Sat, March 14 (last update)

We´re back in Guatemala City!  It´s almost 5:30 PM Saturday evening and we just arrived at the Hotel; Luis and Loli graciously greeted us with open arms ... they definitely have the spiritual gift of hospitality and demonstrate it every time we stay here!

Last night´s tamale dinner was nothing short of incredible!  While it was rather small in numbers compared to previous dinners, it more than made up in the quality of the evening!  In addition to our group, we had all 7 ladies present who received stoves.  They were equally disbursed between our group members and several of them spoke only limited spanish and primarily Tutuhil, the local Mayan dialect for this area.  There was much laughter as we all tried to communicate and fortunately when we ran into a problem, Pastor Emilio was there to rescue us.

After the actual meal was served and eaten, the ladies each came forward on their own and spoke to the group expressing their most sincere thanks and appreciation.  With Pastor Emilio translating the Tuthil and Pam translating the Spanish, it was slow, but nothing was lost in the translation and in fact, Pastor Emilio and Pam added their own emotion as they reacted to the precious words of these grateful women.  It was from the heart and we all felt it and there were many tears shed on both sides and the women went to each group member and hugged them and thanked them yet again.  Then, when we thought this was all over, they got up in front of the room as a group and announced that they didn´t have muney to buy us a gift, but they had made a special ¨remembrance¨for each one of us and wanted to present them to us ... one by one, Pam called our names out and we came forward to receive a hand-made bracelet, the likes of which I haven´t seen down here!  They were very proud of them and the tears flowed again as they hugged and thanked us and said something about each one of us and sometimes shared something humorous or special that impacted them during our the time we worked on their houses.  Over and over again they thanked us for the very special gifts of firewood and tortillas on the day their stove was installed.  Pam really gets the credit for this one because she thought ahead and realized that while their old stove was ¨down¨and the new one was being installed, they couldn´t make tortillas for their family ... I believe in many respects the wood and tortillas had as much of an impact as the stove itself!!!

After the ladies gave their presentation, our group members had the chance to share voluntarily if they wanted and it was a very special time for all of us ... several of the kids shared from their heart about what the trip and the people meant to them and truthfully, there was not a dry eye in the place!  Several references were made that the kids had seen, heard and felt God while on this trip!  For me it was a sweet time and a reminder of why we go on these trips ... God was definitely glorified in what these kids accomplished and how they demonstrated God´s love to these people ... but it was God who showed the kids about HIS love, when these humble people reached out and loved us before they ever knew us ... such a remarkable real life example of God´s UNCONDITIONAL love!  The kids got the message loud and clear and in my opinion, the trip was HUGE success!!!

When dinner was over, we headed back to the hotel and handed the kids a surprise notice:  Be on the roof of the hotel at 5:30 AM the following morning, which was today!  We all went to bed and the kids were grumbling ... HA!  But at 5:30 they were all on the roof ... Scott and I made and served them coffee and we watched the sun rise over lake Atitlan and words could never express to you the extraordinary sun rise that greeted us!  There were several Öohs¨and Ähhs¨ as it appeared ... we followed up with a brief discussion, but pretty much left it up to the kids to take in the experience ... they´d had a fairly emotional night the night before and it was a great time for reflection at the end of the trip.

We then headed over to Pam´s for breakfast and then back to the hotel for final packing.  The boat left at 9:00 AM and there was very tearful AND LONG good-bye and no one really wanted to leave, but we all knew we neded to.  The first part of that boat ride was a rather somber trip as no one felt much like talking, each one caught up in their own thoughts about the trip and the saddness in leaving ... and then, when Panajachel came into view in the distance, it was as if someone turned on a light switch and the cheery attitudes were back and we were looking forward to time in Panajachel.  The kids had almost 3 hours to shop and walk around before we boarded the bus to head back to Guatemala City. 

We stopped briefly at the restaurant called Ka Tok and the kids grabbed an icecream and we were off to the hotel again.  We arrived about 30 minutes ago and I ran in to get this update off so we can take care of our final evening here and the special devotions we have planned for the kids, along with a debrief and plans for a slow ¨re-entry¨ to help everyone prepare for the transition back to life in Anchorage.  We´re tired, but it will be a very special evening.  Our flight leaves around Noon tomorrow, but there is much to do in the morning to prepare before heading to the airport fairly early.  Our flight arrives in Anchorage on Continental Airlines at the North Terminal around Midnight ... sorry I don´t have the flight number!  We´re really blessed this year with almost 2 full hours to clear customs in Houston, so the mad-dash panic of years past will not be an issue this year ... THANKS JOE!!!  :)

Special thanks and recognition go to Pam for all her hard work ... you cannot possibly imagine the coordination of meals and activities and preparation that goes into a group trip like ours!  Then, when you think you´ve got it all handled on the organizational end, throw in the Guatemalan definition of being ön time¨and their operational schedule and you really have the right ingredients for a disaster!  She had it extremely well organized and things ran very smoothly indeed!  We´re very grateful for all her SUPERB meals!  They were not only delicious but hearty and no one ever left a table hungry!  Then, just when you thought you had her meals figured out, she´d surprise you with ice cream or brownies for dessert - a real unexpected treat that the kids WENT NUTS OVER!!!  Thanks Pam for being such an instrumental part of the success of our trip down here!!!  On behalf of the entire team, WE LOVE YOU AND ADMIRE YOU!!!   

Parents, you have some remarkable kids!!!  It´s been an honor to work WITH them on this trip!  I´ve grown to love each and every one of them and have thoroughly enjoyed this time with them!  We´ll see you all tomorrow night LATE!!!

Graciously,DB

Greetings from San Pedro!!!

We had a great Friday!  It wasnt quite as laid-back as I expected, but it definitely wasnt as intense as yesterday was.  We all slept in until around 7:15 and were at Pams for breakfast soon thereafter.  Hannah Strahan gave her devtion and testimony and it was a an incredibly transparent story of some of her challenges and how faithful God has been to pursue her and help her in times of need!  I am so very proud of her!!!  She gave God all the glory, but did so in a very encouraging way for the other kids ... in her testimony she read a paragraph that I was deeply moved by ... it contained profound wisdom based on experience ...

when she was done, I asked her for the name of the book and the author and she looked at me with that confused teenagerlook, and when I tried to recite the quote, she said,Oh ... I WROTE THAT!!! She was reading out of her own journal!!!  It took me a while to grasp what that meant ... here was a teen with wisdom about life experiences that professionals 3 times her age had failed to clearly communicate so effectively!  I told her to please send me this via email when we get home ... it is profound and a great part of her personal testimony!

SOMEDAY THIS GIRL WILL BE AN AUTHOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After breakfast, we headed over to the school for their presentattion to our group.  There were several grades and classes represented and some very funny and wonderfully orchestrated skits and songs that were very entertaining!  We were the honored guests and were made to feel very special indeed.  We were each presented with a gift and one of the school kids handed us our gift and gave a very impromptu speech thanking each of us for coming to San Pedro, for our work and for our generosity and love that they felt.  For me, this was the highlight of the day because, as Pam pointed out later, not one of these kids had rehearsed what they said ... no one was reading a script, it was purely from their heart and it was something special to experience!  Several of our kids needed kleenex to get through the event and we all had tears when the program came to a close and the kids sang this one special song that they sing every Monday at school during their devotions ...  its a very reverent song to God with a very inspirational melody, but when these kids sing it, every one of them is singing at the top of their lungs, arms outstretched and eyes closed in the most beautiful representation of pure worship that Ive seen!  You could not look out over this group, including all the teachers and helpers, and see this display of affection towards God and hear that song, and not get choked up!!!  Out came the Kleenexs again!!!

When the program was over, some of the kids went to different class rooms and assisted teachers and had a chance to be special guests for some of the classes.  Others went up and helped in the kitchen to prepare for the lunch meal and some of us went to the store to get parts to make several small repairs for Pam, including fixing the broken BBQ that had so faithfully cooked several of our meals.

After lunch we headed back to the school and kicked it in high gear to finish all the work that wed started earlier in the week and to complete those items that were awaiting final tools or parts.  A few of us helped Amy Civitillo complete her sign project and get every one of the 18 signs hung up over the doorways of their respective classrooms ... Amy did an outstanding job on this!!!

The guys were hauling more sand up from the Old Folks Home and carrying it to the playground where it will be used to fill in the planters at the base of the murals on the walls; this project turned out so well!!!

It is beautiful - we got lots of photos to share when we return home.

Its 5:30 PM and Im headed back to the hotel to join the rest of the group ... theyre showering and getting cleaned up for tonights Tamale Dinner... once again, a fairly emotional evening as the people her say their final official good byes.  Our kids will be given the opportunity to speak and Im fairly certain there will be lots of sharing when they have the opportunity ... then its back to the hotel for a final evening of worhsip and devotions on the roof of the hotel and then very early tomorrow morning, we have another surprise for the kids .... a sunrise devotion!!!  Well get them up in the dark (EARLY!!!) and head up to the rooftop of the hotel and watch the sun rise over Lake Atitlan and observe the day breaking over the eastern sky!  You cant help but reflect on all that God is and does and who He is, as you hear the town wake up ... the birds and animals and even the dogs starting to bark ... the roosters start crowing and the new day begins ... its an incredible time for reflection and one that Im sure will last forver in the minds of these kids!!!

I write again late tomorrow night when we arrive in Guatemala City and get settled into the hotel.  Tomorrow the kids will be able to spend some time shopping in the tourist city of Panajachel for a few hours before boarding the bus back to Guatemala City.  Im expecting a somber mood on the boat ride back across the lake from San Pedro ... its a bitter-sweet time as the entire group reflects on the past week and then look forward to returning home.  Once again, Im grateful to have had the opportunity and certainly the privilege of representing Proyecto Fe in the capacity that I did and it was TOTAL joy working with the other leaders, BUT ESPECIALLY YOUR KIDS!!!  This has been a very enjoyable trip for me and your kids made it possible - what a great team!!!

Special thanks go out to Scott and my daughter Liz Luber; they really did everything and took care of all the details and made things go so very smoothly!  Emily Dekeyser and Ausdin Lemmons were great helpers who we delegated much to and they came through in outstanding fashion! Special thanks to God for answered prayers and His physical and spiritual protection!

The next update should be tomorrow night .... blessings!  DB

Thurs, March 12

WOW!!!  WHAT A DAY! It´s currently 9:10 PM and this was one heckuva work day!  I made sure Ausdin was up early to go up on the mountain with Juan to retrieve firewood and he´d already rehearsed getting up ... apparently in the power outage yesterday afternoon, the alarm-radio that was plugged in (they´ll use batteries next time! :)) was off by over an hour and Ausdin got up and was at Pam´s a little after 5 this morning and couldn´t understand why Pam didn´t come to open the gate to her house after he yelled her name from the street!  Finally Pam came out and when Ausdin asked why she took so long to respond, she told him what the real time was! By the time I came to make sure he was up, he was REALLY ready!!!

HA!

Emily Dekeyser and Hannah Strahan got up early to make tortillas and the rest of us showed up at Pam´s for a normal breakfast before splitting up into several different work crews for different projects.  Two of the group went and installed the last 2 stoves, several of the girls worked on painting the new murals for the playground. This is an incredible project that will be a very visual witness for this entire community for years to come. The playground accross from the school has a high block wall surrounding it on two sides - the largest is the far side of the playground and it faces the street opposite the school. Rafael and Esteban, two guys who I´ve known for years down here, are working on this project and it involved a smooth plaster surface (stucco) that our kids painted white as a background for some truly artistic renderings of prominent scenes out of the Bible.  That´s where Rafael´s talents really shine!  He is so gifted!  He looked in a children´s book and then drew the same pictures FREE-HAND!!!!  Our kids have been painting what he had drawn in pencil and the whole thing has come to life in the last 3 days.

We took many photos and will have these on the Proyecto Fe website when we return, but once again, this Youth Group has done something that will be a part of this place for many years!!!

Amy Civitillo worked all morning long to get the 18 signs for the classrooms done and we plan to hang these up over their respective doorways tomorrow.  Amy was a real trooper on this and had virtually no help on the entire project which started with 18 pieces of wood which she had to get two coats of base paint on, then get the letters stencilled by pencil and then get two coats of blue paint IN THE LINES and make it all look like it was done by a PRO!!  To say she succeeded would be a gross understatement! THE GIRL´S GOT A FUTURE!

The other members of the group concentrated their efforts on a tough project to fill in the open curb where it abutted the outside wall of the school.  When the road was paved, the level of the road was brought up high enough that people out in the street were standing on this curb and looking into the classrooms; not good for many reasons.  By filling it in with rocks and then concrete, and finishing it with a steep 45 degree angle, it made it impossible for people to stand on it and look inside.  The only problem was, the rocks that were needed to fill in the rather large space, were down behind the school in the unfinished spaces of the Old Folks Home and needed to be carried by hand up to the curb. After many trips, we got all the rocks in place and then mixed concrete for fill in around the rocks and Esteban did the finish work to make it look pretty.  We got about 90 percent complete and will finish it tomorrow.

Another load of firewood and tortillas was delivered to the homes getting the new stoves and once again, there was an outpouring of thanks and genuine gratitude!  We broke for lunch and then everyone headed back to the curb project and helped painting the murals in the playground.

When we stopped work it was around 5:00 PM and we all headed back to the hotel for some badly needed showers!  Then we were off to Pam´s house and the school to pick up food which we carried up the hill to Bartolo´s house for dinner.  It was an excellent evening with Bartolo (the school P.E. instructor) and his Dad and Mom.  Bartolo´s dad we came to find out is a real Prayer Warrior in this community and it was sure apparent when we were there talking to him!  What a great man of God!

Well, the kids are beat and so am I ... tomorrow is the school presentation in the morning to our group ... always a fun event, but also a sad one as this signifies the impending  end of our trip and of this remarkble visit to this very special place.  We still have some work to do tomorrow to bring our open projects to completion, but it should be a pretty easy day.  Then tomorrow night we have the annual ¨Tamale Dinner¨where the kids will have the chance to speak to the guests invited to the dinner ... it´s a great time and the kids usually are very expressive as they communicate what the time meant to each and every one of them.

I´ll get an update in tomorrow, but we leave on the boat early on Saturday morning for Panajachel and I won´t be able to get an update done until we reach Luis and Loli´s hotel near the airport in Guatemala City late Saturday evening.

Thanks again for your prayers. Everyone is in excellent health!It´s been an awesome trip!!!   Blessings,DB

Weds, March 11

It´s almost 9 PM on Wednesday evening and we´re WHOOPED!!!  I think the pace, the heat and the elevation have finally taken their toll ... we´re all ready to hit the hay tonight!  It was, however, a FANTASTIC DAY!!!

This morning it was JD Strickling going up to bring down the firewood that had been cut... I went to check on him at 6:15 AM and he greeted me before I knocked on the door to make sure he was up!  TALK ABOUT ENTHUSIASM!!! And what an awesome worker!! He can go with me on any trip, anywhere at any time!!!

Amy Civitillo and Morgan Mitchell got up early as well to go make tortillas that would once again, be part of the gifts we were bringing to the recipients of the new stoves.  After the stoves were installed, all of us would make a special return-trip to each house and deliver a load of highly coveted firewood and the tortillas.  I know I´ve mentioned it before, but you can´t believe how much these people appreciate these gifts!  One of these years someone will need to have a video camera to catch the expression on their faces when they comprehend that it´s all theirs and it´s a gift!!!

The rest of the gang worked  all morning on installing 3 brand new stoves.  Each group had it´s own share of challenges, but we all were successful in getting the stoves in and fired up and ¨cured¨(a process of oiling the new cooking surface as the stove heats up for the first

time.)  We all finished about the same time and headed to Pam´s for lunch around 1:00 PM.  I failed to mention that yesterday, today and tomorrow´s lunches would each include two of the newer teachers at Colegio Bethel, a great opportunity to get to know them and for the kids to ask them questions about everything from their hobbies to specific questions about their teaching and classes at the school.  It was a great lunch with excellent hamburgers and hotdogs that Pam had BBQ´d ... just when the kids think they´re about to have another dose of beans and rice, Pam throws them an American curve-ball! HA! The kids try not to show their disappointment if it´s something they don´t care for, but their OVERWHELMING expression of joy when it´s something they like is so obvious it´s funny!

After lunch we headed out to specific houses that had these stoves installed in them last year, to do maintenance. This was a great opportunity to see these people happily using them and it was quite obvious from the condition just HOW MUCH they were using them!  Some of the maintenance was very minor, while others were quite involved and required us to re-educate them on THEIR responsibility to maintain and clean the stoves and how frequently they should do this.

After the stove maintenance, we went and visited the shoe store owned by Elias and Dora (Dora works in the cafeteria at the school and Scott and Liz sponsor their two boys Adolfo and Douglas). We all marveled over the qualifty of the shoes he was making for women ... all for around $8.00 a pair!!!  Unfortunately, we learned that in spite of our girls wanting to buy shoes from him, the feet of the women in Guatemala are so small that most of our girls couldn´t get fitted!

We left the shoe store and headed to the hotel to clean up and get ready for dinner which would be eaten at Jose and Maria Pop´s house.  My daughter Liz has sponsored their son Augustine for more than 8 years through Proyecto Fe and it was a great reunion filled with much laughter and just alot of plain fun!!!  They have 3 boys including Augustine and our kids played games with them that several times resulted in the entire household laughing hysterically!  It was a great evening!

As soon as we adjoured there, we headed back down the hill to the school to drop off all the dirty dishes.  Pam had once again, prepared an incredible meal with chicken and rice and corn and naturally fresh tortillas!  Then it was off to the hotel where everyone is ready to go to bed ... I stopped off here to send this update and my eyes are blurring as I type these last sentences ... I´m bushed tonight!!!

Everyone is doing great!  We´re all 100% on health and except for being tired, are in great spirits and ready for one more day of intense work.

I wish you all the best ... the kids continue to pray for you parents and family members daily and we in turn sure appreciate your prayers for us!  Be looking for another update tomorrow sometime.

Graciously,DB

Tues, March 10

It´s almost 6 PM on Tuesday evening and I´m hustling to get this update out before we head to Evelyn Cox´s house for dinner with the entire group! It´s been a very busy day here ... I woke Tanner Heisler up extra early this morning so he could eat a quick breakfast and then join a local here named Juan and climb to the top of the mountain to help carry a load of firewood down the mountain, which, unbeknownst to Tanner, would be part of a gift to the poor family that we would be building a stove for later today. Tanner was pretty funny ... this was a great opportunity for personal growth for him as he had a million questions and didn´t really know what he was getting into. While he was up retrieving the firewood, Emily Allen and Jade Blattler went and made tortillas that would also become part of the gift we would be presenting to this same family.

SIDENOTE HERE:  It´s now 8:45 PM and I´m back at the Internet Cafe to finish what I started. It´s typical to get part way through an email like this and have the power go out and THANK GOD my GCI account saves everything to a draft!!!So ... here we go again as I attempt to get this one completed.

While Emily, Jade and Tanner were out doing special chores, the rest of us split into 3 groups and went and built stoves for 3 different families.  I had Emily Dekeyser, Ausdin Lemmons and Amy Civitillo on my team and we had an absolutely great experience.  The family we worked with was so incredibly appreciative of what we were doing for them!  They were continually thanking us and doing everything in their power to help us ... it was really neat!

They showed us the open fire where they normally did their cooking and then kept pointing to the new one being built and were just tickled about being able to cook on the new one.  I´ve done this several times now and this family was remarkably grateful and didn´t hesitiate to show it!  We got some great photos of their old fire pit and the new one as well - should be a great opportunity to show the contrast for future presentations on this topic.

As we were completing the stove, and way ahead of schedule, in walked Tanner with a massive load of firewood!  When he came in he was carrying it in the traditional rope bundle that utilizes a bandana across the forehead to guide the load that is resting on your back.  It was a heavy load and it was obvious that Tanner was exhausted, but he had a great big smile on his face as I gave him a huge ¨High Five¨and congratulated him on doing an exceptional job! I forced him to pose for photographs before dropping the load. When the family saw this gift, they went NUTS!!! They were hugging on Tanner and thanking him profusely!  They were definitely not expecting this treasure of a gift! Firewood is a precious commodity in this place and they were very,very thankful for the gift.  I think Tanner was a little embarrassed at the amount of attention he was getting, but he handled it very well - I AM SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF HIM!!!  (Bill Heisler: You have another WINNER here in this  kid!!!  I am honored to have him on this team!!!)

Then, as if the stove and firewood wasn´t enough, in walked Jade and Emily Allen with a huge basket of fresh tortillas as yet another gift for this family!  They were overwhelmed to say the least!  Jade and Emily had a blast and they made some pretty darn good tortillas, even though Emily said some of hers didn´t look flat like a tortilla should. HA!  Nevertheless they had a great time making them, and the family really appreciated the gift.

Upon completing the stove, we gathered the family into a circle and prayed for them and it was, once again, a moving experience!  Afterwards, there was much hugging and long embraces and tearful ¨Gracias¨ after tearful ¨Gracias¨.  As we were leaving, Emily Dekeyser remarked, Ï can´t believe we just did that!!¨ It was a great feeling to know that you helped someone out the way we just did and they were so appreciative!  God was definitely using us in this place and we all knew it!

After that we all met up at Pam´s for a great lunch and everyone told of their experiences for the day.  There was much laughter as Tanner told HIS STORY about his death march up the Volcano and carrying 10,000 pounds of wood on his back all the way down the mountain!  Tomorrow he´ll get to tease either JD or Ausdin who will be doing the same chore.  After lunch we split up again, this time Jade and Megan and Emily Allen painted the murals on the new concrete wall of the school playground!  This will be a beautiful project when it´s complete!  The great thing for the girls, is that THEIR handiwork will be here for many years and will impact the lives of countless children ... pretty cool to be able to leave your ¨signature¨on this place... what a great blessing!!! While they were painting, Amy Civitillo was continuing to work on the new signs that will hang over each entrance to each classroom in the school.. 18 new signs,all to be hand-painted ...and she started with plain wood!!!  Once again, a great blessing to be able to something so important that will be seen by so many for so long!

After the afternoon projects were complete we returned to the hotel to clean up and get ready for dinner. Pam had a complete dinner all prepared at the school and we carried it up the hill to Evelyn Cox´s house ... my family and I have been Evelyn´s sponsor for many years through Proyecto Fe and the entire group would have the opportunity to fellowship with their family.For me it was a sweet reunion and for the rest of the kids, it was an excellent opportunity to witness the fruit of a long-term sponsorship through Proyecto Fe! Our entire group thoroughly enjoyed the time and there was much laughter and discussion as several of the spanish speaking members in our group translated for the others. We adjourned and headed down the hill to the hotel, where I stopped off to finish this email.

The kids are planning a short time of worship up on the roof of the hotel tonight and I need to get over there ... I WOULDN´T MISS THAT FOR ANYTHING!!! :)

Again, thanks for your thoughts and prayers and continued support in that crucial way!  The kids are all in excellent health and doing very well!

Our weather has been gorgeous and today it was even hot, I´d bet it was in the high 80´s and were missing the breeze that had accompanied us the last few days ... but not a cloud in the sky until late afternoon when I thought it might even rain.  The clouds built up like a good ól western thunderstorm, and it got dark against the mountains, but it never rained. It´s cleared off since then and  EVERY star in the sky is out in all the beauty and grandeur that makes this such a special place.

Tomorrow and Thursday´s schedules will be very similar but the kids will swap roles so everybody gets the opportunity to do different things and experience those blessings on their own.  I´ve said it before in these emails, but this is truly an incredible group of kids!  They all pull together and support one another and it goes beyond mere friendship.  They have a very clear understanding that they are here to serve and they´re flexible and accomodating and just eager to see what the next opportunity is!!!  I am indeed blessed, once again, to be a part of this group and to have the privilege, with Scott and Liz, of leading such an outstanding group of kids!!!

More tomorrow!!!  Blessings, DB

Mon, March 09

Greetings from Sunny San Pedro La Laguna!

Its 10:30 on Monday morning and I slipped away to get this email out before the day gets too crazy. First and foremost, Jade Blattler is in excellent health!!! She responded very quickly to the Z-Pack and is working on the school project as I write this.  Everyone else is doing very good as well!

Last nights church service was great-our kids had intended to do something that had never been done before and at the last minute Pastor Emilio made the decision to hold off on this special event for reasons he wasnt comfortable with explaining, obviously there were some issues with some church members that he was concerned about and we graciously supported his decision and leadership and responded with some unrehearsed, unplanned special music that was very well received! It was a great testimony to the flexibility of the group and their unity as a team.  As a little side note here ... the musicians in the group were quickly selected to perform these last-minute songs and as they were taking the stage, it was quite obvious that they were nervous and were a little unsure because of how this change in plans came together so fast.

Well, true to this group, the other kids who were still sitting in the audience turned and asked the adults if they could support them on stage, even if it was just to sing with them.  We enthusiastically encouraged them to do so and when the other kids joined those on stage, you could see the relief and the appreciation for that assistance.  For me, it was so incredible to see this team jump to help one another! They played and sang two songs and with eyes closed and hands raised, sang for all they were worth and it brought tears to the eyes of the leaders and was very well received by the people in the church.  We have an INCREDIBLE team ... I didnt imagine how they could get much closer, but they have!!!

After lunch yesterday and before the church service we went on Home Visits to specific families in the community.  We broke up into three groups and had a guide and translator who led each group to the homes they were visiting.  Ive done this every year Ive come down, but for some reason, this yearsvisits were even more special than any Id previously experienced.  Part of it I believe was Pams communication to us that these families had been told of our visits and that we wanted to pray for them, BUT THEIR RESPONSE WAS WHAT WAS SO IMPRESSIVE!  These families demonstrated a desire to receive our prayers like no other time before!  Im not sure why .... conditions and situations seem to be consistent every year with many of the same issues affecting these people, but there was a definite hunger for our prayers that was truly humbling!  Each of the 4 visits our group made, began with a short period of time where we asked questions and got to know the family.

Then, we expressed our desire to pray for them and asked for specific things that they wanted us to pray for. the flood gates opened up and they very emotionally communicated needs and specific prayer requests. We then gathered them in the center of our group and quite unexpectedly they all went to their knees. on hard dirt floors and concrete ... and I was fine until they opened their hands and cupped them together.. I looked over at Esther, Pastor Emilios wife and she saw the question on my face and answered, They are opening their hands to receive the blessings from your prayers! I LOST IT!!!  AND SO DID THE REST OF THE GROUP!!!  These people were on their knees, hands open and eyes closed awaiting our prayers and it was the most humble demonstration of PURE faith Ive seen in a long time!  I tried to focus on what the team was praying and what I was about to say in my prayers, but I couldnt help but be convicted about how my own posture and attitude in prayer lacked this confidence and faithfulness in what I was bringing to God during my prayer times!  You could not be in that room without being convicted of how you communicate with God!

Then, as if there wasnt enough emotion already in the confines of this small four-walled house that we could all barely fit into, several members of the family began to cry and weep as we prayed over them!  My words cannot possibly convey this scene to you and adequately describe what was happening ... these people couldnt understand what we were saying, they didnt know the words we were praying, they just knew it was for them and that we were pleading to God on their behalf!  The kids and I choked through our prayers and it was all kind of fuzzy as it came to a close, but we ended with lots of grateful hugs as we made our way out into the street towards the next home.  For the first several minutes after leaving, it was totally silent - each one of us caught up in our own thoughts about what had just happened.  The kids were very moved by the experience and seeing them so affected reinforced the value of these trips in general, these home visits in particular.  That was just the first house visit and we had 3 more to go. Im not sure how we got through all of them, but they were all the same! Very humble, grateful people pouring their hearts out and anxious to receive our intercessory prayers ... it was an extremely emotional, moving experience for all of us! After the home visits, we changed and headed up the hill to the church.

When church was over we headed to Mikes Pizza and met there for dinner with Pastor Emilio and Esther for a great rest of the evening.  The kids really enjoyed the food and ate until they couldnt eat another bite! Then it was off to the hotel for an early bedtime since we needed to get up very early today.

This morning began with a huge pancake breakfast at Pams at 6:30 where Amy Civitillo presented her Devotion and gave her Testimony.  She did an outstanding job!!!  By the way, Amy was in my home-visit group and I honestly had to open my eyes twice while she was praying to make sure it wasnt her mother Dorothy doing the praying!!!  It was amazing!!But back to her devotion: she really captured the entire attention of the group as she very transparently communicated how she came to know the Lord and how shes been dealing with the challenges in her life ... it was a time of great encouragement of eveyone present!!I shouldnt be surprised, but I am continually amazed at how these kids speak with clarity and wisdom that defies their youth!!!  HAVE I EVER SAID THAT THERES NOTHING LIKE A YOUTH TRIP?Thanks Lord for these kids and their honesty and transparency!

We are awaiting word of the arrival of the guy from Helps International so we can do the testingfor the Stove Project so we can be approved to install stoves for the next 3 days. Typical Guatemala scheduling ... I call it Guatmala Standard Time ... we'd go crazy in the States trying to do things this way ... By the way, did I mention that my Type A personality is really challenged by this???  HA!!!  Further proof that the kids are not the only people who benefit from these trips!  :)

In the meantime while were waiting for the guy from Helps International, the kids are working on smaller projects for Pam, including painting new signs to be hung over each of the classrooms identifying them.  Then, one of our kids is using a big roller and painting the new concrete walls of the playgound so they can be decorated.

Were very busy with these projects and can see how much help and assistance were providing to Pam and its gratifying indeed to feel useful!

Tonight were meeting at the school with Pastor Emilio as he gives his history speech about San Pedro and the Mayan people and its always well received and highly educational for those who havent heard it before.

A special request from Scott for Bill Heisler:  He needs to know the name of the fruit that you wanted Tanner to try while down  here ... ??? You can have Charlotte reply to this email and Ill get it!

Please continue to pray for our health and that God would continue to use us in a special way.  Weve really united as a team, even more than I expected and I am confident that God has some really great things in store for the rest of the trip!!!

Warm Regards To All,DB

Sun, March 8   

Hola! It´s 12:40 PM on Sunday and I´m scrambling to get a quick update to you before we get lunch at Pam´s house and then head to the church for the now infamous ¨Marathon Service¨. 

We had a great evening last night with Dalyla and her family at the school ... I had thought previously that this was going to be at her house, but it was held at the school.  This is the girl who has been sponsored by the Civitillos and Amy, who is on this trip didn´t know who the ¨special¨ guests were going to be ... you should have seen the confused look on her face when we were being seated at the dinner table and she wasn´t allowed to sit with any of the other kids ... in fact, there were several empty seats on either side of her ... she thought she was being disciplined or something ... I had to think on my feet to keep it all a surprise, so I told her that this is what we did to her Mom last year and just to go along with it!  Then, when Dalyla was introduced, with her family, Amy was genuinely surprised!  When it was time to go, it was hard to break them apart!!!  Special thanks to Pam for thinking of and organizing this special evening.

We had a great breakfast at Pam´s this morning where Morgan Mitchell gave her devotion and testimony and it was so powerful there were tear-filled eyes as everyone listened intently.  Morgan did an outstanding job and her transparency with the entire group is sure to set a precedent for future testimonies and setting the stage for these kids feeling totally comfortable and secure in knowing they are with a group of friends who genuinely care for and love them! 

After breakfast we proceeded to the market and experienced all the sights, sounds and smells that make this experience so special and memorable.Culture shock is an understatement and it had profound impact on one and all.

Look for tomorrow´s update ...I´m really excited about what we´re going to do at the church service tonight!  This has NEVER been done before by any group and will have a LASTING impact on this community!!!  Afterwards it´s a pizza dinner and I know Tanner Heisler will be praising God ... he´s not much for mexican-style food and the beans and tortillas are not his favorite ... it makes me laugh ... what a great opportunity to be stretched ... I´m sure he´ll start eating it all when he gets hungry enough!!!  HA!!!

Jade came down with some stomach illness and while it hasn´t manifested itself yet in the form of a fever, she may very well have come into contact with the same junk Scott dealt with.  We´re watching her closely and will start the anitbiotics if she gets any worse ... I´d appreciate your prayers on this!  Everyone else is doing EXCELLENT!!!

More tomorrow!!!  Remember to think about our posterior ends during the ¨Church Service That Never Ends¨. Regards to one and all,  DB

Saturday, March 07 Number 3

It's around 3:30 PM here on Saturday afternoon and weve already had a busy day!

Things started out with an unexpected twist when Scott stayed in bed this morning. In the middle of the night he came down with some of Guatemalas finest!  All it takes is the wrong drop of water from a shower or perhaps something he ate, although we all ate the same thing. Liz was smart enough to get him started on the Z-Pack after his sickness evolved into the chills and a fever and it became apparent it was more than a food-related issue.  As I write this, hes up and around, ate some lunch and is ALMOST his normal perky self!  THANK GOD FOR GOOD ANTI-BIOTICS!!!

Last night, Pam and Esther (Pastor Emilios wife) both ended up giving their testimonies in what turned out to be an extraordinary evening!

Some of the new kids on the trip had asked me about how Pam had come to be in Guatemala and what her story was, and after dinner I asked her if she would share her story of how she ended up down here doing what she does ... little did I know that this would evolve into an incredible evening of testimony for how God works in our lives and probably more important than anything, it solidified our theme for this trip: TRUST GOD!!!

Im sure that Pam didnt plan to go into such detail nor spend the time she did talking about her incredible story of how she came to San Pedro, but the kids were hanging on her every word!  It was repeatedly emphasized that in times of the greatest struggles or when she didnt have anywhere else to go or didnt know where to turn, that God was there for her and he not only provided for her needs, but He answered her prayers in remarkable ways!  She went on to discuss Gods hand of protection here while doing missionary work and once again, the stories were powerful and when presented in her humble. Transparent way, they were powerful testimonies of Gods faithfulness and protection.  The kids were enthralled and and you truly couldnt come away from listening to her without being encouraged to trust God more.

Esther was our guest as well for dinner and she was encouraged to share her testimony about how she met Pastor Emilio and how they ended up doing the work they do in San Pedro.  Once again, the message that kept resonating through every story was to TRUST GOD!!!  Her story was full of encouragement, especially for the Youth.  As I mentioned, this was totally an unplanned, unexpected evening of sharing and it turned out to be an awesome foundation for the rest of the trip down here.

After a phenomenal breakfast this morning at Pams house, we headed over to the school for a lesson from Pam on How To Build The Onil Stove. Even with several youth and adults who went through this program last year, it was a great refresher. After classwe ate lunch and headed back to the Stove School... this time it was to meet the ladies from the San Pedro who were to receive the stoves next week.  It was a great time as our kids mingled with these ladies and spent some time getting to know them.  Then, Pam split the group into teams and we assembled 3 stoves together ... the ladies taking on the major role and our kids assisting.  It was pretty funny watching those teams who didnt have any spanish speaking members trying to converse with these ladies!  Much fun was had and lots of laughter ensued as they were forced to communicate and work together to properly assemble the stoves.  The serious side of the schooling was that we would ALL be tested by the representative from Helps International on our ability to put these things together correctly on Monday morning.  Everyone was motivated to do things right, but it was a real hoot to watch both cultures working together for the common goal ... we were serious about the work, but we never missed an opportunity to have  fun in the process!

Megan Ore gave her testimony during breakfast as well as the assigned Devotion and she did a tremendous job!  Some good discussion resulted and the kids were encouraged and definitely benefitted from Megans presentation.  It was good to see that, in spite of how close these kids are in their friendships and common attendance of FCCs Youth Group, that there are still certain parts of their own personal stories that are new and fresh to their closest companions.  The Devotions are designed to get them thinking and they really cant complete the study without investing significant time in preparation.  Then, when they present this material to the group in their own words, its great opportunity to see how God is and has been at work in their young lives. I'm confident that the quality of Megans presentation was the first of many, but it was a great start to our Devotions for this Spring Break trip!

Dinner is at 6:30 and will be at Dalylas (a Proyecto Fe sponsored kid) house with her family. Pam will prepare food in advance at the school and well take it over for what should be a great evening of fellowship.

Tomorrow starts with breakfast at Pams house then our annual trip to the Market Place.  HA!!!  I love this part of the trip ... its a sure eye-opener and a sure-fire way to create a new sense of appreciation in these kids for Carrs-Safeway in Anchorage!!!  I know all missions trips force attendees to reflect upon all that we take for granted living where we live and enjoying the freedoms and benefits of life in America in general and Anchorage in specific, but there is something about the stark reality of this market place that pounds the message home very quickly.  Our kids will see people butchering chickens right in front of them ... see meat and fish fully exposed to the flies and the most basic commodities bought and sold in a truly unclean environment.  The hustle and bustle of literally hundreds of people all packed into this small area, all jockeying for their opportunity to buy or sell needed items, combined with the smells and sounds of all thats going on, is quite the culture shock for those who havent experienced this before!  Its a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and be culturally stretched!!!  I LOVE IT!!!

After lunch tomorrow, well go on home visits and then head for the infamous Church Service That Never Ends... Im prepared this year for the first time - I brought one of those inflatable cushion seats and Ill have my special SQUISHY pillow from Costco!!!  I left my pride in

Anchorage ... Im ready THIS time!!! :)   We have something very special planned for our portion of the service and if it comes off as planned, I believe it will have a profound impact on the community of San Pedro! More later on this.

After church well surprise the kids with a pizza dinner at Mikes Pizza and the Water Nazi (ME!) will allow them to drink sodas for the first time.  Pastor Emilio, Esther and their family will join us for what has become a great tradition.  Its a great time and a marvelous opportunity to recover from the Church Service That Never Ends! :)

Once again the weather was stunningly beautiful and there was a steady, fairly strong breeze all day long.  Thanks to God for Scotts quick recovery ... Ive been a royal pain in the drain for the others in the group, continually asking them how theyre feeling ... I go on HIGH ALERT when someone gets sick and hope and pray its an isolated occurrence!  Please, please pray that this is the case!!!

I'll check in tomorrow and let you know how the cushion and pillow works at the Eternal Service!!!  HA!

Regards, DB

Frid, March 6

Greetings from San Pedro La Laguna!Its almost 6 PM Friday and we just arrived from Panajachel after a gorgeous boat ride across always scenic Lake Atitlan!  Weather once again is almost boringly beautiful ... perfectly clear blue skies and bright sunshine.  There was a good breeze coming across the lake which made it downright bearable!!!  If these 3rd World Countries had the smiley faceicon, I would have just hit it!!!

Dinner is planned for 7-30 over at the School and well all be starved by then.  We had a great lunch at Chi Choy, half-way between Guatemala City and Panajachel with the best darn black beans and guacamole Ive ever had!  The group is doing great in spite of a rather long drive from the hotel this morning ... virtually the entire road was under construction which made for delays and some pretty impressive driving ... who said watching people drive in this country wasnt a spectator sport???

The greeting at the dock was normalbut its never routine ... lots of hugs and kisses and a warm welcome that never gets old.  It continues to be one of the highlights of the trip for me, to watch returning kids looking for those they met the previous year, and for the Newbiesto experience this heart-felt welcome and hospitality!

Pam has some exciting things planned for this group and were greeting it all with tremendous enthusiasm!  She does a remarkable job of taking care of details and planning exciting and beneficial events and activities to maximize our effectiveness for the time we have here!  A little side note to my business partner Jerry Ralston who is graciously covering for me while gone ... Pam absolutely LOVES her truck and continues to thank you for this precious gift!!!  It looks like she washes it daily!!! HA!

The kids are getting settled in at our hotel for the next 7 nights, Villa Sol, and Im hoping theyre taking a rest ... the next week will be a full schedule of activities and theyll need their rest.  Ive already made clear my concerns about their health and safety and the need for discipline in washing hands and the gallons of Purell and a host of other little things that I get concerned about ... dont tell them, but I rather enjoy inheriting these new sons and daughters for these trips ...  this is really great bunch of kids and while I won't relax until the last parent picks up the last kid at the airport in Anchorage, Im having fun being their temporary Dad.

Tomorrow starts with breakfast at Pams and then training for the Stove project over at the school.  We have several kids who were trained last year, so I anticipate this going quickly.  Well be installiing new stoves as well as repairing some that have broken ... usually from the excessive heat of the stoves and the owners not adding more sand as it settles over time.  Im actually excited about re-visiting some of those homes we worked on previously ... those families were so incredibly grateful for what we did ... it will be nice to return and see them and witness first-hand the stoves in actual use!

After training, well actually meet with the families receiving the new stoves ... a great time for our group as these people are just continually expressing their gratitude to a bunch of strangers who have nothing to gain from coming down and just helping them ... pretty cool to be on the giving end of such a grand blessing!

Several of our dinners will be held at different homes - well actually cook and bring the dinner with us to their house and then enjoy some very special fellowship in their home with them ... once again, Pam came up with this idea and its awesome!!!  These humble people are so excited to be able to share their homes with us!  Should be a very special time for one and all.

Time to head back and get the kids ready for dinner ... again, we all appreciate your prayers and particularly covet those for spiritual and physical protection and for continued good health.  We all excited to be here and truly feel like God has something special planned for each of us.

Warm Regards and Blessings, DB

Fri, March 6

Were in Guatemala City!!!  Had a long, but excellent trip down ... met Ausdin in Houston as planned and we are getting ready to load up for the bus ride to Panahachel.  Everyone is in excellent health and spirits and looking forward to getting to San Pedro.

This group is going to be fun!!!  They are very closely knit already and it will be exciting indeed to see how God will use them.  I have a prediction that the Team Unity I am seeing will be an instrumental encouragement for the people here ... especially the kids in San Pedro, to see the incredible benefits of such close fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ!!!

We reviewed Pams plans for our group and the schedule ahead and it should a fantastic week!

Ill stay in touch as much as possible ... please pray for safety, both spiritual and physical for the group and continued good health as we prepare to serve God in this special place, in the way He has ordained!!!

Blessings to one and all,DB

PS:  Its about 65 degrees out and bright and sunny!  A beautiful start to the week!