Grace Missions Blog

Sorry for the delayed update.  Connection issues.

Our Saturday was good.  Really good devotional time with the same team leading our musical worship and then Pastor Jordan Lollar bringing us a word from the Word.  Good stuff!

We had a team stay on GRACE mountain to get ready for the block party and/or work with the children in the feeding center.  The rest of the team went West to continue building.  The work day there was limited because of the need to get back in order to host the block party.  The block party took place at the feeding center and the children and their families had a blast!  Special thanks to Dana Taylor for coordinating everything.  A very special thanks to Mike Parker’s team from Clubhouse Guatemala for their help with the inflatables, games, et cetera.

Another good devotional time this morning with the musical worship being led by Levi Seymour, Lana Lollar and Juan Marcos Ruiz.  Pastor BJ Parson then brought us the word from the Word.  Again, good stuff!

One of our younger team members received word this morning that her maternal grandfather passed from this life early this morning.  Pray for that family.

Thanks for praying!  Thanks for taking the time to read this update.

Sorry for the tardiness of this entry but I could not get online last night for some reason.

Yesterday was a good day for our team.  After our devotional time (which was really great) we made our way into Chimaltenango for a candy run (almost as cheap as buying in the States and saves luggage space/weight) and then headed to the village where we would build.  We had four building teams and those teams built eight houses with a ninth one being built to the place of being ready for the tin.  Four of the houses had the concrete poured.  We did not have any weather issues so it was a really good day.

The team got back to the mission house, showered, enjoyed supper and then just spent time in fellowship before retiring for the night.

Today, we will have some folks working in the feeding center, some getting ready for a block party which will begin at 4:00PM, and the rest going back to the village.

Of course, our day will begin in the upper room with Pastor Jordan & Lana leading our musical worship with an assist from Pastor BJ Parson.  Pastor Jordan will then bring us a word from the Word.

Pray for us!  Thanks for checking on us.  Blessings!

Good morning from Guatemala!  You have obviously come to this blog in order to follow our GRACE Ministries team.  Thank you for your interest.

My wife, Lisa, our daughter, Dana, and I were joined by all of the other members of this team around 4:00PM local time yesterday afternoon, 6/23.  Flights originated from Mobile, Gulfport, New Orleans, Birmingham and Montgomery with everyone meeting in Atlanta and flying together from there on Delta.  I have time give Delta props for doing a really nice job of taking care of our team!  The leader at the Mobile desk, Bobby, was especially helpful.  We are very thankful to Delta and we give God the glory for safe flights.

Pastor Keith Martin led the team from the Guatemala City airport out to GRACE mountain with a stop in San Lucas for lunch at McDonalds.  The traffic was extremely heavy but he and the other three drivers did well.

Upon arrival, we had a brief team meeting before settling into our rooms.  We then made our way down to the mall around 6:00PM for supper and some down time.  Once back on the mountain folks began getting ready to retire for the night as they had all left their respective homes really early and were physically tired.

This morning we will have our devotional time beginning at 7:00AM.  Pastor Jordan and Lana Lollar will lead our musical worship and Pastor Keith will bring us a word from the Word.  It will be a good morning!  We will then load up and head West to begin ministering through house building.  We have several who will remain on GRACE mountain in order to work with the children in the feeding center.

I am delighted to have Pastor Keith (Kennedy Baptist), Pastor Jordan (Ethelsville Baptist) and Pastor BJ Parson (Thelma Baptist) join us in leading this team.  Also, Nic Gray (New Life Baptist) is along with several of his folks and having Nic is just like having another pastor on board.  We have deacons and other key church leaders with us too so we are blessed.

Pray for us.  Thank you for checking on us.  Updates to follow, Lord willing.

February 13

This “final” entry is one day late.  Plans were to post it on Friday morning, 2/12, after hearing that everyone had gotten home safely.  You know the old saying about “rats & people and their best plans?”  Well, that applied here too.  We were without internet from late Thursday night until Friday morning.  Yes, I have been home all day today but just simply have not taken the time to post.  My apologies.

This team built twenty houses which included doing the concrete work in seventeen of those houses.  Our plans were to do concrete in all twenty but the locals beat us to the punch on three of them.  Twenty houses built is not amazing but when one considers that our building team topped out at nineteen folks then it is not bad either.

I am told that our medical team saw over eleven hundred folks and the dental team saw another six hundred folks.  (These are guesstimates and not intended to be hard and fast numbers)  I do know that they made a huge difference in many lives.  By the way, our medical team encounter no Zika virus at all.

The absolute best part of this trip was seeing nine folks pray to receive Jesus as their personal Savior with four of those being team members.  What an incredible move of God last Sunday in that worship service.  To Him be the glory!

One of our female team members mentioned during our final share time that there was no drama on this team.  I concur.  What a great group with even greater attitudes.  I do not know if it could have been any better.

Thank you to each person who prayed, gave financially, made blankets, quilts, et cetera.  This team was made up of a whole lot more than the forty three folks who were actually in Guatemala.  God is good!

Wednesday, 2/10

A really good final day of ministry for this team.  The medical team drove an hour or so away and had a busy day.  Dr. Derek told me that the dental side stayed busy and the medical side was very busy.  Those folks have had such wonderful attitudes all week long!

The construction folks finished the last of the twenty houses and dedicated all of them.  (Have to be honest in saying that the locals actually did the concrete work in three of the houses)  These folks also had awesome attitudes all week and worked really hard.

Jan K had supper ready early so the team ate at 5:30PM and then had a share time from 7:00PM until around 8:30PM.  Good time of reflecting on what God did during these days.

Thirty six of the team members will leave the mission house at 3:00AM heading to the airport.  Those folks fly out at 7:00AM, 8:30AM and 9:09AM.  Why leave the mission house so early?  One word – traffic!

Once everyone has gotten home safely there will be one more entry to summarize the blessings this team received this week.  God is good!  Pray this team home!  Thank you!

A good Tuesday.  Usual start with musical worship and message from the Word.  The medical crew then headed to the other side of Guatemala City where they had a full day.  The medical side was busier than the dental side but it was a good day.

The eighteen member building team went West and continued to build in Poaquil.  Sixteen houses are completely finished.  One more could not be finished i.e. door/window because the concrete was wet.  Two more are basically finished to the point of being ready for the concrete and the final one needs the sides & roof put on before being ready for the concrete.  All will be finished by noon tomorrow, Lord willing.

Tonight, everyone met at a local restaurant in San Lucas for a great meal and even greater fellowship.  The folks really enjoyed the variety of food offered.  It seemed that everyone ordered something different.

Several of the men met with an architect tonight regarding the medical clinic.  This architect is a son of Mike Clark from Casa Alleluya.  I appreciate him taking the time to meet with these guys.

Tomorrow, the medical team heads East while the construction crew goes West to finish and dedicate.  Pray for us!

Thank you for reading this update.

BTW, the volcano, Fuego, is showing out tonight!  Pretty awesome!

Monday, 2/8

Pretty much a normal day in the life of one of our mission teams.  Praise and worship followed by a time in the Word led by Evangelist Michael Mason.

The medical team headed West today.  It was not a very busy day for them.  Not sure how many folks they saw but the numbers were not staggering.

The building team went back West again and had a pretty productive day as five and a half houses were built, four of those receive concrete and the first ten were completely finished i.e. doors, windows, et cetera.  So, the construction crew needs to build four and a half houses tomorrow, put concrete in six of them, and then hang doors and windows in the final ten.  They will be working on a short day so we will see if it all can be done.  If so, great.  If not, great.  We should have Wednesday to finish whatever needs to be done.

Keep praying.  The medical team is supposed to have a real busy day tomorrow and Wednesday.  Thanks for taking the time to read these entries.  Blessings!

Sunday, 2/7

Wow, what a blessed day!  Our Sunday began with a message from the Word delivered by Dr. Michael Mason and that was followed by a time of musical praise and worship.  Good time!

The team then headed to Antigua to shop, sightsee, drink coffee, et cetera.  We all met at Las Antorchas for a delightful meal.  Everyone then headed to Pastores to buy and/or order boots.

We were blessed to attend the worship service at the GRACE Community Church.  God moved in a special way as we saw five folks from Guatemala come forward to receive Jesus as their personal Savior and three members of the mission team did likewise!  Hallelujah!  We came back to the mission house and had a brief meeting and another team member plainly spoke up and said, “I need to be saved” and was on the spot!  Double hallelujah!  Folks, it was one of those “you had to be there” to really understand and appreciate what happened.  All I know is that God showed up and He showed out!  Bless His holy name!

Supper was pupusas and pizza.  It was all good.

We are gearing up for a strong finish.   Keep praying!  Your prayers are being heard!

Saturday, 2/6

The team had their usual time of worship to begin the day.  Dr. Michael Mason did a really nice job of delivering the Word after Carla and crew had led the musical praise.

The medical team stayed local and saw tons of people.  The dental team was especially busy.

The building team did well also despite only having a crew of seven folks for the majority of the afternoon.  They built four more houses and started a fifth one.  Six more houses received concrete which means that nine houses have now been completed with the exception of the doors and windows being put in place.  The tenth one only needs to have two sheets of metal put on the front – why was this not done yesterday?  Dumb leader!

Our building team was cut short numerically as they had to leave the village early in order to get back in time for a food distribution.  I am told that went really well too.

A group of eleven or twelve left at 9:00PM to hike a volcano and will be on the top when the sun rises on Sunday.

Thank you for praying.  Thanks for checking on this team.  It is a really good team.