Just the Beginning

   Tonight is my last night in the Peten. It has been exciting, challenging, and fun. I came to the Peten wanting to work, learn and go to new places.  While I still have many areas to grow in,  I accomplished those three goals.  A section of a great hymn comes to my mind, "To God be the glory great things He has done."  This blog will sill have posts,  and while they will not be about what is happening to me in the Peten, it will be about, Lessones Learned from My Time In the White Fields of he Peten. I also want to post some pictures. So don't leave me yet because this adventure has just begun.

Two Churches

On Sunday the 9th, Juan took me to two churches. In the morning we visited a church that supports him,  where he preached and then gave a presentation of the work in the Peten. (Remember the Peten is a differnt culture from the rest of Guatemala: culturally and climatly. I like to say that it is the difference between California and Arkansas culture wise.) After the morning service, we rode to Baul, a park on the top of a peak with a gorgeous view. It was freezing up there. That night we went to the church where Jaun and his brother Andres were saved. All in all it was interesting and beneficial to visit the churches. I got to visit and meet new people and Juan enjoyed home!

I am safely back at the Dinsmore house, and with these next few posts I'm trying to catch you up on some of what happened on my 'adventure with in an adventure.'  So if they get out of order, I apologize.

On Monday the 12th, I had the amoebas. If you are wandering what they are or what's so bad about them,  let's just say that I couldn't keep anything, and I do mean anything, in my stomach for a whole day: the cracks in the bathroom door became real familiar to me that day - real familiar.  What made it worse is that I was still on 'the adventure within an adventure'  in a kind family's house using their bathroom all day instead of helping: instead of the helper, I was the helped. The Lord sure knows how to keep me from getting proud and self righteous.  

A Loooooooong Bus Ride

Well, I guess I'm having an adventure within an adventure.  Last night on the 7th I got on a bus in Santa Elana with Juan and rode it for about 12 hours to a place called Xela (pronounced shay' la.) It is up in the mountains of Guatemala and is considerably cooler. Not to confuse you or anything, but we traveled South, by South East. It's just like you read in the Bible when it says that they went up to Jerusalem when they were actually traveling in a Southward direction. (I believe that it was said of Jesus and His disciples and a few times in the Old Testament, but I don't remembered  ha exct references. Maybe you can help me and find some of them.) Any way, I'm here without any one who speaks English. The hotel clerk can speak some but other then that, no English. ( If I get in a real bind I can call brother Jimmy, so it's not unsafe.) It's total immersion. Even though it is embaressing and hard a lot of the time, I like it.

While Juan was resting fom the bus ride, Christian, his younger brother, took me around town. We walked through a park and an humongus out door market that had just about anything a person here could want. It was a good experience and fun to boot.  Before I left, I came up with some goals I wanted to accomplish on this trip and that was one of them - to see the people in their environment (culture) and learn Spanish.

The Lord has mercifully been with me and guided me the whole way and this particular time, it all started with a loooooooong bus ride.

P.S. Juan's family lives in Xela (shay' la) and he is also from there.

I know it has been a while since the last post. I have tried to learn how to post pictures from my ipad but my technologically challenged mind and google+ don't ge along very well. So, pictures are waiting: when or if thy get posted, I don't know.  (If you want to make sure that that you see them just ask me to come make a presentation at your church. I'd be delighted to.) I noticed that the link from the last post didn't go where it was supposed to. Maybe this time it will work - to see if it does, click here. A lot has happened since the  29th of January. I got to teach at Iglasia Bautista de San Panco, Thursday night. Brother Jimmy translated for me and said he thought that it went well. I taught the story of Jonah, if any of you are wandering.  I saw a howler monkey Monday and went swimming today. Juan and I finished building two outhouses and are in the process of painting a hall and nursery    at the church. I like Juan a lot: he is also the one who took me swimming. I'll have to tell you more about him later. Well I definetly have enough excitment in my life right now to share with you. I hope you are enjoying it!

Thankful

First off, thank you for all your prayers. I feel as healthy as ever and I'm rearing to go.

 I'm staying with a missionary family in a town called San Fransico. (Please don't get any ideas about a big bridge, and fancy buildings: believe me it's not the same.) The city also goes by the name San Poncho, so for obvious reasons I'll use the name San Pancho from now on. The Dinsmores, the name of the family I'm staying with, are  faithful  and committed  to the people of the Peten.  I'm staying in their guest bedroom. Their house isn't finished yet, so they build one room at a time as funds come in. The guest bedroom was finished recently by an unexpected gift so. I was going to stay in a  hotel not far from their house, but God had other plans. And I am thankful to Him. To see why I'm thankful, check out the Dinsmore's  latest post on their blog Here.  If you don't believe that God still  works amazing wonders, then follow Him in faith and hang on:  'cause it's gonna be an awesome adventure!

P.S.  I'm sorry about the pictures or rather the lack there of, I plan on posting some tomorrow(the 30th) 

Reminders

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, a headache and feeling achy all over. One of my week points is feeling sorry for myself when I get sick. I guess this little illness is just another reminder for me stay focused on Christ and to keep the idea out of my head that being a missionary is somehow easy and romantic. He sure know's what He's doing and I am thankful for that. The major theme this year at my home church in Arkansas is, "You move toward what you focus on," with the theme verse being Hebrews 12:1-3 These have been great reminders that even in 'doing missions,' that if I'm not doing it with a right heart, for the right reasons, than it is all vain (and probably worse.)

Why am I here?

I'll use this post to tell a little bit of why I'm here in the Peten, Guatemala. It all started when I gave myself to The Lord in 1999.(if you are wandering how old I am you can do the math. oh, I'm 19 by the way.) The call to foreign missions came when I was 13. I underscore "foreign" because Matthew 28:18-20 applies to every Christian in all places at all times. Some of us just get to obey it in countries where we are not originally from. Through a rough midle-teenage years and a journey that is much too long to recount on this post, God has led me to the Peten. For how long and to what extent I do not know, but I know that He has given me a compassion for these people that has not yet been quenched. So I'm here to scout out and see where The Lord is leading me to serve Him by serving the people of the Peten.

Good. Hard. Work.

Well I have already figured out that posting once a day is too often. We'll see what onece every other day is like and then go from there. Yesterday and today I have been clearing land on the KBI institute using a machete. Only one other guy can speak English and he isn't there half the time - my Spanish is improving greatly! While we were working this afternoon a swarm of honey bees showed up and landed in a tree 25 yards from us. It scared me for a minuet because I didn't know if they acted differently down here and were going to attack us or not. As we worked I could also hear some howler monkeys off in the distance. There's nothing quite like that sound. (If I were technologically savvy I would put a link of howler monkeys here, but I'm not so you'll have to look them up) We got a lot of land cleared and all in all I believe it was a good day in The Lord. P.S I'll try to post some pictures before long

The one thing my mom doesn't miss and one the favorite things I remember about the Peten is. . . . drum role please - power outages! As I sit in the dark writing, the mischievous boy in me bubbles out; no not bubbles, but leaps and roars to be let out as I remember with joy and thankfulness my introduction to the Peten sixteen years ago. In the past I have wondered and yes complained to God asking Him why we had to move back to the States. On this adventurous and - night I rest in what He tells me in Isaiah 55, " My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." He knows best and it is exciting, to put it poorly, to know that He has led me back.

Well, I'm not sure exactly how to run a blog but I guess I'll learn through trial and error. So please bare with me.

As I write this post, I am sitting in the Guatemala City airport weighting for my last flight. I'm almost there! I'll try to post a brief comment of each day's happenings. It may be too much for me but we'll find out soon anyway won't we?  I appreciate your prayers more than you know. I'm not in the Peten for mere adventure, though this is probably the most adventurous thing I have done, but for the furtherence of God's kingdom on earth to glorify and honor The Lord Jesus Christ.
Boarding starts any minute now, so until next time

Yours for the Glory of Christ
Samuel