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.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Hello there. We have some more information about the pastors and some pictures that we would like to share with everyone who has been praying, and also those who have given to help with their financial needs. We were able to take a basket of food and an offering to them two weeks ago and visit and pray for them. We spoke with them about their needs and food situation. Another ministry has been able to raise money to help with their surgeries and medicines, praise the Lord. Also, between the first time we were able to give and this last time, a church organization here in Chiquimula has raised money to give food to the pastors for 2 or 3 months, praise God. They have supplied them with beans, rice, sugar, salt, and cooking oil. I'm not completely sure, but maybe corn with that also. After speaking with the pastors we found that they are still lacking in other areas like toilet paper, detergent, milk, eggs, and other everyday necessities. So we were able to buy four of the pastors these items. The other pastors are either better or we do not know them and have help from other places.

These four pastors are still recovering and have their families with them. Pastor Esau still has a broken arm and rib. He broke his right arm used for work so he won't be able to work for at least another month. Hari is still recovering from surgery on the left side of his head. His scalp and part of his face actually were pulled off and hanging down from the wreck. He was able to receive surgery that day to reconnect his scalp and skin. He still has a while before it will be connected. His ear is also bleeding still, and the doctors said they couldn't look at it until the swelling went down and the damaged skin healed more. Jeremias got back from the capital from his second eye surgery as were visiting these pastors. And the lady, Gilma, has recently found out this week that one of her vertebrae is broken. She went to get her knee checked out, and in the mean time the doctor discovered through X-rays that her vertebrae is broken as well. He said it was a miracle that she was walking. So now she has to do nothing and be careful for three months.

So they continue to pray and trust the Lord to provide for all their needs and healing. Please continue to pray for these pastors and their families. One of the others not mentioned is still in the capital waiting for surgery on his broken back as well. They need your prayers and encouragement from God. They still have very high spirits and praise the Lord for everything and pray that God richly blesses all that are giving and praying for them! If anyone still feels led to give to these pastors to buy more food for them there is still the need. Just ask and we will be glad to explain how to give. But we want to thank everyone of you for your prayers! This is the body of Christ worshiping together. When one rejoices, all rejoice. When one suffers, all suffer. And through your prayers and giving you have strengthened and encouraged many folks in Guatemala!! And most importantly, glorified God through your good works!! (Matt. 5:16)

Monday, August 15, 2011

A Sweet Pastor Seminar!!

Hello to everyone! We pray that all is going good for y'all! We wanted to give an update on the injured pastors and share about out last pastor training seminar. We have visited four of the pastors who were involved in the accident, and we had two of them actually come to the seminar this past weekend. The four we visited are recovering and taking things slow. They still have there stitches and bruises and swelling but still have their spirits and encouraging attitudes! We were able to give them food to help with their families and also money from some individuals that gave to us for these pastors. They deeply expressed their appreciation and praised God for the family in Christ they have in the States!! They told us to thank the ones who gave, and said that they will be praying for God to pour out his blessings on each of the people that gave and also for all who are lifting them up in prayers! We are going to stay in contact with them to continue to pray and provide for their needs as the Lord continues to give to them. We also had two of the pastors actually come to the seminar. It was very noticeable how much pain they were still in, but they wanted to be there and came despite their pain. We did give them pain relievers the entire seminar to ease their pain and sent some with them on their travels back to their villages. A true inspiration and encouragement and conviction for us who complain and won't even go to church b/c of a headache.

The seminar went very well, praise the Lord. We had 12 pastors who were able to come and participate in this seminar. Pastor Mark Adams was wonderful and did a great job teaching and preaching to the pastors! It was the first seminar at our house as well. This made it possible for us to hang out with the pastors more and get to know them more. They seemed to really appreciate Mark's humor, for those who know him, and Mark seemed to enjoy passing time with them too. They also expressed how they really enjoyed the rooms, bathrooms, and the comfort at the new mission house! I was very pleased and very thankful to God and all who support us to have been able to get this house and use it for the seminars. The pastors loved the teaching lessons and actually had many comments and questions. We also put them in groups for discussion and more study time. They said that they liked that and had a good time together in their groups and were always prepared to share during the review what they had discussed or thought. It seemed that the lessons on Discipleship really hit home and were even personal for some. We gave them time at the end to give their opinion and thoughts about the seminar, and many expressed how this will be great for them to use for their churches and villages. Many times throughout the lessons many would say, "This is what we need to teach to our families and congregations to start a change and growth." Good stuff!!! So Praise God it went well and He was glorified and the Word was planted deeper in some cases and will go forth to many places!!
Thank you for lifting this up in prayer and for your prayers for these wonderful pastors! Please continue to pray for more pastors from the States to come and continue the training and teaching of God's Word to these people. The pastors would not stop asking me for the dates for the next seminar so they can make sure they are available, and they have other pastors who want to come but need to know the dates for the same reasons. I told them I couldn't know until I confirm with the next pastor(s) when they can make it. They actually prayed right there for the next pastors and for God to keep sending more pastors to teach them and show them more about being pastors. They wrote down some names I gave them, so if you are a pastor, and I have talked to you about coming....you better know you got some very spirited praying pastors calling God to send you to Guatemala to teach!! HAHA Love it!





A couple of really fun moments in the seminar is that the men gave me a birthday party because my birthday was during the seminar (and a birthday bath!!), and we had a few "workout" sessions to get everyone's blood pumping! Fun!










But very seriously, thank you all for your prayers and support for these pastors and for my family! God is so good and never ceases to amaze me at how much He can do when I get out of the way! Love y'all and we are praying for y'all!!! God bless!! He is so good and faithful!!


Daniel and Brandi and the kids (Keep Brandi and the little man in your prayers too while they are both growing (haha) and getting ready for that awesome day!)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Ministry House Pictures

Some may already know that we have moved into another house in Chiquimula, Guatemala. With the Lord's leading, we moved here with intentions of making it a ministry house. Lord willing, we will host Pastor Seminar trainings, youth events, and mission groups in the very near future. We wanted to share a few pictures with you of what the Lord has provided.

These three pictures are of the four rooms in the back of our house where pastors, youth, or missionaries will stay. (Right now, we have a youth missionary, Blake Bowlin, that is staying in one right now for three and a half months.)


These three pictures are of the outside "kitchen" where we will cook for the pastors' seminars, where we will have the next pastors' seminar, and the bottom picture is where we want to have future seminars when we can find some sound equipment because this section is right beside a busy (and loud) road.


This last picture is the entrance of the house where our family stays. There is three bedrooms, a kitchen, and living room. It is very nice and comfortable, and we praise the Lord for His blessing! The owner of this house really likes flowers too, so the landscaping of this house is amazing. :)