Baby

I have something that I want to throw out as a matter of prayer. I was approached by a guy at my work the other day, and he asked if we were still wanting to adopt a baby. I told him that we were not actively pursuing it right now, but that if something came our way, we would not turn it down. Well he told me that his younger sister, who is 20, has a friend who is pregnant with her third child. She is young and not married and has decided that she does not want this baby. She has said that if she does not find someone to adopt the baby that she will abort it. My friend's 20 year old sister has said that she would take the baby so that it would not be aborted. Well my friend told his sister about Mike and me and how we wanted to adopt, and she said that she would give her friend our name and number. So, I gave him the information, and am now seeing if I hear from her. I feel that if we are supposed to adopt, that God will make it happen. I have been presented with other situations like this throughout the past few years, and none of them have come to anything. This one might not either, so I am not getting my hopes up, but I thought I would share the information and ask for prayers in the matter.

HEADING SOUTH

Well, it's almost time for me to head south again. I will be leaving for Guatemala in less than two weeks, on September 1st. I will be flying down there and meeting up with Ashley, pictured above. I will be staying with her for the week. I will be taking with me over 200 pounds of clothing, as well as some Bibles and toys. She and I will go to the places where there is great need, and will be helping out the people, and in doing so, sharing the love of Jesus. Jesus has blessed me in so many ways, and I have such a desire to bless others in return.

Please pray for me as I travel down there, spend the week, and then travel back. Guatemala is no longer in civil war, but it can still be a volatile place at times. I also ask that you pray for my family while I am gone. I asked my mom if she is nervous when I go down there and she said yes, that they all are (my family). Please pray for them to have peace in knowing that I am there doing God's Work and He is watching over me.

Enjoy the pictures below from my last trip, and stay tuned for new pictures once I return.

This adorable boy lived in one of the small villages that I visited. We were handing out clothing there to the kids. They were so excited and happy to receive it.

This little one and his mom were very happy for our visit last time. They live in the Guatemalan Ghetto. This little guy was so happy to receive the soccer ball and the little toy he is holding in his hand.

This is a little boy who also lives in the ghetto. If he is not given the right guidance, he could end up getting into a gang as many of the boys and young men do in the ghetto. Hopefully with the help of those involved in the church, boys like this will be guided into God's "gang" before they get old enough to start looking for a place to fit in. Many are looking for a way to make money or just something to fulfill their lives, and end up in a gang, taking drugs and doing other things that give temporary fulfillment, but what they really need is Jesus Christ!

This is the Guatemalan Ghetto, also known as La Limonada. This is where I will be spending a lot of my time. Ashley is part of a church down here that is really growing and reaching out to young men and boys who are in gangs, and helping them to realize that there is a different "gang" they can be a part of that will give them everlasting fulfilment!

I got to meet this little guy last time I was in Guatemala. Isn't he just adorable?! He lives in the city dump with his family, as does the little boy two picures above. I hope to get back to the dump this time and hand out clothes for the families who call this place home. I also want to give these little ones some toys to play with. Many of them have probably never had toys, other than things they found in the dump to play with.

My Heart

For those of you who might wonder why I left a huge part of my heart in Guatemala, please please check out the below video. This is Ashley. She is the one who I will be spending my week doing God's work with when I travel back to Guatemala in September.....the video says it all!

The Newest Little Drummer

Around last November, my niece, who was 3 at the time, decided that she wanted to play the drums. Of course that thriled me, since I am a drummer. I let her play around with my drums when she wanted to, and she started asking for drums for Christmas. Well it was a bit too late for that since it was only a month away from Christmas, but her mommy and daddy did find a toy drumset, and she got that for Christmas. She loved it! She played on it a lot, and had a ton of fun. We, her mommy and daddy, and uncle Mike and I, decided that if she was still intersted in drumming on her 4th birthday, that we would go in together and buy her a real drumset. Well her birthday was in July, and sure enough she was still intersted. My brother and I looked at sets, and decided on a junior, Ludwig drumset for her. We ran into all kinds of trouble getting it, and we missed her birthday, but last Monday, it was there and I finally got to set it up. She loves it!! I gave her a short lesson Monday, and plan to start giving her regular lessons. I think it will be so much fun! I posted the very first video if her playing the drums on Monday right after she got them. Enjoy!