R.E.C.

Just after I got home from Guatemala at the end of January, I got a call from a dear friend, the one who taught me how to play drums many years ago. He said that his wife was in charge of the music team for the upcoming R.E.C. and wanted to know if I wanted to play drums on the team. I immediately answered yes, because it was something that I had hoped to get to do one day.

The R.E.C. stands for Residents Encounter Christ (as you might have figured out based on the picture at the top of the page.) It is a 4 day weekend of a group of people going into a prision or jail, and teaching them about who Christ is, what He has done for them, and how they can have a relationship with Him. Or, for those residents who are already Christians, it is a chance to further their relationship with Him. It includes a large team of people. Some will give talks, some will be leaders of small groups of residents to guide discussion, some will be there just to care for any needs during the weekend, and some (us) will be there to lead them in times of praise and worship, and just plain fun with music! For those readers who might not know, I am a drummer, so I am the one on the team who gets to make all the noise!

The whole team has been working hard for this upcoming REC weekend, but things have not gone most smoothly. We were supposed to have one of our all day team meetings on the weekend of the big snow, so we had to reschedule that for last weekend. Being that it was Easter weekend, not everyone was able to attend. However, that was only a small thing.

The REC weekend was supposed to be on April 10-13th but since that is Thunder weekend, the captain at the jail postponed our visit because he said it will be too busy of a weekend, and they will have all of the officers out, and will be making a bunch of arrests probably and just don't have time to allow us in there. So, they rescheduled it...............for Derby Weekend!! We now have some of our workers that cannot make it because they cannot get off of work that weekend. We do have one woman who has Derby Tickets, and is going to give them up so she can work the REC! Now that is dedication! How awesome!

Anyway, I just hope and pray that our new scheduled date does not get cancelled once again, and that we are able to get into the jail. Not only because everyone has worked hard and prepared for this but because it is so important for the RESIDENTS TO ENCOUNTER CHRIST!!

March Snow!

I just wanted to post some pictures of the snow at our place. It was beautiful. This was the first big snow since we have been in our new home, and we really enjoyed it. It happened to be on one of my four day weekends, so I was able to enjoy the snow instead of having to get out in it to go to work.

Godly Desires?

Have you ever really wanted something, and you pray and pray about it, but it never happens, and you just have to wonder why? Well, I am sure that happens a lot, but a lot of times if you step back and really look at what you are asking God for, maybe it is not so much in His plan, and there is your reason for not getting it. Maybe you are wanting "things", or to look good or something that is not Godly. But, what about those things that seem like they have to be part of his plan, but yet He seems to be saying no to them? Why would the desire continue to be so strong in your heart and mind, if it is not what He is planning for you? I have...since I was a teenager...had a desire to adopt a kid, or kids. Here I am...in my thirtys and it has not happened. And now, in addition to that, I have developed a desire to be a foster parent, yet I don't feel that I can do that unless I can be a stay at home mom, in order to be really fair to the kids. And to top it off, now that I have been to Guatemala, I have a huge burden on my heart for the people of that country, and I want to do more for them. However,it seems that a person has to have money to really be able to do things like that. So.......why are these things, adoption, fostering, and the people of Guatemala, on my heart so heavy, but I am not in a position to do anything about them? It is really hard..........some days harder than others. I mean, it gets me so upset some days, that it gets almost to the point of depression. I feel that I have an empty part of my heart. I feel that my desires are Godly desires, so I cannot understand why God does not seem to make a way for them, or at least one of them, to happen. I have even stepped back and examined my motives for my desires, and I cannot find anything wrong them them. I just have such a desire to help, to love, and to provide for these particular groups of people. Because of these desires, I often feel "incomplete" in my heart. So....I just wanted to share. It really does get me down sometimes, and sometimes sharing things like this can help a person deal with them better. My prayer is that God will either put us in a position to do some of the things that my heart desires, that like I said, I feel are very Godly desires, or that He will ease those desires of my heart so that I don't feel so empty not being able to fulfill them.

Guatemala Presentation

Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you so much for your support of my mission trip to Guatemala, whether it was financial, prayer, encouragement, or other means. I feel that the trip was a huge success as well as a huge blessing. I want to share my experience with you all, so you are invited to a presentation that I will give on Saturday evening, March 15, 2008. I will have pizza for anyone who wants to join me for dinner at 6pm, and then the presentation will start at around 6:30-6:45. I will plan for the evening to end by 8pm. It will be at my church, Greenville Christian Church. I ask that you please let me know if you are going to be there for the pizza dinner. I want to be sure to have enough food to go around. Also, I do not have child care planned, but if that is your reason for not being able to attend, please let me know and I will arrange child care. Please send me an email at amym1130@aol.com and let me know if you will be there, and if you need directions I can give them to you at that time. I do hope to see you all there, and look forward to being able to personally thank you for your support as well as share my amazing experience with you.
Thanks again and I hope to see you there!!
Amy

Yes, I did actually come home....

I am home....but part of my heart was left in Guatemala. I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted a message. It is so hard........almost exhausting...to talk about my experience.....not because it was a bad thing, but becasue it was a wonderful thing. When I start to talk about it, I just get so wound up and it wears me out! ha!

The pictures above are but a very few of what I have. I cannot post them all on here, but hopefully, at least those of you who live near me, will get the opportunity to see as many of them as you want to see.



The pictures are in no particular order, but as you can see, I did and experienced a wide range of things. We spent time in a very nice orphanage, where the kids are well cared for, yet they have no family, and hope to be adopted. We also spent time in the Guatemalan ghetto, the Limonada, where there are familes, but they don't have much of anything, as well as the dump, where people live, and many do not know where their next meal will come from. We also went to a boys home, where they boys seem to be well cared for, yet they dont have the love of a family that we all cherish, and there are so many of them, with so few caregivers, and we also went way out into the country side where there was a mudslide a few years back, where they live in extreme poverty, yet the families are together. So, there are so many extremes here, and it all really shows us here in the States how very rich and blessed we are..........and extra blessed are those of us who do have loving familes and/or church familes and friends to love us.



Anyone who wants to see more pictures or see videos, I am more than happy to share them. I do plan to have an evening, probably at church, where I will give a presentation, but I am also happy to get with anyone in an individual basis as well.

last day, so sad

well i have just said goodbye to the kiddos and the ladies at hannahs hope and it was so sad. i really bonded with several of the kiddos, especially the 5 and 6 year old boys. i have some really cute photos of them, and me with them. i can´t wait to share my photos with everyone!!

we are getting ready to gather and hear marvins testimony, so i will try to film as much of it as i can before my battery runs out...or i run out of tape. i hear he tends to go on and on and on....but it is all great from what i understand. he used to be a gangster, and now he is on fire for our God. he is really helping tons of people who live down in the limonada (the ghetto) to learn who God is, and to come to a relationship with him. i got the chance to talk one on one with ashley today and told her that i´d like to help someday down there.....she teaches english down there, and they want to put in a compter lab and try to teach them out to use the internet and computers so that they might get some skills and maybe be able to find jobs. it is so sad though...most people down there can not find jobs simply because they live in the limonada......which is so sad. they cannot get a job, so they canot make any money, so they cannot get out of the limonada, and cannot better themselves. also, practically no one can get a job anywhere in guatemala if they have a tatoo, and it is especially hard for the gangsters...since they are covered with them. hannahs hope does not use that practice and they did hire a girl with a tatoo, but it was a gangster tatoo and the other ladies who worked there were intimidated by the tatoo so they had to fire her. it is really sad....

also, marvin said that they really need clothes down there. i am going to find out how much it would be for me to ship clothes to ashlee at hannahs hope and have her take them down to marvin. so, that is a mission that anyone who feels led to can donate towards. i want to send stuff, but it might be a bit pricy by the time i fill a box with clothes, so once i estimate the price, i will let everyone know and if anyone wants to donate anything, a dollar, 5 dollars, whatever, i will try to get some clothes down there for them in the limonada...

i guess i should go for now.

more from Guatemala

hello everyone...mike said you are wondering if i am going to blog again, so here i am . sorry that i have not been on here much, but i have had such long days, and have been so exhausted by the time i have gotten back to the hotel.


the other day we took our bus, then a boat, then rode in the back of a small truck, standing up, crammed in there.....and finally ended up where the mudslide victims live. it was so sad to see all of the damage. i met one kiddo, probably around 10, whos mom and dad were both killed in the mudslide and he has really bad scars on his back and legs where he was injured. it was so sad....

we gave them toys and candy and supplies...soap, toothpaste and brushes etc. they were so greatful for them. the kiddos are so sweet also. i had some just walk up to me, smile at me, and wrap their arms around me. it cant get much better than that!! these kids are dirty, and have who knows what on their skin and hair,but i cannot help but to just hug them and love on them.

we drove to several different locations throughout the mudslide area, and it was so cool....as we were riding in the truck, anytime we saw kids we would throw candy out, and they would just laugh and run to the candy. sometimes they would chase us..it was just too cute. i got some of that on film......they were all so happy. that is what is just so amazing. they dont have hardly anything, they don´t even know when they will have the next meal, or what it might consist of, yet they are so content and full of life! they are hungery and thirsty for Christ though, and fortunately, Ashlee, our guide for the week, is really working with them a lot to teach them, and help them to know Jesus. i will tal more about her and the other people i have met later on.

we did have a bad thing happen yesterday, but God is great and things worked out fine, where it could have been anything from great frustrations to even a tragedy. let me try to explain quickly, because my time is almost up.

first, ashlee is an american, she is 20 and has been working down here with the hannahs hope orphange for 2 years now....more on her later, but she is awesome. i have thought several times this week that i wish i could do what she does. so her mom is here this week also, and will be taking home a 12 year old girl from the orphanage next week that they have adopted, and soon will also take home a 5 year old little boy. anyway we went on this trip to the mudslide victims and to another orphange that i will talk about later...but on our trip back to the city yesterday we were over 2 hours into the trip and ashlee´s mom realized that she left her wallet, with money, credit cards and passport at one of our stops to photo scenery! she was devastated...ashlee and two of the guys who have been hanging with us gathered over 100 bucks (to buy back the stuff from whoever found it) and took busses and hitched back to find it. everything here is worth money...so they figured they would need a bribe to get the stuff back....well long story short, the locals who found it were very honest, but thier mistake was that they turned it into some police to came buy, and the police are very corrupt here....ashlee and the guys found the police and they at first said they did not have it, and then that they did, but took them about 30 mins out into the country before they woudl give it to them. they could have killed all three of them and kept the stuff....but, the two guys, elmer and marvin are ex gangsters...they were able to intimidate the police and they finally gave the stuff back. money was missing....but all else was there...praise God for her getting her passport and praise God for them getting back safely....i can give more details in person but i am out of time

thanks for all of your alls nice words to me about what i am doing...but give that praise to God...ok? i am doing it for Him....and His glory!!!

praise be to God!

love to you all!!! i miss home and my Mike and babies....and all else too!!!!