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.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Number one for Uriah

Well Uriah got his first stitches yesterday. We were eating at a restaurant that had a playground set. There was a sand box at the bottom of a slide, and the kids were sitting and playing in the sand after we finished eating. Well the set was built a little too high so the slide was close to being straight up and down so that the kids would go really fast on the way down. Levi went down really fast and hit Uriah in the chest causing him to fall hard backwards and hit his head on the railroad wood beams that were lining the sand box. We heard him cry really hard and knew it was a big one even though we didn't see it happen. We go over there and pick him up and dust him off and bring him back to the table to give him a drink and hold him for a while. He was laying the right side of his head against Brandi's shoulder and when he sat up to get a drink of water there was blood all over the side of his head down to his neck and all over Brandi. He had already stopped crying at this point so that was a pretty big shock to us! Mom starts panicking a little, and I start trying to find the cut. His hair is so fine that it was all clotted up in the blood so I couldn't see the cut. I put some water on it and cleaned it a little and saw the 1 inch line on his scalp. But it didn't look that deep and it had already stopped bleeding. So we called a friend and asked where to take him if he needed stitches and went home to clean him up good and get a good look at it. Even after we got home and cleaned him up some more to get a better look, it still didn't look deep but it was a long cut. I couldn't get butterflies to stay on his head because of all the hair and all I could hear was my mother-in-law yelling at me for not taking her baby to the doctor to get it checked out. So we went to a local 24 hour clinic and had them look at it. Without even cleaning it they said he definitely needed stitches. But after he started cleaning it and got Uriah's hair out of the way and opened it up to clean inside......it was very deep! A half inch deep or probably a little more than that. Bless his heart, he was so strong...after the numbing shot and he started humming the theme song to the superman cartoon with Brandi and laughing really loud between the cries when he could tell they were doing something to his head. So my little bubba got several stitches and is taking meds to prevent infection and help with the pain. He actually slept through the entire night...that I know of. So please keep him in your prayers as his head heals! I guess the old way of taking care of wounds...just rubbing some dirt on it and going on with whatever you were doing...isn't really the best way to fix things. But it seemed to work with our grandparents. There you go...

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Getting back to it

Welp...we are officially back and got our feet on the ground. We got everything unpacked and have started the kids on their homeschooling. Brandi and I decided this year we want to try homeschooling after seeing how confused the kids were getting switching between English and Spanish. Mary Kathleen speaks English with all the rules from Spanish! She'll say things like, "I want some water cold," "I want you to play for (with) me "or "That's a car blue." We hope that staying focused at the first part while they are learning the rules of English they can advance and learn without the confusion. So far they like having their mom as the teacher, and Brandi is doing great! We have started construction on the pastor's house from the church on the rock. A family from Gordo, AL donated the money to get the pastor and his wife into their own house! The pastor there has helped us build many houses and improve others while never actually owning his own. And he has never asked me for a house for him and his wife. But God sees the faithful and the humble at heart and has provided for the pastor. He is the only one building it right now so I am going and helping him as much as I can! It is such hard work! And he does it everyday! Keep him in your prayers and the construction of his house! We are also helping one of the pastors from another village that is studying in our seminars with the construction of his church building. They have built a pavilion type building out of mud and wood and are now wanting to build one out of block now that the church is growing. We are helping as much as we can to buy material and encourage them along the way! And I hope to be able to go and help with the labor as well when they get more material.
Our local pastor here in Chiquimula, Pastor Jendrick, and I will be going to a village that is about a 7 hour drive from here, to do a pastor seminar with one of the pastors that comes to our seminars. This pastor is over about 15 churches and asked us to come and teach all the pastors there in his area. We will also be teaching the church he is pastoring about small groups and how to disciple them. This will be the first time that the ministry will go there to teach other pastors. Please pray that all will line up according to God's plan and we'll be able to go in the Spirit and teach what He leads! It's a big opportunity also because this denomination is very shut in and doesn't allow others to come and teach. At the beginning when we went to teach the youth, they told the pastor that we were there disguised as another church trying to steal his members! We pray for God to show up and open eyes and ears to see Him and receive His word!
Pray for Brandi also...she got three wisdom teeth cut out 4 days ago and is struggling a lot with pain and nausea. I am trying my best to take care of her and the kids while she recovers. We are also praying and looking for two vehicles to buy...a truck for the ministry and a vehicle for the family. We will sell the two SUV's we have now to buy the others. We have had horrible experiences with other vehicles here in the past and really want God to lead us to the best vehicles for the ministry and the family! It ain't fun being "gringos" (North Americans) broke down on the side of the road very far from your town and home! With the family!! Scary!
Thank y'all for your prayers and ministering with us in Guatemala! God bless!!!