Guatemala the Fourth part Uno

*after my dad downloaded his pictures on my account, things got a little messy. So, just bear with me as I recall these events from memory! :) (aka pictures are now in random order)

The men building the house...almost complete. 

Meanwhile back at the church....

Our kids entertained themselves by playing soccer.....

resting in the shade.....

and giving food to the kids across the street from the church.

Then not long after that, the women and children showed up!!

Remember this baby from last year??

Can you believe how big she is??? :0

This is me leading the kids in a spanish song. 

The kids (about 200) in a tiny room! 

Then we were able to go to a gym and do a craft with the kids. 

After all the excitement, the team needed some rest. 

Of course, who can sleep through this??

Beautiful!

Then it was off to........

{insert photo here}

come back later to find out!

There has been a temporary delay, Folks.

So, photoshop apparently changed its website and it is now VERY confusing. I will not be posting any more pictures of Guatemala until that gets all figured out. But, since it is (Wordless)Wednesday, I will give you some pictures to drool over. Does that sound good?

If not, then I am sure they look good! ;)

Have a Joyful Wednesday Y'all! 

.Fasting. (Thursday's Thoughts)

Wow. Last time it was easy. This time it was hard. Alot harder for me. Hunger pains poked and prodded at me unless I was doing something else and not thinking about food. (Right now, as I type, the aroma of cookies is in the air. Yum! So you see it is kinda hard not to think about it.)

{But, instead of eating, I listened to David Platt's sermon 'Scandal of the Gospel'. It was a good one! Click on it if you want to hear it!}

Anyway, in our worship time on Sunday, we had a time of confession. A time to write out and confess our sins to God. It was a very convicting time of confessing the things I had done like being judgmental, prideful, etc... (go here to look at Leslie Ludy's 'Cleaning out the Sanctuary'. Very good if you want to fast and spend time in confession.) This fast, though,was a reminder of really having a hunger for God's Word. Don't just let it become a routine but, instead, look forward to that time each day whether it is in the morning or evening.

I think the problem today is that most Christians aren't that hungry for God's Word like they should be. I confess, I haven't been hungry in that way until this past summer. I really read the Bible because that is what you were "supposed" to do not because I was hungry. So, Please, Please, Please, spend time with your Maker today. Don't go to other things to fill that time, instead, go to the Word. I think you'll like it.


So, go and spend time with the Creator if the Universe. You will enjoy it! I promise!

Prayer

Please lift up the Lewis Family in your prayers.

They are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. Their little boy who they had received a referral two weeks ago has passed away. He had been admitted to the hospital for pneumonia and was only 5.5lbs. and a month old. Please lift up this family in prayer.

Thank you!

An Open Letter to ALL Boys - Part 2

Although I don't agree with everything Stacy McDonald says, this is worth reading though. I don't like the title or some of the things in the letter, but she does hit some points that I have been wanting to tell guys for awhile now.  Click here to read the letter.

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Let the School Year Begin.......

1 Corinthians 13 for Home-Schooling Moms*

Though i teach with the very best skills,
But do not have love,
I am just drawing attention to myself.
And if I have experience, and knowledge of all the best techniques,
and test results proving my effectiveness
But do not have love,
I am wasting my time.
And if I work hard, sacrificing all my money, my time, and my energy
But do not have love,
It adds up to nothing.

The loving teacher is patient with her children, allowing them to learn
according to their God-given temperaments and developmental rates.
She is kind, treating her children respectfully.
She does not compare herself with others.
She does not brag about her accomplishments, and is not smug
      about teaching her own children.
She does not try to be like anyone else, but acts appropriate to the way
    God made her.
She is not irritable and pushy and insistent upon making her children
   fit into her lesson plan.
She is more concerned with promoting truth and beauty than
      with criticizing those who don't.
She perseveres in developing her own character, believing that God's ways
      are always best. She is not a quitter.
Love never fails.

If there are creative ideas, they will be replaced.
If there are great curricula, they will be superseded.
If there are effective techniques, they will be improved.
All that we know is only a part.
Only later will God reveal education at its best.
When I was a child, I had unrealistic expectations.
As an adult, I know better.
Now abideth faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.



* And Dads

Day 3 of our Trip to Guatemala

We left breakfast and heard/saw this going on at a school! (The video will not upload!) Basically, these kids were dancing to the World Cup song as their P.E. . These pictures don't even come close to showing how loud and cool it was!

We dropped the men off at the building site and then headed to the church in Santa Clara. 

The pink balloons were from a birthday party. 

We played with some of the kids but the action didn't really happen until the afternoon!   

Using our CEF training, me and Anderson taught the Bible lesson while my mom and Mrs. Allison led the women in a bible study!  

Here is Anderson practicing with Mrs. Trish, our interpreter. 

Here are some pictures after the crowd. These girls/boys had moms still in the bible study. 

Playing Duck-Duck-Goose..

Jumping rope...

We had a really fun time with the kids, even if it did ran most days! But God provided a bigger building for us to use. So, stay tuned!

*I will add more pictures to this post once I find some! (and stories!) 

Ministry Day aka Day 2

Every morning we would get up and have to drive to breakfast. The church, where we ate most of our meals, was in the next village. It wasn't a long drive at all!

Here is Pastor Luis doing a little devotion before we ate breakfast. 

My breakfast that morning. 

We either had "arroz con leche" or oatmeal then something else along with their equivalent to orange juice and Guatemalan coffee! 

On our way to breakfast one morning, we saw this little dog! He was soo cute! 

But, don't touch him because he is rabid! 

After breakfast, we stopped at the gas station to get some gasoline and this was right next to us........

Lets take a closer look....

Yep, that's right! A Pepsi bottle for a gasoline holder! 

(up until that point, I didn't know that is what gasoline looked like) 

It kinda makes you wonder....

Anyway, we drove our way up to the top of the mountain to Santa Clara. 

This is Toni, Pastor Luis's son-in-law, talking to the Pastor of the church in Santa Clara. 

Standing around waiting for instructions.....

We then were instructed to go inside the 1/4 built house and pray. 

After that, the men started to build while the rest of us played with the kids. 

Painting fingernails

Blowing bubbles

Grace playing in the field with the kids.

Some of the Guatemalan girls decided to braid Anna's hair. 

The tortilla I made! 

I actually made this tortilla in one of the homes! It was definitely a "once in a lifetime" experience!! 

Here is Christ working through me to share the gospel with the kids. I had an interpreter, Mrs. Trish, who is sitting on my right. 

Those are all the pictures I have from day 2 of our trip. If I find more, I will post them later. 

Travel to Guatemala aka Day 1

Our travel day started at 2:30 in the morning. We had to be at the airport by 3:30 so that is what time we had to get up. I didn't take any pictures until we were on our way from Atlanta to Guatemala.

We had a fairly good flight to Guatemala. Kendall and I sat together the second flight. We watched a movie called "Minor Details". It is a very clean mystery movie!

Anna and Uncle Todd

"Little Em" 

The view from the airplane...

either a mountain or a volcano...I don't remember. 

Upon arriving in Guatemala, we went through........

And then boarded the "Chicken Bus".

For a minute, I thought I was a Partridge. 

My Dad, helping with the luggage.

After riding for about an hour or so we stopped at this place! It has a beautiful view of the mountains but they were covered up by clouds.

Photo shoot time! :)

My Brother...

The S Family Boys! 

The whole group! (25 people)

We arrived at the hotel, unpacked our stuff, then drove to supper and went to bed!



*I will look for more pictures and add them later!