no adios

the last team of the summer......has come and gone......

This week SPED by, I think, because I didn't want it to end.  The first 2 clinics went very well, God's Spirit was sent into the hearts of the team members and they poured themselves out into the lives of the Guatemalans! During the second clinic, I was really sad because it was the last clinic of the season. As we sang the song Stronger that night, God taught me in that moment that He IS Stronger and He will not leave me just because I am leaving Guatemala! After the clinic, the pastor in that village invited us to come to his church and pray over a woman there who had been blind for the past couple years. We prayed for her, no, we poured our hearts out for her and then we sang God's Spirit into her. Even though she was not physically healed before us, I know and believe that she was healed spiritually that night! God was there and we ALL felt HIS presence!

 The last 4 days in La Reina were the hardest days EVER! Paradise Bound Ministries has been building in this village for the last 3 years and this week we were building the last 6 houses in this village! The first day went smoothly. The second day, stucco day, we had a HUGE stucco war. At the end everybody was covered in stucco, even some of the villagers! The third day, we dedicated 2 of the 6 houses. We were going to dedicate 3 of them but the dad in one of the houses didn't show up because of work. God sent his Spirit that day and lives were changed and we were all exhausted but God filled us all back up with HIS LOVE for the next day. Usually, the last day that the team is here in Guate, we let them sleep in and then go to Antigua but not this team! We woke them up at 5am and we were on the road at 5:45 to get to La Reina by 7am to dedicate the one house before the dad left for work. It was really cool to see this team give up "their time" for someone else! 

We dedicated the last 4 houses that day and God showed up at each house and lives were changed for eternity! After the dedications, Sara, the cook, bought us cake and she started crying because she had been the cook for the teams since they began in La Reina. Also, she just genuinely thanked us for all the work we had done there in that village and then she blessed us! That is when I lost it......I started crying because I was never going to see them again on this earth. We started hugging and crying together!! Her son Jorge (who is 20) would help us build everyday there, and he was crying. Now understand this about Guatemalans, they never show emotion, but Jorge was crying HARD. He came up to me and gave me a hug and kept saying "adios" (it means "good-bye" in Spanish) And so I said to him, "No Adios!" and because I don't know that much Spanish, I just pointed up to heaven and said that we WILL see each other again there! 

guys, Heaven IS going to be AMAZING!!!!

You are stronger

I cannot believe it that team #6 has come and gone! I am still AMAZED at the power of our awesome God who loves us SO much even though we fail everyday! On the first night devotions, we sang Stronger and that song was the theme of this week.

This past week God showed Himself STRONGER than anything and everything! The devil tried many distractions this past week but each time, God showed HIS power! On the first day, one of the people cut himself very badly, but God was STONGER and after 7 stiches that night, he was okay.  The next day was a medical clinic and even though the Guatemalans were reserved and scared of us at first, God's love was evident in the teams actions and showed them that God's love is STRONGER! The third day we drove to the coast and God showed himself STRONGER than the weather by bringing rain at just the right time to relieve us of the oppresing heat. God also showed Himself STRONGER than anything in the Guatemalans lives at this village. Many people, including the team members, were crying this night and everyone, I think, were crying.  God showed himself in the fun and stucco wars on the fourth day :) I don't think there was a person without stucco somewhere on them by the end of the day! God also showed Himself STRONGER than any lanuage barrier on this day. After work, the team took a walk in La Reina, and everyone had a blast, even though no could really understan anything! The fith day, dedication day, God showed Himself STRONGER than any distractions!  Each family that we built for accepted Jesus as their Savior that day! On the last night together, God invaded the praise of His people and lives were changed!

"You are STRONGER. You are STRONGER. Sin is broken, You have saved me. It is written, Christ is risen. Jesus, YOU are Lord of All!"    ~ The chorus of STRONGER