Encounter Guatemala 2010

A Thank You Note...

2010-07-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Edgar & Gloria,

How special it was to have you and your team at New Life. Every minute of the time was exceptional.

Words can't begin to say how much all of us loved your visit. I hope all of you were as blessed as we were.

Marisol doesn't know why after so many years that everyone changes but Edgar!? Vos, you are ageless.

Love,
JUDY

From Greg...

2010-07-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

We are officially home! It's a bittersweet homecoming. We are glad to be home, but very sad about leaving the new relationships behind. I can honestly say that I am tired. I walked in the door and the mental exhaustion hit. I want to thank all that have held us up in prayer. The comments were that it was noticed and appreciated. I am excited to hear, in years to come, what kind of impact we had the opportunity to leave in Guatemala. I keep hearing that the people are hungry for Truth and they are very open to hearing the message of Truth.

On the airplane, I was placed 7 rows or more in front of the rest of the team. I was bummed. I wanted to talk about the trip and how they were doing. But God had another thing up his sleeve. I sat next to a man who was also a believer and had married a Guatemalan woman and had a heart for Evangelism and Discipleship. We talked for an hour about his being apart of starting two churches in Guatemala and just worshiping together as we talked about God's faithfulness and love for His creation.

Please ask about the trip. Many of us are still working through, and will be for a while working through, what happened down in Guatemala. We experienced much that was mental and had extreme depth within our souls.

We do not have any idea how many came to know the Lord through our saying, "Yes and Amen to everything in His heart," as we accepted the call to be sent out. We do know that children and adults came to know Jesus for the first time. Let us pray that discipleship finds these people. We know and trust that the Guatemalan missionaries with Mission Impact will follow up.

I am going to send the last of the pictures. Again, thanks for following the blogs. It was a blessing to us all to know that we were prayed for and there were people excited about what we were doing.

There weren't adults and youth on the team, but it was the body of Christ serving together, using their individual gifts and abilities and passions and talents for the Kingdom of God and glory be to Him.

Greg

Back in the USA...

2010-07-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome home Guatemala Team!

Songs of Joy...

2010-07-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalms 126:6

From Kathy and Kevin...

2010-07-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Goodnight (We are going to bed after this),

Well, today was a very much needed relaxing day. I was super excited to just see Guatemala and not have a too planned out day. Today we got to sleep in until 8am, and had our breakfast at 8:30. We then went to this place called the cross in Antigua. It was so nice to be able to reflect, and eat at such a beautiful location. We rested for a while and talked about the previous day, until it started to rain and then we left. We thought the storm was coming back (it was there last night during the show that Vida Y Esperanza put on0. We then spent the rest of the day shopping and site-seeing in Antigua. It was a good time to rest and pick up some last minute souvenirs.

After we got done with that, we went to a steak house a few blocks away where Mission Impact put on a farewell banquet for us. It was a good opportunity to further reflect and say goodbye to the teachers and staff that we had worked with this week. When the "goodbye", "thank you", and "I'm praying for you's" were said, it was time to pile into the bus and head back to the housing where we would have our final debriefing.

Our debriefing consisted of not only what we had learned throughout the week, but also about what our fears were, what we were going to do when we got home, and how God has worked in us. I (Kathy) can personally say that my biggest fear is going home and not listening to God. I have learned so much throughout this trip, from being thankful to understanding that I need to give God control, to dancing with God (you can ask Heather about that one).

One of the things I am going to take home this week is having a relationship with God and its importance. A lot of times we understand that it is important to have a relationship with God, but we don't actually pay attention to the fact that IT IS IMPORTANT to have a relationship with God. We make up excuses, we put it off, we just don't do it. WHY? Why do we do that? It is ridiculous, we have the time and yet we don't do it. What is holding us back? What is holding YOU back? When you have a relationship with God, it is a two way street. God has already put out His hand and He is waiting for you to take hold of it. Having a relationship is not just telling Him about your problems, it is also about Him giving you answers. It's about having somebody to run to, to love you, to forgive you, and the list goes on and on. This is something we can only have if we maintain a relationship with Him. I don't want this to sound like a lesson or anything, just wanted to share what has been going on in my head and to maybe, if you are struggling with the same things as me ask you a few questions and give you a few challenges.

Well I guess we better get to bed because we have to be up at 3am to be out of the door by 4am to get to our 740am flight. We are all very excited to see you guys and grateful that you kept us in your prayers, hearts, and thoughts. God Bless you all and we will see you soon.

Goodnight and Sweet Dreams,

-Kathy & Kevin

From Greg...

2010-07-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am happy with this trip. I know I have said this a few times now, but I am very proud of this team!

Yesterday was long, to say the least, and they powered through it. Last night as we performed our songs and then performed the skits, they nailed it! To date, by far the best. As the night finished the rain came, and with a vengence for about 10 minutes.

Today though was a day of relaxing and fun. It was very needed as yesterday was an emotional day for just about everyone. Right now we are eating dinner with the Mission Impact team at a good steak restaurant here in Antigua.

We debriefed today at a cross overlooking Antigua with the volcano in the background. It is interesting what the team has said in regards to handing out the prayer shawls and working with the students. Everyone is walking away with some stirring within their hearts. God has been faithful. And I think there is a realization that God hears our prayers.

The students are torn, they want to be home with family and friends, but they also have a love and want to be here with their new friends.

PRAISE GOD!

Greg

From Tami...

2010-07-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the God of peace which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 4-7

After a week in Guatemala, I can do nothing but rejoice in our Lord. This week God has met our team in amazing ways. He has refined many of us, broken many of us, and loved all of us in ways that only he could have ordained.

When Greg proposed the idea of going to Guatemala this year my heart was torn. I have always felt called to missions, but the thought of leaving my kids without parents for a week and possibly a lifetime felt reckless. However, God kept meeting my anxious heart with His peace. With each prayer God overwhelmed me with His provision.

Throughout the week, God has given me peace that this is right where He wanted me. This week we had the amazing privilege to go to a school for disabled students. Before this school was opened, these children and parents lived each day without hope and peace. Parents with disabled children in Guatemala are seen as cursed and their children are locked away in their homes hidden from society. As a parent with a special needs child, this broke my heart for the parents and the children of New Hope School.

When we were there the stories of each of the children there broke my heart. However, they also gave me hope as well that God has a plan and purpose for each of His children regardless of society's view about them. The children there were filled with joy to see a puppet show and receive blankets. Even though many of them could not express how they felt, their faces and hugs told it all. I will never forget Victor, a little boy that I simply smiled at and in return got hugs and kisses that are so much like my little Alicia Mae that I couldn't help but cry. I wanted to just take him with me and make him part of my own family.

Oh, how blessed I am.

Yes, having a child with Autism is hard, but the blessings are so much greater. Things that others take for granted, these kids long for and I get to see this first hand everyday.

Please pray for each of these students - that God would restore them and use them to fulfill His plan, not so they can be "normal," but that His glory would be seen and His hope poured out to the people of Guatemala.

I believe that I Corinthians 1:27-31 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom of God- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.", applies to special needs kids around the world.

I pray that as the body of Christ we will pray for these students and their parents and the handicapped population in general that God would use them in amazing ways to show His love, His power, and His glory. God has a purpose and plan for each of us. Thank Him for who He has made you to be and rejoice in everything - your strengths and weaknesses.

Loving with the hands of Christ,
Tami

From Megan...

2010-07-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning California,

Today is a beautiful day. Over the last week, we have had many amazing experiences, some have been happy, some have been sad, and some have been life changing. The experience that impacted me the most was giving my prayer shawl to a little girl named Lucilia, who was abused by her father.

I was having a difficult time deciding who I was supposed to give my prayer shawl to. Many people were giving me names of people to give it to, but none of them seemed like the right person. Then this little girl, who I had been playing with the whole week and had bonded with a lot came up to give me a hug. I told Christin that I loved that girl and she shared with me that she was the little girl that Edgar told us about the night before. Edgar had asked us to pray for her because she had shared with him in her check-up that she had been abused.

At that moment I knew she was the one I was suppose to give my prayer shawl to.

It was like God put her on my heart at that moment. Then I grabbed Edgar and made him translate for me. I sent her friends away with Sofia and told her, "I want to have this. I want you to keep this with you, because I am praying for you. Always remember that God loves you and is with you always."

When she took it from me she had a big smile on her face and said thank you over and over again. When I told her, "Go play with your friends again." She told me, she didn't want to because she didn't want them to take it from her. To know that she valued and treasured it that much made my day. I will always remember her and pray that God will heal her emotionally, physically, and mentally. God is good, people. DON'T FORGET IT!!!

I am excited for a relaxing day today and for the banquet tonight. Keep praying for us as we prepare to leave Guatemala soon. Even though it will be nice to come home, it is a bitter sweet goodbye. I will miss the smiling faces of all the children and all the hard working teachers at Vida y Esperanza. See you soon.

Vive con Dios, (May God go with you,)
Megan

From Kelly...

2010-07-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hola again,

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I gave my prayer shawl to a disabled child who lived a bit farther away from the camp site who we got to meet yesterday. She couldn't think, nor walk (she was in a wheel chair). The only thing she could do was flail her arms around and turn her head in almost every direction. I also got the opportunity to pray over her and her mother. The father wasn't present at the moment, he was working on something important. I was half way through my prayer when I felt her calm down and just look at me. I could honestly feel her at peace and didn't care about anything that was going on around her. She would just stare at me and just sit there quietly. The mother told me that she had never done that before, and that there was something different about me that she just couldn't explain. I was almost ready to cry on the child and remind her that she is created in God's own image and never let her go, but sadly we had other things to do.

This verse I put up there is one thatIi gave a special child, who lived in the site I was helping to build a new home and a new restroom. But today we just spent our last day with the children. Some of us prayed over them and a lot of us cried with them. We started off doing a puppet skit for the children and sang some songs in Spanish. We also had lunch with them after the activity.

During lunch we announced that it was our last day and we noticed two of the children crying in their seats as we shared our lunch with them. A lot of us had a really big problem saying good bye to the children and the families knowing that they did more for us than we did for them. I had a child who gave me his Bible. I found out it was in Spanish and I didn't exactly feel like I was the right person to receive such a special gift from him. I tried to convince him to keep the Bible and that our team should write our names and our favorite bible verse in the front page. Sadly that didn't happen. I ended up feeling really guilty for receiving such an important gift and that I didn't bring anything for him. So I ripped out one of the blank pieces of paper in the back of the Bible/Biblia, and wrote down my name and my favorite bible verse for him. I also got the rest of the team to put down their names and favorite bible verses. I was crying like there was no tomorrow.

The boy who gave me this amazing gift, was a boy who goes by Jose. Jose's brother was the last boy I got to talk to and give him my last goodbyes. He said to me, "Please don't go, or take me with you..." After hearing this, I was on my knees holding this boy close to me wondering, "How do I respond to this?" The next thing I knew he ran away from me crying. I tried to go out and find him and tell him I was sorry but for some reason he couldn't look at me. I asked him if he was going to be fine and he said yes with a sad face and tears rolling down his face. I went in my van and I was looking around for him to wave good bye, but he disappeared. I was so overwhelmed with what happened that everything else just didn't matter at all.

After saying good bye to everyone, we went to another site and had an outreach where we did our skits and songs again. We did this in a park not far from Vida y Esperanza. I stayed there till about 10pm and got back to do our debriefing. It was shorter than I thought it would be. We were asked only two deep questions and was really hard to answer.

I can't wait for tomorrow. We get to sleep in until 8:30! We normally get up at about 7:15, so this is going to be amazing. And right now were are going to go to a school and do our skits and puppetry there. We also may be getting some new missionaries to come and stay where we are at. Mainly after the skit we are going to come back to the camp site, have lunch and go out to shop until around 4:30 and head over to a Guatemala steak house.

Missions Impact offered to buy us dinner for the last night we will be in Guatemala. I can't wait to get some rest for tomorrow.

Please be praying for us to have a safe flight back.

Kelly Fiallo

From Greg...

2010-07-02T15:33:00.001-07:00

Today is a blessing and yet feels as a curse. The blessing is being here and loving the people, the feeling of a curse is to leave. Many tears have been shed.

Please pray for our youth as we debrief and work through the emotions of leaving new relationships behind as today we had the opportunity to help usher in people to the kingdom of God.

As well, around 8pm tonight we will be sharing the gospel message to an entire community at the center of town.

Greg

From Sofia...

2010-07-02T07:29:00.001-07:00

Hola familia y amigos! (Hello family and friends!)

Today is our last day at our ministry sites. We're going to finish up with all the tasks we've had this week. The people at Wally's school (Vida y Esperanza/ Life and Hope) are going to play with the kids and the guys are going to be clearing dirt for construction. We're also going to help the school have a huge outreach tonight in the town of Santa Lucia. It is called Gran Noche de Suenos (Big Night of Dreams) The school has been preparing for this night for four months! That's cool. There are also some kids that will perform like the orchestra. The team is going to do our puppet shows too.

This is going to be an exciting day.

See you soon,
Sofia

More photos...

2010-07-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

From Kelly...

2010-07-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew 28:19-20
"Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and of the Holy Spirit. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I chose this verse because this is what we are doing here. We are sharing God's love and His word to a lot of these people. We may not be baptizing them, but we are doing God's will with His Spirit.

We went to a "special needs" school and handed out the blankets (crocheted by Lynn and Christin and a few others). I started to think about why they were there and how they could belong in such a place because they were treated so special. I wondered why doesn't everyone deserve such special care when we are called to treat others as we want to be treated. I saw many people cry and see us like we are so great and awesome, but I see us as people merely doing God's will.

Today was a long and hard day, the only thing that made me smile was a little boy at my camp site who would never talk, but just smile at you with an innocent face. This is how God should look at us, and we should not just take advantage of his blood but remember that we are living as His child. We do make our mistakes and we should learn from them but also learn from His grace/love and knowledge.

John, Mike (Smitty), and I worked on a 12 foot hole as a restroom. The bottom of the hole was extremely hot and we sweat like none other, but up top it felt amazing. After working at our camp site, we headed back to the housing site. We had amazing food for dinner and Lynn, Christine, Kevin and I did some dishes. Soon I am going to do an unscheduled devotion for everyone before our debriefing.

Wish me luck and thank you all for your prayers.

Kelly Fiallo

From Greg... (Thursday morning)

2010-07-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

This was an early morning! We were eating breakfast at 7am and gone by 7:30am!!

This is going to be a good day. Right now, we are at the New Life School Guatemala. This is a school that is for handicapped kids. Some are severe, but most are not. The school is actually pretty nice. We are also handing out 80+ blankets for the kids.

After lunch we will be going back to Vida y Esperanza and El Rajon to continue our work. As we were leaving, the sun was out and gray has turned to blue skies. In the distance, we could see one of the volcanoes smoking. Do not be alarmed, this is a common occurrence for Guatemala and actually a good thing.

The spirit of the team is pretty good this morning even though many are tired. Everyone is looking forward to returning back to 'home' tonight at 6pm instead of 10pm.

Right now Heather is leading some kids to Christ. PRAISE GOD!

Greg

From Greg... (Late Wednesday Evening)

2010-06-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

It is finally my turn to write the blog for the trip. I must say that I am proud of our team. The first few days were tough! We all had a lack of sleep and didn't know what was going on. However, by Tuesday morning things had changed. Everyone seemed to be settled and into a routine and comfortable with their surroundings. Everyone on the team has worked hard. There has been some time to play, but not much. Our debriefing times have been great! They have been filled with honesty. There are good things going on inside each person that is here. Everyone is being stretched.

Today was a very full day! We ate breakfast at 7:30am and left by 8:15am. The El Rajon team went their direction and the Vida y Esperanza team went their direction. We just got back at 10pm with an early start of 7am tomorrow morning.

The El Rajon team (Smitty, Kelly, John, Tatiana, Heather, and Danielle) had a great day! They were able to dig 2 feet deeper for the bathroom which now makes it 9 feet deep. They also have the roof and three sides up for the house. Beyond that, their day was filled with playing with kids and a community of acceptance. For lunch, again today they were invited to eat with one of the families, but this meal was filled with more surprises! The ladies dressed the girls on the team in their clothes and jewelry. Hector (the team leader from Mission Impact at the site) said this was a sign that the team had been accepted.

The Vida y Esperanza team did a few things today also. Doctor Edgar Santos (along with Lynn, Carolyn, Gloria, and Christin) held a clinic for the school and interviewed and did check ups on many of the students. This helped the school because it was required by the government. While this was going on, Megan and Sofie played with kids from 9am-1pm. The rest of the team shoveled and then moved dirt by wheel barrow during this time also. From 1:30-3pm we (minus Dr. Santos' team) did a prayer walk around Santa Lucia praying for the mayor, people, and our outreach on Friday night.

At 4pm, both teams were at Vida y Esperanza preparing for the Father's Day celebration. There were about 35 people that showed up. We got to serve them a small dinner and then I had the opportunity to talk to them about the high calling of being a father. The day finished with praying for the fathers and then cleaning up. Everyone was exhausted!!

It has been a joy watching everyone work together. Our team is extremely diverse. Our team has gone through a lot of different emotions from when we got on the plane to arriving here to our first day at our sites to today. Worried, anxious faces have turned to joys and smiles, yet exhausted. One quote today was, "I just want to move down here and work with the kids...they are so cute!"

God is faithful! There have been too many things that have been set in place and happened to be called "coincidence." The sermon on Sunday was for us. It is no doubt in my mind that it was for us. The pastor had no idea we were coming. The team is seeing this too.

The people here are very courteous and yet drive like maniacs. They make Californians look like very patient people. And yet, their accident rate is extremely low.

I wish you all could be here to see what I am seeing amongst this team. The people of Mission Impact have a heart of service and empowerment and long-term. Most all of the staff are people native to Guatemala...Guatemalan people serving Guatemalans.

As I write this in my room, all I hear is snoring and deep breathing...a sign of tired people.

Alicia, Katie, and Emma...mommy and daddy miss you and love you! Continue to pray for us as we continue to pray for you!!

Greg

From Greg...

2010-06-30T22:08:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of yesterdays team at the El Rajon site. They are building a house, but also digging a new hole for an outhouse...12 feet deep. They are at 9 feet today. Plus, they have had a lot of opportunity to make friends.

Greg

(Click on the photos to enlarge them so you can really enjoy them!)

From Kathy...

2010-06-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hello America,

So I just gave my devotional which was on Psalms 125 and it was pretty straight forward which is good sometimes. Breakfast was tasty; french toast, sausage and fruit.

It is going to be a long day, we are going to the school we have been at all week and are going to move dirt for two hours and then help the teachers with whatever they need. The kids will not be there today because today is their Father's Day. Due to the hurricane they had to postpone it. Fathers day is a week long celebration over here, Edgar says sometimes even two, which is awesome because I love hearing fireworks when I wake up and go to sleep. Seeing the kids and hanging out with them makes it worth it. They are so funny, even if you aren't playing with them, you can just watch them and be entertained. Haha... I plan on telling them that Heather is Hannah Montana the next time I see them.

After we spend the day working, we are going to attend the Father's Day celebration. Don't worry they have showers at the school, and those have a water heater thank the Lord!

Things here are the same as back home and yet totally different at the same time. It definitely took some time to adjust to not being home and being okay with it. I am excited to see what happens next, but anxious to go home at the same time. I think I can speak for everyone when I say home is for sure missed, but God is doing work here not only in Guatemala but also in the servants he brought here. My attitude is slowly changing thanks to prayer and support. It was hard to be here when my heart was hard and I was pushing God away.

Yesterday Tami had us do an activity where she read three verses and we were supposed to pray over them and draw/write what stuck out or came to us. She read Jeremiah 29:11, and Psalm 23. I have heard those verses a lot, but in Jeremiah the thing that stuck out to me the most was that GOD HAS THE PLAN. My plan when I got on the plane was to make this week go by as fast as possible, but that wasn't God's plan. I drew a magic 8 ball because we ask it a question and expect and answer but we should all know better than to think that God is going to be straight forward with us and give us the answer like that. He reveals Himself the way He wants to.

Time to wrap this thing up, I would like to thank you all who are praying back home - it is much needed and appreciated. I hope that we will not only be able to make a good name for Bethany, but also be a light for the kids to lead them to Jesus. Well I think that is all for now, the bus is going to be here soon so I should probably say bye for now.

Continue to pray for us, for Guatemala, and also for our parents, siblings, friends, and whoever else you can think of.

Thank you so much.
-Kathy Fiallo

From Tatiana...

2010-06-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hola!

Today is day four of our time in Guatemala. So far it has been amazing! The sun was out for the first time in four days. It was pretty nice for a change. After breakfast, we all went off to our different sites. When we were arrived at our site the children were waiting for us on the top of this hill, but this time they were a bit more shy than yesterday. Our site managed to put the beams and the roof up. We were informed that the man's bath room was not on his property and was on the another person's property. Therefore, we had to dig to create a new bathroom. This task was a new challenge in our mission, we had to dig a hole in the ground that was 12 feet deep. It seemed easy at first until it started to rain on us. We took a little break and enjoyed the company of the children and surroundings. We taught them how to jump rope and played catch with them.

For lunch we were invited in the neighbor's kitchen and shared our food with the children. The kitchen was old fashioned and simple. The mother had six children, but the oldest wasn't there. At the end of the day, the mother gave us blackberries to share with the rest of the group.

My favorite part of the day was playing with kids and seeing their smiling faces. The kids were very accepting of us and were very helpful.

I can't wait to see them tomorrow!
Tatiana

More Photos!

2010-06-29T20:07:00.001-07:00

From Lynn and Christin...

2010-06-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Is it okay for missions work to be this much fun?

Yes, it's hard work. Today the teams that were building the school and the home came in with a mountain of mud clinging to them. More moving dirt tomorrow. The posts and roof are done at the house.

The team doing health checks see that there is as much paper work here as in the U.S. Our brains are tired.

The children are delightful and great to meet one by one rather than in a group. As soon as the teachers translate to them that we are NOT giving shots they are much less pensive. Edgar has had some "walk-in" patients.

Caroline and Tammy shared with the teaching staff today and did a devotional. The teachers are studying English so they are very open for visits and encouragement.

The puppet show went off without a hitch. At least 100 children were there to hear of Christ's love and plan through songs and puppet shows, followed by a devotional (in Spanish) by Rachel. Gloria and Rachel got great participation from the children.

This afternoon we hear joy and excitement in the room. It does feel like the trip got off to a slow start because of all of the logistics of orientation and the like. But now we are in the groove. The work is happening. The connections are being made. The barriers are coming down. The use of Spanish is increasing. The smiles are radiant. Giving a testimony or a hug is easier.

The Grammie in the back row is seeing special things. Praise God.

Coveting your prayers,
Lynny and Chrissie

From Danielle...

2010-06-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

So it's our fourth day now in Guatemala. Everyone is scurrying around trying to get ready for our day. Dishes are being washed. everyone is making our own lunches and gathering all the supplies for the day. The medical team (Edgar, Lynn, Christin) will be continuing their health check-ups at the school. Part of the team will be at the school singing our Spanish songs and performing the puppet show. The other part will be continuing the work for building a house. This is where my location is.

Yesterday we dug and flattened a 12x10 space in muddy manure and made 4 deep holes, all in the RAIN! Thank goodness I have some construction experience due to those years in the Navajo reservation, but I'm still uneasy when it comes to construction. The houses here are very simple- 4 long pieces of wood and sheet metal for the walls and roof. We are building this house for a women and her 3 children. Currently she lives in a 10x10 space with 10 others. We meet her and her children along with many other children and women. They watched us the whole time we were there. We did get a chance to play with them a little when the rain started falling hard. They love our cameras. This entertains them for hours!

The weather is nicer today, praise GOD! The warm sun shined on us during breakfast. We had a powerful debriefing last night, the enemy of God has started his work on our team. Greg and Gloria did an awesome job guiding us in a Godly way. We all took turns encouraging each other and I can really tell the difference in everyone's spirits today.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Please pray for our health, a few are feeling under the weather. Please also pray for unity and to trust in GOD as our friend and Savior.

I love you all and can't wait to share more stories and pictures with you when I return.

God is Great!

Danielle

Photos, Photos and more Photos!!

2010-06-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

A quick explanation of the pictures:

The first 5 pics are of us traveling
The next 4 are of the place we are staying
The following 22 pics are of us taking food to Santa Lucia. This town was hit by the hurricane that came through in three weeks ago. The picture of the walls white walls with brown half of the way up them is a picture of a house that was destroyed by a mudslide. 1 person lost their life in this house. There is a picture of a open dirt area with a tree in the middle. The whole open dirt area was filled with houses before the mudslide.
The rest of the pics are of our Sunday adventure to church, to lunch at a local restaurant in Antigua, and then some of the shopping and streets of Antigua...one of the oldest cities in Central America.

From John...

2010-06-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of Guatemala was awesome.

Today we were split into three groups who would work on different tasks. I was assigned to a group with Cody, Danielle, Heather, Tatiana, and our Mission Impact leader, a guy named Hector, who was a really cool guy. Greg came along too. We drove into the mountains to a village named Rejon. It was built on the side of a pretty steep mountain, and it was so different than anything we would find in America. Some of the houses were made out of dried corn stocks, with roofs made of a metal sheets. We would be building a house for some of the locals who really needed it.

The rain came down like crazy, making the dirt very muddy. Our group worked on moving the dirt to make a foundation for the house. Once that was mostly finished, we couldn't do much because of the rain, so we went into town and ate fried chicken with amazing, fresh tortillas, hoping the rain would stop. It didn't, so we did what we could.

Near the end, three ladies and their kids watched us, and you could see the happiness in their faces. The kids who lived in the village loved us, and we had a lot of fun with them. It was so awesome how they were smiling and laughing with us, even though they were standing in the cold rain and the mud. They LOVED taking pictures.

Tomorrow we are going to go back and work on the house. The rain is supposed to slow down tomorrow, so we can hopefully get a lot done.

John

From Edgar...

2010-06-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Buenos días a todos... good morning California!

Today is a great day. I woke up hearing the birds this morning, and contemplating the mountains around our facility. It is a blessing. God is good and today He gives us the privilege to be His voice, His feet, His touch, His representation in the middle of our world.

We have a lot of work to do this week. The team will split into two groups. Some will go with Hector at "El Rejon, Sumpango", and some will go with Wally at "Santa Lucia Milpas Altas." This is exciting because we have a lot of kids to serve in Wally's school in Santa Lucia Milpas Altas town.

Some of us will serve working alongside the teachers and some will do some construction at the school. Christine and I will be doing some medical check ups. In "El Rejon" some of our students will be helping with construction for families that were affected by the recent hurricane.

This is exciting! The Lord is providing wonderful opportunities to serve Him in Guatemala.

Dios los bendiga a todos en California... God bless you all in California!

Edgar Santos

From Smitty and Carolyn... (Sunday evening)

2010-06-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Good evening,

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth, sing to the Lord bless His name, tell of His salvation from day to day, declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples, for great is the Lord and greatly to be praised." Psalm 96:1-4a

After breakfast this morning we boarded the bus and went to church in Antigua. Praising God in a different language, with new melodies is much like the psalm above. We clapped, praised and sang for forty-five minutes-on our feet! We then heard a dynamic message from Malachi 2:17-3:5. To a congregation of numerous people groups the pastor exhorted all of us to personal responsibility to follow hard after God, to make Him our focus AND our lifestyle.

Our lunch at a local restaurant spread out over several hours. This was good time for interacting with our team members and others who joined us. Our team spent the remainder of the afternoon walking in Antigua. Antigua is a very old town with impressive architecture. In spite of intermittent rain, our group walked to the park to get our bearings and then to a local Catholic Church. In Antigua there seems to be a Catholic Church on every other corner. This one contained quite a few life sized statues. Gloria has promised to give us some historical background for that particular church when we debrief later. Continuing on in the rain, we separated into groups to go get coffee and look for Guatemalan crafts to bring home. We arrived back at home just in time for dinner.

The food has been muy sabroso, the sleeping arrangements very comfortable. We are blessed to be here learning more about ourselves and how we can better relate to God.

Debrief from today and tomorrow's schedule will be shared with the team tonight.

"Te proclamare en las Nacions." (I proclaim You in the nations.)

Blessings,
Smitty and Carolyn

From Smitty and Carolyn...

2010-06-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

We awoke to the pitter patter of rain, punctuated by the booms of the celebration fireworks. We continue to hear the explosions from the fireworks (which set off car alarms!) and the clanging of church bells. Everything is green and vibrant; the air smells fresh. What a beautiful place Guatemala is.

This morning over breakfast we reflected on our visit to the destruction of the mudslides and the opportunity to meet those whose lives have been turned upside down by the deluge. What a joy to take some token of God's love to them, to see their joy. Yet, in all of this we are overcome by how little we can do in such overwhelming circumstances.

We are off today to church in Antigua, lunch in town, and time to see the community and shop. A hill above the town is topped by a cross so some of us may take the hike to the top for the view.

The students on this team have risen to the challenges of a different culture, changing schedules, sleep deprivation, and different food. Please keep praying for all of us as we encounter God in and through this awesome country and her people.

HB, Jen.

Blessings,
Smitty and Carolyn

From Heather and Megan...

2010-06-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hola familia y amigos!! (Hello family and friends!!)

It is the end of day one in Guatemala.

After our lunch, we packed baggies full of corn, beans, and rice to give to families in San Miguel. Many of these people have been affected by a recent mudslide that wiped out many homes and some even died. The area was really worn down and it was hard to imagine what it would be like living there.

We had the opportunity to listen to a story from a guy that lives there in the city whose home was destroyed. He said that his family was in his home when the mudslide hit. At first they didn't really think that they would be in danger because the water never really would come on the side of the river they lived on. When they realized that they were in danger they had to push their roof off and run and jump on top of other roofs to get to higher ground away from the water and mud. We actually stood on the ground where his home used to be and it was really depressing to see that he has nothing anymore.

It made me realize that we have so much that we take for granted but they have so little and cherish it so much. They do not complain at all and it really opens your eyes to how they live. My heart went our for all the families and I just wanted to love them!

We spent about an hour handing out bags and visiting the area. Walking through the destroyed homes really made me realize what a blessing I have back in California.

After visiting the families, we got to sing songs and play games with the little children. They all enjoyed our beautiful voices and were even laughing, clapping and singing along! This was so awesome! The kids are adorable! We passed out candy for them and they truly loved it! They also liked taking pictures! I had my camera out and they would all huddle around to see what they looked like! It was great! It was so amazing to just laugh and spend time with those kids! They truly brightened my day!

They seem so very happy even in the midst of all the destruction from the mudslide. We left there in great spirits and came back here to our housing site to have dinner and relax with some songs and to reflect on our day together.

So far this missions trip has been life changing and it has only been one day!

Continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue to be used by God in the way He has planned!

God Bless and lots of love,
Heather Martin and Megan Leckey

From Cody...

2010-06-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

We made it to Guatemala alive!!!!!!!!!!

Though the flight was only 5 hours, it felt like forever! Even tho none of us slept on the plane, we are all energetic to see the new places and people. The things I am looking forward to the most this week are playing soccer with the kids at the school and giving out food supplies today to the hurricane victims.

This country was not at all what I expected it to be. When I first was thinking about how this country was gonna be, I thought about the movie Zorro. A dry dusty place in the middle of nowhere with no power or running water. But when we arrived my opinion changed. Guatemala is actually a beautiful place with tons of trees and bushes, unlike the U.S. '

The place we are staying at is right at the bottom of a volcano!!!! Don't worry it's not active. The place is huge!!!! Inside the property it has 4 cabins, a kitchen, a giant room to hang out in, soccer field, and a basketball court! And our hosts are great!!

Thank you Bethany for all of your support and prayers. Please continue to pray for our safety and that our hearts will stay in the right places as we serve God.

From,

Cody Martin

P.S. Thanks Mom and Dad and Michaela for the cards and picture.

We have arrived!

2010-06-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

We have landed and are now at our housing site! I would love to be able to say we are roughing it, sleeping on the floor, staying in little shacks, in a desert area that is ugly...but, I can't. We have a sweet set up! The area we are in is a gated community that even has a guard at the front! It is a very safe area.

Our plane flight was good. We had to wait an extra 30 minutes to fly out because a passenger changed and because of it had to have the plane's luggage unboarded, pull his luggage, and then reload it.

We arrived at Guatemala City at 6:25am. Our travel from airport to housing site was about 45 minutes and not too uncomfortable!

Right now we are resting for about 2 hours. At noon we will eat lunch and begin our ministry by filling lunch bags and then taking them to people who have suffered due to the hurricane type rain a few weeks ago.

We weren't here for more than 30 minutes and we already heard the words, "There are going to be a few changes to what we had originally planned to do."

Let the good times begin!! I'd say that is missions, but that is ministry.

Greg

Everything is going great... Friday, 10:00 pm

2010-06-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

We are at the airport. We made it in 45 minutes, way ahead of schedule. We also had no problems getting through security. We had one problem with a bag being over 50 pounds but they were kind enough to let us shift some weight to another bag.

Right now everyone is sitting and enjoying each other and playing games.

We are 45 minutes from boarding.

Greg

TODAY IS GET AWAY DAY!

2010-06-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

The day has finally arrived... the Bethany Bible Fellowship Guatemala team leaves this evening! Everyone will be meeting at Bethany at 6:00 to pray with them and send them off! If you would like to participate, please make sure to arrive at Bethany by 6:00 sharp.

The address is:
13431 Edwards Street
Westminster, CA 92683-2571

I will be sending an email message to everyone on the email list each day. If you are not receiving emails, please send an email to susie@gethipp.com to be added. Email messages will be text only and will provide a link to this blog where I will be posting pictures with the messages.

Thank you for supporting the team and please continue to cover them with prayer as they embark on their service to our Lord.

Blessings,

Susie

PLEASE NOTE: The team will be giving their trip report at Bethany on Sunday, July 25th during the 10:30 service. There will be a light luncheon to follow.

Final Rehearsal...

2010-06-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Guatemala team is ready to go. On Wednesday evening they demonstrated a bit of what they'll be doing in Guatemala. Help send them off with prayer Friday evening at 6:00 pm sharp. They'll load up in the Bethany parking lot to head for the airport at 6:15.

Click here to view photos of their final rehearsal on Wednesday night just before packing their equipment and the prayer shawls they'll each be delivering.

Three Weeks

2010-06-03T14:40:00.001-07:00

We are three weeks off. With much to do for the trip-practicing our puppet shows, learning Spanish worship songs, building our stage, creating back drops, packing, testimonies, devotions, paperwork, etc-life doesn't let up. All of the students are in their last few weeks of school. And for them this means tests, papers, and finals. Plus, the last few weeks of school always bring about joy for the summer break, but sadness of not being able to see friends as much.

As for the adults going, some are teachers and are having to grade lots of work and deal with the crunch time of clearing out rooms and doing grades and writing reports. Edgar is finishing up school himself and has big tests, as well as helping to plan out this trip and prepare students. As for myself and Tami, we are hoping to spend some good quality time with our girls before we leave as well as shepherd, train, and pray for the group.

I can say with confidence and integrity that God has definitely blessed us and is for us. There have been so many little things that had to work out for this trip at the proper time that have. I don't believe in coincidence, but a God who straightens our paths as Proverbs 3:5-6 says. Even though we lost a month and a half in the middle of our preparation and also are leaving a month early, things have been in order and have been getting done.

As for the volcano and hurricane that has pounded Guatemala in the last few days, we have been told that our ministry sites and housing site is in great shape and not shaken. We have nothing to fear because with God on our side, there is nothing to fear.

Weekend Retreat

2010-05-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

Big Bear City! We stayed in a cabin in Big Bear for three days and two nights. During this time we spent bonding as a team, learning spanish songs, learning parts for the puppet shows, and talking about what to expect and look for.

The first challenge required the entire team (21 people) down 11 stairs with only using a total of 20 steps for the entire team. The second challenge required the team to get an "anti-venom" to an imaginary village in 20 minutes. They had to get the entire team over an electric fence that stood at 4 feet tall. Every male had no use of their right arm and everyone could not talk so as to make sure that the insurgents could not hear them and kill them. The third challenge was on a log 30 feet in length on a hillside. The entire team had to get those standing on the high side of the hill to the low side and those on the low side to the high side without one foot touching the ground. This last challenge proved to be the hardest of all challenges, but had some of the greatest learning points: need to help each other out, thinking outside the box, not letting the challenge be the focus but the end goal, and more.

We also spent an one hour outside at night fall, separated from each other, and spending the time in prayer, meditation, and more. This was hard for most because of the fear of being outside, in the wilderness by ourselves in the night air. There were some great things that came from this time.

We are only 6 weeks from our trip! The time is getting near.

Airline tickets

2010-04-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's April 27. Three days till our airline tickets and insurance is to be paid for. $14,000 going out that fast!! But what a relief, everything is finally coming together and everything we have worked towards is coming to fruition.

Garage Sale

2010-04-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

4 car loads, 4 truck loads, 3 trailer loads. That is how much stuff we had at the garage sale. And actually, we had more than that, because there was stuff that was brought by other people.

Thursday was the first day of pickups. We picked up from 4-6pm. And, Friday we started pick ups at 2pm and finished picking up at 7pm. Thanks to Amie Chikami whom does not have a child going to Guatemala for giving up two hours of her time to help organize items picked up. We were up till midnight setting up and putting out items and then up at 5am cooking breakfast and getting ready for a LLOONNNGGGG day! And, a long day it was. The effort was worth it. We raised over $1800 through the garage sale!! That is fantastic. We had a lot of stuff that went to the Goodwill.

The youth worked hard! They did a good job of being tired and pushing through. Thanks to Gloria and Edgar and Lynn for being there Friday night to help set up!

Not Long

2010-03-15T23:39:00.001-07:00

We have been busy little bees! March 7 we had yet another Fundraiser Luncheon. We made over $1000. The food was good and the atmosphere was exciting! More and more the comments come that state how good this team is at working together and serving. We all are proud of this team.

Our airline tickets are bought!! We are definitely going to Guatemala. We are flying on Delta, leaving LAX on July 25 at 11:45pm and arriving at Guatemala City La Aurora at 5:43am (we are going to be tired!!). We will be leaving Guatemala at 7:40am on July 4 and arriving back at LAX at 11:43am. We really scored on these tickets...great price and great times and no layovers. Thank you, God!!

On March 14, our team was busy! We ate with the deacons, missions board, and some of the full-time missionaries our church supports. It was another Ada special...very good! We cleaned up.

Our time is coming faster than we can imagine for our trip! Just under 4 months till we depart!! Get ready!!!!

Mission Impact

2010-02-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

Once again we can say that God is faithful! We had a tough turn of events in late December, but in just a few weeks of trying to find a connection and someone to go minister alongside in Guatemala, Mission Impact showed up. After some phone calls and emails, we went with Mission Impact. The price was really close to what we were planning before and we are able to minister according to our strengths. More to come on what we will be doing.

Luncheon

2010-02-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our luncheon on February 7, was successful in many ways: the food was good, the time together was good, and we made over $1500. We are at the place of being able to buy our plane tickets now. The search is on!

The Tally is in...

2009-11-04T13:43:00.001-08:00

After a long day at the Harvest Celebration and much hard work of organizing, cooking, selling, and cleaning up, our Guatemala team made over $900. Not bad for a days work! That covers 1 airplane ticket and half of another. God is good!
We sold over 200 hot dogs, 100 bags of chips, 100 nachos, 150 sodas, and over 20 cups of coffee. Another fundraiser under our belt. So far, our return on the effort put forth has been huge!
Thanks everyone!!

Harvest Celebration Fundraiser

2009-10-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

We are going to be selling hot dogs, chips, sodas, water, and nachos at our annual Harvest Celebration. Come and splurge for the Guatemala team! We are shooting to make atleast $500.

12,000 pounds, little sleep, one day!

2009-10-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today, some of us spent the entire day, from 6am until 10pm helping Camp Cedarbrook move some of the tent flooring, a shed, and all that was in the shed. This was a quite an endeavor, I think bigger than anyone planned for. The 6 students that were able to make it, myself, my dad, and 2 others from camp moved over 12,000 pounds of equipment onto a truck and two trailers and then back off once we got to our destination.
We were tired. But, I have to say, I was impressed at how hard all of them worked.

Move Camp Cedarbrook

2009-10-23T01:56:00.001-07:00

On October 24, we are meeting at 6am to help Camp Cedarbrook move some of their stuff. It is going to be a long day for all of us. We will be moving 44 of the tent floors and and making a shed out of them in Hesperia. Also, there is some other equipment we are going to help move. On the following day we are going to have another Guatemala meeting. This meeting will include filling out our passport papers, again working through our spiritual gifts, personalities, abilities, passions, and experiences. Also, we will be talking about fundraisers and all the meeting dates. The first few meetings seem to be the hardest and longest of all.

Encounter Guatemala 2010

2009-10-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

Well, its been decided. July 26-Aug 4, 2010, Bethany Bible Fellowship's Encounter Youth Ministry high school group will be going to Guatemala to serve Jesus. It looks like the cost will roughly be $1300. This has been 3 years covered in prayer and seeking.