And that's a wrap!

This week we took a vision team for a new partnership across Lake Atitlán to Santiago. We have befriended a couple of ladies over the past couple of years and have posted photos of them on our blog. One of them is a widow of many years. She makes trickets to sell in order to live. We saw them at the park and then later they arrived at the portico of te church where we usually visit with them. Since then lady did not have her hair properly attired I was able to video as she wrapped her hair in the traditional hair attire. As you watch, pray that she will come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The White Flower

We have a plant beside our driveway that we were told blooms once a year for one night.  In May, we noticed that it was budding. It had three buds so we were watching it anxiously.  Every evening we would go outside to check if it was beginning to open.  And one night we caught the following.

Sad to say that we didn't get to see the other two bloom as we had to go out of town.

We don't know its name, if you can help, we would appreciate it.

It was well worth the wait to see the beauty of creation and the splendor of "the white flower."

June 2012 Prayer Letter

To view the entire prayer letter on fullscreen: Scroll until you see the Scribd bar below the prayer letter. On the far right is a box with the bottom left corner darkened, place the curser on this symbol and the following will appear "view in full screen" and click. The prayer letter will appear full screen on your computer for easy reading. To exit full screen view: Place the curser on the same box and the "exit fullscreen mode" will appear, click and the screen will display the regular blog view. Prayer Letter June 2012

Waiting Process #2

As you continue to wait for Guatemalan pastors and churches to catch the vision of reaching Guatemala, and the world, for Christ, you are praying.  Thank you.  God is opening doors and the hearts of pastors and churches to launch out into unreached areas for Christ.  But continue to pray.

As we find new unreached areas and find pastors who are willing and eager to reach these areas, there are still so many hurdles.  Pray for:

1. scheduling.  Realizing we are not the only people invovled in a scheduling an event, we must work within several different time lines...the community's, the church's, ours, the team's, airline's, the weather's, transportation's, translator's and the list goes on.  For example, a community might be having the yearly fair or the yearly celebration of their patron saint.  Those are definite times to not begin an outreach.  Or rainy season (at which time we are enjoying) greatly affects the roads into the community, at times making them unreachable.  Or even airline prices may have suddenly skyrocketed and a team may not have adequate funds, or even, they may have significantly dropped for one reason or the other, and this is THE time to get it together.  At times, we can accommodadte a team in our Lottie Moon vehicle and off we go.  But more often, we must engage other transportation.  If a larger vehicle is available and is sufficient, still off we go with David as the driver.  However, at times, we must engage several vehicles and must we make arrangements with one of several other organizations for a vehicle and/or additional driver.  Then we must work within their availability schedules as well.  So pray for God's schedule. 

2.  people in the community to desire to know the truth. Pray for the hearts of the people to be open and ready to respond to the call of the Gospel.  Begin praying even now, for the works of satan to be bound and freedom for the Spirit of God to move freely among the community.  Pray for seeds of truth to be planted that will grow strong and mighty. 

3.  Guatemalan and US teams.  There needs to be a binding of their hearts and vision for the work.  Pray that God will manifest Himself in drawing them together in ministry.  Pray for the right translators - ones who know Christ and can effectively communicate the Gospel in clarity and with confidence.  Pray communication will be flow freely among the group.  Pray their eyes will see the needs of the community and begin to formulate future teams to reach the community.  For example, perhaps a VBS can be scheduled to draw the children (and ultimately, the adults).  School vacation here is not June/July/August but November, December, and part of January.  In some communities, there is a school break in July that may allow for a VBS.  This concern factors back into scheduling as well.

4.  budget planning.  When an area opens and teams are engaged, we must find adequate/safe lodging; safe restaurants for tender gringo stomachs :); menu planning/purchase for lunches while "in the field"; road safety - not washed out/closed for road construction, etc; and miriads of other details relating to budget, money conversion.  More often than not, the adequate lodging, restaurants are not in the community and therefore involves travel time to and from the work sight, may be an hour or so. 

Those are some of the issues that relate to our work here in Guatemala and the connecting of Guatemalan and US churches to reach unreached areas for Christ.  In your particular situation there are other specifics.  But the base of it all is summed up in the fact that "it is not all about me."  So many other people, factors, events, issues are intertwined and all those things must come together to be "the perfect fit" in God's timing.  So when we can not see His hand, we can trust His heart.  He is working out details, guiding hearts, developing us to be used by him to bring together His plan, and we are just a portion of that plan.

Night View of Fuego

With the addition of the photo of Volcán Fuego below, you can understand a little more why we are constanly watching it.  The photo was taken in the evening of June 8th by MundoChapin.com.  It is quite a display of smoke, fire, and swift flowing lava.  No wonder the mountainside is changing!

Foto enviada por Rocio Caxaj quien comento: "volcan de Fuego el 8 de junio"

MundoChapin.com

Changes in Fuego

Fuego, one of our close volcanes, has been spitting quite a bit since we have been back in Guatemala.  Fuego is closer to us now than when we lived in Chimaltenango.  Even though we can't see it from our house, as we travel down the road to our house we can watch her spew.  Sunday we were even a little late to church as we turned back around to watch it fill the sky with black puffs.

Monday, we traveled down south for a meeting about a possible partnership and we drove "right between" Volcán Agua on our left and Volcánes Acotenengo and Fuego on our right.  And Fuego didn't disappoint.  She put on quite a display.  I must admit that Sunday's display was more facsinating but I didn't have my camera with us.

As we drove beside her on Monday, we were amazed at the changes in the terrain.

This photo was taken in November 2010

and this one was yesterday.

This one in 2010 was taken from the back side of the volcano,

and then this one was taken yesterday.

Note how the mountainside is cleared of vegetation on left side as well.

Note the difference of the "fingers" at the bottom - they are much wider and more pronounced.

The lava flow is much wider as it goes down the mountainside.

We were visiting an area for a possible partnership and saw all these large rocks.

(There were many more and larger rocks that are not photographed; 

that was not the purpose for this photo.) 

I asked the pastor if they were volcanic and he said yes.  

This place is miles and miles away from the volcano.

I can't imagine what it must have been like when the volcano (probably Acotenengo) belched them them into the air and the force with which they flew to land so far away from its crater.

Though the sun wasn't shining as brillantly yesterday as it was in November 2010,

the beauty is still amazing.

The power and majesty of our God is overwhelming.

The beauty of our portion of His world causes me to fall in adoration of His creation.

A Month Filled with Guests

We have had a fun time this past month with friends visiting.

Our first partnership team arrived on May 19.  The dedication service on Sunday at church knitted the hearts of the team from Brainerd Baptist in Chattanooga and the church in Chimaltenango as we launched out for the first vision/planning trip.

 When we returned from the Chorti area, we had a day for a little fun and sightseeing.

We took the boat ride over to Santigo; the guys did a little shopping.

After lunch at El Pescador, we rode the boat back to Panajachel.

And before our ride back home, we stopped at one of David's favorite places.

This is my favorite spot to wait...

 the flowers are so pretty,

 while we wait for these guys to do their thing...

 I think it was Todd and Jonathan's first time to zipline...and what a place to do it!

We did a little traveling after the team returned to their family in the states,

visiting in two different areas of the country and

laying the foundation for two more partnerships.

Then on the 31st, we were thrilled to have Bert and Rod

and their daughter and her husband join us for a few days.

Bert and Rod are "long time friends" from early in our marriage. 

We served at their church back in the 70s and 80s.

They had married the week before us and so we both celebrate 35 years of wedded bliss this year.

For their anniversary celebration, they wanted to be involved on a mission trip together.

They joined a team coming from their home area to Guatemala. 

 It was a success and life impacting trip for them. 

On the plane to Guatemala, Bert led a young man to Christ. 

Then the team, working with another IMB missionary here,

worked in an area south of us and made eternal investments there as well.

They joined us onTthursday, and we threw in a few special treats as an extra celebration.

A trip to one of the top 10 lakes in the world, Lake Atitlán, was spectacular.

 We took the boat ride over to Santiago. 

The widow lady has become a precious friend of ours. 

We long that she become a sister too.

 Our terraza with Volcán Agua, was one of their favorites places.

Then on Saturday, Ed and Adrienne and their granddaughter,

who were also on the same mission trip, joined us. 

Ed and Adrienne met with Pastor Apolinario and his wife Maria.

Their church Bull Streeet in Savannah, GA is entering a partnership with

La Iglesia Dios es Amor in San Andres Itzapa

 to reach an unreached area with the Gospel of Christ.

 Partner certificates were given to each church

as the work began with vision-planning meetings.

 Ed, Adrienne, Kalee, Bert and Rod against the backdrop of Volcán Agua.

After we took the nine of them to the airport on the 5th,

we drove over the the national softball fields

where we met more friends who were visiting-working here.

Leigh and Will, friends of ours from Augusta,

 are coaches for a girls softball tournament team.

They brought a portion of their team, along with some of the parents,

and two assistants to Guatemala with Athletes in Action.

Their assistants were two young ladies who were youth when we served at their church.

They served the Lord ministering in schools and a children's ministry,

as well as played the National and Junior National Softball teams of Guatemala.

Wished we could have visited more with them during their time here.

 We did reminisce a little as we watched the girls play.

Oh the hours we spent at the ball fields when our kids were younger.

I still love the thrill of it.

On the 7th, off we drove again, this time with

 Pastor Victoriano and his wife, Cristi, to meet with some pastors. 

We are praying that more partnerships develop from these meetings.

And then we have another one tomorrow.

So it has been a busy almost month of visitors and traveling.

But we wouldn't trade this life. 

It is exciting to be a member of God's team.



Waiting Process #1

I know that many of you who read our blog are those who are waiting for your church to be in a partnership with a Guatemalan church to reach an unreached area with the Gospel of Christ.  And you are "sitting on ready" and probably wondering why we haven't gotten things together for you/your church to come.  I know that impatience and intense desire but often things don't process as quickly as we would like.  Lately the Lord has been reminding me of some things that are important during the "waiting process."  I think some of them are applicable to any type of waiting time.  This may stretch over a couple of posts so bear with me.

As we build partnerships, we work with Guatemalan churches.  The first step involves sharing the vision with pastors.  Often pastors are bivocational, meaning they work another fulltime job in addition to being a pastor.  Therefore for us to visit with a pastor, we must work within his schedule.  (Think about your busy schedule.)  Then we must schedule our time accordingly.  (Think about your busy schedule again.)  Often these meetings are several hours away from our home, so they involve two to three days away from home.  Then a pastor needs to have time to process the vision, pray and seek God, share the vision with his church leadership, and together discern God's will for His church.  Sometimes he or the leadership are not ready for a partnership, or already fully occupied in their vision for their church, or are not interested in becoming involved, so we begin again.  However, if they discern this is God's plan for them, then he recontacts us and another trip is scheduled and the initial planning begins.  Sometimes the area is near their own home, sometimes it is not.  Each situation poses it own share of "issues."

So what does this mean in relation to you.  During this "Step One Waiting Process" what can you do?

1.  Pray for pastors to have a vision for reaching unreached areas for Christ.
 It is easy to become occupied with the local church, settling issues here, meeting needs there, etc. and forget the whole picture of reaching out further and further.
 It is easy to become "self-involved" and neglect the far reaching implications of the Great Commission and Acts 1:8.  The urgent tasks often overtake the important tasks.

2.  Praise God for those pastors who have a burning desire to reached unreached areas for Christ.

3.  Pray for vision for the pastor and the local church.
 Pray that God would being knitting in their hearts to specific unreached areas,
       broadening their vision to the specific needs of this area,
             giving insight as to how best meet these needs.

4.  Pray for receptiveness to training.
 Pray that teams from the local church will be trained in best evangelistic and discipleship methods. 

5.  Pray for physical needs of the local team.
Finances - Just as there is a cost for you and your team to come from the states, equally there is a cost for the local team members.  Just as you, team members will be not working during the "mission trip," but differently from you, they are not taking vacation time; they will not receive wages during during those days of ministry.  Pray that the physical needs of their family will be met supernaturally so that God will be glorified in their ministry and the family strengthened in their faith.

Health - Pray for their health and that of each member of their family.

6.  Pray for us as we travel to meeet with pastors and churches.
 Safety - Pray for David as he drives and Glynis as she navigates.  David watches the road in front of the car for POTHOLES in addition to the traffic, often navigating around HUGE fallen rocks or fallen "sinkhole" roads.  Glynis watches the terrain and landmarks, looking for signs (there are VERY few), reading a map (if there is one), trying to remember them for when we come this way again.

The rainy season has begun so that means water saturated land OFTEN slides down the mountain covering parts of the road, HUGE rocks fall as dirt is washed out around them, water saturated dirt under the road is washed out causing the roads to fall.

An example is below.  This occurance was Monday, June 4, 2012; we had traveled this road on the previous Friday and commented on that particular rock being ready to fall.

A landslide occurred at noon today at kilometer 147 route national 1 which connects Sololá with Panajachel, at the entrance to this municipality in the place known as "Tzanjuyu" where there was a landslide of rocks of approximately 2 meters and Earth, that hinders the lane of exit of the municipality.
The COVIAL staff perform tasks of cleaning in place.
Photo: LLG / / Augusto C. (Translated by Bing)

Un derrumbe se produjo al medio día de hoy en el kilómetro 147 de la ruta nacional 1 que comunica de Sololá con Panajachel, en la entrada a este municipio en el lugar conocido como “Tzanjuyu” donde se registró un deslizamiento de rocas de aproximadamente 2 metros y tierra, que obstaculiza el carril de salida del municipio.
Personal del COVIAL realizan tareas de limpieza en el lugar.
Foto: LLG // Augusto C.

 

Praise God for His care for us.  His angels surround us - in front, in back, beside, above, beneath.  We are confident in Him.

 

Wow, that's a lot to pray but we are dependent on your prayers.  Apart from the Spirit's leading, we can do nothing.  Vance Havner once said, that in times like these "we are stranded on Omnipotence."  What better place to be?!  Stranded on the One who IS, who knows ALL, who HOLDS us in His hand.  That's where I always want to be.

 

 

Being a Partner of God at Work

It is so exciting to be a part of God's work here in Guatemala.  And as you pray for us, you are part of God's working as well.  We will all see the fruit of our labors one day as we stand around the throne of heaven.  Oh what rejoicing that will be!
Recently the first partnership was begun.  The vision team of 4 men arrived from Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Saturday, May 19, to begin work "hombro con hombro, mano a mano" (shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand) with La Iglesia Bautista Canaan, Chimaltenango.  After a dedication service on Sunday morning and the sermon by Pastor Carlos (pastor of the Hispanic work at Brainerd) and lunch at our local "Piccadilly," we headed east to Chiquimula with the team and Pastor Victoriano. 

Dedication ceremony

Pastor Carlos preaching

Monday morning, we met Pastor Nahum (the pastor from Copan Ruinas, Honduras who has been a colaborer in this area) and three men from his church, we made a swap leaving me at David and Regina White's home for a couple of days. 

Pastor Carlos (US), Pastor Nahum (Honduras), Pastor Victoriano (Guatemala)

Following David White's meeting for another mission plan that morning, he caught up with the team in Nearar.  The team prayed together, worked together, planned together for what God has in store for this area.  While the team visited in the homes, the Honduran men took apart the gallera that we had built in May 2011 to move to the home of the believer nearby.  (Remember that our man of peace one whose property it had been built was murdered two weeks after it was built and since the property did not legally belong to him, it had been closed off from use.)

Work continued on the dismanteling again on Tuesday...the dismanteling was the easy part - the difficult part was taking it down the hillside to the home of Regis.

Future site of gallera at the home of Reyes

Trail to the new location

Reye's son had no trouble carrying the lamina for the roof

David and Todd showed they are "real men" too

as they carried the double doors down the trail,

though they rested a bit more as they came back up the trail.

That afternoon, a worship time was held at Regis' home.  The guys really didn't expect to have many in attendance - they had only shared the information that morning - but when God is at work, things happen.  

I was going to include a video of some of the worship

but it really too long.  Just trust me when I say,

it was indeed a very special time of worship.

Another believer, an 18 year old man, was acknowledged and Nahum and David W are setting up a schedule to disciple both he and Regis on a weekly basis.  These two men will form the foundation of spiritual leadership in La Cumbre de Nearar. 

     Pray for the safety of Nahum and David W as they travel up the road and down the trail.
     Pray for Regis and this young man to grow in their understanding of spiritual life.
     Pray for their protection from the evil one who seeks to keep this area in darkness.
     Pray for their "standing firm in the faith."  Satan would love to have them fail.
     Pray for the hearts of the people to be open to faith in Christ alone.