Grace Missions Blog

Monday was a full day for the team and, as almost always, it began with our devotional time in the upper room.  Again, this time is special to me and we never rush through it regardless of what the day may hold.  So, we spend at least an hour or so in worship and the Word.  What a neat way to begin each day.

Dr. Rex, the Beasley boys, Juan Marcos & James Mareno led our musical worship and they did their usual nice job.  Dr. Rex Looney then shared a message with us from the Word.

A group then headed to Casa Alleluya to rock babies.  Another group stayed at the mission house to get ready for the distribution, set up for the evening meal as we had guests coming and then worked at the feeding center with Lazaro, Glendy & Anna.  Three teams went and built six more houses.  The final few folks made their way West to continue working on the special ministry project.

The folks who went to Casa Alleluya along with those stayed at the feeding center made their way to the village in the afternoon to help the building crews do a food/clothes distribution to two hundred families.  I am told that went extremely well.

Our evening meal was something as we had ninety plus folks in the mission house – wow!  It was great having Pastor David and his team from 1st Baptist Millington, TN join us.  Really good fellowship.

Today is going to be full day as the team will build the final four houses, attempt to get concrete in fourteen houses (probably not happening) and then will host a block party for the folks in San Martin.  A group will also be out West working on the special ministry project.  So, prayers will be appreciated.

Thank you for checking on this team!

We were very blessed to begin our Sunday by having Pastor David Leavell and thirteen folks from the First Baptist Church of Millington, TN join us for our morning devotion time.  Pastor Ben Labriel brought them up to GRACE Mountain.  After Dr. Rex and the Beasley boys led our musical worship, Pastor David brought us a good word from the Word.  There were at least seventy five folks in the upper room – it was great!  To God be the glory!

As soon as our morning devotion was over (our devotions are basically always at least an hour long – certainly one of the most important parts of the trips I lead), the GRACE folks loaded up and headed up the road for another service.  We went to a water park and had our morning worship under a pavilion.  We joined the GRACE Community Church for this special service.  Once again, Dr. Rex and the Beasley boys led the musical worship and then Pastor Joe David Bailey brought us a word from the Word.  The pavilion was packed and probably ten to fifteen folks had to stand the entire service.

The worship concluded with me joining Pastor Lazaro Suruy in the upper swimming pool to baptize four folks.  A couple of them were saved four years ago, one was saved when I preached at the GRACE Community Church in February of this year and the other was saved two months ago.  The newest convert has a story to tell of God’s amazing grace.  What a privilege to observe this ordinance with our daughter church.  God is good!

Off to Antigua the team went for a delicious meal at Las Antorchas and then they had all afternoon to spend in Antigua.  Everyone was on their own for supper so there was no rush to get back to GRACE Mountain.

As I was sitting here doing some work this evening, I could hear constant laughter coming from the upper room.  Good fellowship.

Tomorrow will see us doing Casa Alleluya, the feeding center, building houses, the special ministry project, and a distribution of food and clothes to two hundred families.  Pastor David and the fine folks from 1st Millington have accepted an invitation to be our guests for supper so we look forward to that time of fellowship.

Thanks for checking on us.  Thanks for praying!

Why no Saturday night blog?  Suffice it to say that I walked in as the clock was approaching 11:30PM.  Knew folks would not be awake back in the States.  Had something come up this morning that caused me to be off GRACE Mountain so I am just now getting to my laptop.

The team had a really good Saturday.  Four more houses were built, two more received concrete and eight are now completely finished.  The teams were limited in how long they could stay in the village because we wanted them to go to Casa Alleluya which they did.

There was one van full of folks who went West and worked on another special ministry project.  Those folks got back to the mission house around 8:30PM last night partly because there were three separate accidents on the highway.  At least seven ambulances passed us heading to those scenes.

Three of our guys were in the blue truck and they got back to the mission house around 10:00PM as a tire completely fell off of the truck.  How did they know they had lost a tire?  When it passed them, hit a wall on the other side of the road and then rolled back to the truck!

Pastor Joe David brought us a good word from the Word yesterday morning.  Our musical worship was great.  This morning we have a special guest preacher.  More about that later.

Thank you for praying.  Thank you for taking time to read this entry.

Good day for the team.  We began the morning with some really great musical worship led by Rex Looney, the Beasley boys, Juan Marcos and James Mareno.  Really good stuff!  Then Dr. Mike Clark shared a word from the Word.  I really appreciate Dr. Mike & Miss Dottie taking the time out of their full schedules to come be with us.  Again, really good stuff!

The team spent the day building in San Martin.  It was a pretty tough ride into that village and then up to our building sites.  Eight houses were built with six of them receiving concrete.

As I write this entry, the team is over in the mission house enjoying supper and a time of fellowship.

We will just hit the rewind button tomorrow and basically do the same thing.

Thanks for checking on us.  Thanks for praying!

It is approaching 11:00PM in Guatemala and the final twenty two members of our team have now arrived safe and sound at the mission house.  We thank God for His protection.

As I write this entry, I am watching Fuego put on a pretty good fire show.  Always amazes me!

Thanks for checking on this team.  Pray for us!

Travel day!  Fifty three folks are making their way from Grand Rapids, Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile today to join the three of us already here to make up our final GRACE team of the Summer.  Thirty one of them are on the morning flights and are scheduled to arrive in Guatemala City around noon.  The other twenty two are taking an afternoon flight and are scheduled to arrive in Guatemala City around 7:30PM.  Please pray for safety in travel for the team today.

Thank you for checking on this team.  Pray fervently.  More updates to come!

Blessings!

As I write this entry it is a little after 2:00AM on Saturday morning.  All of our team members have now arrived home safe and sound.  I brought up the rear arriving in Mobile around 8:00AM yesterday morning.  We thank God for traveling mercies.  (Disclaimer – I have not heard from Pastor BJ but figure “no news is good news!”)

Pastor Keith and his crew missed their connecting flight in Atlanta due to the flight from Guatemala City being late.  So, they rented two vehicles, drove to the Birmingham airport to retrieve their luggage and then got on their church bus to head home.  They arrived home around 1:00AM on Friday morning.  I have communicated with PK and their attitudes were wonderful!  Can you say flexible?

Looking back on the trip, God was so faithful to this team.  He did a work in the Guatemalan people but He also did a work in the team members.  I have been home less than twenty four hours and have already had thirty folks sign up for the 2017 trip – wow!

Again, thanks to all who prayed, gave, and kept up with this team.  You were a huge part of all that God did!  Blessings!

Our team experienced an unusual Wednesday but it was all good.  The day began with our devotional time in the upper room.  Pastor BJ, Lana & Rusty led the musical worship.  Pastor Tico Vargas then brought us a word from the Word.  Again, good stuff!

The team then had already prepared breakfast (pancakes & tortillas) for the folks working in the El Tejar dump.  We traveled there and Pastor BJ led some musical worship before Pastor Jordan Lollar preached to the seventy something folks there.  Our team members then served the food.  We had more folks than we had expected so our team members were asked to give away their lunches.  You should have seen them hurry to the vehicles to gladly get their lunches and then give them away – wow!  So, the folks working at the dump were filled spiritually and physically.  Deidra coordinated this ministry and did a very nice job!

The team left the dump for the thirty minute drive to Las Lomas for the house dedications.  Everything was on schedule and the day was mapped out – no problems.  Not so fast my friend!  As we got to the Western side of Chimaltenango, the traffic came to a halt.  A group of folks (who or why we never knew) were protesting and had CA1 (main highway) blocked.  We had Tico, Kirk & Juan Marcos with us so we decided to go a back way.  Only problem was that the vans were not following each other.  We found three of the vans but could not find the one being driven by BJ (imagine that!).  So, we began following Tico’s lead and when we got to the place where we needed to turn back to the main road the police would not allow us to do so.  However, BJ and crew were coming from that road so we now had everyone together again.  We kept heading West and were finally told that we would not be able to get to Las Lomas.  We kept driving West.  We got to a town called Comalapa and a small bus was parked on a hill and had the road completely blocked.  Dead battery.  The driver would not let us even try to push it out of the way.  So, we took the battery out of the truck and started the bus so it could move – success!  We left the El Tejar dump around 10:00AM and finally got to Las Lomas at 1:30PM.

The team dedicated all twenty houses.  We saw salvations and rededications.  Sweet, sweet time!  The Holy Spirit was present.

The team had given their lunches away so we stopped at Pizza Hut in Chimaltenango for lunch/supper combo.  That was followed by team sharing time in the upper room which was a very powerful time.

Seventeen of our team members then loaded up in two vans and headed to the airport.  As I write this entry, they are now in Atlanta waiting on their flight to Mobile.  The remaining thirty two team members will leave the mission house at 7:00AM heading to the airport as they are scheduled to fly out at 1:00PM today.  Pray for all to go well in their travels.

Thanks for praying.  Thanks for checking on this team.  God is good!

Good Wednesday morning from GRACE Mountain in Guatemala.  Sorry for the tardiness of this post.  We have had internet connection but it seems each time I would sit down to update it would not be available at that moment.   I apologize.

All is well.  The team enjoyed a good Monday and Tuesday.  On Monday afternoon they hosted a food and clothes distribution in Las Lomas.  One hundred families received those goods and were thankful.

Yesterday afternoon the team hosted a block party for the children of Las Lomas.  Obviously, those children have never seen any thing like that so they were excited.

The building team has finished all twenty houses including the concrete work.  Could have built another five or six because of their efficiency.

This morning the team will go minister in the El Tejar dump.  This ministry will include feeding them breakfast.  The team will then go to the village to dedicate the twenty houses.

Again, all is well.  Thank you for praying.  Thank you for checking on us.  Blessings!

Spotty internet connection so this will be short and sweet!

A good Sunday for the team.  The morning was spent in Antigua shopping followed by lunch at Las Antorchas.  The team then headed back to GRACE mountain to get ready for the church service.  Pastor Jordan & Lana Lollar shared a couple of messages in song and then Pastor Keith Martin brought a great message on God’s riches.  The team then helped serve a meal to the folks in attendance.

Last night was a time of rest and relaxation.  My wife, Lisa, led the charge in preparing a simple supper as everyone had enjoyed a nice breakfast and lunch.  So, the team should be refreshed and ready to go this morning.  Back to Las Lomas to continue building houses.

Pray for this team.  Another update coming either tonight or in the morning – depends on the connection!