Friday, October 7, 2011

It's been How Long?

I couldn't believe when I looked on here that it had been since June the last time I wrote something!  Time flies when you're having fun!

So what has our family been up to?  Well here's a little run down:

Alicia:  She spent the summer at Chico YWAM doing their summer program.  It was a great experience for her and she has decided to go back in the fall to do her DTS before she heads off to college to pursue a degree in nursing.  She is currently enjoying Guatemala and finishing her senior year.  She is also working hard on translating a Spanish book on values used in the school system here from Spanish to English to be used in African schools.

Bailey:  She is working hard on her sophomore year of high school and enjoying music and art.  She wants to go to Chico YWAM next summer to do the same program Alicia did this past summer.  She just turned 15 and is already talking about the time when Mark will teach her driving!!

Christopher:  He is now in 8th grade and attending youth group and having fun with his friends.  He is still really gifted at all things technical and I am constantly amazed at what he knows how to do.  It blows my mind!  He has been teaching at our church's kids classes on Sunday mornings helping to translate.

Soup Run

We have been working with the homeless doing soup run for almost 2 years now.  This year it has really grown and we have also been blessed with a few teams who have gone out with us.  Previously we paid for the soup and food that we brought to people and recently we have been blessed with a LOT of dried soup mixes with veggies and beans.  It's been such a blessing since we are regularly feeding about 50 people!  We are looking forward to working with more churches in another city nearby to start doing some soup runs there as well.

Evangelism/Street Ministry

We've been busy getting the bus ready to use and have even used it a few times to show movies and do outreaches.  The most recent one was in September with our Discipleship Training School students in Chimaltenango.  We were there all day doing children's ministry and evangelism near the central square.  We were able to partner with a church there and pray with many people.  We are hoping to take the bus out more once rainy season ends!

Mark still does street ministry every Saturday night and has had great talks and times of prayer with people in Central Park in Antigua.  He is continuing to go out and bring others with him to share the gospel.

Discipleship Training School

On July 24th of this year we began our DTS with 12 students from Canada the US and Curacao.  It has been a busy time!!!  Mark is working with the 3 guys and I am working with 3 of the girls.  We've been doing one-on-ones and small groups as well as coordinating activities for the weekends.  It's been a lot of fun!  They leave for 5 weeks in Haiti and then return to Guatemala towards the middle of November to do their last 3 weeks in different locations here.  Mark may be joining them for the last 3 weeks of outreach but he will remain at home to work on outreach here and a team that will be arriving in November.

Prayer Requests

--Please pray for the 6 people that are in their rehab programs that God will work in them.
--Pray for our family to be able to have some time off for a little relaxation in the next few months.  It's been
   2 years since our trip to the US and even though we can't return there we would like to take some time off
   here in Guatemala.
--Please continue to pray for our street people that God would continue to move in their lives.
--Pray for continued financial support for us to do the work we have here in Guatemala.

--Dayle