Missions Weekend

Preparations are already beginning for the 2015 BridgeBuilders trip to Guatemala! This coming weekend is missions weekend at Wooddale and we will be celebrating the worldwide involvement of our church and its members. The BridgeBuilders team continues to celebrate as we move into our 21st year of partnership with the churches around Lake Atitlan.

Come visit our booth at Wooddale this weekend for more information about the 2015 trip and how you can get involved. BridgeBuilders has many different ministry opportunities, from home construction to teaching English to medical ministries. Veterans as well as newcomers are welcome as we look to build our team for 2015!

Please continue to pray for the ministry, its leaders, and our partners in Guatemala. Please also begin to consider how you can be a part of the trip this coming February. Trip dates are February 21st to March 2nd and we would love to have you join us!

An informational meeting will be held on November 9th. For a complete schedule, application, and more information please go to: http://wooddale.org/trips/guatemala-bridge-builders

Continue to watch for updates on our blog and Facebook page as the trip approaches! We are excited about what God is doing through this ministry!

Ending on a High Note

Our week of mission work is nearly complete. The medical and dental teams treated the last of their patients, who came to the free clinics via our local church partners and word-of-mouth. Although our teams serve these communities with limited equipment and primitive facilities, their work is highly valued and desperately needed. Stories abounded this week of other ministry team members discovering and transporting the seriously ill to the clinics for treatment.

 Our four construction sites are near completion with roofs installed and most cement floors laid over the last couple days. Tomorrow our entire Wooddale team of 35+ members will visit each of the four new homes to pray over the families and dedicate their homes along with local pastors.

The women's one-on-one team made their last visits with church deaconesses to encourage women believers in their faith and give them hope in the midst of poverty and suffering. Meanwhile, the men's addiction one-on-one team continued walking the villages praying over men they find in the streets. Their words are not always heard by these men, but we know our Lord is listening. We pray the men's' hearts will be open to the living Word and their lives  changed in ways they could not otherwise imagine or achieve for themselves.

The computer team delivered the last of their computers to our local church partners, while the water purification team finished maintaining and installing new systems. The soccer ministry team ran their last drills and played their last games. And the English teachers taught their last classes, receiving a grand farewell of hugs and kisses from students as the final bell rang and they headed home.

So many stories -- so many extraordinary people working together for a common goal to make miracles happen that only be credited to our God.

The Word of God, Faith Stories, and Soccer

Soccer is Guatemala's national sport creating great long-term potential for a sports ministry to reach the children and their families around Lake Atitlan. Our ministry team is here to provide support for our Wooddale global partners SEPAL Ministries and a pastor-led group in Guatemala City, who recruited two ex-professional Guatemalan soccer players to serve as coaches at the soccer camp. Now underway, the camp has brought together three cultures:  Ladinos from Guatemala City, the local Maya people, and our American team -- all working together to bring the Word of God to 130 students per day. The Wooddale children on the ministry team have made instant cross-cultural connections since they are able to speak Spanish and are a natural for the game. This week each is presenting their faith story in Spanish during a daily worship service. Because these faith stories are present in Spanish, the Maya children are more attentive. Imagine the impact these young people can have for God's kingdom!

Love, Suffering, and Hope

Our team is feeling the love of the Lake Atitlan Guatemalans in every ministry we're involved in, from soccer to one-on-one evangelism and home construction - and we're building bridges each day in every opportunity we have. The home construction team takes breaks from their work to entertain the children of the families who are receiving the new home, while the parents are busy or temporarily away. Our English teachers are receiving 'big' hugs from the kindergarten students and a heart-warming welcome each day as they entered their classes. And the Wooddale children in our soccer ministry are making new friends with the Guatemalan students.

The one-on-one team and alcohol recovery teams see another side of Guatemalan life. They too are warmly welcomed, but are witnesses to the societal problems and personal suffering of those who are struck with disease or who have lost hope in their grief of losing a loved one. Most pointedly, we learned of troubled young people who, in their distress, turn to alcohol and suicide only to be found on the street by family, friends or someone in the community. Alcoholism and suicide are serious problems that have the potential to diminish and destroy a generation and a people. Our teams who are ministering to these people are sensing a real demand for their service and have been requested to expand their efforts well beyond this one week. Planning is in progress.

No one knows the precise outcome of these efforts, but the seeds of hope we plant today have the potential of a beautiful and abundant harvest.

Trucks, Planes, and Automobiles

Yesterday was a true adventure in travel transferring from our cars to a bus at Wooddale; to two airplanes; to a bus destined for Santiago, Atitlan; and, finally, to a small fleet of pickup open-air trucks to our lovely hotel The Posada.  Although we had visions of comfortable beds awaiting us . . . the wonderful aroma from the kitchen and a promise of a 'lite' dinner curbed our need for sleep.  It was a nice opportunity to enjoy each other's company in a relaxed environment and reflect on the miracles that abounded during our 16 hour journey and the divine intervention that carried us through the day safe and problem-free. Our group of 30, with at least 65 bags, incurred no extra baggage costs. We made our connection in Atlanta with only an hour between flights (our arrival gate turned was also our departure gate). And once we landed in Guatemala City, we were whisked through customs in record time.
And then we slept.

Final Preparations and Prayers

With less than a week away from our departure, the team's excitement is building with last minute preparations under way for our journey. Yesterday, in a circle of unity, we were commissioned in prayer and reminded of our role as servants of the Lord. As the hands and feet of Christ, we will work side-by-side with the people we are serving - equal in His eyes. Our prayer is that the work we do together will be multiplied many times over in the months that follow our mission; that God will be alive and active in the Maya people; and that they will be greatly blessed by the seeds we plant.

Prayer Letter: Bridge Builders Team in Guatemala 2014

We are a team of 36 North Americans, mostly Wooddalers, and 10 Guatemalans who will be serving 10 churches around Lago de Atitlan. Please pray for the following ministries:

• Children's Soccer Program in neighborhoods and villages
• Teaching English in the schools - two different schools and hundreds of children
• Building new homes for 4 families - construction, safety and building material support
• Church leader training - Elders, Deacons, Pastors
• Computer technology - maintenance and refresh at all locations
• Medical and dental clinics - working with Guatemalan dentists
• Installing and maintaining more than 45 water purification systems
• Home visits - one-on-one women's and men's prayer ministries

Here's how to pray for us each day:

Saturday 2/15:  Pray for travel mercies, protection and smooth logistics - especially getting through Customs. Prayers for our bus driver that he drives us with great care.

Sunday 2/16:  Ask God to humble and strengthen his servants as we prepare for the week and that relationships with our new team members grow and flourish.

Monday 2/17:  Pray for the courage to embark on our ministry efforts in Santiago with humility and love for the glory of God in that village.

Tuesday 2/18:  Pray for the community of San Pedro. Dear Lord, protect our Children's Ministry wherever they go this week.

Wednesday 2/19:  Ask for blessings upon the home-building teams, that the help they get from the local people will encourage them more.

Thursday 2/20:  Pray to God for regeneration as we minister within our base village of Santiago. Please ask the Lord to reveal to each of our ministries the meaningful ways we might become, through His Grace, a part of this community.

Friday 2/21:  Pray that our ministries in San Pablo be filled with gratitude as we share the love of Christ in homes; and offer medical/dental services to many who cannot afford healthcare. Praise God for our gifts and skills!

Saturday 2/22:  Praise the Lord as we dedicate all the new homes with the local pastors. May the love, glory, mercy and power of God be revealed to each family as they humbly accept this gift. Pray for safe travel to Antigua.

Sunday 2/23:  Give thanks and praise to God for time to rest and reflect in Antigua, including the morning worship service and evening meal.

Monday 2/24:  Ask God to bring our team, and the nine Guatemalan men traveling with us, home safely and pray that we can return to our daily lives with fresh perspective, a renewed sense of purpose, and a greater understanding of how He works in the world through us.

Thank you for your prayers and follow our daily reflections on this blog.

Special Call for Soccer Equipment

As snowflakes drift and swirl outside our windows, we are filled with a longing for the warmth and beauty of Guatemala - and for the opportunity to reconnect with good friends (old and new) in our mission to serve the Maya people.

Last Sunday we made a giant step forward toward our goal, packing everything from toothbrushes and vitamins to children's shoes and backpacks with school supplies. Thank you for all your generous contributions - Muchas Gracias! Those of you who still have donations to deliver, please bring them to Room 283 next Sunday, January 19 at 12:30 p.m.

New to our 'needs' list is soccer equipment, requested by our partner church pastors. We're kicking off a new sports ministry this year with six Guatemalan trainers, including ex-professional soccer players, to run our soccer camp. Guatemalans are high on sports - with soccer being their national sport. It's an exciting opportunity to spread the gospel and develop new relationships! But we need your help. These are the items we are seeking: used soccer tee-shirts/jerseys and shoes for kids. If you can donate these items or know someone who can, we would be extremely grateful for your 'swift' assistance.

We ask for your continued prayers for our mission team as we prepare for our trip and commence travel on February 15, returning on the 24th. We also ask for your prayers for our Guatemalan pastors as they work within their communities to lay the groundwork for our service - pray that may we be a blessing and encouragement to them, as they will be to us.

We will soon be on our way!

In just a few short weeks the 2014 Bridge Builders team will be embarking on the 20th year of trips to Guatemala! 
Thank you so much for being a part of our team! At the moment, I am just re-opening and fine tuning the blog so it is ready to go...Doesn't every bus need a tune up after it has been in the garage a few months? 
Next week we hope to have this fully functioning and running....maybe we can even show you some pictures and update you on packing the bags of shoes, backpacks, toothbrushes....etc.