There are so many stories to be told about our trip. God had an amazing presence every day and it was so evident! In the afternoon prior to the day we left one of the boys, Melvin, and his family came to visit us in Antigua. They wanted to tell us thank you and goodbye in person. We were able to give each of the boys that helped us over the week $100 each - which to them is a lot of money. We found out that his Mom has not been able to work because of health issues so unfortunately Melvin had to drop out of school to help support his family (which includes his Mom, Dad, two sisters, and two brothers). In addition, Melvin broke a tooth in a recent biking accident so they told us that when he was around us he was embarrassed to smile because his smile wasn't quite the same. With the money we gave them and the money he earned from Pastor Julio over the week they said they were going to be able to get his tooth fixed and it would help feed the family for a long time. As I reflected on that, it is easy for us to go and spend $100 on something without a second thought....but to this family that amount of money was so important - it was like we were giving them a million dollars. One of the most difficult moments for me was after we visited for a short time with the family I was hugging Melvin good bye and he started to cry and say "I love you", "Thank you", "God Bless You". We hugged and cried for what seemed like forever. I wanted so much to comfort him just as a mother would do for a child. My heart was so full of love for him and his family. They believed we were angels sent from God, while all along, we were the ones really blessed by them.
We were sent on this mission trip to serve God. We thought our main purpose was to serve in the orphanages in Guatemala and in a few villages. Although we did serve there and our hearts were blessed greatly by those experiences, it appeared that God had another plan for our trip. All along, I believe God's real mission for this trip was to put us in contact with Pastor Julio, his church, the village he lives in, and the 5 amazing young gentleman (Dennis, Orlando, Otto, Melvin, and Louis) that touched our lives forever. Now it is time to take that to prayer to determine what God wants us to do to help them in the future. Our willingness to listen to God and not our own agendas really made this an amazing trip! God blessed us because we were able to serve him in the ways we were asked. Incredible!!
And I have to share....as Barry and I left for the airport at 3:30 a..m. on Wednesday, we were riding in the taxi and continued to see God's presence around us the entire day. We saw the most amazing view as we went over the mountain - the lights of Guatemala City were so bright and then while waiting in the airport there was an amazing sunrise! And...this is God...there were two other missionary groups waiting to board our plane to Houston. One of the teams had a guitar and were singing praise and worship songs for all to hear which touched me and made me smile! I knew God was right there beside us at that very moment! And then while in the plan to Omaha the gentleman sitting right behind Barry and I was testifying to the passenger beside him praising Jesus and then asking the individual to pray for God to come into his life! WOW! What an amazing way to end a trip where God was everywhere!
When I am here in Omaha I often get busy and don't take time to notice those moments that God is right there beside me. It was wonderful being in a place that I was completely focused on the work God was doing and the fact that it is not just coincidence things happen - it is God!! So that is one thing I take with me from the trip. Taking time to notice all of the wonders that are God!!
Thank you to everyone for your prayers during our trip! It was incredible to know that we had so many people praying for us and supporting us while we were gone!
In His Holy Name....
Sheila
Friday, June 26, 2009
Now that we are home...we are adding some of our stories to the blog.
I had an amazing experience when we went to Pastor Julio's church.
The entire church service was in Spanish and I had prayed that the Holy Spirit would come down upon us and help us to understand what was happening. Pastor Julio's church was evangelical and they spoke these beautiful long prayers. During one of the prayers I began praying for my family, for my children, for protection, for a changed heart...as I was praying I felt a tremendous presence at my right side, I even felt a heaviness on my shoulder as if someone was touching me. I looked to the right as say a fleeting picture of white. I shrugged in off and kept praying. Near the end of the service one of the members got up and spoke broken English, she said her mother was praying during the church service and had a vision. The little old lady came up and spoke as the girl translated. The lady said she was praying for our protection, thank God for our help for their church and praising God for our mission work. When all of a sudden she saw a man in white come in and touch each one of us. The same fleeting vision I saw. It literally took my breath away and I began to get weak knees. Tears rolled down my face as I told my group that I was touched by God.
God was very evident in this entire mission trip. He was very evident at that church service and I can honestly tell you that I have NEVER experienced anything like that.....EVER.
I want to service God with all my heart and I cannot believe I was so incredibly blessed by Him.
I love all of you! Thank you for your support!
Jenn V.
I had an amazing experience when we went to Pastor Julio's church.
The entire church service was in Spanish and I had prayed that the Holy Spirit would come down upon us and help us to understand what was happening. Pastor Julio's church was evangelical and they spoke these beautiful long prayers. During one of the prayers I began praying for my family, for my children, for protection, for a changed heart...as I was praying I felt a tremendous presence at my right side, I even felt a heaviness on my shoulder as if someone was touching me. I looked to the right as say a fleeting picture of white. I shrugged in off and kept praying. Near the end of the service one of the members got up and spoke broken English, she said her mother was praying during the church service and had a vision. The little old lady came up and spoke as the girl translated. The lady said she was praying for our protection, thank God for our help for their church and praising God for our mission work. When all of a sudden she saw a man in white come in and touch each one of us. The same fleeting vision I saw. It literally took my breath away and I began to get weak knees. Tears rolled down my face as I told my group that I was touched by God.
God was very evident in this entire mission trip. He was very evident at that church service and I can honestly tell you that I have NEVER experienced anything like that.....EVER.
I want to service God with all my heart and I cannot believe I was so incredibly blessed by Him.
I love all of you! Thank you for your support!
Jenn V.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Guatemala Poem by Barry
This is where we are today.....from the heart of one of our team members... the only guy on the trip who we have made our ¨Pappa¨
Where there is need.....Fill it
Where there is a broken heart......Heal it
Where there is a problem.....Repair it
Where God is....all things are possible Through Christ our Lord
Let us not forget but focus on the needs of the people of Guatemala
That there is enough food to sustain them
Shelter to keep them dry
Cothing to keep them warm
Love to keep them together
Help us O Lord to become more Christ Like in our lives in America
That we will always consider others needs before our own and not place our wants and desires on material or selfish goals, but on the lives of your children we are sent to serve.
Amen and Amen
May you be blessed by this....it is our heart and our soul.
God Bless You and may God put on your heart where you are to serve Him.
Love,
The Team
Where there is need.....Fill it
Where there is a broken heart......Heal it
Where there is a problem.....Repair it
Where God is....all things are possible Through Christ our Lord
Let us not forget but focus on the needs of the people of Guatemala
That there is enough food to sustain them
Shelter to keep them dry
Cothing to keep them warm
Love to keep them together
Help us O Lord to become more Christ Like in our lives in America
That we will always consider others needs before our own and not place our wants and desires on material or selfish goals, but on the lives of your children we are sent to serve.
Amen and Amen
May you be blessed by this....it is our heart and our soul.
God Bless You and may God put on your heart where you are to serve Him.
Love,
The Team
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Hey fellow supporters,
We are off to church today. Totally spanish speaking so we hope we are praising God!!!!! LOL
We are anxious to hear Pastor Julio preach today, he has been our driver all week and we have all fallen in love with him. He has an amazing testimony, there is a great language barrier here, but we feel him humility and love. We are excitited to see him in full force!!
We then get to do a VBS type of program with his church and we are going to be treated to a real Guatemalan lunch. Don´t be concerned, we have eaten well. The food here is so fresh and so good. We hope we can all fit in the airplane on the way home....LOL
Well we are off to church. God Bless you All and may the Lord be as evident to you as he is to our whole team. This experience has been great not only because we are here and doing His work, but because we are so unified as a team. It is an amazing place to be.
God Bless,
The Team
We are off to church today. Totally spanish speaking so we hope we are praising God!!!!! LOL
We are anxious to hear Pastor Julio preach today, he has been our driver all week and we have all fallen in love with him. He has an amazing testimony, there is a great language barrier here, but we feel him humility and love. We are excitited to see him in full force!!
We then get to do a VBS type of program with his church and we are going to be treated to a real Guatemalan lunch. Don´t be concerned, we have eaten well. The food here is so fresh and so good. We hope we can all fit in the airplane on the way home....LOL
Well we are off to church. God Bless you All and may the Lord be as evident to you as he is to our whole team. This experience has been great not only because we are here and doing His work, but because we are so unified as a team. It is an amazing place to be.
God Bless,
The Team
Saturday, June 20, 2009
This is Sheila posting for the team today....We had the opportunity to take the kids from the orphanage to the Guatemala City zoo today. We took approximately 12 kids with us and it was certainly a very enjoyable day! It was interesting to sit with the children in the van ride as they looked out the window and were smiling the entire way there. At the zoo everyone was excited to see the animals. It was fun for me to learn the Spanish version of the animal names and try my best to pronounce them! We were told most of the children had already been to the zoo, but it was still wonderful to see their excitement and joy as we walked around the zoo. The treat for lunch was chicken and soda....which was probably a wonderful change for them since they don't get fast food often. One of the big hits of the day for me was a few of the girls taking photos with my camera. They could not wait to get their hands on my camera and take photos. In fact, I think I have about 50 pictures of monkeys on my camera. It warmed my heart to see them having so much fun....and they love to see the pictures of themselves after the photo was taken!
And speaking of monkeys...Barry had a wonderful experience with the monkeys at the end of the day! We all learned you should not stand too close to the monkey cage because you never know what is going to get thrown out!!
God certainly made his presence known today in so many ways! It rained hard last night and then it was a perfect day for the zoo. Just as it was time to leave we could see the clouds getting thicker and the rain setting in. It was like God was saying to us, "It is time to go now." We gave lots of hugs, blew kisses, and said our goodbyes as this was the last day at this orphanage. We got in the van, and the rain began.
Leaving the children today was hard. Even though you tell yourself not to get attached, it just happens. So many of them warmed my heart and the hearts of our team. We know God will take care of his children, but we ask that you pray for them. We heard so many of their stories yesterday and today and they are very difficult to hear. They are in a better place now which is just a true blessing.....but not where they need to be....which is in a home with parents to care for them and love them. God be with them all!
We continue to grow close to Pastor Julio and the boys. Each day when they leave we share hugs and goodbyes. This has become our mission has well...something we did not even plan for, but that God certainly had in his plan!
We posted some pictures and will hopefully get some more on tonight, but please let us know if you can see them. We are unable to see them on our side because of the flash player that is not downloaded on our computer.
And speaking of monkeys...Barry had a wonderful experience with the monkeys at the end of the day! We all learned you should not stand too close to the monkey cage because you never know what is going to get thrown out!!
God certainly made his presence known today in so many ways! It rained hard last night and then it was a perfect day for the zoo. Just as it was time to leave we could see the clouds getting thicker and the rain setting in. It was like God was saying to us, "It is time to go now." We gave lots of hugs, blew kisses, and said our goodbyes as this was the last day at this orphanage. We got in the van, and the rain began.
Leaving the children today was hard. Even though you tell yourself not to get attached, it just happens. So many of them warmed my heart and the hearts of our team. We know God will take care of his children, but we ask that you pray for them. We heard so many of their stories yesterday and today and they are very difficult to hear. They are in a better place now which is just a true blessing.....but not where they need to be....which is in a home with parents to care for them and love them. God be with them all!
We continue to grow close to Pastor Julio and the boys. Each day when they leave we share hugs and goodbyes. This has become our mission has well...something we did not even plan for, but that God certainly had in his plan!
We posted some pictures and will hopefully get some more on tonight, but please let us know if you can see them. We are unable to see them on our side because of the flash player that is not downloaded on our computer.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Sorry there was not blog yesturday. We came home exhausted from our first orphanage trip and walked around the market at night looking for good food. Trust me you cannot get better, fresher, more flavorful food anyway in the states like this. OH MY The guacamole is wonderful.
The orphanage was ran by a man named Stephan. He is an American and has lots of connections and support. It was clearly evident in the location of the orphanage, the toys in the orphanage and the level of care in the orphanage. Beautiful place, modern facilities and the best and most caring staff you could imagine. We played with the children and fell in love. Interetingly we all fell in love with different children. Paige played with Monica. A little girl that had severe disabilites, rotting teeth and a smile that would disarm anyone. She took to Paige like magic and Paige loved on her like a mom to a child. We are all very proud of our teen on board. Many times she seems more adult that some of us.......no comment. LOL
One of the greatest moments of the day came early in the day when we first met Stephan. Our driver is Pastor Julio. Pastor Julio has driven us every day and knows no english. We have Amy on board and she has been trying to decifer what Pastor Julio is telling us.
Stephan translated all that Pastor Julio has been trying to tell us. Pastor Julio brought his 5 nefews to help us. These boys ages 13 to 30 have been our hands and feet. Hauling all our heavy bags, helping us with the children and distributing all that we have to give.
Pastor Julio told us through Stephan that the gangs in Antingua have targeted Pastor Julio and those boys. The gangs told Pastor Julio that if he did not pay, the youngest boy, Dennis would be gutted and his insides sold for money. If you knew this young man, you would have been as affected as we were. Tears were flowing with everyone. We then heard how Pator Julio and his wife sent the boys away to keep them safe and then fasted and prayed unceasingly. They also prayed for the leaders of this particular gang. The leaders of the gang were BOTH killed in a rival gang fight and the boys were able to come home. They cannot leave Pastor Julios protection, but for now, they are safe. We were able to pray with these boys, lay hands on them and the boys wept. What impact. I don´t know if we will ever be the same people.
Pray for the boys and Pastor Julio. Their names are Oto, Dennis, Melvin, Orlando and Luis.
Thank you for all your support. I promise pictures will be on tonight.
Love you
The Team
The orphanage was ran by a man named Stephan. He is an American and has lots of connections and support. It was clearly evident in the location of the orphanage, the toys in the orphanage and the level of care in the orphanage. Beautiful place, modern facilities and the best and most caring staff you could imagine. We played with the children and fell in love. Interetingly we all fell in love with different children. Paige played with Monica. A little girl that had severe disabilites, rotting teeth and a smile that would disarm anyone. She took to Paige like magic and Paige loved on her like a mom to a child. We are all very proud of our teen on board. Many times she seems more adult that some of us.......no comment. LOL
One of the greatest moments of the day came early in the day when we first met Stephan. Our driver is Pastor Julio. Pastor Julio has driven us every day and knows no english. We have Amy on board and she has been trying to decifer what Pastor Julio is telling us.
Stephan translated all that Pastor Julio has been trying to tell us. Pastor Julio brought his 5 nefews to help us. These boys ages 13 to 30 have been our hands and feet. Hauling all our heavy bags, helping us with the children and distributing all that we have to give.
Pastor Julio told us through Stephan that the gangs in Antingua have targeted Pastor Julio and those boys. The gangs told Pastor Julio that if he did not pay, the youngest boy, Dennis would be gutted and his insides sold for money. If you knew this young man, you would have been as affected as we were. Tears were flowing with everyone. We then heard how Pator Julio and his wife sent the boys away to keep them safe and then fasted and prayed unceasingly. They also prayed for the leaders of this particular gang. The leaders of the gang were BOTH killed in a rival gang fight and the boys were able to come home. They cannot leave Pastor Julios protection, but for now, they are safe. We were able to pray with these boys, lay hands on them and the boys wept. What impact. I don´t know if we will ever be the same people.
Pray for the boys and Pastor Julio. Their names are Oto, Dennis, Melvin, Orlando and Luis.
Thank you for all your support. I promise pictures will be on tonight.
Love you
The Team
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Today was our village day. Wow...how God works is amazing!!!
Total chaos, which I do well....LOL
over 100 children that were stickered, markered, and candied.
Oh My....a piñata with 120 children wielding a big stick...YIKES!!!!!!
We are hot, sweaty, tired and very impacted.
We also t00k 300 lbs of beans and 300 lbs of rice.
We handed it out and ended up feeding about 70 families.
Many more were begging for more :( makes one wish we had more to give.
NEXT YEAR!
Pray for our trip tomorrow to the orphanage.
Love you all,
God Bless
The team!
Total chaos, which I do well....LOL
over 100 children that were stickered, markered, and candied.
Oh My....a piñata with 120 children wielding a big stick...YIKES!!!!!!
We are hot, sweaty, tired and very impacted.
We also t00k 300 lbs of beans and 300 lbs of rice.
We handed it out and ended up feeding about 70 families.
Many more were begging for more :( makes one wish we had more to give.
NEXT YEAR!
Pray for our trip tomorrow to the orphanage.
Love you all,
God Bless
The team!
We Made IT!!!!!
17 HOURS on 3 planes and 7 hours of waiting.....we landed in Guatemala at 8 p.m. at night.
We started our journey at 5 am at the Omaha airport.
Tired, excited, weary and full of God`s spirit we traveled to Antigua and settled into our very beautiful hotel...pictures to come today.
This morning is Sheila`s birthday...we silly stringed everyone and got in trouble with the staff for being too loud.....who ever thought to put Jenn V. in charge!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our teen on board is our little mom...fixing cameras, keeping us in line and helping us to behave.
LOL
We go to the village today to work with the kids...pray for impact, this is not a christian organization and the leader is not a believer. Wow, the possiblities!
God Bless You All
We Are Living the Life
And Drinking REALLY GOOD COFFEE!!!!!!
Love you All
The Team!
17 HOURS on 3 planes and 7 hours of waiting.....we landed in Guatemala at 8 p.m. at night.
We started our journey at 5 am at the Omaha airport.
Tired, excited, weary and full of God`s spirit we traveled to Antigua and settled into our very beautiful hotel...pictures to come today.
This morning is Sheila`s birthday...we silly stringed everyone and got in trouble with the staff for being too loud.....who ever thought to put Jenn V. in charge!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our teen on board is our little mom...fixing cameras, keeping us in line and helping us to behave.
LOL
We go to the village today to work with the kids...pray for impact, this is not a christian organization and the leader is not a believer. Wow, the possiblities!
God Bless You All
We Are Living the Life
And Drinking REALLY GOOD COFFEE!!!!!!
Love you All
The Team!
Monday, June 15, 2009
We leave tomorrow. We are all so excited!!!!
Yesterday we met at church and were surrounded by the people who support us most. We prayed, cried, got excited and divided up our 16 suit cases.
We get on the plane tomorrow at 6:40 a.m. Pray for our flights, our entry into Guatemala City and pray that our team melds as one. God has truly called us all together, pray for unity, grace, humility and love.
Thank you all for your love and support.
"Here am I Lord. Send me."
Isaiah 6:8
God Bless You!
Yesterday we met at church and were surrounded by the people who support us most. We prayed, cried, got excited and divided up our 16 suit cases.
We get on the plane tomorrow at 6:40 a.m. Pray for our flights, our entry into Guatemala City and pray that our team melds as one. God has truly called us all together, pray for unity, grace, humility and love.
Thank you all for your love and support.
"Here am I Lord. Send me."
Isaiah 6:8
God Bless You!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
9 days and counting
We are all packed.....8 servants.....16 packed bags....plus 2 carry ons each.
of the 16 packed bags...none of it is personal stuff.
We plan to pack light and carry it all on....we will also be leaving all the contents of the packed bags...plus all the shirts we brought to wear.
Hopefully we will have something to wear for the trip home!!!!! LOL
Pray that we haven't forgotten anything important!
Love
the team
of the 16 packed bags...none of it is personal stuff.
We plan to pack light and carry it all on....we will also be leaving all the contents of the packed bags...plus all the shirts we brought to wear.
Hopefully we will have something to wear for the trip home!!!!! LOL
Pray that we haven't forgotten anything important!
Love
the team
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