Ministry Land and Immigration

We met with the architect and went over all my beautiful hand-drawn plans...bless their hearts. I think maybe Uriah could have done a better job. HA! But they got the gist of it and said that they were going to start the plans and have them ready to review in a week. I felt very nervous and uncertain about that whole step but after talking to them, I felt better. And that's one step closer to getting started. We also bought close to $1,000 of re-bar to start forming columns and getting started on the cistern and septic tank. Esau is going to be the foreman over the construction and found a great deal on that re-bar. Thank you Jesus. I think Esau might be more excited than we are about God's leading and direction to buy that land and build the ministry house. Whenever I talk to him about an idea, he says that they...his family who are also construction guys...were up late discussing the same idea and making plans and drawings to show us. Love it! We really felt God leading us to put Esau in charge of the construction...and now I see why! Good stuff!
We are still in the process of getting permanent residency for our two oldest kids. It's been over a year now...and I still can't believe the things that happen at immigration here in Guatemala! Simply mistakes that shouldn't happen in an office that only works with immigrants from all over the world...like putting your whole name on the forms or spelling your last name right??? I guess with all the weird names that exist in this world that might be understandable but not when you have a thousand forms in front of your face with the name spelled correctly! Good grief! But God's grace is sufficient and His mercy is new every time we go to that office! We had a friend here that told us we should stop praying for patience because enough is enough! Haha! But Lord willing, we will be finishing the process this coming Monday...like I haven't said that 40 different times! But we are still praying and hoping for it!
But God is good and faithful!! And we endure all things and give thanks IN...not FOR...all circumstances because God and His love are just that good!! It wipes the other little short-lived problems of this world off the plate! God bless!!

I am WEAK!!

We truly have an awesome God that really knows us and knows how to use us! He designed His plans and His ways to be empowered through our weaknesses. He must have been thinking about me when He put that rule into order! 2 Corinthians 12-7-10; 13:4 explains it better...but thank you Jesus that you can use me because of my weaknesses. I ain't got to go looking or trying to be weak! That happens without effort or having to look for it...or is that just me? But when I can totally depend on God and allow Him to lead me to accomplish His will, through His power, then I see things happening that I know for sure were not because I did them or because I was an expert in that area! And it's neat to see that God has our best interests in mind when He set that in motion...so that we would not become proud or trust in our own strengths and 'know how'. That leads to destruction and failure! Every time! So He made it to where we can go to Him, trusting completely in His Word and leading, and knowing fully that whatever He has asked or directed us to do will happen! And it ain't got NOTHING to do with our strength or knowledge. But God still chooses to use us to do it...pretty cool!
We are buying the land today, Lord willing. This is a lot of money and pretty scary and nervous to do this...that's perfect! God's power in made perfect in our weaknesses! So let God's power come and His will be done with this land and the money being spent to buy it and the construction of the ministry! All this seemed impossible a couple of months ago! But look at it now! It's starting to roll and move toward the vision God gave us! And seeing how it took Noah 120 years to build the ark and see the flood...Abraham never saw that awesome nation God promised him...and others received their promise the same day...it's going to happen in God's perfect timing! We are excited for what God is doing and pray that we continue to rely on His guidance and power to complete the work that He has started! Praise the Lord!

Residency!

We have been working on the kids' residency papers now for one year after working for a year on their temporary residency. Every time we go to immigration to get something done, something is not right and we either have to pay for something else or go back another day. It's a 4 hour drive to get there one way. We have been there three times in a week and a day! This time we were at the last point...the last step...and some thing was wrong with the paper work that THEY filled out! And we had to pay more money for them to fix it! They said it was my fault for not knowing what data had to be on there and not correcting it when they asked me to look at the spelling and see if it was all good. The spelling was good...they just put the wrong name on there! HA! How was I suppose to know what name was suppose to be on there...I thought that was their job. BUT after paying the fine and doing more paper work really fast we got back into the process without having to go home and then turn around and drive back just to pay and get into the process again. They told me we were going to have to come back another day b/c there were no more numbers...but praise the Lord for His favor and mercy...they stayed and waited and allowed us to get it done that day. We still have to wait 8 days and then go back and try again...but what else can you do?? As Josiah says, "The bird eats and the worm dies." I know...doesn't make since but makes you laugh and get over it.
That was stressful. I could actually feel my face get red and hot when they told me it was my fault and I had to pay them to fix it! I started feeling a lot of pressure in my head and my eyes started burning...I stopped and thought, what is going on?! Then I realized that my blood pressure must be going up! Haha I thought now come on Daniel! Calm down. I started praying and hoping that I wouldn't pass out or have a stroke! That was a first for me. And after getting Brandi calmed down and out of their, we made it home. I read a kids' devotion book to the kids before they go to sleep every night...well can you guess what it was about?? It was about not giving up and staying focused while you do your best for the Lord! HAHA! "Do your best to live at peace with everyone." I couldn't help but laugh and feel better! God is so good to us and always encourages us and gets us through everything! His gentleness is always there and His encouragement and love too. Sometimes we act like, "NO! Don't touch me right now...I'm mad!" when God is trying to comfort us and tell us it is going to be ok. Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness and strength!
Please pray that it all comes out correct and we can finish it when we go back in 8 days. I am so tired of that drive and seeing Immigration. But praise the Lord we'll get there and be done soon!

RATS!!!

I mentioned this in our monthly update emails...and if you aren't getting those and would like to just comment on here and I'll add you to it...but we have rats!! Or had rats! When we got home from visiting the States for 2 1/2 months, our house had a plague of rats! It sounded like a party was going on on top or our tin roof and wood ceiling because of all the rats running around and chasing each other. Our kids would tell us that they hear the rats running above their beds! We had to move Mary Kathleen's bed into the boys' room because the rats made her ceiling the bathroom or nest area. Her roomed smelled so bad and strong of urine that we had to move her and start working on getting rid of the rats!
So I started putting out rat poison everywhere and they would eat it all over night because it would be gone by morning. About 4 or 5 days went by and I never saw or found any dead rats. So I put out more poison...again, it was all gone by morning. Then they started coming out! We started finding dead rats everywhere! Every day! after two weeks, we have physically picked up 20 rats and because of the dead animal smell in three different places, I know there are more!! And I still see some running away from the dog's food bowl at night when I go out to feed her. Can you believe that! More than 20 rats were living in our house and above the kids' room! I was picturing that movie Ratatouille, or however you spell it, when that old lady's ceiling fell down and there was a colony of rats and she never even knew it! Imagine having more than 20 rats run into your bedroom at the same time! I'd hurt myself trying to get away. And these suckers ain't your typical field mouse or rat...the adults look like squirrels they are so big! But thank you Lord they are leaving and the urine smell is almost gone! And we can sleep without the rat race going on above us on the roof! There you go...

Brother Mark Adams and Blister!

Does Brother Mark look confused? Ha!

 Well, Pastor Mark Adams made it back again to teach and spend time with the pastors. This was Brother Mark's fourth time coming so most of the pastors were looking forward to listening and seeing him again. Brother Mark makes friends pretty easy for those that don't know him...and that might be an understatement. He brought along a friend with him this time to help Brandi out with preparing and cooking the food. Her name is Blister...Haha...Naomi but she quickly got the name Blister a few days into the week. She told Brandi a couple of times that she was going to get up to help with preparing breakfast...I had to wake her up when it was done to help serve. Ha! So Mark...being Mark...thought up the name Blister. And Brandi...being Brandi...asked, "Why Blister?" And Brother Mark explained that blisters usually pop up at the end of the job after the work is done...Lol! So we called her Blister the rest of the trip. Good stuff! 

We had 26 pastors during the seminar Making Disciples! Great group of guys and all ready and open to learn and receive from God's Spirit and Word. It was great to see them so interested and responding to the questions and even digging deeper to get more answers! This wasn't the first time that they were taught on making disciples and forming leaders. It's easy to see that they are understanding and even applying what they are learning. I have seen first hand where many of the  Biblical ideas and teachings are being put into practice in their churches and communities. There were several in the seminar who had never met Brother Mark before or had not received the training and teaching on Discipleship and Forming Leaders so they really had a lot of questions and comments. And one of the great things that we saw was many of the pastors present who had received the training and teachings were actually answering the questions and helping explain the material with us! Awesome! 

Brother Mark is definitely a people person so he fits right in with these guys. He's out there eating and sitting with them. I often wonder what it is they talk about or discuss because Mark doesn't speak Spanish! Haha! He actually would say a few things in Spanish but would always mix it up with his French from school. And the pastors would look at me like I could translate the French...nope. 

Blister!!

Blister was wonderful helping Brandi and Nancy in the kitchen or playing with the kids! The ladies were very happy to have the extra help and the kids loved playing with her. She also went on a hunting trip a couple of times at the youth service here in the city where we go to church and the Sunday morning service. I think she was able to get a few contacts and names...who knows?? I'm sure the folks don't really like that idea. And of course Mark and I were always available and ready to extend a helping hand and watch all the faces turn red and every one start walking away from embarrassment...always a pleasure. One of the guys thought she was Brother Mark's wife...I think it had something to do with the dress...haha! 

We went to a new church with a new pastor, Mecerdes, where Mark was able to preach to the congregation. Really good experience. It was in a very poverty stricken area, but the pastor and his family wanted to feed us. So we ate while they watched...very difficult but they expressed their deep love for God and for us and we couldn't say no. But we can always bless them later! The church folks were really precious and in love with God! The worship was wonderful! Despite the rain and the barn post style church being packed out, people were crowding in to hear and sitting in the rain to listen to God's Word...think about it! 

Playing a Game! Fun!

Well, we praise God for another seminar and more time together with the pastors and our friends from the States! What a blessing and privilege to work with and spend time with the pastors from the villages, and what an encouragement to have our friends from the States come and pour out their love and lives into the people here!! The Body of Christ is really an awesome and beautiful thing!! Glory to God! 

Destruction in the Villages!

Fearless Leader Special Ed!

Well...the general idea of a group coming to do a construction project is to make things better and improve things...I don't know if busting the community water pipeline two times or killing flowers and plants or putting holes in the tin roof is part of that idea?? What do you think? lol But let me tell you, we had a GREAT time! The neighbors were coming out to see what all the fun was! And yes! it did get finished and everything is fixed and growing again. Don't stop reading here though...it gets better.


Killen UMC youth group came down to build a kitchen and bathroom for the pastor at the church on the rock. And my parents came as well!! Yea! The group raised all the money to buy the construction material and came to sweat and help finish the construction. It was the first trip here for many of the youth and their first opportunity and privilege to work with me! Haha! They were confused and really didn't know what to think or how to act at first, but they left with new names and a great experience! They started from the ground up with the kitchen. They had to dig the holes for the posts...and the ground is rock...hence the church on the rock...now we can say that the pastor built his house on the rock! Then they had to figure out how to make the rafters for the tin roof to go on. After we got the roof on, it was time to pour the concrete floor. This is totally different from the process in the States! You start by making a pile of sand and gravel on the floor, then pour the cement on the top. Then you have to "flip" the pile a few times using your shovel to get it all good and mixed up. Then you make a volcano like hole and start filling it with water, trying to keep the water inside and not running out until it is soaks into the cement...Then you pull it away from the pile little by little by filling 5 gallon buckets with the cement and carry it to dumb it out where needed. Well...when you got a old Bones, Special Ed, and some momma's boys and a scary bottle throwing girl, that's not so easy! lol! I'm joking...they did awesome! Besides stepping on Mari's flowers and plants and killing others when the cement mix poured out and covered them...or besides throwing large rocks down the hill and hitting the community water pipeline and sending water spraying out...they did great! Haha It was super hot! And the work is super hard! And they worked the whole time...well except for Ben. He was more concerned with getting Nancy's number or taking breaks...ain't the same as farm life. Just kidding! Praise the Lord the kitchen was finished except the walls which were later finished by the pastor. And the bathroom is still being finished by the pastor as well. Before the kitchen, his wife was cooking under a piece of tarp out in the sun! Rain or heat, she cooked there all day long! And she also cooked lunch for us every single day we were up there!! And it was delicious! Some wonderful folks and I praise God for His provision and for the Killen group for coming and loving them and the Lord through their actions!

Go Mae Mae!!

What is Ben doing??

Pure Awesomeness!!

 Hannah had some interesting bug experiences worth mentioning...A grasshopper the length of a number 2 pencil was thrown into her hair and she LOST it! HAHA! I don't know why she lost it, but she almost took off the pastor's head with a gatorade bottle as she chunked it at Devin, the boy who threw it at her. After she stopped pulling her hair out and beating her head against the block wall, she stopped crying and could laugh about it by the end of the trip! HA! And she would see little granddaddy long leg spiders on the wall and dream they were godzilla and couldn't sleep at night! Bless her! She hung in there though and worked very hard. All she talked about was her bed, A/C and hot water! haha Good stuff! We also went to the Mayan ruins in Honduras and learned about the McIntyre Clan that ruled the place...the Poop Clan that was part of Ben's ancestors...and the Grissom clan from the Mayans in Mexico. The Aliens eventually killed most of them and they spread out and started other nations that we know today. Very educational!
The youth also went to the school in San Juan and played with the kids and taught them using the color coded soccer balls! Another great chance to share God's love and salvation to the kids and leave them the  soccer balls to play with! And they went to the hospital and prayed for the kids and gave out toys with Brandi. A mind changing experience! We really enjoyed hanging out with the youth and getting to know them. And we had an awesome time with my folks visiting the grand kids and wonderful amazing son! Praise the Lord for His love and blessings He poured out through this group! Good stuff!

Teaching the Teachers!

Well it's about time the teachers have to sit and listen and not talk and fill how it is to be a student again! Ha! I always thought...surely my teacher as forgotten how it was to be a teenager and how hard it is to sit still and listen for so long! Surely I ain't the only one who has thought that?? But the first week of July for three days, the teachers in the schools we visit to teach the Bible to the kids sat and were taught by some teachers from Alabama! But the teachers here loved it! They were so excited to get new ideas and learn new ways to teach the kids. And the teachers from Alabama did great! We went to four schools in three days! And at one of the schools there were teachers from three different schools...good stuff! They were able to encourage and help many teachers from different places in Chiquimula. They taught techniques on keeping the pace of the class moving forward and keeping the kids' mind firing the whole day. They taught on classroom organization and visual teaching aids in their rooms. They gave them ideas on games to play and provided some of the material to do the games. They spoke about the emotional and spiritual needs of the kids and how to understand that and help the kids. And the awesome thing about all this...going back and visiting the schools after the teachers left, I see the things they taught being put into practice by the teachers here in Chiquimula! And many of the teachers have talked to me about how they were encouraged and revived again with the new ideas and enthusiasm from the teachers that came.  I already have many schools asking when they can come back and teach again! The word is getting out! Praise the Lord that He sent teachers that are Christians and God-fearing men and women to influence the teachers here!
One of the teachers brought several soccer balls that have the same color coding that teaches the plan of salvation and the effect of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice in our lives. This is such an awesome idea because all the kids here want to do is play soccer! So now when they are playing and see the colors on the soccer ball, we pray that the Gospel message comes to the remembrance and they go and share it with others!
And one of the teachers was blessed with the gift to fancy up hair for the little girls. She did some fancy braids and put colored ribbons in the hair to look very pretty! She was very busy with the little girls who loved it!
So we give God the glory and honor and continue to pray for the schools and the kids!