Today was our final day of construction to finish projects for the week. After finishing the block work on the guard house. We cleaned out the inside, and removed a lot of dirt for the concrete floor to be installed by future teams coming down.

Hand dug 6 - 7 cubic yards of dirt.

Had some tough roots to pull out also.

Cabinets were finished, painted, and installed in the multi purpose building. The team also made up some much needed hangers for the team rooms.

New cabinets going up in Bethany Center

Lisa Adding new Murals

The prayer room was finished in the Fountain of Peace building. This will be a wonderful place to pray and be one with The Lord, for the girls and also the staff here at the Oasis.
We then got to enjoy a lot of time playing and talking with the girls as we were getting ready for our dinner with the girls at the Ester house.  The girls at the Ester house are the Independence program girls. They are 18 and older, and learning to live on their own to ready themselves for life after the Oasis. Earlier in the week they had invited us over for dinner, and we could not say no.

This was the first time the girls had invited a team for dinner.

Josh and Susan Ma were our team hosts.

 They prepared for us a nice meal of Lasagna, salad, and fruit. To finish it off they had made a Carrot cake to celebrate the Birthdays of Kyle and Lisa. It was the best meal of the week. The highlight for me was Tony doing our nightly devotions after dinner. Not only doing it for us, but also in Spanish for the girls, kind of a two for one. A magnificent job by Tony. Thanks.

The Independence Girls showing great hospitality. 

Tomorrow we have our retreat with the girls, and we are really looking forward to the lessons we can help teach about The Lord. We will have prayer sessions, games, crafts, and a great time learning the Word of God.  This has been another successful year down here at the Oasis. Not only the work we have done on the grounds, but the work we do with our relationships to the girls and the staff at the Oasis.

Mark

Thursday Morning at The Oasis

We woke up this morning to a foggy start. It is still beautiful in Guatemala, even in the fog! We started the day with  team devotions and then breakfast....a yummy skillet, (at least I say it was, because I was the cook!). Then we broke off into our work groups: Block layers, cabinet makers, painters, and Prayer Chapel remodel.

Tim with Domingo finishing top course.

Randy demonstrating proper trowel handling technique.

The block layers finished laying all the block today for the guard house. They will finish that project up tomorrow by digging out about three inches of dirt from the floor to level out the ground, so then the cement floor can be poured next week.

Dave helping with custom cabinets.

The cabinet makers and painters worked together to get all the cabinets painted and assembled so that they can be installed into two offices tomorrow. The two offices also got their walls freshly painted. Lisa will be adding some small mural details to each office tomorrow.

Cabinet Master Dan cutting shelves.

Extreme Make-over underway.

The Prayer Chapel remodel is coming along well. The walls got a fresh painting. The rooms got cleaned. The murals are finished and the sewing has begun. Tomorrow will be a day like those last hours of Home Makeover making sure all the final details are done before the reveal....can't wait to see it all come together.

Off to school.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner in Antigua as a team hosting the missionaries to say thank you for all they do for the girls, staff and especially the girls at the Oasis. What an amazing team of missionaries who serve Christ so well. Another shout out to this wonderful team God has put together to minister to the girls here at the Oasis.

Tomorrow is our final work day here at the Oasis. We thank you in advance for your continued prayers for good health, stamina, and team unity. May God be glorified and praised for His goodness to us!

Adios,
Kyle  

Day 5 - Construction continues & devotions with the girls

Day five started quietly saying adios to the cheerful girls as they headed to school for the day. We began our work day with a quick project update in the Bodega (tool garage) as we needed to switch a few team members jobs around.  Several are not feeling well as we seem to be experiencing some issues with illness. We would cherish your prayers for us in this specific area. 

Much was still accomplished today,despite the down team members with more  painting rooms in the multipurpose building, more block work for a new guard shack, cabinet building and special work on a prayer chapel. 

Each day we see more and more of why God has led us to this place, the Oasis. The Girls... God is working in the hearts of these sweet precious ones, and we get to see His work first hand. What a gift it is to encounter the joy, the smiles and the healing that goes on here that is transforming lives forever.

We stopped work a little early tonight to join the girls, Tia's and staff for their weekly Oasis community devotion time. We started with a few worship songs, with a few of the younger girls, along with missionaries Josh and wife Susan, leading us. Then it was time for the Tia's to share Character quality "sightings" that occurred with the girls this week. It was great to see how proud the girls were, (and even some of the team members who sponsor one of the girls!),when their name was mentioned by their Tia praising them for being kind, servant-hearted, or helpful. These are qualities they are always trying to teach and re-enforce. Then missionary Addie got up and shared the memory verse that they were going to memorize for the next week. It was Romans 5:1. Addie went on to give a small devotional as to what it meant. Then the girls broke out into their small groups to begin the memorization...amazing how quickly these girls learn! It is so great how important scripture memorization is here at the Oasis. Thanks missionary Jenny for interpreting for us gringos!   
    

Cory the painter...

Kyle's new find, see the smile.

Dave takes a moment to help out

Tony... thinking...

Yes, Randy can paint and he's good too...

Tim talking things over with Doug's wife Sara

Sweet songs from the girls

The block guys, Mark & Doug 

Precious time with the girls...

Josh our leader and his wife Susan.

Good Night, Doug & Kyle

Day 4 - Construction continues & supper with the girls

So, I guess it is my turn to blog... this should be fun.  I think I am going to do this a little different and just tell you all what is rattling around in my brain tonight.  You should know that I took a soccer ball off the face tonight when I was sitting way to close to the field and not paying attention.  So my brain hurts a little, again... this should be fun.

Hmm, Greg wondering whats for dinner at the purple house!

Doug, Randy, & Dave in the the gold house for dinner

Greg & Tim in the Purple house for dinner

Laying block for the guard house

Purple House

We worked and we worked hard today, my body hurts from the work.  We painted and laid cement block and made cabinets and worked on redesigning a prayer chapel.  It was an absolutely beautiful day here, perfect weather and considering the snow back in Minnesota, it was even more perfect.  Hot actually, I am sun burnt and I like that.

To me the work is great and a huge part of the ministry that we do here but to be honest this trip is more about relationships.  In a few months when I look back on this trip I will remember being able to see Doug Johnson and hugging him.  I will remember laughing until it hurts with the other team members.  I will remember crying when we leave.  I will remember the 3 girls that arrived in the middle of the night.  I will remember making tortilla's by hand with two of the girls we sponsor.   I will remember how close I feel to God when I am here at the Oasis.  At dinner tonight we were asked what we remember the fondest about out first time here.  I answered that by saying I loved and remember feeling closer to God here then anywhere on Earth.  I know that when I am home I am easily distracted, work, family, distractions.  Any and all shiny objects distract me.  In Guatemala it is not the case, I am here to serve and love and both of those bring me closer to God.

So there you go.  Just a few of the many things in my soccer face hurting brain tonight.  Oh, one last thing.  I really miss my wife.  I love you Jesaca.

Greg Stoesz

Day 3 - working at the Oasis

The team awoke this morning to another beautiful Guatemala morning; singing birds, the bluest blue sky, crisp fresh air and enthusiasm in our hearts for the day ahead. And though we have enjoyed the weekend to get settled and reconnect with the girls, we are so anxious to get started on the projects planned for us.

Each year the team gathers at the bodega on Monday morning to meet with the construction coordinator from the Oasis to go over the details of the work slated for us. For the first time since the New Hope teams have come to the Oasis, we were not greeted at the bodega by Doug Johnson. You may or may not know that just before Thanksgiving of 2012 Doug was shot repeatedly right in San Lucas. God has heard the cries of his people on behalf of Doug and spared his life. It is truly a miracle that he survived and lives to testify of God’s faithfulness and healing hand! We hope to share more about that later.

This year, we are blessed to be working with Josh as our team and construction coordinator. We learned that we will be working on constructing some cabinets, painting of the psychologists’ offices and building a guard house by the front gate. And as always, there are random painting, electrical or plumbing needs. We divided the group into teams and set out to accomplish these projects. This team has such a great blend of giftedness and personalities and attitudes, it’s wonderful to see! 

Most of the girls were at school today, but some of the older girls go to Saturday school so throughout the day we would see them preparing food, doing chores, or meeting with staff members. And as we were going about our work, we might find ourselves being greeted with a big hug and a smile from one of them! You can’t find a sweeter break or blessing than that!

Many people from church donated wonderful gifts for us to share with the girls. We unpacked our extra suitcases full of these games, puzzles, books, toys, dolls and doll clothes, stuffed animals, dress-up clothes, hand-made pillow cases, scarves, hair binders and headbands, shoes, purses and so much more. We are so grateful for the many who have demonstrated love and generosity to the girls in this way!

At the end of our day of work, several from the team set off for a visit to one of our favorite destinations outside the walls of the Oasis, Chicoman. This small village is just a quick walk up the hill from the Oasis. Year after year we have enjoyed visiting these precious people.  We’ve begun to remember one another and build relationships with them. Randy again shared his magic tricks (they humor him by acting like they don’t remember the same tricks he did last year!) and shared the gospel with all the children and adults who gather around. It’s great having Tony along too who can help us share a greeting or have short conversation with someone. We walked back to the Oasis being “serenaded” by God with one of his glorious sunsets lighting up the evening sky! Thank you, Lord!

After dinner tonight, Corbey Dukes, the Kids Alive Guatemala Field Director, shared with us some of what’s been happening at the Oasis and Source of Hope (in Zapote),  and some of what they are hoping and praying for regarding future ministry. And even though most of us are pretty familiar with the ministry of Kids Alive here in Guatemala, hearing what they do is still overwhelming. We were reminded of the tragedy of what these girls have been rescued from and the many ways that God is restoring them and healing their families. But the needs continue to press in. In fact, this very night three new young girls were being delivered by the court to the Oasis. It breaks our hearts to know that there are little girls experiencing so much pain and abuse. But it thrills our hearts to know that there is a place like this where these now 48 young girls can find a safe and loving place tonight!

So we thank the Lord for providing the Oasis, for calling the staff to love and serve, for equipping them to do the work he’s called them to. And we thank all of you who are supporting us through your prayers and gifts. We are privileged to serve and be blessed by this powerful ministry!

Written by Sandy Dahl

Church, Picnic and a Volcano

After a good nights sleep we all piled into the van and drove the bumpy roads of San Lucas to church where all the girls from the Oasis attend. It is always a blessing to worship together with the girls and hear some great wisdom from their pastor. To our surprise we saw Doug (orange jacket) and Sara there. It was truly a blessing to see this man who by all accounts should not be with us. 

Neil and Mark talking with Doug at the Nazarene Church

Straight after church we all bundled in the van again and headed south towards Guatemala City to a Park. We set up tables, made lunch, ate plenty of food then the fun began...

Sandwich making

Randy introduces the Parachute. 

Sandy and Lisa do a little face painting

Dave playing a little "Futbol" - I think he got beat!

Neil scored points with Mirsa by getting his face painted.

Fuego Volcano Erupts

We saw so much today. The love that came from the pastor to his congregation and for the people who do not know Christ in Guatemala. To the laughter and giggles that you heard and saw from the girls as they played games in the park, to then at the end of the day Fuego Volcano decides to put on a show for us. God the creator of this universe showed his splendor in that volcano - but even more so in each of these girls as you watched them play. The week has only just begun and we have been blessed already.

Lisa Bodkin - Reporting for the team.