Congratulations, Pastor Antonio!

I just got the word from Pastor Antonio in Guatemala that he and Cata have a new role: abuelos (grandparents)!!!

Their daughter Anita and her husband Aurelio have welcomed a new little girl into the world.

Please take a moment to speak a blessing over this family!

Miracle in Guatemala

Read this amazing post from the blog of Brian Alonzo, a current World Racer . His squad happened to work in San Pablo, Guatemala (the same community that we worked in last July on our mission trip), and they spent some time with our very own Pastor Antonio. Here's his story about what happens when we let go of our pride and listen to God:

We all leaned in with sincere faith and waited at the feet of this woman. Our eyes fixed on escaping our own thoughts, pleading with God to help her. What happened next was a first for me. What happened next, about half of my blog subscribers will write off as something unreal. I promise to never lead my readers, friends or family astray with my own agenda and will give my truest account. I will rewind in the story a few minutes...

Pastor Antonio led our team through the streets of San Pablo, Guatemala to visit homes of people who needed prayer. We walked through a wooden entryway into the back yard of a one-room house. We were greeted by a man and quickly escorted inside. I would love to be able to say I was intent on listening to God as we entered the house, but I was not. I was distracted by an incoming text message from another contact that needed an urgent reply. As we sat around the room a woman in her late fifties began talking to us. The only one able to understand was our translator Emma. I finished sending my text around the same time the woman stopped talking. That's when Emma began explaining to the group what this woman had been talking about.

It turns out she has been having issues with her right leg. For some time now she has been having severe shooting pains that have made it difficult to walk short distances. Over time the pain has increased in intensity. The group immediately gathered around her and began praying. Three minutes into prayer I lost contact with the present. Wide-awake with my eyes closed I began having a dream. Within seconds I was in another place. Surrounded by darkness I could see this lady sitting in her bed. She was talking with two individuals, who at first glance looked very American. They were warning her of a darkness coming after her. I turned my head and behind me was a dark figure with yellow eyes coming toward the bed. In a blink of an eye I was awake. Back on the floor kneeling at the foot of this woman, my teammates still engaged in prayer. It appeared as if time had not moved forward. Then the struggle began.

What did I just see? Did I just fall asleep? Did I really see this or did I just imagine it?

Then it happened. Within my own thoughts emerged a thought not my own.

"Ask her if she has been having dreams."

My first reaction to this foreign request was doubt. I made this whole thing up. This must be my own thought. Then I began feeling very uncomfortable at the thought of asking this woman is she had been having dreams.

The request began intensifying.

"ASK HER IF SHE HAS BEEN HAVING DREAMS."

My next reaction was based solely out of pride. What if I look stupid? If I'm just making this up and ask this woman about her dreams, how would that make me look? Then another thought emerged separate and foreign from my own, "So what if you look stupid. If that's all you have to lose then it's probably something you should lose anyway. Ask her if she's been having dreams." At this point I was a flood of mixed pride, doubt, fear, and confusion. The only clear thing I could grab hold of was the voice not my own. The steady request for something outside of myself. In a moment of self-absorption I was still hearing the voice of God. So I did what any other pride driven, doubt casting, fear feeling person would do when God speaks... I listened.

I quickly stopped the prayers of my team and look straight ahead to our translator.

"Can you ask her if she has been having dreams?"

Emma gave me a funny look and then began asking this woman my silly little question. The woman responded in Spanish for what seemed to be ten minutes. All of us were waiting to hear the translation. My pride, doubt, and fear had purchased front row tickets to my matinee of humiliation and the curtain was about to draw. The lady finished and then it started. Emma began translating and in moments I was in tears.

The answer to the question was, "Yes, I had a dream a few months ago, right before my leg started to hurt."

Emma then began describing the dream.

"In her dream she was visited by two Americans. They spoke with her at great length and warned her of someone who was coming to hurt her."

I was amazed!!! After she finished translating I noticed that the only difference between her dream and the vision I saw was the dark figure with yellow eyes. I told the group and Emma what I saw and immediately began piecing things together. This leg injury had more to do with a spiritual attack than just a physical ailment. At that instance we began praying again. This time all focused on praying against the darkness that was causing this pain. During this prayer a sudden peace began filling the room. I looked up and saw a smile on the woman's face. Everything was changing right before our eyes. We ended our prayers and stood in a room overtaken by joy. The pain in her leg was gone, but more important the smile on her face had returned.

I walked away from the house that afternoon humbled and confident all in the same moment. God took me to a place so completely out side of my comfort zone. I was so focused on my own outcome, I was unaware of God's little concern for my ego's well being and even less aware of his constant concern for this woman's life.

Sometimes God opens doors, other times He provides them...

This past spring, as we were preparing to take our team of high schoolers to Guatemala, we were faced with rapidly rising prices for flights, to the extent that we feared busting our budget. We sat our team down at the next meeting and prayed together that God would provide flights that we could afford. Two days later, we found an amazing deal that not only kept us within budget, but saved us hundreds of dollars. Praise God!

Fast forward to the trip... when we arrived in Guatemala, one of the first things we did was to sit down with Pastor Antonio and ask him about the needs of the church and community. He shared with us that the new church had been able to construct a building to meet and worship in, and had even acquired sound equipment and musical instruments.

Unfortunately, however, they had not raised enough to put the final touch on the building - a secure door. Without the door, there was a huge open space that gaped across the front. Antonio confided in us that one of the young men in the church, Mateo, would sleep in the church building every night to ward off would-be thieves. We were amazed that this remarkable young man would leave the comfort of his home and family to protect the church's property.

We asked Antonio how much it would cost to construct and install a door for the church building. To our astonishment, the figure was the precise amount that we had saved on our cheap flights! We knew that God had provided, not for our indulgence, but for His glory. And we promised to Antonio that we would put a door on his church.

During our time in Guatemala, Antonio was able to order the door, but alas, it was not ready in time for us to see it installed. Antonio promised to send us a picture as soon as possible. And... here it is!

Before:




After:


Isn't it beautiful? I especially love the little faces peering out from the windows!

Faces I Will Never Forget

I have fallen in love with these people... especially the children! Here are a few of the faces I can never forget...




Pedro, father-in-law to Pastor Antonio






Lucia and her sister




Domingo


Pastors Angel, Gary, and Antonio

Guatemala Mission Trip Video

G-Dub put together this video for our presentation in church last Sunday. It includes both still pictures and video clips from our time in Guatemala, and features music by "The Amoeba Singers". Hopefully the video gives a sense of the flavor of the place and the ministry we did. Enjoy!

Reflections

The past month has been a whirlwind... hospital visits, our church's children's day camp, an unplanned trip down south for a funeral, then two weeks out of the country on a mission trip. I haven't really had time to think, much less process what I'm thinking! Nonetheless, this time has been so significant to me that I do want to try and sift through it.

The main theme of the past month has been, God is in control. And, just as importantly, the power of prayer. Through the ups and the downs, God has been there, helping us through by His strength.

It's strange, how as a missions team we've encountered one trial after another. Every time, God has given a way through. Whether it be airport hang-ups, illness, paralysis, or just God giving us something different than we expected, we were able to face and overcome all of our tests. Though it's been tiring to continually encounter one obstacle after another, I believe that our faith has been strengthened by seeing God answer prayer after prayer.

I had planned to spend the few weeks before the trip really preparing - studying Spanish, teaching dramas, preparing children's programs. That was all scrapped when we were called to be at the sides of our loved ones. And you know what, it's probably better that way. Instead of relying on our own pre-conceived notion of what we were going to do, we had to continually seek God and be open to His leading.

Consequently, the ministry we ended up doing was much different than what we'd initially expected. God led us to ministries of encouragement and strengthening of the church, while simultaneously giving us a crash course in spiritual warfare.

I can't imagine having gone on this trip with a different team - each person had a special and significant role in the team and in ministry. It was clear to see God working in and through each of us, and it was a joy to feel like we were a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

It's been a dream come true to see God fulfill what's been on my heart for over two years - to equip youth to minister as well as see God working around the world. In the midst of so many answered prayers, I am now seeing even more seeds being planted for the future. I can't wait to see how these experiences will fit into the larger picture of our lives.

Home, Sweet, Home!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that after a four hour van ride, a five hour flight, a nine hour layover, a one hour flight, and a one hour drive, the team has arrived safely back at home!

Please continue to pray for the team over the next few days as we transition back to life in America, and begin sharing our experiences with family and friends. May God receive all the glory!

Now, With Pictures!!

With a little spare time this morning, I journeyed down the hill into the gringo part of San Pedro, and came across an internet cafe I used to frequent on days off when Katherine and I were here in 2006. It features inferior hardware, but a much faster connection to the internet, not to mention a full coffee bar. So, I spent the last 40 minutes or so uploading photos for all of last week's posts, and sipping a very nice cappucino. Not a bad way to spend a morning, if you ask me.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy the photos!

And pray for Bryan, as he is currently preparing a message to preach in church tonight. His theme is, "What does it mean to take up our cross?," with applications from the Sermon on the Mount. Should be a challenging sermon, to say the least.

Oh, and Molly did great the other night. In fact, Pastor Antonio has already used her story to teach and encourage others at a youth conference he attended yesterday. Molly not only encouraged the church, but gave the Pastor another arrow in his ministry quiver.

God is good.

Another Afternoon at Domingo’s

By Karina and Rachelle

Yesterday, everyone was really excited to be able to visit Domingo again. Since we knew there were a lot of kids in the area where he lives, we decided to create a little program to entertain the kids and teach them about Jesus.

When we arrived in the little courtyard outside of their house we saw Domingo sitting up in his wheelchair with his uncle by his side. It was so amazing to see him outside because the last two visits he was lying in his bed, facing the wall, and you couldn’t really see him face to face. We gave his family some fruit and milk and handed him some presents. He was so shy when we first got there, but he was still really happy when we gave him some presents that would keep him entertained. Also, Jean got to show him how to use the stretch band Ariel brought to strengthen his arms and it was so cool to see his uncle help out.

After a while of visiting we asked the neighbor girl, Lucia, if she still had the children’s Bible we had given her on our last visit and she ran to go get it. Katherine asked her to pick her favorite story and read it aloud to us. The story she picked was about Adam and Eve and their fall from the Garden of Eden, and it ended up being perfect for what we had planned next.

First, we brought out some bubbles to help the kids get over their shyness. All of their faces lit up as we blew bubbles and played with them.

The second thing we had planned was to share with them the story of the Wordless Book Bracelets. Rachelle felt led to share the salvation story of the bracelets. She used her own bracelet to share the story as Katherine translated, and at the end we gave each of the children their own bracelet. Even the adults wanted one! When Katherine and Rachelle reviewed with the kids about what each bead stands for, we were able to use Lucia’s story about Adam and Eve to explain how sin came into the world.

We ended with some Spanish children’s songs and gave each of the kids a little bottle of bubbles. Pastor Antonio also asked us to pray blessings for each of the kids, and we also prayed specifically for Domingo and his family as well. Pastor Antonio also used the opportunity to preach to the adults that had gathered there.

Being there yesterday was an amazing experience. It allowed us to share the love of Jesus Christ with a bunch of young kids and their parents.

Pray for Molly

She´s preaching tonight!

I lost my voice due to nasty cold, so Molly is stepping up to the plate to share what God taught her through her ordeal in the hospital. Her theme is God´s incredible faithfulness. Pray that God speaks through her in a powerful way, and that we´re able to invite Domingo´s family to attend.

Thanks, and love to you all.

Sorry we don´t have pics for you. Our local internet provider is having some difficulties with their satellite DSL. You´ll have to use your imaginations!

Adventures in Children´s Ministry

By Ariel

Every Sunday morning, Pastor Antonio’s church holds a children’s service similar to our Sunday school. This past Sunday, it was our job to lead it. We weren’t exactly sure how much time we had, how many kids would be there, or even how much we were expected to do. So we planned a tentative program that included songs, a bible story read in Spanish, a skit, a memory verse and games. We weren’t sure how much we could do or how much we couldn’t do, so we just had to put it in God’s hand and trust him to work through us despite our lack of knowledge.

On the truck drive up, we went over our program once more and we were all feeling unsure about what might happen. As we were driving up to the church, we could see already at least 30 or so kids, ages ranging from 3 to 12, sitting patiently in somewhat of a circle waiting for us. We got there and prayed quickly and brought out balloons to play with as we waited for even more kids to arrive. Which they did. Soon we had about 60 kids waiting for us to begin. I have to say, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and had to remind myself that God was with us and in control.

We sang songs like “Jesus Loves Me” and “I Have a Friend Who Loves Me” in Spanish, and the kids sang along with us. Then I read the story of Jonah out of our children’s Spanish Bible and about halfway through, one of the members of the church began translating what I said in Tsutujil. After the story, we had to take a moment to write out the memory verse in Spanish and have someone translate it into Tsutujil. That took a while, but to my great joy, the kids were being amazingly patient. Finally, we were able to recite the memory verse with them in Spanish and Tsutujil. Then we did a mini skit of the story of Zaccheus the tax collector. After, we played games like charades, Simon Says, and Hot Potato until we ran out of ideas. After about 2 hours, we were done with our program.

I’m not exactly sure how much the kids got out of our time with them but I trust that God will work in their lives. All the kids were incredibly patient and loving, and they will forever have a special place in my heart. I will continue to pray for them even after I leave Guatemala and I hope that they will continue on the path of God.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

By Karina

It is such a different experience to have church four times a week! And it’s also a lot of fun.

My favorite times are singing up on stage (something I’ve never done before) and getting to play with the kids after church. It’s so much fun to look over at all the kids in their colorful little chairs and know that you will get at least one playful little smile from them during the service. You don’t even need to know the same language because just showing them you care with a big smile on your face means the world to them. They love it when you tickle them, chase them, hug them, spin them around, make funny faces and say funny things to them.

This week I have definitely found a little kid that I would absolutely love to pack in my suitcase and take home with me. His name is Miko. He looks about two or three years old and he only reaches up to your knee. The first time I met him, he came up to me and all he wanted to do was give me high fives. He loves to slap anything with his hands and has the sweetest smile ever!

The kids here are so sweet and loving and I never want to forget about them.

My New Friend

by Rachelle

Friday morning, our group headed out for more prayer ministry in San Pablo. As we prayed for and encouraged Domingo, the paralyzed boy Molly has written about in an earlier post, I looked outside to see Gary talking with a group of neighborhood children.

I walked out to join him and found myself making fast friends with a little girl named Lucia. She lived just down the way from Domingo and his family.

I learned she is ten years old and attends the Catholic church in town. She speaks Tsutujil, the native language, but also can read and speak Spanish. She became my Spanish teacher and I was able to translate a few words into English for her. She is a sweet little girl with a big heart for her sister and family.

We had promised to come back to visit Domingo’s family with some necessary supplies, so I told Lucia I would be back tomorrow.

Because she is able to read Spanish, Gary had the idea to bring her one of the Spanish children’s Bibles we had brought along with us, so she could read Bible stories to her family. So, I wrote her name in the Bible and a little note, “Jesucristo te ama,” which means “Jesus loves you.”

When we went to visit Domingo on Saturday, I had the joy of presenting her the children’s Bible. I will never forget the smile on Lucia’s sweet face. She lit up as soon as she saw her name written in the front of the Bible and thanked Gary and I again and again.

Lucia’s smile gave me joy through and through, and I will always remember hearing her read the beginning to the story of Jesus´ birth in Bethlehem. I look forward to visting Lucia again this week and am excited to hear her read us more stories from her children’s Bible.

COINCIDENCE?... I Think Not

by Molly

(For those reading this who may not know, Molly is the girl we blogged about below who overcame temporary paralysis by the hand of God to be on this trip. The blessings keep on coming. - Gary)

Yesterday morning, in a spontaneous prayer meeting with Ariel, Karina, Bryan, Rachelle and myself, one of the prayers put on our hearts was that each of us would find our reason for being here. We know that it is God’s will that each of us is here, but we have been anxious to see how God would use us.

Our plan for yesterday morning was to visit families that attend the church and pray with them in their homes. Before we reached the church, Pastor Antonio asked if it would be okay if we visited a family that did not attend the church and were not Christians. We said that would be fine, of course, and he then led our group to the house of Pablo.

Pablo began to share with us about his grandson Domingo, who had fallen and now is paralyzed from the waist down. Upon hearing this, my heart broke for Domingo. I was overcome with emotion as I watched this twelve year old boy lay on his bed with no feeling or movement in his legs, knowing that just two weeks before I was in the exact same condition. I knew almost exactly what Domingo was going through.

Coincidence?.. I think not.

Although at the time, I could not see all the reasons for me being in the hospital, God had a plan to use me through that experience. I was able to feel for Domingo in a way I couldn’t have before.

What’s more, we just happened to have a physical therapist on our team. Jean, Katherine’s mom, stepped up and offered to teach Domingo and his family some necessary stretches to prevent stiffness and further injury to his legs. Then she asked about his upper body. The family said he had not been exercising his upper body because they had no exercises for him to do. Jean offered to send them an elastic stretch band for exercising his arms as soon as we arrived home. Just so happens, Ariel had thrown an elastic stretch band into her bag at the last minute just before we left for Guatemala.

Let me ask you again. Coincidence?...I think not.

I was then given the chance to share with Domingo. As I waited to talk to him, Karina, Ariel, Rachelle and Bryan began to pray that the words that I would speak were of God and would be an encouragement to Domingo and his family. I said what was on my heart and Antonio followed with a scripture reading. Then, as a group, we all prayed out loud for the family.

Today we will be returning to visit Domingo and his family and will be bringing them some supplies.

It was such a blessing to see how God answered our prayers and we can’t wait to see how He’s is going to further answer them in our future ministry work. We continue to pray for Domingo’s healing and his family’s protection and we ask that you will join us in our prayers.

Ministry Day One

At Pastor Antonio’s suggestion, we are starting our ministry efforts out with three days of home visits to some of the newer families in the church, to pray for their needs and to encourage them. We believe that other ministries will grow our of these prayer visits.

Yesterday was our first full day of ministry, and it was a joy. We headed out into the pueblo of San Pablo after lunch, and during our trip from here to there, it started pouring down rain. This made our trip extra entertaining, since we were standing in the back of a pick-up as the rainstorm commenced. The wetter we got, the harder we laughed. And we made a memory that will last a lifetime.

When we arrived, Pastor Antonio shared with us the history of his church, La Iglesia de la Vida Real. He told us about how the church went through multiple struggles with buying land, but at every step of the way, God provided for their needs. Now, the 2.5-year-old church owns its property debt free and is in the middle of constructing a church building that will house a school on the first floor and the sanctuary on the second. The church building’s very existence is evidence of the power of God.

Then we journeyed back out into the rain to begin our family visits. Through narrow rock-strewn alleyways, muddy with rain, we made our way to various mud-brick homes. Wood-burning fires wafted smoke into the air, and the smell of it mingled with the rain. Sometimes, we crowded into a small one or two room dwelling. Other times, we stood under awnings in outdoor kitchens as mothers and daughters prepared tortillas and soups for their family dinners.

The people we encountered were strikingly open with their struggles and needs. Elena, a mother of four daughters, told us through tears that her husband mocked her cruelly for going to church, but she knew she was doing the right thing by bringing her girls to learn about God. She feared that her husband might leave them. Another family told us of their son’s illness, how his eyes would become cloudy from time to time and his vision would dim. I can’t imagine showing up on someone’s doorstep in the US with a team of missionaries offering prayer and being welcomed with such transparency and vulnerability. May we aspire to be more like our Guatemalan brothers and sisters.

Our evening concluded with our first church service in San Pablo. After a couple of songs and a reading from Scripture, Pastor Antonio turned things over to our team. The girls started things off with Great is Thy Faithfulness and Come, Thou Fount, accompanied by Bryan on guitar. Then Karina got up and shared a testimony about Soccer Day Camp, and how God rewarded her obedience to Him. Several “Amens” rose up from the congregation as she spoke. Then I preached a sermon from Jonah 1 about the storms of life, and how God uses them to get our attention, to compel our obedience, and to strengthen our faith. The girls wrapped things up with a final song, and afterward, Pastor Antonio asked anyone suffering as illness or infirmity to come forward so that we could lay hands on them and pray for their healing.

Today, we´re headed back into the pueblo to do more of the same. Even as I type this, Molly, Bryan, Ariel, Rachelle, and Karina are in the room next to mine praying for the families we met yesterday and those we’ll meet today. We all have a feeling that God will do something great today.

One more note. Sorry for not having more pictures. We are trying to lay off of the cameras for a couple of days to keep from seeming like tourists. But rest assured, we will have many pictures to share with you in the days to come.

Thank you for your prayers. We couldn’t do what we’re doing without you.

Our New Home

On the way to the house from the airport, our driver suddenly pulled off the road and asked us if we´d like to see a view of the lake. "Of course!" We walked up to the overlook, and as each person caught a view of the lake, framed by volcanoes, you could hear them gasp one after another. We couldn´t believe this amazing locale would be home for the next two weeks! (We´re actually staying in the little village you see at the foot of the volcano in this picture)

We´re now settled in and looking forward to our first day of ministry. This afternoon, we´ll be visiting with new families in the church to greet and pray with them. Later in the evening, we´ll be leading a good portion of the worship service.

I am happy to report that the entire team is in good health and good spirits. Even 25 hours of travel didn´t wipe the smiles off our faces. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Keep checking back to get team updates and pictures!

ps - God has even been answering our prayers for the weather - we didn´t get a drop the whole four hours we drove with our luggage strapped to the roof, but as soon as we got settled in to take naps, the skies opened up and poured! Today is beautiful as well! (Thanks, Joy!)

Overcoming Obstacles

by Karina, Molly, Rachelle, and Ariel

So we made it safely to Guatemala with plenty of bumps along the road. The first bump came as a shock. We were informed at the airline check-in desk in LAX that all the minors were required to have a notarized letter from the parents to leave the country. This was the exact opposite of the information Katherine had received from the State Department that said such letters were not necessary for students 16 and over with their own passport.

Thankfully, God provided us with a woman named Monica, the airline’s front desk attendant, who made it possible for us to slide through the sketchy set of rules. However, when she checked our tickets, she told us that without our luggage stickers there was no guarantee that our luggage would switch to the correct airline and make it Guatemala. After a few phone calls they were able to get the baggage numbers allowing us to not have to pick up our baggage from the domestic terminal and bring it all they way back to the international terminal to get checked in. We were so thankful for Monica´s help, we made her a quick gift, a page out of Ariel´s coloring book.

After a long layover in LAX we were finally ready to board our last flight when another set of problems occurred. Bryan Vale, who brought his guitar along, was told he would have to check in his guitar and pay an additional $100 fee. Molly luckily had enough room in her backpack to carry Bryan’s backpack inside to avoid the fee.

Everybody was finally in the boarding dock and had given their tickets to the ticket attendants when Karina was stopped and told she had not given her official ticket to the ticket attendant. She knew she had given the man everything she needed, but the woman at the counter was convinced that she had lost her ticket. Gary stayed with Karina as the rest of us boarded the plane, arguing with airline staff and trying to get things straightened out. Finally, God pulled us through and the airline lady found Karina’s ticket.

But through all the figurative and literal bumps in the road, God smoothed everything out, showing once again, He is faithful and is always in control.

Airport Worship?

by Molly, Ariel, and Rachelle

What do you do when your flight doesn’t leave for ten hours, the check in desks for the airline won’t open for another three hours, and everyone is tired and anxious? Why, you grab Bryan Vale and his guitar, some sheet music, and burst out into praise music, of course!

So, for the next two hours, that is exactly what we did. All throughout the airport terminal, echoes of “Mighty to Save”, “How Great is Our God”, and all other possible worship songs could be heard.

People, occasionally, would stop to listen, even sitting near our group to watch us praise the Lord. Though they may not have understood completely what we were doing, or even knew what the words to the song meant, they could see from our smiles and our closed eyes that there was something different about our group and the songs we sang. Not for show, but for adoration, to praise the One who created us to be unique.

This experience was not only amazing, but uplifting. It isn’t everyday that one gets to sit in an airport terminal and praise God through song. He gave us these gifts of music, and we ended up using them, by singing with a lone guitar in the middle of Los Angeles Airport.

Pastor Antonio - Video

I first met Pastor Antonio during our time in Guatemala on the 2006 World Race. Our team of five lived at his home and ministered alongside him everyday for three weeks. During this time, I was amazed by his tireless passion for sharing God's love and truth with his people, and the joy he found by serving God so whole-heartedly. I have never met anyone so devoted to living out what he believed.

When the time came to say farewell, I was excited to go serve in new places, but I have never stopped praying that I would be able to return to visit my Guatemalan family, the church we worked at, and most importantly, to bring others with me to see what God is doing there, and to join in that work. Praise God, He is answering that prayer, and three weeks from Tuesday (!) I'll be getting on a plane with my husband, mother, and five incredible students!

Pastor Antonio has also hosted other missionary groups, and one of the more recent World Race teams spent part of their time making a video about Pastor Antonio's ministry. It's delightful to see how God is blessing the congregation that begin in Jan 2006 (the month before we arrived) with only three or four families. The video gives a great description of the kind of work we'll be doing during our two weeks in Lake Atitlan.



Pastor Antonio from Sean Smith on Vimeo.

We're going to Guatemala!

It's official...

yesterday we bought the flights for our summer mission trip to Guatemala! Yes, I've known that we were definitely going to go, but this step makes the trip more concrete in my mind; it feels more 'real' to me, and I'm more excited than ever!

Participating in the trip will be Gary and myself, my mom, and five students from our youth ministry here at Fair Oaks - Karina, Ariel, Rachelle, Molly, and Bryan.

Over the next month or so I intend to post about the location we will be ministering in and what we will be doing there. But for now, I just had to say... whooooeeeee!