What We Do

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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, October 30, 2010

Getting the Final things Together

Well, I'm here in the house with the kids getting the last things together before we go home. Bags are packed, bills are paid, floors...will soon be mopped :) and Daniel is having his final meeting with the men in the village today. He is taking them out to eat in the city again because they had such a fun time last time. This time Daniel invited Hermano Ronald, who will be teaching the men along with Jorge while we are gone. He has taught the Bible study for the past two weeks in the ministry, and the men are responding so well to him. Daniel is very excited, and Ronald was definitely an answer to prayer. Also, a man named Jose will take over the Bible study in our house on Tuesday nights and Miss Milgian will be teaching the girls' Bible study on Tuesday afternoons. It is so refreshing to know that when we are in the States, the work that the Lord started will continue even if we aren't here.
It sure is a hot day today...breezy, but hot. We will not know what to do when we arrive in the States! But surely it won't be as big of a difference this year because last year we got back in December! Wow! Now that was cold. And I also hear that it is unordinarily hot this year, but we will see what "hot" means. :) We are very excited to see what the Lord will show us while we are in the States. We are seeking Him and for what He wants for our lives next year, so please join us in prayer as we seek His direction.
Also, for all the teachers out there...I am having to renew my teaching liscence by May. Lord willing, I will be taking two internet classes in the next few months to get the credits I need, but I was wondering if anyone can tell me what the process of renewing your liscence includes. I know I have to send my credits and some info somewhere...but I am really not very informed in this area. Can any of you teaches out there help me with that??? :)
Well, better get the floors mopped. We are having the preachers and family from our church for dinner tonight too. We are serving REAL southern States food, so please pray that they like it. :)
Bye!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Senor Trip!!

Well the first graduating class at the ministry is taking their trip today for the weekend. They are actually getting to go spend one night at the beach. This will be the first time for almost all of them to leave the village and the first time for all of them to see the beach. Mom and Dad were able to raise the money to send them on their trip. So thanks to all who may have contributed to their trip. This will be a life changing experience and for many the only time they will leave the village. The teachers saved up as well as the kids, as much as they could, and they are all going together and will come back tomorrow. They are soo excited! They gave us a going away party the other day. It was wonderful and sad at the same time. They are precious kids and we have gotten to actually know many of them, and the teachers are now our friends here so it was a very special day for us with them. They all said wonderful things to us and gave us cards and then prayed for us! But we are going back to the States on Nov. 2 if nothing else changes. We still have not made a decision about next year. We feel the moving in the direction to come back but with a different focus and maybe in different areas here in Guatemala. But still need a lot of praying and guiding I feel before we get to that decision. We are planning on having meetings and conferences while in the States to disguss this with the churches and the people who have been a part of God's ministry here with us for the past two years. So please be in deep prayer with us to see God's direction and to hear His voice. It is not easy at times to serve here in Guatemala and feels like it would be "better" to start something in the States and would feel "more right" to do so but we are all here as workman approved by God to do good works not what feels better or makes more sense. And NO, I am speaking to myself not to those who feel I am addressing you. HA And they know who they are. So pray for the light to shine on the right path and for us to have the courage to continue, whereever and with whatever, to be that good workman created to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10). We will be home in almost one week!!! We are soo excited to be able to see our families and friends! It has almost been a whole year since we have seen most of them so it will be wonderful! Levi and Mary Kathleen are already asking about when we are going to see them and telling us what they want to do while they are home. Well mostly Levi since Mary Kathleen speaks Spanglish it's hard at times to understand her. So if and when you see her you will need to greet her with a big "Hola! Como Estas?" and a big kiss for her to warm up to you. And we will have to find a place to buy the flour to make tortillas or she may not eat her meals! She loves the food here and Levi loves the food in the States. So we will have our work cut out for us! But are looking forward to spending the time with our families and friends and receiving further direction from God as well! Love yall and please keep us in your prayers. God bless!!

And today Brandi will be performing her piano recital and playing three songs after taking lessons for two and a half months. Haha She feels embarrassed but I think it is wonderful! I will record it and show it to the churches! Ha No, just to friends and family. Funny.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Prayer

I go to a prayer service we have at our church at 5am on Saturday mornings. I usually take my friends Nancy and Jenny and sometimes their family with me. Well, I didn't go for two weeks, and I had forgot to call Nancy and Jenny and tell them that I was going to go this past Saturday, and I feel 4:45am is a little too early to call them to remind them. :) Well, I went on to prayer, and when I got there, Nancy and Jenny weren't there. (I wasn't surprised.) But, when I got up from praying, there they all sat in the congregation! (And they do not drive.) They told me that their cousin was suppose to come pick them up so they didn't call me to see if I would bring them, but then he ended up not showing up...so, THEY WALKED. Instead of going back to sleep at 5:05am, they walked to prayer...still dark outside...at least two miles away...walked. It convicted me so much that they would not only sacrifice their Saturday mornings, but they were willing to walk in the dark two miles to get to church to pray with their church family at 5am. You know honestly, if it would have been a Sunday morning service at 10am, I wouldn't have been as impressed at their commitment, but I know for sure that I would have said "Oh, I can just pray here." And then said a quick 10 minute prayer and gone back to sleep.
What about you?
God give us the passion for Your presence to make the, a lot of times, hard decisions to just be with You. Please teach us that "if everything is smooth and easy then I must be in God's will" is NOT the truth. Thank You that when You see us making sacrifices and obeying Your voice that You are pleased and that You bless Your people for being faithful and obedient.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

SOLD THE TRUCK!!!!!

Some sucker got the truck!!! HA Just joking!!! I took our truck to a mechanic in a city near by where some of our friends live and knew this mechanic. He was looking over the truck after leaving it there for a couple of days and someone came by and offered to buy it. And he said that we didn't have to fix the problem with the truck not wanting to start when it was cold. But he wasn't offering much for the truck but we took the offer to get rid of the truck and now we are out from under it. But we were honest with the guy and told him everything about it and he still wanted it and in reality got a very good deal on the truck!! I do miss having my truck or I should say a truck. But God's timing was Perfect as always. We were still able to use the truck while my parents were here and we are leaving in 3 weeks so really have no more need for it. So it was perfect timing. Praise God!!
Another interesting story was when we were coming back from the airport yesterday after picking up Sarita and a mission group, Sarita's truck broke down!!! Again!!!! Bless her heart. A good welcome after traveling all day and getting back from being gone a month! The bearing in her front left hub for the tire went bad. So they had to call a tow truck to get them and take them to the Isuzu service place but praise the Lord that we were only about 10 miles from that place when it broke down. But her truck was full of the luggage from the group. So I had to drive another 45 minutes to take the group to the hotel in Chiquimula and then drive back to pick up Sarita, Pili, and Jorge with the luggage. But we made it and everything worked out that night. But Sarita has to get her truck worked on and doesn't know when it will be ready! So pray for her. It is crazy here!! And seems to always be something that would normally in the States be easy to deal with but here it is never simple!! Well...there you go! God bless!

Daniel

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Another Road Experience

Well.........Thank the Lord that he gives grace and favor to us and PATIENCE!! After we dropped off my folks at the airport this past Friday our truck broke down again on the road back to Chiquimula. There is some humor in this story...imagine that....but it sure was a rough experience. Well for the first time I asked Brandi to drive home because I was very tired from driving the day before and that morning. Bless her heart...the truck decided to break down while she was driving in the traffic on the road from the Capital to Chiquimula. I started hearing the belt on the truck squeal and started to smell the belt burning. I thought it was the belt to the air conditioner b/c the pulley for it has been making noises for a while. But it is a separate belt only for the A/C so I thought well if it breaks we will still make it home. I heard the belt break and said, "Well we don't have air now." But then Brandi started saying very nervously....Daniel, it is really hard to turn the steering wheel. Then it started getting really hot so I told her to pull off the road. So she started pulling off and tried to stop but the brakes weren't working either. Well she passed out but later regained consciousness and tried to stop very fast and ended up stopping half way out in the very busy road where they do NOT stop. So I said no Brandi not here pull up more. And she started with the half way crying voice saying...I don't think I can do this anymore. But she managed to get out of the road. It was the the main belt that had broke b/c another pulley bearing....tension pulley....stopped working. So we made our usual phone calls and praise the Lord for our friends here. We were able to get a wrecker to come get us and take us to a mechanic that one of Sartia's brother knew. We waited an hour and a half for the wrecker b/c he couldn't find a broken down car with four north americans on the side of the main road. But God was good b/c where we broke down was beside a hill that was full of rocks at the top. So we were able to entertain ourselves for about 45 min. throwing rocks. We had a rock throwing contest and I WON!! HA! Then the kids watched a little DVD that dad left with us that day to bring back when we go back in Nov. God knows all huh! Then we went to the mechanic and stayed there for 4 hours. Brandi was stuck inside a Toyota Corrola with the kids for 4 hours!! B/c it was raining and it isn't exactly the safest place in the capital for us. But God was good b/c despite the fact that all the part stores were closed they found one that waited for us to get there to get the belt for the truck . So we broke down at 2 and left the capital at 8:15 for the house another time. Praise God we made it home in time and was able to sleep after I climbed over the front gate of Sarita's house to attack a robber with my police flashlight!! Rocio called and said someone was inside her house breaking in and two little girls were inside sleeping that Sarita knows. BUT again....Praise the Lord...no one was there and I was able to return and go to sleep around 11pm. Not a bad time after all that happened. And also that same day Jorge and his family were on their way to the capital and for no reason the belts on their car broke also and they had to get the wrecker and wait until morning for the belts. I'm thinking God was keeping us from passing somewhere and being in a place at the wrong time. But we'll never know. AND then this morning we were leaving for church. Got in Brandi's car and IT wouldn't do anything!! Then I tried to start my truck and it wouldn't start so I had to push start it b/c it is a manual. After church I jump started the car and got in to drive it around to charge the battery and as soon as I push the brake pedal down....it went dead again and then nothing after this!! So I have to figure out tomorrow what this is with the car and Lord willing we will sell the truck within this last month here. I washed it yesterday and hope to put it out for sale as soon as we get Brandi's car going! But....we are still kicking and making it. I have to say that Nov. 2 has never sounded as sweet!! God bless!! There you go.


Daniel