Guatemala November 2009

Dr. Daniel Holt will be leading a trip a few days from now down to Guatemala. The trip is planned from Nov. 7-15 and we are praying that those going will be challenged and changed and that the Guatemalans will be blessed.

Guatemala February 2009

CHICHICASTENANGO-

On February 21st, 2009, Dr. Daniel Holt led an excited team of 6 to Chichicastenango, Guatemala for a medical mission trip. The team consisted of Dr. Daniel Holt, Lynne and Andrew Bogolin, Rafael "Macho" Lara, Bob Allen, and Ashley Provenzano. After a long, but fun day of travel, we arrived at Casa del Rey, our home for the next 9 days. On Sunday, we journeyed to a town called Joyabaj where we witnessed a bible dedication. It was a wonderful experience, as it was for a new translation being released to the people in their native tongue (Quiche-Joyabaj) after 40 years of preparation. It was exciting to see God's word working and speaking to the ends of the Earth!

On Monday, we shared our first clinic experience with the help of local missionaries, Leslie and Leah, whose language skills were very beneficial. We set up a clinic of three stations: Bob and Leah doing triage, Dan, Leslie and Ashley as providers, Macho and Lynne doing pharmacy, and Andrew was the offical entertainment for all the children. Clinic went really well, as we were able to look at, listen to, and love over 100 patients that day. It is amazing the connections and relationships we can form with other people through touch, smiles, and laughter, even when verbal communication is a barrier.

Tuesday's clinic was set up in another town, Chuabaj, and was also a memorable experience. On Wednesday, we traveled to a nursing home and we were able to spend time with delightful elderly folks. While Dr. Holt, Lynne, and Andrew examined and cared for patients, Macho, Leah, Bob, and Ashley were the prime entertainment. Macho played music and worship songs were sung, and latex exam gloves were inflated as balloons to keep the residents smiling.

Thursday was a powerful day. We headed to a prison to set up clinic and feed them lunch. A local Guatemalan pastor spoke about God's love to the prisoners and Macho sang a few worship songs in Spanish. We saw about 110 prisoners that day and handed out over 60 pairs of eyeglasses. It was touching to be able to look into the eyes and love these people who are just like us, in desparate need of the love and forgiveness that Christ offers. We had only brought enough food for 100 prisoners, but God is so awesome and after serving 110 prisoners, we still had food leftover! He is so worthy of our praise!

After four days of hard work, we spent the last leg of our trip exploring and enjoying the beauty of God's marvelous creation. On Friday, we traveled to Lake Atitlan, where we able to see volcanoes and monkeys! We walked and shopped in the busy marketplaces of Santiago and Panajachel, where we got a little taste and flavor of the exotic culture of Guatemala. On Saturday, we spent the day in Antigua, the original capital of Guatemala, and we saw an active volcano as well as a lot of historical buildings and ruins. Our last night was spent in Guatemala City where are flight home departed from.

What was amazing about this trip was not just the number of people we helped through medicine, but what these people brought to the six of us. During this trip, God touched our lives, through not only the smiles of the people, but also by connecting the six of us and giving us the opportunity to love and relate to one another. It was a trip that we will always remember and be thankful for.

Guatemala Mission Team - Last Blog

Hello All,

Well, I can't believe that we are winding down a week already! We have had such a wonderful and blessed week that it is hard to put into words. We have built homes, picnic tables for the school, painted and worked with the bi-lingual school. We have laughed and prayed and worked and rested.

Today we visited Panajachel and visited the market as well as the village of San Antonio. We were able to visit the market in San Antonio and David and John swam in the hot springs. We stopped at another village where John and Joe played a great game of soccer with the locals.

We did have some rain this afternoon but not a down pour - just a steady rain. Tomorrow we are heading out for a day at Antigua and then home on Sunday. We are looking forward to getting back to our family and friends and being able to share our wonderful experience with all of you.

We have attached a picture to show that our hearts are with you!

En Cristo,

El Guatamelan Mission Grupo

Well the past few days have been pretty eventful. A group of us, Amy, Tom, Jessica, John and I(Anneliese) went to Joyabaj. We left wednesday morning, it was a pleasant and sunny two hour drive. When we got there we started painting the school, thankfully we were using latex based paint not oil based like when we painted Bills bookshelfts. We worked all morning and for lunch got fed by people from the school. It was a great lunch, meat, beans, rice, and guacomolie it was more food than one person could eat. After lunch we kept on painting till dinner. Dinner was at a family that Tom and Amy support. They served us homemade pizza it was really good.

Back in Chichi Dave, Joe and Chuck were building benches. Kimmy and Linda went to the bilingual school here at the hotel and helped teach english. Lauren got to go to a clinic and help out there, she had a little trouble getting back to the hotel, her tuc-tuc was two hours late, but she made it back safely.
Well its breakfast now so Im going to go eat:)

Guatemala Mission Trip - Tuesday October 16, 2007

Hello All,

Today was another awesome day! We build another home for an elderly couple that lived at the top of a mountain - please enjoy the picture as much as we did taking it! God was with us, as usual. The weather was overcast and damp and it would sprinkle every once in a while but the rain came down hard as the guys were pounding the last three nails in the roof. We completed the porch, front door, window and bedding under cover. We were able to bless the family with soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, snacks and a home.

Tom Kendrick was a bit under the weather with a stomach bug and Lorin is fighting a cold, but troopers as they are, we were still able to work together as a team and complete another home.

Kim & Chuck were blessed to get to visit their sponsored child through World Vision today and had an amazing time getting to know him and his family in a personal way. It will forever enhance their relationship with him and his family. They were able to take them food, toys and clothing which they needed as well.

It is wonderful to come back to a hot shower and clean clothes at the end of the day! The hotel is wonderful and the food is really good!

Blessings to all of you -

The Guatemala Mission Team

Guatemala Mission Trip - Monday Oct. 15, 2007

Hello All!

Wow - what an amazing day we had today. We built a home for the family in the picture and we had such a joyous time doing it! We had beautiful weather and more laughs than can be counted. Imagine a day with Tom and Chuck and you can imagine.....

We built the house in record time which left us time to play with the children (and adults!), share snacks and gifts and we were able to end in a wonderful time of prayer with them and left a cross nailed to the house in rememberance of why we were there.

We could not stop talking about what a blessing it was to bring such joy to this family. We were proud to serve our God in such an amazing way that blessed us as much as it did the family.

We miss all of you and ask us to keep us in your prayers as we continue God's work for our lives and the people we are here to bless.

In God's Love,

The Guatemala Mission Team

Guatemala Mission Team - October 13, 2007

Hello All,

The team arrived safe and sound in Chichi yesterday with all luggage present and accounted for and without incident! We arrived in Chichi just in time for dinner and a surprise birthday party for Amy Kendrick, planned for by her Dad. Her friends from Hoyova and Chichi came to be part of the celebrations. I must say that if you are coming to Chichi, travel with Amy! It's been a blessing to meet her friends and family.

Today we participated in worship services with Amy's Dad Bill leading the service and then off to market which was a new experience for some of us! The area has been having an unusual amount of rain the past week but praise God - yesterday and today have been rain free and beautiful.

We head off tomorrow to build two homes for families. We will also be building some picnic tables, building fences and doing odd jobs. We ask for continued prayer for the weather to stay clear so that we can work, continued health and that God would use us for His glory during our stay.

The picture of the group was taken this evening while Amy was being serenaded by a mariachee band for her birthday. We have started calling her Princess Amy!

In Him,

The Guatemalan Mission Team