12Stone Guatemala Blog

Wednesday, July 4th Missing our Independence Day could have possibly been a downer, but the blessings were endless today. The day started off at 7:30am with a great breakfast and even better moments with Pastor Luis. He shared his knowledge and wisdom of the Bible with us alongside Dawn, Sharron, and Jason. Dawn stepped up and shared her favorite verse and boldly gave her testimony to all of us. Sharron also shared her testimony and brought tears to many dry eyes. Jason stepped out in faith and shared this verse: "Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more then we would ever dare to ask or imagine" Ephesians 3:20. We headed out on foot to the high school where we began with our Prodigal Son skit. We performed the skit in two different classrooms, which lead into questions about Jesus and His Word. The students were responsive especially when Cory, Austin, and Jeremy shared their testimonies relating to peer pressure of daily teenage lives. Our incredible team leader, Wayne, made things fun for the class by raising their hands for them, giving us much more feedback. One of the students, Regina, shared scripture with us, which made us realize the impact of our journey. "Teach your children to choose the right path and when they are older they will remain upon it" Proverbs 22:6. Shortly after, the group retreated to the outdoors and challenged the kids in basketball, futból, and conversation. Cory taught the young adults some cool handshakes and how to say 'Amen' in sign language. After receiving hugs and goodbyes, we went on our way. After lunch, the group split up. One group went to the school again with the younger kids and one went up the mountain to a church in Santa Clara. The group that went to the school played a lot of basketball, futbol, and performed arts and crafts. Kids were being swung around and brought to intense dizziness. While swinging a little girl around, Austin knocked another little girl in the face causing a bloody nose. Shannon and Sutton rushed to the rescue and nursed the girl back to health. In the spirit of forgiveness, Austin took the injured girl and swirled her around like a helicopter too. The other group trekked up the mountain into the clouds, literally. The elevation rose to tremendous heights and it felt like another country. We first performed a skit on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Afterwards, the little children decorated prayer journals with stickers and drawings. Then we went outside and breathed in the clouds while playing futból. It was very different playing on cobblestone streets and will leave a lasting impact. We headed off to dinner and filled our happy tummies, and then headed back to the hotel for debrief. We reflected on the great day and the many blessings we received. We closed in prayer and said our goodnights. Tomorrow will be a very powerful day and we can use all the prayers we can get. Please pray for Christ to work through each and every one of the kids we will serve with tomorrow. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. AMEN!