Guatemala at a close

After a three hour flight from Guatemala we landed safely in Atlanta. With some slight setbacks at the airport and on the travel home, we arrived safely in Birmingham. Now a time of rest and recovery for the brave expedition party before they set out on their next adventure. With only a few having grave illness the party is expected to leave on the schedule departure date.

This was written by Michael DiGiacoma and spoken in a wonderful accent. It is only funny to those of us within listening distance. Hopefully, he will learn his lesson that he is communicating through the written word on a blog.

Mattress is a blessing...and time in the clinic...long day!

What a long day for the team. From playing with children in Tabitha House to delivering food in the dump to a small team without a translator in need of a doctor, God showed Himself faithful yesterday. God sustained us in ways we could not imagine! He is Faithful! He is Good! He is Provider! He is our Father! We give Him all the praise for His precious grace and mercy!

We had a small team (Rich, Angelia, Amanda, Brittney, Lonnie and me) go to the new home of the Browns in order to clean and organize. We wanted to get it ready for their homecoming here! We spent the morning mopping, cleaning, washing and just getting it clean for them. Have I mentioned there are mucho escaleras in their house? We had no translator with us because we felt that we didn't need one to clean a house...

The driver couldn't come get us in time for lunch, so we all walked to the small tienda at the front of the neighborhood. Should I tell you how we got lost in the neighborhood and had to ask for directions? Yes, that makes me feel...well, let's just say it's a small neighborhood. But, we made it. Without many options, we ate Doritos and cookies and had Cokes to drink. Actually, Brittney got an orange soda...that was important though we didn't know it at the moment.

There was no shade anywhere except right inside the open air tienda. So, we asked if we could sit on the bench, and the owner said yes. This is God's provision too. The owner brought out several stools which gave us all a seat. I was sitting on the ground originally, but now I had a seat beside Lonnie. Angelia was offered another stool but decided to sit on the bench with Lonnie and Britt. While none of these decisions alone were significant, they all worked together to show God faithful.

While we were eating, Lonnie's eyes started blinking quickly, and she began to slump. We all watched her faint and then have a seizure. Eyes rolled back in the head...we saw glass instead of her beautiful eyes...and her body began to convulse. God kicked in the Mommy instinct in Angelia and me, and emotions went to the back burner. We held her up and waited for it to end. Lonnie can't remember what happened during that time, but we all do. It was frightening...it was overwhelming...it pointed to the love of Christ. God sustained us. He provided for us. He is Good!!!

We were able to get some orange drink in Lonnie and get some sugar in her. We weren't sure what to do medically but that did help. The sweet owner's wife gave us water for her to drink. While normally I wouldn't have allowed her to drink it, it was greatly needed. God showed Himself strong.

We were able to get Lonnie to a clinic after several more episodes. Apparently, she overextended herself this week (if you know her, she gives 110% to everything and is "all in" all the time) and hasn't eaten well enough (as a vegetarian, there have been few options here for her to eat). So, we tucked her in bed last night praise God Almighty for His goodness and steadfast love in this situation.

Meanwhile, the group in the City was able to go the dump. Several people specifically mentioned a scene from the day. The group took a mattress to the home of Flor. She lives in a one room shack in the dump. Flor told the group how blessed she was to get the mattress...it's a mattress, for the love! How many of us take our mattresses for granted? I do! She asked that God would bless the group for the way they blessed her! What a humbling time for the group. What a reminder for all of us to be thankful for the provisions for God!

Psalm 67 reminds us that we ARE blessed. For what reason? So that His name can be known among the nations! We are NOT blessed for ourselves...we are blessed in order to spread His fame! So, we give away what God has given for His glory. Praise Him!!! His plan is good, and His ways are perfect!

God is faithful to His promises! He will provide...He will sustain..He will bring glory to Himself! All honor and praise go to Him!

On a lighter note, someone asked me to tell about the names/nicknames of the interns. We have 8 interns this summer, and some of them have nicknames (by the end of the summer, I'm sure they will have one). Some interns have no nickname yet - Katie Nolin and Brittney Cleveland...we're working on that. Tyler's nickname is El Tigre...not sure how that one came about but it means the Tiger. Seems easier for everyone in a Spanish speaking country to say that. It fits him. Lonnie's name is Stick...look at her and it's self-explanatory! Deanna's nickname is First Nation. She is a Tohono O'odham Indian, and she's always saying, "We were here first!" Thus, her nickname fits her.

Christy (our semester intern..not included in the 8)has the nickname "Crispy" simply because Jett calls her that. It stuck, and it's sweet. Michael D's alter ego is DiGi because it's the first part of his last name. There have been many other names, but that one works best. Megan A. got to be called "Indy" because she's from Indiana. It reminds me of Indiana Jones too which totally goes along with her adventurous personality. Meghan Harris is named "Duckett" (also pronounced Du-kay) because her fiance's last name is Duckett. It helped us distinguish her from Megan A. and reminds her of her new last name coming next summer! I think that's all of them. They sure are a blessing from above!

New Mercies....

As I sit in our room waiting on the group to wake up, I'm reminded that God's mercies are new every morning. Every day in Guatemala, God is literally pouring us out...we are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Yet, when we awaken, His mercies, grace and strength are new! Praise be to the Father of all good things! We give Him all the praise, honor and glory for everything that has happened here.

This group has been AMAZING. With an influx of bugs, rampant lice, volcanic ash in the air in the air and on the ground, mudslides, a tropical storm, and abject poverty, we have encountered a multitude of difficulties. Yet, NOT ONE TIME have I heard anyone in this group complain. They have laughed, cried and encouraged...what a blessing! It is rare to find a group so willing to be poured out without any grumbling. It is truly a gift from the Lord.

We have seen God use each and every person who is here for a specific purpose. He put one lady on our team to specifically identify with a teenager in the dump, another was here to love on children, and another to pray over the needy. We have seen God's purposes fulfilled in each person's life in some way this week. I have seen God say, "This is why I put you here..for such a time as this." Wow!

Speaking of "Wow!," I have to say that we are immensely blessed by the summer interns. They have shown God's love in so many ways. They are literally emptying themselves on His altar each day as they give all of their time, energy, and attention to the needs here. I've watched them sing with enthusiasm, love with total abandonment, pray with passion and seek the glory of God each day. We are so proud of all of them!

Today, we will clean and organize the Brown's home, welcome the Brown family to Guatemala, love on children in the Tabitha House, visit families in the dump (taking food and the Gospel of Jesus), and plan for our day tomorrow. Whew... Tomorrow will hold a prayer conference at the seminary where we are staying. It involves children from all over the country - mainly street kids, orphans and AIDS patients. We will love on 300 of them through Bible study and song. Then, we will spend the afternoon with the ladies from the Tabitha House teaching, praying and ministering to them.

Keep praying...we know that God is at work. He is showing Himself as Faithful, Sustainer and Provider!

Hey guys! This is Tyler. Just wanted to give a quick update on all that God is doing in and through the group this week. Our God is living and active, and his work is readily apparent in all that we have seen. Today was a day that personally I have been preparing for, yet was blown away by a variety of emotions, thoughts, and prayers that just wouldn't leave my mind. I was able to visit the dump today, and I have never seen such abject poverty in my life. These are the people all the statistics are about. Words cannot adequately describe the sights, sounds, smells, and spiritual warfare that just was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I've seen things on TV and heard stories, but to walk into a home smaller than my bedroom made of tarp and tin sheets that houses 5 people is just an image that will never leave you. We were able to share with a woman named Judy who is caring for her sister's kids. Her sister (named Flor) lost her husband during the storm at the dump, and they have no source of income whatsoever anymore. Judy was not a believer, but to be able to speak Christ into her life is a seed that hopefully he will water to fruition later by His grace. One glimmer of hope we saw that just floored me was a girl who makes jewelry at Tabitha house named Beatriz. She lives in the dump and is no better than anyone else, but she has recently taken in a woman with two kids who lost her home as well as a 16 year old kid who has been sexually abused and running from the gang. Her husband is an alcoholic that wastes all his income, and so she is giving up her home and comfort to serve these people and show them Christ as a believer. What incredible faith! What an incredible example! We were able to pray with her and encourage her, but she encouraged us in an incredible way. As I said, this poverty is unlike anything else. This is poverty plus sexual and physical abuse, prostitution, drugs, alcohol, gang violence, and murder. These people are under the attack of the evil one, and only Christ and his light can penetrate such thick darkness. Something very strong that we talked about is that we will never completely change the dump. We will never build enough houses or give enough food bags. But we can change the lives of the people at the dump for all of eternity. So we preach Christ and nothing else. When we see kids who have been given crack and alcohol since they were babies and cannot speak or comprehend things at 5 years old, we preach Christ. When we go to perhaps the most dangerous place in all of Guatemala not knowing what will happen, we preach Christ. When we see Satan do everything in his power to blind others and keep them slaves to their sin, we preach Christ. For we are not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe. As we saw with Beatriz, God is still living and active. He is in control despite what we see and think sometimes. And so now we as a group are responsible for what we have seen. Two weeks ago I was not coming on this trip. God has been sovereign in allowing me to join Him in his work, and now I must go to college in the fall and live my life with those kids and this place in my mind. I must set my eyes on Christ in all, and above all, we must pray people of God! I feel like God has been closer to me than ever before. Not so much a spiritual high as much as God's continuing presence as he has helped me to Abide in Him. It makes me wonder how I could ever not think or not expect God to walk with me as he did Adam and Eve in the garden. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who finds refuge in Him! I love this group, I love the interns and everyone else and praise God for their work this week. I have been filled to the brim with thoughts and emotions, and am still trying to process it all! Continue to pray for God's work in VBS the rest of this week and for unified effort to see God raise up leaders in Guatemala who will change lives for his glory! Dios le Bendiga and Adios!

Tag Team in Tabitha House! - Megan Anderson (aka Indy)

Today the team split into two groups. One group went to the city dump, and another group stayed at the Tabitha House. I stayed at the Tabitha House. The Tabitha House is a ministry that is similar to a day care. It is a place where women leave their children when they go to "work" these women could sell drugs, or be prostitutes. Its a really rough situation, and these children experience this daily. Its so heartbreaking, yet some of these kids are the happiest kids I have ever met. These children need two things, the gospel and to be loved on.For me the language barrier was extremely difficult because I wanted to talk to them so bad. These kids come from broken homes and an extremely impoverished environment. We could not even begin to comprehend what kind of things these children have to deal with. Today God showed me how to die to self in some areas of my life. Its not about me or you its about His will being done, sharing the gospel with people and living for Him daily by pursuing a love relationship with Him. He showed me part of that through kids hanging on my back constantly. These kids are very young and have no one to love on them or play with them or show them any attention. It was a really humbling experience to have 5 little Guatemalan children hanging on my neck giggling and yelling "Indy, Indy" they need someone to love them in ways that people can't.They just like us need a relationship with Jesus Christ. And I am so so glad God has given me the opportunity to be His hands and feet and sit and love on those kids. To show the love of Christ with my actions and proclaim Him with my lips. Because the situations these kids come from will literally break your heart. And God is calling people to

Hugs and Kisses...- By Meghan Harris (aka Duckett)

Today was an absolutely amazing day full of smiles, laughter, hugs, and blessings. We started off our day by driving to an area that had been affected by a mudslide that displaced nearly 50 families. They were being housed in a community school and ministry that opened up their doors to them. We began our time with them by singing songs in spanish with the many families there. While I only knew one of the songs we sang in spanish, it was such a blessing to watch the people from the area sing along and praise God in the midst of a crisis- in the midst of wondering where they will rebuild their home. It was also a blessing to watch another of the interns, Tyler, lead worship in spanish and also communicate fluently with the people here. I love being able to see God use Tyler, and many of the other people on this trip.

We also did VBS while we were there with the kids. Although the language can be a barrier, smiles and laughter are definitely universally understood. I loved seeing the kids enjoy themselves throughout the morning in spite of everything they may be experiencing in their lives. After VBS, we were able to give brand new shoes to a few kids from the area. As I watched Sheryl remove the worn and tattered shoes from the first girl, my heart began to break for these kids. I must have nearly 50 pairs of shoes (yes, 50.) and these kids had only one. Seeing the kids faces after they looked down at their new shoes was priceless. I was able to put new shoes on a little five-year-old named Javier, and as I helped him stand up, he immediately wrapped his arms around my knees and repeated "Gracias". Knowing that God used me to make a difference in Javier's life was a wonderful blessing. As we loaded up into our vans to head out to do VBS in another area, several women surprised us with tortillas they had made for us while we were there. It's always funny to me when I have this mentality that I'm going out to bless someone else, and instead I am the one who receives the blessing.

This afternoon we did a VBS in another area called Lantana. This was the second time for our team to do VBS in this area; however, it was my first time to be there. I loved seeing all the kids enjoy our efforts for VBS. Watching them do the motions to all the songs and bounce a ball on a parachute for a million times just warmed my heart. As we prepared to leave Lantana, we handed out a small pack of cookies to each of the kids. It was such a joy to see them offer us some of their cookies, then they gave us all hugs and even kisses on the cheek. It's so wonderful to be immediately accepted by these people. I did not expect it to be that easy. But it is clear so far on this trip that God is definitely working here. He's made countless ways for us to get where we are now, despite the volcano and despite the tropical storm and despite the long travel to Guatemala City from San Salvador. It is already clear that God has big plans for us while we are here, and it's amazing to see how He is already working through us. I can't wait to see what else God has in store for us this week.

Day 1- Guatemala City, Being a Voice for the Voiceless

Today I was able to go the dump communities. In Galatians 2 it says to not forget the poor, in fact we are to remember them continually. I came face to face with poverty today. Children without food or water; mothers digging through mountains of ash; and Satan's strong hold on these desperate people. In the morning we went to the lower, poorer dump to make house visits to some of the local church members. God burdened my heart for my brothers and sisters living in this daily nightmare, but God reminded me that He alone is all that any of us need. Not that we should not serve these people by meeting their physical needs, but that we should not be consumed by the magnitude of poverty and make their lack of (fill in the blank) our focus instead of the God who overcomes and is good in everything. In the afternoon, we met these precious girls from the Tabitha house. Their story, of sexual abuse, forced prostitution, unwanted pregnancy, abortions, and utter darkness, broke my heart.

We went to see the family, who had forced their daughters onto the street for drug money, my instinct was disgust towards the parents. Yet Christ calls us and shows us that we are to love those chained to sin, for we are all sinners, each of us has gone astray and He died for and loves each of us. So how does loving this man that openly mocks us, commits incest and abuse, and this mother that sells her daughters for drugs look like? I could only fall to my knees in prayer as they sat in front of their daughters, blaming their daughter for everything wrong that had happened to them and openly showing they didn't care for any of them. I wanted to scoop up all 5 of these girls and run out of there as I thought about what had happened in this shack. Thoughts of "What has happened on this bed I'm sitting on?", "What have these 3, 5, 7 years old girls seen?", "How could this rapist sit two feet away from us and these girls without any sign of guilt, remorse, anything?" We were finally able to take the two oldest to the Tabitha House permanently, so that they could be cared for and go to school. The parents' only requests were that we keep them locked up in a room all day, everyday, and the father said we could take all of them for all he cared. The third youngest latched onto me as we left begging me with each smile and laugh for me to take her with us. It broke me to have to leave those innocent beautiful children in this place so held by Satan. But when the two girls that we could take finally made it to the van, the looks of relief and hope that flooded their faces. When we pulled up to the Tabitha House, the oldest turned to me, and said with breathless relief, "Finally, I am home." God is already using them for His glory.

He awakened us to the reality of Satan in this world, His heart for the voiceless, and radically realigned my heart and focus to Him. For He is the only one that saves and heals, and this is what each person I have met desperately needs. Please continue to pray for them.
Kathleen Nolin