Home Again

I told God a while back that I would come home only if He would go with me, just as He promised Moses that He would be with him when Moses was sent back to Egypt. My heart is so much to be "out" there serving, and I'm finally accepting that that's from God. But now, He has sent me home and He is already showing me he is with me. One small thing I'll share happened on the plane home. I always ask God to provide opportunities for ministry when I travel, and he provided several. One was on the way from Atlanta to St. Louis Tuesday night. For some reason I felt like I was supposed to ask the young lady next to me if she knew how airplanes (airliners) stopped. More specifically, I felt like God wanted me to explain reverse thrust to her. Of course, I hesitated a minute, and then thought what the heck; I've got nothing to lose. So I asked her, and she immediately started talking about how she's in school to be a pilot (but still hadn't got to reverse thrust). The question opened a door to talk to her about mission work, and just amazed me how God is so involved in the details of my (and all of our) lives.

I am so happy to see my family (although I still haven't gotten to see all of them) and excited to go back to my home church. I already miss Guatemala and my other Ficker "family" there, but am determined to make everyday here as purposeful as life on the foreign mission field. Roughly, my plans are to take some college classes towards a Bible degree, keep my checkbook in the black, and find places to serve now that I'm home. I'll try to keep this blog updated if life seems interesting enough to share :).

No matter where we are, I know God is interested in our lives. God loves people everywhere, and He is the answer to all of our problems. Each of our lives are a journey. We all come from God, and He wants us to get back to Him. The way is Jesus. He is the guide. In Guatemala when I go to a new place, I go with someone who knows the way. It would be crazy to try to find some of the small villages I've been to without a guide--someone who's from there and knows the way. Jesus is that guide to a relationship with God. If you don't know Him, or aren't sure about where to find Jesus, look in the Bible. Jesus' disciple John wrote in the book of John of how to find Jesus and how to know Him. God's plan is for all of us to know him better. I pray your journey takes you there.

Last Days

This week has been a sad week, just because a lot of what I've done may be the last time I do it for a while. In case you hadn't read on Adonai's blog, I plan on going home soon to continue with school. It's something that has been on my heart for a while, and I feel like it's God's timing that I go now. I'm sad to leave but excited about what the future holds.

So today was my last trip to San Pedro (for a while). We made two flights in for a standard clinic day, but "standard" was a big deal since we thought we would be short of help. Thankfully, God provided Dr. Pedro, Dennis Freed (N.P.), and our friend Misty to help us see the roughly 150 peolple who came. At first hardly anyone came from the surrounding villages; we heard that two men from the village had been charging Q100 (about $$12) for "landing fees" when an airplane landed on the strip. This fee was to be paid by the patients who received help from us or any other plane that came it. Of course this made us aggravated, along with most of the villagers and community leaders, and the culprits were reprimanded. It's just like Satan to throw in little hang-ups like that when God is really moving in a place.

Anyway, we made it back to Canilla just before the rain (yes, it actually rained for about 2 hours in our desert!). Then we ate a lot of pasta, worshiped, and now everyone is heading to bed. So hope you sleep good tonight!

Small Rewards

The apostle Paul taught that "what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen in eternal." I think a good part of that means that even if we aren't "seeing" a lot of results from our Christian labor, it doesn't mean God isn't doing eternal things. (Maybe we should even be glad when it doesn't "look" like things are going good!)

But God provided a few small rewards for me today as I walked the mountains near our Chiminisijuan clinic again with Thomas. He and I set out to visit families (many single moms) early this morning, and I might even say we're getting better at finding people and growing worse at getting ourselves lost! Anyway, in the course of visiting about 7 families who had asked us for food, we had two cool testimonies from their neighbors. One was a young man who stopped by the first house we were visiting. He came over to tell us that God had healed him of some stomach sickness a few years ago after we (I don't really know if I was at clinic then) prayed for him. He said he had spent Q6,000 (about $750) at a government hospital and never got better. Then, he came to us and for Q2 (about $0.25) he got better! Another lady was the neighbor to the last family we visited, and she told us that God had healed her 1-year-old son a few years ago of a swollen arm (sounds like it was an infection). She said, "I came every week for milk, prayer, (and I think) medicine, and my son got better!" She actually said "God healed" my baby. Now I and most Americans whose brain is bigger that our faith want to think of what sickness exactly these people had, and what medicine probably cured it. But they (and at least 10 others I've ran into during my mountain walks) very confidently say GOD healed them. Some I know for a fact were not a result of medicine because we didn't give them any, and even the others were God because Duane, Leslie, and the entire ministry would not be in Chiminisijuan were it not for God calling them!

God does miracles today. They may be obvious, they may be natural results from obedience, or they may not be known to us at all--but when God does the work, it's eternal!

Out of the Bush

Today we did a clinic in the Zona Reina, leaving about an hour after my last post on here. God provided a few medical people to help us, so we went for it. Honestly I don't like the trips a whole lot. It's hot and a lot of work, but I believe in why we do it. Today was a fruitful day because a lady accepted Christ and the village leader said he needed to become a Christian (I think that means he's being persuaded but still not jumping in all the way). It was a good sign though, and encouraging after over 2 years of clinics and emergency flights in that place. Thanks to all who prayed!

Into the Bush

It's just before 6am and the sky is lightening up in the East. Duane just left for the airport to await the call from the Zona Reina telling us that the sky is clear to come in.

Leslie, Don, Armando, Sally, Irvin, and I will hopefully be flying into San Pedro with Duane today for another medical clinic. If you read this today, please say a prayer that hearts are open to the gospel, and that our trip has eternal effect on people. We know this village well, but want to be more than a good humanitarian work; we want them to know Jesus... And if you think of it, it would be nice to not get rained in!

Hot Days and Long Nights

Well, my the bees have calmed down and the honey is about half eaten. That honey was worth it!

As I try to think about the goings on here since my last blog, there are a few things that stick out to me. One is that we have two visitors here from the U.S. Cassie is a P.A. from Texas who has been helping in clinics this week, and Irna is a friend who will be living with us for around 6 months. She's willing to do anything, and a great cook (those who know me know how I feel about that!)

Katie and Aaron are about ready for Anna to arrive into our world. Any day now she could arrive! Katie's parents will be coming down later in the month, as will our friends the Allisons. It will be so good to have them here while Katie is adjusting to being a mom, and we are adjusting to doing clinic without her! Also, not to bore anyone but just because it's taken a lot of time and work, the well at the airport is about 4 meters deeper thanks to a buddy from Chinique. That may not sound like much, but when the well is over 150 foot deep and has water in the bottom that's a lot of dirt to haul up! Chinto would climb down and fill bucket for bucket that would be hauled up with a rope.

Last week I showed a movie in the park for the first time in a few months due to popular demand from kids in town. It actually surprised me how much the kids had grown to count on the movies and wondered why I had stopped. If they like them, then it's worth it. A family I've grown to know pretty well specially came to hang out with me last Friday, and relationships are worth the effort.

Now you may be wondering what the "hot days and long nights" are all about. Well, it applies to David and Juan more than anyone. Most of us guys had a part in going to the Mexican/Guantemalan border the last few days to bring in our corn semi and the supplies loaded on it, but David and Juan did the driving from there. The border is super hot and humid, it's just so low. But worse is the drive. David left the border at 5 o'clock yesterday evening and got here at 10:30a.m. this morning, without stopping to sleep. Other than waiting once for diesel (the gas stations weren't open at 3:30 when they were in Quiche) they drove nearly 17 hours straight on some less that quality roads. The truck and the grain bins that are on it will be such a help to us here though. Today I was helping distribute corn and we ran out. There were just way more people than we planned on, and there was no corn to be found in the whole town for us to buy. When we have our own supply of corn in storage, all we'll have to do is go fill up a few more bags to meet the need. Anyway, I'll try to get a picture of the truck on here tomorrow when it's light out!

Bikes and stinging bees.

I rode my bike, ate some dirt, and just washed off a lot of grease from my hands. After clinic today Joe, David and I rode our motorcycles with a few friends of ours. We kid each other, push each other up hills, and even have a cool handshake (some of the kids we ride with are about 15). This week two of the guys came over and asked me to fix something on their bike (David wasn't around), and I love to get to know them.

Clinic yesterday went fairly smooth. I wasn't feeling anything to share with the people as far as evangelizing goes, but as I looked through some notes and different teachings I had made over the last few weeks, I found where I had written, "When I don't feel anything special to share, just share the Word because it is always true." So I took my Bible and guitar and made my way out to the 50 or so people in the waiting area. Tomas and I shared from John 1:12 where Jesus invited all who believe to be children of God, and it was like God just filled me with a desire to share--and He gave me the words too. I remember the first times, actually first year, that it was so hard for me to talk to groups of people in Spanish, especially about the Bible. Now it's like people are actually engaged and attentive to my stories and examples. Whether it's just improved Spanish or some new thing God is doing, I like it.

In other big news from the week...I took some honey from my bees last Thursday! It was actually pretty awful. Not only did I kill hundreds of my bees by enticing them to sting my bee suit, but I didn't get much honey and the bees got super mad. I ended up running across the yard and out of the gate when I got a few bees inside my mask. There were pieces of my suit strewed all along the road as I ran toward town, and man and beast alike were looking for cover from the small buzzing creatures. Passerbys on the road where swatting at stray bees, cows were jumping, and chickens were fluttering. When I finally got back to the house everyone was locked inside and one of our workers was laying block with a welding mask on to protect himself. All in all only I fell victim to the honeybees' sting, four to be exact, and we got close to a quart of honey out of the deal. I think next time I need a better suit and a lot of smoke. If you have experience with bees and are reading this, feel free to send me any thoughts you may have, but please wait for a week or two as nearly everyone who was here for the "bee attack" has already given me more advice than I can process this week!

Anyway, that's about all that's up from this week. Tomas and I spent Friday making house visits in Chiminisijuan. My legs hurt pretty bad by the end of the day, but I'm only 22 and shouldn't complain. Leslie, Hannah, and Katie are all outside right now delivering a baby in the clinic. I figure they have it all under control out there, and I am supporting them through prayer from here in the house, at a safe distance.

Thanks for reading and for all the prayers and support. I'll try to put a post up this week as more happens!

Drug Rehab

This picture was the best I got from Bob and I's visit to Victor's drug rehab center. I wish you could see more guys that live there but I just didn't take many pictures. The eleven men who who where there in the morning range from Domingo, 15 and without parents, to Johnny, 50, who has not been able to lay down the bottle in past. By afternoon, there were 15 men in the house, two of the new ones coming directly from the hospital as referrals from a judge. All of them though have chosen to come and try to change.

Bob and I went to Quiche yesterday to see Victor and these guys. We taught, worshiped with them, and just spend time one on one with them. Each one has a unique story, usually a very hopeless one, but each one is there with purpose now. As I listened to their stories, they are just exaggerated examples of most of our lives. All of our actions have consequences, and none of us deserve the love that God has for us. Alex, one of the men who reminded me of the cowboys in Canilla, had a family who loved him and brothers who were in the cattle business with him. He lost them though, because of his drinking problem. As Alex sat with Bob and I he cried tears of remorse for the family that had rejected him and kids who were at home without him. He said he had been to church quite a bit but had never accepted Christ into his heart until that day. That was yesterday, and today he still couldn't talk about God without tears in his eyes. He had finally tasted hope. It was real, and it was his because Jesus loved him and can help change him. I believe he will get his family back and rejoin his brothers in the field.

We also enjoyed a time of encouragement from Phil Stern and Kent Henry. They were here for two days and spent a lot of time in prayer, worship, and just time encouraging us. Kent has a prayer model that he's been implementing in churches in the U.S.--how to read the Bible, pray it, sing, it, and then think hard on it as a group. We're going to start using it to organize our worship times as a ministry at least once a week.

This weekend is clinic in Canilla and San Andres. It's been kind of chilly lately, even down to 45 at night, but that just makes sleeping with lots of blankets even better!

Clinic Memories

The last couple of days will go in the memory book for me. Probably Katie and Hannah too. Leslie made a quick trip to the States to visit her uncle before he passed away, so were short on staff.

Yesterday morning started out busy, giving out numbers and preaching at 7 outside of clinic. By the time I got back out there at 8, Katie and Hannah had already delivered a baby and were in the middle of care for an 11 month old girl with a heart defect. The baby was a stillborn, most likely dying a few days before. The mom, a young Mayan woman said she stopped feeling the baby move about 3 days before. It was a sad day, full of many very sick people, a baby funeral, and other people who kept coming to our door after clinic. This morning we were prepared for another long day at San Andres clinic, but God was merciful and there were few really sick people. We gave out a lot of food and milk, did a lot of ultrasounds, and saw many of our chronic patients (mostly diabetes and hypertension).

There was a point in the afternoon when I laughed to myself because I thought we had ran out of food only to have Rosa (our translator) surprise me by pulling a bag of beans, rice, oats, and sugar out of a "secret" spot in the cabinet. It is so hard to tell a hungry mom and her kids to come back in a week because we're out of food, and I was so relieved when Rosa pulled that bag out! Upon a visit to the orphanage where our friends Sebastian and Juanito distribute corn, I found out that we had just enough for the day. We sent out 3,100 lbs of corn to 31 families, and didn't have a bag left when everyone had passed through. That's cutting it a little close, but like Juanito said to me, "at least there won't be any to go bad throughout the week!" Next week's corn will be all fresh stuff.

Here is a picture of one of the houses Sebastian visited. It belongs to a widow named Micaela who he started on the corn program...Tomorrow Leslie and three good friends from our church in St. Louis will be coming in for a few days. We'll be happy to see them.

Back

Duane and I made it back to Guatemala yesterday afternoon. We made it before the 5 degree 40 mph winds with snow. My trip was a total of 2 weeks and Duane was there for 5 days. Here you can see a picture of Duane and a group of pastors praying for Guatemala at the Destiny church missions conference. The conference lasted for 4 days and was really incredible. About 20 missionaries from all over the world were present with their ministries, and we had services and prayer every morning and evening. It was very refreshing and I met a lot of cool people. Below you can see a picture of Ben and me. Ben is a man from Gana, West Africa where it is "very hot." This was his first time in the United States, and he's there for 4 months. Like many people in Gana (and Guatemala) Ben has wanted to visit for a long time but never felt it was the right time until now. He has spent the last 7 years building a church discipling pastors for outlying village churches. We had lots of time to talk since I drove him back and forth between his brother's house and church. I think I was blessed more than he was through our talks.

Overall my visit was really good. I spent time with my family (below is from Christmas at my grandparents) and had some good time with a few close friends, even a few who surprised me by popping up at the missions conference!
Now we're back in Guatemala plugging away at the daily work. Our friends Norm and Vicki Sutton came over for a visit, and Norm and I spent some time working on an airplane. Maybe more than ever I am thankful for prayers over my life and ministry here in Guatemala. I know I plan to do more of it.