Guatemala Trip - Day 3

Day 3: Well the day began with our devotional time in Matthew 6. We discussed the “beatitudes” and what it truly means to be blessed. The team had much to say about what it meant to be blessed, and we concluded that truly we are a blessed people, but not because of the wealth, health, or anything else we have. However, it is because of what Christ did for us on the cross – making a way for us to be in the family of God – that we are blessed.

We began the day by going to Verbana and getting a tour of the facilities. The team was impressed by the ministry of AMG, and their involvement in the lives of the kids. We stopped by a class of 13 3 year olds, and they were very well behaved. They were having snacks, and sang a song for the team. From there we went to a class full of 6 year olds (32 to be exact – with only 1 teacher), and they asked some questions, and then they sang a song for us. It was a very familiar tune, but it was basically colors in Spanish and English. Hopefully I will be able to put some of the video of this on Facebook. Anyway, after they sang, one of the children asked to pray for us. She prayed for the sick, the poor, the people on the street, she asked for God's blessing for them. As she prayed, the children would repeat every phrase she said. It was incredible – hearing 32 children pray for others. We finished our time with them by Walter praying for them – he almost broke into tears as he asked God to bless them – knowing full well (as he told us later) that they had blessed him already.

We spent another hour touring the facilities, and hugged bunches of kids. They asked for photo ops, then of course wanted to see the pictures. Walter was asked to show off his biceps. It was hilarious watching this 6' 4” monster of a man – who seems to be a teddy bear in nature – amaze the kids with his massive size.

For the rest of the day, we worked on 5 rooms – getting them ready to paint tomorrow. The team worked very hard, and by the end of the day, they had taken all of the wood pieces off the walls, they had scraped every inch of the walls and the ceilings, they had filled holes in the concrete, the washed down every part of the walls to prepare it for paint. I fear it will take a number of coats of paint to complete this task, but God will take care of that I am certain.

We have been challenged to a futbol game by a teen class and the maintenance crew. Right now we are scheduled to play the maintenance guys on Thursday evening – we definitely need prayers. Seriously, God is using the team to connect with teachers, workers, and children to encourage them in their faith. From hugging them, talking with them, giving candy, smiling and nodding, the team is showing the people here that they are not alone, and that our God is one God who loves us all and wants to be a part of every area of our lives.

I did run into a team of college students from a Florida College, and they would like to take a missions trip in the future with AMG. Only God knows what will happen with that contact.

Our evening consisted of getting paints for the mural that Walter is going to paint – I would appreciate your prayers as he considers what he is going to do – then we went back to Thelma's for dinner followed by our evening wrap up session. The group is being broken by God as I listen to them speak about the children and the workers at the child care center. They have been challenged in their own walk with God in their parenting, in their personal walk with God, in the use of their finances and resources, etc. God is doing wonderful things in their hearts.

Tomorrow we paint... (and I do hate painting, but I love serving God).