LifePark June 2017 Team

We recently hosted our last team for this term.  They were a group from one of our partner churches in Mt Pleasant, SC.  It was a youth team and they came full of energy and eager to share their faith with the people in Guatemala.  They were so much fun and we have missed them every day since they left.  Here is a look at how we spent the week together.

They arrived late on Sunday evening and stayed overnight at our mission house in Guatemala City.  David and Miguel went in to meet and travel with them.  After breakfast on Monday morning they got on the road for the trip to Chiquimula.  They made a few visits along the way in Las Palmas and El Palmar.

making a home visit in Las Palmas

encouraging Bro. Jose Maria in the village of El Palmar

They arrived in Chiquimula late on Monday afternoon.  They were greeted with a rain storm which meant no power or water at the hotel until later that night.  We ate supper at the hotel restaurant (thanks to a generator) and then the team came over to our house for our nightly devotion, worship, and share time.  The power had come back on just in time to do that.

our team photo

Tuesday and Wednesday we had the same schedule.  We were in Churischan in the mornings working with the school children and we made home visits in Chanco in the afternoons. 

ready for a fun morning in Churischan

introducing my boys to a fidget spinner while we waited for the school children to gather

In Chursichan we shared Bible stories, sang songs, played games, and painted nails.  All of our team members come prepared to share at least two Bible stories and they rotate throughout the week sharing them.  Several of the students shared with the school children and did a wonderful job.  A few times after a story was told we would have the children come forward and help act it out as the story was told again.  It is a good way to review the story and a great visual for them.

Molly sharing a story with the children

Austin telling a Bible story

Chandler sharing a Bible story with a group of moms who were there with their children

Sedona sharing a Bible story and a few of the guys helping act it out

acting out the fiery furnace

The team singing for the children.

game time in Churischan

the girls and moms enjoyed having their nails painted by the team

We had our Tuesday and Wednesday picnic lunch at a creek under this bridge.  It was a cool, shady place to stop and rest midday.

lunch break

There was a swinging bridge that went over the creek and several of us enjoyed crossing it and playing on it.

visiting in Chanco

visiting in Chanco

On Wednesday night the team visited Bro. Fito's church in Chiquimula and shared during the service.

On Thursday we spent the morning with the children in La Libertad and then made our way to our afternoon Bible study in Muyurco. 

arriving in La Libertad on Thursday morning

Robert sharing a Bible story in La Libertad

Some of the children acting out Cory's Bible story.  These two were pretending to be Moses and Aaron.

some of the girls singing songs for the children in La Libertad

game time 

a great group of kids in the village of La Libertad

clowning around on our Thursday lunch break

we visited the church construction site in Nearar and prayed with some of the leaders there

arriving at our Bible study location in Muyurco on Thursday afternoon

We had an adult study time and a children's study time.  Here are some of the team with the children's group.

It began to rain just as we finished and by the time we had hiked back to our vehicles it was coming a flood.  I had been a driver all week in a rental truck (something I have not done in years) and let me just say that driving down the mountain during that storm was one of the scariest things I have done in a long while.  It really stretched me and stressed me greatly, ha.  I was so thankful to have made it back home that night!  We laughed about it after the fact but it was not very fun while happening.

On Friday morning we loaded up and made the drive back into Guatemala City.  We stopped for lunch and then made our way to the artisan market for the team to buy souvenirs.  We stayed the night at our mission house and the team flew back home on Saturday.  I cried when they left because I truly had a great time with them.  I especially enjoyed having the youth on the team and watching them be used of the Lord.  Cruz told me recently "mama, when I get to be a teenager and go to college I am going to do what all the other teenagers do."  You know I gasped as I asked him what specifically he was referring to.  He replied "when I get done with my classes I am going to gather up all my friends and we will sit around and share Bible stories with people."  My eyes filled with tears!  He thinks that is what teenagers do because of his watching the teams while they are here.  I know that in due time he will discover that is not always true of teenagers but for now I love the Godly influence that the youth on our teams have given him.  They come down to share with the locals but they are also impacting our family greatly.

We cannot say enough of positives about the partnership we have had over this last term with the churches in Mt Pleasant, SC.  They have faithfully sent down teams to work alongside us, to impacted our people, and to encourage our family.   It has been a joy to work with them and we look forward to their returning in 2018.

Maybe you are looking for a place to serve and you would like to come down and see first hand what God is doing here in our area.  We would love to talk with you about it.  Send us an email at yourmovingwhere@yahoo.com and we will try to make that happen. 

One last photo from a Phase 10 game we had going one night after team devotion.  It is a fun way to bond and one of the highlights of my week (if I win, of course).  These are fun times!