God's provision

We have needed quite a lot of money for car issues. One being to fix the transmission in the Durango, the other is to transfer ownership of the Suburban (it's currently in our team member Maria's name, but because we've been so delayed, and she's going home to the US for Christmas, we'll be getting to Panama without her, and we can't cross borders without the owner of the car being present). Being missionaries living by faith (this means most of us are supported financially by friends, family, local churches etc), we don't have very much money! Well, long story short, but the summary is we didn't need to get the transmission part from the States, the mechanic got it from Guatemala City, which means it'll be sooo much cheaper. Plus we have received money as a gift from Bethel Church and an anonymous donor from Australia, just the right amount to cover fixing the car and to change the car ownership, so praise God for providing for us.

Our team had a cultural evening last night watching the movie Apocalypso. I wasn't able to watch it as it is very gruesome (maybe I'll be able to watch it in the daytime rather than right before bed!), which is a pity as it's set here in Guatemala where I am. It's about the Mayan people. Of particular relevance is that it shows their human sacrifices which took place at the Tikal ruins, which we went to on Sunday. To counteract all the blood and human sacrifices which have taken there historically, we took communion on the highest ruin to symbolically demonstrate the sacrifice of Jesus' blood. If we did nothing else in Guatemala other than this spiritual warfare, our whole time would be worthwhile.

Mayab ruins

Guatemalan ladies in traditional dress

Rose, me and Caitlyn standing on one of the ruins

Our team taking communion on top of the highest ruin

Being flexible includes taking communion with whatever we have... 

today this included tortillas and Gatorade!

The team has spent time during this week ministering to individual people we've met in the village, ran a children's program in the playground, went to San Jose (a town about an hour away) to minister, plus other stuff. San Jose was fun, it completely poured with rain, we got soaked, had to wait out the rain, plus ministered to a few people and a lady's headache was healed.

Unfortunately one of our team member's has left the trip suddenly due to a family tragedy. Her daughter-in-law drowned in a rip tide in Costa Rica last week. We trust she'll be able to return to the trip when she's ready, but for now she'll be taking care of her 2 grandchildren in the States.

Plan from now is to head off towards Guatemala City in the next day or two once the car is fixed, do some prison ministry there, and then head to El Salvador on about Tuesday. But this plan could change at any time!