Guatemala Trip Pathways

Today was very busy! We made a lot of progress on the walls of clinic, and were able to visit with several families that live in the landfill and bring them bags of food which we pray will have a small impact on their lives. As we were walking around, Kristen shed some light on the status of the community. Apparently, the government plans to not "allow" any more of these settlements, but people continue to need places to live. This may mean that "single family homes" that ar...e already very small (maybe 20 x 20 feet at most) will be split into 2 and 3 homes. The neighborhood next to the one we were in today used to look the same, but over time, the tin sided shacks with dirt floors are replaced with cement foundation and brick walls and become more substantial buildings. The stories of each of the families we visited with are listed with their pictures. Please continue to lift these people up in prayer, as their prayer requests are ongoing struggles.

Today we figured out what the second part of the clinic project entailed. We were tiling the wall as well. Significantly more time consuming than the floor, but we were happy for the work. We are here to help, so the more we can accomplish, the better. We spent the better part of today doing prep work and actually setting tile. They want it all the way to the ceiling, so we will continue that project tomorrow (although we may not get the whole room done on this trip). We wrap...ped up at the clinic around 3:30 to come home and get cleaned up before going to the soup kitchen this evening. At the soup kitchen, we greeted the people who came in, spent some time in worship, and then Ryan gave a short testimony about the power of Christ to redeem a struggling a marriage (a topic that is SO needed in this culture and community) while Jerry translated. Afterwards, we dished up food for the people who were there and served it to them in their seats. We actually had enough left over that everyone was able to get seconds (and some people got thirds!). Russ got a count of approximately 52 adults in attendance (not including kids). It's always an emotional time for our teams when we help out there. Like much of what we do, we receive just as much of a blessing, if not more, than the people we are intending to help. Please pray that these people would continue to come not only for the physical food that is available (often their only hot meal each week) but that through this ministry, they would desire spiritual sustenance as well. Saul and Layla and their church care deeply for these people who are on the outskirts of society, and we want to see lives changed. Tomorrow we will continue tiling, but also have plans to deliver food baskets to families in the landfill. Please pray for the hearts of the people we will meet (and ours!), for open doors to share and encourage, and just love on these people the way Jesus calls us to. See more

Not as many pictures today, as we were on a mission to finish this project. We worked straight through until lunch time, measuring, cutting, and laying tile. We set up barriers all around the rooms to make sure no one walks on the tile until tomorrow. Saul asked us to work on the walls of the clinic tomorrow. We're not exactly sure what he has in mind, but that's what we'll be doing during the day. Every day in Guatemala is an adventure! Since we finished so ahead of schedul...e, we went to the store tonight to buy items for food baskets. We are going to deliver the bags on Thursday to several families that live in the landfill. Thankfully, there have been no injuries or major problems during our project thus far. Praying that would continue to be the case. It's also awesome that we have been able to work so quickly, and are able to fit so many extra tasks, projects, and plans into our week. We are excited to see what God has in store for us over the next several days. Thank you for your continued prayers! See more

Pastor Saul and his wife were at Lakewood Baptist Church in Atlanta this weekend, as we were in Guatemala. Toward the end of the video is an interview with the two of them about their work here. Pretty cool!

Today was all about our main project for this trip: tiling the second floor of the medical clinic run by Pastor Saul's team (mainly, his wife Laila oversees it). We prepped the floor with LOTS of sweeping, and then got to work. We were able to get a significant amount of tile laid, and expect to finish the rest tomorrow. It was a learning experience for some of us, but by the end of the day, we were working pretty efficiently together. We were also able to figure out a timel...ine for this project, so we could plan for the rest of our time here. By the middle of Wednesday, we should be able to completely finish the tile job! There was a special team of medical staff at the clinic today(on the first floor) that was brought in to do minor outpatient surgeries. There were quite a few people waiting to be seen out front when we arrived about 7:30. Many were still there almost until the time that we left around 2-3 Two of the ladies that work at the school cooked a huge meal for our lunch. The generosity of the Guatemalans never ceases to amaze. We have another early start tomorrow so we can finish the tile (and do who knows what else!). Please be praying that we would be open to the opportunities God puts in our path tomorrow, and that we wouldn't be solely focused on the physical tasks at hand. Also please be praying for the future of this clinic, and the people it will be able to help. See more