Grace Missions Blog

The second GRACE Ministries team of 2017 has arrived safe and sound.  Everyone seems well and will soon gather for worship and the Word before heading out to do construction and medical.  Pray for this team and check back either late tonight or early tomorrow morning for an update.  Blessings!

The vast majority of the GRACE I 2017 team just left the mission house heading to the airport in Guatemala City.  Even though most of them do not fly out until 9:05AM the decision was made to try and beat the early morning traffic in the city which can come to a complete stop.

It has been a blessed mission trip.  Much has been accomplished.  Thousands of folks came through the medical clinic lines.  Twenty houses were construction.  An untold number of lives were impacted in a positive way which included the lives of the team members.  Friendships were made.  Friendships were renewed.  A servant’s heart was displayed many times over.  One guy lived in the GRACE garage!

So, thank you for checking on this team but most of all thank you for the prayers!  You were a vitally important part of this team because of those prayers regardless where you live.  God honored your prayers!

As the GRACE I team departs for home, many members of the GRACE II team are on their way to the airports to depart for Guatemala.  Pray for traveling mercies for all.  Blessings!

The team had a good Tuesday.  The medical folks tell me that their numbers were down a bit from the previous day but it was a good day.  I really appreciate the doctors, nurses, and other medical folks who give of their time and talents to serve the people of Guatemala.  What a blessing!

The building team has everything finished except for putting concrete in four houses and then finishing those houses.  They have worked extremely hard this trip as they have left each morning around 8:00AM and gotten back to the mission house around 8:00PM.  They have been very flexible and have not complained once.  Pretty amazing!

So, today will be the final medical clinic and the house dedications.  The dedications are always special.

Pray this team through this final day.  Thanks for checking on them.  All is well.  Blessings!

This team’s Monday was a really good day.  The medical/dental team saw somewhere in the neighbor of three hundred and fifty folks.  I saw a picture of one of Dr. Derek’s patients and the transformation was amazing!  Dr. Mark told me they sent another person to the hospital for x-rays.  That patient will need surgery.

The building team had their best day yet.  As it stands now, thirteen houses are up and twelve of those are completely finished.  One needs all of the metal, one needs all of the metal and one needs on the roof metal.  There was a shortage of screws which prevented two of these from being done and ready for the concrete.

The building team has driven an average of four hours round trip each day.  They have battled some sizable rocks and lots of them.  However, there has not been one complaint – what a blessing!

All is well with the team members.  Thank you for praying.  Thank you for checking on this team.

No real “news” to report as yesterday was a day of worship, rest and relaxation for the team.  We had the morning devotion time in the upper room and then took part in the worship service at the GRACE Community Church in the afternoon.  Pastor Bob Harvey spoke in both of those services.

The members of the advisory board for the proposed medical clinic met last night to continue to cast the vision for a place where the poorest of the poor in Guatemala can receive quality health care.  Pray for this effort.

Today will begin with the usual morning devotion time and then off to do medical and building houses.

Pray for this team!  Thank you!

This entry is late but the internet was down earlier this morning.  So, I apologize for it being a bit tardy.

Yesterday was a good day for the team.  The medical/dental folks went to El Rodeo (I think that is correct) where they saw something like five hundred and seventy patients.  Really good day for the medical folks.

The building team continues to work hard in some very rocky conditions.  At present, there are eight houses built with seven of those having received the concrete and the fronts.  Those seven need to have the doors and windows put in place and they will be finished.  The eighth house is ready for the concrete.  Two others have been started with one just needing the roof metal before it is ready for the concrete.  Ideally, we would have ten houses finished at this point but this has not been ideal in terms of the building conditions.  However, the attitude of the building team has been spectacular.

The “committee” met and gave three shirts to some guys yesterday morning.

Sunday will be a “normal” day here with devotion, Antigua, Las Antorchas, church service and an evening of fellowship.

Thank you for praying.  Thank you for checking on this team.  All is well.

The team’s first day of ministry began with a time of musical worship led by Carla Mast followed by a message from the Word by Pastor Bob Harvey.  Always a good way to start the day.

The medical team stayed in El Tejar.  Not sure of the numbers but I do know that Dr. Derek said they stayed fairly busy on the dental side.  I do know that Dr. Mark sent a patient to the local hospital who was then transferred to a hospital in Guatemala City.

The building team had a good, albeit tough, day.  A two hours drive to get to the building sites was followed by digging in the most rocks I have ever experienced in my many years of building houses here.  The digging of the holes was a major chore.  Therefore, only three houses were built to the point of being ready for the concrete.  Another one was about eighty percent complete and a fifth one was about thirty percent complete.  However, the attitudes remained great all day long even on the long ride back to GRACE Mountain.

So, today (Saturday) the building team heads out earlier and will soon be followed by the medical team.   It is going to be a good day!

Thank you for checking on this team.  Thank you for praying!

Our first GRACE Ministries mission team of 2017 is now all present and accounted for here on GRACE Mountain.  We thank God for getting all forty one folks here safely today via Delta (36) and United (5).  Folks flew from Grand Rapids, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Atlanta, Georgia; and Pensacola, Florida.

After the team arrived everyone (well almost everyone) went down the mountain to the local mall for money exchange and supper.  Afterwards, the medical folks began sorting medicines.  Busy bees!

Our team pastor this week is Pastor Bob Harvey from the West Auburn Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama.  He will be bringing our devotions each morning and will do an excellent job.  Carla Mast will lead our musical worship.

So, after Jeff Westendorp and Curt Vruggink provide us with a wonderful breakfast in the morning the medical team will stay close in El Tejar while the building team will drive West for over two hours.

Thank you for checking on us.  Pray for us!  Daily updates coming if the internet remains up.

The team’s last day was pretty packed – morning devotional, ministry at the dump where everyone there was served a piping hot breakfast, finishing four houses with the concrete and then finishing the houses and continuing to work on the special ministry project out West.  Good strong day of ministry to finish up the trip!  Praise the Lord!

All of the team minus two left for the airport at 8:30PM last night.  Their flight left at 12:20AM and they are now sitting in Atlanta waiting on their connections.  Once everyone has gotten to the home airports, I will update again.

Thanks for praying!

Our Tuesday began just like every other day of this trip has with the only exception being that our preacher yesterday morning was Pastor Benjamin Labriel.  I am thankful for Pastor Ben and his family.

Kirk Lightfield, Tyler Compagner & Jeff DeJonge went above and beyond the call of duty as they drove to San Cristobal yesterday morning leaving GRACE Mountain at 4:30AM in order to get the necessary equipment for a block party.  As a matter of fact, Kirk, Devan Hoekstra and Colin Prins left at 4:30AM this morning returning the equipment.  Folks with those type attitudes are one of the huge reasons this team is such a blessing.

Ross Genzink left GRACE Mountain at 4:30AM in order to take Samuel & Manuel out West in order for them to lay blocks for our special project.  Ross came back for our devotion before taking another crew back with him to join those guys in that work.

The rest of the team went back to San Martin where four more houses were built and seven houses received concrete.  Three families had poured their own concrete when the team (concrete crew) did not show on Monday.  So we need to pour concrete in four more houses today and finish probably eight total.  All of that will get done this morning, Lord willing.  This team has done a nice job on the concrete especially considering that Samuel & Manuel were with us two days and one day respectively.

Kirk Lightfield and Kenny Cooper coordinated a block party at a church in San Martin.  Hundreds of children, tons of candy, and lots of laughter.  The guard was missing on the cotton candy machine so you should have seen Pastor Joe, Katie, Big E and others as they quickly became blue smurfs!

We had our team share time last night after supper.  It was not a long share time but it was special.  Everyone on the team except for my brother, Freddie, and me are scheduled to fly out tonight (tomorrow morning) at like 12:20AM.  They are all on the same flight.

Pray for us to have a really good last day as we will do ministry at the dump, dedicate the houses and continue on the special ministry project.  Thank you for checking on us.