Serving with Passion

I have shared with you many of the projects that we are doing. I have written about houses, stoves, schools, clinics, Churches and hydroponics. I have tried to keep you informed of the things that we are doing but today I wanted to talk about motivation. The why behind all of the whats. What is the motivation for leaving the comforts of Illinois and my family and friends here.That is a good question and some days I ask myself that. I will try and share it as    best I can and pray that you are grabbed with a vision for service yourself.

Let me start by saying I do not love every aspect of the work that we do in Guatemala. I hate spiders, snakes, rats, scorpions and roaches but we encounter them frequently. I do not like to be covered in dirt and muddy sweat. Adventure is overrated when it means you could be stuck overnight away from your bed. 100 lb bags of cement are heavy. There are lots of things that we do on a regular basis that are not high on my list of desired tasks for the day. So WHY do I go?

When I get up many mornings I know the work ahead and I know that it is going to be a difficult day. I want to role over and pretend to not be there but that is not an option. I get up and I go to breakfast with the team. Hopefully it was after spending a little quality time along with God but that does not always happen. It is during breakfast that my perspective on the day changes. I begin to see that there is a purpose and a plan for today that has been taking shape since the beginning of time. Today, God is going to show His love to somebody through this group of people that I am with and I am going to get to be part of that. I am much more excited about the day at this point.

When I start focusing on people, God's love, and being a son to my Father the day takes on a special importance. Who knows, maybe that day there will be a breakthrough of love to one of the kids that I have seen countless times. Possibly God will use our team to bring healing and restoration to a person that has been hurt and abused. What if today is the day that someone we minister to with our words or actions would lay down their life at the cross of Jesus and receive all that He has for them. Today takes on a new meaning and importance that is easy to forget in the business of the work we are doing.

When I let God show me the bigger picture I develop a passion for what we are doing. I have God's heart for the people that we are serving. I see myself as blessed for being able to see the love of God manifest through His children to people that He wants to reveal Himself to. I become passionate about what we are doing because my Father is passionate about it. I get to reap rewards that are beyond what I can comprehend because I am working with Jesus and watching Him move in people's lives.

God has called us all to serve Him but not as slaves. He wants us to see the big picture and know what He is doing. He wants to ignite His passion in us for those that He came to save. He wants to partner with us to make His name known. God wants to give us an inheritance and fill our lives with brothers and sisters to share it with. God does not want us to spend our lives in meaningless tasks but wants us to see that whatever He has called us to should be used to draw people to Him. If you are a teacher, carpenter, mechanic or garbage ruck driver, God wants to ignite you with passion for your work and show you how to disciple others through that thing. You can do any legitimate job for His glory and to make Him known.

Are you passionate about what you are doing today? If not, ask Holy Spirit to show you how your role can have a kingdom impact on people's lives. Let Him show you how you can use your skills, gifts, talents and resources to Make Jesus known. You have a purpose, destiny and inheritance. What you do is important to the lives of those you are called to minister to. You are alive today to make known the kingdom of God. He wants you to have a passion for that.

I still need to raise support for my personal finances. I need another $1,000 before I return Sept 20th. I would also like to see several of the school children sponsored before my return. If you would like to help with either of these things you can contact me at 779-227-3812 or email me at thegeokr@yahoo.com If you would like to send support you can mail it to

Life Church Morris
c/o Guatemala Missions Fund, ongoing
P.O. Box 679
Morris, IL 60450

Thank you all and I pray that you find a kingdom purpose and the Father's passion for the work He has called you to today.

Just hanging out with some friends

Replacing a house in Zapote

If we want to receive love, we must be ready to give it away.

I am sitting at the school in Membrillal this morning watching the Capital Church team play games with the kids and I am thinking about the last 6+ months. I am watching the kids and seeing how much they soak in loving attention from any older person that notices them. I find that I constantly am the victim of hugs, fist bumps and pile ons. I am so grateful that God has opened the door for me to spend so much time at this school and to get to know the kids. They have taught me much about life and about myself. I have learned what our relationship to our heavenly Father is supposed to be. I have come to understand in a much greater way the need we all have to experience love from someone stronger and wiser than we are. It is the very reason for our existence. We draw a sense of security from knowing that we are loved by someone that knows more and has more strength than we do.

When I go to the school every kid knows my name and most or the 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd graders clamor for my attention. They are saying “Do you notice me?” You cannot get away from the feeling that your attention is of vital importance to some part of their lives. Sadly, by the time that they get to 4^th Grade many of the kids, especially the boys have begun to retreat from many of the adults. They still will interact but it is not with the same degree of enthusiasm as the younger children. It is obvious not just that they are getting older but that they are also closing their hearts a little bit to people. They are not as receptive to the attention that they craved just a year or two earlier.

Many of the children in this community come from single parent homes for several different reasons. Others come from homes with alcoholic or abusive parents. Many come from loving homes but they have a dad that is gone several days at a time to make a living in a low paying job in another region. The reasons that the children have come to isolate themselves from authority are numerous but the results are usually the same. They are not limited to this small community in Guatemala but are everywhere. Kids that feel abandon, neglected, abused or forgotten will gradually begin to shut down to receiving love.

   

I am beginning to see that through much of my life I have done the same thing. Where I once craved attention from authority figures and older people, I eventually began to resent them and try to stay under their radar. I developed a mistrust for their attention to me. I became defensive and did not want to be accountable to them. After all, who are they to tell me what I can or cannot do? This attitude did not show up in 4^th grade but I suspect that it start to take root then. As I felt the sting of criticism from one of my teachers and began to develop my first ulcer. I am sure that it progressed as my parents, out of love and concern kept me from some of the things that other kids were doing. While today I can see that their motives were for my benefit and protection, at the time I just felt resentment. I felt like an outsider and it became a self-fulfilling view. The more I felt that way, the more I acted in ways that separated me from the people that I wanted to be like. There were times that I resented everyone and was angry at the world but only my family saw it of felt the resentment because a good Christian guy does not act out how I was feeling and to show it would just bring more isolation and resentment so I wore a mask.

For most of my adult life I have been actively involved in youth ministry. I loves kids and wanted to pour into them. It has not been until recently though that I have learned that what they need from is that I learn to receive the love of Jesus and allow that to fill everything I do. When I am doing a difficult or dirty task, I have learned to remind myself that I am l a son loved by my Heavenly Father. When I am spending time with the kids, I have learned to ask Jesus to fill my heart with His love, not just for them but for me. I realize that a person that is lives in and is aware of love filling their lives is able to serve much better. I have begun to serve from a desire to see the love that is filling me more daily to fill others too. Jesus loves us and it is in receiving that love that we are really able to show the world the power of God to bring transformation. I want Him to use me not just to transform individuals but towns and a nation so I need to live continually in the awareness of His love.

Jesus wants you to experience His love in real and deeply profound ways. He wants to fill you so that you can go and pour into others. He wants to use you in ways that are beyond anything that you can imagine and bring fulfillment to your lives. I also have come to believe that you will never experience more of God’s love until you let Him show you an outlet to release it. Love cannot flow into our lives unless we have a place for it to flow through. What is your outlet? How is God leading you to share His love? Are you called to join me or others in foreign missions? Maybe He is calling you to visit the sick or elderly in the hospitals and nursing homes. Possibly you are called to reach out to the young people in your community or lead an exploratory Bible study or Alpha group for your neighbors. I do not know what the specifics of your life or but I know this, If you want to receive the love of Jesus Love cannot flow into our lives unless we have a place for it to flow through. What is your outlet? How is God leading you to share His love? Are you called to join me or others in foreign missions? Maybe He is calling you to visit the sick or elderly in the hospitals and nursing homes. Possibly you are called to reach out to the young people in your community or lead an exploratory Bible study or Alpha group for your neighbors. I do not know what the specifics of your life or but I know this, If you want to receive the love of Jesus you need to let Him show you where to give it away.

I will be returning to Guatemala on September 20^th and will be followed a few days later from a group from my Church. I need to raise about $2,500 in order for that to happen. I already have ticket to go but need my return ticket and living expenses for 2 months. I would like to ask you to pray about partnering with me in this. God is faithful and I know that He is the one that has called me to what I am doing. He has always provided for my needs but He often uses people. I do want to make it clear that this is only for my personal living expenses. I am glad to provide you ways to give to our projects also but that is not what I have asked for here. In the tabs of the blog there are tabs for ministries that you can give through to support our schools and projects.

Thank you all for your prayers and support in the past and I would love to get together with any that would like to hear the stories and see the pictures of what we have been doing.

Friendship, Ministry and Life

The last few weeks have been busy and filled with lots of work, friendship and fun. Early last Saturday we took the team from Hinton to the airport and said goodbye to our friends. They continued working right up until Friday evening. Because of their hard work, computer desks were built at both schools, one of the walls of the Membrillal Church is closer to completion and the playground on the Church roof now has a roof of it's own. They kept going right up until it was time to pack up and go home.

This team has become real friends over the last 2+ years. It is always good to spend time with them and work with them. They encourage me to work more, try harder and be more available to people that come to work with us. I am thankful for them and am already looking forward to their return next year. I am hoping that they are able to bring back a few more of their team from past trip.

While Hinton was still here the His Hands Support Ministry team came to begin the evaluation/registration process for the Membrillal school for next year. Because of the financial concerns at the school, they left with some unanswered questions but they still took time with each kid as if the expansion for next year is going to happen.The kids love the visit from them each year and there are always lots of hugs his week. I have to admit that I had a good time with these crazy ladies myself, though I might have blushed a few times.

My favorite part of the time with His Hands is that I get to spend more time with the kids at the school than any other week in the year. While I drive them around, I also got to interview kids and to play with them during their free times. I was able to laugh with them, get high fives, hugs and fist bumps frequently and occasionally pulled around the playground. This is an important week because it reminds me that I need to keep my focus on the kids and communities that we serve and that the call is to make the love of Jesus known to them. Sometimes this can get lost in the business of the work when we are doing construction.

I am excited for the future of both of the schools here and for the Churches that serve the communities. As I get to spend in these communities I see the heart of the Father for the people that live in them. Looking at the kids, I see the need that we all have to know that we are loved by a perfect Father and that this love is perfect, unconditional and free. If I can see His love in this way, I am sure that it is way greater than I an fathom. If His love is this great for them and for me, then He is going to bring breakthrough in the lives of the families in Zapote and Membrillal. He is going to bring healing and and deliverance to them and as long as I am obedient, I am going to get to see it.

Than you Jesus for your love to me and for that same love reaching to the communities that you have led me to.

Soon I will be returning to the States for a few weeks and while there I will need to raise the funds needed for my return. I will be spending another 2 months here this year and will need to raise $2,500 to $3,000 more to complete the year. Many of you have been a part in my funding already this year and I am grateful for that. I would love a chance to talk with many of you and share all of the things that we are doing here. The vision is much bigger than one person, Church or group and all of you can play a role. Thank you and see many of you soon.

Interviewing families for Source of Hope

Joyful faces of kids at play

To say last week was interesting would be an understatement. Friends from the Hinton Alliance Church from Hinton, Alberta are here for a two week stay and we have been doing everything that we can to scare them but so far they have come through very well. We took them to work into Zapote to work most of the week and it has created some interesting situations.

 On Monday as we were returning from work, the skies opened up and the rain came down  at probably and inch or more an hour rate. About the time that we got to a straight section of road where we could go a little faster the wipers quit working and I could not see to drive but I also could not see to safely pull over So I continued the last 6 miles home with the help of others telling me what I could not see. We made it but my knuckles were white. I was able to get them fixed when we got back.

On Tuesday We went back to Zapote. The drive is downhill the whole way and finishes with a 5 mile dirt and gravel road that requires 4 river crossings. When we came out of the first river the brakes went out. We still had to go 4 miles to drive into Zapote and 25 miles to get home. I had to drive home pumping the breaks so that I could have any break pressure but still the pedal was close to the floor the whole way. Once again we made it home safely.

On Wednesday we had to split the team up. While a few went into Zapote to work on the next house we were going to build I kept half of the group at the Church to work on projects around there. We had to have the mechanic work on the breaks. The break fluid had become contaminated, the pads were cracked and the shoes were completely worn out. The ones that went into the Zapote got to see a show. Fuego, the volcano that we have to drive around to get to Zapote began erupting. We could clearly see the smoke and Ash from 20 miles away. They were only 3 miles from it. In the evening we all went on the Church roof to watch the lava as it shot a few hundred feet above the cone. It was a spectacular show.

In spite of all of the adventures, God protected everyone and we got home safely each night. We also were able to build 2 houses and 2 stoves as well as get the playground at the Church painted with 2 coats and get a roof over the upper level. This team, like the team from Risen Life, works hard from the time they get to the job until the time that we are finished. Not stopping has  allowed us to accomplish a lot for being a team of 7. They have been working hard. The good news is that we still have a second week of work and that will be mostly focused on the Church at Mebrillal.

I am so grateful for the many people that God has brought into my life in the last few years. This team from Hinton is now here for the fourth time and they have become great friends over the last few years. It is always great when they come and we enjoy having them come visit and work with us. It is always good when teams come but it us my favorite when they come back.

Ash shooting several thousand feet in the air on the next day after it calmed down.

Progress

It has been longer than I intended since my last update. I was planning on posting right after the team left but unfortunately my body would not cooperate. I spent most of last week in bed or asleep on the couch with the flu or something like it. I had body aches, chills when I was not roasting, a nasty cough and no energy. I wanted to do things but every time I stopped or sat down, I was sleeping in a few seconds. Needless to say, writing was out of the question.

Happily, I am fully recovered now and would like to update you on the team and the work that happened in early June. The team from Risen Life Church in Utah arrived on Friday evening and they began helping out immediately. There was an evangelism event that was Scheduled for Saturday morning and they went to the streets along with Church members and they blanketed much of the town. They went to the park and to neighborhoods handing out the Gospel of John booklets and looking for opportunities to share about Jesus. Even though they were limited in their abilities to communicate, they all had a great time and were excited to help.

On Monday we started the construction week. The team began the prep work for constructing the Church walls in Membrillal.  They cleaned the area, tied re bar for the beams and began to get the block work started. This is the first team that has done significant block work because it is one of the more difficult jobs. We took a break from work in Membriallal to go work in Zapote for two days. The plan was to work there Wednesday and Thursday and then go back to finish the block on Friday in Membrillal. They were going to build a house and two stoves, not a hard two days work but enough that they would know that they had been busy. They finished it all in one long, hot, tiring and dirty day.

Most of the team went back to work in Membrillal a day early. Rudy took 3 with him back to Zapote to finish tearing down the old, dilapidated house while the rest of us went to continue working on the Church walls. By the end of Thursday we were a full day ahead of schedule. The block was almost completely done up through the first 5 rows, where we were going to stop and pour columns and beams. On Friday, our bonus day we were able to pour them and the Church was starting to shape up. You could now see what it was going to look like.

Risen Life worked hard and I was once again impressed by their work ethic and determination to finish more than anyone though was possible. In their week of work we had 4 days of monsoon rains each afternoon. It poured so hard that the water was making rivers running down the streets. They kept working through it all. Tono told me to clean up because we were done so I started collecting tools and cleaning up the garbage in the rain. Two hours later they were finished with all the work that they wanted to accomplish. They were not going to let 2" if rain falling in a 3 hour period keep them from finishing. They worked hard and they never complained.

I was impressed by how hard the team worked but even more by their attitudes and their view of the work they were doing. They did not come to Guatemala to build buildings and stoves. They came to advance the Kingdom of God and were going to do that regardless of the tasks that entailed. Their work was primarily to honor and glorify Jesus. They did that in Guatemala and they will be doing that in Salt Lake now that they are home. They understand that the call is to be faithful to God's purposes and plans wherever you happen to find yourself at the moment. They made eternal progress this week that goes beyond the number of blocks set and the projects finished. I pray that they are blessed and that Risen Life reaps blessings for all of the sowing that they do.

Jarrod fitting block around a roof drain.

Greg working on the wall near the stage.

Transformation

As many of you have probably figured out by now, I love Guatemala. When I am here, I miss my family and friends back home but I love this place. I am pretty sure that Heaven will be a lot like it without all of the noise, pollution and corruption. What I am saying it that the mountains and much of the Latin Culture draw me in. I know that God has created me for a place like this. There are some things that are challenging but they are nothing compared to the love of God has put in my heart for Guatemala.

We do many different things and I have written about all of them at one time or another, things like stove building, house construction, the Food Machine, outreach and evangelism events and I love them all. Of the things that we do though I love the schools and Church construction the most. While the other things all help individuals or families, these two things have the power to transform a community. As people begin to understand that God created them with a purpose and in His image, they no longer want to settle for just getting by. They want to do something with their lives that impacts the world. Educated people who know that they are created with purpose and in God's image can transform a country. That is the goal of the Churches and schools.

Right now, Guatemala is in a difficult time. Violence has seemed to be on the rise recently. There are bus driver shootings and other murders being reported in the paper almost every day. The government is also in a state of turmoil. The vice president was forced to resign a couple of weeks ago because she has been tied to a corruption and bribery scandal that was led by her personal secretary, who is still on the run. Many other people have also been  named in this scandal, the head of banking, the director of SAT (the national taxing body) The customs director and numerous other government officials. There have been protests every weekend for the last month in several locations calling for an outside investigation and the resignation of the president. To date he has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of the involvement of several cabinet members.

The schools and Churches need to be at the forefront of change in this country. Pastor Merari and others have had a vision to see that happen and has been working, along with other pastors, Church staff, Kid's Alive International  and short term teams to see that happen.  Bringing the light of Jesus into the lives of kids and their families is the reason the schools exist. In Zapote, it is going very well. The school at Membrillal is not doing as well right now unfortunately. That is something I want to ask you all to be praying about.

Each year, the schools grow by adding one class. The kids that start will be able to continue in the school until 8th grade. Last year Membrillal had 1st through 4th grade. This year a 5th grade class was added. That added about 20 new students and a new teacher. There were some unsponsored students last year and now there are more because of the addition of an extra class. The sponsorship cover almost all of the expenses for a student if they are fully sponsored. Right now there are about 30 students that need sponsors. That is putting a serious financial strain on the operation of the school. We need to change this situation soon. It is critical for the school to be able to continue to enhance the lives of the students and to be an instrument of change in Guatemala.

I love these kids and the impact the the school is having on their lives and on their families. Next year we are suppose to add another class but that is going to take some people getting involved and sponsoring children. I am asking you to do three things.

1. Pray that God would bring in all of the needed funds. Ultimately it is His school and we are just stewards of His property and the children.
2. Pray about what, if anything, God would have you to do personally. Maybe He is calling you to make a one time gift or to sponsor a child. I do not know who gives and do not want you to feel pressure from me but I am asking you to ask God if you are called to help financially.
3. Share this blog post. If many people read and pray, God will move the hearts of the ones that He has called. Share it on facebook and email it to friends. Got the word out.

Thank you for being obedient, however God calls you to respond. You are all greatly appreciated.

This does not have anything to do with my own personal support, it is only for the schools at Membrillal. I want to thank you for those that have generously supported me while in my time here. You are a blessing and I am eternally grateful for your partnership in the work God has called me to.

If you want to support the school copy and past this link  http://www.hishandssupportministries.org/guatemala or you can click on His Hand above in the links tab and give through this organization. They are one of the two partner organizations that we are working with to find sponsorships for all of our children.

You can still support me by mailing checks to
Life Church, Morris
C/O Guatemala Missions
P.O. Box 679 
Morris, IL 60450 

Enough

I have been thinking about something for a few days now and I believe  that God has put it on my heart but along with this idea, I have heard a 1,000 excuses in my mind. I am not ready to share the idea just yet because I need to talk to a few people and also I need to ask God to more fully develop it so I know what the next step to take will be. What I want to share right now is the issues that try and rob a God given vision.

When I started to think about this thing that God was putting in my heart, I got excited. It would open doors for many that right now seem to be closed. After my excitement, I got hit with reality. This would cost a lot of money and would require a big time investment from many people. I got frustrated at the difficulties that were ahead and wanted to complain and run away. I let the idea begin to die before Holy Spirit had a chance to develop it in me. I know that it was from God but I also knew that I felt far short of the task.

God began to speak to me about His Kingdom yesterday. In Matt 6 and Luke 12, Jesus tells us that the Father knows what we need and that we should not spend our time chasing after these things. He continues on to tell us to seek His Kingdom and He will take care of our needs. In Matt 16, He goes on to tell us that He is building His Church (Kingdom) and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.. It sounds like God has a plan for all that needs to be done and He has provision to make it happen.. I need faith to step into the plan.

What I am realizing is that it is God's job to direct us, provide the resources for the work and provide for our needs as we walk in obedience to Him. My job is to become intimate with His voice and to obey what He directs. If I am trying to figure out all of the logistics of a thing, I am stepping into His territory. My plans keep me form His best, His provision and His prosperity. I can get my best and come far short of what He intends. I do not want that.

When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we pray "Your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven." but do we mean it. In Heaven their is one agenda, the purpose of God. We often want to direct God into our purposes to act according to our will. If we want His Kingdom manifested in our town, country or even the world, we have to lay down our agenda and work on His. The good news is that when we do this, he is responsible for providing the needs of money, workers and resources. In Heaven there is no shortage of anything. His Kingdom manifest on earth also has no shortage even though we might not always understand how He supplies or may have to wait on His timing to receive it.

I am not talking about a prosperity Gospel. To often that is about the kingdom of self. God has not interest in or intent to build my kingdom. He fully intends to build His kingdom and when we set our hearts and minds on obeying His direction in that call, He will pour the resources of Heaven into that endeavor. He is building His Church (Kingdom) and nothing can stop that. Our choice is to get on board His plan and get to see it happen or to fight for our own plans and get crushed at the point where the Kingdom of God is in conflict with the world.

What I am realizing is the only thing that stops me from walking in God's plan is my own agenda. God is moving with me or without me. The idea He put in my head will happen but I may not get to be part of it. I guess it is time to embrace the work of the cross, let my own plans and agenda die and get on board with what God is about to do.

I want Your Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Teach me to seek that daily instead of my own desires  and plans Jesus. Your plans and your Kingdom rule are better.