Summary of the first 8 months of 2016

My Church came to visit and work for a week. Thank you Life Church Morris.

This is not the sexiest title but I thought that it was time to review the first 8 months of the year. It has been very busy and we have all been through some tiring weeks but we are grateful for all that God has allowed us to be part of this year. I wanted to give you a brief summary and then let the pictures share the story.

This year we built about 5 houses in Zapote. I cannot recall the exact number and built about 10 stoves.  We replaced much of a home in Magdelena that had water issues and built another house and stove in Escuintla, a new town for us to work in. Just this would have seemed like a busy summer a few years ago but now it is barely a start. We had so many other projects we worked on that I am not sure where to start. I will try to break it down by location.

In Membrillal we had a lot of work at the Church and school. Our biggest task was to finish the walls and the drainage system and then put the trusses up and the roof on. This task was heavy, time consuming and occasionally dangerous. I cannot count how many buckets of concrete and mortar we had to lift over our heads to finish it then we had to raise the trusses. That is the part that might have been dangerous but they are up and the roof is on. We also painted the outside of the school, replaced the netting around the playground with chain link fence, installed the office doors and worked on walls on the second floor.

In Zapote we had just as much to do. We needed to pour concrete in an unfinished part of the playground and install drainage to eliminate standing water and mud. In the process we found that much of the existing drainage needed to be replaced. We also needed to repaint the school,inside and out because the volcanic dust and frequent rains (not to mention dirty little fingers) turn everything black in a short time. We refinished all of the doors and white boards also. Our biggest task was the first floor flooring. Initially it as rough concrete with a skim coat of smooth cement over it. That is a normal process here. For some reason though the skim coat did not bond and it had many cracks so the decision was made to break off the skim coat and to tile. Several teams took hammer to cement to remove it all and to begin tiling the first floor. The rooms and hallway are complete but the cafeteria still needs to be finished.

Along with all of these things, we also hosted a medical clinic in Membrillal and helped a Kid's Alive team with another one for a week in Zapote. We had after school programs and Bible school programs run by a few teams. We had street fairs in San Lucas and Membrillal, and a few other evangelism events and a food distribution to needy families in the schools. Most of all, we have 300 kids in our schools and 600 people in the Churches that hear the proclamation of the Gospel every week because of your ongoing support and work.

It was a long and busy year. I want to thank all of the Churches and groups that came to work with us this year. I hope that you enjoy the pictures

Program for kids in Membrillal

Trying to break up a rock to big to move.
(It eventually got moved)

This was a whole house but now is just a kitchen

Stove being built in the kitchen

The replacement house

Program for older students in Santo Tomas

Street fair in Membrillal

Can't hit me

Street fair in Membrillal

Mixing pegamix for the new tile

Tiling a classroom

Street fair in San Lucas

Sanding new chair rail

Painting around the tilers

Holding the ladder in place

Chris reuniting with Pastor Mario

A house ready to be torn down

The replacement

Before the work started

Replacing the drainage system

Ready to pour 

Poured new pad with drains

Painting outside a classroom.

Kids want in on the action

The finished product

Working on the second floor

Cutting the metal to make trusses

Finishing the gutter system for the Church

Welding Trusses

Getting in place to set the first truss

Truss going up (first attempt)

Got to get higher

Almost got it

Getting there

Success, only 4 more to go

Not for the faint of heart

It took a while but they did it.

Roof going on

Hanging out in Membrillal

"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

I would like to share the direction of my thoughts over the past weeks and pray that they give you something to think about as well. I have been challenged by these same thoughts many times over the past  years and they directly relate to my being in Guatemala. Even though I often forget what I am about to share, God is faithful to remind me regularly.

Lat week my Life Church Morris family was here along with a medical team from HFL. Much like the team from Fox River and Three Rivers Churches, I anticipated this week on the schedule for months. It is great when friends come and many people have become friends here over the years because they continue to come and our friendship has grown out of that. Even more, when the people that I have worked and minister with in the States come to work with us in Guatemala, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation. It is always good to remember our shared past and also to see that there is still a future together in ministry.

Unfortunately these friends leave also. While I am where I am called to be they are called to a different life and a different ministry. We are all working for the advancement of the Kingdom of God but in different places and different ways. We have a common goal but not the same roles. Because of that, we cannot always be with the old friends that we love and cherish for the time being.

This is also true for our natural family. In missions, we do not get to be part of everything that goes on back on the home front. We miss birthdays, graduations, weddings and funerals. We only get to spend time with those we love a few weeks a year. For some it is even less. Going where God calls means leaving behind many people, places and things that we love.

I am not writing to this to whine or complain. God has brought many new friendships and other blessings into my life. He has filled my life with lots of laughter and occasionally some tears. He has let me see and join in with people in their triumphs ans well as in their defeats. My life has been filled many times over beyond all I could ever ask for.  God is good. His plans are good but leaving and separation still hurt. Being reunited with family and friends, while a huge blessing just leads to another goodbye.

Now, on to what God reminds me of frequently. Paul told us that to live is Christ and to die, gain. He understood that our life on this earth is not about looking for comfort or luxury. It is not bout avoiding pain and suffering. Our purpose here is to be aligned with Jesus and to walk in His plans. We live here for the purpose of Jesus. He is to be Lord of every area of our lives. Sometimes that may lead us into painful places. Because there is sin in the world, people suffer. To be the hands and feet of Jesus means sometimes we suffer and other times we enter into their suffering. It also means that there will be times of separation from those that we love. We are not called to live for this world or to hold on to anything in this life. We are called to have the attitude of Paul who said that He counted it all rubbish or dung for the surpassing joy of knowing Christ.

When we start to realize that we are called to live for eternity and not the here and now, we are set free. We can become fearless in the face of danger. We can run at adversity. We are able to go anywhere, do anything and fear nothing because our current circumstance is temporary. God has eternity set as our destiny and as our reward. We are not holding fast to what we cannot keep because He is giving us an inheritance that we cannot loose. God has a plan and He is bringing it together but the focal point is not here and now. It is Jesus and eternity with all of those that surrender to Him.

We are all going to say goodbyes to people. We cannot hold onto them forever in this life. Some will move, change jobs or Churches. Others will just loose our bond of common interest. At some point, we all will die. We cannot escape the temporary nature of our relationships in this life. All we can really do is surrender to the purposes of Jesus and trust Him to work in the lives of those we love. We can obey Him and pray that He draws our family and friends to Him. We can live for the day that we will never have to say goodbye again. We can live for Jesus and for eternity. We can walk in obedience to Christ and in His power and authority in such a way that those who see us can come to know the reality of  Christ in us the hope of glory.

My blog title is "He Holds My Future." I cannot live for today because there is too much at stake. There are people that I love that will only see Jesus if I am willing to obey Him wholeheartedly. There is eternity and all of the promises of God that await. Me. I do not know about you but I am not willing to miss out because I demanded to much now. I want to live for the big picture, life unending and the rewards of my Father.

Are you living for a big enough purpose?

Harvesting an Attitude of Gratefulness

I have to admit. Sometimes I get up on the wrong side of the bed. I start the day with a bad attitude and have a hard time seeing the good in anything. Other days I start out okay but the day will be stressful or the work will be dirty and tiring and but the end I find that I am saying things and demonstrating attitudes that are negative and hurtful. I can get grumpy and be hard to please. While this is not an everyday occurrence it does happen more than I would care to admit. When it does happen, the people that I love and am closest to pay the price. They can easily become the targets of my poor attitude. I am writing this because I know that I am not alone in this and many struggle with allowing negativity to infect everything about their day.

I have come to realize something and I praying that I can learn to incorporate it into my life. When my attitude is wrong it starts with a wrong focus. If I do not begin my morning by turning my thoughts to Jesus and focusing on who He is and who He is making me to be, The cares and circumstances of the day will overwhelm me and cause me to only see the bad in things. It is only when I keep Jesus at the center of my life my that my attitude can be right.

One of the things that I have realized is that I need to be grateful for the work I am doing. Some days it is really dirty and hard. I can be carrying 100 lb bags of cement or lifting buckets of concrete over my head. Other days we might be digging, moving boulders and leveling ground in 100 degree heat. It is easy to get a negative attitude. I need to remind myself of the privilege I get of being allowed to join in the work that Jesus is doing. Over that last 30 years I have been able to work with several hundred young people in the States and now to work with three Churches and 2 schools in Guatemala. I have gotten to hang out with 300 kids and gotten to know many of them. I have been getting to see lives transformed, people set free and come into relationships with Jesus. When I obey Him in the moment, He works and I get to join in the celebration.

It is a privilege to be involved in the work of Jesus. Sometimes it can feel like hard work but it is always a privilege. The bulk of the work is done by the Holy Spirit but we get to see our efforts multiplied by His work. We get to join in with our limited strength and enjoy the fruit of His limitless ability. The key to these things is intimacy with Father so that we can hear and obey Him and a heart of thanksgiving so that we can recognize and appreciate what He is doing. You do not have to be in Guatemala or some foreign country to develop this pattern. You just need to spend time cultivating a relationship with Jesus, practicing thanksgiving and obeying Jesus in the things He shows. You.

I wish that I had been thinking along these lines for all of my Christian life. I know that there are many things I would have done differently. I would not have hurt many of the people that I did. I would have been much more content and even happy with life. Most of all, I would have enjoyed many more of the fruits of my labors if I had not complained so easily. Jesus wants to fill us with joy but we often work against our best interests. Prayerfully, I will learn to break this cycle by focusing on Jesus and harvesting a grateful heart.

The pictures below are just some reminders of how God has opened doors and brought many new people into my life as He has led me in different directions. Each one of them only came about because God wants to use us to minister to others and share His love.

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Yesterday, Today and into the Future

About 16 years ago I began an adventure and I had no idea where it would lead. A friend, Al Graham, asked me if I would consider going with him and driving a bus to Guatemala. I was not sure you could even get to Guatemala from Chicago. I talked to several people and they all encouraged me to go. I remember my mom saying "You should do it. It would be the trip of a lifetime."  Little did she know, it was not the trip of a lifetime but the trip that launched my current life. What started as a 20 day adventure turned into a passion for a lifetime, to see the Kingdom of God impact a country I have grown to love. Many of you have been following along on this adventure with me since the beginning and a few have even come to join me for a week or even months. What a ride it is.

For the last 4 years, I have been working with Iglesia Galilea in San Lucas Sacatepequez. When I first met the pastor and leaders here 8 years ago, I saw their enthusiasm and their dreams for their country. Over the years I have come to see the depth of their faith and their understanding of the heart God has for Guatemala. They know that God desires to bring healing and freedom to lost people and they pursue Him to see that happen. I have not heard them use finances an excuse ever. If they believe God wants to do something, they press on until He tells them to stop. Their faith that God will come through to accomplish His purposes continually challenges me to believe and act beyond my comfort zone.

For the last few years we have been working on the completion of the school in Zapote and assisting the Church in Zapote in reaching out to the community with construction projects. We also have been working on building the school in Membrillal and helping Pastor Esdras plant a Church there. This year we will see the Church building there begin to be used for services. The roof is currently going on. The Church in Zapote is looking for options because they are currently at capacity every Sunday and often have people standing outside that cannot get in. They need more space.

Along with these projects, there is already discussion  about what is next. I do not have many details about the future projects but I now that Tono and Merari are in the planning stages for what will come next. One of the things that I do know is we will be working on a new Church building for San Lucas. Much like Morris, there is a large number of unChurched people here. We are frequently full beyond capacity so we need more space. Because there is seldom room at the second service, visitors can easily feel that they are not welcome. We are looking to build a much larger sanctuary so we can continue to reach out to San Lucas with the love of Jesus. The property is ready and waiting. One day the decision will be made and construction will begin.

I love working here with these people. I love having my faith challenged as I see them continue to step out beyond what is comfortable into the realm of walking by faith. I love the impact that the Churches and schools are having on the communities that we are working in. I am grateful for all that God has allowed me to be part of. I also love how He continually proves Himself as a loving and faithful Father. God has provided time and again, often through brothers and sisters in other nations that have seen the vision and sent funds to share in our projects.  Thank you.

As I write, I find myself still in need of $4,000 to finish this year. I am $9,000 short of my original goal for the year. That included $5,000 for a car or other transportation here. I still have airfares to pay for and other expenses to meet in order to be here for the last 3 months of the year. I will also have expenses for the month of September while I am in Illinois. I am committed to being here and the work that we are doing. I am also sure that it is God that has brought me here. I am asking that you pray about continued support. I know that God is my provider but I also know that He uses people as His hands and feet. If you believe in the work that we are doing and would like to support, you can send support to

Life Church Morris
PO Box 679
C/O San Lucas Mission
Morris, IL 60450

or you can follow the link for donations on this page.

I do not want anybody to feel pressure to support beyond prayer. I only ask that if God calls you to give, you are obedient to Him. He will provide sufficiently. If you do feel called to give, let me know. I do not get a list from the Church but would like to personally thank you for your support and encouragement.