Good evening, friends & family... actually, it's morning... my bad
We've been out of the country... but it's been no vacation. It was difficult & wonderful. There were deep, belly laughs and heartbroken tears. The poverty in this country goes on, but so will the bonds of our friendship... of both our team, as well as with the Guatemalans we met. Tomorrow we're heading home, but today:
Today has once again been a very emotional day. From the beginning till end...
We started out the day with two options: a trip to some Mayan ruins or a trip to "Café-landia" (Coffee land). I took the option of Café-landia, and it was an interesting & educational experience. We got to see the whole process preparing coffee beans & roasting the beans. All natural, Guatemalan coffee is amazing &... I bought 7 lbs... don't judge me.
We spent a great deal of time the rest of the day gluing Popsicle sticks together to make bases to boxes for a future kids' craft. The Guatemalan missionaries and our group glued together over 7200 Popsicle sticks and it was great to have the opportunity to spend this time with our new friends, the Guatemalan missionaries. We worked hard; but we also had a lot of fun sharing riddles back and forth, and laughing a great deal.
This was particularly great because it was the last time we'd get to spend with them. When they left the mission house to head home, there were many, many hugs & tears. They were very, very important to us and I know that I can speak for the whole group in saying that we're going to miss them A LOT!!
Tonight, after pretty much everything for the day... & a pizza dinner (it was good... not as good as Ginny's meals), we had time together for sharing about the whole week. I understand they always have the last night as the "Reflections" night, and wow... they had about 5 or 6 questions for us, and they brought just about all of us to tears at least one point or another. "Reflections" is really a great name for it, because we really thought about the whole week and how it's going to affect our lives going forward. I was very moved by many of our groups' testimonies and confessions. It's been a long time since the last time I went on a mission trip, but I feel as close to this group as any other of any other mission trip I've been on. I was sharing tonight that this was sort of an eclectic group, but we really came together & loved on each other throughout this week.
I feel truly blessed to have come on this trip, I can't even imagine the situation if I hadn't come. The Lord led every single one of us to come to Guatemala this week. We've seen God move in ways we never could have imagined.
I'm physically spent... I'm emotionally exhausted... I'm actually kinda dirty... And I will never forget this experience, and I can't wait to share it with others in America when we return.
So... what's next, God?!
God Bless, you all!!
-Luke, & Terri... cause Luke is too ADD to get a blog started on the last night of a mission trip
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The Last Day in the Field
As we reflect on this week our evening devotions tonight was Matthews verses where Jesus fed the 5000 men plus the women and children by multiplying the 5 loves and 2 fish. As a group we prayed that the time spent with the Guatemalans, the children, the babies, the adults would be multiplied.
- May the love of the Lord that was shared be multiplied
- May the smiles and hugs shared be multiplied
- May the bible stories shared be multiplied
- May the words of the songs sung by the children above the sounds of the chain saw touch the hearts of the men using them and multiply
- May the encouragements given be multiplied
- May God receive glory for the smallest of contributions of in kind donations and money given so children can receive an education be multiplied
- May the work of the Guatemalan missionaries be multiplied
- May all of your love shared this week be multiplied
- May the changes started in the hearts of us all be multiplied
- May the laughter shared be multiplied
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Happies and Crappies
To whom it may concern, we made it through another day in paradise! Every night at dinner, we go around the table and share about our day, also knows as our happies and crappies. I thought tonight I would share with you some of our happies and crappies for the day.
Crappy ~ The car ride to Buena Vista was a long, 2 hour trek.
Happy ~ During the car ride, the Americans got to talk with the Guatemalan missionaries. We shared stories about our life at home, about our families, and also about our faith. They helped us with our Spanish and we helped them with their English. (They are especially fond of how hard Dustin is trying to learn Spanish.)
Crappy ~ Some of us have been suffering through allergies and continual headaches.
Happy ~ While waiting for the lesson to start, we got to play some games with the kids. First we played tag but then switched to cops and robbers, or in Spanish, policia y ladrones. We would chase down the kids, pick them up, and then carry them to the big tree where the "jail" was. We played in a soccer field so everybody got muddy!
Crappy ~ When we went to start the faith lesson, some men came in a truck and started using a chainsaw to cut down nearby trees. This made it impossible for the kids to be able to hear what we were saying. Because of this we had to move across to the other side of the field so we could be heard. The thing is though, as soon as we left, so did then men who were working there. Oscar called it the Diablo Chainsaw, translated to Devil Chainsaw. It was kind of like the devil was trying to stop us from sharing the story with the kids.Which leads into the next happy.
Happy ~ We conquered the Diablo Chainsaw and go to teach the kids the faith lesson despite the struggles. The kids also enjoyed coloring their boxes. One little girl even walked up to me and asked "debuja el conejo?" which means "Draw me a bunny?" and I was blessed to be able to understand her and help her decorate her box.
We also had many other adventures not mentioned above. We got to see how rubber was made (it comes from trees if you didn't know), and we got to visit more people in their homes and share the word that way as well. Some of us even got to venture down the mountain to a beautiful stream at the bottom. I won't tell you about all little things now though. You'll have to ask one of us about it when we get back.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
~Becca
Crappy ~ The car ride to Buena Vista was a long, 2 hour trek.
Happy ~ During the car ride, the Americans got to talk with the Guatemalan missionaries. We shared stories about our life at home, about our families, and also about our faith. They helped us with our Spanish and we helped them with their English. (They are especially fond of how hard Dustin is trying to learn Spanish.)
Crappy ~ Some of us have been suffering through allergies and continual headaches.
Happy ~ While waiting for the lesson to start, we got to play some games with the kids. First we played tag but then switched to cops and robbers, or in Spanish, policia y ladrones. We would chase down the kids, pick them up, and then carry them to the big tree where the "jail" was. We played in a soccer field so everybody got muddy!
Crappy ~ When we went to start the faith lesson, some men came in a truck and started using a chainsaw to cut down nearby trees. This made it impossible for the kids to be able to hear what we were saying. Because of this we had to move across to the other side of the field so we could be heard. The thing is though, as soon as we left, so did then men who were working there. Oscar called it the Diablo Chainsaw, translated to Devil Chainsaw. It was kind of like the devil was trying to stop us from sharing the story with the kids.Which leads into the next happy.
Happy ~ We conquered the Diablo Chainsaw and go to teach the kids the faith lesson despite the struggles. The kids also enjoyed coloring their boxes. One little girl even walked up to me and asked "debuja el conejo?" which means "Draw me a bunny?" and I was blessed to be able to understand her and help her decorate her box.
We also had many other adventures not mentioned above. We got to see how rubber was made (it comes from trees if you didn't know), and we got to visit more people in their homes and share the word that way as well. Some of us even got to venture down the mountain to a beautiful stream at the bottom. I won't tell you about all little things now though. You'll have to ask one of us about it when we get back.
Thanks for reading and God bless!
~Becca
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Hello from Guatemala!
This post if from Maggie.
Hello everyone, Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers! We are having a blessed time here, our minds have been opened to the culture and how we as Americans take things for granted like fresh water and the medicine and resources that are available to us.
Today we went to El Rhicon (spelling and accents are missing i have no idea how to put them along with where they go on the word hehe) It is a small farming town about 1 hour away. We got to see some volcanoes along with the hill side. What a breath taking view!! We started out doing a couple home visits. They are such a wonderful time to talk with the Guatemalans and to connect through God's word. Today was also our first day teaching the young kids about the Tower Of Babel. The kiddos were so attentive and so loving. It was amazing seeing how ready they were to learn and talk to us (even though communication was limited)
Overall it was an amazing day! Tomorrow we're off to a town called Buena Vista about two hours away. We have to leave here very early in the morning so that's all for tonight.
Buenos Noches!
Hello everyone, Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers! We are having a blessed time here, our minds have been opened to the culture and how we as Americans take things for granted like fresh water and the medicine and resources that are available to us.
Today we went to El Rhicon (spelling and accents are missing i have no idea how to put them along with where they go on the word hehe) It is a small farming town about 1 hour away. We got to see some volcanoes along with the hill side. What a breath taking view!! We started out doing a couple home visits. They are such a wonderful time to talk with the Guatemalans and to connect through God's word. Today was also our first day teaching the young kids about the Tower Of Babel. The kiddos were so attentive and so loving. It was amazing seeing how ready they were to learn and talk to us (even though communication was limited)
Overall it was an amazing day! Tomorrow we're off to a town called Buena Vista about two hours away. We have to leave here very early in the morning so that's all for tonight.
Buenos Noches!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Yes!
This post comes from Terri
Greetings to all who are reading this! I trust that if you are reading this you are keeping us in prayer too - so Thank you!
"Does anybody want to do the blog tonight?" "yes!" I replied. And here is why... Not because I have anything brilliant to say, but because that is what this week is about for me (for us as a team) is saying yes. Yes to God, Yes to an opportunity to be uncomfortable, and for me tonight, yes to writing the blog.
I think it is true for all of us this attitude of "yes". I see it as Kevin asks if anybody would like to pray before a meal, or at a family visit, or whatever the case may be. Just this wonderful attitude of yes. Here are some other "yes" items:
Blessings,
Terri
Greetings to all who are reading this! I trust that if you are reading this you are keeping us in prayer too - so Thank you!
"Does anybody want to do the blog tonight?" "yes!" I replied. And here is why... Not because I have anything brilliant to say, but because that is what this week is about for me (for us as a team) is saying yes. Yes to God, Yes to an opportunity to be uncomfortable, and for me tonight, yes to writing the blog.
I think it is true for all of us this attitude of "yes". I see it as Kevin asks if anybody would like to pray before a meal, or at a family visit, or whatever the case may be. Just this wonderful attitude of yes. Here are some other "yes" items:
- Is Ginny a good cook: Yes! We had beans and rice today for lunch, a Guatemalan staple, and I really liked it. The coffee is wonderful, and Ginny is keeping us very well fed.
- Are the "beans" talking back "yes" and I for one am trying to be discrete about it!
- Are we feeling stretched emotionally and spiritually "yes"
- Were home visits hard? "yes"
- Were home visits wonderful? "yes"
- Are we learning a lot about the culture? "yes"
- Has anybody gone "fishing" ? "yes" (Let me explain, we cannot flush toilet paper here. So if we forget and toss it into the toilet there are gloves provided on the wall for the fishing expedition.)
- Has the weather been cooperating so far, "yes"
- Was the Bible time with the Guatemala missionaries this morning a wonderful time of learning? "yes" These people know the word of God! It is wonderful to to have this time that crosses any language barrier.
- Are the children beautiful? "yes"
Blessings,
Terri
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Grace Mission Team in Guatemala 2014 - Sunday Oct. 19
Man, that's a really boring title... Especially when you consider how great this first full day in Guatemala has been!!
This evening's post comes from Luke Esselman. Hi everyone.
We started out this Sunday morning, not too early, with a wonderful breakfast made for us by our hosts, Ginny & Kevin. At that time, Kevin shared with us what all this day would entail. We would soon leave for church at Manuel's church (Manuel is one of the Guatemalan missionaries). I knew this worship service would be unlike anything I'd been apart of in the past, but I didn't anticipate how emotional it would be for me personally. The Guatemalan people were just so "present" in worship... you could just see and feel they're desire to worship & serve the LORD. It started out with several songs (in America we would consider them fairly contemporary) and their worship band was just as good as most any band I've seen in a church setting in America. At first it was just enjoyable to listen to the Spanish, clap, and just be there as a part of the service... but a few songs in, I started recognizing the songs & was able to sing along in English. Of course, it especially helped when the worship leader sang some of a particular song in English. The LORD'S presence was just so evident & palpable, it was amazing! There was a message or sermon (not sure how they title it), and most of our group would have been completely lost if it weren't for Sarah & Rebecca Draper. Oh my goodness!! They were so awesome; listening for a while then translating a section of the sermon for us... I was so incredibly impressed with them.
After worship, we returned to the mission house & had lunch, then the rest of the day has been spent working at the mission house. We brought A LOT A LOT of stuff (yes, I intentionally said A LOT twice... well, three times now)! But our group worked so diligently & hard: sorting toothbrushes & soap, boxing up craft supplies, stapling coloring sheets, rubber-banding crayons, and so on. They may seem like tedious tasks, and quite a bit to take the whole afternoon, but it was great to serve & to grow as a group in this way.
At dinner (which again was fantastic, Ginny is quite the cook), Ginny & Kevin asked us all to share why we were here, why we had come on this Guatemala mission trip. I'm not going to go through & tell you all the stories... first of all, PERSONAL!! Secondly, it would take a long time. However, let me just say... tears were shed! So many tears!! But don't worry, it was a wonderful experience. I feel way closer to this whole group after this dinner & very much more emotionally connected to this trip after this whole day.
I am so thankful to our great, gracious God for granting us the opportunity to be here in Guatemala this week. I've had so many friends come down to Groundwork Guatemala in the past, and this is looking to be everything they said & so much more. Very anxious for what is going to come next!!
Hope this wasn't too long.... Blessings all!! You'll probably hear from someone else tomorrow.
-Luke
This evening's post comes from Luke Esselman. Hi everyone.
We started out this Sunday morning, not too early, with a wonderful breakfast made for us by our hosts, Ginny & Kevin. At that time, Kevin shared with us what all this day would entail. We would soon leave for church at Manuel's church (Manuel is one of the Guatemalan missionaries). I knew this worship service would be unlike anything I'd been apart of in the past, but I didn't anticipate how emotional it would be for me personally. The Guatemalan people were just so "present" in worship... you could just see and feel they're desire to worship & serve the LORD. It started out with several songs (in America we would consider them fairly contemporary) and their worship band was just as good as most any band I've seen in a church setting in America. At first it was just enjoyable to listen to the Spanish, clap, and just be there as a part of the service... but a few songs in, I started recognizing the songs & was able to sing along in English. Of course, it especially helped when the worship leader sang some of a particular song in English. The LORD'S presence was just so evident & palpable, it was amazing! There was a message or sermon (not sure how they title it), and most of our group would have been completely lost if it weren't for Sarah & Rebecca Draper. Oh my goodness!! They were so awesome; listening for a while then translating a section of the sermon for us... I was so incredibly impressed with them.
After worship, we returned to the mission house & had lunch, then the rest of the day has been spent working at the mission house. We brought A LOT A LOT of stuff (yes, I intentionally said A LOT twice... well, three times now)! But our group worked so diligently & hard: sorting toothbrushes & soap, boxing up craft supplies, stapling coloring sheets, rubber-banding crayons, and so on. They may seem like tedious tasks, and quite a bit to take the whole afternoon, but it was great to serve & to grow as a group in this way.
At dinner (which again was fantastic, Ginny is quite the cook), Ginny & Kevin asked us all to share why we were here, why we had come on this Guatemala mission trip. I'm not going to go through & tell you all the stories... first of all, PERSONAL!! Secondly, it would take a long time. However, let me just say... tears were shed! So many tears!! But don't worry, it was a wonderful experience. I feel way closer to this whole group after this dinner & very much more emotionally connected to this trip after this whole day.
I am so thankful to our great, gracious God for granting us the opportunity to be here in Guatemala this week. I've had so many friends come down to Groundwork Guatemala in the past, and this is looking to be everything they said & so much more. Very anxious for what is going to come next!!
Hope this wasn't too long.... Blessings all!! You'll probably hear from someone else tomorrow.
-Luke
We Are Here!!!!!
Hola Everyone,
We made if safely in Guatemala late last night.
We had a 4 hour overlay in Huston, TX.
While waiting for our Guatemala flight our Terminal changed 4 times on us. So we got our exercise yesterday move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 24 (4 times), which are at opposite ends of the airport. We also had a 40 minute delay on top of that. We all were very tired when we arrived to the mission house.
We will post more later tonight.
Grace Mission Team
We made if safely in Guatemala late last night.
We had a 4 hour overlay in Huston, TX.
While waiting for our Guatemala flight our Terminal changed 4 times on us. So we got our exercise yesterday move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 24 (4 times), which are at opposite ends of the airport. We also had a 40 minute delay on top of that. We all were very tired when we arrived to the mission house.
We will post more later tonight.
Grace Mission Team
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