shawnw

When our team went to Guatemala in April the boy’s home was restricting photography. We have no idea if this will still be the rule but, either way, I’ll be bringing my Flip video camera along, just in case.

One thing I will be doing is trying to capture video of what it’s like to just be in Guatemala City. Just about everything is different, from the driving, to grocery shopping (it’s not uncommon for grocery stores to be walled in and have guards) and everything in between. I’d really like to be able to capture the style and culture of every day life in Guatemala City so you can experience a part of what we get to experience.

How to keep up with us

Of course, we’ll be doing our best to update Twitter and Facebook as often as we can. Here’s where you can find us on those sites:

• Shawn (me) – Twitter | Facebook
• Wendy – Twitter | Facebook
• Adam – Twitter | Facebook
• Jody – Twitter | Facebook

Our itinerary

Tuesday, August 17th

• 5pm(ish) – leave Terre Haute for Chicago. Arrive around 8 or 9pm and check into our hotel for a brief rest

Wednesday, August 18th

• 3:30am – arrive at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) airport to check in for our flight
• 5:35am – depart on Flight CO463 (track on FlightAware)
• 10:48am – arrive at La Aurora airport (GUA) in Guatemala City
• Afternoon – we’ll get a little rest, grab dinner and shop for any other supplies we may need (specifically, groceries for our Friday Compassion visit)

Thursday, August 19th

• Morning – help staff at Hogar Solidario with various tasks that they do to support the boys
• Afternoon – Day one of our custom VBS-style teaching, where we’ll look at Rahab and how God uses unlikely people to do amazing things

Friday, August 20th

• Morning – The four of us will venture to GU-909 to visit Wendy and I’s Compassion child Sammy, then we’ll go visit Jody’s Compassion child Miguel. Should be an amazing morning
• Afternoon – Back to Hogar Solidario for more VBS!

Saturday, August 21st

• Morning – helping staff at Hogar Solidario support the boys by assisting them with various chores and tasks
• Afternoon – Our final day with the boys. We will wrap up our VBS plus play games and just spend time with them. It’s amazing how therapeutic it is just hanging with them, talking with them and showing them love (for both them and us!)

Sunday, August 22nd

• A day of rest. We’ll be traveling to Antigua to check out the famous local markets, visit the Hill of the Cross and take in the Central American culture

Monday, August 23rd

• 7:15am – depart Guatemala City on Flight CO457 for Houston (track on FlightAware)
• 11:04am – arrive at Houston Bush (IAH), layover
• 1:15pm – depart Houston Bush on Flight CO146 for Chicago (track on FlightAware)
• 3:52pm  -arrive at Chicago O’Hare (ORD), head back to the hotel where we parked the van, load up, drive back to Terre Haute

This one’s easy, folks.

I’ve got a friend named Chuck who lives at the Light House Mission. Chuck has no shoes that fit him. He has responsibilities at the mission which require him to be on his feet all day. Sometimes he has to walk around bare foot because his ill fitting shoes hurt him too much.

Chuck has big foot. HUGE feet, actually. We need to order him some specially sized shoes (13 4E’s to be exact.)

That’s where you come in. His shoes are going to cost around $100, shipped.

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded –Matthew 10:42 NLT

In this case, shoes that fit = a cup of cold water.

Let’s get Chuck some shoes. Click the widget and donate what you can.

What would happen if the church (the church = you and I, not a building) stopped trying to block legislation, stopped protesting, stopped persecuting every category of person it feels is “sinful,” stopped keeping all of its money for itself, (I could go on and on)…

…and started loving our neighbor?

What if we stopped worrying about the world, and each of us simply focused on our immediate sphere of influence?

The world’s population: nearly 7 billion. The Christian population? 1 billion.

We each have 7 friends we can talk to about Jesus, right?

Christians, it’s not you or I that changes the heart of those far from the Creator.

We need to get over our egos and realize it’s Jesus that changes hearts. The Christ, the savior of the world, the word made man, he does the work. It’s just that sometimes, He chooses to do it through us.

We are to be messengers of the gospel, the Good News. We are to carry the glorious message of our salvation to the world. It’s a message unparalleled by anything created by our hands.

It’s time to stop broadcasting our message, and start broadcasting His message.

Amen?

Every Thursday a group of bloggers highlights a child in the Compassion program that needs sponsored. You can help change Yair’s life forever.

The details on Yair are below. $38 a month will change his life forever. How? By giving him access to a Compassion project that offers education, food, and a chances that he’d never have otherwise.

Even if you can’t sponsor Yair will you please tweet about Yair or put a link to this post on your Facebook wall? There’s buttons to the left of this post (click here if you don’t see them) that make it super easy.

You can save his life, today.

Name:
Yair Laureano Morales (ME9380113)

---

Birthday:
December 5, 2005    Age: 4

---

Gender:
Male

---

Region:
Central America and Caribbean

---

Country:
Mexico

---

Program:
CDI Transformacion

---

Personal and Family Information:
Yair lives with his father and his mother. His duties at home include working at various household chores. There are 2 children in the family. His father is sometimes employed as a farmer and his mother maintains the home.

Yair is not presently attending school. Playing with cars and playing ball games are his favorite activities. He also attends Bible class and Vacation Bible School regularly.
Your love and support will help Yair to receive the assistance he needs to develop his potential. Please pray for him.

Death In His Grave (Performance Video) from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

The video above and lyrics below were blatantly stolen from ShaunGroves.com. I’m sure neither he nor John Mark McMillan will mind.

John Mark’s album, The Medicine, was re-released today and includes this song, Death in His Grave. John’s the writer behind the magnificent worship tune How He Loves.

So, take five minutes, sit back, turn up the volume, focus on the song, and worship the King. This song simply rocked my day. Nay, my week.

Though the Earth Cried out for blood
Satisfied her hunger was
Her billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls on men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death
And over turn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent
When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke holding keys
To Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

He has cheated
Hell and seated
Us above the fall
In desperate places
He paid our wages
One time once and for all

Thanks Shaun.