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We had a safe and uneventful trip from Guatemala City through Houston (where we went through customs) to Baltimore. We landed in BWI around 11pm and arrived in Red Lion about 1-ish. (I wasn't checking my watch. I was just trying to stay WARM?!) 

L to R - August, Ryan, Kristen, Cindy, Torrie, Larry, Doreen, Wendy, Mike, Kate, Tanner

Thank you for following our blog. If you feel called to serve on a short-term mission trip please contact Servants. You will not be disappointed. God Bless!

Our Goodbye

A picture is worth a thousand words so I thought I'd post this slideshow we shared with the kids tonight after dinner. Some of the girls performed a dance for us and the most wonderful things were said as we took the time to say our "goodbyes".

What a trip! Ask us about it when we get back. We'd love to share this experience with the people we know and love.

Dinner with the Little Boys is Always an Adventure

One boys makes a muscle and they all need to make a muscle!

Randy with his dog, Daisy

Shy Superman (Jose Armando)

Cindy with the gang.

Ryan and Kevin

August and Carlos

Looking good guys!

Ice Cream and Cookies

Kate and August baked cookies so the kids could have an afternoon treat to celebrate their first day of school. One scoop of ice cream and two chocolate chip cookies. Needless to say, they loved it!

Torrie, Doreen, Kristen and August

Sharon with her Amigos

Michi enjoying a ice cream covered cookie.

Gaby and Jenifer

Larry with the Muchachos

Want to Make a Difference? Sponser a Child!

It sounds like a cliche but it's so very accurate. Many of us in the USA have so much and are so blessed but are we good "sharers"? Do we give freely or do we horde our possessions? Are we "living water" or a "dead sea"?

Oswald Chambers explains, "We are to be fountains through which Jesus can flow as “rivers of living water” in blessing to everyone. Yet some of us are like the Dead Sea, always receiving but never giving, because our relationship is not right with the Lord Jesus. As surely as we receive blessings from Him, He will pour out blessings through us. But whenever the blessings are not being poured out in the same measure they are received, there is a defect in our relationship with Him. Is there anything between you and Jesus Christ?

Pray about it. Ask God if you can pass on some of your blessings for one of these precious children.

Paty

Angel David

Gaby

Alejandro and Marvin

For only $35 per month you can give one of these children at New Life Children's Home access to clean food/water, medical care, a Christ-based education and much more. Click HERE for more info.
 

"Giving is a joy if we do it in the right spirit. It all depends on whether we think of it as “What can I spare?” or as “What can I share?” - Esther York Burkholder

Monday Work Day

We continued painting, building cabinets and walls but there is always something else to do around the Home so...
Cindy hung curtains
Wendy added a coat of polyurethane to the new cabinet doors
and Kate opened her own Hair Salon. :)

Imelda Before...

Imelda After!

Egg McMuffins for a Crowd

Sunday night was a very special evening. The Team had the opportunity to make an Egg McMuffin dinner, complete with hash browns for all the kids. Staci, a missionary here at the Children's Home, said the children LOVE hash browns. They're a treat they only get once or a few times a year so they were a big hit! We made 175 sandwiches assembly line style. A big thanks to Kate who was a great head chef!

Kate and Tanner mixing eggs.

August cooking the hash browns.

Larry pouring the drinks.

 

Mike frying the ham.

Ready to serve!

After dinner, what made the evening so special, was the way they prayed for all the students as they begin a new school year. Lee (on the far right) began as he prayed for the oldest students who then in turn prayed for the next younger class and so on and so forth. Imagine high school students praying for elementary students and kindergarten kids praying for pre-kinder kids. It was a blessing to witness their faith in God. What an example for us all to seek, pray and ask God for His help in all we face and in all we do. Join us in praying for New Life Children's Home and these students. 

Frater Church - Sunday Morning

This morning we traveled about 20 minutes away from the Children's Home to worship together at Fraternidad Cristiana de Guatemala. Pastor Jorge's asked the question, "What's your goal in life?" Are we like a hamster on a wheel that runs and runs and runs but gets nowhere? Or do we know the same goal as the Apostle Paul? Paul says in 1 Cor. 9:24-27, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

May your Sunday be filled with fellowship, rest and renewal!

I Have a Confession...

If you've been reading the blog and found yourself thinking, "This doesn't  really sound  like Wendy" . . . well, you're right! It's Doreen! We couldn't get my permissions activated to administer the blog so I assumed Wendy's persona. She was gracious enough to allow me to put words in her mouth but I needed to come clean! There. Now I feel better. The truth will set you free! <grin>

Yesterday Afternoon in the Garden

 We enjoyed a lunch of steak, rice, salsa and guacamole in the WONDERFUL 78 (or so) degree temperature! It was a special time with the kids and us.

Iza and Torrie

Lety and Kristen

Cabinets, Painting, Walls and Another Birthday Celebration!

Tanner building a wall to create a new classroom.

It's not permanent so if the classroom size changes it's easy to remove.

Jose Carlos and Michi playing with the frisbee that Wendy bought at Dick's and is "Made in Guatemala". ;)

 

Gaby

Marvin hiding under the rock bridge in the garden.

Another birthday celebration. Oscar turned 16!