ISM Guatemala

Some quick pix's

2011-07-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

Turning our hearts toward home - with mixed feelings!

2011-07-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well, one last posting from me (Mr. B) as the students are probably busy right now getting their last one-on-one's in before taking the long trip back to Guatemala City tomorrow afternoon. Our last day in Chichi was another amazing demonstration of the Gospel unfolding before our eyes and hearts. Katy Peterson says that she ends each day with the feeling that nothing could top that day's experience. . . and then the next day is even more powerful in impact. Today was that way - again - as we finished some projects and then did our shopping in the bustling markets of Chichi (open on Sunday's and Thursday's only - with thousands of people crowding the town to buy blankets, fruits, vegetables, chickens - anything and everything). I was with the team of students that finished some repair on a dwelling deep in the mountains that was heavily damaged by a hurricane back in 2010 (or 2008 not really sure). The team started the work the day before carrying boards and posts about I am guessing a half a mile almost straight down a mountain side, on paths slippery with mud and sometimes only wide enough for a single foot in front of the other. All of us slipped many times today as we moved through the deserted mountainside until we climbed for a bit and suddenly found the adobe dwelling in front of us. There were actually two homes there, side by side but none others we could see - just small corn fields and apple trees. We climbed to the house where the woman who owned it was waiting. Miguel, the K'iche guide and ASELSI "community" pastor, warned us not to step across an invisible property line with the second house, nor were we to talk or even look at the woman there or her small children. Recently, her husband had murdered the son of the woman (a widow) of the home we were rebuilding - a dispute about land apparently. This is a very harsh and sometimes dangerous country when it comes to Mayan laws and disputes. We cleared away her ramshackle chicken coop, dug and leveled the mud, and began to construct a new room that will become here cocina (kitchen). It was hard work and exhausting, but the dark skies did not unleashed the torrential rains we had seen often and we were able to get much of the work done by the time we had to leave (another team from the states will finish the work and put a tin roof on next week). As we worked, we saw the widow and her small children through the vines and branches working with a machete cutting wood for a new chicken coop. She never stopped working all the time we were there, except to occasionally suckle her youngest, holding him with one hand while she continued chopping with the other. She did not speak to us and the small children just stared at us from a distance - never smiling but watching us in the same manner you might expect from children from a lost tribe in the Amazon would do with strangers with different colored skin and dress. After several hours of digging, sawing, and nailing we had to return the van waiting on the main road up the mountain side. Miguel told then woman in K'iche that another team would finish next week and that we were from a church from North America (usually how we are introduced - Virginia is not concept easily grasped for these people). We stooped under a plastic roof in the midst of her destroyed house - a few adobe walls with no furniture really. She thanked us in her language and said she could not pay us for our labor as she had no money. She said she knew that the lumber and materials were expensive. No one had probably ever helped her from the outside world before so I am guessing she did not really understand we were there to help and serve. We told her why were there, and that God had provided the resources. We asked if we could pray for her and her children, and Katy Peterson lead the time of prayer. We finished, rose from our knees and she thanked us again and then just stood with her quiet children in front of her (all of them small and barely clothed, dirty but beautiful in their expressive innocence). I had asked Miguel if we could give some money to buy food and he said yes - but no more than 400 Q's (about $30). She gratefully took the money, mumbled a thank you in her tongue, and silently waited for us to leave. We began to walk off bidding her and the children adios- and saw the tears began to fall from her eyes. I believe she was just overwhelmed and had no way to express the magnitude of the "miracle" God had provided for her. Just another day where we left humbled and in awe of how God works when we put our faith and backs into His service.
We climbed the now uphill trails and I realized that I am much too old to do this anymore! Jaime Guitz would second that thought as it was a heart pounding journey in this high altitude and even hard on the students. But we got back to ASELSI 30 minutes later, cleaned up, and started the transition to ending our week there. Five team members had stayed behind to offer a VBS type of program to the children of the women who came to ASELSI on "general clinic" day. We joined them and then rode off eventually in "tuc-tuc's" - small three wheeler's to the city market to shop (and to visit the church of Santo Tomas - built on the sight of a major Mayan religious temple - destroyed by the Spanish in the 1600's and replaced by this ancient Catholic church. How strange to see incense being burned on the steps of the church, offered to Mayan deities, and then to see inside century old statues of saints and the Holy Family with depictions of Mayan gods). The market was not too crowded by the time we got there and you all have gifts coming from various market stalls - and the students by the way loved the concept of being able to bargain the sellers down on price (which they did well!).
We ended the day after dinner by having a wonderfully impactful debriefing with John and Sharon Harvey, founders of ASELSI and missionaries to Guatemala now for 13 years. We drive to Lake Atilan tomorrow, do some zip lining through the clouds, and then to our final location for the night (SETECA - a seminary in Guatemala City affiliated with Dallas and Denver Theological Seminary's). Hopefully we can get one more blog in about our final team meeting tomorrow night - please be praying for that as it is the most powerful and life changing part of the trip if all goes according to plan!
See you soon - your students are tired but I can tell you from their comments - and faces - that their hearts have been broken and yet thrilled by what they have seen here this week - and that is a good thing. I would also tell you that most of them if not all of them have just discovered or had affirmed their true giftings this week - and most have also discovered that prayer is real and it works - and that God is much bigger, wiser, and more loving than they ever realized before. Be expecting some changed hearts.

Beside the Campfire

2011-07-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got married to Andrew McKissic Washington so now my name is Katie Patricia Washington:) Haha no but we really did. In the morning we did a devotion with the Aselsi staff and it was awsome. After we split into two teams and one team was in the kitchen preparing sandwiches and the other was handing out tickets to the shoe-shiners and the men who carry ridiculously heavy loads. After we had a 11:30 program where Jeremy shared his testimony and NIck did too it was so powerful they both did a wonderful job. We did the dramas all the people that were there seemed very touched and responded well. Marisa and I had some powerful prayer with a single mom and her prayer requests just touched both of our hearts. In the afternoon the boys did some intense labor carrying down 50 lbs boards down a vertical mountain. And the other boys did a chicken coop and the girls set for the youth get together. At night we met another youth ministry they were pumped up almost as much we were.split into four teams; orange, yellow, blue, green. I was on orange team and we did great. Unfortunately, the blue team took the victory. Marrissa and I both shared our testimonies; everyone responded well to both our testimonies. Then we had a campfire jam. We got to know each other better and learn the needs of others and what we could pray for. The night was really awsome.
Love Katie B
ps love you mucho familia

No way to put this into words. ..

2011-07-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

It's me again (Mr. B). It is past midnight and the last two students have just left my room. No time for student blogging - I guess by now I am understanding that this trip was meant to be different in many ways, so I am just letting go and riding the wave the rest of the way!
We did not get back until 10:30 PM tonight and we decided we would still do our devotions (since the students wrote them, we feel a strong sense of not just saying it is too late, we are too tired). It was good that we did. . . the devotion was prepared by Philip Joe and it was on the role of suffering in our walks with the Lord. It is much too late for me to even begin to put into words what we have experienced over the past two days. I can't and I only hope that you create an opportunity when we get back to have your students convey to you what they have seen and heard, especially this week. Suffice it to say that it has been remarkable - more than that but I just cannot find the right words. I have been on many of these trips but have never witnessed what we have experienced here and nothing could have prepared me for it. A brief vignettes I will share however to give you some sense of what we have been doing.
Yesterday I was with five students, the ASELSI Director, and a K'iche translator (we go from English, to Spanish, to K'iche often and on these visits it was a must). We drove 30 minutes from Chichi into the mountains and only stopped when our four-wheel vehicle could no longer navigate the "roads". We were in the middle of wild mountain terrain, the heart of the Mayan nation, driven here in the 1500's when the escaped the brutality of the Spaniards in the valleys hundreds of miles away. We were visiting a family the local ASELSI extension pastor had recommended (three other teams were doing the same, close by in this remote region). We saw Juan walking on the deeply rutted path as we walk down to where the K'iche translator (and nearby resident) told us a family lived. As we met him we stepped back into the 17th or 18th century. Dressed in clothing threadbare and dirty, he led us up a hillside into his home - a dwelling he built 18 years before from mud, pine needles and stone. The floor was dirt and rock - he had built his home literally on rock - the "solid ground". There were family members huddled around a crude table but there was no other real furniture - a few stools, open walls, no electricity that I could see. His wive was there, dressed as all women we had seen in this part of Guatemala - traditional Mayan dress, colorful and woolen to ward off the cold. His daugther was there (in her 20's and blind). There were five small children also - with faces I know we will not forget - so innocent looking, so genuinely warm and shy. If they had seen gringo's before I do not know butdoubt it from what we had been told. They were his grandchildren, children of his son and daughter-in-law. They were not there - they are in prison somewhere in Guatemala for crimes we did not understand other than Juan claims his son was innocent and framed and that his wife had been arrested for trying to help escape from local "police" (there are a few police here, but most law in this part of the country is expressed by vigilante action (and please ask your students about this - Mayan law - you steal or abuse someone, you will probably be burned alive by vigilante law - totally true and real. Did I mention the very low crime rate here in the Mayan highlands?). His son will be there 18 more years - no money and no hope of bribing his was out. His daughter-in-law will be out in four. Juan is raising them although he has no money and there are no jobs - these are farming villages and he has to eat the corn he grows to survive. His son was the breadwinner for the family and now that is gone. As we talked he asked to come in (bend down really) into his cocina - a small dark adobe room the size of a large closet. The cooking is done over open fire on a stone fire pit - what cooking there is. Our interpreter asked about his situation and as he told us about his life and this recent tragedy, the small children - especially the little girl - began to softly cry. We asked if we could pray. In this small, dark, and cramped space, the family instantly dropped to their knees (they were Christian apparently - unusual) and began to pray with us. They all eventually began to cry - more than that - great and deep sobbing and tears that streamed from their faces. The children all looked down and they laid their heads on the stone hearth, but we heard their tears and pain We prayed for justice, hope, and peace - we prayed for a miracle and we meant it (maybe for the first time in our students lives did they need to ask God for a miracle to end this suffering). After the translations, all of us also with faces wet with tears and hearts broken, Juan was asked how he fed this large family. He pointed to a small wooden shelf - there was half a bag of rice, some corn stalk leaves, a few roots and tortilla's (they grow some corn, so they have tortillas at least). They also had a small bag of red chili powder - very hot - which they put on the tortilla's to help ease the hunger pains. That was it - all the food they had and no money to buy more. The children were malnourished, thin, guant, and barely surviving. No refrigeration but no need of it anyway. They cannot afford meat, eggs, or dairy. We stayed and presented a large bushel of food items, and then toys for the children, and sandals for the family. And a Bible. They were overwhelmed and grateful. Juan never let go the rest of the visit of the Bible he now had. I am guessing he cannot read and even if he did, it would not be Spanish. But the Bible was God, and that meant hope. The children's eyes lit up when we gave them bubble wands, coloring books, crayons, and small balls. It was a Christmas they had never had before we were told. We started to leave and I quietly asked the ASELSI staff if we could give some money and they said yes but not too much (too dangerous as nearby villagers would harm them if they were suddenly "wealthy" for no reason - more Mayan law). We gave them 400 quetzales - around $30. I was told later that it would feed them for a month and maybe two with all the other food items we brought. Juan was grateful, proud but grateful. His wife began to cry again. The children just smiled and stood quietly holding their gifts - but not moving, not speaking - so polite, so well behaved. We told Juan he was man of honor for doing this (many men here abandon their families when things get rough - and women have no rights here). He thanked us profusely and then walked us back up the mountain side to our waiting vehicle. He had nothing but this was his land and his home, and he treated us as honored guests. I hugged him as I left and told him in translation, older man to older man, that God would honor his determination to keep this family together - honor him for being a real man. His bloodshot eyes met mine and I knew he understood and believed this. The students hugged the one child who climbed the trail was us and then got back in the vehicle. We drove (bounced really) over the rough dirt roads for a while. There was silence and then the students in the back of the vehicle held hands and began to pray for this family - no prompting and without my involvement. They cried as they prayed. That was just a small part of our long day.
Tomorrow maybe we will tell you the rest and then about our today (now yesterday) - of the street ministry to the shoe shine boys in the village and to the men that carry heavy loads on their backs with ropes secured across their permanently furrowed foreheads. About Jeremy's testimony - and Nick's - and how it impacted the audience we attracted in the city square. About how it impacted us, especially Nick who I believe will not be the same young man as he was before. About how it climaxed - after the stories, music, and drama's - with a salvation message again translated into two different languages but not by me. I told the students I did not feel I was here to do that - that they were. Andrew Washington finally stepped up and assumed the task. And I don't think he will be the same either. It was clear, powerful, from the heart, and it was anointed by God to be sure. We prayed for at least a half an hour after that, in the sun, with at least 20 or more men and women who wept and prayed and asked for prayer. The students prayed with them, hugged them, knelt with them - men dressed in rags, alcoholics, beggars - the refuse of humanity. I saw Nick and Jeremy pick up a man with one leg who scooted on his back side (they way he gets around) to the front in order to be ministered to. They carried him back rather than have him scoot back up the steps. He was covered in filth - a man that could not have been different in any respect than the cripple that Jesus healed at the pool of Bethseda. No one told them to do this - they just responded as did the other students in a scene that will never leave my mind - or theirs. They touched the untouchables, held them, cried with them, prayed for them although the language was different. The ASELSI staff were moved as well. This was not always the case in these monthly feedings of these lowest caste members of Mayan society. Few other teams responded this way from America - and none were so well prepared in song and drama (which is why the crowd was so large).
In a few weeks they will back at school and back to computer games, social events and sports. I don't however today or yesterday, or this whole trip, will ever completely leave their minds. They have had a taste of the Kingdom of God, eternity really, and used giftings they did not know they possessed before this trip. It continued tonight when we hosted a youth group from a nearby village - and testimonies by Katie Bolvito and Marisa Bognanno had the same impact and the night was amazing - ending with us sitting around bonfires - Mayan teens sitting with our teens. Amazing scene - ask them!

Americanos beat the Guatemalans!!!! by Katy Peterson

2011-07-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, there was sweat, there was rain, there were tears, but most importantly... there was victory over the ASELSI Guatemalan soccer team! Yesterday we woke up bright and early to the lovely sound of a rooster ... at 4 am now i know how my dad felt living in Georgia. We went to the school we had painted the previous day and performed skits, songs, and testimonies (which were shared by Andrew and Katie A, they did an amazing job and i know both their parents would have been proud) then we split the kids up into 5 groups and played games! (there were about 20 kids in each group, all in 6th grade) many laughs and smiles later we came back to ASELSI where we did home visit... that was a once in a life time opportunity for me. there was one man in the home that my team visited he has 3 daughters and 1 son (one of his daughters born blind) his son had 3 children and his oldest daughter had 2 children, the 2nd oldest daughter had 1. so he was a grandparent of 6 children. He shared with us that his son was taken to jail, because he was a taxi cab driver and one day bad people got into his cab and the police thought he was with these bad people, so they arrested him, the mans wife then decided to go and safe him, and then she was put into jail as well. leaving 3 children father and motherless. leaving the grandparents to take care of all of their children and their grandchildren. i learned yesterday what the true meaning of a man was, and for the first time what a pray of desperation sounded like. when we ask the family if we could pray for them, i bowed my head and closed my eyes, like i always do, but all the Mayan family (who believed in God, surprisingly) dropped to their knees, and Katie B started praying i heard yells and cry's of plea towards the lord, it was so overwhelming that it brought me to my knees and i couldn't help but plea to the lord to bring this family back together. partially the little girl who's father and mother were in jail touched me, if you could have seen the look in her eyes as we were talking about he parents, you would have been heart broken too. we parted by giving them gifts, and hugs and went back to our hotel were we prepared to play the ASELSI soccer team, ... now did we really win? ... no, but we were sure the most entertaining to watch! best in show goes to....... the Los AMERICANOS from Virginia (and Minnesota:) pictures of the pray visits should be up shortly:) hope all is going well back home, i can tell you this, my life has been changed once again, and i know your children won't be coming back the same people they left as. Love you Mom, Dad, Char, Alex, Courtney, Isaac, Christina, and little Liam!

2011-07-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

As I am writing this the student leaders and I have just finished a time together that we had spent in prayer. We are headed into our second week and many of the teammates seem worn down and tired. There is a feeling in this area of Guatemala
that I have not felt anywhere else and all that we really knew to do was to pray. This trip I have learned so much about what prayer truly is. It isn't just a group of people getting together to speak out words of wisdom to God. But it is a direct connection with God and a time in which there is no hindrance between you and Him. It is an awesome thing and I have really come to see how God truly answers prayers. Last week at the Potters house when we went through our prayer walks I really realized that God had his hand in this trip. Every home we went to there was a student who headed up the conversation. And in every house that we had entered the person had been through something very similar to the one they were to pray for. It was no accident or coincidence but purely a God thing. The house that I went into to share with was different in that it was much larger than all of the sorrounding ones. But that wasn't what had surprised me. It was that the woman who lived there was telling us about how she used to be very sick and that her husband had become her caretaker. But whenever we had gone her husband was very ill and had told her that he felt as though he was going to die. It was amazing to see how strong her faith was and how whenever it seemed as if she should have no hope she still looked to the future and was not let down or discouraged by her circumstance. I had gotten to share my testimony with her and it was amazing how much I could relate with her. Not only that but I was able to relate with how she felt the fear of losing someone whom she loved and not knowing what was going to happen and the uncertainty that will follow. It was something that really touched me because I was so unsure about what I was going to say, and then whenever I went into the home I was covered by a sense of calm and it was amazing to get to pray with her. So as I am going through this week I am beginning to realize the true value of prayer. It really is a powerful tool that is going to be answered whether we like it or not. Yesterday in our church service a HUGE rain storm came and was so loud on the tin roof of the church that it was hard to hear the service. So I turned to Phil and we just decided that we would start to pray because so much of what we were doing needed to be heard. By the time I ended my prayer the rain had already begun to calm, and a couple of minutes before we got up to play music for the service the rain had stopped all together. I truly believe that that was not a coincidence but an answer to prayer. That night in our devotion time, we brought it up and found out that a majority of our team was praying for the same thing and it was amazing to really see the answer to prayer.

In this area that we are in, there is a strong sense of community. I really realized that today whenever we went today to paint the auditorium of a school in which we will be doing our vbs tomorrow. All of the parents had come to help, and a job that would have taken our whole team probably two days to accomplish took the whole group that was there all around 3 hours. Everyone was working together and it showed. It was a really great to experience the feeling of such a community. I am excited to see all that God has in store for our team as we finish out this week! It has been a great trip and I am so happy that I got the opportunity to come. It has been a great two weeks and I have learned so much, this trip has really been a priceless experience for me.

Please keep praying for our team as we go out into this community throughout this week and are working with the people. It will be a great experience but we are always confronting spiritual warfare whether here or in Virginia. It is something that we cannot be void of, but it is something we can definitely pray through! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers they really are felt here and GREATLY appreciated.

Love you Mammy, Pops, and Ash! Miss you guys and can't wait to see you!

-Jeremy

Chichicastenango

2011-07-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Mr. B again, but don't be too upset. . . we have had a very long and exciting transition day and the students for once were not resisting the notion of going to bed. I need some much needed rest, so this will be short and by tomorrow I am sure I get a few of them to relate what we have seen, heard, and experienced today - and it was incredible.

We left Guatemala City early this morning and with our team and 28 black bags loaded onto two vans and a truck we began the long and winding journey into the mountains to Chichicastenango. The ride was long but the scenery was breathtaking. We wound up roads that were narrow and with many sections reduced even more because of construction. Driving in Guatemala is something I will just let your students tell you about when they get home - something like Disneyland's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride on steroids. But folks here know how to drive in this madness, so worry not, we arrived safe, sound, and only with some queasy stomachs. We knew we had finally arrived in Central America today as the last vestiges of the capitol city faded away and we were in a world more green than any of us have probably experienced before and rural in a way that is hard to explain. Mountains, lakes, volcano peaks looming through the ever-present cloud cover - all viewed through fields of corn growing wild mixed with apple and coffee trees. Horses, cows, and sheep roam without fences and the villages we drove through were small and the roads so narrow that two vehicles pass only within inches of each other. The native people here are Mayan - most 100% and many do not speak Spanish. The dress is wildly colorful, rural, and almost ancient. We finally arrived at our charming but, again, very rustic hotel in time to quickly change for a quick tour of ASELSI and then off to a village church for the evening youth service. We will tell you more about ASELSI tomorrow but we were impressed with the magnitude of their ministry in an area that they told us was the poorest region in all of the Western hemisphere except for Haiti (and with the highest infant mortality rate in the Western world). It is an amazing ministry but still with so little to help so many - more of that later.
We arrived at the small church and quickly set up to essentially provide the entire 2.5 hour service to approximately 100 Mayan youth of all ages. It was an evening I don't think your students will soon forgot. Katie Bolvito and Coleman Merenda both gave very powerful testimonies that even these very poor and somewhat isolated youth could connect despite the obvious differences in culture and resources. The students performed two songs in Spanish that the native youth enthusiastically embraced. Last night during our devotion time, Katy Peterson asked if she could deliver the main message (which we were told we would be invited to give). I told her I would ask, knowing that the chances of a youth giving the "sermon" - in a region that is extremely conservative (mark that - very conservative) was slim at best. However, we learned that this is the only church in this area that encourages women to participate in ministry and even has a woman in charge of the youth ministry. So, as God has done every day on this trip, things worked out perfectly in that Katy was allowed to give the message which she did (with the difficulty of translation thrown in) with great boldness and confidence. There was no question in any of our minds that God had ordained this and provided the opportunity that we hope will not be our last. I have asked God everyday to let the students lead every ministry aspect of this trip and so far God has done more than I could have even hoped for. The students also performed two very powerful and moving drama's (I hope the video's make it to you soon on YouTube) and the local youth responded to them both in a way that I can only tell brought chills to me - and tears. We ended the evening all standing together in front of the church, singing, clapping, and dancing (yes, Immanuel Bible Church students dancing in front the Lord in worship and loving it). What a sight. Your children standing and dancing together with Mayan youth (our khaki's and tennis shoes mixed with traditional Mayan skirts and blouses), holding hands, shouting praises, and with many of the Mayan youth crying. Their pastor at the end said it was a vision of what heaven will be like - all of us from every race and age - together focused only on worship of the Lamb!). We finished the service by giving the church a special offering from our team (and the money you provided in support) and went back to the hotel for dinner with a missionary couple here at ASELSI (he from Argentina, she from Holland - more on that later as we will see them again later this week).
Time for bed -and sorry about so much detail but it was evening like none other that I can remember in working with your students and these short-term missions. You can be so proud of them - and grateful to God for sending them here. There are hearts being changed and giftings being used for the first time - all of it because they responded to the calling to serve. Continue to pray for our health and stamina. This is a very rural and isolated area and much cooler (check that, cold!). Thanks for the prayers also - we feel them.

Mr B

And then there was light...

2011-07-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it's Katie Agazzi!

Yesterday was our last day at the Potters House, meaning it was the last day working on our three houses. As the day got longer, the tasks got more tedious and a lot of last minute touches were coming up well at the last minute. We had hoped to finish before lunch, but only a little after we got back and finished, the people from the neighborhood and the owners of the house came with balloons, party string, and confetti to celebrate the finishing of their houses. We talked, prayed, and were each given a gift from the owners! Either a colorful beach towel, purse, or . I and also as a few others felt like they didn't have to bring us gifts. That we built or renovated their houses in Gods name, not ours, the Potters House, or Immanuel. But the first and last day, the owner of the house that I was at said that she will never be able to pay us back, but that God will in many wonderful ways. As we were leaving the houses, I felt God right next to me patting my back because we didn't build those houses to get a hand clap or to check one more thing off my list, but it was because God has called us to go and serve his people. It was sad saying bye to the people of the Potters House, but I know some day I will see them again. As Mr. B said earlier, we had a late night last night having a talent show and playing charades and signs.

Finally.....we get to sleep in and have a day off! (: We had breakfast, had either one or two one on ones, and then hopped on a School Bus to take a trip to the MALL! Most of us had agreed that it is way better than American malls. Better food selection, better prices, and better clothes. But it wasn't really about the shopping, it was about being together as a group again and just taking a day to relax and have some fun! Some wanted to see a movie, but were disappointed when they found out none of the movies were in English, haha. But after more than 2 hours, we were all tired and ready to go back to the hotel. When we got back we got more than an hour to rest before dinner, which was great as usual! And then as always after dinner, we headed upstairs to start devotions, practicing skits and music. Katie B. shared her testimony tonight and we would all agree it was very powerful and moved us all. After some tears, we shook it off and started working on the "Everything" and "King of Hearts" skits, which are both turning out very very well. And then my favorite part, worshiping. For me, being able to worship to God is a privilege and is my favorite part of church or devotions. It's a way for me to express my love for God and just show Him how much he means to me. We practiced all Spanish songs, which are kind of difficult for me, but Jaime was there to mouth the words in front of us. (: Then Nick did his devotions on a poem he had written on Lightness and Darkness which really moved me and had me thinking.

God has been really moving me in a way he has never before in the past couple of days. Two nights ago I shared my testimony with the group and a couple people just came to me, put their hands on me, and prayed. At that moment I could feel the God sitting right next to me, holding my hand, and just telling me over and over again how much He loves me. That gave me so much courage and really strengthen my relationship with God. But now I'm off to bed for a very big day tomorrow! Miss all of you so much!

Katie Agazzi

Blog Note

2011-07-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

A very late night last night - we finished with our Potter's House portion of the journey. We are tired to say the least but still in good spirits. So many stories to share with you - so many dreams realized by team members and grateful families with new homes (and new friends). We dispensed with our usual schedule of practice last night and instead just did devotions and a very creative competition between the boys and girls - a talent show (the boys won by the way!). After that, charades took up the rest of the evening. A transition day on Saturday. Will catch up today on the blog later. All our well and sickness is almost gone - thanks for the prayers!
Mr. B

Misc. Photo's

2011-07-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

We Were Playing Spades....

2011-07-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

From what I've heard, most people like to start their blogs talking about how the group did during the day of work. Me being the different one I'm going to start with how the group is doing during our group time. I think it's amazing how our group is so open to sharing about themselves. We are constantly growing closer as a group which I think is helping other open up and share what they wouldn't usually say. God is really speaking to us and it's happening all at the right time. Like yesterday during our prayer walks, every student led a different house, gave their testimony and prayed for the family. It seemed that for every house the someone gave a testimony to, it was meant for it to be "their" house. Interesting for me personally, I had two houses. The first house I did I wasn't really feeling it but I did it anyways. After I was finished, I felt incomplete. I wasn't even expecting to get the second chance but the opportunity came I felt that God prepared me for that one specifically. It worked out tremendously! I love how God is working in not only my heart, but it seems every single individual on this team.

Today at the dump, we built stoves for our houses. We built them with cinder blocks and pieces that were made for it. The people were very grateful and made sure to thank us and we all prayed together to conclude. After eating we went to our original houses we have been working on and began painting. In house one I know that we got the first coat done but there is so much more work to do by tomorrow. Mr. B is telling me to wrap up so he can attach some photos so I will sum it up. Most of the sickness is dying down and all of our spirits are high and are excited to work our butts of tomorrow finishing up the houses!

Andrew Washington

Week One Progress

2011-07-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick and unusual post - as I have never done one before preferring that the students convey their perceptions to you directly. However, most of the students tonight left the team meeting to continue their series of "one-on-one" discussions (I encourage each student to have at least one one-on-one with every other member of the team during the trip - discussions that build relationships and get past the usual superficial layers) including all of those who were up for blogging duties tonight. I could see that the one-on-one's were a bit more intense tonight, as they are getting to know one another fairly well, so I did not want to break any up around the hotel to do this. So, you are stuck with me for one night.
Today was a tough day as they are tired from the transition of time and culture, and from the work. We still are having some lingering stomach issues that we simply did not have the past several trips. Everyone is getting over it but it is causing some discomfort and distraction. Again, nothing serious and no one has stayed at "home" but please do pray that the rumblings and crampings stop and for good health to return for the duration of the trip.
Your children are simply amazing. In the morning hours, on an unusually warm day for here, three teams set up to make significant progress on the three houses we are building (one is an renovation and the other from scratch. For two houses it meant some very back breaking work hauling concrete mixing supplies uphill to the two sites for the new homes, and then mixing, carrying, and pouring it for two new floors now replacing the muddy and unhealthy dirt floors. A third team continued work on renovating a living shelter and some members spent the afternoon again with over 70 children from the dump community (some of them in the special school at the Potter's House). They are tireless and efficient workers - getting these heavy duty tasks done well ahead of schedule. There is still lot's of painting, stuccoing, and cleaning to do before the families can move back into their transformed homes. They now know the families they are serving and stop often to play with the smaller children (and some of the endless supply of packs of dogs and puppies). In the afternoon we all served lunch to the community children back at the Potter's House and then cleaned up a bit jn order to do prayer visits to 21 different families in the community (in teams of 5 each and one with 6). Each student had the opportunity to lead each home visit which meant asking questions about the usually large families living in these dark and dank shelters, most without a father present. Testimonies were given and translated - and they all did exceptionally well - as well as food baskets, Bible's and a promise to pray for each request. Tonight as we recapped the various experiences with each other during our team meeting after dinner, it was clear that we were the ones who were humbled by their simple but solid faith, and overwhelmed by the depths of the stories we heard - abandonment, violence, substance abuse, poverty, and betrayal. Most of the homes we visited were believers and it amazed us how they were so sure of their faith in Christ and that their requests would be answered positively (and many of them told stories where this has happened more than once). As they shared tonight it was equally clear that they are gaining some truly new perspectives about life, their priorities, pain, persistence, and God. Many former beliefs were shattered tonight as stark new realities confronted them with glaring urgency. They are now meeting people where daily survival is the goal and where hope is a precious commodity - but those who possess it are "rich" in just they way the Bible describes. Tomorrow will be another tough labor day so pray for their strength and stamina as well. I will try and have Clare Merenda or the Bowers boy's post more pictures tomorrow night. I am reading your comments to them by the way, so keep sending them!
Good night - up in five hours!

Mr B

Pictures (at Last) & Our Trials, Temptaions, and Growth in God

2011-07-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone! Claire and AJ here. :) Day 3 in Guatemala is coming to a close, and we wanted to share some pictures with you, and tell you a little about our day.

This first picture is the whole gang in front of one of our hotel rooms. The hotel is open around a courtyard, and it is very colorful and beautiful. We love it!

This is our group visiting some Mayan ruins on Sunday. We learned a lot about the culture of the Post-Classic Mayan era. For example, Mayans used to crawl up the steps instead of walking up them.

Here is Marissa Bognanno with a few little angels during VBS on Monday.

Jonathan found a little buddy and shared his sun glasses with him!

Look at how hard Tim is working! We finished putting stucco on the walls of one of the homes we've been building. A fun job, but a messy one as well!

Bolvito and Claire take a break from plastering to say hello to the camera!

Katie Bolvito cleaned off all our stucco tools in a wheel barrel of water and got some unexpected help from eager assistants!

Hey y'all! AJ (or Ahe as the little ones call me) here!

I'm gonna start out with a couple of things that I REALLY think y'all should know.

1) THE FOOD HERE IS AWESOME :D
2) I have NEVER seen so much color in my entire life! I feel like I walked into an every-color-you-can-ever-imagine-in-your-born-days paint store and just started chucking the paint on a ginormous canvas.
3) This place could EASILY be my home one day in the future. The culture is so rich, the people are so friendly, the history so intriguing, and the work and blessings and love of God never stops here.

First off I'm going to tell you what has been happening on this trip to me and some others I am sure. I have never heard God call me or speak to me so much as I have these past three days and in the weeks leading up to it. Actually I started REALLY hearing his voice before I even knew what mission trips were being offered. All I heard was "Guatemala; go see the children." Strange isn't it? So simple, but so direct and so powerful. I'm actually crying as I write this because I can feel my heart miles away from this hotel and back in the communities of the Treasures. Yesterday we started to work; one hour in the morning. As I was leaving my renovation site I heard "You'll be back here in about an hour." I was assigned to do VBS yesterday and I said "No I won't be. I won't be back in this house; I'll be with the kids." As I ate lunch all I could think about was "Go ask if you can work again instead of doing VBS." Finally I gave up and walked up to Katy Peterson, who is in charge of VBS, I didn't even open my mouth and she asked me "Hey AJ, would you mind going back to work instead of doing VBS?" I nodded, kinda stunned, and then sat back down. I heard His voice again "Ask to be on the renovation project." By this point I knew that I would lose if I tried to argue, but again, I didn't even have to ask; it was my assignment.

You're probably asking now "why is she telling me this? I wan't to hear about everything else." Well, that story ties into what I'm about to tell you.

We have all been tested and tried and grown stronger and closer to God. I've learned to just shut up and LISTEN to God cause He's trying to tell me something important. I know Marrissa has told us that she is stepping closer in her walk with God to making her personal commitment. Jessica was asked to tell her testimony and agreed to it, but then had to leave for a moment because she felt incredibly sick the second she said yes. We have so much spiritual warfare here, but all of us are battling our hardest and winning with a LOT of help from our Father.

How much more are these people who live in squalor and breathe in air that no being or animal should have to be near? What about the young girls who are left at home while their brothers and fathers and mothers are out? What about those who don't know where they can turn to? They are struggling to survive and I feel so much joy to see the ones who are not just surviving, but living. Something to think on.

On a more boring note. We have managed to put stucko on all the walls, paint the renovation home on the inside, and we have a roof over one house. EVERYONE is feeling the toll of lack of sleep, BUT no one is slacking off. Andrew and Jenna were not feeling well, but they kept pushing themselves and are now feeling a lot better. I think the projects are coming along well, and we are already building some relationships with the families here. They are such joys, especially the children, :).

Well, signing off now! Buenos Noches mi amigas!

The start of an eye opening week

2011-07-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day seeing Guatemala's city dump and working with the Potter's House. The city dump struck most all of us silent as we witnessed hundreds of treasurers looking for material to sell or use in order to get by daily. The city dump really stunk but it would stink more to have to work there. The suffering that the treasurers go through is awful and a question we pondered upon all day was why God would plan a life in the dump for someone. Everyone suffers before they go to heaven but it is confusing to us that some people's suffering is so much harder than others. The questions of why bad things happen to good people and why life on earth is so much more painful for some more then others may never be answered. This is because only God really knows the answer and the logic behind his plans. After seeing the city dump we got to work on houses in the villages surrounding the dump. The people that occupy these houses are the treasurers that are living day by day depending on garbage from the dump to get by in life. some of us got to work on digging out landfill from a house so that a foundation can be made as others scraped cockroach nests of off the walls of a house so that they could be painted. The labor today was sweat evoking which is good because it will set the tone for the rest of the week.
We love Guatemala!
Marisa B.

First day around Guatemala- Tim Bowers

2011-07-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

The mornings in Guatemala are simply breath taking with the aroma of coffee and a slight breeze that helps refresh you for the day that is about to begin. All of us in Guatemala are trying to get used to the 2 hour time difference, even though there were a lot of stories of students waking up, looking at their watches and thinking that they were a hour or so late to breakfast. Breakfast itself was very interesting and new. We were served bean dip and quaso with plantains and scrabbled eggs. After breakfast was over, a van came to pick us up so we could go see some Mayan ruins! The Mayan ruins that we were visiting was known as Iximche and it was home to about 15,000 people who didn't live IN Iximche exactly but they lived AROUND it. Our guide, Luis, was very proud of his Mayan culture and he was able to tell a lot of new and interesting details about how the Mayan people lived in Iximche and why certain practices were performed. He told us that the Mayan people very rarely made human sacrifices and that the majority of their sacrifices were animal sacrifices. We witnessed a Mayan Shaman perform a ceremony that was meant to appease the sun god. The Shaman built a fire in which he threw both rum and sugar to create an incense that would make the sun god happy. We also had a chance to see 3 women have their own silent ritual were they knelt around a small camp-size flame. After the tour of the Mayan ruins we went to a restaurant that had gorgeous scenery and delicious delicacies. While we were at the restaurant it started to drizzle a little bit which helped added to the already lovely scenery. Once every one was full from the delicious meal, we got back on our bus and headed out to Antigua! At Antigua, a lot our the students were able to test out their haggling skills and were even able to learn a few tricks here and there. Over all, the day was full of exciting and new experiences that your students themselves will want to tell you. With love from everybody here :)

Everybody is safe and sound. :)

2011-07-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

There was smoke everywhere, sparks flying, burning rubber, and luggage afire. I looked around helplessly as I saw that the plane was no more.... Then I woke up, and then fell back asleep. For real now, we are only missing 3 of the 19. I cant mention names but I am very sorry because I am JKing . Its been an experience so far, from drinking Hibiscus to searching for the pool so desperately dreaded for on the 3rd floor. From the 2nd floor we can see the Eiffel tower tambien. One thing that worries us is the rambo like guard at the front gate with his sawed off shotgun who will go berserk on anyone who enters...or exits this wonderful paradise of a place. We practiced today our wonderfully amazing skits. Though we need prayer for continuance on bettering them.
Sincerely Katie B And Phillip Joe

We have arrived.

2011-07-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody
We have arrived in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The weather is perfect and the hotel is a nice place. We are going to have dinner now with the founders of the Potter' s House and then we will go to sleep because we have a big day tomorrow. We are going to Antigua and sight see. We will start the hard work on Monday.
Please pray for us.

Nicholas Leontiev

Called

2011-07-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Called is a strange word. You don't hear it much. You hear career, you hear job, you hear interest. People usually ask you what you do, not what your calling is. However, a calling is more than a job or a career. A calling incorporates who you are. A calling is the place where your gifts, abilities, desires, and feelings or worth all come together. When you follow your calling you feel at home, at peace - you feel as if you are where you're meant to be.

A calling is always accompanied by passion. When you discover your calling you'll be filled with joy, gratitude, and even tears. Your calling is the brand of God on your soul, the source of energy, renewal, and life. Disciples are more than people who believe in Jesus; they are people who follow him by listening to how they're made.

A bunch of fisherman with calloused hands that stunk of fish discovered that they were made for more than netting fish. When Jesus called them, they immediately dropped everything to follow him. It's definitely not an easy thing to do. However, Jesus commanded his followers to "go and make disciples of all the nations." Likewise, God has called us to be disciples in Guatemala.

As we embark on this journey to Guatemala, let us fix our eyes on Jesus and attune our hearts to His. May the Lord go before us and prepare us physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Team Dessert!

2011-07-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Look forward to seeing everyone at the team dessert, tomorrow at 7:30 pm the home of the Peterson's (7133 Hamor Lane, Springfield, VA 22153).

Please call Mr. B if you have any last minute packing questions and don't forget to bring your forms. Just a few more days....:)

12 days until we're shining HIS light in Guate!

2011-07-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Please be in prayer for the team as we finish preparing for the trip. Check out a "sneak peek" of the cool cover for team's devo book. Thanks Kt P and Kt B!

Closing Ceremonies

2010-07-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hey!

We're sitting at the Guatemala airport waiting for our flight to Texas. We're grabbing WiFi from a Pizza Hut waiting for our pepperoni pizza at 10:30 in the morning.
Yesterday was a very exciting day for the team. We started off by cleaning our rooms and packing. Around 9:30 local time, we went outside onto the sun soaked lawn to give Katy Bolvito an affirmation. Afterwards we went inside and Bob ran us through the Chula ceremony. Chula in Spanish means cute but Bob has given new meaning to the word by giving a Chula Award to the person who put his or her foot in his or her mouth. The campaign was neck and neck between Katy Peterson and Tyler "The Pope" Britton. Katy won, allowing her to put her signature on a stuffed frog.

Afterwards we went to lunch with Bob and then returned and loaded our bags onto vans and traveled to the location of our final night in Guatemala, SETECA Seminary. The enitre time we were there we focused on team bonding and transitioning from missionary work back to our everyday life. We did affirmations for everybody which really helped give closure to this trip, and more importantly allowed everybody to hear how they have grown on this trip. This experience was very important to me because I came on this trip without having friendships with any of the other team members. The feedback I received was very special for me and I think everyone else had similar experiences.

All in all our experience here in Guatemala has been live changing in some way or another. We want to thank everyone who has supported us both financially and through prayer. This trip would not have been possible without you guys. God has truley blessed us through this experience. Thank you everyone!

Charlie and Megan

Jailbirds

2010-07-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

Today started out with an hour's drive and another ride down a dirt road. We walked up to the maximum security section of the prison which was where we would be for a short time. Wednesdays and Sundays are visitation days, it was interesting and yet oddly saddening to see families with children coming to visit their father who was locked up. After we finished through security we were in an area that felt as though it were a community rather than a prison. Prisoners had the privilege of freedom to be outside of their cell during the day. At first this was unsettling to hear because if we did not make it out before lunch we would be staying for it. We walked through the main yard and down a narrow hallway to a chapel where the inmates held their own church services.

We were greeted by the chapels band. After some brief welcomes given by both the pastor and Bob, we got on the stage to share all that we had prepared in both music and testimonies. We played the same songs that we had played on this past Sunday in Bob's church. Interspersed in between our songs were the testimonies of both Jaime and Tom. These testimonies had an apparent effect on the faces of the inmates as I watched them try to really focus and hang on every word that was being spoken. It was a very interesting experience as well as one that was very educational in a way that I would have never personally expected.

After we all had left the prison we headed to the craftsman market. It was a beautiful market filled with all different kinds of knick knacks. Its always an exciting rush to get to barter for the better price, even if in comparison to the American dollar it is only a few cents. What was interesting to me was how alot of the little stores were family run, or there would be a mother with her son. It was quite the change in lifestyle switching from the exiguous conditions of those who lived in the dump. To the hustle and bustle of a marketplace where everyone is looking for their next sale. It would have been fun to of had more time to spend in the market just observing the people in our surroundings.

As our trip is starting to come to a close, everyone is doing fine, and those who have been feeling under the weather are improving. We all are looking forward to being reunited with our families as everything is winding down. We will see you guys in a few days. Love you mom dad and ash.

Jeremy

P.S we have learned much about the papacy and Tyler has decided to one day become pope :)

2010-07-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today was our second day with Bob. We spent our time working with children and relaxing after a long week of manuel labor. The change of pace has been good for the team as we slow down a little, see another side of Guatemala City and create even deeper bonds.

Something strange has happened for this team, that almost all agree rarely happens, that is that we all have bonded really well without the clicks or popular crowd that so often comes within groups. It's been a cool experience learning more about each other and finding ways to bond despite the work and busy schedules we've been used to for the past week.

Please keep praying for us as we continue our mission.

God Bless,

Guatemala Missions Team

Church and m&m's

2010-07-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hola from Guatemala! Yesterday was fantastic, relaxing day! After a hard week of working and little sleep, we arrived to the Henriques estate exhausted only to be surprised by the treatment we were about to get! Their house is absolutely breathtaking and the Henriques family is more than hospitable. In their backyard is a breathtaking view of a revene, no garbage! Jenn reminded us not to take advantage of all of this, especially after all we've seen in the past week, and she was right. We are all truly grateful that God allowed us to come here.

We started out by going to Bob Henriques church and singing for them. Jeremy and Kathryn did a fantastic job sharing their testimonies. After we were finished in "big church" we all went and did VBS for the kids. It was a lot of fun teaching them about relying and trusting in God through the story of the blind man! We played a great game that Katy created where you blind fold someone while another kid leads them through an obstacle course. The kids loved it! After church we went out to lunch at a soccer themed restaurant where we all enjoyed a nice, juicy peace of steak, so yeah we all enjoyed that quite a lot!

After the restaurant we had a long awaited nap! Aaaah :) Before dinner we were treated with a personal concert from a guitar and singing duet named Mildred & Manolo! They were absolutely amazing and everyone was thrilled to be hearing their music! They shared their testimonies with us as they played through many different songs. Don't worry parents, you'll be able to hear their music since most of us got their cd!

We love and miss you all! See you guys soon :)

Our last day at potters house!

2010-07-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

After a ton of back breaking work, lots of sweat, and some very interesting smelling students we finally finished one house completely reconstructed, and two others that recieved new floors and roofs. I wish all of you reading this right now could have seen the expressions on the families and the childrens faces when they saw where their new bed would be going, and where they were able to shower, and where they would be spending every rainy season dry! life is Guatemala is certainly different, to say the least. but there is clearity, carefreeness, and a strong bond between the Guatemalan people. They were right along side us the whole time working just as hard, and not just the people recieving the new houses. Neigbors, friends, and even complete strangers, that is how strong there community is. visiting the trash dumps this morning was unlike anything i've ever seen. you really couldn't even imagine where these people work, raise their children and live everyday. this past week I fully believe we have shown Gods light and his grace and love. don't be surprised if some of your children decided to extend there stay... just kidding, but these kids have changed our lives and it was really hard to leave. i hope all is going well back in virginia/ohio! we love you all and can't wait to share all of our stories!
Adios,
Katy Peterson

ps. hey dad! :)

Painting Out Our Lives in Guatemala

2010-07-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody in Virginia! It's been a fantastic experience so far here in Guatemala. Today we spent our morning constructing fuel efficient stoves in the edge of the city dump.
To do this, our team was required to bring each of the pieces up the side of a ravine, where the recieving shanties were constructed on the mountainside. It was some of the hardest work we have done yet, but I felt God's presence with us as the required teamwork strengthened our bonds.
Wow. Today I felt connections between our team and the people of the Guatemala City dump as we once again worked for Potter's House. Now that the foundations for the houses we are constructing are finished, we now had to paint the interior. As our team stetched their abilities, the people in the nieghborhood opened up to us more than ever before and I truly felt God's hand at work. Tomorrow is our last day in Potter's House Ministries, so keep praying for us!
~Coleman

God and Coke-Bringing people to together.

2010-07-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

As we walked into the dimly- lit one room house I thought to myself, what on earth am I going to say that will in any way relate to the woman who graciously welcomed me into her home? Thoughts rushed in my head as I took in my surroundings, a whole house's contents in one room. As we gathered around her in the cramped space, she looked at us with guarded eyes yet a warm smile slowly crept on her copper, sun-baked face. With her small children at her side we introduced ourselves and began the somewhat awkward "speech" of why we were here.
Now, I never prepare what words I say because they are not mine to choose. All of us were supposed to share our testimonies and to be honest, I was not sure how to go about saying that to someone I have no connection with. Lets just say it was uncomfortable. But after we asked what prayer needs she had, what I needed to say was as clear as the awkwardness I had only felt seconds earlier. She had hepititis. Not surprising for the conditions and lack of health care there. Also not surprising, she could not afford treatment. I could see the worries for her and her family expressed in the chocolate eyes as she looked at me.
Without thinking I began to tell her about my father, Tom, who has cancer. I knew how she felt and the worry that is so devistating for her and her children. Truly, without any preconcieved thought I poured my heart out about something I do not like talking about nevertheless share with a stranger. So what happened? In that moment, God was able to use something terrible to heal and bring people to Him. I was just his hands and feet. My dads illness was a terrible blow to not only him but our family. Never would I have thought something healing, powerful, and cleansing could come from it. But isnt that how God works? As mentioned tonight in our team discussion, God never promised us a happy life...meaning no sickness, no pain, no struggles. He did promise us, "abundent life," a indescribable joy found only in Him. Even living with a disease or the worst luck imanginable, we have full abundance in Christ which should be enough. To the woman, she has no hope for a "full life" in Him because she did not have Him. Can you imagine? I pray that my words will encourage her to draw on Christ for strength and commit her life to Him sunk deep in her heart. God's words sunk into mine.

And yes, the kids are all great! Two more days of work and the three houses are finished. We.are.tired. But I dont hear them ever complaining and we all work together so well. It is one of the best teams Ive ever seen..you have truly amazing children that are fun to be around. It doesn't hurt when my dad buys them all coke during our break today too! I swear it could have been a Coke commerical..the Americans and Guatemalans..dirty,sweating, and sitting on a curb sippin' on Coke. "If I could teach the world to sing in perfect harmony..."

Adios from Elizabeth Bognanno!

2010-07-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hola From Guatemala!
I apologize for the lack of blogging yesterday. As you can probably imagine, the internet connection in Guatemala City is not exactly up to par for American standards. When you last read the blog, we had just flown into the city and gotten our orientation from the Potter's House. After a good night sleep, the team woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast. Once the bus picked us up at 7:45am, we departed for the Potter's House to start our first day of work at the dump. When we got there, there was another orientation on what we were going to be doing for the locals this week. We were told that we were going to be building a cinder-block house, installing a concrete floor, and putting a metal roof over 3 houses in the local area for the families that attend the Potter's House services. When we left the Potter's House front door, we were truely struck by the poverty that we saw. One thing that I noticed instantly was the smell. When you were walking between the piles of trash, the stench was overwhelming. The other things that were quickly noticed were the living conditions of the majority of the people. Most of the homes were built from tin or cardboard, and they were directly in the middle of the dump. Something that was a major misconception was the word 'dump'. When Americans think of a dump, they think of an organized place with an entrance and piles of trash. In Guatemala, the conditions of living continuesly got worse until you were walking between piles of trash and junk. We continued to walk through the dump until we reached a small 'community' where we were going to be working for the week. As soon as we entered the front passageway, the group noticed a complete difference in the visual aspects of the area. Outside this community, everyone was just surviving. Many didn't even acknowledge our presence, and those that did, did so half-heartedly. But once we walked in, we saw the colorful strings hanging from the rooftops, and were greeted by a small fireworks display. After recovering from the initial shock of the gunshot sounding fireworks, we were introduced to the families that we would be helping in the community. Through the use of a translator, we thanked the families for letting us work there, then said an opening prayer and started to work. We broke into three groups, one for each of the houses that we would be working on. The first was a cinderblock house that we needed to spackle, stukko, paint, put in a floor, add a roof, and finish the home. Inside this building, there were many nice locals who were willing to learn from us as much as we were learning from them. The other two houses were just patches of dirt that needed a floor and a roof. We were supposed to level the ground, dig holes, and bury posts for the foundation. Through these three houses, we were very busy until lunch. After lunch, we returned to the site, where we found the children home from school or the dump. Once the language barrier was broken between us and the kids, we started to interact with them through games and work. Some of us went to play a pickup soccer game in the alley while others brought kids with them to build the homes and learn from each other's cultures. At the end of the day, with smiles on everyone's faces, we left the site and walked back to the Potter's House. Once we picked up our stuff, we got on the bus and drove back to the hotel for a quick shower and a delicious dinner. After dinner, we went into the basement and talked about what we had seen that day and how it had affected us. Then we went to bed early to prepare for the next day's work. Once we woke up, we played a minor prank on two of the members (Jeremy Traficant and Tyler Britton) and got on the bus for the Potter's House. The orientation was very similar to the previous day, along with the workload. When we got there, we met up with all of the same workers from Tuesday, and picked up directly where we left off. At lunchtime, we walked back to the Potter's House for lunch. Instead of returning to the site, we decided to serve lunch to the local youth who were attending classes at the Potter's House. After saying goodbye to the children, we made our way back to the homes, where we finished putting the Stukko (SP?) on the walls and installed the tin roof and the shower heads. We also installed the foundation on the other homes and added posts for walls. As we were breaking up the previous floor, a pipe was struck by a pickax. After praying and cleaning up the spill, the work continued while I made my way over the children, who were playing with some bubbles that Bethany brought. I gathered some of the older boys and started a pickup baseball game with James. Once the crowd around us grew, I asked if the kids would rather play Futbol (soccer), which was greeted by smiles from all. I ran and got a soccer-ball that I brought, which I gave to a wonderful little 4 year old (the youngest in the group). We started playing, and it seemed that all language issues seemed to melt away with these little kids. When it was time to go, we left the children playing while we walked home. After a repetitive trip back to the hotel, we showered, ate, and continued downstairs to update each other on the things that we had learned that day. We talked about the differences between American life and the conditions that we witnessed in the dump. It was interesting to see how people with so little could be so content. After reflecting on the realizations of the day, we returned to our room, where I am currently typing this bl0g. The plan for tommorow is to continue our work on the houses, and also visit homes of the locals to pray with them and share the word anywhere that it is wanted. I need to go to bed, so I will end this by asking for your continued prayer support and thoughts everyday.
Zack Renier
ISM Guatemala

Hola!

2010-07-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hola from Guatemala!

It is almost 8:30pm Guatemalan time and we're all turning in. We are beat! Our travel to Guatemala was effortless, well, minus a fairly long check-in at DCA! You should have seen all are bags lined up ready to be checked; hope someone got a picture. But we breezed through security, and our flight left on time. We arrived in Texas, enjoyed our last American meal at Einstein Bros and boarded our flight to Guatemala, which was delayed an hour. Once in Guatemala, we spent about a half hour trying to exchange our American dollars for Quetzels (sp?) and were preparing for a long wait through custom. To our extreme delight, there was no one, and I mean NO ONE, in the customs line. And our bags were waiting for us at baggage claim. No waiting whatsoever! (Thank you, Jesus!)

Our guide from the Potter House was at the aiport to greet us with two vans...one for us, and one for our bags! After leaving the airport, we headed straight to the Potter's House right at the base of the city dump. There are really no words to describe the scene we witnessed; there is just nothing most of us could compare it to. The extreme poverty was overwhelming convicting, needless to say.

We were brought into a meeting room shortly after arriving and given an overview of the Potter House organization and prepped for the week ahead of us. It looks like we will be doing everything from building, to participating in their education initiative, to walking door-to-door to share the Gospel and providing them with gifts in the name of Christ. We only spent about 1 1/2 hours at the Potter House before leaving to check in to our hotel (which is extremely quaint and clean)! There is a hotel on sight which served us a nice dinner, although most of us looked as if we could barely keep our eyes open while eating! After dinner we met quickly to go over our schedule for tomorrow morning, pray together as a team, and have a devotion for heading off to sleep. Speaking of sleep, it's about that time...6am is going to come quick!

God is already working and we are excited to see what He has in store during the rest of our time here!

Buenos Noches!

-Jenn Dodd

Welcome!

2010-07-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hello,
This is Ben Hayes, one of the students on the team.
We leave in a week. Pray for us please, we're currently working on finalizing some of the stuff we going to do down there, Vacation Bible School with kids, crafts, lots of stuff. It's lots of fun.
Through out the trip various different students will be posting about their experiences while in Guatemala. But first let me introduce you to the team members.
Students:
Katy P
Bethany T
Jeremy T
Coleman M
Tyler B
Megan B
Kathryn J
Katie B
Charlie C
James M
Zack R
Elizabeth B
Benjamin Hayes

Adult Leaders
Tom B (Mr. B)
Jenn D
Janice C
Jaime G

Again, I ask that you pray for us, and hope you'll check back to see all that God is doing in Guatemala. Thank you and God Bless you.

In His Service,
Benjamin D. Hayes