

Ending:
I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours, and You are mine
I am Yours, and You are mine
I am Yours, and You are mine
I am Yours, and You are mine

SONGWRITERS
JOEL HOUSTON, MATT CROCKER, SALOMON LIGHTHELM

PUBLISHED BY
LYRICS © EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING

Naomi eating over rip corn on the cob, but it was the best They had!

We brought brownies to share with the family that hosted us.  We ate them for breakfast.  The kids loved brownies for breakfast

After a sneak peak at what was for dinner, I had a long chat with the kids on how to respond when the food was set on the table.  I had all I could do to 'enjoy' my fish.  I will admit that the food was delicious!

If pictures are worth a thousand words, I have said enough for the day.  Thank you Lord for a day of fun and hospitality!  What a beautiful day!

Vicki

Engrafted...

So, what have the Schrocks been up too?  Let me see….This past month we just finished up two weekends with the Timothy Lay Leadership Training.  It takes 30 men and women (each weekend) who are pastors and lay leaders and trains them to be the most effective pastors they can be. 

            Needless to say, for this guy who loves discipleship, it was awesome to see and witness.  I was even asked to lead some of the devotions (first week had a translator and second week had the help of the Spirit!).

            SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL!

The kids have been real troopers as they are plugging away with school each day AND Spanish classes for an hour each day.   Vicki and I each have separate times of 2 hours each (each day) of Spanish classes.  WOWzers!

            Having Vicki’s aunt Cheryl here to help with the schooling for the kids has been a true blessing.  It allows Vicki to be in the clinic and myself to connect with Pastors.

            We have decided that we want to take our Saturdays to go exploring a little of this incredibly beautiful country.  Having a little more Spanish under our belts, we are getting brave enough to venture out further.  We have visited, Iximche, Lake Atitlan, and recently went to one of the oldest operational coffee plantations in Guatemala near Antigua.  THAT was awesome.  SO beautiful as well.

            Did you know that there are various kinds of coffee and it takes 1 and half years before the plant is ready for transplanting?  It takes one complete coffee plant (full grown) to produce one pound of ground coffee.  This plantation, only women do the engrafting process…because of the PH in their hands.  They take the root of the Robusta coffee (a strong plant) and graft it with the Arabica coffee (a better flavor and more beans) to create a “super” coffee plant.  They use a razor blade to cut it and then splice the two together and then tape then together and allow time to connect to the two to make one. 

            As I pondered this, isn’t the same so very true with Christ.  When we are broken and cut and fused together.  Part of Him and part of us are then wrapped together.  We reach our best potential when we live not just on our own but when we are   I am His and He is mine. 

Frisbees, laundry baskets, and homemade flags....and you have Disc Golf!

The Restuarant at Finca De La Filadelfia

coffee plants under the shade of bigger trees

baby coffee plants

John Deere even is in the coffee business....

wonder what year this machine is from?

we live in the orange region on this map

wedding day photos for a couple.  They were taking photos at the plantation

guess who LOVES coffee NOW!!!!!!

do you have your crossing the street buddy?

watch out for the cactus Caleb (or is it an act? :) )

crazy kids......

grass + hill + boy = fun for 25 minutes straight!

The Schrock Kids.....

"Bird of Paradise"

Did you know Coffee is a fruit?  Want a second cup of fruit juice?...or three or four or...

We did not buy a zoo, just caught a lizard

Vicki and the big three went to Leslie's church.  They want our entire family to come next time and Justin to preach

Girls grilling for the Staff meeting.....

Learning about "A" in kindergarten...SO, we make applesauce!

having a blast peeling apples

Kira wanted to make supper.....so Chicken Enchiladas it was

Emilee helping in the Kitchen with her authentic Mayan dress that she LOVES

connected to Him.

            We are plugging away at two more weeks of Spanish class then preparing for the Construction Team to come down and work on some much needed remodeling of the clinic and offices (anybody want to come to Guatemala for a week in October?  Let me know!!!!) and then followed by that is the Paradise Bound Board Retreat.  Then on November 4 we will be flying back to Iowa for 8 weeks.  We are looking forward to visiting family, eating Chinese food, chatting with people, churches, schools, and companies about Guatemala, visiting the chiropractor, and beginning the work for the Tim Hawkins fundraiser at Dordt College on April 9….in no particular order (yes, we have our chiropractor appointments scheduled with Dr. Daron De Jong the day after we get back!!!!!.....)

            OH, we also took Emilee to the eye doctor here to have her eyes checked.  She is doing GREAT…the bill?.....only $10 US dollars for the visit!  Yet, to visit the chiropractor here it would cost around $75.  If anyone has ever been here and seen how people carry things on their heads and with their backs, it is to no surprise! 

If you are ever on Facebook, make sure you go to the Paradise Bound Ministries page and like it to receive even more info about the ministry.

Many blessings and love!

~Justin