What We Do

My photo
We are a non-profit organization that works with pastors, churches, schools, and the local hospital in Chiquimula, Guatemala. We host training seminars for pastors, leaders, and youth from rural areas and we help supply the congregations with Biblical materials to minister to their communities. We visit several public schools to share a Biblical story and play with the kids. We also pray in the local hospital and give out toys, toiletries, and Biblical materials. Ways to Be a Part of this Ministry: Come - We need pastors and leaders to come and teach these pastors and leaders here in Guatemala. Or you could bring a group to work in the churches or schools with construction or evangelism. Financially Support - If you would like to support this ministry, please visit our website at www.eyeswideopenministries.com to donate online or send your donation to: P.O.Box 245 Florence, Alabama 35631 Make your checks payable to Eyes Wide Open Ministries. All donations are tax-deductible. Pray - Please pray we will follow God's leading in all we do.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

What a mess!

Well as yall know, there are many here that had barely anything and now have NOTHING!! I have been cleaning up mud and water with them for the past two days and it is horrible. The water flooded these homes in a matter of minutes...some, seconds. It happened very fast. One family that goes to our church barely had time to rush into the next room to get their infant baby and while they were trying to leave, the force of the water caused him to drop the baby into the muddy water. The frantically went under looking for the baby. Praise the Lord he found the baby but cut his feet and hands wide open in the process. He and the baby had to spend the night in the hospital. The water entered the houses that are still standing over my head. And the mud is still inside the houses up to my waist! Like Brandi said, the other houses are in pieces or floated off down stream. All these people's clothes and house items are gone, if not my water, damaged totally by the mud. We were finding their things in the mud piles as we were shoveling it all out. Our church here is AWESOME. I think I saw just about every one of the members there helping these people from morning until dark. The church is trying to raise food and clothes for the people too. Our friends lost everything! One of the girls, Jenny showed me here "closet" ,which was a rack hanging on a piece of plywood, where she had her shoes. There was one shoe left! Not one pair...one shoe. Bless her heart. At the beginning they were being very strong and even laughing and joking but when they lost their strength from working all day and night they started crying. This family, who has lost everything, is also organizing with the church the clothes drive and making sure all the other families have food! I couldn't believe today when I saw them working inside their muddy house separating and organizing the clothes to give away! And using their house to give out the food to the other families! WOW Made me think about Katrina in New Orlands...WHAT DID THOSE PEOPLE DO?? SO pray for them. I know God is going to take care of them. They are setting such a huge example for us and reminding us how blessed we are and how more content and servant like we need to be! Something funny...While we were cleaning the houses out...some of the guys from the church were all together working in this particular house, which is no different than all us guys working together somewhere, and someone found a wooden snake under the mud that really moved and looked real. Well they threw it on this guy and he started screaming like a girl and jumping around. Then he looks at the guy and yells NO! Everyone kind of started to laugh but quickly stopped when he yelled no. Well you know us!! I started laughing so hard b/c I couldnt get that image out of my head and then everyone started laughing so hard! Then he eventually started laughing as well. Then they all just waited for someone new to come in and help so they could have their next victum. So funny! And I dropped my cell phone in the mudding water!! Dang it! But it is a cheap Nokia and still works! ha I also had two really questionable women yelling at me and trying to get my to look at them or hug them or kiss them. One of them even grabbed my arm when I walked by with a wheelbarrel full of mud soup. When our friends Nancy and Jenny saw this they got furious and told me to go work with the guys in the house to get away from the crazy women...You know...I dont blame the women here...bless their hearts...just not use to such good looks and glory! LOL! I can only imagine the things being said about me now from you all who are reading this! LOL but thats hilarious! So we are still having fun but working hard during this disaster. And if any of yall want to give to this family, contact my mom and dad and they will put what you can give in our account and we can give it to our friends to buy their things they will need! Pray and obey! Well.....There you go.

Daniel

2 comments:

  1. We're praying, y'all! It is so encouraging to see people so generous and with such servant hearts even through tragedy. Take care and send everyone there our love and prayers!
    Kyle, Daphne, Ava and Corbin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Man! I'm so glad that the church group is coming at this time so they can be extra hands to help! I am so glad everyone is ok and I CAN NOT IMAGINE what that poor couple went through in those few minutes of trying to find their baby in the water!!!!!!!!!!! It's awesome to hear you all also trying to laugh and stay sane! Wish we could come - we really will one day! Love you!!!

    ReplyDelete