Compassion for Guatemala

Reflecting on our time in Guatemala

2012-01-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

We are now settled back in Kentucky and reflecting on our time in Guatemala. While things did not turn out as we had expected, we know that God was able to work through us during our time there and that He will continue to use us in other ways if we are willing to trust and follow Him. We are so thankful for the friendships that were made in Guatemala. We are happy to be able to chat with several of our friends on Facebook. A few weeks ago we were able to talk to Orily on the phone and she plans to work with a small team from Lexington in just a week or so. Although we are enjoying being back so close to our friends and family here in Kentucky, we will always remember the many amazing experiences we had in Guatemala and pray for the future experiences we hope to have there.

2011-09-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Robby took us to El Tejar to prepare for his last house project and show us the bathroom they finished for Orily's daughter. She was so happy to have a bathroom connected to her house!

We are so thankful for the time we spent working with Orily. Without her, none of our work here would have been possible. We laugh everytime she "translates" for us -- she only speaks Spanish, but sometimes when families speak quickly or use words we don't know, she translates their Spanish into Spanish that we understand.

Mely & Orily

Leah loved Mely's cat!

Later as Robby bought the wood for the last house, Leah discovered how much fun it was so climb the sawdust mountain and jump to Orily.

Kara & Mario

2011-09-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

We have been so thankful to have faithful supporters making it possible for us to work here in Guatemala. Now that we are leaving, I wondered if any of you would like to continue supporting missionaries serving in Guatemala. I would like to share a little about two missionaries we have met, Kara and Mario.

Kara has previously taught first grade in the Dominican Republic and after three short-term trips to Guatemala moved here to start a preschool in Magdalena. Her vision is to provide a Christ-centered educational environment for children in this town who are not otherwise able to attend preschool. They have just completed their first year and she has big dreams for this school to continue to grow.

Mario works with Students International, an organization that works with students and the poor bringing them together cross-culturally to encounter God, share the Good News, disciple and serve others in occupational ministries. Mario coordinates projects involving water filters, building projects, and other projects to benefit the families of the community of El Gorrion.

Mario and Kara will be getting married December 3rd of this year. Their plans are to live in Magdalena and continue serving communities nearby. They love serving others and simply want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, serving others and sharing his love with them.

If you would like to be a part of the work that Kara and Mario are doing here in Guatemala, feel free to email them at mariomendez54@gmail.com or tapestryofloveinguate@gmail.com.

Support can be sent to:

Mario Mendez Jr.
c/o Students International
P.O. Box 2733
Visalia, CA 93279

*Make checks payable to Students International and attach a note stating the donation is for Mario Mendez Jr.& Kara in Guatemala.

Not Just a Stove

2011-09-15T18:22:00.001-07:00

I think today was just as much a blessing for Robby and me as it was for the families we visited. We had big plans for today -- visiting five families, installing five stoves, and building a roof over some of those stoves. A big thank you to my mom for sending the money for us to install these stoves! She knows how this dramatically helps each family. And you should see how THRILLED the women are when they get the chance to use their new stove. No more smoke in the house, no more countless hours collecting firewood. But today was so much more than installing stoves. It was about us spending time with each of the families and showing them that we care and that there is a God in heaven who cares.

This is Ruth, one of Orily's daughters. Her girls are precious (Michelle and Julissa) and it was so much fun spending time with them. The youngest, Julissa, loved using my camera so while Orily and I posed calling ourselves modelas (models) Robby just laughed and called us payasas (clowns).

Another family that received a stove today was Imanuel (pictured above with his oldest sister). Imanuel's mother died in childbirth and he suffers from hydrocephalis. His grandmother is raising Imanuel and his four siblings. As Orily shared the grandmother's story with us, we couldn't imagine how she still had a smile on her face. Two of her children have died and two others have been killed. Despite her difficult life, she remains joyful -- no doubt she is filled with joy because of the love of Christ. What an example she was for all of us today!

Special thank you to the Geis family and the Clark family for sending donations to help this family with diapers and food. What you thought was a small donation was a huge blessing for this family! It was so touching to hear how they plan to pray for you.

Why does this family look so serious? Probably because the last time we saw them, Robby pulled two of the mother's teeth out! We promised them that Dr. Shutt was not with us and we were only there to install their new stove. They tried to talk us into staying for lunch, but Orily explained that we have more families to visit.

We are so thankful to have Heidi as our babysitter! The kids get excited every time we tell them that she is coming to watch them. We are really going to miss her and hope she is able to visit us in the States one day.

Silvia's Sweet Family

2011-09-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Back in May I met Sylvia who stopped by her friend's house as we were putting in a concrete floor. Sylvia asked me that day if I could help her family with a house. She explained that they owned a small piece of land nearby and was even so desperate that she said her son could be a gift for me if we could build a house for them. We had a very long list of families that were living in terrible conditions and needed some help and I sadly explained that I didn't know if we would be able to help her family.

I did take a picture of her little boy and shared on the blog how awful it is to not be able to help every family that is living in poverty here. The needs can definitely be overwhelming! Not long after, I met Jody (via emails) who works for Children of the Americas and also has a non-profit called Finding Freedom Through Friendship. She wanted to help this family as well and her non-profit was able to raise the funds to build Silvia's family a home.

Robby, along with Orily, Carlos, Silvia and her husband, worked together to build the home this past week. Finding Freedom Through Friendship also sent money for food for this family. I guess the best part of working here in Guatemala has been to see how God orchestrates the details. Sylvia did not know we were stopping by today. The family has not moved into their new house yet because Robby is going to install their stove and have the dedication service next week. So when we arrived at the "house" they are renting, one of the daughters had to run down the street to find Sylvia. Literally the only food this family had was one small onion and so their mother was trying to sell a chicken so that they could afford to buy tortillas for the family. Thanks to Jody and her friends we were able to surprise this family was enough food for a month!

But we were reminded again today that God doesn't just care about this family's physical needs -- He wants a relationship with each of them as well. We were happy to hear when Sylvia shared with us today that two months ago she accepted Jesus as her Savior.

"The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalms 34:17-18

A Day at the Center

2011-09-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Look at this little angel face! Once Juanita looks at me with those big brown eyes, of course I have to get her out of her bed!

Juanita -- much happier out of her bed.

Lydia with her tongue out as she crawled.

My little Thelma - cute as a button!

Robby & Luis

Cindy (or Cindy Lu as we call her because she is so sweet!) was a happy girl.
Her grandmother came and visited her today.

Sweet dreams, Thelma!

Robby and Abelado
I'm sure the nannies don't push the babies around this fast...

But of course Abelado loved every minute of it!

Hearing Test for Kimberly

2011-08-29T19:14:00.001-07:00

A while back we blogged about Kimberly, the daughter of the pastor we work with in El Tejar. Her parents were concerned that she was not hearing as clearly as she should. When we took her to Hermano Pedro in Antigua they told us to come back in February when the audiologist would be there, but we didn't want to have to wait that long to find out about her hearing. Another organization referred us to an audiologist in the city and we were able to take Kimberly and her mother there today.

Kimberly was very nervous -- she was riding around with us in the city (which I think was her first time) and she was experiencing many things for the first time like riding in an elevator. Then we remembered that the last time Kimberly saw us was at the dental clinic and most of the kids then were getting shots and teeth pulled. She probably didn't know what to expect!

She was relieved to find out that she didn't need any shots today. They did find that she has hearing loss in both ears. The hearing clinic had received a grant and we were happy to find out that Kimberly qualifies to receive her hearind aids for free! They took the impressions today and her hearing aids should be ready around the first of October.

We are so happy for what this means for Kimberly. She has been in elementary school for four years, but has had to repeat the same grade each year. It's no wonder considering there are 60 students in her class and she has not been hearing the teacher's instructions. Thank you to Brad and Holly Clark for organizing a yard sale to raise money for different ministries in Guatemala. Because of their help, Kimberly has a much better future ahead of her!

Three Houses in Three Days

2011-08-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

Robby had a very busy week building three houses in three days! Today Leah, Cohen, and I went along with him to visit with the families and to install the last stove. Orily and the kids had a great time together.

Here is the "before" picture of this family's kitchen.

Here is the mother with her new onil stove. She now has much more time because she doesn't have to gather a load of firewood each day to cook for her family. This stove just requires a small amount of wood and the smoke is vented out of the house. Needless to say, this mother is thrilled with her new kitchen!

Cohen jumped right in and started playing soccer. He was surprised to find out that this little boy was already five years old even though he was much smaller than Cohen. We talked later about how this little boy didn't always have healthy food to eat and how it impacted his growth. We also talked about how God wants us to care for people in need like this little boy and his family.

Leah made friends quickly when she saw this little boy's Jeep! Of course there was no battery, so the older kids took turns pushing the smaller ones around the yard.

The kids showing us their conejito - little bunny.

This mother is Eva who received a new home last week. She had already fixed up her house, lining the outside surrounding the house with bricks. Her stove is setup and she is selling chile rellenos (which smell delicious by the way) to support her family. She shared today that God had spoken to her in a dream telling her He was going to take care of her family and it is clear that she knows that this gift was from above!

August Newsletter

2011-08-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

When we set out on this adventure to Guatemala we thought we would be here for a very long time. Maybe because we felt God calling us to Guatemala so strongly, we thought we would be here long-term. But because of many factors that we will share with you, we have decided to come back to Kentucky.

As you know, we have been working with the Greene family and Catalyst Resources International. When we first met the Greene’s, they were hosting between twelve to fifteen mission teams each year. That number has grown tremendously and continues to grow each year. While we are thrilled that churches are sending more teams to Guatemala, hosting and leading this number of teams each year is not good for our young family.

While we appreciate the work that the Greene’s are doing, we do not feel like we are being used effectively. We don’t feel like they need two families to do the work they are doing in Guatemala. We expected to be a part of the team, but many important decisions have been made without communicating with us.

Aside from Catalyst not being the best fit for us, there are other factors that led us to make this decision. Our support has never been at 100% so we made some changes to allow us to get by. We did not send Cohen and Leah to preschool and did not put money into our retirement account. This was fine for the year, but we could not keep going like this. We want a good education for our kids and need to be wise about retirement.

Cohen and Leah also continue to be sick. It is so common that they have incorporated it into their play. Leah asks her dolls if they feel bad and if they need to sit on the potty. We can deal with the stomach issues, but it is very difficult watching our kids have to go through this so often.

We know that we all have seasons in our lives and we are thankful for our time in Guatemala. During our time here we have definitely been immersed in Spanish and feel comfortable speaking (although far from perfect) Spanish. Our faith has grown tremendously as we have had to rely on God more than we ever had in the past. Relationships were made, lives were changed here, and you were all an important part of that through your prayers and support. We can’t thank you enough!

We trust that God will use the experiences we’ve had and the things we’ve learned here in Guatemala for the work He has for us in the future. Right now we don’t know exactly what that will be. Robby would like to work with Edge Outreach in Louisville on training others in water purification and traveling on short-term mission trips with them. Lori would like to meet and support Spanish-speaking mothers living in Louisville. We are also looking into fostering children through COTA (Children of the Americas) who come to the States for surgeries like cleft lip repair.

We hope you will support us in our decision to return to Kentucky. This is not a decision we have made overnight. After many discussions and prayers, we feel that this is what is best for our family. We plan to return on November 21 and Robby will start back at the Corps of Engineers in December. Until then, we will enjoy our last little bit of time here and keep you posted on the work we are doing.

Dental Clinic in El Tejar

2011-08-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with Dr. Shutt and his son Bryan this past week. Dr. Shutt brought his dental tools and he was able to set up a clinic in the pastor's house in El Tejar. Orily visited with families the day before the clinic and we didn't know how many people would show up. I wish we would have counted how many patients came and how many teeth were pulled, but we are guessing over 50 people came and at least twice that many teeth were pulled! Robby and Bryan even got to pull a few teeth. Orily and each of the patients shared how thankful they were that Dr. Shutt came to help the people of El Tejar. Typically here it costs 100 quetzales per tooth that needs to be pulled, which isn't a lot of money for us, but to the people of El Tejar that is a huge expense. Not only did many people get relief from teeth causing them pain, but they also met the pastor's family who open their home to church services several times each week. We hope that this experience will bring in families who don't have a church home.

Cohen and Leah came along with us and played Pato, Pato, Ganso (Duck, Duck, Goose) and colored with the kids that were waiting. We were there much longer than we expected, but I think they enjoyed playing with all the kids. After seeing all those teeth pulled, they both have a whole new attitude toward brushing their teeth!

Abuelitas

2011-08-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the aiport to pick up Dave and Bryan Shutt from Louisville who are going to be working with us for a few days. We met up with Robby and a group from Florida to finish a home for two grandmothers. These abuelitas were very frail so we helped them move back into their new house. By moving all of their things, the team was able to see how they lived -- their old, dirty mattresses and the very little food they had. So the team chipped in and purchased new beds and some food for them.

Because the ladies were much older, it was a difficult experience for them. Of course they were thrilled to have a home that would actually keep them dry and they were amazed that they could now cook in their home without the house filling with smoke, but I think they were overwhelmed and nervous about the changes and not sure if they could trust a bunch of North Americans. So they were quiet and cautious, but as we prayed with them at the home dedication they joined in thanking God for taking such good care of them. They said that they would be praying for us and asked that we remember to pray for them as well.

The verse that kept coming to my mind was James 1:27 -- "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted from the world."

Malnutrition Center in San Juan

2011-07-26T21:09:00.001-07:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Twister!

2011-07-25T07:12:00.001-07:00

Home for the Us Family

2011-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

So much to tell

2011-07-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we had some family time and headed to a new shopping area and we were suprised at how nice it was! The kids enjoyed climbing on the rides and we didn't even have to put coins in. Robby and I found our new favorite restaurant -- Los Cebollines. They make the salsa with the ingredients you choose right at your table. Delicious!

On Sunday and Monday we were so excited to get together with Kim and Stephen Crouch from Kentucky! They even brought their son Collier. Cohen thought they were so big sharing their own table at Pollo Campero. They took some of the kids from Hermano Pedro out to lunch on Sunday and spent some time shopping in Antigua. Then we met up with them on Monday in Amatitlan where their team was painting a church and constructing several houses. It was so good to spend time with some friends from home!

Today Robby and another team from Florida started a home in El Tejar. This home is for a family of ten whose former home was made of wood with huge gaps between the planks. Needless to say, their beds would get wet every time it rained.

I headed back to the malnutrition center and joined the rest of the group from Florida. This team brought a doctor with them, which was a huge blessing. Today he concentrated on each child's skin. There were many babies with ringworm and scabies, but they are being treated and will hopefully be better soon.

2011-07-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

I got to play dress-ups with Maria and some of the other babies at the malnutrition center this week since my mom sent some adorable baby clothes.

This little boy is Bryan and he has a twin sister named Ashley. (Very Guatemalan names, huh?) He is a pretty chunky little guy, but is at the center because his sister is there. We're trying to get him to crawl, but he much prefers scooting on his bottom. He is a smiley, happy little baby!

This is my little Thelma. She is very serious in this picture, but that is because I am not holding her and bouncing her around. She impressed us all with her language skills this week. When one of the volunteers left the room, Thelma said, "Marsha?" She noticed she was gone and remembered her name!

I wish I had pictures of all the work that Robby has been doing lately, but he has been too busy to stop and take pictures. Last week he and a team from Florida built a home for two sisters in a little town called Durazno. The sisters were living in a house (and I'm sure if any of you had seen it you wouldn't have described it as a house) with so many holes that the rain poured in each time it rained. The two sisters each had one child and Robby found out that the younger mother had been raped. Even Robby teared up at the home dedication. This was a family that had experienced so many difficulties -- losing their parents, a rape and later the birth of a child as a result of the rape -- and yet God used a group of believers to encourage this family and show them His love.

This week he is busy finishing two houses in another community. I am so proud of his hard work and the ways he is witnessing to the families he is working with.

The Babies in San Juan

2011-07-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was finally able to return to the malnutrition center in San Juan. I hadn't been since May and was so anxious to get back and see how the babies were doing. While this is a wonderful place where so many children are being nursed back to health, it can also be overwhelming. There are babies with blank stares, visible ribs, and the tinest arms and legs you can imagine. Many babies have rashes, lice, coughs, and runny noses. But there is so much hope for the futures of these babies when you see the ones that are starting to get healthy. As they gain their strength they begin to meet developmental milestones. Little Erwin is on the verge of taking steps on his own. Billy was using an appropriate grasp on a crayon instead of holding it with his fist. Many of the toddlers were imitating sounds and jabbering. I plan to return each Tuesday and look forward to seeing how they continue to improve.

Second Chance for Rubi

2011-07-01T12:38:00.001-07:00

Rubi is a tiny, little lady with a brand-new start in life. During a difficult time in her life, she turned to alcohol as a way to cope and became an alcoholic. There were nights that she spent sleeping on the streets. And yet God never stopped loving her and was always ready to give her a second chance. Although she will admit that there are days when she really wants another drink, she has learned to ask God to give her the strength she needs not to return to her past. She hasn't had a drink in several years.

So this week we were anxious to help Rubi and her children get settled in their very own home. They had been sharing a very small space in her in-law's home, but it had not been a good situation for many reasons. Mainly because her husband was gone and her in-laws blamed her for his leaving.

A team from Florida finished up Rubi's house on Wednesday and we went back yesterday to complete a bathroom for Rubi and her children. Let me tell you, this bathroom was anything but luxurious, but the family is so happy. They now have a toilet, shower, and outdoor pila (sink) that they can use to wash clothes and dishes.

It was a joy to work with Ruby's family for many reasons. I'm sure she had no experience with construction, but she worked right along with the team, taking ownership of her home. She is taking pride in her home already by keeping it meticulous. And she never stopped giving thanks to God for this gift and for His love.

Rubi and her younger children

Robby installing his first shower

Rubi working on the bathroom

Rubi's grandson

Vecinas -- Neighbors

New Home for the Teret Family

2011-06-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today Robby and a team from Florida finished building a house for the Teret family. The rainy weather made this project a little more challenging, but the family was thrilled with their new home. Many times the families who receive the homes are Christians, but this family was not. At the home dedication this afternoon Robby was able to explain that this home was not from us, but a gift from God. Orily added that God was there in the home; now the family needed God in their hearts. We are praying that God continues to work in the hearts of this family.

This is the father of the Teret family. Many men in this town make roof tiles, earning next to nothing. We are happy that this hard-working father now has a home for his family.

There were plenty of kids around the building site. I brought a Spanish Bible for kids and they sat with me as I read nearly every story in the Bible.

Afternoon in the Park

2011-06-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after church we had a picnic in the park. There is always a lot going on in the park on a Sunday afternoon -- live music, vendors selling handmade items, and ladies making hairwraps. We ran into Magdalena, a sweet lady from our church, and she did hairwraps for Leah, Miriam, Paola, and Lupita.

Lesly's Chicken Tacos - Que Rico!

2011-06-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

Lesly has the most delicious recipe for chicken tacos and the girls agreed to fix them for everyone last night.

Start by making pico de gallo, finely chopping tomatoes, onions, and cilantro.

Then cook miltomates, tomatoes, red peppers, and onions in a pot of water. After fully cooked, blend in a food processor until it becomes a smooth sauce.

Cook chicken and set aside. They only season with a little bit of salt.

Cook red peppers and onions in a little bit of water. Lesly adds some soy sauce and some sauce called Salsa Iglesia -- church sauce? Not sure, but this might be like worcestor sauce. Finally, add the chicken to the peppers and onions. Put the chicken mixture in a tortilla and roll it up. Top with the green salsa and pico de gallo. The girls also like to add a little creme on top. Absolutely delicious!!

Kimberly

2011-06-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

We met Kimberly's parents through Orily who is working with Robby on finding families with the most needs to receive homes in El Tejar. Orily is also one of the hardest working people I know. During construction projects you will find her (dressed in a skirt) laying concrete block, delivering wheelbarrows full of concrete, or digging twice as fast as anyone on site. We absolutely love Orily and her heart for the people of Guatemala.

So when Orily told us about her pastor's daughter being sick and needing to see a doctor we wanted to help. She said that this little girl, Kimberly, was pale and sleeping all the time. We decided to take her to Hermano Pedro, which is a hospital in Antigua. The prices are affordable, which means that even though we arrived at 6:30 in the morning we had to wait in muchas colas (MANY LINES!) and Kimberly was not seen by the doctor until 10:00.

When we first saw Kimberly we were relieved to see that Kimberly appeared to be in pretty good health. I think Orily just exaggerated a little because she really wanted to help her. After talking with her mom I learned that Kimberly had been born prematurely via C-section in an El Tejar medical clinic. I think the complications from her birth have caused her to have some special needs. Her mom's main concern is her hearing and speech.

The doctor at Hermano Pedro said that he agrees she needs to have her hearing tested and that an audiologist will be there in February. I knew I must be confusing my months of the year -- he couldn't possibly mean that she would need to wait 8 months to have her hearing tested. But he really did mean February was the soonest that an audiologist would be there.

Thanks to a donation from Holly and Brad Clark (who have an amazing yard sale each year to raise money for several ministries in Guatemala) we will be able to look for another doctor in the city and try to get the help that Kimberly needs. What an encouragement to this sweet family that opens their home each week since they do not have a church building.

Sunday in Antigua

2011-06-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

This morning we loaded up in the Suburban and headed to Antigua for church. After church we treated the girls to lunch at MonoLoco thanks to a special donation from Kelly Gross. Thank you so much, Kelly! It was such a treat for the girls and they all had a wonderful time!

Paola & Myriam

Julissa & Lesly

Lupita & Evelia

We enjoyed some HUGE nachos -- thankfully we have been exercising as well! The girls are loving my zumba workouts.

Quick picture on Arch Street

Chase Moyer is here for the summer as an intern. His mom sent some clothes for each of the girls and they love them! It was like Christmas morning this afternoon as they ooh-ed and ahh-ed at each other's clothes. Thank you so much, Mrs. Moyer. The clothes were a huge hit!

Rainy Season is Here!

2011-06-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

We hear it is hot in Kentucky right now, but here it is cool and rainy. We won't complain about the rain though. Today Edgar showed me a plant growing in our yard that is in the kiwi family. The inside of this fruit is a beautiful purple color!

The girls at Mimi's House continue to work hard at school. Julissa and Lesly were working on their typing skills this afternoon, with Cohen supervising their work.

Robby is still busy preparing for the summer projects. He has been building the doors and windows for all the houses that teams will construct this summer. (Thankfully our house has a carport area, so he can work even during the rain.)

From Belize to the ER

2011-06-01T14:20:00.001-07:00

Since we had overstayed our visa here we were required to leave the country for at least 72 hours. After talking with other missionaries who had done the same thing, we decided to drive to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (about 5 hours) and take a boat to Punta Gorda, Belize. We stayed in a small B&B and enjoyed some family time in the pool.

We left Belize early Monday morning after I had severe stomach pains the night before. The bumpy boat ride and Guatemalan roads didn't help my stomach situation, but we made it safely back to the city. Yesterday morning the pain wasn't so bad, but we still decided to go to the ER to get everything checked out. The symptoms sure seemed like a problem with my gallbladder and we were praying I wasn't going to need surgery here in Guatemala.

The doctors and nurses at the hospital were all very friendly. After my attempts at explaining everything in Spanish, the doctors started speaking English much better than my Spanish. For those of you who know me well, you know my extreme fear of needles and hospitals. As the nurse was wheeling me to the ultrasound room we passed the surgery area and my mind began to picture me having surgery there. I started sweating, my ears started ringing, and everything went gray. I came so close, but thankfully I did not pass out!

The ultrasound and bloodwork came back normal, but we are waiting to hear back from a few more tests. Possibly just stomach problems because of the stress of living in a different country and all that comes with it. Our prayers were definitely answered that I did not have to have surgery!

Paula and Fontaine will be in the States most of June speaking at churches, so we will be full-time parents to the girls at Mimi's House. Tomorrow the girls have exams, so we will be quizzing them tonight making sure they are ready for their tests. Robby is gearing up for a busy summer building houses. His former teacher has not had any students since Robby, so he will be working with Robby and the teams coming to build houses. This week they are going to be purchasing supplies for the houses and putting together doors and windows. This will save time and allow the teams to complete each house in two days.

We have a busy summer coming up and we are excited about the opportunities God has given us here in Guatemala. We can't say enough how thankful we are for all of you who are keeping our family in your prayers. We appreciate you all more than we could ever explain!

Water Project Update

2011-05-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Robby, Edgar, Ramiro, and Pastor Mario met with the mayor of Magdalena's assistant and the municipality's engineer. They had expected to receive the final approval for the water project in El Gorrion. There are existing pipes that cross thirteen different properties. We were told that we could use these existing pipes to bring pure water to the small town of El Gorrion. Yesterday, however, we were told that several of the land owners wanted money. Edgar explained that we only have the money to complete the construction of this project and not for paying easements to the property owners. Clearly the land owners don't want the project completed because ten of them showed up with machetes while they were meeting at the water site.

Today Robby, Edgar, and Ramiro went back to explore another alternative to bringing clean water to El Gorrion. This option would allow us to run new pipes through the municipality of San Miguel and not have to deal with individual property owners. They checked the elevations of different points along the proposed pathway and this is feaseable, but they need to check how much pipe is needed because we would be using more with this option.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Malnutrition Center in San Juan

2011-05-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

This past week I was so happy to meet up with a group working with Florida Baptist Children's Home at a malnutrition center in San Juan, Guatemala. Right now there are more than sixty children at the center and some of the hardest working nannies I've ever met. Each nanny has many babies and children to care for and they truly love these children like their own. But you can imagine what a difficult job they have. We were glad to be there to give them some extra help and to be able to give each child a little extra love and attention.

I know I've blogged about the fact that around half of the children here suffer from chronic malnutrition. I've known that statistic for a while now. But bathing these babies, changing their diapers, and feeling their ribs as I hold them makes it all too terribly real. The babies at the feeding center in San Juan will probably be OK. The nannies, nurses and doctors will work to make sure they are healthy. But I can't help but wonder about all the other little ones here that are not being helped.

Nueva Casa in El Tejar

2011-05-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today we started building a new house for a single mother with two sons in El Tejar. Although this house will be about the size of a shed in the States, it will be such an encouragement and blessing to this family. The mother works for several families washing their clothes, which barely pays for food and school supplies for her boys. Despite her difficult life, she smiled as we talked today about how this house was a gift from God and how He continues to take care of her.

This is Blanca's current stove. She is going to receive an onil stove, which will allow her to use less firewood and the smoke will be vented out of the house to protect her eyes and the family's lungs.

This is another "house" next to the one we are building.

While we were working one mother stopped by hoping that we would be able to build a house for her family. She shared that she has many children and as heart-breaking as it sounds, she offered her youngest as a gift for me. I thought at first that I wasn't understanding, but she continued to tell me that he could be a gift for me. The hardest thing I did today was explain to this mother that although we would be able to build many houses in her town, our list was simply too long and I couldn't promise that we could help her.

This little cutie is Mario. He lives with his mother and father in another little "house" next to the one we are building. After preparing the foundation for the house, the team was able to pour some concrete in Mario's house to raise the floor since each time it rains his house floods. Mario was such a helper all day, but the highlight of his day was making handprints in the concrete as the guys finished his new floor.

Just Hanging Out

2011-05-13T13:05:00.001-07:00

So this afternoon the girls discovered Cohen and Leah's Mobigo. Mobigos are little video games for preschoolers -- they have Toy Story, Dora, and Superhero games -- but the girls love them! I actually think it is great English practice for them. They keep repeating differen phrases that they heard on the games.

This week Robby has been preparing for a team from the organization Florida Baptist Children's Homes who are coming next week. Without a doubt, the hardest part of preparing is deciding which family will receive the house this group is planning to build. We visited the town of El Tejar and met with many different families. One family has seven biological children and also has taken in two orphaned children. Another family has an alcoholic father who spends most of his time in the streets. We also met with many families who are working as hard as they possibly can, but just not earning enough money to provide for their families.

Also this week, Mariela came to live with us. We met Mariela through another missionary when we started looking for someone to help take care of Cohen and Leah. Although we really don't need full-time help, Mariela really needed a safer place to live. She was living in a dangerous part of the city where gangs have taken over. It was going to take her four buses and several hours just to get to our house, so we decided that it would be best to have her live with us. We are so thankful to have a loving, Christian woman helping us with Cohen and Leah when we are working. She speaks some English, but Spanglish is spoken fluently in our house these days!

May Update

2011-05-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Last week Robby had a very positive meeting with the leaders of Magdalena concerning the water project. The town has agreed to let us use the existing water line to supply water to the neighboring village of El Gorrion. This was no easy task because the water line crosses thirteen different properties and permission had to be granted by each of those land owners.

We had a meeting at CNA this morning to get more information about the process to start fostering children here. It seems that although we could complete all the necessary paperwork there is a good chance that we will still be denied approval since we are North Americans. It is extremely frustrating knowing that there is such a need for foster families and yet willing families are not given the opportunity to take care of these children. There are many other issues in our decision to proceed or how we should proceed with this. Please pray that we will make a wise decision.

Because there are other missionaries working in Magdalena, we are going to be looking in other areas that aren’t currently working with missionaries. This week we will be meeting with a local pastor in a town near Volcano Pacaya. This is an area that was devastated about a year ago when Pacaya erupted and Hurricane Agatha swept across Guatemala. We expect to be working with this pastor and his church this summer on various projects, so we are excited about getting to know him.

The girls at Mimi’s House are doing great! Last week their school had a special day “Dia de la Granja” (Farm Day) and we were able to go and support them as they shared short presentations in English and Spanish about what they had been studying. Tonight we had a bonfire (cleaning up some debris in our yard) and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. We are really enjoying living right next door to Mimi’s House and getting to know all the girls better.

Praises:
• We are thankful that our financial support is coming in.
• We are thankful that Cohen and Leah seem to be adjusting fine.
• Although we still have much to learn, we are happy that we communicate better in Spanish each day.
• We are thankful for good news concerning the water project in El Gorrion.

Prayer Requests:
• For God’s guidance in moving forward with fostering children.
• Our family’s safety & health
• New relationships with pastors in other areas in Guatemala

Thank you for partnering with us! We are so thankful for your prayers and support.

2011-04-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

This past week was Semana Santa (Holy Week) here so things were a little different. Schools were out and so most of the girls at Mimi's House went home to spend time with their families. Antigua was packed with people and processionals so we stayed clear of all the crowds. Since Robby's parents were here, we spent most of our time working on projects around the house. Thank you, Bob and Bette for all of your help! We've got lights that work in the living room and finished so many other projects that needed to be done.

Our friends Holly and Brad who visited us recently delivered a care package from our home church, Northeast Christian. Thank you so much, Northeast, for thinking of us! It was so nice to receive some things we needed but could not purchase down here!

A Busy Week!

2011-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to be working with a team from Georgetown, Kentucky! We were able to meet some members of the team last year when we visited Central Church of God in Georgetown. Others in the group are from North East Christian Church in Lexington, New Life Church in Louisville, and several others. It's great to have this time working with people from home!

The past week we've been working with the team on many different projects. We are continuing the water project which will bring pure water from a nearby stream to the small community of El Gorrion. Families there are thrilled that they will soon have plenty of clean water coming right to their homes.

The team has also completed two new homes! Today we had the home dedications and it was incredible to be a part of this work. Both families realized that their homes were gifts from God and not us. And they blessed us just as much as we blessed them this week.

The families that received new homes also received an onil stove. The majority of women in Guatemala cook over an open fire. Because of this, they spend a lot of their time collecting fire wood and carrying heavy loads (usually on their heads) back to their homes. The onil stoves require only 15% of the wood that they would typically use, which means women have more time each day which they can devote to earning money for their families. Also, the stoves are vented which protects their eyes and the families don't have to breathe all of that smoke on a daily basis. The two families we worked with were very excited about their new stoves!

The team was also able to have two Bible schools -- one for the children of El Gorrion in the morning and one for the children in Magdalena in the afternoon. I think we all fell in love with these kids. They are so precious!

Visit to Tecpan

2011-04-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Last night it occurred to us that exactly two years ago we were in Guatemala finishing a week-long mission trip. It was during that week that God confirmed to us that He was calling us to work in Guatemala. And last night we spent our first night in our new home -- we are now living next door to Mimi's House!

Today my mom and I met up with Dick Rutgers to visit with some families in Tecpan. I was most anxious to see Samuel, a fourteen-year-old boy that we sponsor. Two years ago I met Samuel while on a mission trip. We were bringing food and clothing to a widow that lives near Samuel and he asked for shoes not for himself, but for his younger brother. The missionaries we were with explained that we were only able to help the families without fathers and it absolutely broke my heart to have to tell Samuel no.

Months later I remember praying and complaining about my own circumstances when Samuel popped into my mind. I was reminded that although my situation at the time was not perfect, I was still living in a comfortable home with plenty of food to eat. The very next day I emailed the missionaries we had worked with to ask about Samuel. It just so happened (not a coincidence, but orchestrated by God) that the missionaries had just visited Samuel's community. His father had recently died and they were looking for sponsors to help this family.

Today Samuel was working at a nearby farm since schools here were not in session, so we weren't able to see him. But we did have a nice visit with his mom, her children, and lots of other kids who live in the neighborhood. Samuel's sister, Anna, is twelve and doing well in school. His brother, Josue, is nine and also enjoying school. The youngest two boys are still at home with their mom. We had such a great time and I look forward to going back again soon!

Casa Jackson Babies

2011-03-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today I spent most of time at Casa Jackson with Alberto. He is new to the hospital, so it is necessary for him to stay in a separate room until he gets a little healthier. He enjoyed looking at books with me for a while, but he really just wanted to play with the other kids.

I also spent some time cuddling with Alison. She was not happy in her crib, but quickly calmed down when we rocked and sang songs.

Zoya is a three-year-old who has returned to Casa Jackson. She and her mother had been coming to the monthly educational meetings for parents and the staff noticed that her weight was not where it should be. Last week Zoya was very homesick for her mom, but this week she seemed to be doing better. Hopefully she won't have to spend too much time at the hospital this time.

2011-03-22T21:40:00.001-07:00

What a whirlwind the past few months have been! Time is flying by here in Guatemala and we are finishing our language school this week. Although we are not fluent in Spanish, we are comfortable talking in Spanish and can communicate most things we would like to say. Learning a new language is such a long process and “poca a poca” (little by little) we will continue to improve as we live and work here.

Robby is preparing for his first water project in the small community of El Gorrion. A team from Georgetown, Kentucky will be coming in April to help complete this project, which will provide clean drinking water for approximately 120 families. Currently, the people living in El Gorrion depend on a truck to bring a limited supply of water to each family two times each week. This project will give them running water in their homes that will be available whenever they need it.

We have shared with you how God opened doors for us to rent the house next door to Mimi’s House, which has been a huge blessing for us. The house is very large and although we do not need all of this space for our family, we felt like the location was perfect. The landlord has agreed to reduce our rent by $100 each month which made it possible for us to make some much-needed repairs to the house.

After several conversations with Fontaine (the founder and director of Catalyst), we are moving forward with the process to open our home to foster children. It is our hope that Mimi’s House will continue to be a home for girls, while our home will be for infants who will come to us from the Guatemalan court system. As some of you know, it is not possible to adopt from Guatemala for several reasons right now so there are many children slipping through the cracks. We would like to be part of the solution for the problems of abuse, neglect, and malnutrition.

Lori will start working on the paperwork necessary to open our home to foster children. We know that this could be a long process. For example, the attorney that facilitated Cohen’s adoption has since turned her law office into a home for children. Her paperwork was denied many times before she was approved to open her home. We will begin working toward this goal and hope that we will be able to foster children in the future.

Praises:
• We are thankful for God’s protection for our family and for our health.
• We are thankful for a productive time in language school.
• We are thankful for new relationships with the Guatemalan people.
• We are thankful that Lori’s mom has been able to be here with us during our Spanish school to help take care of Cohen & Leah.

Prayer Requests:
• Robby’s upcoming water project in El Gorrion
• Approval for us to open our home to foster children
• For our safety (our kids are growing up thinking it is normal to have guards with guns outside of the grocery store and McDonald’s)
• Both of us to handle the daily stresses of living in Guatemala

Thank you so much for partnering with us in this adventure! We appreciate your support and your prayers!

Sweet, sweet babies

2011-03-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

My mom and I have been volunteering at Casa Jackson, a home for malnurished infants and young children. Malnutrition is such an overwhelming problem here in Guatemala, but the staff and volunteers at Casa Jackson do an amazing job. They work very closely with the families, educating them on nutrition, child development, budgeting, health, and hygiene.

Laura was all smiles this afternoon and so sweet sharing her toys with the younger kids.

Mario enjoyed talking on a cell phone today. He has even learned some English. As he stood up in his crib he said, "Up!"

Pedro is so thin and delicate. He needs our prayers for a full recovery.

There are twin girls who were born prematurely. They are at Casa Jackson because their mother died in childbirth. Although they are still tiny, both girls seem to be thriving.

Thank you, Indian Hills Christian Church!!

2011-03-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

Cohen with his new buddy Tyler at Mimi's House

We are so thankful for the group from Indian Hills Christian Church in Danville, Kentucky that was here last week. Not only did they put on Vacation Bible School in two locations each day, they distributed Bibles and food baskets to families in need, built an office and kitchen at the school in El Girrion, and constructed a covering for the patio at Mimi's House. In their spare time they painted most of the rooms in our house and helped us with some landscaping! Thank you all so much! You have helped to make our transition in Guatemala much smoother. Sorry we were in school most of the time and not able to spend more time with you, but we look forward to seeing you all again in the future.

Our First Quinceanera!

2011-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated Julissa's 15th birthday, which is a very important day for girls in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. A team from Kentucky is here along with Julissa's family, so it was quite a party! Julissa was beautiful in her new dress and I think it was a day that she will never forget.

All of the girls enjoyed getting ready for the party. One of the ladies on the team is a stylist and so each of the girls got a haircut. They are all thrilled with their new looks!

Language School & More

2011-02-10T11:01:00.001-08:00

We are almost finished with our fifth week of language school and have six more weeks to go. Our teachers have been excellent and we are learning so much! Each morning we walk seven or eight blocks to our school. We walk through the central park and up Calle del Arco (the famous Arch Street) and pass La Merced which is a beautiful cathedral.

Our language school

Calle del Arco

Today my teacher Iliana and I went shopping in the mercado for all the ingredients for chile relleno. Then we went back to our apartment and she taught me (speaking only espanol) how to make them. My only complaint was buying the meat hanging in the open air (I tried to convince her we could make vegetarian chile relleno, but she said that was not possible) so it's official. I have cooked with street meat!

We received our financial update from Catalyst today and we have only received about 25% of our budget for the month of January. We are checking to make sure that all of the checks that were intended for our family are in our account. Please make sure that in the memo of your check you write "Wheeler family" so that there is no confusion. And remember that we are here in Guatemala only because so many of you value the work that we are doing and are a part of this work through your donations. For your reference, Catalyst's address where donations can be sent is on the right side of the blog. Please email us if you have any questions. Thank you again for all of your support and prayers!!!

Ground-Breaking for Church in El Girrion

2011-02-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We have internet!!!!

2011-01-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

In true Guatemalan fashion, we are just now getting Internet at our apartment. But things are going well here. We are in our third week of language school and really enjoying it. We are feeling more confident speaking Spanish and getting plenty of practice each day! My Spanish teacher is coming over for dinner on Thursday and next week she is going to teach us how to make chile relleno.

On the weekends Edgar has been helping us get our house in the city ready. Last weekend we went to Magdalena where we bought some beautiful paintings from Carlos who is an artist and also runs a Christian art school for underpriviledged kids. We also stopped by Jeremias' house and workshop in Magdalena. He is going to be building most of our furniture. Not only does he have incredibly reasonable prices, he is also a new Christian and we are happy to give him some extra work.

Cohen and Leah are adjusting well to life in Guatemala. They love riding back from the grocery in a tuk tuk. It is a bumpy ride on these cobblestone streets and they laugh most of the way home. Their favorite thing to do here is to visit the girls at Mimi's House. Leah made friends quickly with the girls especially Ruth who enjoys carrying her around. Cohen's best friend at Mimi's House is Jackie, Edgar's golden retriever who just had puppies. I have a feeling one of the puppies will be joining our family when we move to the city.

Thank you for all of your prayers for our family these past few weeks. We have definitely had some frustrations along the way, but your prayers are making such a difference and we appreciate you all!

Our Eight Girls!

2010-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

There are now eight girls living at Mimi's House! This is such an exciting time knowing how these eight girls' lives will be impacted. We can't wait to get to know the girls better and encourage them to dream big dreams!

Front row: Ale, Julissa, Paola, Lesly, & Clari
Back row: Ruth, Lupita, & Evelia

November Update

2010-11-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been such an exciting time for us! Now that we have a moving date, we have been working on things like enrolling in language school, applying for our new insurance policies, and finding a place to live in Guatemala. The biggest blessing we wanted to share with you is that we will be living next door to Mimi’s House! The house next door became available for rent in August and thankfully was still available when our friend Edgar (who is the Guatemalan missionary we will be working with) met with the owner of the house. We were even able to negotiate the price of rent so that it won’t be a strain on our budget.

We will start three months of language school in Antigua, Guatemala in January which will give us time to make a few improvements to the house. We are thankful to have this house and know that it will be very convenient once we get started with our work! What are the odds of the house next door to Mimi’s House becoming available at just the right time? We are once again reminded of how God is in control and how He is working out the details for us to move to Guatemala.

The girls at Mimi’s House are doing well. They have finished up their current school year and will be on break until January. We will also be welcoming three new girls to Mimi’s House starting in 2011. Please keep Evelia, Julissa, Lupita, Lesly, and Paola in your prayers. Also pray for the three new girls coming in January. We are excited to see Mimi’s House expanding and look forward to working with the girls once we complete language school.

Several of our partners have asked when they should start sending in their support. Since we will be moving on January 6th we would like everyone to start sending in support now so that we can work out any problems that may come up before we get to Guatemala. There are three options on sending in your support: mail in your check to Catalyst at the address below (don’t forget to put Wheeler Family in the memo of your check), pay online at the Catalyst website included below, or set up automatic bill pay through your bank. Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions.

Catalyst Resources International
P.O. Box 1594
Lake Wales, FL 33859
Memo: Wheeler Family

http://www.catalystresources.net/

Thanks again for your support! Without your support our move and work would not be possible.

October Update

2010-10-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

Update from Robby:

This month’s newsletter is a little different because Lori and I decided to each give an update on what has been happening this past month. It has been a little crazy with all the moving around but during this past month I was able to attend Hand Pump Repair Training with Edge Outreach located here in Louisville. Many of you may remember me attending training with Edge back in July on the water purification systems. The Hand Pump Training was an intense three days of hands on training where we were taught how to identify, diagnose, and repair problems on four different types of wells and hand pumps. The hand pumps that we worked with are located around the world. During the training I learned that it is estimated that about 70% of the existing wells are not functioning. These same wells and hand pumps are located throughout Guatemala. I am looking forward to getting started repairing these broken pumps and also being able to teach the people how to repair and maintain the wells and hand pumps themselves. But more importantly I look forward to developing relationships with the people that are in need of clean and safe drinking water.

I thought this summed up what I hope to share with the people of Guatemala:

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, stream of living water will flow from within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. John 7:37-39 (NIV)

Update from Lori:

Yesterday as we were leaving the mall, Cohen asked where we were going and Robby answered that we were going home. Cohen’s response: “Which home?” Sounds like a silly question, but as I think back over the past few months I realize this wasn’t such a strange question for him to ask. At the beginning of June we moved from our house to a friend’s house for a few weeks. Then the kids and I stayed for a few weeks at my mom’s house while Robby stayed in Louisville to work. We went back to our friend’s house for a few weeks and then went on vacation. When we returned from vacation we stayed at Robby’s parents’ house for a few weeks. Finally, in September we moved into an apartment where we plan to be until we move to Guatemala.

If it sounds exhausting to you, let me tell you that it was! I must admit that all this moving and uncertainty was not my favorite. There were plenty of days when I should have been thanking God for providing a place for my family to stay that instead I was grumbling about all of the inconveniences I had to deal with. I know God was not punishing me, but instead preparing me – preparing me for a new and crazy life in a third-world country.

Today Psalm 119:71, 75-76 really spoke to me:

“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees….I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort.”

It was good that I went through that disruption because it brought me closer to God. He allowed that craziness because He knew I needed it to prepare me for living in Guatemala. And with His faithfulness and love He brought me through it. I know that He will continue to be faithful.

Financial Update:

We have currently raised 65% of our monthly budget. We were excited to meet with Springdale Community Church again this month and hear that they will be partnering with us. They are currently working on their budget for next year so we do not have any exact amount but their support will begin in January of 2011!

Also, this month we were happy to meet with the pastor of Williamstown Christian Church to make plans for us to return on November 14th. We will be sharing with both morning services as well as a Sunday School Class more about ourselves and the work we will be doing. The goal of this Missions Sunday is to get the congregation excited about missions and invite individuals and families to partner with our ministry.

Randy Gordon, the missions minister from our home church has told us that Northeast will be partnering with us and will have a proposal to us by the end of this week! We are looking forward to meeting with Randy sometime this week.

Prayer Requests:

We ask that you pray for us as we continue our language learning.
We ask you to pray for our funding to come together so that we may move to Guatemala at the beginning of January.
Please continue to keep the girls at Mimi’s House in your prayers.
Pray that our family will have a smooth transition in our move.
Thank God for how He has blessed us as we have made these changes in our lives.
Thank God for Edgar who is the Guatemalan missionary that we will be working with.
Thank God for our friends and family who have continued to give us support and encouragement.

Thank you, Caneyville Christian Church!

2010-09-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today we were able to visit Caneyville Christian Church to share about how God has led us to pursue full-time mission work and about the work we plan to do in Guatemala. Of course we are always a little nervous about speaking in front of a large group of people, but this church was so welcoming and God gave us the strength to share the dreams He has placed on our hearts.

Before we spoke this morning, we prayed that God would give us the words to say. At the end of the service a love offering was collected and we were blown by the generosity of this church. We know that this is not the result of our speaking abilities, but because the Holy Spirit was at work and the church responded. Thank you, Caneyville Christian, for letting us come and share!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers -- specifically that our financial support will come together within the next few months. We are still waiting to hear how our home church will be involved in our ministry, so please pray for those at our church who are making this decision. We will also be meeting with a pastor of another church here in town this Wednesday. On the 26th, we are excited about returning to Williamstown Christian Church! God has been so faithful in the past and we know that He will get us to Guatemala in His timing.

Volcanoes, Earthquakes, & Mudslides

2010-06-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share a little about what is currently going on in Guatemala. Although we do not know all the details, we have been hearing from missionaries currently working in Guatemala and reading the Guatemalan newspaper online for updates.

Last Thursday Pacaya, an active volcano, erupted causing thousands of people in nearby villages to evacuate from their homes. Although volcanic eruptions are common in Guatemala, many people have described this eruption as the most violent they have experienced. Several inches of ash has mixed with the rain causing a huge mess over the regions surrounding Pacaya.

Along with the eruption, the people of Guatemala also experienced a small earthquake and received news that Cyclone Agatha was on its way. Agatha brought 21 inches of rain during the first 24 hours causing major mudslides and more than 18 bridges to collapse.

In a country where people are already struggling to survive, these disasters have caused much devastation -- many people lost their homes, what little they had, and the means to provide for their families. Please join us in praying for the families affected by these disasters!

Huge blessing from another Green family
We will be working with the Greene family (Fontaine & Paula) in Guatemala, but have just received a huge blessing from another Green family. The Green family has graciously allowed us to live in their home in Louisville while they are away. This has allowed us to sell our remaining furniture and save money for our work in Guatemala.

We know that this is all part of God’s plan – we received an email from the Green’s just days before we were going to sign a lease on a short-term apartment. Although selling our furniture and other things was a bit scary, we know that God wanted us to step out in faith and trust that He would take care of us. The Green family explained that something just kept telling them to check on us to see if we had moved to Guatemala yet, and we are so thankful for their support in this way!

Update on our support
We have now raised 100% of our start-up costs and over 40% of our on-going monthly support. Thank you so much for partnering with us! Knowing that there are so many people in our lives praying for our family and joining us in this work has been a huge encouragement to us. We are continuing to meet with churches and individuals to finish raising our support.

Encouraging verse for us this month
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1

Remember catalyst’s new address

Catalyst Resources International
P.O. Box 1594
Lake Wales, FL 33859
Memo: Wheeler Family

Big news!!!

2010-04-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

We are excited to share that we have a contract on our house and should close by the end of May. This is a huge weight lifted from our shoulders, knowing that we could not move to Guatemala until our house has sold. We love seeing how God works things out… The family buying our house is a single mom with two daughters and one of her daughters was adopted from Guatemala.

We want to let everyone know that the address for Catalyst is changing. The new address is:

Catalyst Resources International
P.O. Box 1594
Lake Wales, FL 33859

If you have sent a support check to the other address, it will be forwarded to the new address. We just want to make everyone aware of the new address. Remember to write “Wheeler Family” in the memo of your check.

At this point, we have raised approximately 30% of our financial support. We hope to hear good news very soon about financial support from several churches that we have been meeting with. We are praying that since we have a contract on our house that the remaining funds will come in quickly.

We are so thankful for all of you who are generously supporting our work in Guatemala through your prayers and financial support. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We are excited about how we will be working together to share God’s love with the people of Guatemala.

As we write this, we do not have an exact moving date. While we know that we might need to step out in faith and move before we have raised 100% of our funds, we are also wanting to make wise decisions for our family. If you are planning to partner with us through monthly financial support but have not yet started sending in your contributions, could you help us plan by filling in the response card below and sending it to the Catalyst address? We realize that many people might want to help as soon as we move, and it would be a huge help if you could send your response card in soon. Please know that even if you feel like the amount you are able to give is small, it will be a huge blessing to our family and to the people we will be working with.

Response card (Just copy and paste to a Word document and print.)
Yes! I will partner with the Wheeler family through monthly financial support and prayer.

Mail support to:
Catalyst Resources International
P.O. Box 1594
Lake Wales, FL 33859
Memo: The Wheeler Family

_____ $25 per month Name: _____________________
_____ $50 per month e-mail address: ________________
_____ Other home church: _________________

Encouraging verse for us this month:
“Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord.”
1 John 3:18-19

Thank you, Calvary Christian & Williamstown Christian!

2010-03-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we visited Calvary Christian Church in Winchester, Kentucky. Robby and I met with their missions committee a few months ago and were thrilled to hear that they wanted to partner with us through on-going monthly support and possibly send teams to work with us in the future. They welcomed us like family and it was great to meet more of their congregation. We were able to share our story and more about the work that we will be doing in Guatemala with a Sunday School class as well as a group of their elders and members of the missions committee. Their pastor, Brian, introduced our family (Leah really wanted to dance on the stage!) to the congregration during both services and prayed for us as we continue on this journey. It was such an encouraging time for us, so thank you Calvary Christian for making us feel so at home with you!

We also heard great news from the missions committee at Williamstown Christian Church. They have committed to helping us with some of our start-up expenses, which will allow us to purchase a laptop to take to Guatemala. Their support will also cover language classes once we get to Guatemala. We loved meeting with their missions committee and look forward to sharing with the entire congregation very soon!

A few steps back...

2010-02-26T10:35:00.001-08:00

This week we feel as though we have taken a few steps back. Before the snow hit, we were excited about meeting with several of the leaders from church and sharing our story. We have been meeting with leaders on staff for quite some time, but this meeting was hopefully going to get everyone who will be making the decision of how our home church will be supporting us together in one room. The snow delayed that meeting and this week we found out that the leaders are not ready to meet with us. Instead they will be meeting and working on long-range mission plans and *hopefully* will know something in two weeks.

Although this news from our church has been very disappointing, we are continuing to talk with other churches about partnering with us. We are confident that God has called us to serve Him in Guatemala and are trusting that He will make a way for us to do that. Will you continue to pray for us as we work to raise our financial support?

A team from Kentucky just returned home from Guatemala and I am sharing one of their pictures below. The girl on the far right is Herminia -- she is living at Mimi's House as a house parent. We are so thankful for her and for all the love and attention she is giving the girls right now. Please pray for Herminia as she works very long days -- taking the girls to school, helping them with their homework, preparing meals, cleaning the house, washing the never-ending loads of laundry, and leading the girls in daily devotionals.

Snow Delay...

2010-02-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

Because of the snow, we were unable to have the meeting with our church leaders today. Our serve pastor said that he will call us tomorrow to set up an exact meeting time, hopefully either Thursday or Friday.

We did get some good news today -- Calvary Christian Church in Winchester, Kentucky has committed to monthly financial support bringing our support percentage to 19%. We will be visiting Calvary again soon for a commissioning service and we are anxious to meet more of their congregation. Thank you, Calvary Christian!

We are also continuing to meet with small groups and individuals who are interested in partnering with us in some way. Last week I shared with a group of moms who meet at Crestwood Baptist Church. Thank you girls for letting me share with you!

This weekend we will be meeting with three more small groups. You know I always get nervous right before we share with a group. It is still a difficult thing having to rely entirely on God though the generosity of others to provide the support for our work in Guatemala. But I can think of five good reasons to keep going...

Julissa

Paola

Evelia

Lesly

Lupita

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers! We will update as soon as we have more news!

Please Pray!!!

2010-02-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

Leaders at our home church will be meeting to discuss how our church will be able to support our work in Guatemala this coming Tuesday. Today we were told that up until this past Tuesday they didn’t think they would be able to support us at all due to the costs of the church’s new building fund. Something happened on Tuesday that made the leadership reconsider. Thinking back, I realized that this past Tuesday was the morning that my Bible study leader had called to check in with me. I shared with her that we had expected to hear how our home church would be able to support us by the end of November and we still haven’t gotten an answer, so she prayed very specifically with me over the phone that God would work to release the funds that we need.

God has shown us in amazing ways how powerful prayer can be. Remember how He answered our prayer of being able to be with Cohen in Guatemala until his adoption was complete?

Will you join us in praying very specifically these next six days?

•We are praying that God would soften the hearts of those at our church who are making these decisions.

•We are praying that they will either “find” money from other areas of the budget or that they will step out in faith and trust that God will bless our church through their giving to missions.

•We are praying that God will use this situation to bring glory to Him remembering Ephesians 3:19-21:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support! We will keep you posted on any news when we receive it!

Our five girls...

2010-02-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a picture of the five girls that are currently living at Mimi's House. From the top, there is Evelia, Julissa, Lupita, Lesly, and Paola. They range in age from eleven to seventeen. Now if you had asked me years ago if I would like to live with a house full of teenage girls, I would have thought you were crazy! But realizing how each girl's life will be dramatically changed by living at Mimi's House is such an exciting thought for me!

Fontaine recently e-mailed me pictures of each of the girls individually along with a brief bio on each girl. I just keep thinking about one of the stories in particular... One of the girls was living in complete poverty, but had a relative in the city. Her mother sent her to live with this relative so that she could go to school and have a better future. Instead of sending her to school, this relative used the little girl as a servant.

Each of our girls are coming from some type of difficult background. And although their stories up to this point may seem unimaginable to us, the girls are filled with hope! It is exciting for me to think about how we can help the girls coming to Mimi's House, but I already have a feeling they will be teaching us just as much as we will be teaching them.

We have shared with some of you one way we are building our prayer and financial support. We have a calendar with thirty-one days on it. If you select the 15th day, you will pray for us on the 15th of each month as we pray for you that day. You will also support our work by sending in $15 per month. If you choose the 20th, you would support us at $20 per month. By filling up our calendar, we will have at least one person praying for our family each day as well as almost $500 per month in financial support. If you would like more information or would like to sign up for a day, just email us or leave us a comment. Support can be sent to Catalyst Resources International -- the address and information is on the right side of our blog. Just remember to put "Wheeler Family" in the memo of your check.

Update on our move...

2010-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

We are still anxious to get to Guatemala and meet the girls at Mimi's House! In the picture above are Julissa, Lupita, and Paola. There are actually five girls living at Mimi's House now, but we don't have pictures of the two newest girls yet.

Robby and I have been staying busy these past few weeks. We continue to meet with churches and mission ministers, but are now starting to meet with small groups and individuals. Our main focus right now is getting financial support that will allow us to live and work in Guatemala. Equally important to us is getting prayer support -- knowing that this move will be an exciting yet stressful time for our family.

We also finished a week of training with Team Expansion, which is another agency that sends missionaries all over the world. We appreciated them allowing us to come to their training even though we will be working through a different agency and felt like the information we gained there was extremely beneficial.

We know that our move will take place in God's timing and not necessarily ours and that His timing is always perfect. I plan to do better at posting updates on our blog, so check back soon for more news!

2009-11-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Meet Lupita. She is a twelve-year-old girl who, like the majority of children in Guatemala, comes from a very poor family. Lupita will be completing the 6th grade this year, which for most children living in poverty in Guatemala is the last year they are able to attend school. They are then considered old enough to start working to help support their family.

Thankfully, this is not the case for Lupita. She is one of many girls who will be living at Mimi’s House, a home for girls coming from difficult backgrounds. Lupita will be part of a family in a home filled with love and laughter. She will be given the opportunity to graduate from high school and encouraged to attend college, so that the cycle of poverty will be broken. Most importantly, Lupita will grow up in a Christian environment where she will have the opportunity to experience the love of Jesus.

We are writing to you to share what God has laid upon our hearts. We have seen the children and families that are living in such desperation while in Guatemala adopting our son and later while serving on mission trips. We now know that God has called us to serve in Guatemala full-time. One verse that is a constant reminder to us is Proverbs 24:12: “…Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act.”

So we are prayerfully acting! Our goal is to move to Guatemala in January 2010 where we will be working alongside the Greene family at Mimi’s House. The biggest stretch of faith for us is the fact that we will not be receiving a salary for the work we will be doing. Instead we will be trusting that God will provide for our family through churches and other families who believe in the work that we are doing and choose to partner with us.

How can you be a part of what God is doing in Guatemala?
•Pray for our family as we transition to living in a different country and speaking a new language.
•Send a team from your church to Guatemala to work with us for a week.
•Support our work through a financial contribution.

We would love to meet with you to talk in more detail about this exciting opportunity. We would also be happy to share with your church more about this ministry in Guatemala. We look forward to hearing from you soon!