Watchmen On The Walls Ministry

Ministry

2010-01-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Myra ministering to Andrea in downtown Baltimore with Doxa Ministry

Sunday Morning with Pastor Leonel

Food, gifts and a pinata for Children 2-7 year of age for Christmas

Johana sharing the word, food, fellowship and gifts for the women for Christmas

A movie, popcorn and gifts for children in first grade and up for Christmas.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Greetings from Guatemala. Its been a while. I’ve had serious computer problems but now am back stronger than ever.

Looking back we marvel at how much was accomplished during 2009. Twenty one stoves were installed from January through August. One hundred and sixty pairs of school shoes were given out in January. Thirteen blankets were donated locally for the families. Two latrines were installed. Four homes made of heavy plastic were recovered and one home was built from scratch. Two lean-twos were built to protect the stoves from the rain. A medical clinic was held. School material, uniforms and tennis were provided for the children attending school. Hot meals were provided for over 100 children three times a week. Beans, rice and corn were provided for 56 families for three months.

Men started to attend the church services under our new pastor Leonel Gomez. The people are growing in their relationship to the Lord. The children with excellent grades were rewarded with a movie and pizza. Every child received a gift for their birthdays.

We are so thankful for the financial help given to provide these services to the people. We are also thankful for those who came and helped build, paint, play and pray with and for the people in 2009.

Myra went to the states in late October to share the vision of the ministry. She was at Huber Church, Friendship Baptist, Hilton St Baptist, Mt Moriah Baptist church, Deeper Life Church, Park Valley Church of Va. and her home church of Immanuels Church. She saw many old friends and made some new ones while she was home. It was a great trip.

She also celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the ministry she founded - Watchmen On the Walls. There was a celebration given by the WMOTW board that highlighted some of the activities of the ministry. She is very proud of being a part of such a great group of people.

One of the most emotional parts of her visit was an opportunity to minister to street people along with Doxa Ministries in downtown Baltimore.

Pastor Leonel continued with the ministry of the church while Myra was gone. Two more persons accepted Christ!

He, Raquel, Gilma, Graciela, and Elsa kept the feeding program “Comedor de Paz” going as well.

We have much to be thankful for and much to look forward to in this New Year 2010.

I’d like to call this the year of the BUILDING!

We are currently meeting in my garage and the assembly has grown on average to 120 to 175 person three times a week for the feeding program. On Sundays over 40 small children are meeting in my kitchen. We need room!

The land is paid for and has been excavated to begin work on the subterranean level. We need people and money to go forward. If you ever thought of getting down and dirty for 7-10 days to help the poor in a practical way email me at angeldaniel@wmotw.com. or contact Kelly Schaeffer at Kelly.Schaeffer@KleinschmidtUSA.com.

Park Valley Church of Va. will again be coming for their third year. A combined group of people from PA., Ohio and South Carolina as well as the youth of Doxa Ministry have already committed to come and lend a hand. You can make your own group or be a part of an already formed group.

As the year has come and gone we say goodbye to what was and hello to what is coming. We thank God for Venus Stewart who has been with WMOTW from the beginning as Secretary and so much more. We wish her the very best in the coming years with the many projects God has given her to lead. We thank Juanita Holland, another dear friend, for taking over the position of secretary. I am truly blessed to have such an excellent group of people on the board.

My trip home was wonderful to see my family and to share at several churches. I was encouraged and refreshed. I send a special thank you to Sandi McFadden who made my visit almost like a retreat!

Love, Myra

2009-09-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today was an especially interesting one spiritually and emotionally. As I was reading my devotional this morning I read from Romans 11 and then in another reading there was the same Romans 11. The first reading touched my spirit and when it cropped up again I was intrigued by what God was saying. I went on with my day praising God for His love and blessings of hearth and home and everything as I hung my clothes on the line thanking him for clean clothes and a place to hang them. thanking him for safety and security. Where was this day heading?

by mid day I was out to lunch with friends at a baby shower for one of their daughter-in-laws. I listened more than talked which is usually my way but I was sad and feeling alone in the midst of them. I shook it off and thought maybe the enemy was trying to steal from me my joy in the Lord.

I returned home, hugged my son, spent some time with him talking about his day and then left him watching Animal Planet as I retreated to the computer to check my emails. A bit later he came asking to watch a movie and I said let's review some school work first. WHAT DID I SAY THAT FOR!

He stormed out of the room and slammed his door muttering as he went. The thought crossed my mind to go after him with a belt for his attitude but instead sat at my computer and prayed. A few minutes later he came back sobbing saying, 'Mom, I want to change." I assured him he was changing. Just by coming back convicted, is a sure sign of change. I also asked if he was truly doing what is needed to help him change and he said "no, mom, I'm not reading my Bible every day." I said "Okay let's review your school work, you read something from the Bible and then go watch a movie." He said "Okay, mom."

After the school review I felt compelled to tell him about Romans 11 that I was reading in the morning. I explained to him how the Jewish rejected Jesus and we who were not chosen from God initially were ingrafted in to the olive tree which represents a planting cultivated by God. They were like a baby that was born and covered with blood and the Bible says God found them by the side of the road and he washed the blood off of the body and clothed them and fed them and they rejected him. I told him how blessed we are to be made a part of God choosing because as he made the jewish people who were not a people a people He has made us a body.

He sat down and read from my English NIV of his own choosing from Romans 8 about the law of sin and death and the law of the spirit of life that sets us free. After reading he looked at me with a big smile and said "Mom the spirit of God is living in me and I cannot continue to sin because I want to please God. I am not perfect but I am changing." I agreed with him with all of my heart.

Thank you Lord for preparing my heart this morning to be available to you and to my son Angel.

2009-09-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Guatemala. The Second and third semesters of school just ended. School was closed for a month so there has been a lot of catching up to do. We’re just now getting the report cards and so far everyone has passed but one. We celebrated with pizza, games and gifts those who had excellent grades of 80 and above. Two of the students in the 4th grade had marks of five 100’s and another in 6th grade had marks of three 100’s!

One young man who will complete Junior High (Basico) in October wants to attend Agriculture school for four years. He is a good student. His mother is a widow and there are three other siblings. His tuition and monthly needs will be far above the normal monthly school support. We pray we can get him three supporters. Please pray about helping him. His name is Kevin Aroch.

We also celebrated the children’s birthdays with cake and gifts.

“Dios es Nuestra Paz” Our Church, "God is our Peace".

Pastor Leonel has been visiting the families to get to know them better, pray for them and to encourage the husbands to attend church.

This month another man was murdered and left a pregnant wife with seven children. The men are at great risk and need the Lord.

We are now holding “family” services every third Sunday in the afternoon so the whole family can attend. Many of the men work Sunday morning. The first Sunday 5 men showed up and on the second occasion 8 men showed up. One man even came alone.
Please pray for the work of the church in this poor community.

This month two families were blessed with stoves. One stove was donated by Lorraine Speraw of Zion 3 church and was received by Aurelia, single mother of five children. The Bart Robey family of Park Valley church donated a stove to Josephina Carranza, mother of five. Pastor Leonel, Angel and Hugo installed the stoves.

The last two months we have been blessed to be able to give out bulk food to the people we serve. Here bulk food is called viveres which means basically food to live. We have given out beans, rice and corn to 53 families with 180 children!
We received a generous donation from First Baptist Church of Pimlico to be able to distribute viveres until the end of this year! This is a hard time for most families because the rains have been less so there is a great need and God has answered it.

Another month has come and gone. We had a pretty good month health wise. Angel had only a few small bouts of sickness. My lovely Aimee and my precious mom celebrated their 21st and 86th respectively. Angel passed his exams and is doing well in school.

Gloria’s, pregnant with her 8th child, husband was murdered this month. Alicia’s ankle was broken by her abusive husband. Another Gloria, a widow with three children, was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus and Maria Elena, whose husband was murdered last year, was considering suicide again.

All of these things happen in everyday life. A husband dies leaving young children, a wife lives with an abusive spouse, illness suddenly rears its ugly head and desperation and despair knocks at the door and we respond. But I have hope!

I am hopeful that with prayer support, visitation and helping with practical needs that Gloria will get through this difficult time.

I am hopeful because Alicia is a strong Christian woman who fasts and prays for her husband.

I am hopeful that the other Gloria’s operation was successful this month.

I am hopeful because Maria Elena accepted Christ as her Savior and now has everything she needs to live her life.

Our hope is in God and He has never failed us yet. Please remember these ladies in your prayers. Thank you for your support and for your prayers.

Love, Myra

Prayer Requests:
Joy in the journey
Good Health
Spiritual growth for Myra’s Children
Good relations with ministry team
Money for building
More visitors
More monthly support

Please send cash donations to:
WMOTW
3415 Fallstaff RD
Baltimore, MD 21215
Make checks payable to: WMOTW
PayPal is also another way to make donations

Visitors, Stoves, Pool and Birthdays

2009-08-03T23:49:00.000-07:00

Pastor Leonel praying for the men

Myra Chillin at the pool

Devotions at the pool

Waiting for the new stove be installed

At the pool

Karen-Quincienera 15th birthday

Heidy-Quincienera 15th birthday

Bringing a latrine to its new home

Going uphill

Making repairs

New home and new stove

New stove

Greetings from Guatemala. What a busy month we’ve had. We had a group of 17 people come from Park Valley Church in Va. and did they work! They installed 10 stoves, put laminated steel roof on heavy plastic homes, replaced plastic covered walls, delivered a latrine for one family, built two plastic, wood and laminated steel lean-tos to cover new stoves and provided the material to build a family of five a new home! They went up hills and down mountains all for the glory of God. They found time to visit a local school and have a play day, make a happy mural for the feeding program and take about 80 children to the pool. Did I mention also celebrate two young ladies 15th birthday by providing everything from their clothing to the cake and a special ring for each young lady thrown in. WOW!

This month 10 families were blessed with stoves. Six stoves were donated by Zion 3 church and four by Park Valley church. There are not enough words to express the joy and gratitude in the hearts of the people who were blessed with these new stoves. The stove uses less wood, has a chimney that takes the smoke outside, and is high off of the ground away from animals and more hygienic.
Pastor Leonel had a busy month too. He has stepped up and is now teaching the youth during the time of the comedor as well as preaching on Sundays. Raquel continues to be a blessing with the Sunday school and during the time of the comedor.

Pastor Leonel was also the coordinator with several local churches for a youth event to pray for the nation of Guatemala against the violence in the country. A group of our young people went to represent our church “Dios es Nuestra Paz” (God is our Peace). There was a weekend of activities including a prayer vigil at a local park. The youth are growing in the church and we are blessed to have pastor Leonel and his wife Johanna taking such care of their instruction in righteousness while having fun at the same time.
The men also had their monthly meeting with teaching, prayer and testimonies. We plan to meet later in the day on every third week in hopes the men, who sometimes work Sunday mornings, may attend with their families. Please pray for this new format.

A 15th birthday is an important part of a Guatemalan girls life. The poor do not have the means to even celebrate a normal birthday. We are so thrilled to celebrate for the second time this special event with two beautiful young ladies. Last year it was karla who was the first “quincienera” of this ministry. This year we have two. – Karen and Heidy! Both were given new dresses, shoes, rings, jewelry and even underwear! We are so thankful, as they are also, for the generous donation from Phil of Park Valley Church who made it all possible. Some members of the group made the cake and even brought gifts. Thanks Park Valley Church for making the dreams of two young girls come true.

Another month has come and gone. We had some more health challenges but thank God that is behind us. Late July I had to take Angel to the hospital for a bad throat infection. He was home from school for eight days just in time to return for the third semester exams. In all things I am thankful.

We all had a great time with the visitor. It’s always good to be with people who speak English but even more with friends like those from Park Valley Church.

I am so thankful for the way they came in under the leadership of Kelly, who is a fellow missionary, and accomplished so much.
I am so thankful for Pastor Leonel and Aimee who pitched in and accompanied them into the highways and byways and got as down and dirty as the group did.

I am thankful for those who stayed behind and painted my garage where we hold church and the feeding program and also painted the outside of the house.

I am so thankful for the generous donation that Park Valley church sent to do more work on the construction of the building.

I am thankful for my “new best friend” Diana for the beautiful job she and her daughter Nicole did on the mural for the children. (Smile)

I am thankful for the generous donation from Pimlico Baptist church for the scholarship and feeding programs and for the food given out to needy families.

I am so thankful for each of you who have stood with me financially and in prayer these nearly 14 years of serving God in Guatemala. May all, no more, be returned to each one of you in blessings from the hand of God who reigns forever and ever.

Love, Myra

Comedor y Educacion de Paz, Chiquimula

2009-04-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Francisco cutting hair

Grandma with donated blanket

New stove for poor family

We have officially named the ministry in Guatemala to reflect the work that is being done there. The Guatemalan name for our ministry is Ministerio Comedor y Educacion de Paz, Chiquimula. It means that the ministry is a feeding program and education program with the emphasis on Peace. The name of the Guatemalan church also has the same emphasis. The church's name is Dios es Nuestra Paz (God is our Peace). We are still under WMOTW for tax purposes and for the non-profit status. Continue sending donations to WMOTW. The name Watchmen On the Walls does not translate to a meaningful statement of the ministry in Guatemala.

We are excited about officially becoming a Guatemalan ministry recognized by the government. Our hope is that more Guatemalan's will spearhead this ministry in the years to come.

Ministerio Comedor y Educación de Paz, Chiquimula

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light Isaiah 9:2

March 2008

It's been cold and then hot. I'm just coming out from under walking pneumonia. It's been a long boring time. I'm looking forward to some adventure. (smile)
Aimee has recuperated from her last baby-Nathan and has returned as part time secretary in the mornings. She will help with reports in English, input of information in English and also clean the ministry office. Angel just finished his exams and we are waiting for a good report.

While I was down and out, Francisco and Raquel helped a great deal. Francisco is now full time with the ministry while Raquel continues part time because of her new baby, Deborah, born in February. Francisco was off and running from day one...and I mean running. He has been talking to local merchants to help the ministry financially with monthly or one time support. We already had five faithful commitments of as much as $25 a month to as little as $2 a month. Two dollars buys 2 pounds of chicken or a little over 1 pound of meat. Every little bit helps.

On Francisco's first day he had two more committed donations of $25 a month each! Praise God! He was very pleased with himself for being able to make that contribution. He is now full time salaried as youth pastor along with Raquel. He will also do a lot of running for me that I could not do. As a youth pastors they are responsible for the ministry and games at the comedor, Sunday services with the children, helping with homework and activities. He cuts the boys hair and is teaching the older boys how to cut hair.

Francisco fits a special need in the ministry for a man for the boys. He is planning a sleep over with some of the older boys with fun and games. He is currently still working with the men one Sunday a month sharing the word. During my illness, he preached to the ladies on Sunday while Raquel worked with the children. Raquel also helps in the office keeping the files up to date for the ministry. She also writes letters to local authorities, tutors Angel, helps with presentations and is the teacher for the literacy class.

We are still looking for a pastor who will be able to minister to the whole family and build up the church from members in the poor community who are not attending church. Please pray for guidance in this endeavor.

Heidi, who is in the 7th grade, came by to use Myra’s computer to download some information. We do have internet cafe's and a local library where she could get this information. She said even though she has a computer class for the first time in school, the teacher doesn't come often and she does not understand yet how to use a computer. Myra searched and copied the info for her. It was too much information and not enough time to teach her and also complete the assignment. That's a good example of the need to provide computer classes for the poor while they are still in elementary school. Heidi had never encountered a computer before entering seventh grade and now she has to search for info from the web and is at a loss.

AN UPDATE ON THE BUILDING PROJECT

We now have an estimate of the cost of the building, water and sewer. The dimensions of the building are 19.20 x 9.5 meters one side and 16 x 9.5 meters on the other side. The first level is below ground and will be the comedor for 200 children, Church, kitchen, small bathroom for workers and storage. The cost is $40,000.
The top level will be an office, medical clinic, dental clinic, Susi Saltsman multipurpose room (library, computer lab, afterschool programs, literacy classes, Bible classes, etc,), and living quarters for someone to live there. The cost is $45,000.

We can complete the bottom level and open the comedor and church while we are still building the second level.

The well costs $5,000.00 and the sewer is $3,000.00. Electricity has come to the area recently so we do not have to put in a transformer, praise God. We are asking the mayor to resurface the road near the construction of the building so we can get trucks in and out.

We now have $9,600 saved for the construction. We need $13,000 to begin work. The builder is an excellent Christian man and included in the cost are doors, windows, plumbing and electricity. Please pray about helping us finish this project.

We also welcome groups to come see firsthand what we are doing here. Airfare is very cheap now and the trip with food, hotel and transportation to and from the airport would be as little as $1000 per person including airfare of $500 or less per person. A small group of twelve or less would be good. We ask $100 a person for a donation to the ministry. That should be included in the $1000.

We are all amazed at our all sufficient God. It's been a hard economic down time for so many people in the U.S. and even as we all struggle we are seeing how faithful God is. There are so many examples. We have 39 children who are sponsored this year and one adult. Because of personal economic struggles, a few of the commitments have not been met monthly… BUT GOD is still faithful. Two Guatemalan business men donated over 200 notebooks that we were able to give out to any of the 163 children attending school who needed them. The local elementary schools also gave out some school supplies. A local merchant donated 15 blankets to the ministry. We now have seven Guatemalan's who monthly donate Q25 ($2.00) to Q200 ($25) towards the ministry. We have given out over 800 meals this month. Another stove was donated to a poor family in memory of the late Ed Saltsman. God is truly awesome. There is no downside in Him. He keeps His promises and cares especially for the poor, children, orphans and widows.

I am encouraged that I am in the right line of work and have a great Boss who never cuts my wages but always gives life to His ministry. Thank you all for your love, prayers and support. Have a blessed Easter.

Love, Myra.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Joy in the journey
Good Health
Spiritual growth for my children
Good relations with ministry team
Pastor for the church
$3400.00 to start the construction
More visitors
More monthly support

2009-03-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

The incomplete building

Francisco ministering to the men

Doris and her new stove

Children with new tennis and school supplies

Young ladies and Gilma at the sleepover

Ministering to the children and having fun too

Outdoor classroom for first grade

Nathan

Ministerio Comedor y Educación de Paz, Chiquimula
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light Isaiah 9:2

Greetings from Guatemala… cold, windy blustery Guatemala. For a while there I thought I was back in the states because of the cold! In parts of Guatemala it was below zero!

We have officially named the ministry in Guatemala to reflect the work that is being done. The Guatemalan name for our ministry is Ministerio Comedor y Educacion de Paz, Chiquimula. It means it is a feeding program and education program with the emphasis on Peace. The name of the Guatemalan church also has the same emphasis. The church's name is Dios es Nuestra Paz (God is our Peace). We are still WMOTW for tax purposes and for the non-profit status. The name Watchmen On the Walls does not translate to a meaningful statement of the ministry in Guatemala.

Birth Announcement! Nathan has come. My Aimee gave birth on the 12th of February to her second son. He weighed 8 lbs and is gorgeous.

Angel is well. With Raquel on maternity leave, Erika stepped in as his tutor. He’s in the fifth grade and really struggles with focusing. He’s smart, especially in math but he’d rather play with the cat, watch action videos (although he loves Bambi 1 and 2), sleep in, eat everything in sight, and play with his toy soldiers. He’s a typical 11 year old. Please pray for me.

There is a new school in the colonial where most of the families we work with live. We visited them one day. What a walk. There are 87 students from grades kinder through 4th. There are four classrooms. There are two classes of first grade. Many older children ages 10-14 are studying for the first time.

We have a wonderful group of youth coming to help with the children at the comedor. They have broken them down by age into groups to share the word and play games. It’s been a bit crazy because space is limited in the garage, but fun for the children. Francisco also faithfully comes to help.

We had our first sleepover for 2009. Twenty one girls attended ages 10 through 15. We had a great meal of chicken Chow Mein, cake, bread and a drink. Afterwards we had a time of games and then a special gospel sharing by a youth from a local Guatemalan church. We had prayers, popcorn and a movie. All of the girls save two had accepted Christ before. One of those two made a first time commitment. Please pray for the other girl, Katerin, who said she was not ready.
We gave out tennis, book bags and school supplies this month. Thank God the government is helping some this year but more is needed. We are so thankful we could fill in the spaces where more help was needed. This also meant we could help more children.

So far this year we have given out four stoves. They use less wood, have a chimney that takes the smoke outside of the home and is high off of the ground away from animals. The latest stove given out this month was donated by Jerry and Daisy Hudson of Zion 3 church of Ohio. Doris and her four children were thrilled to receive the blessing of the stove.

Francisco had his monthly meeting with the men. Seven men showed up and he shared on relationships within the family especially with their wives. There is a lot of abuse here. After the sharing and prayer, the men ate a meal and sat around talking more. We are thankful for Francisco’s positive influence on these men who are not attending any church. This is their opportunity to hear about another way to live.

As time goes on things change but remain the same…new birth, death and taxes. We rejoice in all three. Each brings renewal. How? New birth brings a new life, death in Christ brings a new life eternal, taxes bring an opportunity to take care of here and now. We are so excited about new birth in the ministry, actually the rebirth of the building project that has been on hold for four years.

The month of March we plan to restart the construction. We are in the process of getting a new estimate based on the rise in the costs of construction and a new building plan. We plan to build a two story building to house the comedor (feeding program), church, medical clinic, computer lab, library, space for an after school program, English classes and much more. Please continue to pray as we look to begin again on the construction. Become a part of what we are doing here if you have not already and if you have thanks and keep it up. You are needed.

Thanks for your love, prayers and support.
Love, Myra

A New Year with lots of shoes

2009-02-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Happy 11th Birthday Angel

Two of a kind-Aimee and Raquel

Children with new shoes

Children with new shoes

Children with new shoes

Francisco praying with the men

Happy Birthday children

Happy Birthday Ladies

Children with great grades and their gifts

Old stove

New Stove

Ministry staff - Gilma, Sindy and Graciela

Youth Group Helping out at Feeding program

Out with my Girlfriends

Greetings from Guatemala. We are warm here compared to when we were in the states. I am glad to be home. Angel loved the cold and snow.

Angel celebrated his 11th birthday on the 12th of January. He gained 27 lbs while we were home and now weighs 97 lbs. He is a big boy. He started back to school and is getting into the flow of studying and doing homework again. His reading English is very good. He is growing into a fine young man.

We've been busy getting back to ministry work. Francisco and Raquel did a great job running things while we were gone. Gilma took great care of the house and paid the bills. Raquel gave birth to her second child (Debora) late January and my daughter Aimee is still a lady in waiting.

The biggest project in January is always school. We ordered 161 pairs of school shoes. One day from 10am to 6pm we were able to fit and give most of them out. What a blessing to see the faces of the children with their new school shoes. This year we have scholarships for 39 children and one adult. The adult, Santos, is attending a local university. Some of our kids are now attending junior and senior high school. God is good.

We celebrated the children's birthdays for the months of November through January with our usual chicken salad and black beans sandwiches, cake and a flavored ice drink in a bag and a gift. We also gave gifts to the children that had excellent grades at the end of the school year in October 2008.

The Sunday services continued with the ladies. We also celebrated their birthdays with small gifts of toothpaste, tooth brush, comb, soap and a piece of jewelry. We started with the book of Ruth as we continue studying through the Bible forever...

The men had their meeting one Sunday with Francisco sharing the word, praying with them, and giving out clothing and shoes.

Towards the end of the month with Raquel home with her new baby, a youth group from a local church volunteered to come help. Praise God. They are very well organized and such a blessing to the ministry. My art teacher Eddy arranged it through his church. Eddy is the head of the children's ministry of his church and has come and shared before with the children. Eddy is like a kid magnet for God. Each time he comes the kids run forward to receive Christ.

We gave out three stoves this month. Gary & Kathy Speraw purchased one stove and Ed & Joy Saltsman purchased another stove. They are from Zion 3 church in Ohio. The third stove was purchased by Mark & Robin Hemming from Church of Nazarene also in Ohio.

In all of this busyness I did find time to go out with my four friends, Carla, Lucky, Sarita and Anita to celebrate Carla's and Lucky's birthday. We had a fun day and I needed it.

We are outgrowing the garage where our meetings and the feeding program is held. We are believing God to finish the building this year so we can have more space for the feeding program, provide a medical clinic, a computer lab, English classes, a library, after school study program and much more.

Thanks to all of you for loving on us while we were home, giving us generously of your time, hospitality and money. We are so blessed. We in turn can bless the poor in Guatemala through your support of this ministry.

Dental Triumps and Woes

2009-02-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

When I was in the states Don and Mary Scro recommended me to their dentist who saw me for free. I have periodontal disease and need a deep cleaning every 3-4 months. I have not been able to find that in Guatemala. The dental assistant took x-rays and with two visits and a few almost painless needles, I was good to go for awhile yet. The visit was a blessing for me. That was the triumph part.

Here is the woe part. The dentist told me I had two crowns that were loose and will fall off sooner or later. One crown was done about six years ago by one dentist. The other only within the last six months by another dentist. He gave me an estimate of over $2000.00 to correct the problem... or go back to my previous dentists and have them correct it. The two previous dentists were from Guatemala and my confidence level with them was very low. I did not have that kind of money even though I sure wanted him to do the work.

I came home and decided to try another local dentist. I showed her the x-rays which the American dentist had graciously given me. My first visit she was working on a filling and her phone rang. With her plastic gloved hand she answered it, said she was not too busy, talked for a bit while still working on my mouth, finished her conversation and then continued with the filling. I was not too happy. Her office was clean, well ordered and modern looking but her service was wanting.

I am now looking for another dentist that can do the work. In Guatemala it may cost me $300 compared to over $2000 in the states but there is not much peace of mind. Please pray with me that I will find a good dentist here in Guatemala and then I can share more triumphs than woes.

Back on Track in Guatemala

2009-01-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

8 year old Oscar with his new shoes and school supplies

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Marco Tulio's first day of school

Yesterday we had a full day from 10:30 in the morning until 6 PM we were giving out school shoes. They were delivered about 7 am in the morning from the factory where they were made. We canceled the feeding program because we knew the garage would be very congested and it was. Pregnant Raquel, her mother, Gilma and myself were busy comparing lists with shoe sizes and with actual feet which didn't always match... but we made it through.

This morning a few more stragglers showed up and Marco Tulio came by to get his bus fare. Marcos is nearly 16 and in the 2nd grade. He's a bright mischievous young man who lives with his lovely mother Alicia and his abusive father Jose. Lets pray that he can get through this year and continue to study.

After Marcos left for his first day at school, four little boys came by, only one of whom was going to study. That happens so often, some children will not study and their parents will not encourage them. Oscar is in the 2nd grade, is well spoken and even said thank you when he left with his new pair of shoes.

The day is just beginning and I know more children will be coming by but what a good beginning to see one older child with potential starting a new year of studies and another younger also with potential on the same road and both with a chance to succeed.

On The Go in the USA

2009-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

Myra, angel, Daughter Lee and grandchildren

Myra and the WMOTW Board

Angel in the Ohio snow

Myra, Angel and Natalie with "Angel's friends"

We just returned on the 7th of January from two and a half months in the cold, cold states. So many wonderful things happened to us during our visit, I don't know where to begin.

Our next stop in November, after the mission conference at Mt Moriah church and our wonderful visit at Huber Memorial church, was to Philadelphia to visit with Al and Natalie Turner. Angel was the star there because the staff at Natalie's job were eagerly waiting to meet him. We were taken to lunch and Angel was given money and toys. The money came in handy because the boy was growing from the moment we landed in the states and needed new clothes. The Turners had a small reception for us at their home and I shared at their Sunday morning church service. Philadelphia truly is the city of brotherly love. We left there blessed.

We then returned to Baltimore for a few days before we took a train to Ohio via Kentucky. Oh, it was cold there. We were hosted by Jack and Lora Jenkins and the entire Zion 3 church family. Almost every day I was going to eat, sharing about the ministry, being interviewed for a newspaper article and having a movie night with the ladies from the church. They also had their Thanksgiving church dinner while we were there. I also shared at a local Nazarene church. It may have been cold outside but the welcome was mighty warm. Angel also loved the SNOW and going to see the deer in the field. He said he would love to live in Ohio.

We returned to Md. and spent a short time with long time friends Paul and Lisa Fenstermacher, then I was off to Cambridge, Md to visit friend Mary West and her family. I also shared at lovely Speddens United Methodist church. It was beautiful on the Eastern shore but oh, so cold. I thought I would never get warm. I found time to visit with Dawn Stewart and her family including her precious mother Jane. Angel was with his grandparents and uncle David for a week enjoying the sights. I returned to Baltimore in time to share Thanksgiving with my family and to be reunited with my son, Angel.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we met with Jose and Ana Flores and that Sunday I spoke at my home church Immanuels in Silver Spring, MD. We left after service for Chevy Chase, Md to visit with long time friends and then on to Haymarket,Va. There we shared at Park Valley church, gave my testimony at an Hispanic church, had a board meeting hosted by WMOTW president Kelly Schaeffer, fellowshipped with old and new friends and tried to stay warm.

We just left November and am entering into December. Are you tired yet?

We left cold Va. on December the 9th and took a train to Wilmington, NC where we shared at Robert Register's church Pine Valley COG. Robert also took Angel shopping. He had outgrown his clothes I had bought. We then stayed with Ari and Brenda Brady and their new son Ryan in Southport, NC. Ari is a hunter and Angel had a great time hearing his hunting stories and seeing his trophies. We actually rested for a few days before Brenda drove us to Loris, SC where we stayed with Kenneth and Barbara Staley. I spoke two days at the Mt Olive Missionary Baptist Church. The southern hospitality and food was great.

Kenneth and Barbara drove us to Raleigh,NC where we stayed with Don and Mary Scro. They had set me up with a much needed dental appointment. I had two days of dental work done for free. Thank you Lord. We caught our last train from Raleigh to return to Baltimore a week before Christmas. The Sunday before Christmas we shared at the First Baptist Church of Pimlico with Pastor Anthony Dorsey. I thank Bernadeen Green, Shirley Scurry and Deloris Leiley for accompanying me there on that icy, cold morning.

Christmas we spent with more family and I finally had time to visit with some old friends from Baltimore. Angel went off again to spend time with his grandpa again and I went out to eat and be with old friends. I had a great time at Liz's Christmas brunch with good food, good conversation, games and even prizes.

We were winding down but I had one last visit at pastors Anthony and LaVern Murray's church. Afterwards we had fellowship at their home. New Years Eve was spent with Sandi McFadden at the Rock church. New Year's day was spent with good friend Shirley Scurry looking for old friends and visiting others. Glad we found Jackie Carter and spent a few hours with Larry McNair's widow Bernetta. I also went shopping with good friend Zakia after the new year. What great bargains.

2009 is now here and we were on our way home finally. It was a great trip although not a very restful one. I apologize for not being able to get with so many old friends. Do know I think of all of you often and I do pray for you. I especially missed seeing dear old Bill.. but we did talk on the phone. I have so many memories of so many people I have met in my life and all of them are good!

On the Go in the USA

2008-12-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hello,

We, angel and I have been from Philadelphia; Ohio; Silver Spring, Cambridge, Columbia and Chevy Chase, MD.; Virginia; Willmington, Southport and Raleigh North Carolina; and Loris, South Carolina. It has been exciting and hard. We were on the train over 15 hours going to and from Ohio. Angel loves the train and has traveled pretty well.

We have been blessed on every hand. The love, compassion, interest, generosity, friendship and love has been overwhelming.

We are well on the way to provide 163 pairs of shoes for shool children and one adult next year. The school year begins in Mid January.

Our hearts are full and overflowing with joy. God bless you all.

On the Go in the USA

2008-11-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

Myra and Fellow Missionaries

Angel and His new friend

Angel and Myra at Mission display

Myra with First Lady Wanda Smith of Mt Moriah Baptist Church

Our second week in the states we attended a missions conference given by Mt. Moriah Baptist church. Melvin Green invited me and we are so glad he did. We saw some old friends and made new friends. The conference was excellent. The fellowship with my fellow missionaries was heartwarming for me. Angel was gone most of the time making friends with the children his age. Mt Moriah has the gift of hospitality. I went away refreshed and encouraged.

We, now have a new president. A man of color who needs our prayers and support. God put him there and the Bible says we must pray for those in authority. As I was watching the news coverage and seeing the expectant crowds before the results came out and saw and heard the uproar as President elect Obama was proclaimed victor, I could not help but think what if those crowds were expectantly waiting for Jesus and then when He was proclaimed Lord and King of all, their cheers were for Him! Only God Himself can bring forth the true ideal of America with those who will listen and obey His voice. I pray that the new leadership in the White House will be people whose hearts and minds and ears are inclined to His voice.

On the go in the USA

2008-10-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Angel lending a hand with pieces of the stove

Installing New Stove

Francisco and Men's Ministry

October Birthday celebration

Myra and Venus

Greetings from Baltimore. Angel and I arrived safely on the 24th of October. Buster picked us up from the airport.

Before leaving Guatemala I was invited out by friends to say goodbye and received phone calls and visits from others and even small gifts just to say I would be missed. The mothers attending the services and some who attend the feeding program with their small children stood up and recited words of farewell, rubbed on me, hugged me and a few even cried. The children said their goodbyes also with words of love and lots of hugs.

Before we left we celebrated the children's birthdays for October and gave out their birthday gifts. We also had another stove installed for a family of seven. Randy and Dottie Sizemore of Zion #3 church donated the money to purchase the stove. The family was very excited and thankful. It was a bit of an adventure getting the heavy pieces of the stove to their home. The road was impassable because of the rains. Angel, Gilma, her brother-in-law Hugo, two members of the recipient family and one small neighbor boy hauled in the heavy pieces a little less than a mile.

Francisco shared the word with the men at the men's meeting. Afterwards clothing was given out. Some new men showed up that had not attended before. Please pray for this work. Francisco and his wife Raquel are keeping the ministry going while I am gone. Please pray for them and for the families in Guatemala.

After arriving home I saw my parents the very next day and was pleasantly surprised at the improved health of my mom. She is still tiny (88lbs) but moving around on her own. Praise God. Angel hadn't seen them for almost 3 years and made a comment that my mom looked about 95 and my dad 70 although he said my dad had also aged. They are both 85.

We spoke the first Saturday at Huber Memorial Church's Women of the Word Bible study. As always we were glad to see them again. My good girlfriend Venus took me to the Bible study and out to lunch afterwards. We also went to visit her daughter Shamane and new grand baby Zoe who is a beauty. Sunday we attended both services at Huber Memorial and gave a report on how the ministry was doing. It is always good to be at Huber Memorial mainly because they spoil me so much. I am thankful for their support, prayers, and encouragement.

I will be blogging during this trip so please come along as we go from place to place.

Love, Myra

A Sign of Hope from a Missionary Point of View

2008-10-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

This financial crisis has affected many people in the states and many missionaries, who live by faith, are also affected by your belief in "Gloom and Doom" or your desire to do what God wants you to do. I recommend this word from Chuck Colson to your hearts.

A Sign of Hope
The Witness of Faith in Tough Times
October 8, 2008

Like many of you, I don’t look forward to turning on the financial news these days. These are troubling times. If you’re anywhere near my age, or about to send your kids to college, you can’t be happy when you see your retirement plans or college funds seemingly going up in smoke.

But as I got on my knees in my library yesterday morning in my devotional time, God really convicted me—in a way that was unmistakably from Him. As I started through my laundry list of thanking God for the blessings He’d given me, praying for my family and for my own, personal concerns, God stopped me short. I felt convicted this was no way to start my prayer time. No, I needed to start by offering myself to God, to be fully used by Him.

It was as if God told me that my priorities were wrong. He told me I shouldn’t be praying for myself. That my job was to carry out the responsibilities He’s given me. And if I did that, He’d take care of my needs. God raised me up, I realized, to speak to His Church. And that’s what I should be about doing. Encouragement in tough times.

Not two hours later, I arrived for an appointment at the hospital to get the results of a biopsy (which, happily, turned out well).

When I arrived at the reception desk, I was greeted by a nurse—a lovely woman—who had an enormous smile on her face. A fellow believer, she told me she had been waiting at the desk to meet me. As we talked, I asked her how she was handling things. She said her husband had been heavily invested in real estate. When the housing market melted down, they lost everything they had—their home, cars, retirement, everything. And she—she appeared to be her 40s—had to go back to work to support the family.

When she finished, she looked at me with a radiant smile and said, “It’s been tough, but I have no fear. The Lord has a plan for me. I am totally at peace.”

I was nearly speechless. This was no chance meeting. Here, right before my eyes, was living confirmation of what God convicted me of hours earlier. All I could do was thank her for telling me, and then pray with her for a moment. Scripture tells us we often meet angels unawares.

But I couldn’t help but be encouraged. Nobody who encounters this woman’s trust in God would ever deny the power of faith. While many are walking around wringing their hands, she is living with “unutterable and exalted joy.” That kind of faith changes a person, convinces the skeptic, and provides a stunning witness to God’s love in Christ—even in tough times.

That’s the kind of faith God calls us to. Complete and utter trust in Him. It’s easy to be a believer when everything is going well. The real test is when things fall apart.

I know how hard it is to have nothing: I remember the days of the Great Depression. I’ve been in prison. But in the end, and especially in times like this, I know that in Christ, I can be content in all things.

Sure, it hurts to see your life’s savings or your job threatened. It’s part and parcel of being human in a fallen world. But this is a time when Christians must be different and show it to the world. Maybe that’s what God intends to do with this crisis. Maybe He’ll use it to banish the “health and wealth gospel” and let the world see how the genuine faith of God’s people shines all the brighter in the darkness.

I pray that you might hear God’s word as I did yesterday morning. Be not afraid! And then live with the kind of faith that that nurse in the hospital showed me.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Charles Colson on Politics and the Christian Faith (DVD)

August update

2008-09-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Puppets and the Puppet Masters

Myra with Augusts' birthday children

Raquel (far right) and her literacy class

Esperanza with her new son

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings from hot, wet, windy Guatemala. This truly is the land of perpetual sunshine but it also rains and when it does it rains hard.

Angel is doing well. We are anxiously awaiting his exam results for the 3rd semester. We really like his school because the teacher recognizes his strengths and is open to help work with his weakness, which is fear. He is doing better and we are looking forward to the end of the school year in mid-October. We will be coming home at the end of October and he is so excited because we will be there for Christmas and hopefully he'll see some snow. I'd rather not.

Many of the children did very well in the 2nd semester. The 2nd semester report cards were sent home late while they are now just finishing their 3rd semester exams. We sent 31 children-from pre-school to 8th grade - to school this year. The school year ends in late October. From the report card shown for this semester, 29 of the 31 will pass. Of the 31 children 9 of them had excellent grades of 80 and above in all of their classes!! One child, a student in the 1st grade, had grades of 90 and above in all of her classes and another child, who is in the 6th grade, also had grades of 90 and above in all of her classes!! Of the two students, who will not pass, one is in the 1st grade and is 9 years old but could not fully understand the work. That is not unusual for children who have never held a pencil before. That's a big step in itself for some. The other student is in preschool. Both will try again next year and we believe, with this years exposure to this new world of learning, next year they will succeed.

Because of the landslides near to our area and the hundreds of people living in shelters, the ministry that usually gives us beans, rice, corn and soya directed those items to those needy people. Thanks to your donations we were able to buy 300 lbs of beans and 200 lbs of corn. We gave small portions (2-3 lbs.) of beans and corn to 60 families that have 206 children. We are hoping to be able to do more of same or better next month,

School was closed for a week and we took the opportunity to have some special fun time with the kids. Suzy was given a theme of salvation for a child who was a bully and developed it into a puppet show. A few of the older children came by daily to rehearse. The puppet show was shown on the last day before they returned to school. It was a great success. Everyone, including the mothers, enjoyed the puppet show.We are thankful to the Park Valley group who were here in July for leaving us the theatre made of PVC pipe and covered with cloth.

We celebrated the women birthdays on Sunday and the children's birthdays on the last Friday of the month with small gifts and a cake.

We are continuing weekly with the literacy classes with Raquel as teacher. We have adults and children. The adults are all women. We have one man who does his work in his notebook at home. His grown daughter and two smaller children attend but he is timid to be in a class with all women. The children are ages 7 to 14 and will be attending school next year for the first time. We also have three high school students who are being tutored during this time. Yes, those little girls towards the front of the photo are seven and eight!

Another stove was purchased this month that was donated by Daisy Hudson of Zion #3 church. The stove was given to Esperanza's family just a few days before she gave birth to her sixth child. These small blessings are huge benefits for the families. These stoves are compact, uses less wood and each has a chimney that takes the smoke away from the houses and especially away from children who are the most vulnerable. We are committed to place a stove in one families home each month at a cost of $120, that's a bargain.

The Women on Sunday have just finished studying the first 5 books of the Bible. We applaud their interest and dedication to come every Sunday to hear the word and we know it will perform that which it is sent to do. We started in May 2007 in the book of Genesis.

Towards the end of the month things got very sad personally, but God used that time to strengthen Myra to war against the attack of the enemy. There came such a peace and a spirit of intercession that was and still is warming to her soul. As she finished the service on the last Sunday in August she felt led at the close of the teaching to go and pray a small prayer over every woman present. Only God knew why and how those individual prayers affected those women. Myra felt humbled and blessed that God would use her after being in such a sad state just a few days ago but He did and we rejoice in seeing His hand move so beautifully over this ministry. Being open to do the next thing is always the key.

These are some of the small steps that were made this month but each step touches one persons life and that can change a whole family. The faithfulness of God is being demonstrated by these little acts of kindness and deeds of mercy. Thank you all for holding us up in prayer during these very dry time financially but also its a very rich time in the spirit.

Love, Myra

Hanging in There

2008-08-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a difficult two weeks..."feeling" down physically and emotionally. I had recently lost a dear friend in Christ to the Lord and was grieving over her...selfish of me, because I know she is happy and blessed in the presence of the Lord. I know when I come home in November she won't be there to chauffeur me around but more to bless me with her love. Then I was exhausted from three wonderful groups that came to bless me and felt lost when the last group left me alone and friendless. (joke)

I've been asking God what's going on and my answer was "Get up Myra and do the next thing", so that's what I've been doing. I preached two Sunday's ago and felt like dry grass was in my month and one of ladies came forward and accepted Christ!! My God did that because I was not really there. How wonderful He is when we are at our weakest he shows Himself strong.

We had our first two literacy classes in these days.We are thankful for Raquel who volunteered to teach the class. Many of those attending are children ages 8 through 14 who have never studied or have dropped out. They are eager to learn and to have an opportunity to study next year. We are praying that with help from supporters we will able to send those children to school.

An update on Marcos. He is doing better after his accident. He is more alert every time I see him. Thank God. His mother, Alicia is on the mend after being beaten on her back with a heavy barrel by her husband. Please pray for this family.

Heavy Rains and Mudslides in Chiquimula

2008-07-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Below is an urgent request for prayer from my friend and fellow missionary Nancy Sheldon who lives only 40 minutes away from us.. The rain has been ongoing and has become life-threatening. In our area, thank God, everyone we know is okay. No one has lost their lives or homes. She is not in danger where she lives.

Our concern is the fault lines because we did have an earthquake here a few years ago and the epic-center was in the area of Jocotan/Camotan and we felt it right in our home. Thank God there was little or no damage in any the areas from the epic-center on out.

Thank you for your prayers.

Love, Myra

Hi everyone,
I wrote a prayer request that was going to appear in the webpage changes for August but those won't be posted until next week and I wanted to get some prayer action going as our situation is escalating here.

We have a crisis in this part of Guatemala. The fault lines are very unstable and are moving. This is further complicated by the fact that we are having excessive rain. I have never in 20 years wrote to ask for the rains to be calmed; we have always prayed for more rain. But the ground in saturated, the river is overflowing and there is no place for the water to go. A "crater" has opened up in Jocotan and they can't even determine the depth because it seems to be a bottomless pit. Water continues to fall in it and so is looking for tunnels and outlets, further weakening the ground.

86 families had to be evacuated from Jocotan yesterday. I spent the afternoon helping my secretary's family (Lidia) who was one family and a number of other families to go to new housing locations. Lidia found a house to rent although the owners put it at double the rent, taking advantage of the situation.....knowing that someone would take it. People are being housed in 2 evangelical churches, the catholic church and the theater in town.

In Camotan we received 1300 refugees yesterday. 800 people from La Union are here, a town about an hour or a little more away. Houses have been buried and some have fallen into holes where the earth has opened up. They were blocked off from 2 out of the 3 routes to leave. One route has 120 landslides in a 38 kilometer stretch. We have 400 people in the gymnasium in Camotan. That was as of last night and more could have arrived during the night. They were supposed to evacuate another 500 people from Caparja, which is the border town crossing over into Honduras. We also have people at the catholic church, an evangelical school and a public school in Camotan. The president is supposed to arrive at 10am this morning. We are trying to help with the immediate need, knowing that it will take a few days to get organized and wait for help to arrive. One of our church ladies started making tortillas at 5am this morning and we hope to have 400-500 to pass out by lunch time. We are also making a rice drink to hand out. We have 12 people staying at my sister's house from La Union, that I know.

At first it was a temporary measure to have the families leave their homes in Jocotan but now they are saying that they cannot return.....ever! People are having to walk away from their homes. The government is talking about doing a housing project for those affected, but I am not real confident about that. I went through this 11 years ago with Hurricane Mitch. The people were promised to be relocated into nice block homes and eventually received a 12 foot square cement slab with a weak tin roof over it....hardly what they had been promised!

Late last night they were supposed to open up the flood gates to a dam in Honduras. This is what caused our problem with Mitch in 1997. A piece of the dam broke and brought us a "wall of water" on Jocotan washing 86 homes down the river. This time, thankfully, they decided to release the excess water in a controlled way, before it broke. It will still send us more water but in a controlled way and it doesn't appear to have caused any more damage for us last night.

By later this morning they are supposed to have a census of exactly who is here and have them registered. We will then have more accurate information. We want to do what we can to try to help in this crisis. We ask for your prayers.

Blessings,
Nancy

IF WE DO NOT LOSE HEART

2008-07-23T20:54:00.001-07:00

I have been a bit weary lately and I remembered this article a friend sent me that really blessed me. Today's post is the article from me to you with love.
Myra

If We Do Not Lose Heart
Francis Frangipane

“He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.” Daniel 7:25

The prophet Daniel warns of a time when Satan, through the Antichrist, will seek to wear down the strength of God’s saints. How this occurs in the final hours of the age remains to be seen, but on one level this battle already is going on today: Satan seeks to wear us out through delays (“alterations in times”) and in compromise of God’s Word (“alterations in law”).

The final effect of what seems like never-ending delays is that believers are worn out. Do you know anyone who is weary with his or her battle? Are you yourself weary? I know many who seem trapped in situations that should have been remedied months and even years ago but the battle continues against them. Situations and people, often empowered by demonic resistance, stand in opposition to the forward progress of God’s people. As a result of satanic spiritual resistance, many Christians incrementally accept this resistance until a quiet, but weighty, oppression rests on their souls.

This battle to wear out the saints may be rooted in conflicts with children or spouses; perhaps it is some unresolved issue or division within their churches. It may be a work conflict or health battle, yet on and on it goes. Like a skilled and masterful thief, the enemy daily steals the joy, strength and passion of Christians, and many do not even realize what they have lost or how much.

The scale is actually larger than our personal struggles. Consider the various conflicts in the world. Some have continued for generations. We can understand why, even in the midst of great worship and praise by the redeemed, there is a place under the altar in heaven where the saints continue to ask, “How long, O Lord?” (Revelation 6:10). Fifty-eight times in the Bible, from beginning to end, the phrase how long is echoed by those who grew weary with waiting.

Sometimes the delays are God-ordained to perfect faith; as we seek Him He helps us grow. On the other hand, there is a vicious attack against us to oppose and delay the fulfillment of God’s plans for us until we grow weary and quit. Satan is the dragon whose goal is to “drag-on” the battle with draining, wearying delays. He persists until we wear out, give up and quit praying.

Additionally, as situations stretch beyond reasonably expected conclusions, weariness of soul can also exacerbate the original situation, leading to fleshly reactions or just overreactions, which also need resolution. We lose patience, eventually seeking relief rather than victory. This compromises the standards of God and conscience.

Perseverance
There is a reason the book of Revelation mentions the word perseverance seven times. Over and over again we see those who persevered and overcame. It is one thing to have vision, another to have godly motives, but neither will carry us to our objectives by itself. We must also persevere.

The root of the word persevere is the word severe. We must face the fact that en route to victory our trials may get severe. Likewise, it is with severe faith - severe or extreme steadfastness - that we inherit the promises of God (see Hebrews 10:36). James tells us: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Endurance. Perseverance. Steadfastness. These are the qualities that breed character, that transform the doctrine of Christlikeness into a way of life. “Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect.” The key to perfection, to a life “lacking in nothing” is perseverance.

Weariness of the Mind
Have you grown weary? You are not alone. Part of the weariness we feel comes from faulty thinking. If we had known the battle was going to take as long as it has, we would have prepared for it more realistically. Every building plan will probably take twice as long as we assume; every virtue will take a year, not a weekend, to be truly worked in us. It may take a generation for some of our loved ones to be saved. If things happen sooner, we can rejoice. But we must guard ourselves lest we prepare only for the easiest of breakthroughs; some things will not manifest without time and tears.

You may think that it sounds like unbelief to expect difficulties. I don’t think so. I think it is wisdom. Wisdom is not the enemy of faith. I have found that if I don’t trust God and relax, I become anxious, fretful and distracted. I have also found that the Holy Spirit will not descend and rest in power upon a man who is fearful and controlled by his external circumstances. Jesus’ spirit stayed in abiding peace, yet still He accommodated delays as part of life’s package. He was often delayed by the huge crowds or urgent needs of the people around Him. People died waiting for Jesus to show up. Did He become anxious? No, He stayed focused on the Father and without losing His trust in God, simply raised the dead.

At some point we must come to the conclusion that God knows when we are growing weary in battle - be it praying for the salvation of a loved one or one more frustrating delay in reaching our vision. We must trust that He knows our battle and that He has a miracle conclusion waiting us. I know a dear pastor who labored long and hard with a new building project, but it was constantly being delayed. It was first scheduled for completion in September, then rescheduled for December, then January and then February. Finally, with weariness in his voice, he called and asked if I could join him for their dedication. It was set for the first week of March.

“When exactly do you need me?” I asked.

He answered, “March fourth.”

Suddenly the Holy Spirit illuminated my heart. I told him that God had chosen this date prophetically. The Lord wanted that church, as an army, to “march forth” into their destiny. In a flash, the weariness weighing upon him was gone; joy and a sense of destiny swept his soul. The delay wore him out, but the delay in the hands of God became inspirational.

Dear ones, let us persevere. We just do not know what the victory will look like when we finally break through. Consider Joseph. Betrayed, enslaved, slandered and forgotten, he had to endure to reach his destiny. But the time finally arrived, and never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the outcome would be so wonderful.

What we become is more important to God than what we do for Him. Our struggle, though we may have been delayed time and again, deepens our character. Maintaining our standards when pressed, finding grace when stretched, makes us true men and women of God. The Almighty One is in control. He knows how to take what was meant for evil and transform it into something good, even using the devil’s own devices to bring him down. God has something marvelous in store for us otherwise the enemy would not be fighting so intensely. Indeed, Scripture tells us that Satan rages worst when he knows his time is short (see Revelation 12:12).

Character Before Breakthrough
We mentioned Daniel earlier as a prophet who warned about Satan’s ploy to wear down the saints. God gave him a vision of the end of the age. Here is what he wrote: “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them” (Daniel 7:21). This is the nature of the battle. There are times we feel war storming against our souls, overpowering us. But the prophet said the sense of overpowering continued only “until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom” (Daniel 7:22).

There is a principle here that, once understood, will lead to victory in our battles. There will be a time, inevitably, when we feel overpowered. Yet if we endure, if we climb higher into God, if we refuse to lose our trust in God, a time will come when the Ancient of Days enters our circumstances. Looking at our newly developed character, which has grown strong through perseverance, He will pass judgment in favor of our cause. God looks at our character, forged in the fire of overpowering delays and battle, and says, “Good, this is what I was waiting for.”

Whatever your battle, whether you are praying for your country or standing for your children, whether your cry is for the lost or for the end of some local or personal conflict, remember the words of Paul: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9).

Master, I ask that You work in me the character that perseveres until the end. Forgive me for being such a wimp. Help me to grow up, to stand up until the harvest I have sown spiritually bears fruit. Thank You for not giving up on me! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Used by permission of Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, copyright (c) 2005. All rights to this material are reserved. Materials are not to be distributed to other web locations for retrieval, published in other media, or mirrored at other sites without written permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Families at Risk update and more

2008-07-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

This afternoon the father, mother and the two girls who had accused their father of foundling them came to my house. The father came to assure me that he was not doing anything. He said he is an affectionate man who loves his family. The younger girl was visibly shaken while he was talking.

I had talked to Robert, director of Songs of Joy Home, and he said if the parents signed the daughter in for economic reasons he would accept the girl more at risk to live at the Home. The father said it was the girls decision. She lowered her head and with tears in her eyes said she would stay with her father.

My prayer is that with the father's awareness that I am watching and am interested in his girls that he will not continue with any abuse. He seemed very concerned about his image and did not want any problems with the police. Please continue to pray for this man to come to repentance and for protection for the girls.

Later in the evening my bell rang and a young girl came asking if I would call the police because the men of her older sisters were beating up both women. I called the police and waited with her until they arrived.

I'm tired emotionally so please pray for a quieter day tomorrow and for this family also.

Love, Myra

Families at Risk

2008-07-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a hard day. Two of the girls attending the comedor revealed that their father was abusing them. He threatens the mother when he is drunk and makes the girls lie with him. He is foundling them. The one girl spoke up first because her sister has started her menstrual cycle and she is concerned that she might get pregnant if this situation escalates. The older sister who is grown and married was sexually abused by the father starting at age 13! The girls are 12 and 13.

I talked to the mother and she denied everything. I sense that she fears he would hurt her physically and also is concerned for who would care for her family if he is gone. We cannot call the police because there is no forensic evidence because he has not sexually abused them as yet and the mother will not testify against him. Please pray for this family, especially for the father to be delivered from his sin. Pray for protection for the girls and strength for the mother to believe God to provide for her needs.

Later that night I heard another poor neighbor screaming in pain. This was Alicia, Marco's mother, another victim of physical abuse. She was taken to the hospital and returned this morning. Her husband also drinks and hit her across her back with a heavy object. She has 11 boys and is recently pregnant. The doctor says she will probably loose this baby. Please pray for this family, especially for the husbands deliverance from his alcoholism and for Alicia's strength in the Lord. She is a strong Christian women who has endured much. She has fasted and prayed for her husband and her boys.

What can I do ? As I was reading my devotions this morning I was in Matthew 5:43-48 and 1 John 3:14-4:21. These words really helped me to get a good perspective on these situations. I am not to judge the people but to love them. Did not Jesus come to save those who were lost. I sorrow for their sin that not only destroys them but others. I have hope in God that he will deliver and set free those who are in bondage to sin.

Practically my desire is to build a shelter for women and their children with a working project so that they can make a living while there. In this country there are not many or any resources available for women especially the poor.

Please stand with me as I go forth in love to bring the Word through teaching and demonstrating His love for every one of these people be they sinner or saved.

Love, Myra

Park Valley Church Visitors and My Ministry

2008-07-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

A new day and a new message. Yesterday we had our first literacy class. It was a blustery, rainy day and only a few showed up but it was a good beginning. Today, at our church service, many said they would come to the class next Saturday for sure.

I want you to meet a new addition to the ministry. Francisco and Raquel are a young couple who are youth pastors at a local church. They had been in Chiquimula for about 3 months and wanted to help in a ministry. A friend brought them to me and they have been a blessing and a delight. Raquel teaches the literacy class as well as tutor my son Angel. Francisco shares the Word with the men once a month. Today at our monthly Men's meeting 27 men showed up. Praise God!

Last but not least, I'd like to share about the last group of visitors. They came mid-July and their impact on this ministry and with the poor community is still resonating. The group was led by good friend Kelly Schaeffer, who is a dynamic and dedicated personality. She brought the same caliber of people with her.

They wasted no time from painting my kitchen, doing activities with the kids, recovering plastic covered huts with new plastic, cooking and serving meals for the comedor (feeding program), killing mildew off of cement walls, baking cakes for a 15th Birthday party for one of the girls, to helping me with my newly donated computer. They even took time to visit Songs of Joy Children's Home to share play time with 60 children. I was tired just watching them.

Two of the most exciting times of their visit was when we took about 70 kids to the pool. They set up a fair day with fun stations for the children to visit and to enjoy. They also provided the clothing, ring and gifts for Carla's 15th birthday celebration. In this culture this is a special event that poor children never celebrate. Carla cried as she told them she never could imagine in her entire life that she would celebrate her 15th birthday in this special way.

They became attached to a number of the children. One in particular was Marco Tulio (14) who is one of my favorites. Marcos comes from a very abusive family. His father drinks and beats the mom. He has beaten Marcos so bad he's had bloody whelps on his arms and back. With this life style he had become a very angry young man. His house is up a hill on the back side of my house. When he is angry he has thrown rocks and has broken my windows. It's nothing personal...the windows are there in front of him and in his hand is a rock waiting to vent his anger. I talk to him and tell him I am not angry and always smile at him and over time he is doing better.

Marco was hit by a car and was unconscious for a day but thank God he revived and is on the mend. The visitors really took to him and loved on him. I pray this attention will inspire him to return to school and continue to study. He is a very bright young man with a winning smile.

That's all for today.

Love, Myra

Al, Natalie & Team

2008-07-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Another day and more info about visitors. My second group of eight people was led by Al and Natalie. They sent ahead SEVEN large boxes filled with women, children and men's clothing as well as shoes and purses. WOW!!

After a rough first day in Guatemala for Natalie ( serious upset stomach) everything ran smoothly. There were four young people in the group ranging in ages from 16 to 23 and an older woman of 68. All pitched in sorting and giving out clothing every day of the comedor (feeding program). The people were amazed and blessed and my garage was overflowing with very happy people.

We also visited the homes of the poor so the visitors, especially the younger ones, could appreciate how blessed they are in the states.

Al and Natalie did a great job organizing the activities. Al also was the chef for the group and did an excellent job. They really served me while they were here. I hardly did anything.

We are looking forward to more visits from Al and Natalie in the future. They are making plans to come again.

Closing for now.

Love, Myra

Jack and Jennifer Visit

2008-07-17T19:26:00.001-07:00

angeldaniel@wmotw.com

Ministry visitors

Hello,

This is my first blog experience and it is exciting and a bit scary. Who's gonna read it anyway? If you do, you are special!

This year has been my busiest as far as visitors coming to the ministry. From late May until yesterday, its been none stop.

Where do I begin? Each group has blessed me in different ways. More importantly they have blessed God by their service.

I will begin with May when Jack and Jennifer came. They were so easy and laid back. Jack fixed anything in sight plus taught my son Angel how to do some handy man things too. Jen, who is a nurse, checked out the mothers and children. She was very good with them too. She also participated in a sleepover with 20 odd girls. No. they were not odd, just the number. She brought t-shirts and paint to make decorative shirts. It was great time. I took them visiting to see how the poor live. Jack has been involved with this ministry many years with his church. He has been an advocate for this ministry. He plans to come back in a year or two with more people and Jennifer plans to bring some nurses to do a medical clinic.

Jack also bought a plaque that will be placed in the building as a memorial to Susie Saltsman. In her memory we will build the Susie Saltsman library and multipurpose center. This will be an entire floor of the building and will serve as the church, daycare, computer lab, library and a place to hold Bible, hygiene, and literacy classes.

To make donations to this project please make checks out to WMOTW 3415 Fallstaff Rd Baltimore, MD 21215. Please put Susie Saltsman in the memo line.

I will share more tomorrow about my second group. If you are interested in serving the poor in a foreign land. Come on down!

Contact me at Angeldaniel@wmotw.com.

Love, Myra