High Pointe Community Church is sending 6 believers to Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. They will be building 2 modest homes for families in Cerro de Oro in partnership with Inglesia Evangelica Bautista El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepard Evangelical Baptist Church)
This sunday we all went to Sunday school at our partner church.
after lunch we meet up with Pastor Diego and Brother Thomas and headed for Panabaj.
While in Panabaj we meet Elias aka-Rambo. We know Elias from our summer'09 mission and last February. He is a survivor from the mudslide in 2005. Almost every bone in his body was broken and he has scares all over his body to prove it. He earned the name Rambo from his ability to be indestructable in this event. He is one of the sponsored children from Panabaj that go to the school in Santiago. He has a contagious smile and has become a leader among his peers.
Their are still broken and desperate lives in Panabaj
The team had breakfast and checked out of our rooms. Cesar (our translator for the 3rd time) meet us in the Lobby and introduced us to his sister Carol.
After a quick intro to the team we rolled our luggage out to the coaster bus.
We boarded and headed to the local version of Sam's club/ Costco store. This is where we are buying the items for the families we are building houses for. Some pantry staples and a few kitchen/dinning items.
We had Alex recording the cost of each item as we put them in the carts, in order to stay close to our budget for this purchase. When we hit our budget we decided to go check out. The checker rang-up all of our purchases and the total came to barely over half of our budget. ?????
I checked Alex's math. His math was spot on.
Gloria blurted out that God was multiplying the blessing!!!! (in a Gloria kind of way, if you know her)
So we grabbed another cart and headed back into the store. Armed with the the left over money from the first go-round. We started filling the cart with new items and a new list of the cost of each item. When we achieved our budget we turned around and headed for the check-out.
Rang-up all of our items and this time we got all the items we that we could not get the first go round.
We jumped on the coaster and hit the road for a long trip to Santiago Atitlan,
Once in Santiago, we checked into the hotel and waited for Pastor Diego to come and meet the team.
In all it was a good drive with a relaxing evening. preparing ourselves for the work of the week ahead.
Please have Pastor Diego's wife, Mary in prayer. She has been ill for awhile.
Please have in prayer Josue's wife. She is ill also.
May the peace of our Lord be upon you all
Barrett
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The morning started off with kisses and hugs and even a few growls and snarls(from those not wanting to wake up at O'dark:30.
We all meet at the Church office and Kevin Prayed over us and sent us on our way.
I have a confession. I made a decision to follow Christ and believe God will protect us on this trip. I understand if you are scratching your head over that statement. Let me explain........
A couple of years ago on our first trip to this area. News traveled through the STM community that supplies were being seized at the Guatemala customs. The team that summer decided not to wear their team shirts and not identify themselves as missionaries. I have nothing to say about that. except I believed that was the right move to make. The following winter we did the same thing. And the following summer the same thing. This winter It struck me. BAM. Did I not believe that God would protect us? Did I not believe that if God wants us to have those items, He will have us have them?
I told our team at the packing party that I felt if we were too scared to wear our team shirts and identify ourselves openly as missionaries, then we do not trust God to provide for and protect us. I left the option open to wear or not to wear. I wore my team shirt along with 3 others on the team.
When our plane landed in Guatemala, we did as we always do. Walk down to immigration, and then to baggage claim. We all stayed together as a group. After all bags were claimed we headed to customs as a group. Walking up to the customs agent, she asked " are you carrying any toys, medical supplies, or merchandise. I answered truthfully fully disclosing everything we had. She asked if we were missionaries, I answered truthfully. She asked what bag the medical supplies were in. I pointed to Heather Coopers red bag. She opened the gate and sent the entire team minus Heather Cooper heading for the door. Heather was out within 3 minutes. She reported that they opened the bag glanced at the contents and quickly zipped it back up.
I truly believe that when you put 100% of your trust in God to get you through something. He will. although sometimes it is not your way, but his way you get through.
Outside the door we were warmly welcomed by Gloria of OO and Josue( he was picking someone up and happened to be there).
The team is away in their rooms, sleeping, awaiting what today will bring.
I already know.
God will change things on us, We need to trust Him. We need to believe He will get us through.
His way.
Please pray for Josue our driver, That his attention to the road and safety is high.
Please pray for Cesar and Gloria of OO. They will officially join or team today.
Please pray for Mary, Pastor Diego's wife. She has been ill for sometime now.
Please pray for Diego and his church. Brother Tomas and his church plant.
Please pray for our team, we have a long drive tomorrow.
Last minute calls , last minute errands, double checks and triple checks, scan the list, make a new list, throw the list away, start over, pack the bags, repack the bags, find the thing you forgot to pack, repack again, oh wait I still need that out. Unpack, partially repack. STOP!!
Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out.
Yes their are last minute things to do. Things I have not thought of until this very minute. While these things seem so important and bear the wait of importance.
There is only one thing we need to do.
Be quiet and know that He is God.
The supply drive has finished and the packing party went as planned (for the most part)
The Smurfs appeared and brought much laughter to the party. We all had a lot of fun and the event brought us that much closer together as a team.
Spencer and Wendy Finney once again were gracious enough to open their home to us and the supplies.
All is in God's hands now.
All of the little things seem to be covered.
for that matter all of the big things seem to be covered.
It is all of the unseen, unknown, unexpected things that we need to pray about.
It is human nature to stress over these things
It is a battle of unbelief between our own flesh and the Spirit with in us
Will we quench the Spirit and do it on our own.
Or will we continue on with endurance and faith in our Lord to provide.
Please pray for our team.
Alex
Corey
Heather C.
Heather Z.
Nancy
and Me(Barrett)
Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts
May He light a fire with in us
May our hands be blessed with the gentleness of His love.
May our feet not lead us into temptations of self and flesh
May our eyes be blessed with sights of Him among us.
May our tongues let loose only that which is good by His name.
May we leave our selves at home and go forth in Him alone.
It is funny how God works in our lives. He loves us and is over joyed when we love him back. I know the feeling. I am a parent of four. The greatest joy I get is when my kids love me back. And I am amused and sometimes disappointed when my kids suck up to me trying to get something they want and do not necessarily deserve. I want to give to them, but sometimes there is lesson requirement attached.
This morning I was praying. Praying about a number of things, but mostly thanks to God for all he has done for me. How he sustains me and gives me hope. Thanks for his son. Thanks for the heart he has given me. Thanks for the lessons he teaches me. Thanks for not giving up on me. Even when I have been a fool and sinned against him. Lord thank you. Blessed be your name.
Every morning I have sent out a suggested prayer for the six people on this winters mission team. I being one of them pray about these things and what is on my heart for this mission. In the middle of this part of praying I heard my blackberry notification tone, sound off. How hard it was to not stop praying and ignore it. Then my daughter came all the way up stairs and grabbed my phone and brought it to me. "Daddy your phone-uh" I thanked God for the blessings in my life including my children, finished my prayer and accepted my phone from my daughter and looked at it.
This is the blessing that was sent to me this morning.
This is the Gomez Cotzal family
They have 12 members living in 1 home.
The fathers ; Domingo, He works in the fields/agriculture
The mother(pictured) stays home
They have 8 children
4 go to school
The oldest Manchara (pictured in the back ground) has a child and lives with them too.
Anasete (18) She works
Lorenzo (16)
Wendy (15)
Isabel (10)
Esther (9)
Domingo (8)
Odivio (4)- the boy
This is A picture of the Grandmother from the second family
It was not made clear to them whether Solomon was their last name or her husbands name.
In this house she lives with her husband and their 2 children, Their children's spouses, and
Their grandchildren
Maria Wos Quevac is her daughter and the daughters husband is Mauricio Ramirez Wos
They have 2 children
Alex (7)
Hendy Mateo (4)
We did not receive the names of the rest of the family
It is so wonderful to have a picture of the families of whom we pray for.
Lord, prepare us
Mold our hearts and make them soft
shape our thoughts
and prepare our hands and feet to be yours
may you guard us and keep us Holy for your work
May only Your name be held high and glorified
Oh how I love thee
In your sons name
Amen
Please pray for these families
Pray for Pastor Diego,
Brother Tomas,
Gloria of Orphan Outreach in Guatemala
Our driver Josue
and our translator
(I have been told it will most likely be Pablo or Cesar)
William Carey said " Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God"
Pray that God will do a work in our lives so that we may be used to do a work in other's lives.
Here is the start (again). Another blog for an HPCC mission team heading to Guatemala. What will we write about that will make this new or more interesting than the last one. To be honest, I don't know. I am always amazed at how God works and how He changes things on you. So keep your eye/hearts open to the changes and see/feel what happens.
In 2008 Our church made one of multiple trips to Guatemala. I (Barrett) joined that team. Little did I know how much it would impact my life. I decided right then that I would be back. Something just felt right about being there. It was not the newness, or excitement of it. There was something deeper, more core to it.
In 2009 I signed up to go again. But something happened. We as a church had to think about where and why we go to these places. What birthed out of that was a mission model. Our last location was a square peg that would not find it's way into a round hole. We changed location within Guatemala to partner with a church that would minister the word to the people 365. This allows us to help with something that is already there and there will be someone there to disciple new followers after we are gone. One note-worthy event that happened on this trip was building a house for Barbara. I did not get to work on any houses, I was stuck on a roof trying to get a water tank to stop leaking. I only was able to go to the village of Cerro de Oro in the afternoon to help Dr. Keith work on Barbara's legs. Cleaning them and applying ointment to fight the infection in her legs he honestly was worried about her age and whether or not she would live for another 6 months. We all prayed for her. Prayed for God to do a work in her life.
On return home I was asked if I would go back and help lead the team in February of 2010. My answer was predictable.
Our church sent us back to build 2 more homes. On one of the last days we were in the village we checked in on Barbara. Dr. Mary was on the team. Barbara's family recognized us and all came rushing out to meet us. Barbara walked out and gave us hugs. Not only was she alive........Her legs were 90% healed!! Dr. Mary cared for the one last soar on her leg, we prayed for her and said our good byes. Brother Thomas lead us around the village and we prayed with other families. One of them Isabel Sosof.
In July 2010 I was now leading HPCC again to Santiago Atitlan and Cerro de Oro to build 2 more houses, deliver beds to Chuk Muk, and conduct a VBS at the school. That July Isabel was baptized and Katherine of Orphan Outreach was allowed to pick a family that we would build a house for. She picked Isabel Sosof. Katherine did not know we had prayed for her the winter before.During the day as teams worked on 2 houses we held a mini VBS at the Church plant in Cerro de Oro. Those of us that had gone in the summer of '09 and the following winter of '10 hoped we would get a chance to go visit Barbara. Her house was just up the road from the church. But that was our surprise. She came to visit us,.........and brought her grand daughters with her. She then surprised us again. Her legs were 100% healed. The swelling was gone and she walked and sat down and got up with a smile on her face. As if this was not enough to shout praises to God for being allowed to stand in site of his glory. She surprised us again. She was baptized with Isabel 2 weeks before we arrived that same July. I teared up in joy with this great news. I have another sister.
This is why I go.
I now sit 30 days out from returning to Guatemala.
I ask for your prayers
for Barbara,
Pastor Diego,
Brother Thomas,
Isabel,
Moises-
(a non-believer we built for in winter 2010),
for Diego and his son Emilio-
(Emilio will be Checked by Dr. Heather and RN Heather to see if he has anemia),
for the families that we will build houses for this February,
for our Orphan Outreach lead, Gloria,
for our families at home while we are gone,
for our team, that God will prepare us to be His hand and feet
For me, That I may lead with the humility of a servant.
"Prayer is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work." -- A.B. Simpson
This is not where the story begins, This is where the story continues.
We are not bringing Jesus to these people.
Jesus has been here since he created the world and everything in it.
He has invited us to participate in what he is doing here.
"God's work is not man working for God; it is God's own work, though often wrought through man's hands."
Hudson Taylor
The question should not be,
"What new and exciting experience will they write about."
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