Dirty Work....

It's dirty work, but somebody has to do it! Moving dirt is one of the monumental tasks that is continually on the agenda here in Tactic. Three of the five elementary schools are still in development and all of them need dirt moved. Usually there are teams here to do that, but when there are not, I often find myself with a pick or shovel in my hand. Today I spent a good part of my day digging and scratching dirt(along with some chickens who are always close by looking for worms)to accomodate a 28 inch storm drainage pipe that will allow us to recapture some square footage for a playing field at Chijacorral. I am sure looking forward to the next team coming so I have more hands helping with the digging!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support,

Rocky

Sweet Sixteen

Hope turned 16 today. Her day began with firecrackers at 5:30am followed by cake and hot chocolate. Here, it is tradition to wake the birthday person up with firecrackers and then have the party right then. We were thankful the girls took her over to their house next door so we could get a little more sleep! Then, after church, Rocky took her out driving. It was a real experience, as the vehicle we've been using is the Land Cruiser that Lee and Giesela Gardner brought down and it is a right hand drive with a manual transmission. Then, a group of young people came over and we had a party in our back yard. Arryn and Kara (another Canadian girl working here) built a fire pit yesterday and tonight they built a fire for roasting marshmallows. The girls made homemade pizza and they listened to music and enjoyed each other's company. The evening was topped off with a pinata! It wasn't quite like a birthday in Canada, but I think Hope had a good day!

Blessings,

Karren

Storms!

On Saturday, April 17th, we experienced a storm like none other. It was a hot day, but it started to cloud over around 4pm. Rain fell throughout the evening, but after supper, things started to get really exciting. The sky was bright with lightening and the thunder was so loud it almost shook the house! Then the wind began to howl and the rain started to come down even harder. Our little house has a tin roof and we could hardly hear each other even if we shouted. Then came the hail! I honestly thought our house was going to come down it was so loud and overwhelming. I looked up and noticed that water was coming in under, around and through our door. As I looked around the main room, I saw that water was running down all our exterior walls and it was coming in all our windows as well. Added to that, the 2 leaks in our roof became 10 and we had all the pots and pans out trying to catch as much water as possible.

The craziness lasted for about 15 minutes. When the rain subsided back to a normal rainfall, we looked out the front door to see the damage. We saw a river flowing down our street, barely contained between the curbs. The upper roof of the guest house was blown off and crushed and the soccer field were we play was destroyed by a lightening strike! We were in awe at the strength and intensity of the storm.

There are storms we experience in our spiritual life as well. They usually give us little warning and strike with such intensity we get knocked down if we are not careful. Over the past year, I can honestly say, it has been stormy! I have not always weathered the storm well, unfortunately. Like our little house in Tactic, I succumbed to the pressure from outside. The Lord has been teaching me, although, not to fight against the storms in my life and not to ask Him to remove them. But rather, I am to ask Him to help me get through them and to develop in me "perseverence, character and hope" Romans 5:3-5. This is the kind of growth I want in my life. If it means I have to endure a few storms so that I can be transformed more and more into my Maker's image, then so be it. My goal is the peace and joy that is not found in my circumstances, but rather in Him alone.

Blessings,

Karren

Fishers of Men

We had the amazing honour today of delivering an offering to Pastor Bernardo and Pastor Fransisco in Chakalte. The offering was given by the Bearspaw Christian School team (Q1200) for the construction of a church building. We delivered it today with a team from Regina Christian School.

The pastors shared with us the vision that God has given them for their people. Pastor Bernardo said the Lord showed him that they were being called, just like Jesus called the disciples, to be fishers of men. First they were to reach their own village for Christ, but then they were to go out. He spoke of a small mountain community over the hill where there is no Evangelical presence and said that he and his small church were being called to reach that village for Christ.

As I listened to this man speak, I was humbled beyond words. He spoke of how his village had ridiculed him and the 3 families who started their small church (a tin roof with bamboo stick walls no more than 20'x20'). They taunted them, saying, "you'll never make a go of it." Pastor Bernardo said they went ahead anyway and now, a year later, they have some 30 families attending their church. Each week they spend time fasting and praying and the Lord is multiplying their numbers.

Both pastors shared with us that there is no work in Chakalte for the men. The most they can find is 2 - 4 days per month and they earn between 35 and 40 quetzales per day. That is between 70 and 160 quetzales per month (about $15). They eat meat only once per month, and they are sustained on vegetables, beans and tortillas, all of which they grow right there.

Both pastors, rather than feeling sorry for themselves, expressed their sincere gratitude to the Lord for how He has provided for them. We came there to bless them, yet they encouraged us. We have so much to learn from these humble, simple men of God, who read the Word and take it literally.

Working with teams.

Working with teams is the main reason why we are here in Guatemala. Although Rocky and I, and the girls, are busy with many other tasks as well, teams are our priority. We have hosted four teams so far, one being a double team with a medical clinic. Bearspaw Christian School, in Northwest Calgary sent us 43 team members. They were divided into two student teams and a doctor and nurse. We had an amazing 10 days with this group! It was crazy busy, but it was so good. We watched the Lord use the group to bless the Guatemalan people and we watched Him also work in each one of their lives. I think that is the most beautiful thing about youth teams. You create a schedule for them that walks them through all kinds of different activities, and then you use those activities to point them towards the Lord.
The teams are involved in children's ministry (kind of like a Daily Vacation Bible School), a work project (digging/painting/etc), cultural activities (grocery shopping, making a traditional meal), visiting and learning about spiritual strongholds in this culture, and home visits.
For me, I think I love the home visits the most. I have often wondered how we would respond in Canada if a group of strangers would show up on our doorstep with some clothes, blankets and food and ask to come in and pray for our family and spend time just worshiping the Lord in our home. One day, I think I will have to try it, just to see. Here, we are invited in and treated as honoured guests. With the Bearspaw team, we visited home after home (26 home visits in total with this large group!). People brought out thier best for us.
One home, in particular, will be etched on my mind for some time to come. I was with a group of 10 people and we drove in the van as far as we could before we set off on foot. It was only a 5 minute walk, but as we approached the house, I was impressed. It was made of cement block and looked well maintained. I thought, oh, good, this family is not so bad off. Well, as we climbed the steps leading to the house, a little girl peeps her head around from behind this cement house and calls us to follow her. We walked around to the back and proceeded to climb steps carved into the dirt up to a wood and mud brick shack with a dirt floor; it was smaller than our bedroom. They didn't live in the block house out front; this small, dark shed was their home. The girl's mother gathered her three daughters and grinned from ear to ear. She invited us into her home and scrambled to find seating for all her guests. Four of us sat on the bed - a raised wooden platform with a bamboo matt and thin blanket. It was the only bed in the house. The rest sat on planks of wood raised off of the dirt floor by bricks or stones. In her broken Spanish, the mom said she had been waiting all afternoon for us! She ran outside and left us alone in the house. As our eyes adjusted to the dark interior, we were humbled by our simple surroundings.
The mom and her oldest two daughters returned with juice and tomales for all of us. It was difficult to explain to the group what an honour this was. Tomales are served at celebrations like Christmas or weddings - she was serving us their holiday celebration food! I knew that the expense she had gone to, to provide this meal for us was beyond our comprehension and I was so proud of the group as they drank their juice and ate their tomales exclaiming how delicious they were. The mom was grinning ear to ear as we ate. She and her children did not eat anything. The meal was for her guests.
As we talked, we discovered the mom was illiterate and couldn't read, but she assured us that God was looking out after her family because her two oldest daughters were in one of our schools and they were learning Spanish. She was particularly excited to tell us that one even had her own Bible and read it to the family.
Home visits always put things into perspective for me. I am so blessed! I can read God's Word for myself and learn of His ways and His plan for my life. I have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. All of my needs are provided for and more. Thank you, Lord, for your provision and your generosity towards me and my family! I pray that we will use what we have been given to serve others less fortunate.
Blessings and Happy Belated Easter.
Remember, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives in you!