Deborah starts the Birthday Year for us...

This picture makes me smile as I remember sweet memories from STAS 2011.

Dad, Deborah and Mom standing on the dock at Aunt Cafish's.

 Yep, she's my daugther, can't deny that smile :)

Dad and Deborah celebrating Dad's birthday.

Happy Birthday to our favorite 26 year old. 

You are a very special young woman.

Continue to let the Light shine brightly.

Much love baby girl!

Great Week with the mission team!

We had a wonderful week with a medical team from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina as they ministered alongside La Iglesia Bautista Canaan from Chimaltenango opening more doors among the Ch'orti'. It was great days of sharing the Gospel as the medical doctors, dentists and pharmacists shared the love of Jesus in both word and deed.  They were such a great team.  As I was talking with them and sharing how easy they had been to work with, they shared about how they had been spiritually preparing themselves for many months - think that made a difference?!  Well, it did among the Chorti - doors were opened in previously hardened areas, the Gospel was shared with each patient, and several came to faith in Christ.  Really only in eternity will we know the full impact of results from the ministry of FBC Mt. Pleasant. Thank you for reflecting Christ in all you did!

They arrived on Saturday ready to get rolling.  After orientation and dinner, they repacked medicines and supplies and drifted off to sleep anxious to begin the work to which God had called them.  Early Sunday, the 5 member team from the Guatemala church joined us for breakfast and prayer and then we were off to "Ch'orti'-landia."  We arrived in Chiquimula for a quick lunch and registration at the hotel.  Soon after,we traveled about an hour away up in the mountain to Patenta, just a little ways before Nearar.  (You remember Nearar, I know, if you have been following our blog.  It is the aldea where our church has been investing much time in evangelism and discipleship and where Satan does not want to lose ground.)

There were two medical doctors.

Folks who made friends with the patients and kept them entertained while sharing Jesus.

There was a full dental clinic with three dentists and a hygentist.

And oh did they pulled teeth...over 700 for the week!

A fully staffed pharmacy with 4 pharmacists worked tirelessly
filling as many as 320 prescriptions one day!

Monday and Tuesday we operated the clinic in Nearar. 

We were pleased to see some of the same sweet faces from those previous trips.

Since school was in operation Tuesday morning, we were not able to hold the clinic there. 

 Instead, we operated in the front yard of Manual's home from where we had previously worked.

The adobe walls had fallen leaving small dirt mounds on the cement where the house had stood.

But still the Gospel was shared,

patients were seen by the doctors

and dentists,

  

prescriptions were filled,

the gospel was shared in the school

 while others made house calls to some too ill to come to the clinic.

Then in the afternoon, we returned to the school where those in lines waited patiently.

That night at dinner, one of our translators came attired...

in a shout out to our Auburn Fan daughters back home. haha

Somebody please send these guys some UGA t-shirts!

Wednesday was the final day for the clinics.  We loaded the vans early that morning because the drive was about an hour further up the mountain but ended being over an hour and a half further because several times, the vans were emptied as women walked and men helped push the vans up the steep rocky very rutted trail to El Límon.  If you remember, this aldea was the one that struck Pastor Victorianos heart when we first shared the lostness of the Chorti.  But with the receptiveness of the people in Nearar and the lack of response from the leadership in El Límon, the work was begun in Nearar. 

We arrived much later than expected to a large waiting crowd in El Límon with the restriction of no open Gospel presentation.  But as the doctors and dentists worked they shared their own personal story, planting Gospel seeds and opening doors that had been closed.  It was rewarding when several people asked for Spanish New Testaments and promised to read them.  Laying a foundation for future work was a huge step in the salvation of the people of El Límon.

The remoteness of the aldeas and the five hour return trip to the captial before dark hindered another day of mininstry but as we look back over the week, what an awesome time of foundation laying in previously unreached areas.  Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings, discipleship and worship times were held by the mission group from Iglesia Bautista Canaan for those who had previously responded to the Gospel and those who did boldly declare Christ as Savior this week.

Continue to pray for the Chorti.

May they hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

May the light of the glorious Gospel shine brightly bringing salvation.

Some golden day we will all praise Him around His throne!

What it is all about...

When friends visit us we try to take them to places they have not visited before and expose them to new avenues of insight to expand their prayer ministry for Guatemala.  As we traveled with Jim and Patsy in the Chorti area, their eyes were opened to the task in that area of the country, and gave them personal insight into how to pray for us as we travel the roads there in ministry.  After we returned to our home from those days of travel, we decided to focus on closer areas.  We renewed some friendships of theirs and ours with venders in the markets and shops here in Antigua and even enjoyed lunch in a favorite place of all ours from many years in the past, Hotel Antigua.

But Tuesday afternoon, we took a short trip to see the mayan ruins at Iximche outside Tecpan.  We have been there before and have been amazed.  Although much smaller than the ruins in Tikal, they are well worth the view.  We had forgotten that the gates close at 4, so we only had about an hour to walk the area.  According to Wikipedia, Iximche was the home of the Kakchikel who broke alliance with the K'iche' and founded their own center in Iximche in 1491.  It survived wars, human sacrifice, locusts plaque, fire, smallpox, but it could not survive the greed of the Spanish conquisadors in 1524.  I really recommend the reading of the brief history on the Wikipedia site linked above as it gives much insight in the maya world.

As we walked the rear of the ruins, we noticed a family coming up from the woods.  We decided to explore a little more, thinking it might be a picnic area.  However, instead we understood more fully just why we are "on mission in Guatemala." 

This sign says, "Ceremonial area - no climbing the temple."

Yes, it was a mayan temple and the family had been there to make sacrifices.

Here you can see the candles, the flowers, and the food and fruit offerings on the altars.

This is an up close photo of one of the altars with rose petals and pine needles scattered around.

In front of the altars and encircling the entire temple were rings with burning fires in the center.

 A fire burning in one of the circles included pine branches, flowers and something else.

As we approached the temple, we saw several dogs atop the altars eating the food/fruit offerings.

They even were scratching in some of the burning circles;

evidently the "something else" was some type of food.

As we stood here, my heart was broken for those who walk in darkness.

So many generations have been deceived and do not know the love of the Father.

Their sins separate them from the One True God and thus they try

to appease His justice by useless sacrifices.

But these burning sacrifices attest to the fact that once in their history

they knew they were guilty sinners and sacrifice must be made for their sins.

Yet, however many sacrifices any man tries to make to satisfy the justice of Almighty God 

will never bring peace and forgiveness of sins.

Jesus, God's only Son, paid the sacrifice for all sins for all mankind.

 That eternal forgiveness can only be received through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

So why are we "on mission in Guatemela?"

We are here to share the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those

who have not heard,

 who do not know,

who have never received the forgiveness of sins.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Revelation 7:9

 I trust that this post will challenge your prayer ministry.

Pray the lost peoples of Guatemala and around the world

will have the opportunity to hear and receive forgiveness of sins through Jesus alone.

Ride alongside us for awhile...

Just had to post a video so you can enjoy the ride alongside us.  Remember that Patsy had prayed for an adventure, well, she certainly got one as we rode some of our more "interesting" roads in the Chorti area.

She said that she knows better how to pray for us now.

So instead of praying for us once a day, she's moved it up to at least twice a day.

When we ask for your prayer covering for us as we travel, we are comforted knowing that you are holding us up to the Father for His protection over our car and us.  Indeed we would not know how to tell anyone to reach us if they have not traveled in this area but He surrounds us with His angels giving us peace as we travel by faith in His covering.



Remember to call our names to Him...we depend upon it!

Time is passing...

and we have already had to two trips to the Chorti area in the east.  We have a medical team arriving February 11 to work with our church in Chimaltenango in some new Chorti areas.  Since we needed to make hotel and restaurant reservations for the large group (there will be 27 for the team, translators and drivers) we took a little trip to settle those plans.  While there we were able to visit with David and Regina White and little Cruz.  They have recently moved to Camotan to begin working among the Chorti. We were so excited to spend some time with them and get a little lovin'

Check out their blog and pray for them as they begin the task among the Chorti.

Then Thursday, long time friends Jim and Patsy Brannock, arrived for a visit.  They are dear friends who first came to Guatemala with David in 1991 and have continued coming at least once a year ever since working throughout the country.  But they had never visited or ministered in the Chorti area, so off we went to catch the vision to share with their home church as they pray about becoming partners. 

The whole earth is filled with His glory! 

When we travel in this area, we are amazed at its beauty. 

It is so different from the lush green of our area

but still is such a gorgeous place, resplendant with His majesty.

Patsy said that she had prayed that God would give them an adventure this time,

something they had not experienced in the past.  

As we road these roads, she knew that God had answered her prayers.

 

We were reminded that even the rocks will cry out that He alone is God!

Continue to pray with us for Guatemalan churches who will accept the call to reach the Chorti for Christ. 

We have many US churches ready to partner but we need the Guatemalan ones who will lead the way.

Pray with us that God would lead us to the right ones ready to lauch out into the deep.