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