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Hello!

Yesterday was our second full day of work on the sites. The team that went to The Colony on Saturday went to Campamento David yesterday and the team that went to Campamento David on Saturday went to The Colony. The folks at the Colony continued moving rocks for the wall, digging holes, and clearing the new land. The folks at Campamento David moved lots of dirt (which will help level the land on the soccer field), began clearing new land, and helped build the retaining wall (mixed cement, carried rocks, and more). Now is the time in the trip when folks’ stamina tends to fade. Prayer for strength for the workers on the site so that we are able to continue to work hard. Pray also that we take the breaks we need (and drink enough water); some of them almost work too hard.

Wayne also took the folks at The Colony on a tour of the mudslide area. Hurricane Stan brought great devastation and mudslides here in October, burying and killing around 600 folks. The students went and stood on what looks like a field but is really mud piled on top of homes and bodies that were buried in the mud. The folks (especially the children) are very fearful when it rains and many lost a number of their family members (we met one man yesterday who lost 33 members of his family). Please pray for all the folks in this area so impacted by the storm.

There are a couple folks who have been a big blessing on our trip. Jared Kesler was a part of the college ministry at Christ Chapel when he was at TCU; he just graduated in May. He is spending the summer living with the pastor of the Alfa y Omega Church (Pastor Abraham) and doing ministry in Santiago. He helped coordinate some of the details for our trip while Wayne and we were in the States. His help beforehand, work on the site, love for the Guatemalans (especially the children), and heart to minister to our high school students is a blessing.

Also, I wanted to be sure to mention what a blessing the Burketts are. Joe (a doctor) and Molly (a nurse) are here with us for any medical needs. Thankfully we haven’t needed their medical assistance very much this year. But they work as hard as anyone on the site. Elizabeth Butler mentioned in Give God the Glory last night Molly’s tenacity in a hole they were digging. The Burkett’s love for the Lord and students encourages us as well. I told them that though their children have now graduated from high school that the two of them still are not allowed to graduate from the CCBC high school ministry.

Last night Jon Dansby taught the group. We are continuing with our discussion of missions. Jon taught about how God is a missionary God and talked about His Kingdom. We looked through the Scriptures at God reaching out to all nations and then at the vision of victory in Revelation 5:9-14. It has been incredible to see the students’ eyes opened to missions; I’ve walked by and heard discussions among some of them considering extended summer missions experiences or maybe even a career in missions. In Matthew 9:36-38, we read Jesus’ words: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'”

Happy Birthday to Sarah Ice! She turned 15 yesterday. We asked for a candle to be put in her dessert last night so we could sing to her (which we did). As I went to the kitchen to check on it, I saw 6 Guatemalan men gathered around decorating a small cake for her. They wanted to put 15 candles in the cake but eventually gave up and settled for 5.

By grace alone,

Kathy Harrelson
High School Director at Christ Chapel Bible Church