Team Visit - Crossroads Worldwide...

This week we were blessed to host another team from Crossroads Worldwide.  They sent a small vision scouting team to Antigua see what God would have them get connected with.  While they have a small mountain of information to process, what they were exposed to and accomplished while they were here was nothing short of a miracle.

They helped to move a steel home - worked a children's outreach - spent an afternoon in Hermano Pedro Hospital - ran a men's Bible Study in Santa Maria de Jesus - worked another children's outreach - ate street food "Gringas" - and all during the first half of "Semana Santa".  Way to be team!

Moringa Initiative - Location #1...

And so it begins...

With the help of a couple of seedlings provided to us via Bob Brownlee, we located trees at our first test location.

Steve, Antonio, Obed, and Ana and myself took a play day with a purpose.  Heading down the coast on Hwy 2 we went about an hour past Santa Lucia Gutz. to just this side of Mazatenango to the Vivero of Ana's mother's uncle by marriage. 

The seedlings are in expanded root bags at 157meters in a hot climate of Guatemala.

Let's see how they grow.

Baby Dedication... again and again.

Babies 3 and 4 of the anticipated 9 to be born into theIDC faith family this year were dedicated this weekend.  The best of this is the stories of the parents...

Sylvia after leaving the church and her faith for several years returns to God via theIDC chooses to bring her 4 children and the new baby Jose Jadiel and her niece that she now has legal guardianship of to present them to God, to raise them in His plan.  In spite of her challenges, she chooses to follow Him.

Marvin and Britany,  They met in ministry with bringing help to Guatemala.  While they have challenges of their own, they come to God saying thank you and present their first child to God, Jacob Shmuel.

Yea God!

Large Scale Gardening...

It doesn't matter how big the garden, it still needs to get trimmed.
So the boys got tall. 

 It is incredible what you can see and understand from a higher perspective.

 Isaiah 55:9

Moringa Semillas...

Moringa seeds...

“Listen!  A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.  Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” 

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

These are the beginnings of what we can only hope will be more than seeds in hard soil.  We are in the test phasing for our Moringa Initiative.  When germinated these seedlings and the rest of their friends will be tested at several altitudes to find out what this plant can do here in GUA.

Team Visit - Dunwoody Baptist...

This last week we were blessed once again with a team from Dunwoody Baptist, Georgia.  These photos show the home they built.  This design was introduced to us by our friends at Bethel Ministries International.  

But their week was certainly not limited to home building.  They dove into a Woman's Day Retreat with the woman from Alto Apostal Bautista, painting the alley wall, two children's outreach events with a total of 38 decisions of faith in Jesus Christ and then some...

What is not to love.  Yea God!

When people get it...

What a treasured moment, when people are willing to stand up and be counted.  Jennifer made a public profession of faith today in baptism.  Yea God!

Rabbit...

When growing a church with the diversity that we have, we have several variables that to some extent we just simply take in stride.  

This past Sunday, Maria Dolores our children's ministry grouped the kids together for a movie.

While this is change up in itself was great, we had the added bonus of a special guest.

In about 4 more weeks it will be the perfect for lunch.  (hahaha)

Record Group from the PNC...

So, this last week we had another police breakfast.  Our usual crowd for these events is about 60-70 from 5 substations.  Well, the word is out.  

This week we saw over 100 from 10 of the substations through out Sacatepéquez.  All coming and hearing the values taught from the Bible.

Yea God!

Dream a little dream...

This past week Nancy and I went back down to the coast, asking more questions for the possibilities for the Moringa Initiative.

We went with good friends from Texas, Chuck and Ann, who introduced us to Rony and his wife Dunia.  They are on staff with the church, Iglesia San Pablo in Puerto San Jose.  Chuck and Ann's church, Grace Community Church, Tyler Texas have been in partnership here for close to 14 years.  We had lunch with a shark.

Of many things I see here, in my surreal life, is the constant reminder that impossible is possible when God is involved.  This small CAM church is in the middle lf the community of San Jose, has as many as 8 churches seeded in the greater Puerto San Jose / Iztapa area.

If seeing is believing we also were toured through the churches sanctuary and three floors of Genesis Christian School a mission to the community.  The "ne" sayer be silenced.  By the grace of God and the vision of those who step out in faith, this school has grown to over 200 students.

Even when the challenge is higher than we can envision, He is still doing amazing things.  Yea God!  

Baby Dedication... again - 2.

This was so nice, that we just did twice...

One week ago we celebrated the dedication baby #2 for this year to be born into the IDC family.  And this week we did it again except it was baby #3 of the anticipated 7 planned for this year.

Antonio and I had the priviledge of marrying David and Julietta in December of 2009.  Meet Liam David.  This is so great!

The Moringa Tree... What if?

This is a leaf grouping from a plant called the Moringa Oleifera.  Feel free to Google it.  When you do you will discover this plant has an enormous potential for good.

theIDC is looking into the possibilities of growing this plant in GUA - taking proceeds to fund a rehab center and taking the product of the plant and using it to abolish malnutrition in GUA.  To use the words of author Jim Collins - this is a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).

What if...

The Quest of the Baseball Glove...

This week friends of theIDC, Phil and Gio, came to GUA to further the Baseball Glove project. As one step seems to lead to another in this quest, this week we were introduced to Juan Valdez, the director of several baseball academies here in GUA.  Connecting dots from Major League baseball to very raw kid's clubs - and sharing the gospel of Christ to a new target group for theIDC.  We'll see where this journey takes us.