We're Here!!!!!

We arrived March 3rd in Guatemala City, myself, my three kids (Dylan, Cassidy, and Austin), and of course our dog, Jackson. The last month leading up to the trip had the devil at his very best trying to persuade us not to go. Money seemed to bleed profusely from every financial pore I possessed, projects that were to be completed before we left would not be finished. Bids that were to materialize before departure and help pay for monthly expenses were postponed by companies for a later undetermined date. Dylan had just broken the growth plate on his wrist in two places just one week before our flight was to leave. It had been set once in North Carolina and had to be reset in Orlando a week later, of course his snowboarding accident was not covered by our health insurance so the money was directly out of my pocket. We could not find anyone to take our two cats. It sure seemed the sensible thing to do would be to blow the whole thing off, but at 5:00 the morning of March 3rd we headed for the airport facing our last obstacle before boarding. We had just pulled up to the cargo department of American Airlines to pick up a pet container. The air carrier had failed to tell me that their cargo department is closed on Saturday mornings. We were advised to go a Super Walmart and buy one there---there just wasn’t enough time. Finally we did find a shipping department on the other side of the terminal with pet containers. We arrived in Guatemala City an hour late and spent the next couple of hours trying to claim our pet.
The following morning was Sunday and we spent it in a very lively and enthusiastic worship service. The question again arose if I had made the correct decision for my family as I carried Cassidy in my arms out of church. She had fainted and was feeling sick. The love and concern of the Guatemalan parishioners helped calm me. I knew we were doing the right thing.

When we arrived, the first line of business, for me, was to take an inventory of the condition of the citrus trees and the worm beds. The trees would require some time to get them healthy and ready for grafting. The worms, needed to make the organic fertilizer, pesticide, and fungicide, were in disarray. We had to find an ample supply of cow manure, garbage, and an illusive rock called azomite. This combination fed to the worms would help produce a grade an organic fertilizer, pesticide, and fungicide. We could use this for not only the citrus trees but also the coffee plants, macadamia trees, banana trees, and all other plants we would be growing.

While the worms were doing there thing, we were freed up to help with the ongoing construction projects around the mission. This phase included a lot of tile and plumbing work with some sporadic electrical, carpentry, and masonry work thrown in. The church, the main house, and the apartment housing for the missionaries all got our attention. This work reminds me of an old baseball movie with Kevin Costner where he and his family build a baseball diamond with bleachers. The movie, “Field of Dreams”, had an underlining message of “build it and they will come”. I feel we are doing the same thing in the mountains among God’s impoverished people. Just as the famous ballplayers from years ago came to Costner’s ball field to play baseball so to be missionaries coming to the mountains of Pinalito and Mantasana to serve. There have been medical teams, teachers, farmers, construction workers, mechanics and many more sharing God’s love with these people by their selfless deeds. Through the stories and experiences of these missionaries coupled with living among the Mayan Indians in a third world country where carrying a machete or having a 9mm pistol and several clips of ammo strapped to your side, my three children and I were about to swept up in a series of life changing events. I’m writing most of this after our return to the states, June 20th, so I’ll try my best to get the events in chronological order. I apologize in advance for my lack of writing skills, I was a math and microbiology major and writing was a despised class

Matt 20:28 “For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”