The call (2009 Guatemala mission)

are we home yet?

2009-07-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you squint your eyes, you just might see it. Or at least you think you can. Do you even know what you are looking for?

I think I have found it. It being that little something. Yes, that little something that God says is mine to keep. It is no longer on the horizon for me. It is right here. Right here with me. It is inside of me and before me. It is a promise and a mystery. It is hope in uncertainty. It is that little something. It beats, it keeps me alive. It is warm, it was once cold. It loves to love and be loved. It was once hard, but now soft. It held no water and now rains with feelings. It was once dead and now lives with a new life.

Do you ever wonder if it was real. That day you made the choice. You know. The choice to accept Christ not only as your saviour, but as your Lord. I know it was real. I have the proof. He gave me a present that day. And it has made all the difference. You find yourself so thankful of what has been done for you that you serve out of the joy of your heart. There it is. Did you catch it? Did you read what I said? "out of the Joy of your heart". I do not think that mine was ever alive until that day. Ya I know what you are thinking. I always had one and now that I have accepted Christ I have become a softy. I have laid down my manhood and become a whoose. I do not think you are right( and I know not all of you thought that). I studied Romans with my small group and we pivited on Romans 12: 1+2

Therfore, I urge you, brothers. In view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

That day I gave up my life. Yes, the one that I used to know. The one that lived by the worlds standards. I was raised from the dead and given this new life. This I know, because of the gift, that little something. That thing that lets me serve in joy. Give in joy. And someday pass from this world in joy. My Lord, My saviour gave me my heart and it feels. When Jesus Said let the children come to me I know how he feelt. When he had compasion for the lost and confussed of this world I understand how he feelt. He gave me my heart. It is one that works the way it is suppose to. Like his.

This is the dilema. He gave me my heart. And I am home sick. I never feel as though I am home any more. The place I was just at did not feel like home to me. When I am home I do not feel as though I am home. There is a restlessness now. I feel, I need to go. Go? Go home. go back, go again, go on, go forth and give. Give what has been given to me. No I am not talking about leaving my wife and kids. That is not at all what this is about. So don't go there. I am talking service to my Lord. Out of the joy of my heart. And I am no longer content sitting at home not doing it.

Sometimes I sit and stare off in a daze and ask myself this rhetorical question, "are we home yet?"

My body flew, but my soul took the bus

2009-07-12T19:38:00.001-07:00

We are all still trying to adjust. Get back to the groove of being here back in a country that is blessed by prosperity and freedoms you just do not see around the world. I think it is common for some to make the comment that they are getting used to the real world again when in fact we are in a sheltered society. That was the real world we were in. Life for most there is real. It is harsh, It is raw. There are no safety nets that catch you as you fall. These people live on the tight rope 30 floors high with no safety net.`

This example was played out over and over again. The woman with the foot soars. We were attempting to deal with the infecting. The comment was made is that her situation was a matter of the chicken or the egg. The attention that was given to her feet was to deal with the infections and ulcers to see if that would help her comfort level. The real view was that we were there and we cared and we gave from the heart and she could see Jesus moving around her as we became his hands and feet.

Another example was the 80 something woman who had breast cancer and it had gone unchecked for so long it was growing outside her body(if I understood the med jargon correctly). There was nothing that we could do for her. The truth was that Jesus was there and he was doing for her what she needed. To know that someone cared. That some one loved her. Jesus.

The real world is in turmoil. It is not a sheltered society where we constantly ask what is in it for me. We have been given a blessing from God. And if we are real Christians, Followers of Jesus Christ, If we truly love our Lord. We will use those blessing to bless others. Did you ever stop to think why God would give you more than you needed.

This week my kitchen, dining room and downstairs family room were destroyed by water damage from a mechanical failure in the ice tray of the freezer. This seems like a horrible thing to go through. In the real world like Cerro de Oro. Your house(hut, shanty) is made of a tin roof, corn stalk walls corn stalk door and a dirt floor. your oven consists of a fire pit in the middle with the stone above it for cooking tortia. No chimney, so the smoke rolls across the ceiling and lingers in the room for the whole family to breath. If you call that a house. We are going through a "recession" in this country, but are we really giving from our poverty. I don't think most in this country understand what poverty really is. We have it here, right here in our own country. It is just hidden. That is because it bothers people to look at it. And they shelter there eyes so they can go on living the way that they do, with out the guilty conscience. Building these house was a major gift. It gives real security, real shelter, and a real understanding of how God provides. Not one of us did this on our own. We all had help.

We all had help from people like yourselves that were move to support us in this mission. Please do not think for one minute that this was a vacation to a beautiful tropical country that we relaxed and got tans. We worked, we loved, we sweat, we cried.

Yet you look at this society of people. People you can honestly say are "dirt floor poor". They stick together. They think about each other. When we were handing out the unders and dental hyg. stuff they were not greedy, they were considerate. They did not want to take too much and deny someone else. We practically had to twist there arms to take what they needed.

This is also a society that does not " sit on its a-- waiting for a hand out. Like a lot of this one. These are people that are creative with there resources. They make life work with what they have. For example, Our mission auction provided funds to build two houses. The material was bought and delivered. It was not sitting there waiting for us to get started and build these house for them. We showed up and the house were half done. We just provided the means, they already had the initiative.

We are still trying to adjust to this privileged life style . I for one am not here yet. It is like my body flew on the plain, but my soul decided to take the bus.

2009-07-10T05:21:00.000-07:00

(from left to right)

T=translater

T-Pablo Majus

T-Luis Hernandez Fernandez

Guate coordinater- Gloria Ca'ceres

T-Jose' Roberto Fernandez

T- Suzy Frank

T-Pablo Mazariegos

OOR, Liason- Katherine Cheng

Josue'

What an awsome crew. We all had a lot of fun. And they work so hard for us.

Thanks Guys/Gals, it has been a memerable experience.

A hard day is coming

2009-07-10T01:52:00.000-07:00

We started the morning in the village. This is an experience that I think every Christian should have. To be humbled. To show the love of Jesus. To surrender to his love and let it pour out on these people who try so hard to have the simplest of staples to live.

"I finding myself at a loss for word

and the funny thing is, it's ok

The last thing I need, is to be heard.

But to hear what you would say.

(Chorus)

Word of God speak

Would you pour down like rain

washing my eyes to see

your majesty

to be still and know

that you are in this place

please let me stay

and rest in your holyness

word of God speak.

I am finding myself in the midst of you

Beyond the music,beyond the noise

All that I need is to be with you

And in the quiet, Hear your voice

(chorus)x2

Mercy Me "Word of God Speak"

I thank you Lord for allowing us to come here and share your love with these people. Lord you have given me so much. You have given me my next breath to breath. The least I could do is love like you.

I have been with this team for 8 day and the amount of love that has poured out of these people has been amazing. It is not something to have pride in, but to have comfort in. To know that God is here in THIS place. That God has chosen a few weak people and shown his majesty through them. To have a group of believers who cannot communicate through word, but are perfectly understood because of the love of Christ that is spoken through our actions.

We are going to the school to say good bye this morning. I know it is going to be hard to go. The comfort we have is that God is here. Yes he is in this place.He is the hope we have. He is the hope they have. I am at a loss for words. Because he has said everything he needs them to hear. And I am grateful that I have been a part of it. Thank you Lord, you are amazing.

He will shelter us with his love

2009-07-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day in the village. It is Thursday. We are going to the village to hand out extra underwear, socks, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

The title: "He will shelter us with his love" I will let the picture speak for them selves. I slept last night (Yes 5hrs of sleep !!!!!) And did not worl on the blog.

Please pray for my water tank. I have not been able to get it to stop leaking and tonight will be my last chance to get it done.

The title: "He wil shelter us with his love." I will let the pictures speaks for themselves. I gotta get going. I slept all night and did not blog. Yes!!!! I slept. 5hrs last night.

2009-07-08T06:19:00.000-07:00

The test of impossibilities

(Chris Tiegreen)"At his feet"

"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"

Jn 6:5

IN WORD

Jesus asks Philip this probing question. It seems innocent enough, but there is a test in it. Jesus gives Philip an impossibilty to consider. And Philip's response indicates a mind set with which we can all sympathize.We look at the situatio, think of how to solve it in human terms, and lament about our lack of resources. There isn't enough money. There isn't enough time. There aren't enough people. We have insufficient means.

We, like Philip, forget whom we are dealing with. The situation is never too big for Jesus. He is not bound by our resources. In fact, if we had sufficient means, He probably would choose to work with someone else. His power cannot be demonstrated among people with self-sufficiency. He is waiting for Andrews of the world to come to him with a pityfully limited supply and ask, full of doubt, " But how far will this go?" (v9) Having brought His people to the point of knowing their own poverty and limitations, He is ready to work.

I will end with the above devotion I read this morning. and let the pictures speak.

Jesus is here.

Love , a blessing that speaks a infinit amout of words.

And the water flowed

2009-07-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

I have tried all night to write something meaningful. To allow you to feel the day as we experienced it. I still have know idea how to write this so I will try to let it flow.

Our morning just burst into movement with the offloading of supplies into the school for the day there and running to and and from hardware stores and markets to get the supplies that we needed.

Kieth was called into action almost immediately with the buzz on the street. An elderly woman was walking pasts us and a little red taxi beeped to let her know he was coming by. she turned to see the taxi and did not see the speed bump in front of her. this 85 yr old woman tripped and broke her nose. blood was everywhere.

The construction team got organized and flowed like a team should. The example was set and even though they could not speak the local indian dialect the locals knw what to do. It was said that it seemed as though they could just speak to eachother though love. They jopined in and helped and the work force doubled. With this amount of help they were able toget the floors done on these houses incredibly fast. The helper from the church says at this rate the will have the houses done in a day or two.

They passed the bucket brigade of dirt and rocks toi fill ibn the floors. They jumped into the back of a truckl and road it into town to grab the lumber for the roofs

I was pulled off the construction team as expected to plumb up a water storage take on the roof of the school.

The medical team got organized and saw about 45 children and adults through the course of the day. We started the lice treatments and stopped and started and stopped and I will explain later about this.

Half of the construction team came back to the school and helped with the VBS. At first there were only a few kids(apprx 10) then there numbers exploded to about 100-150. It was a great day for VBS and they described it as controlled kaos.

Vbs worship, games and crafts. just God loving craziness.

Half of the construction team stayed in the village and sveral of the woman from the church came to the village to talk, encourage, and pray for the people who are in such need of the love of Christ.

Jenn discribed how they went into the homes of this village and talked and prayed. They had no translaters with them and yet she knew what they were saying and what they were praying for. And she prayed with themwith heart fealt words that the holy spirit just poured out of them and the tears flowed.

The day ended in the village with Keith coming out to wash and treat this ladies feet that I showed you pictures of. It was a picture of Jesus to me, the care and the love that Keith, Melonie, and Chantelle showed to this woman as they washed her and touched her with love and respect. I am at a loss for words to discribe my teammate. Keith took off his own socks to help keep her feet clean and keep the bugs out. Melonie said that as soon as they peeled a scab off to treat it the flies and bugs would sworm to get into the freshly exposed wound. Tara gave her own shoes tohelp the woman keep her feet out of the dirt and to try and give her comfort. They discribed there working together as though they k new what the other need, Chantelle would hand Keith tools and swabs and bandages with out him even getting to speak a word. They described it as though there thought just flowed together.

Our evening ended with dinner and a visit from the ladies from the church. They had brought some of ther bead and loom work for us to buy. We shared how the day effected us(as how I got the stories for above). We shared the love that flowed from the team and how the teamwork flowed and our tears flowed as Jenn described her experience with the women in the village praying. And I could not hold back my tears as I watch Keith tear up as he described that we would not be able to cur the woman in the village. That she has a serious blood cerculation problem that is causing the ulcers on her legs and feet.

I am still not sure how to write all of this. I am crying as I remember the stories of the days events.

I will end with the story of how our laughter flowed.

The pastor came to pic up the women selling there works and explained with a smile that I was in trouble. During my work on the tank on the roof I was working with a deacon from the church. Though most of the time I had access to the translaters at this moment I did not and our comunication did Not flow. I had to drain the storage tankl to cut in a tee and I cut the top of the pipe to have a controled leak to drain it down. I went to start on another part of the work and turned to see the Deacon cutting the pipe all the way off. He thought he was doing what I had asked and it was not. Just a big communication break down. The water flew off the roof and hit the tin roof and went showering into the courtyard where Jack was trying to tell the story of (AHHHH I cant remember there names ) Meshack shadrack and benny in the furnace. Hope you are laughing at me becaus eeveryone did and I am ok with that.Well this is not the end of the story. In the attempt to get the water from showering into the courtyard we put a 90 elbow on the pipe and attach another pipe to direct the water the other direction. The water shot of the into the street and into the back of a truck filled with the women that were waiting to be driven to the village to pray.

To look back there are words that describe and join a common themne through this story we are in. Like the love of Christ. His living water will fill us and flow from us aand we will never thirst again. The Love flowed, the teamwork flowed, The work flowed, the prayers flowed, the tears flowed, the laughter flowed, and the water flowed.

Dear God, Father, Daddy, I love you. Thank you for letting us be here.

Ther is no I in team.

2009-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

My intention, when I started this blog, was to get the other team mates to help me write it. This is not what has happened. I am not bitter by no means. It has given me something to do while I am up all night. There is a reason that I tell you this. Now that we are dividing up and going to other places . I have to rely on others feed back as to what I write about and it is coming from my perspective. Forgive me for this. The last thing I want, is this to be about me and not about what God is doing through our team and this community. Enough about this and on to the day.

Heavenly father I pray that you will help me with this. Not for my glory, But for Your glory. Help me show the wonders of your work through our team matess. Help me color the picture of your love and how you love us all.

I pray this in your sons name

Amen

Short blog fast morning

2009-07-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry everone this is a short one.

Please pray for our teams as we divide and worship our Lord Jesus.

We have a medical team that will be at the school looking at children in the morning and parent and other family members in the afternoon. 12 of us are heading to Cerro de Oro for construction. We will be filling in the floors of the building for a concrete pour later this week. Half of this team will break away after lunch and do VBS at the school.

I (Barrett) will be working all night tonight downloading pics to the blog . I will be on fb also for all you night owls who want to say hi.

Lord protect our teams today and allow us to let your light shine.
In your name
Amen

Meet the team x4

2009-07-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Chantelle

Hi. My name is Tara Mowreader and I have two jobs. My first job is as a mom of three kids- Baudilio, Ryan and Ashley. I also work for High Pointe Church as the Director of Children’s Ministries. This is my 6th trip to Guatemala and I am really excited that this year I am traveling with my husband Jack. J We decided last year that we wanted to experience a mission trip together as a couple. So we prayed about it and felt like God led us to Guatemala.
As far as prayer requests, I would ask that you pray for our kids (they are hanging out with their grandparents in Mississippi having a blast) and pray for our team. Pray for good health and for energy to accomplish the things God has for us. And pray for the people we will be serving here in Guatemala.
Thanks! J

Meet the team cont. cont. cont.

2009-07-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

-Parker Reed
-Full-time student
-When my parents first proposed that there would be an opportunity to go out of the country to help serve on the mission field, I was instantly interested. Having never been out of the country I saw an opportunity to travel and to spread the wonderful gospel of our Lord and Savior.
-for physical strength to stay healthy for the whole week and for spiritual resilient against the devil’s schemes.

My name is Barrett Hartman, I am a father of four and have been married for coming up on 15 yrs. My wife Amy and I have been together for come on 20 yrs. I have four kids 2,4,7 and 10. I am a journeyman plumber for local 32 out of seattle. I work as a foreman for Mckinstry co. for going on 7 yrs

This is my 3rd mission trip in as many years and my second time to Guatemala. My first mission was to New Orleans in 07 on the anniversery week of my fathers death. I knew then I had found my calling. After last year in Guate I knew I was coming back. I have been waiting to come back since the day I returned home last year.
I pray that I will be vigulant in keeping my eyes on Jesus as I step out of the boat.

My name is Greg Reed and I am a salesman for a company that sells material handling equipment (stuff for warehouses). I enjoy handyman stuff and generally anything that could possibly involve a trip to your local home supply center J . After my trip to Guatemala in 2007 I knew I would be back. I fell in love with the people and the orphans, although we didn’t get to return to the orphanage in Xela (shey-la) on this trip. I am fortunate to make this trip with my family, wife, son and daughter. I ask you to join me in prayer as we look to follow God’s leading this week and how we may serve the people of Santiago in the future.

I’m Brooke and I will be a student at Seattle Pacific University starting in September of this year. In addition to being a student, I referee soccer and also enjoy playing sports and going running. I started feeling a call to go to Guatemala after both of my parents came back from their mission trips. While listening to their stories, I felt God telling me that it was time for me to do something with the gifts he had given me. It was no use for me to simply use Spanish during school; I felt like there was a greater purpose. There is always a reason that God blesses us with certain interests and abilities. Some prayer requests that I have are that during the trip, the entire group will stay safe and healthy, but also that we will be brought outside of our comfort zones so that we can see all that God will do through us. I am excited to see how we will impact those around us and share the Word of God.

2009-07-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we went to the village of Cerro de Oro. Time was spent playing with the children as we walked from jobsite to jobsite Surveying what we have instore for us tomorrow and this coming week.

Our Doc. Keith saw some of the home owners of the houses we are building. What a blessing to have a doctor on our team. His comments on her condition.......

"She has infected ulcers on both feet and lower legs with a significant amount of swelling. Since we did not have our medical supplies with us, we will return tomorrow to clean the ulcers to determine the cause and then treat as indicated."

Meet our country liason for orphan outreach of Guatemala, Gloria Caceres. She has done just an awsome job for us. Some of the earlier Buckner teams should remember her.

Tracy settling for a regular Coke.

We thought Paula and Tara were not going to get back on the bus. They were definately in there element.

Pastor Thomas, head of missions showed us there mission church they have in the village. They have 50 families attending this church that has services on Sunday and Wednesdays. They have performed 15 baptisms in this church since in opened 2 years ago. They lease this property and are currantly trying to save to buy something more perminent. We all gathered inside and did a prayer circle. What a blessing to see how God is working here.

And Finally a picture of what your donations are doing for these families. They recieved the supplies and started working . Pastor Thomas is doing the construction with a helper. They are about halfway done. We get to come in and help with the final phases.

And for me. They discovered that I am a plumber. I will be helping install a 750 liter water storage tank on the top of the school in town and fixing the toilets and sinks of which most are broken.

Heavenly father Thank you for keeping us safe and exposing us to the needs of these people. It is going to be a difficult week. I pray for the woman with the foot infection. That our love poured out will help her heal that the medical attention she recieves will allow her to heal and have more comfort in her life and see how you love her so much. Keep us safe and our families safe at home. Please allow Shaun to get the right amount of rest so he feels healthy tomorrow and please allow Paula's migraine finally go away tonight as she sleeps.

We pray these things in your name Lord

Amen

neon fruit and baptisms

2009-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

The morning started with a wonderful breakfast of blue corn pancakes and neon fruit, but man was it good.

After breakfast we all piled into the van and headed through town to view the damage and attend a baptism ceromony.

Pics of the flood of mud that raced through the village at early morning.

Pastor Diego baptizing

In all 8 men and 5 women were baptized. This event only happens twice a year. We feel blessed to be part of this special event.

2009-07-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

(Jenn and Paula)

The day has been a rough day of travel and we are now at the hotel that we will stay at during this week.
We have checked into our rooms and have had minimal down time to rest from the long day of travel. The afternoon was spent going through our supplies and reorganizing them back into the suitcases. This was followed up by a delicious dinner at the hotel restaurant. We had a wonderful surprise in that Pastor Diego, his wife and his 2yr old daughter. Were able to show up in time for desert with us.
Pastor Diego gave about an hour long testimony of how he came to be a pastor and how his church has been a missionary church around this lake. It is very fitting that we are able to come and help in the Lord’s Mission with this man and this group of churches.
Some of the highlights that I can remember from his long testimony
When growing up he was very poor. He was not able to go to school because of this until he was 9 years old.
He was a short time later shamed and dropped out.
His father was an alcoholic, a gambler, and an absent father.
All of his brothers and sisters died from diseases.
His mother was always very ill
After dropping out of school his mother sent him to go work construction for his uncle. He had to mix the cement at the age of 10 or 11. Said he cried every day, it was very hard work for him. At the end of the week he would get paid about the equivalent of 90 cents. This bought food for his mother and his sister.
Later his father joined the Guatemalan army and when Diego turned 14 his father said he was going to make a man out of him and wanted to fill out his papers for him to join the Guatemalan army also.. Diego left his home village and went to Guatemala city. He sold fruit and vegetable on the side of the road to make money .
While in Guatemala city he went to a poor persons version of seminary school.
While there he went to the church every day and prayed for his father, that he would come to know Christ.
One day he receive a message that his father had been murder by Gorilla militia for being a member of the Guatemala army. With this news he came home to find out that his father had given his life to Christ and became a very active member of there church.
Later they gave him all of the responsibilities that his father had in the church. And once they found out the training that he had they wanted him to become the pastor
He fought this calling. He did not want to become the pastor because people always complained about there pastors and they do not get paid very much at all and he did not want to be poor for the rest of his life.
Later he gave in to God’s calling and his church has been blessed ever since. They are not rich people not even by Guatemala standards, but they are rich in spirit and God has provided for them what they need.
Just listening to Pastor Diego talk we all heard the need of this 4 church community of 400+ Christ followers and there are so many ways that we as a church family can help.
Clothing, shoes, sports shoes, construction, medical, and as I remember more of it I will mention more of it. One specific need was for musical instruments. Specifically piano keyboards. They used to have a few keyboards and several students. Most of those student have gone on to become pastors themselves. Melinda’s eyes lit up when he said this. Her story after he left was that somebody had donated some money to her and had asked her to spend it on what she thought God was calling her to spend it on. She , being a musician, bought an inexpensive keyboard to bring with us. Her intent was to leave it here. This was an awesome story of the wonders of God’s calling for us to be here and how we have listened and responded.
I can see us coming back here for a long time to come.

Father God you have spoken to us through scripture. You have told us that if we provide for the least of these we will have provided for you. Pastor Diego here in Santiago has listened to your words and has loved the least of these. He has loved you. Lord I pray we can help him with this great work you are doing through him. He has brought a school to this area and has rejected none from it. Your churches here Lord have given food and clothing when there has been little for themselves. Lord they are joyfully giving out of there poverty. Lord may we learn from this example and joyfully give back to you.
In your name Jesus, this I pray.
Amen

2009-07-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning as we wake up to the smells of Guatemala.

Happy fourth of July to all at home.

We have waken for those that went to sleep. from our wonderful sleep here at the Vista Real Hotel.

It is a great reminder to us all as you walk around the hotel and see all the angels all over the hotel. I read Jude 5 this morning to remind myself that the war has already been won and we are just coming to enjoy the promises of God.

We all are getting ready to jump on the bus and head for Panabaj. Please pray for our safe travel throught the country.

Meet the team cont. cont.

2009-07-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am Paula Darr. A wife, mother of 2, para professional, christian and missionary. I have a child with special needs and work with children with special needs in my daily job as well. They hold a dear place in my heart and therefore I also helped to start a special needs ministry at church.
This is my 2nd mission trip to Guatemala, although I have also been on 3 solo trips to the orphanage in Xela as well. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the less fortunate of this world. I knew at a young age that God had placed that gift with me. I fell in love with the children, people and country on my very first visit. It is amazing to share the love of Christ with someone who is so hungry for hope and to see their eyes fill with happiness maybe even for the very first time. You feel a connection so strongly, so quickly regardless of culture, ethnicity, economic status, etc. And I truly feel that what we experience here is just a little glimpse of what heaven will be like - people helping people and loving one another with no expectations, unconditionally.
My prayer requests for this trip are that simply that God would use me in ways that I never thought possible. I want to be a light to the people that I come in contact with. Also, pray that I do not have any migraines so that I can stay strong for my team and do the work that God has called me to do. Lastly, for my flying anxieties and safe travels.
Thank you so much for your support of our team. We know we are not alone and that means so much. We look forward to sharing with you all the wonderful things Creator has in store for us and the people we have bent sent to help!

My name is Shaun DeForrest and I teach Physical Education for a living. I work in the Enumclaw School District. I have been wanted to go on a mission trip for years but health and finances were a roadblock in my mind. I felt God tugging at my heart to go this year and I decided that I need to listen and act on faith that God will provide all my needs. Please pray that I stay healthy. My right leg has been hurting the past month and I don’t want it to hinder me while in Guatemala.

My name is Tracy Hansen, and I am a wife and a mother of three.
I work part-time for High Pointe Community Church as the controller: I pay bills and produce financial statements for the director’s of the church. I am also a full-time stay-at-home mom to my kids, but it has been easier this year now that all three are in school full time.
This is my second mission trip with High Pointe, but my fourth to this country. I made two solo trips (with a few friends) and I just fell in love with Guatemala and its people. Especially the children in the orphanage in Xela. When the opportunity came to go again with the mission team this year, I decided to pray about it to see if this was what I was being called to do. I was also “encouraged” by a few teammates to apply! It was not a hard decision in my heart, but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going for the wrong reasons. And when the decision was made to go to the new location, I was very excited to know that we would be working with families. I know that this experience will be a wonderful one for me.
My prayer requests are for safe travel for our team, as well as my family at home. I also want prayer for the two families we will be building houses for, as well as Pastor Diego and the children at the school. This is a wonderful opportunity for our church to set up a partnership with this community in Guatemala and I pray God will open their hearts to receive the love and the work we will do in His name.

Meet the team cont.

2009-07-04T04:21:00.000-07:00

My name is Jennifer Tolle; most know me as Jenn. I’m a 26 year old marketing consultant in the financial industry, proudly one of not many who actually do the work they went to school to do. That said, a small plug for HUSKIES here! Go Dawgs!
The call to go to Guatemala was a long time coming - God had been preparing me for at least a year before I even considered applying for missions. I had actually originally planned to go to South Africa but after learning of the work we would do with children in Guatemala, it became pretty clear that it was there God wished to use me. You see, there are requirements for each missions applicant, all of which I had just “happened” to meet at the time of application. Service in church - check. God had nudged me to serve in KidZone last summer and Alex VanSteen is a hard guy to say “I’ll just serve summer” to. Active participation in small groups - check. With lots of notes in hand, I had barely survived Chris Barnard’s wonderful Apologetics class. Consistent attendance to High Pointe - check. A strong desire for spiritual growth - check. Then the details of working with children in Guatemala - check. My service in TRACK (the 5th & 6th grade ministry) was preparing me without my knowing. I prayed for a few weeks before submitting an application and with much nudging from friends saying “you’d be great!” I went for it. As I type this, it’s 6:49pm Texas time (ask Kevin if you need some help with that one…) and on my way to be used by God.
My prayer request is that each of the missionaries on this team keep an open mind and willingness to drop our original plans and thoughts going into this trip when and where we need to. I pray that we are flexible and willing to be used wherever we’re needed. I pray that we are able to establish a long-lasting partnership with Pastor Diego and his church in Santiago, with an opportunity to provide additional support year-round. This is my first missions trip personally and I’m excited to see what God has in store for us in Panabaj and I pray that He moves in HUGE and very VISIBLE ways to the residents in this little town. Without hope in Christ, this world just isn’t what it was intended to be.
Thank you to all my family and friends who have supported me with prayers, kind words of love and encouragement, as well as financially as I prepared for this call to mission work. For those of you considering missions, I encourage you to follow along on our journey and search your heart - allow yourself to be guided by the Spirit inside of you - you’ll know what to do.

My name is Melanie Moore,
I am excited to be on this years mission trip to Guatemala, I have gone several times in the past.
I definitely have a calling to share Gods love with the people of Guatemala. God has given me a servants heart and an open mind. I believe my bests gifts God has given me are my mothering skills which I fully use in Guatemala and at home in Puyallup. My husband and I have four daughters. My oldest daughter Brielle is accompanying me on this years trip. I have waited a long time to share Guatemala with her. I look forward to see how God will work in both of our lives during this time.

Melinda Reed
Director of Spiritual Growth at High Pointe
Greg and I have prayed for several years for an opportunity to do missions as a family and we are excited that this is the year. I know God has much in store for us as we extend His hands and feet. It’s not about us but who He is through us!
Pray for physical strength and a humble spirit.

Meet the team

2009-07-03T23:42:00.001-07:00

My name is Brielle Moore and I am Melanie Moore’s daughter. I am student and a cheerleader at Rogers High School. I work at McDonalds. With both of my parents having gone to Guatemala in the past and seeing their pictures and how it changed there lives, I have always desired to go there and experience it for myself. . I feel with the leadership skills I possess and through countless prayers I feel more than lead to go to Guatemala and serve the Lord. As far as prayer requests go, I pray for our team and our traveling safety as well as our families at home.

Jack Mowreader
I work at Amazon.com in the finance department
Three years ago, my wife Tara and I made a decision to adopt a pre teen from Guatemala. Tara had been on a number of mission trips to an orphanage in Guatemala. We felt that God was providing for us so we could adopt someone into our home and provide for them. Our son Baudilio has been with us for a little over two years now and we felt that we should be giving back to Guatemala for the blessing we have received in him. I finally had an opportunity to take some time from work and accompany Tara this year. It was something we have planned for over a year. I am very excited to go to Panabaj and minister to this community. I am eager to find out what God has planned for us.
I would ask for prayers in that we could form a strong bond with the church in Santiago and that that relationship would yield an opportunity for us to interact and minister to this population year round. I have been praying for an opportunity like this for years. I would like for us to be able to provide year round support and develop a long term partnership with the local church.

Keith Havenstrite, Physician, Called to serve those who have so little access to healthcare. Please pray that we will provide our care with the grace and love of Christ and that their hearts will be open to Jesus as we address their physical well-being.

fluffy stacks of mashed potatoes

2009-07-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

A three hour flight gives us plenty of time to do the little things like getting to know our neighbor, or flip threw a bridal magazine, or catch some winks.
We were looking at a butch of clouds and noticing that they looked like big fluffy stacks of mashed potatoes. The weather is always sunny up here but the ride is not always smooth. The captain has just came across the intercom and announced that we are in for a section of bumpy clouds. And so far they are like driving an old truck down a pothole filled gravel road. Not really scary but it sure makes it hard to grab a sip of coffee without taking a gulp.

Next post: the team intro's.

Please if you have not sign on to the blog site (as a follower) listed under my profile picture on fb Please do, so we know you are following. Those that are commenting on my facebook site. If the comment is for me that is great. But the rest of the team is not getting it. I try to make announcements of the comment, but not everyone is gettting to hear it. If the comment is made on the blog site everyone will get a chance to read the comments and respond.

Grace and peace

Barrett

And we wait.......... but that's ok.

2009-07-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

We are here. Waiting in the airport. Our bags are checked and we have made it through security. With only a minor incident. I forgot to take my laptop out of my bag. If that is the only thing that happens to us we are pretty lucky.
Now the wait. Although short. For some it is a long wait to get on something you fear. Please pray for Paula Darr. It is no secret to most that getting on a plane is WAY out of her comfort zone.
Thank you all who have signed on to this blog. It is encouraging to us to see who is following. I will follow up when we get to Houstan if I have time.
Lord please bless this flight. May we be confident in your promises and may we meet new and wonderful people who will see your glory through us.
One note of apology….. I am one of those people that once I get someones name wrong in my head it take forever to get it changed in there. ……….I wrote that we where at Craig and Wendy Finney’s house. It is actually Spencer and Wendy Finney. My sincere apologies to you Spencer.

Waiting for morning bird song

2009-07-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

It is late, or is it early. I cannot speak for the rest of the team. But I have not slept a wink. My heart is already gone to the airport and hopefully I will catch up to it there.
We are just hours away from leaving.
Have you ever noticed that on the morning of a big event. Something that is important to you. Your senses are just that more heightened. I look out across my backyard from the deck above. The grass looks so green. The birds have a song that I have not noticed in , well I don’t remember. Every thing in like a high def TV.
The bags are packed. My coffee in hand. I am waiting for that moment when I can leave for our pick up point at the Finney residence. I really don’t want to look like the women of the Mervyn’s commercial (open ,open ,open ). Although I may not be able to help myself.
I will try to send off a picture of our entire team. I realize the Moore fam. Had left already when the last picture was taken. Next stop……… SeaTac Airport .

2009-07-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

This is the eleventh hour. It is the calm before the storm. It is the pacing to and fro in the green room. It is what ever other cliché you want to throw at this build up of effort, feelings, and emotions. The excitement is high tonight. We are all gathered for the packing party and Craig and Wendy Finney are so gracious as to open there home to us for this event. They actually have named there living room “ The Guatemala room” fore this is the 5th or 6th year that the packing party has been at there house in this room.

Upon first arriving at the Finney’s you see the mountain of suite cases in the garage and soon discover the mountain of supplies inside that have to go into those suite cases. This does not seem like it is a party, it looks more like work to me. This attitude change quickly as everyone showed up and the smiles and laughter started filling the house. A gathering in the kitchen for prayer over our pizza dinner and the task at hand and we are off. Tara, Paula, Tracy, and Wendy had us all organized to flow through stations for getting ready. I would not say we kept it as organized as they wanted it, but it went pretty fast and the bags got filled.

“flexibility” This is a word that anyone having done a mission or two, knows is synonymous with mission work. “ You have to be flexible”. Tonight is no different. There are changes that are being made at every turn and our team seems to be very “flexible” to accept them as they come.
There was a concern and I really believe this is a prayer request. Keith Havenstrite ( our Doc ) has been hearing from medical supply organizations that teams have been having there medical supplies seized at customs coming into Guatemala. We ask you to pray for our team and that this does not come to be true for us. The team within our team that organized the packing party has made it so that all our eggs are not in one basket. The med's, under’s, crafts, tools, and other supplies have all been divided up and distributed among all the bags. We also felt that wearing our mission team shirts would put too much attention on us. So we are opting for just regular everyday wear for our trip. This I believe is also a prayer request. Please pray that we do not start thinking that God is not in control and pray that we are reminded that he has made everything to happen for the good of the kingdom. No matter how it appears to us at first.

There is also something going on just below the surface. There are anxieties, fears, worries, concerns, a constant battle against unbelief. I think this is true for all of us going. We tend to want to put on our confident face in times like this. There is a lot of unknown factors on this mission trip and people are worried under there smiles. "Battling unbelief” is something that every Christian goes through. The battle is against unbelief in God’s promises and falling into the common attitude of the world.

I am asking that you all pray for us and this mission. I have some specific prayer request below.
Please pray:
1) for our families, that they stay safe while we are gone. That God will send his angels to watch over them and keep them close.
2) that we will keep our thoughts and actions in his will.
3) for us to leave all of our personal baggage at home.
4) that we realize that God is strong in our weaknesses.
5) that we make it through the airports and securities and customs with out any hang ups.
6) for these people that there hearts are made ready and our hearts are made ready for what God is going to do in there lives and ours.
7) that we are kept safe from harm.
8) that we realize that God wants our willingness of heart to do what he asks, not our thoughts on whether or not we think we can do it. He will take care of that. We just need to be willing to go.

The night tapered down to a final weigh in of all the bags, a team picture, and a beautiful prayer given by Greg Reed that set our thoughts and hearts back on God and this wonderful privilege he has given us.

Please stay tuned as this blog expands to included my teammates fore this is not about me and it is not happening to just me. We are a team. One that I feel honored to be a part of.

Monday brings tears of joy in an e-mail

2009-06-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever opened a letter and cried in anticipation of it contents? Have you ever smiled at a stranger and had your day made when they smiled back? Have you ever sat in amazement of Gods wonders?

Today I sat at break listening to worship music in my car. I was trying to find my motivation that has not shown up this morning. There are a few artists that spur my emotions and really get me connected to reality again. I walk away with a presence of God that feels natural and personal. I am from that point on in constant conversation with My Lord.

This day my Lord thought to make my day. He has touched my heart and offered me a taste of his wonders.

My phone is alerting me. I have a message. With a glance my day is made. I have an e-mail from Tara our team lead. The Title, “ foto de dos familias” Now I do not speak Spanish, but come on, I have sat through four children worth of “Dora” and I know what that says.

I do not think I could open the attachments fast enough. Then……….. Pause. To look upon the pictures of these families for the first time. There faces, there clothes, the landscape around them, the homes behind them. My eyes soaked in the pictures until they blurred with tears. Lord you have made my heart happy. I am 8,300 miles away and my Lord has made it possible for me to love them. These are the pictures of the families we will be building homes for in Panabaj, Guatemala.

I do not know there names, But he knows everything about them. I have never spoken a word in there native tongue, Yet He has written his words on there hearts.

Lord you are so wonderful to us. We are so undeserving of your favor. Yet you bless us in the biggest ways. I know that there is nothing you need from me, but I cannot help, but want to serve you. You have filled my heart on this day and it overflows with tears of joy, blessed be your name in all the nations. You are an amazing God.

A mission, a promise, trials, trips, and sleeping disorders.

2009-06-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on these past two month. A lot that I should have been blogging about. I am sorry. I have been distracted by a side story that I should have let everyone in on from the start, but thought I would be causing problems if I did. Please allow me to explain....

Our mission team when we started was made up of about 50% returning members. I am the only returning member from last year. This does not make me special. I am just stating a fact. We have on our team many members whom have been down to Guatemala several more times than I. Also we have some people on our team whom are going for the first time that are an incredible asset to the mission. That being said let me dive into my explanation.

Last year I worked on the plumbing at Hogar Temporal, the orphanage in Xela(Quatzaltenango). When we left, there was a bunch of plumbing that I did not get to fix. I said I would be back, and kept up my contacts. The mission trip for this year was announced and I signed up immediately to go back and fix the plumbing like I had promised. There was a change.

I don't recall the exact date and it isn't really important. I received a call from our team leader. Our destination had been changed. We have a mission model and the organization that we where going through just did not fit into the model. Kind of a square peg and a round hole type of a thing. Nothing wrong with the previous org. It just was not a fit anymore. This also meant that we where not going to the orphanage. Honestly I was a little rushed when she called and rushed to get off the phone to get back to work.I was OK with the change. Really I was. I understood the mission model and what we are hoping to accomplish with it.

Then I started having dreams. That lead to waking up and staying up. That lead to staying awake at night and not getting enough sleep. It seemed as if every thing reminded me of the orphanage. Why was this happening. I asked myself this while I was at work one day half awake and not functioning at my best. That's when it hit me. Plumbing, I made a promise to do plumbing at the orphanage. Now we are not going to the orphanage. How am I going to uphold my promise if we are not going there.

I thought about this and prayed about it. I discussed it with my wife. I had made a promise and that promise needed to be upheld. I called our missions director and ask to meet with her. We discussed my issue and came to the conclusion that the church would help me with in reason to up hold my promise. This they did. Our mission director did everything she said she would and then some. She even endured my anxiety inflicted bird dogging.

The plane tickets where changed. The team had been notified and the itinerary had been set up for an extra week in Guatemala. I was excited. I get to go back to the orphanage and fulfil my promise.

I asked one of my contacts in Guatemala when the next time she was going to be in Xela. The answer came back that she would be there the next week with Dallas Baptist. I made a request that she have someone from DB to asses the plumbing and give me a final list of the plumbing to be fixed so that I could put together a game plan and a budget. Now I wait.

On her return from Xela we talked about the requested information. It seemed that the assessment of the plumbing encouraged DB to fix it. And that they did. I asked if there was any plumbing left to be fixed. The answer was "one pipe was broken".

Honestly. I was a little upset. Somebody had stolen my work. Later I calmed down and realized that this was not a bad thing. A good friend of mine explained to me that this was a great thing. She is always wonderful in the way she shows me the movements of God in our lives. I had spurred DB to fix the plumbing in the building. I was going to go down for one more trip. DB will be going for a long time to come. To quote her "I had passed to baton".

BUT. now what do I do. The tickets have been bought the itinerary was set. Now what am I going to do while I am down there. I have asked people to donate money to this cause and I want to be a good steward of these funds. I talked to our mission director and she arrange a meeting to discuss our options. We meet and we made a game plan with a list of options and discussed the details of each. At this moment the second week has all but officially been scrapped. It is not final though.

This is where I am going to stop the story for now. That is because this is where we are in the story. We are investigating options and some of them sound very exciting

At this time I am going to thank God for Dallas Baptists. They have paid my dept in fulfilling my promise for me.

I am asking you as a whole to pray for us as we work our way through this. That we may be quiet enough to hear Gods words and apply them to this issue. This has been a trial for me, and I am sleeping better now.

We are 26 days from our departure to Guatemala.

Up all night

2009-03-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

It seems so far away to some. Distance and time wise. The mission trip to guatemala is coming fast. July 3rd really isn't that far away. For those that have not been, there is not anything to be connected to. You just have questions. You imagine what it is going to be like. For me and others on our team who are returning. We remember. We have part of our hearts down there and we want to go back to feel whole again.

I have been watching mission videos and looking at picture of the orphans in Guatemala. A lot of the kids I remember from the 08 mission trip. I remember William, a quiet boy, always had a look of sad insecurity. He would walk up to you and talk very quietly. Then there was Michelle. A very determined girl of about 12. Very smart. I remember not really liking her at first. She was very ungreatful and seemed rude. What I found out later was that yes she was all those things, but I was insecure about not knowing what to do are how to speak spanish. I had my heart all tied up in knots and didn't know how to love someone like that.

About half way through the week last year one of the translaters was walking with me to the hardware store. She started telling me about a girl there who had been abandoned by her parents. They left her and her older sister in the house with little food or anything. The neighbors heard them fighting with each other and went to investigate. They found the two girls home alone in this small house with no food. They were split up and put in seperate orphanages. One for older girls and one for younger children. There parent had abandoned them to go to the United States. This younger sister had successfully broke out a window of the orphanage and escaped that night. Not knowing how to get where she wanted she hunkered down in a doorway a couple of blocks away. Luckily the police found her and brought her back. This was Michelle and she wanted to be with her sister. The only family she has. Just thinking about this is bringing me to tears. I have four children of my own. I couldn't imagine leaving any of them for anything. These parent wanted to come here to find work and live the American dream. What they really did was create a nightmare for two little girls. This story of her abandonment allowed me to look past my own insecurities and love her. She looked different to me after that.

On the last day of the 08 mission we stopped at the baby home to play with the kids there. It was alot of fun. Then the nagging question started churning in my head. What are the stories of these children. How did they get there. There was the cutest little girl with one opeque eye. She was sleeping in one bed with three other sybling as a infant with her mother. One of her syblings rolled over and elbowed her in the eye. The mother, instead of taking her to the hospital, took her to a witch. This witch put drops in her eye that turned out to be an acid of some sort, thus burning the iris and making her blind in that eye. There was another little girl who was found in the dump as a new born and the stories just go on.and on and on.

I have to stop. I have been up all night. My heart hurts. I found out today that the little baby being held in the background of my profile picture died in November due to medical problems. I know she is with the father who loves her. But I am still sad. I know there are so many more out there that never get found. They die on the streets or in a garbage dump. They are turned into gang banger or child prostitutes. They live there young lives out without knowing love of parents or there one true father. It hurts. It just hurts my heart.

There is a saying that I heard.

" For those who know Jesus this is as close to hell as they will come. And for those who don't. This is as close to heaven as they will come."

My heart in broken and I want to go back now. July is so for away, and for me it can't get here fast enough.

2009-02-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and family, brothers and sisters,

I am writing this letter to officially announce my intent to go to Guatemala to do mission work.

Guatemala is one of the 10 poorest nations in the world. Our specific mission is to take the love and glory of God and the saving power of jesus to the orphans in the city of Quetzaltenango; a five hour drive into the mountians from Guatemala city.

My specific skill for this mission is plumbing. I am a journeyman plumber by trade. I am a foreman working for Mckinstry company for going on six years. This is my second mission to this orphanage in 2 years.

Last year upon arrival we surveyed the condition of the plumbing in the building. There were 150 orphans living in this orphanage, split between boys and girls dormitories. Each had 8 toilets, 8 showers, and 6 faucets draning into 2 trough sinks. The girls dorm had only 1 toilet working, 4 showers working and 3 faucets working. The trough sinks were draining into buckets underneath because the pipes were clogged and they cut the p-traps off. The boys dorm was only slightly better. The buildings cistern pump was broken and none of the hot water heaters were working.

I was able to replace or repair 15 faucets, replace 3 sinks with faucets and p-traps, in the girls dorm, I repaired 4 out of 8 toilets( for a total of 5 working). For the boys, I repaired 3 toilets( for a total of 6 working). We were also able to fix the cistern pump which is very important to them: the city turns off the pumps that supply water to the city between 7pm and 7am. If you do not have a cistern or a pump for it, you do not have water for 12 out of 24 hours. For the girlsdorm, that meant they had 1 working toilet that could not be flushed for 12 hours of the day. Think about this: the approx. 75 girls using 1 toilet that will not flush for 12 hours. Now, you may understand the importants of that pump and the repairs that our team made and the quality of life that they provided.

When I left last year. L left with the feeling of dissatisfaction. I know that we provided many necessary repairs, but it seemed like there was so much more to do.

This year I will be better prepared with the knowledge of the building plumbing and the local suppliers. I feel that I will be able to accomplish as many if not more repairs than I did last year.

The second purpose for this letter that I write to you. Is to ask you to become a partner with me in this mission.

I understand that most people do not feel called to do mission work. By partnering with me you can be involved in helping me do what I am called to do.

1) You can partner with me and other team members of this mission by actively praying for us, the children, and the success of this mission. By checking in on my daily blog you will be able to pray for specific challenges as they come up. You will be able to share in the joy and triumph of this mission to the children who need to know the Lord.

2)You can become actively involved in the preparations for this mission. There are several ways.
- you can help with the international mission auction.
- you can donate something to the auction.
- you can buy tickets to the auction and bid on things being autioned off

3)You can help me raise funds to offset my $2,500 portion. I know times are tight. I am not asking any one person to do a big part of this. I am asking everyone to partner with me by being a BIG part of this mission by helping in small ways.

Last year we took every child to see the dentist. We were able to take corrective measures with the worst cases. We also found 3 children wit perfect teeth and were able to take preventative measures with them by getting there teeth sealed. There were children taken to the eye doctor for treatment and new glasses. And every child recieved 3 new pairs of underwear and 3 new pairs of socks ( that does not seem like much but it was big for them). We treated them for lice and treated there feet for fungi. We bought new shoes for boys who's feet were suffering from extreme foot fungi. Others members of the team were able to repair doors that where falling out of there frames or off there hinges.They built partition walls to divide the sleeping quarters from the bathrooms. Think of a light switch that is broken in your houe- the wires are exposed and it is the switch to your childs room- would you not want to fix it right away? They do not have the means to pay for all of the repairs needed to the building, so "trivial stuff like this is left for more important things. Our team was able to replace the switch to eliminate the danger!

We are making a difference to the children and the community around them that will be unfolding for years to come. Plkease partner with me and my team. Even David a young shepard boy was able to defeat the largest of giant(Goliath) by throwing a small stone with precision. In doing so he won the battle for the kingdom. Please become my partner in this mision by doing a small part. Partner with me to win Big for the kingdom.

Thank you for considering this partnership with me.
Grace and Peace
Barret Hartman
barretthartman@gmail.com

In the Beginning

2009-02-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning. The beginning of my mission blog.

I am going to Guatemala. God providing.

This is how I am going to keep in contact with everyone who is wanting to pray for our team, the children and the success of this mission. This is how you can celebrate the moments and be part of this mission with us.

I will be posting:
- Our personal needs for prayer as they come up.
- Our fears and concerns
- Our goals and hopes (providing they are in Gods will for us)
- pictures of our group, the build up to the mission, travel and of course the children
- AND our victories of which we want you to celebrate with us.

You are coming to this blog because I have asked you to be here, some body told you about it or you just happened upon it. What ever the case I am glad that you have chose to stop by. I hope that you will keep checking in or subscribe to this. I/we need as many supporters as possible.

If you were not handed/sent a copy of my mission letter please check the next posting. I will try to get it in here.

This is the beginning of something wonderful, something meaningful, something God has called me to do.

Join me on this journey, be part of the mission.

Grace and peace

Barrett