Loving On Lagunetas

We are currently partnering with the Ag team from Honduras in two Guatemala villages- Lagunetas and Pacren. They drive over once or twice each month to check on projects that are currently going on in those areas. When possible David tries to travel to the villages with them.  It gives him another chance to be out in the community and talk with the locals.  Last Wednesday the team drove over and made those visits.

Obando, David, Dan, Noe, and Bob

Bob lives in Texas and is a new member of Dan's Board.  He was making his first trip down to see the Ag work.  He'll be back regularly and we look forward to getting to know him more.

Here's the group checking on some crops in the village of Lagunetas.  The girl in the photo is one of the Ag Center graduates and a regular member of our Bible study there.

The part of Guatemala where we live is a very dry area in general.  This years rainy season (May- October) so far has been terrible.  We have received very little rain, if any, in parts.  Because of that many of the locals crops will not make it this year.  For people who live and survive only on what they grow that means we are anticipating a rough year ahead and many will simply go hungry.    The malnutrition rates in this part of Guatemala are always among some of the highest in the Country.  It's sad but is a daily reality for us.  Would you pray for rain?  It's a simple prayer but it's one that could mean life or death to many around us.

Because of the Ag work in Lagunetas we were given the invitation to begin our Bible study there.  We generally meet every other Saturday morning but this past weekend we met on Sunday morning.  As I have mentioned before David teaches the youth and adults and I teach the children.  It's one of my favorite things I get to do. 

me and my boys in the village of Lagunetas this past Sunday morning before Bible study

I think I will enjoy teaching more when my boys learn to sit still and not be such a distraction.  Some days it's just hard but, in spite of that, I continue to go and do my best to share God's Word.

Since returning from the States I have been sharing a theme of "God's Love" with the kids. This past week I shared that God's love never ends.  I used a rope and a soccer ball for my visual objects.  Both of these are common in most all villages.  I shared how the rope has a beginning and end but the ball does not.  It just keeps going and going...  The same is with God's love.  It never ends!  I told them that the next time they see a soccer ball (something most of them see everyday) to let it be a reminder of God's love for them. 

For our craft I gave them each a color sheet with two hearts on it.  One heart said "God loves me" and the other said "God loves you".  They colored them and then cut them out.  I told them to keep one and give the other away to someone who needed to hear it. 

Here's one of my students coloring his hearts.  I had extras so many colored more than one. 

This picture just makes my heart smile.  We meet on an open soccer field.  I noticed two ladies walking across it at the end of our study.  I sent Ben with two hearts that said "God loves you" to give to the ladies.  He did it and the smiles on their faces were priceless.

Please pray for the precious people in this village to truly know the love of God and the plan He has for each of their lives.  Pray for us as we do our best to help them with their spiritual needs through Bible study and their physical needs through the Ag work.  It's a big job but we serve a big God!