November 2012 Prayer Letter

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Visitantes! We love visitantes!

We love friends who come and visit...yes, we do!

 

We recently had some long time friends come to visit.  Many years ago, we lived in Huntsville, Alabama, where David was Minister of Education at Southside Baptist Church.  We met Steve and Lisa and a couple of months later their baby girl, Hollan was born.  Hollan and our daughter Deborah were friends together in the nursery.  Steve first fell in love with Guatemala on his mission trips with David back in the 80s.  But alas, times changed, jobs moved us, and we said good bye.  But both Steve and Lisa accompanied David on mission trips to Guatemala in the 90s even though we were then serving in another church.  Their love for Guatemala and her people grew as their family grew and moved away for career changes as well. 

Several years ago, they located a prayer card of ours and contact was established again.  (Isn't neat how friends can just pick up where they left off many years in the past and friendships continue to grow?)  A couple of years ago, they began to sponsor a Compassion child, Angel, from Guatemala.  Love continues to grow :)  Then in July 2010, their daughter spent two months working at the orphanage Casa Bernabe in Guatemala City.  We weren't able to connect with her because we were in the states during that time.  She had a wonderful experience.  Love for Guatemala continued to grow.

Back in June, they contacted us with information that this time Hollan was returning for six months to continue working at the orphanage and that they were planning to accompany her to Guatemala.  We were so blessed that they were able to visit with us for about 5 days, visit Angel and his family (their Compassion child), do a little sightseeing as we returned to Lake Atitlan (sure looks a LOT different from 25 year ago!), spend a little $ for special gifts and rememberences, worship with us at Iglesia Canaan, share a few stories of life, catch up to date with family and friends from the long ago past, sit around the table and partake of some meals and even a game of dominoes along the way.  Then Monday, came so quickly, and we gathered their things and headed to Casa Bernabe.  What a wonderful time they will have as they share in ministry with Hollan for a few days before Steve and Lisa head back to the states and Hollan continues her ministry for several more months!  Sharing in ministry, keeping an eternal view in focus, draws the family even closer!

Love for Guatemala continues to grow!

 

Steve, Lisa, and Hollan - so glad you came.

You refreshed our spirits and ministered to our lives.

Love you!

 

Now who's next?

Partnership Team

Last week the partnership team of FBC, Greenwood, Arkansas and La Iglesia Betania began their first mission outreach to the aldeas of Conrado de la Cruz and El Bolivia.  I was to accompany the team and drive an eight passenger van while David drove our 7 passenger car.  But Friday night I began with fever.  With the symptoms we weren't sure what it was - had some symptoms of dengue and knew if indeed it was I needed to be in the capital to go to the doctor.  So instead of my accompanying the team, David flew into high plan B change to secure a 15 passenger van, get me to some missionary friends home, pull together all the last minute details and get to the airport to meet the team and keep everything together.

The team left from the capital Sunday reaching Betania in San Maurico in time for the afternoon worship service. It was the first time for most of them to worship in a national church with believers speaking another language. 

 

Pastor Elder preached.

 

 

David presented the Partnership Covenant to both churches -

La Iglesia Bautista Betania (Pastor Elder)

 

 

FBC, Greenwood, AR (Associate Pastor Jeff Ivey).

 

In both locations, they prayer walked the streets,

 

visited in homes and prayed for specific needs,

 

and shared Jesus.

 

On the final afternoon, they held a worship service beside the river,

sharing Jesus with those

whose hearts had been stirred by the Truth during the week.

 

 

 

One thing that the team had never witnessed before was young boys climbing to the top

of 40 feet tall coconut trees, cutting down the cocos with their machete,

 letting them fall into the river below

 

to the waiting children bringing to the shore.

They enjoyed the taste of fresh cool coco - a new beverage.

 

I was able to join the team for the last day - shopping in Antigua!

And then I was able to help transport them to the airport for their return flight home.

 

We look forward to returning to the area in January with another team from FBC, Greenwood,

and find fruit that has blossomed from the seed

 that was planted by the partnership teams of the two churches and continue the ministry. 

 

 How pleasant it is to work shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart with brothers and sisters,

sharing the message of Salvation through Christ alone!

 

What do they have in common?

 

Well, they share a sister, Deborah,

 

and a brother, Stephen.

 

 

They love spending time with their family

 

They love their husbands very much!

 

Miriam and Mike

 

Rebecca and David

 

They share a "secret"...

 

 

They BOTH are going to make us grandparents next year!

 

Yep, we're just a little bit E*X*C*I*T*E*D!!!!

 

 

We're living it...God will make a way

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength
For each new day
He will make a way
He will make a way
Don Moen

                                What do you do when the bottom falls out of your plans? 
                                           How do you take the next step? 
                                                      What do you do when after all the planning is in place and it falls apart at the very end?

 

Well, you trust the Lord knowing He WILL make a way where there seems to be no way.

 

 

You trust God to knit hearts together in a unified vision to reach lost people for Christ.

 

 

You rejoice to be able to work alongside brothers in Christ to disciple believers.

 

You look forward to the day when the discipled believers

grow into a great commission church

who reach other unreached aldeas with Christ.

 

You will know,

you will live,

you will sing...

 

By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today.

Don Moen

 

 

October 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 October 2012

Update on Reyes...God is at work!

For an update on what is happening in Nearar please click the LINK to David and Regina's blog and REJOICE with us.  As I read it I had tears in my eyes.  I remember well, those first days as we bumped along on these roads  just finding our way on the unmapped roads.  I remember well, the first time we saw how the roads fit together.  I recall the first visit David and a group from the church in Chimaltenango had to Nearar.  And then there were more visits and more visits in the area, more investments made.  I remember the sudden shock as it seemed the work might stop but God had greater plans.  For out of persecution comes growth, maturity, and fruit.  Contnue to surround these believers with the prayer.  Hallelujah!  God is at work!