Group From St. Louis

 

Well we had our first team this year from St. Louis, Missouri with Summit Church. The leader was Alex Rodriguez. He is from Guatemala and was a missionary with his wife and son here very close to Chiquimula, but now he is serving as the pastor to the Hispanic church at Summit and his wife, Stacy, is a teacher. There were 5 in all in this group. Had a little difficult time understanding their accents because they are yanks you now. Haha But we had a great time together!! There were two paramedics/firefighters in this group that came and taught our local volunteer fire department on how to treat trauma victims and how to use the jaws of life tool to cut trapped victims out of wrecked vehicles. The group presented a evangelical drama and message the first day. Some youth from our local church came and helped in the drama. Then they taught how to treat the trauma victims starting from arriving on the scene and how and when to take them to receive medical attention in another place. The second part of that day was used to explain everything about the cutting tool. Our second day with the firefighters was spent outside with a car doing hands on practice with the tools. It was at night adding more affects to the training. I was used as the unconscious victim in the vehicle. The firefighters had to assess my injuries, and then get me out the safest way possible. I didn't realize that I was going to be covered in glass and have them cutting the car a part right over my head until it was too late! A little scary I must say. The local TV station was on scene during the two days recording everything and later put it all on the news. I was called the "gringo that had too much fun that night and had a wreck in my car." I became famous all over Chiquimula...I signed a few autographs and charged a couple of dollars for pictures but it's starting to die down again and things are getting back to normal for my life. Haha Crackin myself up... But the guys did a wonderful job training and the firefighters were eating up every word they were saying! They said at the end it was very helpful for them and they learned a lot of new things and were refreshed on the other things. They also had brought down 10 fire suits for the department and 4 pair of boots and many other things to help with treating trauma victims like a carrying board, head gear, and medical supplies. The group also went to three different villages and hosted medical clinics for the people of the community. The three villages we visited were with three of the pastors that attend our seminars. The group had medicine to give out to the people and were prepared for any other trauma or accidents they might have encountered. We were blessed by some of our friends and missionaries here, Josh and Jessica Byrd, who gave us most of the medicine to make this possible because the box with the group's medicine didn't arrive from shipping until the last day the group was in Chiquimula. So thanks to our friends for helping us out! The group saw over a hundred people in each place they visited each day. This was the first time a medical clinic had been given to two of the three villages we visited. But all three pastors said that the clinics opened the doors for them to minister outside their churches and to people that would not have otherwise came to the church. They felt that the communities were united more and were excited for the new opportunities to minister to more people. Praise the Lord!! And the last day in Chiquimula was spent giving a seminar to the pastors. We had 15 pastors come and spend the whole day learning about the great commission and oral communication. Alex presented the pastors with the material and did a wonderful job! Some of the pastors told me that they had not fully understood the great commission and now could see where they were not fulfilling it to the fullest. Another big praise the Lord for opening minds and planting wisdom in the pastors that will be taken to their churches and communities and impact more lives and hearts!
So we give thanks and praise to God for blessing this group and using them to minister to God's people in Guatemala! We had a great time ourselves with them. Our kids loved being with them and would not leave one of them alone! But he was great and played with them all the time! They also took us with them to Antigua the last day to stay with them and chill a little bit there. God is so good and faithful!

A little side note...we also learned that week that our dog is really a robot that can not be destroyed! Brandi and some of the group were outside by the road waiting for the truck to arrive with their boxes that were being shipped there when our dog ran out of the house to get another dog across the road. I heard one of the guys yell for her to stop and turned to look just in time to see her get plowed by a van that was passing in front of the house. She went air born and then landed in front of the van on the road. I thought that it was over and we had lost a good dog. So I get out of the car I was moving to go see what I needed to do when she came running around the house from the front and ran straight inside the door to the house, then straight to the front yard to jump up onto the wall to look outside in the front. Brandi came running around behind her at that time telling me that Shusha had been hit and was bad hurt. I said, "Well look at her now jumping up on the wall to look outside." I think she was more concerned about getting in trouble for leaving the house than the fact that she was just plowed by a car! What really happened was Shusha hit the van! There had to have been more damage to the van than to her because she is good to go. Very strange! But thank the Lord she is alright. I'm sure all of you feel so much better now knowing that story and knowing that Shusha is ok! Right? Well you should...we love that dog!

But thanks for your prayers for this group! They already have plans to come back and do more with the Fire Department and more medical clinics in different places! Praise the Lord!!