A Good Week in Guatemala

I returned on July 15th from a week-long trip to Guatemala with my colleague, Verlyn Bergen.  We enjoyed the fellowship and teaching time that we shared with a group of 74 pastors and leaders at a two-day training event in Quetzaltenango.  It's the rainy season there now and the rain, coupled with the altitude in the mountains, kept the temperatures quite comfortable.  We enjoyed weather in the 60s and 70s before arriving back in the middle of an extended heat warning of several days here in Missouri.

We were able to visit several places where Verlyn is considering bringing one of two missions teams he'll be heading up to Guatemala this coming year.  On Thursday, we paid a visit to the Tabitha Ministry near the city dump in Guatemala City.  They have managed to enclose what was an open patio on the roof, affording them an additional closed-in space for an expanded number of children for whom they are caring.  The ministry currently ministers to about 85 children in this facility.

There is a need for prayer for this ministry as the owner of the building they are occupying wishes to sell it by the end of the year.  They must determine whether or not to stay and come up with funds for purchasing the building, or find other suitable accommodations.

Safely Home from Texas

Enjoyed a week of visiting with family members in Texas.  I took my mom to see her two sisters (and their husbands) who live in Bryan and George West.  We also visited with my brother and his wife in Granbury and were able to attend Sunday morning worship at Acton Baptist Church where mom still has many good friends.  I was able to visit with a couple of cousins on the trip as well, plus we made a quick trip out to the ranch where I lived for 6 years.  All in all, it was a very enjoyable trip.

I've got a couple of days to take care of some things at church and around the house before I head out again to Guatemala on Monday.  A colleague and I will be leading the latest round of leadership training conferences in Quetzaltenango.  It promises to be another great two-day event with the pastors and leaders.  This is the fifth year that we've been providing these training events.