finishes

                For us here in Guatemala October is a month of finishing. The kids finish school and start their two months of vacation. We finish our last month of the feeding center in San Mateo for the year. The six months of rainy season (Hopefully) is finishing this month! With many things coming to an end it brings our prayers to two things; one of thankfulness and the other of hopefulness. First we must look back on all the Lord has done and see how faithful he has been to provide, protect, and love. It is amazing to see the ways he has given to our family as well as to so many families around us. Also, to watch his hand and how he has orchestrated: people to meet, friendships to be made, needs to be met, vision to be given, food to be given.  For all of this that has happened we are thankful to our Lord.  Secondly, we look forward with hopefulness for the year to come. We are hopeful for our feeding center to open back up in January. We look forward to seeing the Lords hand work as always in amazing ways. We hope in Him for support and provision for another year. We are hopeful for health and protection. We hope to see peoples financial needs met by the people of God. We hope more than anything to see people (including ourselves) grow more and closer to our Savior Jesus Christ in genuine relationship. We hope you see God in what we do.

               As the year is coming to an end I thank God because in January it will be two years since we moved here and God has provided all this time and we pray that he keeps doing it. I have to believe in God because without Him all of this would be impossible. We moved to Guatemala with very little support but the hardest thing was not the money it was the lack of moral and spiritual support, but in all our trails God has been faithful and people like you have been faithful. I want to say thank you for those that have been helping us to carry that cross. You are the one that keeps praying for us. You the one who keeps donating. You the one that keeps sending messages of encouragement. You the one that keeps loving us even from afar. I pray to my God for you the faithful one as God has not forsaken us you have not either. In the Word we see how much God and Jesus long for consistent, faithful, and enduring followers; and our family has seen and experienced why. It is the consistent that you can lean on. It is the faithful that you can turn to. It is the enduring that you can run to. Of course the Lord wants these characteristics in His people. We are so blessed to have seen this from you! The body of Christ is about people helping those that go, emotionally, but most importantly spiritually, and loving them. Those are the three pillars that will build up a missionary, that will hold a missionary, and that will help a missionary keep going. So if you are our pillars or want to be our pillars we are asking you to keep going, do not forsake us, for my God will not forsake you.

We want to do more for long term here in Guatemala and that is why we have created our project FAMILY 300 which basically means helping a family in one of three ways: bunks beds, wood burning stove, or fixing a house/building a small house. Each project would cost $300 and these families would be blessed for 10 years or more! Our desire is to be able to have the support to do one of these projects every month!

Secondly, we want to keep feeding the people of San Mateo, we have 50 kids and the place is growing and we really need you. To keep running we have to have a total of $4,000 a year, about $400 a month to feed 50 plus kids this includes gas, food, supplies, and offerings for people that help us.                                                                                             

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One for guate

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RETURN

For six months I  have been waiting for my wife and kids finally two weeks ago they come back to me.  I am super excited and grateful with the Lord for allowing  me to see my family and for keeping them safe in another country.  These six months were slow and my house and my bed felt cold, every night when I went to bed and every morning when I woke up. Now my house is loud and all the food is gone… so I may change my mind hahahaha just kidding I love it!  

            But too much about me let’s talk about God and His love toward us. For the past three months I have been teaching my church the old testament. Yes, sometimes it can be boring and some books are like long books without pictures …yes I know they are something else.  Now we are in 2 Samuel and every time I study a book I see how we humans keep pushing God away while God keeps and wants to get closer to us. Don’t ask me why I don’t have an idea.  What a great God we have, since the beginning the only thing he wants is to love us, and constantly I ask myself WHY?  Look at us sinful creatures we never choose Him first and he always chooses us first.  We never love him first and always loved us first.  This is what I have learned God created the most perfect creature, but not by himself and He said LET’S make men. So who He is talking to???  And then He walks with men.  WHAT!!! Do you understand this; He was walking with them basically hanging out, chilling with these two humans.  This is our God, a powerful God, that wants to hang out with us. 

   Well this didn’t work out so He said so sorry guys but I have to kick you out because I am holy and you are not anymore, but don’t worry I will be with you and we cans still talk.  Then many years went by and God said this is not working for me so He found a guy that He liked and He called him Abraham.  God told him from you and your descendant’s kings will rise and I will make you great and He did and He made the first pact with a human.

    Then God spotted another dude and He called him Noah, well this guy was different, but was an amazing builder and God told him, hey you guess what?  You will build and arc and I will bless you and your descendants because of your obedience. And He did, so God made the second pact with another human.    

    Then He raises up Moses and told him hey you, build an arc so that my presence and my spirit can be closer to you guys. In that way I can hang out with you guys as it was intended, but you guys have to come back to me.  So God made the third pact with humans. 

But the people didn’t want this they were not excited of having a God a King or a Father that loves them they want a ruler.  They want something that they can see and touch, they don’t want God.  By now many years past and one day God heard a crazy woman crying and God thought what’s wrong with her, why she screaming, is she drunk?  God said ohhhh this is Hannah so God remembered her and gave her a baby and she called him Samuel. One day when Samuel was already older the people asked him, hey you guess what??!! And Samuel answer WHAT !!! The people said we want a King.  So Samuel answered… you have a king and the people replied no we want a king made out of flesh, so God said do what they want. God still wanted a relationship with these people so God said ok I will give them what they want and guess what they were wrong again. The people chose a gringo… well wasn’t a gringo but he looked like one (probably not) apparently this guy was a good looking dude and tall …yeah probably that’s it.  Guess what this didn’t work what can I do God ask himself???                  How can I demonstrate my love, I have done everything, I have made pacts with them, I have made signs and miracles, I have saved them so many times, I have made them great among all the nations, I have heard they cry and saved them, I have made them my people, I have given them kings just to get closer to them. Just to be able to hang out with them when are they are going to come back to me, how long I have to wait for them? So God said to himself  I have an idea what about if I give them the best of me what about if I send my kid maybe they will listen to him and finally they can come back to me.  

        My brothers and sisters this is what God wants from you to return to him if you ask yourself what does God want from me the answer is simple FOLLOW ME.  I love my family so much and I was so eager to see them again!  Just imagine how long has God been waiting for you and how long will you keep him waiting.  Two things I will tell you: love God and love his people.

ThankFULL!

ThankFULL!!!!

As time apart closes to an end I am thankful! However, not just thankful to no longer be apart, but so thankful for the ways the Lord takes care of His children. First and foremost I am so thankful because every blessing and gift that we have received in this time has truly been from God, and I really can't express enough how much the Lord longs to care for His children in tangible and intangible ways! I want to thank each of you who have cared, prayed, given, loved, challenged, and surrounded us! Thank you for showing the attributes of Christ to us! Thank you for listening to the Lords guidance! Thank you for taking care of us as your own! 

There are so many ways and people that the Lord has used to take care of us I want you each to know who you are and know that the Lord truly blesses those that bless others in His name and for His glory! So the biggest way I know how to repay all the blessings is to thank Christ for you and pray He gives abundantly more to you than what we have received. 

I am FULL of thanks for the calls, the dinners, the time, the money, the oils, the clothes, the books, the words, the hugs, the laughter, the child care, the food, the conversations, the encouragement, the pool parties, the diapers, the fellowship, the tears, the honesty, and most of all the LOVE!!!!!!  I could really just keep on and on, but I just want you to see that this is only the tip of  the iceberg of the Lord’s goodness and provision to us in this time! I really really want you to know that when we trust that He will care for us better than we can for ourselves he will send His people, He will cover us, He will not let us be alone as the enemy would like us to be. Please see that the Lord still works, still moves, and still loves! I am so full because I am able now to look back and be thankful and see answered prayers all around! 

I want to share one small story of thankfulness in hopes that you might see what tiny details that the Lord cares for.  My husband has never slept very good, but it's almost a thing he is used to at this point, and I as a momma of a baby who hadn't slept through the night for 4 months. We recently met a sweet couple that has their own business of blending oils and happens to have a wonderful thing called sleep salve and gave some to pj to try. Well pj said oh man I would love to have a big one of these. So we let them know we would like a big one to bring back with me to Guatemala… well not only did they provide it to us for free but gave us multiple  small and large sizes! Thank you Jesus for caring about our sleep! Thank you Lord for wanting us to feel cared about by the body of Christ! 

Thank you for sweet Shane and Hellen for caring about us and about our sleep as well! 

Thank you for the diligence of finding products to help others!

Thank you MAUM! www.maumgoods.com

We are FULL because He is a good father and for togetherness once again! 

Staying Still

There is so much to say and not enough words to describe my feelings.  This month has been a month of blessings, worries, and waiting.  However, in every situation God has been really, really good to me.  He has spoken to me through my wife more than once.  As you guys know ONE for Guate has been working with another ministry (Manna word wide) and has been a blessing for my family and Gods ministry I have been able to meet many people and not just gringos ☺ but Guatemalans as well. I have seen the Glory of God in every situation and the kindness of the teams that come and help the people here in Guatemala.  In Guatemala we are in rainy season so the attendance of the church has been declining drastically, so two Sundays ago I was in the church alone and it was raining so my spirit was troubled because I knew few or no one would show up to church.  So I decide to get onto my knees and pray, by the way I do not do this often, so I started to pray (Father please fill this church with people that will please you. Not with those that just will fill a space in the church.  Bring those that want to know more about you and your wonders. Bring those that will make a change in the community Amen.)  And the rain was getting stronger after a few minutes’ people start showing up and my eyes start to fill up with water so I told the congregation what I did. So I told them that I didn't know why they were in the church, but if they persevered God will do wonders and it may be that they never see them, but their kids will.

God promised Abraham that he will be a father of many nations, but He never said when, and Abraham never saw the promise nor his son Isaac, or Jacob.  I may never see my church fill with people and I may get disappointment again, but God is faithful He was faithful then and He is faithful Now.   One thing I know in the mist of every problem, every doubt He always is there, but sometimes we need to wait and we need to stay still. Other times we need to literally go onto our knees and cry out and He will do and He will listen, that has been my experience this month.  It has not been easy, because once the torment passed I forgot God, but God never forget about me because He is amazing. Do you really know God? Do you really understand the power of God? Do you really preach God? Do you really trust God? My friends, my brothers, it is time to walk in faith, it Is time to let God guide you, it is time to live Christ.

We are three month into our 6 months of being away, and I am learning so much.

God is gracious to have given us time together and he is gracious just the same in our time apart! 

To be vulnerable and honest coming to the states I had this fear that I would lose passion or some how get comfortable here because I wasn't hands and feet in the ministry as I had been. I found myself doubting what good can I do here, especially with a toddler and a newborn,  how am I going to be on mission here??? 

I had a kind friend tell me maybe you can just enterceed in prayer for those you would normally be working with. Wow how good to hear this... For me it was almost like oh yeah! Of course I should be doing that! God was so kind to show me that this is ministry, this is a piece of the puzzle, this is needed, and this is important! I knew and have always believed there are different types of ministry, but Satan tried to tell me your not there, you can't be useful. No Satan no you are wrong!

 God has been so incredibly overwhelming to me with answered prayer he has shown me when we dwell in him, when we speak to him, when we abide in Him... He finds it a joy to answer us, to speak to us, and to give good gifts! Just watching God answer prayers has and continues to bring me to tears. HE IS A GOOD FATHER! I wish I could just tell you all the millions of ways he has spoken to my heart through answered prayers but I will share just one. I was in prayer as pj was in the states nearing his time to leave just saying," Lord I don't know how.. I see no way, but I am choosing to hope in you I am choosing to not lose hope and if it is your will I would love pj to be able to come back to spend some time with us again"........literally the next day we were having dinner with a family and pj said come here and the dad of the family said I would really like to fly pj back again to see you all.... Of course I start crying ...come on... Really!!! God really how great, how kind can you be to me ...you would do that just for me...you would answer that quickly...you would love me that much! 

So satan, yes He answers! Yes prayer is powerful! Yes prayer is ministry! 

So many people ask what can they do for us and we always say your prayer is the most important! This is why...it can move mountains and change hearts! Now I am getting to be that prayer warrior and it is good because He is good! 

Another thing I am learning comes from being a mom of two and sometimes feeling tied down(never really understood that phase before kids). I really struggle with the saying your kids are your first ministry sometimes it even makes me cringe. God has given me grace as I come to Him saying forgive me AGAIN...or show me AGAIN...or teach me AGAIN. God has shown me truth that kids can be ministry because he has called us to make disciples. How do we do that? we start with the one in front of us. Well guess what the ones in front of me are my children! I must teach them what the characters of our Lord look like, and how what our flesh wants is not what we are called to. 

My sweet kala she is kind and oh so loving but oh so stubborn as well. I am learning that this little one needs parenting that is so strict its crazy. But when I give an inch she will surely take a mile! I am having to teach her that just because you want it in that moment it does not mean it is best. I have to give her two options: listen or get in trouble and she gets to choose...and as some of you know she sometimes still chooses to get in trouble. I want to teach her and grow her is obedience not because it makes my life easier,(because really it makes my life a lot harder right now) but because I want her to see that the Lord calls us to obedience and when we fail to obey he does punish us, He does teach us because He wants the perfect way for us. Because if this is ministry then I need to follow His outline not my own...I am so lost on my own outline of parenting I would probably never make my child obey and just be a fun mom the easy mom, but that is not the perfect way that is not the way that leads to more of Christ!

Many days I feel like gosh when will this pay off, when will this season end, when will we reap what we sow. Many days I am in tears. Many days I am frustrated beyond belief. Many days I feel alone in the struggle. Many days i am discouraged and disappointed. BUT God said yes see this is ministry... This is what it feels like when we are trying to minister to those in guatemala that are in front of us and this is what is feels like ministering to the little one in front of me now. AND there are moments, there are glimpses, there are days, there are times of enjoying, laughter, and reward because God is good! Sometimes far and few between because the flesh is strong and very stubborn. BUT THIS IS MINISTRY! 

I want to leave you with a couple things God keeps repeating to me and I hope they speak to you as well! 

1.true grace is found when you come to ME with a repenting heart. 

2. Are you talking to ME as much as you are worrying about what's going to happen...have you brought it to me? PRAY!!!

 All I can say is God is GOOD and good alone

deep waters

When you start to do missions you have an idea of how it should be.  However, not that often do you think about the negative side of missions and when I say negative I mean how other missionaries do things, and the way they do things not matching with what God has called us to.  Please don’t get me wrong I fail as well; however, I believe there is a difference between failing purposely, using grace as an excuse, and truly making a mistake.  But that is just one tiny part of doing missions, another is you better trust the Lord because bad things will come and will shake you, but you have to stay strong in the Lord.  Another part is what you give up as a missionary and what you gain as a missionary and if you put it on a balance the weight will lean towards your loses.   No that does not make you a martyr it makes you an obedient child.   As a missionary I HAVE TO depend on God otherwise I will sink. I need to trust in the Lord, but many times I fail.  I constantly have to remember that my God is bigger than the sea and in those times that I going under the waves I know God will pull me back up because my God is a God that doesn’t fail.  The problem has never been God it always has been us. We are the ones that don’t believe, we are the ones that let our hand go, we are the ones that betray, kill, destroy, and corrupt, NOT God. The easy thing is to blame someone that we don’t see because it is easy. It is easy to say, “why, why oh mighty God”.   Missions are always about sacrifice just as Christ has called us to.

 These few weeks people have asked me what you are planning to do now that your wife is not with you.  Are you staying or are you leaving?? I want to take the easier road and be able to answer, “I will leave you guys and return to America because my wife needs me and my baby”.  However, I answer in another way even though my flesh opposes it.  So I tell them a story about a dad and his son for the sake of the story we are going to use gringo names ;).  Steve (father) Jake (son) and Robert (sons friend) are  three characters! So, one day Jake tells his father Steve, "father I want to take Robert on a trip with us and I want to you to invite him to go with us to the sea so that we can have fun and relax and enjoy the sun and water.   The forecast is saying that today is going to be a wonderful day. " Steve said, "Sure why not" and gave Robert a call. Robert said, "sure why not I have nothing better to do today."  Once in the boat Robert said," I will enjoy this trip if you, Jake, stop talking to me about God, not today man I am tired and I want to have fun."  Jake said,"ok I will do as you wish my friend lets have fun." one more thing Robert added," remember I cannot swim."   Steve was on the other side of the boat so he didn’t hear anything that was said, so they sailed off.

 In the middle of the ocean things turned really bad and the waves were so strong, too strong for the little boat and Steve was afraid and shaking, but he knew that he had to take the two kids to the shore and they were his priority not the boat.  Every wave that hit them was like a whiplash while Steve was trying to maneuver the boat he was keeping an eye on his son and he saw confusion, fear, pain and tears running over his pale cheeks.  The next second he saw Robert pale as a ghost with no hope and at that moment he knew that he needed to do something drastic otherwise he may loose them both.  While he was thinking a huge wave took the boat and for a second the two kids, Jake and Robert, disappeared under that monster wave that could swallow even a battle ship.  

Steve saw at his far right was his son trying to swim close to the boat and at his left was Robert drowning.  He knew his son, he was an amazing kid always talking about Christ and he knew that he was saved, at the same moment he did not know Robert so he made a decision and screamed with everything he had.   With tears and a broken heart he said," Jake my son my beautiful son you have made me proud may my God hold you in his glory."  Turning towards Robert and saved him without turning back.  

So, my answer is yes I will come back as God came back for me because this is my call to love and served.  

Please pray for us, my wife and I will be far away from each other for 6 months. 

Pray for strength, pray for hope, pray for mercy, pray for joy!

Pray for our mission to always be for the ONE! 

Pray for each of our hearts to be centered on Him that we may be made ONE through Christ not through proximity.

“You call me out upon the waters the great unknown where my feet may fail and there I find you in the mystery in oceans deep my faith will stand.

And I will call upon your name and keep my eyes above the waves when ocean rise my soul will rest in your embrace for I am yours and you are mine.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters your sovereign hand will be my guide where my feet may fail and fear surround me you’ve never failed and you won’t start now.” Ocean (where feet may fail) Hillsong United.

(this song has always brought us both to tears and it is our prayer now that we rest in his embrace and that our faith will stand)

A thousand to go!

A year has passed and guess what? WE MADE IT! This crossroad was our first hard decision we had because the odds were against us. However, by the grace of God we made it! We have been rejected, we have been made fun of, we’ve been told we wouldn’t make it, that we are just dreamers, but thanks to God and people like you we have finished a year.  Not an easy year, a year with disappointment, a year of wondering, a year with confusion, and a year with doubts, but in every situation that we lacked strength, God strengthened us and sent someone like you to aid us.  The aid came in many different ways and each one was so important and valuable to us.

 If you asked me what I have learned?  This is what I have learned: church, family, and acquaintances will fail you and many times betray you especially in the moments you need them, but when your heart is in the right place God is always going to give you an answer which can be yes, no, and wait. The other thing that I have learned is that I do not have to depend on man but depend on God because He is the one that gives and the one that takes and His love towards us has no limits. A major thing that I have been learning is humility so that God can use me . Also, I learned that to do ministry especially overseas you need people with the same heart as you, but not that they just believe in you and in your ideas, but believe on the same God that you worship. So to those who have believed in us I want to say thank you!

Now what I still need to learn is to understand people better, their ways, their thoughts, their way of living, so I may do a better job. To learn to be quite and be still while God is talking. In knowing that his will is the right move always and being content in that. I still need to learn to put down my pride everyday so that the Lord may use me as He used Moses because of His humility. To be a better steward of the time that He has given me on this earth and the gifts I have acquired by His mercy for His glory.

As I struggle and I as I sin I still want to serve the Lord, and I desire so much to see others come with their weaknesses and difficulties to join the body, not a body that is perfect, not a body without blemishes, but come to love our God and love our neighbors!

We cannot emphasize enough what importance the true body of Christ has been to us this year and we so want other to see the blessings, love, encouragement of being and taking part in this body! We are so expectant and hopeful to have the body grow and strengthen and together to seek the face of our Savior, to fall more in love with Him, to be more in awe of Him, and to embody Him more every day! That together we may bring Him more glory.

In life as ministry one is always going to have loses and the road may be painful not just spiritually but physically as well, so I encourage you to keep fighting the good fight and seek God first and then seek others so that you may grow up in spiritual strength and when the devil comes you will resist him.

Blessings brothers and sisters may my God guide you in your difficulties and trails and always remember that you are not a number you are family!

Thank you again to the body of Christ we are so blessed by you!

Email us at oneforguate@gmail.com 

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