We're almost home!

Hey friends and family!

We just stopped at the spectacular McDonald's for breakfast in Madison and are now on our way to Minnesota!  This trip has been incredible and we can't wait to share everything God has done in and through us these last 11 days!  I have been so blessed by this opportunity to see God work in my own life, as well as in these High School students! I seriously could not be more proud of them!  They have stepped out of their comfort zone, served God with everything they have, and have uplifted and encouraged each other through it all - more than I even thought possible.  Our incredible God has done some amazing things on this trip, and chose our team to do it through.  This humbles and excites me so much!  Not only that, but He is still working and will continue to work in the lives of those on this trip.

As we're on our last leg of travel, please pray that we have a safe ride home.  Also pray that the fire and passion we have found  in seeking and serving God will not die out as we get home and start back into the swing of our lives.  Thanks so much!  We truly appreciate your prayers!  See you soon!

Bekah E.

Just leaving McDonalds...

As we are heading up to the Cities, we wanted to update you that we are leaving DePere, WI! According to GPS, we should be back to Grace Fellowship somewhere between 1:30 and 2pm! Probably a little closer to 2pm! 

Please help to spread the word! 

This is my first exposure to technology since we left, so I haven't had a chance to read everyone's blogs. Sorry if I repeat a little here.
Well, we are on the bus back to Brooklyn Park. It has been a fantastic trip filled with community living,  hard work, loving on kids during VBS, preaching the gospel, and amazing worship! It is hard to believe that it is really over. Our theme for the trip was "Immeasurably More". God can and will do immeasurably more than we can hope or ask for. On this trip, God kept that promise in many ways. On several occasions, we had changes in our plans that we were not necessarily prepared for. It was in these times that we felt closest to God's will. For example, our VBS team had anticipated that we would probably do VBS for a total of about 300 kids. By the second day, we already ran out of handout materials. This was awesome because it forced our team to be creative with games and interact on a more personal level with the kids for the rest of the week. We were also excited to present our program to a church's general assembly and worship with them. The people of Guatemala were so friendly and interested in what we had to say.
Our VBS team also had three work projects,  At the mission base, we did various repairs, painted, and helped organize. At the hanger/distribution center, we hauled a lot of dirt out from behind the building, painted, and got the bathroom functional. In addition to these two locations, we also cleared out some farm land, organized supplies, and constructed a pole barn at the feeding center. The feeding center is a special place where Life Builders provides firewood, food, and the gospel to widows. It was an amazing experience to be able to minister to the people of Guatemala.
For me, this trip has taught me that the best way to be in the center of God's will is to make a plan, include others in the plan, and work the plan. This way, you are less likely to back out. If things change, they will likely change in a way that increases your dependency on God during the task. It is just too easy to sit back and think that some day you will do this or that for the Lord, and then that day never comes. A lot of preparation went into making this missions trip go so smoothly. We had several meetings ahead of time to prepare ourselves for what was ahead. But, more importantly, Jason and Tressa Patton, and Josh Christenson, put in a great deal of time laying out our week. I guess, when we do our part, God does His part. Thanks for praying for us, supporting us, and following our posts!
Scott Fleming

Headed Back Early!!

For the first time since I have been the sr high youth pastor, we have had such a smooth sailing coming home that we are actually early! Instead of leaving Chicago a little after 7am, we were on the road by 6:30am! Lots of tired people that are counting down to eating at McDonalds near Madison! 

We will keep updating this morning, so check back often! 

Pastor Josh C

Packing Up

Just getting done cleaning and packing up! Pizza (I know...How American of us) for lunch and then heading to the market for some ending shopping of awesomeness! We will be without wifi till we get to Chicago early tomorrow morning! Thanks for all the prayers and support! We will update tomorrow morning!

Immeasurably More!

Josh C

P.S. Don't forget next Sunday Night that we will be having a missions team celebration at Grace Fellowship in the sr high room at 6pm! Come and hear the stories and how we saw God do Immeasurably More!

Video Blog: Tim S and Josh T

immeasurably more

Two weeks ago we were began planning for the VBS programs that we would be running while in Guatemala. The 48 of us where split into 4 groups of 12 and we were all given specific age groups and places where we would be working. We estimated that in total all the groups would reach roughly 500 Guatemalan people. On the second night here group D (the group I am in) had the opportunity to participate in the main service of a church. There were roughly 200 people in this service… We knew that we were going to reach way more than 500 people in the next week! During the next 6 days Group D alone reached more the 675 people!  In total all of the groups reached roughly 2500 people! God worked through us and showed us that, when we trust in him, he can do far more then we can ever imagine. 

God not only used us to reach the Guatemalan people, but used them to change us! The dedication to god that the Guatemalan people have is unbelievable. This blog just shows a few of the stories that we have about how god has changed us, but there are many more!  God has shown himself in a way that we will never forget, through him we truly can do Immeasurably more!

Thank you for all the prayer and support

                Evan T

Today we came back to Guatemala City from San Tiago, it was a long tiring ride, But we made it! On the way back we had stopped at this restaurant and had a pretty delicious lunch. The past few days in San Tiago were hard working like weeding, pulling out trees, and putting a roof and walls on at the feeding center. We also got chances to go teach VBS at some churches and schools. It was really cool at the last VBS my group had done at an adult church where we had to improvise our plan since it was for 8-15 year olds but we made the best of it! The best part was when we were singing songs and they sang in Spanish and we had sung the exact same song in English, it was really amazing to experience that. Throughout this whole week God has been showing Himself throughout a lot of us in our VBS groups. It has been so much fun serving God down here in Guatemala and I am so sad to be leaving tomorrow! I wish we could have just a few more days here!

- Hannah Z.

Me gusta Guat.

Hey folks of the great state of Minney! I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite moments of this trip so far. First off, the first VBS that my group (group C) did was for about 50 kids from the ages of 3 to about 15 or 16. This one really stuck out to me because it was very new to my team and we were all a little scared about the language barrier. Let’s just say that our God is one amazing God because he wiped away all of our fears and gave us one of the most amazing nights. The language barrier was not an issue and we were able to talk, laugh, and sing with all of the kids. (One of the songs included Justin Bieber who all of the girls love down here.) Also, we obtained plenty of new facebook friends (: We left the church rejoicing and praising God because it was such a memorable night. Everyone could not stop smiling and sharing pictures that we took with all of the kids. Skipping ahead a few days, my next favorite time was when we went shopping in Santiago. After a full day of bargaining, I would say that myself and a few others are complete experts! (: Cherie Morgan and I won a bargain from calling back and forth down the street with one of the vendors! I could not be happier than I am in this moment. The whole time we have been down here my group has become so much closer to each other and to God. This place is so beautiful that I am highly considering not coming back to Minnesota !(: With all of that being said, I am having a fantastic time and cannot wait to share all of my adventures with you when we get back! Thank you all for your support and encouragement and making this trip possible for all of us. Love you all!

Grace G. 

Guat's up USA?

Can I just say how beautiful this country is?! Guatemala (or “Guat” as we like to call it,) is filled with the greatest mountains and volcanoes ever! But it’s not just the scenery that makes it so great- it’s the people. If I had to use one word to describe the people in Guatemala, it would be genuine. These people have the kindest, most sincere hearts that I have ever seen! This week, God has been showing me the importance of sharing my faith, and I got the opportunity to do so last night. We sing a song when we worship that says “Shout it, go on and scream it from the mountains, go on and tell it to the masses that He is God,” & that is what God has been putting on my heart! Although I loved to talk about how God has been telling me to share my faith, when the opportunity came up to share my testimony at a church service last night, I was quick to say no! It was a lot easier said than done! One of my leaders encouraged me to put into practice everything that God has been showing me, so reluctantly, I agreed to share it. I honestly don’t think I could have done it without the support of my group! I don’t remember the last time I was so nervous! I was so close to backing out until we worshiped with the members of the church. We sang the song “Open the Eyes of my Heart” and I felt so at peace after we finished! I had never seen people worship with such passion before. We usually just sing the song in Spanish with them, but after singing through the song once, we sang in English while they sang in Spanish! How cool is it that we can worship the same God in two different languages?! It brought me to tears and I wasn’t so scared anymore to share my testimony! The people of the church encouraged me all throughout my story and although I may have talked a little fast, I am so glad I decided to do it! I know I would have regretted it if I wouldn’t have. I praise God for the opportunity to share my story, and ultimately just the opportunity to serve Him in Guatemala! This trip has been such an amazing place to “scream it from the mountains, and tell it to the masses that HE IS GOD!”

See you soon Minnesotans,

Lauren P.

Kangas' Experiences in Guatemala

     Well daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang this week been long and yet it is coming to an end... This week has been so amazing that I am excited to share with you all! Well lets start in the beginning where we had to fly a plane to get here in Guatemala. My first flight was a quite interesting experience mostly because it was a 4 hour ride siting in between two Mexicans that really didn't say a word. Then after that awk flight we sat in the Mexico City airport for it felt like 9 hours was probably only like 6... Then after waiting hours to eagerly get onto the next plane I lost a certain piece of paper which was the key to get onto the next plane. So, with minutes to spare I ran with Nate Kemper all the way across the airport to retrieve a blank copy of the same sheet for me to fill out I ran to the gate and got there barely. That was kinda intense and by this time I feel like it was time to go home but OH NO!
     Now this is where the real adventure starts! After all of our flights and hours of waiting we finally got to Guatemala City. Then unfortunately on the first day I got sick (by the way I was the first...) and had to miss that entire day of fun and excitement... I had this weird sickness which made me throw up and some diarrhea so that day kinda sucked. Then that night we have this thing called debrief where I heard my group talk about their awesome experiences that day and I was really bummed out that I wasn't able to experience those things, but hey I still had like an entire week ahead of me.  By the power of God I was able to get out of my bed and be with my group the next day! Vacation Bible School... The thing that we really worked on during our prep before the trip was always a exciting time. They were all so different but all so much fun. The first VBS I remember well because it was a group of like 50-75 kids that we presented to and at the end was my favorite. Overall we presented the story of David and Goliath, sang songs, and shared our testimonies to about 700 Guatemalan people which is amazing to do in a week! Then when we weren't doing VBS we were either doing work projects for the missionaries that live here in Guatemala which was either painting or constructing a bathroom and many other projects to work on! After being in Guatemala City for a couple of days we got in a bus and went 5 hours into the mountains to another camp located by a town named Santiago.
     The ride there was quite a boring ride but the scenery was outstanding because the mountains here are just aaaaaaaammmmmmaaazzzing! Also out driver Edwin is a absolute boss!!! Driving in Guatemala is just crazy and just every ride feels like a roller coaster! It was Legit! Then after the long hours of riding in a school bus with a sour butt we finally got to our destination. The camp was so cool because we are just surrounded by mountains and just amazing scenery. Now that we are in the different camp we had different projects and whole new VBS experiences! We worked on a pull barn and did our VBS presentations in their considered Central Park where it is a big hub for many people living in Santiago. There were so many different experiences here in the mountains and I am thankful that God allowed me to on this trip.
     God has showed me so much during this trip and I am so excited to bring this home to the states to share with my family and friends. Thank you all who prayed and still are praying for me because it is working and God is AWESOME!

David K.

   

Why Getting Sick is Fun.

     Isn't getting sick fun?  PSYCH!!  No, it really isn't.  In fact most sicknesses are absolutely miserable and prove even more dreary when you can't do what you were planning to or wanted to do.  Thus was the case with me for the last couple days.  My bed was my home, and I was confined to the camp the group was staying at.  I wont go into details,  but I had a rampant stomach ache and a fever.  Not too bad, and to make it even better, the sickness was called "amoebas."  How neat is that?  Pretty neat.  The actual bad part about it was that I couldn't be with my group as they ministered to kids and helped out in some feeding center in some beautiful mountain region of Guatemala.

    Now if I was in good ole 'merica things would be different.  I could go eat a Frosty and watch Hannah Montana all day long while I lay on a comfortable pool raft.  But instead I was laying on a board thinly veiled by a poor excuse for a mattress.  All alone.  By myself.  Without any friends.

    But enough with the pity party!  Instead of moping for the day, it was nice to amble around the camp and look at the beautiful scenery that consisted of stunning mountain views and trees that I don't recognize.  It was in these hours that I came to a realization.  Comfort is overrated in your walk with God!  I would have much rather not been sick and out in the field with my group.  I would have preferred not having my stomach rot away on an uncomfortable bed with some unknown disease inside me.  But truly, if serving Jesus means following him to the ends of the earth, and if living for God means moving mountains in his Son's name, and if submitting to the King of Kings means doing his will, then where do you draw the line between the comfortable and the uncomfortable?  Where would you get it you retreat back to the familiar every time God challenged you?  Surely your faith would be dead.  

     After realizing this, my mindset changed.  While I didn't want to be sick, there was stuff for me to do to honor him at the camp.   I prayed.  I prayed alone with God, I prayed for the people on the trip, and I enjoyed God's creation around me.  To be honest, it was one of the most strangely refreshing days I've ever had in my life, even if it involved throwing up a little.  God has a plan for everything, even things that seem absolutely miserable at the time.  And that's why getting sick is fun. Ta-daaaa!

God bless!

-Tim Scheller

We are back!

Just a few moments ago we arrived back in Guatemala City! And we have truly truly seen God do immeasurably more! When we first left, we were told that we would lead 1 maybe 2 church services, and do vbs for 500 kids. To date, we have lead 14 services and conservative estimates have us leading somewhere in the neighborhood of 2200 people!

Be checking back frequently for updates through the afternoon and evening! Lots of posts to follow!

Pastor Josh C

Heading Out...

Early wake up call for the team as we are headed out to go to the Feeding  Center and work the next few days just outside of the city (trying to beat the traffic since we have to travel all of the way through the city). We are hoping for internet access, but if you dont see anything we are ok! just without a way to connect! While out at the Feeding Center we will be putting a new tin roof on a building, helping with the farming, and doing multiple vbs outreaches and church services. So far to date, our team has been a part of 14 different outreaches, and has had the opportunity to lead people to Christ. We have been bloen away by the support of all in the States, and feel and covet your prayers!

Immeasurably More

One of the biggest things that has stuck out to me this far on the trip has been the joy that the people in Guatemala have constantly. I'm not sure why but I expected the people who live in a neighborhood like this to be sad and have no joy in their lives because of the way they live. It has been the complete opposite. Everyone here is always smiling and waving at us and it so obvious that my ideas about them were so far off. I mentioned this in prayer groups last night and one of the translators said something that really made me think. She said something along the lines of "the people here have no reason to be sad because they haven't seen any way else to live. The people in the U.S. have seen what they can have but don't, and it makes them unhappy." It made me realize how much I constantly want more and more and see new things that I could have and when I don't get it, I become unhappy. Seeing the way people here have as much or even more love for Jesus than we do in the States has shown me that my desires are pointless when my relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life. The people here have nothing, yet they constantly praise the Lord. It has shown me what is really important in my life right now.
I find it so amazing how the people of Guatemala have been serving us in ways that we never expected or imagined. We are supposed to be serving them, yet they have taught us so much and are changing our lives. I JUST LOVE IT HERE. Period.

-Cally Z

Psalm 73:26 says, "My body may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever."

I found this verse while playing Psalms roulette yesterday morning, and I am convinced it was no accident as it has been extremely encouraging (unlike the roosters and barking dogs at 4:00 am). Today was our second day of leading VBS and my group led 3-6 yr. olds. As soon as I sat down with the kids, I was instantly mauled by children. I have never experienced anything like this in my life; the joy in their eyes was unreal! One boy in particular named William would not let go of my shoulders. They craved our love and attention so much, and being able to give those to them was an indescribable feeling. 

In this moment, it made me think if this is what Jesus feels when we choose to love Him and glorify Him, and also how it would feel when we reject Him and go our own way. So that's what was occupying my thoughts for much of the day haha. Please continue to pray for us, and the people of Guatemala. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us for the rest of the week!

- Caleb H. 

more pics...

Greg in his glory...

House next to the missions compound

Kangas up and feeling better! (Thanks for the prayers!)

Clown House across the street

First and foremost I must say that it has never been more evident to me that I should have taken a spanish class. I knew today was going to be challenging, that's just how these things go, but I didn't quite understand how challenging it would be. I can tell you that several times I used french just out of pure frustration because my brain was telling me that english wasn't working and so I should try another. Initially it was quite intimidating to be singing in spanish to a group of children who
A.) thought they were too cool (much like American children) because by 13 you're an adult (ha.)
B.) Knew that we didn't know a word of english
and C.) Thought we had really funny accents.
As time drew on however, it became exceedingly clear that we didn't need to understand the words that they were saying and vise versa. The smiles were our nouns, the laughter our verbs and sincerity our grammar. It was apparent that Christ was so much bigger than the restrictions language tried to barricade us with. By the end of the VBS group we had made some friends, we got hugs, kisses and pictures. I've never felt so blessed. Children and adults alike were saying "Gracias" as we left but not as much as we were. We were just so grateful for their patience and willingness to bare with us. I think we learned a lot from this first day. That even without feeling completely prepared it was ultimately in Christ's hands. We have a lot to work on but we are one step closer to our goal which is effectively communicating Christ's love for these people.
After the VBS group we traveled to a little school where we began painting their walls brilliant vibrant colors. That's something I have really enjoyed here in Guatemala. The colors are so beautiful. Even though everywhere you look there is obvious evidence of poverty, there is a beauty in it unlike anything you can imagine. Its amazing to me to think how Christ can bring beauty from something we as Americans would find unsettling to say the least. As we painted we grew together in fellowship singng songs and making jokes. I really got to know our wonderful translators because of that experience. They are so young! The eldest is a 16 year old girl who has only taken spanish for 3 years and she is translating for us communicating and helping us help others. Its incredible the way that Christ sets up the things we need. I think it was Micah yesterday who said that "we may not have all we want but Christ has given us all we need." How true and isn't that just so in our every day lives? Something I want to challenge everyone, including myself, with is to be grateful. Just take a moment out of your day and thank God that you are alive and that you are privileged to have all that you need. I love it. I love this experience and I love all of these people. I couldn't ask for anything else.

All I want is Chris because he is all I need.

~Falicia C

sunday afternoon...

I only have good things to say about today because it was so amazing. Today group "D" went to a church service and we were able to lead worship as well as act out the story of David and Goliath. The only downer would have to be that the student that played Goliath was sick, but we were able to make it work. The one thing that really made today such an awesome day was the service itself. The church we were at made us feel so welcome and so loved, and not a superficial love but one that was sincere. They truly were happy that we were there and they did not let the language barrier interfere. The pastor  was so encouraging and gave us his best wishes with our missions work and called us all up to pray for us. The worship service was amazing, although I am not fluent in Spanish, I was able to understand and sing along to some of the songs. But when I stopped singing and looked around me and I saw everyone worshiping I was overfilled with joy. They were clapping and dancing and just singing at the top of their lungs. I was just so moved, and at that moment I couldn't have been more happy to be on this trip. I am sure today will be one of many that continue to amaze me and show me the love of God through the people I am able to meet. In Christ We Are One. - Jazmyne M.

Pictures

Views from the Missions Compound!

 

 

 

 

We couldn't figure out how to take it...

 

GREAT SUCCESS!!!



Good Morning! LETS GO!!!!

Just wanted to send out a quick update! The team is doing great, and having 9 hours of sleep last night has contributed to a new level of energy and excitement...along with a lot less bleary and tired eyes! So sleep was about in this moment as good as it gets!

This morning 3 of our 4 VBS teams will be running church services in Sante Fe, with our 4th VBS group leading a church service tonight! Please keep us in prayer as we lead and run our VBS groups for the first time here in Guatemala. There is a high level of excitement and another level of nervousness as well. Two of our groups are combining this morning, leading at the largest church here in Sante Fe. We are PUMPED about what God is going to do and how we are going to see Him do Immeasurably More! Overall we are leading in 4 church services and running childrens programming in another 6 today. It will be a full day of ministry!

We have already seen God show up in some really cool ways! Our theme has been Immeasurably More, and it has been awesome as a team each night to see how He is doing that. One of our groups was painting at a school, and got caught in a pretty nasty downpour...since we were no longer able to paint, instead of just waiting and sitting it our, we noticed that the gutter system we broken and causing the school that we were working at to flood. We had JUST the right people with the right skill set (obviously I was one of those who was stuck underneath watching the people with the real skills dominate) and were able to get it fixed. It was an awesome reminder of how God is working and helping us to do Immeasurably More!

No one who is feeling or who has gotten sick yet, so we are continuing to praise God and ask that the health of the group continues! Please continue to join with us in prayer for health. Other pray requests include: that God will work in and through us in VBS and Church Services that we are leading, that we will continue to have energy and excitement, and that we are open to what God is teaching us!

On a personal note, birthday shout out to Mark Baker! Bake, could not ask for a better best friend. Hope that you have a FANTASTIC day today! BIGLES!

Lastly, our blog has been viewed over the last two days nearly 2000 times! Thanks to all of you moms who just hit refresh every 18 seconds! lol..jk! It has been a huge encouragement to our group knowing that so many people are invested in our team!

IMMEASURABLY MORE

Pastor Josh C

     Apparently, overnight noise ordinances are not enforced in any sort of strict manner here in Guatemala.  As we got in late last night, the first order of business was getting some much needed sleep after 30+ hours of travel, with little to no sleep.  As we bedded down for the night, we were immediately and often reminded of the extreme cultural differences we were in for.  I can honestly say I've never heard a rooster crow continuously after 1 AM before last night!  In addition to that, there were countless yells and honks, including one truck that had what appeared to be the screechiest brakes of all time, extremely loose tire chains, and a driver who desperately needed to get someone's attention, honking his horn every few minutes!

     Oddly enough, I found all of these minor annoyances strangely comforting.  Through the noise and immediate sleeplessness, I felt as though God was reminding me "Hey! You made it!".  Perhaps it was the fact that I was already quite sleep deprived, but regardless of the noise, it didn't take too long to fall asleep.

     As we continue on with our journey, my prayer for myself and the rest of the group is that we find God's grace and provision, even in the annoyances and inconveniences.

Queso,

Josh Tarp

Finally here!

Last night we arrived to the missions compound around midnight.  You would think that after 30 hours of travel all of us would be dead tired, but when we saw the missions compound we became very excited.  The view from the balcony on the top floor is awesome!  We got to look out over Guatemala and the city looks amazing! All of us are very excited to begin helping any way we can!

I'm not entirely sure what to expect today, it sounds like we are going to do training that will somehow involve paintball (after I heard paintball I really didn't have to hear any more, I already knew the day was going to be amazing)! Getting here has made me much more excited to actually get out on the streets and to begin our missions work. God has great thing in store and He is going to not only change the Guatemalans that we meet this week, but also us and the way we see and appreciate our lives! 

Deuces!

Evan T. 

Anna M

We're finally here! Waking up this morning and walking out on the balcony to this gorgeous, sunny morning was definitely the perfect start to our stay here in Guatemala. From the volcano to the right and city hills to the left, the view is breathtaking.  I can't wait for God to do amazing things through us this week and make an impact during our stay! Keep the prayers coming and we'll see you next week :)

We have ARRIVED!!! Guatemala!

Quick update! After a long day of travel...and no wifi in Mexico City, we arrived last night around midnight! Can not emphasize how awesome that the students and leaders were during our layover! After some MUCH MUCH MUCH needed rest, we are getting ready to hit the ground running today! More to follow! Thanks so much for all the prayers and for the support!

Josh C

THE TRIPLE A GAME: AIRPORT ARMPIT ACTION!

"Triple A: Airport Armpit Action ! The Armpit Game of a Lifetime, aka, this is what happens when you abandon your camera on the seat of an airport (*cough cough* Jazmyne McGill) -- expect the public to pick it up and take individual shots of original armpits; for that is exactly what our Guatemala team has done for her. Jazzy J The Illest will most definitely be ILL after discovering these random "explicit" photos. She has been oblivious the entire time the team has volunteered their armpits, but to complete the game, she will eventually discover the pictures and have to identify the armpit of each volunteer. Lesson Learned? Always keep your belongings close... and your Armpits, even Closer!" - Micah D.

So... I've never had a blog before but apparently they are all the rage these days. I don't feel like we left yesterday already, but on the other hand this doesn't all seem real yet. The bus ride was dark and bumpy with lots of flashing construction lights.

It gave lots of time to think about the trip and what it is going to be like for us, for me. I can't wait to see what is in store for us, the amazing new vision and way of life that will be shown to us. Some of us spent time praying for our minds and hearts to be opened on this trip, to be aware of the awesome things that will be done to our faith. As I am slightly scared of flying (not a lot but enough to be nervous) I'm praying for safety just in the trip there! I hope everyone, those on this trip and those supporting from home are as excited as me and ready to see what God will do in all of us.

In short, I am a hyper, sugared up ball of nervous that's SUPER hyped to be here. I also have not broken my dad's number one rule so you're welcome daddy :) Lots of hugs to everyone, keep us in your hearts and prayers and Thank You for everything you have all done to get us here. We will come back knowing and loving our God, Immeasurably More.

-Courtney K

Flights, fun, and flights

Many of the fifty students who are accompanying me to Guatemala say that the first moment it really hit them that our long awaited trip was finally upon us was when they were packing, or when they woke up Thursday morning and realized they had just spent their last night in the states. For me, it wasn't until a rest stop in Madison Wisconsin, pouring $1 dollar bills into a vending machine for overpriced Doritos and Gatorade that I finally felt like my journey had begun. Any other day of the year, I wouldn't have been caught dead in front of that machine, paying absurd prices for snacks that would satisfy me for an hour if I was lucky. In that moment, faced with a choice between paying too much for food now, or paying too much for food at an airport in Chicago, I transitioned into mission trip mode. The frugality that will undoubtedly follow me around each and every one remaining 355 days of my year was put off. My life, money, and my health are now completely out of my hands; wholly entrusted to God, at least for the next ten days. That moment in front of the vending machine certainly won't be one of the defining moments of Guatemala, but it is at least the first. And for a day spent sitting on a bus, bumming around and burning the clock, it will have to do.  - Zach M.

T-Minus 5 Hours and Counting!

And we are off! After MONTHS of planing...far far far too many meetings, and getting ready and prepped TODAY IS THE DAY! We are just under 5 hours from our group gathering and getting ready to leave for Guatemala from Chicago early tomorrow morning! AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE PUMPED!

Several things about this blog. Each day that we are on this trip, we will be having leaders and students update the blog. In it they will share prayer requests, updates on the trip, things that they are experiencing, and the way that God is working in their lives! We will do our best to update this blog as many times as possible. Know that while we hope to get at least something posted from everyone on this trip, there is a good chance that for at some people it will not happen! Please feel free to repost, share, or give out this blog website! As it is appropriate, we will be updating the team on comments that are left to posts, so feel free to comment and pray!

Statistics about this trip! (reasons to praise God and get JACKED!)
- it is the single largest missions trip team that Grace Fellowship has ever had!
- we have 38 students and 13 leaders who are scheduled to be a part of this team!
- while on this trip we will be leading multiple church services, putting a tin roof on a church, helping to sheet-rock a school, leading vbs for over 500 students, working with a feeding center providing support and labor that feeds and gives firewood to orphans and widows, along with many MANY more projects!
- We will be spending 10 days in Guatemala...mainly in Guatemala City!

We are looking forward to posting more updates through the day!

LETS GO!

Pastor Josh C (sr high youth pastor)