More Pictures

Soccer! 

with Pastor Pablo  

New bathroom system 

Clean water filter! 

Drinking her clean water! 

Antigua

Guatemalan cooking lessons

Glory to God 

yes, this is real 

Everything in Guatemala is going well! We have been visiting the different villages that we will be taking teams to when they arrive. Within the week, I’ve seen a village where the gospel has not been accepted (Bajucilito, that I mentioned in the previous post) where both the physical and spiritual poverty is overwhelming. The work to be done almost seems too much. Then I’ve also been to a village, Santa Louisa, where the gospel is thriving and a church has been planted. There are families of believers who form a strong community in the village. Their school is functioning well, they are building new homes with floors and walls, finding ways to self sustain, and are so filled with the joy of Christ. It was beautiful to me to see the difference that Christ makes in His childrens lives. This is not to say that all Christians become better off physically when they live in Christ, but Christ transforms us and when believers come together, great things happen. The progress in Santa Louisa also gives hope to what can happen in Bajucilito! Jesus is Hope. He is Life. He is Truth. And I am so humbled to be a part of His work in Guatemala. Please pray for the hearts of the people in Bajucilito to be softened and the faithfulness of the people in Santa Louisa to continue to grow.

This week we’ve also been able to experience Guatemalan culture with authentic foods and the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy the photos :)

Glori a Dios

We made it!!

Hola! Guatemala is wonderful. We arrived on Friday around lunch time. The local women at the church, Guerreros de Dios (Warriors of God), had cooked a wonderful, authentic meal for us. We've gotten to know everyone and are settled in to the apartment where we will be staying for the next 2 weeks. One of the pastors, Charlie, is our next door neighbor. Later that afternoon the church courtyard and part of Pastor Pablo’s apartment flooded from a heavy rain, so we 'bucketed' water for a few hours before going to bed early from a long day :) 

Yesterday we spent the day in Bajucilito, a nearby village. As my first experience in a rural village like this, my heart was broken. Sweetly broken. We were greeted by precious people and welcomed into their homes. A sweet mother, Maria, taught us how to make homemade corn tortillas and a teenager, Hilmar, showed us his family’s coffee plantation. We went into a particular kitchen where a young mother was taking care of her sick little boy. She shared with us how her son has been sick, her mother is sick, and her sister had just had a miscarriage. I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to show me where He is at work, and as this young woman shared, I felt tears well up in my eyes and my heart start beating faster. I knew this wasn’t a coincidence. So before we left their kitchen, we prayed over them. We prayed for physical, spiritual, and emotional healing. They don't know Jesus, but they appreciated our prayers, and we will continue to pray for their salvation. We spent the rest of our time in Bajucilito playing games with the kids and just hugging on them and laughing with them. It was beautiful to see the love of Christ completely tear down language barriers. As we drove back down the mountain, I felt the fulfillment that comes from obeying the Word of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 comes to mind.

All in all, it’s been a blessed trip so far. I am confident that it is a divine appointment by the Lord that I am here this summer. Please continue to pray for us and for God’s will over our time in Guatemala. Pray for the church and the villages we are serving and for the gospel to go forth. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Enjoy the photos! 

Sweet Summertime

Atlanta was great! We were blessed to be a part of the Lord's work in the International Village in Atlanta. We scattered seed, watered seed that had already been planted, and were able to see some harvest as well. The Lord really taught me a lot in the 3 weeks there. He reminded me the importance and reward in loving those who do not return the love (Luke 6:27-36) and also to remember that He is my source of rest and strength when I am weary (Matthew 11:28-30). Enjoy the photos! 

As for the rest of the summer, I head out in a few hours for GUATEMALA! Monica and I, as well as 2 others, will be there for a few days preparing for teams. Then the teams start heading in. Our work there is to serve alongside a pastor and his family as they prepare to leave the city and move to the rural village and plant a church. We will be serving in a few other villages as well, proclaiming Christ to the people. Please pray for God's anointing on this trip. Pray for safety, protection from the enemy, for language barriers to be broken, and for Christ's Name to be lifted high in Guatemala. 

I return July 23. I will try to keep updating on this blog while I am there to let you know about all of the amazing God moments I know we will have as well as specific ways to pray. 

Dios te bendiga! God bless you! 

Summer 2011

This summer has been full speed ahead already, but here's a little information on what's happened, as well as what is to come.  After we finished our spring semester, we headed home for a couple of weeks.  What I thought would be a time to rest quickly became a time of hard work, as multiple roofing jobs came my way.   It was good though, because I earned a little money for some upcoming expenses in the fall.  After that, I helped lead a small group at a guy's weekend in Grenada, MS.  Once the weekend was finished, I packed up and set out for Atlanta to help staff a couple of our summer trips.  During the first trip, we hosted 79 students/adults from Fellowship Bible Church out of Nashville, TN.  They were middle schoolers who did ministry in the international village of Atlanta.   Here's some pictures from the week.

 This last kid's name is Carlito.  With a group of almost 80, my role of service was typically to the team during the week, but this kid was one that just wanted to be around me so I got to share some good times with him, as well as one older teen named Kevin.  You can pray for both of their situations; (especially Kevin and his family).  As for the rest of the summer, I have one more week in Atlanta.  We have a group from Arkansas coming in Sunday evening, and then... Thursday I leave for Puerto Rico until July 23rd.  There are 4 seperate groups visiting the island, and I appreciate if you'd be in prayer for them.   The two interns and myself will be staffing their trips.  Definitely be in prayer for us.  After Puerto Rico, I have 3 weeks in Mississippi until we all head back to Nashville to start year #2 of Trek-X.  It should be a summer to remember for sure.  I do appreciate all your prayers for it, and I'll be sure to update you about what all happens.  Thanks.

Enjoy the Word:
 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.  Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." -Psalm 147:3-5

ATL Summer Missions

Hey everyone,

Summer Session for Trek-X is in full swing!

I spent the month of May at home in Corinth resting up for the summer ahead. It was so wonderful to be home with my family! I enjoyed spending time with them with no school work or any other demands of my time. I tried to use May to really ask the Lord to prepare me for what He has in store this summer.

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" Psalm 139:23 

Now, as for the rest of my summer... We just finished leading our first team in ATL, we have another team coming Sunday, and then I head out to GUATEMALA June 23! 

The first week of missions in Atlanta was a blessing. We had a team of about 80 middle schoolers from Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville. The week looked similar to our Atlanta trip in March. We partnered with North American Mission Board, serving at 14 different apartment complexes. Each day we would take an international tour. We experienced Hispanic, Asian, and Indian cultures just as if we were in another country. Then we would head out to our ministry sites. The team played games, made crafts, and just spent time getting to know the kids and a few of their parents at the apartments. Each day they shared truths from the Bible: God created the world and all that is in it, Jesus lived a sinless life full of miracles, and He died and rose again to offer us new life in Him. We welcomed new believers into the Kingdom and got to see others hear the Gospel for the first time, planting seeds in expectation that God will water and harvest them. 

Please pray that the Good News will continue to go forth in Atlanta as our second team arrives on Sunday. We will be serving in four of the same apartment complexes. My prayer is that God will work in and through the students coming to serve. I pray He will open their eyes to see that missions isn't just about a trip every summer, but it's a response to God's grace and glory. I pray they will go home forever changed, serving and loving the people around them. I pray for the kids' hearts at the apartments to be receptive to the Truth and for eternal impact to take place. I pray that God will give us Trek-X students the energy, wisdom, and anointing we need to be servant leaders on the trip. May He do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. 

I'll keep you updated on the rest of the summer! 

God Bless You.      Romans 8:35-39