Trip February 2005

February 14

We left the house at about 7:30 for the trip to the airport. We also picked up five people who took the boat from their remote village who needed to go to the hospital for serious treatment. As we were leaving town, we spotted Hector (one of our workers) and his family waiting for a truck taxi for the 15 minute ride to Solola. So, into this seven passenger van which already had nine people in it we squeezed another four! But God had a reason for this. I had been trying to explain in my broken Spanish the events surrounding the truck the night we left these people's village. I'm certain that God provided Hector to tell the story since he was there and knew the details. Everyone was blessed by the story.

After dropping off Cheri and Alan at the airport and the other folks at the hospital, José Carmen and I proceeded to the Guatemalan Department of Motor Vehicles known as SAT in downtown Guatemala City. After over an hour there trying to pick up my plates for the truck we were told we were missing a piece of paper and were turned away. But then, this is Guatemala! Nothing a few days (or weeks) can't fix. They told us the plates would be ready on the 19th. But on the 19th, they told us the plates would be ready on the 24th. Welcome to Guatemala!

February 13

We arrived home around nine o'clock last night and, after rounding up a quick dinner, got some sleep. Up at 6 a.m. we set out for the children's camp in the village we were at two nights ago. When we arrived around 8 a.m. we find the church locked up and no one there. Oh well, off to breakfast! Once we come back there are some people and children present and we begin setting up. We have provided some coloring materials and the kids really are into the different colored crayons! They had a great time. Afterwards we began playing with the Play Dough, and many molds. The kids really had a good time!

About the time we were getting ready to leave, the Pastor showed up and explained they were cooking lunch for us. Having just ate breakfast a few hours before we politely declined. But he would have no part of it. They brought us in plates of mango all nicely cut and ready-to-eat. Again I explained we weren't wanting to eat anything further, that we had to leave. As we were walking out the door in walked the girls with big bowls of some kind of chicken soup. We again declined, but the Pastor said they'd killed three chickens for the occasion! Unlucky for the chickens maybe but we insisted and then left. After a nice dinner Cheri amd Alan began packing for the trip tomorrow to the airport.

Feb 12

Well another interesting day. Our truck (loaner from Pastor) broke down on the way to our medical mission! Wait on God! And wait we did, for an hour and a half! But $9 later we were fixed! Turns out we had a direct short which melted the battery cable terminal. Go figure.

But then we were back on the road and on our way to a small church about 45 minutes away. When we arrived we set up and began seeing people. Jose Carmen and I then left and drove about 10 minutes to where we had left the truck on Wednesday night. When we arrived Julio, the mechanic/Pastor was there along with his missionary friend from United States. He had begun working on the truck but was nowhere near finished, in fact he had not even began taking the engine apart. He introduced us to the missionary friend whose name was Joe and we quickly discovered that Julio did not have time to get the parts the day before when he drove to Guatemala City so he would have to go Monday. So much for getting the truck quickly. But what followed was very interesting.

Joe and his wife completed four years in Guatemala in September of last year and returned home where they have been since. Joe was asking about what we do and I explained that we wait to see where God points us, and explained our current situation. When Joe discovered that we were doing medical missions he told me that his wife was a nurse and that they had a burden to go into the villages and do the same thing. He told me he was a pilot, and about a pilot friend of his who had a Cessna airplane and flew medical missions to remote villages and wanted me to meet him. He called him on the cell phone and I spoke with him briefly. His name is Jason and he was very happy to hear of our endeavor. He told me he had over a thousand dollars worth of medicines in his hanger that we could have. He even offered to fly out the six people from the remote village to Guatemala City since our truck was down.

Turning back to Joe he told me about the orphanage they had helped build in the city and how he was helping Julio in his village church. But he wanted more. He and his wife felt that they were being directed to this area where we were and specifically to help the people with health-care. I shared with him our house situation and truck and we were both very encouraged by the meeting. However, I needed to get back so I politely excused myself and off we went.

Arriving back at the small church things were going well and Cherie had everything under control. We finished up and went to lunch where I shared this information with the rest of the group. Oh yeah, and Lucy, who was sick and had to go lay in the car, got a fly in her soup! She is so lucky! The rest of us complained that we didn't get a fly in our soup but apparently they had run out by that time, much to our dismay! After lunch we left for Godinez.

When we arrived in Godinez there were many people already waiting. We quickly set up and began the process. Lucy was not able to assist us as she was very sick.

After awhile a woman with a one year old baby came in. The baby was lethargic and acting very sick, with its eyes rolled back. Cherie said the baby needed to go to the hospital immediately and I spoke with the woman about it. I told her we would take her to the hospital but she said she needed to speak with her husband. I asked her how far away she lived and she said very far. I asked the Pastor to talk with her and he did. Then her husband showed up and after hearing from his wife he said he would take care of his own baby, that we didn't really care about it anyway. He wasn't about to go to the hospital. And they left. So very sad and lamentable. But God knows why. Another woman had a baby a year and three months of age that couldn't sit up. Something was obviously wrong. We gave her some money ($30) and she left immediately to go see a private pediatrician.

Joe then showed up at the church and was taken aback by the number of people being seen and waiting to be seen. He asked if he could take pictures which he did. He asked me how I mobilized this team so quickly. I told him I didn't, God did. He was really amazed. But honestly folks, this is how it works! And it is so awesome to see God do it! We don't know what God has planned for us and Joe and his family, but we know there's a reason why we were here today.

February 10

While Hector and I are plotting our escape and return to Pana we are amazed that all that has happened to us is so well planned. We break down at night in the dark on a desolate street at a point where immediately there drives up a man. He knows about our group and in fact attends the church I was at the preceding Monday. He knows about our upcoming mission at his church the next Saturday (yesterday). He allows us to push our truck behind the walls of his home to safety (we have thousands of dollars of meds and equipment) and then drives us 45 minutes to our home! He is a Pastor of a small church part time as well. And God is not through with the surprises yet!

As we are waiting on our taxi (I took control of the situation—our truck would be down for several days--remember, we are in Guatemala) up drives a truck with the Pastor of the Godinez church I spoke to a few days earlier, where we have shown the movies several times. The Pastor tells me he is loaning us his truck to use as we see fit until our truck is ready. This is big deal as we cannot rent a vehicle except in Guatemala City, several hours away. This is incredible! The, up drives the taxi which we send away empty at a cost of $22—because I did not let God’s plan play out. I took action!

Exd 14:13	But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you….

How often I plan myself out of God’s plan and his blessings!

The Pastors truck is quite interesting. The dash has no lights and no gauges working, including fuel! The wheels wobble and you can check the air in the tires without a gauge because you can see through the thin rubber! The steering wheel is loose and connected by a thread. The "Check engine" light is on but really should read "Chuck engine". But it is his prize and something few others have and he is loaning it to us! God is great!

February 9, 2005

Today would be a very interesting day. We discovered that the people in the remote village that we were to go to first didn't speak Spanish, but a dialect. One of some 35 here in Guatemala. Fortunately, it turned out that Antonio, who we had only met the previous week, spoke that dialect as well as Spanish and one other. God provides! The first patient was the pastors wife. She had heart problems and had been to the doctor in the hospital in Solola on the other side of the lake, where they told her she needed to go to the main hospital in Guatemala City because they didn't have the testing equipment necessary for her situation. The Solola hospital is the main hospital for the entire region. It is free for the people but it requires long waits and people frequently die waiting to see the doctor. There are very few medicines and the people cannot afford medicines when the doctor prescribes them. Anyway, the pastors wife could not hardly walk down the street without being winded and dizzy. She was getting worse by the day and the pastor knew he had to get her to the main city hospital. But it required 2,000 Quetzales (about $300 U.S.) and he could not afford it. This is better than two months pay in this remote village. They also had four children. All six of them were suffering from worms, infections and skin rash. Incredible! The people in this village, most who have never seen a doctor, needed so much! Another woman had a uterus infection and was literally dying. She was afraid to go to the hospital for the operation even if she had the money. Anyway, we are taking six people Monday from this village to the hospital in Guatemala City, God willing. We will pick them up on Wednesday, when we have to go to the airport. God is so good.

The next stop took us to another remote village. We had driven almost two hours to get to Santiago on paved roads but then the road turned into a single lane dirt road. However, it was much better than yesterdays and we were very grateful! The road was so narrow that at one point we came upon another truck traveling the opposite direction so I had to back down the road to find a place to pull off. With four guys in the back sitting on the sides of the truck bed it was hard to see and a tree snuck up behind me and smacked our bumper! Ouch! But all was well. As we arrived and set up for this next village we were so pleased that the day was going smoother than the prior day. We were so glad that God had given us an easier day, after the strenuous long day prior. In this village we talked with one girl who said that her problem was that she was afraid of the devil, and one man whose job was to climb trees, who told us he was afraid of falling out of the tree. Very interesting.

Our last stop was in Santiago but we were too late to do medical. We had tried to get out of showing a movie but the pastor had already publicized it so we went ahead with it. All the movie was playing, they asked us to go to a house where a woman was bedridden. Allen drove Gene and Lucy and Cherie, along with the pastor and Antonio our translator to see her. The house was very small with only one room. She had been in bed for several weeks, to weak to get out. Her family was around her bed and were very concerned for her. She was 68 years old and was up and around until three weeks prior. She had diarrhea and fever, and wasn't eating. Cherie was able to give her some medicine and assurance and they much appreciated it. Again, without being melodramatic, this lady was probably going to die and may still. But very possibly, with medicines that didn't cost $10 U.S. she will be back up and around just fine. It's a beautiful thing, and it's all God!

After the film we piled into the truck and began the long two hour ride home. The road is very desolate and we would have preferred not to travel on it in the dark. But we follow God's direction, not our own. We didn't want to show the movie so we could be on the road earlier but that was not to be. So we are on our way, remarking how scary it is with the big ugly trees, like the apple trees on the Wizard of Oz. It seemed the perfect time to tell scary stories so I did. I was low on gas but didn't think about the stations being closed because I thought we were leaving earlier. So when we left, there were no gas stations open anywhere. We had no choice but to press on. About an hour later I thought I heard the engine make a funny noise. Then I thought the truck was not running right. And my thoughts were confirmed when the engine quit. In the middle of no place, on a road hardly traveled, around 9:30 at night. As we coasted to the side of the road strangely enough there was no concern from any of us. A car began to approach from the other direction and Hector and Antonio were going to flag it down. However, it turned into a driveway just up the road so they went to meet it. We got out of the truck and began making jokes about our situation, not really thinking about what to do. Hector returned and said the man was willing to let us put our truck in his yard and behind his gate where it would be secure, and then take us home to Panajachel! I could scarcely believe my ears!

At this point you must realize we had $3000 worth of video equipment and over $2000 worth of medicines in our $10,000 truck. No way could we leave all this all night unattended. No way could we have found a ride home at this hour. Our phone had a dead battery even if we did not someone to call. God is great!

We pushed the car through his gate and secured everything as best we could, locking it inside. As the 9 of us piled into his Toyota land cruiser along with he and his son (yes it was very tight) I asked him if he was a Christian. He said yes. He told us he was a pastor of a church some 20 miles away. Then he amazed us. He told us that he knew of what we were doing with the medicines and seeing the people in the poor villages! We were amazed! He told us he knew we were going to be in Godinez Saturday! He told us it was his privilege to take us home and watch our truck. We were amazed! He took us all home and we thank him profusely, giving credit to God for all he had done! But it wasn't over yet.

The next day Hector and I took a taxi to the house where we had left the truck. The man's name that had given us the ride the night before was Julio. He was a mechanic! Can you believe it? We went and bought some diesel gas and returned to the truck. We discovered the problem was not with the gas but with the timing belt. Now we had no car. I immediately decided that I had to take action. Who me?

Stay tuned...

February 8, 2005

We left this morning and once again collected the guys and medications and supplies to begin the hour and a half trip to the first village named Palestina. It was about 45 minutes from Panajachel to the dirt road, and then another 45 minutes down one of the worst roads I've ever been on to the village. The ruts were deep and the road was covered with deep chalky dust. Everything in the back was covered with it. Luckily we had put everything in large plastic garbage bags. We got there and began setting up in the pastor's house, which consisted of two small 10 by 10 rooms. They were maybe 30 people waiting. We put Gene out front with Hector to collect names and information on the illness, then brought them into the other room for their temperature was taken along with their pulse and respiration. From there they were taken to the nurse who, along with Antonio the pharmacist, decided what medications they should receive. The whole process was very cumbersome and it became apparent that many people simply wanted some free medications. This process would be refined several times throughout the day. However, in Palestrina we saw a young girl eight years old who had five teeth that were so severely infected that her face had swollen tremendously. She needed to see the dentist immediately to have the teeth removed and receive antibiotics. I know it doesn't sound serious by American standards but this is how people die here in Guatemala. The cost to remove a rotten tooth here is about 2 dollars each, and an antibiotic is maybe 5 dollars. So for the equivalent of 17 dollars U.S. this girl may die. Hard to believe isn't it? Yet I can't tell you how many times we run into young mothers who have lost children due to simple things like this. We stayed here for approximately two hours until the last of the people were seen. They were very grateful to have the little attention we could give them.

Our next stop took us another 45 minutes down this ridiculous thing called a road. It was maybe only 10 miles but it seemed like 100. One of the pastors rode with us but we had to have him ride in the back of the truck. He should receive an award! He was covered with dust and I honestly don't know how he could have breathed. When we got there we were greeted by a large number of people. However this time we screened them a little better so as to be able to accommodate the more needy and not be so bogged down with general complaints. There were more people at this village with needs and more temperatures. A large number of people here suffer from intestinal infections, worms and other digestive problems because of the water they drink and the lack of sanitation. Allen was having a great time handing out candy to all the little children (and quite a few big ones and old ones). We began calling him Santa Claus, because he loved giving the candy to the kids and they loved him. What a sight! I'm sure these people have never seen tourists like us before!

Our last stop for the day took us to a similar location a bit further up the road. We thought we might receive a break as it looked like nobody was there yet, but there turned out to be about 40 people inside the church. We worked until dark and called it quits. As we loaded up the truck and began to make our way home we again tried to refine the process for the next day. Behind us was a Honda Accord with six people in it. They were not able to make it up several of the hills and the guys had to get out and push. What a bummer! It took about two hours to get home and we were all bushed. We arrived home about 8:30 and had just enough time to go through the medicines and get ready for the next day. A quick dinner and to bed we went.

February 5, 2005

Hello from Guatemala. This update is late as we have had problems with the Internet and our e-mail. A long story not worth telling. But we are ready to start at least a brief summary until next week, when we get our internet connected. Unfortunately, no pictures until then. Barbie and Trent did their best to get our Internet connection but they had a problem with the company and it continues through now. But they did a great job setting up the house and getting things ready for us!

We arrived in Guatemala and picked up and Gene and Lucy and then Cherie and Alan and we are now all at the house. It is somewhat difficult to coexist with one bathroom but we are coping. The house is nice and we are having some friends over for dinner tonight. The cooks are making enchiladas and we are looking forward to it.

On Tuesday we boarded a boat and took a 35 minute trip across the lake to a small poor town and set up the equipment at a Baptist Church. We showed Jonas The Movie and The Passion to about 300 people, give or take. It was very interesting in the boat and somewhat choppy but we arrived on schedule. As we pulled up to the dock there were people in the water bathing and other people with large water pitcher's collecting water (drinking and cooking?) In the same place. Getting out of the boat at the dock was somewhat difficult but we managed. The people in this village are very poor and somewhat cut off from the rest of civilization but it was a very enjoyable experience. Upon returning we talked about the need for medical help and decided to see if Cherie would be willing to help with consultation to those in need who can't get to the hospital. The pastor was very encouraged and Cherie was agreeable so that was our plan. Before long we had three villages to go to on Wednesday and the movie to show at one of the churches on Wednesday night. A very great night.

Thursday morning we went to meet with a pastor of a small church in a village about 15 minutes away to talk about showing the film in his church. When we arrived we had to hike up the side of a mountain along a narrow path to the house. It turned out that a young girl of 32 years had just died nine days prior to our visit. She was the daughter of the pastor and his wife. She had been sick and they don't know why she died. We talked to her 8 year old son and gave him some gifts. Such a tragedy. We met with them and discovered that the Pastors son, Antonio, spoke very good English. And the daughter, Anna was planning on going to work in the city the next day. Guatemala City, like Los Angeles. A very dangerous place. We took the two of them to lunch and talked to the son about working for us as a translator. We also talked to the daughter who was going to work in the city. It turns out that she found the number of a lady in the marketplace who was offering young ladies work. She didn't know what she was going to do as this work, but the commitment was for one year. She didn't know who the woman was, just that she was going to pick her up the next day. We tried to talk her out of it and, with Angel's help (one of our staff), we were successful. We have not checked to be sure but we do not think she went. We also made arrangements to show the film that night at the church.

That night we returned with the equipment and after walking up the hill way too far through all the houses, and then back down the hill, and then back up the hill, we finally found the church. You see, it is such a maze of little one room and two room "houses" built on top of each other situated along crooked paths that it's easy to get lost. Anyway, after some technical difficulties (how to position the screen and get the speakers set up) the movie was on. During the movie, I glanced out back and noticed a friend at the door so I went out to talk to him. After I finished speaking with him I decided to remain outside where it was cool, and just pray. After about 10 minutes, in the dark, along a path on the side of this mountain, I noticed a dark figure coming towards me. It turned out to be some young person who was very very drunk. Normally, I don't talk to these people. But something was different about him. His name was Nicholas. I talked to him for about 20 minutes and tried to explain to him how bad it was to be drunk. He was very belligerent in a polite sort of way and he spoke some English. After this he asked me did I want to come to his house. I said OK and he began leading me down these narrow paths, up very steep stairs and into a rocky landing below a 3 -story house. And of course he lived upstairs on the third floor. I marveled that as drunk as he was he wasn't dead from falling off the steps or the path. Once upstairs he opened up a small room (his house) and no one else was there. I asked him about his wife and he said she left him because of his drinking. I asked about his two-year-old son and he said she took him with her. I wasn't comfortable up there so I told him I was going downstairs.

Once downstairs, he followed and we continued talking. A woman came to me and explained that she was his mother. She asked me to come into her house and I agreed and followed her. Nicholas followed also. To my amazement it was the same house I had been in that morning! Where the girl had died! Nicholas was her brother. I sent one of the girls I knew from Panajachel to go get Gene and Lucy and bring them back. I proceeded to talk to his mother and he until the others arrived. Nicholas was crying about his sister and saying things that didn't make any sense. As I tried to speak with him and make him understand how he was messing up his life his father (the pastor) entered the room with one of the church elders and they began to pray. It was kind of bizarre. Anyway, to make a long story short we convinced him to stop drinking that night and go to bed, and told him that we would come back the next morning and take them to breakfast. And so we did.

The next morning we arrived and took Nicholas, his brother Antonio and his brother Mike to breakfast. We talked to them about God and Jesus Christ, and the drinking. Nicholas agreed not to drink (???) And we agreed that, as long as Antonia confirmed that he didn't drink on Friday or Saturday we would pick them up on Sunday and take them with us to San Marcos. They agreed and we will see tomorrow morning if they made it. Gene and I then drove to the airport to pick up Cherie and Alan.

Today we did some shopping for groceries and kind of relaxed in preparation for our day tomorrow. We must get up at 4:30 AM and pick up the guys and go to San Marcos. It is going to be difficult with the 6 of us in the truck, and four guys in the back, not to mention the equipment. But we will do it. Part of what drives us is the fact that in Xela is a McDonald's where we can stop for breakfast! When we arrive in San Marcos we will have an interesting day. We are not quite sure what God has in store for us but we know we will be showing the movies and meeting with families of the bus crash victims. We are looking forward to it. And we saw Antonio, brother of Nicholas who confirmed that Nicholas had not drank anymore, and that his wife and child had returned home. That was great!

Then next week on Tuesday we will do the medical consultation in three villages about two hours away followed by movies. Then on Wednesday the same thing. The week is quickly filling up as God dictates. We should be very busy.

Gene is a real blessing as he talks with Cherie and Alan, me and mom and all of us in the moment. We are so blessed!

That's it for now. I'll try to send some pictures next week if the Internet gets connected. Pray for the people we will see and for Cherie as she walks forward in the way God provides.

Update 1/29/05

This is it. As we prepare to leave for this trip tomorrow I somehow feel a bit irresponsible for not preparing any "plan". I know that this sounds hard to believe, but Gene and I, both of us fully believing that God is not only in control but leading, guiding and directing in all things, are leaving everything in God's hands. What he places before us, we will accept. Where he leads us, we will go. And what he wants us to do, we will do. Not our way, His way. Not our time, His time. Not what we want, what He wants. No apologies, no excuses; just listening to the voice of God. Watching and waiting.

I realize when I'm at home in the United States I get things done. I know who to call, what to do, and how to get it done. In Guatemala, I become the "vessel of Clay", broken and unusable except in His hands. It is such a good feeling!

Please pray for all of us, that we would be vigilant in watching and waiting on the Lord. Please pray for the people as we minister to them, that they would see the love of God and that His will would be accomplished.

Frequent updates will follow.

We are pleased to return to Guatemala on January 30, 2005. It looks like we will have six people on this trip, which will last until the middle of February. While we are not certain what God has in mind, we trust that it will be great, for His glory.

We are so excited that God has provided Gene and Lucy Veal to accompany us on this trip. It will be their first time to Guatemala and they're excited too! The Veals have a ministry in Austin, Texas that God led me to and it has blessed me so much. Please go there right now and take a look. Click on the SINGLEVISION link below.

Please pray for us that God will reveal His plan and that we will listen and obey. To see what God has to say about hearing his voice please click on the HEARING HIS VOICE link below.