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.