A clip about malnutrition in Guatemala

Guatemala was featured on ABC news.   Here's the link to check it out! 

A house built by Paradise Bound is featured here in the background! check it out at around 3:42 

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/tortillas-coffee-baby-food-12428162

It's important to be knowledgeable of what's going on in your world!  Be active and do your part!   

Enjoy!

The Last Days

God has showed himself to me in many ways the past 7 weeks. As now I travel home it is a bittersweet feeling. My heart longs to be back in Guatemala but I have work to do in Michigan; also a girlfriend to see in California. J It is my prayer that I may return to the mission field. Weather it is Guatemala or another country. I need to realize that wherever I am at is my mission field. It's not a foreign country or even a place. It's who you come in contact with. If they can see the love of Christ in your life then you are witnessing. Dan uses a lot of quotes in Guatemala and they seem to stick with me so here is one. "You can share the love of Christ and if necessary use words" We often think of words we have to say to others but what is more important? What you say to them or what you do in front of them so that they can see Christ is active in your life. I have looked at my life from the past 6 months and before that. Have I been witnessing for Christ the whole time? How disappointed is he in me for the time I have wasted? Or are those moments of learning and separation that bring us even closer to our maker.

Another Dan quote that I have written in my bible "Everyone will come out to watch you burn but if you're cold and dead, who cares?" If you look at the world who are the people that others follow? Are the shy, quiet, people who don't claim Christ for their own or those like Jesus who are radicals who make people stop and think? I'd rather be hated by the world and loved by God than anything else. It is my prayer that every day I will be used in some way and that I can be in His plan and His will. There is no fear when you are in his will. There is nothing to be afraid of. You have something greater that will take you further and push you more than you ever though you could do.

One Last Week!

It's hard to believe that i only have 7 more days left here. It seems like the time flew by. But in all reality time does fly when your having fun! But the last 2 days have been a little slow due to the fact that i think im coming down with something!  Just a little sickness so i can be stronger for the next team! B/c what doesn't kill me will make me stronger!   Don't worry mom, I'm on all kinds of pills and antibiotics to keep me healthy!

So for right now team Vriesland is gone and tonight dan and i will pick up team allendale from the capital!  they fly in at 10 p.m and will get to work right away in the morning at the village we are working at! So all that means is for me is an even earlier start to make breakfast with naomi for the team!

Last weeks clinics were amazing as well.  The first with team Vriesland was up by San Martin, in village called Las Minas!  It was the smallest space we had to work with yet.  But it turned out to be a great evening with the people there.  the close corridors kind of force everyone to be close and really get to know each other! the 2nd clinic day was out near the coast in an old a plantation.  We were the first North Americans to come and do a medical clinic there.  it was so neat walking in b/c on our way in everyone was waiting with eager anticipation, and joy.  When we entered the school area everyone was welcomed with an applause! which was awesome.  everyone felt like a celebrity!   But like almost all clinics it went off with out a hitch! God seems to provide for us in that way!  I probably could sit here and type all my stories but what would i have to tell you when i got back?  

But for now im off to get some work done.  

Ready?

Are you ready? B/c i never am. So much goes on here. Even on a slow weekend i had much to do but,
I had a relaxing weekend in Pastores, La Bendecion, and St. Lucia.  I feel like my relaxing weekend turned into a weekend of much of travel.  It started off eating dinner with Johanna and Paulina 2 girls that work at the mission at Johanna's house.  Then after a lot of cards with Johanna's family it was time to hit hay b/c we had a 2 hour drive to la bendecion. We picked up hermano Jesus on the way and we ministered to the people and played some games with the kids. After that I retuned to St. Lucia with Hermano Jesus and stayed at his house b/c i went to church with him in the morning! Church was a lot of fun. Not the usual ivanrest expierence but a full out celebration. Church was about 3.5 hours long! Good thing they had a delish lunch waiting for us.  After that i headed off to pricemart to buy things for the next week

Now the next team is here and we are ready for an exciting week of construction, ministry, and
 travel through out the beautiful guatemala.
I feel as though this is my home, my place, and it feels right being here right now. I know my time here is coming up fast. and that soon i will be home again.  I just hope to return soon some day.

But for now prayers for the upcoming week as we have had much trouble with vehicles please pray for a smooth week with that.  Also for the hearts of the Guatemalans we encounter and also the hearts of the team members.


nate

Days of Relaxation

How am i so lucky to see the run rise every morning? To see the sun set. To see the spirit move and be and have it's way here in Guatemala. My time here is just over halfway completed. I feel as though i have just started, that my mission will never be done. From the joy in the kids voices as they cry for dulce, to the prayers of the older kids and adults as they cry out to Jesus to forgive them of their sins.  The passionate spirituality that I have encountered in the villages is astounding. Week after week i have seen miracles.  We are full aware that some one doesn't like it.  Car troubles have been our weakness.  From transmissions, to broken fuel pumps, to windows, it is apparent that someone doesn't like the work we are doing. But I am also certain that someone else does. At the end of the day we know full well who are creator is and that he moves and works in our hearts and in the hearts of the Guatemalans.

I am so thankful for the prayers I have received and the thoughtful gifts from my mother that she sent with the construction teams.  This place for me has felt like a 2nd home.  I fell comfortable and I feel as though i have family here.  It doesn't matter what language you speak or what you ware or how you look or how old you are.  I have much family down here.  

But now it is lunch time and i don't want to miss out on the tortillas!  they are my favorite down here. I will end  with a few pictures from some time in antigua, xachanun, and la joaha!

A long week!

HELLO EVERYBODY!

I caught a few minutes tonight to do a little catching up on my blog! Team westmi/iowa is gone and Rockford is Here!  What a blessing! I have been able to meet so many new people down here! This week will be a good one! We just had our first day of building and stucco tomorrow again.  I think im going to start building these houses in the States just for fun! I think i'll be a pro when im done here in Guate.

I feel so comfortable here. It feels like a 2nd home to me already.  I think that it's not the place you live in or certainly what you are doing in life. It's why you are doing it and the things you learn from it that make you who you are and create your personality and your beliefs.  I have seen so much of how God works quickly and how he also works slowly to make a change in peoples hearts.  It's amazing where you see him when you start to look!

there are so many stories to share already.  From transmissions going out to me getting lost in the city to just the relationships im building with the people of xhaucioun. but 930 is now late at night for me!  I have a breakfast to make with naomi at 4:20 tomorrow!  Good Night and I hope all is well back in the states!

nate

a first day of work!

Today was the 1st day of the iowa/wm team!
it was great being able to be out there on the side of a mountain building houses but more importantly relationships with the people!  Luis is the owner of our first house he is such a cool guy from what i got out of him.  He loved it when we were putting up the outside board and he helped by screwing it to the studs!  After a few practices he did a great job! his face just lit up when let him use the drill! and also great friendships are happening already.  i was a little unsure of how things go with adults but the working was great! Just the car rides aren't so loud like they are with the youth trips!  but sometimes in the summer we get a little ridiculous!   So far a great day.  woke up at 430 to make breakfast with Naomi and i'll probably be the last to bed tonight! but here's a couple pics to give you a view of my current surrounding!

Es un buen Dia

From Drop Box

Man i can hardly believe that i have been living here for a week already! It seems like i just got here in Guatemala. Much work is done and many things are yet to be accomplished for the 1st teams coming in on Monday. There are going to be many people living in my room for a week.  18 guys in 1 room! it will be alright though. Dan says that the adult teams tend to fall asleep much faster than any Ivanrest team full of teens on a sugar high. So im excited to meet new people and get on a regular schedule.  I must say the food has been excellent Naomi is a Great cook and i hope to share some things with her and i think im going to make tortillas and tamales one night. On the whole menu writing and cooking aspect of this trip has been a bit challenging due to the lack of variety of proteins such as no pork, or much fish.  I have live chicken and ground beef to work with. It just makes thinking of side dishes a little more complicated and a little starchy sometimes.  But the carbs are good for the teams to keep up their energy!


Spiritually ive been blessed by the morning devotions with the staff.  A staff member reads the passage and then another will read the day of My Utmost for His Highest. And yes it's all in Spanish! Good thing i brought my copy along!  Its fun to read along and kind of pick out words that i know and learn new ones.  There is nothing else in the world like a good Guatemalan prayer. and singing afterwards.  Even though i have mostly no clue of what they are saying about what we read i always feel blessed by them sharing this time with me. Everyone on staff seems to be so strong in their faith.  That is something that i truly admire. 


During lunch today i had many questions asked by the staff since i was the only gringo.  Dan and Heidi ran to the capital to grab some supplies and left me at the base with estuardo, naomi, hermano, johanna, and paulina. which was fun.  It just takes a while to have a conversation or ask where something is. So at lunch it took about have our lunch time to figure out that they were asking if i was on the team that the tree fell in front of the van on the way back from one of our med clinics at the coast.  and then they said they knew Jason and Mike and i told them that they were my Cousin and Uncle. Hermano said "Jason es HULK!!"  Since he is so much taller than everyone here! 


My afternoon was spent stapling song sheets together and finishing up that project.  It's hard to get the computer work done here when we are limited to the amount of downloads we are able to have, It's crazy with the satellite internet.  


I also read my pocket dictionary with Deborah and Emmanuel (naomi and estuardo's kids) we taught each other some new words. It was fun having some time to relax this afternoon and hang out with them.
dinner was excellent it was Savory empanadas with ground beef and cabbage.  I love it how we have guacamole or picante sauce with everything. Also that we have tortillas everyday.  Ummm i love their tortillas that they make. they smell so good when they are cooking.  like fresh bread and corn cooking! delish!  


so that's the life of nate so far in the deep south.  I hope everything is going good in the wintery Michigan! 
I miss and love you all 




Nate

From Drop Box

p.s. those 2 pictures are what i get to see just about everyday! ES MUY BONITA!

HOLA!

     So after a couple more days of being immersed in Guatemalan culture i have started to think Spanish words in my brain before they come out English!  Crazy huh?  Well the past couple days have been pretty busy from installing flood lights to filling propane tanks with Estuardo! So that included another adventure into Chimultangeo and i am happy to realize i kind of know where i am going and remember some of the buildings and landmarks!  Which is nice to know where I am driving.  

     This morning was very nice b/c after my morning devotions and breakfast and getting ready for the day I was invited to join in on Staff devos which yes were all in Spanish. so by the end of these 2 months i'll be really good at the ole espanol! I even had some semi-full on conversations with Estuardo, Hermano, and Naomi! It's nice that they try to help me along and teach me new words that i have never learned before!

     Nights around here still end quietly around 8 p.m.  which i am still not used to but it's good sleeping and when i wake up at 6 it's nice to get the sleep now when i know next week when all the teams come in i wont be getting very much of.  

We just need prayer for our work to continue smoothly and quickly and for us not to lose focus of why we are here.  

nate

Sunsets and Cool nights

So  Monday Night.  After a full day of rest and a full day of work, 2 days full of adventures.
Sunday brought a relaxing day with a trip to Antigua so Dan and Heidi's kids could play at Pollo Compero. which they love to do!  Haven just loves the big slides! A short stop at the market and a few shops and we were on our way home.  At night dan and i worked on his song sheet and the songs he uses for worship for the teams that come down.   then i turned in early since after 8p.m this place get's very quiet and very cold in January. My thermometer read a bone chilling 54 degrees!  

Monday brought new adventures of it's own!  From finding my self lost in a organizational mess that i created to trying not to get lost in the market with Naomi! The market in Chimultanego was a new experience for me b/c the markets there are nothing like the markets in Antigua let alone the one on Fulton Street in Grand Rapids!
The shouts from the people trying to sell their papayas, potatoes, rice, greens, melons, onions, and so much more was almost deafening. Let alone the noise of everyone buying and selling their goods trying to talk over each other.  I am sure i was the tallest person there b/c i kept on brushing my head against the tarps they used for shade.  But it was a very fun expierence and one i will most likely have to go again and buy food for the week in Naomi can't go.  But don't tell my mother that i drove there or she will get very nervous!  No worries b/c I am professional driver.

Dinner was some delicious tacos Naomi made and i have yet to do any substantial cooking.  But that will soon come when the teams arrive and the pressure is on!

I am also learning how to conserve power very well since the base is run off of batteries.  So i will be very eco friendly when i get home!  

Pray for safe travels as we go to and from cities to pick up things for the teams and for the hearts of the individuals coming down.


Adios!
Nate

A Saturday in Guatemala

I have traveled here and made it safely! I am still amazed how big this new facility is! Also how much there is to do yet before the 1st set of teams come in just over a week! But it will all get done in due time.  I am used to being here with our Ivanrest group and having many people around all the time.  Its way different being just me, Dan's Family and Estuardo and Naomi around. It's quiet but im sure i'll be thankful for the quiet after the 1st set of teams leave.  But it's nice to relax and have some of my own space for the moment.

Today i worked on their computers setting up the printer and connecting them to the internet and such. Put together the peavy escort system and tested it. Everything seems to be working fine. and then came my big project of the day of moving some shelving from the main room to the entry way to make space for the scaffolding to be set up to build the new apartment! But the shelves were full of tools and building equipment that needs to be sorted and organized. Sadly i didn't finish yet. But i have some time on Monday to complete that job. 
All is well here in the beautiful Chimaltenango, Guatemala!


Nate

Packing Day

Today I pack my self up for 2 Months of Travel excitement and adventures. Right now i can't believe that only a week and a half ago i talked to Dan about coming down sometime in the future. Who knew that the future was so close! The past week has been one great big humongous God sighting for me! From Preparing my heart, to work being so cool about it and everything falling into place. I can't describe the joy and excitement in my heart when i talk about it. Ive always wanted to stay longer than the week long trips but the option was never there. Its crazy what happens when you rely on HIS timing than your own. He know's what is best for you now.

I will be working down there for a total of 7 weeks and flying back with the last team on the 23rd. When down in Guatemala i will be most likely cooking, building, working on some computer networking, and of course some audio and visual things for the base and for the village ministry. I am leaving my self as an open book and going to let HIM take me where he wants me to go! But i have to get a bunch of things done yet today so i have to run.

I hope to see everyone tonight before pash at 845-9ish !