Lakeside Baptist Missions

On the way!

2010-11-01T08:46:00.000-05:00

We are waiting on the runway in Atlanta. The Lord has provided safe travel for us. Please continue to pray that God will do a mighty work in and through us. Thank you all so much for your support.

Everyone is doing great. Even sitting on the plane has allowed us to experience the wonderful Guatemalan culture.

God is good.

In Him,

Rev. Breck Ladd, Senior Pastor
Lakeside Baptist Church
(205)822-1240
www.lakesidebaptist.com

Sent from my iPhone

Spring Break Trip Summarized

2010-04-06T23:35:00.001-05:00

We have been back from Guatemala for a little over two weeks now. I apologize that it's taken me this long to summarize our trip, and I apologize to those who expected more blog postings or updates while we were on mission. I hope that as you read this, you will see how busy our days were. Let me also say that there may be details that I get wrong or out of sequence, as there was so much going on at once. I have posted the link to my pictures which also document our days. It may help you to look at the pictures while you read through this summary. May I say to all of you who went, I love you! I think you are wonderful. I saw personality shine through. I saw boldness and strong spiritual foundations in your young lives. I can't recall a time when you said no to something I asked you to do. To those who volunteered to lead in food distribution, home dedication, or sharing your testimony, I am so proud of your confidence in who you are in Christ. And to parents and leaders of these young people, you have done a great job. These are a fine bunch of students!

I suppose my recap should start with the week(s) prior to the trip, when lots of preparation took place. Our group would be working with a team from the University of South Alabama (USA). Brandon and Anthony coordinated with the USA campus minister, who was handling most of the organization of things on the Guatemala end. Our work was to include construction of five houses, food distribution, a worship service, and VBS and sports clinics for the kids in the village of San Martin. We would be in that village Monday through Thursday and join the USA team on Friday for a huge sports clinic at the school in Ixtapa, where there would be 750 students. Our VBS was to be held two mornings for approximately 350 kids and sports clinics in the afternoons with older kids.

I mentioned in my November posts that I am a bit of a planner, so of course I felt it necessary to have a plan for the VBS days. With the wonderful help of Mary Hickman, we had coordinated lessons, crafts, and coloring sheets. We had story books written in Spanish and English, kids' songs on CD, and a gajillion copies of coloring sheets. We knew we would have limited time and space, so we decided to pre-package the craft and coloring supplies. The Sunday before we left, most of the group met to cut yarn, divvy up crayons and candy, and basically do whatever I told them to. We had Ziploc bags for 350 kids for 2 days of VBS packed up in suitcases ready to go. Plus we had extra crayons, balloons, and treats for random encounters with the kids. Plus supplies for recreation activities at VBS and for younger kids at the sports clinics, plus……

You can see already that it was a little different for me this trip. Going into the November trip, I did very little prep work. For this trip, I felt at least partially responsible for making sure it was a good experience for our youth and college students. Plus, I have a little problem with wanting everything to be "just so." SO we got everything "just so" and were ready to go!

We met at the church Sunday, March 14. It was a pleasant surprise for Breck and several staff members to wish us well and pray with us before we loaded up the bus, headed for the Birmingham airport. Dave Merriman, our favorite van driver from the November trip was our bus driver. Everything went well at the airport and on the plane from Birmingham to Dallas/Ft. Worth. The wait at the DFW airport seemed to last an eternity, but finally we boarded the plane for Guatemala. We made our way through the airport in Guatemala City and finally saw what we were looking for – a Guatemalan holding a sign that said "Antony Gomez." This Guatemalan, Estuardo, was one of our drivers for the rest of the trip. Estuardo maybe hadn't expected the amount of luggage our group brought because I'm sure I saw a bit of concern when he eyed it all before instructing some men to secure it to the top of one of the vans. And let me tell you – they can sure load up the top of a van!

With luggage and group loaded, we headed to a fast-food dinner. Anybody want to guess where we stopped? Yep, McDonald's. I will say that the service we received and the general attitudes of the employees far exceeded what I experience when I take my kids to the golden arches here in town.

With our bellies full and eyes tired, we headed for the mission house. I was in the van that was loaded down with the luggage, and it struggled to climb some of the hills. The driver that night spoke no English. I tried to be friendly but gave the impression that I knew more Spanish than I really did, so when he returned conversation, I was totally lost. He was probably like my husband and thankful when I stopped talking. Haha.

When we got to the mission house, the USA group was already asleep. We had a note outlining a few details for us, and with those final bits of information, we settled into our rooms. I had trouble sleeping that night. I guess it was a mix of excitement and exhaustion, plus I had planned to be up early to make a slew of PB&J sandwiches for the group and make sure we had everything ready to head into the village on time.

"On time." Silly me. Our drivers were not "on time" getting to the mission house. We were not "on time" getting to the village. Since we were not "on time" to the school, it shifted the VBS plans (and seemingly every other plan too) for the entire rest of the week. So…the Bonita plan went out the window, and God's plan started playing out. God, for months now, has been trying to teach me some things about His timing and how His plan ALWAYS works out for good and how I sometimes organize and plan so much that it doesn't leave much room for His spirit's moving or leadership. I apologized to the group early on and admitted, "All of this is my fault. God's been trying to teach me flexibility." My sweet friend Kelly Cash politely said, "Well, could you hurry up and learn it?!"

So I tried to be a quick learner. We had missed the time frame that the school had allotted to us for that first day. While the pastor went to make arrangements at the school for the next day, the VBS team did what we could to help the build team. Anthony had gotten those guys started constructing the first house while all of the above played out with my group. All of the building materials were on the church floor instead of at each build site. So us girls and, thankfully, and few guys started loading up supplies for delivery to each site. Thank God in Heaven for this nice, nice man who let us use his truck. I thought he worked with the church or was related to the pastor, and that was why he was being so helpful. It wasn't till late in the week that I found out he was the recipient of one of the homes we were building. Still, he didn't have to go this extra measure to help us, but once we saw the hills we otherwise would have had to walk with these supplies, we were SO thankful!

The pastor made it back with plans for the next day at the school and for that afternoon at the church. A group of church kids would come around 3 o'clock. We could do whatever we wanted. So…we did music led by none other than Kelly Cash, a story read by Sara Gardner, and recreation stations. Then we met back together for more music and a quiz about the story. It was quite impressive to see some little Bible scholars among those kids, and it was a joy for me to see our students so easily engage with the people of Guatemala.

Sadly, there was one bad part of this first day. Taylor was very sick. She had started feeling bad on the airplane from DFW to Guatemala but had chalked it up to motion sickness. Again that morning on the bumpy, curvy roads leading to the village, we had assumed her queasiness was motion sickness. But after she lay on the church pew all day with my wet extra t'shirt on her face and she still was sick, we all knew there was something more going on. Taylor relayed to me later that she was impressed by the compassion and concern the ladies of the church had for her. We typically quarantine someone who is sick at his or her stomach, but a large group of ladies were ready to care for her and were even recommending that I get her to a doctor or hospital. At that point, part of us heading back to the mission house with her. She crawled into bed almost immediately and emerged a few days later. She found out that someone at her work had been sick that same time period with a stomach virus. It is a small miracle that no one else in our group got sick. Thank you, God.

Back at the mission house that first night, we washed away the dusty grime, ate dinner, met to reflect on our first day's work, then headed to bed. Some of you may have seen my blog posting this day. It said something like, "There's been more than one bump in the dry, dusty road, but God's ways are faultless." Those words had dual meanings for me. It had been a tough day for me. I'm able now to laugh and see how God was moving me out of the way, but I was discouraged that day. Everything I thought I knew, I didn't. I had been asked questions I no longer had answers for. I could do nothing to help sweet Taylor, and it was hot! and dry!

It was good for me to have this tough day. Not all missions experiences are those "missions highs" I described in November. I remember even questioning if I would still want to do missions if things didn't go as smoothly. Why do I have to ask things like that? I guess God allowed me to come to a conclusion. Yes. Though discouraged and exhausted, I absolutely was still 100% excited about what God had in store for the rest of the week and for how He would show Himself faultless.

Well, I slept great that night. Between mind-boggling plan changes and 100 pound bags of concrete, I was worn out on more than one level. Tuesday morning started off so much better. The vans were on time. We almost left on time. We got to the school on time.

The school leaders allotted an hour and a half for us to rotate through 6 classrooms. So the plan (you'll see over and over how funny it gets for our group to make "plans.") was for us to have 3 classes in recreation while the other three had a lesson and two crafts. The crafts were lessons in themselves, as one was witness bracelets and the other was about how God created each of us special and loves us the way we are. With those three stations rotating, we had 15 minutes in each class, causing us to finish right at 45 minutes in time to switch out the 3 classes in recreation and be finished at exactly an hour and a half. Well, at the end of 45 minutes, we were right on schedule, and the school tells us we need to leave in 15 minutes. WHAT?! But we haven't even gotten to half of the six classes….Arrangements were made for us to come back Wednesday to do the other three classes. Except when we got finished on Wednesday, they told us there were eight classes total, not six, and could we come back Thursday morning to finish those two. I'll come back to this a little later.

Everything went well at the school. Tuesday, before we divided the kids, we did a brief introduction and song time. Thank God for Estuardo who knew lots of silly kids' songs and gestures. The children loved him. In the classrooms, the kids were well-behaved and listened intently as we relayed God's love to them, and in recreation, they enjoyed running and playing – or even just standing near and having a picture made – with us. After we finished at the school, we ate lunch and helped with construction until time for going back to the school to meet with the teenage students. The teams switched up a bit for the afternoon so that some of the boys (people with some athleticism) could be there for the sports activities. And Estuardo took a small group and taught them a drama to be presented to the teenagers that afternoon.

As we walked toward the school we noticed a gathering at the church. Somehow there was confusion about what time the Tuesday night service would be. Perhaps since we had met with the children at three on Monday, the families may have thought the service was at three on Tuesday. Not sure, but that sweet pastor smoothed things out and had the gathering follow us to the school.

At the school, we met with them assembly-style. We did introductions and the drama. Mary Hickman presented the gospel while instructing in how to make witness bracelets, then Estuardo also presented the gospel. He gave opportunity at the end for decisions for Christ and asked for raised hands to signify those decisions. I saw one hand go up, then lots of them. At that point I wasn't sure how many were true. Estuardo had them jot their names and contact info on the backs of the cards we'd given outlining the bracelet color meanings (use what you have, I guess). The pastor told us later that he contacted those who raised their hands (yes, contacted every single person that day), and there were 16 genuine confessions of faith! PRAISE!!!

After the assembly, Estuardo matched us up against them for some friendly soccer and basketball. Their soccer footwork was amazing, and they demolished us. Basketball, however, was another story. Their eight-foot goals worked to our advantage, especially for Anthony who could easily dunk and towered above their players.

When we left the school, it was time to get ready for the service at the church. Recall, however, that the church folks had followed us to the school. So…there was no one at the church for the service. The pastor then suggested we move the service into the street. There was an intersection where three roads came together at a bridge, so that's where we had church. Daniel and Laura Beth led us in some music, both the USA team and ours did drama presentations, and Anthony preached. People came out to hear. Some came close, others stayed back. One man that approached was quite emotional and indicated he needed someone to pray with him. Steven Hickman knelt with him, then the pastor joined. They prayed and talked for a while, and the pastor told me later that the man struggles with alcoholism. He told the pastor he would like to come back to him later when he was sober for more counsel and prayer. The pastor pointed out that this man would never have come into the church building and that he was so glad we had met in the street. Can you see how this is one example of how good came from all of our schedule mix-ups?

Well, by the time we loaded up and got back to the mission house, it was after 9 o'clock. We ate dinner and cleaned up then headed to bed. Our teams had put in about 12 hours of work that day.

Wednesday was similar to Tuesday at the school. We met with the remaining three classes (before learning that there really were eight, not six). The build teams carried on and realized along the way that they would have to do the concrete floors of these homes (typically, the family receiving the home does the floor) before they could finish the fronts. Hustle, hustle.

That afternoon we started food distribution. This was one of my favorite parts of our work. Not sure if it's because I'd been a part of building and playing with the children before or if it was a different type of food distribution from last time or if I just realized how special it was to provide for a family's physical hunger while sharing about the Bread of Life. We took bags of food to families whom the pastor felt needed it, presented it as a gift from God and shared how God provides for our physical and spiritual needs, how His word and Spirit nourish and sustain us. Seven of the 15 bags went to families high up this steep mountain. The hike up there was one of the most physically demanding things I've done in a long, long time, and I literally prayed at one point, "God, I know you didn't bring me here to die, so please put air in these lungs." You may have read this in my earlier blog. Our experience on this mountain was probably the most emotional I had this trip. Mary Hickman presented the food to the eldest of the families in that area. They were a sweet couple who professed Christ as Lord and God as the provider of all their needs. Through Estuardo and Daniela, we talked with the man for a while about other needs they had, primarily their need for water. They presently walk 30 minutes to the nearest well for water but for $250 could have water to their mountaintop. Wow! What insignificant things could we sacrifice in order to provide water to those families?!

After being up there a while, chatting, playing with children, face-painting, and handing out treats, the pastor asked if I would lead us in prayer for those families. So we circled up around them, and as I held hands with a Guatemalan man on one side and our Guatemalan translator on the other, it occurred to me that their God was my God, that He created all of us and all the places of the Earth and that little insignificant me had the privilege of praying to that God for these kind, hospitable people. As you may have read in the earlier post, I sobbed. My spirit was so full.

Coming down off that mountain, some of the kids showed us a shortcut. Yep, that steep hike was unnecessary. But I sure learned a bit – not everything God has planned for us is easy, the realization of His will make the work worthwhile, and my hike up that hill pales in comparison to Jesus' walk up Golgotha.

Wednesday night was more relaxing, and we met as a group to reflect and praise God for His work. One of my favorite memories is Birdsong leading us in "God of this City" as we looked out the windows of the top floor of the mission house, down on the city lights nearby. Oh, and another good part of Wednesday was that Taylor woke up feeling much better and was able to re-join the work.

Thursday would be our last day in San Martin. You may remember that we were to finish the last two classrooms at one school. Then we were headed (to what I think would equate) to a pre-school for VBS activities with young children. After that we would finish food distribution and do all five home dedications. Meanwhile the build teams were to finish concrete and fronts of the five houses. Busy day. The most memorable part of that day was God's provision.

Think about the five loaves and two fishes. We had a similar experience. It all goes back to Tuesday afternoon when the church crowd came along with us for the school assembly. We had plenty of bracelets for everyone that day and in the first six classrooms, but having enough for the last two classrooms was iffy. The school told us on Wednesday that there were 80-90 kids in those last two classes. When we counted Wednesday afternoon, we came up short. I jokingly said at one point, "…Unless God multiplies them…" I can't remember the exact number we started with…but not enough. We dug through everything, combined them, counted them, and put them all in a plastic bag in one of the supply suitcases. A little bit later, someone went to get something else out of that supply suitcase, and there was another unopened package of bracelets. That added 12 to our number. A little while after that, Steven Hickman went in the church for something and there laying on one of the pews was a random package of bracelets. Add 12 more to the tally. We're up to about 64 at this point and were just hoping that not all of the 80+ kids would show up at school the next day, or if we had to, we'd come up with something else to do if we didn't have enough.

Okay, so we go into the first classroom Thursday morning, and there were 40 kids, leaving us with 24 bracelets. We met outside before going into the second classroom, trying to figure out what to do since we were short. Then Estuardo tells us that he's been in that classroom, and there's no way there are 40 kids in there, maybe 20. Huge relief – we'd have enough after all! So we walk into that classroom with our supplies in hand. Whoa, there were 41 kids present! Mary Hickman looked at me and said something like, "Just start passing them out. We'll just trust God to multiply them." I start digging in the bottom of the bag, putting loose beads together to make kits. We're handing out supplies all over. Mary asks, "Who doesn't have one?" About 4 kids raise their hands. Mary had four in her pockets from the times she'd made demo bracelets while instructing. Again she asks, "Does anybody not have one?" One lone little child doesn't have a bracelet. We look around a second, and wait – Mary is wearing one! If you're paying attention, you realize we walked into that room with 24 bracelets, but all 41 children got one! WOW moment!

Our team had worked really hard that day to finish everything in San Martin, and we attended a service with the Pastor's main church in the area. Thankfully, Laura Beth and Daniel had joined our group this day after doing music for the USA team in another village all week. Again, thankfully they were with us because we were asked to provide some music, a drama, and a testimony as part of the service. After all that, the pastor preached with passion then had his congregation pray over us. That pastor, Julio is his name, is such an amazing man of God. Very selfless and hardworking. He seemed to be everywhere at once, always with a smile. And I guess that after four days of working through plans with him and seeing his heart for the people, it was sad to me to part ways. That for me was another emotional point in the trip.

I believe Thursday night was the night we had the super yummy chicken casserole dinner, but we were all starving by the time it was ready. And we were totally exhausted but excited for the big sports clinic the next day in Ixtapa.

As we rolled up, we heard children from the upper level windows chanting with enthusiasm, "Grin-gos, grin-gos." I think they were excited to see us. The USA team did a great job organizing this. The children came out in shifts – grades I think is what I understood – and could choose any of the following activities: kickball, parachute activities (which actually came to be parachute, face paint, and woofle ball when the kids got bored of the parachute), soccer, basketball, some game with a huge beach ball, or jump rope/hopscotch/bubbles. Except for basketball, we were on this large, very dry and dusty field. It was hot, and my mothering nature came out as I scurried around nagging our group to drink more water and reapply sunscreen.

Mid-day was our break for lunch. The group was sick to death of PB&J, so Estuardo took almost everyone to a not-so-nearby Burger King for lunch. I say "almost everyone" because Benji and I were left behind. We ended up hitching a ride with the USA team to a nearby market/park. I was able to pass some time there by handing out some balloons and treats to a few kids. I guess only God knows why we were left behind that day.

That afternoon the older children were at school. We had less time with them, and after Daniel shared Jesus, our time was focused on basketball. Well, with the guys anyway. Most of the girls just sat around the perimeter. Our girls did a great job striking up conversation, and at one point Laura Beth had a group gathered 'round singing whatever song they could find common in both languages.

From Ixtapa we headed to the Mayan ruins. The drive through this part of the country was beautiful, and I was so thankful the group got to see it. The drive to San Martin didn't showcase much of the countryside. We were excited to spend a little time as tourists, and "little time" it was. We arrived at the ruins within about 30 minutes till closing time, and the admission was pretty expensive. Estuardo felt it wasn't worth that fee for less than 30 minutes. He tried to haggle, but the guy in charge was not having that. So, pretty much all we saw of the Mayan ruins was the public bathroom beside the parking lot.

From there, Estuardo took us to a restaurant with a market out front. I guess he felt bad about the disappointment with the ruins and wanted to provide some other tourist experience. Unfortunately, none of us had taken money, so all we got was the icecream bars Anthony bought us.

Friday night was USA's last night with us. After dinner, we met as a big group to discuss and reflect, then Anthony led our team in prayer for their team's safe departure and their future work. We had to pack our things that night and have our suitcases out of the rooms before we left for Antigua the next morning. So again, a busy night.

I packed the remaining supplies for Breck's team to use in April. The Hickmans helped me. And what do you think we should find? A bracelet. I suppose it was the reminder of God's provision, kind of like the leftovers from the loaves and fishes. Amazing.

Well, Saturday morning we headed for Antigua for a day to wind down. Some boot-lovers had us stop in El Pastores on the way to Antigua, and I've never seen anyone so intent on finding the right shoe as Patrick Dreher. Finally, he found the ones, just as the rest of the group was plotting to leave him. By the time we left El Pastores and got to Antigua, it was lunchtime. And thank goodness because I was so hungry. We took Estuardo's restaurant advice, and it was a very nice choice. Great atmosphere, so pretty, and delicious food. From there, we headed to the market. Dads, be proud of your daughters. They can haggle.

With our souvenirs in tote, we headed back to the mission house to load the suitcases and head to the hotel. The sunset at the mission house that night was beautiful, almost as if God were smiling and putting a stamp of approval on the work we were completing.

We ate at Pollo Campero on the way to the hotel, then said our goodbyes to Daniela, Estuardo, and Edgar. You'll read in a little bit about my friend Daniela. It was so hard to leave her. Ant got us checked in then gave instruction for shuttling over to the airport the next morning. We were to have only a few hours of sleep before meeting downstairs in the wee hours of the morning to shuttle over. On that note, we headed off to our rooms.

Shortly thereafter, we met back downstairs and left for the airport. Leaving was bittersweet, but not nearly as emotional for me this time as it was in November. We were changed by that trip in November, and I guess that this time I felt certain it wouldn't be our last time to serve in this country. Going back to everyday life wasn't as tough because I see it as temporary. I am to minister in whatever place I am in life, but with hope and excitement I look forward to that ultimate plan God has for our lives. Processing what I saw and smelled and felt wasn't as tough, maybe because it wasn't the first time but maybe because God has matured me a little.

You see, the mission trip may have beginning and end dates, but the missions impact cannot be quantified. You think you go on mission to leave a mark on His world, but instead His world leaves a mark on you.

Now, about my friend Daniela. I would be leaving out a very key part of the story if I left her out. We met Daniela Monday morning. She came with Estuardo and was introduced as our translator. She is excellent by the way, very quick and even picks up on our slang. At first I couldn't discern whether she was sarcastic or making fun of me. And yes, she was sarcastic and probably also making a bit of fun of us at times, but as the week went on, we learned and LOVED her funny personality. She has applied in the past to the international program at Jacksonville State University. She wants to come to the states and eventually be a doctor. She is very intelligent and all together lovely. Please pray for her as she pursues admission to other programs in the states and as she pursues God's will for her life. Pray that she will be blessed in this translator role and that she will see the tremendous blessing she was in our lives.

link to photos

2010-03-22T16:47:00.001-05:00

It may take a few days before I find time to summarize our trip. It was wonderful to say the least. Please feel free to look at the pictures I took. They're posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/pbcgomez/GuatemalaSpringBreak2010#

mountaintop experience

2010-03-18T08:12:00.000-05:00

we're doing well. the students seem to be having a wonderful time. i had one of those moments yesterday when you're so full that God's spirit flows out your eyeballs (haha - i was crying like a baby). we were up on top of this mountain, giving food to this family and praying for them. we were circled up around them, and i was holding hands with our guatemalan translator (whom i LOVE) on the left and a guatemalan man from the church on the right. the pastor asked me to pray over the family, and just the realization that my God is the God of these people, and this world is His creation, and He's allowed little, insignificant me to be part of spreading physical and spiritual food to His children. too much for my heart.

as we were climbing the steep mountain to reach that family, i literally prayed at one time, "God, i know you didn't bring me here to die, so PLEASE put some air in these lungs." after that "mountaintop experience" i described above, God reminded me that often His will for us requires us to push ourselves - perhaps physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He reminded me of jesus' trek up mount calvary and that His sacrifice was much greater than mine.

we love you and appreciate your prayers.

bonita

Faultless

2010-03-17T00:11:00.001-05:00

It's late. I'm tired and grimy, so I will wait until later to post more details. So far we have had more than one bump in the dry, dusty road, but God's timing and provision are faultless. We love you and appreciate the prayers. --Bonita

Pictures

2009-11-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

mistake

2009-11-11T20:34:00.001-06:00

i mistakenly put that we'd built 16 homes, but it was only 14. sorry. --bonita

Reflecting on Guatemala

2009-11-11T13:06:00.001-06:00

As I reflect back over the past week, I pray that God will help me relate to you how amazing He is. I didn't post last week, mostly because my mind couldn't – still can't – process it all, but I am going to try. I should preface it by saying that some words may be misspelled or some of the details may be out of order. For someone as plan-driven as I am, the fact that I lost all concept of time is a miracle in itself.

We left early Monday, November 2, headed to Atlanta to fly out for Guatemala City. We left the church on time but had to stop along the way to pick up Dr. Johnnie. When we got just past Oxford, we came to a complete stop as emergency crews worked to clear the scene of a horrible accident. I believe that before we even knew it, God had begun to work things together for our good and our safety. Had we not stopped and waited those few minutes for the doctor, we may have been right in the middle of that tragic accident.

As we sat waiting, Breck led us in prayer for the drivers involved and their families. Early on, our trip and the people we would encounter were bathed in prayer.

We arrived safely in Atlanta and shortly thereafter boarded the plane. My nervousness about the flight quickly faded as we ascended above the clouds, and I was reminded of the majesty of our God who sits high above those clouds, looking down on all the earth. I thought about his omnipresence, realizing He was 100% with me and 100% with each of my children, 100% with each of us at every second. It is completely mind-boggling and totally amazing.

Though our landing in Guatemala City was rough, we were there safely. After what seemed like forever at the airport, we were finally in route to the mission house. The long drive seemed very short as we took in the sights. When we came to Pollo Compero, a place that for the remainder of the trip would be an important landmark indicating we were almost "home", we turned toward the mission house and experienced the first of MANY jostles, bumps, and almost bruises. The hurricanes/tropical storms did away with Guatemala's "dry season," and the roads were filled with large mudholes. Up the mountain, at the end of the bumpy road was the mission house – beautiful in its purpose and its structure. We unloaded then headed back down the road to Pollo Compero, perhaps a Latin version of KFC. Those of us in the van encountered the first of a few close encounters between Dave Merriman and the local drivers, but we survived it (and others to come). At Pollo Compero, our ordering consisted of a lot of pointing and gesturing. Our server was patient as we realized how poor our Spanish was. Jim Rutland was hungry enough to open up salsa packets, gouge out what he could with his fork, and start eating. What if we realized our spiritual hunger enough to get that desperate?

After dinner, we headed back up the mountain to the house, unpacked, had our nightly devotional, and settled in. Whether it was the excitement or uncertainty that kept most of us from sleeping well, I'm not sure, but we woke up Tuesday morning tired but eager to get started with what God had called us there to do.

The drive to San Raphael passed quickly because of the many sights – mountains, valleys, villages, buildings, lack of buildings, animals on the streets, people on the streets, people in the streets. And then…no streets, or at least no pavement. At once, the pavement ended and we were bouncing along another mountain road, leading up to San Raphael. It seemed to me that this village and people were the poorest we served this week, but they were rich in love and acceptance of us. As the people met us on the streets, Maranda was the first to open up her bag of dulces, and once that first child had one in hand, they started coming from everywhere. The build teams were directed to their worksites, and the medical team hiked up the steep hill to the church where the doc would set up. The hike was more physical activity than most of us are accustomed to, especially at that altitude, so thankfully God provided gorgeous flowers along the way to grab our attention so that while we stopped to admire His handiwork, we caught another breath to make it a little farther up the hill. The people greeted us at the church as Evvy, Laurie, and Robert prepared the medicine suitcases. The clinic was slow that day because of a meeting in the market, so while Dr. Johnnie treated his few patients, the rest of us got to know – and love – the children of San Raphael. We made balloon animals, played Frisbee, colored. I raced (something I haven't done since early highschool). Pat kept the kids laughing with random English outbursts, such as "You better wipe your nose." He and Myra tied balloon animals until her fingers were about to bleed, and I never imagined the excitement that a simple balloon would give.

I made two special friends that day, Sandi and Adilia. They're the two that convinced me to race. After much gesturing, they finally just took me by the hand and pulled me to the starting line. At last, I understood what they wanted me to do, and I just didn't have the heart to say no. After all, this trip was part of the race God has called me to. Acts 20:24 says, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." And that was our goal the entire week.

After racing and coloring, my sweet little friends took me by the hands and led me on a walk through their village, down a steep hill to a small stream of water and all over to pick a variety of flowers for me – hydrangeas, lilies, daisies, others I don't know the names for. With their cold little hands in mine, with their dirty little faces, and their feet crammed into shoes that looked too small, they were giving back to me what they had to offer. Isn't that how we are to be with God? Dirty and cold, with little or a lot, giving what we have.

I thought of Matthew 19:14, "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was doing exactly what God wanted me to. Each of us had a purpose on this trip. I didn't touch a hammer or do anything very physical. I was excited about helping with medical clinics but only checked a few blood pressures the whole trip. The thing God had planned for me was to minister to the children through His love and compassion. But you know who was ministered to most from those encounters? Me. My heart was so full when we left San Raphael that first day, that I couldn't contain it all.

Several houses were built that day, physical needs were met, we were tired and dirty. God was at work – in their lives and in ours.

On Wednesday and Thursday, build teams went to Las Camelias while a medical team went to another village each day. The roads to Las Camelias weren't as rough as those to San Raphael. As we neared the village, Jim handed candy out the window, and soon there were women and children lined up alongside the van. Pat and I stood on the side of the road making balloon animals while the others headed to their build sites. When the children all had their globos in hand, we joined the teams. The guys put up 8 houses in this village while the women played and loved on children.

We met Jesus that day…not the Christ, but a Guatemalan man who's name is pronounced "Hey Soos." He had been in the states some time ago and was able to translate for us. He teaches the children English in his six-desk classroom – not nearly enough space for the many children in the village. He shared his desire to teach the children English, recreation, work ethic, and what it is to have a relationship with Christ. Daryl and Pam felt led to provide Jesus' classroom with a printer, and Pat gathered pencils and other supplies. Jesus thanked them with the most delicious broccoli I've ever tasted. It may not sound like much, but it's much like the widow's mite – it was all he had to give.

When it was time to leave on Wednesday, a very important lesson was learned – DO NOT PULL OUT A FULL BAG OF CANDY OR TOYS! The sweet children turned into a rowdy mob, and I ended up being scratched and pummeled for hair barrettes. It was easy at the time to be irritated by that, but I see now that we're just as greedy. We are not satisfied with what we have. Must have more, even if we hurt others in getting it.

After that scene, I was dreading going back there on Thursday. We were more sparse with our gift-giving, in order to save treats for kids in the villages where medical clinics and food distribution were still to take place. This day, we saw that really, it wasn't the gifts or candy the kids wanted most anyway. I watched kids line up to play "Peas Porridge Hot" with Joan and hop scotch, jump rope, and limbo with Myra, Pam, and me. They enjoyed the fun and attention as much as the gifts, maybe even more.

On Wednesday, after building and playing in Las Camelias, we met up with the medical clinic for a food distribution. We gave simple items like pasta, rice, and sugar, but the people were so grateful. I thought of all the things in my pantry and freezer and how, even with those items there, I still so often say, "Ugh, there's nothing to eat." What a spoiled and unappreciative people we are!

After the distribution, the pastor and elders of the church prayed for us. The prayer was passionate and sincere, and we felt the spirit of God move in that room. After that, we were humbled as we realized again the sacrifices of the Guatemalan people to show us their gratitude. The leaders of the same group of people to whom we had just given basic food items had bought the 25-30 of us a soft drink and snack. I have never appreciated a Pepsi so much in my life.

Friday was probably the busiest day of the entire week, as build teams put finishing touches on the 16 homes in San Raphael and Las Camelias, Scott Kirk and a few others worked to finish a project at the seminary, and a medical clinic and food distribution took place in Cherijuyu. Approximately 250-300 people sought the help of Dr. Johnnie, John, and Laurie. Michelle was busy taking blood pressures while the rest of us colored, made balloons, jumped rope, played limbo (or anything else we could think of) with the children. Dave Merriman got the prize for most entertaining that day with his balloon sword-fighting and the lasting impressions he made in 3 young hearts.

Saturday was the day we had all looked forward to, and there was a great anticipation as we headed back to the villages for home dedications. San Raphael was first, and I was so excited to see my sweet friends looking up the road for me. When they saw me, they sprinted toward me with outstretched arms. Oh, if only I watched for Christ that way and ran to him with arms open wide…

One by one the homes were dedicated to God. Through Cesar, our interpreter, friend, and brother in Christ, we relayed to the owners that the homes were not from us at Lakeside or from America, but from God because of His great love for us. We then prayed for God's blessing to be upon the family and the home. For those we knew to be Christian, Cesar encouraged them to let their light shine to the community, that others may see and know God. To the others, Cesar presented the gospel, and several accepted Christ that day. The first to accept Christ was a young man, probably 19 or 20. When he fell on his knees before God, it was more than my heart could hold. I bent over, raised my hands in praise, and cried tears of joy. We can pray for those who accepted Christ to be encouraged and discipled, but we should pray also for those who would not turn to God that day. Some seemed to struggle with the decision, wavering between the religion of the country and a relationship with Christ.

In Las Camelias, one Christian family shared with us that they had struggled financially and prayed for God to provide a house for them. Shortly after their prayer, while the husband was at work, the wife was approached about us coming to build them a home. Joy shone all around that sweet family. Joy that comes from knowing God, knowing He hears your prayer and loves you enough to answer, joy that comes from realizing that He knew the answer before you ever asked him. In their joy, they hung balloons from the ceiling and invited us in to see their celebration. They told us that when they asked God for a home, they never imagined it would be as great as what we built. This statement put things into perspective for me. They didn't imagine something as great as this wood and tin structure with a concrete floor. I often think about something grander than my 3 bedroom, 2 bath home and all its furnishings. Jesus said in John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." The size of our earthly homes means nothing. We will all have mansions in glory, but you know what – it won't even matter because our focus will be on Christ. We will be there with Him, and that will be enough. What if we lived life that way now?

Many other blessings took place during home dedications. Again, we received a much bigger blessing than we ever could have given. Isn't that the way missions work typically turns out? Acts 20:35 says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." That's because in giving, you do receive.

The elders of the church prayed for us and us for them before we left. One last impression I got – not only from the church in Las Camelias, but from every village – was the respect the people had for the house of God. The churches were by far the nicest buildings in the villages, with immaculately clean tile floors and fresh flowers. It just showed the reverence for God. You know, our bodies are the temple of the living God. Do they demonstrate a respect for God's presence?

That night, I think it was Rene that said it well: we were emotionally exhausted but spiritually renewed. Breck pointed out that we live most of our lives the opposite way – spiritually exhausted and on emotional overload. Anthony shared an anology he heard about Extreme Home Makeover. The whole show builds up to the moment when you hear three words, "MOVE THAT BUS!." In the instant after that phrase, you don't see the house. You see the faces of the homeowners, and you don't even need to see the house because you can tell on their faces how amazing the house is. My sweet husband encouraged us to live that way, to be such a reflection of God that people wouldn't have to look very far to see how awesome our God is.

Sunday we attended one of Pastor Max's services. He shared how years ago he felt God's call into ministry, and now he rides from place to place on his motorcycle to preach and serve his people. Max's family led the worship service. Though we couldn't understand much of the words, we felt His presence, and at last we recognized a familiar melody and joined to sing, "Then sings my soul, my Savior, God to thee! How great Thou art. How great Thou art." In English and Spanish both at once, serving the one and only Jehovah God! A God who sees our hearts instead of our color, faults, or failures. A God who knows all people groups, who understands all languages, who hears all prayers and praises. An amazing and Holy God that we can't even fathom, yet a God who loves us intimately and is patient with our feeble-mindedness. WOW!

We spent the afternoon in Antigua, enjoying for one last time this week the sights and people of Guatemala. The weather was sunny, which helped many of us realize how God had blessed us with rain during the dry season. How He had quite likely prevented those who were reluctant to drink from becoming dehydrated, how He kept the men hard at work from worse fatigue. See, in our complaining, we so often miss the blessings from God. We rush around, overlooking the little ways He's cared for us. Nothing is accidental to Him. "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." But not always what we consider good but instead, the ultimate good – to become more like Christ.

I thank God that that is how I feel after this trip. A little bit more like Christ. What an honor and privilege that He would allow me, in all my faults, to become more like His precious son.

Now, back at home after such an amazing experience, I'm just bummed. I guess that's normal, but it's sure not fun. I know there are opportunities in my everyday life to shine for Christ, to share with my neighbor or the neighborhood children. But why does it seem so much easier and even more desireable to do it far away instead? Please pray that I would not let go of what I felt in Guatemala, that I would not forget how great it was to be used by God, that I would seek opportunities to be used wherever I am. Pray that God would allow me to one day see my Guatemalan friends again. And pray that He would send others to water the seeds that our team planted until they are ready for harvest. Pray for missionaries all over the world and for the people groups they're reaching. Pray for those who can't serve but can support those who may have the heart but not the money for missions. Thank God for all He's doing around the world and for the privilege we have to go tell.

With Love,

Bonita

To God be the Glory...

2009-11-07T23:46:00.000-06:00

great things He hath done!

What an absolutely wonderful day! Today was house dedication for all 14 houses we built during the week. We met with each family...presented them a washtub full of household goods...prayed over the house...presented the Gopsel to them along with a new Bible. As a result of sharing the Gospel, 3 people came to know the Lord.

Each ceremony was very movng...and very emotional as each family was so grateful for the things they received. We did, however. make it perfectly clear that the source of the gifts were not from our group, but from the Lord.

As our time here draws to a close, today was a fitting climax. The Lord has taught us all so much and blessed us in so many ways. We thank you for all your prayers and support and look forward to seeing you soon.

Jim R.

New Additions to our family...

2009-11-07T23:33:00.000-06:00

Today, 14 new home additions were completed. Families were prayed for and the gospel of Christ Jesus was presented to each of these families. Some asked questions and seeds were planted. THREE accepted Christ as their personal savior today in San Rafael, the village pictured above. The lives of these and their families will be forever changed. Not only did God bless these people, He blessed me through all I saw and experienced this week in Guatemala.

To God be the glory, for He alone is worthy of our praise!

Craig

Special Friends

2009-11-07T07:27:00.000-06:00

Dave, Libny, Shery, & Tony

Another Great Day

2009-11-07T00:22:00.000-06:00

Today was another great day. Everyone was very busy, tying up loose ends in both villages which are about 1 and 1/2 hours apart, and also having a medical clinic and food distribution in another area different from either of those. We had a special visit tonight also from the Millers, who are the IMB missionaries here.
Everyone is doing well, and we look forward to a great day tomorrow.

Pictures are very slow to work with, but here are a few random shots from different days:

Fathers

2009-11-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

Throughout the week so much of our attention has been spent with the children in and around our work sites. They have blessed us with their smiles and laughter. As I was on a site today my focus was turned away from the children and directed to the father of the family. He eagerly watched as we built the house he would soon call home. I could see the genuine relief and joy in his face and could tell that this was a huge blessing for him. As fathers we often take it upon ourselves to provide for our family. When things aren't as good as we think they should be we blame ourselves. I could tell this man had experienced some of that guilt and with every nail that was driven I could see it being taken away. I was truly moved to be able to help provide this relief for him. The Bible tells us many times to bear one another's burdens, and I am so honored to have this oppurtunity to put the word into action. We have truly been blessed by this experience and I have felt the Lord's presence with us during our time here. I pray for the fathers of the homes we will dedicate tomorrow, I pray that they will see that it all has come from God not a group of people. I pray that they will come to know a mighty God that will provide for all their needs!

Paint Brush

2009-11-05T21:17:00.000-06:00

Today was a rainy day (something about Hurricane Ida?). We went back to the same village as yesterday to continue building houses. It was wet and muddy, but good progress was made. It is very special working along side the homeowner. Standard practice is to wrap the portion of the wooden posts that will be buried in plastic tied with pita, which is our word for "string". The homeowner usually does this out of a strong desire to help us with his home. There is no treated wood. But the homeowner of this particular home today painted his posts with pitch instead. He used corn stalk to paint it on. I have thrown paint brushes away before just to save the time it takes to clean them. It seems I learn a new lesson each day I work here.

Tomorrow we will go back to both villages where we have been working to finish the homes. We build everything but the front wall and leave it open for the homeowners to hand mix concrete for the floor. Then we return and finish the front, and install the door and window. These homes only have one door and one window. So, our goal for tomorrow is to get all of the homes finished. Then we will go back to each home on Saturday, dedicate the home, present the family with a Bible written in Spanish, and the Gospel. Pastor Breck has said this will be the most memorable part of the week. I don't know how it can get any better, but I trust him.

A special thanks to my Sunday School class (Akers-Jones class) for providing the financial resources to build one of the homes. You will never know how much this means to a family here. But don't worry, we will tell you all about it as soon as we get back!

Scott Kirk

Pictures

2009-11-05T17:55:00.000-06:00

Preparing for food distribution Wednesday night.

John King...missionary host.

Brad, Tim & Craig

Working hard...

...hardly working.

AWESOME DAY!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

Isn't it amazing how you can be so tired but yet say it has been one of the best days you have ever had. We completed almost 6 homes and made at least 10 million balloon animals (or at least my fingers feel that way!) I may need to change professions. I am getting way too good at making butterflies! These are a gracious people and the children are so sweet. We are by far so blessed at Lakeside not only with material blessings but a church family that loves the Lord and this mission team has represented our Lord well. What a blessing to have been on this mission team!

Pam Hamaker

God Is Good

2009-11-04T21:35:00.000-06:00

Greetings from a beautiful land! God has been at work this week no doubt ........coming to bless others and God works on your heart. Our team is fantastic and blessed with many gifts. I can't wait to see what He has in store for tomorrow!

Daryl

What a day!!

2009-11-04T21:25:00.000-06:00

First, I want to say to my family that I miss all of you. Our time here is passing VERY quickly!! According to the mission house directors, this team has set all kinds of records. They compliment our team for unity and productivity.

Tonight, we had a special time with the local pastor and his elders and deacons after the food distribution. Food was distributed to 150 families [tickets were given by the local pastor....otherwise we might still be there :)] and then they surpised us by giving us cokes and crackers. Now most Americans would say [in sarcasm] wow. Allow me to explain. Each coke cost 400 casales which is about 50 cents in American money. So, for 25 of us, the cokes alone were $12-$13. Here's the kicker..........the averge Guatemalan family makes $2-$3 PER DAY. What a sacrifice they made for us!! They treat each other the same way. When an American receives something from someone, most of the time it's theirs, period. We gave out some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the children tore the sandwiches into small pieces to make sure everybody got some. What a lesson for us.

We love y'all and covet your prayers for the team and for the Guatemalan people we come into contact with.

David Merriman

2009-11-04T21:04:00.000-06:00

What a wonderful day in Guatemala today!! This is a beautiful place and the people here are so kind and gentle. Our crew built a house today for a young family and they were so sweet. As we were leaving their young daughter came to me and said, thank you in English and gave me a tight loving hug. It was the sweetest moment.
Rena Kirk

2009-11-04T15:29:00.000-06:00

3:30 on Wednesday afternoon. I just talked to Breck and they have had another good day. Everyone is doing well. They have been building today but have left the site early because they have a food distribution tonight. They expect to distribute food to about 150 people at a church close to the mission house. They plan to post some more pictures to the blog tonight. Continue your prayers!

Gisele Glaze

Pictures from Today

2009-11-03T23:24:00.000-06:00

Who's in Charge?????

2009-11-03T22:36:00.000-06:00

First thing I learned today...don't carry a heavy bag full of medical supplies up the side of a mountain while at 7900 feet above sea level. There is not a lot of oxygen to be had that altitude...:).

What a wonderful day! Our team was able to complete 3 houses today..as was the other construction team. 6 total in one day...a new record ..or so we have been told.

It is always interesting to watch God work...who He chooses to work through...when and how. Our team today had varying talents..from those who were very well versed in construction work to those like me..who can't cut a board or hammer a nail...but can dig a hole. But that's how God works...he takes those with different talents who could accomplish perhaps a little on their on..and molds them together into a unit which can accomplish great things.

For a while today Samuel was our construction supervisor...for a while it was Max...for a while when they were both gone, I wondered who really was in charge? ..:)

As I reflect back over the day...I now know who really was...:).

Thanks for your prayers!!!

Jim R.

Dulce!

2009-11-03T21:59:00.000-06:00

The living conditions I saw today were heart-breaking...dirt flores, walls that you could see through, buckets to wash clothes in, children's shoes that were too tight, and the list goes on. At the same time, my appreciation for the Guatemalan people grew tremendously. The families worked hard at their task. Their farms are on the side of mountains, cultivated completely by hand. Many men and women walked long road's with heavy lodes to provide a small wage for their family. Their poverty is NOT due to their work ethic and commitment to family.

I was also impressed with their gratitude for everything. The day was filled with smiling faces, both children and adults.

One quick funny story from the day...I was giving candy out to some little children. I quickly learned what "dulce" is! At one point, I ran out of dulce and held my empty hands out. A young little girl, who already had some dulce, looked up at me with her big brown eyes, smiled and patted my belly. There was no language barrier in that moment, and we both had a quick laugh and smile. She went on her way and I on mine. I have no expectation that I will ever see this girl again, but what a special connection we had in a moment.

We should see all our blessings as dulce!

Craig

God Is Good

2009-11-03T21:48:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Guatemala and the torrental downpours! We will be building all week in the rain! Sound like your idea of fun? It was for the team. Not one complaint. That is, if you don't count a little ribbing of the Pastor about not needing rain gear for this trip, as a complaint. The team demonstrated our motto, "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape." They responded to the bad weather with a tremendous attitude and desire to honor the Lord. One of our team members said, "Well it will surely be something we will never forget!" We submitted the trip to God for His glory. Today was a beautiful day. The Lord blessed our work. We built six houses for families that desperately needed them and ministered to the village through a medical clinic. It was amazing to see our team respond to the Lord's call. The Lord heard our prayers to hold off the rain and we had a beautiful day to work. The Lord has also answered our petition to use us as His servants. God is in the answering business. He is in the miracle business. He is at work and we are blessed to be here this week.

In Him,
Breck

Tusting God

2009-11-03T19:31:00.000-06:00

Breck had asked me in advance to be a driver. The only requirement was to not be timid. I now know what he means. Most of the people here do not have a driver's license or even know about driving rules. The few traffic lights that are here are turned off to conserve electricity. The "chicken buses" take the right-of-way, the motorcycles have their own rules, and everyone else has a "mutual understanding" of who goes first. But the hardest part is driving in the mountains. People are eveywhere walking. Most walk in the road, and many have cows trailing along in back. Today we were coming down the mountain when a cow led a little girl out into the traffic. She was holding on as best she could, but was no match for such a large animal. Fortunately, everyone was able to stop. We cannot imagine letting our children do such a dangerous thing. But that is life here. As I drive, I have no idea what is around the next curve. All I can do is trust God that he will protect us, and protect those who live here from the Lakeside visitors unaccustomed to driving in such chaos. Tomorrow we will go back on the same mountain. Tomorrow will be another reminder of how much we trust God.
Scott Kirk

Using Our Gifts

2009-11-02T21:55:00.000-06:00

This is just a note to reflect a bit on something I'm already learning, or at least getting a wonderful reminder of during this trip. We all have special gifts given to us by God. When we use those gifts, especially when we use them together in community as a team and as a church, great things are accomplished. I want to say a word of thanks to many who've served already, from wonderful bus drivers supplying us with everything we need this morning, to the entire church for your prayers and generosity in providing supplies, to Miss Jerri calling moms to check on them, and to everyone on this team working together. There are too many specifics to list at this hour, but know that every gift you have is important, and when you and I use them as God would have us to do, He is glorified in mighty ways! Never fear to do what He has called you to do.

Thanks again,
Tim

2009-11-02T21:48:00.000-06:00

These are a bit blurry, but we're all really tired so I can't hunt down others today. Pic 1 is the first of many driver meetings today over breakfast in Atlanta. Pic 2 is the team awaiting our departure to the mission house from the airport. Pic 3 is the mission house here. We'll try to post more pics as time allows and we get more transferred in.

Made it!!!

2009-11-02T20:40:00.000-06:00

An extremely longgggggggg day..but we are here! From Birmingham by bus to Atlanta...Atlanta to Guatemala City by plane...from Guatemala City to Chilmaltanengo by truck and van!!

The mission house is outstanding....many of the comforts of home and in a beautiful setting.

Tomorrow...we begin the work...not ours but God's. I am looking forward to seeing what He has in store for us this week....I'm certain His work won't be in vain!!

Keep us in your prayers!!

Jim R.

They Have Arrived

2009-11-02T15:26:00.002-06:00

I just talked to the Pastor and the mission team has arrived in Guatemala. If you read his earlier entry, you know they had a slight delay this morning on I 20 but things have gone well since then. It took them some time to get out of the airport but everything went well including getting the drugs through which you know was a concern. They are on the road and on the way to the mission house. Right now, they are in heavy rain but they have been told that the rain is not as heavy in the area where they will be building. Pray for the weather to cooperate so that the building will go well.

Gisele Glaze

Patience

2009-11-02T05:20:00.000-06:00

We are well in to our journey. Everyone arrived on time. Joel and
Sammie had breakfast and hot coffee. What a blessing! Everyone was
excited to get moving. Everything was going according to our plan.
Now we have spent the last 45 minutes sitting still on the interstate.
Don't worry all is well with us. But, we began with our plan and have
been reminded we are on God's mission, His plan and His timing. In the
midst of realizing I couldn't have planned for this or fix it, I
couldn't help but hear God say, "Be still and know that I am God.".
Praise You Father for reminding us early of Your care for us.

Lord, thank you for Your blessing and provision. He is good and His
timing is perfect.

Thanks,
Breck

Sent from my mobile device.

Confident

2009-10-30T22:59:00.000-05:00

Well..Friday night...2 days away from leaving. I think I have everything..think I have taken care of my bills..my duties at work..have made arrangements for my SS class to be taken care of.

Think I'm ready to go!!

While I may "think" all those things...I am definitely confident about one thing. We are going to a place where God has already arranged divine appointments for us. I'm excited to get there and see what He has planned for us. And can't wait to see the results....no doubt I will be changed forever..and for the better.

Pray for us!!!

Jim Rutland

What Guatemala Means to Me

2009-10-27T12:22:00.001-05:00

I might be somewhat of the 'wildcard' on this trip. All at once, I am probably the most absolutely excited and most horribly terrified team member you'll meet. It's not the trip, the flight, the task at hand, or even the unexpected changes that are bound to happen that right now are affecting me so deeply. I'm not a major traveler, but I do enjoy traveling and even flying when I do have the chance. I'm excited about the work, and hope I'm reasonably capable. As far as changes, I'm plenty laid back enough to roll with that as needed. Stuff happens. Sometimes lots of stuff, but I've done a few mission trips before, so I know the Lord always provides. Right now, though, as I've allowed myself a few moments to think, I'll confess some hard to even vocalize feelings as I prepare. You see, for me personally, Guatemala is pretty special. Sure, it has some to do with the fact that it was the destination of my first ever international mission trip back in 2001. That was certainly an experience that laid some foundations for many things that have happened since in my life. However, there are a couple of stamps in my passport since then that say Guatemala on them. And for me, Guatemala mostly means a beautiful little boy sitting in the back seat of my truck on the way home from church Sunday night, singing David Crowder Band's 'How He Loves'. It's my other home, even though no one there knows it or me. It's a little strange like that. This will be my first time back since bringing my son home, and the first time there without anyone else in my immediate family. So with all that said, I hope I have a few more chances to write about a place and people that I love while I'm there, and share Jesus' love in all we do with the people there. I hope you'll come to love them as I do, and more importantly, as Jesus does. And then maybe even after we're back 'home', you'll have this strange feeling of 'homesickness' still left as well.

Tim

Prayer Guide

2009-10-12T21:09:00.002-05:00

As our trip gets closer and closer, prayer remains the most valuable preparation. This is a list of things you can pray for.

For the individual Team Members, ask the Lord to:

Prepare them physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the journey they will make to minister in Guatemala.
Fill them with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
Give them a love and a burden for the people they will minister to and with.

For the Team, ask the Lord to:

Give the team an indivisible unity.
Protect the team (and each member) from anything that would keep them from going.
Protect each member as we travel.

For the local pastors and leaders, ask the Lord to:

Give them a clear vision as to what they need us to do.
Continue to provide protection and provision as they serve Him in Guatemala.
Continue to give them a burden to reach the lost in Guatemala for Christ.
Encourage them in the work that they are doing.

For the Guatemalan people, ask the Lord to:

Prepare their hearts for the Gospel seed to be planted and harvested.
Draw them unto Himself as we exalt the name of Christ.
Pour out His Spirit for revival among the people in Guatemala.
Burden the hearts of others to carry the Gospel to Guatemala.

Welcome (Bienvenidos)

2009-10-10T21:26:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the blog for the Lakeside Baptist Church missions teams. We intend to use this as a place to keep you informed about our trips and activities. We'll post pictures, updates, reflections, prayer needs, and whatever else the teams can come up with. It is our hope that this gives everyone a chance to become a part of the team with us.

The first trip we'll be chronicling is our upcoming trip to Guatemala. This beautiful Central American country is nicknamed 'The Land of Eternal Spring'. The objectives for our trip this time are building homes for the villagers, distributing medical supplies and food, and whatever else the local missionaries feel is needed.