 |
 |
| First Baptist will be sending a team of forty-nine to serve in Guatemala June 16-24. Check this page daily to see how God is using the team to expand the kingdom of God! |
Guatemala Update
|
Monday, June 18 |
Guatemala CityToday was amazing. This morning we were at a children's orphanage, which is more of a community center. The kids there are not orphans, but Buckner is allowed to come in and offer ministry to the children. We did a mini-VBS for them, but not before they danced for us. They went up to each other like a bunch of eighth graders and started holding hands like they were waltzing. But then midway in the song they separated and started Latino dancing, which is a nice way of saying Dirty Dancing. But since they were so young, they really didn't know what they were doing and it was really cute. Of course our laughing just encouraged them. We were in stitches.
That broke the ice with them and the rest of the morning they behaved like angels. I was proud of our group and the great way they adjusted to the situation.
This afternoon we were back at the boys home, scene of yesterday's monsoon basketball. We started out playing soccer (My team beat Pat Brown's team 5-0, and then got into our youth camp. For the first day of instruction it went really well and the boys responded superbly. We do have several with learning disabilities and some who are mildly mentally disabled, but if you hug on them, they do just fine. We're going to have to make some adjustments tomorrow because of some time constraints, but I think we've got a bead on how we need to make things work.
I think our people are not only making a difference, I think this place and these people are making a difference in them. I can see it in their faces and hear it in their voices. I believe this trip will be the first of many more.
It's good to hear that everything is going well in Tally. Well, that's considering no A/C. Not to rub it in, but the surprising thing about Guatemala is the climate. The high only gets to about 80 and at night it drops to 60. For some reason I was prepared for hot and humid. At least that surprise is easy to live with.
Keep us in your prayers and we'll keep you posted on how things continue to go.
Godspeed,
Doug
AntiguaOur groups have had a great day in beautiful Antigua. After breakfast the two teams in Antigua went to their respective places of ministry. The constuction team, led by Bill Gardner, and numbering ten people, went to the Manchen Orphanage for Girls where they did an amazing amount of work. Most of the projects that were planned for the entire week were completed today. Bill and Company have been busy planning and gathering materials for projects that have just been someone's dream until now. This group of guys is so excited about the work they are doing and the difference they hope to make on the lives of the girls.
The VBS / Day Camp team started their day in a church run preschool daycare. We arrived to find a group of 65 preschool children sitting perfectly quiet waiting for us. Most of the people who work in the program are volunteers, and are really grateful for groups like ours. We divided the children into four groups for crafts, Bible stories, games and fun. The children quickly won the hearts of all our team members, and we can't wait to get back there tomorrow morning.
After lunch the VBS / Day Camp team joined the construction team at the Manchen Orphanage (even though the two groups never saw each other). The orphanage houses girls ages 9-18. Rhonda Smith and this team are like a well-oiled machine. The afternoon included Bible stories, recreation, snack time, and relational time with our team members. At the same time all of this was happening, Stan Sheppard was busy conducting a dental clinic for many of the girls. They were all proud of the fact they had seen the dentist. Tomorrow afternoon we'll do all of this plus add a beauty salon for the girls to have their hair shampooed and cut.
What a life changing day for our team members it has been. Our group sharing time tonight was inspirational for all of us. I can't wait to see what will happen tomorrow.
|
| Tuesday, June 19 |
Guatemala CityToday went as well as we could have hoped for. We were back at the Community Center this morning and the second day with the kids seemed to go even better. The guys spent the first part of the morning with kids on our shoulders sliding down concrete sliding boards. Needless to say, the conditions in the center are much more lax than in America, and we're in a good center. The VBS, music, and crafts went well, and the kids enjoyed our two days with them. Holt and Pat affixed some rappelling ropes to the pyramid climbing tower they have there, and they really enjoyed that. Of course, Holt and Pat did too. Everyone back home should know that the children were beside themselves at the gift bags folk there made up for us to distribute. I am even more convinced that bubbles and coloring books are the universal kids language. When we left, their teachers all took them out to the street (a somewhat dangerous thing to do in the city) and they waved goodbye. We'll all have their smiling faces etched in our memories for years to come.
This afternoon at the boys home was even better than yesterday as well. I am amazed at how bright some of them are. We Americans think we're just smarter than the rest of the world, but the truth is that we just get a few more breaks. These boys would be considered juvenile offenders in America; in fact one of the kids is there for murder, but he is as attentive and respectful as anyone would want, and all of that considering that he is deaf!!! We didn't know of his condition until Jessica Folsom stumbled across it and used sign language to communicate some with him. The Buckner staff had an interpreter there today, so that he would be able to fit in with the rest of the group. The afternoon is definitely not easy work, but it is rewarding and I think we're making a difference. I am amazed at what a good job our group is doing.
Tomorrow we go to some different places in the morning to see some of the other work Buckner is doing in Guatemala. We'll be back at the boys home in the afternoon.
AntiguaOur groups had another amazing day in beautiful Antigua. After breakfast the two teams in Antigua went to their respective places of ministry. The construction team spent the morning removing a roof from a dormitory building so that the roof can be replaced. Along with the help of a welder, the new roof will begin to take form tomorrow. The group completed their work early in afternoon which provided them time to work alongside the VBS group with the girls. I wish that everyone could have seen these men on the floor playing games with the girls, it was quite an inspirational moment. This group of guys is so excited about the work they are doing and the difference they hope to make on the lives of the girls.
The VBS / Day Camp team started their day by returning to the church run preschool daycare. The fun continued as the team members shared and worked with the very young children. Stan Sheppard did an amazing amount of dental work today with the help of a first year dental student who is in Guatemala for the summer volunteering with a different mission group.
After lunch the VBS / Day Camp team joined the construction team at the Manchen Orphanage. The fun contined today with a Bible story about Jesus being our friend, after which the girls used beads to make friendship necklaces and bracelets. The dental clinic and beauty salon helped a huge number of girls today. Members of the team spent some time today trying to build relationships with the nuns that are the primary caregivers at the orphanage.
What a life changing day for our team members it has been. Our group sharing time tonight was inspirational for all of us. The weather has been picture perfect, and the food has been great! Everyone is having an amazing time!
|
| Wednesday, June 20 |
Guatemala CityToday was "hump day" in Guatemala City, though all of us are beginning to sense some sadness that our ministry here is winding down. We know that it's going to be hard leaving the San Gabriel Boys Home, where we have been every afternoon. That place really does pull at your heart strings. Most of the boys there have such a hard road ahead of them. Virtually all of them have come out of a life of gangs, drugs, and/or prostitution. It really is more of a juvenile prison, though underneath the gruff exterior, they are still just boys. One good thing in their favor is that Buckner has provided them with a full-service bakery, so that when they are dismissed at 18 they will have a trade they can practice. And they must be good. When we come in every afternoon, you can smell the fresh baked bread, which is such a welcome smell considering all of the other odors you encounter there. But I have been so proud of our group. To a person, they have rolled up their sleeves and opened their arms to the boys, and it is making a difference, both in the boys' lives and in ours. This morning we went to three Buckner centers. The first was a home for teen mothers. One was 16 and the other 13. There will be six other mothers brought in by the end of July. The second home we visited was a boy’s transitional home. Two of the boys there were admitted from the San Gabriel home where we are in the afternoon, so we felt good about the possibilities of the most well-behaved and adoptable boys being able to go there. There are six boys in that home at the present time, though only two of them are from San Gabriel. The final home we visited was a children's home, where all the kids are adoptable. There were about six children in that home. Tomorrow, we're going back to that home. Ashley Miracle will be doing nails for the girls. Jessica Folsom will be doing a Bible Study, and I guess the guys will be swinging kids on the swing. Of course, with Holt, Pat, and Clint Scott there could be some rappelling along the way. I'm so proud of our group; they are doing such a great job. We did have a little stomach problems with several in our group after a lunch yesterday at Chilito Burrito. But everyone was fine by the afternoon. We're grateful for all the prayers, and ask that everyone keep them coming as we head toward the end of the week. Doug |
AntiguaToday was another beautiful day in Antigua. We're all amazed at how lovely the weather is - warm, dry days and cool nights - beautifully tropical! Today was our most challenging day yet. The VBS / Day Camp group went to a new location this morning where we experienced total poverty and living conditions beyond anyone's imagination. We drove about 20 minutes out of Antigua to a small community with a mission church that is pastored by the pastor of the church in Antigua where we had worked Monday and Tuesday. We had VBS with about 80 children who have nothing - no electricity, no running water, no roofs on their homes, and only the clothes that they wore. The children were wonderful and receptive to the stories, crafts, snacks and activities that we provided. Member of our team were shocked by the living conditions of these wonderful people. Dr. Sheppard examined and treated about 12 children while the others participated in the VBS activities. After a brief lunch break the group returned to the Manchen Girls home for another day of ministry and relationship building with the girls and their caretakers. Each girl made a blanket today in addition to hearing a Bible story, playing games and having ice cream for snack. There were several new girls that had come into the home this morning. The construction team spent the day building new clothes lines for the girl’s home and were very pleased with the amount of work they were able to accomplish. Tomorrow they will continue the roofing work on the dormitory. The team returned to our hotel about 5:30 pm exhausted and dirty. Following dinner we enjoyed a wonderful sharing and devotional time where we laughed and cried together sharing our experiences of the day. Members of the team had many life changing experiences today. One even commented that never again would she complain about anything at FBC, Tallahassee. Tomorrow we return to the same ministry locations with eyes, ears, and hearts ready to do what we can in Jesus' name. |
Thursday, June 21 |
Guatemala CityToday we went back to the girl’s transitional home, because the two girls wanted to have more time with our group. You have to remember that they're still little girls (16 and 13) and they have no social life outside the different groups that come to see them. Buckner staff brought all the other children from the other orphanages in Guatemala City to the transitional home. Jessica Folsom did a great Bible Study on the plan of salvation, using the different colors of the spectrum. Janet Ray led us in some singing, along with our driver, whom we have come to know and love. We prayed for all the children individually at the requests of the parents and staff. Then we distributed the gift packs the church had put together and stayed around to play and have lunch. Pat Brown made some amazingly goofy glasses out of pipe cleaners, and made one for one young hearing impaired orphan who enjoyed it even more than Pat. This afternoon we were back at the San Gabriel Boys Home, where we minister every afternoon. We got there a little late because of the morning activities on the other side of the city and were on a tight schedule. A group of four young people from the immediate community dropped by with a birthday cake. They are obviously affluent and one of the girls who visits regularly was turning eighteen and she wanted to share the cake with the boys. Because of their short attention span, I thought we were going to lose the boys between the cake and the young girls, but because we've been there all week and developed some strong bonds, the boys stayed focused on what we were doing with them. I think it really took those four young people by surprise. But the recreation team, the craft team, and the memory verse team have been doing such a great job that the boys in the home put off partaking of the cake until after we left. I left thinking that while I always knew that the Word of God was sharper than a two-edged sword, I don't know that I ever realized that it was more desirable than a birthday cake. We continue to struggle with a few bouts of sickness, so please keep us in your prayers. With only one day left of ministry, we want to have all hands on deck. Tomorrow, we go to a girl’s home with 45 girls, and then in the afternoon we return to San Gabriel for our last day. The group knows that leaving San Gabriel will be tough. The boys are a handful, but we have gotten close to them, and I believe we've done them much good. I know they have been good for us. An amazing thing happened this morning as we were getting ready to leave. I had on a FBC/Tallahassee T-shirt, when a woman came up to me and told me that she was from Tallahassee and had grown up in FBC. She and her husband are here touring the country. They live in Pennsylvania. Her maiden name is Amy Barton. Her brother Doug and his wife Lisa attend our church. Terry Jones and Janet Ray knew her, so it was quite a reunion. Imagine that. It really is a small world after all. DougAntiguaThis morning our two teams headed out for another of work and ministry in their respective locations. The VBS / Day Camp group returned to the very rural location where we were on Wednesday. The number of children doubled from Wednesday to today. We had about 150 children, but we were unable to get an exact number. We started off in a big group where Theresa Lambert did an amazing job of telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Following the large group time, we split the children into groups for recreation and crafts. All of our team members were involved with the children, both individually and in groups. Stan Sheppard continued to see and treat the children. There were about 15 children in "Dr. Stan's" chair this morning. Tadako Knight also gave quite a few haircuts to the children - who are amazingly fashion conscious. Following lunch the VBS / Day Camp team returned to the Manchen Girls home where we minister each afternoon. Rhonda Smith presented the plan of salvation today and many girls spoke individually with team members about inviting Jesus into their lives. Our interpreters (all of which are Guatemalan college students) are amazing. They are so helpful and excited about helping us with our ministry. After the large group time we spent a lot of time in relational activities with the girls. Many of the girls have become very close to our team members. Tomorrow we will return to Manchen for our last day of ministry. This evening in our devotional time everyone acknowledged that tomorrow will be a difficult day as we say good bye to these precious girls. We've also become very close to a few of the nuns who serve as caretakers at the home. We will miss them also, but we're looking forward to sharing the gifts that we've put together for the children and the nuns. Members of the VBS team also had an opportunity this afternoon to take a tour of the work that has been going on all week by the construction team. These 10 guys, led by Bill Gardner have done an amazing amount of work and are leaving the home in much better and more useable condition that we found the home on Monday. The guys have worked hard and become very close friends through this experience. We've also had a bit of sickness hit the group in the past twenty-four hours. Pray that everyone will be well enough tomorrow to help with the final day of ministry. We're looking forward to re-joining the Guatemala City team on Saturday morning and hearing from them and sharing our stories. I know that it will be a fun day! |
| Friday, June 22 |
Guatemala CityIt's nearing the time to come home. This has been a great week, and I think we've done a lot of good and have been done a lot of good, but I sense that everyone is ready to get back home, though I also sense a renewed commitment to the ministry to which God has called us in Tallahassee. This morning we went to an orphanage for girls. It was night and day different from the place where we've been ministering each afternoon. The girls, all adoptable, lined up for their groups, quit talking when we talk, and followed instructions to the tea. It was a most constructive morning in terms of our usual rotation schedule of crafts, recreation, and Bible Study. Jessica Folsom and I led a prayer at the request of six young girls who, in their words, "just didn't want to learn about God; they wanted God in their life." And so in the little Catholic chapel which is a part of the campus of the private orphanage, six girls prayed to receive Jesus in their life. The afternoon group at the San Gabriel Boys home was just as difficult as we thought it would be, but not in terms of the chaos, which we've come to learn to work around. All of us have gotten close to the boys, who, each day, remind me more of Dickens characters, though with the obvious Guatemalan twist. For all intents and purposes, they really have been given up on, and yet within that group of juvenile delinquents, gang members, and special needs kids -- all of whom came to trust us and respect us -- many expressed a real seriousness about faith in Christ. You would have expected them to enjoy the crafts and the recreation, as today when Holt Jones helped them make whistles and Pat Brown led them in a rousing water balloon fight, complete with "launchers." But what really amazed me was the enthusiasm they showed over the great job that Clint Scott and Brittany Jones have done each day with the memory verse. We had several of the kids who learned all five memory verses by heart and were really into the challenge. That is no small thing, considering the environment there in the home, which was a lot worse before Buckner became involved. Anyway, tomorrow we go to Antigua for some shopping and sightseeing. We're all looking forward to reconnecting with our group there. I'm sure there will be many stories swapped and many experiences shared. Please continue to pray for the group as we prepare to head back to Tallahassee -- home, sweet home -- but with a special place in our hearts for the good people of this beautiful country. Doug AntiguaToday was a near perfect ending to a great week of ministry in several locations in Antigua. The construction team completed all of their projects by lunchtime, and most of them helped out at the Manchen Girls Home during the afternoon. During the week the construction team did some painting, removed the roof from a building, constructed new clothes lines, patched the concrete basketball court, and did a lot of cleaning and small repair projects. They all have enjoyed their work and feel like they have made a difference in the living conditions for the girls. The VBS / Day Camp team spent the morning in a new location - a day care center with about 100 children (mostly preschool, but some older children). The team did the rotation of Bible Story, crafts, recreation, and music. Some of the children at the day care were children that we had been with on Monday and Tuesday morning. These children were amazing in the way they soaked up the attention and love that we wanted to share with them. I have been grateful and amazed to see how our team members have given so much of themselves to the children. The group returned to the Manchen Girls Home this afternoon for a final day of ministry. So many relationships have been formed between team members and individual girls, some of which I expect to last a very long time. The girls have been attentive and interested in the message that we've shared. Stan Sheppard and Tadako Knight did another day of ministry with their dental and hair care rooms. All other members worked with the girls with stories, crafts, and most importantly strong relationships. God's love and grace was demonstrated to the girls and they have responded so well to the message. This evening we enjoyed a wonderful time at dinner which included an authentic Guatemalan dance team, accompanied by Marimbas and string bass. Several team members tried out the Guatemalan dance steps. It was a fun evening for our group as we celebrated what God has done this week. Tomorrow morning the Guatemala City will join us for a day of shopping and sightseeing before we all return to Guatemala City for our farewell dinner tomorrow night. We have all come to love and adore all of the people who have worked with us this week; Rosario, the Buckner Missions Coordinator for Antigua; Jennifer, our Buckner team escort; our interpreters, Allan, Alex, Jocho, Jessica, and Sophia; and our drivers. It will be difficult to say good bye to all of them at the farewell dinner tomorrow evening. I believe that our team members are ready to head back to Tallahassee with a renewed commitment to mission and ministry - wherever God provides an opportunity. It's been a great week. |
