In the US

Merry Christmas!

It must have slipped my mind to post that I was going to be in the States for Christmas. Well, I was in the States for Christmas.

The weekend was really good with family and a few friends. Today Christian and I got out in the woods a little and enjoyed the crisp 28 degree air. It's nice for a change, but I would like some more snow. The weatherman says we might get a little in the next few days.

Duane will be joining me hopefully Friday evening at our home church, Destiny. They're having a missions conference for four days morning and evening starting Saturday evening at 6. Guest speakers include Joyce Meyer and Kurt Landry, the pastor who led Duane and Leslie's trip to Israel. I'm excited to get to meet him. Anyway, I just wanted to say hey. To everyone who is praying for Guatemala, those we serve in clinics and through the food program, thank you very much. Duane called and it sounds like everything is very busy there as usual.

I hope everyone who reads has a happy new years day!

Grr...

I say grr... because Katie just robbed all the pictures we have of the families on our Corn Project! So, you can check that our on Adonai's blog.

I had to blog today though because it was a good day in the mountains with Thomas. He and I have a list of the "missing" people that we have not been able to find for the last two weeks as we make house visits to pray and access family's needs. Well, at clinic this Tuesday one of the "missing" ladies came back for more food and led us to the others! It was a long walk from the four-wheeler, but we found four missing families and added two new ones today. Our morning started out with the brisk downhill for about 1,000 feet. On our way to the missing lady's house (her name is Maria), we ran into Ignacia, another lady we are helping with food. Ignacia has rheumatoid arthritis, and although she is probably not over 50 her posture is bent and her hands are twisted. She walks with a cane, and at first glance you wouldn't expect her to be able to leave her house. Well, Ignacia began to walk with us to Maria's house and talked to Thomas along the way. She told him how she remembers the first time Leslie and Thomas prayed with her in her home. Three years ago she couldn't walk at all, and felt little purpose in life being stuck in bed. But she said that as Leslie and Thomas prayed she felt something enter her, and they declared over her that she would walk again and pray for others. Well, that's exactly what she's doing. Although slowly, she walks around the mountains (we found her about three walking hours from her house) praying for her neighbors. People call her from towns too far to walk to because of the anointing that she carries. Gathered around Maria, her kids, and Ignacia we prayed and have thanks to God for what he had done in their lives. Maria also had stories of how Thomas had prayed for her husband and son years ago and they were healed. And that was just our first house visit of the day!

There is always a lot of need, but it is encouraging to see God's hand move. He is the answer to people's needs, it's not the food and corn bags that only open the door into people's lives.

We also got to pray with a family in from of their idol. I think they thought we would be afraid to, but Tomas only laughed and explained that the little decorated stature had no power to answer prayers. To make a long story short, the woman in charge of taking care of the idol (lighting candles and such) was only doing it to fulfill her husbands commitment for a year. He had died earlier, but after promising to hold the idol in his house for a year. The woman agreed that she knew only God had the power to save and meet needs, but still didn't want to accept Christ until the idol was our of her house. So on the 25th of January she plans to give her life to Christ. I pray she truly does and that the Lord reveals his power and love to her now. Surely if she understood it she wouldn't wait.

After seeing our missing people we came home on a dusty road. Yesterday we saw mud for the first time in a while in San Pedro. It has been raining there as usual. Duane and I commented as we flew back that we made it all of 2009 without getting stuck in the jungle! Last year it seemed like it was every other time that the rain would close in around us. Anyway, clinic was good. The leaders there are really good about being organized. Duane made an emergency flight to Uspantan while we were there, and Leslie, Katie and I saw probably around 150 people. Tomorrow is clinic here in Canilla and then in San Andres on Sunday. Lots of people will be passing through, and I'm encouraged from today that lives are being touched by God even though we may not be aware.

Tearin' it up.

Tearin' it up is what I feel like we're doing to motorcycles and four-wheelers around here. I am so thankful we don't have to ride horses everyone anymore. The Fickers remember those days.

Actually, nothing is torn up or broken down from this week. We've just been riding the four-wheeler and my bike a lot lately. The four-wheeler is the vehicle of choice for making house visits. If Juanito and Mario aren't riding it, Tomas and I are. My favorite 4-wheeler moment was when Tomas, Hector (our 10-year old guide) and I got to a tough spot. "It won't make it!" they said. Little do they understand the manuvering abilities of a Honda!

If we see six families a day we're doing good. It takes so long to locate people and then walk to their houses, usually several hundred feet up or down a mountain. We pray with everyone, unless they don't want us to, and share the gospel with them. Yesterday one lady prayed with Tomas in Quiche to accept Christ. That makes it all worth it.

On the bad side we run across people like this lady named Manuela. She was really nice, but lied to us in clinic about being a widow and not having any food. Upon visiting her we found out that she only said she was a widow because she heard the Americans would give food to her. Before we left her nice block house we prayed for her and her son (whom we will be helping with medicine for his siezures), but will not be giving food. Again though, this just shows the importance of house visits.

Today Duane and I went to visit Candelaria again. Duane and Leslie had helped her get her house back several months ago after her husband lost it as a result of debt. Now he is trying to sell it again, but his neighbors aren't letting him. (Thankfully). Sometimes I want to just tie someone like him up and haul him to the police station, Duane says it's better to pray instead. So we do, and help Candelaria and her 6 kids as best we can.

On the fun side of things, David, Joseph and I like the motorcycle race so much last month that we're helping some local teenagers make one in Canilla. On our days off and some evenings we have been helping them with the track and to mark the road up the mountain. Today I rode double with a guy who asked if I was a Christian while we were stopped to mark a tree with ribbon. I told him I was, and he said that he just became a Christian too. To me, it was just a cool experience because the whole "motorcyle" world is kind of outside of the religious circle, and I look for chances to show other motorcycle kids that you can have fun and be a Christian too.

My buddy Juan Carlos and I started a Bible study together two weeks ago. We meet every Monday evening with his wife Jael and his grandma to read a chapter together, talk, pray, and sing a few worship songs. Last week I even got a dinner afterwards, so we'll see if that keeps up. It feels good to reach out though in a discipling way, rather than just an evangelistic like in clinic.

Tomorrow is clinic though, and I still need to get a mini-message together, so I'm going to get off of here. Katie posted a good update for the Corn Blog if anyone wants to check that out. It's been really busy around here lately, but I'll try to keep the blog updated! Thanks for all the prayers and support.