Guatemala, my second home.

Matthew 25:34-40


34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

These are the verses that encouraged me to make this trip that I just got home from. Last January, I had the opportunity to go to Guatemala where I met up with a group of people from Michigan. We went to several places in Guatemala, helping with orphans, giving to those who were in need, etc. I saw some places and people who I was really drawn to. From the time I left, I knew that I wanted to go back as soon as God made a way for me to get there. Well, He made a way sooner than I expected, and I went. I took 5 bags, each weighing 50 pounds, mostly of things to give away. I had mostly clothing, but I also had some toys, cross necklaces, and a few Bibles. I really had no idea what all I would do down there, but I knew one thing, I wanted to show the love of God to these people. The area that I went to for most of the time was the ghetto...La Limonada. This where my friend Ashley lives, and I stayed with her for the week. We went to the market as soon as I got there and bought up a bunch of groceries. That first night I was there, we had two families come in to her house at different times, and we fed them dinner. The first dinner we had to do something fast so we did hotdogs and chips and the second dinner we did baked chicken, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes. This set the stage for the week. Each day, we had one or more families in, fed them a complete dinner, and then gave them clothing, toys, etc. These people are very poor and when they do get meals they typically only have one or two things on their place, and rarely do they have meat. We made sure to give them meat as part of each meal. Most importantly, we showed them that we cared like Jesus cares for us! This week was such a huge blessing for me! I wanted to actually go in there, live with these people for the week, and show them the love of God, and that is exactly what I got to do! They could not believe that I would come there and spend the week, and actually sleep there in the ghetto with them! They see Americans come in there with different mision groups, but no one ever spends an extended time there, and especially not spending the night, actually living down there with them. Now, Ashley is an American, and she does live down there, and she has developed a ton of respect from them for all of the great things she does there. She has lived in Guatemala for over two years, and just recently moved into the ghetto...but for an American to come down there for the week, and stay there instead of in a nice hotel somewhere.............that was amazing to them. I know that meant a lot to them, and that was a blessing for me to hear the great things they were saying about me. Of course I did not go there to impress them in any way.......I went to serve them, but it was a blessing to me to hear how much they loved me being there and staying in their neighborhood in the ghetto. I love to help people, I love to give to others, I love to show love.............and I got to do that, all week.

I know I am kind of rambling, but this is the best way for me to talk about what all I did this past week. I love the people of Guatemala........specifically in La Limonada! They are so happy. Some have more than others there, but none of them have much. Ashley and I were inviting the families into her home and feeding them and clothing them, but we were also invited into their homes! We were invited for breakfast in one ladies's home, and then for lunch two different days in other people's homes. So.......here I am, down there to give to them and bless them, and they are blessing me by inviting me to come to their homes and eating their food. How cool is that. They are so loving. Also, this gave me more insight to these familes and their homes. I was in several homes. None of them are big, and some are only one room, maybe around 10 feet by 10 feet. Some have no beds, and sleep on the ground, which may be concrete, may be dirt, or when it rains, may be mud. Some have a bed or two, and the whole family sleep in one bed or two beds. I have a picture below of 4 in a bed at one home. Some homes are concrete block, but many are just sheet metal, and are very dangerous to be in when the bullets fly..........which they do regularly. I heard them...day and night. The home that I was in is all concrete on the walls and floors and sheet metal on the roof.

I spent a lot of time with the teenagers....mostly teenage guys....hmm, not much different than my life at home, huh? The teens liked to hang out with us at Ashley's house, and whenever Ashley and I went into the market, different ones of them went with us. I got to take many of them out to McDonalds, which was a huge treat for them. It was fun. On Saturday, there was a Guatemala futball game, (soccer), so we made pizza, and had chips and soda, and several of the teenagers came over and watched the game.

On Friday, we took three huge baskets of bread to the city dump, where many live. It was fun going there and blessing them by taking care of one of the most basic needs. Again, they were very happy and very thankful. It was a huge blessing to me to see them happy and to know that I was able to help them out.

I have so much more that I can tell but I prefer to talk about it than to write, but I wanted to share some of my experiences on here and share some pictures. If anyone wants to hear more and see the rest of the pictures and see the video, just let me know. I'd love to have you over to my house and share with you.

Thanks so much to all of you who donated clothing and other things, as well as those who donated cash. La Limonada was greatly blessed this past week.........oh and since I was able to live there among them for the week, I really got the opportunity to build relationships, and know the people and as the week went by, as I was walking around, I would see adults and kids and they were wearing the clothing that I gave them! It was so neat..............I loved seeing them using what I brought them...........what you all donated.

Enjoy the pictures below, and please, if you want to see more and hear more, email or call me and we will set up a time to get together in my home and I will share. I would love to share............

Ashley in her home.

Me in Ashley's home, getting ready for the futbol game with the teenagers.


We always went out into the streets to give away the extra food from when we had people in to eat. Here the young boys enjoyed the pizza.
Douglas and Oscar.....to wonderful, sweet teenagers I spent a lot of time with .
My new young friend, Jasmine.
Jasmine's home. She lives here with her mom, dad, brother and sister.
This is spike. He is the pet of one of the teenagers, Winston. He brought him over for me to see him. I love reptiles, so that was cool.
Some of the guys....Carlos, Winston, not sure of his name, and Hector (from left to right) La Limonada

The steps to get up out of La Limonada into Zone 1 of the city. Lots of steps!!
This was late at night, in the street. Kids were just running around playing all over the place. They were having fun......and loved getting their pictures taken.
This is the grandma of some of the new friends I made. And yes, she is standing up. Mike asked me that question. Many of the people who live in Guatemala are little, especially the older generations.
The babies are so adorable with their big brown eyes!!


Anderson and Raual...i am not sure how to spell his name........and Ashley, if I get any names wrong, feel free to email me and let me know!

Wilson.........the older lady above is his grandma.
Three gangsters and a baby.........this home has two ladies, who have 10 kids between them, and since one of them is the girlfriend of one of the gangsters, this is where most of the gangsters hang out.
A family that we hosted.

Joshua...I wanted to put him in my suitcase and bring him home with me!! He is so adorable. If something does not change, he will become a gangster because he already runs the streets day and night.
Claver looking out his door at us.........he is a special needs boy. He cannot say more than two words, he also runs the streets, but is such a happy boy.
I think this is Manchas. He is 14, already associated with the gang of the neighborhood. Here he is showing the gun that they pass around among them. The first day I was there they were shooting a lot. They just shoot into the air...just goofing around...but not being very smart. They just dont see the wrong in it. However, they did lay off the shooting for the rest of the week. I really think that they were being respectful of me being there...because usually they shoot a lot. You hear gun shots in La Limonada a lot, day and night. Most of the time it is just shooting into the air, but sometimes it is a shoot out between gangs.
Look at those beautiful brown eyes. She is eating a candy apple.

I did not catch their names, but this is two ladies standing in the door of their home.
Elmer, Dervin, and me at the city dump with the bread. Both of these guys are gangsters. Hopefully seeing the examples of Ashley, myself and others who come down there who are Christians, hopefully they will change their ways. Elmer did clean up and get off the streets and come to God a while back. but some things drove him away from the church. I asked him when he would come back to church, and he said that he does miss it, and wants to come back. I have been praying for him ever since Ashley told me a few months back that he had left the church. Elmer is one of the guys who I got to meet last January when I was in Guatemala.
Joshua again..........
A man getting bread in the dump.
I don't know his name but his dad is Pewee, who has become a Christian.

I realize that I have this picture in here twice but I can't figure out how to delete it and dont want to risk deleting the wrong pictures................so enjoy it again.

Check out the shoes!
This is one of the pastors in Ashley's church and his wife. They were such wonderful, sweet, and sincere folks. Guillermo and Chepa. We had them and their family, three daughters, in for dinner and they had us in for lunch my first full day there.

This is the home where there are many gangsters living, with the two ladies and their 10 kids. We knocked on the door and this little guy answered. It was so funny. Check out his shoes.
One day we went to the central market for me to buy some typical Guatamala stuff to bring home. It is not safe for Ashley and me to go there alone. These guys went with us one of the days. I said they were all my bodyguards! I took them to McDonalds, which is a treat for them because they don't get to do stuff like that hardly at all. I spent a lot of time with these guys. They were great! I loved them and miss them.
Another family that we had in for dinner and clothing.
Kids on the street, wearing clothing that I gave them.
More pics of the guys...Douglas, and Oscar. I don't know the younger guy in the back.

Douglas and Carlos being goofy.
Claver again. He likes to hang outside Ashley's house all the time.

this and the pictures above are all from the house where the gangsters hang out. At least three in the picture are gangsters. We had all of these two familes in for dinner and clothing.
one day we made pies....Douglas helped.

More views of La Limonada.

Another family in Ashley's house.

This is Black. He is one of the gangsers who hangs outside of Ashley's house. He is such a nice kid, and it is so sad that he is messed up and a gangster. I can only hope for him and the other guys that maybe I had a bit of an influence on them to help them realize there is more to life than being in a gang, doing drugs, and comitting crimes. I loved on, gave to, and developed relationships with these guys as much as the others, because it is them even more who need the good influences, hoping that one day they will realize the love of God and turn to him.

One of Guillermo and Chepa's daughters. Isn't she just adorable!


Elmer and Coche...again, gangsters.

I think this is another of the preacher's daughters............
Ashley and ....I cannot remember her name............oops.
Wilson, his sister Yajaira, and Ashley.
Another family we fed and clothed.
Ashley's home, ready to invite in a family for dinner.

Ashley's home....the kitchen.
This was the first family we had in for dinner and clothing. This is a young, Christian family. They are very very poor. They live in a small one room home, and have no bed. Their home is made of sheet metal pieces, and they have a dirt floor. They sleep on the floor and when it rains the water comes in under the sheet metal and they are sleeping in the mud. One of my new missions is to send money to Ashley, hopefully soon, to buy this family a bed or two. Unfortunately, there are many families like this in La Limonada. If anyone in interested in giving to buy beds for families like this, let me know. It is just under a hundred dollars to buy a bed. Ashley has a mission fund in the States and my plan will be to send money to her mom to put into that fun and have her use it for buying a bed or two for this family and if I get enough money for other familes like this one. She will also send pictures of them and the bed or beds once she gets them so you can see exactly where your money went to.............so if you are interested, please please let me know.
A mom and daughter who came for dinner and Black who also came in to eat with us that evening.
Manchas...a young gangster. He is 14, sniffs glue and hangs in the streets. Hopefully someday he can realzie the love of God and realize that the things he is trying to fill his life with are not what is going to fulfill him. I have been and will continue to pray for him and the other gangsters that they will realize the holes in their lives that they try to fill with violence, guns, drugs, etc, can only be filled by God!!




This is the end of the pictures that I have posted, but again if you want to hear and see more, just let me know.............

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!

Happenings

Wow, how time goes by so fast. It is just over a month now that I will be heading back out to Guatemala. I am very excited about this trip. I am looking forward to spending time with Ashley. She is the young lady who I met when I went down there the first time. She is an American, who just turned 21 last week, and she has lived down there for 2 years now, and she is so on fire for God. Her passion is to spread the Word to all of the people down there who don't know about the love of Jesus yet. She is doing a wonderful job, and she is also very fun to be around. I plan to take as much clothing down there with me that I can, and she and I will go around to the places that have the most need, and give it out. I am also taking some Spanish Bibles with me to give out to those who need/want them. The last time I was there, we had a whole bunch of Bibles and they went so fast. Everyone wanted them. I wish I could take a whole bunch with me this time, but space is limited, and since I am going alone, there is only so much stuff one person is allowed to take, even when you are paying for the extra bags, they will only allow me to take 3 extras.

If anyone wants to help out, I am still in need of used clothing, that is still in good shape. I really need kids and teens sized clothing, boy and girls. I have adult male and female clothing and I have baby boy clothing but am lacking the inbetween sizes. If you have any that you want to donate, please let me know asap. I need to start packing the bags to see how much I will be able to take with me.

ALSO....some of you know about the REC that I worked back a few months ago. I was playing drums for the music team. Well, I just got a call today asking if I want to play drums for the next women's Emmaus Walk, which is in September. I said yes, and am very excited about playing drums for that. So, I will have a very busy next few months between getting ready and going to Guatemala, and practicing for and going to meetings for the Emmaus Walk, and then the weekend of the walk. But, it will all be exciting and I will enjoy spreading the joy of God!

By the way, if you want to see what kinds of stuff Ashley is doing in Guatemala, I have a link to her blog on mine. Just click on her name.

Coincidence? I don't think so....

For the past few days, Mike and I have had something weight on our hearts, and we needed to discuss an issue with someone. We had a couple of different ways we could go about this, but we were just not sure which way to go about it. I prayed about it over and over, and just really wanted to do the right thing. Mike and I were trying to think of someone who we trusted who we could talk to about it, without that person being really around here, and therefore potentially close to the situation, because it involved other people and we did not want to give any private information away. Mike mentioned that he thought we should call Pastor Steve, which was a good idea. Well, Monday afternoon, Mike and I were at Taco Bell in New Albany, and who did we run into? Pastor Steve and Mariana! They were just passing through the area on their way north to see their family, and they decided to stop at Taco Bell for a bite to eat. We were able to talk with them and they prayed with us regarding the situation, and we were all ready to do what we needed to do. We felt confident that we were going to handle it well, and we did. Coincedence? I don't think so..............answered prayer? Definately!

I have struggled with prayer somewhat in the last several months, so it was refreshing to see a prayer answered so blatantly and obviously.