Back on Track in Guatemala

8 year old Oscar with his new shoes and school supplies




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

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

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

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

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

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

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