This is the 2nd blog of the day.
Our worship service was fantastic! Joel spoke to us from II Samuel 9 about Mephiboseth and how he was one of the least. A phrase Joel uses often is the Least, Last, and the Lost. Then for those who wished to, were asked to take communion. We then entered a time of individual prayer and in groups of 5 had our feet washed. We then received our Amor Bags, and there wasn't many dry eyes while they were reading. The notes moved many. Thank you for taking the time to write. It meant a lot. It was one of our Yea God's of the day.
We then were let loose to shop Antigua!! We all had a great time and found many treasures--nope--I won't tell what they got, I may spoil the surprise! You'll have to wait!
We then hopped on the bus for the hour-and-a-half ride back to Guat City. We had a couple hours free time (when I posted the last entry) and then headed to the fabulous restaurant we ate at earlier in the week (don't remember the name) for a Celebration Feast with Tita, Monica, Joel & family, and the translaters. We went to the back room of the restaurant where we had dinner under a domed thatch roof and chairs that were covered with white cloth! I really felt underdressed! I think I've worn this shirt a couple of times! It almost felt like a wedding feast. We had 6 items to choose from plus rolls and also dessert! It was quite a feast!
After the meal was finished, we went through the Thank You's for each of the people that helped us so much on this journey and made it possible for us. Here are some of the things that were mentioned.
Tita
-she always looked the students and people in the eye to make them feel important
-you could never get anywhere fast because she always talked with everyone and gave them hugs.
-she had no problem helping move a bag of cement or sand (she said it was like going to the gym)
-she and Monica had grace and patience toward us
Tita said the children felt like it was Christmas for them. We didn't know this at the time, but the children were so excited about coming to the school this week that they got up early in excitement and put on good clothes! She said like going to Disneyland!
Translaters
-one of the translaters said that her boyfriend was very concerned about her entering LaLimonada and told her that he didn't want her to go because he feared for her safety. She went anyways and said that God will help her and if she was going to die, she'd like to die doing this! This morning at their church, he told her he was so proud of her and has learned a lot from her.
-through tears one of the translators shared that she sees now the need to work in her own country.
-one challenged us to take back to the U.S. all the love we showed to the Guatemalans and not to stop.
-one said we had made a huge impact on her life. She's never gone places like we have and never imagined going to LaLimonda.
**Sidenote** When we had breakfast this morning, the server asked Joel when we were leaving why we were all here. Joel told him that we all served the people in LaLimonada and the guy just stood there with his mouth hanging wide open. He couldn't believe that we would go there. He then asked--Was anyone killed or injured? When Joel told him no, he couldn't believe it. He then asked Joel if he could have his address because he wants to go to Joel's training that he has in the city! Yea God!
We had many Yea God's from this weekend that we didn't get to go over until this evening. A few of the highlights:
-for the hearts of people to ask Pastor Bill and Marge on the trip
-shopping!
-comfortable beds
-10 minute showers instead of 5, AND by ourself!
-church service
-making a difference in others' lives without even knowing it!
-our amazing bus driver!
-time to play together
-Joeito (Joel's son, 8) making us a walking stick! (We'll be placing it in EnGedi as a reminder of our volcano hike)
We love you all and I don't think there are many who DON'T want to go home. We can't wait to see you! This will be the last blog probably, so we'll call from Atlanta before we get on the plane to head to GR. See you then! Pray for safety and no delays! :)
Sunday, June 24, 2007
We're safely back at the training center!
Wow! What a weekend we had!
Friday
We all hopped on the bus around 7 for a long bus ride into the mountains to the Mayan Village. Wow, what a bus ride that was. I have to say the Guatemalan country is the best I've ever seen, and it cannot be captured in a photo.
When we got to the base of the Mayan village, we had to be transported almost straight up the mountain in Joel's 4x4 and Carlos' (village director) 4x4 truck. That was really big excitement for the kids because Joel has a roof rack on his truck so lots of kids were fighting over who gets to ride up there! The road was very bumpy and washed out from the rain. On the way up, one of the groups (we had to take 3 trips) was able to pick up a Mayan village woman with a basket on her head and transport her the rest of the way up the mountain. I'm not very good with the miles that we drove from the last largest city, but she had to have started very early in the morning traveling to the city for her things and was heading back. She was very appreciative of the ride.
While at the village, we conducted a mini-Day school (each group took an hour at the same time) and we were all amazed at how well-behaved the children were! Shy smiles and and quiet, attentive children were what we saw. (Even Joel will say--they were much different from the city kids) They loved the craft. We then headed to Carlos' house where he served us a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and boiled potatoes. We also presented the shoes and blankets to him at this time. He was very appreciative. We were unable to hand out the shoes individually to people in need, because Carlos would have a better ability to discern who should receive the shoes and blankets best. Many of the children I saw were barefoot, and some had shoes on that had been dress shoes and now looked like flip flops.
We then headed to the soccer field and played with the kids. What fun! I would guess all the children of the village were there. They were all for sure there when the pinata came out! This pinata was SOO big that Heather could have easily fit inside of it! It was shaped like the cartoon character Betty Boop. One thing I noticed was how polite the older children were to the younger ones. They were all very patient to wait their turn. In fact, in some cases, the older ones were encouraging the younger ones to try it. They had fun with Ryan Walters when he tried to break it (he was blindfolded) and was unable to get a hit. We then headed back down the mountain to the bus and traveled the beautiful road to Lake Atitlan. The word beautiful does not accurately describe the view. Many however, missed it because it was a long ride and naps were in order.
It was at this time that our lives almost ended. We had to pass a truck with our bus and the back tire of our bus went off the road into some sand and we did a little lurch and spinning of the sand before we were back on the road. The back of the bus felt like it was hanging off the cliff! No worries though, we had an AWESOME bus driver, as you'll read later in the story.
As we traveled to Lake Atitlan, we received a birds eye view of the Lake. Typically in the rainy season the air isn't very clear and Joel was concerned we wouldn't be able to see the gorgeous surroundings. I can't say it enough, God has been blessing us with great weather. It only rains when we don't care. It's totally amazing! We were able to catch a beautiful view and were very excited to see our luxurious accommodations that evening. They didn't disappoint.
Now--this is the bus story. As we were heading into our hotel at Lake Atitlan, the driver was following Joel, and he led us down a VERY narrow street. Parked cars were on each side, and our driver manuvered skillfully through it all. We were so close to a beer delivery truck that the kids could roll down their windows and easily grab a cold one for themselves! (Don't worry, we only let the adult leaders do that..... Just kidding!) Anyways, as we got to the end of the road we had to make a left turn. The turn was so tight that the front right corner was against a building, the left side was against a pole, and the back right corner was against a building! Needless to say, we weren't going to make it. So the driver had to back all the way back up that street with all those cars parked on it and go another way! What an adventure! M.J. was very reluctant to say that this driver put Safety Sid to shame. Sorry, Sid, she loves you!! :)
Do you know how we know that God was totally going before us on this trip? The courtyard had a SWING! Just like the one Heather has at home. (Heather's favorite thing to do is swing) She bolted right for it when she saw it. The hotel was fabulous with flowering vines covering all the walls and roof. All the windows and doors were cut out of the vines, and orange flowers were on the vines all over the place. Each room had it's own fireplace and candles. Lot's and lots of hammocks, all different shapes and sizes lined the covered walkway. We dropped our stuff and headed a short walk to supper at Sunset Cafe. The food was great! As we were eating, a storm developed and on the Lake we could see thunder and lightening. It was beautiful.
We headed back to the hotel were we all wanted to swim in the pool! The pool had a curvy tube slide and almost everyone tried it out! Even Pastor Bill and Marge! It was raining, but we didn't care. We played chicken fight, freeze tag, and scored cannonballs, and had the whole pool to ourselves! Most of us slept very well that night.
Saturday
Again we were blessed by God because we had a beautiful clear morning and totally calm Lake. At 9 we were to head to the docks and board our double decker boat only for us and head across the Lake to Santiago. The ride was beautiful and lots of pics were taken. (It think the pics are over 2000 right now) All of us were given the choice to shop in Santiago, or visit an old church and learn about a Saint that was from America who lived there. The group was split in half--some wanting to shop, others went to the church. At the church we learned about this wonderful person who gave his life to teach others about Jesus. They also had a wooden cross with a depiction of Jesus with very large hands and feet. This was to signify that Christ walked with and helped all people. The shoppers also picked up some great items, with lots of great deals. We only stayed in Santiago about an hour and then boarded the boat again.
Now the FUN part...... oh you already think we had that??? We boarded the boat and headed to a private cove and had a blast jumping off the very top of the double decker boat!! Even Pastor Bill!! Many conquered their fear of heights on this day. To my knowledge, all but 2 jumped off the very top of the boat. And they were adults. Everyone was very encouraging to those who were fearful. When Janice finally got up there, she didn't want anyone to talk, so they all sang "Yo Tengo" one of the songs we learned for the kids here. We stayed here for about an hour. SO much fun!
We headed back to change and another bus ride to Antiqua. We stayed in a hostel on this night which wasn't nearly as nice as the previous night, but most slept very well.
Sunday
Headed to a wonderful breakfast place for fruit filled crepes! Delicious! Then headed back to hostel for our worship service. I'm going to have to continue this with you later tonight, because I have to head down for supper now. I'll talk to you soon!
Friday
We all hopped on the bus around 7 for a long bus ride into the mountains to the Mayan Village. Wow, what a bus ride that was. I have to say the Guatemalan country is the best I've ever seen, and it cannot be captured in a photo.
When we got to the base of the Mayan village, we had to be transported almost straight up the mountain in Joel's 4x4 and Carlos' (village director) 4x4 truck. That was really big excitement for the kids because Joel has a roof rack on his truck so lots of kids were fighting over who gets to ride up there! The road was very bumpy and washed out from the rain. On the way up, one of the groups (we had to take 3 trips) was able to pick up a Mayan village woman with a basket on her head and transport her the rest of the way up the mountain. I'm not very good with the miles that we drove from the last largest city, but she had to have started very early in the morning traveling to the city for her things and was heading back. She was very appreciative of the ride.
While at the village, we conducted a mini-Day school (each group took an hour at the same time) and we were all amazed at how well-behaved the children were! Shy smiles and and quiet, attentive children were what we saw. (Even Joel will say--they were much different from the city kids) They loved the craft. We then headed to Carlos' house where he served us a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and boiled potatoes. We also presented the shoes and blankets to him at this time. He was very appreciative. We were unable to hand out the shoes individually to people in need, because Carlos would have a better ability to discern who should receive the shoes and blankets best. Many of the children I saw were barefoot, and some had shoes on that had been dress shoes and now looked like flip flops.
We then headed to the soccer field and played with the kids. What fun! I would guess all the children of the village were there. They were all for sure there when the pinata came out! This pinata was SOO big that Heather could have easily fit inside of it! It was shaped like the cartoon character Betty Boop. One thing I noticed was how polite the older children were to the younger ones. They were all very patient to wait their turn. In fact, in some cases, the older ones were encouraging the younger ones to try it. They had fun with Ryan Walters when he tried to break it (he was blindfolded) and was unable to get a hit. We then headed back down the mountain to the bus and traveled the beautiful road to Lake Atitlan. The word beautiful does not accurately describe the view. Many however, missed it because it was a long ride and naps were in order.
It was at this time that our lives almost ended. We had to pass a truck with our bus and the back tire of our bus went off the road into some sand and we did a little lurch and spinning of the sand before we were back on the road. The back of the bus felt like it was hanging off the cliff! No worries though, we had an AWESOME bus driver, as you'll read later in the story.
As we traveled to Lake Atitlan, we received a birds eye view of the Lake. Typically in the rainy season the air isn't very clear and Joel was concerned we wouldn't be able to see the gorgeous surroundings. I can't say it enough, God has been blessing us with great weather. It only rains when we don't care. It's totally amazing! We were able to catch a beautiful view and were very excited to see our luxurious accommodations that evening. They didn't disappoint.
Now--this is the bus story. As we were heading into our hotel at Lake Atitlan, the driver was following Joel, and he led us down a VERY narrow street. Parked cars were on each side, and our driver manuvered skillfully through it all. We were so close to a beer delivery truck that the kids could roll down their windows and easily grab a cold one for themselves! (Don't worry, we only let the adult leaders do that..... Just kidding!) Anyways, as we got to the end of the road we had to make a left turn. The turn was so tight that the front right corner was against a building, the left side was against a pole, and the back right corner was against a building! Needless to say, we weren't going to make it. So the driver had to back all the way back up that street with all those cars parked on it and go another way! What an adventure! M.J. was very reluctant to say that this driver put Safety Sid to shame. Sorry, Sid, she loves you!! :)
Do you know how we know that God was totally going before us on this trip? The courtyard had a SWING! Just like the one Heather has at home. (Heather's favorite thing to do is swing) She bolted right for it when she saw it. The hotel was fabulous with flowering vines covering all the walls and roof. All the windows and doors were cut out of the vines, and orange flowers were on the vines all over the place. Each room had it's own fireplace and candles. Lot's and lots of hammocks, all different shapes and sizes lined the covered walkway. We dropped our stuff and headed a short walk to supper at Sunset Cafe. The food was great! As we were eating, a storm developed and on the Lake we could see thunder and lightening. It was beautiful.
We headed back to the hotel were we all wanted to swim in the pool! The pool had a curvy tube slide and almost everyone tried it out! Even Pastor Bill and Marge! It was raining, but we didn't care. We played chicken fight, freeze tag, and scored cannonballs, and had the whole pool to ourselves! Most of us slept very well that night.
Saturday
Again we were blessed by God because we had a beautiful clear morning and totally calm Lake. At 9 we were to head to the docks and board our double decker boat only for us and head across the Lake to Santiago. The ride was beautiful and lots of pics were taken. (It think the pics are over 2000 right now) All of us were given the choice to shop in Santiago, or visit an old church and learn about a Saint that was from America who lived there. The group was split in half--some wanting to shop, others went to the church. At the church we learned about this wonderful person who gave his life to teach others about Jesus. They also had a wooden cross with a depiction of Jesus with very large hands and feet. This was to signify that Christ walked with and helped all people. The shoppers also picked up some great items, with lots of great deals. We only stayed in Santiago about an hour and then boarded the boat again.
Now the FUN part...... oh you already think we had that??? We boarded the boat and headed to a private cove and had a blast jumping off the very top of the double decker boat!! Even Pastor Bill!! Many conquered their fear of heights on this day. To my knowledge, all but 2 jumped off the very top of the boat. And they were adults. Everyone was very encouraging to those who were fearful. When Janice finally got up there, she didn't want anyone to talk, so they all sang "Yo Tengo" one of the songs we learned for the kids here. We stayed here for about an hour. SO much fun!
We headed back to change and another bus ride to Antiqua. We stayed in a hostel on this night which wasn't nearly as nice as the previous night, but most slept very well.
Sunday
Headed to a wonderful breakfast place for fruit filled crepes! Delicious! Then headed back to hostel for our worship service. I'm going to have to continue this with you later tonight, because I have to head down for supper now. I'll talk to you soon!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
LaLimonada Ministry
Wow! Did you know that we are in the rainy season in Guatemala? The first night we were here it rained pretty hard! Did you also know that for the last 4 days, while we've needed nice weather to do our work projects, it hasn't rained at all? Yea God!
Today started like the other days to leave for LaLimonada. Today we had a lot more supplies to take with us though because we sat last night and put together care bags for each student at the school. Each child received a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mint box in the their bag. The kids' faces were priceless with the excitement of receiving such a gift. The kids were VERY kissy! Lot's of hugs and kisses! They just run up to you and cling! They were sad to see us go, and I know our students didn't want to go either.
The work project was almost completed at one work site, and the other one can easily be completed with the Maranatha group. We took lots of pics and even some video for you to see when we return. Today we also had many in the group scraping the school and then painting it because we had too many people, and we wanted to DO something! The kids were painting over bullet marks (hundreds of them) from a gang war that happened there within the last year.
Thank God with us that everyone has been kept safe and is free from any major injury. (Minor scrapes and bruises, but not much else)
Some Yea God's from last night
-personal time to be alone
-safety
-weather
-pitching in to help load care bags
By the way, a lot of Four Square is being played every night. In the garage, the floor has perfectly proportioned squares to play it, so lots of laughter happens when it's played.
Tonight we are preparing to go to the Mayan village. We need to pack our suitcases for 2 nights away. Everyone is very excited for that! Tomorrow morning we'll be going to the village by bus for 2 hours (leaving at 7) and then being transported via Joel's 4x4 up the mountain the rest of the way in shifts. While there we'll be doing a condensed version of our Day Camp in the school there. We're very excited to be delivering the beautiful quilts and shoes. The Mayans will be serving us lunch and then we'll be playing football and doing a pinata with them. Around 2 or so, we'll be heading to Lake Attilan where we're staying in a beautiful hotel with a pool. On Saturday morning we're renting a boat for a ride across the lake and do a little shopping and on the way back, we'll be stopping in a little cove that Joel knows about where the water is crystal clear and jumping off to swim!
We'll be staying in a hostel on Saturday night and Sunday morning we'll be having a private worship service with Joel preaching on a private deck. We'll also do some shopping in Antigua. On Sunday night we'll be having a celebration dinner with the translators, Tita, and Monica. At this time, we'll have the opportunity to hear Tita's story.
Homesickness hasn't been too much of an issue. The kids are doing really well with that. We all have our moments, especially when we're tired, but those I've talked to, said they're doing way better than what they thought.
Unfortunately, we won't be updating the blog until maybe Sunday night/Monday morning. We don't want to worry about the laptop. You'd rather hear all the details from your own kids anyways when they get home instead of reading it on this thing! :)
Please continue to keep us in prayer. We cannot continue on this journey without God going with us and leading the way. Pray that the week they've just seen, will sink in and will touch their lives in a deep way. As always pray for safety.
You have awesome kids, and the leaders are so thankful to serve with them! Tami
Today started like the other days to leave for LaLimonada. Today we had a lot more supplies to take with us though because we sat last night and put together care bags for each student at the school. Each child received a toothbrush, toothpaste, and mint box in the their bag. The kids' faces were priceless with the excitement of receiving such a gift. The kids were VERY kissy! Lot's of hugs and kisses! They just run up to you and cling! They were sad to see us go, and I know our students didn't want to go either.
The work project was almost completed at one work site, and the other one can easily be completed with the Maranatha group. We took lots of pics and even some video for you to see when we return. Today we also had many in the group scraping the school and then painting it because we had too many people, and we wanted to DO something! The kids were painting over bullet marks (hundreds of them) from a gang war that happened there within the last year.
Thank God with us that everyone has been kept safe and is free from any major injury. (Minor scrapes and bruises, but not much else)
Some Yea God's from last night
-personal time to be alone
-safety
-weather
-pitching in to help load care bags
By the way, a lot of Four Square is being played every night. In the garage, the floor has perfectly proportioned squares to play it, so lots of laughter happens when it's played.
Tonight we are preparing to go to the Mayan village. We need to pack our suitcases for 2 nights away. Everyone is very excited for that! Tomorrow morning we'll be going to the village by bus for 2 hours (leaving at 7) and then being transported via Joel's 4x4 up the mountain the rest of the way in shifts. While there we'll be doing a condensed version of our Day Camp in the school there. We're very excited to be delivering the beautiful quilts and shoes. The Mayans will be serving us lunch and then we'll be playing football and doing a pinata with them. Around 2 or so, we'll be heading to Lake Attilan where we're staying in a beautiful hotel with a pool. On Saturday morning we're renting a boat for a ride across the lake and do a little shopping and on the way back, we'll be stopping in a little cove that Joel knows about where the water is crystal clear and jumping off to swim!
We'll be staying in a hostel on Saturday night and Sunday morning we'll be having a private worship service with Joel preaching on a private deck. We'll also do some shopping in Antigua. On Sunday night we'll be having a celebration dinner with the translators, Tita, and Monica. At this time, we'll have the opportunity to hear Tita's story.
Homesickness hasn't been too much of an issue. The kids are doing really well with that. We all have our moments, especially when we're tired, but those I've talked to, said they're doing way better than what they thought.
Unfortunately, we won't be updating the blog until maybe Sunday night/Monday morning. We don't want to worry about the laptop. You'd rather hear all the details from your own kids anyways when they get home instead of reading it on this thing! :)
Please continue to keep us in prayer. We cannot continue on this journey without God going with us and leading the way. Pray that the week they've just seen, will sink in and will touch their lives in a deep way. As always pray for safety.
You have awesome kids, and the leaders are so thankful to serve with them! Tami
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
LaLimonada Again
Today was very similar to yesterday. Bible Camp went very well again. Work project was a little slow going, but progress was made. It's questionable whether we'll be able to finish any one project. Not because we're lazy, but because we always have to wait for the foreman to tell us what to do, and he's stretched a little thin. We're hoping to get a long way on the wall tomorrow.
All is still going well. The kids are having a blast. Maybe we'll have more to say tomorrow! Tami
All is still going well. The kids are having a blast. Maybe we'll have more to say tomorrow! Tami
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Great Job in LaLimonada
Good Evening! It's 10:15 p.m. and what another God-filled day again!
Yesterday, many of us were somewhat frustrated with the way the Day School was going and so last night we problem solved ways we could improve it today. Only through God's grace were we able to have a great day today in Day Camp. The students were so much better behaved, and we all agree it was because God was enabling us in wonderful ways. One thing that was a huge praise was the way that we couldn't control or keep the 12-15 yr olds engaged or interested. So we completely changed the format just for their 20 min time and it was miraculous the change. In the morning, Max shared from his heart his testimony and the students were completely enthralled with what he had to share. It was a complete change from the day before. Yea God!
The work project is going extremely well also. It's amazing what so many can accomplish. One of the work projects is to build a cement block retaining wall at the very top of the hill in LaLimonada and it totally tests all the physical stamina we have. We've been hauling sand bags, dirt, stone, and cement block via assembly line up the hill for the last 2 days. We're hoping that tomorrow we're able to start building the retaining wall. The reason for the wall is to stop the mountain from running through their house every time it rains. The owners are beside themself with gratefulness. Tita told us that even if the family could afford a contractor to build this wall, absolutely no one would do it because it's such a difficult job. The entire family helps us with the work and digs right in. The wife is traveling with block, sand, etc down slippery slopes right along with us, but in flip-flops! That shows how much she appreciates it. By the way we hauled 300 of these cement blocks just today, and that isn't counting the other 200 the other work project group hauled today! Your kids are work horses! :)
God again provided in a beautiful way. You know---sometimes you don't get to actually see God keeping you safe as a result of prayers. At those times His guardians keep us safe and we never know it, but today we actually got to see his protection. As we were hauling cement block up the hill and passing block to each other, Laura Louwerse received a block and it swiveled in her hand and came down directly on her foot! She was in much pain and not sure if she had broken some toes. At the time, she wasn't able to touch any part of her toes and it would hurt. She was carried back down the hill, and wheelbarrowed back to Joel's car where he took her to a trusted hospital to get x-rays. A couple hours later, we received the glorious news that nothing was broken and that she was coming back to the school! Glory to God! Thank You for showing us your protection for these students! She walked back into the school to many hugs! As you can guess, it was one of our Yea God's for the evening! :)
Some other Yea God's:
-the daily devos that we're going through in small groups are exactly what we need to hear for each day
-Assembly Lines!!
-that we don't have to haul any more bricks!
-prayer partners
-strength (this morning the whole group looked completely fatigued, but they all served with smiles on their faces and were carried by the prayers of the people)
-3 meals a day
-Tita/Joel
-Imodium! (yea, we now have some with travelers diarrhea)
-laughter (we do a ton of that!)
-Heather sharing her testimony today with the school's teachers
The group was able to get to bed a littler earlier tonight and were much appreciative of that. And guess what---it's now 10:35 and I'd like to go to bed too! :)
Talk with you tomorrow! Tami
Yesterday, many of us were somewhat frustrated with the way the Day School was going and so last night we problem solved ways we could improve it today. Only through God's grace were we able to have a great day today in Day Camp. The students were so much better behaved, and we all agree it was because God was enabling us in wonderful ways. One thing that was a huge praise was the way that we couldn't control or keep the 12-15 yr olds engaged or interested. So we completely changed the format just for their 20 min time and it was miraculous the change. In the morning, Max shared from his heart his testimony and the students were completely enthralled with what he had to share. It was a complete change from the day before. Yea God!
The work project is going extremely well also. It's amazing what so many can accomplish. One of the work projects is to build a cement block retaining wall at the very top of the hill in LaLimonada and it totally tests all the physical stamina we have. We've been hauling sand bags, dirt, stone, and cement block via assembly line up the hill for the last 2 days. We're hoping that tomorrow we're able to start building the retaining wall. The reason for the wall is to stop the mountain from running through their house every time it rains. The owners are beside themself with gratefulness. Tita told us that even if the family could afford a contractor to build this wall, absolutely no one would do it because it's such a difficult job. The entire family helps us with the work and digs right in. The wife is traveling with block, sand, etc down slippery slopes right along with us, but in flip-flops! That shows how much she appreciates it. By the way we hauled 300 of these cement blocks just today, and that isn't counting the other 200 the other work project group hauled today! Your kids are work horses! :)
God again provided in a beautiful way. You know---sometimes you don't get to actually see God keeping you safe as a result of prayers. At those times His guardians keep us safe and we never know it, but today we actually got to see his protection. As we were hauling cement block up the hill and passing block to each other, Laura Louwerse received a block and it swiveled in her hand and came down directly on her foot! She was in much pain and not sure if she had broken some toes. At the time, she wasn't able to touch any part of her toes and it would hurt. She was carried back down the hill, and wheelbarrowed back to Joel's car where he took her to a trusted hospital to get x-rays. A couple hours later, we received the glorious news that nothing was broken and that she was coming back to the school! Glory to God! Thank You for showing us your protection for these students! She walked back into the school to many hugs! As you can guess, it was one of our Yea God's for the evening! :)
Some other Yea God's:
-the daily devos that we're going through in small groups are exactly what we need to hear for each day
-Assembly Lines!!
-that we don't have to haul any more bricks!
-prayer partners
-strength (this morning the whole group looked completely fatigued, but they all served with smiles on their faces and were carried by the prayers of the people)
-3 meals a day
-Tita/Joel
-Imodium! (yea, we now have some with travelers diarrhea)
-laughter (we do a ton of that!)
-Heather sharing her testimony today with the school's teachers
The group was able to get to bed a littler earlier tonight and were much appreciative of that. And guess what---it's now 10:35 and I'd like to go to bed too! :)
Talk with you tomorrow! Tami
Prayers
Dear family and friends,
Tami wrote you a great email about the many emotions of our day yesterday. I sit here typing as kids are starting to eat their breakfast. Bodies are weary (the physical labor is harder than we might have thought), and lots of kids didn't sleep well last night. Today is the type of day on a mission trip that prayer is so crucial and extra important.
So, I'm writing a quick little note to ask you to pray for our team often today. We're still doing great with most kids not feeling homesick, but when you here a classmate was killed in a car accident, everyone longs for their family a bit.
Pray today for physical strength. Even getting in and out of La Limonada is a climb up and down a long and steep set of stairs. Most are winded by the top, and after a full day of work, it makes the climb even harder. Pray for focus - that we will be able to power past our tiredness and many emotions we're feeling and be on point with the kids at day camp that we've been called to serve. Pray that our team would be patient with one another, as it is always easier to get snippy and crabby when bodies are worn.
As a youth director, there are too many great words to describe how our team is doing! They are pulling together, teaching each other things, praying with and for each other, and truly shining Christ's love in all that they do. As Tita (the head of the school we're working in) said to me yesterday, "Janice, many people can put on a smile and it is fake. Your team has such a positive attitude and work so hard. I can tell that they are not just smiling, but that their hearts are smiling as well -- I can see it from the inside of each of them. Yes, their hearts are definitely smiling."
Thanks for praying for us today! Many of you are probably looking forward to your phone calls home tonight! Your kids have been awesome, so ask them about all the cool things their doing and affirm that you've heard how great they are.
Okay, I'm off to find my morning coffee!!
Janice
Tami wrote you a great email about the many emotions of our day yesterday. I sit here typing as kids are starting to eat their breakfast. Bodies are weary (the physical labor is harder than we might have thought), and lots of kids didn't sleep well last night. Today is the type of day on a mission trip that prayer is so crucial and extra important.
So, I'm writing a quick little note to ask you to pray for our team often today. We're still doing great with most kids not feeling homesick, but when you here a classmate was killed in a car accident, everyone longs for their family a bit.
Pray today for physical strength. Even getting in and out of La Limonada is a climb up and down a long and steep set of stairs. Most are winded by the top, and after a full day of work, it makes the climb even harder. Pray for focus - that we will be able to power past our tiredness and many emotions we're feeling and be on point with the kids at day camp that we've been called to serve. Pray that our team would be patient with one another, as it is always easier to get snippy and crabby when bodies are worn.
As a youth director, there are too many great words to describe how our team is doing! They are pulling together, teaching each other things, praying with and for each other, and truly shining Christ's love in all that they do. As Tita (the head of the school we're working in) said to me yesterday, "Janice, many people can put on a smile and it is fake. Your team has such a positive attitude and work so hard. I can tell that they are not just smiling, but that their hearts are smiling as well -- I can see it from the inside of each of them. Yes, their hearts are definitely smiling."
Thanks for praying for us today! Many of you are probably looking forward to your phone calls home tonight! Your kids have been awesome, so ask them about all the cool things their doing and affirm that you've heard how great they are.
Okay, I'm off to find my morning coffee!!
Janice
Monday, June 18, 2007
A tough, but beautiful day.
Well, tonight I come to you with a full heart. Tonight we found out a classmate passed away of Nic, Abby, and Amy. It was a tough night. But it was a beautiful night as well. Seeing the youth come together and support one another in their grief and pray for each other was a beautiful thing to see. One of the students phoned home and their Mom told her the news. It was totally the right thing to do of the Mom. All night tonight the kids kept saying that it was the right thing to do. They all wanted to know before they came home. Your kids are awesome. Truly.
The day started early. We had to meet for prayer at 7:15 a.m. We then took the bus to LaLimonada. It was a fulfilling day in many respects because so much physical work was accomplished, but also challenging dealing with the language barrier in the Bible School. We learned a lot and hope to get better by learning each day how to do things better! Hopefully tomorrow will be less chaotic! The children though are so clingy! They just run up to us and hug and kiss us and want to climb and be held by us! Starved for attention!
Tonight some of the many Yea God's we had were:
-translaters! :)
-cell phones (to connect with home)
-adorable kids
-positive attitudes (our kids have such great attitudes!)
-safety
-supportive group members
-hugs
-big guns! (a.k.a. muscles!)
-beds!
-Tita and her work
-strong faith and being able to pray
Our schedule for tomorrow is much like today. Hope some of you enjoyed your phone calls home. Many of you still get to look forward to that!
Continue to pray for us, even though you're receiving good reports. We need the prayer. We can do NOTHING without His help. Thank you for the support!
Tami Sneller
The day started early. We had to meet for prayer at 7:15 a.m. We then took the bus to LaLimonada. It was a fulfilling day in many respects because so much physical work was accomplished, but also challenging dealing with the language barrier in the Bible School. We learned a lot and hope to get better by learning each day how to do things better! Hopefully tomorrow will be less chaotic! The children though are so clingy! They just run up to us and hug and kiss us and want to climb and be held by us! Starved for attention!
Tonight some of the many Yea God's we had were:
-translaters! :)
-cell phones (to connect with home)
-adorable kids
-positive attitudes (our kids have such great attitudes!)
-safety
-supportive group members
-hugs
-big guns! (a.k.a. muscles!)
-beds!
-Tita and her work
-strong faith and being able to pray
Our schedule for tomorrow is much like today. Hope some of you enjoyed your phone calls home. Many of you still get to look forward to that!
Continue to pray for us, even though you're receiving good reports. We need the prayer. We can do NOTHING without His help. Thank you for the support!
Tami Sneller
Church
Good Evening! It's very late 11:30 p.m. as I type this and we all have to be up by 6:00 a.m. to start getting ready for the day, but I wanted to catch you up on a few things.
This morning we went to Joel's church and the kids went without leaders to Joel's youth group at his church. They had so much fun which included throwing water on Abby, Jill, and Jamie Slenk. They'll have to tell you the details of that one later. Then we all attended church together and scattered about the sanctuary. The service started at 10 and ended at 11:45. Joel said the preacher isn't usually that long. Thankfully, they had a power point going the whole time so that we could at least figure out what passage they were in and could look it up in english. I think it was Max who said to me "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!" :)
We then headed to the mall, and as much as I tried I could not keep my group (Max, Jamie Slenk and April P) from eating American food in the food court. I will have to admit, the ice cream cone hit the spot! The other groups braved some Guat food, but others caved to American food also.
We then took the 1/2 hour bus ride to LaLimonada to see where we'll be serving for the week. I'll allow the kids to tell you about that when they get home, but here's a few of the comments from our team meeting tonight:
-It wasn't as bad as I thought (Janice had prepared the kids for a lot of poverty)
-When going into a tin hut, so short you had to duck and the potty, sink, and kitchen are all within 3' of each other, it shows how grateful we need to be for the kitchen's we've got and not complain that ours needs to be remodeled.
-Gave a new appreciation of comments at home when visitors come over and we say 'oh...so sorry for the mess, my house is such a disaster right now..' and to think that in one shack today the Dad was so proud of his house and wanted to show everyone where he lived. This is a place that has garbage all over the floor, tables, roof, everywhere you can think of...laundry hanging in every possible place. And he was proud to show it off!
We then headed to supper and had a fabulous meal. To my knowledge no one has been sick. Yea God! :)
You'll hear your kids voices soon! God Bless. Tami Sneller
This morning we went to Joel's church and the kids went without leaders to Joel's youth group at his church. They had so much fun which included throwing water on Abby, Jill, and Jamie Slenk. They'll have to tell you the details of that one later. Then we all attended church together and scattered about the sanctuary. The service started at 10 and ended at 11:45. Joel said the preacher isn't usually that long. Thankfully, they had a power point going the whole time so that we could at least figure out what passage they were in and could look it up in english. I think it was Max who said to me "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!" :)
We then headed to the mall, and as much as I tried I could not keep my group (Max, Jamie Slenk and April P) from eating American food in the food court. I will have to admit, the ice cream cone hit the spot! The other groups braved some Guat food, but others caved to American food also.
We then took the 1/2 hour bus ride to LaLimonada to see where we'll be serving for the week. I'll allow the kids to tell you about that when they get home, but here's a few of the comments from our team meeting tonight:
-It wasn't as bad as I thought (Janice had prepared the kids for a lot of poverty)
-When going into a tin hut, so short you had to duck and the potty, sink, and kitchen are all within 3' of each other, it shows how grateful we need to be for the kitchen's we've got and not complain that ours needs to be remodeled.
-Gave a new appreciation of comments at home when visitors come over and we say 'oh...so sorry for the mess, my house is such a disaster right now..' and to think that in one shack today the Dad was so proud of his house and wanted to show everyone where he lived. This is a place that has garbage all over the floor, tables, roof, everywhere you can think of...laundry hanging in every possible place. And he was proud to show it off!
We then headed to supper and had a fabulous meal. To my knowledge no one has been sick. Yea God! :)
You'll hear your kids voices soon! God Bless. Tami Sneller
Sunday, June 17, 2007
WE LOVE OUR DADS!!!
Happy Father's Day to all of our dads! Thanks for being so great and allowing us to be here!!
We're learning that the internet connection is just a bit temperamental here...so -- no pics at this point. You'll just have to look at the pics on your walls of your children and then picture them on a volcano! :-)
We do love you lots and are excited to share pics when we can.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!
Love -- your children
We're learning that the internet connection is just a bit temperamental here...so -- no pics at this point. You'll just have to look at the pics on your walls of your children and then picture them on a volcano! :-)
We do love you lots and are excited to share pics when we can.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!
Love -- your children
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Al Volcan (to the Volcano)
Breakfast started at 7:15 which was bagels and cold cereal. We then headed on the bus around 8:30 for our volcano hike. The bus ride took about an hour and a half and was very fun with lots of beautiful scenery. We saw our first small garbage dump, and traveled up the mountain at a slow pace with our bus! Two-thirds of the way was pavement the rest was dirt roads very curvy with lots of potholes! The scenery was absolutely gorgeous but Joel was so frustrated that it wasn't a clear day to see the scenery, and we couldn't see how it could be any more beautiful!!
At the base camp, there was a little village with lots of children selling walking sticks. You could even rent a walking stick, and the child was waiting on the bottom of the volcano when you returned so he could have his stick back! Some of us were a little apprehensive about the hike, but all had a Great attitude and were ready to GO! :)
The first 10 minutes of the hike was very difficult and very steep. Legs were burning! After that it was a black dirt path that would sometimes be level, but still quite uneven. Everyone was encouraged to go at their own pace, and we all found our little groups to climb with. We saw cows grazing on the mountainside and dogs everywhere that we named, and much of the time we could hear the volcano huffing like a dragon chasing us! Some named the volcano Viktor and when we would hear him snorting we'd say he's getting mad! It's really hard to describe the hike other than to say that EVERYONE did such a fantastic job giving it their all, not complaining, and having sooo much fun! Some groups took frequent breaks, not so much because of the strain, but because of the altitude. Aubrey wanted me to be sure to say that she made it just as far as the guys and got to see the lava up close. Everyone made it to the area before the hard lava started and had some of our lunches. After that, it was hiking through the hardened lava rock. I would describe it kind of like walking on the rocks at the pier, it's like a giant puzzle and you have to try and figure out where to step next. It just went on and on and on! It was pretty warm and you could see the steam coming out of the rocks. We would describe it as a sauna - very dry heat, but also with a cool breeze. A couple of times some clouds rolled in and we were in the middle of them - you couldn't even see the people 20 feet from you! It felt really weird too. The hike to the top took an hour-and-a-half, but we explored on the top for a lot longer than that. We left the bus at 10 and returned at 2.
Everyone made it to the top, not of the volcano, but to the spot where you could see the lava up close. After some trial and error, we were able to find a spot to roast the hot dogs, and they were really good! It ranks right up there with a dog at the ball park! :)
After a group pic, we headed back down which took about a half hour. Jamie Hop and Tami S. are writing this and it's hard to tell you the beauty, glory and awesome experience of this day. The whole group would say that! We had such a fantastic time and really bonded as a group. A great way to start the week.
When we got back to the center, we only had 45 minutes until supper, so some of the girls donned the suits and took a group shower, giggling the whole time! :)
Then we walked a block and a half to a fabulous restaurant where we were served kind of like a fajita tray that we could assemble. We were all soo hungry from the hike, we devoured all of it. We had to order a 2nd tray for the guys table!
Walked back to the center in the rain, and now have some more veg time. We'll do personal quiet time and small group devos along with team time talking about the day when we give some 'Yea God's' again.
We don't feel like we did the day justice by writing about it, but we gave it our best!
Jamie Hop and Tami Sneller
At the base camp, there was a little village with lots of children selling walking sticks. You could even rent a walking stick, and the child was waiting on the bottom of the volcano when you returned so he could have his stick back! Some of us were a little apprehensive about the hike, but all had a Great attitude and were ready to GO! :)
The first 10 minutes of the hike was very difficult and very steep. Legs were burning! After that it was a black dirt path that would sometimes be level, but still quite uneven. Everyone was encouraged to go at their own pace, and we all found our little groups to climb with. We saw cows grazing on the mountainside and dogs everywhere that we named, and much of the time we could hear the volcano huffing like a dragon chasing us! Some named the volcano Viktor and when we would hear him snorting we'd say he's getting mad! It's really hard to describe the hike other than to say that EVERYONE did such a fantastic job giving it their all, not complaining, and having sooo much fun! Some groups took frequent breaks, not so much because of the strain, but because of the altitude. Aubrey wanted me to be sure to say that she made it just as far as the guys and got to see the lava up close. Everyone made it to the area before the hard lava started and had some of our lunches. After that, it was hiking through the hardened lava rock. I would describe it kind of like walking on the rocks at the pier, it's like a giant puzzle and you have to try and figure out where to step next. It just went on and on and on! It was pretty warm and you could see the steam coming out of the rocks. We would describe it as a sauna - very dry heat, but also with a cool breeze. A couple of times some clouds rolled in and we were in the middle of them - you couldn't even see the people 20 feet from you! It felt really weird too. The hike to the top took an hour-and-a-half, but we explored on the top for a lot longer than that. We left the bus at 10 and returned at 2.
Everyone made it to the top, not of the volcano, but to the spot where you could see the lava up close. After some trial and error, we were able to find a spot to roast the hot dogs, and they were really good! It ranks right up there with a dog at the ball park! :)
After a group pic, we headed back down which took about a half hour. Jamie Hop and Tami S. are writing this and it's hard to tell you the beauty, glory and awesome experience of this day. The whole group would say that! We had such a fantastic time and really bonded as a group. A great way to start the week.
When we got back to the center, we only had 45 minutes until supper, so some of the girls donned the suits and took a group shower, giggling the whole time! :)
Then we walked a block and a half to a fabulous restaurant where we were served kind of like a fajita tray that we could assemble. We were all soo hungry from the hike, we devoured all of it. We had to order a 2nd tray for the guys table!
Walked back to the center in the rain, and now have some more veg time. We'll do personal quiet time and small group devos along with team time talking about the day when we give some 'Yea God's' again.
We don't feel like we did the day justice by writing about it, but we gave it our best!
Jamie Hop and Tami Sneller
Hola from Guatemala!
First off we need to say sorry this update took soo long! We weren't able to get on the Internet.
This update will be a somewhat brief one because we only have a short time until we leave for supper. However, we wanted to catch you up on yesterdays excitement!
Our flights went very well, and we were only 1/2 hour or so late into the City. We had only one scary moment and that was when we were getting all our luggage and the belt had stopped and Jamie Slenk still didn't receive her personal bag. She had her supply bag, but not the personal one. Then we looked around the carrousel, and someone had taken it off and placed next to a wall. She was VERY relieved! :)
By the way, we also discovered Guatemala is 2 hours different than MI and right now it's 5:15 p.m. We figured it was probably because of DST.
We loaded the bus and traveled about 15 minutes or so to the training center where we were staying in very congested streets. We then met with Joel and many of his team for about an hour. Many were trying very hard not to fall asleep while he was talking. I don't think anyone wasn't exhausted. Thankfully, Janice in all her wisdom ordered everyone to 2 hours of veg time. Most of us took a nap. We then ate a delicious meal of tortilla's, rice, chicken, and beans. We again had some veg time after supper and around 8 met for small group Bible study and personal quiet time. Around 9:40 or we shared our Yea, God's for the day and here are some that were shared:
-complete safety
-everyone received their luggage
-could feel God's love today
-guys stepped up and helped the girls move furniture
-we're having FUN together!
-servant hearts of the staff
-our flight attendant on the plane
-that many parents came to say goodbye at the airport
-weather
-no sickness!
-loved the small group time
Around 10 we were sooo thankful to head to bed! There was some giggling going on but pretty much by 10:30-11:00 everyone was sleeping. This morning all were very thankful for the great night of sleep they had!
I have to say, these kids are awesome! Yesterday they really stepped up and we were so proud of them! I can't wait to update you on all the FUN and AWESOME things we did today that were once-in-a-lifetime experiences!! But you'll have to wait until after supper! :)
Talk to you soon, Tami Sneller
This update will be a somewhat brief one because we only have a short time until we leave for supper. However, we wanted to catch you up on yesterdays excitement!
Our flights went very well, and we were only 1/2 hour or so late into the City. We had only one scary moment and that was when we were getting all our luggage and the belt had stopped and Jamie Slenk still didn't receive her personal bag. She had her supply bag, but not the personal one. Then we looked around the carrousel, and someone had taken it off and placed next to a wall. She was VERY relieved! :)
By the way, we also discovered Guatemala is 2 hours different than MI and right now it's 5:15 p.m. We figured it was probably because of DST.
We loaded the bus and traveled about 15 minutes or so to the training center where we were staying in very congested streets. We then met with Joel and many of his team for about an hour. Many were trying very hard not to fall asleep while he was talking. I don't think anyone wasn't exhausted. Thankfully, Janice in all her wisdom ordered everyone to 2 hours of veg time. Most of us took a nap. We then ate a delicious meal of tortilla's, rice, chicken, and beans. We again had some veg time after supper and around 8 met for small group Bible study and personal quiet time. Around 9:40 or we shared our Yea, God's for the day and here are some that were shared:
-complete safety
-everyone received their luggage
-could feel God's love today
-guys stepped up and helped the girls move furniture
-we're having FUN together!
-servant hearts of the staff
-our flight attendant on the plane
-that many parents came to say goodbye at the airport
-weather
-no sickness!
-loved the small group time
Around 10 we were sooo thankful to head to bed! There was some giggling going on but pretty much by 10:30-11:00 everyone was sleeping. This morning all were very thankful for the great night of sleep they had!
I have to say, these kids are awesome! Yesterday they really stepped up and we were so proud of them! I can't wait to update you on all the FUN and AWESOME things we did today that were once-in-a-lifetime experiences!! But you'll have to wait until after supper! :)
Talk to you soon, Tami Sneller
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Guatemala Team Covenant
Under our team prayer requests on your prayer cards, it mentions a group covenant. As a team, we talked about how we wanted to grow, things we do well as a group and things we need to work on. Those thoughts and ideas were put into a group covenant. I thought it would be fitting to share the group covenant with our church family and friends if we are asking you to pray that we abide by it. Below is a copy of our covenant! Enjoy!
NIEKERK GUATEMALA MISSION TEAM GROUP COVENANT
June 15-25, 2007
The Guatemala Mission Team from
We’ll invest in spiritual growth—seeking to deepen our relationships with Christ.
We’ll be teachable—ready to learn from God’s Word, each other, and our experiences. We will encourage each other every day and will pray with and for each other. We’ll expect to see God at work and can’t wait to give him glory when we do.
We’ll invest in relational growth—building a community of mutual love and respect.
We’ll be willing to open up and share our ideas with each other and will show interest in what others are saying by listening carefully when someone is talking. We’ll use our words to encourage each other, being careful not to let sarcastic comments tear anyone down. We’ll be patient with each other and keep a positive attitude even if things don’t always go the way we expect.
We’ll invest in cultural growth—learning to appreciate a culture that’s different from our own.
We’ll be willing to try new things and step out of our comfort zones. We will respect the people we meet and the customs we observe, recognizing that different isn’t always bad. And we will prepare to see Christ in a culture that is different from our own.
We pledge to uphold these commitments and to keep each other accountable to this covenant, working together to accomplish these goals.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Operation - Pack Team Suitcases - Complete!
It was quite a day! After a great breakfast at Russ', a few leaders headed to En Gedi to begin packing the team suitcases. It looked overwhelming at first, but once we got suitcases opened, we realized we had enough room for all of our supplies! We even had room to purchase pb and jelly for lunches and cereal for breakfast -- a few less things to purchase on arrival.
How does a team travel with 62 suitcases without going crazy? Bright orange ribbons, luggage straps on bags we think might open, baggage tags, packing lists, and handing off the team suitcases to individual team members!
I realized today after the bags were packed, the boxes were in the trash, and the youth building was quiet, that we really are leaving in less than a week. Passports are handed in, copies are made, emergency forms are complete, and finances are in place. Tomorrow morning our team will be commissioned, we'll sign our group covenant, and I'll start thinking about packing my own suitcase!
How does a team travel with 62 suitcases without going crazy? Bright orange ribbons, luggage straps on bags we think might open, baggage tags, packing lists, and handing off the team suitcases to individual team members!
I realized today after the bags were packed, the boxes were in the trash, and the youth building was quiet, that we really are leaving in less than a week. Passports are handed in, copies are made, emergency forms are complete, and finances are in place. Tomorrow morning our team will be commissioned, we'll sign our group covenant, and I'll start thinking about packing my own suitcase!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
