Nochebuena - it begins!

It has begun! The preparations have been under way for Nochebuena for quite awhile, and now we are into the busy time of many activities related to and leading up to Nochebuena.

Basically what we do each year is a huge outreach on Christmas Eve in Zona 3, for families that live on the edge of the largest landfill dump in Central America.

It is a extremely poor, densely populated, gang infested, dangerous and spiritually dark area.
We offer an afternoon of hope and love, sharing Jesus with the people there.
We begin singing Christmas carols out in the street, then have an evangelical message also out in the street.
Then we enter Casita Benjamín for a devotional with the adults and games and the Christmas story for the kids. Then everyone gets dinner, all the kids get a wrapped gift, and each family receives a 'Canasta de Víveres'. This is a basket filled with basic goods.

Practicing Christmas carols

But, it is a LOT of work to prepare that begins in November! We form a servant team of youth we work with, and enlisted several members of the worship team from our church to help with music.

We have practices at our house for Christmas carols etc.

We also have a few outings to buy over 200 gifts for kids, more outings to buy all of the goods needed for the baskets etc. Our house gets rather full until Christmas!

Wrapping over 220+ gifts!

We then have an all day activity at our house to wrap all of the gifts, and make all of the baskets! We had 27 helpers and it took 12 pizzas to feed everyone this year! After the work we practiced singing some, then watched a movie together!

Where ever you can find space...using the whole house!

Our youth really do a great job, work hard and have lots of fun!

Some of the 70 'Canastas de Víveres' (baskets of basic goods) we made!

Willy & Nestor wrapping some canastas

A few of the finished canastas!

We also take an evening to visit Casa Kairos. This is a home near the largest public hospital for children with cancer and their families. Similar to a Ronald McDonald house on a budget.

These are poor families from far away that need to come here for treatment, some of whom stay for years.

Singing Carols at Casa Kairos

We visit and sing carols with them, pray with them, and just hang out and visit for awhile.

David playing with one of the kids

We still have more activities yet to come before Christmas Eve actually arrives.

A wonderful time of worship and prayer with the families at Kairos

The 22nd we will have another all day event at our house with all of the youth. We will make lots of decorations to put up in Casita Benjamin on the 24th. We will also make approximately 1,000 of Sandi's Christmas cookies!

Then on the 23rd I have a bus rented and we will take all who want to go from Las Aldeas Children's home to our church for a Christmas service and lunch! Our youth will lead some of the singing!

Relaxing after singing with a few of our youth!

Then on the 24th, our bus will return to our house to load all of the baskets, gifts, decorations, us etc and we will go pick up our youth helpers and then head for Zona 3! We will get there and decorate the place, set up a sound system outside and prepare for the people!

About 3:30 we will begin with singing in the street. Last year we had 250+ people enter for the dinner etc.

This year we have a quota of 200 for the dinner and have already filled our quota with families that have received tickets. But we expect many more to participate out in the street and hear a Gospel message.

Please keep all of these things lifted up in prayer.

That God is already preparing hearts for His message, that some will be touched and surrender to His love and hope.

Pray also for us, and our servant team, that we may be examples of His love and instruments to proclaim His message.

Check back here for more updates and photos after the events happen!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Back in the USA!

Did some traveling!

I was invited to visit some churches to share about La Luz Brilla to hopefully raise more needed support for this ministry. So, from November 9-20, I visited 5 cities in 11 days!

First stop was Baton Rouge, Louisiana!

Mississippi River

 Last June a team from Community Bible Church of Baton Rouge made their first (hopefully of many) trip to Guatemala! It was a great trip and we connected closely with this team. 

They have quickly gotten involved with our ministries even having began supporting us as missionaries of their church!

CBC Guatemala team 2012 and families

 I was invited to visit and get to know the whole church, and also share about La Luz Brilla.

I spent a few days there, they showed me around town, I spoke to all the combined adult and HS Sunday school classes, and was introduced to the church during the service!

They also arranged a dinner with all the members of the team from June with family members!

After church on Sunday, Pastor Steve and his wife hosted a lunch in their home, inviting the entire church and gave me more time to share about what we do and also La Luz Brilla!

GO Missions Conference at Texas A&M (yes...it was coooold)

 After I left Baton Rouge I went to Dallas, then drove with some fellow Camino Global people to College Station and Texas A&M! ( who would of thought).

They have a 2 day missions conference there each year and there were almost 7,000 students there!

And it got coooooooooold while I was there.

I went from College Station up to Denton, TX to spend a couple of days visiting our friends at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.

From Denton I traveled to Phoenix, AZ. 

Finally a little warmth!

BIG cactus

I spent a couple of days there with Desert View Baptist Church in Gilbert, AZ.

Before I arrived I did not know a single person, but this is the church that gave us the funds to open La Luz Brilla! So I was able to meet many people and thank them for the blessing they have already been!

They gave me all the time I wanted to share, so I spoke for about 20 minutes at each of the 3 services Sunday morning! (or maybe a tad more ;))

We are excited that they are wanting to send a team to paint La Luz Brilla in 2013!

It was a very busy 11 days but the Lord allowed me to meet LOTS of new people and we look forward to building these relationships!

Christmas Shopping?

Are you wondering what to buy people for Christmas?

Here are some ideas that have meaning!

If you would like to give someone a gift that has lasting value, a gift with IMPACT...

may I suggest looking through the Camino Global Christmas Catalog!

Every year our mission puts together a catalog with giving ideas that will have significance.

There are lots of ideas in this catalog for you to give a gift that will not gather dust on a shelf.

Two of our projects are in the catalog, Casita Outreach Events is on Page 1, 

and La Luz Brilla is on Page 3.

In addition there are many other ideas to pray about!

Click here to see the catalog!

So....may you be blessed through your Christmas giving!

Well used!

We reached a small milestone this week! Our trusty ol' 97 Toyota 4Runner just turned over 200,000 miles!

Not as pretty as it once was, but still serves the purpose...and what a purpose!

Our 1997 Toyota 4Runner

When we bought this car 6 years ago we expected to use it, but never imagined how many people we would haul around in it....rarely a day goes by that we aren't driving others somewhere!

As many of our visitors can testify we aren't shy about "always room for one more!"

Our record for total people is 21, although that included a couple of small children, so our record for teen-agers and above is 20 people!

Needless to say, I could use new shocks!

200012 in 2012

 We are praying the Lord will allow us to keep using this car for many, many more years and many, many more miles!

Coming Soon! A Busy Season!

Every year about this time I begin to freak out just a tad over all that is coming up. 

And every year the Lord guides everything and it all comes together in my hap-hazard way and one way or another we get through it, look back and say "WOW, are we blessed to be a part of all this or what?"

Of course each year there is more as we have added things and people every year. But that really just makes it all better!

Our biggest item coming up quickly is our annual Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) outreach event.

Every year we host a dinner and outreach for families that live by the dump here in Guatemala City.

Christmas is a depressing time in this area, very few are believers and most cannot afford a tamale dinner or presents for their children. It is a dangerous, spiritually dark neighborhood.

So we form a servant team with our youth that come from difficult backgrounds themselves, and we sing carols, have a program and drama for the children, an evangelistic message for the adults and a traditional Guatemalan dinner of Tamales, Pan & Ponche. Each child receives a wrapped gift and each family a gift basket of basic goods.

Servant team 2011

It is a huge amount of prep work as last year we had about 250 people and expect that again this year.

We have many meetings with the youth to practice songs and a drama to perform.

We have an all day outing to buy gifts for 150+ kids. We have another outing to buy all of the goods to make 65 - 75 gift baskets.

Then we have an all day activity with our youth at our house to wrap gifts and make the gift baskets.

Christmas Carols in the street!

 We have another all day activity at our house with the youth to bake 1,000 of Sandi's famous Christmas cookies, and also to make decorations.

The Christmas story

 Then on Christmas Eve we load up our rented bus with everything and head for Casita Benjamin in Zone 3 to prepare for the event. The youth decorate the facility and we get ready for the people.

We will again this year begin out in the street. We will set up speakers etc and sing Christmas Carols in the street to attract more neighbors. We had the street filled last year! Then we will have a short Gospel message and invitation out in the street, then have families that have already signed up enter for the children's program and dinner.

Some of the children!

Each year the Lord provides for all of the needs, and we are confident He will again this year. If you are interested in helping just ask us how! We still right now lack about $2,225 of our budget for the event.

Right in the middle of this planning time I will be making a 10 day trip to the USA to visit three churches and a big missions conference at Texas A&M University. 

You can see what that is about in the blog post before this one!

Birthday celebration!

November is also a month with LOTS of birthdays for us. Between friends and family here and in the States we have about 17 birthdays to celebrate!

For those of our youth here, we always try to make it a little more special for them.

Sadly I will miss several due to the trip I will be making to the States.

Graduations!

Schools here end in late October or November, so each year I have many graduations to attend. Sometimes even as "Papá". I  enjoy very much the opportunity to share in these special days with our 'kids'.

Again sadly, due to my trip, I will miss two very special graduations.

Baptism!

 Also in November we will be having an all day outing with our church for a service outside, with picnic lunch following and also baptisms!

After having changed the dates twice for this, it will now happen while I am in the States :(

This is especially sad as one of our special young ladies, Alejandra will be getting baptized and I won't be able to help be a part of it.

Alejandra

 We continue with the legal process to gain guardianship of Luis, a 15 yr. old boy we have been involved with for 5 years. Please pray with us this will happen soon.

Also there are all of the ongoing ministry functions, La Luz Brilla which we are still learning how to do it, but it is serving it's purpose and helping change the lives of some young women. We currently have 4 more interested in coming, and need to find more sponsors to help make this happen.

We continue working on pretty much daily basis with lots of youth. Almost everyday something is happening!

Sandi continues with the weekly ladies bible study in our home for many maids in our neighborhood!

It may sound busy, but we are so privileged to do these things that I feel like the most blessed person here! 

Flying to the USA!

It´s official, I have plane tickets, I am coming to a town near you!

Well, that is, if you are near where I am going.

I will be traveling to the USA for a 10 day trip to promote our La Luz Brilla ministry as we seek more people and churches to partner in this life changing ministry.

It has shaped up into a very full 10 days and I am excited to visit and meet many new people!

I will leave Guatemala on November 9 and fly via Houston to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This will be my first time there and I am excited to see it! I am invited to share about La Luz Brilla and our ministries at Community Bible Church on Sunday the 11th. 

Community Bible Church sent a team to serve with us in June, and has just recently accepted us as supported missionaries of their church!

Community Bible Church team June 2012

Monday the 12th I will fly via Houston to Dallas, spend the night then drive to College Station, TX with a couple of other Camino people. We will represent Camino Global at a huge 2 day missions conference at Texas A&M University. We recruit several interns for our EMERGE program there each year.

I will return to Dallas the 15th and find my way to Denton, TX for a couple of days visiting our friends at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church! I will have a dinner with the missions committee and visit with all I can in a couple of short days. On the 17th I will fly, again via Houston, to Phoenix, AZ. I have been invited to speak at all 3 services of Desertview Baptist Church on Sunday the 18th, and also they will have a once a year evening service for Thanksgiving! 

I am excited for this also, as I do not know even one person at this church! But, they are the church they provided a gift that allowed us to open La Luz Brilla! 

Then I will leave from Phoenix on the 19th, arriving in Houston in the evening and, how fun, will spend the night in the Houston airport waiting for my flight home in the morning of the 20th.

I am excited about visiting new places and meeting new people, but it is a hard time to leave. There are many things happening here in November and I will be missing a couple of very important graduations. I will also miss several birthdays, and the baptism of one of our special young ladies.

Please pray for all of these connections and new people to meet. That the Lord would move many to desire to partner with us in supporting La Luz Brilla. We are in great need of sponsors.

Camino Global Convocation 2012

 After we left Next Step 2012 (see previous post) we traveled to Estes Park, Colorado for Camino Global's Convocation 2012. This was the first time in 11 years that Camino had vitually all of our missionaries y staff etc in one place together! We stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies facilities outside Estes Park.

Over 400 Camino Global people together!

 We met many of the Camino people serving in other countries that we had never met. Had worship and encouraging messages in the mornings. Reviewed the history of CAM International, and looked forward to the future with Camino Global!

New Camino President Douglas Livingston and his wife Gloria

For me, a highlight was installing a new president for Camino Global. Doug Livingston was officially made president on the next to last day together and shared his vision and desires for the future of Camino Global.

I am very excited at what the Lord has in store for us at Camino Global, and look forward to watching Him do mighty things using Camino Global.

On top of a really high place in Estes Park, Colorado!

Convocation lasted 6 days, and we had the afternoons to explore a little. It was a nice time and a beautiful location to be!

EMERGE and Next Step 2012

 Okay, a couple of months behind...but better late than never!

So, at the end of May we welcomed the first two of our summer EMERGE interns and spent several days with them to orientate them and just get to know them.

Jessica, from Virginia, and Garrett, from Texas. As you can see in the foto, they quickly developed an interesting relationship! Ha ha, just kidding, but we did have a lot of fun together before Garret went to serve for 5 weeks at an orphanage outside of Santiago, Atitlán, while Jessica went to serve at Casita Benjamín.

Jessica & Garrett - Fruit salad

Immediately after we placed them in their ministry locations, our group from Louisiana arrived (see earlier post). Then the day after we sent the team home, our second group of interns arrived for orientation.

We had Emily from Texas, Ashley from Minnesota, Jasmine from California & Kelly from Arkansas.

During their orientation we hosted the "Excursión Familiar" (see previous post) which they were able to help us with!

Emily, Ashley, Jasmine & Kelly

After 5 days together Emily and Ashley went to serve at El Oasis home for girls, while Jasmine & Kelly joined Jessica at Casita Benjamín.

Every year we have a great time with our interns, watching the Lord work in them as they serve others. This year was no exception and I can't say they were the best group we have had, every group has been good, but I can say we haven't had a better group. Emily and Garrett even made us believers in A&M.

WHOOP!

Hanging out at El Oasis

 At the end of their time we got them all back together for a couple of days to "de-brief" as a group and share stories before we all left on July 8th for Denton, Texas and our Next Step program where we gather all of our Camino Global EMERGE interns from four different fields together. This year we had interns serving in Guatemala (YEAH), Honduras, Mexico and Spain.

Next Step has sessions with all of us together, and we also have several smaller breakout groups to go deeper. It is a processing time and a 'where do we go from here?' and 'what can I do with this now?' time.

Plus some time to relax and just have a little fun!

Next Step 2012

Sandi and I were super impressed with all of the interns this year from each field. A group of young people very committed to serving the Lord and we saw many that were hugely impacted by their service.

As always, it was hard to say goodbyes. The interns had bonded and struggled with leaving each other yet at the same time were excited to go home and see family and share their experiences!

Excursión Familiar 2012

On June 17th, Father's Day, we hosted the 2nd annual Excursión Familiar, or Family Excursion, for the families of children at Casita Benjamín. 

These are families from the neighborhood around the big dump in Guatemala City. For most, this is the first time they have been on a family outing to a park like this. (Unless they went last year!)

Last year we went to a park on top of a mountain just west of Guatemala City. It was a little chilly and drizzly. So, this year we went to a different place, called "Aguas Calientes" that is just a little East of the city.

There are pools and natural hot springs there.

Some of our group passing the monkey cages!

 The original idea was to do a follow up event mid year from our big Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) outreach. One huge problem here, especially in these neighborhoods are the lack of male involvement in the lives of the kids. Most come from single parent homes and not many dads are present.

So, the only requirement is that if there is a dad or male in the home, they MUST attend or the family cannot go. This year we doubled the number of men in attendance!

Welcome and announcements

 We rented 2 large buses, arrived at the Casita around 8 AM and loaded up about 150 people!

We arrived at the park around 9:30 AM and lined up to enter. The park was very helpful getting our people and kids in. The only problem was that they informed me as we entered we could not have a guitar or any kind of a 'service'. So, I explained what we do, and received permission for a guitar with the restriction we could not sing 'religious' songs. I also received permission to have 'chats' with the men and women.

Some of the kids playing a game

 So, we got everyone in, had a short welcome and a little time for everyone to find their own little patch of ground! Then we had some organized games led by several of our youth that came with us, and some interactive kids songs of the non-religious type! (We had to alter the words of a few songs, but we adhered to our agreement.)

Singing songs with the kids

 We had a 'chat' for the men, that was planned for 15 minutes, but due to much interest and questions it lasted over 45 minutes!

The men hearing the gospel during a chat

 There was also a 'chat' for the women at the same time.

The women at their chat

 After the 'chats' and the games for the kids it was time for lunch. Several women from the Casita had been cooking away during the chats, and so we gathered everyone up and created a looooooong line to get a delicious lunch of carne asada, pasta salad, guacamole, frijoles, tortillas & juice!

Lining up for lunch!

 The food was fantastic! What a huge amount of work to bring all of that food and prepare it for 150 people!

Serving the lunch

 After lunch we had free time for the families to explore the park. There were pools, playground areas for kids, hot springs, animals etc.

You had to watch where you walked, they were all over!

 Then to round out the day we had three piñatas. One for girls, one for boys and one for the adults!

All who wanted got a turn and it was a lot of fun!

We also had a box of cookies for each father there to celebrate Father's Day!

Piñatas for all ages!

Finally, as the park closed at 3:30 in the afternoon, we loaded everyone up on the buses to go home!

There were lots of kids sleeping on the way back to town, so I think they had fun!

It was a great day for families, most likely the only one they will have this year. 

Many of you were praying for this event and we want to thank you, and ask you to keep praying for these families. Several of the 'dads' that came are in gangs back in the neighborhood. Pray that what they heard may grow within them, that the Lord would continue to draw them.

Pray for the kids and the moms too.

Louisiana style

It has been a crazy month, but now is time to get a couple of updates out!

Starting the end of May our first EMERGE Summer interns arrived for a 5 day orientation, which means we had 9 days between the end of the orientation, and the start of another 5 day orientation for our second group of interns.

What better way to fill those 9 days than with a team!

We had a team of 16 people from Community Bible Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana come for their first trip to Guatemala! And what a blessing it was for us!

This is a trip that was 3 years in the making, starting with contact from the pastor when he was in New Jersey! Then he changed churches, things kept getting pushed back, until finally, this year they made it! As always God's timing is perfect and it was a great team at a great time!

Community Bible Church team over Antigua

With a new team, first time in Guatemala for each one, everything we do is new for them! We try to give a good mixture of service, ministry and fun! 

But...so much to do, see and learn in such a short time....sooooooo

we kept them busy!

Their main project was to paint ceilings in houses at Las Aldeas Children's Home.

They had recently put new roofs on the houses and the ceilings were very stained from years of leaks.

Of course, the best part was not making the houses look so much better (that was great) but was getting to know the Tia's and kids in the homes!

Ken in the playhouse at Casita Benjamín

 We also showed them around Guatemala City, taught them a lot about the city, people, culture and history.

We visited many other ministries we are involved in, to let them see a lot of what life is like for us here.

They saw and learned about La Luz Brilla, Kairos House and Casita Benjamín and more!

Playing games during Vacation Bible School

 Two of the afternoons at Las Aldeas we stopped work early to hold a Vacation Bible School for the kids.

The team was well prepared and had games, music, crafts and a message each day!

The kids loved it all, and Pastor Steve had messages that kept the kids mesmerized! I've never seen them so quiet and pay attention like that!

Playing fútbol after working all day!

After working all day on several of the days, they had some play time with kids at Las Aldeas. It was so much fun to see some relationships started, and to see genuine unconditional love poured out on the kids.

There were some real impacts made there.

Team with Kairos families after day at the ZOO!

 On Saturday, we went to Casa Kairos, the home for kids with cancer and their families, and loaded all the kids there with parents, on our bus and took them all to the ZOO! What a fun day for everyone! We all ate lunch at the zoo together, and it was a time for the kids and families to just relax and enjoy the day.

Leading worship at Iglesia Heme Aquí Señor

 Sunday, the team went with us, and several kids from Las Aldeas, to our church 

"Iglesia Cristiana Heme Aquí Señor"

After worshipping with our worship team, they went up front to share a couple of songs but the church wouldn't let them stop! We continued to worship because the Spirit was leading and we followed!

Then Pastor Steve had a message for our church, and they presented our church with a gift of a new guitar!

We had a dinner at our home to thank the team for their love and encouragement here, and they learned more of the history of Guatemala and the reasons for many of the issues we face here today.

We are looking forward to their returning hopefully in 2013, and Lord willing, maybe becoming an annual fixture here in Guatemala!

THANK YOU Community Bible Church!

Why oh why La Luz Brilla?

I wanted (promised awhile back I would) to share briefly the vision and purpose for La Luz Brilla.

Really the purpose for La Luz Brilla is to help young señoritas make a successful transition from 'institutional' living, to independent living. Through learning to live by faith in God, and with practical help and training in real life situation.

God gave us the vision for La Luz Brilla over two years ago. We received approval from our mission to begin, and we had been waiting on Gods leading to provide the means and proper timing to begin.

God began revealing the need shortly after we came to Guatemala, through the opportunities He led us to working with lots of high risk youth.

We got to know lots of young people and we watched as they grew and were sent out on their own. We watched sadly as many, really most, struggled greatly. These girls all come from backgrounds of rejection, abuse, neglect etc which creates so many obstacles to overcome. Until you take the time to really get to know these kids you can't really understand how great these obstacles can be.

Here in Guatemala there just really isn't a support system for them.

Our goal is to help, one girl at a time, to grow in self-confidence and security, until she can have a legitimate chance for success in life.

First, we want to love these girls like Jesus does. Unconditionally.

We have found that this is the hardest of all concepts for them to understand.

Until they can believe in unconditional love, they can never fully appreciate, or accept God's grace.

They need to know, and believe, that even when they make mistakes, that love remains.

We want them to learn to live by faith. We believe that La Luz Brilla can help them by watching as it is totally operated by faith and they will be able to see how God provides miraculously. 

We want to help with teaching and training them in basic life skills, budgeting their meager funds, how to shop more wisely, how to pay bills, and the daily skills so many of us just take for granted, yet are anything but natural for them.

We want to be there for them when they fall, and not only help them back up, but help them to learn why they fell, and hopefully learn from their mistakes.

Finally, we hope to watch them eventually go out into the world, provide for themselves and be able to have a stable, God honoring home and family, breaking the cycle of abuse and poverty they have come out of.

They deserve nothing less.