BackPacks and School Supplies...

This morning we began what will be a backpack and school supply distribution for the City of Pastores. With the help of Florida Baptist Children's Home the goods are on the way. FBCH President, Jerry Haag, with Pastor Mike Lewis from 1st Baptist Plant City came to kick start the gifts.

More supplies will be shipping from Miami in the next several weeks. If you would like to participate there is still time.

Possibilities...

There has been a gentleman attending IDC that has a vision for people hearing the word of God in his community. He lives in a remote area of Ciudad Vieja, just outside of Antigua, and has invited his neighborhood to his home and the leadership of IDC to bring the word as well.

So we begin. I don't know where this will go but God is up to something.

More Renovations...

Two points of interest...

Attic fun - Steve and I were in a "vewy scarwy pwace". Christmas Eve morning was spent in removing pounds of old electrical cable either not connected to anything or badly spliced and running new lines that needed to be replaced.

The new cafe kitchen is in process. Luis is getting the new sink cabinetry started. Yea God!

Christmas Eve...

Christmas Eve at the IDC. This year was really cool. To see the growth that God has brought in the last two years is incredible. About two years ago, I approached a guy who was still dealing with issues in his marriage, he had been clean for several years from cocaine and steroids - but God laid it on my heart to invite him to be part of IDC in leading the Celebrate Recovery Ministry.

Now two years later he not only is sharing with a crowd of about 100 adults plus children his story, but members of his leadership team for the ministry are sharing as well. The short synopsis was this - "What a difference in our lives because of Jesus Christ."

The event included worship, sharing of the Christmas Story, testimonies, celebration of the Lord's supper, candle light and Pónche. This is a typical Guatemalan hot fruit drink for the holidays - best served fresh. If you wait a day or two this stuff will put some hair on your chest.

It was a wonderful night celebrating God's gift the birth of His son Jesus the Christ.

La Boda de David y Julieta...

Saturday, Antonio and I had the privilege to marry a young couple that have been attending IDC. The wedding was in the Guatemala City in zone 21. That means this is a location that you couldn't get to from here...

David and Julieta also included a member of our worship team to provide music - Alex Contrera. It was a good night.

2nd Sunday...

So we made it to week two. Great day - we had electricity - literally.

Other elements to drive the synergy were children and for us a new prayer space to talk with God. The first for us in the history of this church. Yea God!

Bill Tour...

This last week Bill (my boss) came for a site visit of a different kind. We have some folks very interested in creating jobs in Guatemala. Among things on the list is baseball gloves. It just so happens that Pastores, one of the communities in which we work, is considered the boot capitol of Central America. That means leather - hence the gloves.

We have a counsel member who is a boot maker as well - and that was where we started. A model was sent down in advance and when Bill, Phil, and Gio arrived we picked up the Mayor of Pastores and began to brainstorm. The hopes for the project is to manufacture viable leather baseball products with proceeds returning to ministry in Guatemala.

When we met privately with Mayor Lopez, Bill took the opportunity to present some "happys" to him and his family. As seen here this included a beautiful Florida Gators Jacket. Woof! Go Gators!

1st Days in the Diggs...

This is a fun photo fact - it is intriguing to me and it make's me ask - "What is God up to? This is the second first Sunday photo of a new building that I have posted this year. The first is above...

Yesterday was the first Sunday in the new diggs! God is so good. This photo was 1 hour before services...

Even with all of the things that didn't happen correctly - which included the previous tenants removing all of the light fixtures and damaging power connections in the sanctuary - the new signage showing up late - little things like that...

... communion was wonderful, the praise was unplugged...

... we still had 150 in attendance. This is lower for the average for the year, but 40% larger than the same week a year ago... Yea God!