How do you go back?

There is no way to go back in time.  Just suffice to say, I haven't been diligent in blogging and I will commit to returning to my return.  Just as a highlight, I will say that the past several months have included some wonderful adventures:
* visits from long time friends
* visiting touristy places in country
* visits from other long time friends
* visiting fellow missionaries throughout the country
* "retreating" with fellow missionaries from throughout the country
* meeting grandson #1 John Mark Adams and spending time storing up snuggles and loving
* being the hands and feet of meeting physical needs in a little girl's life offering financial aid for doctors to care for her
* sharing the Miller Bed and Breakfast with new future longtime friends
* celebrating abundant eternal life through Jesus Christ in the midst of the litany of religion
* saying tearful goodbye to fellow laborers - twice - but celebrating with them the hope of a new dawn
* giving and receiving of unconditional "doggie" lovin'
* receiving and working alongside teams opening new doors in at present un-evangelized areas
* experiencing the joy of seeing new brothers and sisters in Christ receive salvation in Christ alone
* launching out again in ministry sharing the love of Christ in remote areas still living in darkness
* anticipating the arrival of grandson #2...almost any time now

And since, we are in the anticipation of almost soon arrival, I remain at home manning the phones and emails while David and the team from Brainerd Baptist in Chattanooga have returned to Nearar sharing Jesus love and salvation message through medical care.  Today was the first day of the clinic but this time held at Reyes' home.  Remember the tales of the trail to Reyes' house?  Well, all the medicine, medical supplies, food items, and people had to traverse that trail...down and up.  And least you think it is easier going down than it is up...think again, deep crevices on the side of the mountain with sandy pebbles sprinkling the STEEP incline...only about 25 minutes down and then the return trip in the afternoon...up...up...up...breathe...breathe....breathe.  It is HOT there these days.  They were praising God for the "cooler" weather...only 98 instead of the recent 107 degrees.

PRAY for fruitful ministry.  As the doctors and dentists meet physical needs, may the deeper spiritual needs come to light and the hope of Christ be implanted in many hearts and lives.

PRAY for fear to be dispelled through VICTORY in CHRIST.Though many have received Christ in the past, some are falling away from fear and confusion.

PRAY for spiritual growth.  Pray for the ones who have genuinely received Christ to have a desire and longing to know Him and His word.

PRAY for safety, health, and stamina. It is difficult at best.

PRAY for rest for the weary and refreshment to the body.

November Ministry Continues

The fourth and fifth days of November continued active ministry of the Brainerd team. 

 

There was children's ministry,

 

 

sharing the Message of Jesus in every place.

 

 

On front stoops of homes with family members gathered,

 

they shared testimonies, Bible stories, message of Hope and salvation.

 

 

Boys know soccer!  Pastor Carlos uses soccer as opportunites to present Jesus.

 

 

So on the community soccer field, they prepared a smaller field for the children.

Reyes is showing the team how it is done Ch'orti' style...

 

 

using your machete, cut a sapling, sharpen it, and dig a hole for the goalposts.

 

 

Line the field

 

 

and enjoy the view.

 

Not many soccer fields have views like this one.

But remember it is a LONG way down when the ball goes out of bounds.

 

 

The boys were divided into four teams - two younger and two older.

The two younger teams played each other and presented a winning team.

The two older teams played each other and presented a winning team.

 The young men, along with Reyes, formed a team to play the gringos.

[Willie and Antonio (from Canaan) played with the gringos.]

Then the two winning boy teams played each other for the champion.

 

 

While the boys waited to play their games, the team used the opportunity to share Bible stories.

 

As time passed, we realized that we needed to feed the entire crowd - they were not leaving until it was all said and done.  So as they continued to play, David and a couple of the team, walked to a tienda to buy bread to add sandwiches to our 10 lunches, returning with only crackers, drinks, baggies, and straws.  We prepared paper towel plates with half a sandwich, a few chips, some candy and a third of can of drink.  As we ran out of peanut butter sandwiches, we made cracker peanut butter sandwiches.  As chips ran thin, we added a couple more pieces of candy. 

 

While the championship game was played the other children ate their lunch.  Knowing there were only a few cups, the children unselfishly returned their cups for the next group.  Following the winning goal, prizes were awarded and the remaining lunches were eaten.  Cups and drink cans now emptied, baggies were filled with drink and an added straw for the next ones.  When the straws were depleted, we knot tied the baggies and they bit a hole in the corner to drink. The young men and the team ate as well.  We served ALL 61 people gathered.  And they even gathered all the trash in plastic bags while the young men played the gringos once again.

 

As we gathered the trash, tore down the shortened goalposts, and climbed the road back to the cars, we were surrounded with boys and girls and young men in whose lives, once again the seed of the Gospel had been planted, watered, and nurtured.  Some of them are beginning to understand more of the saving faith in Christ alone.  Some of them are growing in that knowledge.  And some of them have received that salvation in Christ alone. 

 

Using every venue, using every opportunity, using every conversation

as a method of tilling the soul soil,

planting the seed of the Word of God,

watering the tender stalks of awareness of truth,

nurturing the baby plants of understanding of the Gospel,

gathering the harvest of faith.

That is what Missions is all about.



 

Where did it go? Recap of the month...

 

Where did the month of November go?  I think I remember the beginning but then it just zoomed by!  Honestly, how does that happen?!

On the first day, the third team from Brainerd Baptist arrived and the whirlwind began!  We were delighted to welcome the group and lay out the plan for the week with flexibility as the key.  We really didn't know what all God had in store for the time but were excited about how he would use us all for His glory!

Since the Immigration Office had decided that the second day was the time for our appointment to finalize our residency that required appointment began the flexible schedule for the team.  A team of 34 from Iglesia Canaan left Chimaltenango around six to begin their journey, sending Pastor Victoriano with our translator for the week in the smaller van to the Arkansas House to begin the journey for them as we began our experience with the Immigration Office completing all the requirements and signatures (of course we are still waiting for the completed documents, but at least we have completed the steps). Both groups stopped about noon for a picnic, fellowship, and recreation.  What an exciting time for the teams to get to know each other and what a blessing to find a couple of young women who may be available for translation in the future!  We arrived at the hotel only about 30 minutes after the team.  Whew, what a first day of ministry!

On the third day of the month, the Saturday ministry included a hike down the trail to Reyes' home. 

 

 

It was all downhill going (yep, you know what that means) but oh the joy we had sharing in ministry and fellowship.  The Lord has blessed and provided a templo (building for worship) complete with cement floorn which provided sleeping space for the team members from Canaan.  The worship fellowship was great. 

Pastor Carlos from Brainerd shared the Bible story.

Pastor Victoriano led in the singing.

We had shared with the team about the itliteracy of most of the people.

They were able to bring two Proclaimers from Faith Comes by Hearing. 

Now these people will be able to "read" God's Word for themselves - what a treasure!

Reyes receives the Word of God.

The ladies provided lunch for the teams and everyone who attended the meeting.  Quite a lot of activity going on as all the cooking was done over open fire.

 

 

I didn't get a picture of the ones cooking inside over the open fire.  They prepared a chicken/pork misture in a roasted tomato sauce over rice and tortillas...lots of tortillas.  The ladies "patted out" and cook tortillas for over 4 hours!  Now that is a LOT of tortillas!

The team divided into groups.  Some went house to house visiting...up and down the trails.  Some helped in children activities.  Some attended the ladies meeting. And then we all (Brainerd team) met back up the "hill" at the vehicles to head back to the hotel.  Yep, this time it was UP, UP, UP, stop and rest, UP, UP, UP, stop and rest, repeated 5 or 6 times until we reached the road. 

Great opportunties to be His Heart, His Hands, His Voice...planting seeds, watering fertile ground where seeds had been planted before, finding growth, believing a harvest.

More recaps a'comin'

Recent Happenings with "FAMILY"

 

 

From November 1-8 we worked alongside this team from Brainerd, Chattanooga,

and 34 church members from Canaan in Nearar.

Brainerd team members included:

Carlos, and wife Sylvia.

Joey, Brittany and husband Rusty, and Brian.

 

Antonio in the white t-shirt is the young man from Canaan

who has a passion to reach the people of Nearar for Christ.

He stayed an additional night (the church had to return to Chimaltenango on Sunday)

to assist the team with another outreach on Monday.

 

Willie, a young man from Canaan was a wonderful translator for the team.

Hope his schedule will allow us to use him more often.

He has a great passion to reach folks with the Gospel of Christ.

 

Luis, in front, was a super van driver who loves the Lord.

 

Precious eternal impacting time with brothers and sisters...

the family of Christ!

 

 

It was a wonderful week and I will update more of the details of the week but after we put them on the plane Thursday morning, we hurredly returned home to wash clothes, update emails and do a little future planning, pack and get back to the airport on Friday morning to head out the states.

So what are we doing?

 

 

 

Well, tonight we are enjoying time with long time friends, Bill and Vicki...

friends like family...

 

 

yep, ENJOYING watching G*E*O*R*G*I*A football!!

 

Go DAWGS!!!!

Just like old times!

 

We are sharing in the Mission Forum at Brainerd Baptist, Chattanooga,

for the next several days and having some training sessions with past and future teams.

And then...more family time!

 

You can be sure that more pics will follow those times too!

Stay tuned for shared pics and blogs as we have internet.

 

Go DAWGS!

Just like God...

The morning after I wrote the last post, I was reading in one of my devotional books, Streams in the Desert, book 2, and just like God does, He dropped a timely word. Perhaps it is because we live in a foreign country apart from past comfort zones, or perhaps it is because we see these things happening on a daily basis, or because we have walked in places where the evidence of the evil one is very real, but whatever the reason, we are more aware of the need for prayer covering than ever before.  Hear our heart in these words.

The weapons of our warfare are...mighty to the pulling down of strongholds
(2Cor. 10:4)

 

In the Great War in France a strong position had to be taken.  The enemy's lines were so defended by trenches, parapets and barbed wire, that any assault, however determined, by whatever number of men, must have failed.  However brave the attackers might have been, not a man would have reached the enemy's trenches alive.  It was, in fact, quite impossible for the place to be taken by infantry assault.  But the attacking general had collected large numbers of the most powerful artillery, firing the most powerfully explosive shells.  With this excessive strength of massed artillery a continuous fire was kept up for over five hours on the one objective till trenches were blown in, palisades thrown down, and wire entanglements blown to pieces.

Then, when the artillery had done its work, the waiting troops were at last able to go up "every man straight before him," and, with comparatively little loss, to capture the position.  What had been absolutely impossible to them before had been made possible by the sustained fire of the artillery.

I believe this is a most accurate and instructive picture of spiritual warfare.  There are positions of the adversary that cannot be stormed or starved.  There are defenses that are impregnable.  There are obstructions which effectually bar the progess of the most devoted members of God's great missionary army.  Before such can possibly succeed, there is necessary the sustained and continuous fire of the artillery of prayer.  Nothing else will take its place.  Nothing will avail until it has done its work.

Too often, in the absence of prevailing prayer, the assault has to be made without, and precious lives are sacrificed, time is lost, and all efforts are in vain; not because God is unfaithful, or the servant is not devoted, but because the artillery of prayer has been lacking, and no breach has been made in the enemy's defenses.

Northcote Deck, Streams in the Desert, book 2

 

Will you join with us as we make a continuous fire on the strongholds in the Chorti area? 

It is just like God to answer in accordance to our prayers.

 

We have work in

La Cumbre de Nearar

La Iglesia Bautista Canaán, Chimaltenango

Pastor Victoriano Cojti

Pastor Nahum

David and Regina White

Local Believer and Leader Reyes

Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN

 

Beginning work in

Lagunetas

David and Regina White

Chorti Baptist Agriculture Development Project

 

Beginning work in

Chancó

Corral de Piedra

Iglesia Bautista Shalom, Zacapa

Pastor Rolando Cruz

Iglesia Bautista Shalom, Chiquimula

Pastor Elfidio Castillo Arroyo

FBC, Mt. Pleasant, SC



Another adventure...

 

It was another adventure with another group.

Reyes, Pastor Nahum and son Daniel were in the lead,

 

sharing Jesus along the way, even in the middle of the road.

Then off the road, down the trail,

 



 

they go,

 

down and around,

 

past a new outhouse, sitting in the middle of "nowhere?"

Following the trail, wherever it goes,

 



 

 over and under and through,

 

to a simple home

 

where needs abound...physical and spiritual...

 

seeing others along the way,

 

passing giant "homes" of termites, no less,

 

continuing the trail,

 

seeing different styles of home,

far removed from the road,

only accessible "down the trail."

Then again to return later that afternoon

to bring medicine to a sick lady,

opening the door to come again

and share the love of Jesus

and the message of Jesus

once again.

 

As Pastor Victoriano shared his final message of thanksgiving to the team,

 

friendships had been forged,

lives had been changed for eternity,

never to be the same...

 

 

Thanks to the investment of these who came to live out the love of Jesus

and share the message of salvation in Christ alone.

Keep praying until the next time!

Headed out...Need Prayer Covering

We are so excited...Brainerd Baptist medical/evangelistic team has arrived, soon the team from Iglesia Canaán meets with us here at the Arkansas mission house in the capital, and then we will launch out to Nearar. We NEED your prayer covering! Then along the week, I will drop in some pics and updates so you can follow along the journey.

We head to Jocotán to a hotel as our home base and then daily will go up the mountain to Nearar to share the love of Jesus. It is exciting to see the first "working" partnership between these two churches. (Now, I'm sure those guys on the vision team would disagree about the "working" part as they moved that galera down the mountain to Reyes' house...sorry guys, no offense!)

David and Regina White will be working with us as well. Pray specifically for David as he is "recovering" from a bout with dengue fever.

Pray for safety in travels.  

Pray for Satan to be bound, eyes and hearts to be opened and receptive to the Truth.

Pray for an amazing moving of the Spirit among the people to hear, discern the Truth, and receive salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Pray for physical needs to be diagnosed and met. Pray for physical strength and stamina for the team.

Shine, Jesus, shine,

Fill this land with the Father's glory.

Blaze, Spirit blaze,

Set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river flow

Flood the nations with grace and mercy.

Send forth Your word,

Lord, and let there be light.

Cliff Richard

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.