Ending and beginning...

Goodbyes are difficult...

our next door neighbor, my dear friend, Lupita, and I were sad to say goodbye for these six months.

Lupita and her youngest daughter, Sofi, and I were able to get a final pic together.  

Priscila, her older daughter, was at work and was not able to join us.

Final pic at the "old Home."

We arrived at the airport at 5 am, bright and early Sunday morning, only to find out our flight was delayed.  The flight was Atlanta had not arrived until 3am and the crew had a mandatory rest time so we were now leaving at 12:10 pm instead of 7:50 am.  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, computer time, and a little

"people watching time" before boarding the "quick" flight to Atlanta.  I say "quick" because there is a two hour time difference - we left at 12:10 and arrived at 5:25 on our 3 hour flight.

We were greeted by Deborah, Rebecca and David.  What a fun surpriseto have them meet us.  We picked up our Macedonia Call (a wonderful group who have cars for furloughing missionaries to use), and enjoyed dinner together at Cracker Barrel before Rebecca and David headed back to Greenville.  Welcome to the South with sweet tea, grilled rainbow trout, barbeque pork, turnip greens, green beans, mashed potatoes, fried apples, biscuits and cornbread!  YUM!

 So sad that I didn't get a picture of all of us at the Cracker Barrel :(

At breakfast the next morning, the kids had planned another surprise...

special cookies welcoming us back to the USA,

(Looks like David is still a little sleepy here beside bright-eyed Deborah haha)

welcoming us to summer time in the US, where "flops" are the shoes of choice.

(There he is...all bright-eyed too)

Monday we moved into our new home - the mission house of Warren Baptist, Augusta. 

What ministries to missionaries - a wonderful mission house as home and a great car to use!

Thank you Lord for providing these blessings to us!

Wednesday, we met Stephen at my mom's for some more family time.

Can't deny they are father and son, can you?

Stephen and I with my mother.

Friday, we headed to Raleigh to spend some time with Miriam and Mike for the weekend
 before we head to Richmond for meetings.  Good times...good eats.
Friday night...b-b-q ribs - AWESOME, Mike -
 baked sweet potatoes, white pease, baby butterbeans, hot relish and sweet tea :)

Saturday morning, we headed to

Mike had one pancake (note the size of that thing) and smoked sausage biscuit.

Miriam had french toast and a bacon biscuit.

David enjoyed eggs, smoked sausage and grits with red-eye gravy.

I had the "healthy" eggs, link sausage, and fruit...

and the LIGHT, fluffy biscuits...YUM!!

And then tonight we splurged "family style" at...

Need I say more?

This week has included goodbyes, hellos, family, and food.

Now that we have "rolled' through our first week back in the states,

we are not eating another mouth full...

at least until tomorrow!

The Countdown is Getting Closer...everyday!

In the spirit of Vacation Bible Schools happening throughout the states at this time, and in honor of our quickly approaching arrival for 6 months stateside assignment, our daughter Rebecca reminded us of this often sung VBS song from Child Evangelism Fellowship:

Somewhere in outer space
God has prepared a place
For those who trust him and obey

Jesus will come again
Although we don't know when
The countdown's gettin closer everyday 

Ten and Nine

Eight and Seven
Six and Five and Four
  Call upon the Savior while you may

Three and Two
Comin' through the clouds in bright array
The countdown's getting lower everyday 

How's your eternal countdown?  Are you ready?

1.  God loves you and desires to give your life and peace.

Life - John 10:10

Peace - Romans 5:1

2.  Man is sinful and your sin separates you from God. 

All man is sinful - Romans 3:23

Sin separates from God - Romans 6:23

 3.  Although you may tried many ways to win God's favor, He has already provided the method for you to enter into this relationship with Him - Jesus Christ, God's own son, His only provision for your sin.

Jesus died in your place - Romans 5:8

Jesus rose from the dead - I Corinthians 15:3-6

Jesus is the ONLY way to God - John 14:6

 4.  You must individually receive Jesus Christ by faith as your Savior and make Him the Lord of your life.

Ephesians 2:8,9 

Romans 10:9,10

 5.  Then you will begin this personal relationship with God and will be ready for the eternal countdown.

I John 5:11-13

 

What a little trooper...

We drug him from pillar to post, up the mountain, down the mountain, around the mountain, across the dessert, through a few streams, b*u*m*p*i*n*g along the rocks and boulders, alongside the mountain edge, beside the drop-off ledges...and he was still a T*R*O*O*P*E*R!  We had some great fellowship with David and Regina White and some baby lovin' with big one year-old baby Cruz.  Love spending time with the family of missionaries :)

Some documenting photos

 Small helpers

 Late night makes little eyes very heavy.

 Looking and...

 watching and...

 falling asleep...

 with a tree as a bed.

 Heart warming smiles...

 big sisters carry the weight of helping to raise baby sisters.

Our first morning we awoke to mother hen and

 biddies walking on our beds.

 This little hen spend the night in the corner of the room
but still ended up in the pot for lunch.

 There was food distribution,

 clothing distribution

 and toy distribution.

 Waiting on the steps of the outhouse to see what might be happening.

 Mom and daughter getting some clothing and a stuffed toy.

 This little fellow came to "work" with his dad...

 This little man was David's special friend for the day.

 Pastor Apolinario is taking a short break.

 He really enjoyed climbing on the truck.

 The men and their little helpers.

Crowd gathered for worship.

Those who stood outside, watching, and at times, heckling.

Learning new songs...songs of worship and praise.

Pray for Regis, father of 7, who is one of the leaders of the new group.

The young man in the middle prayed to receive Christ during the service.

Pastor Victoriano and Pastor Nahum singing together.

Pastor VIctoriano praying before we left the community.

 

Clyde was weighed down as we headed down the road toward home...we did drop a couple of these guys at the entrance to Honduras and didn't ride the whole way home like this. 

It still stands...

It was with GREAT excitement and joy that we headed out with a group from La Iglesia Canaan on May 17 to return to La Cumbre de Nearar to construct a building to hold once a month discipleship training/worship times and future evangelical meetings.  As you read in our June newsletter, that building was completed in two and a half days.  It was a time of rejoicing and yet spiritual warfare.  We realized that when we received the news of the robbery in our home that afternoon.  We realized it as we held some opposition that afternoon before the meeting.  We realized it as we saw some young men gathered in front of the door, one with his gun in his belt, others with their machete.  We realized it as we saw Manuel standing guard behind our truck during the service.  And yet at that first service, two young men accepted Christ as their Savior.  We all understood that satan did not want to give up ground that satan has held for generations.  And so again before we left on Friday morning, we prayed for La Cumbre de Nearar, for its inhabitants, for its new building, for the believers, for those who had heard but had not yet believed, for satan to be bound and for Christ to be glorified.
 And then you read in the prayer update that accompanied the June newsletter about the murder of Manuel, the man of peace, who assisted us in so many ways.  We still do not know much about the details of the murder, nor the reasons why, but we are trusting God to be glorified.  Victoriano and several men from our church will be going this week to find out answers, to encourage the believers, and to continue sharing the Gospel.
            PRAY for them as they go. 
                        PRAY for God's protection. 
                                   PRAY for God's wisdom.
                                              PRAY for God's outpouring of the Holy Spirit and
                                              conviction of sin for those involved in the murder.
                                                         PRAY for salvation for this village.

God is NOT finished with this aldea.
                    God is NOT finished with His salvation for the Chorti. 
                                        God is NOT finished.


This past week, we accompanied another missionary couple for them to become familiar with the Chorti area.  They minister among the K'ekchi.  They were looking for possible opportunities to connect the K'ekshi believers to begin new works among the Chorti, much like our church has begun but in different areas from the Nearar area.  Pray that God will reveal His plan and timing for their involvement. 


In one of those long rides, we did pass through La Cumbre de Nearar, although we did not stop we did see that the building still stands, undisturbed.  As we passed in front of Manuel's home, we didn't see any one and the gate to his home was closed.  We don't know what all that means, other than, it is evident that the Gospel has been presented there and some have believed.  Continue to pray for the believers for their safety, for growth in the midst of persecution, for the spread of the Gospel.