Update 4, Thur June 4
 
It is a beautiful day in San Pedro, after about five hours of hard
rain last night. The team has been working so hard that it was easy
to get everyone to go to bed. A couple were actually sleeping at
dinner.
 
Today, Amos and Dustin are going to cut wood. Alora and Emily are
making tortillas. Making tortillas sounds easy, but this is very hard
work. They start with corn that has to be shucked and follow the
process through with a wood stove for cooking the tortillas on. When
the guys come down from the mountains, they take the wood they have
cut and the tortillas the girls have made and deliver them to a poor
family in San Pedro. It is a very rewarding experience to work hard
making something and then give it away to those in need.

The kids are doing a great job giving devotions. Brittany gave a
special testimony last night of how much it meant for her to do the
skit in church we did on Sunday night. Joel and Kody are doing a
great job of leading worship every night.
 
Another team with Pete and Alora are going to install a new stove.
Other teams are going to do and teach maintenance of existing stoves.
Gayle is at the medical clinic. Sports clinics are going on at 
lunchtime. Brandon is getting the power back on at the school, etc.
 
This afternoon, we will be giving away awards and a prize to the
family in the community who has best maintained their stoves. Pete
will be leading us in this ceremony.

Tomorrow is our last full day in San Pedro. In between the special
events planned, a small team will be traveling to San Marcos to finish
up on the house that was built for the family whose house burned down.

Thank you Lord for such good health! Your families will have an extra
z-pack, because we have had no sickness. Thank you for your prayers.

Blessings to all, Pat and the Team

Update 2, Sun, May 31

Greetings families and friends from San Pedro La Laguna Guatemala!

Sorry I missed an update yesterday, internet is still on and off here. 
We arrived safe and sound with almost no sickness. Gideon was a little
sick during travel, but is totally better now. Sabrina injured her
arm yesterday, and we all prayed for her last night; this morning it
was totally better. Thank you lord for watching over your children.

Yesterday, many members of the team worked with Mayan ladies who had
stoves installed in their homes last year. Our group had to learn how
to build and maintain the stoves, and then work with the ladies to
help educate them. Next week, we will be inspecting existing stoves and building four new ones. For more information about this project, 
go to http://www.helpsintl.org/programs/stove.php

The group also enjoyed a time of worship with the "Basicos,"
Guatemala's version of Junior High students. One of our goals is to
build relationships with these students. During this worship time, we
brought a song, then the Basicos brought a song, etc. When we started
our last song, entitled, "Bueno es Dios" (God is good), the Basicos
joined in with us because it is a favorite song here. There we were,
on the upper floor of the Christian School, singing our hearts out to
God in Spanish, as one group of believers!
 
Another group went to a neighboring pueblo and worked on putting the
finishing touches on a house. The house was built by volunteers from
Proyect Fe, after a woman's dwelling burned to the ground. This
afternoon, our whole group is going to dedicate this house. This is a
great honor.

Tonight, we go to church at Iglesia Bethel, and we will be sharing 
three songs and a play we have prepared.

Thank you for your prayers.   Pat and the Team

Update 1, Thur, May 28 

Hola families and friends.

We arrived safely in Guatemala at about 10:30PM after a long day of
travel and an extended stay in Houston due to a 90 minute delay. We
know Houston airport pretty well by now.
 
Only good news to report. We were thankful for a great devotion time
in the Houston airport by Kodi. Afterwards, the kids sat and played
cards and sang and are getting along very well. Our accommodations in

Guatemala City are fine and it was nice to be
greeted warmly at the airport by Pamela Chevalier, the Proyecto Fe
missionary here. The group is tired but well. We are going to bed as
soon as possible, after getting the totes arranged and a short bedtime
devotion. Tomorrow is big travel day. Thanks so much for remembering  us in your prayers. One of our team who has been sick for the past couple of days is now feeling better. Praise the Lord! We need everyone well.
 
Blessings to you,

Pat and the Team

Update 3, Wed June 3

Hola families and friends.
Wow, we have been busy and going many different directions and
accomplishing much work for the Kingdom.

The Christian school, Colegio Bethel is being rewired, so we haven't
had power for a couple of days. What a mess the wiring was! Pray for
Brandon as he works on it with come local electricians.
 
Those who have never worked on the stove project had to wait an extra
day for testing, and they passed their test yesterday with 95 points-
excellent. Meanwhile, other groups went into the community inspecting
stoves that have been installed over the past two years, and it's a
good thing we are inspecting. Some folks in the town needed help
understanding how to maintain their stoves so they get full efficiency
and safety. One of our groups found a very interesting (and furry)
spider nest while inspecting a stove. I'm glad I wasn't in that
group! They dealt with it fine, and the world has several less spiders.

With the help of Sabrina and our translator Gretyl, I have been
teaching the teachers and pastors and meeting with them individually
for prayer and encouragement- teaching and reviewing with them God's
principles of forgiveness and repentance. Many of them are very
young. They are responding so well, because there are many broken 
hearts in the Mayan culture here.

Gayle has been able to meet a little deaf child and is working with
her every day. She and some of the other adults are also helping out 
with the medical check-ups of all the students in the school.

Today, Gideon is going up into the mountains to cut wood (an annual
event for our groups), Alora is going to make tortillas and Dustin is
going to dig bags of dirt for concrete. This is really hard work! We
have four teams going out to install stoves. And from 1-2, some of
the boys have been conducting sports clinics for the students.
Gideon, Amos, Miah and Dustin basketball; Zach and Kody football (soccer); Nate and Pete track.

We have had several real answers to prayer, including:
1. Our health. We have had fewer health problems than ever!
2. A missing camera that was left in a taxi was returned two days
later (this is unheard of!)
3. Opportunities for ministry are constant!
4. I love this one! One of our groups needed to buy a pair of wire
strippers. At the one store they might have found one, the owner said
"You will not find those on this side of the Lake." The group left
and decided the best thing to do was pray for the wire strippers.
They did, and when they lifted their heads, one of the team pointed to
the exact item they needed above the counter in the store next door!
Thank you Lord for being faithful even in the little things!

 Blessing to all, Pat and the Team