Alex

Opportunities to help children seem to present themselves to this ministry on a daily basis. There are so many children that need help spiritually, physically, emotionally... We've been wondering where God would lead us in the coming months. How can we best influence these young kids of Guatemala and who needs the most help?

God lead us to Alex.

Alex exemplifies the urgency we feel. He feels it too.

He's a young boy who is of the ideal age of recruiting for gang leaders. It can happen so fast. Alex already has several of the qualifications that these gangs are looking for. An unstable father. A mother who wants the best for her children, but can barely feed them. Free time spent alone or with siblings. He is looking for love. He clings to you whenever you visit.

What can we do? Give thanks to God for bringing Alex to us just at the right time.

If you'd like to read more about Alex, visit the Groundwork Guatemala website at: www.groundworkguatemala.org/view/sponsor

A meeting of hearts

It was a special day on Tuesday. After emails to the state of Washington and yet more from a cruise ship heading towards the Panama Canal and eventually to Florida, it was all arranged. Rosa and Sahid were going to meet two very special people. They’d seen their pictures, gotten letters and cards from them, but they’d never seen them in person. John and Judy Hill are the sponsors of Rosa Tocay, and their daughter, Jessica is Sahid’s sponsor. It hadn’t been more than a few weeks ago when Rosa asked us, “When can I meet MY sponsors?” She had seen several of the children meet their sponsors throughout the year when they came down to serve with Groundwork Guatemala on short term mission trips, and she wondered if her sponsors would ever be coming down to see her.

Well, Tuesday was the day. The Hills had planned a day trip from their ship into Antigua just to see this child with whom they’d been communicating for three years. With Manuel driving, Oscar, Kevin and I, Rosa and Sahid travelled from Guatemala City to Antigua. We left early because everyone was so excited! We had arranged to meet John and Judy in the Central Park, a place to which we thought anyone could direct them. It was fun as we watched every gringo that walked through the park… “Is it them?” “How about them?” “What color hair do they have?” And finally, there they were. Such smiles and hugs at this great reunion! What a special blessing this was for everyone there.

As we waited for our tasty lunch at the local Pollo Campero, Sahid, who had brought his report card with him, proudly shared his great grades for the year with John and Judy. With Oscar’s help with translating, the kids also shared their favorite subjects in school, what they might want to do when they get older, their favorite food... The Hills told them about their three dogs and three cats and how they all get along so well together. It was just a great couple of hours together getting to know one another face to face.

As we looked out over the city of Antigua from Cerro de la Cruz, Rosa found out that John and Judy had to leave shortly to go back to their ship. She was so disappointed that they had to leave so soon. They all agreed that Rosa would learn more English and the Hills would learn more Spanish, so when they saw one another again, they could talk to each other more easily.
The gift of education that is given to these children by their sponsors is pretty indescribable. They learn so much more than math and reading. Most importantly, they learn how to live a life that is pleasing to God, to grow in faith and wisdom, and to have a much better chance at providing for their families. We thank the Hills for giving this gift to Rosa and Sahid. It’s a gift they cherish.

Follow this link to a new opportunity in The Alex Project! http://www.groundworkguatemala.org/view/sponsor

Dios tiene un proposito

God has a purpose. (literally, intention)

Today we went to visit the families of the three boys who were shot and killed last Sunday. We came to find out that we had connections to the other two boys, not just Luis. Gilmar, the 22 year old, was the cousin of Manuel, another high school student that worked with us at the ministry for the past two years. Daniel, the 13 year old, was Manuel's brother.

The first family we visited with was that of Daniel. There are just so few words to say to a mother and father who have just lost their thirteen year old son to such a tragic death. What we did share was God's Word with them and we prayed that those words would bring comfort and healing to their broken hearts. I told Daniel's mother that I was a mom, too, and couldn't imagine her pain, as we wept in each others arms. As his father wept such tears of sorrow, all we could do was hold him and try to share his burden of grief.

Just steps away, was the house of Luis' family. According to his mom, Luis and Manuel were always together. Ruth said that they'd grown up together and were best of friends. So Manuel has not only lost his younger brother and his cousin, but his best friend, as well. As we visited with Luis' mom, Manuel (from our ministry team) said that he didn't know if he was correct or not, but felt that there was something very different about these two homes, about how they were dealing with their losses. The things that Luis' mother was saying about everything that had happened were filled with such hope. She said that, of course, she is devistated and asks God "Why my son?" But she has such a trust in God's love and wisdom and she knows God has a purpose for allowing Luis to die. Luis knew his Savior and his mom knows for certain that he is enjoying heavenly perfection, free from pain and sadness and is forever with his heavenly Father. Several times she said she trusted in God's mercy and knows He has a purpose for this. Perhaps, she said, Luis' death was a sacrifice to bring others to Christ. What a living testament to God's neverending love and His desire that ALL would know Him as Lord and Savior! We prayed that Cristina would continue to be a witness to her daughter and to the family who lived so close to her, bringing the Light to their darkness.

Thank you for your prayers for these two families and for the many friends, many of them young adults, who knew and loved these boys. We pray that hearts will be softened and all will draw closer to their Savior through these deaths as there is only one hope for eternal life, Jesus Christ. It is with a renewed urgency that we tell everyone what He has done.

"I command you - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 Luis' favorite verse.

Luis

If you've been checking my wall on Facebook lately you would have read about an all too common occurance here in Guatemala. Luis Otoniel Bran, who was 19, was shot and killed two days ago, along with two other boys aged 13 and 22. As is often the case, we don't have many details. It is thought that there was a fourth boy who was taken by the shooters. Needless to say, there is no one left to tell us exactly what happened.

Luis was an exceptionally tall teenager by Guatemalan standards, and as Rachel said yesterday, he always smiled like the picture you see. He came to the ministry each day after school to help in the kitchen carrying bucketloads of dishes for the cooks, cleaning and working in the carpentry shop. Graduation from high school was in sight, leading Luis to possible employment as a mechanic. The word 'gentle' comes to mind when I think of this tall, but quiet young man.

The people of Guatemala are shaking their fists at the government and police for the escalating violence in this country. Drug trafficking, extortion, poverty, gangs...all lead to violent crimes, which all too often are against innocent victims who are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The government says it is working on changing this situation, but it's pretty hard to do when the police and lawmakers are corrupt and less than 3% of the over 6000 homicides per year are ever brought to justice. Villages throughout Guatemala are beginning to take the law into their own hands with vigilante groups seizing suspected wrong-doers and killing them on the spot. Unfortunately, with the level of corruption in the government and law enforcement, there is little chance of the situation improving any time soon.

Sounds pretty hopeless, doesn't it? But no matter where you live, your hope can't be placed in the government, in law enforcement, or in any human, for that matter. Reading the newspaper or hearing from someone we know that yet another relative or friend was murdered could make us never want to get out of bed in the morning. But we can't live in fear that something might happen to us sometime. I mean, is God in control of every single thing that happens in this universe or not?? If we really believe that, then we need to trust His eternal love and sovereign will. What happened to Luis and his two friends is tragic and seems to be senseless. Why so young? Why such a nice kid? But nothing is out of God's sight. He knew this was going to happen and He is even now surrounding Luis' family and friends with His loving arms of comfort and strength. We pray that everyone who was touched by this horrible event will draw closer to the only true hope which is found in the Lord who never changes, always loves, and has given us the absolute assurance of eternal life with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.

And Luis? Why he is forever in the arms of his God and Savior! Can't get any better than that!!

Just when you think...

Many of you have met Beatriz whether in person or through stories we have told in the past. If you have visited where she and her family live, you will never forget it. The reason? Because you feel like you are literally in the garbage dump. There is broken glass, cans and old plastic bottles and junk everywhere. Her usually intoxicated father lives under a piece of tin, set at an angle leaving a space just large enough for him to fit. The lot is a long narrow area with a small shanty at the very far end. In the shanty live Beatriz, her two sons and her two daughters, and her husband. That is, until he was shot and murdered last week. We're not sure why, but he is gone, nonetheless.

Just when you think it couldn't get any harder for Beatriz, it does. Her children play in garbage. Her babies learned to walk on a path made of broken glass. It's dirty, disgusting...and oh man, does it smell in the rainy season. I have no idea what they eat. I've never seen a stove or food anywhere. But, while Beatriz has talked from time to time about praying that God would provide food and maybe a larger place for them to live because they are just squeezed into this shanty, she is usually a house visit that we make where WE are the ones prayed for and uplifted by the faith and spirit of this child of God. (She prayed for the people in the United States and the bad economy when last we visited...) I know that Beatriz will turn to the Lord for the strength she needs to face the challenges ahead. Her husband wasn't a very great character, but he did at least provide for the family in some way. But God is the great Provider and we know He will supply all her needs.

For those of you who know Rosa, there is news about her, as well. Kevin began treating Rosa's ridiculously high, over the maximum number on the glucometer blood sugar count (500!) last year. She continues to come to Groundwork every 1-2 weeks to be checked and to receive much needed medication along with lots of hugs and love. When we returned in January, we found out that Rosa was pregnant. Of course, this brings it's own set of challenges for someone with diabetes, so getting her count lowered was even more important. Rosa's husband has a history of abusive behavior and leaves her and her son and daughter frequently, then returns forcefully. It's a pretty tough situation, to say the least. Sadly, Rosa lost her baby in April. Our hearts break for her loss, knowing that God's wisdom is beyond ours and His comfort beyond measure. We are grateful for the time we can spend being His arms of love on Sunday afternoons when she comes.

These are just two of the thousands of mothers in Guatemala that are handling such a difficult life by themselves. They have no support, no government welfare program. They have no family to help out. We just pray that, as a ministry and their brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be available and obedient to God's call to remember them, pray for them, to relieve some of their pain, to share the burden, to feed and clothe. To love.

Marshmallows

Until moving to Guatemala, I had always thought that marshmallows were for eating. There are lots tasty ways I've used them. Melted with some butter and added to Rice Krispies...mmm, Rice Krispie treats! Sprinkle a few on your hot chocolate...that special touch mommy used to add just for fun...but be careful you don't end up with a marshmallow mustache! In the midwest, we've all had tiny marshmallows in red jello, right? Then, almost everyone's favorite...SMORES!! Oh yeah, now we're talkin'!! A little graham cracker action, a nice big square of Hershey's chocolate and an evenly browned roasted marshmallow all squished together...gotta love it!!!

Well, in Guatemala, marshmallows have taken on a whole new form. First of all, they're not white. They come in a lovely array of pastel colors. The unique thing about them is that there is a ring of one color around the outside, with a different color in the center! Now I'm sure that people here must eat these marshmallows, but I've never seen them do it. What I have seen is Marshmallow Art! That's right. People make things out of these cute 2-colored puffs. Last week for his birthday, Kevin received three little marshmallow animals on sticks. And Monday, I received a cute marshmallow flower on a stick from Sandra for Mother's Day. Birthdays and Mother's Day are very important days in Guatemala and marshmallow penguins and bears and flowers are very inexpensive ways to let someone special know that they are loved. But they're so cute you hate to eat them!!

Step back in time...

The thing about Buena Vista is that you've just come from a large city with its streets crammed with cars and buses, driven past miles of storefronts, markets, and signs, and now you find yourself in a place where there is no running water, no electricity, no pollution and the "main road" is made of fine dirt and is probably less than 12 feet wide where the railroad used to come through.

Can you imagine a place where there is no television and there never has been? No one is reading fashion magazines or the Wall Street Journal to keep up on the latest news. There isn't any traffic because no one has a car. The only motorcycle I remember seeing in the past two months was that of the guy selling chicken out of a box on the back. This is a place unaffected by the loud voices of commercialism that so dictate our American society.

Each Wednesday we travel two hours to this secluded village of probably several hundred people (impossible to know how many live here) and set up our teaching areas under the banana and mango trees. It's a bit of a surreal feeling as it's so quiet compared to Guatemala City where we live. Shortly after we arrive the ladies and even a couple men begin to stroll "in" and the children look to see if Oscar, Ruth and Julian will have something special for them today, which, of course, they do. The adults sit on a six to eight inch slice of tree that's resting on two tree stumps, while some have the luxury of sitting on one of the few plastic chairs that we borrow from the lady next door. Manuel and Sandra lead them in a time of worship with songs and prayers and hearing the Word of God. The children gather on pieces of cardboard or the drop cloths that Wausau left behind and enjoy a time of singing songs, hearing a Bible story and doing a craft. There is one school, public, where approximately 170 children attend. Their morning break comes midway during our activity, and typically a dozen or two kids come running down to try and get in on at least part of what we're doing. It's a sweet time of learning and growing in the truth of God's Word.

The shanties in Buena Vista are spread out, each person having quite a bit of land to live on by Guatemalan standards. But these shanties are much like the ones in Guatemala City and Amatitlan, being made of tin with trees of maybe four inch diameter used to hold up the walls and roofs. Of course, without running water, there are no bathrooms...only a hole in the ground. Isn't God funny to send this "me no likey camping chick" to a place such as this?!?! But He seems to have done just that! We've seen life in the dry season, with moms and children standing at the pilas (wash tubs) doing their laundry, sweeping the dirt, playing outside. But I'm curious how life will change in the rainy season when the dirt turns to mud, the wash takes days to dry, and children spend days inside their dark shanties because it's raining.

Oh, this is only the surface of life in Buena Vista. I haven't yet introduced you to the many people whom we have met there at our Bible studies or on house visits. It will be a pleasure to tell you some of their stories!

The drive to Buena Vista

Kevin has been talking about the village of Buena Vista since he first went there with Manuel and the rest of the ministry team in December. "You'll love it there!" "It's like nothing you've ever seen." My third day back in Guatemala found the seven of us piling into little Rodrigo, Manuel and I in the front and the rest in the back. We'd gotten a late start because Rodrigo needed his usual tune up after a hard day's work the previous day. The five in the back of the truck were bundled in sweatshirts, hats, sunglasses and anything padded that they could sit on for the long drive.

First stop after almost an hour's drive was Amatitlan to pick up Chochis...and her suitcase full of dishes and candy for the kids and who knows what else, as well as two little coolers that contained lunch for everyone. This seventy year old woman, who LOVES to talk non-stop, most definitely has the gift of hospitality. She is always providing food or little treats for the ministry team or for the children that come to our activities. Chochis lives in Amatitlan, but grew up in Buena Vista. It is her sister's house at which we hold our ministry activities every Wednesday. Now we're up to 8 in poor little Rodrigo! (He's going to need some time off after this, I think.)

On we drive...and what a drive it is! At times you can see six volcanoes at once. It's a clear day, so it's quite a view. Volcan Fuego (meaning 'fire') exploded, blowing a huge puff of gray into the sky. Pretty amazing to be so close to these huge volcanoes, especially the active ones. As we drive around from the north side of Volcan Agua ('water') to the south, the temperature makes a sudden turn to the warmer. We pass field after field of sugar cane, which appears to be the main crop. The drive from Guatemala City to Buena Vista is about two hours with mild traffic, so you can imagine the six sitting in the back of the pickup truck are beyond ready to get out, especially after the last ten or fifteen minutes of rocky road...and we're not talking about ice cream! Clouds of dust rise as they brush off their sweatshirts and pants...just like Pigpen! Buena Vista is in the middle of nowhere...find the big tree and you know you've arrived!

I'll tell you more about what God is doing in Buena Vista through Groundwork Guatemala in the next blog. It's like taking a step back in time in this village with no electricity or running water.

Back in Guatemala

It's after 10:30 PM on Tuesday and I can't believe I'm riding back from the airport in Rodrigo, the little red pickup truck that has died at least fifty times in the past two years since we arrived here. Kevin is in the back with my two duffels filled with pillows, canned chicken and, among other things, Spanish books, which I keep taking back and forth with the hope that I'll actually be able to speak this crazy language one day. Julian bought Rodrigo and has diligently worked on raising him from the dead on numerous occasions. Tonight is a good night for him!!

I enter the new house in the dark, not knowing where any light switches are, or remembering where the room is that Kevin's been sleeping in the past month that he was already here. One thing I must try to remember is to never arrive in Guatemala at night, especially when you've had such an emotional couple of months as we all have had. It's one thing coming into a sunny house, looking out the windows and seeing Volcan Agua and the surrounding mountains. It's quite another looking at the dirty walls and cold, empty, echoey rooms. I can't find my jammies which are somewhere in one of the black plastic garbage bags Kevin used to empty the apartment in December. I immediately burst into tears and long for the soft furniture, warm lights and clean house and family I'd left behind just hours before. I knew where everything was and I had more than I needed. It's a beast that I have to beat back every single time I come here. The beast of comfort.

I get so used to having personal space (we are living with the seven members of Manuel's family), comfortable furniture, freedom to go where I want, being able to communicate my thoughts and feelings in my own language. I come back to Guatemala and pray that God changes my heart, yet again, to be content with where He's placed me; that His grace is sufficient and I don't need anything but that to be at peace. "Though the darkness may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning!" And it does...I wake up and see Oscar, Sandra, Julian and Ruth for the first time in two months. We read God's Word and pray together. We talk excitedly about the mission team coming in just a few weeks. We eat lunch together sitting on 5 gallon buckets. The work, the ministry has begun! It pushes everything of little or no consequence into the background, and what really matters, spreading the love of Christ, comes blazing to the front. Now I am ready.

Skirt Blessings!

We pray that you had a joyful day giving thanks to our Creator and Redeemer! God is so good!

A couple weeks ago, as is our usual Monday routine, we went to see our friend Maria in Amatitlán. If you've read our blog, perhaps you remember Maria's story that I wrote about some time ago. She continues to struggle with the thirty year old wound on her leg, which, frankly, about makes a person pass out to look at. Two of Maria's granddaughters live with her now and as the nurse was tending to Maria's leg, Manuel was giving me the "ch...ch" (the Spanish version of "psst!!"). He said "las faldas!" (the skirts!) We had been carrying a box of skirts around in the van to be ready for just the right girls who needed them...and we had found just the right little girls that morning! During Compassion Weekend 2008, a church in South Florida, LMIC (Lutheran Ministry in Christ) sewed lightweight skirts as part of the Sewing Across Borders national campaign, and with love, sent them to Guatemala.

After asking what their favorite colors were, Manuel and I went out to find the right sizes for these two cuties. Just to be sure, I had the girls try the skirts on. Dulce (means "sweet") had been wearing a thin cotton dress, so when she tried on the skirt, she couldn't find anything to wear on top, so I went into the "bedroom" to help with the search. There was a boy, Maria's grandson, laying on the dirt floor sleeping. The dark room had two small beds that were piled with all sorts of junk. Her sister was helping her dig through a big box that had clothes in it, but nothing was remotely close to a little girl's shirt. They looked on the bed, on the floor, and finally, we found a little white button down cotton shirt that was draped over a nylon rope that was hanging across the room, along with a bunch of other clothes. Isn't that crazy? We're so blessed to have a "shirt drawer" or blouses hanging neatly in our bedroom closet. Here are these two girls looking all over the place to find just one little blouse. Well, the skirts fit both of the girls and they were very excited to show their grandmother! Just too cute!

A couple of weeks ago, we had all of the little girls stay after our children's activity in Amatitlan and shared your remaining gifts of love with each girl that was there. It was so wonderful to see those little skirts in the arms of the sweet girls as they returned home, knowing that loving hands had made them in a place so far away. Thank you, LMIC, for sharing your talents, your treasures and your love with the girls of Guatemala!! God is so good!

His name was Alberto

You would see him most days at La Provision. Filthy with weeks of grime on his clothes, on his skin, yellow teeth...at least those that he had. He fits right in with the rest of the men who come each day for what very well might be their only meal. They stand with a wad of gauze covered with paint thinner or some other toxic liquid held in their fist, or even stuck in their mouth, or hold the familiar small plastic bottle filled with rubbing alcohol that they they drink or glue that they sniff. Huffers and alcoholics, certainly without a home. Q1, about 14 cents, will buy the high. It's short lived, so they must keep their gauze covered in whatever toxic chemical they can find close to their nose or in their mouth all day. These men, and even some women, are dying from the inside out. Some have sores all over them, and most, when they come through the line to wash their hands, are so caked with dirt that they barely get one layer off, leaving the drying towel filthy.

This one man was different. It's hard to tell ages of people who are in this condition, twenties? teens? But his shaking was what you noticed. So uncontrollable that someone would need to carry his bowl of food and drink bag over to the curb where the guys all sit to eat. His shaking made it so that using a fork or spoon was useless. So he would drink soup right out of the bowl or take noodles by the handful and shove them in his mouth.

One day, recently, Adrian came up to me and said the men in the line were saying that one of the guys had died the night before. I asked him who it was, so we went over and asked. His name was Alberto.

Just two days before I had watched him as he was shoving long spaghetti noodles into his mouth. I had stood there thinking about who he was, what had brought him to this point. Did he know his Savior? Did he have any family? Did anyone miss him? I was glad they at least knew his name.

Sometimes I feel like it's hopeless. These guys are so wasted. So young. They are barely coherent and are so addicted to whatever it is they're huffing or drinking that they can barely stand up or put two words together. But God knew his name...He knew Alberto before he was born. I pray that at some point in his life Alberto knew His Father and had come to a saving faith. I'll never know. But that's not important. What is important is the other Alberto's who need food, who need a hand on a shoulder, who need to have someone know their name, to, yeah, have a kiss on the cheek or a hug even though their clothes and smell are disgusting.

Who are the untouchables in your life? in your neighborhood? in your church? They may not smell physically, but they may be people who are, for one reason or another, rejected by others or just plain lonely. Reach out to them. Know their names. Take the time to love. Be His hands.

Daily Bread - A Prayer Answered

We have had such a joyfilled summer with mission teams. While our time is consumed with leading this journey of faith that more than 170 people have taken this summer, it is such a privilege to travel this road together with God's people serving with us here in this peculiar area in Guatemala City called La Libertad (meaning "free land"). I say "peculiar" because it is such a unique part of Guatemala that even many Guatemalans are unaware of the environment in which thousands of people live in their very own country.

Last week we were blessed to have teams representing three churches from Mesa, Arizona, New Berlin and Wausau, Wisconsin and the St. Louis Seminary serving with us. It seems that doing "La Provision" is one of the most impactful parts of each team's experience here. As you may know, "La Provision" involves going down to the shanty town to serve lunch. The shanties, mostly made of corragated metal, cardboard and other found materials have been built on top of the garbage dump after this section had been filled up with garbage and leveled off. We normally offer this meal four days each week, Monday through Thursday. This particular week, however, some of the members of the teams, after having experienced the joy that providing food brought for so many hungry people, asked if it would be possible for us to do La Provision on Friday as well, if they would provide the $35 needed to buy the food and drinks for the day. Kevin checked it out with the ladies in the ministry kitchen, who answered with a resounding "Yes!"

So, the shopping was done, the 100+ meals and drink bags were prepared. In true T.I.G. (This Is Guatemala) fashion, Rodrigo, the ever challenging red pickup truck, decided he'd had it and was down for the count (again!! but this time we think it's for good...). That meant that the huge pot of food, the two coolers full of drink bags, the two five gallon buckets of water for washing hands, and all the bowls and forks, soap, towel and hand sanitizer needed to be carried all the way down to La Libertad. It was a bit of a hike, but we had willing servants to do the carrying.

Earlier that day, on our way down for the usual Friday morning Prayer Walk, we passed some familiar faces and stopped to say hello...how are you...gave a hug and a kiss on the cheek... As we neared La Libertad I saw "Karmencita" standing on the side of the road, so I stopped to say hello and gave her a hug. Karmencita walks on crutches and is just a little slip of a woman. I'm sitting here trying to guess her age, but am clueless. She probably isn't very old, but her lack of teeth and shuffling around on crutches probably belies her real age. I wish I had a picture of her, but I can't seem to find one (stay tuned...). I asked Karmencita how she was and she said that she was sad today and started to cry. When I asked why, she said that she was very hungry because she hadn't eaten since La Provision the day before. Since we normally don't have La Provision on Fridays, she was thinking it may be until Monday before she might eat again. I told her that there was good news because there was going to be Provision TODAY at 12:30! Her tears melted into a big toothless smile and we parted with "see you at 12:30!". Her prayer for daily bread had been answered with a big "Yes!" by our faithful God and Provider.

And, of course, later, when the team was scooping noodles into bowls and passing out the orange drink bags, here comes Karmencita on her crutches with a plastic half gallon pitcher in her apron pocket. Those handing out the food put three scoops of noodles in the pitcher, which we squeezed back into her apron pocket with three drink bags in another pocket. More hugs and smiles and off she went with food for her family.

God's servants listened to His call...they acted on His call to love...providing daily bread in answer to the prayers of one of His lambs. All glory to our loving Lord! Yay!

Our pews are plastic!

Each Monday Manuel, Gerber (pronounced 'hairbear'), and our mission teams, if they are with us, travel through the mountains of Guatemala to our second ministry site, Amatitlan. Amatitlan is a city of about 61,000 that was hit very hard by Hurricane Mitch almost ten years ago, in 1999. Since then, there are thousands of people living in poverty. Manuel tells us that it is very difficult for them to find work. As a result, many of the families there can't afford to send their children to school because of the fees that even public schools have, the lack of school supplies, and the need for older children to help care for their younger siblings. The Servant's Heart has been privileged to bring help in the form of school supplies and hygiene kits to many of the children in Amatitlan, and hope in the form of Jesus Christ, their Savior. As we are in our third day of constant rain from Alma and Arthur, I can't even imagine how cold and wet the people who live in the shanties in Amatitlan and here in the city must be. The streets turn to mud, along with the floors in most of their homes. And the shanties are anything but airtight. We feel as though we are living in a mansion here in our one bedroom apartment with Randy's bed in the kitchen, and we thank the Lord for the shelter with which He has blessed us. So every Monday afternoon, after our leader's Bible study, the ladies and their little kidlets begin to stream in through the black metal door at the end of the long cement block corridor. There are so many babies, with moms as young as 14 or 15. The kids, 60-70 usually, find their way to the little building at the far end and sit on the floor to hear about Jesus, sing songs and do crafts. While they're singin' at one end, the ladies are singin' at the other!! Not the same song, of course... but that's what "make a joyful noise" is all about, isn't it? There's singing and praying and listening to God's Word. Sounds like church to me! And what are our pews? Pink and blue and tan plastic chairs! And the roof? Big blue tarps that Manuel and Gerber put up in the morning and take down in the afternoon when we're finished! During this rainy season, it's not unusual for some of the ladies sitting in the gaps between the tarps to get wet, but they usually just laugh about it and move their chair a little bit! Isn't it amazing how, when you're hungry for God's Word, hungry for fellowship, hungry to sing praises... that it simply doesn't matter how cold or hot or wet you are? Nothing else is more important than being with your Savior. He is all that matters.

Perfect Timing, Perfect Plan

The first time I saw a picture of Randy and Rachel I said to myself, "There he is. This is who I have been praying for for the past 26 years." Which is a little strange since I wouldn't be meeting Randy until he moved down here to Guatemala as a missionary with us this January. The two had met in Guatemala in February of 2007. Rach was here working on Sponsorship Program things and Randy was here with his church's mission team. The next time they would see each other would be that summer at the National Youth Gathering in Orlando. Rach working in The Servant's Heart booth, Randy working with his church's youth group. Each thinking the other was "nice" and easy to talk to, but feeling it would be a little silly to go any farther than that since Randy would soon be moving to Guatemala and Rachel would be in Arizona.

Well, in God's perfect time, Rachel came down to Guatemala to work on some projects for the Sponsorship Program just a couple weeks after Randy had moved down and, try as they might not to, God gave them a wonderful gift of love. It is a joy to see how the Lord has brought these two lives together in the most unlikely way. All in His timing according to His perfect plan.

Since Rachel was born I have prayed that the Lord would prepare her husband to be a fine man of faith and integrity. And Randy is just that... He has committed his life to serving His Savior and we absolutely love him. Since moving to Guatemala, he has spent almost every minute here in our little two room apartment and has felt like family since the first day we met him in January. And family he will officially be as he and Rachel will be married in October of this year! We are so excited to see God's love flow through His two humble servants, and can't wait to see what His plan is as the two become one. We praise and thank Him for their love. What an awesome God!!

Maria

From Wausau, to southern California, and now to Washington... We are blessed at the ministry to have a team of ten servants join us from Beautiful Savior in Milton WA this week. As usual, we spend our Mondays in Amatitlan. Half of the team went by foot to visit some families right around the ministry building there, while the rest of us went on the fifteen minute drive out to visit Carlos. Many of you remember that he had fallen into a well about four years ago and had lost one of his legs and the use of the other one. He'd been in the hospital for eight days with an infection in his leg, but had no money to buy the antibiotic that he needed to stop the infection. We took his prescription with us and were able to get the needed medicine, which we delivered today. His leg was pretty swollen and inflamed, so we pray that the medicine will take care of the problem soon.

I would like to share with you the other house visit that we made on Monday. Many of you have heard about Maria, who has had a wound on her leg for the past 25+ years. It simply will not heal and the doctors have told her she needs to have it amputated. She's just too afraid to have them do that, so lives with the intense pain. Well, Maria told us we sat around her little kitchen about some terribly difficult situations that she is facing right now. Her daughter's two children live with her as her daughter left them. Her grandson is about 12 and kept getting into trouble, so she has had to put him into an institution for boys because she just couldn't handle him anymore. He will be there until he is 18 years old. Then she told us that the sweet little girl that was in the room with us is her granddaughter. Her name is Andrea and she is 10 years old. Maria said that she doesn't have enough money to buy food for both of them anymore, so in June she will need to put her into an institution as well, until she is 18. She just broke down as she shared how difficult it has been for both of them, as she has had to tell Andrea that she will have to spend the next 8 years of her life living away from her grandmother. Then, as we asked her if there was anything else we can pray about, she said that her other daughter had just left the country to illegally enter the States, so she has no idea where she is or if she will ever hear from her again. What huge burdens for this tiny woman to bear. We prayed for her and for the children and her daughters, and as we left, I held her close praying that some of her burden would be lifted from her shoulders onto mine. Do you know anyone who is hurting today? Make time to hold them close, to pray with them, share some encouraging Scripture... the Body of Christ in action!

An update on Margarita... Adrian came to us last week to say that Margarita had died in the hospital. She had the surgery to amputate her leg, but was just too weak to recover. As we thought about her, we said that she was at peace, maybe for the first time in her long, difficult life. She is celebrating the joyful victory of Easter with no more pain or loneliness. Thanks be to God!! And thanks to each of you who shared the message of hope and life with Margarita.