Guatemala Wrap Up.

Guatemala was a very good trip.  I learned that not everything is done like it is in Kenya.  We fed the kids at Eagles Nest rice, a meat patty and gravy.  At Quetzal they children watermelon and spaghetti!!!  

Most of the MANNA Worldwide feeding centers are just that a feeding center at a church.  The children come to the center to eat lunch after school or during their lunch time.  They have kids clubs, Bible studies and church throughout the week.  At first I let what I know over ride what I was seeing.  I kind of froze up and didn’t really know what to do.  It was a great time of learning and meeting new missionaries.  Jerry and Mindy, Edgar and Laura, Vickie and her family.  All of these people are trusting Christ with everything they are, have and ever will be.  Some have young children and some have older children, one is a single mom and one couple is a Guatemalan man and his American wife..  God showed me again that when we trust Him, he will direct our paths and take care of us.  

Keep a look out for video clips from the trip here on the blog and on Face Book.  Kim is working on a video for Galilee Baptist from Decatur, Illinois.  Pastor JJ and his team were a great blessing to Kim and I.  Pastor Ed Trinkle and his team from Philly are CRAZY!!! Thank you for making us feel so welcome with your team.  

This little boy was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or possible his mother was addicted to cocaine.  He has seizures and will be very handicapped for his entire life.  He has a couple of siblings that bring him to the center.  They were being taken care of by family because their mother had abandoned them for a while.  She has returned and is trying to take care of the children.  She is unsaved but coming to the feeding center and church where she is hearing the gospel regularly.

  

The little boy in this picture is Edwin and he is about 8 years old.  His dad passed away in the last few years.  Recently he told the missionary that he wanted to just die so that he could go be with his dad.  As I sat and listened to Jerry tell me these stories I was once again reminded that I have really been blessed in this life.  My heart ached as I thought about how much pain these young children have been through in their lives.  

Kim took a couple of pictures of a beautiful young lady in the Quetzal Feeding Center.  As we were looking through pics with Mindy she said, “stop go back a couple of pics.  This young lady was watching one of her younger siblings when it suddenly died on her 17 birthday.” The father told her that he wished that she had been the one that died.  He regularly tells her that she is ugly and is worthless.  I can not imagine how broken she must feel inside.    

My prayer is that God will continue to allow us to travel and show others the great things that are happening through MANNA Worldwide around the world for the Kingdom.

For More Pics Visit:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.365237893521061.87805.158123600899159&type=1

Solola, Guatemala.

Today we visited Eagle’s Nest Feeding Center, school and orphanage near Solola, Guatemala.  Several years ago a missionary couple saw this property sitting on a hill that was a failed time share resort.  They inquired about the property and were told that it was almost in foreclosure and the asking price was One Million Dollars.  After a year of prayer and raising funds, they were able to buy the property for $150,000.00.  Today they feed about 50 kids in the Manna Feeding Center and the orphanage houses about 65.  

We got to feed the children and hand our more goodie bags that Pastor JJ’s team brought from Illinois.  Most of these children are Mayan.  They are very small for their age.  I met a little boy named Daniel.  The school leader asked him to show his muscles.  Daniel’s muscles were awesome for an 8 year old.  Pastor Pedro even said that Daniel had great ab muscles.  At about 7 years old Daniel started working in the fields with his family.  Pastor Pedro had to beg the parents to let Daniel come to the feeding center after school.  Daniel’s mom only speaks the Mayan language and is illiterate and his dad is never home.  

We just think that we have poverty in America.  In America there is housing, WIC, food stamps and other charities to help out the poor.  Here in Guatemala there is no help from the government.  Some children are required to work very hard to help provide for their family. Many of these kids only get one meal a day.  The missionaries here are doing a great job reaching the lost through the Manna Feeding Centers...David

Today, we went to one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Words can’t 
describe the true beauty of the expansive cobalt lake surrounded on every side by majestic volcanoes. It looked like we were stepping into a scene from Jurassic Park, only better because I was there and it was real. All we could say was wow... The dense forestation and plunging water falls were breathtaking. I wish you all could be here with us. Pictures just can’t do it justice.

We had lunch at the base of the lake, then drove to a MANNA center located on the top of a mountain overlooking the lake and I met little girl there named Lydia. All the kids were seated at their tables about to eat lunch. Our group had just entered the feeding center, when I saw the tiniest little girl helping place spoons in each bowl as her mother served the food and placed them on a table. She was wearing a traditional Mayan/Guatemalan dress. Her black hair was braided. As she sat down at her table to eat lunch with the other kids, I sat down beside her and asked her name and if I could take her picture. We visited for a little while, before she had to return to school. I greatly enjoyed meeting my new friend, but even more, I enjoy knowing that she is being fed every day, her mother is employed, they are hearing about God and MANNA Worldwide is a part of that.

Over the past four years, it has been awesome to see the work that God is doing through MANNA around the world and it blesses me to be able to see it up close and personally. We had a great day today...Kim


Please go to the MANNA FB to see more pics from todays adventures.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.364640360247481.87642.158123600899159&type=1

Guatemala La Gomera Feeding Center

Today we went to the La Gomera Feeding Center.  Manna is feeding about 70 children there. As we walked up i heard Abuelito Abuelito...All of the little kids where calling Bruce Grandpa! It is a very small house with tables set up on a covered porch.  Most of the children were 4-8 years old.  There was one table of early teens.  It was great to hear that all of these young people had accepted Christ and were there serving in the center.   Lago Mera has a Kids Club every Monday where they teach the kids God’s word.  

After the children ate we passed out some goodie bags, candy and put temporary tatoo’s on thier arms.  They didn’t care what the tatoo was. Boys were getting pink hearts and girls were getting lightening bolts.  

We were invited to visit several of the children’s homes. The homes were very small.  Almost all of them cooked outside because the cost of electricity is so high here.  There is a minimum wage here of about $8.00 a day.  Bread, milk and basic essentials are actually more expensive to.  There is great poverty in a very diverse and beautiful country.   Please go to http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.363865350324982.87484.158123600899159&type=1&__adt=15 to see more pics from today.

We got to see a volcano with smoke coming out of the top and the black sand beaches of the Pacific Ocean.  

We made it Guatemala!!!

After a getting up at 2.30 am and driving to DFW we flew to Houston then on to Guatemala City.  So far it is VERY different from Kenya.  I love the mountains.  It is tropical yet has some very rugged mountains.  We got a have an AWESOME taco lunch! There is a one hour time difference here.  We are an hour behind Ft Worth.  This is going to be a great trip.  Bruce and Pastor Trinkle are constantly cracking jokes.  

Will post more tomorrow with pics!

Guatemala

In just over a week we will be headed to Guatemala.  Kim and I want to thank those that have already given financially and prayed for us.  We have seen God work in our lives in the last few weeks.  Through many of you God has provided about half of the funds that we need for the Guatemala and Kenya trips.

Recently I felt God telling me to make a sacrifice.  For several days I thought about what could I sacrifice.  Kim and I are involved in a lot of things for the Lord and I wasn't sure what else I could give up.  As we entered our missions conference at church God layed it on our hearts to give more to missions.  How can I ask people to give by faith to our ministry in the future if we aren't giving by faith now?  Kim and I discussed this for several days.  We already give our tithe, missions, sponsor a child in Kenya and special offerings.

God said, "give till it hurts!!!"

I didn't know how we could give the amount that God had told us.  Kim and I committed to give by faith  and the phone started ringing.  God provided plenty of work for Kim to cover the commitment not just this month but for several months!!!

Please continue to pray for us as we travel to Guatemala March 26-30.  We will be working in several schools and feeding centers around Guatemala City and Antigua.  

Here are a couple videos that Kim made from the PBR Team that was in Guatemala a couple of weeks ago.


Team PBR Todd Pierce 2 from Kim Hayes on Vimeo.




Team PBR Guatemala Kody Lostroh interview from Kim Hayes on Vimeo.