Today we started the day at breakfast sharing scripture and preparing for another day of serving in Guatemala. After breakfast we headed up the the mountains along with Julia and Juandi's team to Santa Clara. The ride up there, the view was completely amazing. The mountains and the lakes are completely picturesque. It doesn't even feel real that we are actually in Guatemala and surrounded by such beauty. As we arrived in Santa Clara, we had to get off the bus and cram into a van to to to the school in Santa Clara. As we drove up the hill to the school, the children ran out of the school in such excitement to see us. We conducted a field day, played soccer, painted nails, and taught the children Red Rover. It was such a blessing to see how happy the children were with just the presence of us. After we left the school, we headed to a church in Santa Clara to prepare for VBS. As the children began to arrive you could hear them at the doors of the church awaiting in anticipation to come in. As the children began to pile in one by one the church began to fill up and children were outside listening through the windows to the songs and message that was spoke. The message that we taught was on God the Provider and how He provides for our every need. When we started to pass out the paper bags for them to decorate and make their own for the craft, we began to realize that we didn't have enough bags for each kid to decorate. We then collected all of the construction paper that we could find and started folding them into bags in an attempt to make a bag for each kid. Which was proof that GOD does provide even in the most unexpected circumstances.
What continues to amaze me in how simple the life is in Guatemala. They are not consumed with facebook, cellphones, tv's, or blogs and their lives are still filled with so much joy. God is seriously changing my heart and teaching me to put things into perspective. I honestly just feel so small in comparison to the size of this whole world that God has created. As I'm sitting here feeling the wind as the thunderstorms begin to roll in, I am so thankful to be apart of this mission trip, which I was very nervous about. But once again God provides and shows me that He is in control. I serve such an amazing Father and I am a grateful, loved, happy, and overwhelmed child. My heart is truly full.
Even after all the exhaustion of the day our team is truly blessed and overwhelmed with the people of Guatemala and have fallen in love with the hearts of each of these children. Please continue to pray for each of us and pray that we be the hands and feet of Christ in all that we do. Please pray that we shower these kids with the love of Christ so that they may know Him even more.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Team Vinke Post 2
There has been a lot happening in this wonderful trip. The wonderful stories that have been written and the changes that have been happening within us are tremendously inspiring to me. I wanted to tell you about my team mates in this post.
Jonathan is one of our two leaders, and he has beem a calm leader to all of us, inspiring us to move forward in our faith. His fluency in Spanish has surely been an aid to us as we struggle to communicate, but my favorite part of Jonathan is that he simply cares deeply about the well being of those he is leading. I'm tremendously thankful to have him on the team.
Our other leader is Jonathan's wife, Aubrey. She has resolved to be driven in this trip, owning the spiritual growth of the team. The first night we met as a team, she introduced a simple system of helping each other grow. The system is telling eachother one challenge accompanied by one encouragement. It isn't complicated, but rather it is simply intentional in helping eachother reach the goals God has given us for this trip. She has been a blessing.
Gerrick is hilarious. His sense of humor is a constant breath of fresh air, not to mention his trtansparent humility. His transperency has been a catalyst for deep discussions to happen.
Anna is one of the more quiet and calm members of the team, especially when compared to Gerrick, but she has been a wonderful team member. She has the gift of kindness and hospitality, which has been a great ministry tool on this trip.
Matthew is a character. Our arrival to any village is met by a bunch of joyful children screaming Matteo! The children simply love Matthew, and his love for them has done much to inspire me to push further in our mission here. He is also a very talented guitar player and singer.
Gena has been a wonderful friend. It has been great to watch her become more acquianted with the city and its inhabitants. Her joyful attitude has been fueling the rest of the team as we spend many exhausting days working with the local churches.
Katie is always fun to be around. Her finely/tuned practical approach to this mission trip has been a means to reach the children here. Her heart for the peopel here has inspired me to try to get to know everyone a little better, although we come into contact with hundreds each day.
If you don't know these people well, you should change that. I am immensely blessed to be part of this team.
Jonathan is one of our two leaders, and he has beem a calm leader to all of us, inspiring us to move forward in our faith. His fluency in Spanish has surely been an aid to us as we struggle to communicate, but my favorite part of Jonathan is that he simply cares deeply about the well being of those he is leading. I'm tremendously thankful to have him on the team.
Our other leader is Jonathan's wife, Aubrey. She has resolved to be driven in this trip, owning the spiritual growth of the team. The first night we met as a team, she introduced a simple system of helping each other grow. The system is telling eachother one challenge accompanied by one encouragement. It isn't complicated, but rather it is simply intentional in helping eachother reach the goals God has given us for this trip. She has been a blessing.
Gerrick is hilarious. His sense of humor is a constant breath of fresh air, not to mention his trtansparent humility. His transperency has been a catalyst for deep discussions to happen.
Anna is one of the more quiet and calm members of the team, especially when compared to Gerrick, but she has been a wonderful team member. She has the gift of kindness and hospitality, which has been a great ministry tool on this trip.
Matthew is a character. Our arrival to any village is met by a bunch of joyful children screaming Matteo! The children simply love Matthew, and his love for them has done much to inspire me to push further in our mission here. He is also a very talented guitar player and singer.
Gena has been a wonderful friend. It has been great to watch her become more acquianted with the city and its inhabitants. Her joyful attitude has been fueling the rest of the team as we spend many exhausting days working with the local churches.
Katie is always fun to be around. Her finely/tuned practical approach to this mission trip has been a means to reach the children here. Her heart for the peopel here has inspired me to try to get to know everyone a little better, although we come into contact with hundreds each day.
If you don't know these people well, you should change that. I am immensely blessed to be part of this team.
Mighty Morphin Flippin Flamingos!
So, I just realized that I may have given the team´s name incorrectly on my last post. In saying that, take note, we are the Mighty Morphin Flipping Flamingos. Dont ask why, because I dont know either, other than that the name sounds epic indeed. lol.
I am not entirely sure where I left off so Ill just jump into the amazing events of yesterday and today. Yesterday we went up into the mountains in San Pedro and did a VBS for the children in the village. Although it was chaos, I think we have all agreed that God shows us beauty in chaos. The children were very happy to hang out with us and we loved loving on them. We ended the day with an awesome game of soccer(fútbal)with them. The crazy thing was that we were so high up into the mountains that we were actually playing the game in the mountain clouds. Amazing to say the least.
Today started out with a great breakfast and a great devotion time with Pastor Carlos where we discussed being a living sacrifice in Christ Jesus. We then took a short hike up the road from the church and set up sports camp with the local school. Soccer is quickly becoming an awesome sport in my eyes. During our game, the music class of the school came out into the courtyard to practice drum beats. This so happened to be at the exact moment of an intense soccer shootout. Quite epic I must say. Some of the little girls found it hilarious to paint all the guys fingernails, so i am currently typing with electric purple cuticles. Needless to say the energy of the day was filled with love, and it was a beautiful thing.
So as far as personal things from our team, we have a couple great stories. Chris on the first day here decided to go play with some children on one of the broken down walls outside of the church. The wall collapsed on him pinning him down to the ground and giving him some wicked scrapes. He is perfectly fine and i think he´s wearing the ufc fighter look quite well. Jonathan stayed back in San Juan with a couple other leaders to help equip some of the local adults with skills for VBS classes. There has been alot of great stories shared and great people who are coming with open hearts yearning to be poured into. Gods presence is very evident in this town! We all agree that the Lord is pushing us and stretching us in our faith´s and its an amazing time of growth in each one of our spiritual journies. Also the food is flippin awesome! Shout out to the cooks for sure!
Prayer requests for this trip...
For Tony(from impacto missions) His father is going through surgery. I dont know the details but please pray that he is safe.
For Manuel(bus driver) He was sick and out of work for about a month, so he is afraid that his children might not be able to stay in school because of the costs. Please pray that the Lord will just bless him and his family and that his trials will strengthen his faith in Christ.
For our team, that God would keep showing us new things on this endeavor and that his love will be evident in us and through our actions.
LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU!!
-Garin H.
I am not entirely sure where I left off so Ill just jump into the amazing events of yesterday and today. Yesterday we went up into the mountains in San Pedro and did a VBS for the children in the village. Although it was chaos, I think we have all agreed that God shows us beauty in chaos. The children were very happy to hang out with us and we loved loving on them. We ended the day with an awesome game of soccer(fútbal)with them. The crazy thing was that we were so high up into the mountains that we were actually playing the game in the mountain clouds. Amazing to say the least.
Today started out with a great breakfast and a great devotion time with Pastor Carlos where we discussed being a living sacrifice in Christ Jesus. We then took a short hike up the road from the church and set up sports camp with the local school. Soccer is quickly becoming an awesome sport in my eyes. During our game, the music class of the school came out into the courtyard to practice drum beats. This so happened to be at the exact moment of an intense soccer shootout. Quite epic I must say. Some of the little girls found it hilarious to paint all the guys fingernails, so i am currently typing with electric purple cuticles. Needless to say the energy of the day was filled with love, and it was a beautiful thing.
So as far as personal things from our team, we have a couple great stories. Chris on the first day here decided to go play with some children on one of the broken down walls outside of the church. The wall collapsed on him pinning him down to the ground and giving him some wicked scrapes. He is perfectly fine and i think he´s wearing the ufc fighter look quite well. Jonathan stayed back in San Juan with a couple other leaders to help equip some of the local adults with skills for VBS classes. There has been alot of great stories shared and great people who are coming with open hearts yearning to be poured into. Gods presence is very evident in this town! We all agree that the Lord is pushing us and stretching us in our faith´s and its an amazing time of growth in each one of our spiritual journies. Also the food is flippin awesome! Shout out to the cooks for sure!
Prayer requests for this trip...
For Tony(from impacto missions) His father is going through surgery. I dont know the details but please pray that he is safe.
For Manuel(bus driver) He was sick and out of work for about a month, so he is afraid that his children might not be able to stay in school because of the costs. Please pray that the Lord will just bless him and his family and that his trials will strengthen his faith in Christ.
For our team, that God would keep showing us new things on this endeavor and that his love will be evident in us and through our actions.
LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU!!
-Garin H.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Our apologies to all for keeping you in suspense. Although our day of travel on Saturday and our time in Guatemala City through Sunday was all smooth and enjoyable, we only now have gotten access to the internet cafe. We kept telling ourselves that our friends and family back home needed to hear from us, and we kept hoping that, for you, no news is good news, but we are very excited to now have the chance to provide updates.
I hope the recent flood of posts doesn´t discourage you from keeping in touch with our journey. Each team is enjoying different experiences and so each team will provide some variety to this blog. Thank you for continuing to support us through your prayers, and expect to see new posts at the end of each day.
Signing off until tomorrow,
Richie
I hope the recent flood of posts doesn´t discourage you from keeping in touch with our journey. Each team is enjoying different experiences and so each team will provide some variety to this blog. Thank you for continuing to support us through your prayers, and expect to see new posts at the end of each day.
Signing off until tomorrow,
Richie
Team Jimenez- Bryant 2 -
Guatemala in the First 48 Hrs.
the first 48 hrs of this trip have seemed like a lifetime. I don´t think i have ever been more nervous to do anything in my whole life. Still to this moment I have to keep reminding myself ¨I AM IN GUATEMALA!!¨
We arrived in Guatemala City after a 4 hr flight and I was pleasently surprised to find out that we were going to stay at a compind instead of taking a bus 3 more hours to our actualy destination. WE met out fealess evangelistic leader Pastor Louis, who welcomed 40 somthing American missionaries into his humble home. He and his family have graciously cooked us breakfast, lunch and dinner. OH and did I mention, the food here... Amazing. We spent most of the day relaxing and bonding as a team and doing random activities together. I spent most of the time watching a serious 4 square tornument and playing soccer with the fellas. By the end of the day i honestly think i could have fallen asleep standing up, the altitude and jet lag are something serious. We ended the day with a small group meeting and devotional. All 5 of the girls in our room were zonked in 5 min.
Day 2 was as equally long. I feel like maybe the minuates are longer here, or maybe the hustle of my crazy life has been removed and i can actually enjoy time instead of checking another day off the calender. We started ouyr day by having a quiet time, then an all team devotional with breakfast. This consisted of a few of us sharing our favorite verses and sharing what they mean to us. i shared Psalms 62 1-2. shortly afterwards we went to an all spanish church. Then hoped on out buses and headed for San Juan. San Juan is a beautiful small town full of life. It is so crazy to think this life has been completly unknown to me until now. As we rode along a tiny twisting one way road through the mountains i could feel my heart shifting. The simplicity of everything here is mind blowing. People everywhere. Men, women, children,and wild dogs all living a life so forgein to me.
We we able to spend a little time interacting with children today...YIKES. If any of you know me this is WAY out of my comfort zone. The best i have to offer these children is a smile and game of soccer.
Last night I sat on a rooftop that overlooks the whole city, a lake and a few volcanos. There was a slight storm working its way over the mountain tops brining in a welcomed cool breeze as well as the most breath taking light show i have ever seen. The lightening was lighting up the sky behind the clouds. As i sat there writing and reflecting i can hear a church service echoing off the mountains. People are praising our big and wonderful God using only their voices. It has been one of the most beautiful moments of my life. everything from my world has been striped away. Everything except My God and a hand full of faithful brothers and sisters. Two days down and its been an experience i will never forget.
the first 48 hrs of this trip have seemed like a lifetime. I don´t think i have ever been more nervous to do anything in my whole life. Still to this moment I have to keep reminding myself ¨I AM IN GUATEMALA!!¨
We arrived in Guatemala City after a 4 hr flight and I was pleasently surprised to find out that we were going to stay at a compind instead of taking a bus 3 more hours to our actualy destination. WE met out fealess evangelistic leader Pastor Louis, who welcomed 40 somthing American missionaries into his humble home. He and his family have graciously cooked us breakfast, lunch and dinner. OH and did I mention, the food here... Amazing. We spent most of the day relaxing and bonding as a team and doing random activities together. I spent most of the time watching a serious 4 square tornument and playing soccer with the fellas. By the end of the day i honestly think i could have fallen asleep standing up, the altitude and jet lag are something serious. We ended the day with a small group meeting and devotional. All 5 of the girls in our room were zonked in 5 min.
Day 2 was as equally long. I feel like maybe the minuates are longer here, or maybe the hustle of my crazy life has been removed and i can actually enjoy time instead of checking another day off the calender. We started ouyr day by having a quiet time, then an all team devotional with breakfast. This consisted of a few of us sharing our favorite verses and sharing what they mean to us. i shared Psalms 62 1-2. shortly afterwards we went to an all spanish church. Then hoped on out buses and headed for San Juan. San Juan is a beautiful small town full of life. It is so crazy to think this life has been completly unknown to me until now. As we rode along a tiny twisting one way road through the mountains i could feel my heart shifting. The simplicity of everything here is mind blowing. People everywhere. Men, women, children,and wild dogs all living a life so forgein to me.
We we able to spend a little time interacting with children today...YIKES. If any of you know me this is WAY out of my comfort zone. The best i have to offer these children is a smile and game of soccer.
Last night I sat on a rooftop that overlooks the whole city, a lake and a few volcanos. There was a slight storm working its way over the mountain tops brining in a welcomed cool breeze as well as the most breath taking light show i have ever seen. The lightening was lighting up the sky behind the clouds. As i sat there writing and reflecting i can hear a church service echoing off the mountains. People are praising our big and wonderful God using only their voices. It has been one of the most beautiful moments of my life. everything from my world has been striped away. Everything except My God and a hand full of faithful brothers and sisters. Two days down and its been an experience i will never forget.
¨¨The Flying Flippin Flamingo´s Blog¨¨
What´s up friends and family!? This is Garin here just letting you all know that we arrived on time and safe as ever. These past few days here have truly been amazing to say the least. The people are wonderful, the scenery is breathtaking and most of all God´s love is very evident!
So, allow me to get all you up to date on the events taken place thus far. First and foremost, our team had a great time hanging out and growing as friends and as well as family in our meetings preceeding the take off of this trip. Gabby and Jollisa have certainly grown close as prayer partners and I would certainly dub them the instigators of humor so far! Anyways, the flight went very smoothly and we arrived on time. After we gathered the luggage we immediately met up with Senòr Tony from Impacto, he helped us get what we needed on the bus and took us to the neighborhood we stayed at in Guatemala city. And let me say, Tony is a great guy! He has an amazing heart and personality and it´s very hard not to like the guy. We met up with Pastor Luis who graciously welcomed all the teams into his home were we ate, sang praises and engaged eachother in great community. Pastor Luis gave us the lowdown on all we are planning to do and from his neighborhood we traveled 4 hours up and through beautiful mountains. Now at the time you could not see anything 50ft. in front of you due to extreme fog, but we´ve been driving up and down the mountains for the past few days and its truly awesome to see God´s creations in this aspect.
On Sunday we were blessed to attend the church Pastor Luis leads. We listened to him preach a great lesson about Jesus´sermon on the mount, and played with the children of the congregation. The way these children appreciate things is so different from the way the ones at home do. Yesterday on the bus ride up here i saw a little boy digging through a pile of trash, so i waved at him and immediately he jumped up with a huge smile on his face and waved back. This boy was just in pure delight to say hello, ¨as most of the children here are¨, its soo amazing and convicting to see how they have so little and yet are happier and more content than most children ive seen around gwinnett. God has big things planned for us on this trip, and we´re quickly finding this out. I would love to share more at the moment but sadly i cannot. Just know that everything is going well and that God is wrecking every one of our lives and its a great feeling.
Psalm34:4-7, I sought the Lpord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant. And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them:
Love you guys!
Garin H.
So, allow me to get all you up to date on the events taken place thus far. First and foremost, our team had a great time hanging out and growing as friends and as well as family in our meetings preceeding the take off of this trip. Gabby and Jollisa have certainly grown close as prayer partners and I would certainly dub them the instigators of humor so far! Anyways, the flight went very smoothly and we arrived on time. After we gathered the luggage we immediately met up with Senòr Tony from Impacto, he helped us get what we needed on the bus and took us to the neighborhood we stayed at in Guatemala city. And let me say, Tony is a great guy! He has an amazing heart and personality and it´s very hard not to like the guy. We met up with Pastor Luis who graciously welcomed all the teams into his home were we ate, sang praises and engaged eachother in great community. Pastor Luis gave us the lowdown on all we are planning to do and from his neighborhood we traveled 4 hours up and through beautiful mountains. Now at the time you could not see anything 50ft. in front of you due to extreme fog, but we´ve been driving up and down the mountains for the past few days and its truly awesome to see God´s creations in this aspect.
On Sunday we were blessed to attend the church Pastor Luis leads. We listened to him preach a great lesson about Jesus´sermon on the mount, and played with the children of the congregation. The way these children appreciate things is so different from the way the ones at home do. Yesterday on the bus ride up here i saw a little boy digging through a pile of trash, so i waved at him and immediately he jumped up with a huge smile on his face and waved back. This boy was just in pure delight to say hello, ¨as most of the children here are¨, its soo amazing and convicting to see how they have so little and yet are happier and more content than most children ive seen around gwinnett. God has big things planned for us on this trip, and we´re quickly finding this out. I would love to share more at the moment but sadly i cannot. Just know that everything is going well and that God is wrecking every one of our lives and its a great feeling.
Psalm34:4-7, I sought the Lpord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant. And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them:
Love you guys!
Garin H.
Day One: The Journey
5AM came a little early for the team. We met at a Quick Trip to carpool and pray for the journey ahead of us. As we drove to the airport, we shared pleasant conversation of our present interests and the trip ahead of us. Tiredness had sapped any external excitement we had for Guatemala as we jumped through the many hoops of fire at the airport commonly known as security, but internally we were all anticipating great things to come. While the security gates were tremendously inconvenient, most of them were passed through relatively smoothly, save a rather awkward encounter Matthew had with our host. Let´s just say that they were on a first name basis after their encounter.
The plane ride itself was much less troublesome. It served us as an opportunity to get to know one another. As we began our descent into Guatemala City, I could not help but notice the wondrous beauty of the land beneath us. There was much to be learned in the landscape of Guatemala. The picture painted below us called for my attention. I laid my book aside, directing my eyes toward the picture below me as I struggled to find the words to describe the childlike excitement I felt. I simply could not communicate the wonder of my experience to my team mates sitting beside me.
There was a profound lesson for me to learn as I was a spectator of creation. In the physical realm we dwell in, we can often elevate our attention to the created rather than the creator, or the provided rather than the provider. As human beings, it is natural that we gravitate toward the tangible. The bible has a different plea however. Psalm 97:5 tells us that "The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth." The verse provokes a question: if these mountains are wondrous, how much more wondrous must the sculptor of them be? These awe-inspiring masses of land melt in the presence of their creator. The full beauty of creation is found in the pursuit of the creator. It requires a certain attention to the things of God. Today, where is your attention? The only reaction we could produce from ours was worship.
-Michael
The plane ride itself was much less troublesome. It served us as an opportunity to get to know one another. As we began our descent into Guatemala City, I could not help but notice the wondrous beauty of the land beneath us. There was much to be learned in the landscape of Guatemala. The picture painted below us called for my attention. I laid my book aside, directing my eyes toward the picture below me as I struggled to find the words to describe the childlike excitement I felt. I simply could not communicate the wonder of my experience to my team mates sitting beside me.
There was a profound lesson for me to learn as I was a spectator of creation. In the physical realm we dwell in, we can often elevate our attention to the created rather than the creator, or the provided rather than the provider. As human beings, it is natural that we gravitate toward the tangible. The bible has a different plea however. Psalm 97:5 tells us that "The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth." The verse provokes a question: if these mountains are wondrous, how much more wondrous must the sculptor of them be? These awe-inspiring masses of land melt in the presence of their creator. The full beauty of creation is found in the pursuit of the creator. It requires a certain attention to the things of God. Today, where is your attention? The only reaction we could produce from ours was worship.
-Michael
Guatemala Bound!
5-28-11
Today felt like the longest day. Once we actually arrived in Guatemala, it felt like we had been here for days. Two buses picked us up at the airport to take us to the compound. The compound is guarded and surrounded by gates. Within these walls was a community and we were able to walk around in small groups without worry. Not long after we unpacked our things, we met Pastor Luiz and his family. We also met some other members of the Impacto staff.
The last time I was in a foreign country, people did not greet each other with a hug and kiss. In India, the most that was acceptable was a handshake. Greeting one another with a hug and kiss on the cheek is part of the Latin culture. After lunch we had free time. Right down the street from where we stayed, there was a little park with a basketball court(complete with soccer goals on each end), a zipline and places to sit and talk with one another. Today has been very relaxed. I can´t wait to see what the rest of the week has instore.
5-29-11
At breakfast this morning our leader picked a few people to share their favorite verses and then explain why that verse was their favorite. I found this a very refreshing way to start the day. There are a few verses that I love but one has been in my heart lately. 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10 ¨But he said to me, ¨ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.¨ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ´s power may rest on me. That is why for Christs sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.¨ I can go back to very specific times in my life where this verse showed me so much truth about God. It is in those times of weakness that God is growing and stretching you. He never fails to show up.
After breakfast, we headed to church. I got to connect with a 20-year old girl named Maria. There were moments when nothing was said, but we just sat in silence. Every now and then we would strike conversation and it was nice to understand a little. I really enjoyed being able to connect with her.
After church, we headed to Lake Atitlan. We drove 4 hours in the mountains. As we were driving through, for a long period of time we were in a cloud. I was sitting by the window and could see the edge of the road. But that was it. I knew we were up very high, but there was nothing to see but cloud. There was an eerie feeling inside of me. I was reminded of the third lord of the rings: the return of the king. The part when Aragorn had no choice but to go through the mountain to seek the dead spirits for help. Anyone who tried to pass through, never made it back alive. You can see where my imagination took ahold of me and ran. I also thought of Jurassic Park. Mountains, forest, eerie cloud fog...I was certain I was going to see a raptor dart in and out of the trees.
We made it to the hotel safe and sound. I founda beast with wings in our bathroom( AKA the largest moth I´ve ever seen) and happily killed it with my sparkly purple flip flops. I named it Thor. Not because the movie just came out, thats just the name it deserved.
Today felt like the longest day. Once we actually arrived in Guatemala, it felt like we had been here for days. Two buses picked us up at the airport to take us to the compound. The compound is guarded and surrounded by gates. Within these walls was a community and we were able to walk around in small groups without worry. Not long after we unpacked our things, we met Pastor Luiz and his family. We also met some other members of the Impacto staff.
The last time I was in a foreign country, people did not greet each other with a hug and kiss. In India, the most that was acceptable was a handshake. Greeting one another with a hug and kiss on the cheek is part of the Latin culture. After lunch we had free time. Right down the street from where we stayed, there was a little park with a basketball court(complete with soccer goals on each end), a zipline and places to sit and talk with one another. Today has been very relaxed. I can´t wait to see what the rest of the week has instore.
5-29-11
At breakfast this morning our leader picked a few people to share their favorite verses and then explain why that verse was their favorite. I found this a very refreshing way to start the day. There are a few verses that I love but one has been in my heart lately. 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10 ¨But he said to me, ¨ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.¨ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ´s power may rest on me. That is why for Christs sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.¨ I can go back to very specific times in my life where this verse showed me so much truth about God. It is in those times of weakness that God is growing and stretching you. He never fails to show up.
After breakfast, we headed to church. I got to connect with a 20-year old girl named Maria. There were moments when nothing was said, but we just sat in silence. Every now and then we would strike conversation and it was nice to understand a little. I really enjoyed being able to connect with her.
After church, we headed to Lake Atitlan. We drove 4 hours in the mountains. As we were driving through, for a long period of time we were in a cloud. I was sitting by the window and could see the edge of the road. But that was it. I knew we were up very high, but there was nothing to see but cloud. There was an eerie feeling inside of me. I was reminded of the third lord of the rings: the return of the king. The part when Aragorn had no choice but to go through the mountain to seek the dead spirits for help. Anyone who tried to pass through, never made it back alive. You can see where my imagination took ahold of me and ran. I also thought of Jurassic Park. Mountains, forest, eerie cloud fog...I was certain I was going to see a raptor dart in and out of the trees.
We made it to the hotel safe and sound. I founda beast with wings in our bathroom( AKA the largest moth I´ve ever seen) and happily killed it with my sparkly purple flip flops. I named it Thor. Not because the movie just came out, thats just the name it deserved.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Introducing team Jimenez/Bryant
If I were to find myself seeing people as they are seen by God... that's just too great a burden. The responsibility is suddenly overwhelming. It’s inconvenient. It takes so much time out of my day. It is an easy thing to go through life with only one’s own interests at heart. It is simple and clean. People are like objects, like pawns that are either tools for me to get what I want or else obstacles in the way of getting what I want. Every man for himself, right?
But we are commanded otherwise. And this is why we do what we do.
We will not excuse ourselves from what we are commanded. We will not bypass the question, “What can I do?” Should we expect to change the world? I don’t know, but we can be obedient. We can do our part.
We are a group who has been called together to serve, and so we follow the call to Guatemala. Our part is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world, to follow the example of loving others without expectation of anything returned, to bring the Kingdom. We represent countless family and friends who are partnering with us. We hope that you will join us on this journey. We hope that as God works in us and through us, you will be encouraged. We serve a God that is alive and active. He loves us and pursues us. Please be blessed by the news we share, and please keep us in your prayers. Join us in praying for safety, for needs to be met financially, and for the people in Guatemala to be blessed by our presence as we will, undoubtedly, be blessed by our experience.
Richie Brannon
But we are commanded otherwise. And this is why we do what we do.
We will not excuse ourselves from what we are commanded. We will not bypass the question, “What can I do?” Should we expect to change the world? I don’t know, but we can be obedient. We can do our part.
We are a group who has been called together to serve, and so we follow the call to Guatemala. Our part is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world, to follow the example of loving others without expectation of anything returned, to bring the Kingdom. We represent countless family and friends who are partnering with us. We hope that you will join us on this journey. We hope that as God works in us and through us, you will be encouraged. We serve a God that is alive and active. He loves us and pursues us. Please be blessed by the news we share, and please keep us in your prayers. Join us in praying for safety, for needs to be met financially, and for the people in Guatemala to be blessed by our presence as we will, undoubtedly, be blessed by our experience.
Richie Brannon
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Video
Guatemala - The Flood from Samuel Laubscher on Vimeo.
An edited version with shorter run-time and subtitles.
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