6 May- 10 May

This last week we went back to Seeds of Love, the orphanage we visited last week.  We got to spend some more time loving and caring for the children there.  I got to give a 6 month year old boy named Edison a bath and feed him, and I felt blessed to help.  We also went back to Hermano Pedro one last time. Many of the children remembered members of our team, and we continued to play with them and pray for them.  It has been good and rewarding to build relationships.  Our last ministry was at an orphanage and food distribution center called God’s Child.  Half of us got to hand out fresh fruits and vegetables to needy moms, and the other half got to prepare food and wash dishes for the residents.  It was good to see that this place was handing out nutritious food.  The management there was also very upbeat, and it made it a lot of fun to work with them.  Afterwards, we all got to play with the children.    I was particularly excited about the ministry this day because the night before I had a fever and I wasn’t feeling the greatest.  People prayed for me and asked God to heal me, and I was 100 percent better in the morning.    Here are some personal stories:

Rebecca Royce- I really enjoyed this last week of ministry. I enjoyed returning to the places we have been, like Hermano Pedro, and also going to new places. I think my favorite ministry, though was our last one, going to God’s Child. I really enjoyed passing out the frozen Melon with Janelle. It was really messy and sticky, but it was fun and it felt good to help the people and be useful. I also enjoyed how the kids there would just come and grab your hand and lead you around. I think it was a really powerful last ministry time.

Santhia----Well, I was an orphan for 11 years of my lifetime. We visited the Seeds Of Love Orphanage two times this last two weeks, here in Antigua. I gave the children as much love as I could. God taught me how to love them. When I was an orphan, I did not receive enough love from others. On Sunday May 4th, I met a guy name Charlie, while my team and I were given out free hugs to different people. We had signs with Free Hugs on us. Charlie stunk like alcohol, he was also very dirty.  He had blood on his clothing. I hugged him. He said it was the best real hug, he ever received. He asked, for a drink from my water bottle, I was so shocked. I stepped out, to show him how important he was. My team and I had a long talk with him, it was great!! On May 9th, I helped out in a kitchen, in a different orphanage. I had a blast, I swept, mopped and I also cut up pineapples while listening to music. Music and dancing are my passion. I also played with the children in the playground. I wasn’t scared that I was 19 years old, I was just having fun. I played how they played, I had so much energy, I also danced. The love of God was flowing through my energetic attitude. I enjoyed it so much. It has being one of the best weeks of my lifetime. God had taught me so much, He is so great!!!!! 

Brad—This last week I was reminded how much of a work out children’s ministry can be.  From babies to less-privileged and active children (I guess you could call them), they all demanded attention.  One good sign that you’re doing well in children’s ministry is when they are laughing or when they say “Mas” or “Otra vez,” which means “more” and “one more time.”  Another good but bad sign is when you just need to sit and take a break.  I had to be careful to not overdue it once so I wouldn’t have to see my breakfast a second time.  I tell you what, a person can only go on a merry-go-round so many times and can only spin around a certain number of kids.  All in all it was great to feel God’s love running through me and feeling that rewarding soreness the next day. 

Shea- This last week I had a blast doing children’s ministries.  Starting out with the babies at Seeds of Love, then going to play with Elmer at Hermano Pedro, and lastly, handing out food and playing with all of the kids at God’s Child.  My favorite day was when we went to God’s Child.  There was a little nine year old girl that I really connected with. I had so much fun with her that day.

Sarah- Sunday night we had a love feast for the students and it was a blast putting it together. We even had a night of Bingo where each square had an anonymous fact from a team members’ life that no one else on the team knew about. If your number in the square was called, you had to privately guess who the fact belonged to in order to claim that square. When you got bingo you got to choose a prize. What also made it so much fun was that the prizes were cool souvenirs from town, not just your average edible munchie! At the seeds of love orphanage I really connected with a little boy. He was about two years old and all he wanted to do was snuggle and sleep in my arms. If I sat him upright in my lap, he would instantly fall backwards again to snuggle against me. The time I spent with him was incredibly precious and I am still praying for his life and the family he will be someday placed with. This time as well at the hospital, I found myself connecting with the kids at a much deeper level. I discovered news ways to make them laugh and bring them joy, such as by fanning them and throwing foam squares and tickling wars. It has been incredibly impacting to enter their world even at a very small level and just love them and be with them.  

Jen- The highlight of this past week was doing children’s ministry. Once again, I really enjoyed going to Seeds of Love. I got the chance again to hold the babies and take them outside. I got to play with them and rock them to sleep. It was really awesome to be there again. Another part was serving and cleaning up breakfast, preparing lunch, and playing with the children at God’s Child. I really enjoyed this week and sharing God’s love with these children.

Sofia- This last week surprised me a lot, I was not expecting it to be as good as it was because it was the last week and we only had one ministry a day. On Sunday Andrew, Santhia, and I had signs saying “free hugs”.  I was really excited to see people’s reaction when they saw us, some people were scared, some were really happy and even took pictures of us, but the highlight was a guy named Charlie, he was an alcoholic and he got really happy when we hugged him, he said those three hugs were the only real hugs he had gotten in a while, he said he could see in our eyes how different and precious we were, and I told him that we were different because we had the love of God in our lives, he was very impacted with our talk. In the end we prayed for him and he was very blessed with the little bit of love we showed him.

Henry—This week was really an awesome time of concluding our ministry here in Guatemala.  From just loving on the children at the orphanage to playing with disabled kids at Hermano Pedro, I really sensed God telling the team that our time here was well spent and that He is pleased with what we’ve done. Relationships seemed to be the key during this outreach, and we got to build so many everywhere we went.  From the families of San Pablo, Lake Atitlan to the shoe-shine boys who work around Antigua, we got to pray for so many and just reach out in love.  Personally I continue to feel God showing me how effective I can be when I don’t hesitate to do what He asks me to.  When I respond to His guidance, He not only uses me to bless others but uses them to bless me as well.  I know that as this time comes to a close, it’s only the end of our time as a team, but it’s the beginning of so much more that I can’t even begin to describe! God has so much in store for all of us students, and I can’t wait to see where each of us are 5 years from now. Whether we’re helping out homeless, working a normal job back home (wherever home may be), or living in a tiny village in the forests of Columbia, God is going to be using all of us to further His Kingdom.  All of us have so much in store, and many things have been prophesied over each individual in this group-including the leaders.  I’m just so excited to continue to pursue my own personal relationship with the Lord, and I can’t wait to see where He’s leading me.   

Janelle—This DTS has changed my life.  I pretty much took a 180 degree turn.  Before DTS, I really prided myself on my independence.  I had my own house, my own car, and a great paying job.  With this, I used to not be able to receive anything--from compliments to gifts to money.   God really wanted to work on this.  For example: after the third day of outreach, my ATM card became invalid.  I had no way of getting out money. I had to depend on either the generosity of others, or I had to depend on God.  And guess what, I comfortably made it through outreach (with enough diet soda).  Another example: one day on outreach I really sought out what God wanted me to do.  He told me in my heart, “Janelle, when you leave this room, I’m going to shower you with truth.  Receive it.”  The second I left the room, everyone told me how beautiful I was; in fact, I got compliments all through the evening.  This really touched my heart.  Later, I received a revelation of John 15, a verse that was given to me at the beginning of DTS:  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.  I thought to myself, Okay, Janelle… The last command I got from God was to receive compliments.  What is God telling me?  God is really showing me that He loves me, and wants me to enjoy this new life with him—this is His love!

Three days remain.  Debrief commences.  Pray that we will seek God and seal all that we have learned during this entire DTS.  Pray that we finish strong, and continue to run the race before God.    Training has ended here, and now we must ‘move out’… 

April 24- May 5

Last week, Sarah, from the Basic Leadership School, led.  It was an eventful week full of ministry and surprise blessings.  I enjoyed the “intercession scavenger hunt” she put together.  We were to pray, get a picture or word, and then find the place that God showed us during intercession.  It ended up being a really fun time.  The next day, we blessed eight families with gifts of food.  It wasn’t much, but I believe we were able to show God’s love for them.  Jen preached at Pastor Antonio’s church on Proverbs 3:5-6; it was about trusting the Lord with all our heart even if we don’t understand everything that goes on in our lives.  And a little later in the week, Rebecca Drips preached a message on 2 Peter 1:4-9:  we as believers are all given a precious promise, and as long as you try to seek God, you will be fruitful in the knowledge of Christ.  The sermons had to be translated from English to Spanish, and then to Tz’utujil.  Later, Patrick and Rebecca D. honored Pastor Antonio and his wife by washing their feet and taking them out for lunch.  We closed the week by moving back to Antigua, and Patrick was in-stated as the leader for the following week.

The first day, we went to an Orphanage that took care of children from the ages of two months to eight years-old.   The conditions were great there, and you could tell that the staff really cared for the children.  Later that week, we went back to Hermano Pedro Hospital to play with the disabled children. 

We served at a church service at the “Higher Grounds” Coffee Shop.  Sofia preached a message on Psalm 118.  It was about how God is always there, and that there is no reason for us to worry or be afraid.  The next day, we did construction on the foundations of a house for a family. 

Through the week, we did some more children’s ministry at the Antigua Base, and helped the base host a movie night where one little girl gave her life to Christ.  Yesterday, we split into teams, waited on the Lord, and went into the city.  One of the groups gave free hugs, another went back to Hermano Pedro to play with the children, and the last group played guitar, and gave all the children in the park balls to play with.  For me, everything I received during intercession came to pass, and this encouraged me greatly.   Below, I have included some highlights from the team for the past week and a half:      

Patrick- Last Saturday, Rebecca Drips, Pastor Antonio, and I went to a house we had visited a few days prior. We had prayed for a little girl, about three or four years-old. She had a really bad cough, couldn’t hold any food down, and couldn’t sleep for a week. When we came back, she wasn’t coughing any more.  We gave the family some food. Then, the father said that he was thankful for the food we gave them, but he said that one of his daughters could not hear or speak. After he brought her out, he then said that he had a son that had the same problem. I told Rebecca that we should pray for them. We went into a room and prayed for them. After we finished praying, the father said that he had seven children, and that he also had one more daughter that had the same problem as his two other children. I was thinking to myself, WOW, something is not right here. Rebecca and I prayed together and felt like we needed to pray for the whole family. But, first I asked the family if there were any other problems with the other family members. It turned out that everyone, except one of the daughters, had a problem. Rebecca and I surrounded the family and we prayed for them. Both times I was at that house I really felt the love of Jesus present. I felt Jesus crying over the family.  I started to cry both times. Then one of the daughters said that her husband verbally abuses her.  She started to cry. I really felt like I was supposed to do something. Then Rebecca said, “Hey Patrick, I think that you need to do a prophetic act and ask for forgiveness for what her husband has done.” So, I got down on my knees, held both of her hands, and asked for forgiveness.  As I started to say this, I started to cry. I also told her that she is a princess and that she needs to never forget that.  Before we left, I said that I really felt like God wants to heal this family, and that they need to push through every morning and ask God to heal them. We didn’t see any healing, but I really feel like God is truly in this home now.

Soo— Prior to outreach, I made a request list.  One of the requests I made was to find a Japanese person and talk to them about God.  I prepared for this by packing a “Four Spiritual Laws” track in Japanese.  April 24th was a day off, so I planned to find a Japanese couple.   Janelle and I went to get some ice-cream first, and I prayed for that day’s mission inwardly.  Right after we left, from the corner of the road, I could see a Japanese couple approaching.  Wow!  I just went up to them and asked them, “Are you Japanese?” I told them that I prayed to meet them, and now here they were! I was so excited.  The couple came from Tokyo and had been traveling Central America for a year.  I gave them the “Four Spiritual Laws” track.  A day later I ran into them again, and they inquired about where the track was made.  I got to talk to them some more, and I received their contact information.   Now, I can talk to them about God more.  I thank God for answering my prayer.  

Jen— I enjoyed going to the orphanage here in Antigua, and I was blessed by all the newborn babies there.  I got to pick them up, hold them, and love them.  It was great to show God’s love to all the babies.

Shea— I really enjoyed going to the orphanage this last week.  There was a little girl named Brandy. She had so much light.  She was such a happy little baby.  I stayed with her until she fell asleep.  I was really affected by her.  I won’t forget her.

Brad—What I enjoyed about being in San Pedro was the relationships we built.  From a hotel mate named Rueben, a restaurant owner named Bill, the hotel owner’s family, to Pastor Antonio’s family.  I could tell that we made an impact.  I was also very thankful for them because they really impacted us and helped us out.  As we said our goodbyes, there was something so special and genuine.  If we hadn’t done anything at all, I know that we made special connections and relationships that will be remembered. 

Henry—I was really impacted when we visited one of the orphanages here in Antigua.  There were a few things that really surprised me about it.  First, I could not figure out why people would not want their own kids.  Some of those kids were so perfect.  I just looked at them and praised God for His creation.  I wanted to bring them home with me!  Secondly, all the workers really wanted to be there working with the kids.  I just really sensed compassion in their hearts towards these rejected children.  That really impressed me because I didn’t expect such love from them.  I saw God’s heart showing through their actions and attitudes. 

Rebecca R.—The highlight of the week for me was going back to Hermano Pedro Hospital.  I really enjoyed seeing the kids again.  I was playing with two of the boys around the ball pin, and we started to have a ball fight.  A bunch of us were throwing balls around, and it made all the kids laugh.  It was amazing to me that the simplest gesture could make kids happy. 

Andrew—The highlight of my week was in the orphanage in Antigua. When the team went to the orphanage, we had a choice of going to the newborns, the one to two year olds, or the two to eight year olds. I ended up going to the one and two year olds. The babies that I held and played with were so beautiful and so trusting. It was definitely something I will remember for a long time!

Prayer Requests: 
There is only ten days left on outreach.  Please pray that our team remains focused on trusting the Lord.  Also, pray that all that God did in us throughout this whole DTS is remembered. 

And, here are some personal stories:

Sofia—God is doing a lot of stuff in my life, and I believe this is changing the way I see the world.  I think I got used to seeing the American style of life- even though I am not American- and I didn’t see how comfortable I was.  Once we got here in Guatemala, I started to see that there is so much more to live than we think.  The people here don’t have much, but their happiness shines through everything.  They are simple, and sometimes so poor- sometimes they don’t have food to eat- but, they still don’t complain.  They are happy with what they have.  Being here and working with all the different kinds of people that we are, totally opened my eyes to see that I can be happy with whatever I have, and that I could be happy with whatever goes on in my life. 

Henry—God has been showing me so much during this school that it’s really hard to single out a single lesson He’s taught me, but lately He’s been revealing the significance of our insignificance here on earth.  Let me explain: Our time here on earth is short.  It is but a fraction of our fraction of existence; yet, it determines how we will spend eternity.  The time we are given here on earth is like working towards eternal retirement (minus the healthcare/welfare benefits, because we won’t need them).  While at your job, you maximize (or should) every opportunity to earn money so that you can.  You take advantage of the situations to turn them in you and your employers favor.  Lets place God as the employer, for example.  Every day He gives you jobs or tasks in the form of talking to people, being transparent, doing the right thing when no one is looking, etc..  This is your “job”.  Now, God doesn’t expect us to get it right every time, but He does want us to try our best.  We have a limited time to complete our given tasks.  This is our significant insignificance.  Our time here is so insignificant compared to our eternal lives, but so significant because it determines how we are going to live eternally.

April 5- April 13

We started the week going back to Paradise to do some more construction work and fellowship with the children.  The next work-day, we cleaned up the Guatemala YWAM Base.  In the evening we visited the Lord’s Kitchen one last time.  There we shared some testimonies and prayed for many homeless people.

The next day we went to Zone 1 and did street ministry.  We played games with the people and put together a program for them.  Sofia and Jen gave an eight year-old girl a bible.  That evening we did a program for the break dance ministry at the Guatemala Base.  During our ‘Enter In’ worship song, a man named Jason, nicknamed “Spider”, started to weep.  Later, Patrick, Brandon, and Abner took him aside and talked and prayed with him for over an hour.    

We picked up at least 150 pounds of trash the next day at Tierra Nueva.  While we were picking up trash, people responded in generosity.  A merchant gave one group juices, and another gentlemen that drove by came back to bring our whole team sodas.  Later that afternoon, our team went to the Palace and did a prayer walk, and some praise and worship in the capitol square.  While one of the teams was doing worship a merchant walked by and dropped three pineapples.  Sarah tried to grab them, but they were snatched by someone else as she was reaching down to pick them up.  Soo felt led to pray for the man that stole the pineapples.  Andrew felt led to go pay the merchant for the stolen pineapples, but had to borrow the money from Jen.  The pineapples were 5 Quetzales each.   Andrew gave the merchant 20 Quetzales with Sofia as the translator, but the merchant wouldn’t give Andrew change.   Anyway, Andrew decided to get one because they smelled so good.  The man who stole pineapples ended up getting convicted, and came back to our team handing over the pineapples.   Our team worked together to teach justice and receive some delicious pineapples.  We then linked arms around the flagpole declaring Guatemala for God.   We felt that God was longing to reveal the royalty that is in each of Guatemala’s residents.  

On Saturday, we went to ‘La Linea’ and handed out thirty-five roses to prostitutes.  The women of our group handed out roses, while the men stood back and interceded.  Rebecca and Jen approached a prostitute who introduced herself as Yolanda.  They talked with her, and after a while, Rebecca asked if they could pray for her.  She said that she didn’t need prayer.  Rebecca told her that she would remember her and pray for her when the team went home, and Rebecca said, “Adios, Yolanda.”  The lady stopped them and ended up telling them that Yolanda was her street name.  She told them her real name and said that no one else here knew her name.  Then the lady said, “I will never forget you.”  We ended up reaching her.  Just getting her that much closer to the truth makes this whole trip worthwhile.  It is amazing to be a part of this team. 

That evening, we hosted the youth group from the Ministerio Charisma Church.  Jen preached a message on walking in the Spirit, Psalm 139:7-12.  They ended up really encouraging us.  They told us that we were models, and that they were honored that we had given up our life to God—that we came all the way to Guatemala to share the gospel. 

On Sunday, we went to the Nazareno Iglesia and ran their children’s program.  After the service, the pastor told us that this was the first time he opened the doors to YWAM, and he told us that we were welcome back at any time.   

Brad was in charge of the week, and he led us to pray at every meeting.  We had some team time this week encouraging one another.  Overall, it was a fast-paced, eventful, and life-changing  week. 

Prayer requests:  Henry, Shelby, Sarah, and Brandon are all really infermo.  Sofia, Shea, and I have a bad cold.  Pray for our healing!  Pray for safe travel to San Pedro (we leave on Monday).  Pray that we will hear God’s voice clearly, and that we will persevere in our hearts through the tough times.

Jake, this is for you: