Galan del Noche

Last night was a long awaited night because the Galan del Noche ("handsome fellow of the night") showed its glory.  It blooms once a year, one night for only a few hours and if you miss it...you miss it.  Last year there were three blooms and we were privileged to see one of them.  This year we have 11 blooms - 6 have bloomed with 3 more growing.  Last night was the beauty of 3.

 

It will be soon!

 

There was a light rain that only added to their beauty and heighted their fragrance.

And after it is over...it is over.

 

 

But there is the hope of several more blooms

 

 

Thought these would brighten your day as well.

 

Waiting for them to bloom brings to mind,

"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act."

Psalm 37:7

Fuego Vocanic Activity

Recently I posted some pictures of the volcano Fuego and her activity. 

Well, she has been at it again. 

 On our morning walk yesterday we noticed more activity. 

 Since we can't see the volcano from our house,

David walked back to a place where he could and took some pictures.

 

We left Antigua at noon for a meeting in the capital.

Fuego was smoking so much as we left that we returned to town briefly to get a better look.

We almost returned home to get the camera and take some more pictures

because it was a really awesome site. 

 You know it is really an awesome site when the locals are standing in the street taking pictures.

We were in a meeting all afternoon in the capital and did not know that it has really erupted

until we were almost home around 8:30 and received a phone call.

The wind carried the smoke and ash to the south and west so we are not affected here in Antigua

- at least we did not see anything as we returned in the dark.

 It was too cloudy or smoky toward the volcano to see it last night.

 

 

 

Click this link to see more pictures and details written in English about the eruptions

that ocurred during the day while we were gone. 

Evidently it was a quite show.

http://www.businessinsider.com/guatamalas-volcano-of-fire-is-errupting-and-causing-massive-evacutations-2012-9?op=1

 

We took these pictures about 30 minutes ago on our morning walk this morning.

Looks like Fuego's indigestion has settled and she is just back to puffing.

 

Thanks for being concerned about us, checking on us, and praying for us.

Continue to pray for those over 30,000 who were directly affected by yesterday's display.

One of 10 best...

Lake Atitlán has been reported as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. We agree. Last week we entered the area from the south and caught a new different view that we don't see often.
 

Enjoy some photos taken from other locations.

Come visit and we'll take you.

Enjoy the beauty of God's creation!

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."

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.

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.

Oh what a day of worship it was...part one

Sunday morning we arrived in Jocotenango to join the caravan to a river outside of town toward Esquintla. At the present time, La Iglesia Bautista Torre Fuerte has no pastor. Our friend, Luis Garcia, leads the group of believers but is not able to baptize because he is not ordained so he requested assistance from David.

We traveled about 20 minutes down the mountain from Antigua before exiting the main road to Guadeloupe. From here, we crossed the river Achiguate

one time

two times

three times

and arrived at our place, a mineral springs, only to find it was closed due to a lack of water. So we continued across the river 

one more time to a deeper area of the river where we could hold baptism.

                                      

Walking down the trail to the river

Praising the Lord

Devotional

First baptism

Second baptism

Third baptism

Fourth baptism (the man to the left is his father)

Fifth baptism

Sixth baptism (husband of the fifth person baptized)

Sweet precious couple with three young daugthers

David praying after the baptism.

David and Luis with people who were baptized.

This lady was overcome with emotion at times, the last young man was her son.

After the baptism, it was time to enjoy the swimming.

Obviously these young boys come to this place quite frequently...

because they climbed up the mountain backwardly and jumped into the water.

 We leave you with a portion of David praying with the roar of the river as the background.