We are here on Saturday morning with a devotion done by Don Ricci from Canada. Great devotion from the book of Ephesians. The skies are clear and we are ready to work. Our plans are to work till about 1:00 p.m., hoping to finish and dedicate all the houses. We plan to return back to the mission house and get ready for a SS/VBS type service with the children from Paul and Cristy’s church nearby.
Here I am typing a different story. That is usually how it happens in Guatemala. Flexibility is the key to keeping your sanity. The houses were more difficult to finish than expected due to the extreme climbing up and down the mountians. I had to leave for awhile to minister to the needs of one of our group members. Derrick had to leave for awhile also. Needless to say, the sheep were without a shepherd and were somewhat “scattered”. However, we re-grouped and things got accomplished in due time. We were late getting back to the mission house but our ladies did an outstanding job with the SS/VBS. Special appreciation for their help with this. Bro. Terry Stephan from DWBC preached in the church service and Cristy interpreted. I had been to Antiqua twice already today and at 3:00 p.m. had to return again. Just as soon as we returned, we (several from the Friendship family) hopped into a van and went back to the work site and finished the final house and had the great pleasure of dedicating it to Jim Broadus. Jim’s wife, Clara, is one of our members here this week building houses. We so appreciate her sweet spirit and it is such a joy to see Jim’s memory live on. We had made a sign with his name on it and the man who received the new home said he wanted it to hang up in his house.
Our Canadian group had the pleasure of dedicating a house in memory of Sandra Ottertail’s husband. Her husband (Robert Ottertail) passed away a year or so ago from cancer. This was indeed a special time for this little group as Sandra’s dad who is Pastor Gordon, and her nephew, Nathan were here along with many dear friends from church.
Today was also very special as our ladies went and dedicated a house. Took a picture of the expectant lady as they dedicated the house. They returned to give her something else about 30 minutes later and she had delivered her new baby girl! Our ladies were shocked to see her in the bed in her brand new dedicated house with a brand new baby! (If we had known, we would have dedicated it earlier in the week. ) What a blessing to witness this wonderful blessing. Our ladies went back to the house tonight and the daddy was there. They were so grateful for the new home and had fixed it up so nicely already.
It rained on and off today but overall, we were blessed again as it rained very little on our group as we worked. Tomorrow, we will attend Bro. Walter’s church, Rios de Agua Viva, and then it’s off to Antiqua again for a meal and shopping. It’s getting close to the time in which we must return home. I know this because Miss Clara is running out of candy!
We have had our share of minor accidents such as cuts, drilling to the bone in a finger, scratches, falling down the hills, one getting hit on the head with a block of wood that had been sawed off (ouch! yes, it bled!) treating an infected tick bite (tick from Canada), flea bites, blisters, and a few other things but God has been good to watch over us and protect us as we traveled and from ourselves! We give Him thanks for everything He has done for us this week.
