Pictures of construction progress as of now. The picture on the left si of 35 men that helped us pour the concrete. we started at 4 am on Friday Sept 24 and we were done pouring 2200 sq ft. by 7 am (3 hours with 2 mixers) as one of the Iowa guys said, "that's a lot on Hombres" the other pictures are of the plumbing work that has happened and God's give of moring clouds int he mountains by us (our view every morning) and fianlly the concrete is poured. God has been so good in providing for us and leading us. We have been blessed with good weather and a tropical storm that God moved to hold off rain for us to be able to finish the floor. As you can see we finished the floor under tarps and a homemade roof system to keep it dry while we were pouring concrete. The great part of it is that while the finishing happened we were blessed with dryer air and we actually able to take the tarps down! it wasn't until today that we actually saw the path of Tropical storm Matthew, and it did a 90 degree turn north yesterday to give us reprieve from what it could have been, God is good.
God continues to provide for the orphans of Guatemala and give us wisdom beyond what we can know on our own. God is Good!!

September 18 2010

So today is September 18. All day i had one thing running through my head, what is Tariku's birth mom dealing with today? As we celebrate Tariku's 1st birthday in Guatemala, his birth mom is in Ethiopia doing what she has always done. Tariku has been given to us by the grace of God and on this his first birthday we celebrate life and health and first steps. Does his birth mom celebrate life that she gave to him and life in her that was strong enough to give him a better home?

We have been in Guatemala for 3 days now and things are well here. We are getting adjusted and trying to figure out life. it dawned on me yesterday that we are not settling in for 3 months or 6 months this is to settle in for years as God leads. We are so blessed to be able to settle in and get a footing on what God has in store for us. I will be meeting with orphanages already tomorrow possibly developing that network and being able to glean from their knowledge. God is so great he has opened so many doors for the orphanage to happen, now I pray that God will open a door in my mind to understand and comprehend Spanish and then be able to speak it well.

Peace

What is peace? is it the absence of chaos? is it the absence of too much going on around you? I think some people would call peace for them different than what others would. What about as we leave for Guatemala Tomorrow, peace. It is upon us. Sure we have things to do, too much to do in too little time. But we have peace about everything we are doing. I cannot describe the peace that passes all understanding for us right now. Oswald Chambers says that when confussion and comas set in and you are not sure what to do OBEY. Obedience brings peace. The last this and the last that for a long time, but peace surrounds it all and envelops everything about leaving for Guatemala tomorrow. Will i be ready? emotionally, yes, spiritually, yes, packing and household-stuff now. But do you see something in that, the earthly things are never ready but the parts that matter are, that si where peace reigns. Satan is trying to keep us and hold us from God's plan by the earthly matters. We will never be ready if it was about earthy things being in place. But if your emotions are there and your spirit is calling that is all that is needed for God to bring peace and let obedience reign in you. We are trying to let go of the earthly things and let the eternal things reign in us. Peace is the ability to to let God's spirit take over the human nature and the human spirit of doing and worry.

Every day occasions

Today as I read my Bible I read about Jesus calling his first few disciples. Imagine, the excitement as one gets up and follows. Then another. All because they See the Messiah. They get it they understand. How do they know and the others around them not know? What prepared them to be disciples? What qualified them to be disciples? Obedience in the small is what prepared them and qualified them. I believe it is in their early life that made them ready for now. It wasn't anything of that moment, rather everything of the moments leading up to that. I wonder what will happen with a 5 yer old little boy who goes and buys toys for Open Doors Orphanage? He is starting young and obeying God, or His parents who instill him the ability to give. Obedience is not in the big but in the small things of everyday life. What id God stirring in your life today that he is preparing you for in the future days and weeks. Did the disciples have any clue what getting up and leaving would lead them to? Do you have nay idea what pay it forward Fridays could prepare you for? obedience in the little, are you listening?