Real men are not afraid to cry!

Saturday morning came around way too quickly and it was time to say our good byes. This is an emotional time as it is always hard to leave the girls. This year our relationships with the girls have been particularly close - there were a number of reasons for this: firstly going back to the Oasis for several years many of the girls recognize faces and even remember names, secondly the party/BBQ we had on Sunday really helped to get things off to a great start, this year we also ate with the girls each day in the dining room, we also benefited from the fact that there have not been many teams visiting the Oasis this past year (actually we were the first in 2010) and finally we simply made more time to hang out with them and get to know them instead of just working all the time. This slightly different focus was definitely of benefit to the girls who desperately need Godly male father figures and a blessing to us guys. So after a week of eating together, exchanging photos, hugs, soccer, basketball, laughs, gifts and hand written notes, saying good bye was harder than ever. Many tears were shed (mainly by the guys, not the girls) and we once again left the Oasis thinking only about when we would be able to return.

Final day of construction

After a little too much fun on Thursday it was time to get back to some serious work. With all hands on deck we managed to complete all the electrical work in the apartments and house #6. The sheetrock and most of the painting was also completed and all the ceiling grids were done along with some of the tiles as well. The "door guys" (Kory & Mark) did a great job installing doors in house #6 - these are not the pre-hung kind, you understand.....this is doors from scratch! So by the end of the day we felt like we had achieved what we set out to do. In the evening we treated the staff at the Oasis to a meal out at the Hotel Santa Domingo in Antigua. It was a wonderful time to encourage them, reflect on the week and hear more about their heart and vision for the work in Guatemala.

Thursday at the Oasis

Today we got back to work after a great night out in Antigua. We installed more doors, ran wire for the lights, and are ready to install the ceiling panels in house #6. We are also finishing the sanding for house #4 which is ready for paint. It is amazing to see 12 guys take multiple projects, and work together to achieve so much in a short amount of time. Having worked in construction for many years usually when you put that many guys together in a small room doing so much it can usually get ugly. It has been a joy to work with and be around these gentleman. Three of the staff here at the Oasis have had birthdays this week. So today we celebrated them all with cake made by Kyle Biggar. At lunch we sang "Happy Birthday" to them and also had some fireworks. The guys then sang "How Great Thou Art" for the girls and the staff - it was a big hit! After lunch we got back to work, but it didn't last long as the girls continued the celebrations by bringing out some Pinatas. It was a lot of fun watching the girls take their swings at them. We also handed out t-shirts to the girls that were donated to us. It was fun seeing them all wearing tie-die shirts. Late this afternoon nine of us went to visit the town of Chicaman. We took toothpaste and toothbrushes to hand out. We also had some candy to go along with them. As we started our walk up the hill we ran into the pastor of the town. Tim Oberg was showing him some magazines, and then showed him one with a picture of his church in it. He was very excited to see the picture so Tim gave him the magazine. Right after that we ran into the mother who had lost three girls last year. We told her we were praying for her and showed sympathy for her and her family. It was a very sombre moment for all of us. After that we continued up the hill and by the time we got to the top we had a good size crowd of kids following us. We took a lot of pictures, handed out the goodies and played some games with the locals. We also handed out some small booklets to the kids in Spanish with short stories about Jesus, and his love for them. It is so wonderful to see how God is working in the people of Guatemala and the love they have for Him, especially the girls here at the Oasis. We are looking forward to our final day of construction (it has gone by very fast) and helping them finish house #6. It has been great to see the progress in just one year, and the plans they have for the future. This is a safe and loving place for the girls.

Visit to Zapote

Wednesday was a great day! We left the Oasis early in the morning and headed out to Zapote. This journey involves driving over the mountains and through 4 rivers in the pickup trucks - always an interesting experience. We put some lights in at the school there and ate lunch with the kids. It is amazing to see about 100 kids being educated, fed and taught the Word of God in a place where just a few years ago there was no school and no hope. In the afternoon we took a little time out for ourselves, visited a coffee farm, did some shopping and then ate out in Antigua. It was a long day but great to see how God is working in the village of Zapote and experience a little more of the beautiful Guatemalan culture.

Tuesday Video Update

First day of construction

Our first day of construction went well. We got a good start on some dry wall finishing, putting in some drop ceilings, some electrical work, installing some doors and painting. As usual we spent a good deal of time at the beginning of the day trying to find the right supplies, tools and plans before we could really get going! As if a full day of construction was not enough we foolishly agreed to another game of soccer with the girls - we are really starting to feel it now and they ran circles around us this time. One of the highlights of the day was eating lunch with all the girls in the dining room. It was so cool to walk in and see many of them had already saved seats for their favorite "gringo". Having the party on the first day really gave us a great chance to get to know the girls quickly and as a result the relationships have already been a lot closer than in previous years. We are really feeling your prayers and thank you for them, it is such a blessing to be down here again - we praise God for the privilege of serving.

P.S. Make sure you checkout Sunday's video update!

Sunday Video Update

Sunday at the Oasis

We had decided before we came that we wanted to have a "party" for the girls, so this was our opportunity! After church we got back to the Oasis and quickly jumped into getting lunch prepared for all of the girls, tias, and most of the staff, and of course the team too! Sara Johnson, Kyle and Randy were in the kitchen with several of the girls cutting up cabbage and pineapple to make "Minnesota" coleslaw...it was a bit "chunky" but delicious!  Mark Chapman was the "grillmaster"...cooking up burgers and dogs. We had chips and KoolAid too!  The girls really can pack it away so we were praying "fish and loaves"...but we had enough.  After lunch the girls had prepared a program for us...and gift to us to thank the team for coming.  They sang a few worship songs for us and then two of the girls gave their testimonies, Katy and Maria Christina...oh man, I don't think their was one of us who was not touched very deeply.  Hearing these young ladies pour out their hearts and tears was very heart wrenching.  We then surprised the girls with ice cream, photo albums, gift bags and some candy.  It was such a blessing to see these girls so happy and having fun.  The afternoon activities came to an end with our annual soccer game.  I think the old men held their own this year.  We are once again tired and ready for a good nights sleep.  Tomorrow brings the first day of work for us.  We will be painting, installing doors, doing electrical work and anything else that the Lord brings us to do.

Sunday morning at Galilea

This morning we enjoyed a sweet time of worship at Galilea church which included a time of communion and a powerful message from a visiting pastor on unity. Now back at the Oasis the grill is fired up and the hot dogs are cooking - it's time for fiesta, before we begin the hard work!