Check out the video of our the teams visit to Santa Cecilia - it will make you laugh and cry and the same time! We are in the third year of our C2C and developing close relationships with the families. The team is starting to plan for next year! Yipppeee!

Santa Cecilia Missions Team Update of Trip Feb.18-26, 2011 Bob Hamilton a team member wrote this summary of our trip to our prayer partners. I think you will enjoy it! The First Congregational Church in Eaton, Colorado is planning a Sunday morning, day of reflection about the Guatemala mission trip. It will be on March 27 at 10:00 – come, hear the stories, see the pictures & enjoy a more visual update. Domingo Bernal will be presenting the "Myth About Poverty" First, before getting into the final summary – a HUGE “THANK YOU!!!” to all on this list; without your thoughts, prayers and support, this mission would not have happened. YOU are the reason things went so well. In Isaiah it says, “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” You – our friends & family – were the wind beneath our wings! J A quick summary of the events: Each day started with all of us piling into a couple vans and heading the 12 km from Coban to Santa Cecilia; half the trip was paved while the last 6km were rocky, dusty & very bumpy. On Monday, we were happily greeted at the school by 300+ kids plus community leaders, the principal and FH leaders. After our introductions, we were off to work. We ended the work portion each day with that same ride. For safety reasons, we ate breakfast & dinner at the hotel. At dinner each night we would pause to discuss the happening of the day – God sightings, special situations, home visits, etc. and we would have devotions. Coincidently, FH was holding regional meetings with some of their directors and they joined us at times. VBS – What a success! With 150-200 attending each day, the children were taught some Bible lessons, had crafts each day, learned some new songs and enjoyed the fun time. They kids took all of this in with smiles on their faces and all kinds of energy J The VBS times were hosted by a couple churches in town – the Nazarene church was the primary location, but the team did use the Catholic church once – each had their pluses/minuses. The fun time was used to teach the kids “football” – the football we in the States think of, not what the Guatemalans are used to (soccer). They picked it up right away; at last enough to play a ‘game’ on Thursday afternoon. All-in-all, VBS was good. Construction – The purpose of the kitchen project is to provide a place where the kids at the school can have a nutritious meal cooked for them each day. Before the project began, the school had an open ‘hut-type’ kitchen and cooked over an open fire. The new one will have a modern “smokeless” oven & cooking surface that will still use firewood, but will scrub the smoke before it is released into the air. A cinder block extension onto the school is being built to enclose the new cooking area. The construction team work on that building included: digging out the footer/foundation area, moving dirt & rock out of the area, bending, tying & building re -bar supports, hauling, mixing & pour the concrete used plus miscellaneous jobs as they arose. We were able to complete the footing, foundation and the mason was laying block by Friday. There was one paid foreman for the job plus each day, members of the community would come as volunteers to help with the construction. It was hot, but well worth it! Dental Clinic – What can I say, these creatures were awesome! What sounds like a simple “check the kids” schedule was really an undertaking filled with tears, emotions, tact, shoulders to cry on, heart-rendering decisions, more tears, plus educating the moms & munchkins on the dental work needed, proper nutrition & diet. They fought electrical problems at the school from the start which finally culminated on Wed when the entire community lost power & some tough decisions were needed. But, after coming together in prayer, the plan was clear – move the clinic back down that dusty road to the FH offices in San Juan Chamelco and once there … they cruised! During a total work time of about 3 days given they took time to talk about nutrition, flossing & brushing at VBS on Monday afternoon and moved the whole clinic on Wed morning, the team saw 77 kids! These were long days, filled with a number of extractions & fillings, a few good cases; but mostly poor, poor teeth. It was a start and the best the team could accomplish on their ‘first’ time. Many lessons were learned, many notes taken and discussions of "what can we do next time?" Our final day in the community was Friday, the community leaders, teachers & many families form the area came to thank the team and see us off. It was an emotional time & tough to say “Goodbye!” We left Santa Cecilia with our hearts & minds filled with memories, mental photographs of our experiences – the sights, the smoke, the bumpy roads, the paths back to home visits, the atmosphere, the people … the kids J These are the treasures that words cannot describe and the blessings we will cherish. Some lyrics found in a song from a Broadway musical go like this … “I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them. And we help them in return. Well, I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you... Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good. It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime. So let me say before we part so much of me is made of what I learned from you; you'll be with me like a hand-print on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine by being my friend ... Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good.” I think this sums up how we were touched by the small community of Santa Cecilia … Thank you again for blessing us with your prayers. With this, the team wants you to know … God loves you and we love you too! J Found in Hebrews 3 … “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today" … “ (God’s Today, with a capital T!) (American Standard Version) Adios!

Hey, I just found the group site for Guatemala. I have started an album for Pulay, Guatemala in MyPhotos on the FH site. The link is: http://www.fh.org/help/community/MichaelMansour/photos/album?albumid=83. Is there a way to link it to this site? Is there a way to move it to this site? I'm new to it and still trying to figure things out. Gracias, Mike Mansour (aka Miguel)

The Dream Team from Eaton, Colorado is preparing for their trip in February to Santa Cecilia. Dr. Jim Kennedy and Dr. Bryan Casseday will be doing a dental clinic along with their dental staff - Julie, Heidi, Stacy, Kayedeane and Marilyn. Kurt, Bob and Dan and the rest of the team will be building a new kitchen for the school. This is the 3rd year for this team and returning team members. Patty, Jeanene and Liz are looking forward to seeing their friends. Elaine has been making fuzzy blankets to sell to raise funds for the projects.Dan is bringing his footballs for a romping game of flag football on the sport court we built last year. Luke is looking forward to playing football with the kids! Looking forward to meeting our sponsored kids and their families. God is good!

Yay for Bridgewater Baptist and their new C2C! Yay for Kambalam!! God is good!!

Time with myfh... cool!