Grace Missions Blog

This entry is way late as it is almost midnight in Guatemala.  Here is the reason – we arrived back at the mission house around 6:15PM or so.  I got a quick shower and then attempted to blog but could not get online.  My wife was arriving via Delta tonight and I had to leave to get her.  We just got back.  I apologize to the three of you who are following us via this blog – LOL!

A good Saturday.  We continued the building.  I think we have nine houses completely finished.  The Michigan team dedicated the two they built as they will not be building with us anymore.

We cut our building day short as we hosted a block party for the children of San Jacinto.  Many thanks to Katie Parker, Pablo, and Rachel for their hosting this party for us.  The children had a good time.  We had a good time.  Pastor Keith Martin got his head painted!  Special thanks to John King for providing the transportation for the Clubhouse Guatemala stuff.

Supper tonight was to be a typical Guatemalan meal.  I did not see it so I really cannot describe it.  I am sure it was good!

Tomorrow we will attend the morning service at Rios de Agua Viva.  I do not think we will be impressed with the preaching but I am sure the music will be good and the fellowship great!

Here is the stuff – Gloria says that the Queen Bee is doing fine!  Juleigh Medrano is a flirt!  Mary Cole gave me the scoop on the fine boys today!  Jordan is playing the field as she is now interested in some nationals (which is totally against the rules!).  The Holsonback girls are not interested in pursuing a career in the concrete business!  Seth Tagert has already begged out of concrete duty!

Thanks for reading!  Again, my apologies for the lateness of this post.  Pray without ceasing!

It is 6:00PM and the team just returned from a day of building houses.  We are building in the same village where Bro. Chris and our students built in April of 2011.

We had a different day as there were 59 (30 from Bama, 27 from Michigan, Samuel, Pastor Max) of us building.  We divided into four teams.  It required “flexibility” on everyone’s part and I think everyone got an A.  (Well, maybe not Amy Messer but you are always going to have one!)  The more folks you have on a building team the slower the process.  We finished four houses including the cement and four more were started.  Jeff H, Raymond W, Bro. Chris, and Samuel did a great job of leading the teams.

Caroline Ford, Clara Broadus and Andrea Martin remained at the mission house to cook supper.  I walked past the window a few minutes ago and it smelled really good.   However, I am not happy with the menu as it is spaghetti.  I like spaghetti but I am also on the clean up crew – have you ever seen the kitchen when Caroline finishes cooking?  Why could we not have ham and chips?

I know Kacy & Karoline’s mother posted a comment to last night’s entry but I have not read it yet.  Jane Soesbe says all of her friends should be reading these entries too.  We found out per Madeline why Miss June does not come on these trips – TMI.  LOL!  Cecy, your daughter may have a special surprise announcement for you when she gets home!  (It is not like you will be losing a daughter but rather gaining a son!)

Gotta get a shower and head to supper and KP!  Thanks for praying for us.  Thanks for reading these entries.

God is good!  Our team which presently consists of 33 folks are all present and accounted for.  We will eventually move to 37 team members as Lisa joins us on Saturday and three pastors from El Salvador will do likewise on Sunday evening.  One of those pastors, Carlos Portillo, serves in our daughter church in San Salvador.

The girls and I met the team at Pollo Campero as they came directly there from the airport.  We enjoyed supper and then came to the mission house for our meeting.  We have 13 first timers on this team.  Everyone is kind of settling in now getting ready for tomorrow.  Most folks are physically tired.

Tomorrow morning we will be joined by 27 folks from the First United Methodist Church of Holland, Michigan.  They will join us in house building for the next two days as well as a block party and the dedication of two houses.

Thanks for checking on us via this blog.  Plans call for nightly entries.  Pray without ceasing!

A blessed Friday.  Almost all of the team left early headed to climb a volcano – Pacaya.  I am told they had a good time.

The afternoon was spent with dedications for the building team while the medical folks did another few hours in El Rodeo which is where they were yesterday.  Everything went very well for both teams.

Lisa and I spent the morning at a private hospital in Antigua.  One of our team members fell Thursday afternoon and gave us a good scare.  Long story short – Dr. John Gissal was on site within a few minutes and he then went with him to meet Dr. John Nicely who then took him to the hospital.  The end result was a fracture of the hip with the diagnosis being eight weeks of rest.

Lisa and I went to bring him from the hospital this morning as he was discharged around 11:00AM.  He is on crutches but is resting well in the mission house.  Pray for his flights home tomorrow.  (We did not post this last night as we were waiting for his wife to be told by him today)

We had a share time tonight before supper and it was a blessed time.  This has been a really great group!  Several have already followed Don Redder’s lead and signed up for next year’s trip.

Thanks for checking on us.  Pray for us as we fly home tomorrow at 7:45AM, 8:45AM, and 1:47PM respectively.

Our Thursday was a long day.  The medical folks got back to the mission house around 8:00PM after seeing 587 folks in the clinic.  What a day of ministry for them!

The building team completely finished all 20 houses which means they are now ready for the dedication.

We will update on Friday night as to the day’s activities and bring the week to a close.  Thanks for checking on us and for your prayers.

As I am typing this blog, I am sitting next to two guys that seem to enjoy giving me a hard time (Teddy and Spencer)… luckily it doesn’t bother me one bit. Anyway, today we traveled to a village in the mountains where they literally have built their houses into the side of the mountain. They cancelled school for their kids today so that we could set up our med clinic in the school courtyard. I got to see quite a few patients on my own today which was nerve-racking, but at the same time very fun. One patient had part of his jaw removed by the oral surgeon, it was quite amazing. The people of this village were so appreciative of everything that we were doing, and it has been such a great learning experience and blessing for me to be here. God has been so good.

Betsy

My experience for the day was very similar to Betsy’s except that rather than providing medical care I was translating for the medical staff. The village we were in today was one of the poorest villages we have ministered to all week. The houses are literally built into the side of the mountain (we gained a greater appreciation for the building team who has been climbing the mountain to build houses all week). The view is absolutely spectacular and the people are some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. This week has been an amazing week and every day bring new surprises and adventures!

Emily

I also was with the Medical group.  Today was slower than Mon & Tues.  Since we were in the same village as where the building team has been we had the opportunity t take a walk through the village and see some of the houses the team had built already this week.  We also got to get a glimpse at how these people live-doing laundry outside, women carrying firewood on their heads, meat hanging in the market, etc.

There was also time to play with the kids-blowing bubbles, doing the Hokey Pokey, and more.  They love to play and have the biggest smiles and are so easily entertained. They hang out every day at the clinic where ever we are.

The Guatamalan’s are very grateful for anything we do.  They appreciate getting the little things like vitamins, Tyl, parasite nd  cough medicine.  There are a lot of lessons to be learned from these people who have so little, but are so happy, gracious and thankful.  Many of he things we have seen are minor, but there is one patient that will stick out for me-a 38 yr old female who said she had a breast lump.  I expected to find a cyst and instead found a very large breast mass-this would not be good in the US, but here in Guatamala is probably a death sentence.  She will be in my prayers for a long time.

This has been a great spiritual experience already between morning devotions and clinic.

Kristie

All is well!  Everyone is doing great.  Another good day of medical (207 patients) and ten houses have been completely finished including the installation of the light.

I plan on getting the insights of some others on this blog Wednesday night.

Pray for us.  Thanks for checking on us.

Long but good day.  The medical team saw 400 folks while the building team finished five houses (only the doors & windows were installed as we forgot hinges – give Bob Harvey one job to do and he will mess it up every time!), have two more ready for the concrete and an eighth one ready for the metal.

The medical team dealt with a lot of wind and dust.  However, they just worked through it.  I think the dental crew was real busy.

The building team had to navigate some fairly steep hills but the biggest problem was very soft dirt and a ditch that was waiting for any slip!

Everyone is well.  Thanks for praying!

Quick update – everyone is up, enjoying breakfast and getting ready for our morning devotional.  Pastor Bob is preaching this morning.  Half of the team will then head to medical while the other half go build.  Pray for us and we will update tonight, Lord willing.

This entry is coming later than I had anticipated but they say better late than never – sorry!  The Lord blessed and we had a good Sunday.  Normal day with a praise and worship time led by Carla Mast.  We have a full band and they do a nice job.

About half of the team went to a church service where Pastor Bob was preaching and the other half went to one where I was preaching.  It was then off to Antigua for lunch and shopping.  Everyone got back around 4:45 and after supper we enjoyed an evening of worship with a local band leading worship and Dr. Tico Vargas preaching.  Great evening!

It is almost 10:00PM here and the medical folks are busy counting pills and getting ready for tomorrow.  It rained here today but is was not a frog strangler.  Maybe that was the rain for the week!

Again, thanks for praying and thanks for checking on us.  All is well with everyone.  Blessings!