I felt I was on a "diplomatic trip". I felt we were treated like dignitaries throughout the trip. I felt our team worked as a team should. Everyone looked out for each other. There was so much to do and see and so little time. I enjoyed our bus trips with our interpreters. All the questions we had for them. They did a great job. There were so many old beautiful buildings that are just left to deteriorate(so sad to see).
The people of Guatemala are very poor. They seemed to me almost worse off than many of our people who live on the streets. They do not have any government assistance programs.
Their faith is strong. This was a bad year for their coffee crops. They just do without and trust in God to get them through. They continue working and praising God for what they do have.
It seems the best thing we can do is love and encourage them. We need to continue praying for our new friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.
I hope we keep going back.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
From Jerry and Peggy
Jerry said his highlight was seeing Carlos as each site we were at. On Thursday he had said good-bye because he wasn't going to make it Friday--but there he was. The way he had to walk over an hour to get to the places we were...he was an inspiration to us.
For Peggy, it was that the Vid y Pompano board made Pease a very beautiful banner. It was so special to them that we came to show interest in what they are doing. In a weeks time they had it made. Another highlight for Peggy was giving two little boys wooden cars and watching them playing with them on a cement block in their house with a dirt floor making "car noises."
For Peggy, it was that the Vid y Pompano board made Pease a very beautiful banner. It was so special to them that we came to show interest in what they are doing. In a weeks time they had it made. Another highlight for Peggy was giving two little boys wooden cars and watching them playing with them on a cement block in their house with a dirt floor making "car noises."
Monday, March 4, 2013
Terri's Thanks
I don't know why I'm so slow at sending you my reflections re our trip to Guatemala. It's partly because it's just plain hard to put into words what I'm feeling. My overwhelming emotion is gratefulness! There are many I must thank. I'll start with Pease CRC..thank you so much for allowing me to tag along with your team! It was a wonderful privilege to again visit and work in a country I have come to love since my first trip there12 years ago. I especially appreciated the kind of preparation we did and the teamwork that was built long before we left.
That leads me to the next person I want to thank from the bottom of my heart...my dear friend Julee!! It was largely her vision and her passion (along with the Outreach Team) that were the impetus and inspiration for the idea in the first place. She communicated that vision and passion in ways that encouraged excitement, participation, and commitment in so many others. I saw Julee, in the middle of much personal/family struggle, pain, and grief, continue to work tirelessly in planning, organizing, fund-raising, leading meetings, leading devotional times, and taking care of countless other details that made it possible for all of us to have the kind of experience we had. Her leadership was a gift from God to all of us...and I am so proud to call her my friend!!
I also want to express my thanks to World Renew, Pastor Moises and all of his associates at his church, at John Calvin Seminary, and at Vid y Pampanos for the work they all do to advance the spiritual, social and economic growth of the people of Guatemala. It is definitely our Reformed worldview in action! A particular blessing to me was to see the work being done to lift up the position of the Guatemalan women, who have been oppressed and held down for centuries by a culture that values male machismo far more than female dignity. We saw women in leadership, and we saw women whose lives had been made better, safer and more meaningful when their husbands and other men began to see them as their equals. One man in particular, who is a new Christian and is a student at the Seminary, now encourages his wife's gifts, and treats her with new respect...beautiful to see!
I loved being a part of this team, and I loved getting to know the people in the villages where we worked. It is a special joy to me that the people we worked alongside are now our friends, we will see them again, and our relationships with them will continue to grow as the Pease CRC carries out its commitment to partner with them for years to come. This is what missions should be!!
This is getting too long (those who know me well aren't surprised)..but I still need to thank Kris for being a great roommate...
And above all, I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing all of us with the privilege of serving Him in this way!
That leads me to the next person I want to thank from the bottom of my heart...my dear friend Julee!! It was largely her vision and her passion (along with the Outreach Team) that were the impetus and inspiration for the idea in the first place. She communicated that vision and passion in ways that encouraged excitement, participation, and commitment in so many others. I saw Julee, in the middle of much personal/family struggle, pain, and grief, continue to work tirelessly in planning, organizing, fund-raising, leading meetings, leading devotional times, and taking care of countless other details that made it possible for all of us to have the kind of experience we had. Her leadership was a gift from God to all of us...and I am so proud to call her my friend!!
I also want to express my thanks to World Renew, Pastor Moises and all of his associates at his church, at John Calvin Seminary, and at Vid y Pampanos for the work they all do to advance the spiritual, social and economic growth of the people of Guatemala. It is definitely our Reformed worldview in action! A particular blessing to me was to see the work being done to lift up the position of the Guatemalan women, who have been oppressed and held down for centuries by a culture that values male machismo far more than female dignity. We saw women in leadership, and we saw women whose lives had been made better, safer and more meaningful when their husbands and other men began to see them as their equals. One man in particular, who is a new Christian and is a student at the Seminary, now encourages his wife's gifts, and treats her with new respect...beautiful to see!
I loved being a part of this team, and I loved getting to know the people in the villages where we worked. It is a special joy to me that the people we worked alongside are now our friends, we will see them again, and our relationships with them will continue to grow as the Pease CRC carries out its commitment to partner with them for years to come. This is what missions should be!!
This is getting too long (those who know me well aren't surprised)..but I still need to thank Kris for being a great roommate...
And above all, I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing all of us with the privilege of serving Him in this way!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Lynn's Reflections
The Guatemala experience was amazing in so many ways!
We interacted with amazing people who have a passion to help others and share Christ's love with their neighbors near and far. We traveled there to help them with missions and they are way ahead of us in their efforts to serve others and reach out!
We spent time in an amazing country and were awed by God's beautiful creation. Walking the hillsides on narrow paths against a canopy of blue sky and volcanoes was breathtaking (some of us even got short of breath).
We worked alongside people through an amazing organization named Vine and Branches that encourages and supports the communities in rural Guatemala with wisdom and respect.
Reflecting on all the blessings of the trip, I think my most treasured memory is that of standing for prayer with our brothers and sisters from Guatemala. Most of the time I didn't understand the words they were praying except for "Gracias Padre" (thank you Father), Their prayers and petitions seemed so sincere that I felt I was standing in the very presence of God.
Thank you to everyone who supported this project financially and with prayer! Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Guatemala.
We interacted with amazing people who have a passion to help others and share Christ's love with their neighbors near and far. We traveled there to help them with missions and they are way ahead of us in their efforts to serve others and reach out!
We spent time in an amazing country and were awed by God's beautiful creation. Walking the hillsides on narrow paths against a canopy of blue sky and volcanoes was breathtaking (some of us even got short of breath).
We worked alongside people through an amazing organization named Vine and Branches that encourages and supports the communities in rural Guatemala with wisdom and respect.
Reflecting on all the blessings of the trip, I think my most treasured memory is that of standing for prayer with our brothers and sisters from Guatemala. Most of the time I didn't understand the words they were praying except for "Gracias Padre" (thank you Father), Their prayers and petitions seemed so sincere that I felt I was standing in the very presence of God.
Thank you to everyone who supported this project financially and with prayer! Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Guatemala.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Julee's Musings
I know I’ve said this every time I’ve returned home from Guatemala…but this was the best trip ever! This trip was very different than any of my other trips because on this trip I was able to build friendships that will last for eternity! We were able to be with many of the same people each day and that allowed us to get to know each other better.
I worked on the water filtration systems each day so spent a lot of time with Carlos, David, Hector and Vidal who were the people who were trained and/or learning how to make the filters. I had actually met all of these men last year but only briefly compared to this year. It was a privilege to work along side of them even though we could tell that this was not typical “women’s” work in their eyes! They patiently taught us what to do and let us “try” each step of making a filter. We knew it would have taken them much less time had they been able to just do it themselves!
The afternoons were spent getting to know the children and some of the adults as well. I was a part of the music station. They enjoyed songs with actions, learning a few words in English and listening to us try to sing Spanish! They LOVED the rhythm sticks that the kids club made! One of the highlights of the singing station was the day a downs syndrome boy joined us. I found it very interesting and wonderful that some of the other boys in the circle made sure I knew that he belonged in our group so I went to get him to join us. He sat on the outside of the circle and used the rhythm sticks to bang on an empty plastic bottle like a drum. He stayed with our group for 3 stations rather than rotating to other activities and enjoyed every minute of it! Another highlight was Carlos and Vidal and a teacher named Sara joining us! Vidal and Sara were very interested in learning English words and Carlos…he just wanted to have fun! He was quite the man and I think our whole group will always remember him! The first time we saw him we really didn’t know what to think. He was a bigger man (in comparison to the other Guatemalan men) and had a beard and mustache and ALWAYS had a machete on his side or in his hand!! That really looked strange as he stood in the circle of children on the school yard singing songs! I had met Sara last year as well. She speaks a few words of English and came up to me and handed me her almost 1 year boy named Alexander! I have cherished the pictures over this year and enjoyed giving him that picture this year! And taking many more of me holding him, him hugging me and giving me kisses on the cheek! I will be sure to take him those next year! I also presented him with one of the trucks that Lester Ruis sent to my house to take with! Jackee once said to me, I can’t believe Sara just gives her child to you and walks away! Sara had tears on the last day we were with her. She told me it was very hard to say good-bye. I am already looking forward to seeing her and Alexander again next year!
One other experience that I’d like to share which was actually very difficult for me. You might remember when I came back last year that I told you about a woman at the Monte Margarita church that asked me to please come back. I told her I would for sure be back and she said that she was old and in case she wasn’t there when I returned that she would see me in Heaven. I took her picture with me as well and when showing it to the pastor and his wife I was told she had passed away just 2 weeks before I got there. It was so hard for me to hear, but I was able to share with them that she was with my mother and mother in law in Heaven. They comforted me in my loss and told me that God would heal my sadness in time. Someone had run to the home of this woman during this and brought back her granddaughter to see me. I was able to leave her grandmother’s picture with her (as well as one of my mom). Jackee later reminded me that this was most likely the only picture of this woman that they had and what a precious gift I was able to share with them. I am so very confident that someday when I get to Heaven this woman will be there to welcome me. Even though our lives are very different from the people in these villages, we serve and love the same God…which makes us brothers and sisters.
I could go on and on so better stop here! I would love to share other stories with anyone who wants to listen so please ask! Thank you all for the support you have shown through this year. The people in Guatemala knew that we were supported by our families and church family at home and asked us numerous times to thank you from them. So….Gracious!
I worked on the water filtration systems each day so spent a lot of time with Carlos, David, Hector and Vidal who were the people who were trained and/or learning how to make the filters. I had actually met all of these men last year but only briefly compared to this year. It was a privilege to work along side of them even though we could tell that this was not typical “women’s” work in their eyes! They patiently taught us what to do and let us “try” each step of making a filter. We knew it would have taken them much less time had they been able to just do it themselves!
The afternoons were spent getting to know the children and some of the adults as well. I was a part of the music station. They enjoyed songs with actions, learning a few words in English and listening to us try to sing Spanish! They LOVED the rhythm sticks that the kids club made! One of the highlights of the singing station was the day a downs syndrome boy joined us. I found it very interesting and wonderful that some of the other boys in the circle made sure I knew that he belonged in our group so I went to get him to join us. He sat on the outside of the circle and used the rhythm sticks to bang on an empty plastic bottle like a drum. He stayed with our group for 3 stations rather than rotating to other activities and enjoyed every minute of it! Another highlight was Carlos and Vidal and a teacher named Sara joining us! Vidal and Sara were very interested in learning English words and Carlos…he just wanted to have fun! He was quite the man and I think our whole group will always remember him! The first time we saw him we really didn’t know what to think. He was a bigger man (in comparison to the other Guatemalan men) and had a beard and mustache and ALWAYS had a machete on his side or in his hand!! That really looked strange as he stood in the circle of children on the school yard singing songs! I had met Sara last year as well. She speaks a few words of English and came up to me and handed me her almost 1 year boy named Alexander! I have cherished the pictures over this year and enjoyed giving him that picture this year! And taking many more of me holding him, him hugging me and giving me kisses on the cheek! I will be sure to take him those next year! I also presented him with one of the trucks that Lester Ruis sent to my house to take with! Jackee once said to me, I can’t believe Sara just gives her child to you and walks away! Sara had tears on the last day we were with her. She told me it was very hard to say good-bye. I am already looking forward to seeing her and Alexander again next year!
One other experience that I’d like to share which was actually very difficult for me. You might remember when I came back last year that I told you about a woman at the Monte Margarita church that asked me to please come back. I told her I would for sure be back and she said that she was old and in case she wasn’t there when I returned that she would see me in Heaven. I took her picture with me as well and when showing it to the pastor and his wife I was told she had passed away just 2 weeks before I got there. It was so hard for me to hear, but I was able to share with them that she was with my mother and mother in law in Heaven. They comforted me in my loss and told me that God would heal my sadness in time. Someone had run to the home of this woman during this and brought back her granddaughter to see me. I was able to leave her grandmother’s picture with her (as well as one of my mom). Jackee later reminded me that this was most likely the only picture of this woman that they had and what a precious gift I was able to share with them. I am so very confident that someday when I get to Heaven this woman will be there to welcome me. Even though our lives are very different from the people in these villages, we serve and love the same God…which makes us brothers and sisters.
I could go on and on so better stop here! I would love to share other stories with anyone who wants to listen so please ask! Thank you all for the support you have shown through this year. The people in Guatemala knew that we were supported by our families and church family at home and asked us numerous times to thank you from them. So….Gracious!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Warren's Thoughts
These are my thoughts of the Guatemala mission trip:
The trip was super organized. I think their number one priority was our safety. When I think of farming, I think of fields, maybe very small fields, but their farming is farming mountain sides. A highlight was visiting the schools, not just giving them the school supplies, but that we cared enough to just visit their schools. I wish everyone could have the experience that I had.
We're 2000 miles apart but we serve the same God!
The trip was super organized. I think their number one priority was our safety. When I think of farming, I think of fields, maybe very small fields, but their farming is farming mountain sides. A highlight was visiting the schools, not just giving them the school supplies, but that we cared enough to just visit their schools. I wish everyone could have the experience that I had.
We're 2000 miles apart but we serve the same God!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Through Ruth Ann's Eyes
Our Guatemala trip was a wonderful experience that can't be put into words. In reflecting on it, I realized how greatly blessed I am and how I take it for granted. Many of the Guatemalan people are very poor and work very hard but they are content and grateful, a lesson I need to learn. Thank you for all the support and help that you gave financially, words of encouragement, and especially your prayers.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Kris' Reflections
I will be posting reflections from the crew over the course of the next few weeks. This will be a great opportunity to see other perspectives. It is also great for the team to take the time to write this out. Here is the first of 14!
This past week God has blessed me each day and taught me more about serving Him in another part of His Kingdom in Guatemala. I met friends from last year and developed new friendships as we worked alongside each other painting their community center in Monte Margarita, building water filters with our "Free A Family" Gustavo & Irma Perez in El Tineco, and singing Spanish and English songs with the beautiful children during our VBS time in La Palmera. We prayed together and heard how they are so thankful to God for the blessings in their life. We laughed with each other and listened to their happiness and how our Spanish wasn't always very good. We also shared their sufferings and hardships of earning a living with the coffee blight, lack of medicine and teachers, and the injustice from their government.
I will always cherish the time I held hands with a tiny young girl in La Palmera. We joined hands with everyone in the big circle at the end of our VBS to sing songs on our last afternoon in this community. She grabbed my hand and stood there looking at everyone around her. All of a sudden she pulled my hand toward her and used it to wipe her nose. She didn't look at me but continued to watch everyone around her. I chuckled to myself and thought, "Yes, this is what serving Jesus Christ is all about." God's Kingdom is growing in Guatemala! Gloria a Dios!
Thank you for your prayers ! Kris Kiel
This past week God has blessed me each day and taught me more about serving Him in another part of His Kingdom in Guatemala. I met friends from last year and developed new friendships as we worked alongside each other painting their community center in Monte Margarita, building water filters with our "Free A Family" Gustavo & Irma Perez in El Tineco, and singing Spanish and English songs with the beautiful children during our VBS time in La Palmera. We prayed together and heard how they are so thankful to God for the blessings in their life. We laughed with each other and listened to their happiness and how our Spanish wasn't always very good. We also shared their sufferings and hardships of earning a living with the coffee blight, lack of medicine and teachers, and the injustice from their government.
I will always cherish the time I held hands with a tiny young girl in La Palmera. We joined hands with everyone in the big circle at the end of our VBS to sing songs on our last afternoon in this community. She grabbed my hand and stood there looking at everyone around her. All of a sudden she pulled my hand toward her and used it to wipe her nose. She didn't look at me but continued to watch everyone around her. I chuckled to myself and thought, "Yes, this is what serving Jesus Christ is all about." God's Kingdom is growing in Guatemala! Gloria a Dios!
Thank you for your prayers ! Kris Kiel
Sunday, February 10, 2013
We're Back in MN!
After all these encouraging photos we really wanted to take Moises' offer and stay in Guatemala for another week!
The blog doesn't end here. Check back for another week or so as I will be posting more photos and reflections.
The blog doesn't end here. Check back for another week or so as I will be posting more photos and reflections.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
No Internet @ Hotel
The Internet @ our hotel in Antigua is still not working. Probably won't hear from us until we've arrived in Dallas.
Please pray that we'll make it back to MN as scheduled. We've heard about the big storm and are praying we don't get stuck in Dallas.
Please pray that we'll make it back to MN as scheduled. We've heard about the big storm and are praying we don't get stuck in Dallas.
Finca Helvetia
Today we went to the Finca Helvetia. Those who went last year were amazed by the changes. A new owner took over about 3 years ago and in the last year has decided to be a better owner. He built a beautiful new school for the kids (but only hired 1 teacher who now has to go from room to room rather than just teach in 1 classroom), agreed to allow the workers to grow mushrooms in order to have more food, and welcomed us to visit the community. We haven't debriefed on this yet and anxious to do so because we have many questions.
We then visited some Mayan ruins before lunch. It was very neat to see but sad to learn that people still come out and have ceremonies and burn incense and pray to the Mayan gods. We had a beautiful lunch before heading to La Palmer, the county seat in a way, of the villages to speak with the Mayor.
Terri did an excellent job representing the group and we ask for you to join us in praying that our meeting with him will cause some changes to take place for the people in these communities.
We then headed onto Xela for a meeting with the directors of Vid y Pompanos. It was wonderful to meet with them and say goodbye after working together for a week.
We then visited some Mayan ruins before lunch. It was very neat to see but sad to learn that people still come out and have ceremonies and burn incense and pray to the Mayan gods. We had a beautiful lunch before heading to La Palmer, the county seat in a way, of the villages to speak with the Mayor.
Terri did an excellent job representing the group and we ask for you to join us in praying that our meeting with him will cause some changes to take place for the people in these communities.
We then headed onto Xela for a meeting with the directors of Vid y Pompanos. It was wonderful to meet with them and say goodbye after working together for a week.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Esperanza Miralta
We traveled up, up, up this morning to Esperanza Miralta. Kevin said we were almost to heaven. :)
The school in Esperanza Miralta was so clean and organized. The children sang the national anthem at the top of their lungs and the teachers so obviously loved their students. We were all impressed with the school. We had a welcoming program there before giving out school supplies. After that we split into 2 groups, one to learn about the health programs they have and the other to build water filters.
It was very interesting to learn about the health program they are able to run due o a partnership with an NGO from Spain. This partnership has allowed them to offer a small amount of medical attention to the children-they measure and weigh them once a month and then are able to refer children who aren't growing to other organizations. They also receive a small amount of medicine that they can give out as needed: amoxicillin, acetaminophen, parasite medicine, cough medicine and another antibiotic for respiratory infections and one for diarrhea. That's it, and it generally runs out before they get more.
After lunch we had a tour of Vidal's farm land. Vidal has been working with Vid y Pompanos for 3 year and has accomplished a lot. It was great to see someone closer to the end goal of Vid y Pompanos and get a better idea of what they are doing.
We spent the afternoon doing VBS with the kiddos of Esperanza Miralta. That wasn't originally on the itinerary, but Carlos, one of the promoters for Vid y Pompanos, asked us to come after watching us in La Palmera.
We ended our evening with prayer and reflection with Moises.
The school in Esperanza Miralta was so clean and organized. The children sang the national anthem at the top of their lungs and the teachers so obviously loved their students. We were all impressed with the school. We had a welcoming program there before giving out school supplies. After that we split into 2 groups, one to learn about the health programs they have and the other to build water filters.
It was very interesting to learn about the health program they are able to run due o a partnership with an NGO from Spain. This partnership has allowed them to offer a small amount of medical attention to the children-they measure and weigh them once a month and then are able to refer children who aren't growing to other organizations. They also receive a small amount of medicine that they can give out as needed: amoxicillin, acetaminophen, parasite medicine, cough medicine and another antibiotic for respiratory infections and one for diarrhea. That's it, and it generally runs out before they get more.
After lunch we had a tour of Vidal's farm land. Vidal has been working with Vid y Pompanos for 3 year and has accomplished a lot. It was great to see someone closer to the end goal of Vid y Pompanos and get a better idea of what they are doing.
We spent the afternoon doing VBS with the kiddos of Esperanza Miralta. That wasn't originally on the itinerary, but Carlos, one of the promoters for Vid y Pompanos, asked us to come after watching us in La Palmera.
We ended our evening with prayer and reflection with Moises.
El Tineco
Yesterday we spent the morning in El Tineco. We were the first group of white people who have ever visited the school there. The teachers were so grateful for what we brought and that we cared about their students when no one else ever had.
After their wonderful program we broke into our 3 work groups. Those who were working on water filters stayed in El Tineco and worked at Gustavo's house. Gustavo is part of Free a Family and Tom and Kris sponsor him so Kris was very excited to spend the morning with him and work at his house. The other 2 groups built a fence around a church and continued to work on the road.
After working, we all me for a farm tour. We walked around Edon's farm and saw all his fruit trees and coffee plants. After that we enjoyed lunch before heading to La Palmera for our last day of VBS with those kiddos. Let me tell you, it was hard to leave them!
On our way home we stopped at the church in Monte Margarita to officially present them with the chairs that they purchased with money we sent.
I was asked to give a little more explanation on the desks in La Palmera. A few weeks before we left, we sent money to Moises to divide amongst the schools. In La Palmera they decided to use their money to buy new desks. They had them for a few days before we came but kept them in a different location so that the students wouldn't use them until we were there to present them. They had stenciled Pease on each one and that was very touching for us. Moises told them to be very careful with them and not to write on them because we'll be back to check on them next year.
Please pray for the health of our team. Quite a few of us have not been feeling well the last day or two. The food we are eating in the villages is hard for our stomachs to handle.
We're off to Esperanza Miralta in a few minutes. Here are some photos from yesterday.
After their wonderful program we broke into our 3 work groups. Those who were working on water filters stayed in El Tineco and worked at Gustavo's house. Gustavo is part of Free a Family and Tom and Kris sponsor him so Kris was very excited to spend the morning with him and work at his house. The other 2 groups built a fence around a church and continued to work on the road.
After working, we all me for a farm tour. We walked around Edon's farm and saw all his fruit trees and coffee plants. After that we enjoyed lunch before heading to La Palmera for our last day of VBS with those kiddos. Let me tell you, it was hard to leave them!
On our way home we stopped at the church in Monte Margarita to officially present them with the chairs that they purchased with money we sent.
I was asked to give a little more explanation on the desks in La Palmera. A few weeks before we left, we sent money to Moises to divide amongst the schools. In La Palmera they decided to use their money to buy new desks. They had them for a few days before we came but kept them in a different location so that the students wouldn't use them until we were there to present them. They had stenciled Pease on each one and that was very touching for us. Moises told them to be very careful with them and not to write on them because we'll be back to check on them next year.
Please pray for the health of our team. Quite a few of us have not been feeling well the last day or two. The food we are eating in the villages is hard for our stomachs to handle.
We're off to Esperanza Miralta in a few minutes. Here are some photos from yesterday.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
La Palmera
This is going to be brief...we have to eat at 7am again tomorrow and those who know me know that that is a hard thing for me!
If it is possible, it seems that each day is better than the last. We went to La Palmera today an it was a beautiful day. The school had a brief presentation for us and then we presented school supplies an desks. We certainly take things for granted. I feel like most students in the US could care less about their desks but these kids were SO excited!
We then split into our 3 groups to work: painting, building roads, or building water filters. The children at the school stayed and wanted to help us paint. They were very proud that they were painting their school. The men got a lot done on the road as well.
After working for a while we met for lunch and to learn a bit about La Palmera an the coffee production process. Please pray for the community of La Palmera. Coffee prices were very low this year and they also had disease spread through their fields. As a result, they may not be able to make their payment for the land and most families will only have 3000Q (about 7Q in a $) to live on for the rest of the year. Please pray that God will continue to bless their hard work and that they will find a way to continue moving forward. Pray that their coffee plants will be healthy and produce a lot in the upcoming year and that they will get a fair price for their coffee.
After lunch it was time for VBS. We had a much smaller group this time as the kids from Monte Margarita and El Teneco didn't come. But, the children were so happy to see us and we had a fantastic time. It will be hard to leave the kids tomorrow.
If it is possible, it seems that each day is better than the last. We went to La Palmera today an it was a beautiful day. The school had a brief presentation for us and then we presented school supplies an desks. We certainly take things for granted. I feel like most students in the US could care less about their desks but these kids were SO excited!
We then split into our 3 groups to work: painting, building roads, or building water filters. The children at the school stayed and wanted to help us paint. They were very proud that they were painting their school. The men got a lot done on the road as well.
After working for a while we met for lunch and to learn a bit about La Palmera an the coffee production process. Please pray for the community of La Palmera. Coffee prices were very low this year and they also had disease spread through their fields. As a result, they may not be able to make their payment for the land and most families will only have 3000Q (about 7Q in a $) to live on for the rest of the year. Please pray that God will continue to bless their hard work and that they will find a way to continue moving forward. Pray that their coffee plants will be healthy and produce a lot in the upcoming year and that they will get a fair price for their coffee.
After lunch it was time for VBS. We had a much smaller group this time as the kids from Monte Margarita and El Teneco didn't come. But, the children were so happy to see us and we had a fantastic time. It will be hard to leave the kids tomorrow.
Q&A
I've heard some of you are having trouble commenting on the blog. Well guess what, me too! Apparently I cannot respond to the comments you leave! So, here are the answers to your questions.
Gretchen and the ICS school:
1. Yes, the guard has a gun. There are guards with big guns in every store we go to. We also have.2-4 police officers who travel with us when we visit the villages in order to keep us safe.
2. Most of the animals we have seen are are the same (or very similar) to what we have at home. We've seen pigs, cows, horses, dogs, ducks, chickens, cats...except many of these animals are in the houses--ducks and chickens and all.
3. School runs January-October and they go from 8am to 1pm.
4. It was about 87 degrees and humid today. Beautiful!
Karen:
We eat at the hotel in the morning and night and eat lunch out in the villages. I believe Larry had French Toast on his plate.
Teri:
Yes, it is Reaching and Teaching to redeem and restore.
Jennifer:
Patty misses you as well-from the time we got off the plane. Also, Phil says he gave us 5 minutes in San Juan.
Tom:
Kris says that she has seen the little girl twice and will give her the picture. She worked on water filters today. She knows you'd like to be here.
Gretchen and the ICS school:
1. Yes, the guard has a gun. There are guards with big guns in every store we go to. We also have.2-4 police officers who travel with us when we visit the villages in order to keep us safe.
2. Most of the animals we have seen are are the same (or very similar) to what we have at home. We've seen pigs, cows, horses, dogs, ducks, chickens, cats...except many of these animals are in the houses--ducks and chickens and all.
3. School runs January-October and they go from 8am to 1pm.
4. It was about 87 degrees and humid today. Beautiful!
Karen:
We eat at the hotel in the morning and night and eat lunch out in the villages. I believe Larry had French Toast on his plate.
Teri:
Yes, it is Reaching and Teaching to redeem and restore.
Jennifer:
Patty misses you as well-from the time we got off the plane. Also, Phil says he gave us 5 minutes in San Juan.
Tom:
Kris says that she has seen the little girl twice and will give her the picture. She worked on water filters today. She knows you'd like to be here.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monte Margarita
Yesterday Moises said "the church must be where there is suffering," and today we learned just a little bit about what that means.
We woke up early, packed up, and headed to our new "home" in Reu. We will be here until Friday afternoon. We were running a little late by the time we arrived in Monte Margarita and the community was waiting for us with music, welcome signs, fire crackers and smiling faces. Jerry's favorite part of the day was that they made us a sign that was the Pease CRC logo in Spanish. (Note: unfortunately since I am doing this on my cell phone and have to take the photos on my phone the photos aren't great and I can only put them on the end of the post not scattered throughout.) As everything in Guatemala does, it took much longer for us to get to work than we expected. While we were a little disappointed, what they had prepared for us was awesome. The children sang songs and had little skits prepared for us to thank us and welcome to their school. Terri loved the little dance that some of the students did that involved the "women" making tortillas and the "men" gathering firewood I bring home for the cooking. Then, they had us present school supplies to the kindergarten class which was amazing and was Kris' favorite part of the day. After they served us a HUGE lunch. We finally got to work. We split into 3 groups: painters, road workers, and water filtration builders. Lynn really enjoyed being able to learn about the water filters--why the do them and how they work. We only worked for an hour or so before heading to La Palmera for VBS.
We had a great time with the students, singing, playing, learning, laughing. But, since we were running late all day, we didn't have much time with the students. But, we'll be back tomorrow!
La Palmera and Monte Margarita are Level 4 and 3 communities which means they have been working with Vid y Pompanos for quite a while and are close to being self-sufficient. It is wonderful to see the work the villages have done and how excited and wonderful the people are.
Again, I cannot really express quickly on this blog how amazing our time has Ben. I feel like I am failing to express even an ounce of what we are experiencing.
(PS the group really likes to hear from you, I am always getting asked what people are saying but we haven't had many comments. Please leave us notes!)
We woke up early, packed up, and headed to our new "home" in Reu. We will be here until Friday afternoon. We were running a little late by the time we arrived in Monte Margarita and the community was waiting for us with music, welcome signs, fire crackers and smiling faces. Jerry's favorite part of the day was that they made us a sign that was the Pease CRC logo in Spanish. (Note: unfortunately since I am doing this on my cell phone and have to take the photos on my phone the photos aren't great and I can only put them on the end of the post not scattered throughout.) As everything in Guatemala does, it took much longer for us to get to work than we expected. While we were a little disappointed, what they had prepared for us was awesome. The children sang songs and had little skits prepared for us to thank us and welcome to their school. Terri loved the little dance that some of the students did that involved the "women" making tortillas and the "men" gathering firewood I bring home for the cooking. Then, they had us present school supplies to the kindergarten class which was amazing and was Kris' favorite part of the day. After they served us a HUGE lunch. We finally got to work. We split into 3 groups: painters, road workers, and water filtration builders. Lynn really enjoyed being able to learn about the water filters--why the do them and how they work. We only worked for an hour or so before heading to La Palmera for VBS.
We had a great time with the students, singing, playing, learning, laughing. But, since we were running late all day, we didn't have much time with the students. But, we'll be back tomorrow!
La Palmera and Monte Margarita are Level 4 and 3 communities which means they have been working with Vid y Pompanos for quite a while and are close to being self-sufficient. It is wonderful to see the work the villages have done and how excited and wonderful the people are.
Again, I cannot really express quickly on this blog how amazing our time has Ben. I feel like I am failing to express even an ounce of what we are experiencing.
(PS the group really likes to hear from you, I am always getting asked what people are saying but we haven't had many comments. Please leave us notes!)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
We are the church, together.
Today we had the opportunity to go to Moises' church an hear him preach. I think for most of the group this was (and will be) the highlight of the trip.
We got to sleep in (which some of us took advantage of and others-like Terri-still got up at the crack of dawn) and have a leisurely breakfast before heading to the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church for worship. Moises preached on Jeremiah 1:4-10--following God's call. At the end of the service we were lucky to hear the youth group presenting on a trip they had recently taken to 2 villages on the border with Mexico. It was wonderful to hear their enthusiasm and learn about the work they did. Then, we had a delicious lunch prepared for us by the women of the church. We have all been remarking on how great the food has been so far. After lunch we had a meeting to learn about the different programs of the church, share about our church and present them with the $5,000 for John Calvin Seminary. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the $2,000 we has raised for the Seminary more than doubled in the last week! We received many generous donations after our send-off at church on Sunday. They were so grateful and wanted us to express their gratitude for your generous donations. God will bless those dollars more than you can even imagine. This church is doing more than I can even begin to explain right now. By the time this meeting wrapped up, it was 6pm! We headed back to the hotel, ate a delicious dinner, sorted school supplies an shared devotion time.
Each day I will share thoughts from 5 of the group members so that you will get more than just my thoughts. So, here are some thoughts from today: Merlin said that the work starts tomorrow but today was the best. For him, taking communion with the church in Spanish was an incredible experience. Larry loved singing How Great Thou Art in Spanish and Phil loved listening to Lysle (the worship leader) sing. Debbie and Peggy both felt the communion was an amazing experience as well and Debbie added that ending our day by singing the Doxology in both English and Spanish at the same time was moving. We really learned today that we may speak a different language and live in a different country but we worship the same God.
We got to sleep in (which some of us took advantage of and others-like Terri-still got up at the crack of dawn) and have a leisurely breakfast before heading to the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church for worship. Moises preached on Jeremiah 1:4-10--following God's call. At the end of the service we were lucky to hear the youth group presenting on a trip they had recently taken to 2 villages on the border with Mexico. It was wonderful to hear their enthusiasm and learn about the work they did. Then, we had a delicious lunch prepared for us by the women of the church. We have all been remarking on how great the food has been so far. After lunch we had a meeting to learn about the different programs of the church, share about our church and present them with the $5,000 for John Calvin Seminary. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the $2,000 we has raised for the Seminary more than doubled in the last week! We received many generous donations after our send-off at church on Sunday. They were so grateful and wanted us to express their gratitude for your generous donations. God will bless those dollars more than you can even imagine. This church is doing more than I can even begin to explain right now. By the time this meeting wrapped up, it was 6pm! We headed back to the hotel, ate a delicious dinner, sorted school supplies an shared devotion time.
Each day I will share thoughts from 5 of the group members so that you will get more than just my thoughts. So, here are some thoughts from today: Merlin said that the work starts tomorrow but today was the best. For him, taking communion with the church in Spanish was an incredible experience. Larry loved singing How Great Thou Art in Spanish and Phil loved listening to Lysle (the worship leader) sing. Debbie and Peggy both felt the communion was an amazing experience as well and Debbie added that ending our day by singing the Doxology in both English and Spanish at the same time was moving. We really learned today that we may speak a different language and live in a different country but we worship the same God.
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