Today was a great day!  We started out with a great breakfast cooked by Louise Morris and Sharon Jardee and then a wonderful devotion lead by Terry Stephan from Dauphin Way Baptist Church, Mobile Alabama.  We have nearly completed 6 houses and are in the process of starting another.  The rains did not come today and much was accomplished for which we are thankful.  We had opportunity to ask several Guatemalans about Jesus Christ in their hearts.  Several declared a positive yes!  We played with the children and we had a wonderful time fellowshipping as we built.  We ended the day with a delicious meal and hosted John and Laurie King and their grandson, Nick, as well as Samuel, Juan Marcos and a friend for supper.  

On a side note:   Larry Blackwell did enjoy a glass of tea after potatoes were mysteriously dropped into his glass!  It was a surprise to say the least!  The games have begun with Tena, my wife.  This year it seems like ALL the ladies have squirt guns.  I’ve been wounded several times already!  We are blessed this week with several “jokesters” including one from Canada, Bro. Don Ricci.

    We arrived at the airport around 4:15AM. and had to wait for the gate to be opened.  Then we stood in line at the desk for what seemed to be over an hour before anyone showed up to help us. Finally, this very nice lady came along and helped us get checked in.  We then proceeded to the gate and the plane was delayed due to regulations about pilots not flying for at least 8 hours after their last plane trip.  Apparently, the weather the night before caused major backups and the pilots did not get to land until late Sunday thus causing them to be late for our flight.  This caused a chain reaction and we missed our next flight in Houston scheduled to leave at 9:40AM.  The airlines was very gracious and quick to give us lunch and supper vouchers but the drawback was a delay of about 9 hours before we could get on the next flight at 7:10PM. The time arrived and they were overbooked!  It was time to get out the big guns of prayer and fortunately we were able to get on the plane.  Every seat was taken and, you guessed it, I got the window seat!  I felt like a sardine in a packed can.  It didn’t matter as I was so glad to be on our way.  Oh, I didn’t tell you that our luggage was unloaded from the plane in Mobile as it had too much weight on it.  We were very unsure when we would see it again.  Our real concern was the perishable food items we had packed in the luggage for our meals.

The real regret was that one of our dear brothers, Willie Johnson, who was somewhat drafted into flying out of Gulfport to accomodate a ticket change also had problems with connections.   Knowing that he would most likely miss his connection in Houston as well, he choose to return home.  I totally respect his decision but feel deeply saddened knowing how much we will miss him on this trip!  Who will I give a live chicken in a pot to this year?  Thank you Willie for all your help and sacrifice.  I have depended upon you heavily in the past on each mission trip and will certainly feel the loss this year, but then I trust we will be able to do it again as soon as possible.  Again, thanks so much!

Supper time —Pizza Party!!! 

We finally arrived at the airport about 9:15PM. Guatemala time and arrived and into bed about midnight.  It was a long day but we also had our blessings during the day meeting some very interesting people traveling the world.

Thursday night and all is well.  On Monday I spent the day mixing, pouring and finishing concrete.  Hard work to say the least.  Someone asked me that evening if I enjoyed concrete work.  I replied, “Of course not…I can think of about 100 different things I’d rather do that finish concrete.”  But here’s the point…pouring concrete is just a small part of a bigger picture.  I don’t necessarily like some of the work but I sure do enjoy seeing a family moving into a new dwelling.  I think about it like this…. I cannot imagine eating a handful of dry flour…or a handful of butter…or a handful of all the stuff that you put in a bowl to make biscuits…But when you mix all that together, cut them into small circles and put them in the oven for a while…the end result is delicious.  All the work that goes in to coming to another country for a week…leaving your family, doing work you’re not used to, sleeping in a bunk bed, sharing a bathroom, sleeping in the room with people who snore louder than the fan we brought to drown them out, none of that is really thrilling.  But the end result is more than fulfilling.  So, I am happy to have been a part of a wonderful week.  I will be back.  mm

Well, the Lord has blessed and all 48 of us (Jodie Wilkerson is with us on the way home) are now sitting in the GC airport awaiting our respective flights home.  Most of the Michigan folks and Donnie Ricci are flying Delta while four folks from Michigan and the Alabama folks are flying Continental. 

We have been listening to the weather reports and our Michigan travelers may have some difficulty in reaching their final destination tonight.  However, they are prepared for the potential delay and have had such a great attitude about whatever may happen. 

Wow, we had a great week as we built 15 houses, distributed food/clothes to 100 houses, went to Panimaquin where we did some major dirt work, poured a foundation, and painted two rooms, did some major painting at the CAM seminary, worked at Casa Aleluya, and built shelves in our storage room (thanks Carl Bradley & Morris Bryant).

Our devotion time this morning was special as folks shared what God has done in their lives this week.  I wrote earlier this week that we would leave as family and that is exactly what happened.  It really is a bittersweet time as we are ready to see our family members but we are saddened to leave this special time of fellowship. 

So, to each of the team members, I say “thank you” for an amazing week.  You have maintained an excellent attitude and have had a great work ethic.  May the Lord bless you as you go back to your respective homes/churches and serve Him.  I love you in the Lord and look forward to our next time together!  Blessings! 

The comment I have heard often today is, “I can’t believe that a week has already passed and it is time to go home.”  However, it is true as we have completed the ministry portion of another mission trip with a really strong final day. 

Mark Mast led our devotional time this morning.  We then divided into four teams with one team painting at the seminary while the other three built houses.  All of the painting at the seminary was completed and five houses (four in Chimaltenango and one in Itzapa) were completely finished too.  This has been an incredible group with an outstanding work ethic. 

Wayne DeYoung and Brian Koeman spent one final day at Panimaquin moving another mountain of dirt.  Bernard, Trish, & Sarah Cohen joined us for supper tonight and Bernard was so thankful for all that has been accomplished at the project. 

We will have one more devotional time tomorrow which will basically be a time of sharing about God’s blessings in our lives this week.  We will then head for the airport with the Alabama folks, four Michigan folks, and three Canada folks leaving on a flight at 1:30PM while the other Michiganders and one Canadien will leave at 2:30PM.  Pray for us as we travel especially for the Michigan folks as it appears a winter storm could affect their travels. 

Hopefully, I will be able to update from the airport in Guatemala tomorrow.  If not, I will update on Saturday to recap the week.  Thanks for your continued prayer support.  Blessings!

It is really a neat thing to see how God has taken thirty folks from Michigan, four from Canada and thirteen from Alabama and bonded them into a family.  As I type this update, there are thirty something of the team members gathered around the tables in the great room playing cards, looking at the pictures from the trip, talking, and just enjoying each other’s company.  I never cease to be amazed at how these groups just become one in such short order.  It truly is a God thing and we give Him the glory!

We began today by looking at the gifts God has given to us.  As usual, Kristen DeYoung led our musical worship and the Wayne DeYoung family sang a special – awesome!  Dale Bosarge continues to do a good job on the guitar. 

We had a few ladies stay at the mission house this morning to get things ready for our village visit while the rest of the team went to Rincon Grande to dedicate ten houses.  That went well and they got back to the house around 1:00PM after having lunch at the new Burger King in Chimaltenango.  Jodie Wilkerson and I went to town and bought the food for the distribution.

We left at 1:15PM headed for the aldea of Yalu.  There we met Memo & Susan who have a wonderful feeding ministry which meets in the Nim Jay (Big House).  There are other aspects of their ministry and this was by far and away the best place we have used to distribute food & clothes.  Lorenzo, a Saturday student at the seminary in Chimalt, preached as the people listened intently.  One hundred families then very quietly and orderly went to their assigned table to receive their bag of food and some clothes.  It was a blessed day. 

We came home to another wonderful meal.  My, oh my, have we ever eaten good this week!  Lorraine Brouwer, Jan Kapenga, and Jan Koeman have done a fabulous job of feeding us.  I am always sad whenever Caroline Ford isn’t here with us but the Lord has certainly given these ladies the gift of hospitality.  We had Pastor Walter and his family, our neighbor, Andreas, and his family, and a doctor friend of the Leythams as our guests.

Tomorrow is our last day to work and promises to be busy as we will build five houses, dedicate them, and paint at the seminary.  Keep praying and check tomorrow night for another update.  Blessings! 

Today was another good day for our group of 47.  The group that went to Panimaquin finished the painting as well as the pouring of the foundation.  Brian Koeman & Wayne DeYoung came in late as they have much to do in the way of excavating. 

The group that went to Casa Aleluya had a good day as they removed two buildings making way for a new dormitory to be built.  Some of the ladies did other various jobs and the folks enjoyed just hanging out with the children. 

The group that went to the seminary continued painting and make huge strides today.  There are many rooms to be painted and time will not be sufficient on this trip to finish it all.  However, those folks have already made a huge dent in what needed to be done.  Special thanks to John King for coordinating this work for us.

I had the joy of riding with Paul Leytham to Guatemala City to meet with our lawyer today.  Paul has served as our legal representative for the past year and has decided to give up that position.  We are grateful for his service to the Lord and us.  Pancho Arriola has graciously agreed to step into this position of legal representative and vice president of GRACE Ministries.  So, the three of us met with the lawyer to sign all of the necessary paperwork. 

Tonight was a really special night as the boys from the Vencedores dorm at Casa Aleluya came for fellowship and pizza.  Those 45 boys and their jefes had a great time and stayed with us from 4:30PM until 8:30PM.  They consumed a minimum of 29 large pizzas, several gallons of kool-aid, over one hundred homemade cookies and candy, candy, candy!  Those boys love to come to the casa blanca and asked as they were leaving when they would get to come back.  It wasn’t the same without Danny & Angie LeBlanc but we certainly enjoyed those boys!  I am grateful to Dr. Mike Clark for allowing us the privilege of hosting the boys of Vencedores.  He has always been gracious to us!

Thanks to Coach Nate Blaylock we were able to get our VOIP phone up and running tonight.  As I type this, Dirk Johnson is talking to Shannon at home and it is a local call.  Amazing! 

Dewayne Lavelle has done an awesome job of getting the pictures to Ben Vickers so he can upload them for your viewing pleasure.  Thanks guys! 

Tomorrow we are going to dedicate ten houses and then to an area near Sumpango to distribute food and clothes.  Pray for us and we will keep you updated through this means.  Blessings!

Perhaps you are wondering why there was no entry yesterday?  Our internet service was down until about 9:00PM and I then wrote an entry.  I pressed save and simultaneously the service went down and that whole article disappeared into cyber space.  So, I apologize for the missing blog of yesterday. 

Yesterday was a good day with our group going to three different ministry sites.  The first group went to Panimaquin where they painted the kitchen and living room in the Cohen’s house.  They also dug the footings for a house that is going to be built.  Brian Koeman and Wayne DeYoung are doing some major excavation work there too. 

Another group built three more houses in Rincon Grande which brings our total completed to ten.  We have plans to build five more on Thursday. 

The third group painted the interiors of an apartment and a house at the CAM seminary in Chimaltenango. 

Today we began with our devotion led by Mark Mast.  He shared from Psalm 34:1 – 8.  We then got our assignments and went to our respective ministry sites.  A group has gone back to Panimaquin, one has gone back to the seminary, and the third is at Casa Aleluya. 

Pray for us and check later tonight for another entry detailing today’s activities. 

Today has been a very blessed day of worship, fellowship, shopping, sightseeing, and relaxation.  As usual, our day began with a morning devotional time.  We were blessed in today’s Bible study as Wayne, Beth, Eric, Jayme, Kristen, Matt, & Ross DeYoung shared a message in song.  What a great and talented family! 

Missionary Mark Mast brought the message this morning using Ephesians 2:8-10 as his text.  He shared of his own salvation experience on February 10, 1980.  I met Mark last year on this same trip and have been so impressed by him and his family.  What a blessing this brother is to me and to our entire church family. 

The majority of the group then went to the Rivers of Living Water Church in Chimaltenango with four others going to Su Presencia where Daniel Villatoro is the pastor.  I can speak for those who attended RLWC and say that we enjoyed the worship service and the message delivered by Pastor Walter.  Special thanks to Eugene Dighero for serving as our translator.  The church family served us doughnuts and soft drinks after the service.  We will be helping this church construct a home for Pastor Walter and his family. 

We did our usual as we went to Antigua and had lunch at the Las Antorchas steak house.  It was a joy to see the owner, Philippe Rambert, and his daughter, Andrea. The food and fellowship were great!

The group then went shopping and I came back to the house.  We received some sad news last night when we learned that Derrick Wilkerson’s aunt passed away.  I have spent this afternoon working on getting Derrick a flight home tomorrow so he can be with his family.  Please remember to pray for Derrick and his family during this time. 

Our thoughts have been with our home churches today and we prayed for each of them this morning.  Please keep praying for us and log on tomorrow to read another update. 

Blessings,

Pastor Teddie

Praise the Lord!  He is good and we now have internet access in the L.G. Camp, Jr. Mission House in Guatemala!  It is a long story but suffice it to say that a thank you is in order to Missionary Mark Mast and a special thank you to Juan Marcos Ruiz from the CAM Seminary here in Chimaltenango.  Juan Marcos and his brother installed the necessary equipment today to make this a reality.  So, we now really have no legitimate reason to not keep you folks updated. 

 We arrived safely in three waves yesterday – the Mobile & Grand Rapids folks at 12:30PM, the Flint folks around 1:15PM, and theMast trio at 10:00PM.  The first two groups enjoyed supper at one of the local Pollo Campero restaurants, exchanged some money, and spent time in fellowship with most folks calling it a day early after a long day of travel. 

Today began with Bible study at 7:00AM.  Kristen DeYoung did her usual wonderful job of leading us in worship through song with an assist from Dale Bosarge as he played the guitar.  I brought a devotional thought from Mark 5:24 – 34 as we looked at our needs and the nearness of Jesus.

 We then got ready and went to Rincon Grande to build houses.  We divided into four work teams getting six houses completely i.e. concrete poured, et cetera, finished and a seventh one done with the exception of the concrete. 

 Tonight we enjoyed a meal which was prepared by Lorraine Brouwer, Jan Koeman, and Jan Kapenga.  Folks are now on their computers, sleeping, playing cards, getting breakfast/supper food ready, and just hanging out.   

Tomorrow will be Bible study at 7:30AM, church at 9:00AM, dinner in Antigua, some shopping, and a worship service tomorrow night.  Thanks for your prayers and please keep praying as we serve the Lord in Guatemala during these days.