The Team Has Arrived

Don, Caleb and the Arkansas team arrived safely last night at about 10:30 pm.  They were very tired and dusty from the road but in great spirits! 

A couple of them will help in clinic this morning while the rest of us get their supplies sorted and organized.  We will do some orientation and introduce them to this ministry.  We will all take a trip to market tonight as well.  The time here will go fast. Thank you for your prayers over their travel day yesterday.  

Knutsons will arrive tomorrow and then we will all head to the children's home.   More details to come!   

A Gift

We found out late last night that the Arkansas team's flight was cancelled because of an ice storm.  It kind of threw us all into a little bit of a tizzy.  Many of the widows that will be coming tomorrow walk a great distance so it is really hard to re-schedule.  We are bummed that they will miss the opportunity to meet, pray and serve them.  However we are all trusting that the Lord was not surprised by this change and has it all under control!

The positive side of the cancellation was an unexpected day off for us.  We were thinking that we would not get much of a Sabbath for this entire trip.  Today was such a gift for our family.  We had a lazy morning and a trip for ice cream in the afternoon. After a quick snack supper, we decided to play a game of cards.  I think we laughed more than we actually played! It has been such a good day.  We feel very thankful and blessed.

Don and Caleb will leave at 5 am to get to Guatemala City in time to run a couple errands and pick the team up at the airport.  Once they pick the team up they will head out of the City to a popular chicken place called Pollo Campero for some food.  The last couple hours will be on dirt mountain roads in the dark.  I do not expect them to be back until close to 11 pm.  Please pray for them as they travel to the City, in the City and back home from the City! 

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God"  Hebrews 4:9

We are Here!!

After a late night email telling us that our flight was cancelled, a very long phone call (mostly on hold) with Orbitz and an extremely early departure time, we arrived safely in Guatemala City last Friday.  We loaded most of our luggage (7 out of 9 bags) on the ministry's small plane and took one more 30 minute flight to the rural highlands of Guatemala.  It was so great to see our friends and settle into life here.  The other 2 bags will make the trip up in the next day or soon. 

Our challenge the last few days has been connecting via phone or internet.  We are finally getting things figured out.  Don jumped into clinics on both Saturday and Sunday mornings while the kids and I unpacked and organized our living space.  Caleb has been helping with the trim work on the new housing structure. There is a baby kitty here that Bethany has been 'mothering'.  Hannah and Samuel have been spending most of their time playing with their friends.  And my head has been buried in receipts and excel.   

We are also getting ready to receive the Arkansas team on Wednesday.  Don and Caleb will head to the City early to get groceries and then meet the team at the airport.  We are excited to see them and get them settled in here for a few days.

We don't think our internet will handle pictures at this point but hopefully we can post some soon!  Thank you so much for praying and supporting us while we are here!

Less than a week to go!

Packages are arriving, the suitcases are being brought up from the basement, and menus are being planned.  It is getting closer and closer.  We leave early this next Friday morning.  With a shipment of medications to take down for the medical clinics and a last minute blessing of vitamins, our bags will fill quickly!  We are getting excited but a bit overwhelmed.

In all the preparations and business that we are in the midst of now, we always need to remember the reason that we go and the one it is who leads us.  There is a lot to do for this trip, but once again there is such a sense of peace over knowing we are where we need to be.  Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us and supported us through so many ways! - Don

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  Phil 4:6, 7