WINDING DOWN

Sorry for the lateness of this blog. My fingers were willing last night, but my brain and eyes were shutting down.

In the previous blog I said that the team was going to the seminary to help in the con-struction of an apartment complex. It was more like de-struction. We moved a lot of broken concrete blocks that came from a wall that had been torn down and put them in a pile for a truck to come in and carry them off. We also dug up a lot of sod so the ground could be leveled. Someone made the comment that this was the most physical labor they had done in a year.

Most of the team is off to Monterrico on the coast today for some sand, sun, ocean breezes, and swimming. Three of us older heads stayed back to tour Antigua. (Rusty may take exception to being called an older head, but that's what he gets for having gray hair.)

The entertainment we enjoyed Thursday evening at Restaurante Don Rodrigo bears further description. Although, words cannot completely describe it.....you needed to be there. At one point during the dinner, a group of Guatemalans came out dressed in elaborate costumes complete with masks and did a dance routine to the music being played. After they danced for a while, they invited members of the guests to participate, which several of our group did. It was fun and entertaining and then, one of the members of our team, I'll not mention a name, but he is head, shoulders, and overall body bigger than the dance team. He started doing the can can and the Guatemalans retreated to the sides of the dance floor, their routine blown out of the water. If it had not been for the masks, I am sure we would have seen stark terror on their faces.

All in all, the trip this year has been a success even with some of the delays and at times not knowing if we were going to be able to accomplish what we came to do. But God is good and is able to complete His work in spite of us.

Hopefully, we will get the vehicles out of the parking lot at an hour much earlier than the attendants want to open and be on our way to the airport. It has been fun blogging and from time to time I hope to continue. God bless you all.

Luisa

THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Four families in Alotenango have a new house today with a new rocket stove. No more smell of smoke in the house, no more red eyes, and no more fighting to breathe. The ladies of the house were shown how to start the fires and safely operate the stoves.

Manuel Chavez brought a short gospel message at each house dedication and two people made a profession of faith in Christ. One other person is a believer and the others were not ready yet to make the commitment. They have been given the Word so they have it in their minds and we pray that as they think about what they heard, the Holy Spirit will convict them and draw them to Jesus Christ. We build houses, do dental clinics, hand out food and clothes and play with children, but the main focus is to present Christ to the Guatemalan people.

Just a short note about Manuel Chavez....he is a dentist by profession and an evangelist by calling. He does not miss an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. We got to know Manuel when Don was looking for a dentist who was willing to do dental work for free if we bought the equipment. Manuel has been more than willing to fill that position. I count him as a dear friend and will miss him tremendously.

Tonight we are in Antigua in a hotel and dined at Restaurante Don Rodrigo. The food was excellent and the entertainment was.....entertaining. I hope to have pictures soon. Tomorrow we are off to the seminary to help in preparing the ground for the construction of an apartment complex.

I think the team will rest well tonight, they are tired. Rusty fell asleep at the table in the restaurant.

Luisa

THE GREATEST GIFT IS LOVE

This week has been about giving in the form of building houses, pulling teeth, feeding and rocking babies and we're not done yet. There have been four houses built complete with concrete and the dentist have relieved toothaches for over 100 people. Tomorrow plans are to build rocket stoves in each of the new houses. A lot of the people here suffer from respiratory illnesses due to the open cooking fires inside the house. The rocket stove is a cook stove as well as a source of heat and the smoke goes out the chimney instead of in eyes and noses. Late in the afternoon, the team will congregate back in Alotenango to dedicate the houses.

I realize I am prejudice, but this has been one of the best groups I have been a part of. The ages range from 12 to 72 and everyone has been treated with love and respect. They have worked together in harmony to give to the Guatemalan people and have discovered that it is hard to out give them. They want to show their gratefulness by giving something in return.

It is time to pack and get ready to vacate the mission house since another team is coming in tomorrow. Please continue to pray for the team as they finish the work and continue to be an example of Christ love to the people here.

Luisa

SOUTH OF THE BORDER....THEY CAME OUT TO PLAY

God has blessed, the weather has been good and the houses are almost finished. The dental team was busy and another group returned to Amor del Nino. Kids were loved on and our own Mr. Fixit did some maintenance.

Tonight was a night of cross cultural dining, fellowship, and games with several families from Chimaltenango here to eat and visit. On a personal note, it is probably the last time I will see some of these folks so I was especially glad they could come.

Everyone is doing well with the exception maybe of one young man by the name of Jackson Doshier. We have nicknamed him "popper" and he may still have blisters in his mouth. Don bought some little peppers that he calls poppers that are just a little smaller than a pea and hotter than blue blazes, Jackson took one and popped it in his mouth and instantly regretted it, hence the nickname.

Tomorrow the team hopes to finish the houses and Thursday morning will leave the mission house and move to Antigua for a couple of days. We are buying four rocket stoves to assemble and put in the four houses that were built and those will be installed Thursday and Friday.

Hasta Manaña

Luisa

AND AWAY WE GO

For a bunch of people that didn't get to bed until almost 1:00 a.m., this team was up bright and early and ready to go to work this morning. Razorbacks are tough!

Rusty Castleman from Batesville has been here with the Arkansas team along with his family before, and he is here again. He is the original Mr. Fixit and spent the day repairing things in the mission house. He was in his element.

The team broke up into three groups....one to build houses, one to do a dental clinic, all in Alotenango, and one working at Amor del Nino. Two houses were almost finished, 30+ dental patients are in less pain tonight, well maybe not tonight, but soon, and Shyrel at Amor del Nino had help taking some children to the doctor for vaccinations. Before returning to the mission house, 75 families were blessed at a church near el Tejar with food packages and shoes.

New teams have cultural shocking/eyeopening/life changing experiences and those were shared tonight as the group met for devotional and sharing. It is not hard to see Jesus in the lives of some of the Guatemalan people with their gracious attitudes and generous spirits. May they see the same attitude and spirit in our team and may God be honored by what they do here.

Luisa

MISSION TRIP TO DALLAS

It seemed for a while that the Arkansas mission team to Guatemala was going to be doing mission work in Dallas, Texas. Due to mechanical problems with the airplane in Little Rock, the team arrived late in Dallas after switching airlines and is 24 hours late arriving in Guatemala. However, Don, DJ, and John are on their way to the airport as I am writing this at 7:30 p.m., Sunday night, to meet the team and bring them to the mission house.

Don, DJ, John, and I attended church in Pastores this morning where Max Lara is pastor. Danny Lafferty is visiting here now, so we got to hear him preach. We enjoyed lunch in Antigua then returned to the mission house for rest and regrouping.

Come back tomorrow and I'll try to update you on what God is accomplishing through the team in Guatemala.

Luisa