Home Sweet Home

We all arrived home safely late Saturday evening... Spencer Dahl made his way to his family locally in Dallas around 8pm as the rest of the team headed for Minneapolis. 

There was a close call with making our Minneapolis flight as our baggage was delayed for some reason but we just made it as they closed the airplane door. Whew... No chance for dinner but the pretzels helped some on the plane. 

One of Sandy Dahl's bags was left in Dallas but will be returned soon.

What an amazing week! God did so many wonderful things all around us...

A huge Thank You to all of our supporters and for your prayers! 

Today is happy and sad day because it is our last day. Happy because we finished all of our projects! We finished the painting in the guard house and added shelves, cabinet painting, shelf painting, the huge cement pour and the mural painting on the baby house. Lisa and Lidia did a great job adding these animals.

We worked together really well doing different jobs. This was my first time on a mission and I hope it’s not the last time, thank you to God.

I’m lucky God gave me this opportunity to enjoy this group because they are phenomenal people, like my brother and my sisters they understand my Spanglish and help me when I have trouble with my English. One important part with my Spanish is I helped the girls when they try to say something to my team.

This week I also heard a story from a girl that has been at the Oasis for 11 years and four months. Now she is going to go to Casa Ester because she will be 18 years old. Her dream is go to school and study nursing. Previously she had nothing, no dream, no future now she has training to get a better life. It was wonderful to be part to this opportunity. Amen

Rosa

Another rocking day!

Wow, what a day… so much happens in one day when you have so many hands doing God’s work. It all started with the entire team mixing and pouring cement for the morning again. Rigorous work to say the least but it went so quickly with everyone jumping in where ever needed. Later in the morning we took a well-deserved break which included Doug Johnson spoiling us with some amazing Cinnabon like rolls made locally here, they sell for .37 cents each, 😊 yummy. While we were enjoying these rolls we heard the life story by Brian, the construction director at the Oasis. Quite moving to hear how God changed his life after years in the Marines in Iraq. He is great helping us do our work here at the Oasis and he so enjoys being a good male role model for the girls.

After the break we all hit it with more various jobs. More painting as usual, mural painting, shelf building, more cabinets and did I mention painting, imagine that and finishing up the concrete surfacing. Sandy spent the day with interested girls at the Ester House working on the Jewelry business making great progress. She was hoping to already sell some of what was made today. So much happening and that’s only before lunch. We stopped for lunch in the big Bethany center room with the girls and some of the KAG staff. It’s so fun to interact with so many of our old and new friends. Tim has been busy with some videoing here at the Oasis with our work and several the staff members.

In the evening we went over to Casa Ester (Ester house) to have pizza with those 18+ girls that live there. They had planned some very fun games (bingo, a numbers game, musical chairs and silly pop bottle bowling) with us so we could interact with them. It was a great time! There are 25 girls there now, most working and some going to school. It's such a highlight to see some the girls we have known for many years, now thriving. God is so good!

Time to hit the sack its nearly 11pm and I'm shot… the days are long here. Thank you to each of you for your prayers.

Doug

Wednesday... Sunshine and a variety of work

 Waking up at the Oasis...

Wednesday served as a welcome intermission and respite from Tuesday’s concrete work that will resume again tomorrow. The team was dispersed between several different projects varying from replacing light fixtures, building and painting cabinets, painting murals, to laying the groundwork for a jewelry making business opportunity for the girls at Casa Ester.

After wrapping up the day’s work we had chance to attend the girl’s weekly Bible study. It was a special experience to join them in worshiping the same God, through songs we know, though in an unfamiliar tongue. Following a lesson from one of the teachers we put several tables together for dinner where we were joined by Doug Johnson and his wife Sara. Doug was once the building and maintenance supervisor for KAG and though he’s no longer serving in that role they’re still committed to this ministry and these girls. Once everyone finished eating their salad, chicken, rice, fresh fruit (and went back for more fruit) Doug shared his “story”. Many of you reading this may already know it. For those that do not, in an effort to not misconstrue any of it I’ll leave it at that and encourage you to talk with someone from the team to hear it with the appropriate details. This was easily the highlight of my day and likely the whole week. Suffice it to say, God is clearly at work here. Thank you for all your continued prayers!

Spencer Dahl

Tuesday in Guatemala

A GREAT day of work in Guatemala!! The whole team pitched in to mix, haul, and smooth out a whole bunch of concrete, all before lunch. After having one of my favorite dishes for lunch (pepian a Guatemalan stew), we finished off the day by continuing our work cabinet making, painting (cabinets, walls and murals), and installing new light fixtures (Paul might even get to have his own pliers tomorrow!).

Thanks again for your prayers!

Today was the start of many projects! A few of our team headed out to Zapote to take photos of over 200 kids, which was about 600 photos! This is for the sponsor program that Kids Alive Zapote does to help the children continue having schooling. A couple of our guys met a local ministry, hearing about how they are trying to help children who need foster/adoption opportunities in Guatemala. And Sandy working on a project for the girls at the Casa Ester get set up to make jewelry to sell, finding material for this has been a challenge but God has been bringing the right people to help provide the right materials to make this happen. It so cool to see how God is providing. Then the rest of us stayed at the Oasis and started on construction projects. I have the opportunity to paint a mural on the outside of a building this week, however some prep work was needed, what I thought would be a little scrapping ended up power washing about 5 layers of paint, their interior paint is the same as the exterior paint and it really can’t handle the outside. Couple of the guys started on making 15 bookcases and then a crew started preparations on a very large area that will have cement poured.  Phew! A lot happened today and its only Monday. Our team is really getting along and we have a lot of fun. We also are having some special moments in our devotional times together, once again we are being challenged to live how Jesus lived, with kindness, compassion and justice, very abbreviated as there is so much to all that we are learning and growing in. Ask us when we get home😊

We get right back at it tomorrow, when you get to read this which I guess will be Tuesday most of us will be helping with mixing, pouring and all that goes into laying cement, its heavy work so we will value your prayers for safety and strength!

Lisa Bodkin

What a day... No really, it was quite the day.  It was a day of new faces and ones from the past.  It was that kind of day where you are mentally, physically and emotionally tired as it comes to a close.  The kind of day that makes you realize that we actually haven’t even started working yet. So Lydia and I will try to give you a recap the best we can. 

I have been coming to the Oasis with our Church for 11 years now. Lydia, my 16 year old daughter, this is her first time. It has been so fun for me to be able to see this country and its people through her eyes. 

We started the day hearing from Corbey the director of the Oasis and an update on the ministry. He gave us a 'brief' 4000 year history of Guatemala and the struggles this country has. We sped off to Church after that enjoyed seeing a few of those familiar faces. 

Lydia says, I have to agree with my dad about the day being draining but it was good. The start of this day was what I was by far the most grateful for. While I didn’t get to spend my Sunday morning with my New Hope Church family, I did get to spend it with some of my Guatemalan brothers and sisters in Christ at church Galilea. It was an experience to say the least. The part I believe I will remember forever was singing in Spanish. Yes, we do that sometimes at home but with people who actually know what their singing and doing it with meaning and passion is powerful. But then after church I was absolutely ecstatic to be able to meet the girl who my dad’s known longer than me and has been on a wall along with my siblings in my home for longer than I can remember. Selia, while shorter than expected, was nothing short of lovely (thanks to Rosa for translating and helping get the message across that the Stoesz family and many others love her). It is clear that she, even after her own trials, has managed to be kind and wealthy with Christ. It was great to see her husband and her two beautiful kids. Christopher, her son is a busy boy who will keep her hands full for sure.

Later on in the day after some touristing around in the leather town and Antigua, we met with Doris, yet another girl who has had a place in my dads heart for a long time. We had the pleasure to meet her boyfriend and talk about her job and dogs. Very pleasant I would say. While the day was long and good, I am eager to get to get to work tomorrow.

Greg says, the first time I meet Selia was on my first trip here. We have been close ever since, I consider her family. If you ever enter my home you will see a wall of photo’s of our family.  We have a picture of Selia on this wall.  So to be able to introduce her and Lydia to each other today was fantastic. We also had coffee today with Doris, another girl that I have known for a very long time. To be able to see and hear that they are doing good, that they are doing life and doing it well makes my heart very happy today. Selia is actually working here in at the Oasis in the kitchen and her husband works here in maintenance. Dad's heart is happy all around today!

 Lydia & Greg

Saturday - Picnic day with the girls

It never fails, when you fall asleep in Guatemala, you’re going to wake up to a glorious morning the next day! Today was just one of those days! God’s beautiful creation, green and lush with blue skies and puffy white clouds passing over volcano peaks accompanied by intricate and crazy bird songs, rooster calls and even a little bunny nibbling on carnation petals, wow! This place is truly an Oasis, not just a place of safety but a place of incredible beauty, like a big hug from God!

Today we didn’t have a lot of work to do, but it was a full day, nonetheless. We take turns making and cleaning up breakfast for one another. Today’s was good, highlighted especially by the perfectly cooked bacon, compliments of Dave!  We then had an orientation presentation by Matt Vos from Kids Alive reminding us of the healthiest ways to interact with the girls while we’re here. We then spent most of the morning going through and organizing the many items that we were able to bring to Oasis. Thanks to the kind donations of many of you we were able to bring lots of very necessary tools and medical supplies and mountains of baby clothes. Thank you for your generosity!

The best part of our day was hosting a picnic lunch for the girls of Oasis and Casa Ester and the staff. Tim and Dan grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and chips and popsicles and enjoyed meeting new friends and getting reacquainted with old ones. Tim and Vivi Oberg had the opportunity to visit with a girl who had just arrived at the Oasis four days ago and was so thankful to be here. She will be starting school here on Monday. Thank God for bringing her here where she’ll be safe and cared for and be able to attend school and learn of God’s love and plans for her! After lunch Lydia, Lisa and Sandy did face and sweet little hand painting and Paul, Dan, Doug and Rosa lead some great relay games and activities. The laughter could be heard from far off! As usual, a soccer game broke out. Paul was tough to keep up with out there. And one little girl threw a beach ball at Spencer and Dave and Doug for over an hour and laughed hysterically every time she’d bop them in the head with it. It was priceless! The girls had a blast!  

Everyone was then treated to a puppet show given by some friends of Greg and Lydia who have a puppet ministry. It was very well done, and the girls really seemed to enjoy it. We also enjoyed it, though we didn’t understand a word of it. Watching the girls react was heart-warming. Rosa told us that one skit was about fear and the fact that God is always with us. It was a perfect message for them.

We always love these picnic days when we get to spend more leisurely time with the girls! They’re precious! They’re why we come! And on days like this, we are both touched and motivated to keep doing what we can to help them through our part in this ministry.

Sandy Dahl