We have returned from another thrilling trip

Gayle Shearer collecting some school children at Chaguiton

The team has completed it's duties and returned to Houston. We were charged with visiting 3 villages and deciding which one would be the best partner for future work in Guatemala. This was not an easy decision, but I'm happy to report the team was unanimous in their choice. The village of Chaguiton was our selection.
The next visits will be to return and start to build a relationship that will help the village make some decisions with us that help them solve some serious issues in water purity,  health education, and improving crop performance. New teams will be formed in the near future but the work is likely to be different than the home construction type we have done in the past. Stay tuned to find out more.

A wall map of the village of Chaguiton

Days of meeting; planning

If these pictures give you the impression we are  in a lot of meetings you are right. CALMS has done a great deal of preparatory work for our visit.  In the top picture we are meeting with Village Council Members and teachers from the village schools. In the bottom picture, we are debriefing over breakfast.  Between the alpine climbs in the rental van and the meetings to learn we are very occupied. Today we met with the third village we are considering for partnership.  We are all surprised by the abject poverty and the uniquely different circumstances in each village.  Our decision to select one village is painful, because it means we can't help the other two. 

We are learning to appreciate more what each of us brings to the table for the sake of the mission.  We have learned so much and been deeply impacted by the scenes we observed.  I'm still having difficulty getting you some of the pictures from the villages, but hopefully we can provide more views to you later.

Blessings,

Bruce

Yikes! My first esperience in a Spanish Internet Cafe.

The keybord is very different. Please be patient while I learn to use it. This is a good example of culture adjustment.

Yesterday was a very long day, with a number of bone jarring rides up the side of a mountain. I used to live in Colorado, so I know what mountain roads look like.  However, this was an experience unlike any other.  As expected, the roads were perilous, muddy and rutted.  The ride was bone jarring and nearly vertical, at least as much as gravity allows.

We got to visit a village that I thought was at the top of the world, but then I found out we would be going higher the next day.  We visited the town of La Avenzada. The views were incredible.  This is a community that already has a relationship with another American church, Divine Shepherd in Omaha. We were able to see the work their team has been doing over the last four years.  I could not help but wonder what things will be like in four years from when we partner with a village.

It is now Wednesday and we have just returned from visiting two villages farther up the mountain.  One is Chaguiton, the other El Progeso.  We are withholding judgement until we visit a third village tomorrow, Corozal.

We are staying in apartments in La Unión. They are comfortable enough, although somewhat spartan. the restaurant is good, so we are not tarving or getting sick. We sleep well each night, so we are doing well, overall. The Christian witness we provide is great but we are very surprised about the receptive response from our hosts.  We are very excited to see the opportunities God is revealing to us and we are being stretched more than I thought possible.

I  will send pictures, there are a bunch of them, but I need a Spaish translator with me to figure how to add them.  Do not laugh!

Blessings,
Bruce

The Discovery Team begins it's work

The Discovery Team has arrived safely in Guatemala.  Our work is to visit villages in the mountains above Gualan to find communities that want to partner with us to bring about meaningful change in health, education and spiritual growth among the people who live there.  As Pastor Steve Hughey, Executive Director of Central American Lutheran Mission Society (CALMS) and Miguel Torniere, CALMS' Missionary at Large began to instruct us on the week's work we began to realize the many challenges and opportunities that lay before us.  CALMS deeply values the long relationship we have had with them and is encouraging us to seek new and varied ways to do mission work. We have done some great work in home building, and we take great pride in the relationships we have built in the process, but we can do so much more. We are considering adopting a village where we can make some real difference in the lives of an entire community, especially where there is a great spiritual void. 

Our group, composed of Shirley Arbet, Kathy Carlson, Gayle Shearer, Pastor Dan Schepmann and Bruce Collet are learning from the CALMS team of Lori Newhouse, Pastor Steve Hughey and Pastor Miguel Torniere. Tomorrow is a big day in the mountains. Keep us in your prayers.

Bruce Collet

 

 

The team at devotions

A quick stop and a photo for the road