Day 10-Travels back to the United States

We were all on our own for breakfast this morning and met back up at a pizza hut at the Guatemala Airport. We were not ready to part from our fellowship and bonding so we played a few more rounds of cards before we boarded the plane. I gave the devotion this afternoon. I spoke from Philippians 2:1-11 and spoke about Imitating Christ's Humility. Most of us really had to step outside our comfort zones in order to take this trip. We all left our families in order to do God's work and many of us left small children. It was difficult at times and we were forced to experience a loss of control over our own world. How humbling to put all our trust in the Lord and see all that He allowed us to experience while in Guatemala. We had a long day of travel and finally arrived safely back in Indianapolis around 11 pm.

I am writing this last entry from the comfort of my own home and I can hear my children laughing and playing with their dad in the other room. I am tired, a little crabby, but most of all I filled with such thankfulness for all that the Lord has blessed me with. My eyes and heart were opened to a whole other world this week. It is a world in which we all came together in community and shared the gift of God's great love. I will carry the memories from this past week with me all my earthly days. I am so very thankful to have had this experience and it has made me want to continue to experience God's love in a much deeper way. For all of those that read the blog updates and prayed for us, we appreciate it more than you'll ever know. For my mission team members who may be finally getting around to reading this last post, I love you all.

"Well done, good and faithful servant..." Matthew 25:23

Day 9-House Blessings and travel back to Guatemala City

Our last day in Zacapa started with a BANG! We all woke up at 4:30 this morning to the sound of fireworks nearby. Some of us were not so sure they were fireworks and begged for comfort from our husbands, who were so tired they kept sleeping through the noise (thanks Shelby and Bob) We found out later this morning that the military school nearby was having a anniversary celebration...at 4:30 in the morning! Since we were all early to rise we packed up and "enjoyed" our last breakfast at Hotel Fuerte. I can't speak for all but I am pretty sure it will be a long time before I feast on fruit loops and warm milk.

Later in the morning we had the house blessings for each house. The dedications and blessings were beautiful and Orlinda and Elsa were so sincere with their gratitude. As expected it was very emotional saying good-bye to our dear friends that we have grown to love this past week. Our ride back to the hotel from El Maguey was the quietest ride of the week.

We left Zacapa around noon and began our drive through the mountains back to Guatemala city. I did not think the drive was all that bad until about half way through Shelby nudged me and asked "should we be worried that the driver just put on his seat belt" No one wears seat belts in Guatemala and I am not sure we even had them in the van we were in. After a few traffic jams we made it safely back and enjoyed warm showers and great dinners at the Crowne Plaza.

Day 8 pictures

Day 8

Today we started out with a devotion from Jason. He spoke to us about rest and shared with us scripture readings from Mark 6:30-42 and Genesis 2:2-3. There was very little work to be done at the church today and Elsa's house finished up early this afternoon. We held our last day of VBS and I think the kids had as much fun as we did. They seemed to really like the beaded bracelet craft they did today and they especially like all the goodies they received at the end. This evening we were all back at the church for the leadership workshop that Ron led. There had to be about 35 people there for it. There were more people there tonight than were at church service on Sunday night. Ron really knows how to draw a crowd. We played games outside with the kids during the workshop and passed out food to the church families after the workshop. They were so appreciative!

Both houses have steps and electric. Elsa's home is complete with windows and I suspect that by the house blessings tomorrow Orlinda's home will also be close to completion.

I am pretty tore up as I write this post. I never would have thought how attached I would get to the people of El Maguey. The kids have stole a piece of my heart and I know I will never be the same. We have experienced so much with this community this week. While we were here a member of the community had a fatal accident. The funeral was today and the family gathered a few doors from where Orlinda's house is being built. Ron and Shelby went to show our sympathy this afternoon and had an experience I know they will never forget. We have been embraced by this community and while we were here to serve and do God's work, so much more happened. Our hearts have been opened to a totally different way of life and changed forever by all that we have experienced here.

This will be the last post from Guatemala. We are leaving the computers here so we will have no access until we arrive home on Saturday night. The house blessing will be in the morning and then we are off to Guatemala City. Hot showers is all some of us can talk about right now. Keep us in your prayers tomorrow and Saturday as we travel back to Guatemala City and then home to all of you.

Day 7

We were all moving pretty slow this morning and you could tell that another day of working in the heat was not what we wanted to do. Nicole summed it up best this evening when she said that the houses would get done with or without us but it is God that needs us to be here and do His work and build community in His name. That is what really keeps us going. The relationships that are being built here in Zacapa are everlasting and far more important than the structures we are building.

There was great progress made to today. Both homes have all the floors done and the sidewalk is done at the church. Tomorrow we will do electrical work and windows at the homes as well as windows at the church. We had another great day of VBS and Larry led a dental clinic for the families of the community. They all left with bags filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss.

Devotion was led this evening by Milt and he spoke to us from Romans and shared about service and the importance of doing God's work. We gathered this evening with another CALMS group that is working near Zacapa and were entertained by a Mariachi band. Giovani was with us for the first part of trip in Antigua and he played in the band tonight. It was a very special treat for us to hear him play with his band. They were amazing!

Day 6

Much of the day was spent mixing and pouring the cement floors for both houses. The sidewalk at the church is ready for cement tomorrow. We had a little bit of down time today and took a long walk with some of the children to the river. We enjoyed the beauty of the trails leading to the river and had fun watching the kids run and play. They want to be with us all the time and love hanging and hugging on us. They are some of the most friendly people I have ever met. So welcoming, generous, and appreciative. Nicole held her hair clinic this afternoon and it was a huge success. They loved seeing new things to do with their hair and they all received shampoo and soap. VBS was more calm today and they enjoyed learning about Daniel and the Lions Den but most of all loved all the crafts. You can see them in the picture above wearing foam hats they made. The heat is getting to most of us and although the high today was 102 it felt a little cooler due to the breeze. Stacey and Bill did devotions this morning and they touched on compassion and serving. Both were great reminders of why we are here!

Day 5

Today we began with a devotion from the Pastor at the El Maguey church. He read from John 3:16 and blessed us all as we departed to our various work sites for the morning. Bill, Shelby, Jason, Ron and Amy began work on the Orlinda home. Milt, Bill, Maurya, Nicole, Stacy, and Jon began work on the Elsa home. Elsa's home has little shade and major work needed to be done to fill the floor so they spent the morning digging and filling. Milt thought it should be noted that it was 100 degrees today (but the felt like temp was 113) I am sure they would know, like I said there is little shade at that site. The children flock to the work sites and the boys really want to help. This was great at Orlinda's site as little Lester and Jose helped to bring us what was needed. At Elsa's site the girls wanted to be with Stacy and Nicole and took them on a journey to the river. I made a new friend in Margaret who lives next to the house for the Orlinda family and she introduced me to all the neighbors. I have a feeling it will be hard for us gals to get much done on the houses. Bob, Larry and Tony worked all day at the church preparing the sidewalk from the church to the bathrooms. They had an early set back when Larry hit a water pipe, but they seemed to going strong this afternoon. We held the first day of VBS and had about 40 kids. They were enthusiastic and loved playing with the parachutes and balls. We made it through our bible lesson and craft pretty well. We wanted to hold off on the parachute games until the end, but they kept asking to play ball and so we did. Totally crazy is the best way to sum up the rest of the afternoon at VBS. By the end of the day both houses had roofs and are ready for floors and windows.

Day 4 pictures

the church in El Maguey



Before picture of Orlinda house



Coin toss for Milt and Bill to pick their house site, Bill won the toss.



Before picture of Elsa house

Day 4-Visiting homes and church in El Maguey

This morning we traveled into El Maguey to visit the homes we will be working on. Elsa Molina and the Orlinda family met us at the homes and it was such a pleasure to meet them. We also visited the church to see what repairs we will be working on there and where we will hold the VBS. We had lunch with the Pastor and the families receiving the homes. With the help of Maurya and Karla we were able to bridge the language gap and formed some new friendships. This afternoon we visited with a few of the families that received homes in the past. It was moving to see them welcome us and some of the team were able to visit with their old friends from past mission trips. Nicole was able to see some of the little girls that she had developed friendships with two years ago and Ron, Bob, Jason, and Milt all seemed to be right at home visiting with old friends.

This evening we attended worship service with our new friends and for some of us it was an emotional experience. Most of us have never met any of the congregation, but because of our common faith we were able to follow in service and feel an instant connection. They are so appreciative that we are here so help in their community. The kids were beyond excited to see new faces and sing songs with us. They grabbed onto us right away and when we left this evening I thought some of them were going to get on the bus with us.

Upon walking out of church we saw a bright streak in the sky. Some of us thought it was a meteor but Elsa said "no it is just a plane" and she was closer than we were. It was the space shuttle on it's way to land in Florida. Something I don't think I will ever see again. Very cool!

Day 3 pictures

This is the main wall of the hotel



The beginning of the open air food market



We met this little friend, Fernando, while shopping at the market. He loved to play ball and wanted to show us his car.

Day 3- More of Antigua and travel to Zacapa

Our day began with a devotion from John. He shared with us the importance of celebrating God's blessings and to stop and take in the beauty around us. He also shared with us some reflections from Psalm 118. After devotion and prayer we packed up the van and headed to the main market in Antigua. Some of us bought more than others (we won't name any names)but I think we all enjoyed taking in more of the culture and the beauty of the people here in Guatemala. After seeing the open air food market that the locals shop at we have a better understanding of the simple way of life for many Guatemalans. It was an eye opening experience to see how another culture lives.

After a long afternoon of travel we made it safely to Zacapa. We are staying at Hotel Torre Fuerte in Zacapa. The hotel has a wonderful open area for us to gather and was home to some fellowship and friendly Euchre games this afternoon. Yes, there is no better way to bound in fellowship than over a game of Euchre. This evening we had a delicious meal and enjoyed the company of one of our new friends, Giovani.

I asked the others to let me know what they wanted to add to the blog posts. The only answer was from Tony...he wanted it stated that his roommate Larry locked him out not once, but twice. Larry, I would watch out if I were you.

Tomorrow we will visit where we will be building houses and some of the houses previously built. In the evening we will be attending church in El Maguey and passing out Spanish bibles and food packs.

2010 Guatemala Mission Away Team

The mission team includes:

Ron Hart, Milt Volosyn, Bill Culbertson, Bob and Stacy Jacobs, Shelby and Amy Bultemeier, Bill and Maurya Wendling, Jason and Nicole Lopez, John Meyer, Larry Vincent, and Tony Seyfried.

Day 2-Touring Antigua

Our day began with warm showers and a wonderful breakfast for all. Our morning devotion was led by Nicole and she offered great words of encouragement for our week ahead and the work we will be doing. Our shirts for this mission have the verse "We are His hands" Ephesians 2:10 It is amazing to be surrounded by this group of individuals that all have the passion for His work and are ready to encourage each other every step of the way. I feel so blessed to be on this journey with all of them. I love how God knows exactly when and whom to place in your life for a certain journey...just awesome!

Today we spent the day touring Antigua. We learned so much about the city and the culture here. We enjoyed a tour of a coffee plantation, a jade factory, and a climb to the top of the "Hill with a Cross" I could never describe it and do it justice so I posted a picture above. When we were finishing up our afternoon near the main square a procession began. Since today marks the first Friday of Lent we were privledged to witness a Guatemalan custom during Lent. I hope I get this correct, but this is what I got...Today they processed through the streets carrying a statue of Jesus with the cross and each day they honor a different saint. Today it was done by the children at a local church in which they carried the platform and stopped at points along the way for prayer. Simply moving!

Tomorrow we will travel to Zacapa and settle in for the week. I think I can speak for the group when I say we are all eager to get started. Just cannot wait to see what the Lord has planned for us this week.

Also, please forgive typo's and spelling errors. Grammer is not one of my God given gifts and the blog keeps spell checking in Spanish.

We have a long bus ride ahead of us tomorrow...please pray for safe travels.

Day 1-travel and Antigua

We arrived in Guatemala City around lunch time and headed straight to Pollo Comparo (much like KFC in the U.S) where we enjoyed lunch. Our travels were uneventful, accept for when Ron sat in gum during the first leg of the trip. No doubt he'll be hearing about that one for a while. We arrived in Antigua later in the afternoon. Some of us took naps while the rest of us ventured out to see some of Antigua. It is a beautiful city and the cultural heart of Guatemala. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner here at the Lutheran Center and then resorted the supplies for the week. The bonus so far has been that we had a pleasent surprise when we discovered the hot water for showers.

Mission Trip 2010

Our next Mission Away trip will leave for Guatemala Thursday, February 18, 2010 and return Saturday, February 27, 2010.

The team will be working in El Maguey, Zacapa. They will continue to build houses for the most needy. The Elsa Molina family and the Orlinda Ardon family will be recipients of new houses (see photos of families below).




In addition, our team will do repairs on the local Lutheran Church as well as conducting afternoon VBS, distributing Spanish Bibles, distributing meal packets, and teaching English as a second language to some of the local church leaders.